Six Feature Wins for Six Track Champions

Story by Josh Reynolds

                Stuart, IA (August 21) – The 2011 race season for Stuart Speedway came to a close with some great racing and special events that will have many people talking all winter! Jordan Peters, Mike Pruitt, Jim Britton, Brandon Pruitt, Jeremy Gettler and Randy Havlik were the feature winners and overall track champions on Gettler Dairy Farms Season Championships.

                With no heat races being run the first race on track was the IMCA Sport Compact feature. Jordan Peters and Adam Kralik made up the front row as all of the races would be lined up by overall points. Peters and Kralik made contact in turn one on the first lap with Peters coming out in the lead. That would be all the space Peters needed to go on to the caution free win over Jodie Maben, Kralik and David Sciranko. Peters ended the year with a massive 193 point advantage over Kralik to pick up his first ever track championship. Congratulations Jordan !

                IMCA Northern Sportmods were next up with Mike Pruitt and David Schlicht setting the pace. Pruitt rocketed into the lead with Schlicht close behind for the first six laps. A yellow on lap six bunched the field and Nick Roberts was able to take advantage on the restart, getting by Schlicht and setting his sights on Pruitt. Three more caution flags would wave over the next seven laps and with three to go it was going to be a shootout for the win between the #92P Raven and #23jr Victory chassis! Pruitt put the hammer down and his Raven sang all the way to victory lane! Roberts hung on for second with Jerry Hinton third, Clinton Luellen fourth and Doug Smith fifth. Pruitt ended the year with a 32 point lead over Schlicht, wrapping up his first ever track title. Mike has been racing a long time and as Tim Allen said in the post-race interview, “Perseverance pays off!” Congratulations Mike!

                Jim Britton and Jordan Peters led the 6 Cylinder FWD’s to the green flag with Britton leading lap one. Lap one and five cautions were the only thing to slow Britton down as he led every lap to pick up the win. Jake Coughennower, Jodie Maben, Peters and David Sciranko rounded out the top five. Britton ended the year with a 17 point lead over Peters to pick up his first ever track championship. Congratulations Jim!

                IMCA Hobby Stocks were up next with Brandon Pruitt and Austin Luellen leading the field to green. Pruitt set the pace early with Nyle Godwin giving chase. Godwin would pull even and at times ahead, but Pruitt held steady and led each lap at the line. As the race wound down, Pruitt’s lead increased as lap traffic came into the fold. The #10B Penetrator Chassis went on to take his eighth win at the track this year, tops for all divisions. Godwin held on for second with Luellen third, Nathan Lange fourth and Aaron Rudolph fifth. Pruitt ended the year with a 50 point advantage over Luellen to snag his first ever track title. Congratulations Brandon !

                Marcus Fagan and Jeremy Gettler brought out the IMCA Stock Cars with Fagan holding a two point lead. This set up a great finale as the fans in the pits and the stands were on the edge of their seats! Gettler led early with Fagan close behind. At the half-way point Gettler held the lead in the race with Fagan and Brian Blessington battling hard for second place. Fagan and Blessington were inches apart for the eleventh lap and as they came to the flag stand for the start of lap twelve, Fagan’s left rear and Blessington’s right rear tire came together and the two cars came to a halt in turn one. Blessington exited the track and Fagan changed a tire and rejoined the field with eight laps to go. When the green flag flew so did Gettler to pick up the feature win. Jamie Schirm finished in second with Steve Campbell third, Joe Zadina fourth and Kevin Godwin fifth. Fagan ended in a very disappointing sixth place, handing the point lead and championship to Gettler by a mere three points. Just as the four titlists before him, this was Gettler’s first ever title. Congratulations Jeremy!

                The last feature race for the evening would be the IMCA Modifieds with Randy Havlik and Josh Gilman setting the pace for the twenty lap feature. One caution flag on lap five was the only thing to slow Havlik down as he was fast and smooth on the bottom side to pick up the feature win. Alison Quick was able to move by Gilman to finish second with the 83G holding on for third. Devon Havlik ended the race in fourth and Rex Parkison was fifth. Havlik finished the night with a 6 point advantage over Gilman to pick up the track title. Havlik was the only track champion to have accomplished the feat before. Congratulations Randy!

                We ran quite a few special events after the features and while I don’t have a detailed account of how all of them ended, I do have the results and they are as follows:

Sportmod King of the Hill: Nick Roberts over Matt Hays

Hobby Stock Gambler Race:  Brandon Pruitt

Stock Car Gambler Race:  Jeremy Gettler

Modified Gambler Race:  Randy Havlik

Fast Lap Challenge-

                Sport Compacts:  Adam Kralik

                Sportmods:  Nick Roberts

                6 Cylinder FWD’s:  Jim Britton

                Hobby Stock:  Nyle Godwin

                Stock Car:  Jeremy Gettler

                Modified:  Kent Croskey

Mechanics Races-

                FWD:  Mark Harkin

                Sportmods:  Mike Myer

                Hobby Stock:  Steve Amos

                Stock Car:  Adam Ayers

                Modified:  Aaron Hilgenberg

Powder Puff-

                Hobby Stock/Stock Car:  Kimberly Baker

                Sportmod/Modified:  Carol Bash

Thanks to all of the drivers and fans who came out and supported the track on our season finale for 2011. All of us on the staff at Stuart Speedway want to thank each and every driver, crew member and fan that came out to the races this year. We continue to strive to have one of the best race programs around and NONE of it would be possible without YOU! Thanks and we’ll see you next year!