When the Sprint Invaders roll into 34 Raceway track owners Brad Stevens and Jessi Mynatt give me the opportunity to also announce the other classes that are in action on that race night and last night, well let's just say that I had a lot of fun working with an enthusiastic crowd on a night where we were Racing For A Cure raising money for cancer research. Anchored by Brian Randall and the support of his vendors at Randall's Performance, well over $5,000 was raised on this race night. Something that the everybody involved should be proud of.
With a microphone in hand for most of the night I left my notebook in the car so the details will be lacking, but with a lightning fast race track there was plenty of action throughout the night and a nice sized crowd seemed to enjoy every minute of it.
The Sprint Invaders were the headliner with extra money on the line from both Shottenkirk.com and Storm Steel helping to draw another stout field of twenty-two Sprint Cars to Burlington despite the fact that there were competing shows in both central Missouri and southern Minnesota. With Paul Nienheiser at the controls of Scott Bonar's Midland Performance #50, they were the team to beat even after Paul drew the sixth starting spot after walking away with the Budweiser Shake Up Dash.
Hometown favorite Josh Schneiderman would set the early pace in the twenty-five lap main event as Nienheiser worked his way to the front and when Josh hesitated for a split second in lapped traffic Paul sailed around him on the high side exiting turn four to lead lap ten. It would only last for another lap though as when Nienheiser went high into turn one to pass another lapper, he caught a ridge in the track wrong and went for a wild end over end twisting tumble. Thankfully the young star from Chapin, Illinois, climbed from the wreckage uninjured.
Schneiderman would assume the lead again on the restart, but on lap seventeen he again had to check up behind a lapped car and that would allow Dustin Selvage, driving the car owned by Josh's brother Jarrod Schneiderman, to take the lead. Josh would make one more bid to take back the point two laps later when Selvage stumbled on the cushion, but Dustin would recover quick enough to hang on to the lead and race away to his first win with the series since 2013. Chris Martin would nip Schneiderman for second in the closing laps, Carson McCarl's fourth place finish was good enough for him to earn the $500 bonus from Storm Steel for the best points total over the past two nights and Brayden Gaylord had a solid performance in fifth.
For the story and full results please visit my colleague Bill Wright's website OpenWheel101.
Jay Johnson started from the front row and was never seriously challenged in winning the IMCA Late Model feature. Matt Strassheim fought off Matt Ryan to finish second as Ryan advanced from seventh to third at the finish. Tommy Elston and Nick Marolf completed the top five.
Dennis LaVeine started fourth, but quickly moved to the front of the IMCA Modified field where he then held off late challenges from John Oliver Jr. and Chris Zogg to take the win in this his 38th year of racing. Zogg would be the runner-up with Oliver in third, Dugan Thye finished fourth and George Spence III was fifth.
There was no keeping up with Adam Birck on this night as he left the IMCA Northern Sport Mod field in his wake from the drop of the green to win in flag-to-flag fashion. Ron Kibbe and Adam Shelman had a good race for second with Kibbe prevailing while Sean Wyett and Colton Bowman filled out the top five.
The Mini Hauler Trucks entertained the crowd with some beatin' and bangin' action that saw Brian Tipps take the win despite being hit twice in the closing laps by a challenger that would find himself to be disqualified at the pay window. Jerad Ruble would be scored second with John Helenthal, Jack Broeg and Jacob Ruble next in line.
Next Saturday night August 24th will be the Pepsi Zero Season Championship night at 34 Raceway with a special $5 admission price. Then on Labor Day weekend it will be a big two night treat for Sprint Car fans as on Friday August 30th the Lucas Oil ASCS National Series will be in action along with the Sprint Invaders. Then on Saturday night the 31st, for the first time ever the Lucas Oil POWRi WAR non-wing Sprint Cars will take to the 3/8th-mile high banks at 34, the premiere place to race!
Tonight my colleague Barry Johnson and I will head south to the Quincy Raceways for the return of the Deery Brothers IMCA Late Model Summer Series. Perhaps we will see you there!
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