The Southern Iowa Speedway had two first time winners on Wednesday night to stamp in their record book. One of those was from the Stock Car class which had a very entertaining feature. It appeared they were just tuning up for next week's 19th Annual Stock Car Shoot Out scheduled for July 2-3.
The first feature to have a first time winner at the track was the Sport Compact division. There were nine cars in competition tonight, perhaps also tuning up for next week's Inaugural Merv Chandler Memorial that will pay $700.
Hot shoe from Carthage, Illinois, Austen Beccera, led the opening lap only to have it snatched away by Shaun Slaughter #00, by lap two. It was all Slaughter's race from there on, leading the remaining eight laps to the checkers. Beccera kept the runner up spot, John Whalen was third, fourth went to Cody Cleghorn and Bill Whalen, Jr. completed the top five. Slaughter won for the very first time at Osky, in only his second visit to the track.
The IMCA Stock Cars put on a whale of a show! Brandon Jay took the immediate lead, but fast company was right on his tail. Damon Murty had started seventh and was challenging Jason Cook for second, when he nearly lost it in turn two. The field behind him had to take evasive action to avoid Murty, who did gather it in and kept going. Those cars making those evasive moves did not fare so well, resulting in a 4-car incident involving Todd Reitzler, Doug Sylvester, Shane Paris, and Brock Welch. Only Sylvester was able to tag the field and continue racing. When racing resumed, Jay still held the advantage, but it was soon a three-wide battle with Cook and Murty. Cook nabbed the lead at lap four, and by that time, more cars had joined in the fray---Corey Stout, (sporting a new car) and the "Orange Crush Team" of Cayden Carter and Zack VanderBeek. Brandon Jay fell back, but the remaining five cars put on a real battle---visions of days of old! Cook stuck to the bottom of the track, Murty looked to the outside, and Carter was nosing it on the bottom. Just after lap fourteen, VanderBeek was out of the game and pulled to the infield, leaving the rest to go at it. Carter made it stick on the bottom, moving into the runner up spot, then with with just two laps remaining, swung to the outside to see if there was anything there. It appeared Carter had a slight advantage at the line with a lap remaining, but Cook got back to the lead, and held it the final run to the checkers---scoring the win. Carter had to settle for the runner up spot, Murty was third, Stout took fourth and Brandon Jay was fifth. It was an amazing race for the fans, and hopefully the drivers had a fun time too. It was quite a surprise to learn that this was the very first win at the Southern Iowa Speedway for Jason "Big Daddy" Cook, after many a lap around the big old half-mile in years past. If this race was any indication of what's to come next week for the Stock Car Shoot Out.....you won't want to miss it!
Curtis Van Der Wal got back to his usual form and into the winner's circle in the SportMod feature. After a DNF last week, Van Der Wal appeared determined this week. He flew to the lead by lap two, after starting fifth, and was never to be challenged the remaining fourteen laps. Brayton Carter had a great run, coming from starting sixth, to take the runner up spot. He finished just ahead of last week's winner Jason McDaniel, who had started in row five. Fourth was Logan Anderson, and Carter VanDenBerg rounded out the top five. VanDerWal won for the third time this season.
The 15-lap Modified feature found Andrew Schroeder back in victory lane. Schroeder took over the lead from AJ Johnson at lap two, and was never challenged, winning in comfortable fashion. Cayden Carter took the runner up spot, matching his Stock Car finish, Johnson was third, Casey Greubel fourth and Scott Dickey finished fifth. My records show that this is Schroeder's second win in as many weeks at Osky.
The IMCA Hobby Stocks finished off the night's racing. Travis Bunnell led the troops for the first six laps....but the #11 of Mike Hughes, flew...really flew, to the lead at lap seven. Hughes, who had started at the tail of the field after he was dq'd from his heat for not having a working right front brake, was on fire from the drop of the green. Hughes stretched out his lead, taking the win by more than a comfortable distance. Craig Brown took second over Bunnell in third. Nick Ulin finished fourth, just ahead of Danny Thrasher in fifth. This was the fifth win of the season for Hughes.
Next week is the 19th annual Stock Car Shoot Out at the Southern Iowa Speedway. Wednesday, July 2, the Modifieds, Stock Cars, SportMods, Hobby Stocks, Sport Compacts, and the traveling Iowa Enduro Series will be on the docket. The following night, Thursday July 3, there will be Stock Cars, SportMods, Hobby Stocks and the Inaugural Merv Chandler Memorial Sport Compact feature, paying $700 to the winner. Stock Cars pay $2,000 for winning and Hobby Stocks, $1,000. Hot laps are 7 with racing at 7:30 both nights. Grandstand prices are $12 for adults, ages 7-17, $6, and 6 and under, free. Don't miss this annual race. It should be a good one! Hope to see you there!
Thanks for reading, and happy racing!
No comments:
Post a Comment