On Thursday Night, I headed to the Karl Chevrolet of Stuart International Speedway for the Fever Heat Classic presented by Bob Harris Enterprises. It was also Season Championship Night along with the Jake Durbin Memorial Suicide Awareness Night. If you are thinking about taking your own life call the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline before you do by simply pressing 988 in your phone.
As many drivers are rolling into Iowa for the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals 41 Fueled by Casey's at the Boone Speedway, The Karl Chevrolet of Stuart International Speedway looked to cash in some of those visitors with their Fever Heat Classic presented by Bob Harris Enterprises. It was a beautiful night of racing under a full moon, as the month of August came to an end. Final checkered flag was displayed at 9:39pm.
At Intermission, the 2023 Stuart Speedway Hall of Fame Class was Inducted into the Stuart Speedway Hall of Fame. This year's inductees was Richard "Bones" Welch, Rex Parkison, Jack Gyles and Dave Baugh. Bones was a long time track official and drove the water truck and would do just about anything you needed done at the track, he lost his life doing things he loved. "Sexy" Rex Parkison, Jack Gyles and Dave Baugh all raced at the Stuart Speedway.
First feature of the night was the Hawkeye Auto Salvage IMCA Sport Compacts fourteen lap feature event. Texas' Randy Martin led the first 8 laps before Track Champion Kolby Sabin was able to apply pressure. Sabin used the high lane to get by Martin, who was on the bottom side. Sabin was able to grab the lead and pull away going on to take his eight win at Stuart this season. Martin came home second, Nebraska's Anthony Simants, Craig Furstenau and Calle Gaston was third through fifth respectively.
Arizona's Ty Rogers out dueled "Too Cool" Taylor Kuehl for the race lead in the Karl Chevrolet of Stuart IMCA Sport Mods 20 lap feature event. Kuehl was able to steal the lead away from Rogers just before the caution came out on lap five when Anthony Goldsberry and Chester Kniss spun in turn four. Kuehl fended of Rogers on the restart but the caution came out again on lap six for Adam Baker in turn four. Kuhel got a great restart and pulled away from Rogers until two more cautions late. The first caution on lap 17 for debris in turn one and then for Mike Dullard spinning in turn one. Kuehl was able to hang on and take her third feature win in Stuart. Devyn Peterson, David Schwartz, seventeenth place starter Brayton Carter and Mitchell Morris was second through fifth. Mitchell Morris claimed his first ever track championship.
In the "Class Too Tough Too Tame" Affordable Quality Roofing & Exteriors IMCA Stock Cars 20 lap feature event, it was Josh Daniels taking the top spot early fending off Jake Sachau. The caution came out on lap two for debris on the back stretch. Daniels engaged in a battle with Sachau as Tom Berry Jr was working his way through the field. As Daniels and Sachau was side by side they left an opening in the middle and Berry took advantage to get by both of them. Berry went on to take the feature win qualifying him for the B&B Chassis All Star Invitational at Super Nationals. Sachau, Josh Daniels, Brock Badger and Brandon Pruitt rounded out the top five. Austin Bouzek was the 2023 track champion.
Todd Shute was definitely "Toddzilla" in the VIP Contractors IMCA Modifieds 20 lap feature event, as he led from start to finish to victory, Shute was already qualified for the Fast Shaft All Star Invitational. The only thing slowing Shute down was the caution on lap 15 when Scott Bash spun in turn three. Shute took the win ahead of Zack VanderBeek, Jesse Dennis, Josh Gilman and Martin Bennett.
Rick's Towing & Transport IMCA Hobby Stocks 16 lap feature event saw Payce Herrera, 14 year old driver from Price, Utah leading from-to-finish to take his first ever IMCA Feature win. The feature went caution free. Solomon Bennett ran in the runner up spot, Skylar Pruitt was third, Buddy Haidsiak was fourth and Travis Cavin was fifth. Pruitt took the 2023 track championship.
Final feature of the night was the Outlaw Mini Mods 15 lap feature event. Spencer Nelson led the opening lap but the caution came out shortly after when he spun in turn two, collecting Troy Ihrke. Chase Daniels inherited the lead and tried to pull away but the caution came on lap four when Bobby Daniels and Joel Roberts in turn four. More cautions came out on lap nine when Kaden Rice spun in turn four and then on lap 11 when Megan Daniels spun in turn two. Chase Daniels went on to take the feature win ahead of Bobby Daniels, Justin Winkler, Zachary Dunham and Lucas Daniels.
That puts a wrap on the 2023 Racing Season at the Karl Chevrolet of Stuart International Speedway, but not the end of race promoted by Mike Van Genderen. Keep your eyes out for the 2024 schedule, in the mean time check out specials coming up at the Mountain Dew Bloomfield Speedway, Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri and Independence Motor Speedway.
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.
KARL CHEVROLET OF STUART INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY 2023 TRACK SPONSORS: Karl Chevorlet of Stuart, VIP Contractors, Affordable Quality Roofing & Exteriors, Karl's Auto Group, Karl Kustoms, Rick's Towing, Hawkeye Auto Salvge, Storm Lake Honda, I-80 Enterprises, Finish Line Body & Paint, Interstate PowerSystems, Anita Supply Center, Schaefer's Big Barn, Pole Position Raceway, Town & Country Insurance of Stuart, Pro Seed USA, Supreme Lawn & Landscape, Advanced Problem Solutions, Fox Welding, Dirt Track Bank, Choice Inc, Conrad's Pillow Pets, X-Caliber Race Cars of Dexter, Elite Electric & Utility Contractors, Excel Floor Covering, STL Heating & Cooling LLC, State Farm - Brad Van Meter, Ramsey Grinding, Coca-Cola Atlantic Bottling Company, LS Racecars & Performance Parts, Jason Cox Construction LLC, The Stuart Hearld, Dexfield Dinner, Ganoe Excavating, Wreckers or Checkers Bar & Grill, Logue Fabrication, Midstate Machine, Midwest Injections Inc, Beck's Seeds, Van Eaton Pork, Avey Sanitation, Big Load Trailer Sales, Dynamic Drivelines, FastShaft, Motorsports Warehouse, First State Bank, Stuart Bowl & Traditions Sports Bar.
Fever Heat Classic presented by Bob Harris Enterprises
Thursday August 31st, 2023
IMCA MODIFIEDS
presented by VIP Contractors
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. Bonine; 2. Dennis; 3. VanderBeek; 4. Kuehl; 5. Kniss.
presented by Affordable Quality Roofing & Exteriors
A Feature (20 Laps): 1. 11X Tom Berry Jr (Des Moines); 2. 14 Jake Sachau (Manning); 3. 25J Josh Daniels (Carlisle); 4. 50B Brock Badger (Bagley); 5. 10B Brandon Pruitt (Stuart); 6. 19 Dustin Reeh (Council Bluffs); 7. 57VG Rowdee Van Gendern (Newton); 8. 14B Austin Bouzek (Trenton, Mo.); 9. 25D Bob Daniels (Des Moines); 10. 94 Dillon Solum (Redmond, Ore.); 11. 3H Ty Hill (Winterset); 12. 22S Scott Foster (Oakley, Calif.); 13. Z50 Joe Zrostlik (Long Grove); 14. 57J Jamie Anderson (Des Moines); 15, 92 Buck Schafroth (Orient); DNS 29W Shaw Woods (Humeston).
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. Berry; 2. Van Genderen; 3. Josh Daniels; 4. Hill; 5. Anderson; 6. Bouzek; 7. Woods; 8. Foster.
presented by Karl Chevrolet of Stuart
A Feature (20 Laps): 1. 2K Taylor Kuehl (Cave Creek, Ariz.); 2. 5D Devyn Peterson (Milford, Neb.); 3. 57S David Schwartz (Greenfield); 4. 01 Brayton Carter (Oskaloosa); 5. 18 Mitchell Morris (St Charles); 6. 7V Carter VanDenBerg (Oskaloosa); 7. 8T Ty Rogers (Yuma, Ariz.); 8. CB25 Chris Burke (Altoona); 9. 34N Thomas Nelson (Stuart); 10. 0LD Bryan Morris (St Charles); 11. 00T Crystal Hemphill (Yuma, Ariz.); 12. 17A Adam Baker (Bakersfield, Calif.); 13. 11B Brian Baker (Baskersfield, Calif.); 14. 26 Mike Dullard (Winterset); 15. 95N Garrett Nelson (Osceola); 16. 71X Anthony Goldsberry (Runnells); 17. 28K Chester Kniss (Antioch, Calif.); DNS 4 Gage Hilgenberg (Waukee).
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. Rogers; 2. VanDenBerg; 3. Garrett Nelson; 4. Mitchell Morris; 5. Peterson; 6. Bryan Baker; 7. Burke; 8. Hemphill; DNS Golsberry.
presented by Rick's Towing
presented by Hawkeye Auto Salvage
A Feature (14 Laps): 1. 9 Kolby Sabin (Des Moines); 2. 8 Randy Martin (Springtown, Texas); 3. 6T9 Anthony Simants (Kearney, Neb.); 4. 12C Craig Furstenau (Earlham); 5. 00 Callee Gaston (Weatherford, Texas); 6. 41 Colbin Funke (Menlo); 7. 8X Ronnie Gaston (Weatherford, Texas); 8. 33NK Nikole Kimmel (New Virgina).
presented by Drury Automotive & Truck Repair
A Feature (15 Laps): 1. 25C Chase Daniels (Carlisle); 2. 25B Bobby Daniels (Des Moines); 3. 17J Justin Winkler (Boone); 4. 12 Zachary Dunham (Ankeny); 5. 25L Lucas Daniels (Des Moines); 6. 69K Kaden Rice (Bondurant); 7. Z83 Zackary Schaefer (Creston); 8. 4R Steve Roberts (Ankeny); 9. 85 Chris Trulson (Polk City); 10. 9G Grant Kading (Stuart); 11. 5M Megan Daniels (Indianola); 12. 44R Joel Roberts (Ankeny); 13. 31 Spencer Nelson (Thornton); 14. 47 Troy Ihrke (Sheffield).
Heat 2 (6 Laps): 1. Chase Daniels; 2. Ihrke; 3. Dunham; 4. Lucas Daniels; 5. Nelson; 6. Rice; 7. Kading.
