BIG DOG CHASSIS AT MAYETTA!

Terrific weather, full Modified fields, and extra purse money on tap combined for a great night of racing as Thunder Hill Speedway and the Garst family honored its first flagman, Don Garst, on Saturday night.  For the first time, the Garst Memorial included extra purse money for all classes, and the racing was hotly contested in all four classes.  When the evening was over, Matt Stallbaumer (IMCA Modifieds), Mike Taylor (IMCA Northern SportMods), Eric Weyer (IMCA Stock Cars), and Matthew Lance (IMCA Hobby Stocks) were sitting in Victory Lane.

The first feature to hit the track was the IMCA Hobby Stocks, and it soon became clear that the lead was not the place to be.  Early on, it looked like the “Levi and Brian Show” was back, as Levi Gunn quickly squirted out to a lead, chased by Brian Stich.  Gunn, however, spun in turn two.  Hitting the brakes to avoid him, Stich slowed enough to allow Matthew Lance to catch up.  Lance then pressured Stich closely until the white flag lap.  When the two encountered the lapped car of Rachel Bruning, contact between Lance and Stich resulted in Stich spinning toward the infield and Lance capturing the checkers.  Stich recovered to finish third behind last week’s winner, Waylon Banks, while Pat Streeter and Jim Streeter rounded out the top five.

Following the Hobby Stocks were the IMCA Stock Cars, brought to the flag by polesitter Matt Haid.  Haid’s lead only lasted about 50 feet, however, as his car suffered mechanical failure before the starting line, causing the field to scramble to avoid him.  They did, and Marvin Griffith Jr. moved out to a commanding lead and looked to have everything his way.  Griffith also suffered mechanical failure, putting Tim Lange into the lead.  Lange’s lead was short-lived, however; Eric Weyer, seeing a shot at winning and not just running second, pushed his car around Lange with two laps to go.  Lange was passed by a hard-charging Greg Deters on the last lap and would settle for third behind Weyer and Deters.  Leif Weyer took fourth, with Atchison’s Brandon Crockett finishing fifth.

Twenty-six IMCA Northern SportMods checked into the pits, and all of them started the feature.  Veteran Mike Taylor pulled out to a lead which, between yellows, never seemed to get more than about three car lengths over a pack that included Rich Boyden, Kelly Kneisler, and several other drivers competing hard for the top ten.  Boyden was able to take the lead with about five laps to go, and Kneisler nearly passed Taylor as well.  A yellow with two laps to go reset the field, and on the green/white/checkered finish sequence, Taylor used his experience to ease past Boyden for his second win of the year.  Boyden hung on for second over Kneisler, with Josh Blumer and Brandon Rigsby finishing fourth and fifth.

The evening’s nightcap was a twenty-four-car IMCA Modified feature, which was bookended by yellow flags but ran green most of the way.  Polesitter Mat Stallbaumer pulled out to a lead of nearly a half-lap at one point, while Jordy Nelson was able to clear the pack and run a clean second for much of the race.  The action was in the contest between third and tenth, with those positions changing nearly every lap.  Scott Brown’s spin in turn four with two laps to go allowed the pack to have one last shot at Stallbaumer, but he hung on for the last two laps to take his first Don Garst Memorial win.  Jordy Nelson finished behind him in second, while Kyle Stallbaumer made it a great night for the Stallbaumer family by taking third.  Completing the top five were Jeff Herbers and Tom Charles.  Although the extra money brought in prominent traveling drivers in the persons of Johnny Allen, Dave Hardesty, and Brandon Blochlinger, none was able to make a strong impression.  Blochlinger left after a heat race accident damaged his car too badly to continue; Hardesty started well back in the pack and made it as high as fourth before pulling in with mechanical trouble.  Of the travelers, Allen had the best night, finishing sixth behind Charles after starting 12th.

Next Saturday, June 5, features the return of Sprint Car racing at the Hill, as the NCRA 360 Sprint Car Series will make its first appearance on the high banks.  Gates open at 4:00 PM, with the driver’s meeting set for 6:15.  Hot laps will hit the track at 6:30, with the first heat at 7:00 PM.  Thunder Hill Speedway is located at 11995 142nd Road in Mayetta, KS (2 miles West of US-75 and 142nd Road).  For more information, please visit http://www.racethunderhillspeedway.com.