When you see Jac Haudenschild in the pit area you would never guess that he is just a few days shy of his fifty-sixth birthday. He is still fit and trim although slight in stature, still has that blond hair, not short but not long, and he still walks with the confidence of a winner. And on a seasonably cool and breezy night at 34 Raceway near Burlington Sunday, he showed just why he has been a favorite of Sprint Car fans throughout the nation for more than two decades as he made a late charge to score the victory in the season opener for the Brockway Mechanical and Roofing Sprint Invaders.
Haudenschild and his Destiny Motorsports team had raced the night before at 81 Speedway near Wichita, Kansas, and with the Sprint Invader season opener having been pushed back one night from when it was originally scheduled they decided to make a stop at 34 Raceway on the way back home. After winning the third heat race and then running fourth in the Budweiser King of Beers Shake Up Dash "The Wild Child" would start the twenty-lap main event from outside of row number three. Jon Agan, who already has a win on his 2014 resume down in Texas, raced to the early advantage only to have Central Illinois driver Bret Tripplett drive by him for the lead on lap two.
As the fans focused on the battle for second between Agan, Kaley Gharst, Wayne Johnson and Haudenschild, Tripplett opened up a huge advantage of nearly a half a lap over that group before he encountered slower traffic. By mid-race the battle for second was now a two car one between Johnson and Haudenschild before the veteran from Wooster, Ohio, finally established himself on lap ten. Tripplett still enjoyed more than a straightaway advantage, but he was now struggling to find a way around Andy Huston. For the next five laps the leader settled in behind the slightly slower car of Huston as Haudenschild gradually cut into that lead and, once Tripplett did make the pass, Haudenschild was within striking distance.
Once clear of Huston, Tripplett maintained about a five car length advantage, but as more traffic cam into play running his preferred lower line that is when Haudenshild knew where to attack. Going to the high side in turns one and two, Haudenshild swept past Tripplett down the back stretch on lap eighteen and then pulled away over the final two laps for the popular victory. The young driver Tripplett knew that he had let one get away, but will forever remember that he was only beaten by one of the legends of the sport and he now has the early advantage should he decide to pursue the 2014 Sprint Invader title. Wayne Johnson finished in the third spot, Jon Agan was fourth and Kaley Gharst rounded out the top five.
Invader Notes.....Haudenschild had finished fourth in the NCRA feature in Wichita the night before, an event won by Kevin Swindell. He was not the only one to make the "exactly 504 mile trip" as reported by Wayne Johnson. "The Iron Man" had finished eighth at 81 Speedway while Jon Agan and Dustin Selvage also made the trip back from southeast Kansas......Twenty-four cars signed in for the season opener and for the full race story and results click here......Johnson was officially scored as the #10 car for the night with that number black taped over his usual #77J as he scored series points for car owner Steve Wares. Wares and his driver Alan Ambers will be regulars with the Invaders for 2014.....Kaley Gharst climbed into the Dale Oaks owned car #41 for the night, a car that he and several other drivers including Wayne Johnson and Jerrod Hull have won with in the past on the series......It was a tough opener for the top two drivers from the 2014 standings Russ Hall and Dustin Selvage. Hall got too wide coming off of turn four during his heat race and smacked the wall putting the Skillz Motorsports crew hard at work so that he could even start the B-Main. Hall then raced his way from the back to win that event, but on the opening lap of the feature he slipped off the top of turn one and stopped to bring out the caution. Restarting in 20th, Hall could only make his way back up to 12th at the finish. Selvage was not up to his usual speed all night as he could not post a top five in his heat race and then was passed by Hall late in the B-Main. "The Shocker" started 17th in the main event and finished 14th......One of the pre-race favorites, Joey Moughan drew the pole position for the first heat race but did not turn a lap when he could not get his Wilson Brothers #17 to fire. Scoring the fifth and final transfer from the B-Main Moughan then started at the back and moved to 8th in the feature......Bobby Mincer kicked off his 25th season of racing with a seventh place finish at his hometown track......The winner of the 2013 season opener that was also held at 34 on March 30th, Paul Nienheiser slowed and pulled to the infield on the opening lap of the feature......With his stocking cap, sunglasses and thick black beard I was just about to ask Zac Brown for his autograph following the driver's meeting, but then I realized that it was Jerrod Schneiderman. I still probably should have asked for his autograph though......The Brockway Mechanical and Roofing Sprint Invaders have a double-header on the schedule for this weekend running Friday Night April 4th at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson and then Saturday night April 5th at the Jackson County Speedway in Maquoketa although the weather forecast does not leave us too optimistic at this point. But you never know! There are then two more events scheduled in April with the first Invasion of the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa on Wednesday night April 16th followed by a return trip to the Independence Motor Speedway on Friday night April 18th.
In support class action on Sunday Justin Bucholz held back a late charge from Jimmy May to win the Mod Lite main event. Chase Flatt, Daniel Keltner and Gary Snyder completed the top five. Ten IMRA "Midget Lites" signed in for competition and while Jeff Mallonee went the distance to score the apparent win he was then disqualified for using an illegal right rear tire. This put a very happy Aaron Schuck in victory lane while cult hero Robert Bell of Colfax officially finished second. An already solid count of Four Cylinders grew by six as driver checked in late following their late afternoon race in Donnellson and three of those late arrivals would score top-five finishes, including the victory. William Michel would hold the lead for the first eight laps of the twelve lap event before Austen Becerra powered by. A late restart gave Michel one more opportunity to regain the lead, but Becerra held him off to take the win here at 34 Raceway after he had finished fourth earlier in the day about forty miles down the road in Donnellson. Michel would hold down the second spot, Trent Orwig followed up an 8th at Lee County with a third place finish at 34, Jacob Brown was fourth and Kimberly Abbott scored two top-five finishes in one day after taking third at Lee County.
For a report on both days of action at Lee County make sure to check in with my Positively Racing colleagues Dick & Joyce Eisele and Brian Neal. Coming soon if not already posted....And if you are looking for news from the Thaw Brawl at LaSalle check in with Danny Rosencrans.
34 Raceway will host the Midwest Performance & Power Clash for the Quads, Bikes and Pit Bikes next Saturday night before the high-banked 3/8th-mile oval springs back to action with two big shows. On Saturday April 12th the MOWA 410 Winged Sprint Cars will be in town and then on Saturday April 19th the much anticipated Slocum 50 will be run for the open Late Models paying $10,555 to win.
Now it is time for me, like all race fans, to kick back and see how the weather unfolds this week to see if I will be catching two more nights of Sprint Invaders, or looking for some other type of racing action. Wherever it may be, I hope to see you on the Back Stretch!
No comments:
Post a Comment