It can be a bit cliche' to say that someone up above took care of the weather when it comes to a Memorial race, but for the 20th and final Ron Little Memorial at the Stuart Speedway on Tuesday night something, or someone kept the rain from falling on the little country race track where 141 race teams and a near full grandstand of fans had gathered. Coming from the east we drove through heavy rain in West Des Moines and then again just eight miles east of the track only to find the pavement dry when we took the exit into Stuart. And once there, while the skies did not look promising it was as if nothing moved and we were set for a busy night of racing in memory of a driver and car builder who had passed away from a heart attack twenty years ago right here at the track that he loved.
I often write about how little love that I have for the "qualify and then start straight up" format, but even when you use the draw and redraw method of setting your lineups, sometimes the fast guys draw the front row.
Thirty-one Stock Cars had signed in with twenty-four of them qualifying for the twenty-five lap main event as track regulars Brandon Pruitt and Buck Schafroth drew the front row. Schafroth would snare the lead at the drop of the green with third starting Mike Nichols giving chase and those two would distance themselves from the rest of the pack who were often two or three wide racing for position. The field was so well balanced that even on the quarter-mile Schafroth did not have to deal with lapped traffic until there were five laps remaining and Nichols was more than ready to tighten things up and see what would happen.
Was it unfortunate, or a lucky break when the caution flew on lap twenty-one when Todd Van Eaton and Bryan Snell tangled while racing for fifth? Schafroth would now have clear track in front of him for the final four laps, but now he would have more than just Nichols to contend with as Pruitt moved to second once back to racing. Digging around the bottom Pruitt was able to pull nearly even with the leader down the back stretch, but Schafroth held his line around the top and maintained the lead. Nichols was able to get back to second before the white flag waved and on the final lap he would drive deep into turn three only to have Schafroth again hit his marks to perfection to take the win.
Nichols and Pruitt were second and third, Kyle Brown came from twelfth to finish fourth and Chris Pruitt would complete the top five. This was my fourth trip to Stuart this season and Schafroth has been the Stock Car winner all four times. When do you want me to make the nearly three hour trip again Buck?
The twenty lap Sport Mod main event had a lap one caution when Bryan and Mitchell Morris collided in turn two collecting Ed Anderson, but after that the race went green to checkers. Doug Smith had started on the outside of row one next to Thomas Egenberger and Smith would go unchallenged in this one to take the win. Brayton Carter dropped Egenberger to third early, but Thomas came back to regain the spot and finish second with Brayton taking the checkers in third. Hunter Longnecker started ninth and was making the bottom work well enough to pull even with Carter before settling for fourth and Jake Sachau was the hard charger of the event taking fifth after starting seventeenth.
With $2,000 going to the winner of the Modifieds a stout field of forty-seven was whittled down to twenty-four starters of the the thirty-lap headliner with Hunter Marriott drawing the pole position. And with this one going flag-to-flag with no cautions it was all Marriott as the Brookfield, Missouri, driver pulled away early and never appeared to lose any ground even when working traffic. The race for position well behind him though was very entertaining. Josh Most, Cody Laney and Chris Abelson battled for second early and they were later joined by Jeff Aikey who had come from the tenth starting spot.
Late in the race Aikey found a line that was about a car width down from the cushion to his liking and he picked up several positions in just a few laps to take second at the checkers and Jesse Sobbing was riding that same line after starting fourteenth to nip Most at the line by inches to finish in third. Laney would take the fifth spot, Tim Ward and Travis Hatcher were sixth and seventh, Nick Roberts finished eighth, Abelson dropped to ninth and Todd Shute was tenth after starting from the outside of row ten.
The racing program itself was run off in a very efficient manner, something that you can always count on with a Mike Van Genderen directed show, but after a couple of delays it was now past 10:30 p.m. and we decided to start the trip home before the final two features. This morning I see that Solomon Bennett came from the sixth row to win the Hobby Stock main event and that Chris Vannausdale was the Sport Compact winner after starting sixth. My faith in the draw and redraw format is restored!
One of the delays was a scary incident when a Sport Compact lost a wheel coming down the front stretch knocking off the rubrail and sending it flying into the stands where it hit a woman in the leg just five rows in front of me. This lady was incredibly brave as a nearby fan first assisted before paramedics arrived and she was soon transported to the hospital for treatment of her injury. The other delay in the program came when the lights were turned off following the Stock Car main event for a fireworks display.
As I mentioned above this was already my fourth visit to Stuart this season after not having been there for eighteen years and I am hoping that I can get back at least one more time during the second half of the season.
My Independence Day weekend does not include any specific racing plans at this point as I will be visiting family, but there is plenty of action going on at a track near you! Be safe and we will see you again soon on the Back Stretch!
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