Heavy rain the night before left the Mountain Dew Bloomfield Speedway a little on the soft side Friday night as the United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) and USRA Iron Man Series for Stock Cars and B-Modifieds returned to the southeast Iowa facility for the first time in a few years. The racing surface was fast, but there were plenty of ruts and ripples to navigate leading to a very interesting night of racing.
A short but stout field of B-Modifieds would be the first of three feature events on the card as only seven of the nine drivers checked in would make the start for fifteen-laps. Dan Wheeler who towed down from suburban Minneapolis would race to the early lead with plenty of pressure from Keokuk's Jim Gillenwater. The two would race side-by-side a couple of times through the first three laps before Wheeler broke away. Wisconsin's Cory Crapser drove under Gillenwater for second on lap five and then quickly closed in on Wheeler to become the new challenger for the lead. There was no stopping Crapser as he hugged the bottom line and drove past Wheeler on lap eight to then go on and post the victory. Wheeler would take the runner-up position while Carter VanDenBerg passed Gillenwater for third on the final lap. Jared Timmerman would fill out the top five.
Nineteen USRA Iron Man Stock Cars would take to the track next for twenty-laps and $750-to-win with Mike Hughes taking the lead on the initial start. A spin by Derrick Agee in turn two would require a full restart though and this time it was outside pole sitter Tom Schmitt who hammered out the early lead. The caution waved again after lap one for a Chris Hawkins spin and on the restart Kyle Falck settled into second and began to apply the pressure to Schmitt. Falck would take the lead on lap five, but as the field powered through turns one and two Shawn Foster caught a rut wrong, veered to his right and then went for a roll catching some huge airtime. Foster's car settled upright and then flames erupted from under the hood, but that was quickly extinguished and Foster climbed out unscathed.
Once back to green Schmitt would re-take the lead with Mitch Hovden now up to challenge and just after Hovden grabbed the top spot on lap nine Hawkins spun again in turn four to put an end to his evening. Hovden would continue to lead following the restart with Falck in hot pursuit and when Dillon Anderson picked up the chase in third it appeared that tonight's podium would be filled with three drivers from Decorah. With three laps remaining though Hovden missed his line and caught the rut in in turn one causing his car to bicycle and nearly tip over. He was able to save it, but in doing so he would give up three spots as the field raced down the back stretch. Falck was now back out in front and in the scuffle Mike Hughes moved back up to second. With the white flag waving Hughes made his bid for the checkers and the two drivers exited turn four nearly side-by-side and it was Falck who would win the drag race to the checkers. Anderson and Hovden would go third and fourth respectively while veteran driver Jerry Pilcher started twelfth and finished fifth.
Twenty-one USMTS cars and stars would take the green flag in the night's finale with Johnny Scott vaulting to the early advantage. That advantage would grow as the first ten laps clicked off quickly and on lap eleven a plume of white smoke billowed from the leader's car and when he slowed on the back stretch the caution flag waved. Zack VanderBeek would assume the lead on the restart first with a challenge from Rodney Sanders and then from Stormy Scott. On lap twenty the leaders were quickly closing in on Ryan Cook and Jeff Connor so Scott used it to his advantage and dove under VanderBeek for the lead in turn one. Just after the exit of turn two though Cook appeared to want to make a left turn toward the infield as Scott powered by him on the inside. As Cook made his turn he caught the right rear of Scott who then spun up the track mid-way down the back straightaway to bring out the caution.
Sanders would pounce on VanderBeek on the restart to now set the fast pace as Stormy Scott drove like a madman to try to quickly work his way back to the front of the field. By lap twenty-six Scott was racing with Kelly Shryock for sixth when contact between the two sent Shryock hard into the outside wall exiting turn four. The five-time series champ climbed from his used up race car and walked quickly to Scott's parked car to discuss the incident as Stormy would restart in the sixth position. VanderBeek was able to stay in Sanders' wake, but could not mount a challenge as Scott quickly stormed to third and began to close on the lead duo. That bit of potential drama came to an end though with three laps remaining when Scott got too high in turn one and pounded the guardrail bringing his night to a close. With just nine cars remaining on the track for the final three laps, nobody could get past the defending series champion as Sanders scored the win. VanderBeek was second while Austin Seibert started seventeenth and finished third ahead of Nate Wasmund and Daniel Hilsabeck. Dylan Smith, Joe Duvall, Jeff Connor and Charlie Baker were the remaining cars that finished the grind.
It was good to visit with USMTS owners Todd & Janet Staley and prime-time announcer Lon Oelke during the intermission and here's hoping that they will bring this show back again soon to experience the
fast and smooth track conditions that are normally found in Bloomfield. A big thanks to friend and super fan Gary Lee who waved me into a prime seat next to him and it was also nice to visit with my old high school friend Dave Dodds whose family was there to watch Shawn Foster race, and unfortunately see his night end in spectacular fashion.
Not sure yet where I am headed on Saturday night and Sunday's destination will be determined by Mother Nature. Hope to see you somewhere!
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