Russ Hall and the Skillz Motorsports #29 team turned in another successful season in 2014. The Pleasant Hill, Iowa driver was able to rack up wins, and he also finished on the podium at the prestigious Front Row Challenge. Although he didn’t reach Victory Lane at Knoxville, despite a couple of DNF’s, he finished fourth in the final 360 point standings. After some late season runs in 410 competition, Russ also wants potential owners to know he is for hire in 2015.
The season started at the “King of the 360’s” at East Bay Raceway Park near Tampa, Florida. Russ started the season with a fourth place finish amongst stout competition. “We couldn’t have asked for better results down at East Bay,” he says. “We also went to Devil’s Bowl (in Mesquite, Texas) early in the year and made the feature there. It was a pretty good start to the year.”
Once back in Iowa, the 2013 Sprint Invaders champion suffered some mechanical ills in that series opener. He was able to bounce back quickly. “Things just started tough with the Sprint Invaders at Burlington, but we bounced back at Donnellson and got the win there the next week,” says Russ. “Then we started out pretty strong at Knoxville.”
Russ strung some early season top fives together at Knoxville Raceway, including two second place finishes in May. He would finish fourth in the points race. “Other than having a few DNF’s at Knoxville that hurt us, the season went really well,” he says. “We didn’t tear up too many things.”
A surprise win came in Minnesota at Jackson Speedway in July. With Knoxville rained out, it became an option. “We decided to go up there at the last minute really,” says Russ. “It was kind of a rough, heavy track. That’s not the kind of track we do well on, but we were able to pick up the win going away. We couldn’t have asked for a better night.”
His solid third place run in August at the Front Row Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, came behind Brian Brown and Jac Haudenschild. “I think that was my first podium finish with the ASCS National tour,” says Russ. “To do it at Terry’s (McCarl) race like that was pretty special. The Front Row Challenge has been on my car for several years, so it was nice to finish third there.”
Russ was solid just about every night in the #29. “I think in our car, we had fourteen top five finishes in 26 races,” he says. “That’s a solid season. We would have liked a few more wins, but it seemed when we needed a good night, we got it for the most part.”
At the end of the season, Russ had the opportunity to get in a 410 and run for the Northrop Racing #83 team based in central Illinois. “I want to thank the Northrop’s for giving me the opportunity to get some laps in their 410,” he says. “I’m hoping next year we can find a 410 ride.”
He is very thankful for those supporting him as well. “It all starts with my Dad (Roger),” says Russ. “I have an awesome crew and we have awesome sponsors. We don’t really know what we’re going to do with our team, but I definitely want owners to know I’m for hire!”
Russ and the Skillz Motorsports team would like to thank: Waterfront Seafood Market, Kulow Trucking, Northtown Motors, Schnee Chassis, Ostrich Racing Engines, Tom Davis Automotive, Des Moines Industrial Products, Midland Performance, Ballistic Designs, HRP, Jim’s Johns, R&L Racing Shocks and Jocko’s.
Attached: Victory Lane in Jackson, Minnesota (Rob Kocak Photo)
- administrator on Nov 06, 2014
- Article Date: 11/6/2014 by Bill Wright