(Bill W) July 24, 2016 – Things have been a little slow at Open Wheel 101 as of late, but that’s about to change. A vacation will do that, and although the middle of the race season isn’t the best time, it came at the perfect time to recharge the batteries for the next couple of months. There’s a lot of racing and a lot of great things coming to the website!
My son Sam and I had the opportunity to head to Montana and down through Idaho, hiking and whitewater rafting and just having a good time. We returned to the heat and humidity here in the Midwest, and I can’t say that I didn’t think about turning around and heading back to the mountains!
It was awesome to get back to Knoxville this weekend after missing the previous Saturday. Tuesday night, I’m really looking forward to heading to Dubuque Speedway with the Sprint Invaders. It has been twelve years since my last visit there on May 16, 2004, when Craig Dollansky took the IRA feature from seventh over Terry McCarl (from tenth) and Jason Johnson (from ninth aboard the Cox #50D). Thirty-eight cars were in the field.
I have really good memories of the track. Built into the hillside, the high-banked 3/8-mile was action-packed. Unfortunately, other commitments last year had me elsewhere when the Sprint Invaders visited.
The locals there loved the event so much, that they are putting up additional money in hopes to draw a few more cars on Tuesday. This year, the race will feature a purse that pays $2,000 to win, and $350 to start. I’m hoping to see some support from the racers to this great facility on a night when there isn’t much other racing going on. It is a county fair race, which always adds to the fun and for me, the food!
Later this week, with Mother Nature willing, we’re planning on covering the ASCS National Series Thursday at Park Jefferson Speedway north of Sioux City, and we’ll head to the Jackson Motorplex Friday for the NSL. Tod Quiring is putting up $20,000 to win, $10,000 for second and $1,000 to start the feature. It should be a great one. Saturday, we’ll be back at Knoxville for the NSL and a huge fireworks show that was rained out over the July 4th weekend. It will be another county fair on Sunday, when the NSL invades the Hancock County Speedway near Britt, Iowa. The “North Pole Nightmare” Bill Balog took last year’s feature at the 3/8-mile with the NSL.
Next week, Southern Iowa Sprintweek gets started in full force! Look for plenty of reports and information right here at www.OpenWheel101.com!
Results from the IRA show at Dubuque back in 2004…
5/16/04
Dubuque County Fairgrounds
Dubuque, IA
IRA
38 cars
Terry McCarl (32nd car out to time) set the standard in time trials with a track record of 12.865 seconds. Jason Johnson (LA) (11th car out) was second quick, followed by Jesse Giannetto (1st), Craig Dollansky (14th), Joe Roe (12th), Scott Young (3rd), Mike Kertscher (6th), Clint Garner (21st), Randy Anderson (34th) and Scotty Neitzel (10th). Rusty Egan failed to get a time in and scratched for the night. Brent Laurson flipped wildly down the backstretch while timing in. He was taken to the hospital with a possible broken hand.
Heat one (started): 1. Roe 61 (5) 2. McCarl 24 (6) 3. Lynton Jeffrey 10 (2) 4. Scott Biertzer 4B (3) / 5. Ryan Jamison 51J (7) 6. Randy Anderson R19 (4) 7. Robert Bell 71 (9) 8. Mike Stefka 83D (1) 9. Wayne Modjeski 77 (8) 10. Dan Owings 19K (10)
Stefka broke out to an early lead in the ten lapper. Jeffrey moved to the point on the second go-around. Two laps later Roe took command and held off a determined McCarl for the win.
Heat two (started): 1. Jason Johnson (LA) 50D (6) 2. John Haeni 21J (1) 3. Neitzel 2w (4) 4. John Sernett 91 (3) / 5. Dave Uttech 68 (2) 6. Young 22 (5) 7. Shane Dayney 53D (8) 8. Andy Hunt 9A (9) 9. Ryan Irwin 49 (7) DNS – Rusty Egan 50R
Irwin spun on the initial try at green. Haeni jumped out to the lead from his pole position. Johnson worked the high side and took the lead on lap six. Neitzel and Sernett had a good battle for third, before Neitzel snatched the spot on the last lap.
Heat three (started): 1. Kertscher 80K (5) 2. Giannetto D1 (6) 3. Roger Rager 6R (2) 4. Kurt Davis 6K (1) / 5. Steve Meyer 85m (8) 6. Jim Melis 51m (4) 7. Bill Wirth 53w (9) 8. Jason Johnson (WI) 44 (3) 9. Ty Bartz 75 (7)
Johnson flipped at the first try at a start. Bartz was collected and both went pitside. Davis jumped out to the lead with Rager in tow. Giannetto made his move using the high side of the track to take the lead on lap two. Kertscher worked a lower line and it proved to be the fastest. He moved by Giannetto on lap five. Rager surged late, but couldn’t quite get by Giannetto. Davis held onto the last transfer by inches over a persistent Meyer.
Heat four (started): 1. Dollansky 7x (6) 2. Garner 40 (5) 3. Billy Warren 95 (7) 4. Bill Waite Jr. 3JR (2) / 5. Travis Whitney 9 (3) 6. Scott Uttech 7 (1) 7. Kim Mock 1m (4) DNS – Fred Ebler 64, Brent Laurson 4
S. Uttech grabbed the early advantage. He relinquished the lead when he spun on lap three. Garner inherited the lead over Waite, Dollansky, Whitney and Warren. Mock spun on the restart and went to the tail. He was relegated to the pits when he spun again on lap eight. By that time, Garner had company and Dollansky passed him for the lead on the restart.
B main #1 (started): 1. S. Uttech (5) 2. Young (1) 3. Jason Johnson (WI) (3) / 4. Melis (2) 5. Hunt (7) 6. Irwin (6) 7. D. Uttech (4) 8. Owings (8) DNS – Dayney, Ebler, Laurson
Young sped out with Melis in tow at the start. S. Uttech made a move forward and took the point on lap five. Melis slipped up at about the same point and relinquished the third and final transfer to Jason Johnson.
B main #2 (started): 1. Whitney (3) 2. Mock (2) 3. Jamison (5) / 4. Stefka (4) 5. S. Meyer (7) 6. Anderson (1) 7. Bell (8) 8. Wirth (9) 9. Modjeski (6) DNS – Bartz, Egan
Whitney led flag to flag in a mostly single-file affair. Jamison used to low side to move up into a transfer spot.
A main (started): 1. Dollansky (7) 2. McCarl (10) 3. Jason Johnson (LA) (9) 4. Whitney (14) 5. Biertzer (2) 6. Neitzel (3) 7. S. Uttech (20) 8. Giannetto (8) 9. Haeni (18) 10. Jason Johnson (WI) (13) 11. Mock (12) 12. Warren (22) 13. Davis (19) 14. Young (11) 15. Jamison (21) 16. Waite (17) 17. Kertscher (5) 18. Sernett (1) 19. Garner (4) 20. Jeffrey (15) 21. Roe (6) 22. Rager (16)
Roe spun on the initial try at green, collecting Rager (who flipped), Giannetto, Haeni, McCarl and Jeffrey in the fray. Only Roe and Rager would not restart at the rear. Haeni spun on the second try at green. The third time was not a charm either as Warren, Waite and Davis spun. All restarted at the rear. Finally, the race was underway, with Sernett going to the front using the lowest part of the banked 3/8 mile track. Garner came to a stop in turn two on lap four. Sernett led Neitzel, Dollansky, Biertzer and Whitney back to the green flag on the restart. Dollansky used the high side of the raceway to pass both Neitzel and Sernett for the lead. Jeffrey came to rest on lap ten, bringing out yet another caution. He was done for the night. The restart saw Dollansky leading Sernett, Biertzer, Jason Johnson (LA) and Neitzel. Sernett maintained second until he clipped an infield tire and spun into the inside guardrail on lap eighteen. Dollansky now was leading Jason Johnson (LA), McCarl, Biertzer and Whitney back to green. McCarl was surging and grabbed second on the last lap (lap 25) of the shortened (from 30) race.
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
sprntcar@hotmail.com
Twitter: @BillWMedia
Website: www.OpenWheel101.com