Who won? Yes when you have a race that finishes with Who Won as the question you know you have just experienced a great race. That is exactly the question that was asked as the checkered flag was waved by Flagman Bob Reber for the E Mod feature race. The two drivers who caused all this excitement started 9th and 10th on the field because of the invert rule, which was started this year, of first and second in the non USRA classes starting in those positions the following week or dead last if less than 10 cars. The two drivers creating this excitement were Randy Smith Jr. and JJ Baumli. Smith using the middle of the track and Baumli cruising the high side, Smith would lead a lap, Baumli would lead a lap until the checkered flag. In a finish that rivaled the finish of the very first Daytona 500 in 1959, Smith’s bumper beat Baumli’s bumper barely, maybe by 3 inches, at the start finish line, the white pole just before the flagstand at I-35 Speedway. That is heart pounding announcer shouting exciting racing!

So far we have 13 race nights in the history books for the 2017 racing season. We have 13 more weeks of racing before the USRA Nationals on October 12, 13, and 14. With the outstanding close racing we have been experiencing every week at I-35 Speedway this should be a dandy of USRA Nationals. Make sure you save up your vacation time for the Nationals, three nights of awesome racing coming our way.

Perfect attendance drivers to date include Manlee Lamar, Randy Smith Jr., Gary Ainsworth, Bud Wilson, Randy Ainsworth, Donnie Brown, Billie Hoover, Chad Fuller, Tim Hoselton, Austin Johnson, Nic Hanes, John Hanson, Dean Wray, and Mich Ross.

Since it is July it is time to take a gander at the points races per class. Still a long way to go before we crown any champions. In the A Modifieds the current point leader is Austin Johnson. However, there are only 81 points separating the top six drivers (Hanes, Elliott, Shaw, Hanson, H. Johnson). In the Stock Cars Dean Wray is leading the way with Mich Ross in second. In the B Mods the Top 4 are Bud Wilson, Ainsworth, Noll, and Schwope Jr. separated by less than 81 points. Grand Nationals are led by Donnie Brown but Hoover and Fuller are within striking distance. E Mods are led by Randy Smith Jr with Lamar second in points. In the Pure Stock class Cletus Murray is leading with Hoselton in second.

Luau night was a huge success. Just think in the last two weeks we have received visitors from the North Pole and now the state of Hawaii. Having visited Hawaii twice the weather is perfect but and this is a big but…the only dirt tracks are located on the Big Island of Hawaii, where the volcanos are located. The island of Oahu, which is where Honolulu is located, is where most tourist arrive and depart and there are no dirt tracks on that island.

Congratulations to the weekly class winners this past week, Smith in E Mod, Mark Dotson in A Mod, Wray in the Stock Cars, Bud Wilson in the B Mods, Billie Hoover in Grand Nationals, and Cody King in the Pure Stocks. Total number of different winners so far this season are: A Mod class seven (7), Stock Car five (5), B Mod eight (8), E Mod six (6), Grand National four (4), and Pure Stock five (5). As was described in the first paragraph of this recap, the number of different winners indicates how close and competitive the racing is weekly at I-35 Speedway.

See everyone this Saturday for more I-35 Speedway racing fun!