Lately, it seems a new milestone is reached every week at Independence Motor Speedway. Saturday night was no different on a terrific night of racing on the 3/8-mile oval. A great field of 110 race teams entered the pits to put on a show for a huge crowd on Dunlap Motors "Red Solo Cup" Night at the Races.
While Saturday's place in speedway history follows below, I first want to give a shout-out to a guy who doesn't get near the credit he deserves. I've been to dozens of tracks in the last few years and have not seen a racing surface prepped any better than a track groomed by Don Burkey. Week in and week out, Don provides the best racing surface one could want at Benton County Speedway and he's been working that same magic at Independence the last few weeks. He is, hands down, the best in the business. Thank you, Don! Keep up the incredible work!
Now, a few numbers relating to Saturday night at Indee...
MODIFIED
Shawn Ryan took the lead at the drop of the green, then set sail to win the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature in dominant fashion. The event, which ran without a single caution, took only approximately six minutes to complete. Ryan took the win by nearly a straightaway ahead of points leader Mark Schulte, who mastered the high groove to race from a fifth row starting spot.
For Ryan, it was his first career IMCA Modified win in weekly racing history at Independence. He became the 80th different Modified to visit the winner's circle in Saturday night racing at the speedway. Ryan joined Schulte as first-time winners this season and became the fourth consecutive different winner in the division at Independence. Ryan became the 437th different feature winner in weekly racing in Independence since the start of the 1967 season.
HOBBY STOCK
Chris Luloff's domination continued in the IMCA Hobby Stock main event. He worked his way past leader Vince Buchholz a handful of laps into that 15-lapper to drive to his 22nd career win in the division. Already the all-time leader in that category, Luloff adds to the wins record with every trip to victory lane.
Prior to Saturday, only four times in track history had a Hobby Stock driver won four consecutive features - Chris Wessner (1995), Nick Wroten (1998), Brian Irvine (2004) and Josh Irvine (2009). The streaks by Wessner and Wroten were five-race win streaks, the longest in Hobby Stock track history.
Luloff became the first Hobby Stock driver in track history to win four features in the same month of the same calendar year. Next Saturday, he will look to become just the second driver in track history to win five features on five separate Saturdays in the same calendar month of the same season. That was accomplished by Dan Trimble in the Stock Car division during the five-Saturday month of July back in 1994.
All-time at the speedway, Luloff now has 25 career wins in weekly racing, 15th on the all-time list and one win shy of being tied for 13th. The two drivers currently tied for 13th with 26 wins? Jack Mitchell... and Jerry Luloff. That should spark some interesting family conversations...
STOCK CAR
Sean Johnson came from a sixth row starting spot, after missing the qualifying invert during his heat race, to drive to the win in the 18-lap IMCA Stock Car feature. Johnson took over following a lap five caution to earn the victory, his third of the season and the 20th of his career in Independence. Two of Johnson's wins this year have come after failing to qualify for the invert.
With the win, Johnson remains third on the division's all-time wins at Indee, 11 wins behind Brian Irvine for second. His 20 career wins at the track put him alone in 24th all-time at the speedway.
SPORTMOD
Tyler Droste came from a mid-pack start to pass Danny Dvorak with six laps to go to take the win in the 15-lap IMCA SportMod feature. It was Droste's second win of the season at Indee in just three appearances.
Along with it being Droste's 10th overall win of the season in his #92, it was his 10th career SportMod win at Independence. He ranks third all-time in that category, two wins behind Josh Sherbon and Danny Dvorak.
LATE MODEL
Travis Smock earned the win in the 25-lap IMCA Late Model feature. Starting in the second row, Smock quickly made his way to the front, then led the event in dominating fashion to score his first win of the season. Smock, now with a win in each of the last three seasons, has three career Late Model wins at Independence, placing him in a tie with 10 others for 35th all-time. In eight weeks of racing this season, Smock became the seventh different feature winner in the division.
The IMCA Sport Compacts also made their first-ever appearance at the speedway Saturday night. Steve Miedke will go down as the division's first-ever winner in the division at the track. The division will return for another draw/redraw show next Saturday as part of Budweiser Mid-Season Championships. Gates will open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6 and racing to follow.
Saturday night, the caution flag waved a total of 11 times during the 19 events. It was the fewest number of cautions for an event this season, despite the second highest number of races and second most number of laps completed for a single night of racing. The yellow flag did not wave a single time during heat race qualifying and the Modifieds and Sport Compacts completed their portion of the show without a single stoppage.
Tonight, I'm heading across town to Benton County Speedway to fill in for track announcer Bucky Doren who is spending some quality father/son time at his kid's baseball tournament in Des Moines. Hope to see you in Vinton tonight!
No comments:
Post a Comment