BURLINGTON, Iowa (Sept. 26) - I made the trip south once more to 34 Raceway on Saturday night for the Sprint Invaders season championship. A close points battle atop the standings entering the night between Bobby Mincer and Ryan Jamison made for an exciting finale as 22 360 Sprints signed in for the event. Mincer entered the final night just 13 points on top. He added three points to that margin by winning the Shakeup Dash, taking a 16 point advantage into the feature.
Andy Huston and Mincer started the 25-lap feature on the front row. Mincer took charge at the drop of the green to lead the first circuit with outside second row starter Joe Beaver in tow. Only two laps in, Mincer extended his lead to half of a straightaway and was staring down lapped traffic just a few car-lengths ahead.
Mincer reached the backmarkers only four circuits into the event as Beaver closed the gap. Mincer put a pair of lapped cars between himself and Beaver by the nine-lap mark , but quickly saw that advantage disappear as Beaver cleared the lapped cars just a couple of laps later. With the leaders behind a pair of backmarkers running side-by-side, Beaver closed to within a couple of car-lengths on lap 15 before the race's first caution flag was displayed.
When racing resumed, Mincer again took comamand and pulled to a half-straightaway lead in just one lap. Mincer maintained his advantage until the red flag waved with only three laps remaining when Tasker Phillips got upside in turn two. Phillips was okay and exited the machine under his own power.
Mincer led the final three laps to lead the event in its entirety to take the win and the season points title. Beaver crossed the line in second ahead of Jamison, Donnie Steward and Mike Houseman.
Prior to feature time, Mincer took the win in the six-lap Shakeup Dash, a straightaway ahead of Mike Houseman. Mincer also won his qualifying heat race earlier in the evening. Steward beat Huston to score the win in the Storm Steel Super Dash, a bonus race for car owners whose rides hadn't made many dash apearances throughout the season.
In 305 Sprint action, 21 cars signed in to compete. At the start of the 20-lap feature, pole-sitter Cale Hutchings took charge with Bobby Mincer in tow. Running the high groove, Hutchings shot into the lead at the drop of the green as Mincer worked low. The 20-lapper was slowed on the third lap as Tony Davis got high and tagged the turn four wall, sending his #3 into a series of flips. Although Davis exited the machine under his own power, he did complain of a sore neck. After being checked over by paramedics, it was also determined he suffered from a broken arm and was taken to an area hospital.
When racing resumed, Hutchings continued to pace the field with Mincer in tow. The two broke away from the pack and built up a straightaway margin over the field before the race was slowed again for caution on lap five. Two laps after the green flag waved again, Mincer shot to the inside of Hutchings in turns one and two and exited the corner with the lead.
Mincer started to pull away quickly and entered lapped traffic just prior to the race's final caution on lap nine. Jayson Ditsworth brought out the yellow after he was unable to clear the track off of turn two. He suffered front end damage after contact with a tractor tire on the low side of turn one.
Mincer put the field to rest when the green flag waved one final time as he led the remaining 11 laps to take the checkers by a straightaway margin. Chad Huston made a late race pass on Hutchings to score second at the line. Dustin Whiting and Justin Newberry completed the top five.
In the Mod Lites, outside pole-sitter Daniel Keltner led the field at the drop of the green. Joe Huggins and Jason Masengard applied pressure early as the trio broke away from the field. Despite a mid-race caution that bunched up the field, the trio again pulled away for the remainder of the 12-lapper.
Keltner held the point with Huggins searching for racing room on the low side. Although Huggins pulled alongside the race leader numerous times, Keltner held on to score the close victory. Masengarb and Mike Morrill rounded out the top four.
Thanks to announcer Rich Adams for the positivelyracing plug and also acknowledging that I was able to compile racing action, results and write my blog without the assistance of Mr. Broeg, who's down in Oklahoma enjoying today's Tulsa football game.
As I write this, the Iowa Hawkeyes have once again upset the Penn State Nittany Lions... in Happy Valley, no less. Go Hawks!
See you at the races!
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