Osky Front Row Challenge Results and Stories

Monday, August 7, 2006
8/7/06

Southern Iowa Speedway
Oskaloosa, IA

Front Row Challenge

33 cars

Craig Dollansky (17th car out to time) set the standard in time trials with a lap of 15.914 seconds around the big 1/2, and also took home a Hoosier right rear tire for his efforts.  Skip Jackson (30th car out) was second quick, followed by Kasey Kahne (2nd), Jonathan Allard (23rd), Daryn Pittman (18th), Kenny Jacobs (29th), Danny Lasoski (9th), Billy Alley (5th), Jason Johnson (24th) and Ryan Anderson (26th).  The track was in excellent condition all night long, helped by overcast skies on a humid day.

Heat one (started): 1. Jac Haudenschild 35 (3) 2. Larry Pinegar II 7w (1) 3. Johnson 41 (4) 4. Pittman 21 (5) 5. Dollansky 7 (6) / 6. Tony Bruce Jr. 18 (7) 7. Rager Phillips 10 (2) 8. Jamie McDonald NZ3 (8) DNS - Luke Cranston 44x

Pinegar charged to an early lead before Phillips and Haudenschild made contact in a battle for second.  Phillips spun, which was fortuitous for Dollansky, who assumed the fifth and final transfer spot in the 8 lapper.  Haudenschild roared under Pinegar on the restart and set sail to collect a new Winters Rear End and a Butlerbuilt Steering Wheel for his efforts.  Pittman and Dollansky staged a late battle for fourth in other action.

Heat two (started): 1. Jerrod Hull 94 (1) 2. Robert Ballou 12 (3) 3. Jacobs 8J (5) 4. Jessica Zemken 1JZ (2) 5. Jackson 2 (6) / 6. Ray Allen Kulhanek 41K (8) 7. Preston Peebles II 11P (7) 8. Anderson 71R (4)

Hull led flag to flag.  Anderson exited on lap three.  Ballou impressed after a battle for second with another talented youngster in Zemken.  The youngest driver ever to win a GSC race tried to catch Hull but couldn't in the end.  Hull took home a right rear wheel from Reel Wheels and a Butlerbuilt steering wheel.

Heat three (started): 1. Toni Lutar 4x (1) 2. Lasoski 83 (5) 3. Jeff Mitrisin 10J (3) 4. Kahne 9 (6) 5. Chad Hillier 5c (4) / 6. Kyle Hirst 99 (7) 7. Shawn Sander 48 (2) 8. Dave Enders 51E (8)

Lutar took the point before Sander shredded his right rear on lap three, bringing out the yellow.  Kahne and Lasoski had been playing a high speed game of chicken in a battle for third.  After the green flag flew, Lasoski put away Kahne and also outbattled hometown boy, Mitrisin, for second.  Lutar maintained his advantage to cash in a new Winters Rear End and a Butlerbuilt steering wheel.

Heat four (started): 1. Dusty Zomer 1z (4) 2. Allard 0 (6) 3. Jesse Hockett 75 (7) 4. Dennis Moore Jr. 35m (2) 5. Natalie Sather 94s (1) / 6. Alley 17G (3) 7. Jerry Brey 17J (5) 8. Lee Stark 16 (8)

Hockett suffered a fuel line problem, relegating him to start at the tail from his 3 slot. Hockett shot into a transfer spot with a great jump at the green on lap one and shot by Moore for third by the end.  Zomer led throughout, but brought the crowd to the edge of its seat with a side by side duel for the win with Allard on the final go-around.  He cashed in a Winters Reard End and a Butlerbuilt steering wheel.  Alley could not catch Sather to grab the final transfer.

King of the Hill Round one (started): Dollansky (1) over Johnson (2); Jacobs (2) over Kahne (1); Jackson (2) over Lasoski (1); Pittman (2) over Allard (1)

The top eight qualifiers making it through their heats matched up to decide who would be given the Front Row Challenge.  Dollansky won easily when Johnson retired with a motor problem in the two lap match race...Jacobs whole shot at the start had him hooked up on the cushion in easily besting Kahne...In the most exciting match race of the night, the two veteran Knoxville champs locked horns and exchanged the lead on lap one.  Jackson took command on the high side completing the lap and held it over Lasoski to the checkers...Allard's trip over the turn one berm gave Pittman the win in their matchup.

King of the Hill Round two (started): Jacobs (2) over Dollansky (1); Pittman (2) over Jackson (1)

Jacobs dominated the cushion in this one and Dollansky never had a chance...Jackson led early, but Pittman quickly put a slider on him and pulled away.

King of the Hill Championship (started): Jacobs (2) over Pittman (1)

Jacobs used lane choice up high in every matchup (the slower qualifier chose) to dominate and take home a Vortex Racing torque tube.  Jacobs passed on the FRC, citing his age and his uncertainty of whether he could even win from the front.  Pittman waited for the answer from car owner Reeve Kruck and took the challenge and a chance for $50,000.

B main (started): 1. Alley (1) 2. Sander (2) 3. Bruce (5) 4. Phillips (3) / 5. Hirst (7) 6. Kulhanek (8) 7. Peebles (4) 8. Brey (6) 9. McDonald (9) 10. Stark (10) 11. Enderson (11) DNS - Cranston

Alley dominated the 12 lapper, winning a prize from Schoenfeld Headers.  A lap 10 stoppage for a spun McDonald, negated a Hirst pass of Bruce for the final transfer.  They restarted with Alley leading Phillips, Sander, Bruce and Hirst.  Sander and Bruce pounced on Phillips in the final three laps to take over second and third, while Hirst couldn't quite mount the challenge he wanted for the final transfer.

A main (started): 1. Jacobs (1) 2. Lasoski (7) 3. Dollansky (3) 4. Kahne (4) 5. Haudenschild (11) 6. Jackson (2) 7. Pittman (24) 8. Allard (5) 9. Zomer (6) 10. Zemken (15) 11. Hillier (9) 12. Moore Jr. (12) 13. Mitrisin (13) 14. Pinegar (17) 15. Alley (18) 16. Bruce (20) 17. Lutar (19) 18. Phillips (22) 19. Sather (16) 20. Sander (21) 21. Hockett (10) 22. Hull (14) 23. Ballou (8) 24. Johnson (23)

Johnson elected for the rear instead of row three, still suffering motor ills.  He dropped out shortly after the race went green.  Jacobs shot out to an early lead in the 25 lapper.  Young Ballou was quickly challenging Jackson for fourth on lap five when he made contact with Skip's machine and suffered a hard groundpounder in turn four.  He was uninjured, but the car wasn't.  Jacobs led Kahne, Jackson, Dollansky who had a pass for third negated by the stoppage, and Lasoski back to green.  Pittman had moved up to 13th from the tail.  Jacobs burned them again, with Lasoski slowly picking his way toward the front.  As the laps ticked off, suddenly Haudenschild was into the top five from row six.  Hull exited on lap ten.  With just two laps to go, Hockett stopped beyond the backstretch.  The slowdown negated a charge by Lasoski, who looked like he may have had the means to pass Jacobs in traffic.  The yellow gave Jacobs smooth sailing and clean air for the final two circuits and the win paid the "Mouse" $5000.  Pittman was obviously the hard-charger and was rewarded with a KSE Power Steering Pump.