Dust Settles From The Caseys General Stores Ultimate Challenge

Kyle Larson took home top prize at The Caseys General Stores Ultimate Challenge August 10

Oskaloosa, Iowa – With a track conditions that had its’ share of critics Tuesday night, the non-wing sprints were underway. The Casey’s General Stores Ultimate Challenge presented by Searsboro Telephone Company packed the grandstands and crowds rivaled those of the previous night as over 30 cars battled, not only the track, but each other for the coveted $15,000 top prize.

With the hard work of the folks who put on the show for Oskaloosa, McTwo Promotions and Terry McCarl, the event was a success not only for the track, but the community as a whole.

Tony Stewart Racing wheel man, Levi Jones, talked about what he thought about our speedway here in Oskaloosa. “Oh, it’s nice. It’s a fun couple of nights here in Iowa, we always look forward to coming.”

Curious as to what it’s like to work for one of the biggest names in racing, Tony Stewart, Jones said, “It’s good, we have the stuff we need to go racing. You can ask for much more than that.”

Justin Grant brought out the first red flag of the night with his tumble down the back stretch at the Southern Iowa Speedway (photo D.Hubbard)

Jones says he’s been racing, “forever” and has been with Stewart since he was 6. “He was here in ’05 when I won this race driving for another car and he told me that night he thought I’d be the guy to hire.”

Racing is a lifestyle for the family team of Lisa Tate.

“Everybody’s just the same when your out on the road, Everybody’s your best friend, and everybody gets mad some times.” But Tate says everyone is family and there isn’t anything any one of the other racers wouldn’t do to help one another out. “It’s a good bunch”

The team is going to head for home after the Dodge City race coming up. “We’ll get to go home for a little while then,” Tate says about the tight schedule. They should be home on Monday, and her daughter starts school on Tuesday. “So we’re cutting it close this week.”

The team will continue to race until the end of September. “Keeps us busy,” says Tate about their hectic life on the road helping to bring the show to each town along the way.

Dustin Morgan flipped in turn 3 to bring out the second red flag of the race at the Southern Iowa Speedway (photo D.Hubbard)

They are in the middle of a stretch of nine races in eleven days, “and you’re never in the same place twice,” says Tate of her life on the road of a race team.

So far, the team has run 37 of the 60 some odd races they will for the year, and if the Knoxville Nationals don’t mark one of those signs that summer is coming to a close, the upcoming Labor Day Weekend will for sure.

The team has racked up 4 wins with 19 top 5s and 29 top 10s. There are only 5 races they have not been within the top 10 finishers.

Bruce Leer has joined up with the family operation, “He’s really helped us out a lot,” Tate said of the financial backing or “sponsorship” as it’s known in the racing world. “We’re pretty low budget compared to some of these guys.”

Keith Bloom Jr. and Brady Bacon battle it out at the Ultimate Challenge in Oskaloosa (photo D.Hubbard)

Tate’s husband is the owner and also the crew chief of the car, and Dave Darland wheels their machine for them.

Darland says he enjoys going from place to place. “I’ve been driving sprint cars for 30 years,” Darland says about the life and job of driving a sprint car.  “For me personally driving the car and just trying to find the right spot on the track and the car the best it can be on the track conditions,” Darland says is one of his challenges in driving.

Darland said if he wasn’t driving cars, he would, “Be a professional fisherman. Be like Jack Hewitt, drive race cars and fish. Jack don’t anymore, but he still fishes.”

I don’t think Darland has any reason to retire from the racing world yet as he piloted himself to a 3rd place showing Tuesday night.

As the night wore on, the racing action heated up. Before we knew it, the A main had arrived.After 2 red flag crashes that sent one racer to medical facilities for observation, young Kyle Larson took home the checkered flag and the $15,000.00 paycheck. Second was Brady Bacon and finishing up the podium was Dave Darland.