Dirt Racing Blog

“Month of Money” Set for Britt, Algona Raceways

Northern Iowa’s “Month of Money” kicks off on the Fourth of July holiday at the Algona Raceway. The Karl Performance Hawkeye Dirt Tour presented by XSAN returns for a third straight Independence holiday event. Fireworks follow the $1,000 to win, minimum $150 to start IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified tour feature on July 4th.

Also on the Independence Day card are IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, running for $750 and $500 to win, respectively, and all applicable points.

Pit gates open at 4:30 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m. at Algona. Hot laps are at 6:30 p.m. with racing to follow.

Winners of the next three IMCA Stock Car feature events, plus a teammate of their choosing earn the right to compete in the annual $400 to win, 15-lap Ron Hansen Memorial Wildcard race at Algona Raceway. The special event will qualify 10 drivers and will be held on July 20.

The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars compete for $5000 possible to win during the Hancock County Fair race, held Friday, July 26th in Britt. IMCA Modifieds, SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts join the fair race card. All classes earn six-foot tall trophies.

The “Month of Money” trail heads to Algona Raceway on Wednesday, July 31st for a Kossuth County Fair special event. Stock Cars are the featured class, with all classes running for an increased purse.

On Saturday, August 3rd the Kossuth County Fair races will feature triple first place payoffs, plus double purse money for positions second through fourth in all IMCA classes.

Racers will be competing for $1500 to win in the IMCA modifieds (2nd $800, 3rd $700, 4th $600), $1200 for IMCA stock cars (2nd $600, 3rd $500, 4th $400), $900 to win the IMCA SportMods and hobby stocks (2nd $400, 3rd $300, 4th $250).

MaxYield Cooperative will return as sponsor of the “Hard Charger Award”, recognizing drivers who advance the most positions from their original starting spot.

The support of Doocy Repair in Lone Rock, IA makes the increased purse of $6250 ($1250 more than last year’s purse) possible. All classes earn six-foot tall trophies.

Last year’s winners of the fair races were Andy Boeckman (IMCA hobby stocks), Matt Hoeft (IMCA SportMods), Jim Larson (IMCA stock cars) and Dustin Smith (IMCA modifieds).

The 19th annual Doug Studer Farms Night of 1000 Stars will pay IMCA Modifieds a possible $8,000 to win and starts 36 cars for 50 laps at the Hancock County Speedway in Britt on Thursday, August 8th. It is also a stop on the Karl Performance Hawkeye Dirt Tour and has Ken Schrader competing that night in the IMCA modifieds.

Friday, August 9th features the first annual DuPont Pioneer/Doug Studer Farms Night of 10,000 Stars, posting a possible $10,000 to win top prize for the IMCA Modifieds.

For more information about events held at the Hancock County Speedway, go to www.hcspeedway.com and for information about Algona, log on to www.algonaraceway.com.

UPDATE

Hello, loyal followers of DirtTrackRadio.com!

An important announcement...

Thank you for checking out this site over the last several years. I greatly appreciate the support!

Very soon, this site will be put into permanent retirement.

Updates have been sparse lately. We have been busy building the new Kossuth County Ag & Motorsports Museum in Algona, IA. Also been building the website to support the museum... www.KossuthMuseum.com.

So...please head to the new site for information about the museum and for the permanent home of the Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame.

See you at www.KossuthMuseum.com.

 

Les Wildin is 2013 Jackson Speedway Hall of Fame Inductee

Photo caption: Les Wildin gets ready to climb in the Edgington-Barton-Hendrickson owned #14 modified at Jackson, MN. He is 2013 inductee into the Jackson Speedway Hall of Fame. 

By Chad Meyer

Algona’s Les Wildin will be inducted into the Jackson (MN) Speedway Hall of Fame this summer. The ceremony will take place during the Jackson, MN County Fair, July 27th at 2:30 p.m.

Wildin was a multi-time feature event winner and the 1967 season point champion at the Jackson Speedway in the modified division. Among his many racing accomplishments, he earned multiple point championships and fair race victories at the Algona track. He also was the 1969 Fairmont Raceway modified season point champion.

Wildin is an inaugural member of the Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame, located in Algona. He joins Marv DeWall, Bobby Geldner, Dick Forbrook and Bob Weber as members of both the Jackson and Kossuth County Racing Halls of Fame. 

Today Wildin continues to operate his family’s farm. He and his wife Peg live in Algona.

$1500 to Win Mods; $900 to Win SportMods at Algona Fair Races

$1200 to Win Stock Cars; 900 to Win Hobby’s at Algona Fair Races

Officials with the Kossuth County Fair (Algona, IA) have announced that the 2012 fair races will feature triple first place payoffs, plus double purse money for positions second through fourth in all IMCA classes. The event will be held Saturday, August 3rd.

Racer will be competing for $1500 to win in the IMCA modifieds (2nd $800, 3rd $700, 4th $600), $1200 for IMCA stock cars (2nd $600, 3rd $500, 4th $400), $900 to win the IMCA SportMods and hobby stocks (2nd $400, 3rd $300, 4th $250). Cruisers will pay $200 to the winner plus increased purse for the rest of the top 4. The two hornet classes race for increased top four purse money.

MaxYield Cooperative will return as sponsor of the “Hard Charger Award”, recognizing drivers who advance the most positions from their original starting spot.

The winner of the IMCA modified main will have their name added to the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot in 2013.

The support of Doocy Repair in Lone Rock, IA makes the increased purse of $6250 ($1250 more than last year’s purse) possible. 

“One of the cornerstones of the Kossuth County Fair each year has been the fair races”, said Mike Schroeder, who owns Doocy Repair with his wife Barb. “This is a big event already, with big trophies and the hall of fame ceremony, and having racers compete for an increased purse should make this event more entertaining for the fans.”

Last year’s winners of the fair races were Kaytee Mawson (junior hornets), Nate Coopman (hornets), Lampe & Stockwell (cruisers), Andy Boeckman (IMCA hobby stocks), Matt Hoeft (IMCA SportMods), Jim Larson (IMCA stock cars) and Dustin Smith (IMCA modifieds).

Six Named to 2013 Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame

Photo caption: Driver Norm Baker accepts the checkers after winning an event in Sandusky, Ohio. Baker joins five others as inductees into the Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame. (Don Prilipp collection)

The Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame is pleased to announce its 2013 class of inductees. The seventh annual induction ceremony will take place during the Kossuth County Fair races, held Saturday, August 3rd at Algona Raceway.

This year’s class features six individuals that achieved great success in the sport.

Norm Baker first stormed tracks in northern Iowa in stock cars, before climbing behind the wheel of the Brock & Prilipp #27 IMCA sprinter that saw action at fairgrounds all across the Midwest.

You only have to mention the nickname “Cannonball” and long-time race fans at Algona Raceway know immediately the reference to the late Ray “Cannonball” Curtis. He will be honored for his many years as a strong competitor at the Kossuth County track.

The late Larry Doocy spent most of his life contributing to the sport of racing. He will join his brother Don Doocy as an inductee in the hall of fame as a builder and owner.

Jason Etherington will be recognized for his contribution as a member of the media and as track announcer at the Algona track.

As a builder, Larry Sowers is remembered for working on the cars of the late Gene Schattschneider. He also served as a track official and will be among this year’s inductees.

Already a member of the Sport’s Park Racing Hall of Fame in Fort Dodge, IA, driver Norm Wiemers joins the Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame in 2013.

The committee, with the help of the living members of the Kossuth Racing Hall of Fame, selected the six inductees for 2013. Candidates not selected will be considered for future inductions.

During the August 3rd Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the inductees will be recognized on the ‘Wall of Fame’, located at the entrance of the speedway grandstand. Inductees will also be introduced at the pit meeting prior to the races and during the formal induction ceremony during intermission of the fair races that night.

All race fans are invited to attend the Kossuth County Fair Races and the Hall of Fame ceremony held at the Algona Raceway.

More details about the Hall of Fame and the induction ceremony will be released when they are available.

Bob Hill - Alta, IA

Before he took the NASCAR Busch All-Star late model series, and later the super speedways in the ARCA division by storm, Randall, Iowa's Bob Hill cut his teeth in the #88.

Cutting his teeth across Iowa and southern Minnesota dirt tracks, he became a force to reckon with. He is shown here at speed at the Dick Simpson promoted Buena Vista Raceway in Alta, IA in the late 1970's.

Photo from the Simpson family collection.

Shryock, Kollofski 1979 Fairmont Speedway Champs

Two Kossuth County (Algona, IA) Racing Hall of Fame inductees, plus one rising hometown driver, left their mark on Fairmont (MN) Speedway in 1979.

The late 70's at Fairmont saw the late models at their zenith and at the controls of the track was former modified and sprint driver-turned promoter Jim Edgington.The track acheived tremendous success under his direction, with drivers traveling from several states to compete at the lightening quick big half-mile.

Its hard to believe that at the conclusion of the 1975 season, Bob Shryock was quoted as saying it might be his last behind the wheel. Though the 75 season for Shryock was a tough one, the switch to the Chevy Camaro in in 1976 jump started the Estherville drivers career once again.The '79 championship was just one of many for this dirt legend.

While its easy to see the marks left by both Edgington and Shryock, local driver Kevin Kollofski left his impression in several ways. In 1979 he scored the street stock championship before moving up to the full-blown late model class.

By the mid-80's though, racing at Fairmont fell on hard times. The cost of fielding a late model sprialed out of control. It was drivers like Kollofski who helped bridge the gap, by competing in the short-lived limited late model class.

The limiteds gave way to the IMCA modifieds and it was late model vets like Kollofski who brought creditbility to the new class. Along the way, he began his family's successful buiness, KEVKO Manufacturing, bringing high-quality, oil pans to the 'claimer' motor class of cars.

 

 

Elmer Cook - 2012 Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame Inductee

By Chad Meyer

Photo caption: Elmer Cook and his wife Dorothy are shown at a 1996 US Army reunion in Fort Dodge, IA. Cook and six others were inducted into the Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame August 4^th. (Cook family collection)

Algona’s Elmer Cook was involved in the sport of racing for many years. As a 2012 inductee into the Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame, he will be recognized for his years as a car owner and as track official both locally and nationally.

During the week, Cook was usually found at the family’s salvage business in Algona. Cook was often found in the corner of the salvage shop sorting copper and brass parts for meltdown.

It was hanging around Chet Cook’s garage that sparked Elmer’s interest in the sport. When Chet began fielding jalopy race cars, Elmer was there to lend a hand.

Later, Elmer was involved in the midget car owned and fielded by Lamont Wellendorf that had Les Wildin as the driver. When Wellendorf was serving our country in the military, Cook continued to field the black and orange midget.

After being a car owner, Elmer was a track official and technical advisor for Algona track promoter Dwight Cook.

Elmer Cook also served as secretary for the International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) during its glory days.

As a Private First Class with the Fifth Army in Italy during the war in 1942, Cook was awarded the Bronze Star for heroic achievement. During an approach march, the troops which Cook was accompanying with his ambulance were subject to an intense enemy artillery barrage. Several casualties were inflicted.

Cook left his position of safety and with the aid of a fellow comrade, secured a stretcher and evacuated a seriously wounded soldier during the height of the shelling. The two men then returned to the ambulance and removed it from the area. On the way back, they picked up another seriously wounded man.

(If anyone has more details or photos regarding the racing career of Elmer Cook, please email: [email protected], or call 515-320-2593)

 

The late Elmer Cook joins six others as 2012 inductees into the Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place August 4^th during the Kossuth County Fair races at Algona Raceway.

 

 

 

Lamont Wellendorf Passes

Got word yesterday that former Algona Raceway track promoter Lamont Wellendorf passed away recently.

We will post some photos and a couple stories in the coming days. Suffice to say...there weren't many like Monte.

Wellendorf served our country, was a track promoter, driver, spray plane pilot, noted racing historian, and restorer of vintage racing cars. And that's just what I know about.

He is an inaugural member of the Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame.

 

1980 Fairmont Raceway Class Photo

It was 1980, and the Late Models were the top billing at the ultra-fast Fairmont (MN) Raceway. Can you help name some drivers in the class photo?

Identifiable are:

front row, left to right: Kenny Farrell, Jerry Holtkamp, Ron Rosenboom?, Willy Kraft, Bob Hill, Chuck Ragan, unkown.

back row, left to right: Gary Pederson, unknown, Bob Harris, Bill Christman, Kevin Kollofski, Denny Hovinga, Bob Shryock, Ken Peterson

 

Update: Thank you to JR Miller for identifying Kenny Farrell and Jerry Holtkamp. If you have input on who else is in the photo, email to [email protected].

Update 2: Thank you to Kelly Shryock and Eric Kirschbaum for identifying Bill Christman, who is to the right of Bob Harris.