It was just about five months ago that I closed out my 2014 racing season at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri, and even though it seemed like an incredibly long winter, it felt just like yesterday as I walked back into the old covered stands at the fairgrounds in northeast Missouri Friday night. Night one of two for The Midwest Bottom Heavy Spring Nationals, named that way due to the fact that the extra money that would normally be placed on top of the purse was instead distributed throughout so that more drivers could share in the wealth, was on the menu and three weeks ago I would have bet the house that this race would not have happened. Consistently frigid temperatures through the end of winter suddenly changed to an amazing two weeks of dry and warm conditions and that, along with the grooming from promoter Mike Van Genderen, had the wide racing surface in near perfect conditions. Something that had to be a welcomed surprise to everybody as you simply don't see dirt tracks in this area without at least a ripple or two this early!
The Sport Compacts would be the first of five features on the evening and after dominating her heat race to begin the night Kimberly Abbott was the driver to beat as she drew the pole position for the twelve-lap event. Josh Barnes was able to keep pace with Abbott early on although he could not mount a challenge and Barnes' teammate Michael Grossman was on the move after starting eighth. With four laps remaining Abbott negotiated lapped traffic with ease as Grossman challenged Barnes for second and those two closed the gap on the leader as they battled for position. With two laps remaining though Barnes slowed on the back stretch, a victim of a flat tire, and this allowed Grossman to now concentrate on catching the leader. Abbott was smooth as always though and stayed glued to the bottom line leaving Grossman no choice but to settle for second at the checkers. Trent Orwig was in the third spot, Travis DeMint was fourth and Seith Woodruff took fifth after starting at the back of the fifteen car field.
The Sport Mod division was up next for their sixteen-lap headliner with veteran driver Jim Gillenwater starting on the pole next to Jenae Gustin. Gillenwater who last year said that 2014 would be his final season of racing apparently found that stepping away from the sport that he loves was not as easy as he thought and why would it be when you are still fast enough to win? The driver from Keokuk would outrun Gustin for the early advantage although Jenae stayed tight to the leader. Those two would pull away from the rest of the field as good battles for position raged on behind them and on lap twelve, after making a couple of earlier bids, Gustin was able to ease by Gillenwater on the inside for the lead. On the next lap though as Gustin raced into turn one behind the lapped cars of Dusty Masolini and John Anderson, she had to get on the binders hard when Masolini slowed to pull into the infield off of turn two and Gillenwater took full advantage racing around all three cars on the outside. Not to be denied Jenae fought back and again used the inside groove to take back the lead from Gillenwater as the white flag waved and she would hold him off over the final lap to take the win. Hometown driver Austin Howes would finish a ways back in third, Joey Gower came from the fifth row to finish fourth and Brett Lowry drove Shawn Ritter's #SR7 car in for fifth. Division rookie Austen Becerra, who was the 2014 All Iowa Points Four Cylinder Champion was sixth and the defending All Iowa Points Limited Modified Champion Austin Luellen was seventh. Luellen suffered a flat tire during his qualifying heat and had started the feature from seventeenth.
The ladies were two for two on the night now, but there would be absolutely no chance for a clean sweep as there were no women entered in any of the remaining three divisions. The men now had a fighting chance.
The start of the Hobby Stock feature showed why I love the Scotland County Speedway as they went five-wide through turn two on the opening lap and there was room to spare! Austin Luellen had started on the outside of row two, but somehow found his way into the lead on that opening lap and the sixth-starting Shannon Anderson quickly moved to second when the right rear wheel came off of the second place car of Nick Ulin. Always a threat to win, Anderson stalked Luellen throughout the remaining eleven laps, but could never get to his bumper as the young driver from Minburn scored the victory. Mike Kincaid suffered damage in his heat race, made repairs and started the main event from the sixth row and then was part of that five-wide shuffle as he made his way up to third at the finish. Des Moines area driver Ryan Grochala finished fourth while Bill Bonnett came from thirteenth to fifth. The driver that I watched win the Hobby Stock feature on his hometown track in Beatrice last week, Adam Armstrong dropped out of the race late while running sixth.
The twenty-lap Modified feature started out with a shuffle in the lineup as Jim Lynch scratched from the outside front row starting position. Then, during the pace laps, third-starting Jonathan Huston pulled off the track and back to the pit area for quick service from his crew and the driver scheduled to start right behind Huston, Brian Woodruff elected to start at the rear next to Lincoln, Nebraska, driver Mike Densberger. Densberger arrived late, but must have called ahead to draw as he started from the front of his heat race and won. However, after taking the checkered flag he continued to race down the back stretch instead of pulling to the infield off of turn two and that is a no-no here at Memphis as the next race is always set to come onto the track from the gate midway down the back stretch. This rule is always stated during the driver's meeting, likely something that Densberger missed due to his late arrival.
Michael Long was strong during his heat race and then drew the number 11 for the feature, but with the lineup shuffle he would actually take the green from seventh and on lap six he took over the second spot just before the caution waved for Shane DeMay who had a flat tire. Cayden Carter would lead the field back to green for the restart and Long would dive under him entering turn one where he would find the traction needed to take the lead. From there it would be a battle for second as Long drove away to victory and that runner-up spot that would actually pay twenty dollars more than Long would receive for the win came right down to the wire with Carter nipping Hunter Marriott by inches at the stripe. Southwest Iowa driver Todd Van Eaton was solid in fourth while Densberger fought his way back up to fifth at the finish.
Stock Cars would close out the evening with pole-sitter Michael Jaennette establishing the pace. The fourth-place car of Tyler Pickett spun in turn two on lap three and on the restart Dalton Lynch muscled his way past Damon Murty into the second spot. It was obvious that Murty was not thrilled with Lynch and he gave him a nice shot in the back bumper going into turn three a lap later to push Lynch high in turn four and Murty regained the second spot. The caution would wave again on lap eleven when Lynch and Ryan Fullenkamp would tangle in turn four and this would give Murty his chance to make a run at the leader on the restart. Jaennette was up to the challenge though and never even gave Murty the opportunity to get close over the final seven laps as he went flag-to-flag for the win. Murty was second, Jim Lynch came from the sixth row to finish third ahead of John Oliver Jr. and Abe Huls.
It was a comfortable night in the stands and the racing was completed at just ten minutes past ten so if you weren't there last night perhaps you should make the trip this evening for the second night of action. Thanks to announcers Tony Paris and Ryan Bergeson for the Positively Racing mention and to Gary Lee for holding this late arrival a prime seat once again.
No racing for me tonight due to another commitment, but I am going to head down to Burlington today to check out the 34 Raceway car show at Heartland Harley Davidson from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. And while it will be tempting to make the trip to Winston for USMTS action on Sunday evening I am thinking that the chance to watch both Northern Iowa and Iowa play for a spot in the Sweet Sixteen will likely win out for me. That could change very easily though, so perhaps I will see you on the Back Stretch!
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