It is great to be able to hit the road for home before 9:40 on a weeknight, and that is exactly how it was last night at Osky. New track manager, Mike VanGenderen is moving the show right along and from all we've been hearing, the fans appreciate it a great deal, as do we. It also helps when there is only one yellow caution flag for all of the feature events! This may be due in part to track conditions as it was well groomed and no dust flying last night! Had to laugh when VanGenderen pulled out a small plastic bucket to "water" a couple of dry spots that were appearing in turn one....but it worked!
A nice field of 27 IMCA SportMods were on hand last night. This is such a growing class, and they always have good numbers at the tracks we attend. Jason McDaniel rocketed off from his pole start at the drop of the green and was pulling away, when at lap two, the yellow came out for a car that smacked a guardrail. When the green flew again, McDaniel wasted no time in sailing off and away from the field. Brett Lowry held on to his second place spot, but there were battles brewing aplenty behind him. Among those fighting hard were Mike Shelton, Carter VanDenBerg, Eric Flander, Bill Gibson, and last week's winner, Jesse Sobbing. Sobbing had started in twelfth position and was quickly making his presence known to car after car on his move to the front. Sobbing caught second place Lowry by lap ten of the 16-lap feature and made the pass on him into second with just a few laps remaining. Time ran out for him to strongly challenge for the top spot, and the race ended with McDaniel taking the checkers, Sobbing having to settle for the runner up spot. Lowry finished in third, Bill Gibson was fourth and Carter VanDenBerg was fifth.
The IMCA stock cars ran an 18-lap feature with the outcome really over when the green fell. Kyle Harwood motored to the win with ease as the race ran flag to flag.
Nathan Wood raced past Matt Greiner as they took second and third in that order. Fourth went to "the guy from just over turn one", Corey Stout, and LeRoy Groendyke is enjoying a good early season from making the switch to the stock car class, from the B mod, with a fifth place finish.
Five IMCA Sport Compacts were on hand to run a 10-lap main event. Bill Whalen, Jr. led the early laps but it was Larry Hopkins (a name from the past who raced a stock car if memory serves me correctly) making the pass for the lead and then on to the win. Whalen, Jr. kept second, third was John Whalen, fourth, Merv Chandler--last week's winner, and Mark McColley (sp?) was fifth. They ran a caution free race.
The IMCA hobby stockers ran a 15-lap feature. Donovan Nunnikhoven dominated in this one, taking the win. Runner up, and last week's winner, as well as Frostbuster winner, Shannon Anderson was reeling in Nunnikhoven, but ran out of laps to score anything better than the second spot. It was a close finish for third and fourth between John Watson and Dustin Griffiths. I scored Watson a bit ahead of Griffiths, but check www.oskyspeedway.com for the official results. Eric Stanton and Kevin Fee were fourth and fifth. The racers kept this feature going caution free too.
It's a bit disappointing to only have eight modifieds show for the weekly show...11 were on hand last week. Hopefully, more cars will be coming out in this division as well as the others as the season progresses. The 15-lapper was entertaining however, with young Andrew Schroeder looking to make it to victory lane. Just after lap ten however, Gilman's Richie Gustin made the pass on the backstretch, taking over the lead. Schroeder would soon fall out of the race, and head to the pits after sheetmetal flapping on the left side of his car became a problem. Shane Weller, in his first season in the modified class, scored a second place finish, while last week's winner, Cayden Carter took his ride to third. Jeff Conner, the last car running, was credited with a fourth place finish.
The Iowa Sportsman Series ran tonight as well, and though we did see two of the three legs of their 20-30 lap features run, we opted to head toward home as they began their final race. The earlier two legs were won by the #54 car of Gene Tish. Tish we recall as a former hobby stock racer. Other names we were catching was the #18 of Kris Walker...no stranger to the big half-mile track. Ten of the cars were on hand to compete. Check the track website for the complete driver list and results. I believe this is a traveling series that competes at various tracks through out the season, but not regularly scheduled for any one track.
Next week, we plan to be back sitting in the grandstand at the Southern Iowa Speedway--been doing it for many, many years, for another night of racing. Hot laps are 7 p.m. and racing promptly at 7:30 p.m. It's Centerville, Iowa night", so bring proof that is your town, and you will be admitted for $5.00. I had earlier said admission was free, but sorry, that is incorrect. Some unofficial results are listed below. Happy racing!
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