The Southern Iowa Speedway in Osky hosted its first USMTS race since 2011 at the big old half mile on Wednesday night during the fair. Twenty-seven of the ground pounders came to try their hand at the Monster.
The USRA Stock Cars, B Mods and Hobby Stocks were also on the card. In the end, it was Rodney Sanders in a runaway with the headliner main event, Todd Staley, promoter of the show took his third win within a week in the Stock Car class, Ben Moudry came down from Minnesota and snatched the B Mod victory, and local favorite Dustin Griffiths made it two wins in as many night at the track in snagging the Hobby Stock win.
It was a short field of seven Hobby Stocks and the 12-lap feature went green to checkered. When Dustin Griffiths drew the pole for the main event, coming fresh off of a win the previous night at the track, many of us were thinking it was over. It was.
Griffiths jumped to the immediate lead, stretched it out, and won easily. Eric Stanton, who had rolled his car the night before at the show in Webster City, was in a back up car and was the runner up. Third went to Brok Hopwood, Christian Huffman was fourth and Aaron Martin was fifth. Sixth was Clint Nelson, and it was good to see Bobby Greene back in action, as he piloted the 13M of Riley Meinders and completed the race in seventh.
The USRA Iron Man Challenge B Mods brought a dozen cars for the competition with Hasting, Minnesota's Ben Moudry capturing the win. Moudry started on the outside front row, and led all 18-lap on his way to the checkers. Andrew Schroeder and Decorah's Dan Hovden battled it out for the runner up spot in the latter portion of the race, with Schroeder taking claim to the runner up spot, Hovden going third. Brayton Carter came home in fourth and Blaine Webster was fifth.
The Stock Cars seldom fail to put on a good show at Osky, and last night was no different. A pair of 14 cars sat on the front row, with promoter of the night, Todd Staley drawing the one spot, with Derrick Agee in his green machine along side.
Agee grabbed the immediate lead and by lap two, Nathan Wood had moved from sixth to tail the leader...Staley running third. A restart after a lap three caution for local favorite Cayden Carter, made for tight racing for the lead. Nathan Wood came out the victor on that situation and he held that top spot after another caution flew at lap six.
Wood continued his lead but now Staley had moved into the second spot, Agee dropped back, and a couple of northeast Iowa drivers, the 33 of Kevin Donlan, and the 97 of veteran Lynn Panos were now in the mix. Those four drivers made it a breakaway at the front of the pack, challenges being thrown constantly. Staley, continued taking a look under leader Wood and with just a couple laps remaining in the 18-lap affair, took command. Staley held the lead to the flying checkers and snatched up the win. Track champion Nathan Wood had to be content with the runner up spot, Donlan was third, Panos fourth and Derrick Agee finished a distant fifth.
Staley, who had started running a Stock Car nine years ago, had just gotten his first career win on Saturday during Webster City's weekly show. Tuesday night in Webster City during the USMTS race, he won again, and then followed up with his third career win last night at Osky...his second track conquered.
Twenty-seven USMTS Modified were in competition and twenty-four started the 30 lap feature. Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Arizona hot shoe and Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas began the race from the front row.
Sanders took command at lap one with Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, New Mexico tagging in behind him, and by lap three, Scott's brother Johnny Scott, who shows that he is a transplanted Cameron, Missouri resident, was running third.
Two cautions would fly during the event, one at lap seven, and another at lap twenty-one. Neither would hinder Sanders as he pulled away to a comfortable lead each time, and eventually took the comfortable win. Brothers Scott....Stormy and Johnny finished second and third. A crowd favorite in our section anyway, Terry Phillips from Springfield, Missouri, son to the legendary late Larry Phillips, took fourth, and a distant fifth went to Chatfield, Minnesota's Lucas Schott.
This was the first time since July of 2011 that a USMTS show has been at the Southern Iowa Speedway. The last winner was local favorite Zack VanderBeek. VanderBeek was running about sixth when he had issues and exited the race with just a few laps remaining.
We saw several USMTS "race chasers" in attendance last night, and chatted with a couple, one from Kansas City, the other from Minnesota.
It was a bustling time on the fairgrounds when the grandstands emptied. It was busier than we can recall in many years. The parking lot was full, and we even had to be maneuvered by security through a back exit, as well as on the highway when we finally reached it.
Thought starting a bit late, at 7:49, the show was run right through with no down time, completed at 9:51.
We hope the Dynamic Drivelines Modified special show at the Knoxville Raceway happens tonight. We had over two inches of rain early today, and the thermometer hasn't broken 65 degrees yet.
Get out and attend a race somewhere, in support of dirt racing.
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