The SportMods kicked off the feature racing. A consolation race to complete their 24-car starting field was won by Rick Gladson. Austin Kaplan was the A main pole sitter and he shot to the lead soon to be chased by Glenwood, Iowa's Jesse Sobbing. The yellows flew several times in this contest, Kaplan still continuing his lead with a lap to go in the 16-lap event. That would be when Sobbing, who had dogged the leader through most of the race, used his skill to make the pass on the final lap. Sobbing took the win and Kaplan had to be satisified with second. Racer Hulin fought by Nick Roberts late in the race, as they finished third and fourth. Joel Rust came from starting back in 22nd place, coming from the B main, to take fifth.
A 20-lap Stock Car feature was up next and they produced their usual exciting racing. Three-wide racing on the backstretch at the drop of the green found Alan VanGorp leading the pack at lap one, followed by Brad Pinkerton---both in the familiar looking cars out of the stable of former driver John Hunnell. Before much more than a handful of laps were in the books, the race went "red" when Tom Killen rolled his #1K after climbing the fence at the top of turns three and four. When racing resumed, VanGorp still maintained his lead with Gary Bass, Brad Pinkerton and another veteran driver out of Indianola, Jeff Johnson, digging hard to catch the leader. VanGorp continued to lead, content that those behind him were duking it out for position and not bothering him. That is until who should appear in the picture but Mike Nichols, long time very successful racer and multi-time IMCA National Stock Car Champion. Nichols, who had started twelfth on the field, had worked his way to now smelling the bumper of the leader. But Nichols also had company as Bill Osbahr from Avoca was chasing Nichols! The final couple of laps were a thriller as the three scrambled for position. On this evening, it was Nichols making the pass for the lead and taking the win. Osbahr followed Nichols for the runner up spot, VanGorp held on to score third. Fourth place went to another former multi-time IMCA National Champion, Jeff Anderson, and Gary Bass hung around the front to take fifth.
With a good count of Hobby Stocks on hand, two A mains were run. They, along with the other classes, were running for track points according to what we heard. This one was led start to finish by pole sitter, Scott Pippert out of Elberon, Iowa. Pippert has been having a very successful season, winning multiple times at several of the tracks we see him race at in our area. Eric Stanton chased him across the line from a distance to capture second. Third went to the #19 car that we heard announced to be August Bach, but it may have been veteran driver Bill Bonnett piloting it, fourth was Richard Yaw and Matt Webb was fifth.
Hobby feature #2 was also led start to finish by the winner, Dustin Griffiths. Griffiths made his way up from Ottumwa, Iowa to take home an Iowa State Fair feature win. Randy Embrey ran second to the the winner for nearly the entire race, unable to get more than the runner up spot at the finish. Third place went to John Watson who is back in his familiar looking ride after we learned that he nearly destroyed it a couple of weeks back. Another southern Iowa driver, Nick Ulin from Agency, Iowa finished fourth and Bill Richards in his bright green #22R was fifth.
The Dirt Trucks were also on the program and they came to the track next. Russ Byriel and Tony Moro grappled for the lead the first couple of laps. Brett Moyer threw his hat into the ring and challenged the two.
Moro took the lead, Moyer following him into second, which would be how the race would end---Moro winning, having to fight his ride which suffered a broken left rear shock, followed by Moyer in second. Rick Clark came from well back in the starting field to take third, Byriel faded a bit but held on to fourth, and Billy Allen finished in fifth.
Now it was time for the headlining feature, the IMCA Deery Brothers Late Model show. Two B mains were needed to polish off the starting line up. Tom Darbyshire and Nick Marolf won those. Tagging the tail were provisional starters....Chad Cooney for the hard charger, and point provisionals for the series, Michael Murphy, Ray Guss, Jr. and Justin Kay. Thirty-five laps awaited the powerful machines.
The lucky pole re-draw recipient was "Hollywood" Jason Hahne with Andy Eckrich sitting along side. Eckrich took off from that outside line and into the lead by lap one. Ryan Griffith had just made the pass into second around Hahne when the first and only caution flag flew at lap sixteen. When racing got back underway it wasn't long until Denny Eckrich, and older brother of the leader, had passed Griffith and was now running second. Denny made a good run a couple of times on brother Andy, but could not make it work. Andy Eckrich would go on to take the checkers, Denny Eckrich having to settle as runner up to his brother on this night. Ryan Griffith held third, fourth place went to Colby Springsteen who had started back in row five, and long time racer Jeff Aikey took fifth.
So ended another State Fair race for us. It has long been a tradition with us to be sitting in that big old grandstand and watching all sorts of racing over the years from back in the days of the "big car" Offenhauser's during the hay day of Bobby Grimm and Pete Folse, to watching the "Keokuk Komets"--Ernie Derr, Ramo Stott, Dick Hutcherson and Don White as they battled in the "late model" IMCA stock cars. We enjoyed our evening at the races on Monday night, made even more enjoyable by sharing it with racing friends. One of those friends was Las Vegas Motor Speedway short track announcer Chet Christner who was back our way taking in some of his passion for racing. Chet will be back in our area very soon as he will be sharing PA duties at the soon to be Boone Super Nationals coming up starting on Labor Day.
Until next time, happy racing!
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