After last week's weather out, the Southern Iowa Speedway finally got their season opener in the books on Wednesday night. It wasn't without a bit of Mother Nature showing her hand though, as a passing shower stopped the racing action between heat races.
Familiar faces at the speedway graced the winner's circle in the Stock Car, SportMod, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, and Non Wing Sprint classes.
The Non Wing Sprint Cars were on the docket first for their ten lap event. It only took Jonathan Hughes a brief moment after the green flag dropped to get the lead after starting second. From there on it was all Hughes as he sailed off, eventually winning by a half a lap over second place Kelly Graham. Ben Woods, Doug Sylvester, and Lance Silvers completed the top five. Hughes was clocked going down the backstretch at 118 mph on the big old Monster half-mile. He has dominated in the Non Wing class every since the division started running at the track in 2019.
The Sport Compacts, the largest field of cars at the track last evening...sixteen strong, saw the familiar #52 dominate in this class too. Billy Cain, the defending track champion, started on the pole and led all laps on his way to the checkers. A late race caution drew the second place runner, Clayton Webster, to Cain's tail for the restart. Cain would hold the challenger off at the flagstand, and cop his first feature win of the season at Oskaloosa. Following second place finisher Webster, was James Haring in third place, Nathan Moody in fourth, and Koby Sabin took fifth.
Longtime racer Rick VanDusseldorp would be yet another driver lead all laps in winning the 14-lap Hobby Stock main event. He didn't have it easy though as he had lots on his plate with the likes of Dustin Griffiths, Keaton Gordon, son of Doug Gordon, Jr. who use to be seen turning laps at the speedway in days gone by, and Brad Stephens. Stephens run at the front would end when a lap car got in his way, and Stephens went for a spin, bringing out a yellow. Meanwhile, under the yellow, Keaton Gordon pulled into the work area for some assistance, and then tagged the tail for the restart. This put defending track champion Dustin Griffiths into second and eager for the restart.
VanDusseldorp would have no trouble in keeping his lead through the final circuits, and took his first victory at the track for 2021. Dustin Griffiths finished second and a close third went to Aaron Martin. Fourth was Travis Bunnell and the T4 of Tyler Graves was fifth. Graves switched classes this year, going from the Non Wing Sprints, into the Hobby Stocks.
Logan Anderson looked to be out in front and gone in the SportMod feature, but never count out the 1V of Curtis VanDerWal at the track. The two fought side by side for several laps before VanDerWal finally claimed the lead for good at lap thirteen of the sixteen lap feature. He motored off from the field in the final moments and took another easy win. Anderson had to be content with the runner up position on this night. Blaine Webster would finish in third place, Maguire DeJong was fourth, and Tyler Heckart was fifth.
The sixteen lap Stock Car feature was mostly a shoot out between two cars, Dustin Griffiths and Derrick Agee. Griffiths started on the outside of the front row, and immediately took the lead as the race went green. Fourth place starter Agee, was soon on his tail. Agee, the Moberly, Missouri racer who makes the haul up each week to play at SIS, hounded leader Griffiths, taking peeks in the corners, which finally paid off at lap eight. Griffiths didn't go away however, and kept fighting, sometimes running side by side down the straightaways. On this night it wasn't to be though, as Agee took the hotly contested contest and the checkers. It was a close one at the line with Griffiths going second. Third went to Donnie Pearson, Howard Gordon, Jr. was fourth, and Nathan Wood taking fifth place.
The track had rain earlier in the day, but the track was groomed and ready to go when we arrived and radar was looking good. Never count out Mother Nature though, as during the final Hobby Stock heat, the raindrops began to fall and the track began getting a shine. The heat was completed with the cars tip toeing around the track.
We had about a 27 minute delay waiting for the rain to stop, and the track repacked. Then it was right back to racing.
It was good to back at the Southern Iowa Speedway, setting with racing family, including Positively Racing colleagues Jeff Broeg, and Barry Johnson, and setting a ways down, race chaser Ed Reichert from Wisconsin. Be sure and check for a couple more takes of the racing action last night at Positively Racing. Also be sure and check the racing calendar posted on the website, and find a race to attend. We need to keep the tracks open so we can all continue to enjoy the sport we all love....dirt track racing!
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