OSKALOOSA, Iowa– Five race dates for IMCA Late Models are on the 2013 schedule at South­ern Iowa Speedway.

Track, Allstar Performance State and Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National points will be awarded on Wednesdays, May 1, May 22 and June 19; Tuesday, July 16; and Wednesday, Aug. 21.

A track champion will be crowned; The July 16 show will be held during the Southern Iowa Fair and will be paired with the Hawkeye Dirt Tour for IMCA Modifieds.

IMCA-sanctioned Late Models ran at Oskaloosa in 1993; 17 Deery Brothers Summer Series events have also been held there since 1988.

“This is one of the premier facilities in the state. It’s a nice, wide half-mile track that is perfect for Late Models,” said promoter Mike Van Genderen. “We’re right in the middle of IMCA Late Model country. We’re within two hours of home for a lot of drivers and everyone likes watching Late Mod­els.”

The regular point season for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts starts April 10 at Os­kaloosa and runs through Sept. 18.

The Frostbuster special is April 3.

Questions can be directed to Van Genderen at 641 521-0330.

OSKALOOSA, Iowa -It’s been a tough year for Daryn Pittman. But the Front Row Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway provided just the rest medicine for him and his team.

The Owasso, Oklahoma native led all 25 laps to earn his 7th career University of Northwestern Ohio All Star Circuit of Champions victory and second series win of 2012. Pittman leads the UNOH All Star?s Eastern Region points,

“This belt just saved my job. My car owner (Mike Heffner) is adamant about trophies and after the year we’ve had I really wanted to get this for him,? said Pittman of his Lelands.com, Pasquariello’s, Danny’s Auto Salvage backed #27. “I pulled probably the biggest bone head moves of the season at the 360 nationals and killed a brand new car. But, my crew worked their butts off to build this car. They have worked hard all year and this is the best medicine for this team.”

Grain Valley, Missouri’s Brian Brown tried to hunt down Pittman the entire race, but just couldn’t catch him.

“Congratulations to Daryn, his team made the right changes and he was just better than us. I thought I would be better at the beginning of the race, but he was just too strong,? said Brown beside his Casey’s General Store, FVP, Searsboro Telephone Co. backed #21. “After the bangs and bruises that team has had this week?they deserved that.”

It was a very good night for Elk Grove, California?s Kyle Larson. He won the USAC non-wing preliminary feature and then charged from his 12th starting spot to finish third in the Front Row Challenge.

“The top was so fast and once we got to traffic I was able to pick off some guys. I was hoping for a caution late” that could have made it interesting, but we didn’t get it. This is a big momentum boost for us heading into the (Knoxville) Nationals,? said Larson beside his Abreau Vineyards, Stadelhofer Construction backed #1k.

Pittman and Brown would bring the field to the green for the 25-lap UNOH All Star feature by virtue of topping the ?King of the Hill? match races. Both would also turn down the chance to go to the tail to try and claim the $50,000 bonus.

Pittman would lead the first lap with Brown, Mark Dobmeier, Jonathan Allard, Ryan Bunton, Bryan Sebetto and Tim Kaeding in tow. The caution would fly for a crash in turn two involving Brad Sweet, Sheldon Haudenschild and Jason Meyers, with Sweet going pit side. On the ensuing restart, Caleb Helms would spin. When the green came back out, something would break on Dobmeier?s car, as he made contact with the turn three fence.

When the green flew again, the race would go the remaining 24 laps caution-free.

Pittman would pull away from Brown, as Allard, Bunton, Kaeding and Larson battled for third. Pittman would catch lapped traffic by the fifth circuit, but Brown could not close. Allard would exit the track on lap seven, moving Bunton into third with Kaeding, Larson and David Gravel in pursuit. As Pittman and Brown ran away, Kaeding would take third on lap 15 with Larson into fourth. Larson would take third on lap 16, and started to close the game on the two front runners.

Once clear of traffic, Pittman would pull away for the win with Brown, Larson, Kaeding and Bunton rounding out the top five.

OSKALOOSA, Iowa – Michael Long made short work of his competition Tuesday night, leading all 25 laps of the JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour main event at Southern Iowa Speedway.

The IMCA Modified win paid $1,000 and made Long one of the earliest qualifiers for the 2013 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. He’s also the eighth different winner in as many tour events so far this season.

Long raced from the fourth starting spot to the front before a rash of early yellows. Threatened early by point leader Richie Gustin, he held off those challenges to and through the final caution, on the ninth circuit.

Luke Wanninger got into the mix, passing Gustin for second after that restart. No one had anything for Long, however, and he won comfortably ahead of Wanninger and Gustin as the feature stayed green the last 16 laps. Jay Noteboom advanced 11 positions to finish fourth and Mike Van Genderen was fifth. Hard charger Jeremy Mills was a plus 18 spots on the night and ended in sixth.

David Murray Jr., one of the travelers stopping at Oskaloosa prior to Thursday’s Harris Clash at Knoxville, was seventh. North Carolina visitor Kyle Strickler was 10th.

The top four finishers in each of the three heats went into the grandstands to draw for their starting spots.

Van Genderen, the promoter at Oskaloosa, drew an appreciative round of applause from partisan fans when he wound up with the pole.

Next up is the top paying event of the 2012 series, when the tour travels to Hancock County Speedway for the Thursday, Aug. 9 Night of 1,000 Stars.

That feature pays a minimum of $2,000 and potentially as much as $7,500 to win.

OSKALOOSA, Iowa – The championship Jeff Anderson wrapped up Wednesday night at Southern Iowa Speedway brought back more than a few memories.

Anderson clinched the World Products IMCA Stock Car Shootout title with a fourth place finish in the Independence Day finale. He’d won the Shootout twice before, in 1996 and 1998, both times when the complete event was run on a single night at Oskaloosa’s half-mile Mahaska County Monster.

“I’m nearing the end of my career and wanted to hit some of the specials,” said Anderson, who counts 240 feature wins, five national championships and two IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nation­als crowns among his many accomplishments. “I wanted to go to Oskaloosa because I’ve raced with a lot of good drivers there in the past. Winning the series brought back a lot of good memories.”

Along with set of cylinder heads from series title sponsor World Products, Anderson earned the biggest share of a $1,500 point fund. He’d won the series opener at Alta on Monday and finished ninth Tuesday at Marshalltown.

Brad Pinkerton crossed the stripe in second but was promoted to the $1,000 victory at Oskaloosa when Zack VanderBeek was disqualified in post-race tech for an altered rear frame rail.

Jay Schmidt, Matt Greiner, Anderson and Larry Karcz Jr. completed the top five.

Also topping $1,000 to win features were Jacob Murray in the IMCA Modifieds and Jesse Sobbing in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods. Murray’s checkered flag run put him on the 2012 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot.

Anderson’s son Shannon continued his climb toward the top spot on the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock career wins list and Merv Chandler won the Mach-1 Sport Compact feature.

OSKALOOSA, Iowa – Denny Eckrich helped make the scorer’s job easier Wednesday at Southern Iowa Speedway. Eckrich led every time around the half-mile oval at Oskaloosa, winning his career se­cond Deery Brothers Summer Series feature in dominating style.

The $2,000 victory came ahead of two-time defending series champion Ray Guss Jr., who ran second all 35 circuits. Todd Cooney, Jeff Aikey and Andy Eckrich completed the top five for the midweek IMCA Late Model tour main event.

Point leader Mike Murphy Jr. was sixth. Guss drew the pole with Denny Eckrich outside row one. Dialed in from the get-go,
Eckrich pulled ahead from the pack and ran by himself most of the night. The only caution of the contest came out for a single car miscue on lap 20. Eckrich remained unchallenged after the restart, taking the checkers well ahead of Guss.

Aikey was the hard charger, advancing eight positions from his original starting spot. Hometown driver Jeff Mitrisin pocketed the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing. Eckrich had won his Deery career first feature last month at Marshalltown.

Independence Motor Speedway notes the tour’s 25th visit to that venue on Monday, July 2 with a $2,525 to win main event. Pit gates open at 5 p.m., hot laps are at 6:45 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m.

OSKALOOSA, Iowa– The Deery Brothers Summer Summer Series reaches the half­way mark of the 2012 schedule when IMCA Late Models headline the Wednesday, June 20 card at Southern Iowa Speedway. Nine events are already in the book and three-time winner Mike Murphy Jr. of Colona, Ill., tops the point standings heading to Oskaloosa.

Andy Eckrich of Oxford is 11 points off the pace while Jeff Aikey of Waterloo is 15 points back. Darrel DeFrance of Marshalltown will extend his perfect series attendance streak to 393 consecu­tive events next week; he’s currently eighth in the point race.

Pit gates at Oskaloosa will open at 5 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m. Hot laps are at 7 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30 p.m.

The Musco Sports Lighting-sponsored program also features IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts. IMCA Modifieds return to the weekly lineup on June 27, racing for $500 to win and a minimum of $100 to start.

Grandstand admission is $15 for adults, $5 for students and free for kids six and under. Pit passes are $25.

Sixteen previous Deery events have been held at Southern Iowa Speedway since 1988. Aikey won four of those events while two-time defending champion Ray Guss Jr. of Milan, Ill., and Mike Smith of Jewell have each won twice.

More information about the Okaloosa show is available by calling 641 521-0330 or at the track website, www.oskyspeedway.com.

Eight-one drivers have competed at one or more of the first nine series events this season. The second half of the tour begins Monday, July 2 at Independence Motor Speedway.

OSKALOOSA, Iowa – Second to the IMCA Modified checkers, Richie Gustin took home the winner’s $1,000 paycheck from Wednesday’s Frostbuster special at Southern Iowa Speed­way. Gustin chased Andrew Schroeder to the finish, then was promoted to first when the rookie failed post-race tech inspection. Already a candidate for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, Gustin was scored ahead of Kyle Strickler, Mark Elliott and Lance Arneson.

Schroeder started on the pole and led all 20 laps in his first Modified start. The front four cars ran together before Schroeder put some distance on Gustin. NASCAR visitor Ken Schrader was sixth. The first IMCA special held at Oskaloosa since 2003, the Frostbuster brought 124 entries – 48 of them Modifieds – to town from eight states and Canada. The longest tows came from Wyoming, Texas and North Carolina.

Two winners were from out of state, as Wisconsin’s John Heinz was fastest in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature and defending national champion Bryan LaRiviere was equally dominant in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod main. Shannon Anderson, a three-time national champ, topped the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock main. Heinz led all the way in the Stock show, challenged before midway by Texan J.C. Howell.

The current national points leader, Howell made his way up from seventh but couldn’t maintain the pace. Justin Jacobsen was second and Kyle Harwood took third from Howell on the last lap. LaRiviere checked out on everybody in capturing the Northern SportMod main. Clint Luellen, “B” winner Ty Luellen and Racer Hulin followed.

Bill Bonnett led most of the way before Anderson got the Hobby Stock lead for good. The top two drivers in career wins in the class had run virtually side-by-side before Anderson took charge with five laps to go. Eric Stanton and Danny Thrasher completed the top four. Heinz earned $500 for his win, while LaRiviere’s paid $400 and Anderson’s $250.

The second Frostbuster is Thursday, April 5 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Speedway in Des Moines. Pit gates open at 4 p.m., the grandstand opens at 5 p.m., hot laps are at 6:15 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m.

Following are Frostbusters April 6 at Marshalltown Speedway, April 7 at Boone Speedway and April 8 at Benton County Speedway in Vinton.