Skill and Strategy Decide Nelms-Gardner Duel in Hawkeye Thriller!

Mid-Am Staff
May 16
2 min read

🏁 Mid-Am Racing Series – Hawkeye Downs Recap 🏁

What. A. Race.

Josh Nelms came out on top Saturday night at Hawkeye Downs, using a late-race surge to pass and hold off Scotty Gardner in a dramatic finish that had fans on their feet. Gardner was on fire all day—setting fast time in qualifying and breaking the track record—but came up just short in an unforgettable side-by-side battle to the checkers.

Finishing third was the fan-favorite “Rambo” Rick Corso—semi-retired and wheeling a borrowed car—reminding everyone that you can’t count out a racer with grit and experience. Rick looked right at home and left the fans cheering.

Kevin Murphy brought it home in fourth with a smooth, competitive run. We're just going to say it: Kevin, what will it take to get you to run full-time with us? You've got the speed, and the series would be better with you in it every week.

Cameron Preisler continues to turn heads with a fifth-place finish. Despite battling powertrain issues that had his crew scrambling early, they regrouped and delivered another strong result. This team is becoming known for their resilience, and they just keep impressing.

With 21 cars on track, side-by-side battles, and an electric crowd, Hawkeye Downs delivered exactly what short track racing is all about.

Final Feature Results:

Joshua Nelms
Scott Gardner
Rick Corso
Kevin Murphy
Cameron Preisleir
Daniel Calhoun
Greg Thorson
Bobby Gash III
Tim Schmitt
Brandon Herb
Corey Crispin
Michael Gerike
Josh Fehrmann
Jim Thorson
David Ballstaedt
Will Zamastil
Todd Ness
Andrew Meyerhofer
Cory Houdek
DNS Bill Prietzel
DNS Josh Sevey

Hey crowd—did you catch the mascots making the rounds?!

We saw the photos, and you all brought the fun and the energy! That’s the kind of raceday atmosphere we love to see. Big thanks to the Gardner family for stepping up and handling mascot duty!