After a couple inches of rain put an early kibosh on any plans to hold races at Independence Motor Speedway on Saturday, I made the 90-mile drive to Maquoketa for the weekly program at Jackson County Speedway. It was my first visit to the Maquoketa oval in roughly 10 years and it was well worth the last-minute trip.
Shortly after making it to the track, I discovered there were double features in the IMCA Late Model division, resulting from a rain-shortened program a couple weeks ago.
The 25-lap make-up feature opened the program with Jon Poll and Brunson Behning leading the 15-car field to green. Poll paced the field for the first lap before outside second row starter Doug Nigh ran the low groove past the leader just prior to a lap two caution.
On the restart, Nigh pulled away from the field and dominated the event to take his first win this year in his hometown. Behning remained close to Nigh and pulled away from third-running Poll by half of a straightaway in the early going. In the end, Behning held on for second ahead of a hard-charging Joe Zrostlik. Brad Stewart and points leader Matt Ryan completed the top five.
The first regularly scheduled feature out of the gate was in the Hobby Stock division. (Yes, I led this blog by stating there were double Late Model features and, no, I haven't gotten to the results of the second feature, however there is a reason for that. After reading the Hobby Stock recap, you'll understand why.)
Lane Vohringer and Joe Grant led the 12-lapper to the green flag before Grant settled into the top spot at the completion of the first circuit. Although cautions kept the field bunched over the second half of the race, Grant led the entire distance to earn his first win of the season ahead of Steve Harms.
While the track was slick and dry from the get-go tonight, Grant made a couple of comments in victory lane that I felt were worth repeating. During his interview, Grant stated, "The track is pretty slick. You have to start on the front row or you're pretty well screwed." While I don't know Grant, and I mean nothing personal by this, I feel the need to take exception to his remarks in victory lane. Simply put, he couldn't have been more wrong (although he did drive a hell of a race).
Yes, the track was dry slick throughout the evening, but it was smooth as silk and provided for some incredible racing throughout the night. Not only was the "front row or you're screwed" comment inaccurate, Grant was the only winner in seven features to come from a front row starting spot. Case in point, the next feature to roll onto the speedway...
Although short in numbers, the IMCA SportMods put on an excellent show in their 12-lap feature. Seven cars took the green and all seven cars ran nose-to-tail and/or side-by-side throughout much of that event. Frequently, two and three-wide battles kept the entire field bunched together.
Pole-sitter Matt Miller held the early lead while Randy Butterbrodt and Austin Moyer gave chase. With Miller up top, Butterbrodt kept pace on the high side while Moyer ran the low groove. The lead trio engaged in a three-wide battle at the midway point before Moyer assumed command exiting turn two on lap six
As the leaders came around to complete lap seven, Moyer got loose exiting turn four and spun in front of the pack to bring out the yellow. Prior to the stoppage, points leader Matt McGranahan had also worked himself into a battle for the lead, but exited with mechanical problems while the race was under caution.
On the restart, Butterbrodt held the point, but was quickly pressured by Kile Vohringer. Vohringer swept past the leader with just three laps to go to drive to his second win of the season. Moyer came back to finish second ahead of Ben Chapman and Butterbrodt. Miller completed the top five.
Twelve cars took the green in the Outlaw Super Bomber 15-lapper. For those who haven't seen this style of car in action, they look like a cross between a Stock Car and a Pro Stock (if you ever saw that division compete from the late '80s through the turn of the century).
Brendan Driscoll held the early lead while Mitch Schmitz was making his way to the front from the third row. Following a lap one caution, Schmitz worked past the leader to assume command while veteran Wayne Hora gave chase.
Hora made his way around Driscoll for second on lap five, but was half of a straightaway behind the leader. Schmitz built his advantage to a full straightaway before the yellow flag waved a second and final time on lap 11.
When racing resumed, Schmitz again took command, leaving Hora to battle a hard-charging Jed Holland for second. Points leader Holland, who started in the fifth row, remained close to Hora, but settled for third at the line as Schmitz sailed to his third win of the season. Nate Yoerger and Joe Bonney rounded out the top five.
Outside front row starter Matt Irwin was the early leader in the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature. He paced the 18-car field while Joe Beal settled into second. The leaders pulled away from traffic and extended their advantage to half of a straightaway before the caution flag waved on lap seven.
Irwin led the pack through a couple more stoppages in the middle of the event before Beal and Ben Traver made it a three-car battle out front. Beal pulled to the inside of Irwin while Traver took the extreme low groove as the trio ran three-wide for the lead on lap 11.
Beal inched ahead at the line, then pulled away from the pack to take the exciting win, his first of the year. Points leader Ray Cox, who started in the fifth row, patiently ran just outside the top five before making a late race push. He snuck past Irwin at the line to take second. Much like Cox, Bob Dominacki came from a mid-pack start and made a late run on the top side to come home fourth ahead of Dan Klatt.
Mitch Bielenberg chased Gene Potter at the front of the 4-Stock feature before the leaders encountered lapped traffic on the seventh of 10 laps. As the leaders worked through the backmarkers, Bielenberg shot to the inside of Potter entering turn one, then exited turn two with the lead. Bielenberg held on over the final laps to secure the win, his second of the season. Potter ran second ahead of points leader Jacob Ellithorpe. Jake Montoya and Tristan Clark completed the top five.
The regular IMCA Late Model 25-lapper closed the show with 18 cars slated to take the green. When all was said and done, the driver starting 10th on that grid took home top honors.
Luke Pestka held the lead at the drop of the green and quickly distanced himself from the field. In just a couple of laps, Pestka built a half-straightaway lead on the field while the division's first feature winner of the night, Doug Nigh, challenged Jon Poll for second. Nigh made quick work of Poll, running the low groove into the runner-up spot on lap three.
Meanwhile, Joe Zrostlik was making a charge through the field from a fifth row start. Into the top five after just one lap, Zrostlik joined the leaders in a three-car breakaway on lap eight. By that time, the lead trio was a straightaway ahead of fourth-running Poll, who gave up that spot to Matt Ryan by the time the caution flag waved on lap 12.
On the restart, Zrostlik continued his run in the top groove with Nigh down low and Pestka in the middle. The three crossed the start/finish line in three-wide formation one lap later, just before the second stoppage.
Zrostlik held the point on the restart as Nigh settled into second ahead of Pestka. Stephan Kammerer, who started in the seventh row, was making noise of his own as he drove the top side into second place by the time the yellow flag waved a final time with seven laps to go.
When the green flag waved one last time, Zrostlik pulled away from his pursuers to take the victory, his second of the year in Maquoketa. Nigh held on for second over Kammerer. Pestka and Ryan completed the top five.
The folks at JCS provided a nice tribute to Ron Marks Jr., the Outlaw Super Bomber driver who unexpectedly passed away last week. Marks' family brought his race car to the track and hauled it on the trailer around the speedway during the national anthem. In addition, the truck, trailer and race car paced the division's feature to green. It was a touching and appropriate tribute to the area driver.
I was impressed by the process officials at JCS use for all
realignments. Each time the yellow came out, the cars were slowed on the
front stretch and taken one by one into double-file formation for the
ensuing restarts. Each caution was brief and the realignment process
kept the show moving right along. Although it didn't play much of a
factor tonight, there is also a caution rule in place for features that
take longer than expected. Starting with the fifth caution in an event, all realignments are single-file. For each caution period following the fifth yellow, an extra lap is scored complete for that event, as well. Despite the extra Late
Model feature and a full docket with 90 cars in the pits, the final
checkered flag waved at 9:44 p.m
Special thanks to Timmy Current, Ryan Duhme and the Darkside Promotions
crew. It was great to meet a few members of their team throughout the
night. They run a top-notch show and are doing a great job in their
first year promoting the races in Maquoketa.
It was a nice surprise to see IMCA Modified driver Tim Stevens tonight. Stevens, who generally makes the trip to Boone Speedway on Saturday nights, instead went to Maquoketa after Boone rained out. He was joined by his wife Tammy, with whom I had the pleasure of sitting during the features while Tim played crewman on a friend's Hobby Stock. I had a blast tonight, Tammy! It was great to see you again and I can't wait until Super Nationals. By the way, don't forget to keep your eye out for conversation pieces!
I was also surprised to see former Stock Car and most recently Late Model driver Lavern Carey in attendance. Carey, a farmer in the northern Iowa community if Ionia, hasn't been to many races this year and hasn't taken a race car to the track yet this season. He had some down time Saturday and decided to make the two-and-a-half hour drive to Maquoketa since he'd never been there. It was great to chat with you, Lavern. Now, it's time to get the #85 back to the track!
I also had the chance to visit with Jackson County Speedway faithful Christian Dundee. Many may not know him by name, but are probably very familiar with his race updates on various message boards. It was nice to catch up with Christian considering we hadn't seen each other since last year's Super Nationals. No, Christian, I don't always have a megaphone in-hand trying to give away Lawty's extra beer at the end of the night. Hope to see you in Boone again in a couple of months!
After wrapping up another weekend at Benton County Speedway in Vinton on Sunday, the busy season gets into full-swing in the middle of the week. The 2012 Buchanan County Fair gets underway Wednesday with a special trailer race program followed by the annual demolition derby on Thursday. After calling the action in those events, it's back to Lee County Speedway in Donnellson for another night of weekly points racing on Friday. Saturday will be a return to Independence for the sixth annual Dick Frye Memorial, which is a weekly points event for all six divisions. Then, on Sunday, I'm scheduled to make the annual trip to the Great Jones County Fair in Monticello to call both the stock car racing program and demolition derby. Every year I look forward to spending that Sunday with promoter Jerry Blue and his crew from Greater Iowa Racing. It promises to be a fun, full week all over eastern Iowa. Be sure to make time to support your local tracks during the county fair season!
As always, thanks for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment