The weather conditions were not ideal for Iowa's first dirt track race in memory to be held in November, but the CJ Speedway and promoter Larry Richardson pressed on and for the sixty-five drivers signed in and the gathering of fans on hand it turned out to be a pretty good ending to the 2017 racing season in Columbus Junction. The cloudy, cool and damp atmosphere was actually a benefit to the track itself that was smooth, wide and racy allowing drivers to choose one of three distinct lines around the speedway.
The American Iron Racing Series (AIRS) drivers were up first for twelve laps of racing with Brian Gade taking the early lead with Bruce Yoerger and Tim Arp in hot pursuit. Gade appeared to have this one in his control, but as he exited turn four on lap number five his car snapped sideways and he spun into the infield. With Yoerger checking up for a split second to miss Gade that allowed Arp to take the lead and with Gade rejoining the race without a caution Arp was then able to drive away over the final laps to take the win. Yoerger finished second, Dan Kessler was third followed by Dennis Etten and Kevin Fauser.
A solid field of twenty-one Sport Mods were on hand with Matt Lundry and Brendan Schultheis drawing the front row for the fifteen-lap main event. It would be Joey Schaefer coming from the fourth starting spot to take the lead on the opening lap though with fifth-starting Colton Livezy right there challenging in second. The first of several cautions waved on lap two when Chance Huston and Scott Brau tangled on the front stretch and one lap later Ryan Harris spun in turn one. On the restart Brayton Carter moved to second and he would go to work on Schaefer for the lead.
With the Waterloo driver running the low to middle groove Carter stepped to the outside and found the cushion to his liking driving around Schaefer on lap six to take the lead. Schaefer looked to mount a comeback, but just two laps later he slowed with mechanical issues and pulled to the infield ending his day. The caution then waved again on lap nine when a smoking Ryan Harris was trapped on the outside line and two laps after the restart Andrew Swailes spun in turn one. The yellow fever continued one lap after the restart when Randy Lamer spun in turn two with Chance Huston making hard contact when he was unable to avoid and on the restart Brendan Schultheis suffered damage to his right front and chose to park on the front stretch rather than turning into the infield.
We were now set up for a three-lap dash to the finish, hoping that the rest of the field would behave, as Livezy was locked and loaded ready to challenge Carter for the win. Brayton was still favoring the high line so Colton drove in low and was able to pull even with the lead pair running most of those final three laps side by side. Livezy was looking for that one opportunity to clear the leader and slide up the track to shut the door, but he just could not get there and as the two came out of turn four for the final time Carter rode the momentum off the top side to secure the win. Lizevy gave a valiant effort as the runner up while Austin Paul was right there in third waiting for a mistake. Scott Walker drove his son Ryan's #9w car to a fourth-place finish in his return to action while Tommy Lathrop, inspired by what was going on twenty-five miles to the north, drove his Hawkeye football wrapped #8 to fifth.
The twelve-lap Sport Compact feature was up next with thirteen cars taking the green and on the first start Bradley O'Brien went for a wild ride up the steep levee on the back stretch. Thankfully his car stayed upright though and the youngster was able to drive it back to the infield. The second start looked a bit sloppy as second starting Brandon Van Dusen, reportedly in his first night ever driving a race car, lagged back from pole-sitter Trent Orwig, but when the green flag waved it would be Van Dusen charging to the front. "Bucky" as his crew called him would lead the first two laps before Bryerson Tharp would get into the wall on the front stretch. On the restart Van Dusen would now have a challenger in Jake Benischek who had started ninth and after lap three was scored Benischek would take the lead going down the back stretch. That move would be erased though when caution waved for debris before the new leader would get a lap scored and on the restart it would be Barry Taft taking the top spot.
One more caution for debris would pause the action on lap four before the field could settle in for eight laps of racing featuring an excellent battle for the lead between Taft and Benischek. The two drivers would rub fenders and even bang doors a couple of times as they raced side-by-side, but instead of taking offense and taking each other out they raced, and raced hard with Benischek taking the lead on lap seven. Taft would come right back though and the two crossed the stripe on lap nine in a dead heat before Taft nosed ahead by inches as lap ten was scored. With the white flag waving Benischek would move back to the front and he would take the entertaining victory while Taft's runner-up finish secured the All Iowa Points championship for 2017 after he entered the final race tied with two-time champion Nate Coopman. Van Dusen was very impressive in his debut finishing third, Dan Campbell was fourth and Orwig filled out the top five.
The Stock Cars were up next for fifteen laps and after both heats in the division featured three-wide action we were looking forward to the main event. Dustin Griffiths drew the pole and he would set a quick early pace as David Brandies quickly made his way to the front after starting seventh. Brandies would use the low line to take the lead from Griffiths on lap seven, but Dustin was not about to let him go and soon found a faster way around the speedway staying glued to the leader's back bumper. With two laps remaining Griffiths made a run off the top of turn four that Brandies closed the door on down the front stretch and on the following lap Griffiths drove his car even deeper into the cushion in turn three. The leaders were now side-by-side as they came off turn four, but contact was made and you could hear a tire blow as they raced under Doug Haack's white flag.
It was the right rear on Brandies' car and he spun at the entrance of turn one with the caution waving as the rest of the field took evasive action. Brandies was not pleased with the outcome and he drove back up the straightaway to show his thoughts to Griffiths and he either missed, or decided to take further action and we had another one of those "drivers gone wild" incidents that I referred to in Wednesday's Notebook. Brandies then turned the car around and chased after Griffiths before hooking him in the left rear and spinning him on the back stretch. Obviously not happy with that Griffths then fired it up and chased after Brandies spinning at the entrance to the infield in turn four as Brandies drive to the pits.
Sitting in the stands it was impossible to determine who was at fault for the contact as only someone with a view looking down the straightaway could make that call and he did just that penalizing both drivers for their involvement. And, since the white flag had been given, the race was scored complete so it would be the third running Kirk Kinsley who would be ushered into victory lane. Young Austin Kemper would be the runner-up with Rod Staats, Blaine Dopler and Billy Faler officially in the top five. Griffiths would be paid for eighth while Brandies was disqualified for his actions after the caution.
The Modifieds would close out the evening for twenty laps with Steve Stewart powering to the front at the drop of the green from the inside of row two. Tyler Madigan would give chase in second until lap six when Jake Purdy spun in turn four and on the restart Derrick Stewart would take the second spot and try to keep pace with the leader. One last caution would be needed with three laps remaining when Kyle Madden spun in turn four, but Stewart would not be able to mount a challenge on Stewart on the restart as Stewart, Steve that is completed the flag-to-flag run. Derrick would come home second with Madigan third while Dakota Simmons completed a final turn pass of Ray Cox Jr. to finish fourth.
Despite the caution-filled Sport Mod feature and the drama at the end of the Stock Car main event this was a very well presented program that started with hot laps at 4 p.m. and had the final checkers waving before seven o'clock. Had the weather been better I am sure that the car count would have been bigger, but with long distance travelers Laverne Carey in the Stock Cars and Craig Spegal in the Modifieds included there were actually more there than I expected on the dreary, damp day. The same could be said for the grandstands and here is hoping that the event will be considered enough of a success that it will be on the schedule once again in 2018. If so, Richardson and I already have a name ready for it!
One more race still on the "to do" list for me so stay in touch with the Back Stretch as we go through the offseason.
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