Blessington Returns to Victory Lane
by Josh Reynolds
STUART, IA (July 17, 2011) – Stuart Speedway welcomed back fans, drivers and
crews to the hottest Sunday of 2011 for a night of fast-paced racing. Jordan
Peters, Nick Roberts, Brian Blessington, Andy Forcht, Brandon Pruitt and
Randy Havlik were the feature winners on Ron Bragg Improvements/PBM
Performance Products Night at the Races.
First up were the IMCA Sport Compacts with Jordan Peters and Adam Kralik on
the front row. Kralik, the heat race winner, took control at the drop of the
green flag, leading over Peters. Everything looked great for Kralik until
coming through turn three to the white flag when his right front wheel came
off. That handed the win to Peters with Kralik second and Devan Stuve third.
It was an emotional win for Peters as his grandfather Carl passed away last
week. Carl was a long-time racer around Iowa and won many features at Stuart
Speedway. He was honored with a moment of silence before the races started
and will be missed greatly by his family.
Following the Sport Compacts, Joe Simbro and Cole Ferguson led the IMCA
Northern Sportmods to the green flag. Ferguson and Austin Paul came together
in turn four, bunching up the field and allowing fifth starting Jerry Hinton
to lead lap one. Hinton looked to sail to the win until two cautions bunched
the field, the last one on lap nine. Hinton’s teammate, Nick Roberts, moved
into second on lap ten and then moved past Hinton to take the lead on lap
eleven. Mike Pruitt passed Hinton for second on the next lap and set out to
track down Roberts, but it was not to be as Roberts took the checkered flag.
Pruitt wound up second, Hinton third, David Schlicht fourth and Ferguson
fifth. Pruitt and Ferguson were the heat race winners and Schlicht won the
Trophy Dash.
IMCA Stock Cars were next up with Michael Walrod and Joe Zadina leading the
field. Zadina set the pace for fourteen laps until Jeff Anderson brought out
the yellow with a spin in turn one. Brian Blessington took over the top spot
on the restart and one lap later Zadina hooked the wall coming out of turn
two flipping violently and landing on his wheels atop the back stretch wall.
Zadina was OK but the same could not be said of his car. Blessington took
off on the restart, pulling away from Jeremy Gettler to pick up his first
win of the season at Stuart. Gettler hung on for second with Bryan Snell
third, Marcus Fagan fourth and Steve Campbell fifth. Snell and Zadina were
the heat race winners.
6 Cylinder FWD’s came out next with Jordan Peters and Andy Forcht on the
front row. Forcht would set the pace for the first six laps until a caution
flag for debris on the front stretch brought the field together. Forcht
would lead to the white flag with Jim Britton on his bumper, setting up a
race to the checkered flag. Britton drove as hard as he could into turn
three but the rookie, Forcht, wouldn’t be denied in picking up his
first-ever feature win. Britton crossed in second with Peters third, Devan
Stuve fourth and Jake Coughennower fifth. Forcht said in victory lane “I
just turned off the air conditioner for the last couple of laps and it gave
me enough power to win!”
An unusually small field of ten IMCA Hobby Stocks was led to green by Gina
Gruebel and Mike Hansen with Hansen leading the first two laps. That’s when
point leader Brandon Pruitt took over the top spot and began to walk away
from the field. That lead was erased as Nyle Godwin rode over the turn one
wall and down the hill. Godwin was able to drive around the track and back
on under his own power and after changing a tire, rejoined the field. This
set up a green-white-checkered finish, and as the cars came out of turn four
Pruitt’s car stumbled. A shot in the bumper from second-place Jason Kohl
re-ignited the 10B and Pruitt took off. As they came through the white flag,
Gruebel broke a ball joint and slammed the front stretch wall, ending the
race under a yellow-checkered finish. Pruitt took the win over Kohl, Nate
Lange, Godwin and Gruebel. Austin Luellen and Hansen were the heat race
winners.
Last up for the night were the IMCA Modifieds with Ed Seibert and Tony
Hilgenberg on the front row. Fourth starting Randy Havlik rocketed into the
lead on the back stretch and led lap number one. The caution came out for a
spin by Devon Havlik and bunched the field for lap two with Alison Quick
close behind R. Havlik. When the race went back to green, R. Havlik went
right back to his domination, leading all the way to the finish to pick up
the win. Quick finished in second with Josh Gilman third, Rex Parkison
fourth and Scott Bash fifth. R. Havlik also was the heat race winner.
Thanks to all of the drivers and fans who came out and supported the track
on an extremely warm Sunday evening. Please join us next week for Haley
Equipment Inc. Night at the Races!
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