OSKALOOSA, Iowa (April 18, 2001) – It was another typical night of racing at the Southern Iowa Speedway Wednesday. Great car counts, plenty of action, photo finishes and for the fourth year in a row the track hosted the National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour for a Cure during its season opener. Brad Pinkerton earned the feature win in his first full night of Modified racing while Scott Buehneman nipped Damon Murty by inches to win the Hobby Stock headliner.

The first half of the Heartland Tour Modified feature was full of excitement as front-row starters Pinkerton and Jim Lynch swapped the lead among themselves. Pinkerton had the advantage the first two laps, Lynch paced the third circuit, Pinkerton the fourth and Lynch the fifth and sixth. Rick Gustin had the best view of anyone as he was right on the tail of the two leaders looking for racing room. On lap seven Pinkerton, who has worked his way from Hobby Stocks to Stock Cars and now to Modifieds over the years, began to pull away. Gustin slipped by Lynch with three laps to go, but could not chase down the leader before the checkers. While it was his first full night in a Modified, Pinkerton is no stranger to open-wheeled cars as he drove a 360 Winged Sprint in Des Moines and Knoxville as well last season.

Rick VanDusseldorp held off the early challenges of Mike Grantham during the twelve-lap Heartland Tour Hobby Stock main event as looked to repeat his win during the 2000 opener at Osky. Grantham’s bid went up in smoke on lap five putting VanDusseldorp well in control. With four laps to go, and with Kris Walker closing fast, a flat tire sidelined VanDusseldorp and handed the lead over to Walker. As the leader came off of turn four to take the white flag he slowed suddenly with mechanical problems. Scott Buehneman and Damon Murty were already locked in a tight battle and now it was for the lead with one lap to go. As those two ran side-by-side into turn three Doug McCollough tried to make a charge on the high-side and they charged down the homestretch three-wide. At the finish line it was Buehneman by inches over Murty who defeated McCollough by a half car length for second.

Three dates in three states are on tap for both divisions of the NKF Tour this weekend with action Friday night in Fairmont, Minnesota, Saturday in Webster City, Iowa, and Sunday night in Quincy, Illinois.

RESULTS

MODIFIEDS

1st Heat – 1. Danny Wallace, Des Moines 2. Jeff Schroyer, Marshalltown 3. Jim Lynch, Bloomfield 4. Ron VerBeek, Oskaloosa

2nd Heat – 1. Brad Pinkerton, New Sharon 2. Bobby Bowman, Winterset 3. Joey Kates, Kansas City KS 4. Troy Folkerts, Albia

3rd Heat – 1. Rick Gustin, Marshalltown 2. Jimmy Gustin, Marshalltown 3. Mike Kaller, Ottumwa 4. Todd Holman, Ottumwa

A-Main – 1. Pinkerton 2. R. Gustin 3. Lynch 4. VerBeek 5. Wallace 6. John VanDenBerg, Oskaloosa 7. Bowman 8. Kates 9. Schroyer 10. Kaller 11. Holman 12. Mike Vermillion, What Cheer 13. Ken Squiers, Albia 14. Al Tordoff Sr., Alden 15. Nathaniel Schadt, Brighton 16. Jeff Kropf, Ottumwa 17. Folkerts 18. Ken Bryant, Ottumwa 19. Chad McKay, Oskaloosa 20. Robert Fite, Cedar Rapids

HOBBY STOCKS

1st Heat – 1. Tim Murty, Chelsea 2. T.J. Criss, Oskaloosa 3. Travis Sherwood, Ottumwa 4. Jaroed Sanders, New Sharon 5. Curt Lamberson, New Sharon

2nd Heat – 1. Kris Walker, Oskaloosa 2. Scott Buehneman, Keswick 3. Jared Curry, Fremont 4. Brad Stephens, Bussey 5. Richie Gustin, Marshalltown

3rd Heat – 1. Mike Grantham, Clarksville 2. Damon Murty, Chelsea 3. Rod Miller, Eldon 4. Doug McCollough, Webster City 5. Mike Shelton, Ottumwa

4th Heat – 1. Rick VanDusseldorp, Oskaloosa 2. Bill Bonnet, Knoxville 3. Randy Veldhuizen, Oskaloosa 4. Todd Phillips, Ollie 5. Larry Anderson, Oskaloosa

B-Main – 1. Rick Landgrebe, Sigourney 2. Michael Schmidt, Knoxville 3. Bud Maschmann, Malcolm 4. Partner Maschmann, Oskaloosa 5. Ryan Stewart, Oskaloosa 6. P.J. Veenstra, University Park 7. Lee Fite, Oskaloosa 8. Dave Breuklander, Oskaloosa 9. Steve Landgrebe, Oskaloosa 10. Bobby Greene, Tracy

A-Main – 1. Buehneman 2. D. Murty 3. McCollough 4. Miller 5. Criss 6. T. Murty 7. Curry 8. Shelton 9. Schmidt 10. R. Landgrebe 11. Lamberson 12. B. Maschmann 13. P. Maschmann 14. Sanders 15. Walker 16. VanDusseldorp 17. Veldhuizen 18. Stephens 19. Phillips 20. Anderson 21. Sherwood 22. Grantham 23. Bonnett 24. Gustin