The Southern Iowa Speedway won out over Mother Nature on Wednesday night, unlike some other tracks in the state. A late afternoon rain threatened to stop the racing action, but with the efforts of many, the races were completed and four new Hall of Fame members were inducted along with the regular racing program.
The new Hall of Fame members were honored prior to the racing action...the first three posthumously.
Keith Kropf was one of those inductees. He was a racer, car owner, engine builder, and big supporter of racing for many years especially in the Southeastern part of Iowa.
"Big John" Moss from Iowa City, was a crowd favorite, and a threat no matter where he showed up to race. He raced throughout the Midwest and even tested some asphalt tracks back in the day.
"Diamond" Dan, or "Dandy" Don Hoffman was quite the racer. The Des Moines, Iowa racer who passed away in 2018, was known to show up late at tracks, but when the #2 Pizza Hut car arrived, you knew he was going to put on a show. He is also in the National Dirt Track Hall of Fame in Kentucky.
Bob "Gabby" Hayes won many a race at the Southern Iowa Speedway....and he's still racing today! However, not in his familiar orange #0 Stock Car, but in the orange #0 Sport Compact...just for fun.
Congratulations to all of the new Southern Iowa Speedway Hall of Fame members.
The packers were still out rolling the track in right before the first heat of the night hit the track at 8:17 p.m.
The first feature of the evening was the Non-Wing Sprints with a seven car field. After seeing him dominate his heat race, and seeing him roll out on the pole of the feature, few had any doubt that it would be a run away for the 9W of Justin Zimmerman. Zimmerman, from Athens, Texas showed up for some racing, I believe being in the area to run at Knoxville. He pulled away from the field, and had them covered by over half a lap at the checkers. Ben Woods ran second, Doug Sylvester was third, followed by Kelly Graham, Robert Bell, and Lance Silvers. AJ Johnson did not start. The race went caution free.
Curtis Van Der Wal was back in the house last night, racing in the SportMod class, and when he redrew the pole for the feature, it was almost a given who would be standing in victory lane again 16 laps later. Van Der Wal took the immediate lead, leaving second place starter Logan Anderson. The only caution was after that first lap, and then the race would go the distance with no stoppage. Van Der Wal stretched it out and won by a lengthy margin at the checkers. Anderson would trail a distant runner up, Blaine Webster took third, followed by Maguire DeJong in fourth, and Tyler Heckert in fifth. This was Van Der Wal's second win of the season after being absent for several weeks. In his post race interview it sounds like his mechanical issues have been solved.
Billy Cain saw the checkers for the second time this year, winning the 10 lap Sport Compact feature. He led all laps on his way to the checkers, while second went to Clayton Webster, driving the winner's back up car. James Haring, Lewie Winkleman, and Tyler Haring rounded out the top five.
The Hobby Stocks saw a field of sixteen cars take their turn on the track for 14 laps of feature racing. Jesse Williams, who has been running strong as of late, jumped to the lead from his pole starting position, with Aaron Martin soon falling into line to run second. Behind the two front runners, it was a 3-wide battle between Dustin Griffiths, Keaton Gorden, and Jadyn Stevens duking it out for third spot. A yellow flew at lap four, when Gorden brought out the caution, putting him out of the game. When the race restarted, Aaron Martin moved his #73 into first place around Williams, and Dustin Griffiths followed to take over the runner up spot. Then Martin and Griffiths were the two putting on the show up front....Griffiths briefly taking the lead on lap seven, only to have Martin come right back and lead at lap eight. The final laps saw Martin pull away to secure the win, while Griffiths fell back a bit, as his hood began to buckle and raise on the right side, and finish second. Third went to Knoxville's Trevor Tanner, Jesse Williams was fourth, and Rick VanDusseldorp was fifth. This marked Martin's second feature win of the season...and only one of three drivers who have won in the Hobby Stock division....Griffiths and VanDusseldorp being the others.
The fifth and final feature of the night, the Stock Cars, closed out the racing action with their 16 lapper. Todd Reitzler had the lead from his outside front row starting spot before the cars were out of turn two. The race was all but over then, as Reitzler motored off from the field, winning easily. Pat Rachels, the Knoxville, Iowa native who now calls China Grove, North Carolina home, won out in a good battle with Jason McDaniels as the two finished second and third respectively. Fourth was Brett Maasdam, Sully, Iowa in a car I believe to be the former Kevin Fee ride. It was a race of attrition as only four cars were left running at the conclusion of the race, many being eliminated in a lap three mess in corner four. This was Reitzler's second feature win of season.
It was nice to have company last night for the racing action. Head honcho of Positively Racing, Jeff Broeg was in the house again. Californian Paul Vetter, who is the Western Region Director of IMCA is back for some Iowa racing for a few days. Also, Dustin Jarrett was making the Southern Iowa Speedway his number 288th track to visit. Jarrett is with FloRacing and DirtonDirt, and has worked with SPEED channel and the Lucas Oil Late Model Series. There was a wealth of racing knowledge in the grandstand last night.
There is no racing scheduled for next Wednesday night, July 14, but mark your calendars for TUESDAY, July 20, when the Caleb Hammond Memorial will take place during the Southern Iowa Fair.
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