I generally follow the same routine after a Saturday night of racing at Independence. I put together my report for IMCA, calculate the points, write my blog and then go to work on updating the season stats and all-time stats. Last night, however, I changed up my routine (easier said than done for me) after an exciting night of racing that resulted in a few surprises by the time the final checkers waved.
Instead of writing my blog right after the track web site was updated, I decided to update my stats files because I figured there would be a few mentionables that I didn't want to leave out after the night's events. There turned out to be a few tidbits that I'll include in last night's recap below.
A strong field of 109 race cars filed into the pits last night to put on a show in front of a great crowd for the fifth annual Dick Frye Memorial. The event is held in honor of the late Buchanan County Fair Board president who passed away in January of 2007. Traditionally held during the Saturday night of the fair, this season's edition was postponed when the July 23 program was rained out.
Not only did the car count match last week's second best total of the season, but a season high 26 IMCA Hobby Stocks signed in to compete along with 23 IMCA Late Models, 24 IMCA Modifieds, 21 IMCA SportMods and 15 IMCA Stock Cars.
A pair of surprise winners emerged, not because those drivers aren't expected to win, but because they didn't appear to be in contention for trips to the winner's circle until the checkers waved.
In the 25-lap IMCA Late Model feature, pole-sitter Scott Welsh led at the drop of the green while Bobby Hansen and Tysus Pattee pursued. Hansen worked the low groove while Pattee went upstairs as they attempted to make their way to the front.
Pattee was dialed in on the high side as he sailed past Welsh on the sixth circuit, then proceeded to pull away from the field. As Pattee worked out front, Jon Passick was a rocket on the low side, slicing through traffic from a fifth row start before settling into second one lap after Pattee took control.
The race's only stoppage came on lap nine, which put the hard-charging Passick on Pattee's rear bumper for the restart. Pattee picked up where he left off before the yellow flag and quickly pulled away from the field when racing resumed. Passick remained in second while Travis Smock made his way past Welsh for third.
The top three remained unchanged as Pattee was enjoying a comfortable advantage. Smock, meanwhile, closed the gap on Passick for second as those two dueled for a number of laps as the race entered its final stages. This is when things got interesting.
With only a handful of laps to go, Pattee slowed on the high side of the speedway, allowing Passick and Smock to close. After Pattee eventually left the track with a broken axle, Passick and Smock worked side-by-side in what turned out to be a battle for the lead. Smock inched ahead as the flying green waved and held on for the remainder of the event to score the thrilling win. Passick ran second ahead of Greg Kastli, Darren Ackerman and points leader Tyler Bruening. It was the second career win for Smock, his first since opening night of the 2010 season. It was also Smock's ninth straight top-10 finish.
Late race excitement also played a factor in the outcome of the 15-lap IMCA SportMod main event. Front row starter Brennen Chipp held the early advantage in that race until Matt McCahen made his way by for the lead at the lap four mark.
McCahen quickly pulled away from traffic while Danny Dvorak was running the low groove to the front. Dvorak, who started in the third row, slipped beneath Kim Siems for second following a mid-race caution. Dvorak slowly cut into McCahen's lead until his efforts were assisted when the caution flag waved once again on lap 12.
On the restart, McCahen again took control with Dvorak and Siems in pursuit. Exiting turn four on the final lap, it appeared as though McCahen was set to make his first-ever trip to victory lane when his #63 slipped off the high side of the corner. This allowed Dvorak to sneak by for the victory. Just after Dvorak took the checkers, the yellow flag came out for a pile-up on the low side of turn four. Since Dvorak had taken the checkers, the rest of the field was reverted back to the running order on the white flag lap. This allowed McCahen to salvage second ahead of Siems, points leader Tyler Droste and Ray Lundry.
It was the second win for Dvorak this season and the ninth SportMod win of his career at Independence. He is now within three victories of Josh Sherbon at the top of the all-time list.
Entering the night in the IMCA Hobby Stock division, seven straight different winners graced victory lane, one short of tying the all-time record. A winner just a few weeks ago, however, Chris Luloff looked to break that cycle in the 15-lap feature.
Outside front row starter Marcus Wayne took command at the drop of the green while Luloff quickly challenged from his third row starting spot. Luloff worked beneath Wayne after just two laps to take the lead while Jamie Whitaker was making noise. From a fifth row start, Whitaker slipped past second-running Andrew Lokenvitz after only four laps.
Luloff and Whitaker ran first and second over a pair of mid-race cautions that kept the field bunched. Following the final restart on lap eight, the leaders put on a whale of a show, as the Hobby Stocks have done week-in and week-out all season.
Swapping racing grooves, the lead pair also swapped positions over the final seven circuits. Luloff held the point until Whitaker made his way beneath the leader with just five laps to go. Luloff, however, fought back on the low side to take charge as the flying green waved. He pulled away late to score the victory, his second of the season. Whitaker ran second for the third straight week and fourth time in the last five weeks. Points leader Vince Buchholz finished third ahead of Quinton Miller and Rod Grother, who drove to his eighth straight top-10 finish.
For Luloff, it was the 17th Hobby Stock win of his career at Independence. The victory moved him past Brian Irvine for second on the all-time list. He now sits just three wins shy of tying Chris Wessner at the top over the division's 23-year history at the speedway.
Sean Johnson continued his dominance in the IMCA Stock Car division. After Jason Niedert and Tim Helle swapped the lead over the first two laps of the 15-lapper, Johnson worked into the lead from his fourth row start just prior to the race's only caution on lap three.
On the restart, Johnson pulled away from the field to win in convincing fashion ahead of Justin Temeyer. Mike Padden crossed the line in third, however he was disqualified for an illegal engine. This moved Kirk Fauser into the third finishing spot. Phil Holtz and points leader Jarod Weepie completed the top five.
It was Johnson's track-leading sixth feature win this season and the 14th of his career in the division. The victory moved him into a tie with Norman Chesmore for seventh on the all-time list. Johnson is now within a single victory of Tom Schmitt and within two wins of Larry Portis in that category.
Despite problems with the caution flag for the second straight week, the IMCA Modified feature offered some great racing in that 20-lap event. Pole-sitter Sean Rupp held the early advantage as he paced the field through a trio of stoppages over the first three laps. When racing resumed following the third caution, Ronn :Lauritzen entered the battle out front after starting in the third row.
Lauritzen worked past Rupp on lap six, just before the caution flag waved again. Following another pair of cautions on lap seven, Lauritzen set sail and pulled away from the field. Meanwhile, Patrick Flannagan, who started in the ninth row, made his way into second at the mid-way point.
Flannagan quickly went to work on cutting into Lauritzen's straightaway lead. He trimmed the margin to a couple car-lengths however he couldn't get any closer as Lauritzen drove to the victory. Flannagan and Rupp completed the top three. Tony Snyder and Johnathan Thimmesch ran fourth and fifth, repsectively.
It was Lauritzen's second Modified win at Independence. Ironically, while his first win came on his 50th night in a race car on August 22, 2009, his second career win at the speedway made him the 50th different Modified driver in track history with multiple wins. A busy guy behind the wheel this season, it was Lauritzen's 55th start in 2011.
Track promoter Cam Granger offered up $500 of additional incentives in honor of the Dick Frye Memorial. He gave $100 in random bonus money to five mystery positions, one position in each feature. The positions awarded the money were related to Frye's birthdate. Earning the extra cash were Luke Peskta (Late Model), Dennis Betzer (Modified), Paul Fauser (Stock Car), Tyler Droste (SportMod) and Vince Buchholz (Hobby Stock).
Prior to the night's events, all 109 cars pulled onto the front stretch in honor of the late Frye. Following a moment of silence, Frye's eight year old grandson, Carson, wowed the crowd by singing the national anthem, a duty he has proudly performed each year at the Memorial.
Tonight, I'll be back at Benton County Speedway in Vinton. I've been dusting off my scoring pen as I am scheduled to fill in for scorer Kevin Kemp tonight. Tomorrow, the World of Outlaws Late Models will be making its first-ever visit to Independence in an event that was postponed last month due to rain. IMCA Modifieds will also be competing for a $1,000 winner's share. Then, on Thursday, Corn Belt Clash action continues for a two-day swing in Minnesota. On Thursday, the Late Model tour heads to Redwood Speedway in Redwood Falls before a Friday stop at Chateau Raceway in Lansing. I'll have reports on all of those events right here at Positively Racing. See you at the races!
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