I have been to the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa four times this year and each time the car count in the Stock Car division has been nine. Not always the same nine drivers, but nine each time and on the first three nights they have shown that you don't need a full field of cars to put on a good race. Last night, on my fourth visit of the season, the nine Stock Car drivers who signed in just might have put on the best feature race that I will see all season long.
Division rookie Jason McDaniel would take the lead from the pole position in the sixteen lap event and he would put about five car lengths between himself and veteran driver Howard Gordon Jr. who was doing his best to ward off the rest of the pack in second. On lap four though Gordon would spin in turn one sending the field scrambling, but with everybody avoiding contact all drivers were able to restart.
McDaniel would continue to lead and would have several drivers move to second to give him a challenge over the next six laps. First it was Dustin Griffiths, then Nathan Wood and soon Brett Lowry was there as well, but each time McDaniel was able to hold them off and appeared to be headed for his first Stock Car win.
The caution waved again on lap ten when Michael Brown spun in turn two and Gordon was also slow on the track with a flat left rear tire so it would be seven cars that would lineup again for the final six laps. This time McDaniel did not get a good start and he would go three wide with Lowry and Wood into turn one. Lowry would nearly clear him down the back stretch, but Jason would use the cushion in turns three and four to get back to the lead as lap eleven was scored.
Lowry would again get under the leader in turns one and two to hold a slight advantage down the back stretch as Wood, and now Scott Dickey would also challenge, but as that tight pack of cars raced through turns three and four McDaniel would again find his favored line and return to the front at the start finish line. With Griffiths also in the hunt this scenario would play out again and again as the lead pack of five thrilled the crowd on a somewhat chilly night for June and as the white flag waved it was "go" time!
They were three wide for the lead entering turn one with Lowry on the bottom, McDaniel in the middle and Dickey up top, but when Dickey caught the cushion he turned the car to the left and slipped through the middle of Lowry and McDaniel out of turn two. With McDaniel now cleared it would be Lowry down low and Dickey up top in turns three and four as Griffths, Wood and McDaniel battled just behind them and with Dickey now running the line that McDaniel had used all race to retain the lead at the stripe it would be Dickey taking the thrilling win with Lowry scored second, Wood third, Griffiths fourth and McDaniel after leading the entire race was shuffled back to fifth on the final lap.
As last week's winner Dickey had started the race from the ninth position.
The sixteen lap Sport Mod feature saw a first time winner here as seventeen year old Blaine Webster started from the pole, held his line and fought off several challenges from Curtis Van Der Wal to take the victory. Colton Livezy was a distant third in the non-stop event while Logan Anderson and Greg Cox completed the top five.
Using the low line in one and two and that higher line in turns three and four Mike Hughes was able to hold off Dustin Griffiths to take the win in the Hobby Stock feature. Griffiths was able to pull even with Hughes on two occasions but would have to settle for second in this one. Clint Nelson, Scott Shull and Rick Goldsberry were next in line.
And in the Sport Compacts Trent Orwig started from the pole and went flag-to-flag to take the win. Brandon Allison prevailed in a good race for second with Nathan Moody while Billy Cain and Lewie Winkelman filled out the top five.
With two other special events going on in the state the field was short at Osky on Wednesday and while the Stock Cars definitely proved that you don't need a big car count to put on a great race, the track could use some more support. Where are you drivers? The purse has been increased and on this night you missed out on a bunch of extra cash that was put up in memory of friends and family who have passed. Yes, it is a Wednesday night, but on this night we were on our way home at 8:50 p.m. so whether you are a driver or a fan, make sure to give the Southern Iowa Speedway a look in the weeks to come.
Tonight the weather will finally cooperate as the Sprint Invaders will hold their first race of the season at the Wapello County Fair in Eldon. Hope to see you there!
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