Tonight is the opening night of the Ironman 100 at the Dacotah Speedway and after a year off this year looks to be a true test of endurance. With temperatures in the 100s all the drivers who dare to attend have a serious battle that lies ahead of them. This year will be more than a challenge of who can make their tires last. Rather it's more of who will last the 100 lap feature and who will succumb to the hellacious heat. There's already been word that drivers are planning to forgo the big money mod race as they fear the heat and what it might do to their cars. Yet, as a fan I'm more concerned about what it's going to do to our drivers. Yeah, it's bad enough when it is 100 out but the drivers have to deal with it all while wearing a fire suit and sitting in a hot racecar. Did I mention that is just sitting inline to pull onto the track for their heats? Then they will have to do combat with all of their peers and battle the fatigue of racing 100 laps. Truly, this is not a feat for the feeble to attempt. Yet, here we are Friday afternoon gearing up for a weekend of extreme racing. Yes, the Ironman 100 is looking to be another intriguing race though, so let's break it down by the storylines going into the weekend.
There will be a new Ironman: Ricky Thornton will not be returning this year as he found success in the late model world and is following the Lucas Oil Late Model Series. This opens the door to a hungry group of drivers who are looking to lay claim of being the Ironman.
The top contenders: While some of drivers who competed in the prior Ironman may not be making it, there still should be a very high quality group of drivers in attendance. This was proven by last nights test n tune as Marlyn Seidler, Shawn Strand, Jeremy Keller, Hank Berry, and Casey Arneson were in attendance. Any of these drivers are very capable of finding victory lane but will they have what it takes to outlast the heat and the fatigue?
The dark horses: We left a few names off the list of top contenders but these drivers are no less capable of winning as our top contenders. Look for Marcus Tomlinson, Quentin Kinzley, Spencer Wilson, Travis Tooley, Zack Frederick, and Crist Pittenger. These are the drivers waiting in the shadows just waiting for a mistake to be made before they pounce on the opportunity to take down the top contenders. Make no mistake about it, these drivers are just as dangerous if not more dangerous than out top contenders to steal the title as Ironman. Keep an eye on these guys.
The question marks...: Ok there are some really big names that I have left out because I'm just not sure if they are making the tow over to race. Austin Arneson, Travis Hagen, Kollin Hibdon, and Jason Wolla. The all of them bring a lot of credibility to the field of being a front runner. Arneson and Hagen are from opposite ends of the state but both are extremely talented and should be in contention for the win if they pull through the pit gates. Hibdon, is a sneaky good driver that the western part of the state has seen very little from besides highlight videos on facebook and myracepass results. We said that he was going to be a season long storyline to follow and he already has a win under his belt. Then there is Wolla. The former IMCA National Points Champion has been extremely quiet the past couple of weeks. If there was ever a race for the former champion to come out of hibernation this week would be as good as any as it would give him a chance to shake off the rust before the Don Gumke Racer's Memorial.
Tires: There has always been complaints on if this race would be even feasible with the tires that are used by IMCA. Last time they worked, but that was also with more favorable weather. This time the temperature has been cranked up and it is definitely will be an interesting challenge for everyone.
Will the track survive?: This is a question many fans won't think about but with a practice and the increased number nights on it. the track is going to change drastically. The only question are: How? and Will it hold up?
IMCA sport mods: They have been wanting to return to Dacotah Speedway and will get their opportunity to impress everyone on Saturday night. It will be interesting to see how they attack the track but it will be a pleasant one off appearance by them until their return for Oktoberfest.
3 WIDE:The Central North Dakota Hobby Stocks will start their feature three wide. This could get dicey but it's going down!
Let's break 30...again: INEX Legends have been leading the charge for car counts across the entire state and have hit thirty plus cars already this season. Hopefully, it will break 35 this weekend but it wouldn't be a surprise to see about 25-28 in attendance.
Bounty hunting: RUN Ken Sandberg, there's a bounty for you! The most dominant sport compact driver since Jason Berg now has a bounty on him. It will be interesting to see if anyone can collect on it or if Ken will be able to out run a slowly growing field of IMCA Sport Compacts.
40 for the Streets: The street stocks will see an increase in laps for their feature and an increased purse. Will this help their car count or will the heat keep the big guns away?
Hopefully, we see a lot of people at the track this weekend but we want you all to stay safe and stay hydrated as the weather is no joke this weekend. So get out there and support but be conscious of being hydrated and safe!
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