On a Sunday when the weather finally wasn't a major player in the course of the evening's events, a grandstand full of race fans came out for mid-season championship racing, sponsored by Gary's Auto, at Benton County Speedway in Vinton.
Going away from the traditional mid-season format of lining up cars based on total points (more on that later), a regular night of racing was in store for race fans as heat race qualifying and average point inverts determined the starting lineups.
First out of the gate was the 15-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature. At the drop of the green in that event, pole-sitter Justin Wacha took command. Wacha, in search of his first career win in the Hobby Stocks, was impressive early as he skated away from the pack by a few car-lengths. Third row starter Justin Stander made an impressive run through traffic to take over second place from Cale Peterson following a lap three caution. Stander started to cut into Wacha's advantage and found himself on the leader's rear bumper following the race's final caution on lap seven.
On the restart, Stander remained glued to Wacha's rear bumper as the leaders ran the low groove of the speedway. Stander tried a couple of times to work the low side of Wacha, but was unable to make the move until the white flag waved. Stander then shot to the inside of the the leader in the first set of turns and exited turn two with a slight advantage.
Despite contact between the two, both drivers held their positions entering turns three and four. Stander pulled away from the pack as Wacha faded when he bobbled on the low side, leaving Stander to drive away with the win. For Stander, it was a bit of redemption as he lost the lead on the final lap of the Hobby Stock feature the night before at Independence Motor Speedway.
1. 67 Justin Stander
2. 77 Rod Grother
3. 78 Matt Brown
4. 17K Kyle Parizek
5. 55 Vince Buchholz
6. 2P Cale Peterson
7. 1S Greg Sweerin
8. 4X Gary Pfantz
9. 07 Jacob Keiser
10. 25 Doug Laughridge
Nathan Chandler went to work on the high side to make an early charge to the front in the 12-lap IMCA Sport Compact feature. Chandler, who started inside of row three, quickly made his way to the high groove and took over second on the first lap. Just one lap later he worked around James Stevens to take control out front. As Chandler extended his lead, Gary Peiffer settled into second on lap three.
Slowed three times for caution over the final eight laps, the field remained bunched together. On each restart, Chandler pulled away as Peiffer worked to hold off Brad Chandler for the runner-up spot. Nathan Chandler survived each caution period to drive to the win while Peiffer held off Brad Chandler at the line for second.
1. 22 Nathan Chandler
2. 36DD Gary Peiffer
3. 2 Brad Chandler
4. 51 Bryce Bailey
5. 07X Tyler Whalen
6. 8M Jacob McVay
7. 13X James Stevens
8. 35 Brett Vanous
9. 83 Travis Ross
10. A1 Louis Trachta
Pole-sitter Jesse Belez held the early lead in the 15-lap IMCA SportMod feature. Quick to challenge, third row starter Dave Schulze dropped to the low side and battled for the lead on the first lap. He came away with the lead as the field completed lap two and showed the way until the first caution waved on lap five. By this time, Kyle Brown worked through traffic after starting alongside Schulze, and found himself in second for the ensuing restart.
When racing resumed, Brown worked the low side of the leader while Drew Fish was running the high groove after restarting in fourth. Fish inched ahead at the completion of lap nine with Schulze and Brown still running the low side. Schulze briefly took command on the following lap as the trio battled three-wide for the lead. Brown, however, snuck ahead on the following lap before the caution flag waved again.
Brown restarted out front and never looked back when the green flag waved as he drove to his first win in Vinton. Fish remained committed to the high groove to beat Schulze to the line for second.
1. 21X Kyle Brown
2. 3D Drew Fish
3. J2 Dave Schulze
4. K0 Ken Kositzky
5. 3R Danny Dvorak
6. K3 Kyle Olson
7. 00 Jim Buhlman
8. 81 Jesse Belez
9. 95 Mike McDonald
10. 33 Ed O'Brien
Andy Bryant was in search of his first IMCA Stock Car win on the Vinton oval and appeared poised to take home the hardware as the pole-sitter rocketed to the lead at the drop of the green. He quickly extended his lead to multiple car-lengths while Paul Shepherd fought to hold off a hard-charging Justin Temeyer for second.
Temeyer, who started eighth, worked the low side of Shepherd to take second place just three laps into the event, then set his sights of Bryant. Temeyer quickly reeled in the leader, making his bid for the lead on the low side of the speedway on lap five. Temeyer pulled away from the pack to sail to victory. Phil Holtz, who was nearly a straightaway behind the leaders by the time he made his way into third on lap six, made an impressive run to chase down Bryant and sneak beneath him for second at the checkers.
1. 56T Justin Temeyer
2. 7H Phil Holtz
3. 77 Andy Bryant
4. 6X Bob Ahrendsen
5. 3T Scooter Dulin
6. 31S Paul Shepherd
7. 15 Norman Chesmore
8. 09M Brett Mather
9. 22R Todd Reitzler
10. 76 Mike Galli
By the time the IMCA Modifieds made their way to the speedway for the evening's 20-lap finale, the surface became dry slick and proved driver ability would prevail. In the end, Jerry Dedrick made his first career trip to the winner's circle in the division.
At the drop of the green, Dawn Krall held the top spot, but Dedrick was able to make his way by her on the second circuit. He worked the low side of the speedway as Mike Burbridge and Patrick Flannagan gave chase. The first to challenge for the lead, Burbridge closed on Dedrick's four car-length advantage and was able to stick his nose beneath the leader with five laps to go. Unable to take advantage, Burbridge settled back into second with Flannagan hot on his heels.
Flannagan worked the low side of Burbridge as the flying green was displayed as he took over the second position. Like Burbridge, Flannagan's attempts to work the low side of Dedrick were unsuccessful as Dedrick drove to the milestone win.
1. 5 Jerry Dedrick
2. F7 Patrick Flannagan
3. 11B Mike Burbridge
4. 10K Ronn Lauritzen
5. 12D Joe Docekal
6. 33D Scott Hogan
7. 32 Chris Snyder
8. 8 Tony Snyder
9. 25 Shawn Fisher
10. 22 Brandon Banks
As I mentioned earlier, the racing format for tonight's mid-season event was the standard qualify/invert format you'll see any other night throughout the season. It was great to see BCS use the qualifying format for tonight's show. As a kid, I always liked to see out-of-car introductions and the points leaders start up front, but the older I've gotten (insert own jokes here), the more I've come to appreciate a "regular" race night for mid-season. Quite frankly, mid-season serves as no more than a reminder that the season is already halfway gone (as if we want to be presented with that terrible notion, anyway); not a reason to alter the racing format. In fact, it wouldn't bother me if tracks did away with a proclaimed "mid-season championships" event altogether, unless, of course, you do it the right way. They did it the right way tonight in Vinton. Gary Peiffer of Gary's Auto in Troy Mills did a phenomenal job in sponsoring tonight's show. With the Frisbee toss, giveaways (including 10 bikes for the kids), and T-shirt cannon, he showed he really knows how to sponsor a night of fun for the whole family. I realize the old saying that "drivers work all year to start up front," and I agree with that sentiment... AFTER they've worked all year, they can start up front during season championship events. It takes away from the ebb and flow of a season to lineup by points for mid-season and it makes championship night mean that much more.
Up next for me is the Butler County Fair race at Highway 3 Raceway in Allison this Tuesday night. It will be my first time at Allison this summer and I'm looking forward to the long climb to the crow's nest to call the night's action. USRA Stock Cars, B Mods and Hobby Stocks, along with 4-Cylinder Hornets, will be on-hand. Come on out as county fair season in Iowa gets underway! I hope to see you there!
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