It was Middlekoop's Seeds and Dickey Transport Season Championships on Wednesday night at the Southern Iowa Speedway. It was a hot and humid night...one of those times when you "wear the air" as the speedway wrapped up its regular racing season.
The tightest points race of the night was in the Non Wing Sprints with Doug Sylvester and Kelly Graham tied going into the final race of season.
Sylvester immediately flew into the lead from starting on the outside of the front row. Graham started third and tucked into second. Graham kept close tabs on the leader but at lap six, slipped up the track a bit allowing Sylvester to lengthen his lead. Those final four laps were Sylvester's as he went home to the flying checkers, the win, and the track championship title. Graham finished second and also an ever so close second place in the run for the track championship. Third went to Ryan Mills, Lance Silvers was fourth, Tim Graham fifth, and Ben Woods and Nathan James did not finish. The race went caution free.
The Sport Compacts were up next for their 10 lap season ending race. Nathan Moody would lead the opening lap but by lap three, it was Billy Cain taking command. Cain would lead the entire race except for a brief moment when Lewie Winkleman got the jump on a restart, only to have Cain regain the lead quickly, and then motor home to the checkers and the win. It was James Haring in second, Tyer Haring following in third, and Kevin Garrett fourth, and Nathan Moody completing the top five. Cain won for the fourth time at the speedway and he is the 2021 track champion.
The Southern Iowa Speedway Hobby Stocks ran their 14 lap feature next, and this one would find Aaron Martin the captain of the ship for those entire 14 laps. Dustin Griffiths kept close tabs on the leader for much of the race, but in the closing laps, Martin stretched it out and took the easy win. Griffiths was second, it was a close one for the next positions, but Jadyn Stevens would hold off Trevor Tanner at the line as they went third and fourth respectively. Rick Goldsberry rounded out the top five. The track champion for 2021 in the Hobby Stock division is Dustin Griffiths, defending that title since 2018. He has even a longer list of track championships at the Mahaska Monster with only Shannon Anderson marring that record back through 2014.
The SportMods went 16 laps for the feature event with Logan Anderson looking strong and leading from the get go. Lap nine brought out the yellow flag, and it took three tries before the drivers found their rhythm to continue on, Anderson still in command. However, young Maguire DeJong, the hot shoe out of Montezuma, Iowa was breathing down his neck. DeJong looked to the outside several times before making it payoff on lap eleven. Another caution at lap twelve was no issue for DeJong, as he drove off from the field, winning by a straightaway. Anderson took the runner up spot, followed by Moberly, Missouri racer Dakota Girard in third, Kyle Harwood in fourth, and Trent Orwig was fifth.
DeJong, who won the track championship in the SportMod class, has had quite the season in his rookie year. He added his first track championship to go with his win at the Bristol Dirt Nationals, as well as a state championship in his Montezuma Braves basketball team. This young man has a bright future.
Pat Rachels took the lead as the green flag flew in the 16 lap Stock Car feature. He drifted a bit too high on lap two, allowing seventh place starter Derrick Agee to take advantage, and take over that top spot. The two raced closely for the next several laps but then Rachel's was suddenly pulling into the pits just after lap six was scored. This put Dustin Griffiths into the number two spot, and the chase was on to catch leader Agee. A yellow flew on lap thirteen, no doubt just what Griffiths was hoping for. Griffiths was able to gain the upper hand as the race returned to green, and the final circuits were close, but it was only until coming out of turn four looking at the checkers, before Agee was able to pull off the pass, and beat Griffiths to the checkers to score the win, Griffiths taking second. Third went to Jason McDaniels, Donnie Pearson was fourth, and Trenton Witt was fifth. Derrick Agee is the Stock Car track champion for the second consecutive year.
The Southern Iowa Speedway still has some racing ahead, as the Front Row Challenge put on by Terry McCarl comes to town on Monday, August 9, with $20,000 to win for all you Sprint Car fans. It will be a tune up for the upcoming Knoxville Nationals August 11-14. Then on October 15 and 16, it will be the annual Musco Lighting Fall Challenge with the regular season classes of cars in competition. Be sure and check the Southern Iowa Speedway - Osky Facebook page for more details for these upcoming events.
Hard to believe racing is on the downhill slide around our parts, and we will soon be wishing for these hot summer nights of racing to keep us entertained. However, there is still much to be found yet, so check out the calendar at Positively Racing, and find a race to take in. Help support the sport we all love....dirt track racing.
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