Tuesday night's Fair Race at the Southern Iowa Speedway was an appetizer for tonight's main course when the Arnold Motor Supply Hawkeye Dirt Tour for IMCA Modifieds comes to town and, while two of the night's winners were very predictable, it was a fun night of racing enjoyed with friends from near and far.
The Modifieds had the night off and this one was not a points race for the remaining four classes so that showed in the car count with just forty in the pits. Thank goodness for the Hobby Stocks who fielded seventeen drivers, sixteen of them hoping to collect the $300 bounty on Shannon Anderson who came into the night nine for nine on the season here in Oskaloosa.
Anderson drew the inside of row three to start the 14-lap main event and on the first try to get a lap in his father, Jeff Anderson, spun down the back stretch sending him to the back for a restart. Pole-sitter Bradley Graham would pace the opening trip around the big half-mile only to have both Chance Hollatz and Shannon Anderson drive past him on lap two. Hollatz and Anderson came across the stripe side-by-side and when the caution waved soon after it would be Anderson that had been scored the leader as he would bring the field back to green on the restart.
Hollatz was able to keep the leader in sight, but not mount a challenge while the driver to watch was Jeff Anderson who was making his way back to the front in Corey Roe's car #8R. The caution waved with two laps remaining when two cars tangled in turn two and we had to wonder if it would actually be Jeff Anderson who might be able to collect the bounty on his son. That was not to be though as Shannon pulled away to win his tenth straight here and twenty-eighth feature overall in 2017 meaning that the bounty will still be in place tonight. Hollatz finished second ahead of Jeff Anderson while Steve Allen and Christian Huffman completed the top five.
Ten cars would start the 14-lap Sport Mod feature after Cory Van Zante scratched and Dan Drury, who arrived at the pit gate as the second heat for this division was on the track, apparently decided to turn around and head back home. Young Blaine Webster did a nice job of fighting off the challenges from A.J. Johnson for the first three laps before Johnson was able to use the high line to get around Webster in turn four. As he tried to get back to the lead Webster hit a track tire down in turn one (I thought we had gotten rid of these once the others were buried) and when it settled in the racing groove the caution waved.
On the restart Curtis Van Der Wal charged to the inside of Johnson into turn one to takeover the lead on lap five, but when the caution waved again Van Der Wal was penalized a position for the contact involved with that pass. Once back to racing Johnson was able to hold him off for a lap, but when the leader slipped high in turn three Van Der Wal made the pass and would drive away to yet another convincing win at his hometown track. Colton Livezy would race his way into the runner-up position with Jason McDaniel in third. After finishing fourth Johnson paid a visit to victory lane to express his thoughts to the winner as Webster filled out the top five.
Only five Stock Cars signed in to race tonight and after Mike Hughes smacked the guardrail exiting turn four on the second lap and Donnie Pearson pulled off mid-race only three remained. Those three put on a good show though as both Nathan Wood and Danny Thrasher tried to find a different line that would get them around the leader Dustin Griffiths who was hugging the bottom. That low line would prevail though with Griffiths taking the win over Wood and Thrasher. Look for more Stock Cars to be on hand tonight.
The Sport Compacts had a good race for the lead as well with Levi Heath doing his best to ward off Nathan Moody. Moody would be able to take the lead entering each set of turns only to have Heath come charging back down the straightaways, but with just two laps to go Moody was able to slide up and shut the door to earn his first career feature win. Heath was second as Bill Whalen Jr, returned to action in third. Bryan Clausson and Dalton Winkleman completed the field.
Tonight's action at the Southern Iowa Speedway will get underway with hot laps at 7:00 and racing to follow. Yes, it will be hot so put on your shorts and wear a loose fitting light colored shirt and come on out to enjoy the Fair. Plenty of good things to eat and drink as well!
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