So Friday night I was asked if I was planning to head to Warren County Speedway for the Little League Night / Season Championships because they may need me to fill in if their primary announcer could not make it because of work. I said yes I had planned on it so I prepared to take pictures or announce if needed.
Once it was known I was not needed to announce races, it meant I was prepared to take pictures instead so I ended up taking almost 600 pictures in hot laps and heat races before putting the camera away to keep notes during the feature. All pictures are posted on the Trackside Report by Foxman Facebook Page in a photo album called Warren County Little League Night / Season Championships 8-26-23.
It was a beautiful cool night compared to the rest of the week for the 2023 season to walk off on in the sunset at the Warren County Speedway. The track showed character but a large part of that was due to the extremely high humidity all week, Brandan Long and the crew worked it in and it made for some fantastic racing. Final checkered flag came out at 10:22pm.
First feature of the night was the Micro Sprints 20 lap feature event, The Initial start called back as Brady Edwards stalled in turn two. On the restart, Brantley "The Bullet" Tjaden grabbed the top spot and pulled away from the rest of the field and appeared to be heading on to take the win. Tjaden caught lap traffic and unfortunately on lap 15, Tjaden rolled in turn four after encounter a lap car and tractor tire. That gave the lead over to Travis Rewerts and he would hang to take his third win at Warren County this season. Luke Lane came home in second, Jackson Gray was third, Matt Botts in fourth and Derrike Clark in fifth. With Tjaden going out on lap 15 and falling back to a tenth place finish, that allowed Lane to take the track championship by 5 points.
The caution came out as they was a parking lot in turn one and two of the TruBank Cruisers 16 lap feature event. Jason and Clay Collins took the race lead on the restart and managed to lead from start-to-finish to claim their second win of the season. Chris and Shelbie Mitchell was second, Will Aldridge and Co-Driver was third, Will Shivers and Travis Shivers was fourth, Isaac Seger and Co-Driver was fifth. Chris and Shelbie Mitchell would take the 2023 track championship.
Next up was the DeYarman Ford Junior Front Wheel Drive 15 lap feature event and before a lap was scored the caution came out when a chain reaction that resulted in Emberli Van Clark spinning around in turn two. Gabriel Hoover out wrestled Wyatt Routh for the race lead early. The caution came out again on lap four for debris in turn two and then again on the restart for Julia Langille in turn two. Hoover was determined to not be denied the victory as he hit his marks and went on to take his second win at Warren County. Katelynn Watts made a strong surge but came home with a second place finish, Van Clark came back to finish third, Langille in fourth and Routh was fifth. Watts claimed the 2023 track championship
The pattern continue with the caution coming out before a single lap scored in the eighteen lap Williams Machine Shop Open Figure 8 feature when Aubrey McKasson and David Burnell spun under the flag stand. Dylan McKasson jumped out to the race lead on the following restart after out dueling his sister Aubrey McKasson. The caution came out again on lap three when Colton Wicker came to a stop in the figure eight. Dylan McKasson got a great restart and fended off a challenge from David Burnell until the caution came out on lap 11 for heavy smoke coming out of Casey McKasson hot rod. Burnell got by Dylan McKasson on the restart and went on to take his six feature win of the season. Dylan McKasson finished second, Aubrey McKasson was third, Casey McKasson in fourth and Colton Wicker in fifth. Burnell was the 2023 track champion.
The caution came out before a single lap was completed in the 16 lap Bussanmas Heating & Cooling Stock Figure 8 feature event when J Milton Tarter Jr broke the front end after clipping a infield tire. Joey Young got a great restart and fended off Chris Mitchell, Young pulled away however lap traffic late in the race allowed Mitchell to get to the back bumper of Young. Young held on to take his fifth win of the season in Indy. Mitchell, Brock Bush, Joe Grubbs and Seth Parker rounded out the top five.
Mitchell and Bush tied for the 2023 track championship in the Stock Figure 8. So unofficially, If they use a similar tiebreaking procedures it goes down by finishes. Both of them had 1 feature win so then you move on to second place finishes, that goes to Mitchell as he had five with Bush having 1. So unofficially the 2023 track champion is Chris Mitchell.
Matt Breeden took the race lead early in the Phillips's Floor Trucks 18 lap feature event. The first caution came out on lap four for debris from Robby Dittmer in turn tone and two as Travis Shivers had a flat tire. Breeden continued to lead until the caution came out again on lap seven for Dittmer slowing in turn three and four. The following restart saw the caution come out again when Clay Collins pulled out of line and Joe Graves nose cover came off. Cole Becker would Intimidate his way around Breeden on the restart and never look back going on to claim his third win of the season. Breeden, Cole Edgington, Collins and Graves round out the top five. Breeden took the 2023 track championship.
Hawkeye Auto Salvage Hobby Stocks 16 lap feature event saw Michael Eddinger fend off Garrett Croy and Travis Fenton early for the restart. Eddinger pulled away only to see the cautions come out on lap seven when Kylea Ren was spun in turn one by Taylor Wood. Eddinger fended off the challenges on the restart but shortly after a lap was scored the caution came out when Braelynn Long spun in turn two. Eddinger was determined to take the win and he held on to claim his first of the season in Indy. Croy finished second, Fenton came home third, Jason Collins was fourth and Blake McCann was fifth. Croy won the 2023 Track championship.
Final feature of the night was the Front Wheel Drive 16 lap feature event, Terry Bickford jumped out to the race lead and pulled away until the caution came out on lap six for Cody Howe stopping in turn four. Bickford got a great restart and the caution came out again on lap nine for Jerry Glass. Bickford held on to claim his fifth feature win and that also gave him the 2023 track championship. Michael Gardner, Michael Gardner III, Colbin Funke and Matt Pool rounded out the top five.
That puts a wrap on the 2023 Racing Season at the Warren County Speedway in Indianola. So be on the look out in the off season for the 2024 racing schedule.
For more in information about the Warren County Speedway check out warrencountyspeedway.com or like and follow the Facebook Page Warren County Speedway.
Little League Night / Season Championships
Saturday August 26th, 2023
MICRO SPRINTS
presented by
presented by TruBank
A Feature (16 Laps): 1. 75 Jason Collins / Clay Collins (Pleasantville); 2. 15 Chris Mitchell / Shelbie Mitchell (Osceola); 3. 2A Will Aldridge / Co-Driver (Des Moines); 4. 2W Will Shivers / Travis Shivers (Indianola); 5. 15Y Isaac Seger / Co-Driver (Indianola); 6. 03 Dylan McKasson / Braden McKasson (Indianola); 7. 12 James Tarter / Co-Driver (Des Moines).
presented by Williams Machine Shop
A Feature (18 Laps): 1. 3 David Burnell (Altoona); 2. 03 Dylan McKasson (Indianola); 3. 95 Aubrey McKasson (Indianola); 4. 82B Casey McKasson (Indianola); 5. 5. 45W Colton Wicker (Des Moines);
presented by Bussanmas Heating & Cooling
presented by Phillips' Floors
A Feature (18 Laps): 1. 3 Cole Becker (Milo); 2. 1 Matt Breeden (Indianola); 3. 71 Cole Edgington (Indianola); 4. 11 Clay Collins (Pleasantville); 5. 00J Joe Graves (Dallas); 6. 69 Troy Becker (Indianola); 7. 99 Alex Catron (Indianola); 8. 76 Robby Dittmer (Indianola); 9. 51 Travis Shivers (Indianola).
Heat 2 : 1. Cole Becker; 2. Graves; 3. Catron; 4. Edgington.
presented by Hawkeye Auto Salvage
A Feature (16 Laps): 1. 32E Mike Eddinger (Des Moines); 2. 70X Garrett Croy (Norwalk); 3. 10F Travis Fenton (Des Moines); 4. 94 Jason Collins (Pleasantville); 5. 33M Blake McCann (Adair); 6. 13B Preston Bright (Indianola); 7. 89W Brandon WIllemsen (Grimes); 8. 005 Ryan Lippert (Melcher); 9. 90 Jake Coughennower (Indianola); 10. 74 Taylor Wood (Indianola); 11. 88G Andrew Gilbert Sr (Des Moines); 12. 57 Kylea Ren (Indianola); 13. 00B Braelynn Long (Norwalk); DNS 06B Brandan Long (Norwalk).
Heat 2 : 1. Fenton; 2. Lippert; 3. McCann; 4. Willemsen; 5. Coughenower; 6. Bright; 7. Brandan Long.
presented by DeYarman Ford
A Feature (15Laps): 1. 511 Gabriel Hoover (Indianola); 2. 2K Katelynn Watts (Oskaloosa); 3. 8V Emberli Van Clark (Indianola); 4. 19 Julia Langille (Osceola); 5. 33W Wyatt Routh (Norwalk); 6. 5T Joe Tarter (Norwalk); 7. 5H Colton Howe (Lacona); 8. 100 Gavin Castellano (Des Moines); 9. 43 Emma Lynn King (Pleasantville).
presented by
A Feature (16 Laps): 1. 63B Terry Bickford (Shannon City); 2. 46 Michael Gardner (Des Moines); 3. 47 Michael Gardner III (Des Moines); 4. 41 Colbin Funke (Menlo); 5. 14 Matt Pool (Monroe); 6. 72 Daniel Clayton (Fontanelle); 7. 45 Jerry Glass (Des Moines); 8. 33 Gabe Gavin (Indianola); 9. 88S Logan Stevens (Greenfield); 10. 21 Corwyn Whisler (Des Moines); 11. R2JR Ralph Jones (Des Moines); 12. 43V Jody Kingery (Knoxville); 13. 77 Dennis Hoover (Indianola); 14. C1 RL Jones (Des Moines); 15. 44 Angela Gardner (Des Moines); 16. 13 Billy Bough Jr (Indianola); 17. 62 Cody Howe (Melcher); 18. F12 Blake Fineran (Norwalk); 19. X47 Jeremy Williams (Oskaloosa).
Heat 2 : 1. Funke; 2. Stevens; 3. Ralph Jones; 4. Hoover; 5. Kingery; 6. Whisler.
