Fall "Specials" Season Is Upon Us

The vast majority of the tracks in our region have completed their season championship event and that means that we now swing into the Fall special events schedule. Granted, with a heat index of 110 degrees or more, we are still in the dog days of summer, but don't be surprised if you need to pull out the cold weather gear in a matter of a few weeks.

Perhaps one of the biggest and most anticipated special events on the schedule actually kicks off tonight with the revamped Yankee Dirt Track Classic at the 300 Raceway in Farley. Practice and qualifying for the Stock Cars will be on the card tonight before two nights of preliminary action for the division on Wednesday and Thursday. Then on Friday night, the $100,047-to-win Stock Car Rampage will headline the night with a $15,000-to-win XR Super Series Late Model program serving as a stout support class. The big event then draws to a close on Saturday with the Late Models gunning for a $50,047 top prize along with racing for the Modifieds and Sport Mods.

While I am still skeptical about these big paying shows that require a stout up front investment (Entry Fee) from the drivers, that is not going to curb my curiosity in regard to seeing how a division that typically races for between $300 and $500 to win on a regular night will behave with a hundred grand on the line. That along with a full show for the Late Models has both Barry and I planning to make the trip up to Farley for both Thursday and Friday, weather permitting. Check back in here next week for our coverage of this unique event.

With the month of September about to appear I also like to take a look at the current standings in all nine divisions of the All Iowa Points to see who might have a title wrapped up, or to see who all remain in contention for an elusive state championship.

Let's start with the Late Models where Travis Denning and defending champion Tommy Elston have been swapping the lead back and forth. With three wins in three nights this past weekend, Denning is now back on top of the standings by just one point over Elston who has a repeat on his mind. Evan Miller and three-time champion Matt Ryan, the world's fastest art teacher, remain in contention as well.

All Iowa Points

Late Model

Pos. Driver Hometown Points

1 . Travis Denning Sterling IL 96

2 . Tommy Elston Keokuk 95

3 . Evan Miller Silvis IL 82

4 . Matt Ryan Davenport 75

5 . Denny Woodworth Mendon IL 61

6 . Nick Marolf Moscow 60

7 . Andy Nezworski Buffalo 55

8 . Zach Zeitner Bellevue NE 55

9 . Bobby Pierce Oakwood IL 53

10 . Eric Pollard Peosta 50

By this point in the season we usually have a clear cut leader in the Modifieds, but that is definitely not the case in 2024 as at least seven drivers still have a shot at winning the championship. That includes the 2022 champ Austen Becerra who is in a dead heat right now with Jed Freiburger at the top of the list as well as the 2009 champion Jeremy Mills who is in seventh. Ethan Braaksma, Chris Zogg and Tim Ward have all taken turns at the top of this list in 2024 and Troy Cordes, who came into the season as the sixth ranked driver in cumulative points since the year 2000 is just ten points back in his quest for his first AIP title.

All Iowa Points

Modified

Pos. Driver Hometown Points

1 . Austen Becerra Carthage IL 125

2 . Jed Freiburger Dubuque 125

3 . Ethan Braaksma Newton 122

4 . Troy Cordes Dunkerton 115

5 . Chris Zogg New Liberty 108

6 . Tim Ward Gilbert AZ 104

7 . Jeremy Mills Clear Lake 101

8 . Jeff Larson Freeport IL 93

9 . Kelly Shryock Fertile 82

10 . Joe Chisholm Osage 78

Brayton Carter - Barry Johnson photo

The Limited Modified class will once again have more than ten drivers eclipse the 100 point mark, but they are all chasing Brayton Carter who has all but clinched his second straight and third overall All Iowa Points championship. Jarrett Franzen, Jake Sachau and two-time champion Logan Anderson have all had stellar seasons, but with fifty top five finishes including nineteen victories already to his credit Carter has a 43 point bulge heading into specials season. 

All Iowa Points

Limited Modified

Pos. Driver Hometown Points

1 . Brayton Carter Oskaloosa 192

2 . Jarrett Franzen Maquoketa 149

3 . Jake Sachau Denison 140

4 . Logan Anderson Eddyville 137

5 . Ty Griffith Webster City 132

6 . Logan Veloz Colona IL 122

7 . Dan Hovden Decorah 115

8 . Shane Paris Muscatine 107

9 . Alec Fett Thompson 103

10 . Dylan VanWyk Oskaloosa 97

It is a battle between two former AIP champions for the Stock Car title as Mike Nichols (2019) leads John Oliver Jr. (2018) by just five markers. A tip of the hat to Kelly Shryock who ranks third in these standings and ninth on the Modified list as well. The veteran driver is a three-time All Iowa Points Modified champion, the first one coming in 1989 before doubling up in  2017 and 2018.

All Iowa Points

Stock Car

Pos. Driver Hometown Points

1 . Mike Nichols Harlan 184

2 . John Oliver Jr. Danville 179

3 . Kelly Shryock Fertile 127

4 . Mike Albertsen Audubon 108

5 . Dustin Griffiths Ottumwa 98

6 . Mitch Hovden Decorah 95

7 . Myles Michehl Fort Dodge 79

8 . Kevin Donlan Decorah 78

9 . Kaden Reynolds Cedar Rapids 76

10 . Blake Adams McIntire 74

Defending Hobby Stock champion Mike Smith had a slow start, for him at least, to the 2024 season, but he has surged ahead of the pack during July and August and appears to be headed to his second straight AIP title. I say "appears" because despite his current 37 point advantage, Smith traditionally shuts down his racing following the IMCA Super Nationals, so that still allows challengers like Jordan Miles and Brandon Nielsen as well as former champions Dustin Gulbrandson (2020) and Dustin Griffiths (2014) to still have an outside shot at tracking Smith down with a strong specials season.

All Iowa Points

Hobby Stock

Pos. Driver Hometown Points

1 . Mike Smith Lake City 176

2 . Jordan Miles Bernard 139

3 . Dustin Gulbrandson Hartford SD 137

4 . Brandon Nielsen Spencer 135

5 . Dustin Griffiths Ottumwa 123

6 . Nathan Ballard Marengo 114

7 . Jimmy Doescher Hollandale WI 98

8 . Randy Lamar Buffalo 97

9 . Bradly Graham Victor 93

10 . Daniel Wauters Tipton 93

Three years ago at this time I counted him out of contention stating that Caine Mahlberg was in control of the Four Cylinder All Iowa Points race. That was before Cyle Hawkins went on an amazing run through the specials season and then won his first AIP championship in the final race of the year. Cyle would repeat the title in 2022 before finishing as the runner-up to Kolby Sabin last year and in 2024 Hawkins will be the first driver in the division to win three championships in the class before he steps up into a Stock Car in 2024.

All Iowa Points

Four Cylinder

Pos. Driver Hometown Points

1 . Cyle Hawkins Blue Grass 142

2 . Cristian Grady Cedar Rapids 90

3 . Michael Gardner Des Moines 87

4 . Anthony Clark Omaha NE 86

5 . Jacob Welter Farley 78

6 . Brandon Reu Donnellson 75

7 . Levi Volkert Correctionville 73

8 . Tyler Thompson Sioux City 67

9 . Barry Taft Argyle 59

10 . Oliver Monson Clear Lake 55

We have been crowning All Iowa Points champions since 1967 and last year was the first time that one driver, Chase Randall, was able to capture championships in two divisions in the same year taking both the 410 and the 360 Winged Sprint Car titles. Now, just one year later, Aaron Reutzel is poised to repeat that feat in the same two divisions. His lead is slim right now in the 410 class with the 2022 champion Autsin McCarl just six points back, but the number of events remaining in the division are minimal. In the 360's Reutzel's thirteen point edge over Tasker Phillips will likely hold up due to the light Fall schedule for the class. And in the 305 division Lee Goos Jr. is on his way to being the first driver to post three straight championships in the class.

All Iowa Points

410 Sprint

Pos. Driver Hometown Points

1 . Aaron Reutzel Clute TX 52

2 . Austin McCarl Altoona 46

3 . Chase Randall Waco TX 38

4 . Kerry Madsen St. Marys NSW 30

5 . Garet Williamson Columbia MO 28

6 . Kyle Larson Elk Grove CA 23

7 . Carson Macedo Lemoore CA 20

8 . Kaleb Johnson Sioux Falls SD 20

9 . Scott Bogucki McClaren Vale SA 20

10 . Rico Abreu Rutherford CA 18

11 . Ryan Timms Oklahoma City OK 18

All Iowa Points

360 Sprint

Pos. Driver Hometown Points

1 . Aaron Reutzel Clute TX 46

2 . Tasker Phillips Pleasantville 33

3 . Paul Nienhiser Chapin IL 29

4 . Patrick Heikkinen Eveleth MN 26

5 . Jamie Ball Knoxville 24

6 . Chase Randall Waco TX 22

7 . Jason Gorman New Hampton 18

8 . Terry McCarl Altoona 17

9 . Owen Carlson Somerset WI 15

10 . Ryan Bunton Morton IL 15

All Iowa Points

305 Sprint

Pos. Driver Hometown Points

1 . Lee Goos Jr. Hartford SD 53

2 . Cody Wehrle Burlington 37

3 . Tanner Gebhardt Burlington 37

4 . Gunnar Pike South Bend NE 35

5 . J Kinder Iberia MO 30

6 . Shayle Bade Raymond NE 26

7 . Cole Vanderheiden Papillion NE 25

8 . Mike Mayberry Fremont 25

9 . Dugan Thye Burlington 24

10 . Dusty Ballenger Harrisburg SD 24

You can keep up with the All Iowa Points, updated on a weekly basis on the Points page at Positively Racing. The regular season my be over, but you have plenty of time to get back out to the tracks before racing draws to a close for 2024 and we hope to see you out there on the Back Stretch!