The Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa continued their weekly racing program on Wednesday night. There will now be a two-week hiatus before weekly racing resume again on August 20. A couple of drivers just keep adding to their wins for the season, keeping their winning streaks alive, while another driver had his streak end. There was a King of the Hill contest for the Stock Cars, and a candy toss for the youngsters. Sponsor for the night was Bill & Ray's Wrecker and Truck Repair Service.
The King of the Hill for Stock Cars was the first item on the agenda after the heats were completed. The final round found Zack VanderBeek going up against Todd Reitzler for the top of the mountain title. VanderBeek took the win and in doing so an extra $250 and a new Hoosier tire.
Hobby Stocks ran their 15-lap feature next. There was scrambling on the start, and Aaron Osweiler ended up smacking the wall in turn one. He was however, able to limp to the pits without bringing out the caution. Craig Brown was leading by the second lap and who should now be right behind him in second, but Mike Hughes. Hughes was looking strong in an attempt to keep hold of his win streak and was challenging. He gave it several peeks on the low side, but on this night, it was Craig Brown holding tight to his top spot, and taking the win. Hughes had his six victory win streak end, having to settle for second. Third went to a distant Danny Thrasher, Dustin Griffiths was fourth and Shannon Sherwood was fifth. The race went flag to flag. This was Brown's second win of the season which has still had only three drivers in victory lane---Brown, Hughes and Dustin Griffiths.
There was all sorts of action going on in the SportMod 16-lap feature. Charlie Weber was hanging tough as he led the field of cars through lap six. That was when a yellow flew when Bill Wears lost hold of his ride in turn two. On the restart, Brayton Carter, who had quickly worked up to the runner up spot from starting eighth, was immediately challenging Weber, and took command in turn two. At lap nine, Weber did a 360 in turns one and two, and another yellow flew. For the restart, Carter was still in command, but Curtis VanDerWal and Brett Lowry were now right behind and chomping at the bit for the restart. VanDerWal took a brief lead before lap ten could be scored, but Carter fought back. The dueling went on until lap fourteen when VanDerWal got crossed up, from what was called "questionable driving" by Carter, the yellow flew, and both drivers restarted at the back of the pack. Brett Lowry, who had been running in third, was now the recipient of the lead when the race was restarted. Just a lap later, another yellow flew, this time when VanDerWal again sat still at the bottom of turn one, this one deemed "questionable driving" by Colton Livezey who made contact with the 1V. VanDerWal's had to retire to the pits, the cause of two yellows. The finish was now going to be a green-white-checkered.....Lowry still holding the top spot. He kept that the remaining way to the checkers and the win. Tony Johnson took second place, Carter VanDenBerg finished third, fourth went to Corey VanZante, back after several week's absence, and Brayton Carter came back through the pack to take a top five finish. This was Lowry's fourth win at Osky on the season. Lowry started eleventh on his way to taking the checkers.
Grinnell's Todd Reitzler snapped up the lead when the green flew in the 18-lap Stock Car event. He soon had company though, in Cayden Carter. Carter, who started sixth, was on Reitzler's tail by lap two, and applying pressure. By lap five, the Orange Crush #10cc machine was in the lead. The runner up spot was now where the action was, as the other orange machine of Zack VanderBeek was hounding Reitzler. It was soon to be the familiar sight of the two Orange Crush machines circling the track at the front of the pack, ending it at the checkers, one-two. Carter took the win, his fifth in a row and seventh of the season (plus winning the Frostbuster), VanderBeek finished as the runner up. Third went to Reitzler, Corey Stout was fourth and new driver Mike Harward from Floris, barely beat out Nathan Wood at the checkers as they went fifth and sixth. The race went flag to flag.
Sport Compacts ran a 10-lap feature. Matt Moore grabbed the lead and held it until Trent Orwig swung around his outside at lap four and into first. Bill Whalen was battling with Moore for second, soon took the runner up spot, and then with two laps remaining, flew around Orwig and took over the top spot. He kept it the final two circuits to the checkers and the win. Orwig held on to finish as the runner up, and Matt Moore was third. John Whalen finished fourth on three wheels as his wheel rolled down the frontstretch, and Jon Menius was fifth. This made it four in a row for Bill Whalen, and ninth over all.
The racing ended with the 16-lap Modified feature. Bill Davis, Jr. led the troops through the first handful of laps, but Tyler Groenendyk had been pestering him the entire time. At lap six, Groenendyk sneaked under Davis and into the lead. A caution flew at lap eight and by then, Cayden Carter was breathing down Groenendyk's neck, Davis and Andrew Schroeder right behind as well. Schroeder took advantage of the restart situation and made the pass into second on the backstretch. Groenendyk, Schroeder and Carter were soon to be locked in a tight three-way battle for the lead, Schroeder getting the upper hand, Carter taking over second place. The race was completed without another caution, Schroeder pulling away to take the comfortable win. Carter finished in second place, Groenendyk was third, Davis took fourth and veteran racer Jerry Pilcher rounded out the top five.
As mentioned above, the next two Wednesday nights at Osky will be silent. This is due to the Sprint week coming up at nearby Knoxville and the Iowa State Fair run. There will however, be racing action at Osky on Monday, August 4, when the 19th annual Front Row Challenge for Sprints will come to town. Regular Wednesday night action will pick up again on August 20. There was a bit of winged Sprint action at the track last night, as Terry McCarl was trying out his brand new #24 machine between racing action.
Thanks for reading and happy racing!
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