As the cars and stars of the United States Modified Touring Series raced through the turns of 24 Raceway Saturday night during their five qualifying heat races, it looked more like a race through the Baja desert rather than a trip around one of the Midwest’s fastest dirt ovals. Dry spots going into turn one and into turn three appeared during hot laps and the dust plumes billowed and swirled from behind the cars as the drivers set them into the corners. But after an hour-long session of re-working the track during intermission, the issue was minimized and the track was back to its more normal racy condition for the main events.
Local driver Darin Walker now behind the wheel of the #22c ride sat on the pole position for the USMTS Modified thirty-lap finale with current point leader Ryan Gustin right beside him. Gustin shot to the lead at the drop of the green and it was the second row starters Jason Hughes and Tim Donlinger who picked up the chase of the leader. Another local, Kevin Blackburn was running a strong fourth and was putting the heat on Donlinger before he ended up in the turn four wall on lap eleven bringing out the second caution of the event. On the restart Donlinger, Hughes and Gustin raced three-wide for the next lap before Gustin again established himself as the leader.
With the preferred line by most being around the top side of the speedway, it was easy to spot Tommy Myer who was now working the extreme low groove in the corners and quickly making his way toward the front. Myer was up to fourth after starting fifteenth when the caution flew again on lap twenty-one for Corey Dripps. A flat left rear tire was the culprit for Dripps who himself had made a nice run up from fourteenth to sixth. Once again on the restart the battle was three-wide for the front, but this time it was Jason Krohn who joined Hughes and Gustin in a side-by-side-by-side formation. Gustin again used the momentum off the top groove to maintain the lead, but a lap later he went too high in turn one and tagged the retaining wall. The young gun from Marshalltown, Iowa, was able gather it back up and continue on but he lost several positions as Krohn inherited the lead down the back stretch. On the following lap Gustin again had issues in turn one as he tangled with Rodney Sanders in an accident that saw Sanders’ car #20 roll a couple of times before it settled to a halt upside down. The Texas driver crawled out of his used up racecar uninjured while Gustin headed to the pits to make repairs.
Before the red it still appeared that Myer was turning the best lap times running his low line, but the break for the cleanup in turn one must have made a difference as once back to green he could not mount a charge on the leaders. Krohn cruised the final six laps to take the $3,000 victory with Hughes coming home second and Myer settling for third. Zack VanderBeek came out of nowhere on the final restart to finish fourth after starting twenty-third while Kelly Shryock, who also slapped the turn one wall on the same lap that Gustin first did, held on for fifth. Gustin came back out to finish the race in 15th and he hopes to regain his point lead in the Hunt for the USMTS title as the series moves to his hometown track the Marshalltown Speedway on Tuesday night for the first of three straight USMTS appearances on Iowa tracks. The series then goes to Oskaloosa on Wednesday night September 1st and then on to the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison on Thursday night.
The Dart Iron Man Challenge for the USRA Stock Cars ran in support of the Modifieds with a solid field of fifteen cars taking the green for the twenty-lap main event. Point leader Mike VanGenderen started from the pole and held off the early challenges of driver and promoter Rick Girard. Girard is now promoting races at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri, on Saturday nights. Girard faded to fifth on a lap six restart and it was then Derrick Agee who applied the pressure on VanGenderen sticking his nose under the leader on several occasions. VanGenderen though was not to be intimidated as he held on to make the long trip from Newton, Iowa, worthwhile by taking the checkered flag first. Agee finished a few car lengths back in second while Iowa drivers Steve Jackson, Shane Weller and Nathan Wood rounded out the top five. The Dart Iron Man Challenge for the Stock Cars will close out its 2010 run with the three events coming up this week at Marshalltown, Oskaloosa and Allison.
The local four cylinder Hornet division was also in competition with Rob Chase taking the win in a race that saw only eight of the seventeen starters complete the twenty-lap distance with two cars taking hard rollovers. Fortunately both escaped injury.
Despite the questionable track conditions to start the evening, the show was an entertaining one as 24 Raceway always seems to offer up three and four-wide racing action. A big thanks to track announcer Doug Mealy for the kind words that he had for PositivelyRacing and another big thanks to my friend and neighbor Mark Hayes who made the evening possible for me with a mid-afternoon phone call.
Make sure that you try to hit at least one of the three USMTS events in Iowa this coming week!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Aikey Tops Clash, Schulte and Chandler Also Winners On A Darn Near Perfect Night In Tipton
On nearly a perfect night for racing the Cedar County Raceway, the Corn Belt Clash Late Models and two solid support divisions served up a near perfect night of racing Wednesday night in Tipton, Iowa. Maybe it was the fact that I hadn’t been to a racetrack in eleven days, or that it has been just over three weeks since I have been to a stock car race, but it sure was enjoyable watching the three divisions in action on a perfectly prepared surface in front of a beautiful blue and orange sunset on a crystal clear cool evening.
Twenty-four CBC Late Models were on hand and the storyline for their portion of the program started in hot laps when Chad Simpson, winner of eight of the Clash events so far in 2010, slowed to a stop on the front stretch. Chad got out of the car, looked at the rear end and then drove it back to the pits unassisted, but he was a no-show when it came time to run his heat race. Just before intermission though, Simpson came to the track and ran a couple of hot laps before returning to the pits for final preparations for the 35-lap main event that he would start from the rear. (For perhaps more details on the situation with Chad’s mechanical issues, check out “In Staging” as Ryan Clark had based himself in the pits for the evening while I, as always, prefer the comfort of the grandstands).
Two of the three Eckrich brothers in attendance, Denny and Dave lined up on the front row for the feature race and, after a couple of misfires due to spins in the back of the lineup, it was Denny who charged to the front at the third drop of the green. As the leader ran the very top of the quarter-mile oval, it was quickly obvious that Jeff Aikey had nailed the setup for the very bottom line of the speedway as he drove by Eckrich for the lead on lap four. With Aikey and Denny Eckrich starting to pull away from the field the crowd could now focus their attention on tight battles for position for third as well as throughout the field. Dave Eckrich, Jason Rauen and Kurt Kile were waging war for that third spot, with all three mostly hugging that bottom line, when all of sudden the #15K of Justin Kay hooked up on the cushion. Kay, one of six competitors who were taking advantage of the rules package that allows extra spoilers and the opportunity to run topless for the spec motors, started driving around competitors like they were standing still. By the time he was up to third there was a full straightaway between him and Eckrich, but Justin made up that ground in a matter of five laps as he moved into the second spot.
With just under ten laps remaining and with Aikey now riding behind the soon-to-be-lapped car of Wayne Hora who was also hugging the bottom, it looked as though Kay might just be able to reel in the leader as well. But with five laps to go a pair of lapped cars started to race each other just ahead of the challenger with one of them even moving up to the cushion. This forced Kay to abandon his lightning line around the speedway to get by the two of them and, at the same time, Aikey finally edged under Hora to put even more distance between the two front-runners and the race for the win was decided. It would be Jeff Aikey taking the $2,000 top-prize on this night with Justin Kay looking very impressive in second. Denny Eckrich would take home third-place money while Jason Rauen would finish fourth. And, as for fifth, coming all the way from the outside of row number twelve, it was Chad Simpson leaving us all to wonder what might have been if there had been a single caution and restart during the thirty-five-lap distance.
It is hard to consider the talent-laden field of thirty Modifieds as a “support” class this evening, especially when they presented such a clean and entertaining night of action during their portion of the program. Mark Schulte started from the pole and out-dragged outside row one starter Bill Butteris as the field took the green for their twenty-five-lap finale. A pair of cautions occurred on lap four when first Jake Bowman spun in turn two and when Davey Hammond got crossed up in nearly the same place on the restart. On the second restart Ryan Dolan made a run at the leader Schulte using the low line, but Schulte did not flinch and maintained his momentum up top to hold on to the advantage. A final caution on lap eleven for a track tire that had been punted out in turn two produced a restart that had the crowd on the edge of their seats for the next few laps. As the field went back to racing Dan Chapman dove low, Dolan used the middle and Schulte stayed up top through both sets of turns as the race for the lead went three-wide. As they came down the front stretch Mark actually dropped off the racing surface for a split second, but he retained his composure and again hit his mark perfectly into turn one. Dolan actually nosed ahead through turns one and two only to have Schulte again rocket by him on the high line down the back straightaway. Back out front, and with no additional cautions to slow his run, Mark Schulte went on to pick up the $700 winner’s check ahead of Dolan, Mike Burbridge, Chapman and Steve Stewart.
A solid count of nineteen Four Cylinders were also in action this evening with Steve Miedke pacing the first two circuits of their twelve-lap feature. Brad Chandler was on the move from his fourth starting spot driving around Miedke on lap three and then cruising to victory in a dominating fashion. Track point leader Jarrod McMichael came from the seventh starting spot to finish second, Brad’s brother Nathan Chandler moved from eighth to finish third, Chuck Hanson advanced to fourth after starting in row seven while Miedke held on to complete the top five.
CCR CBC Notes……I know, it sounds like the “Harlequin novel” side of me is coming out when I am describing a perfect night of racing while watching the sunset in front of me, but if you have ever been to a show at Tipton you probably know what I am talking about. The stands face directly to the west, which can be a bit of a pain when the sun is still up, but it becomes spectacular when that big orange globe sets and paints the twilight sky. With the track itself raised up (I was straight on eye level with the front stretch even though I was sitting midway up in the new bleachers) and a pretty good distance from the stands, it produces a different line of sight and sound than what you will find at most other tracks. I don’t feel like I am getting the full sense of the speed that the cars are carrying with this sight line, and it sure seems like they are all quieter than other tracks. Does sound rise???…..What else adds to a “perfect” night of racing? A lack of caution flags and we saw very few of them tonight. Both the Modified and Late Model heats ran caution free while one caution flew for debris in the two Four Cylinder heat races. The Modified B-Main, as can be expected, had three or four incidents that required restarts and all three features ran pretty clean. This all resulted in a final checkered flag waving at 9:34 p.m., perfect for a weeknight special event……I mentioned above that Justin Kay was one of six Late Models decked out with the spec motor body package with the other five being Colby Springsteen, Dale Stolte, Wayne Hora, Kevin Pittman and Brian Beaudry. Stolte has been absent from the Late Model scene for most of the 2010 season, but has posted a pair of top-five finishes here in late August. From the paint schemes it looks like his #78 and Hora’s #M2 are team cars and Hora is no stranger to Tipton as he has been a regular competitor here in the Street Stock division for several years. Pittman was behind the wheel of the #60 often driven by Dean Wagner……No WISSOTA cars on hand tonight, but the field did include Illinois drivers Mike Fryer and Russ Adams…..The Corn Belt Clash continues a three-races-in-three-nights swing with a show in Allison tonight and at Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minnesota, on Friday……The Modified winner Mark Schulte is a two-time All Iowa Points champion (2006 and 2007) and he was being chased tonight by the current All Iowa Points leader in Ryan Dolan……This was my first chance to see Bruce Hanford back in action after mid-season back surgery and the #61 looked solid as always……Late Model driver Matt Ryan moonlighted tonight in a red #11M Modified…..One driver who is usually challenging for the Modified win here at Tipton had a night to forget as Brad Diercks pulled off the track just before the green flag for the second heat race, an event that he was going to start from the front row in, and he did the same thing later in the evening as he prepared to start the B-Main…..One of the cautions in the Modified B was for a multi-car scramble on a restart. Shaune Lewis ended up spinning off the track and when he showed his displeasure by driving into the side of Ben Traver’s car as it sat waiting for the realignment, Lewis was then sent to the pits…..Scot Fridley was impressive coming from the back of the twelve-car lineup to snare the fifth and final transfer position out of the B-Main after failing to start his heat race…..After only one caution in their heats, the Four Cylinders put on some good racing in their feature as well with only one yellow when Mitch Bielenberg stopped in turn two on lap number three…..A big thanks to promoters Al & Kathy Dlouhy for their hospitality and don’t forget that the Cedar County Raceway has three events remaining on their 2010 schedule. This Friday, August 27th will be Season Championship night and they will come back the following week September 3rd with a non-points event. Then on Saturday night September 11th they will close out the season in style with the Dlouhy/Devore Memorial that will pay $2,000-to-win for the Modifieds, $1,500-to-win for the Late Models and $400-to-win for the Four Cylinders. For more info you can click the ad at the top of this entry. I am hoping to make it to this show following the annual Iowa and Iowa State game in Iowa City.
Several tracks will be holding their Season Championship events this weekend. Make sure that you attend the track of your choice and we hope to see you there!
Twenty-four CBC Late Models were on hand and the storyline for their portion of the program started in hot laps when Chad Simpson, winner of eight of the Clash events so far in 2010, slowed to a stop on the front stretch. Chad got out of the car, looked at the rear end and then drove it back to the pits unassisted, but he was a no-show when it came time to run his heat race. Just before intermission though, Simpson came to the track and ran a couple of hot laps before returning to the pits for final preparations for the 35-lap main event that he would start from the rear. (For perhaps more details on the situation with Chad’s mechanical issues, check out “In Staging” as Ryan Clark had based himself in the pits for the evening while I, as always, prefer the comfort of the grandstands).
Two of the three Eckrich brothers in attendance, Denny and Dave lined up on the front row for the feature race and, after a couple of misfires due to spins in the back of the lineup, it was Denny who charged to the front at the third drop of the green. As the leader ran the very top of the quarter-mile oval, it was quickly obvious that Jeff Aikey had nailed the setup for the very bottom line of the speedway as he drove by Eckrich for the lead on lap four. With Aikey and Denny Eckrich starting to pull away from the field the crowd could now focus their attention on tight battles for position for third as well as throughout the field. Dave Eckrich, Jason Rauen and Kurt Kile were waging war for that third spot, with all three mostly hugging that bottom line, when all of sudden the #15K of Justin Kay hooked up on the cushion. Kay, one of six competitors who were taking advantage of the rules package that allows extra spoilers and the opportunity to run topless for the spec motors, started driving around competitors like they were standing still. By the time he was up to third there was a full straightaway between him and Eckrich, but Justin made up that ground in a matter of five laps as he moved into the second spot.
With just under ten laps remaining and with Aikey now riding behind the soon-to-be-lapped car of Wayne Hora who was also hugging the bottom, it looked as though Kay might just be able to reel in the leader as well. But with five laps to go a pair of lapped cars started to race each other just ahead of the challenger with one of them even moving up to the cushion. This forced Kay to abandon his lightning line around the speedway to get by the two of them and, at the same time, Aikey finally edged under Hora to put even more distance between the two front-runners and the race for the win was decided. It would be Jeff Aikey taking the $2,000 top-prize on this night with Justin Kay looking very impressive in second. Denny Eckrich would take home third-place money while Jason Rauen would finish fourth. And, as for fifth, coming all the way from the outside of row number twelve, it was Chad Simpson leaving us all to wonder what might have been if there had been a single caution and restart during the thirty-five-lap distance.
It is hard to consider the talent-laden field of thirty Modifieds as a “support” class this evening, especially when they presented such a clean and entertaining night of action during their portion of the program. Mark Schulte started from the pole and out-dragged outside row one starter Bill Butteris as the field took the green for their twenty-five-lap finale. A pair of cautions occurred on lap four when first Jake Bowman spun in turn two and when Davey Hammond got crossed up in nearly the same place on the restart. On the second restart Ryan Dolan made a run at the leader Schulte using the low line, but Schulte did not flinch and maintained his momentum up top to hold on to the advantage. A final caution on lap eleven for a track tire that had been punted out in turn two produced a restart that had the crowd on the edge of their seats for the next few laps. As the field went back to racing Dan Chapman dove low, Dolan used the middle and Schulte stayed up top through both sets of turns as the race for the lead went three-wide. As they came down the front stretch Mark actually dropped off the racing surface for a split second, but he retained his composure and again hit his mark perfectly into turn one. Dolan actually nosed ahead through turns one and two only to have Schulte again rocket by him on the high line down the back straightaway. Back out front, and with no additional cautions to slow his run, Mark Schulte went on to pick up the $700 winner’s check ahead of Dolan, Mike Burbridge, Chapman and Steve Stewart.
A solid count of nineteen Four Cylinders were also in action this evening with Steve Miedke pacing the first two circuits of their twelve-lap feature. Brad Chandler was on the move from his fourth starting spot driving around Miedke on lap three and then cruising to victory in a dominating fashion. Track point leader Jarrod McMichael came from the seventh starting spot to finish second, Brad’s brother Nathan Chandler moved from eighth to finish third, Chuck Hanson advanced to fourth after starting in row seven while Miedke held on to complete the top five.
CCR CBC Notes……I know, it sounds like the “Harlequin novel” side of me is coming out when I am describing a perfect night of racing while watching the sunset in front of me, but if you have ever been to a show at Tipton you probably know what I am talking about. The stands face directly to the west, which can be a bit of a pain when the sun is still up, but it becomes spectacular when that big orange globe sets and paints the twilight sky. With the track itself raised up (I was straight on eye level with the front stretch even though I was sitting midway up in the new bleachers) and a pretty good distance from the stands, it produces a different line of sight and sound than what you will find at most other tracks. I don’t feel like I am getting the full sense of the speed that the cars are carrying with this sight line, and it sure seems like they are all quieter than other tracks. Does sound rise???…..What else adds to a “perfect” night of racing? A lack of caution flags and we saw very few of them tonight. Both the Modified and Late Model heats ran caution free while one caution flew for debris in the two Four Cylinder heat races. The Modified B-Main, as can be expected, had three or four incidents that required restarts and all three features ran pretty clean. This all resulted in a final checkered flag waving at 9:34 p.m., perfect for a weeknight special event……I mentioned above that Justin Kay was one of six Late Models decked out with the spec motor body package with the other five being Colby Springsteen, Dale Stolte, Wayne Hora, Kevin Pittman and Brian Beaudry. Stolte has been absent from the Late Model scene for most of the 2010 season, but has posted a pair of top-five finishes here in late August. From the paint schemes it looks like his #78 and Hora’s #M2 are team cars and Hora is no stranger to Tipton as he has been a regular competitor here in the Street Stock division for several years. Pittman was behind the wheel of the #60 often driven by Dean Wagner……No WISSOTA cars on hand tonight, but the field did include Illinois drivers Mike Fryer and Russ Adams…..The Corn Belt Clash continues a three-races-in-three-nights swing with a show in Allison tonight and at Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minnesota, on Friday……The Modified winner Mark Schulte is a two-time All Iowa Points champion (2006 and 2007) and he was being chased tonight by the current All Iowa Points leader in Ryan Dolan……This was my first chance to see Bruce Hanford back in action after mid-season back surgery and the #61 looked solid as always……Late Model driver Matt Ryan moonlighted tonight in a red #11M Modified…..One driver who is usually challenging for the Modified win here at Tipton had a night to forget as Brad Diercks pulled off the track just before the green flag for the second heat race, an event that he was going to start from the front row in, and he did the same thing later in the evening as he prepared to start the B-Main…..One of the cautions in the Modified B was for a multi-car scramble on a restart. Shaune Lewis ended up spinning off the track and when he showed his displeasure by driving into the side of Ben Traver’s car as it sat waiting for the realignment, Lewis was then sent to the pits…..Scot Fridley was impressive coming from the back of the twelve-car lineup to snare the fifth and final transfer position out of the B-Main after failing to start his heat race…..After only one caution in their heats, the Four Cylinders put on some good racing in their feature as well with only one yellow when Mitch Bielenberg stopped in turn two on lap number three…..A big thanks to promoters Al & Kathy Dlouhy for their hospitality and don’t forget that the Cedar County Raceway has three events remaining on their 2010 schedule. This Friday, August 27th will be Season Championship night and they will come back the following week September 3rd with a non-points event. Then on Saturday night September 11th they will close out the season in style with the Dlouhy/Devore Memorial that will pay $2,000-to-win for the Modifieds, $1,500-to-win for the Late Models and $400-to-win for the Four Cylinders. For more info you can click the ad at the top of this entry. I am hoping to make it to this show following the annual Iowa and Iowa State game in Iowa City.
Several tracks will be holding their Season Championship events this weekend. Make sure that you attend the track of your choice and we hope to see you there!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
One Track Closes, Two Extend Schedules, and More!
As I have aged I have found that after two straight weeks of Sprint Car racing at Knoxville and Oskaloosa I need a break. The Nationals wear me out anymore especially when I try to do the eight to five gig back home as well. Twenty-five years ago I wanted to go to the races every night of the week and that is the opportunity that the Southern Iowa Sprint Speedweeks provide, but nowadays I need a break, so let’s face it, I’m getting old! As I read the race results from Des Moines, Allison, Sedalia and Webster City this week there was still a little part of my heart that said, “you should have been there.” But, my sleep-deprived mind jumps in real quick and says “yea right, the closest one of those was just over two hours from home!” Hopefully my heart will start winning this battle again very soon though as the season is starting to slip away from us.
I see where another track has closed down the 2010 season a little earlier than originally planned as the Fredericktown Raceway in southeast Missouri, or “FredRock” as it is more affectionately known to its fans and competitors announced this week that they are scrapping the final two nights of their weekly racing season. Track owners did note however that they look forward to returning to full strength in 2011.
As one shuts down early, a couple of more tracks closer to home have announced an extended schedule for 2010. Quincy Raceways will continue to run on Sunday nights through October 10th and here’s hoping that they see a solid car count and fan base through the remainder of the season. I have always loved to go racing on Sundays in the Fall as high school and college football demand a lot of my attention on the first two days of the weekend. So now it looks like I’ll be setting the DVR for some NFL action and then heading down to Quincy a few times this autumn!
I guess that saying that the season is being “extended” at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri, isn’t completely accurate. Columbia, Missouri, Stock Car driver Rick Girard is dipping his toe into the promotional waters and has “revived” the 2010 schedule at the neat little 3/8th-mile oval in northeast Missouri after the track closed down earlier this summer. Girard held his first event last Saturday night and, from all reports, things went pretty well with solid car counts and good attendance. They are back at it again this Saturday night featuring a $700-to-win Modified show and Rick plans to run into mid-October culminating with the two-day Mid-America Nationals event that will likely be held October 15th and 16th.
For coverage of all of the racing action around the tri-state area of Iowa, Missouri and Illinois check out Heartland Motorsports.
While you are visiting Positively Racing make sure that you check out the August 18th entry from Ryan Clark “In Staging” as he discusses the controversial promoter’s claim that took place in the Stock Car division last Saturday night in Boone.
Sprint Car fans who are heading to 34 Raceway this Saturday night for the Sprint Invader Twin features, don’t forget that there will be a “Meet and Greet” session with Burlington’s own Josh Schneiderman who finished 13th at the Knoxville Nationals this past week. I would love to go shake the hand of “The Professor” and watch his father Bart beam with pride, but I made a date with Jennifer Nettles a few months ago that I just have to keep.
Get out to the track of your choice, support the sport and I hope to see you at the races again soon!
And if you'd like to have a chuckle or two, check out the last entry from my favorite blogger Mark Titus.
I see where another track has closed down the 2010 season a little earlier than originally planned as the Fredericktown Raceway in southeast Missouri, or “FredRock” as it is more affectionately known to its fans and competitors announced this week that they are scrapping the final two nights of their weekly racing season. Track owners did note however that they look forward to returning to full strength in 2011.
As one shuts down early, a couple of more tracks closer to home have announced an extended schedule for 2010. Quincy Raceways will continue to run on Sunday nights through October 10th and here’s hoping that they see a solid car count and fan base through the remainder of the season. I have always loved to go racing on Sundays in the Fall as high school and college football demand a lot of my attention on the first two days of the weekend. So now it looks like I’ll be setting the DVR for some NFL action and then heading down to Quincy a few times this autumn!
I guess that saying that the season is being “extended” at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri, isn’t completely accurate. Columbia, Missouri, Stock Car driver Rick Girard is dipping his toe into the promotional waters and has “revived” the 2010 schedule at the neat little 3/8th-mile oval in northeast Missouri after the track closed down earlier this summer. Girard held his first event last Saturday night and, from all reports, things went pretty well with solid car counts and good attendance. They are back at it again this Saturday night featuring a $700-to-win Modified show and Rick plans to run into mid-October culminating with the two-day Mid-America Nationals event that will likely be held October 15th and 16th.
For coverage of all of the racing action around the tri-state area of Iowa, Missouri and Illinois check out Heartland Motorsports.
While you are visiting Positively Racing make sure that you check out the August 18th entry from Ryan Clark “In Staging” as he discusses the controversial promoter’s claim that took place in the Stock Car division last Saturday night in Boone.
Sprint Car fans who are heading to 34 Raceway this Saturday night for the Sprint Invader Twin features, don’t forget that there will be a “Meet and Greet” session with Burlington’s own Josh Schneiderman who finished 13th at the Knoxville Nationals this past week. I would love to go shake the hand of “The Professor” and watch his father Bart beam with pride, but I made a date with Jennifer Nettles a few months ago that I just have to keep.
Get out to the track of your choice, support the sport and I hope to see you at the races again soon!
And if you'd like to have a chuckle or two, check out the last entry from my favorite blogger Mark Titus.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Best Nationals Ever? Yea, I Think So.....
I don’t know how many times over the past thirty-four years that I have walked out of the Knoxville Raceway on a Saturday night in August thinking "wow, that was the best Nationals ever!" I’ll admit, it has been several times and that is why I don’t know exactly how many times I have felt that way. Who knows, maybe I am easy to please, but I do know that it has been a few years since the last time that I said that to myself. Last year was such a struggle with the weather and included the frustration of having the championship night moved to Sunday, so maybe the recent memory of that one made this 50th edition seem so much better. And, with the sheer range of emotions that I experienced over the final ten laps on Saturday night, future Nationals will be hard pressed to prompt me to say "that was the best Nationals ever", ever again!
If you are a regular reader of the Back Stretch you know that I normally follow a certain format when I report on an event that includes what is essentially a race story followed by a set of side notes that I feel are of interest. When it comes to the Nationals though, I take a different path as I will still place a standard bet that I am the only person walking around the place with press credentials hanging around his or her neck that also paid for a ticket for all four nights. Sitting in Section I, Row 20 along with friends and family, most that we only see for four nights a year, is every bit of part of the Nationals experience for me so the notebook stays in the car. And that is why you are not going to find a detailed report here of how this, the best ever Nationals as far as I am concerned played out. For some notes from the two intriguing qualifying nights, read the past two entries here, and for the full details of the Saturday night finale I encourage you to watch the delayed broadcast of the event on the Speed Channel on August 28th. But for now….
Much was discussed this past year or two about the 50th Nationals being a fifty-lap race and most of that discussion was in a negative tone. I believe that one prominent driver was even quoted this week as saying that it would be a fiasco. Well, if it would have been a traditional thirty-lapper, we really don’t know who would have won it as just as the caution waved on lap twenty-five for the mid-race pit stop Donny Schatz had a run on Sammy Swindell coming down the front straightaway. Would Schatz have made the pass if it stayed green? Would Sammy have been able to return the favor? We’ll never know that one.
The "pit stop" itself was nowhere near as "exciting" as one thought, and infield announcer Mike Roberts confirmed that other than changing tires and refueling, nobody made any significant changes during the break. On the restart Swindell blocked the low line into turn one and kept Schatz far behind until they started working traffic. With about fourteen laps remaining Schatz made a bold run at Swindell in turn three and drove up the track in front of him, but the cushion wouldn’t hold him and when Schatz bobbled to recover, Swindell drove back around him to the delight of the near capacity crowd.
It looked like the win was Sammy’s as he pulled away after that exchange, but the caution waved with (I believe) six laps remaining for Brian Brown who had shredded a right rear tire while running in the top four. What happened after that will be remembered for everybody who was in attendance no matter who they were pulling for. On the restart Swindell and Schatz traded the lead on the track at least three times as Donny would throw a slider and Sammy would counter by kicking off the cushion to drive back under him. Coming around for lap forty-seven Schatz finally made a move stick in turn four and he went to the cushion in one and two. Swindell charged to the bottom in turns one and two and looked like a slot car that was glued to the track as he drove off the bottom of two with the lead once ago down the backstretch. As Swindell slid up the track in turn three to close the door on Schatz his left rear tire exploded and he spun backwards before tipping over onto his top. Ten years ago the place would have gone nuts as in those days Swindell would have been the villain and Schatz the hero, but we race fans are a fickle bunch and there was a stunned silence that overtook the crowd as what would have been a storybook victory for Swindell had just been vanquished.
The silence turned to applause though as Sammy climbed out and first stood atop his still upside down car, then that applause grew even more as he walked from turn four into the infield. Then we all saw something that we never thought we would see. The veteran driver who has always been labeled as stand-offish or arrogant when in fact he is just a quiet, evenly emotional man, stopped and acknowledged the cheers by taking a bow to the grandstands. This despite the utter disappointment that he had to be feeling at the moment. The crowd erupted and started chanting "Sammy, Sammy, Sammy…." as he continued that long walk back to the pits. I’ll admit it, he has been my favorite for many years and to hear this replace the boos and catcalls that were normal in the past was really something to experience and nearly brought a tear to my eye.
So after all of this, we still had three laps remaining to determine who was going to be this year’s Knoxville Nationals champion. With Schatz now sitting out front, and with the vast majority of the crowd wanting to see someone else in victory lane rather than the driver that four years ago saw his first win here come to the thrill of the crowd; who three years ago impressed the crowd by following up that title; who two years ago got a smattering applause with his third straight win and who last year thrilled direct family and friends with his fourth straight (remember, we race fans are a fickle bunch), all hopes were now pinned on either Tim Shaffer or Shane Stewart to stop that run. Schatz was able to shake off the first attempt by Shaffer, but then a wisp of smoke was seen out of the #15 and Shaffer saw his golden opportunity as he drove under Schatz in turn two with just less than two laps remaining to take the win in front of a grandstand full of people who were jumping up and down, waving their hats and hugging whoever was sitting near them in celebration. The streak had ended, and as Shaffer celebrated in victory lane, I noticed that several of the fans around me joined in applause for the runner-up Donny Schatz. After all, race fans are fickle, but we still appreciate excellence!
Considering the action and the drama of the two qualifying nights and the way that the final ten laps played out here on Saturday night, it truly was the best Nationals ever! At least until next year. :)
One last note, a huge congratulations to Josh Schneiderman who as the one and only Iowa driver in the A-Main came from the twenty-third starting spot to finish 13th. What a great way to celebrate twenty-five years of racing for the Deuce Racing crew, I know that his papa Bart has a smile on his face that won’t go away for a long time to come!
That’s it for now, get out to your favorite track soon and make some memories.
If you are a regular reader of the Back Stretch you know that I normally follow a certain format when I report on an event that includes what is essentially a race story followed by a set of side notes that I feel are of interest. When it comes to the Nationals though, I take a different path as I will still place a standard bet that I am the only person walking around the place with press credentials hanging around his or her neck that also paid for a ticket for all four nights. Sitting in Section I, Row 20 along with friends and family, most that we only see for four nights a year, is every bit of part of the Nationals experience for me so the notebook stays in the car. And that is why you are not going to find a detailed report here of how this, the best ever Nationals as far as I am concerned played out. For some notes from the two intriguing qualifying nights, read the past two entries here, and for the full details of the Saturday night finale I encourage you to watch the delayed broadcast of the event on the Speed Channel on August 28th. But for now….
Much was discussed this past year or two about the 50th Nationals being a fifty-lap race and most of that discussion was in a negative tone. I believe that one prominent driver was even quoted this week as saying that it would be a fiasco. Well, if it would have been a traditional thirty-lapper, we really don’t know who would have won it as just as the caution waved on lap twenty-five for the mid-race pit stop Donny Schatz had a run on Sammy Swindell coming down the front straightaway. Would Schatz have made the pass if it stayed green? Would Sammy have been able to return the favor? We’ll never know that one.
The "pit stop" itself was nowhere near as "exciting" as one thought, and infield announcer Mike Roberts confirmed that other than changing tires and refueling, nobody made any significant changes during the break. On the restart Swindell blocked the low line into turn one and kept Schatz far behind until they started working traffic. With about fourteen laps remaining Schatz made a bold run at Swindell in turn three and drove up the track in front of him, but the cushion wouldn’t hold him and when Schatz bobbled to recover, Swindell drove back around him to the delight of the near capacity crowd.
It looked like the win was Sammy’s as he pulled away after that exchange, but the caution waved with (I believe) six laps remaining for Brian Brown who had shredded a right rear tire while running in the top four. What happened after that will be remembered for everybody who was in attendance no matter who they were pulling for. On the restart Swindell and Schatz traded the lead on the track at least three times as Donny would throw a slider and Sammy would counter by kicking off the cushion to drive back under him. Coming around for lap forty-seven Schatz finally made a move stick in turn four and he went to the cushion in one and two. Swindell charged to the bottom in turns one and two and looked like a slot car that was glued to the track as he drove off the bottom of two with the lead once ago down the backstretch. As Swindell slid up the track in turn three to close the door on Schatz his left rear tire exploded and he spun backwards before tipping over onto his top. Ten years ago the place would have gone nuts as in those days Swindell would have been the villain and Schatz the hero, but we race fans are a fickle bunch and there was a stunned silence that overtook the crowd as what would have been a storybook victory for Swindell had just been vanquished.
The silence turned to applause though as Sammy climbed out and first stood atop his still upside down car, then that applause grew even more as he walked from turn four into the infield. Then we all saw something that we never thought we would see. The veteran driver who has always been labeled as stand-offish or arrogant when in fact he is just a quiet, evenly emotional man, stopped and acknowledged the cheers by taking a bow to the grandstands. This despite the utter disappointment that he had to be feeling at the moment. The crowd erupted and started chanting "Sammy, Sammy, Sammy…." as he continued that long walk back to the pits. I’ll admit it, he has been my favorite for many years and to hear this replace the boos and catcalls that were normal in the past was really something to experience and nearly brought a tear to my eye.
So after all of this, we still had three laps remaining to determine who was going to be this year’s Knoxville Nationals champion. With Schatz now sitting out front, and with the vast majority of the crowd wanting to see someone else in victory lane rather than the driver that four years ago saw his first win here come to the thrill of the crowd; who three years ago impressed the crowd by following up that title; who two years ago got a smattering applause with his third straight win and who last year thrilled direct family and friends with his fourth straight (remember, we race fans are a fickle bunch), all hopes were now pinned on either Tim Shaffer or Shane Stewart to stop that run. Schatz was able to shake off the first attempt by Shaffer, but then a wisp of smoke was seen out of the #15 and Shaffer saw his golden opportunity as he drove under Schatz in turn two with just less than two laps remaining to take the win in front of a grandstand full of people who were jumping up and down, waving their hats and hugging whoever was sitting near them in celebration. The streak had ended, and as Shaffer celebrated in victory lane, I noticed that several of the fans around me joined in applause for the runner-up Donny Schatz. After all, race fans are fickle, but we still appreciate excellence!
Considering the action and the drama of the two qualifying nights and the way that the final ten laps played out here on Saturday night, it truly was the best Nationals ever! At least until next year. :)
One last note, a huge congratulations to Josh Schneiderman who as the one and only Iowa driver in the A-Main came from the twenty-third starting spot to finish 13th. What a great way to celebrate twenty-five years of racing for the Deuce Racing crew, I know that his papa Bart has a smile on his face that won’t go away for a long time to come!
That’s it for now, get out to your favorite track soon and make some memories.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Night Number Two At Knoxville
I have always felt that the two qualifying nights at the Knoxville Nationals are the most dramatic nights in dirt track racing and this year definitely supported that theory as Thursday’s show was again full of storylines.
First of all, how about this for irony? The 50th edition of the Knoxville Nationals had fifty cars sign in on Wednesday night, and fifty cars again for Thursday night.
Steve Kinser posted the fastest time in qualifying and then wasted no time moving into a qualifying position in the first heat where he wound up third behind Ricky Logan and Stevie Smith. With the most points going into the A-Main, Kinser lined up eighth but was never a factor as he finished the race in 11th putting him fifth overall on the final points list.
Kinser’s Tony Stewart Racing teammate, Donny Schatz, qualified seventh and then got an incredible jump on the start of the second heat to go from row four to third through the first two corners. Schatz was then able to slip by Dean Jacobs on a late restart to take second and it looked like his drive for five straight championships was well on its way. We’ll tell you more about how things went for Donny in the feature further down the line.
Danny Lasoski was the second fastest qualifier on the evening, but pulled up lame with a blown motor early in the second heat race. “The Dude” came back to win the C-Main and he then raced from 21st to 12th in the B-Main. On a night that started out so well, Lasoski’s 399 points ranked 42nd overall landing him in Saturday’s C-Main.
In heat race number three Lance Dewease and Rager Phillips wanted to make sure that everybody felt like they were getting their money’s worth as the two drivers swapped the lead back and forth at least six times before Dewease shut the door on Phillips to take the win. Greg Hodnett moved past Phillips with a lap to go for second.
The fourth heat got off to a tough start when Sam Hafertepe Jr. and Greg Wilson collided off of turn two sending both cars to the pits. The red flag appeared again on lap four when the right rear tire on Paul McMahan’s #91 shredded in turn three and he crashed hard. Once back to green “The Wild Child” fans celebrated as Jac Haudenschild ran away with the victory.
Sammy Swindell and Brian Brown started from row four in the fifth heat and while Brown moved quickly toward the front on the opening lap, Swindell faded to ninth. Two laps later it looked like Sammy was not going anywhere, but then something clicked and the Big Game Tree Stands #1 hooked up and started passing a car a lap. It has been a long time since I have seen a driver fade at the start only to come back and race his way to the front and with a caution on lap eight that was all the Swindell needed to pass Luke Hall on the restart for the win.
Tim Kaeding, who dropped out of the first heat with a sick motor, and Hafertepe waged a thrilling battle behind Lasoski in the C-Main with Kaeding taking the second transfer ticket to the B-Main. “TK” then made a strong run from row eleven to finish sixth garnering enough points to make him the 50th and final automatic “transfer” to Saturday’s show.
McMahan recovered nicely from his wreck to finish second in the B-Main behind Ian Madsen who appeared to smoke a motor at the checkers. Dusty Zomer was third while the battle for the fourth and final transfer position gave the crowd a thrill. Josh Schneiderman was running the cushion in fourth when Tyler Walker threw a slider at him with two laps remaining. Schneiderman maintained his composure and when Walker went to the bottom in three and four on the final lap, Josh rode the cushion off of turn four and then held his foot to the floor as Walker drifted up the track down the front stretch. The two made contact just before the finish line with Schneiderman taking the position by a car-length.
On the first attempt to start the A-Main Mark Shirshekan spun and on the second try Ohio driver Luke Hall took a tumble in turn one. The third attempt stuck as Swindell passed pole-sitter Skip Jackson coming off of turn four to take the lead on lap one. Donny Schatz soon moved to second and picked up the chase on Sammy with the two pulling even through heavy lapped traffic. Swindell made a nice move to pin Schatz behind a slower car in turn one and then pulled away apparently headed for a convincing victory. On the final lap though, as Sammy was racing down the backstretch the right rear tire went flat on Mike Moore’s car in turn three and the caution waved setting up a green-white-checkered restart. Swindell had a great jump on Schatz on the restart and the crowd was cheering on Skip Jackson who was making a run at Schatz for second on the final lap before the caution waved again for Moore who had spun in turn three. While under caution it became obvious why Swindell got such a jump on Schatz as the right rear tire on the four-time defending Nationals champion was losing air and he was doing everything he could during the caution laps to try to keep some air pressure in it.
This time it would be just a one-lap run and as Sammy pulled away for the win, Schatz was a sitting duck for Skip Jackson and Brian Brown. Both drivers worked around Schatz down the back straightaway and then when Jackson’s car ran out of fuel off of turn four Brown pulled ahead to take second and tabulate more qualifying points than anybody else. Skip held on for third while Stevie Smith nipped Schatz at the line for fourth. While it was a disappointing finish for Schatz he was lucky that he did not need another lap as the tire exploded in turn one. The crowd went crazy with Sammy’s win and Donny’s misfortune, an exact opposite reaction that you would have heard here not that long ago.
Six drivers, Brown, Swindell, Greg Hodnett, Schatz, Kinser and Daryn Pittman tallied more points tonight than Wednesday’s top point man Tim Shaffer. Shane Stewart is eighth, Jason Johnson ninth and Dale Blaney tenth while the remaining ten drivers who are locked into Saturday’s A-Main are Kerry Madsen, Skip Jackson, Lynton Jeffrey, Jason Sides, Dusty Zomer, Davey Heskin, Chad Kemenah, Joey Saldana, Erin Crocker and Brandon Wimmer. Interesting to note that of the twenty A-Main qualifiers five are Knoxville track regulars while five are World of Outlaw regulars.
Fans were also treated tonight to a feature race by the flat track motorcycles and the Legend Cars. The motorcycles will be in action here at Knoxville on September 17th and 18th so tonight served as a bit of a teaser for that event. I believe that the Legend Car race had something to do with raising money for peace officers who have been injured on duty, however the organizers of this event did not provide a single bit of information to the trio of announcers. So, by default, nobody in the stands knew what the heck was going on either. Hopefully they raised some money for their cause though!
Outlaw drivers Jason Meyers, Lucas Wolfe, Kraig Kinser and Sam Hafertepe are all on the list to compete in Friday’s Non-Qualifer program, plus the three Scrambles and the World Challenge should make for another interesting night of action at Knoxville.
First of all, how about this for irony? The 50th edition of the Knoxville Nationals had fifty cars sign in on Wednesday night, and fifty cars again for Thursday night.
Steve Kinser posted the fastest time in qualifying and then wasted no time moving into a qualifying position in the first heat where he wound up third behind Ricky Logan and Stevie Smith. With the most points going into the A-Main, Kinser lined up eighth but was never a factor as he finished the race in 11th putting him fifth overall on the final points list.
Kinser’s Tony Stewart Racing teammate, Donny Schatz, qualified seventh and then got an incredible jump on the start of the second heat to go from row four to third through the first two corners. Schatz was then able to slip by Dean Jacobs on a late restart to take second and it looked like his drive for five straight championships was well on its way. We’ll tell you more about how things went for Donny in the feature further down the line.
Danny Lasoski was the second fastest qualifier on the evening, but pulled up lame with a blown motor early in the second heat race. “The Dude” came back to win the C-Main and he then raced from 21st to 12th in the B-Main. On a night that started out so well, Lasoski’s 399 points ranked 42nd overall landing him in Saturday’s C-Main.
In heat race number three Lance Dewease and Rager Phillips wanted to make sure that everybody felt like they were getting their money’s worth as the two drivers swapped the lead back and forth at least six times before Dewease shut the door on Phillips to take the win. Greg Hodnett moved past Phillips with a lap to go for second.
The fourth heat got off to a tough start when Sam Hafertepe Jr. and Greg Wilson collided off of turn two sending both cars to the pits. The red flag appeared again on lap four when the right rear tire on Paul McMahan’s #91 shredded in turn three and he crashed hard. Once back to green “The Wild Child” fans celebrated as Jac Haudenschild ran away with the victory.
Sammy Swindell and Brian Brown started from row four in the fifth heat and while Brown moved quickly toward the front on the opening lap, Swindell faded to ninth. Two laps later it looked like Sammy was not going anywhere, but then something clicked and the Big Game Tree Stands #1 hooked up and started passing a car a lap. It has been a long time since I have seen a driver fade at the start only to come back and race his way to the front and with a caution on lap eight that was all the Swindell needed to pass Luke Hall on the restart for the win.
Tim Kaeding, who dropped out of the first heat with a sick motor, and Hafertepe waged a thrilling battle behind Lasoski in the C-Main with Kaeding taking the second transfer ticket to the B-Main. “TK” then made a strong run from row eleven to finish sixth garnering enough points to make him the 50th and final automatic “transfer” to Saturday’s show.
McMahan recovered nicely from his wreck to finish second in the B-Main behind Ian Madsen who appeared to smoke a motor at the checkers. Dusty Zomer was third while the battle for the fourth and final transfer position gave the crowd a thrill. Josh Schneiderman was running the cushion in fourth when Tyler Walker threw a slider at him with two laps remaining. Schneiderman maintained his composure and when Walker went to the bottom in three and four on the final lap, Josh rode the cushion off of turn four and then held his foot to the floor as Walker drifted up the track down the front stretch. The two made contact just before the finish line with Schneiderman taking the position by a car-length.
On the first attempt to start the A-Main Mark Shirshekan spun and on the second try Ohio driver Luke Hall took a tumble in turn one. The third attempt stuck as Swindell passed pole-sitter Skip Jackson coming off of turn four to take the lead on lap one. Donny Schatz soon moved to second and picked up the chase on Sammy with the two pulling even through heavy lapped traffic. Swindell made a nice move to pin Schatz behind a slower car in turn one and then pulled away apparently headed for a convincing victory. On the final lap though, as Sammy was racing down the backstretch the right rear tire went flat on Mike Moore’s car in turn three and the caution waved setting up a green-white-checkered restart. Swindell had a great jump on Schatz on the restart and the crowd was cheering on Skip Jackson who was making a run at Schatz for second on the final lap before the caution waved again for Moore who had spun in turn three. While under caution it became obvious why Swindell got such a jump on Schatz as the right rear tire on the four-time defending Nationals champion was losing air and he was doing everything he could during the caution laps to try to keep some air pressure in it.
This time it would be just a one-lap run and as Sammy pulled away for the win, Schatz was a sitting duck for Skip Jackson and Brian Brown. Both drivers worked around Schatz down the back straightaway and then when Jackson’s car ran out of fuel off of turn four Brown pulled ahead to take second and tabulate more qualifying points than anybody else. Skip held on for third while Stevie Smith nipped Schatz at the line for fourth. While it was a disappointing finish for Schatz he was lucky that he did not need another lap as the tire exploded in turn one. The crowd went crazy with Sammy’s win and Donny’s misfortune, an exact opposite reaction that you would have heard here not that long ago.
Six drivers, Brown, Swindell, Greg Hodnett, Schatz, Kinser and Daryn Pittman tallied more points tonight than Wednesday’s top point man Tim Shaffer. Shane Stewart is eighth, Jason Johnson ninth and Dale Blaney tenth while the remaining ten drivers who are locked into Saturday’s A-Main are Kerry Madsen, Skip Jackson, Lynton Jeffrey, Jason Sides, Dusty Zomer, Davey Heskin, Chad Kemenah, Joey Saldana, Erin Crocker and Brandon Wimmer. Interesting to note that of the twenty A-Main qualifiers five are Knoxville track regulars while five are World of Outlaw regulars.
Fans were also treated tonight to a feature race by the flat track motorcycles and the Legend Cars. The motorcycles will be in action here at Knoxville on September 17th and 18th so tonight served as a bit of a teaser for that event. I believe that the Legend Car race had something to do with raising money for peace officers who have been injured on duty, however the organizers of this event did not provide a single bit of information to the trio of announcers. So, by default, nobody in the stands knew what the heck was going on either. Hopefully they raised some money for their cause though!
Outlaw drivers Jason Meyers, Lucas Wolfe, Kraig Kinser and Sam Hafertepe are all on the list to compete in Friday’s Non-Qualifer program, plus the three Scrambles and the World Challenge should make for another interesting night of action at Knoxville.
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