WOOD KEEPS WINNING STREAK ALIVE WITH EIGHT IN A ROW AT THREE DIFFERENT TRACKS
By: Tony Paris

OSKALOOSA, Ia (May 31, 2006) - Racing action at the Southern Iowa Speedway was held with Wild,Wild Wednesday racing action sponsored by Pro-Line Buildings of New Sharon,Iowa. The fans was treated to some giveaways along with the weekly and national points racing of the Casey`s General Stores USRA racing series in action. Along with the first ever faster pastor race being held with local pastors trying there luck at the always fast half-mile speedway.

The night kicked off with the mighty Musco USRA Modified feature event going eighteen laps of open wheel excitment. The 17p machine of Brad Pinkerton of New Sharon took the early race lead with Steve Stewart of Washington and Terry Walker battling for the second spot. Pinkertons machine would spin in turn one and two but Brad was able to do a full three sixty to keep the modified going but would later retire to the pit area with troubles. Stewart would take over the top spot and would lead till the sevententh lap before Zack VanderBeek of New Sharon would make the pass in turns one and two on the last lap for the top spot and take the checkers. Stewart settled for the second spot with Walker in third and last weeks feature winner taking Brandon Banks of Washington in fourth.

In the second feature of the evening it was the USRa Hobby Stock feature event set for fifteen laps of exciting door-to-door action with Ottumwa driver Mike Shelton taking the early race lead. Shelton would pace the field for the first five laps before Mark Moore of Ottumwa and Nathan Wood of Sigourney would all battle for the lead with Wood making the pass in turn two. Wood would hold off a tough field of hobby stocks after working his way from tenth starting spot, this was Woods eight feature in a row at three diffrent race tracks and eleventh win in 2006. Jared Sanders of New Sharon worked his way up to second after starting in the twelveth starting spot with Moore in third and Shelton in fourth. After the feature Tyler Ford of Lovilia claimed the motor of the feature winner Woods and Woods agreed to sell.

The thrid feature of the night was the always exciting USRA Stock Car division running eighteen laps. When the green flag dropped Brad Pinkerton of New Sharon took the race lead and looked to have his 17p machine headed to victory lane but mechanical problems would end his run sending him to the trailer on lap seven. Josh Newell of Oskaloosa took the race lead and lead laps eight and nine but T.J. Criss of Oskaloosa would close in to setup a battle for the lead. Newell and Criss would thrill the crowd with several lead changes with Criss coming out on top for his first win of 2006. Newell took second followed by Matt Greiner of Washington in third and Eric Flander of Barnes City who was a front runner in the early part of the race.
In the fourth and final feature it was the first ever Faster Pastor or Preacher Feature with seven local pastors trying there luck around the dirt track for the first time. When the green lap dropped Dave Grandon of Point of Grace Church of Ottumwa took the lead with Rich Doering of First Church of Nazarene running second. Grandon lead till the fourth lap of the six lap event before losing the lead to Doering. Doering would lead the final two laps for his first ever win and made history with the first ever Faster Paster race.

Next week will be another night of Casey`s General Store USRA racing action with hot laps at 7:00pm and racing action to follow around 7:30pm next Wednesday.

USRA HOBBY STOCKS
Heat#1-1.Rick Landgrebe,Oskaloosa 2.Mike Shelton,Ottumwa 3.Mark Moore,Ottumwa 4.Steve Allen,Oskaloosa 5.Tyler Ford,Lovilia 6.Jason VanZomeren,Oskaloosa 7.Bobby Greene,Eddyville

Heat#2-1.Nathan Wood,Sigourney 2.Dustin Griffiths,Ottumwa 3.Jared Sanders,New Sharon 4.Joe Ferguson,Tracy 5.Shannon Sherwood,Oskaloosa 6.Chase Mitrisin,Oskaloosa

Heat#3-1.Bill Gibson,Knoxville 2.Todd Reitzler,Grinnell 3.Justin Hook,Oskaloosa 4.Danny Thrasher,Agency 5.Dave Breuklander,Oskaloosa 6.Jayme Duinink,Pella

A-Feature 1.Wood 2.Sanders 3.Moore 4.Shelton 5.Gibson 6.Mitrisin 7.Sherwood 8.Ferguson 9.Ford 10.VanZomeren 11.Allen 12.Breuklander 13.Thrasher 14.Landgrebe 15.Griffiths 16.Reitzler 17.Greene 18.Duinink 19.Hook

USRA STOCK CARS
Heat#1-1.Brad Pinkerton,New sharon 2.Brian Edel,Oskaloosa 3.Damon Murty,Chelsea 4.Zack VanderBeek,New Sharon 5.Jim Brown,Fremont 6.Brian Jackson,Moravia 7.Mike Browning,Farmington

Heat#2-1.Eric Flander,Barnes City 2.Josh Newell,Oskaloosa 3.Nathan Wood,Sigourney 4.Matt Greiner,Washington 5.Rick Gustin,Marshalltown 6.Steve Landgrebe,Oskaloosa

Heat#3-1.Bobby Greiner Jr.,Ottumwa 2.Pat Rachels,Knoxville 3.Brian Mitrisin,Oskaloosa 4.T.J.Criss,Oskaloosa 5.Darrin Thompson,New Sharon 6.Colt Mather,Webster

A-Feature 1.Criss 2.Newell 3.M.Greiner 4.Flander 5.Edel 6.Bobby Greiner Jr. 7.Brown 8.Rachels 9.Mitrisin 10.Wood 11.Murty 12.Landgrebe 13.VanderBeek 14.Thompson 15.Pinkerton 16.Jackson 17.Gustin 18.Mather 19.Browning

MUSCO LIGHTING USRA MODIFIEDS
Heat#1-1.Brad Pinkerton,New Sharon 2.Brad Stephens,Bussey 3.Steve Stewart,Washington 4.Riger Baxter,Oskaloosa 5.Jack Housley,Des Moines 6.David Ott,Ankeny 7.Terry Walker,Riverside 8.Zack VanderBeek,New Sharon 9.Brandon Banks,Washington 10.Tom Lathrop,Oskaloosa

A-Feature 1.VanderBeek 2.Stewart 3.Walker 4.Banks 5.Baxter 6.Stephens 7.Housley 8.Ott 9.Pinkerton 10.Lathrop

FASTER PASTOR RACE
A-Feature 1.Rich Doering,Oskaloosa First Church of Nazarene
2.Dave Grandon, Point of Grace Church,Ottumwa
3.Brian Wildes,Ottumwa Community Church
4.Kevin Glesener,New Sharon United Methodist
5.Charlie McMillian,Free Methodist Church Knoxville
6.Dave Pinkerton,Taintor Community Church
7.John Chadwick,God Shephard Lutheran Church Knoxville