Spaw and Ramsey complete full sweeps at the Fall Challenge

 We headed back to Oskaloosa Saturday for Night #2 of the Fall Challenge.  It was another chilly, but beautiful night to end what just might have been our last race of the season.  By my count, there were 86 cars in the five divisions from the previous night, plus 13 of the A.I.R.S. (American Iron Racing Series) on hand.

The Non-Wing Sprints ran their 10 laps feature first, and it was the 11 car of Colton Fisher out of Mediapolis, Iowa taking the win.  Fisher led from the get go and won easily at the checkers.  Glen Saville, Friday night's winner, took the runner up position.  Ben Woods was third, followed by Robert Bell in fourth, and Doug Sylvester completed the top five.

There was a 12 lap feature race next for the Sport Compacts.  Lewie Winkelman was the leader at lap one, but Kolby Sabin had the lead at lap two, never to look back.  Alex Hayes fought it out with Matt Moore for the next positions, Hayes winning second, and Moore going third.  Winkelman and Tyler Haring would round out the top five.

The American Iron Racing Series (A.I.R.S.) were an added class for the evening, with 13 of the nostalgic appearing cars putting on a show for the fans.  They ran a 12 lap feature.  Doak Allen, West Burlington, Iowa, in the #01 Chevelle went home with that win. Allen said he had raced at the track in different divisions in the past, but this was his first win at Osky.  Second place went to Scott Van Buskirk, driving a neat looking #25 Studebaker.  Van Buskirk turned many a lap at the Southern Iowa Speedway, as well as other area tracks in days gone by, when he piloted a Modified.  Third was #68 Travis Heier in a Ford Maverick, fourth went to the# 501 of Bart Miller, Clarence, Iowa, and fifth was the #5 1958 Ford driven by Brian Gade.  

The Hobby Stocks had 29 cars checked in for the evenings racing, requiring one B Main to take four as the final to tag the tail of the 14 lap A Main.  Luke Ramsey picked up where he left off the previous night, and going home with the win.  Ramsey started in row four, and had the lead when lap one was scored, never to relinquish it the rest of the way to the checkers.  Ramsey didn't let a couple of cautions, nor the red flag situation at lap five when Tyler Graves flipped his ride (he was okay) in a high rollover on the backstretch, hinder his drive to the checkers.  Fifth row starter Braden Richards, Madrid, Iowa, finished in second place, John Watson, also came from row five and took third, followed by Keaton Gorden in fourth, and Aaron Martin in fifth.  Not only did Ramsey sweep the weekend features in his division, he repeated the same feat from last year's Fall Challenge.

The SportMods ran a 16 lap feature, with Jeremy Grantham, Allison, Iowa leading the way for the first two laps. Then fellow competitor at the Hamilton County Speedway, Ty Griffith, Webster City, grabbed the lead.  Joining in the fray for position was Maguire DeJong, and Curtis Van Der Wal as they locked into a tight battle.  Van Der Wal would come out on top of that waged contest, as he took over the top spot just a couple of laps later, and then pulled off to secure yet another of his numerous wins at the Monster Half-Mile.  Ty Griffith took home the runner up finish, DeJong was third, Jeremy Grantham took fourth, and Trent Brink completed the top five.

The night cap was the 16 lap Stock Car feature that put a close on the 2021 racing season at the Southern Iowa Speedway.   The previous night's winner, Johnny Spaw started on the outside front row, jumped to the lead, and it was as good as over from then on.  Scott Davis hung close through the first half of the race, but in the end, it was Spaw driving off to secure his second win in as many nights....completing another clean sweep for the weekend.  Davis held on to finish second.  Third place went to Steve Myer, Dustin Griffiths was fourth, and  Austin Kemper, Wapello, was fifth.  Miciah Hidelbaugh, who was suppose to start on the pole, but was late coming out and had to tag the tail of the feature, made a hard charge through the field to finish sixth.  

Jeff Kropf did a fantastic job filling in for regular Jerry Mackey on the mic last evening.  Though Jerry was in the house, his voice had given out by the end of the night on Friday, and he was unable to provide his usual call of the races.  

This put a close to the racing season at Osky this year, but stay tuned for announcements of their 2022 season coming up.  

This MAY, have been our last race of the year as well, but don't hold us to that if we can find a race and the weather cooperates!  Check out the calendar at Positively Racing and you may find some more racing you'd like to attend before calling it over for the season.  We all need to keep supporting the sport we all love.....dirt track racing!

Ramsey and Saville pull off last lap passes to take Night #1 Fall Challenge wins

 It was breezy and chilly for Night #1 of the Southern Iowa Speedway's Fall Challenge on Friday. Thankfully, the wind died down as the temperatures dropped, and we were grateful for layers and blankets as we saw 39 degrees on our vehicle thermometer as we made our way home.

Five classes and 104 cars (by my count) would take to the Monster Half-Mile.  With over 3 inches of rain during the week, and more added earlier in the day, we were lucky to even be racing! It had been four weeks since we had last seen a race, so it was good to get back to hearing the engines roar again!

Thirteen of the non-wing Sprints came to try their hand at the track.  The 14 lap feature saw Ben Woods  lead from the drop of the green and was looking to be easily on his way to a victory.  Glen Saville, who listed his residence as Moulton, Iowa, chased Woods the entire race but could do no better.....until the red flag waved on lap twelve.  That's when Ryan Mills took a tumble in corner two, halting the action.  This drew the field together for the restart, and Saville was on his game, throwing in a challenge immediately.  Woods continued to hold him off....until the last corner as the checkers unfurled.  Saville beat Woods to the checkers, and stole the win.  Woods finished, a no doubt, disappointed runner up.  Third went to veteran racer Robert Bell, Kelly Graham was fourth, and Logan Alexander was fifth.  

An interview in Victory Lane with announcer Jerry Mackey, quickly determined that Saville is not an Iowa native, but is from New South Wales, Australia.  Another Aussie transplant!  Congratulations on your Southern Iowa Speedway win!

Fifteen Sport Compact came to play and ran a twelve lap A feature.  James Haring led the field for this one as the race went green.  He was holding off Nathan Moody through lap nine, when a caution flag fell, as his car came to a stop in corner two.  This put Moody as the captain of the ship, and he would drive it home to a Fall Challenge win.  Terry Bickford, Shannon City, Iowa made his first appearance at the track, and finished a close runner up.  Tyler Haring, William Michel, and Matt Moore completed the top five.

The Southern Iowa Speedway is known for its Stock Car racing, and they did not disappoint last evening, with twenty-three strong checking into the pits.  Madrid's Scott Davis, who in years past had made laps around the track, maybe not since the IMCA Winner's Series race for Stock Cars back in the day,  made an appearance last evening, and led the field to green in the 16 lap main event.

Davis held onto that top spot, but not for long, as Nathan Ballard, Marengo, Iowa came calling, and claimed the lead on lap four.  Ballard, who moved up from the Hobby Stock class this year, was then busy holding off the advances of veteran racer, Johnny Spaw.  Spaw relentlessly annoyed Ballard and made it pay off on lap nine.  Then a yellow flew for two cars up against the fence in turn two.  It appeared Nathan Wood's car had something break, sending the car toward the fence, gathering in Todd Reitzler in the process.  This ended the two talented driver's night....both having been running in the top five.

When the race returned to action, it was Spaw leading the field to green, and from there on out, it was all the veteran racers race as he pulled away and took the easy win.  Dustin Griffiths started tenth, and took second place.  Third place finisher was Miciah Hidlebaugh, Menlo, Iowa, fourth went to Kellogg, Iowa's Michael Jaennette, and rounding out the top five was Brock Haines, nephew of veteran Late Model racer Ron Boyse.  This was the first time Spaw had ever seen the checkers at the track.

The SportMods had 20 cars check in, some cars we noted missing due to a race in Dubuque.  Not missing however, was young Maguire DeJong.  DeJong has dominated at the Southern Iowa Speedway powerplant this season as he took the track championship in the division, and he showed his strength once again last evening!  DeJong started in row three and had the lead at lap two.  A caution at lap six was no hinderance to the talented young driver out of Montezuma, Iowa, as he would end up winning, going away. I suspect that he was able to race last evening due to the fact that Monte did not have a High School football game...due to a forfeit on their opponents part. Sometimes, things just fall into place!  Webster City, Iowa's Ty Griffith in his sharp looking #56 hot rod, placed second.  third was Curtis Van Der Wal (who had to tag the field after a spin early in the race) fourth went to Colton Livezey, and Trent Orwig was fifth.

The night ended with the 14 lap Hobby Stock A main.  There were 34 cars checked in and two B mains, taking two from each, completed the 24 car starting field.

Young Madrid racer, Braden Richards, son of Stock Car veteran Rod "Hot Rod" Richards who was also in the house last night, took the early lead.  He had veteran racer Luke Ramsey, Bedford, Iowa quickly on his bumper however, and he began applying the pressure.  A slip up the track in turn one was Richards' undoing just after lap eight was in the books.  He slipped under Richards and took over the top spot.  Ramsey would hold that lead the rest of the way to the flying checkers and the win.  Richards finished as the runner up, Jake Nelson ran up front all race long, and finished third, fourth was Aaron Martin, and Keaton Gorden was fifth.

Night #2 of the Fall Challenge is on tap tonight at the Southern Iowa Speedway.  Starting times are moved up with the grandstands opening at 5, hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7 .  The A.I.R.S. cars will join the other five classes tonight.