We saw the Mod Lites run for the very first time this year, as they were absent from all of last week's Frostbusters. Travis Stensland make quick work of getting to the lead past initial leader Charlie Brown. From there on, he never looked back, taking the flag-to-flag win. Josh May made a surge past brothers Charlie and Terry Brown in the latter portion of the 15-lapper, to take the runner up spot. Charlie and Terry Brown were scored third and fourth and Randy Bryan completed the top five.
The Northern SportMods were the first of the IMCA classes to run a feature. This one was nearly over from the beginning when the familiar #12 of Doug Smith sat on the pole....his good fortune with the #1 pill draw. Smith never relinquished the lead on his way to the checkers. Clint Luellen, who had won last week's Frostbuster at Boone, came in as the runner up. Sam Wieben drove his hot rod from starting ninth, to a third place finish, ahead of Jonathan Logue in fourth and tenth place starter Randy Roberts, in fifth.
There seems to be no stopping Austin Luellen this early season. He lead all laps of the Hobby Stock 12-lap A main on his way to what I believe to be his fifth win of the year at various tracks. He distanced himself from the pack of cars and scored the comfortable win. Andrew Burg ran out of time to get any more than a runner up spot, after starting back in twelfth place. Cody Gustoff finished in third, fourth went to Eric Stanton....back again in his familiar "coup" style ride, and last week's Frostbuster winner, Aaron Rudolph was fifth.
Jimmy Gustin, last year's track champion, pulled the #1 pill out of the pot and got a pole starting position for the 20-lap Modified race. He withstood a couple of caution situations with little trouble on his way to leading every lap and another visit to victory lane. That after scoring the Frostbuster win a week ago. Veteran racer Denny Pittman gave it all he had in an effort to catch Gustin, but in the end, had nothing for him. Pittman had to be content with the runner up spot. It was a close one for third and fourth places, as Josh Most, the driver from Red Oak who can be found piloting just about anything, made a last ditch effort coming out of turn four to take third place over the Flying Dutchman, Mike VanGenderen in fourth. Joel Bushore rounded out the top five.
The usual finale of the evening was the IMCA Stock Car 18-lap feature. Area favorite, Jay Schmidt was looking to have a good shot at a win with his draw on the pole. However, a cut tire was soon to put him out of the race with but a couple of laps in the book. Boone racer, Wayne Gifford was in the lead with less than a handful of laps down, and brothers, Chris Pruitt, in his neon orange 22P ride, and Terry Pruitt, piloting the 78P, were intent on running down the leader. A caution at lap eleven and the resulting restart would find Chris Pruitt sliding up the bank in turn one, causing him some positions. There was no looking back for the #22 of Wayne Gifford however, as he completed the rest of the race at the helm, taking the win. Terry Pruitt was second, third went to Kellerton, Iowa's, Matt West, Chris Pruitt recovered from his slip up on the restart, and got back to fourth and the familiar #35 of Donavon Smith came from twelfth, to finish fifth.
Racing was completed right at 9:30....thanks in part to the early starting times for the month of April. The rest of the month will continue with those early starts with hot laps at 5:45 and racing at 6:30.
Racing is starting up in full force in our area again as many tracks hosted early specials and are now into their regular weekly racing. You can find a track you may wish to attend by checking out the calendar at www.positivelyracing.com. Just click on "calendar" at the top of the page for both weekly racing and for specials. Let's all support the sport we love.....dirt track racing!
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