At around 1 p.m. on Monday afternoon, nobody believed we'd be racing on Monday night at Independence Motor Speedway. After two-tenths of an inch of rain fell in the morning hours, another soaker came through just past the lunch hour which dropped an additional half inch of rain on the Buchanan County Fairgrounds. Additional, pesky sprinkles throughout the afternoon had everyone in disbelief at the track - the first-ever appearance of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series was postponed by rain in mid-July... there was no way rain could throw a wrench into the works in early August, too, was there?
The disbelief at the thought of two mid-summer storms turned into relief when the sun came out and allowed for a fantastic night of racing at the speedway.
After Chad Simpson set the track record of 14.665 seconds, Josh Richards topped the field of 34 Late Models to earn the victory in the speedway's milestone event. Richards started outside of the front row and held off mid and late-race challenges from Rick Eckert to take the $10,000 top prize in the 50-lap feature.
For Richards, it was his sixth series win of the season and second in three days following a victory in the 24th annual USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., on Saturday night.
Eckert was able to stay close to Richards following a mid-race caution as the leaders encountered lapped cars, which they battled throughout most of the second half of the event. Although the traffic kept the leaders close, and also allowed Clint Smith and Brian Birkhofer to stay within a straightaway of the frontrunners, Richards proved why he's been the man to beat of late as he drove to the win.
Darin Duffy started in the seventh row of the IMCA Modified feature, but methodically made his way through traffic and into a challenge for the lead in the waning laps to take home the $1,000 winner's share. Duffy drove the high line around race-long leader Justin O'Brien in the final stages of the 35-lapper to earn the thrilling win.
Although the weather looked doubtful for much of the day, the evening offered a great program for the packed house as the final checkers waved just prior to 10:30. Special thanks to the entire WoO crew. They are a great group of folks who were fantastic to work with!
That's all for tonight. Complete results are listed below and, for a detailed report of the night's action, visit www.independencemotorspeedway.com.
After a couple days off, my focus will turn back to the Corn Belt Clash Late Model Series at the end of the week. We're headed north to Redwood Speedway in Redwood Falls, Minn., on Thursday, then Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minn., on Friday for a Minnesota doubleheader. Hope to see you there!
LATE MODEL
Feature / 50 laps (starting positions)
1. (2) 1 Josh Richards (Shinnston, W. Va.)
2. (5) 24 Rick Eckert (York, Pa.)
3. (10) 44 Clint Smith (Senoia, Ga.)
4. (4) 15B Brian Birkhofer (Muscatine)
5. (3) 19H Austin Hubbard (Seaford, Del.)
6. (1) 21 Billy Moyer (Batesville, Ark.)
7. (6) 25F Jason Feger (Bloomington, Ill.)
8. (20) 11 Pat Doar (New Richmond, Wis.)
9. (19) 32C Vic Coffey (Caledonia, N.Y.)
10. (12) 29 Darrell Lanigan (Union, Ky.)
11. (18) 1* Chub Frank (Bear Lake, Pa.)
12. (16) 21B Chip Brindle (Chatsworth, Ga.)
13. (21) 28 Dennis Erb Jr. (Carpentersville, Ill.)
14. (22) 71D Ron Davies (Warren, Pa.)
15. (24) 22 Jill George (Cedar Falls)
16. (14) 98 Jason Rauen (Farley)
17. (17) 99JR Frankie Heckenast Jr. (Orland Park, Ill.)
18. (8) 19 Tim Fuller (Watertown, N.Y.)
19. (7) 39 Tim McCreadie (Watertown, N.Y.)
20. (9) 25S Chad Simpson (Mount Vernon)
21. (13) 31 Jason Utter (Columbus Junction)
22. (23) 1L John Lobb (Frewsburg, N.Y.)
23. (15) 32 Chris Simpson (Oxford)
24. (11) 25 Shane Clanton (Locust Grove, Ga.)
First heat (10 laps, 4 qualify, 2 redraw): 1. Hubbard; 2. Birkhofer; 3. Chad Simpson; 4. Utter; 5. Heckenast; 6. 45 Curt Martin (Independence); 7. 77 Jason McBride (Carbondale, Ill.); 8. Erb; DNS 15H Jeremiah Hurst (Dubuque).
Second heat: 1. Eckert; 2. Moyer; 3. Smith; 4. Rauen; 5. 50 Denny Eckrich (Tiffin); 6. Coffey; 7. George; 8. 1D Don O’Neal (Martinsville, Ind.); DNS 38S Dain Sires (Cedar Falls).
Third heat: 1. Richards; 2. McCreadie; 3. Clanton; 4. Chris Simpson; 5. Frank; 6. Doar; 7. 93 Jay Johnson (West Burlington); 8. Davies.
Fourth heat: 1. Feger; 2. Fuller; 3. Lanigan; 4. Brindle; 5. 16 Tyler Bruening (Decorah); 6. Lobb; 7. 11X Ace Ihm (Hazel Green, Wis.); 8. 78 Rick Wendling (Hazleton).
First B feature (3 transfer): 1. Heckenast; 2. Coffey; 3. Erb; 4. Eckrich; 5. O’Neal; 6. Martin; 7. McBride; 8. George; 9. Sires; DNS Hurst.
Second B feature: 1. Frank; 2. Doar; 3. Davies; 4. Lobb; 5. Bruening; 6. Johnson; 7. Wendling; 8. Ihm.
MODIFIED
Feature / 35 laps (starting positions)
1. (13) 19D Darin Duffy (Hazleton)
2. (2) 12J Justin O’Brien (West Union)
3. (7) 18 Jerry Luloff (Independence)
4. (6) 64 Vern Jackson (Waterloo)
5. (3) 24R Adam Johnson (Independence)
6. (1) 91 Shawn Ryan (Waterloo)
7. (17) 37B Ron Barker (Dubuque)
8. (11) 19G Richie Gustin (Gilman)
9. (19) 27M Mark Schulte (Delhi)
10. (5) 10K Ronn Lauritzen (Jesup)
11. (14) 70 Jerry King (Waterloo)
12. (20) 11B Mike Burbridge (Delhi)
13. (12) 5R Bill Roberts Jr. (Burlington)
14. (8) 71 Troy Cordes (Dunkerton)
15. (16) 00 J.D. Auringer (Evansdale)
16. (9) 8 Tony Snyder (Readlyn)
17. (22) 85 Johnathan Thimmesch (Independence)
18. (21) 57B Dennis Betzer (Central City)
19. (18) 12D Joe Docekal (Dysart)
20. (15) 1 Al Wolfgram (Boone)
21. (23) 41P Keith Pittman (Waterloo)
22. (24) 11JR Ben Chapman (Clarence)
23. (4) 83 Kellen Chadwick (West Union)
24. (10) 01 Ed Thomas (Waterloo)
First heat (8 laps, 4 qualify, 3 redraw): 1. Jackson; 2. Chadwick; 3. Thomas; 4. Duffy; 5. Flannagan; 6. Docekal; 7. 12EH Riley Emmel (Estivan, Canada); 8. Burbridge.
Second heat: 1. Johnson; 2. Lauritzen; 3. Cordes; 4. King; 5. Schulte; 6. Barker; 7. Pittman.
Third heat: 1. Richie Gustin; 2. Ryan; 3. Snyder; 4. Wolfgram; 5. 26 Luke Miller (Dubuque); 6. Thimmesch; 7. 19 Jimmy Gustin (Marshalltown).
Fourth heat: 1. O’Brien; 2. Luloff; 3. Roberts; 4. Auringer; 5. Betzer; 6. Chapman; 7. 15 Matt Stagman (Lancaster, Wis.).
B Feature (8 transfer): 1. Barker; 2. Docekal; 3. Schulte; 4. Burbridge; 5. Betzer; 6. Thimmesch; 7. Pittman; 8. Chapman; 9. Flannagan; 10. Miller; DNS Emmel; DNS Jimmy Gustin; DNS Stagman.
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