Haud pockets 50g in Oskaloosa's "Front Row Challenge"

By Andrew Barman

OSKALOOSA, IA (August 9, 1999) - It was the coolest race that I've ever seen Monday night at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa. McTwo Promotions really knew how to put on a show. And boy was it ever a show.

Jac Haudenchild was hooked up and flying all night. Haud won his heat so he was in the six-lap dash, which he won, so he was offered the top prize of $50,000 to win if he started at the tail of the A-Main. He had to talk it over with his crew chief, and it took them about five minutes to decide what they would do and the answer was....yes.

The crowd went wild. It was so cool - I never saw a crowd cheer for somebody so much.

The A-Main was a good one for the lead. Kim Mock was on the pole and Joey Saldana was on the outside front row. On the start, the 88 car of Ronnie Day went nose first into the turn two wall hard. He didn't tip it over. He was O.K. On the restart, Dave Westercamp smack the front stretch wall. He was done for the night. On the restart, Kim Mock took the early lead with Joey Sladana in second.

On the move from the last starting spot, Haudenchild was up to twelfth in two laps. He was just flying. After lap nine, Jac was up to ninth. Also on lap nine, the pole setter Kim Mock had a blown tire. He got it changed and went back to the tail. On the restart, Lee Nelson took a nasty flip in turn two. He smacked the wall head on. He was complaining of a sore neck. He was taken to a local hospital just to be safe.

The leader at the time, Joey Saldana, got passed by Lance Dewease. A lap later, Calvin Landis lost a left rear tire coming down the front stretch. He got the tire changed and joined the field at the tail.

On the restart, Haud passed three cars in one lap, putting himself in third. When Saldana got into lapped traffic, Dewease and Haud closed fast. On lap nineteen the yellow flew for the stopped car of Tim Kaeding.

So that bunched the field up. Jac was right there if something was to happen to Joey or Dewease. On lap twenty-one, Haud passed Dewease for the second spot. I thought that Haud needed a yellow to get Joey.

Coming to get the white flag, Saldana spun it in turn four. That gave the lead to Haud and that was all she wrote. So he got the top prize of $50,000! I thought that the stands were going to come down. It was the neatest thing I ever saw.

I'll remember this race forever.