Justin Zoch's Upper Midwest Ramblings, Part Two
Tuesday, July 5, 2005
Knoxville kicked off one of the few remaining weekly shows as everyone preps for the upcoming biggies. Wayne Johnson got his third win of the season at Knoxville and his first of the year at Huset’s during a profitable weekend. He scored the make-up 410 feature from June 12…Since destroying his hauler en route to Knoxville for the Outlaws show, Jake Peters has scored two wins, including his first of the season at Knoxville. He took the point lead from Larry Ball Jr. as he chases his second straight 360 title…Only 28 410s showed at Knoxville, the lowest count in recent years, as the summer economy begins to take its toll on the field…Greg Jones slipped into the A-main when front row starter Colin Northway scratched with engine woes. Neat to see the Jones crew hi-fiving when the call to push the alternate went out…Matt Moro had a hard night in the Sonner 47. He lost a motor in qualifying and then broke the driveline in the A-main…Brett Golik returned for the first time this season in his familiar 5G and looked relatively rust-free. Golik had finally had enough ridin’ the pine and should be a regular to finish the season. His neighbor in Newton, Curtis Thorson, promises a return by season’s end…When I asked Eddie Leavitt Jr. how he liked driving an Avenger Chassis for the first time in his career in pre-race discussions at Knoxville, he said they were still chasing the car and trying to find consistency. Leavitt won’t have to chase it anymore as he flipped hard into turn number one, tearing the complete front end off the racer in a frightening accident. No word on when the team will return…Mike Deavers made his first career trip to Knoxville after years of running the short tracks in central Illinois. His previous half-mile experience came at Tri-City and Joliet but he’ll return for the Knoxville Nationals.
One night after letting his first career 410 win slip through his fingers at Knoxville, Billy Alley turned the trick at Huset’s. Alley had been getting quicker and quicker at the tight oval and it was only a matter of time. He’ll have one at Knoxville before season’s end, perhaps next week during Wells Fargo Twin Features…Terry McCarl had his racer in the pits but WoO rules forbid him from racing it. No worries. McCarl gave crewmember Gary Isom his first laps in a Sprint Car. Isom, who has raced 600cc micros in his homestate of Nebraska, narrowly missed the A-main. McCarl’s gesture, which he formerly extended to wrench Glenn Freeland, will go a long way towards keeping his crew happy through the rough summer months and Isom may want to consider a career behind the wheel…Micah Schliemann ran 90 competitive laps at Huset’s on Sunday. He ran a six lap heat for the 360s, an eight lap heat for the 410s, an eight lap B-main for the 360s, an 18 lap 360 feature and two 25 lap 410 A-mains. Despite the workout, Schliemann returned the next evening and won his first 410 feature of the season. Huset’s has had eight 410 winners in 10 events this season and six different winners consecutively. Similarly, the 360 division has had nine winners in 11 events. Gordy Vogelaar got his first win of 2005 during a Monday twilight show.
No word yet on the whereabouts of Dave Westercamp but Ron Fick is still filling his Sunday evenings with trips to Huset’s, where he watches from above in the suites. Fick is still involved in racing by performing restoration jobs on famous racers, including the famous Speedway Motors entry. This week, by request, lets get an update on Devlin Polkinghorn. If you have any idea of his whereabouts, send me an e-mail at Justin@momompub.com.
Tidbits
Brian Ridge scored the 305 win last Friday night at the Lee County Speedway. It was the first win for John Kearney’s car owner. The Sprint Invader finish was even more memorable as Jerrod Hull made contact with John Schulz on the final lap to take the checkered first. Schulz crossed the line sideways for second while Gianetto backed across the line for third. He extended his series point lead on Sunday with a win at Columbus Junction. The team is three for four there in Sprint Invader action over the past two seasons…Casey Abbas continued his great season as he won his second A-main at Huset’s and his third at I-90. He’s also got a win in the limited division at I-90 to add to his total….Danny Harmon reportedly rode out one of the wildest rides in that speedway’s history after getting his non-wing Sprint over another’s wheel. He was uninjured…To no one’s surprise, Brooke Tatnell got his first win World of Outlaws win at Cedar Lake on Monday night. Tatnell and the Rush Racing team have been inching towards a victory and he’s got to be considered a favorite heading into the month of money. Those extra laps at Cedar Lake during the Jerry Richert Memorial certainly paid off…In IRA action, Mike Kertscher got his first win of the season at Luxemborg as the series preps for the King of Wisconsin show at Wilmot, where Kertscher scored his first IRA win in 2003…Bruce Anderson won the 317 Double Barrel Sprint feature at Slayton on Sunday over a field of ten cars. Hopefully, the Sprints will return to the Murray County Fairgrounds in the future.
I’ve got a lot more news and notes piled up but I’ve got to get to work to pay for an inexplicable “Following Too Closely” ticket received on the Ohio interstate system. The rambles will continue next week with notes taken from Knoxville’s Twin Features and another trip to Huset’s on Sunday night. Keep me informed and corrected at Justin@mompub.com.
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