Final Lap Drama Determines A Track Championship at Osky

It all came down to the final lap to determine the 2018 Stock Car track champion as the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa held its regular season championship night as Tuesday's grandstand entertainment during the southern Iowa Fair. With the three drivers at the top of the standings going into the night separated by just two points the large crowd on hand knew that they were going to be treated to some drama and as always the Stock Cars delivered with a race, and a championship, that was not decided until the final checkers flew.

Using the same draw/redraw format that has been used throughout the season point leader Nathan Wood would start the 18-lap main event from third, Derrick Agee who was one point back would start from seventh and Mike Hughes who was just two points back from Wood would draw the outside front row. With the point increment at one per position that made it easy for the fans to follow as the race unfolded with Hughes grabbing the lead at the drop of the green. By this final race of the night the cushion had become the dominant line and when Wood was able to get to second right away it looked like he would just need to chase Hughes the entire distance to secure the championship.

Todd Reitzler had other plans though as he stormed to the front after starting eighth and at the mid-race point he was able to drive under Wood to pick up the second spot. Cayden Carter soon joined the mix as well and you had Reitzler pressuring Hughes for the lead and Carter challenging Wood for third knowing that if only one position changed over the final laps it would break the now eventual tie for the championship.

When the leader caught the cushion a bit hard entering turn one with three laps to go he had to recover from a push to the right and that prompted Reitzler to make an effort to the low side out of turn two and down the back stretch. When Reitzler entered turn three still on the bottom, Wood stayed on the cushion and powered back into second as the green flag waved indicating two laps remaining. Carter was also able to get by Reitzler and coming to the white flag he was now even with Wood in the battle for second.

You could feel the electricity in the crowd as the top four cars entered turn one for the final time in a tight almost diamond like formation with Hughes out front, Wood glued to his bumper trying to get something extra out of the cushion since he had Carter right next to him and Reitzler was right behind the lead trio hoping for a mistake. They raced that way down the back straightaway as well and coming off of turn four Wood was able to come down and close the door on Carter so as he chased Mike Hughes across the finish line Nathan's runner-up finish gave him the track championship by just one point. Carter finished third, Reitzler was fourth and Derrick Agee stepped up to fifth after last week's winner Damon Murty slowed with a great deal of smoke with just four laps to go.

It was somewhat fitting for Wood to win the title as even though he had a large number of people join in to help make it all happen, if Nathan had not stepped up back in January there would not have even been a weekly racing program in Oskaloosa this season.

Curtis Van Der Wal earned another track title in the Sport Mods, but it would be another hometown driver in victory lane tonight as Brayton Carter took the win. Young Blaine Webster had the race well in control leading by a full straightaway before a pair of cautions waved on laps nine and ten. On that second restart Carter was able to get the bite that he needed on he bottom to drive past Webster and while the teenager from Ottumwa who scored his first win at Eldon this past Saturday could not repeat on this night he continued to to impress by finishing second. Van Der Wal almost appeared to be a bit on the conservative side tonight as he raced from tenth to third at the checkers, for with Webster out front a DNF by CVDW would have cost him the title. Danny Brau was impressive not only in his driver's suit that looks like a red sport jacket with a black bow tie, but also in his performance as he was a solid fourth while Logan Anderson completed the top five.

Dustin Griffiths took the lead from Christian Huffman on lap six and then held off a late charge from last week's winner Jamie Songer to take the feature win and the Hobby Stock track championship. Songer started seventeenth on the field after a heat race spin and finished second, Huffman will get that first win soon but tonight he finished third followed Craig Brown and Aaron Martin.

In the Sport Compacts Kyle Boyd first fought off the challenges of his teammate Cody Phillips and then held off his friend Brandon Housley to take his first win of the season here. Housley who has dominated the division had the track title well in hand before finishing second, Phillips was third, Dallas Chandler was a new entrant and finished fourth ahead of local favorite Nathan Moody.

That will put a wrap on the weekly racing at Oskaloosa for 2018, but the track will remain busy with at least three more nights of action starting TONIGHT as the USMTS Modifieds return along with USRA Ironman Stock Cars and B-Mods plus USRA Hobby Stocks.

Then in just a few weeks the Sprint Cars take over with the Front Row Challenge on August 6th and the Ultimate Challenge on August 7th. For more information and to purchase tickets click here.

And finally during the Drivers Meeting on Tuesday it was announced that there will be a Fall Challenge event at Oskaloosa with the dates and details still to be determined. Stay tuned!

Spreading out the Positively Racing coverage tonight of a couple great events as I know that some of my colleagues will be at the Deery Brothers Summer Series show in Columbus Junction while I will be headed back up to Osky to meet Morgan and see the USMTS for the first time this season. Here's hoping that you get out to the race of your choice and have a great time!