My 2025 racing season got started with 3 nights of flagging races at the Karl Auto Group of Marshalltown Speedway, Frostbuster and then the King of the High Banks. Marshalltown saw 3 fantastic nights of racing all 3 nights and will open up the 62nd season for weekly track points on Friday April 18th.
I finally adventured to race where I was not working, I decided to make the trip up to support the Karl Chevrolet Buick GMC Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City for Night 2 of the USMTS Spring Classic. Initially Todd and Janet Staley was not going to promote races in Webster City after not renewing their contract following the 2024 season after the Fair board could not find another option, they went back to the Staley's to see if they would put some races on their this season and they agreed. The first being the USMTS Spring Classic this past weekend.
Of course, I can't just go to the races and just watch, I have to bring my notebook and camera along to capture the night. A total of 94 cars signed into tame the historic Hamilton County Speedway including 28 United States Modified Touring Series. Other divisions competing was the USRA Stock Cars, USRA B-Mods, USRA Hobby Stocks, USRA Tuners and Crown Vics. Todd Staley and the crew at the racing surface in fantastic shape all night long.
The featured headliner was the 40 lap main event for the Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt. Joe Chisholm grabbed the top spot lap 1, fending off Tom Berry Jr., but Berry refused to go away and he would snatch up the race lead using the high side on lap two. Rodney Sanders, who won on Friday night made the pass on Chisholm for second place before a caution on lap five when Alex Williamson had a flat tire. Berry held off Sanders on the restart to maintain the top spot as Zack VanderBeek used the low side to grab third place. Sanders applied pressure on Berry on lap 12 but slipped up allowing VanderBeek to get by Sanders for second on lap 13. Berry continued to lead until lap 20 when he clipped a lap car flattening his tire, that handed the lead over to Sanders. Sanders started to pull away but the caution came out on lap 36 and on lap 37 when Tanner Mullens had a flat tire. On lap 38, Kyle Strickler would see his engine finally expire after smoke came from the car early in the race. Sanders held on to capture his 123rd USMTS win and complete the sweep of the weekend. VanderBeek came home second, Jim Chisholm was third, Williamson came back for fourth place finish and Joe Chisholm finished fifth. Kyle Brown, Terry Phillips, Trevor Hughes, Mullens and Keith Foss finished sixth through tenth.
In the USRA Stock Cars 20 lap feature, Todd Reitzler jumped out to the race lead and pulled away. Brandon Hare from Elma was patient and use the top side of the speedway slowly reeling in Reitzler. As Reitzler encountered lap traffic and took the short distance around the speedway, Hare was using the high side. Hare made the last corner pass to secure the victory by a razor thin margin over Reitzler. Parker Slagle, Dylan Clinton and Derek Green roudned out the top five.
USRA B-Mod sixteen lap feature event saw Decorah's Dan Hovden lead the first 4 laps before 2024 USRA B-Mod National Champion Ty Griffith took the top spot away. Griffith pulled away until the only race catuion came out on lap 14 for David Crimmins in turn four. Griffith went on to capture the win ahead of Hovden, Kaeden Bronner, James Richert and Bryer McCoy.
In the USRA Hobby Stocks 16 lap feature, Scott Dobel from Manly led the opening lap before Welcome, Minnesota's Parker Anderson capture the top spot. Dobel would not go away but he was then challenge by Bryce Sommerfeld for second before the only caution came out on lap five when Joshua Monson slowed in turn three. Anderson held off Sommerfeld and Dobel and cruised on to the win. Sommerfeld came home second, Dobel finished third, Dustin Gulbrandson was fourth and Jeremy Crimmins in fifth.
Michael Gardner from Des Moines used the pole position to his advance by leading all 10 laps of the USRA Tuners feature event. Jeremy Hills from Postville ran second the entire distance, Charles Prime from Britt in third. Christopher Buchanan from Osceola was fourth and Duncombe's Landon Lyon was fifth. Most likely the only appearance of the Tuners this season in Webster City.
Crown Vics 10 lap feature saw Nate Hogan lead the first six laps before Nick Hogan was able to capture the top spot away. However the caution came out on lap eight when Nick Hogan slowed on the back stretch that gave the lead back to Nate. Nate Hogan went on to take the feature win meanwhile Nick Hogan worked his way back through the field to finish second. Nick Sawdy, Nolan Machovec and T.J. Williams rounded out the top five.
Next up for the Karl Chevrolet Buick GMC Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City is Friday April 25th and Saturday April 26th with the headliners being the Iron Man USRA Stock Car Series paying $1,200 to win Friday and $2,000 to win on Saturday. USRA Modifieds, USRA B-Mods, USRA Hobby Stocks and Crown Vics will also be in action. Hot Laps at 6:45p, Racing to Follow both nights.
For more information on upcoming racing events at Hamilton County Speedway check out hamiltoncospeedway.com.
The Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt is now off until Memorial Day Weekend Swing across two states. Thursday May 22nd for the 12th Annual War in West Union at the Fayette County Speedway, USMTS Spring Challenge on Friday May 23rd at the Hancock County Speedway in Britt, 21st Annual Southern Minnesota Spring Challenge on Saturday May 24th at the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minnesota and wraps up on Sunday May 25th with the 12th Annual North Iowa Nationals & Jerry Hejna Memorial at the Mason City Motor Speedway in Mason City.
For more information on upcoming racing events for the United States Modified Touring Series check out usmts.com.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt
Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series
15th Annual Spring Classic
Karl Chevrolet Buick GMC Hamilton County Speedway, Webster City, Iowa
Saturday April 12th, 2025
Summit Racing Equipment "A" Main (40 laps) : 1. 20 Rodney Sanders (Happy, Texas); 2. 33Z Zack VanderBeek (New Sharon); 3. 24C Jim Chisholm (Osage); 4. 15W Alex Williamson (Rushford, Minn.); 5. 25 Joe Chisholm (Osage); 6. 21K Kyle Brown (Madrid); 7. 75 Terry Phillips (Springfield, Mo.); 8. 712 Trevor Hughes (Westville, Okla.); 9. 02 Tanner Mullens (Wichita, Kan.); 10. 95 Keith Foss (Winona, Minn.); 11. 58X Gary Christian (Broken Bow, Okla.); 12. 4TW Tim Ward (Harcourt); 13. 35 Bill Crimmins (Fort Dodge); 14. 80XX Jason Langford (Palestine, Texas); 15. 29H Joe Horgdal (Mantorville, Minn.); 16. 16B Kaylin Lopez (Chowchilla, Calif.); 17. 57 Duke Erickson (Sioux Falls, S.D.); 18. 92 Tyler Grooms (Trenton, Mo.); 19. 23 Darwin Karau (Kasson, Minn.); 20. 17 Lee Beemer (Fairmont, Minn.); 21. 8 Kyle Strickler (Mooresville, N.C.); 22. 97 Cole Anderson (Le Center, Minn.); 23. 55H A.J. Hoff (Mantorville, Minn.); 24. 11X Tom Berry Jr. (Marshalltown); 25. 84 Christopher Elliott (Webster City); 26. 2G Troy Girolamo (Williston, N.D.).
Simpson Racing Products Heat 1 (8 laps) : 1. Strickler; 2. Sanders; 3. Joe Chisholm; 4. Ward; 5. Horgdal; 6. Williamson; 7. Phillips; 8. Erickson; DNS Davis; DNS Elliott.
Heat 1 (7 laps) : 1. Hare; 2. Hovden; 3. Klaassen; 4. Green; 5. Mitchell; 6. Colsch; 7. Monthei.
Heat 1 (6 laps) : 1. Richards; 2. Richert; 3. Hovden; 4. McCoy; 5. McCollough; 6. Baker; 7. Crimmins.
Heat 1 (6 laps) : 1. Dobel; 2. Sommerfeld; 3. Gulbrandson; 4. Joshua Monson; 5. Miller; 6. Gilliland; 7. Kennedy; 8. Rodamaker.
Heat 1 (5 laps) : 1. Hills; 2. Gardner; 3. Prime; 4. Buchanan; 5. Kraft; 6. Lyon.
Heat 1 (5 laps) : 1. Nick Hogan; 2. Williams; 3. Miller; 4. Mason Machovec; 5. Thomas Ford; DNS Sawdy.