Waterman wins Hawkeye Dirt Tour stop at Cresco Speedway

Jeff Waterman took advantage of a mid-race caution to help him make a late-race pass for victory in the JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour for IMCA Modifieds. The event, the third in the inaugural season for the series, was part of the Mighty Howard County Fair at Cresco Speedway on Thursday night.

Pole-sitter Dan Chapman held the early lead of the 30-lap event as fellow front row starter Rich Smith quickly went to work on the high side of the 4/10-mile oval. Smith worked around the race leader after just four laps and quickly started to pull away from the field.

As Smith put distance between his #8 and the rest of the 25-car field, Chapman worked low as second row starter Waterman started to close the gap in third. Waterman swept around the outside of Chapman on lap 10, but found himself over half of a straightaway behind the leader. As Waterman worked to cut into the lead, Richie Gustin was working the low line and motored into third while Mark Elliott, who started 11th, went to work on the top side and made his way into the top five just prior to a lap 14 caution.

Waterman, who had slowly started to close the gap prior to the lap 14 yellow, restarted the event on Smith's rear bumper and alongside Gustin. Chapman and Elliott comprised row three when the green flag waved once more. That green flag run was short-lived, however, as Gustin dropped a drive shaft to bring out the race's final stoppage just two laps later. Gustin's run ended right after Elliott inched past Waterman on the top side for second and series opener winner Josh Foster worked his way into the top five.

When racing resumed for the final time, Smith once again went to work up high as Elliott also worked the top side and Waterman ran down low. The leaders broke away from the field and engaged in a thrilling three-car battle at the front of the pack.

Smith continued to lead and Elliott held Waterman at bay until lap 21 when Waterman shot to the inside of Elliott for second. One lap later, Waterman continued his surge to the front and blasted beneath Smith exiting turn four to assume command. Waterman led the final seven circuits to score the victory. Elliott switched things up on the final lap and worked the low side past Smith for second at the line. Foster ran fourth and Jay Noteboom, who started 12th, came home fifth.

Jeff Waterman of Quincy, Ill., drove to victory in the JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour at Cresco Speedway on June 24. (photo courtesy of Scott Tjabring/Action Track Photography)

HDT notes: Waterman made a five-hour pull from Quincy, Ill., to earn the win, only the second of his career in the IMCA Modified division. His first victory came during weekly competition at 34 Raceway in West Burlington last season. When I asked him if it was the biggest win of his career, he paused for a moment, then said, "Yeah, pretty much!" As humble in victory as he was excited, Waterman definitely stole the show. He became the second different winner in three series events who competes regularly at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson and 34 Raceway... Following heat race qualifying, Darin Duffy of Hazleton appeared to be the man to beat. He started last in his eight-car heat and made his way into the lead in just three laps among the likes of series points leader Richie Gustin, Troy Cordes, Waterman and defending IMCA Super Nationals champion Randy Havlik. Not only did he win the third heat, Duffy literally annihilated the field. Unfortunately, Duffy's run in the feature was short-lived as he was pinched low in turn two on the first lap and damage from contact with a tractor tire ended his run far too early... Nate Caruth was the event's hard-charger. Although he won his heat, Caruth was forced to qualify through a last chance race after being DQ'd for a laundry list of violations in post-race tech. He started the feature 19th and finished eighth... If my quick unofficial math is correct, Foster will return to the top of the points, taking a three point margin over Noteboom into next Friday's Liberty Cup event at Foster's "hometown" Lee County Speedway... For those drivers who think all touring series are just feathers to add to the caps of the "big name" drivers, three races into the HDT's inaugural season I believe has proven otherwise. When you consider how many folks outside of southeast Iowa and western Illinois may not be familiar with Foster or Waterman, this series set out to cater to the weekly racer and, thus far, it has done just that. On top of it, it has provided some excellent racing. I'm looking forward to next week's Liberty Cup at Donnellson... Also, if you haven't already checked it out, in this month's issue of Dirt Modified Magazine I wrote a story on the Hawkeye Dirt Tour. It includes a behind-the-scenes look at how the series came to be, along with post-race thoughts on the series opener at Independence in May.

Cresco Crusader - Waterman celebrates his HDT feature win with a fist pump in victory lane. (photo courtesy of Scott Tjabring/Action track Photography)

Hawkeye Dirt Tour IMCA Modifieds
1. 71W Jeff Waterman
2. 12 Mark Elliott
3. 8 Rich Smith
4. 77 Josh Foster
5. 7N Jay Noteboom
6. 37X Mike Jergens
7. 91 Shawn Ryan
8. 7C Nate Caruth
9. 71 Troy Cordes
10. 12J Justin O'Brien
11. 45 Ron Pope
12. 22 Jeff Ignaszewski
13. 64 Vern Jackson
14. 3C Max Corporon
15. 27M Mark Schulte
16. 98 Jason Snyder
17. 62 Greg Cox
18. 3Z Randy Havlik
19. 57B Dennis Betzer
20. 01 Ed Thomas
21. 10K Ronn Lauritzen
22. 75 Clint Wendel
23. 1X Dan Chapman
24. 19G Richie Gustin
25. 19D Darin Duffy

Non-qualifiers
86 Jeff Morris
60 Kurt Krauskopf
32 Rick Speck
12C Kent Croskey
58 Andy Krieger
68 J.J. Wise
15 Matt Stagman
23W Robert Whalen

In other action on the night, Chris Hovden won a thriller in the Hobby Stock division, taking the lead with only one lap to go as a five-car battle thrilled the packed grandstands. At the start of the 12-lapper, pole-sitter Steve Holthaus took charge until the race was quickly stopped for a wild wreck in turn four. I didn't happen to see it and still can't imagine how it happened, but the #41 of Jason Hovey unded up backwards, over the cement wall and on the fence in the corner. Also collected in the melee was the #21 of Joel Anderson. Both drivers walked away uninjured.

Jason Hovey (#41) took a wild ride over the turn four wall on the first lap of the Hobby Stock feature. While also involved, Joel Anderson narrowly missed the brunt of the incident. Both drivers walked away uninjured. (photo courtesy of Scott Tjabring/Action Track Photography)

After a 17-minute delay to remove the carnage, Holthaus again paced the field as Dan Hovden, Danny Sacquinte, Scott Spilde and Chris Hovden closely followed. The lead pack of five quickly broke away from the field and engaged in the most exciting battle I've seen in the 25 events I've attended this year. The leaders swapped grooves and positions constantly over the remainder of the event as the top five literally never remained the same for consecutive laps over the final seven circuits.

Holthaus remained committed to the low groove, but Chris Hovden surged ahead on the high side as the white flag waved. He held on by less than a car-length to score the exciting victory. Holthaus ran second ahead of Sacquinte, who used the high side to beat Spilde at the line for third. Dan Hovden came home a very close fifth.

Chris Hovden won a thriller in the Hobby Stock division, charging past Steve Holthaus late for the win. (photo courtesy of Scott Tjabring/Action Track Photography)

Hobby Stocks

1. 70C Chris Hovden

2. 70 Steve Holthaus

3. 6 Danny Sacquinte

4. 18 Scott Spilde

5. 16 Dan Hovden

6. 71 Adam Cline
7. 44 Dillon Anderson
8. 98 Kyle Anderson
9. 24 Randy Banks
10. 7K Andy Stinson
11. 19 August Bach
12. 32 Casey Colsch
13. 21 Joel Anderson
14. 64 Eric Reicks

15. 28 Tim Brunkhorst

16. 41 Jason Hovey

DNS 37 Carl Colsch

DNS 8 Justin Kupka

Bryan Webb started on the pole, led throughout the event, then held on at the end to take the victory in the Stock Car feature. Early on, Webb fended off challenges from Kevin Donlan out front as Lynn Panos worked the high groove. After starting sixth, Panos battled with his competitors before moving to higher ground and advancing through the field. He entered the top three six laps into the 18-lapper as Webb continued to lead Donlan.

Panos worked past Donlan with seven laps to go and attempted to run down the leader. Webb, however, ran the low groove to perfection to score his first win of the season. Panos came home second ahead of Donlan.

Stock Cars
1. 10 Bryan Webb
2. 97 Lynn Panos
3. 33X Kevin Donlan
4. 15 Mitch Hovden
5. 67 Kyle Falck
6. 27 Shawn Peter
7. 40 Austin Curtin
8. 5 Mike Bergan
9. 11X Shay Curtin
10. 42 Dan Christopher
11. 121G Arlen Hoy
12. 03 Tory Reicks
13. 20 Brent Tweten
14. 23 Brian Gjere

Bryan Webb led the distance in the Stock Car feature. He held off late pressure from Lynn Panos to steal the win. (photo courtesy of Scott Tjabring/Action track Photography)

In the final event of the night, Cayden Carter worked the low side of the speedway and into the lead on lap two of the 20-lap B Mod feature to drive to the win. Carter survived numerous cautions to take the victory in convincing fashion ahead of Troy Hovey and Jason Schlangen.

Cayden Carter made it look easy as he dominated the B Mod feature to end the night in victory lane. I(photo courtesy of Scott Tjabring/Action Track Photography)

B Mod
1. 10 Cayden Carter
2. 76J Troy Hovey
3. 27 Jason Schlangen
4. 56H Brandon Hare
5. 16 Kip Siems
6. 85 Ben Moudry
7. 64 Brandon Leeman
8. 14 Brian Schrage
9. 88X Jimmy Broszeit
10. 23B Brett Bumgardner
11. 20 Greg Mitchell
12. 28 Parker Hale
13. 21 Jacob Blaess
14. 63 Matt McCahen
15. 35C Cole Konkel
16. 9 Christopher Holstrom
17. 82 Em Fretheim
18. 17C Chad Halverson
19. 21W Chris Weigert
20. 14M Brian Mahlstedt
21. 27K Andrew Kelly

It was another great night of racing at Cresco tonight. On the drive home, I was thinking back to the events I've seen this season. This was my 25th night of racing and approximately 115th feature. The Hobby Stock feature was probably the best race I've seen all season and the Modified feature was near the top of the list, as well. Thanks again to Tom Barnes and crew for a great racing program!

Up next for me is a trip to Columbus Junction tomorrow. Regular CJ Speedway announcer Gene Arnold has other obligations and he's asked me to fill in for mid-season championships tomorrow night. Then, on Saturday, it's back closer to home for the sixth night of weekly racing at Independence.

The weather is looking more racer friendly so get out and support your local track this weekend!