The Slocum Memorial has been an early stop on the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models the past five years before this year switching to an Open Late Model show with three sanctioning bodies involved; MARS, ALMS and the Corn Belt Clash. The change was very well received as over 3,000 fans turned out on a near perfect April evening in Iowa to watch forty-six Late Model drivers from ten states do battle. The traditional UMP method of group qualifying was used with the fastest drivers starting up front in the five heat races and then the five winners drew for their starting spot in the Dash with the way they finished being the way that they would start for the fifty-lap finale.
Jason Utter from just up the road in Columbus Junction would earn the pole position with Brian Shirley to his outside and it would be Utter who would establish the early lead as the third-starting Pierce quickly moved to second. It was clear as to who the fastest car was as Pierce drove under Utter for the lead on lap four and began to pull away as the battle for second heated up between Utter and Shirley. Running wheel-to-wheel for a couple of laps as they passed the flagstand on lap thirteen both drivers went for the same piece of real estate, the low groove in turn one, and with Utter on the inside he was now too low and tagged the implement tire with the nose of his #31 as he spun to a stop. Utter then expressed his displeasure to Shirley during the caution before going to the back of the lineup for the restart.
The winner the previous night in Davenport, Jason Feger moved to second when the green flag waved and he used up every bit of cushion that he could find on both ends of the speedway to try to keep pace with Pierce. Brandon Sheppard was also on the move despite the fact he had something out of whack with his left rear suspension following a jump of the cushion during the first ten laps. The left rear of Sheppard's car was up at least a foot higher than it should have been, but even with the handicap he was still fast. At the mid-race mark Pierce was using the now treacherous cushion in turns three and four and on lap twenty-nine he got a little too high entering turn three sending sparks flying as his right rear grazed the wall, his closest call of the night.
That cushion would end Shirley's evening three laps later while he was still running fifth as the caution waved with his car sitting sideways at the top of turn four. Feger gave it his best on the restart, but there was nobody that was going to beat "The Smooth Operator" on this night as Pierce cruised through the final laps to victory. Second would go to Feger while Sheppard muscled his wounded ride in for third, Brian Birkhofer started tenth and finished fourth while Jimmy Mars completed the top five. Ryan Gustin had to win one of two B-Mains to make the show and he then raced his way up from seventeenth to sixth. Ryan Unzicker and Jesse Stovall were next in line while Tony Jackson Jr. and Will Vaught filled out the top ten.
Support class action was as good as you are going to find at a big-time Late Model show with twenty 305 Sprints and eighteen IMCA Stock Cars in action each running twenty-lap features. Jake Wenig would lead a busy pack of Stock Cars through the early laps as drivers were running three and four wide and swapping lines giving the impression that disaster was imminent, but other than a couple of spin outs the race was pretty clean. Jim Redmann was able to take the lead away from Wenig on lap eight only to have Jason Cook motor past him one lap later. Cook had started eighth on the grid and now out front he pulled away while a four car battle for second raged on. Cook would take the win by a full straightaway while Redmann prevailed in the battle for second ahead of John Oliver Jr., Ray Raker and Tom Bowling Jr.
The Sprint Car feature would see five contenders come into play during an event that had several twists and turns. When scheduled pole-starter Justin Newberry's car stalled as the field began to take form, Cody Wehrle would now be the driver to bring the pack to green and he took full advantage of the opportunity. Matt Krieger would put the challenge on Wehrle and on lap seven the two raced literally wheel-to-wheel into turn three. Now this wasn't your typical case where one driver was digging around the bottom while the other was up riding the cushion, Krieger and Wehrle were banging rubber as they both went for the low groove and as they exited turn four the contact was just a bit too much as Wehrle spun sideways and Krieger hopped his front end sending him for a tumble to bring out the red flag. The dejected Krieger who for years has incorporated Slocum's High Five logo into his own #56 received a huge ovation in support of his efforts as he walked back to the pit area.
Dave Getchell would assume the lead on the restart and the driver who took a twenty-year break from the sport before returning two years ago looked to be on his way to getting his first win since that return as, just like the Stock Car feature, the battle for second between Donnie Steward, John Schulz and Jayson Ditsworth was keeping their focus. With five laps remaining though Getchell got a little too conservative dealing with the lapped car of Heath Bundy and that allowed Schulz to snatch the lead away on lap seventeen just before the caution waved for a Dustin Clark spin in turn two. On the restart Ditsworth made two strong runs at Schulz even nosing ahead entering the corner, but the veteran driver who started his career here in a Hobby Stock before moving to a Modified and finally settling into a Sprint Car was not to be denied as John Schulz celebrated the victory. Ditsworth was a strong second with Donnie Steward bringing Kenny Bragg's #73 in for third just ahead of Dustin Whiting and Daniel Bergquist. Whiting was the hard-charger of the event coming from the sixth row and here is a bit of trivia for you, John Schulz was the All Iowa Points Hobby Stock Champion in 1995.
The Sixth Annual Slocum 50 was an overwhelming success thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Brent Slocum Foundation, the promotional efforts of Jeff and Amy Laue and everybody at 34 Raceway. Well over $5,000 was raised at this year's event and as always the Foundation promises to make it bigger and better next year. That promise has not yet been broken.
Miss you Brent....
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