A trio of drivers earned very memorable wins Sunday night at Benton County Speedway. Two of them earned their first career wins in their respective divisions and the third made his way to victory lane during his first-ever visit to the speedway.
The first milestone win Sunday night came in the IMCA Stock Car division as Scott Pippert won a thriller with a late-race pass of division veteran Damon Murty.
Curtis Roster took the lead at the drop of the green in the 15-lapper with Bob Ahrendsen and Pippert in tow. The leaders ran three separate grooves all within a car-length of each other until caution slowed the event on lap three.
When racing resumed, Murty, who restarted fourth, joined the leaders as the top four broke away in two-wide formation two rows deep at the front of the pack. After Ahrendsen enjoyed the top spot on lap four, Murty powered to his inside one lap later to take control.
Pippert followed Murty to the front as the lead pair broke free from traffic. Enjoying a straightaway margin over the rest of the field by the midway point, Murty and Pippert battled for the lead. Pippert attempted to get a run on Murty on the low side of the quarter-mile a few times in the waning laps. He took advantage of a golden opportunity to power into the lead when Murty pushed high in turn four with three laps to go.
Caution slowed the event a short time later, however Pippert held on for his first career IMCA Stock Car win by half of a car-length over Murty. With the win, Pippert, who won 47 times in his career in the Hobby Stock division in Vinton, became the 32nd different Stock Car feature winner in weekly racing history at the speedway and also took over the unofficial points lead.
IMCA Modified veteran Troy Cordes appeared to be on his way to an easy win until former IMCA Northern SportMod and first-year IMCA Modified driver Tyler Droste closed late to score the thrilling win.
It was outside front row starter Tony Olson enjoying the early lead while Cordes raced from a third row start into second on lap three. Running the high side, Cordes made his charge to the front while Olson ran down low.
In a spectacular move, Cordes changed things up on lap seven when he came off the high side of turn two and shot to the low side of Olson. Cordes emerged with the lead, then quickly pulled away from the pack.
While Cordes extended his advantage, Droste was making his way through traffic from a sixth row starting spot. He shot to the low side of Scott Hogan for second on the 12th circuit only to find himself a straightaway behind Cordes.
With eight laps remaining, Droste remained committed to the low groove and quickly cut into the deficit. With a couple of laps remaining, Droste pulled to within a car-length, then dropped to the low side of Cordes in turns one and two just after the leaders took the flying green.
Droste took charge down the back stretch and led the remainder of the event to earn his first-ever win in an IMCA Modified. The win made Droste the 74th different Modified winner in weekly racing history in Vinton.
This season marks the 12th time in the 29 years Modifieds have raced weekly in Vinton that four different drivers won the first four features of the season. The record, which is seven straight winners to start the season, happened twice - in 1994 and 2003. Five other times have there been five different Modified winners to start the season. That happened in 1980, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001. The last time as many as four different drivers won at the start of a season was 2006.
While he wasn't a first-time winner in his division, Andy Coffman was a first-time visitor to Benton County Speedway. His first appearance on the quarter-mile was well worth the drive from Des Moines as Coffman drove to the win in the 15-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature.
Jacob Keiser held the early lead, but was closely pursued by Coffman and Kyle Parizek at the front of the pack. Running the top side, Coffman swept past Keiser as the leaders exited turn two on lap four. He pulled away from the pack and scored the convincing win in the division's second straight caution-free feature. Chris Luloff battled Parizek for second late in the race. Luloff was able to edge Parizek for second as they battled for position around lapped traffic.
Coffman, the second first-time Hobby Stock winner in four weeks of racing this season, became the track's 83rd different winner in the division all-time at the speedway.
Prior to Sunday night, in the division's 23-year weekly racing history in Vinton, only six times had four different Hobby Stock drivers found victory lane during the first four weeks of the season. Sunday night became the seventh time in 24 years. The record for most consecutive different Hobby Stock winners at the start of a season is five - which happened twice - in 2004 and again in 2006. That record could be tied next weekend.
The only driver at the speedway perfect in his heat race qualifiers through the first four weeks of the season, Joel Rust was looking to add his first feature win of the year in the IMCA Northern SportMod division. At the end of 15 laps, it was mission accomplished.
Mike McDonald took the early lead while Rust quickly worked his way through the field from a fifth row starting spot. Already running fourth after a first lap caution, Rust ran the low groove past race leader Kyle Olson just prior to a lap six yellow.
On the restart, Rust again showed the way while two-time winner Nick Roberts was also marching through the pack from a fifth row starting spot. Roberts settled into second following a mid-race caution, but was unable to reel in the leader as Rust drove to the impressive win.
It was Rust's second career Northern SportMod win in weekly racing history in Vinton - his first coming on May 23, 2010. He is now one of 24 SportMod drivers in track history with multiple feature wins. The win also unofficially propelled Rust into a tie with Roberts atop the division's standings. Rust is the only SportMod driver to earn top-five finishes in each of the four points races this season.
Bill Whalen Jr. was in the right place at the right time to earn his second 12-lap IMCA Sport Compact victory of the young season. Whalen took the lead on the third lap after mechanical problems sidelined Merv Chandler, then was relegated back to second when Nathan Chandler ran the low side past the leader on lap five.
Nathan Chandler pulled away and appeared to be on his way to victory when his engine let go just after he took the white flag, forcing him to an early exit. Whalen led the final time around to take the win, his second in three weeks. The ninth win of his career in Vinton, Whalen re-tied Brad Chandler for fifth on the division's all-time wins list in Vinton. The win also extended Whalen's lead atop the division's standings.
Coming up Tuesday night at the speedway is the first event of the 2013 Karl Performance Hawkeye Dirt Tour presented by XSAN. The IMCA Modified tour will compete on the Benton County quarter-mile, along with IMCA-sanctioned SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts. All divisions will be IMCA sanctioned, however no track points will be awarded. Details of Tuesday's event are available in the flyer at the top of this page.
RESULTS
IMCA MODIFIED
Feature: 1. 92 Tyler Droste (Waterloo); 2. 71 Troy Cordes (Dunkerton); 3. 33D Scott Hogan (Vinton); 4. 12D Joe Docekal (Dysart); 5. 18 Jerry Luloff (Independence); 6. 00J J.D. Auringer (Waterloo); 7. 21K Kyle Brown (Kellogg); 8. 22 Brandon Banks (Washington); 9. 64 Vern Jackson (Waterloo); 10. F7 Patrick Flannagan (Cedar Rapids); 11. 7 Todd Jensen (Waterloo); 12. T23 Tony Olson (Cedar Rapids); 13. 19G Richie Gustin (Marshalltown); 14. 11B Mike Burbridge (Delhi); 15. 14B Shane Burbridge (Manchester); 16. 80 Jerry Dedrick (Vinton); 17. 10K Ronn Lauritzen (Jesup).
Heat one: 1. M. Burbridge; 2. Gustin; 3. Olson; 4. Jackson; 5. Brown; 6. Droste; 7. S. Burbridge; 8. Dedrick; 9. Flannagan.
Heat two: 1. Cordes; 2. Docekal; 3. Hogan; 4. Luloff; 5. Banks; 6. Auringer; 7. Lauritzen; 8. Jensen.
IMCA STOCK CAR
Feature: 1. 47 Scott Pippert (Elberon); 2. 99D Damon Murty (Chelsea); 3. 15 Norman Chesmore (Rowley); 4. 6X Bob Ahrendsen (Cedar Rapids); 5. 25D Bob Daniels (Des Moines); 6. 87 John Emerson (Waterloo); 7. 83E Thomas Thompson (Hopkinton); 8. 52 Ben Walding (Des Moines); 9. 76 Mike Galli (Urbana); 10. K17 Rick Kriegel (Brooklyn); 11. 4W John Watson (Des Moines); 12. 8B Scott Beauregard (Center Point); 13. 4 Jerry Miles (Bernard); 14. 8 Curtis Roster (Vinton); 15. 7H Phil Holtz (Manchester); 16. 77T Trent Jeanes (Chariton).
Heat one: 1. Murty; 2. Miles; 3. Holtz; 4. Kriegel; 5. Ahrendsen; 6. Watson; 7. Beauregard; 8. Walding.
Heat two: 1. Chesmore; 2. Emerson; 3. Pippert; 4. Roster; 5. Daniels; 6. Galli; 7. Thompson; 8. Jeanes.
IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD
Feature: 1. 26J Joel Rust (Grundy Center); 2. 23JR Nick Roberts (Des Moines); 3. 10S John Schaefer (La Porte City); 4. K3 Kyle Olson (Cedar Rapids); 5. J2 Dave Schulze (Keystone); 6. S16 Kip Siems (Cedar Falls); 7. 21 Brennen Chipp (Waterloo); 8. CH19 Colby Heishman (Brooklyn); 9. 00 Jim Buhlman (Cedar Falls); 10. 22H Curt Hilmer (Dysart); 11. 43 Creston Williams (Atkins); 12. 57R Ryan King (Marshalltown); 13. 57K Ross Kitner (Dysart); 14. 7D Dakoda Sellers (Vinton); 15. 95 Mike McDonald (Cedar Rapids); 16. 4 Ryan Maitland (Waterloo); 17. 3B Brian Anderson (Garrison); 18. 35C Casey Heil (Cedar Rapids); 19. 72 Mike Hogencamp (Waterloo); 20. 3R Danny Dvorak (Vinton); 21. 44G Brady Graham (Brooklyn); 22. T17 Tom Rawlins (Kellogg); 23. 115 Bob Ebaugh (Raymond); 24. 49 Brandon Smith (Waterloo); 25. 50H Steve Wimer (Toddville).
Heat one: 1. Dvorak; 2. Heishman; 3. Williams; 4. Buhlman; 5. Hilmer; 6. King; 7. Kitner; 8. Chipp; 9. Ebaugh.
Heat two: 1. Rust; 2. Olson; 3. Rawlins; 4. Schaefer; 5. Maitland; 6. Hogencamp; 7. Heil; 8. Wimer.
Heat three: 1. Roberts; 2. McDonald; 3. Siems; 4. Graham; 5. Schulze; 6. Anderson; 7. Smith; 8. Sellers.
IMCA HOBBY STOCK
Feature: 1. 77C Andy Coffman (Des Moines); 2. 18 Chris Luloff (Independence); 3. 17K Kyle Parizek (Belle Plaine); 4. 79 Benji Irvine (Cedar Falls); 5. 78B Andrew Burg (Adel); 6. 07 Jacob Keiser (Marengo); 7. 45 Justin Wacha (Vinton); 8. 67 Justin Stander (Vinton); 9. 05 Paul Nagle (Nevada); 10. 46 Brian Happel (Cedar Rapids); 11. 2 Nick Welch (Cedar Falls); 12. 35 Brett Vanous (Quasqueton); 13. 78 Matt Brown (Dysart).
Heat one: 1. Nagle; 2. Coffman; 3. Stander; 4. Keiser; 5. Welch; 6. Luloff.
Heat two: 1. Brown; 2. Irvine; 3. Parizek; 4. Wacha; 5. Burg; 6. Happel; 7. Vanous.
IMCA SPORT COMPACT
Feature: 1. 00W Bill Whalen Jr. (Riverside); 2. 07 Tyler Whalen (Riverside); 3. 22T Travis Losenicky (Garrison); 4. 2 Merv Chandler (Urbana); 5. A.J. Witten (Cedar Rapids); 6. 2M Matthew Moore (Ottumwa); 7. 30 Shawn Cooney (Des Moine); 8. 22 Nathan Chandler (Norway); 9. 2ND Brad Chandler (Cedar Rapids); 10. 99J Jeremy Lerch (Vinton); 11. 9 Toby Denning (Mt. Auburn).
Heat one: 1. N. Chandler; 2. Witten; 3. Losenicky; 4. B. Chandler; 5. Lerch; 6. Moore.
Heat two: 1. M. Chandler; 2. B. Whalen; 3. T. Whalen; 4. Cooney; DNS Denning.
No comments:
Post a Comment