Sioux Center Iowa — Weather once again threatened an evening of racing at Sioux Speedway, but the skies cleared off and the sun came out making for a beautiful 6th Annual Ver Hoef Automotive Sprint Car Showdown. With the Sioux County Youth Fair in full force the grandstands were near full as four divisions of cars were on hand to compete.
The first cars on the track were the Glen’s Sport Center Hobby Stocks. Logan Fitzpatrick jumped out to the early lead, but a caution nullified his great start. On the restart Dustin Gulbrandson motored ahead in his #6 machine. Gulbrandson extended his lead and kept his car out front for several laps. Late in the race Trevor Holm of Chandler, MN found the fast line and got around Gulbrandson in turns 1 & 2. The two made contact down the backstretch, but Holm got the advantage and went on to win his first career feature at Sioux Speedway. Sioux Falls racers Gulbrandson and Fitzpatrick in #82L finished second and third. Todd Uhl of Sheldon, IA was fourth with #11T, and Travis Vanden Top of Rock Rapids, IA was fifth in car #81.
The Steve Brouwer Trucking B-Modifieds feature saw several different drivers at the front before the outcome was finally decided. Dustin Kruse and Cameron Vande Weerd battled from the front row for the early lead. Vande Weerd led the first few laps before Kruse took over. Kruse held the point until Tim Rupp battled past in car #33 after a caution. Rupp then took off and looked to have control of the race. The Cherokee, IA racer was not so lucky though as a late caution bunched up the field. Logan Scott took advantage of the restart and put his #38 machine in the right lane to get around Rupp on the restart. Scott initially took off from Rupp, but Rupp chased him back down and put in a valiant effort to grab the lead in turn three in the last lap, but it was not enough. Odebolt, IA’s Scott won, Rupp was second. Logan’s brother Keegan Scott made his way to third at the end in #83 as Jake Simpson of Algona, IA finished fourth in #5. Dan Van Bruggen of Hospers, IA was fifth in car #42V.
Randy Brands had to drive only about 15 miles from his home in Boyden, IA to the track and less than 10 miles on the track to make history. Brands started on the front row with his 27 car in the Sybesma Graphics Stock Car feature and dominated en route to his 100th career win and 6th career win at Sioux Speedway making him the winningest driver at Sioux Speedway in the modern era (1998 – present). Behind Brands was Mel Elsberry of Orange City, IA in car #5E. Troy Woelber, another local from Hull, IA wheeled the 96 car from sixth to third. In fourth was Roger Verdoorn of Sibley, IA in car #04. In fifth was Trent Schroeder from Worthington, MN as his 31 machine just edged out Justin Regnerus at the line for the position.
The evening finale featured the JSTS 360 Winged Sprint Cars. Brian Brown was the two time defending champion, but with him not in attendence this year a new winner would be crowned. Gregg Bakker was the 2011 Sprint Car Showdown champion and early on in the feature he looked poised to take his second crown. He and current National Sprint League points leader and accomplished sprint racer Danny Lasoski started on row one. Sioux Falls hotshoe Bakker put his #11X out in front from the drop of the green and pulled away from Lasoski. This only lasted a little while though as Lasoski found the high line and drove around Bakker on the outside. The #1M quickly pulled away, but lap traffic allowed Bakker to keep close. A red for a John Lambertz roll over off of turns 3 & 4 restacked the field and Bakker put the pressure on Lasoski until the end. Lasoski kept riding higher out of turn 2 and Bakker tried to grab the lead back on the inside, but to no avail. Dover, MO’s Lasoski redeemed his blown engine in 2014’s event and picked up his first Sioux Speedway feature win. Bakker was second, Kaley Gharst of Decatur, IL finished third in #7. Jackson, MN racer Derrik Lusk was fourth and Logan Forler in car #2L from Boise, ID finished fifth after running third for most of the race.
Full results can be found at www.siouxspeedway.net.
