It is 11:15 on Monday night and Morgan and I have just made the 75-mile trip back from the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa where an unforecasted rain shower dumped a good amount of rain during the intermission of tonight's Front Row Challenge. With a full day of work ahead and with this being the first of six straight nights of action we decided to head for home rather than to wait out what we estimated would be at least a two hour rain delay of tonight's racing program. As I write this they are still working the track in Osky.
A solid field of forty-five Sprint Cars were on hand for this All Star Circuit of Champions sanctioned event. Lance Dewease set quick time on the evening while Erin Crocker, driving a sprint car for only the third time in the past four years, put up the second quickest time of the night. The fact that Crocker's run in the #59 came about midway through the qualifying order made it even more impressive.
Williston, North Dakota, driver Justin Berg blew a left rear tire going into turn one on his qualifying lap and smacked the guardrail, likely ending his night. Brad Sweet drove a third Kasey Kahne car tonight (Joey Saldana and Craig Dollansky), but when he suffered front wing damage early in the first heat Dale Blaney blew by him for the fifth and final transfer position. The fourth fastest qualifier of the night, Shane Stewart did not come to the track for his heat race. More bad luck for Stewart whose night ended in the wall at Knoxville on Saturday. That fourth heat saw Ryan Bunton and Brandon Wimmer collide in turn one on the first lap. Both cars stayed upright, but were heavily damaged. With Stewart, Bunton and Wimmer all out ouf the lineup, ninth starting Tyler Walker was able to race past Fred Rahmer for the fifth transfer position.
Bronson Maeschen edged out tall, long-legged and young Jack Dover in the drivers foot race featuring the top two finishers from each heat race. Wayne Johnson took a tumble right at the start, while Johnny Herrera went for a roll after Doug Clark's checkers. Johnson told on-track announcer Scottie Cook before the foot race that the only chance he had of winning would be if a sherrif's deputy was chasing him.
As the drivers returned to the pits to get ready for more racing the skies cut loose and it rained pretty hard for about ten minutes. With a packed down racetrack now holding standing water, we chose the option of a full night's sleep in preparation for Tuesday night's Ultimate Challenge featuring the USAC non-wing sprinters. Hope to see you on a bright sunny Tuesday evening in Oskaloosa!
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