For the second straight week, rain showers just prior to the start of the show delayed racing action at Independence Motor Speedway. After pesky sprinkles and a brief, light shower moved out of the area Saturday evening, race fans were provided with a great show in the final weekly racing program prior to next week's season championships.
A strong field of 101 race teams filed into the pits and perhaps the happiest of the lot was IMCA Late Model driver Dean Wagner. Wagner, who has competed in the division for the better part of the last 25 years, earned his first feature win in over seven years.
At the start of the 25-lapper, second row starting Wagner quickly worked past front row starters Drew Johnson and Scott Welsh to assume command by the end of the first lap. He put a few car-lengths on the field while Luke Pestka gave chase. Darren Ackerman and Tyler Bruening, who both started in the middle of the pack, made their way into the top four after four laps and set their eyes on the leaders. The top four started to pull away from the field until the race's only stoppages, a pair of cautions on lap 13.
On the final restart, Bruening and Ackerman quickly worked past Pestka as he faded to sixth. Wagner, however, maintained the point throughout the event, leading the 25-lapper in its entirety to score the win. Bruening, Ackerman, Bryan Klein and points leader Jon Passick completed the top five.
For Wagner, it was his fifth career weekly Late Model win at Independence and his first since opening night (May 1) of the 2004 campaign. The win moved Wagner into a tie with Dale Hackwell Jr., Les Verly, Rick Dralle and Terry Neal for 26th on the all-time Late Model wins list at the speedway.
Wagner's trip to victory lane made him the eighth straight different winner in the division this season, which is one shy of the all-time record of nine straight different Late Model winners. That record was set in 1975. The names on the list from 36 years ago? Darrell Sells, Red Dralle, Jim Burger, Dave Bedard, Gary Crawford, Bill Barthelmes, Denny Osborn, Dan Nesteby and Joe Schaefer. The names included in the current streak are Tyler Bruening, Luke Merfeld, Curt Martin, Jon Passick, Luke Pestka, Travis Smock, Greg Kastli and Wagner.
Late Model Season Championship Scenarios
1. Jon Passick: Passick sits atop the division's standings, carrying a 21 point edge over Tyler Bruening into next Saturday's championship event. A top-21 finish in that feature will earn Passick his first career track championship.
2. Tyler Bruening: If Bruening can beat Passick by at least 21 positions in the feature, he will earn his second straight track title. All other drivers are mathematically eliminated.
Troy Cordes benefitted from a mid-race miscue to take the win in the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature. Outside front row starter Jeff Kriz took the early lead while Todd Conrad moved into contention after starting in row two. Conrad swept past Kriz for the lead just prior to the first caution on lap three.
When racing resumed, Conrad pulled away from the pack, putting a handful of car-lengths between himself and his competitors. As Conrad led, Troy Cordes and Ronn Lauritzen reeled in Kriz for second. With Cordes up top and Laurtizen running the low side, the pair searched for a way around Kriz.
As the leaders were coming around to complete lap 11, Conrad got sideways exiting turn four, spinning his #83C and collecting Kriz in the process to bring out the final caution. With both cars penalized, Cordes and Lauritzen started side-by-side on the front row for the restart.
When the green flag waved, Cordes took charge with Lauritzen settling in behind him. Jerry Luloff, who started in the fifth row, was charging on the low side of the speedway and into contention. Luloff made his way past Lauritzen on lap 12 while Vern Jackson was running the top groove. He entered the mix a few laps later and settled into third with only a haldful of laps remaining. Cordes, however, proved too strong out front as he drove to his second win of the season. Luloff, Jackson, Lauritzen and Keith Pittman rounded out the top five. It was the 28th career weekly Modified win for Cordes at Independence.
Modified Season Championship Scenarios
1. Adam Johnson: Adam Johnson will take a three point lead over Jerry Luloff into next week's championship event. A top-four feature finish will lock up Johnson's first-ever track title in the division. If he does not finish in the top four, Johnson will still earn title honors if he finishes within three positions of Luloff in next Saturday's feature and if he does not finish more than 18 positions behind Troy Cordes.
2. Jerry Luloff: Luloff will win the track title if he beats Johnson by at least four positions and finishes no worse than 14 positions behind Cordes.
3. Troy Cordes: Cordes must beat Johnson by 19 positions (only 18 positions if Cordes wins the feature) and Luloff by 15 positions to earn the championship. He must also finish within eight positions of Patrick Flannagan in the feature (which is a foregone conclusion if he accomplishes picking up 19 points on Johnson).
4. Patrick Flannagan: Flannagan still has an extreme outside chance of winning the track title, but his only way to do it is by winning the feature (assuming Jerry Luloff takes the green flag in the feature) and a series of other things happen. Flannagan can win if he wins the race, Johnson fails to take the green flag in the feature, Luloff finishes outside the top 23 and Cordes finishes no better than ninth. Good luck with all that, Pat! All other drivers have been mathemtically eliminated.
Sean Johnson continued his dominance in the IMCA Stock Car division. Although he entered the night a single point out of the lead, Johnson drove to his fourth straight win to take over the points lead with one week remaining in the season.
At the start of the 15-lapper, Paul Fauser and Roger Ciesielski shared time out front before a pair of cautions slowed the early going. Just prior to the second stoppage on lap five, Johnson made his way into the lead after starting in the fourth row.
On the restart, Johnson fought off the challenges of Dave Stricker to take the win, his eighth of the season. Jason Hocken, who made his first appearance of the season, made an impressive run to finish third ahead of Norman Chesmore and Jarod Weepie. It was Johnson's 16th career win in the division at Independence, which moved him into a tie with Larry Portis for fifth on the all-time list.
Stock Car Season Championship Scenarios
1. Sean Johnson: Just like his brother, Johnson takes a three point lead into championship week. A top-four finish in next week's feature will guarantee Johnson his first career track title. If Johnson finishes outside the top four, he will still lock up the title as long as he finishes within three positions of Weepie and within 11 positions of Dave Stricker in the feature.
2. Jarod Weepie: Weepie must beat Johnson by four positions and within seven positions of Stricker to earn his second straight division title and the fifth of his career.
3. Dave Stricker: Stricker must beat Johnson by 12 positions and Weepie by eight positions to earn his first track title.
4. Norman Chesmore: The longest shot of all drivers still mathemtically alive to earn a track title at Independence this season, Chesmore can win his first career track championship if Johnson, Weepie and Stricker all fail to take the green flag in the feature and Chesmore finishes in the top three next Saturday. All other drivers have been mathematically eliminated.
Tyler Droste earned his division-leading sixth win of the season in the IMCA SportMod division. Droste chased race-long leader Matt McCahen until a mid-race caution on lap seven. On the restart, Droste swept beneath McCahen to take the lead, en route to the victory. McCahen, Dave Schulze, Danny Dvorak and Shane Ebaugh rounded out the top five.
SportMod Season Championship Scenarios
1. Tyler Droste: Droste carries a 26-point lead into championship night. Simply taking the green flag in that event will earn Droste his first-ever track championship.
2. Danny Dvorak: Droste must fail to take the green flag in Saturday's feature and Dvorak must finish within six positions of Jim Buhlman to win the track title.
3. Jim Buhlman: Droste must fail to take the green flag in Saturday's feature and Buhlman must beat Dvorak by seven positions to take the track title. All other drivers have been mathematically eliminated.
Cautions plagued the IMCA Hobby Stock feature, forcing it to time out after only eight laps. Shawn Kuennen held the early advantage and led throughout a quartet of stoppages while Quinton Miller worked through the field from a fifth row start. Miller took the lead following a lap six restart and held the point until the final caution waved just past the midway point.
It was Miller's second win this season and the seventh of his career. He moved into a tie with Justin Lichty for 12th on the all-time list.
Hobby Stock Season Championship Scenarios
1. Vince Buchholz: A top-20 finish will lock up the second track title for Buchholz. He is looking to become only the third Hobby Stock driver in track history with multiple titles in the division.
2. Chris Wiltse: Wiltse must finish 20 positions ahead of Buchholz, at least one position ahead of Grother, within two positions of Whitaker, within five positions of Lichty (four positions if Lichty wins the feature) and within eight positions of Steve Wiltse (seven positions if Steve Wiltse wins the feature) to earn his first track title.
3. Rod Grother: Grother must finish 20 positions ahead of Buchholz, at least one position ahead of Chris Wiltse, within two positions of Whitaker (must finish second if Whitaker wins the feature), within five positions of Lichty (four positions if Lichty wins the feature) and within eight positions of Steve Wiltse (seven positions if Steve Wiltse wins the feature) to earn his second straight track title.
4. Jamie Whitaker: Assuming Buchholz takes the green flag in the feature, Whitaker must finish in the top two to have any shot at winning the track title. Combined with this, Buchholz would need to finish 24th or worse (23rd or worse if Whitaker wins the feature) and Whitaker must beat Chris Wiltse by three positions and beat Rod Grother by three positions (only two positions if Whitker wins the feature).
5. Justin Lichty: For Lichty to win the track title, Buchholz would need to fail to take the green flag in next week's feature and Lichty must also beat Chris Wiltse by six positions (only five positions if Lichty wins the feature), beat Rod Grother by six positions (only five positions if Lichty wins the feature), beat Whitaker by three positions and finish within three positions of Steve Wiltse.
6. Steve Wiltse: For Steve Wiltse to win the track title, Buchholz would need to fail to take the green flag in next week's feature and Wiltse must also beat Chris Wiltse by nine positions (eight if Steve Wiltse wins the feature), beat Rod Grother by nine positions, beat Whitaker by six positions and beat Lichty by four positions (three positions if Steve Wiltse wins the feature.) All other drivers have been mathematically eliminated.
The number of feature wins breaks any ties in the standings. If drivers are still tied, then most second place finishes, third place finishes, etc. will determine the tie breaker. Also, since championship features are lined up straight-up based on total season points, the same tie-breaker criteria is used for lineups. For instance, although Chris Wiltse and Rod Grother are tied for second in the Hobby Stock points, Wiltse will be lined up outside of the front row for the feature since his two feature wins this season is better than Grother's one feature win. On the points sheet for next week's races, the ties are broken and drivers are listed in the order they will line up.
Whew! After all of that, I sure as hell hope we don't get rained out next weekend! Although season championship racing traditionally offers only feature events, next week's schedule will be loaded with activities. Along with the features, the "challenge" will be offered to the top four in the standings in each division. Each driver in the top four will be given the chance to double his winnings if any elect to start at the tail and come through to win his respective feature.
In addition, there will be beer specials for Budweiser Night, plus there will be a candy dash for the kids. Bill Horn Memorial Dash races will also be held in each of the five divisions. The $100 winners of those dashes will have the opportunity to take part in an Australian Pursuit, which will award $250 to the winner.
If you want an additonal take on Independence, fellow Positively Racing blogger Danny Rosencrans brought a group to Independence last night. While it was Danny's first time at Indee for a weekly show, it was the first time ever at Indee for another in his party. He will have his thoughts up later Racin' Down the Road. Thanks for making the three-plus hour trip to join us, Danny!
Up next for me is a trip to Benton County Speedway tonight. After scoring two weeks ago and announcing last week, I may venture up to the flagstand and hang out with flagman John Huff for tonight's show. It's a beautiful day outside so come on out to the races!
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