Ballard wraps up near-perfect season at Hawkeye Downs

CEDAR RAPIDS - There are several reasons going undefeated throughout a racing season is exceedingly rare.

Other competitors, changing track conditions, parts failures and racing luck come into play most often at the races, which makes getting a win every week the races are run so hard. But in the Hobby Stock division this season at Hawkeye Downs Speedway, no one could beat Nathan Ballard.

The Marengo driver dominated every Friday night, crossing the finish line first in each of the 13 races - though after one he was found to have illegal ball joints on the car and was disqualified. With 12 official wins in 13 races, he sealed the championship with the 12th Friday night in a season in which he's won races in Hobby Stock and Sportsmen on the pavement and in Hobby Stock on the dirt.

'I'd say it's a dream season,” Ballard said Friday night. 'I've got a lot of experience here (at Hawkeye Downs) driving and a lot of it is my car. It turns and gets around the track better than everyone else. It's not power.

'That ball joint deal was tough - I could pass in IMCA but not here. But we took it, we went home and fixed it and came back and beat them. That was a big honor to me that we proved it wasn't anything on the car cheating to beat them. The car and the team I have are just clicking.”

Ballard also got the win in Sportsmen Friday night, and moved to 27 wins in all classes and racing surfaces - 11 more than he had in all of 2014.

He started racing Sportsmen at Hawkeye Downs midway through the season in an old family car that had been sitting in the shop unused. His dad convinced him to bring it to the track, and it turned into a successful venture very quickly. He was second his first night out in it, then went on to four more wins in that division - four of the five season wins making a sweep of the night in his two divisions at Hawkeye Downs.

He's also the points leader at Benton County Speedway in Vinton, where he's won eight races in 2015.

The skill it takes mentally to shift between cars and surfaces isn't to be understated - even if Ballard is willing to brush off how difficult it is.

'I don't really think about it,” Ballard said. 'I thought maybe going from the DOT (tire on the Hobby Stock) to the slick (tire in Sportsmen) would be harder, but you don't really think about it. You know your limits. On dirt, you just drive a lot crazier than on asphalt. That's all there is to it.”

Drivers who win a lot tend to lose a few friends in the pit area, but Ballard said that hasn't really been the case this season. If anything, he's earned a little admiration for what he's been able to do in multiple classes.

'I think I gained a lot of respect jumping into three different cars and knowing it's not just one car I can win with,” Ballard said. 'I came into Sportsmen and was competitive and did it clean. People still may not like me (for winning), but I'd rather gain the respect.”

As the season comes to a close, there's still more Ballard wants to accomplish. There's the season championship to close out in Vinton, plus IMCA Supernationals in Boone - where he finished sixth in the main event last season.

He wants the championship at Benton County Speedway and a Supernationals podium because this is his last season in Hobby Stock full time. Ballard and his team are moving to IMCA Stock Car for 2016 and beyond - both a relief to his competitors and a frustration that he didn't move up sooner.

'We want a new challenge. I've been here 10-12 years in the same class and we've been successful,” Ballard said. 'Getting into a new class with different drivers and new competition will be great.

'People might think it's funny, but I just like having fenders on a car. The SportMod, a lot of stuff gets torn up everywhere. I think going IMCA Stock Car will be good because we ran well (at Hawkeye Downs) in Sportsmen, and adjusting on them is similar.”

Kevin Korsmo won the season finale in INEX Legends, sealing the championship ahead of Brody Willett, who was second in the race and the points.

In Hornets, Drew Nickell got his first career win ahead of Dallas Chandler, who wrapped up the season points title. Tim Plummer won Late Model ahead of second-place Brian Gibson, who took the season championship. Dave McCalla won the season championship in Sportsmen on the strength of six wins, sealing the championship with a fifth-place finish Friday night.

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com