The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series drivers were presented with a challenge on Thursday night and like true professionals they put on a show that will have those fans who witnessed it buzzing about it for a long, long time. The currently popular description is to say that "the track had character" and, if you didn't already know it, that just means that the track was rough. And in no way should that be taken as a knock on the efforts of the folks at 34 Raceway who have worked long, long hours trying to overcome the cold wet spring weather and especially a little strip of farm land (owned by someone else) just beyond turn three that has turned into a reservoir that is apparently seeping moisture underground and up into the track at the entrance of turn three. That was the primary obstacle on this night, but the effects of the wet weather produced some other holes and ridges in turns one and four as well and let's just say that we saw the bottom of at least four different Late Models tonight who did their best Joie Chitwood thrill show two wheel bicycle stunt before thankfully settling down on all fours.
For the drivers the fifty-lap feature had to be a physical grind, and you can bet that the crews will be going over the equipment today with extra care to make sure that everything is tightened back up and ready for the next race tonight at the 300 Raceway in Farley, weather permitting. And it should come as no surprise that ten of the twelve cars that finished the race are Lucas Oil regulars who were looking for every point that they could get. World of Outlaws regular Chase Junghans held out for a seventh place finish and Iowa's own Tyler Bruening was ninth after earning a front row starting sport when Tim McCreadie's bicycle ride opened the door for him to win the third heat race. On the other hand veteran Billy Moyer called it a night mid-race while he was running in the top five.
The reason you would use that adjective, the track had "character" though is because for the fans this one was a thriller providing so much more action than say a one-lane rubbered up smooth surface would and with gas smashers like Jonathan Davenport and the O'Neals, Don and Hudson, running up front this one was a classic, especially in the closing laps. Both father and son had already thrown a slider at the leader Davenport on restarts into turn one only to have the current series point leader cross them over and regain the lead down the back stretch. And, after both of those attempts Davenport would again open up a five to ten car length advantage as the O'Neals staged their own battle for second.
After Bruening slowed with a flat tire with ten laps remaining, Tyler Erb was all but upside down in turn one on the restart before spinning to a halt in turn two for the ninth caution of the event. Once back to green it was Don O'Neal putting the challenge on the leader and for two laps in a row it would come in the form of a slider entering turn three. Davenport handled the first one with ease, kicking off the cushion and driving back under O'Neal to maintain the lead down the front stretch. The second one was breath taking as when Superman set the car sideways in turn three to do the crossover, he caught a ridge that bounced all four wheels off the ground for a split second, but when never even feathered the throttle it looked like he had planned in that way to keep the lead from O'Neal.
As the duo scored lap forty-seven O'Neal again had a run, but this time instead of throwing a classic slider going from low in one to high in two, he instead charged the middle and then edged up the track barely clearing the leader. To complete the move though O'Neal had to pitch the rear end to the right just a bit and when Davenport did not lift his nose went under the rear of O'Neals car lifting it up and shredding the left rear tire.
With Don now coasting toward the infield and Davenport veering to the right to stay in motion, Hudson O'Neal would split the middle to take the lead only to have the caution wave for his father who had stopped on the apron before he could get back to score the lap. This would put Davenport back out front for the restart with three to go and for the first time in the race he would enter turn one low in an effort to block another O'Neal slider, this one from the kid. However, when he drifted up the track a bit exiting turn two Hudson was able to get underneath him and pull even down the back stretch before sliding up in turns three and four to complete the pass with two laps remaining.
Davenport appeared to have a chance to get it back in the final set of turns when Hudson got a bit sideways, but when a ridge shot his car to the right in turn four that was it and Hudson O'Neal would take the win. Josh Richards would finish in the third spot, Kyle Bronson persevered for fourth after having to pit with damage suffered in a multi-car tangle mid-race and Earl Pearson Jr. would finish fifth after pitting for a flat tire on lap twenty-seven. After his tire change with just three laps remaining Don O'Neal would rally back for sixth ahead of Junghans and series Rookie-of-the-Year contender Shanon Buckingham was eighth. As mentioned earlier Tyler Bruening ran in the top five for the first half of the race before finishing ninth and Devin Moran completed the top ten.
IMCA Stock Cars for twenty laps served as the appetizer with Les Blakely leading the way through three early cautions. The race went green to checkers from there though with Jeremy Pundt taking the point on lap four and he soon had defending All Iowa Points champion John Oliver Jr. right on his tail. Oliver has turned many laps around this track over the past two decades and he was looking for just the right move to get around Pundt, but as long as Jeremy maintained his line it looked like he would hold on for the win. Then as the white flag was about to wave, Pundt made one slight mistake slipping up the track exiting turn four and Oliver was not forgiving as he took the lead and one lap later the win with Pundt settling for second. Tom Bowling Jr. restarted from the rear of the thirteen car field after changing a tire on lap one and he came back to finish third with Shane Richardson and Chad Krogmeier completing the top five.
The Mini Hauler trucks closed out the night with flashes of lightning drawing ever closer as Jerad Ruble took the win ahead of John Helenthal and Billy Stanford. Lake Carlson and Dakota Fenton were next in line while cousin Jack Broeg finished sixth.
Heavy rain rolled through Burlington again on Friday morning so Brad Stevens and his crew will have another week of hard work ahead of them as 34 Raceway will host two nights of racing during the Memorial Day weekend. On Saturday night it will be the Freedom Figure 8 Races in front of the grandstand, then on Sunday night the Sprint Invaders will be in action along with the Mini Haulers and Sport Compacts.
Tonight's Sprint Invader event at the Davenport Speedway has been rained out so hopefully we will finally be able to kick off our season next Friday night at the Pepsi Lee County Speedway in Donnellson.
And with all of the rain falling, or predicted to fall in Iowa today and tonight I am going to look to Missouri for my racing fix either going to US 36 Raceway in Osborn where the ASCS Warrior Region is on the card, or to one of the widest and raciest tracks that you will find anywhere, the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis. Perhaps I'll see you there!
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