OSKALOOSA, Iowa (July 19) – Another night racing with the big names at his hometown track brought out the best again in Cayden Carter.
Carter led the last nine times around the Southern Iowa Speedway oval in winning Wednesday’s Arnold Motor Supply IMCA Modified Hawkeye Dirt Tour main event. The checkers paid $1,000.
“When all the big names come to town, there’s some extra pressure,” said Carter, echoing the comments he made after winning the Stock Car Shootout feature on Fourth of July at Osky. “We put a lot of extra time in the shop to be 100 percent prepared for tonight. I believe a lot of races are won in the shop.”
“We won our heat and we redrew good. Everything went our way tonight,” he continued. “It was Fair Night so there was a big crowd in the stands. It was a good night to win.”
Hunter Marriott, coming off another Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic championship, started from the pole and checked out early on the rest of the field.
Carter worked his way up from sixth starting to second when lap seven was scored. Running low in the first set of turns and high on the track in the second set, Carter was challenging for the lead when the race was red-flagged for Dan Brockert’s soft rollover.
Marriott exited while under caution with brake issues. Carter took over up front and took charge to the finish, winning ahead of ninth starting Ricky Thornton Jr., Joel Rust, Kyle Brown and Kelly Shryock.
The tour victory was Carter’s career second. He’d made 26 previous HDT starts since winning the 2013 series opener at Benton County Speedway.
“We kind of struggled with the Modified the last couple of years,” he said. “We’ve got a new car and finally put the whole night together.”
Rust and Shryock will share the point lead when the Arnold Motor Supply Hawkeye Dirt Tour heads to Knoxville Raceway for night two of a midweek doubleheader. The Thursday, July 20 Dirt Drivelines Dirt Duel event pays $1,500 to win and will be the final qualifying event for the 2017 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot.
Carter was already an All-Star candidate. He’s the fifth different winner in as many tour events this season.
Knoxville opens pit gates at 3:30 p.m. and the grandstand at 5:30 p.m. Hot laps are at 6:45 p.m. with racing to follow. Grandstand admission is $15 for adults, $10 for teenagers and free for kids 12 and under. Pit passes are $30.
IMCATV will broadcast the complete Dirt Drivelines Dirt Duel program, which also features Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods.
Feature results – 1. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa; 2. Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.; 3. Joel Rust, Grundy Center; 4. Kyle Brown, Madrid; 5. Kelly Shryock, Fertile; 6. Todd Shute, Des Moines; 7. Justin Kay, Wheatland; 8. Kurt Kile, Nichols; 9. Jacob Murray, Hartford; 10. Tim Ward, Harcourt; 11. Jarrett Brown, Ainsworth; 12. Chris Abelson, Sioux City; 13. Shane DeMey, Denison; 14. Hunter Marriott, Brookfield, Mo.; 15. Scott Dickey, Packwood; 16. Josh Foster, Newton; 17. Dan Brockert, Grandview; 18. Tyler Madigan, Dubuque; 19. David Brown, Kellogg; 20. Doug Rivera, Yuma, Ariz.; 21. Corey Dripps, Reinbeck.