Unbelievable Start for Season 59 at Stuart Speedway
Ethan Braaksma IMCA Modified
Stuart, IA (May 21) – The engines came to life Wednesday evening with drivers from all around in attendance for the season opener at Stuart Speedway! Feature winners for the night were Nathan Kilwine, Cam Reimers, Damon Murty, Ethan Braaksma, Bryan Vannausdle and Chuck Madden Jr.
Nathan Kilwine and Larry Anderson brought the Outlaw Mini Mods out for the first feature race of the year, and once they got going it was Kilwine leading all the way to the checkered flag. Logan Brown came home second with Chase Daniels, Dan Kline and Bobby Daniels rounding out the top five. Brown and Kilwine were the heat race winners.
IMCA Northern SportMods came out next with Brayton Carter and Tyler Inman on the front row. Carter led early with Inman and Cam Reimers in tow. Reimers found some traction on the top side and swung into second on lap eight. One lap later Carter went for a spin in turn one to bring out the caution and from there those in attendance at home on racexr.com and in the pits were in for a treat! Inman and Reimers would throw slide job after slide job with Reimers leading each time at the line. As the white flag flew Inman threw one more haymaker in turn two but ran out of room and Reimers went on to the win. Inman settled for second with rookie Corey Madden third, Garrett Nelson fourth and Oregon driver Matt Sanders fifth. Carter, Robert Moore, Reimers and Thomas Egenberger were the heat race winners.
Just when you thought you’d seen it all the IMCA Stock Cars were up with Craig Carlson and Brandon Pruitt leading the field to green. Within two laps the cars were FIVE WIDE at times as Brandon Pruitt showed the way over Buck Schafroth and Kellie Drury. Schafroth began to flex his muscle around half way and took the lead on lap eleven, but lurking in the shadows was twelfth starting Damon Murty. The Chelsea Charger passed Pruitt for second on lap thirteen and two laps later Schafroth found himself in second as Murty drove off to the win. Schafroth finished second with Pruitt third, Drury fourth and Dallon Murty fifth. Josh Daniels, Pruitt, Schafroth and Jay Schmidt were the heat race winners and Jason Hall took the B-feature win.
Ethan Braaksma and Clay Money led a stacked IMCA Modified field to speed next with Braaksma taking control early over Money and Ricky Thornton Jr. By halfway Braaksma was in heavy lap traffic with Money and Thornton Jr in prime position to pounce, but the Newton driver was poised and up to the challenge as he weaved and worked his way through the slower drivers. Even a bounce off of the turn two wall didn’t slow Braaksma down as he went on to the wire to wire win. North Dakota’s Tom Berry Jr made a last lap pass for second with Money settling for third, Todd Shute fourth and Tim Ward fifth. Ward, Braaksma, Shute and Nick Roberts were the heat race winners and Tyler Hibner snagged the B-feature win.
IMCA Sport Compacts came out next with Hunter Patrick and Kolby Sabin on the front row. Sabin led early as Mitchell Bunch and Bryan Vannausdle came through the pack. Bunch, last year’s track champion, looked to go on to the win but a restart with three laps left allowed Vannausdle to sneak by and go on to the feature win. Bunch crossed in second with Sabin third, Curtis Masterson fourth and Ryan Brown fifth. Vannausdle and Bunch were the heat race winners.
Last up on the action packed evening was the IMCA Hobby Stocks with Chuck Madden Jr and Brandon Cox on the front row. Madden Jr led Brandon Long early until Jeff Ware came from eighth to second on lap four. A couple of cautions slowed the pack, but once the green was out it was all Madden Jr as he went on to the flag to flag win. Twelfth starting Jason Kohl worked his way to a second place finish with Cox third, Dylan Nelson had a nice recovery from a flat tire to finish fourth and Miciah Hidlebaugh crossed in fifth. Cox, Spencer Galaway and Nelson were the hear race winners.
We’d like to thank all who came out to support the race track at our first event of the year. Next week we have two special races scheduled – Sunday, May 24 will see the SLMR Late Models return and Monday, May 25 brings the 2nd annual Bill Davis Memorial. See you then!
Story by Josh Reynolds
Category: Iowa
