When the feature lineup rolled onto the track from the staging area, I think most race fans at Cedar County Raceway were expecting more of what they had seen a year ago. Chad Simpson, the winner of nine of 15 Dart Corn Belt Clash Late Model Series features last season, was starting on the pole of Wednesday night’s A-main.
By the time the checkers flew 35 laps later, however, those in attendance witnessed some outstanding racing on an excellent track that left the crowd on its feet and with a possibly unexpected outcome.
Thirty-one Late Models signed in to compete in the series’ first-stand-alone event of 2011. On the previous Sunday, Simpson won the first “official” series race as part of the annual Alphabet Soup race at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Nebraska.
At the drop of the green in the 35-lapper at Tipton, Simpson worked briefly to hold off his brother, Chris Simpson, who started alongside him in the front row (more on that later). Chad Simpson stretched his lead to a few car-lengths running the high groove when he made his way past light lapped traffic around 10 laps into the event.
On lap 14, just as the leader was about to enter heavy lapped traffic that was two-wide and three rows deep, the caution flag waved for Justin Jaggers, who drifted off the high side of the front stretch.
When racing resumed, Chad Simpson again went to the top side as Denny Eckrich battled Chris Simpson for second. Eckrich eventually made his way into the runner-up spot, then shot to the low side in attempt to reel in Chad Simpson out front.
With around 10 laps to go and the leaders again working through backmarkers, Eckrich worked to the low side of Simpson in a battle for the lead. As the leaders navigated turns three and four for the lead, they encountered a lapped car making it three-wide formation through the corner. Eckrich bobbled, which gave Chad Simpson a little breathing room, while allowing Chris Simpson to close back to battle for second.
Chris Simpson quickly worked around Eckrich and went to the high side to reel in the leader while Chad Simpson dropped to the low groove of the speedway. Chris Simpson then closed the gap and battled his brother wheel-to-wheel through traffic over the final laps. Chris Simpson inched ahead off of turn four on the final lap to come away with the thrilling win. Chad Simpson ran second ahead of Denny Eckrich, Jason Rauen and Dave Eckrich.
For Chris Simpson, the win may have softened the blow of his experience at the Alphabet Soup race. He led the first 47 laps of that event, only to suffer a blown engine in the late stages. Entering the pits on Wednesday, Simpson stated the hole in his engine was as big as his fist.
The Corn Belt Clash introduced a new format and lineup procedure for the new season. While the initial heat race lineups are based on a random draw, a fast dash will be used throughout the season to determine the front row starting spots of all A feature events. On this night, since four heat races were run, the top two from each heat qualified for the eight lap fast dash – one lap per car. Qualifiers were lined up based on how they finished their heat races. The first heat winner qualified for the pole of the dash, with the second heat winner alongside him. The third and fourth heat winners comprised row two. The second place finishers were staggered the same way to make up the third and fourth rows of the dash.
In addition to the top two from each heat being automatically qualified for the feature, the third and fourth place heat finishers also qualified, however their lineup for the feature was staggered by how they finished the heats similarly to how the dash was lined up. Those heat qualifiers were staggered to make up rows five through eight. The only “redraw” for the main event came via the dash winner. Chris Simpson won the dash at Tipton and he then drew a pill at the scales to determine how, if at all, the dash finishers would be inverted. For instance, had Simpson drawn an “8”, all dash participants would have been inverted from their finishing order. A “4” would have inverted the top four, and so on. There are also pills that indicate only even number finishers would be inverted for the feature lineup and another pill that stated only the odd number finishers would be inverted, among other varying lineup possibilities.
Chris Simpson must have been feeling a little brotherly love on this night as he drew the “2” from the bag, meaning second place dash finisher Chad Simpson would start on the pole with Chris alongside as those drivers finished 1-2 in the dash.
In other action, the Modifieds provided fans with another exciting finish. Ryan Dolan ran the high groove throughout the 25-lap feature from his outside front row starting spot. While he paced the field, Brad Dierks ran the bottom groove from a fourth row starting spot into contention midway through the event.
The leaders ran side-by-side throughout much of the event, swapping the lead as they battled through lapped traffic. The low groove proved to be the fast line in the waning stages of the event as Dierks powered to the win. Dolan crossed the line in second. Mike Burbridge, Bruce Hanford and Chris Zogg completed the top five.
Despite a pair of early cautions, the 20-lap Legends feature also proved to be entertaining for those in attendance. Hal Russell held the early lead while Brett Dierks was making his way to the front after starting in the fifth row. Dierks reeled in the leader just prior to the midway point and swept past Russell to take over the top spot as the crossed flags were presented on lap 10.
Dierks quickly separated himself from the pack while sixth row starter Adam Bell made a charge through the field. By the time Bell made his way into second, Dierks built over half of a straightaway lead. Although he made a charge late, Bell came up short, allowing Dierks to drive to victory. Dominic Bates, Mike Mueller and Adrianne Russell rounded out the top five.
Special thank you to promoters Al and Kathy Dlouhy on their great hospitality and great surface for the night’s show. Despite a slight delay at the start for the drivers meeting and extended hot laps, the show was completed prior to the 10 p.m. hour. The Dlouhys run a top notch program at Cedar County Raceway and it would definitely be worth your while to add it to your schedule sometime this season.
Provided the rainy weather stays south, tonight I’ll make the trip to Fayette County Speedway in West Union for the second of three straight days of Corn Belt Clash action. Tomorrow night, the three-day swing ends at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wisconsin. Hope to see you there!
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