Friday, June 3, 2016

Stovall Hold On For First MLRA Win at Osky

Oskaloosa, IA (Thursday, June 2, 2016) - Usually the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa races on Wednesday night, but with the Lucas Oil MLRA Late Models coming to town the program was moved back to Thursday this week. A nice crowd was on hand to witness Jesse Stovall hold on to claim his first MLRA win of the season.

The first feature to take to the track was the 10 lap IMCA Sport Compacts, with Bill Whalen Jr. and Shane Evans drawing the front row for the event. Whalen Jr. would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Evans and Cody VanDusen. Just after lap 1 was scored complete, VanDusen would come to a stop in turn 2 to bring out the caution. On the restart Whalen Jr. jumped back out front, with Brad Havel, who started 7th, and Lincoln Schrock, who started 6th, both over taking Evans for the second and third spot. Havel would follow in Whalen Jr.'s tire tracks until he was able to slip under Whalen Jr. coming off turn 4 on lap 5 to take over the top spot. Havel wasn't able to pull away from Whalen Jr. though, as Evans moved back into third and made it a three car battle for the lead. Whalen Jr. tried to get under Havel for a couple of laps, but when that wouldn't work he went to the top of the track. Coming out of turn 4 to take the white flag Whalen Jr. was able to use the momentum off the top of the track to grab the lead. Whalen Jr. then held on over the final lap to pick up the win. Evans made a last corner pass on Havel to claim 2nd, Havel settled for 3rd, John Gill started 9th and finished 4th, with Schrock coming home in 5th.
Bill Whalen Jr. used a back-up car to win an exciting IMCA Sport Compact feature on Thursday, June 2nd at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA.

Up next was the 30 lap MLRA Late Models, with Jesse Stovall and Jordan Yaggy leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Stovall took advantage of his starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Chad Simpson and Yaggy. The torrid pace that Stovall was setting brought him to the back of the field by lap 7, and just went he was getting ready to start lapping cars the first caution of the race appeared on lap 8. Jay Johnson, who was running in the top 10, came to a stop down the middle of the backstretch to bring out the yellow. On the restart Stovall shot back out front, with Yaggy over taking Simpson for the runner up spot. Once again the torrid pace that Stovall was setting brought him to the back of the field by lap 15. And once again just as he was getting ready to lap cars, the caution would come out. This time Dave Eckrich, who was running 5th, slowed in turns 1 and 2 to bring out the yellow. Stovall jumped back out front on the restart, with Yaggy and now Rodney Sanders following behind him. The pace the Stovall was setting in the early part of the race started to go away on lap 25, when smoke started to appear from the race car. With two laps to go Stovall was working lapped traffic, and the smoke started to get heavier. Which allowed Yaggy and Sanders to close within his back bumper. But Stovall was able to hold on to pick up his first MLRA Late Model win of the season. Yaggy was 2nd, Sanders was 3rd, Simpson was 4th, with Mars coming from 12th to round out the top 5.
Jesse Stovall held on to claim his first MLRA Late Model feature win of the season at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA on Thursday, June 2nd.
Second place on Thursday, June 2nd at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA in the MLRA Late Model feature was Jordan Yaggy.
Rodney Sanders finished third on Thursday, June 2nd at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA in the MLRA Late Model feature.
Fourth place on Thursday, June 2nd at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA in the MLRA Late Model feature was Chad Simpson.
Jimmy Mars drove from twelfth to a fifth place finish on Thursday, June 2nd at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA in the MLRA Late Model feature.

Taylor Elliott and Brett Lowry were scheduled to lead the 16 lap IMCA SportMod feature to green, but when Elliott elected to go to the rear this would move Trent Brink up to the pole. Lowry jumped out into the lead on lap 1, with Brink and Logan Anderson following. As Lowry started to pull away from the field, the place not to be was behind him. As Brink, who was running 3rd, slowed on lap 5 and pulled off the track. Then on lap 6 Anderson, who was running 2nd, pulled off with motor troubles. The first caution of the race appeared on lap 8 when Colton Livezey spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Curtis Van Der Wal, who started 7th, got under Lowry going into turn 1, as the two raced side-by-side down the backstretch. Coming off turn 4 to complete lap 9 Van Der Wal would edge out Lowry at the line to take over the top spot. Just as the lap was scored complete, Danny Brau spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. Van Der Wal moved back out front on the restart, leaving Lowry to defend off Jason McDaniel, who started 10th and was using the top of the track to get to the front. Van Der Wal went on to lead the final 6 laps to claim the win. Lowry was 2nd, Carter VanDenBerg, who started 9th, edged out McDaniel for 3rd, with Matthew VanGelder coming home in 5th.
The IMCA SportMod feature on Thursday, June 2nd at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA was won by Curtis Van Der Wal.

The 16 lap IMCA Stock Car feature was up next, with Cayden Carter and Derrick Agee drawing the front row. Carter would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Agee and Nathan Wood. Agee tried to work under Carter over the first two laps, but had no luck and then had Wood working him over for the runner up spot. With no caution to slow the action Carter would pull away to claim his fifth win in a row at the track. Wood was 2nd, Agee was 3rd, Mike Hughes was 4th, with Todd Reitzler rounding out the top 5.
Cayden Carter remains unbeaten in weekly points races in the IMCA Stock Car division at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA, as he won his fifth feature in a row on Thursday, June 2nd.

Danny Thrasher and Scott Shull drew the front row for the 15 lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature, with Thrasher jumping out into the lead on lap 1 over Brad Stephens and Bill Bonnett. Just after lap 1 was cored complete, Christian Huffman would spin in turn 4 to bring out the caution. On the restart Thrasher moved back out front, with Stephens and Dustin Griffiths, who started 5th, close behind. Griffiths tried to work under Thrasher for the top spot on laps 4 and 5, but when that didn't work he jumped to the top of the track. Coming out of turn 4 to complete lap 6, Griffiths was final able to use the momentum off the top side to grab the lead. One lap later, lap 7, Jared Stephens, who was running 6th, spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. On the restart Brad Stephens tried to work under Griffiths for the lead, but Griffiths was able to hold him off. Griffiths then pulled away over the 8 laps to pick up his third win in a row at the track. Brad Stephens was 2nd, Bonnett was 3rd, Thrasher was 4th, with Jamie Songer coming home in 5th.
Dustin Griffiths won his third IMCA Hobby Stock feature in a row at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA on Thursday, June 2nd.

The final feature to take to the track was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Hunter Marriott and Andrew Schroeder leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Marriott would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Colt Mather and Richie Gustin. Mather would slip under Marriott to take the top spot away on lap 2. While Mather set the pace out front, Ricky Thornton Jr., who started 6th, was working his way up to battle Mather for the lead. Coming off turn 2 Thornton Jr. was able to slip under Mather to grab the top spot away on lap 14. Thornton Jr. then pulled away in a caution free race to claim the win. Mather was 2nd, Gustin was 3rd, Jacob Murray started 8th and finished 4th, with Marriott holding on for 5th.
The IMCA Modified feature on Thursday, June 2nd at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA was won by Ricky Thornton Jr.

Notes from Osky: 26 Late Models, 16 Modifieds, 16 SportMods, 15 Hobby Stocks, 15 Sport Compacts, and 10 Stock Cars made up the 98 cars signed in on Thursday night......Cody VanDusen who slowed to a stop in turn 2 on lap 1 of the Sport Compact feature, recovered to come back up to finish 6th....Levi Heath started 11th and finished 7th....Lukas Yoder came from 14th to finish 9th......Tad Pospisil started the MLRA Late Model feature in 11th and finished 8th....Chris Simpson, who won the B Main, started 17th and passed 8 cars to finish in 9th....Jason Utter won the hard charger award, as he passed 9 cars from his 21st place starting spot to finish in 12th....Terry Phillips came from 19th to finish in 14th....Bryon Allison took a provisional and started 23rd. He would pass 7 cars to finish in 16th....Spencer Diercks also took a provisional and started 24th. He would finish in 20th......Cory Van Zante finished 8th in the SportMod feature, after starting in 11th....Scott Brau started 13th and finished 9th....Taylor Elliott, who was scheduled to start on the pole but elected to go to the rear, came up to finish 10th....Steven Berry finished 11th after starting 14th....Danny Brau came from 16th to finish in 12th......Mike Brown lost an engine in his heat race that forced him to scratch from the Stock Car feature....Brock Welch had troubles in hot laps that forced him to scratch for the night......Nick Ulin started the Hobby Stock feature in 9th and finished 6th....Steve Allen passed 7 cars from his 14th place starting spot to come home in 7th......Scott Dickey started the Modified feature in 16th, and passed 8 cars to come home in 8th....Brandon Banks started 15th and finished 9th....Kyle Brown, who was running 7th, pulled off on lap 10 and was credited with 11th....Todd Shute had troubles in his heat that forced him to scratch from the feature.