The Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa, continued a tradition that is nineteen years strong on Saturday by going ahead and holding its annual Shiverfest event despite less than ideal weather conditions. This race that started back in 1999 ironically in weather much the same as yesterday was once the one and only end of season event that was placed on the calendar at least two and sometimes three weeks later than any other races in the region. But, just like anything else in racing or any other form of entertainment for that matter, once something enjoys a certain level of success others want to join in as well especially when over the past several years the weather in late October has usually been picture perfect for one more night of dirt track racing with temperatures in the sixties or seventies and dry, sunny skies. So much so that this year there were at least four other events within a four hour radius of Donnellson on the schedule, but three of them were canceled days in advance when it became obvious that the weather for the weekend would send shivers through their racers and fans. Weather that only an event with a tradition could withstand and that is why there were still 117 drivers signed in to compete on Saturday at the Lee County Speedway.
Hayrack rides through the pits, trick or treating with the drivers and boxcar races all took place before the racing and no, there were not as many kids participating as we have seen in the past, but those that did will remember it as another fun day and will be asking to do it once again next October. And while the car count was about 70% of normal there were still drivers who made long hauls just to participate, some who have been here for several years in a row now and some for the first time with one Sport Mod making a 350 mile tow down from east central Wisconsin. There were not enough fans in the stands for the track to have made any money, but those of us who were there were once again treated to a great day of racing with three and sometimes even four-wide action on a surface that was smooth and had little if any dust despite the wind blowing right into the grandstand. To put it simply, the Lee County Speedway maintained a tradition on Saturday and their reward will come next year, and the year after that, when Shiverfest will once again be blessed with beautiful October weather. Or at the very least if the weather is ever again a challenge, we will all know that this event will persevere and still be a great show to attend.
On to the racing now, the Sport Compacts would be the first of six feature races on the card and twenty-five of the twenty-nine cars that signed in came to the track for fifteen-laps of action. The fifth starting car driven by Justin Anderson from Holmen, Wisconsin, would get crossed up in turn one on the start sending the rest of the field scrambling. Several cars made hard contact, but all except Anderson were able to drive away from the scene with a couple more also eliminated. Josh Barnes would take the lead from the pole once the race got underway and his lead would grow until he caught up with slower traffic on lap five.
Two laps later, a car that Barnes had just lapped driven by Michael Hamelton appeared to have the throttle stick as he shot up the race track in turn four and plowed through the guardrail. Thankfully the driver was unhurt, but it did take about twenty-five minutes to pull the car out of the guardrail and then make repairs so that racing could continue. Once back to green Barnes maintained his lead to go unchallenged to the victory while Barry Taft picked his way forward from the sixth starting spot to finish second. Taft is now just three points behind Nate Coopman in the All Iowa Points standings with two events remaining. Brandon Reu started tenth and finished third, Trent Orwig came from seventh to fourth and Chuck Fullenkamp claimed the Fall Series championship with his fifth place finish, a nice accomplishment for the division veteran who only ran a night or two in the regular season.
An interesting field of twelve Hobby Stocks gathered from near and far with northern Iowa's Weston Koop bringing them to the green flag for fourteen laps. Grinnell's Gene Nicklas would ride the high line to the lead though and Dustin Griffiths quickly moved to second. Griffiths would use the low line to challenge the leader for several laps, pulling even at times only to have Nicklas again take the lead with his momentum off the top side. On lap eight though Griffiths put the slider on Nicklas in turns three and four to take the top spot and while Nicklas was able to stay close he could not mount a challenge as Griffiths scored the win. Nicklas was a strong second followed by Mike Kincaid, Aaron Martin and Randy Byerly.
The Late Models had the smallest car count of the day with eight, but again it was interesting mix of drivers with some running crates and others who were either IMCA or ULMA legal. Tommy Elston again drew the front row for the twenty-lap feature and was never seriously challenged in an event that had three cautions, one of them for heat race winner Gunner Frank after he tagged the wall exiting turn four. Chuck Hanna gave chase throughout in second, track regular Derek Liles was third, Lee Hoover from Mexico, Missouri, was fourth and Aric Becker making his Late Model debut seemed to get faster every lap in fifth.
Both of the Stock Car qualifying heats finished three-wide for the win so we knew that their twenty lap feature would be entertaining and the fifteen drivers did not disappoint. Todd Reitzler would lead the opening laps as Shane Watts, Louis Lynch, Abe Huls, Dustin Griffiths, Johnny Spaw, David Brandies, John Oliver Jr. and more battled for position going four-wide at least twice in the first five laps. Huls would find the bottom to his liking and he would take the lead from Reitzler on lap five with Johnny Spaw soon making his way into second.
The caution would wave on lap twelve when John Oliver Jr. suffered a flat right front tire sending him into the already damaged guardrail in turn four. On the restart Huls continued to dig around the bottom while Spaw tried every line he could think of around the D-shaped 3/8th-mile looking for one that would be just a tick faster than the leader. Staying up high on both ends just might have been it, but Spaw found that as the white flag was waving and he could not reel in Huls who secured the win. Spaw celebrated the Fall Series Championship in second, Reitzler had another good showing in third, Mike Hughes finished fourth and Griffiths closed out the top five.
Thirty-three Sport Mods signed in with the field trimmed down to twenty-four breaking Shiverfest tradition by running two B-Mains (Boo!). Tanner Klingele and Logan Anderson would bring the field to green for twenty-laps of racing with Klingele setting the early pace. Austen Becerra was on the move from the fourth starting spot and he would take the lead on lap three just before the caution waved for a Ron Kibbe spin in turn one. Following the restart Brandon Lennox was racing for position in the top five when he spun on lap seven and the caution was needed again on lap eight when Jeffrey DeLonjay slowed on the back stretch.
Brayton Carter had started tenth and he was now up to second and set to challenge on the restart when he pulled even with Becerra. Austen was able to hold the lead by a nose though before the caution waved again on lap nine when Jim Blazina spun in turn four. On this restart Becerra stayed lowed to block Carter's line, but the caution waved again when Austin Paul spun in turn one and then during that caution Jerry Hinton and Brandon Jewell decided to stage their own demo derby with each heading to the pits with self-inflicted damage.
With the field set again for yet another restart, Becerra was much slower coming to the green than he had been before causing the field to stack up behind him in turn four with Sean Wyett making hard enough contact with Carter that it ended Brayton's evening. Becerra was penalized for a "jackrabbit" start and was sent to the rear although he only faded back to around fourteenth of the eighteen cars still remaining before the green flag waved again. Klingele would find himself back out front again, but only for a lap as Logan Anderson drove by him to take the point on lap eleven.
Meanwhile Becerra was driving like a man possessed riding the caution all the way back into the top five after just a couple of laps and with just four to go he was back up to second. Anderson had a full straightaway on him by then though and while Becerra was able to cut the gap he could not catch Anderson before the checkers. Tony Olson came from fourteenth to finish third while Tim Warner made that 350-mile trip from Malone, Wisconsin, to finish fourth after starting twelfth. Brandon Lennox also made his way back to fifth after restarting at the rear after his spinout.
The Modified feature would close out the evening and while twenty cars had signed in, two of them were eliminated early in an incident during hot laps. Milo Veloz Jr. would race out to a big lead early only to have the field brought back to him on lap four when the caution waved for debris. Cayden Carter had already moved from tenth to second and on the restart he was able to power by Veloz to take the lead. Veloz was not about to give in though and using the cushion he was able to pull even again with Carter before a caution waved on lap eleven for a slowing Bob Jennings.
On the restart Veloz again went to the cushion but with smoke now trailing from his car and getting thicker every lap he was no longer able to stay with Carter who pulled away for the dominating win. Veloz was able to nurse his ride in for second ahead of Bruce Hanford who had started twelfth/ Tyler Madigan survived mid-race contact with Bill Roberts Jr. to finish fourth while Kyle Brown came from the sixth row to finish fifth. Hanford, who I believe has been at each and every one of the Shiverfest events that have been run since 1999, was crowned the Fall Series Champion for the Modified division.
With Mike Van Genderen running the show from up top and the happiest man you will ever see, Cyclone letterman Kevin Eggleston in the flagstand, the racing wrapped up by 7:30 p.m., even with the delay for the guardrail repair. And frankly it was nowhere near as cold as I thought it would be especially when the wind completely laid down as the sun set in the west.
Traditionally Shiverfest would wrap up the racing season in Iowa, but that is not the case in 2017 as the CJ Speedway in Columbus Junction will try to start a new tradition of its own with the First Annual Turkey Dash on Saturday November 4th. Modifieds, Stock Cars, Sport Mods and Sport Compacts will be in action with gates opening at 2 p.m. and racing at 4 p.m. Hopefully the weather will be a little more cooperative!
No comments:
Post a Comment