Southern Iowa Speedway 2016 Recap & Stats

At the conclusion of the race season I always like to go back and look at stats from my still somewhat new hometown track of the Southern Iowa Speedway.  I know most of you might read this column for sprint car news but I have become a fan of our local IMCA dirt track racing as well over the past 8-10 years. I do not typically write much about Osky because #1 I don’t have the time with my real job and part-time job at Knoxville Raceway, #2 we typically have two or three other reporters at Osky for Positively Racing there so one more guy like me is a bit overkill. #3 with my kids in baseball and softball I miss a handful of nights at the track.  That is why I contribute at Osky with a twitter account for them and post results there as I get them or when I am there I am quicker.

The 2016 season at Osky can be summed up with a few names. Cayden Carter, Curtis VanDerWal, Dustin Griffiths, and Mother Nature.  These three drivers dominated this season at the historic half-mile. Ma Nature stuck it to us with no events run during the month of July and washing out the Fair week racing.

The Race Against the Clock

As one of Knoxville Raceway’s Track Historians and keeper of records, one of the most important statistics we keep track of is the clock on race nights. Time management has been something Knoxville Raceway has strived to improve, so that events are completed at a decent time. Race Director, John McCoy, continuously reviews the track’s performance and how we can ensure that fans of all ages have an enjoyable experience at Knoxville. 

In 2015 our average time of the final checkered flag for weekly events was 11:07 p.m. Our goal in 2016 was to improve that number to 10:30 p.m. 

We made a huge stride in 2016 with the average finish of our weekly events being 10:16 p.m -- an improvement of 51 minutes this season for the final checkered flag. 

Brian Brown Wins!

We are through four weeks of racing so far this season at Knoxville Raceway. Only one rain out at this point which is great. We had a nice crowd this past Saturday despite the cool temperatures. Thank You to all of you who came out! The forecast so far for this coming Saturday looks much better.

This was the last weekly show of the season before we go to National Sprint League events for the next three weeks before the Outlaws come to town.

410 Report
25 cars signed in. Time Trials top eight was Bronson Maeschen 14.885, Brian Brown, Ian Madsen, Austin McCarl, Scott Bogucki, Danny Lasoski, Matt Juhl, and Brooke Tatnell. Good to see Bronson go out 21st in the order and lay down a good time. In hot laps Brian Brown had a lap of 14.507, exactly 0.100 off the ten year old track record of 14.407. With the weather conditions it made for some fast time in hot laps, but the track fell off in time trials a bit and the track widened out. Heat Race winners were; Mark Dobmeier, Brian Brown, and AJ Moeller. 

Clasuon Steals the Show at Knoxville Opener!

The Knoxville Raceway 63rd Season Opener was Saturday and we were blessed with great weather! Sunny, 77 degrees, a little breeze, and low humidity at 28%.

31 cars signed in. Time Trials top eight was Kerry Madsen 15.786, Brian Brown, Danny Lasoski, Justin Henderson, Davey Heskin, Bryan Clauson, Wayne Johnson, and Sammy Swindell.  Henderson was fast on lap one, but the engine let go on lap two and they had to scratch the 410 car for the night.

 Drivers going double duty on this night in the 410 and 360 class were Justin Henderson and Bryan Clauson. We also had outlaws Sammy Swindell and Kerry Madsen in attendance. We had several ASCS 360 teams entered with Wayne Johnson and Johnny Herrera dropping in a 410 on this night.