Stuart Speedway Begins Season #57

Story by Josh Reynolds

Stuart, IA (May 18) – After 2 rainouts to start the season, Stuart Speedway got season 57 underway on a gorgeous evening for racing. Travis Rewerts, Curtis Miller, Austin Luellen, Aaron Rudolph, Marcus Fagan and Clint Luellen picked up the opening night wins on NAPA Night at the Races.

Micro Sprints opened up the feature racing for 2018 with a hard rollover from Greg Dennis on the front stretch. Dennis was ok, but his night of racing was over. When the green waved it was Travis Rewerts leading lap one with Riley Goodno taking the top spot for the next two circuits. Rewerts found a way back around Goodno on lap four and never looked back in taking the win. Goodno finished second with Ryan Mills third, Jury Ellis fourth and Doug Sylvester fifth. Goodno was the heat race winner.

IMCA Sport Compacts came out next with Travis Graspy and Dean Richards on the front row. Richards would lead Graspy until John Gill made it to second on lap three. Curtis Miller, who started dead last after switching cars from the heat race, made the pass on Kolby Sabin on lap six and had a bead on the top two when a yellow came out on lap nine. That set up a three lap shootout, and it was a wild one with Richards coming out on top of Miller at the line. After the race, IMCA officials deemed Richards’ exhaust was illegal and Miller was named the winner. Gill finished second with Joe Mastin third, Ryan Brown fourth and Graspy fifth. Richards and Mastin were the heat race winners.

Colton Nelson and Austin Luellen led the IMCA Northern SportMods to green with Luellen taking control over Nelson and Brandon Patava early. While Luellen was driving away from the pack, defending track champion Chase Rudolf was working his way to second from his sixth starting spot. A spin by Patava on lap seven gave Rudolf a chance, but Luellen was having none of that as he dominated the field to pick up the win. Rudolf finished second with Nelson third, Matt Webb fourth and rookie Garrett Nelson was fifth. Rudolf and Webb were the heat race winners.

Eighteen IMCA Hobby Stocks made the call with Jack Phillips and Solomon Bennett on the front row. Bennett was the early leader with Phillips and Aaron Rudolph close behind. Rudolph made it to second on lap three with Jeremy Purdy following him through to third. A spinning Colton Shaw brought out the yellow on lap eleven and tightened up the field. Rudolph was able to take the lead just before another yellow came out for another spin by Shaw. Once the green flew for the final time Andrew Burg made some headway and got into third, but Rudolph was decidedly out front and went on to the win. Bennett finished second with Burg third, Brandon Cox fourth and Korbin Nourse fifth. Bennett, Matt McAtee and Cox were the heat race winners.

Michael Murphy and Brandon Pruitt brought the IMCA Stock Cars to the green flag with Murphy holding the lead over Pruitt through the first eleven laps. Lap twelve saw a bobble by Murphy in turn two and Pruitt moved into the top spot. Some contact with a lap car sent the leaders scattering trying to avoid on lap seventeen as Pruitt continued to lead, but a lap later Murphy threw a slide job that went bad in turn two as Pruitt gassed it up and the two came together. Murphy came out of it on the short side of things as he was done for the night. Pruitt would exit a lap later with a flat left front and the guy that was in the right spot at the right time was Marcus Fagan. The 1F would take the lead when it counted to get the feature win. Cory Bushnell finished second with Josh Daniels third, Brock Badger fourth and Chris Pruitt fifth. Fagan and Badger were the heat race winners.

IMCA Modifieds were the last to the track with Cole Ferguson and Matthew Meinecke on the front row. Meinecke led lap one over Clint Luellen and Josh Gilman. Luellen made the pass on Meinecke on lap two with Gilman moving to second a lap later. A spin by Nick Roberts in turn one brought out two flags – yellow for Roberts and black for Ferguson – and would be the last stoppage of the night. Once the green came back out it was status quo for Luellen and Gilman. The last couple of laps got interesting with some lap traffic, but Luellen was able to hold on for the duration and get the feature win. Gilman finished second with Roberts third, Meinecke fourth and Jeff James fifth. Roberts and Meinecke were the heat 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 will be Karl Chevrolet Night at the Races with our five regular classes in attendance. See you then!

 

Stock Car Feature

1. Marcus Fagan (1F)

Adair, Ia.

2. Cory Bushnell (55)

Madrid, Ia.

3. Josh Daniels (25J)

Carlisle, Ia.

4. Brock Badger (50B)

Bagley, Ia.

5. Chris Pruitt (22)

Stuart, Ia.

6. Alex Kading (81K)

Dexter, Ia.

7. James Carroll (10)

Greenfield, Ia.

8. Brandon Pruitt (10B)

Stuart, Ia.

9. Justin Coon (15)

Earlham, Ia.

10. Michael Murphy (25M)

Jefferson, Ia.

11. Chad Legere (7C)

Ankeny, Ia.

12. Trent Murphy (25)

Jefferson, Ia.

13. Adam Hensel (7H)

Atlantic, Ia.

 

 

Modifieds Feature

1. Clinton Luellen (3L)

Minburn, Ia.

2. Josh Gilman (83G)

Earlham, Ia.

3. Nick Roberts (23JR)

Des Moines, Ia.

4. Matthew Meinecke (5M)

Jamaica, Ia.

5. Jeff James (71)

Stanton, Ia.

6. Scott Bash (14B)

Windsor Heights, Ia.

7. Cory Sauerman (17)

Johnston, Ia.

8. T J Patterson(r) (14)

Creston, Ia.

9. Jason Hickingbottom (45H)

Ogden, Ia.

10. Cole Ferguson (3F)

Dexter, Ia.

 

 

SportMods Feature

1. Austin Luellen (3A)

Minburn, Ia.

2. Chase Rudolf (8R)

Prole, Ia.

3. Colton Nelson (93N)

Osceola, Ia.

4. Matt Webb (51X)

Des Moines, Ia.

5. Garrett Nelson (95N)

Osceola, Ia.

6. Hunter Longnecker (93)

Woodward, Ia.

7. Mitchell Morris (26M)

St. Charles, Ia.

8. Kevin Gyles (33G)

St. Charles, Ia.

9. Brandon Patava (61)

Des Moines, Ia.

10. Tommy Hensley (8TTB)

Bedford, Ia.

 

Hobby Stock Feature

1. Aaron Rudolph (38R)

Grand Junction, Ia.

2. Solomon Bennett (11B)

Minburn, Ia.

3. Andrew Burg (78B)

Carlisle, Ia.

4. Brandon Cox (66)

Norwalk, Ia.

5. Korbin Nourse (12)

Dexter, Ia.

6. Jeremy Purdy (4)

Bedford, Ia.

7. Matt McAtee (72)

Elkhart, Ia.

8. Gregg Anderson (3A)

Perry, Ia.

9. Jack Phillips (00)

Mitchellville, Ia.

10. Jeremy Auten (20)

Clarinda, Ia.

11. Keith Burg (14B)

Carlisle, Ia.

12. Cody Cleghorn (21ZC)

Des Moines, Ia.

13. Nick Foster(r) (17F)

Menlo, Ia.

14. Matthew Wahl (20W)

Norwalk, Ia.

15. Colton Shaw (1C)

16. Adam Ayers(r) (31)

Adair, Ia.

17. David Simpson (J7)

Des Moines, Ia.

18. Benji Clemons (55)

Norwalk, Ia.

 

Sport Compact Feature

1. Curtis Miller (411)

Lewis, Ia.

2. John Gill (02)

Marshalltown, Ia.

3. Joseph Mastin (99)

Des Moines, Ia.

4. Ryan Brown (19)

Fontanelle, Ia.

5. Travis Graspy (21G)

Des Moines, Ia.

6. Rod Cleghorn (21ZC)

Des Moines, Ia.

7. Zak Sickles (50)

Fontanelle, Ia.

8. Bob Stream (28)

Paton, Ia.

9. Kolby Sabin (9)

Des Moines, Ia.

10. Hunter Patrick (33H)

St. Charles, Ia.

11. Howard Roth (28X)

Johnston, Ia.

12. Dean Richards (69X)

Creston, Ia.

 

 

Micro Sprint Feature

1. Travis Rewerts (23T)

Des Moines, Ia.

2. Riley Goodno (11)

Knoxville, Ia.

3. Ryan Mills (92M)

Pleasant Hill, Ia.

4. Jury Ellis(r) (4J)

Knoxville, Ia.

5. Doug Sylvester (12)

Ottumwa, Ia.

6. Jake Heaton (4C)

Knoxville, Ia.

7. John Michener (27)

Newton, Ia.

8. Greg Dennis (25A)

Indianola, Ia.

 

 

 

 

 

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