This season I haven't done too many Sunday night races but I decided I would make the 1.5 hour drive from Marshalltown to Stuart and take in the SLMR Super Sunday Show at the Karl Chevrolet of Stuart Speedway. It was a beautiful night for racing a little on the chilly side for a mid-June race but the racing action was action filled all night.
Eighty-four cars signed including 22 Malvern Bank West Series SLMR Late Models. The Late Models was originally scheduled to be there on April 23rd but mother nature forced the postponement and rescheduled to June 11th. This also forced the Stuart Speedway to move the Wednesday June 14th's Bill Davis Sr Memorial Race to August 9th.
My plans was to keep notes to write this blog recap and take pictures during hot laps, time trials and heat races but that changed when track announcer Tony Paris asked if I would do the invocation and victory lane interviews on the night. I said yes so it meant my camera got put aside again In favor for a microphone. Thanks Mike Van Genderen and Tony Paris for letting me fill in doing the victory lane interviews.
First feature of the night was the John's Tree Service IMCA Sport Compacts fourteen lap feature event. Cullen Gossage wrestled the lead early from fellow front row starter Jeremiah Downing. Gossage held on to the top spot until lap four when Omaha, Nebraska's Anthony Clark took the top spot away. Terry Bickford took second away from Gossage on lap five and started to pressure Clark for the lead. Bickford was able snatch up the lead on lap ten, then hold off Clark to take the feature win. Clark finished second, Gossage came home third, Owen Richards was fourth and Kolby Sabin was fifth.
Matt Avila took the early lead of the Karl's Pre-Owned IMCA Sport Mods 20 lap feature event with young Gage Hilgenberg running second. Garrett Nelson and then Brayton Carter took second and third away putting Hilgenberg back to fourth but cautions came out on lap two when Dalton Davis and David Simpson got together in turn two and then on the restart when Davis spun in turn two as Josalyn Elmquist makes heavy contact with the front stretch wall. Avila worked the low side on the restart as Carter worked the high side until another caution came out on lap six for Mike Dullard and Tyler Heckart in turn two. Avila looked to be able to fend off Carter until three more cautions came out on laps thirteen and fourteen. Carter managed to take the lead away from Avila just prior to the caution coming out on lap fifteen. Carter held on to take the feature win ahead of Avila, Kaylin Lopez, Mitchell Morris and Garrett Nelson.
After a brief track prep session was now time for the Malvern Bank Super Late Model Racing Series (SLMR) 30 lap feature event. "The Crazy One" Jesse Sobbing led the first six circuits before Justin Zeitner took the lead away on lap seven. Zeitner started to pull away only to have lap traffic slow him down allowing second place Tad Pospisil and Sobbing to chase him down. The caution came out on lap 16 for a car on the back stretch. Zeitner got a great restart despite by the pressure from Pospisil and Sobbing, he looked as if he was going to claim the win but that all changed on lap 25. Justin Zeitner had a right rear tire blow out forcing the caution to come out, that handed the lead over to Pospisil. Pospisil fresh off a 9.5 hour trip to Stuart after racing the Late Model Dream at Eldora Speedway in Ohio managed to fend off Sobbing and Corey Zeitner on the restart but the caution came out on lap 29 forcing a green-white-checkered finish when Corey Zeitner spun in turn four. Pospisil was not going to be denied going on to take the feature win. Sobbing was second, Bill Leighton quietly came home in third, Zach Zeitner was fourth and Jason Hahne was fifth.
In the "Wild Thing" Rick's Towing IMCA Hobby Stocks 16 lap feature event it was Danny Foster leading the first lap. Curt Reed was able to take the top spot away on lap two meanwhile battle behind him for positions was heating up. Reed look comfortable out front until Luke Ramsey chased him down prior to the caution on lap nine for Skylar Pruitt on the front stretch. Reed held off Ramsey and Rusty Bates on the restart and continued to lead until Ramsey showed his strength on lap 15. Ramsey took the top spot away just prior to the caution on lap 15 for Carson Rening on the back stretch. Ramsey held off Reed and "Squishy" Solomon Bennett on the restart to take the feature win. Reed was second, Bennett was third, Bates was fourth and Jared Smith came home in fifth.
Final feature of the night was the Affordable Quality Roofing & Exteriors IMCA Stock Cars 20 lap feature event. "The Flyin' Bomb Pop" Micah Hidlebaugh led the first four laps before Casey "Weiner" Woken took the lead away on lap five. The first caution came out shortly after for Casen Keller in turn four. Woken got a great restart but Hidlebaugh refused to go away and continued to pressure Woken for the race lead. Hidlebaugh could not reclaim the lead. The caution came out on lap 10 for Tyson Partridge, Austin Meiners and John Kinser in turn two. Woken got another great restart, only to see the caution come out for Nick Roberts in turn two. Woken now had to fend off Buck Schafroth and Hidlebaugh on the restart and initial did. Schafroth made the effort to get by Woken and pulled the sliders with two to go but Woken was able to cross over to fend it off. On the last lap though Woken slipped up allowing Schafroth to take the lead away and go on to take the feature win. Woken, Austin Bouzek, Hidlebuagh and "The General" Troy Jerovetz rounded out the top five.
Next race at the Karl Chevrolet of Stuart Speedway is on Wednesday June 21st. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compacts and Outlaw Mini Mods are on the card. Gates Open at 5p, Hot Laps at 6:45p, Racing to Follow.
The following week on Thursday June 29th, its finale night of the Hickingbottom Trucking and BigDeal Car Care Midwest Madness Tour, Ron Little Memorial.
Malvern Bank West Super Late Model Racing Series Late Models next races are across the state line in Nebraska at the Beatrice Speedway on Friday June 16th and Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction on Saturday June 17th. They return to the Stuart Speedway on Sunday July 2nd.
For more information about the Stuart International Speedway check out stuartspeedway.net or like the Facebook page Stuart Speedway or contact promoter and owner Mike Van Genderen at 641-521-0330.
For more information about the SLMR Series check out slmrseries.com, or like the Facebook page Super Late Model Racing (SLMR) Series or call the SLMR office at 402-342-3453.
SLMR Sunday Special
Sunday June 11th, 2023
SUPER LATE MODEL RACING SERIES
presented by Malvern Bank
Ideal Ready Mix Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. Leonard; 2. Sobbing; 3. DeFrance; 4. Pospisil; 5. Andrew Kosiski; 6. Schroeder; 7. Scott Daly.
Qualifying (2 Laps): 1. 76H Jason Hahne (12.398); 2. 04 Tad Pospisil (12.454); 3. 76 Zach Zeitner (12.490); 4. 62 Justin Zeitner (12.494); 5. 53 Andrew Kosiski (12.544); 6. 24 Bill Leighton (12.584); 7. 43 Derrick Stewart (12.628); 8. 99 Jesse Sobbing (12.629); 9. 26JR Corey Zeitner (12.646); 10. 52 Brian Kosiski (12.652); 11. 15C Curt Schroeder (12.729); 12. 1J Jay Burdic (12.768); 13. 44 Troy Daly (12.853); 14. 99D Darrel DeFrance (12.874); 15. 1 Jaxon Saathoff (12.877); 16. 33 Paul Glendenning (12.911); 17. 85 Josh Leonard (12.960); 18. 25 Brad Perdue (13.126); 19. 32 Curtis Glover (13.237); 20. U2 Scott Daly (13.706); 21. 30 Shawn Cooney (14.034); 22. 22 Charlie McKenna (No Time).
presented by Affordable Quality Roofing & Exteriors
A Feature (20 Laps): 1. 92 Buck Schafroth (Orient); 2. 35JW Casey Woken (Altoona); 3. 14B Austin Bouzek (Trenton, Mo.); 4. 72H Miciah Hidlebaugh (Menlo); 5. 01 Troy Jerovetz (Iowa Falls); 6. V31 Todd VanEaton (Orient); 7. 10B Brandon Pruitt (Stuart); 8. 3 Mike Albertsen (Audubon); 9. 3S Bryan Snell (Coon Rapids); 10. 71K Casen Keller (Indianola); 11. C29 Garrett Corn (Merced, Calif.); 12. 8M Austin Meiners (Polk City); 13. 7 Tyson Partridge (Elk Horn); 14. 57VG Rowdee Van Genderen (Newton); 15. 8X Mike Hansen (Gillett Grove); 16. 19Z Zeke Hillgartner (Harlan); 17. 01X Brian Perdue (Council Bluffs); 18. 85J Zac Johnson (Dexter); 19. 23JR Nick Roberts (Des Moines); 20. 6 John Kinser (Corning); 21. 5 Gage Neese (Harlan).
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. Jerovetz; 2. Pruitt; 3. Snell; 4. Corn; 5. Johnson; 6. Hillgartner; 7. Kinser.
presented by Karl's Pre-Owned
A Feature (20 Laps): 1. 01 Brayton Carter (Oskaloosa); 2. 2X Matt Avila (Prescott); 3. 16K Kaylin Lopez (Chowchilla, Calif.); 4. 18 Mitchell Morris (St Charles); 5. 95N Garrett Nelson (Osceola); 6. 86W Willy Kirk (Sloan); 7. 0LD Bryan Morris (St Charles); 8. 42 Tyler Heckart (Ottumwa); 9. 20X Cody Yaw (Altoona); 10. 4 Gage Hilgenberg (Waukee); 11. 11 Austin Hardisty (Adair); 12. 34N Thomas Nelson (Stuart); 13. 26 Mike Dullard (Winterset); 14. 81 BJ Charlson (Indianola); 15. 2 Derik See (Des Moines); 16. 25 Sydney Damewood (Corning); 17. 18J Josalyn Elmquist (Boone); 18. J7 David Simpson (Des Moines); 19. 75 Dalton Davis (Corning).
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. Avila; 2. Mitchell Morris; 3. Heckart; 4. Thomas Nelson; 5. Hardisty; 6. Dullard.
presented by Rick's Towing
Heat 2 (7 Laps): 1. Reed; 2. Pruitt; 3. Cook; 4. McCann; 5. Reinig; 6. Smith.
presented by John's Tree Service
A Feature (15 Laps): 1. 63B Terry Bickford (Shannon City); 2. 8A Anthony Clark (Omaha, Neb.); 3. 21M Cullen Gossage (Onawa); 4. 69X Owen Richards (Creston); 5. 9 Kolby Sabin (Des Moines); 6. 07 Brooke Osler (Milford); 7. 980 Jeremiah Downing (Woodward); 8. 41 Colbin Funke (Menlo); 9. 72 Daniel Claytong (Fontanelle).
