The following statistics are through six weeks of racing at Independence Motor Speedway.
Car Count
Division - Average - High - Low
Late Model - 24.7 - 27 - 23
Modified - 31.0 - 35 - 26
Stock Car - 18.7 - 22 - 17
SportMod - 28.5 - 31 - 26
Hobby Stock - 20.3 - 23 - 13
TOTAL - 123.2 - 126 - 122
Points
* 176 drivers have earned points so far this season.
* Among those 176 drivers, 65 different hometowns are represented.
* Only two of five points leaders have won features: Darin Duffy (Modified) and Chris Luloff(SportMod). Points leaders without victories include Darren Ackerman (Late Model), Shane Manson (Stock Car) and Vince Buchholz (Hobby Stock).
* While no driver has held the points lead every week through six weeks, Darin Duffy (Modifieds) has been atop the points for the last five weeks and Vince Buchholz (Hobby Stocks) has been the points leader for four weeks in a row.
* 17 different drivers have held the points lead for at least one week this season: Four different drivers have led the Late Models points, two in Modifieds, five in Stock Cars, three in SportMods and three in Hobby Stocks.
* 27 drivers have remained in the top-10 in the points all six weeks:
Late Model (3): Darren Ackerman, Jon Passick, Bryan Klein;
Modified (6): Darin Duffy, Troy Cordes, Max Corporon, Adam Johnson, Kevin Pittman, Adam Bolin;
Stock Car (6): Shane Manson, Jason Hocken, Brian Irvine, Phil Holtz, Norman Chesmore, Jarod Weepie;
SportMod (5): Kyle Bentley, Kaleb Bentley, Drew Fish, Jim Buhlman, Josh Sherbon, (current points leader Chris Luloff started the season 14th in the standings);
Hobby Stock (7): Vince Buchholz, Josh Irvine, Quinton Miller, Justin Lichty, Wes Stanek, Don Arnold, Jeremiah Wilson.
Feature Winners
* Terry Neal is the only repeat winner in the Late Model division this year. Prior to Rick Dralle's win on June 20, there were eight consecutive different feature winners, dating back to Dralle's win on August 2, 2008.
* Every Modified winner has come from an outside starting position.
* Brian Irvine has won three Stock Car features this season. His career total wins in the division at Independence is 22.
* Every SportMod feature winner's car number is divisible by 3 - Josh Sherbon (75), Danny Dvorak (3), Chris Luloff (18), Kurt Hogan (09). How's that for a stat?
* Josh Irvine has won three Hobby Stock features, all from different starting positions (9, 5, 8).
Top-10s
* 113 drivers have earned at least one top-10 finish this season.
* 5 drivers have earned top-10 finishes in all six features:
Late Model (26 different drivers with at least one top-10 finish): None with all six top-10s;
Modified (27): Darin Duffy;
Stock Car (20): Jason Hocken, Shane Manson;
SportMod (21): None with all six top-10s;
Hobby Stock (19): Vince Buchholz, Quinton Miller.
Top-5s
* 78 drivers have earned at least one top-5 finish this season:
Late Model (19 different drivers with at least one top-5 finish);
Modified (16);
Stock Car (13);
SportMod (18);
Hobby Stock (12).
* Only Darin Duffy (Modifieds) has earned top-5 finishes in all six features.
Top-3s
* 58 drivers have earned at least one top-3 finish this season:
Late Model (16 drivers with at least one top-3 finish);
Modified (9);
Stock Car (11);
SportMod (12);
Hobby Stock (10).
* Darin Duffy (Modified) leads all drivers with five top-3 finishes. Eight drivers are tied for second with three top-3 finishes.
* Travis Smock and Terry Neal are the only Late Model drivers with multiple top-3 finishes. They have two apiece.
Feature Lap Leaders
* 42 drivers have led at least one lap of feature competition.
* Division lap leaders include:
Late Model: Dale Stolte (25 laps led), Darin Burco (23), Jill George (17), Jeff Aikey (17), (Terry Neal led a total of only five laps in his two feature wins);
Modified: Darin Duffy (30 laps led), Don Erger (20), Cory Bauer (18), Max Corporon (13);
Stock Car: Justin Temeyer (45 laps led), Brian Irvine (39), Dan Trimble (24), Jarod Weepie (7);
SportMod: Danny Dvorak (24 laps led), Chris Luloff (19), Josh Sherbon (11), Kurt Hogan (9);
Hobby Stock: Wes Stanek (22 laps led), Josh Irvine (19), Matt Brown (16), Joe Sprague (9).
Heat Races
* There have been 58 different heat race winners in 92 heat races.
* Matt Brown (Hobby Stock) leads all drivers with five heat race wins.
* 24 drivers have won multiple heat races.
Division leaders include:
Late Model: Darren Ackerman, Drew Johnson, Jon Passick, Dale Stolte (2 wins each);
Modified: Adam Johnson (3 wins); Max Corporon, Ronn Lauritzen, Johnathan Thimmesch (2 each);
Stock Car: Justin Temeyer (4 wins); Dan Trimble (3); Norman Chesmore, Shane Manson (2 each);
SportMod: Danny Dvorak, Josh Sherbon, Jake Strayer (3 wins each).
Hobby Stock: Matt Brown (5 wins); Don Arnold, Vince Buchholz, Josh Irvine, Justin Lichty (2 each).
Efficiency Stats
* A total of 140 races have been run this season.
* A total of 1,369 laps have been completed.
* A total of 157 caution flags have been thrown.
* The Stock Car division has had only 11 total caution flags through 19 races and 232 laps of competition.
Since the year 2000...
* 605 feature events have been completed in weekly competition.
* 146 different drivers have visited victory lane.
* A new face finds victory lane every 4.14 races.
* There have been:
30 different Late Model winners in 129 events;
29 Modified winners in 133 events;
23 Stock Car winners in 134 events;
43 Hobby Stock winners in 133 events;
21 SportMod/B Mod winners in 76 events.
* Division leaders include:
Late Model: Curt Martin (37 wins since 2000); Darren Ackerman and Greg Kastli (11 each);
Modified: Vern Jackson (26), Troy Cordes (22), Jerry Luloff (13), Darin Duffy (12);
Stock Car: Dan Trimble (32), Brian Irvine (22), Jarod Weepie (17), Justin Temeyer (15);
Hobby Stock: Brian Irvine (16); Chris Luloff (15); Josh Irvine and Patrick Stansbery (9 each).
SportMod/B Mod: Joe Docekal (18), Brian Kunkle (8), Josh Sherbon (6).
Qualifying Streaks
* The longest currently active feature qualifying streaks for weekly competition in each division include:
Late Model: Drew Johnson has qualified for 47 consecutive Late Model features. His last miss was July 23, 2005. Others include, Darren Ackerman (37), Travis Smock (29), Blake Anderson and Bryan Klein (15 each);
Modified: Jerry Luloff has qualified for 175 consecutive features (July 5, 1997), Johnathan Thimmesch (19), Troy Cordes (16), Adam Johnson (12);
Stock Car: Jarod Weepie has has qualified for 114 consecutive features (June 9, 2001), Norman Chesmore (51), Brian Irvine (40), Jason Hocken (24);
Hobby Stock: Josh Irvine has qualified for 40 consecutive features (May 27, 2006), Jeremiah Wilson (29), Vince Buchholz (27), Matt Brown (23);
SportMod/B Mod: Mary Handberg has qualified for 44 consecutive features (August 27, 2005), Josh Sherbon (42), Jim Buhlman (37), Kevin Robinson (16).
Dale Hackwell Jr. qualified for every Late Model feature since he entered the division at the start of the 1998 season until last week. His streak of 161 consecutive starts came to an end with a flat tire in a B-feature on June 27, 2009.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Irvine sweep, Duffy domination on Saturday; Deery Series and Stock Cars to headline holiday at Independence
It was a family affair in the I.M.C.A. Stock Car and Hobby Stock divisions while Darin Duffy continued his domination in the I.M.C.A. Modifieds at Independence Motor Speedway. A total of 121 cars were on-hand to compete in 26 events to close out the month of June at the speedway. (A Stats Blitz through the month of June will be coming later this week.)
In the Stock Car feature, Justin Temeyer was hoping to make it two straight wins in the division. From his outside front row start, Temeyer took the early lead with pole-sitter Rick Suckow in tow. With Temeyer out front, Brian Irvine battled Dan Trimble for third. That pair made its way around Suckow on lap five to set up a three-car battle for the lead.
Irvine edged past Trimble for second as quickly as he entered the top three, then made his way around Temeyer on lap seven. Irvine extended his advantage over the final 13 laps to score the win, his third of the season. Trimble and Temeyer chased him to the checkers. Norman Chesmore and Phil Holtz completed the top five.
Irvine's cousin, Josh Irvine, made it an Irvine sweep as he took the checkers in the 15-lap I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock feature. At the on-set, it was pole-sitter Joe Sprague who held the advantage. He extended his lead early as Wes Stanek gave chase. Irvine and points leader Vince Buchholz entered the mix out front on the fifth lap to make it a four-car battle for the top spot.
Irvine and Buchholz made their way around Sprague and chased down Stanek, who took the lead on the seventh lap, for a thrilling three-car fight out front. Racing three-wide for numerous laps, the leaders swapped grooves in attempt to take the edge. Irvine eventually inched ahead with only a few laps to go to drive to the exciting win, his third of the year. Buchholz, Stanek, Justin Lichty and Marcus Wayne completed the top five.
Darin Duffy continued to set himself apart from the rest of the I.M.C.A. Modified field, and everyone else on the points sheet, as he drove to his third win of the year. Duffy, who held the largest points lead in any of the five weekly divisions with a 27-point edge at the start of the night, extended that lead with his victory and remains the only driver at the speedway with top-five finishes in all six features this season.
Pole-sitter Shawn Ryan held the early advantage and quickly pulled away from the 24-car field. While he led, Duffy worked the high groove from the 12th starting position and settled into second by the time the caution flag waved only four laps into the 20-lapper.
Duffy swept around Ryan two laps later and cruised to the impressive win ahead of Ryan. Troy Cordes, Max Corporon and Kevin Pittman ran third through fifth, respectively.
Jeff Aikey appeared to be on the way to his first I.M.C.A. Late Model win of the season, however a late caution period changed those plans. Aikey, who assumed command on the eighth lap from front row starter Jared Fuller, quickly extended his lead until the field encountered lapped traffic with seven laps to go.
Prior to the backmarkers interfering with Aikey's progress, Darren Ackerman was working his way through traffic from a fifth row start. Ackerman closed the gap quicker as Aikey worked the lapped cars. Meanwhile, Terry Neal, from a sixth row start, was also making his way through the field. Neal worked his way into third with 10 laps to go and cleared past the lapped cars, leaving nobody between himself and the leaders by the time the yellow flag waved on the 21st of 25 laps.
On the restart, Neal immediately went to the high groove, passing Ackerman for second just one lap later. As the flying green waved, Neal made his way around Aikey. He drove to the thrilling win, his second of the season, ahead of Aikey and Ackerman. Rick Wendling and Jon Passick ran fourth and fifth.
Caution flags early and often brought the I.M.C.A. SportMod feature to a slow crawl. Pole-sitter Kurt Hogan made his way out front early and survived the plague of yellow to score the win ahead of Mary Handberg and Drew Fish. Division rookie Chris Luloff took over the points lead by virtue of his fourth place finish. Kaleb Bentley finished fifth.
Overall, it was a good night of racing. Although the SportMods proved to be a slow-go, the line-up board was brought back for feature realignments at the request of some drivers and fans. It didn't prove to be beneficial as multi-car cautions early on made line-ups difficult to tackle, anyway. Hopefully, now that we've passed the mid-season mark, errors will be few and far between on the track.
Up next at the speedway is one of the biggest nights in recent memory. This Wednesday, July 1, will see the annual visit of the Deery Brothers Summer Series for I.M.C.A. Late Models, along with the American Stock Car Shootout for I.M.C.A. Stock Cars. The Deery Series has been averaging nearly 50 cars for its annual holiday stop in Independence in recent seasons and the Stock Car series will be making its first visit to the speedway. The Shootout, which originated around 10 years ago at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, found a home at Marshalltown (Iowa) Speedway in recent years until this season. For the first time, the Stock Car series is a three-day, three-track swing. It opens on Tuesday, June 30, at Buena Vista Raceway in Alta, Iowa, before the stop in Independence on July 1. It concludes in Marshalltown on Thursday, July 2.
Gates open in Independence at 4 p.m. for the July 1 special. Hot laps are slated for 6:30 with green flag racing set to begin at 7.
In the Stock Car feature, Justin Temeyer was hoping to make it two straight wins in the division. From his outside front row start, Temeyer took the early lead with pole-sitter Rick Suckow in tow. With Temeyer out front, Brian Irvine battled Dan Trimble for third. That pair made its way around Suckow on lap five to set up a three-car battle for the lead.
Irvine edged past Trimble for second as quickly as he entered the top three, then made his way around Temeyer on lap seven. Irvine extended his advantage over the final 13 laps to score the win, his third of the season. Trimble and Temeyer chased him to the checkers. Norman Chesmore and Phil Holtz completed the top five.
Irvine's cousin, Josh Irvine, made it an Irvine sweep as he took the checkers in the 15-lap I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock feature. At the on-set, it was pole-sitter Joe Sprague who held the advantage. He extended his lead early as Wes Stanek gave chase. Irvine and points leader Vince Buchholz entered the mix out front on the fifth lap to make it a four-car battle for the top spot.
Irvine and Buchholz made their way around Sprague and chased down Stanek, who took the lead on the seventh lap, for a thrilling three-car fight out front. Racing three-wide for numerous laps, the leaders swapped grooves in attempt to take the edge. Irvine eventually inched ahead with only a few laps to go to drive to the exciting win, his third of the year. Buchholz, Stanek, Justin Lichty and Marcus Wayne completed the top five.
Darin Duffy continued to set himself apart from the rest of the I.M.C.A. Modified field, and everyone else on the points sheet, as he drove to his third win of the year. Duffy, who held the largest points lead in any of the five weekly divisions with a 27-point edge at the start of the night, extended that lead with his victory and remains the only driver at the speedway with top-five finishes in all six features this season.
Pole-sitter Shawn Ryan held the early advantage and quickly pulled away from the 24-car field. While he led, Duffy worked the high groove from the 12th starting position and settled into second by the time the caution flag waved only four laps into the 20-lapper.
Duffy swept around Ryan two laps later and cruised to the impressive win ahead of Ryan. Troy Cordes, Max Corporon and Kevin Pittman ran third through fifth, respectively.
Jeff Aikey appeared to be on the way to his first I.M.C.A. Late Model win of the season, however a late caution period changed those plans. Aikey, who assumed command on the eighth lap from front row starter Jared Fuller, quickly extended his lead until the field encountered lapped traffic with seven laps to go.
Prior to the backmarkers interfering with Aikey's progress, Darren Ackerman was working his way through traffic from a fifth row start. Ackerman closed the gap quicker as Aikey worked the lapped cars. Meanwhile, Terry Neal, from a sixth row start, was also making his way through the field. Neal worked his way into third with 10 laps to go and cleared past the lapped cars, leaving nobody between himself and the leaders by the time the yellow flag waved on the 21st of 25 laps.
On the restart, Neal immediately went to the high groove, passing Ackerman for second just one lap later. As the flying green waved, Neal made his way around Aikey. He drove to the thrilling win, his second of the season, ahead of Aikey and Ackerman. Rick Wendling and Jon Passick ran fourth and fifth.
Caution flags early and often brought the I.M.C.A. SportMod feature to a slow crawl. Pole-sitter Kurt Hogan made his way out front early and survived the plague of yellow to score the win ahead of Mary Handberg and Drew Fish. Division rookie Chris Luloff took over the points lead by virtue of his fourth place finish. Kaleb Bentley finished fifth.
Overall, it was a good night of racing. Although the SportMods proved to be a slow-go, the line-up board was brought back for feature realignments at the request of some drivers and fans. It didn't prove to be beneficial as multi-car cautions early on made line-ups difficult to tackle, anyway. Hopefully, now that we've passed the mid-season mark, errors will be few and far between on the track.
Up next at the speedway is one of the biggest nights in recent memory. This Wednesday, July 1, will see the annual visit of the Deery Brothers Summer Series for I.M.C.A. Late Models, along with the American Stock Car Shootout for I.M.C.A. Stock Cars. The Deery Series has been averaging nearly 50 cars for its annual holiday stop in Independence in recent seasons and the Stock Car series will be making its first visit to the speedway. The Shootout, which originated around 10 years ago at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, found a home at Marshalltown (Iowa) Speedway in recent years until this season. For the first time, the Stock Car series is a three-day, three-track swing. It opens on Tuesday, June 30, at Buena Vista Raceway in Alta, Iowa, before the stop in Independence on July 1. It concludes in Marshalltown on Thursday, July 2.
Gates open in Independence at 4 p.m. for the July 1 special. Hot laps are slated for 6:30 with green flag racing set to begin at 7.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Long hauls $2,450 from BCS during Hogan Memorial
With storms already saturating the area earlier in the weekend and more bad weather in the area, officials did a great job getting the Hogan Memorial Mid-Season Championships in the books at Benton County Speedway on Sunday.
Torrential downpours and 90mph-plus winds on Friday made it impossible for the track crew to get on the speedway over the weekend. Even approaching race time on Sunday, it looked as though things may have been questionable whether the show would go on as planned.
While the track did produce a couple of nasty rough spots in turn one due to all of the moisture, the show itself ran off smoothly as the track somehow managed to dodge the elements. Those in attendance, however, were provided with quite a lightning show to the south. On the track, I.M.C.A. Modified driver Michael Long provided his own storm as he hauled $2,450 back to Quincy, Illinois, by picking up the win in the Hogan Memorial headliner.
Forty-eight Modifieds signed in to compete in what has become a big annual attraction on the schedule. The race, held in honor of the parents of I.M.C.A. Modified driver Scott Hogan, drew competitors from central and southeast Iowa, along with those who travel weekly to the 1/4-mile birthplace of the I.M.C.A. Modified.
After six qualifying events, from which 12 drivers qualified for the 25-lap feature, four B features were run. Two qualifiers came from each of those second-chance races. The top two in weekly points who were not already qualified were given provisionals. Provisionals were also awarded to the two most recent Hogan Memorial winners who were not already qualified through heats and Bs. Nationwide Series driver and Cedar Rapids-area native Landon Cassill was also present for the event. He was guaranteed a start in the feature, as 25 cars took the green for the 25-lapper.
The redraw was held on the front stretch just prior to green flag action. Long drew the No. 1 pill and J.D. Auringer started alongside him. Long assumed command when the race began and, although a few early cautions slowed the action, he held the point throughout. Hogan made his way through the field from a sixth row start running the high groove and made it as far as second, however Long proved too strong, leading the event in its entirety, adding his name to the list of winners.
An increased purse guaranteed $1,200 to the winner of the event. That money, combined with $50 for each lap led, meant Long made it a clean sweep as he earned the entire $1,250 in lap money for a $2,450 paycheck. It was his first win on the 1/4-mile oval. Hogan, Kevin Pittman, Auringer and Darin Duffy completed the top five. Ed Thomas, who earned a past champions provisional, earned hard charger honors as he advanced 13 positions in the event.
While the Modifieds were lined up based on a draw-redraw format, the remaining five weekly divisions were running for track points and lined straight-up by total points for the mid-season special.
In the I.M.C.A. Stock Cars, it appeared as though Justin Temeyer and Damon Murty were going to put on a show for the fans as those two started the event up front. A broken rotor on Temeyer's car, however, forced his No. 56T up into Murty as the two battled for the lead. That incident brought about an unfortunate premature end to the night for both drivers.
When racing resumed, Jason Deshaw held the point, but received quick heavy pressure from the field. Phil Holtz, in his first year in the division, worked his way into the lead late to score the win, the first of his career. Paul Shepherd, Deshaw, Dave Sires and Rod Grother rounded out the top five.
In the I.M.C.A. SportMods, points leader Austin Kaplan checked out early from his pole position start. He masterfully worked his No. 1 through lapped traffic en route to the victory ahead of Jim Buhlman and Drew Fish. Danny Dvorak and Kyle Bentley ran fourth and fifth, respectively.
Bill Bonnett worked his way into the lead early in the I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock feature. Bonnett paced the field for the first three circuits until mechanical problems sidelined him. Points leader Scott Pippert took charge from that point on to drive to the victory. He held off the challenges from Vince Buchholz to take the win. Jeremiah Wilson, Quinton Miller and Adam Streeter rounded out the top five.
With only a handful of laps to go, I.M.C.A. Sport Compact driver and division points leader Steve Miedke took the lead of that feature. Justin Wacha, who held the point throughout the first dozen laps, slowed with five laps remaining, allowing Miedke and Nathan Chandler to sneak by. Miedke held off Chandler late in the race to take the victory. Gary Peiffer beat Wacha to the line for fourth. Bill Whalen Jr. ran fifth.
In the cruiser feature, the team of Miller and McDonald scored the victory ahead of Steggall and Lewis for the mid-season victory.
In all, 117 cars were on-hand to honor the memory of Dick and Janet Hogan. The crew at BCS did a great job of getting the races in despite bad weather in the area. They remained in direct contact with the National Weather Service throughout the night, as well, in case the approaching storms changed course. Thank you to the track crew for their efforts and to the Hogan family for making this annual event bigger and better every year.
Torrential downpours and 90mph-plus winds on Friday made it impossible for the track crew to get on the speedway over the weekend. Even approaching race time on Sunday, it looked as though things may have been questionable whether the show would go on as planned.
While the track did produce a couple of nasty rough spots in turn one due to all of the moisture, the show itself ran off smoothly as the track somehow managed to dodge the elements. Those in attendance, however, were provided with quite a lightning show to the south. On the track, I.M.C.A. Modified driver Michael Long provided his own storm as he hauled $2,450 back to Quincy, Illinois, by picking up the win in the Hogan Memorial headliner.
Forty-eight Modifieds signed in to compete in what has become a big annual attraction on the schedule. The race, held in honor of the parents of I.M.C.A. Modified driver Scott Hogan, drew competitors from central and southeast Iowa, along with those who travel weekly to the 1/4-mile birthplace of the I.M.C.A. Modified.
After six qualifying events, from which 12 drivers qualified for the 25-lap feature, four B features were run. Two qualifiers came from each of those second-chance races. The top two in weekly points who were not already qualified were given provisionals. Provisionals were also awarded to the two most recent Hogan Memorial winners who were not already qualified through heats and Bs. Nationwide Series driver and Cedar Rapids-area native Landon Cassill was also present for the event. He was guaranteed a start in the feature, as 25 cars took the green for the 25-lapper.
The redraw was held on the front stretch just prior to green flag action. Long drew the No. 1 pill and J.D. Auringer started alongside him. Long assumed command when the race began and, although a few early cautions slowed the action, he held the point throughout. Hogan made his way through the field from a sixth row start running the high groove and made it as far as second, however Long proved too strong, leading the event in its entirety, adding his name to the list of winners.
An increased purse guaranteed $1,200 to the winner of the event. That money, combined with $50 for each lap led, meant Long made it a clean sweep as he earned the entire $1,250 in lap money for a $2,450 paycheck. It was his first win on the 1/4-mile oval. Hogan, Kevin Pittman, Auringer and Darin Duffy completed the top five. Ed Thomas, who earned a past champions provisional, earned hard charger honors as he advanced 13 positions in the event.
While the Modifieds were lined up based on a draw-redraw format, the remaining five weekly divisions were running for track points and lined straight-up by total points for the mid-season special.
In the I.M.C.A. Stock Cars, it appeared as though Justin Temeyer and Damon Murty were going to put on a show for the fans as those two started the event up front. A broken rotor on Temeyer's car, however, forced his No. 56T up into Murty as the two battled for the lead. That incident brought about an unfortunate premature end to the night for both drivers.
When racing resumed, Jason Deshaw held the point, but received quick heavy pressure from the field. Phil Holtz, in his first year in the division, worked his way into the lead late to score the win, the first of his career. Paul Shepherd, Deshaw, Dave Sires and Rod Grother rounded out the top five.
In the I.M.C.A. SportMods, points leader Austin Kaplan checked out early from his pole position start. He masterfully worked his No. 1 through lapped traffic en route to the victory ahead of Jim Buhlman and Drew Fish. Danny Dvorak and Kyle Bentley ran fourth and fifth, respectively.
Bill Bonnett worked his way into the lead early in the I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock feature. Bonnett paced the field for the first three circuits until mechanical problems sidelined him. Points leader Scott Pippert took charge from that point on to drive to the victory. He held off the challenges from Vince Buchholz to take the win. Jeremiah Wilson, Quinton Miller and Adam Streeter rounded out the top five.
With only a handful of laps to go, I.M.C.A. Sport Compact driver and division points leader Steve Miedke took the lead of that feature. Justin Wacha, who held the point throughout the first dozen laps, slowed with five laps remaining, allowing Miedke and Nathan Chandler to sneak by. Miedke held off Chandler late in the race to take the victory. Gary Peiffer beat Wacha to the line for fourth. Bill Whalen Jr. ran fifth.
In the cruiser feature, the team of Miller and McDonald scored the victory ahead of Steggall and Lewis for the mid-season victory.
In all, 117 cars were on-hand to honor the memory of Dick and Janet Hogan. The crew at BCS did a great job of getting the races in despite bad weather in the area. They remained in direct contact with the National Weather Service throughout the night, as well, in case the approaching storms changed course. Thank you to the track crew for their efforts and to the Hogan family for making this annual event bigger and better every year.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Dralle, Duffy, Dvorak drive to wins at Independence
A great crowd welcomed a season-high 130 race teams to the pits at Independence Motor Speedway on Saturday night for the fifth night of weekly racing in 2009.
In the I.M.C.A. Late Model division, Dale Hackwell Jr. quickly worked to the front of the pack from a fourth row start. Sitting in third after a lap one caution, Hackwell used the top groove of the speedway to work his way into the lead on the following lap.
Jon Passick and Rick Dralle gave chase with Passick briefly assuming command following a third lap caution. Passick snuck under the race leader, only to see Hackwell fight back on the high side and take charge once more on the eighth circuit.
Meanwhile, Dralle was working the low groove of the speedway into contention. Dralle worked under Passick on the 10th lap of the 25-lapper and set his sights on Hackwell. Unable to power ahead on the low side of the speedway, Dralle remained patient as the leaders encountered lapped traffic late in the event.
A lapped car running the high side forced Hackwell, who lost the brakes on his No. 145, to move one groove lower. Dralle pulled under both Hackwell and the backmarker in turns three and four for a thrilling pass as the white flag waved. Exiting the corner, Dralle held the edge and he led the final lap to score the win. Hackwell ran second followed by Luke Goedert, Greg Kastli and Darin Burco.
In the I.M.C.A. Modified 20-lapper, Ed Thomas held the early lead until Johnathan Thimmesch made his way out front following a second lap caution. As Thimmesch paced the field, Darin Duffy and J.D. Auringer were making their way through traffic from respective fifth and sixth row starts.
Duffy made his way into second place after only six laps and into the lead just one lap later. With Duffy out front running the high side of the speedway, Auringer worked through the field on the low side and into second with only four laps remaining.
Auringer mounted a challenge late, however Duffy held on to take the win, his second of the season. Justin O'Brien, Thimmesch and Jerry Luloff completed the top five.
Danny Dvorak took the lead on lap two of the I.M.C.A. SportMod main event and never looked back to score his second win of the season. Challenged late by Jake Strayer, Dvorak denied his advances to take the victory. Drew Fish, points leader Kyle Bentley and Josh Sherbon rounded out the top five.
Justin Temeyer took advantage of his outside front row starting position to drive to the win in the I.M.C.A. Stock Car 20-lapper. Temeyer held off challenges from Brian Irvine early and Jason Hocken late to take his first win of the season. Hocken, Jarod Weepie, Dan Trimble and Jay Schmidt completed the top five.
Matt Brown was looking to score his second consecutive win in the I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock division. He appeared to be on his way as he led the first half of the event untouched. Josh Irvine, however, had other plans as he motored past the race leader at the midway point of the 15-lapper on his way to the win, his second of the year. Todd Reitzler, Brown, Justin Lichty and Vince Buchholz chased Irvine to the checkers.
While the open wheel classes did struggle with cautions, the show was pretty smooth. Starting a little past 6:30 and ending right at 11 p.m., fans were provided with 26 events in the five divisions. Over 200 children also took part in a candy dash following qualifying events.
Next Saturday night, originally scheduled as Mid-Season Championships, will feature a regular night of racing. Qualifying heat races and features are on tap for Budweiser night that evening. After that, the Deery Brothers Summer Series for I.M.C.A. Late Models and the American Stock Car Shootout will be held at the speedway on Wednedsday, July 1. Scheduled to be a part of that event is a helicopter flyover by the Iowa National Guard. The Stock Car Legends Series will also be on-hand for the evening, a kickoff to the Independence Day holiday weekend.
In the I.M.C.A. Late Model division, Dale Hackwell Jr. quickly worked to the front of the pack from a fourth row start. Sitting in third after a lap one caution, Hackwell used the top groove of the speedway to work his way into the lead on the following lap.
Jon Passick and Rick Dralle gave chase with Passick briefly assuming command following a third lap caution. Passick snuck under the race leader, only to see Hackwell fight back on the high side and take charge once more on the eighth circuit.
Meanwhile, Dralle was working the low groove of the speedway into contention. Dralle worked under Passick on the 10th lap of the 25-lapper and set his sights on Hackwell. Unable to power ahead on the low side of the speedway, Dralle remained patient as the leaders encountered lapped traffic late in the event.
A lapped car running the high side forced Hackwell, who lost the brakes on his No. 145, to move one groove lower. Dralle pulled under both Hackwell and the backmarker in turns three and four for a thrilling pass as the white flag waved. Exiting the corner, Dralle held the edge and he led the final lap to score the win. Hackwell ran second followed by Luke Goedert, Greg Kastli and Darin Burco.
In the I.M.C.A. Modified 20-lapper, Ed Thomas held the early lead until Johnathan Thimmesch made his way out front following a second lap caution. As Thimmesch paced the field, Darin Duffy and J.D. Auringer were making their way through traffic from respective fifth and sixth row starts.
Duffy made his way into second place after only six laps and into the lead just one lap later. With Duffy out front running the high side of the speedway, Auringer worked through the field on the low side and into second with only four laps remaining.
Auringer mounted a challenge late, however Duffy held on to take the win, his second of the season. Justin O'Brien, Thimmesch and Jerry Luloff completed the top five.
Danny Dvorak took the lead on lap two of the I.M.C.A. SportMod main event and never looked back to score his second win of the season. Challenged late by Jake Strayer, Dvorak denied his advances to take the victory. Drew Fish, points leader Kyle Bentley and Josh Sherbon rounded out the top five.
Justin Temeyer took advantage of his outside front row starting position to drive to the win in the I.M.C.A. Stock Car 20-lapper. Temeyer held off challenges from Brian Irvine early and Jason Hocken late to take his first win of the season. Hocken, Jarod Weepie, Dan Trimble and Jay Schmidt completed the top five.
Matt Brown was looking to score his second consecutive win in the I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock division. He appeared to be on his way as he led the first half of the event untouched. Josh Irvine, however, had other plans as he motored past the race leader at the midway point of the 15-lapper on his way to the win, his second of the year. Todd Reitzler, Brown, Justin Lichty and Vince Buchholz chased Irvine to the checkers.
While the open wheel classes did struggle with cautions, the show was pretty smooth. Starting a little past 6:30 and ending right at 11 p.m., fans were provided with 26 events in the five divisions. Over 200 children also took part in a candy dash following qualifying events.
Next Saturday night, originally scheduled as Mid-Season Championships, will feature a regular night of racing. Qualifying heat races and features are on tap for Budweiser night that evening. After that, the Deery Brothers Summer Series for I.M.C.A. Late Models and the American Stock Car Shootout will be held at the speedway on Wednedsday, July 1. Scheduled to be a part of that event is a helicopter flyover by the Iowa National Guard. The Stock Car Legends Series will also be on-hand for the evening, a kickoff to the Independence Day holiday weekend.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Foster, Mueller tops in exciting features at 34 Raceway
Although the skies looked threatening throughout the day Saturday, rain was never really an issue in southeast Iowa. The overcast skies allowed for a tacky, fast race track and for a fantastic night of racing at 34 Raceway.
In the I.M.C.A. Modified division, Dennis Laveine was hoping to check out early on the field in the 20-lap event. Laveine held the advantage while Bill Roberts and Scott Hogan made their way through the field.
Swapping between the high and low grooves, the second and third place cars ran down the race leader only to see Laveine retire to the pits with mechanical problems around the midway mark.
With Roberts out front and Hogan close behind, racing resumed and points leader Josh Foster started to make some noise. From a deep start in the field, Foster worked his way through traffic and eventually into an exciting three-car battle out front with Roberts and Hogan.
Foster shot beneath the leaders as the field worked through lapped traffic late in the event. Foster went on to score the exciting win ahead of Hogan and Roberts. Jeff Waterman and Jeff Schroyer completed the top five.
Up next was the 12-lap four-cylinder feature. From his front row starting position, Geoffrey Theobald assumed command with Travis Yakle settling in behind him. The lead pair started to pull away from the field with Yakle glued to Theobald's rear bumper. Yakle tried numerous times to make his way around the race leader, however his efforts to pass on both the high and low sides of the No. 33 were denied each time.
Mechanical problems sidelined Yakle late in the event, allowing Travis Demint to restart hot on Theobald's heels following a late caution. When racing resumed, Theobald remained too strong to beat as he drove to the apparent victory. A rules violation concerning his wheels, however, gave the win to Demint after Theobald was disqualified. Brian Tipps and Brett Vanous ran second and third. Tyler and John Whalen finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Thrilling four and five-car battles at the front of the pack highlighted the I.M.C.A. Stock Car 20-lapper. Front-row starter Cole Simmons received heavy pressure from a quartet of drivers throughout the event, including Rod Staats, Jeff Mueller, Abe Huls and Jim Redmann.
Two and three-wide battles throughout the early stages of the event kept the field close. Mueller was able to sweep below his competitors just past the midway point to take the advantage and drive to the thrilling win. Following him across the line were Simmons, Staats, Huls and Redmann, respectively.
Colby Springsteen set sail early in the 25-lap I.M.C.A. Late Model headliner. While Springsteen led, fellow front row starter Joey Gower settled into second. After only a few laps, Springsteen extended his lead to nearly a straightaway over Gower, who was half of a straightaway ahead of the rest of the field.
A caution just prior to the midway point of the race bunched the field. On the restart, third-running Mark Burgtorf worked his way past Gower, then set his sights on Springsteen. A few laps later, Burgtorf powered to the inside of Springsteen to take the lead as he drove to the win. Tom Goble, who started eighth, came through traffic to finish second. Gower, Lonnie Bailey and Jay Johnson rounded out the top five.
In the nightcap, Dane Fenton appeared to be on his way to victory in the Hobby Stock feature when a miscue exiting turn four on the 12th lap forced him to the tail of the field. On the restart, Ray Raker and Randy Wachter engaged in an exciting two-car battle for the win. The lead pair remained wheel-to-wheel over the final laps with Raker edging ahead at the line for a photo finish victory. Derek St. Clair, Rob Wilsey and Tanner Thomann completed the top five.
A great field of 122 cars was on-hand and the show was in the books by 10:20. As always, a great night of racing at 34. Special thanks to promoter Amy Laue and track announcer Rich Adams, along with facilities director Jason Goble, for giving me the opportunity to call a few of the races behind the mic. It was also nice to visit with the track crew following the races; some of the friendliest, most dedicated folks involved in local racing anywhere!
In the I.M.C.A. Modified division, Dennis Laveine was hoping to check out early on the field in the 20-lap event. Laveine held the advantage while Bill Roberts and Scott Hogan made their way through the field.
Swapping between the high and low grooves, the second and third place cars ran down the race leader only to see Laveine retire to the pits with mechanical problems around the midway mark.
With Roberts out front and Hogan close behind, racing resumed and points leader Josh Foster started to make some noise. From a deep start in the field, Foster worked his way through traffic and eventually into an exciting three-car battle out front with Roberts and Hogan.
Foster shot beneath the leaders as the field worked through lapped traffic late in the event. Foster went on to score the exciting win ahead of Hogan and Roberts. Jeff Waterman and Jeff Schroyer completed the top five.
Up next was the 12-lap four-cylinder feature. From his front row starting position, Geoffrey Theobald assumed command with Travis Yakle settling in behind him. The lead pair started to pull away from the field with Yakle glued to Theobald's rear bumper. Yakle tried numerous times to make his way around the race leader, however his efforts to pass on both the high and low sides of the No. 33 were denied each time.
Mechanical problems sidelined Yakle late in the event, allowing Travis Demint to restart hot on Theobald's heels following a late caution. When racing resumed, Theobald remained too strong to beat as he drove to the apparent victory. A rules violation concerning his wheels, however, gave the win to Demint after Theobald was disqualified. Brian Tipps and Brett Vanous ran second and third. Tyler and John Whalen finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Thrilling four and five-car battles at the front of the pack highlighted the I.M.C.A. Stock Car 20-lapper. Front-row starter Cole Simmons received heavy pressure from a quartet of drivers throughout the event, including Rod Staats, Jeff Mueller, Abe Huls and Jim Redmann.
Two and three-wide battles throughout the early stages of the event kept the field close. Mueller was able to sweep below his competitors just past the midway point to take the advantage and drive to the thrilling win. Following him across the line were Simmons, Staats, Huls and Redmann, respectively.
Colby Springsteen set sail early in the 25-lap I.M.C.A. Late Model headliner. While Springsteen led, fellow front row starter Joey Gower settled into second. After only a few laps, Springsteen extended his lead to nearly a straightaway over Gower, who was half of a straightaway ahead of the rest of the field.
A caution just prior to the midway point of the race bunched the field. On the restart, third-running Mark Burgtorf worked his way past Gower, then set his sights on Springsteen. A few laps later, Burgtorf powered to the inside of Springsteen to take the lead as he drove to the win. Tom Goble, who started eighth, came through traffic to finish second. Gower, Lonnie Bailey and Jay Johnson rounded out the top five.
In the nightcap, Dane Fenton appeared to be on his way to victory in the Hobby Stock feature when a miscue exiting turn four on the 12th lap forced him to the tail of the field. On the restart, Ray Raker and Randy Wachter engaged in an exciting two-car battle for the win. The lead pair remained wheel-to-wheel over the final laps with Raker edging ahead at the line for a photo finish victory. Derek St. Clair, Rob Wilsey and Tanner Thomann completed the top five.
A great field of 122 cars was on-hand and the show was in the books by 10:20. As always, a great night of racing at 34. Special thanks to promoter Amy Laue and track announcer Rich Adams, along with facilities director Jason Goble, for giving me the opportunity to call a few of the races behind the mic. It was also nice to visit with the track crew following the races; some of the friendliest, most dedicated folks involved in local racing anywhere!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Independence rained out; trip to 34 planned
Due to substantial rainfall in the past 24 hours, combined with the lack of drying conditions today, tonight's races scheduled for Independence Motor Speedway have been canceled.
I'm going to point the car south and make the trip to 34 Raceway for the weekly show in Burlington. I.M.C.A. Late Models will return to the schedule there tonight following a week off due to last week's Sprint Invaders Series visit. A recap of tonight's races will follow later.
I'm going to point the car south and make the trip to 34 Raceway for the weekly show in Burlington. I.M.C.A. Late Models will return to the schedule there tonight following a week off due to last week's Sprint Invaders Series visit. A recap of tonight's races will follow later.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Racing beats rain at Independence Motor Speedway
Two caution-free features highlighted a great night of racing at Independence Motor Speedway. Despite rainy weather throughout the region that forced a number of tracks to cancel their programs, 114 race teams signed in and provided fans with exciting action on the 3/8-mile oval. The program, which saw 19 events completed in just under three hours, combined with the opening of the new grandstands and a smooth, tacky, fast racing surface, all made for a terrific night of racing at the speedway.
First to the track was the 26-car I.M.C.A. SportMod feature. Kurt Hogan assumed command at the drop of the green from his outside front row starting position. Hogan held the point for the first six circuits while Danny Dvorak worked through the field from a fourth row start. He snagged the lead on lap seven. A lapped car tangled with Hogan just after Dvorak took command causing rearend damage to his ride, ending his night.
When racing resumed, Dvorak held the point, but was quickly challenged by Chris Luloff who made his way through traffic after starting 11th. Working the high groove, Luloff made his way into the lead with only five laps remaining. A short time later, Dvorak retired to the pits with mechanical problems.
Points leader Kyle Bentley settled into second with only four laps to go and mounted a charge, but his efforts came up short as Luloff drove to the win, his second in a row. Jason Niedert, Jim Buhlman and Kaleb Bentley completed the top five.
Josh Steere paced the 17-car field for the first two laps of the I.M.C.A. Stock Car feature. Fellow front row starter Justin Temeyer worked past the leader on the third circuit as the field battled two and three-wide behind them. Jarod Weepie, Shane Manson, Damon Murty and Norman Chesmore entered the mix to create a wild wheel-to-wheel, side-by-side six-car battle throughout much of the 20-lapper.
As Temeyer led, his competitors jockeyed for position behind him on the multi-groove surface. Weepie and Murty swapped the runner-up spot until Temeyer drifted high coming out of turn four to complete lap 13. Murty was working the high side of the race leader, forcing both drivers off the high side of the front straightaway. This allowed Weepie and Manson to sneak by. Murty regrouped and settled into fifth, however Temeyer was forced to the pits with mechanical problems.
Weepie led the remaining seven laps to score the exciting win in the caution-free event. Manson ran second ahead of Murty, Chesmore and Phil Holtz.
Cory Bauer and Justin O'Brien put some early distance on the rest of the 26-car I.M.C.A. Modified field in their scheduled 20-lapper. O'Brien paced the field through a trio of cautions that littered the first half of the event.
While the leaders continued to dominate out front, Max Corporon was working through the field from a seventh row start. Running the low groove, Corporon settled into third on the 15th circuit following two more stoppages just past the midway point.
Corporon pulled to the inside of Bauer with only two laps to go, mere inches behind the leader on the last completed lap before the yellow flag waved again. With the minute per lap time limit having expired, Corporon mounted one last challenge when racing resumed. Unable to get another lap in the books before one more caution flag waved, Bauer took his first victory at the speedway in the division. Corporon finished second ahead of O'Brien. Points leader Darin Duffy and Jerry Luloff completed the top five.
Perhaps the most impressive run of the night belonged to I.M.C.A. Late Model driver Terry Neal. Making his first appearance of the season at the speedway, Neal qualified through his heat race and settled into the 12th starting position when the 23-car field went green.
Out front, Darin Burco took the early lead with fellow front row starter Drew Johnson in tow. The leaders quickly pulled away from the field, a straightaway margin ahead of third-running Greg Kastli by the time they entered lapped traffic on the seventh circuit. As the leaders hit the backmarkers, Neal motored into seventh place, a third of a speedway behind them.
Burco encountered heavier lapped cars on the 12th lap, but maintained his edge over Johnson. By this time, Neal was sitting in fourth, seemingly mired in traffic as the race approached its midway point.
Neal worked around Kastli for third just three laps later and set his sights on Johnson. Neal then worked around Johnson with only five laps remaining and quickly ran down Burco. As the white flag was displayed, Neal made his bid for the lead, driving to the incredible victory in the caution-free event that took just under eight minutes to complete. Burco, Johnson, Kastli and Darren Ackerman rounded out the top five.
Twenty-two I.M.C.A. Hobby Stocks served as the nightcap on the evening for their 15-lap feature. Second row starter Joe Sprague quickly worked his way into the lead. Sprague held the point until Jeremiah Wilson made a pass on the high side to secure the top spot three laps into the event.
Matt Brown entered the battle out front a short time later and he took over six laps into the event. Brown paced the field for the final nine circuits to score his first win of the year. Justin Hanson edged Wilson at the line for second. Josh Irvine and Eric Larson ran fourth and fifth.
The threat of rain in the area led officials to start the program a few minutes earlier than the normal 6:30 starting time. Qualifying began at 6:17 with heat races completed just after 7:30. The first feature made its way to the speedway at 7:39 and the final checkered flag of the night waved at 9:10.
Although the weather was sketchy at best for much of the afternoon, the attendance was good. Those on-hand were able to take advantage of the new grandstands. Even though they are still a work in progress, around 90% of the new seating was available for use.
I had a chance to check out the new grandstands prior to racing and, I must admit, I don't think there will be a bad seat in the house once the construction is complete. A new concession area, located directly below the new seating area, is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.
First to the track was the 26-car I.M.C.A. SportMod feature. Kurt Hogan assumed command at the drop of the green from his outside front row starting position. Hogan held the point for the first six circuits while Danny Dvorak worked through the field from a fourth row start. He snagged the lead on lap seven. A lapped car tangled with Hogan just after Dvorak took command causing rearend damage to his ride, ending his night.
When racing resumed, Dvorak held the point, but was quickly challenged by Chris Luloff who made his way through traffic after starting 11th. Working the high groove, Luloff made his way into the lead with only five laps remaining. A short time later, Dvorak retired to the pits with mechanical problems.
Points leader Kyle Bentley settled into second with only four laps to go and mounted a charge, but his efforts came up short as Luloff drove to the win, his second in a row. Jason Niedert, Jim Buhlman and Kaleb Bentley completed the top five.
Josh Steere paced the 17-car field for the first two laps of the I.M.C.A. Stock Car feature. Fellow front row starter Justin Temeyer worked past the leader on the third circuit as the field battled two and three-wide behind them. Jarod Weepie, Shane Manson, Damon Murty and Norman Chesmore entered the mix to create a wild wheel-to-wheel, side-by-side six-car battle throughout much of the 20-lapper.
As Temeyer led, his competitors jockeyed for position behind him on the multi-groove surface. Weepie and Murty swapped the runner-up spot until Temeyer drifted high coming out of turn four to complete lap 13. Murty was working the high side of the race leader, forcing both drivers off the high side of the front straightaway. This allowed Weepie and Manson to sneak by. Murty regrouped and settled into fifth, however Temeyer was forced to the pits with mechanical problems.
Weepie led the remaining seven laps to score the exciting win in the caution-free event. Manson ran second ahead of Murty, Chesmore and Phil Holtz.
Cory Bauer and Justin O'Brien put some early distance on the rest of the 26-car I.M.C.A. Modified field in their scheduled 20-lapper. O'Brien paced the field through a trio of cautions that littered the first half of the event.
While the leaders continued to dominate out front, Max Corporon was working through the field from a seventh row start. Running the low groove, Corporon settled into third on the 15th circuit following two more stoppages just past the midway point.
Corporon pulled to the inside of Bauer with only two laps to go, mere inches behind the leader on the last completed lap before the yellow flag waved again. With the minute per lap time limit having expired, Corporon mounted one last challenge when racing resumed. Unable to get another lap in the books before one more caution flag waved, Bauer took his first victory at the speedway in the division. Corporon finished second ahead of O'Brien. Points leader Darin Duffy and Jerry Luloff completed the top five.
Perhaps the most impressive run of the night belonged to I.M.C.A. Late Model driver Terry Neal. Making his first appearance of the season at the speedway, Neal qualified through his heat race and settled into the 12th starting position when the 23-car field went green.
Out front, Darin Burco took the early lead with fellow front row starter Drew Johnson in tow. The leaders quickly pulled away from the field, a straightaway margin ahead of third-running Greg Kastli by the time they entered lapped traffic on the seventh circuit. As the leaders hit the backmarkers, Neal motored into seventh place, a third of a speedway behind them.
Burco encountered heavier lapped cars on the 12th lap, but maintained his edge over Johnson. By this time, Neal was sitting in fourth, seemingly mired in traffic as the race approached its midway point.
Neal worked around Kastli for third just three laps later and set his sights on Johnson. Neal then worked around Johnson with only five laps remaining and quickly ran down Burco. As the white flag was displayed, Neal made his bid for the lead, driving to the incredible victory in the caution-free event that took just under eight minutes to complete. Burco, Johnson, Kastli and Darren Ackerman rounded out the top five.
Twenty-two I.M.C.A. Hobby Stocks served as the nightcap on the evening for their 15-lap feature. Second row starter Joe Sprague quickly worked his way into the lead. Sprague held the point until Jeremiah Wilson made a pass on the high side to secure the top spot three laps into the event.
Matt Brown entered the battle out front a short time later and he took over six laps into the event. Brown paced the field for the final nine circuits to score his first win of the year. Justin Hanson edged Wilson at the line for second. Josh Irvine and Eric Larson ran fourth and fifth.
The threat of rain in the area led officials to start the program a few minutes earlier than the normal 6:30 starting time. Qualifying began at 6:17 with heat races completed just after 7:30. The first feature made its way to the speedway at 7:39 and the final checkered flag of the night waved at 9:10.
Although the weather was sketchy at best for much of the afternoon, the attendance was good. Those on-hand were able to take advantage of the new grandstands. Even though they are still a work in progress, around 90% of the new seating was available for use.
I had a chance to check out the new grandstands prior to racing and, I must admit, I don't think there will be a bad seat in the house once the construction is complete. A new concession area, located directly below the new seating area, is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Independence Motor Speedway Stats Blitz (through May 30)
I like to keep track of statistics, trends and interesting facts and figures throughout the season. I'll update my blog periodically throughout the season with tons of (useless?) information. From heats and features to qualifying and laps led to caution flags and green flag laps, here's the first installment for 2009 at Independence Motor Speedway.
All of the statistics included here are through three weeks of weekly racing. Please note, all five divisions are I.M.C.A.-sanctioned. The SportMod statistics include the years the division was unsanctioned and classified as the B Modified division.
Car Count
Division - Average - High - Low
Late Model - 24.3 - 26 - 23
Modified - 33.7 - 35 - 32
Stock Car - 18.7 - 19 - 18
SportMod - 28.3 - 30 - 26
Hobby Stock - 19.3 - 23 - 13
TOTAL - 124.3 - 126 - 122
Points
* 152 drivers have earned points so far this season.
* Among those 152 drivers, 56 different hometowns are represented.
* Only two of five points leaders have won features: Darin Duffy (Modified) and Brian Irvine (Stock Car). Points leaders without victories include Curt Martin (Late Model), Kyle Bentley (SportMod) and Vince Buchholz (Hobby Stock).
* Only Brian Irvine (Stock Car) has held the points lead every week through three weeks.
* A different driver has led the Hobby Stock points following each week: Josh Irvine, Quinton Miller, Vince Buchholz.
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#26 I.M.C.A. Stock Car of Brian Irvine (photo by Action Track Photography)Feature Winners
There have been no repeat winners in the Late Model, Modified or SportMod divisions.
Only two drivers have multiple wins: Brian Irvine (Stock Car) and Wes Stanek (Hobby Stock).
Top-10s
* 90 drivers have earned at least one top-10 finish this season.
* 15 drivers have earned top-10 finishes in all three features:
Late Model: Curt Martin;
Modified: Darin Duffy, Adam Johnson;
Stock Car: Norman Chesmore, Jason Hocken, Brian Irvine, Shane Manson;
SportMod: Kyle Bentley, Jim Buhlman, Rod McDonald;
Hobby Stock: Don Arnold, Vince Buchholz, Justin Lichty, Quinton Miller, Wes Stanek.
Top-5s
* 54 drivers have earned at least one top-5 finish this season.
* Only three drivers have earned top-5 finishes in all three features:
Late Model: None;
Modified: Darin Duffy;
Stock Car: None;
SportMod: None;
Hobby Stock: Vince Buchholz, Quinton Miller.
Top-3s
* 35 drivers have earned at least one top-3 finish this season.
* Darin Duffy (Modified) is the only driver to score top three finishes every week this season (3, 1, 3).
#19D I.M.C.A. Modified of Darin Duffy (photo by Action Track Photography)
Feature Lap Leaders
* 26 drivers have led at least one lap of feature competition.
* Division lap leaders include:
Late Model: Dale Stolte (25 laps led), Jill George (15), Rob Toland (11), Scott Welsh (10);
Modified: Don Erger (20 laps led), Max Corporon (13), Jimmy Gustin (10), Darin Duffy (1);
Stock Car: Brian Irvine (25 laps led), Dan Trimble (24), Justin Temeyer (9), Shane Manson and Kevin Rose (1 each);
SportMod: Chris Luloff (14 laps led), Josh Sherbon (11), Danny Dvorak (10), Curt Hilmer (1);
Hobby Stock: Wes Stanek (18 laps led), Justin Hanson (6), Josh Irvine (5), Quinton Miller and Justin Ginther (3 each).
Heat Races
* There have been 36 different heat race winners in 46 heat races.
* There have been no repeat heat winners in the Late Model division in nine heat races.
* Of the nine drivers who have won multiple heat races this season, only Matt Brown (Hobby Stock) has won his heat every week.
Efficiency Stats
* A total of 71 races have been run this season.
* A total of 688 laps have been completed.
* A total of 85 caution flags have been thrown.
* The Stock Car division has had only four total caution flags through nine races and 116 laps of competition.
Since the year 2000...
* 590 feature events have been completed in weekly competition.
* 144 different drivers have visited victory lane.
* A new face finds victory lane every 4.1 races.
* Only eight drivers have won features in multiple divisions:
Darin Duffy: Modified and Late Model;
Scooter Dulin: Hobby Stock and Stock Car;
Brian Irvine: Hobby Stock and Stock Car;
Brett Ladehoff: Modified and SportMod;
Chris Luloff: Hobby Stock and SportMod;
Tony Olson: SportMod and Modified;
Josh Steere: Hobby Stock and B Mod;
Justin Temeyer: Hobby Stock and Stock Car.
* There have been:
30 different Late Model winners in 126 events;
28 Modified winners in 130 events;
23 Stock Car winners in 131 events;
43 Hobby Stock winners in 130 events;
20 SportMod/B Mod winners in 73 events.
* Division leaders include:
Late Model: Curt Martin (37 wins since 2000);
Modified: Vern Jackson (26);
Stock Car: Dan Trimble (32);
Hobby Stock: Brian Irvine (16);
SportMod/B Mod: Joe Docekal (18).
Qualifying Streaks
* The longest currently active feature qualifying streaks for weekly competition in each division include:
Late Model: Dale Hackwell Jr. has qualified for every Late Model feature since he moved into the division at the start of the 1998 season. (159 consecutive features)
Modified: Jerry Luloff has qualified for 172 consecutive features. His last miss was July 5, 1997.
Stock Car: Jarod Weepie has has qualified for 111 consecutive features. His last miss was June 9, 2001.
Hobby Stock: Josh Irvine has qualified for 37 consecutive features. His last miss was May 27, 2006.
SportMod/B Mod: Mary Handberg has qualified for 41 consecutive features. Her last miss was August 27, 2005.
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