Stuart, IA (Sunday, August 25, 2019) - With the regular Wednesday night points season coming to an end at the Stuart International Speedway in Stuart, Iowa back on August 7th, track owner / promoter Mike Van Genderen decided to try a Super Sunday show. What was original scheduled for Sunday, August 16th, was rescheduled for Sunday, August 23rd, after rains that morning forced the event to be postponed.
After checking the forecast for Stuart before leaving home, I jumped into my car to make the 4 hour driver northwest. The driver up was mostly cloudy the entire way, that was until about 20 miles east of Stuart on I-80. Where I ran into some rain showers. A quick check of the radar showed some showers just south of the area. But it was moving northeast, and looked to be avoiding Stuart. Which happened to be the case, as I pulled into town the rains had stopped.
The 1/4 mile track had plenty of moisture in it early on, which produced some very fast racing action. After eleven heat races were completed it was time to go feature racing in the 5 division event.
First up was the 15 lap IMCA Sport Compact feature, with Curtis Masterson and Zak Sickles drawing the front row for the event. Masterson took advantage of his draw to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Mitchell Bunch, who was behind the wheel of a white #7 machine rather than his normal yellow and black #83B car, and Tyler Fiebelkorn. The action was slowed on lap 4, as debris in turn 2 brought out the first yellow. On the restart Bunch went to the top of the track and used the momentum out of turn 4 to edge out Masterson at the line by a bumper. Then just after the lap was scored complete, Colton Garside spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Jordan Ford would get sideways in turn 1 on the restart, and collected Chris Bozarth and Gardise to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Bunch jump back out front, with Masterson and Fiebelkorn close behind. Another lap scored complete produced the final caution of the event, as Nikole Kimmel spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Bunch moved back out front, with both Fiebelkorn and Logan Richards, who started 10th, over taking Masterson to give chase of Bunch. But without another caution to slow the pace, Bunch would pull away to claim his fifth win of the season at the track. Richards was 2nd, Nathan Castellano, who started 7th, was 3rd, Fiebelkorn was 4th, with Masterson holding on for 5th.
Up next was the 16 lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature, with Michael Murphy and Zach Hemmingsen leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Murphy used his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Brandon Cox and Hemmingsen. The lead for Murphy lasted until lap 4, when Cox used the momentum off the top of the track coming out of turn 4 to take the top spot. Cox, who worked the top of the track, and Hemmingsen, who was working the bottom, raced side-by-side around the 1/4 mile track from laps 6 thru 10. With Cox being scored the leader at the stripe each of those laps. All the while, Chuck Madden Jr. was lurking in third and looking for room to get the lead. When Cox drifted high coming off turn 4, that is all Hemmingsen needed to grab the lead. Hemmingsen then held off a last lap charge from Madden Jr. to score his first win of the season at Stuart. Madden Jr. settled for a close 2nd, John Watson came from 8th to finish 3rd, Curt Reed was 4th, with Corey Madden finishing 5th after starting in 10th.
While the Hobby Stock feature turned out to be top dominate, the 20 lap IMCA SportMod feature was bottom dominate. Chris Burke and Daniel Baudler drew the front row for the event. But it was fourth place starter Brayton Carter who went thru the middle of both coming off turn 2 to grab the lead on lap 1 over Mitchell Morris and Burke. Morris, who was running 2nd, would spin in front of the field in turn 4 and collected Chase Rudolf to bring out the first yellow of the race. Rudolf's night would ended early, as the contact resulted in a broken right front. On the restart Carter moved back out front, with Baudler and Burke following. Carter's fast pace would allow him to pull away from the rest of the field. But when Burke slowed to a stop down the front stretch with a left front flat, to bring out the second and final caution of the event on lap 11. This would bring the field back to Carter's back bumper for the restart. On the restart Carter jumped back out front, but now had Columbus, Nebraska's David Johnson, who started 9th, and Baudler close behind. Johnson tried to stay close to Carter over the final laps. But Carter was just to fast on this night, as he claimed his fifth win in seven starts at Stuart. Johnson was 2nd, Baudler was 3rd, Colton Nelson started 11th and finished 4th, with Garrett Nelson coming home in 5th.
The 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature had some troubles getting into a rhythm, as four cautions waved in the first six laps. Andrew Burg and Chad Legere drew the front row for the event. But just as the green flag waved the yellow light would come on, as Anthony Goldsberry and Terry Pruitt collided in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. Under the caution Brandon Pruitt headed to the work area to change a right front flat. On the original restart Legere went to the bottom coming off turn 4 to edge out Burg at the line by inches to lead lap 1. But Burg would use the momentum off the top to take the top spot away on lap 2. Then coming off turn 4 to complete lap 3 Legere would drift high and when he tried to come down to avoid the wall, he got turned into the front stretch wall and collected Terry Pruitt to bring out the caution. Marcus Fagan took advantage of Burg's bobble on the restart to grab the lead over Buck Schafroth, who started 5th, and Keith Simmons. Then just after the lap was scored complete Dustin Reeh spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Fagan moved back out front, with Schafroth and Burg following close behind. While Schafroth tried to work under Fagan for the lead, Josh Daniels, who started 12th, Jeremy Gettler, and Burg raced three wide going into turn 3 for third on lap 6. Coming off turn 4 Gettler would loose the handle and spun, and then collected Adam Klocke to bring out the yellow.
Fagan once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Schafroth and Burg close behind. Schafroth went back to trying to get under Fagan for the top spot, but Fagan was able to hold him off each lap. That was until coming off turn 4 to complete lap 10, Schafroth finally got under him to grab the lead away. Two laps later Terry Pruitt spun in turn 3 and collected Gettler to bring out the yellow. On the restart Schafroth moved back out front, with Fagan and Josh Daniels giving chase. The final caution of the race appeared on lap 16, as Tyler Nelsen spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Schafroth grabbed the lead on the restart, with Brandon Pruitt, who charged thru the field after changing a tire under the first yellow of the race, over taking Fagan for the runner up spot. But Brandon Pruitt wasn't able to mount a challenge on Schafroth, who held on to claim his sixth win of the year at Stuart. Brandon Pruitt was 2nd, Fagan was 3rd, Josh Daniels was 4th, with Burg holding on for 5th.
The 20 lap IMCA Modified feature was the final event to take to the track, with Tony Hilgenberg and Garett Wilson drawing the front row. Wilson took advantage of his draw to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Hilgenberg and Josh Gilman. While most of the driver's went to the bottom of the track, sixth place starter Joel Rust worked the top of the track. His choice would pay off for him on lap 3, as he used the momentum off the top of turn 4 to take over the top spot. After grabbing the lead Rust then went to the bottom of the track to pace the field. The action was slowed for the first and only time on lap 7, as Jesse Dennis slowed down the backstretch to bring out the yellow. On the restart Rust moved back out front, with Cody Laney, who started 8th, and Gilman following. Rust would hit his marks on the bottom of the track over the final half of the race to pull away for an easy win. Which happened to be his first win in his first ever visit to Stuart. Laney was 2nd, Kelly Shryock came from 10th to finish 3rd, Gilman was 4th, with Todd Shute finishing 5th.
Notes from Stuart: The final checkered flag waved at 8:15 PM, which helped to get everyone back home in a decent hour on a Sunday night......Ryan Brown started the Sport Compact feature in 12th and would come home in 8th....Frank Mills finished 12th after starting in 16th......Adam Ayers came from 14th in the Hobby Stock feature to come home in 6th....Brandon Long finished 8th after starting in 12th....Michael Murphy was running 4th, when he pulled off on lap 14 with troubles......Mitchell Morris recovered from his spin on lap 1 of the SportMod feature to come back up to finish 6th......Brock Badger started the Stock Car feature in 13th and finished 6th....Bob Daniels finished 8th after starting in 17th....Ben Walding came from 15th to finish in 9th....Dustin Reeh recovered from his spin on lap 3 to come back up to finish 10th....Tyler Nelsen, who started 18th, also recovered from a spin on lap 16 to come back to finish 11th.
I would like to thank Mike Van Genderen and his crew for allowing me to come up to cover the action at Stuart International Speedway. The next event at Stuart will be a two day show on Friday September 20th and Saturday, September 21st. Stay tuned to their website and Facebook page for details, as they come available.
My up coming weekend plans are to head to the Marshalltown Speedway in Marshalltown, Iowa on Friday, August 30th for the Showdown in MoTown. Then on Saturday, August 31st it will be over to the Boone Speedway in Boone, Iowa for the Prelude to the Super Nationals. Sunday, September 1st and Monday, September 2nd are still up in the air. Maybe I will see you somewhere this weekend, if not at least get out and support a racing event at a track near you!
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