Schulze started the 15-lapper from outside of row one and pulled away from the pack before a caution bunched the field late. Curt Hilmer pressured the leader in the waning laps, but Schulze held on to become the 20th different winner in the division's six-year weekly racing history at the speedway.
John Emerson made a last lap pass on Sean Johnson to take the win in the 18-lap IMCA Stock Car feature. Jason Hocken led early before Johnson made his way to the front following a mid-race caution. Emerson, who worked into second a few laps later, restarted on Johnson's rear bumper following a lap 16 caution.
Pressuring the low side of Johnson's #8R, Emerson pulled to the inside of the leader in turns one and two on the final lap. After battling for the lead, Emerson pulled ahead of Johnson exiting turn four to steal the win.
The victory was Emerson's fourth of the season and the eighth of his career in Independence. He remains 10th on the division's all-time list at the speedway, one victory shy of Chris Wessner for ninth. It was Emerson's third career win during the month of June at Indee.
Tyler Bruening reeled in Dain Sires late in the 25-lap IMCA Late Model feature to drive to his fourth win of the season. Bruening worked past Dean Wagner for second with five laps to go, then chased down Sires in lapped traffic to take the lead as the white flag waved.
Bruening's career win mark in weekly racing history in Independence now matches the number on his car - 16. He is tied with Chub Liebe and Darren Ackerman for ninth on the all-time list at the speedway. His seven career wins during the month of June are more than double any other month for Bruening.
J.D. Auringer took the lead from Shawn Ryan mid-way through the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature to take his second win of the season. Auringer held off Tyler Droste throughout a handful of late cautions to drive to the win.
Auringer now owns eight Modified wins in his weekly racing career in Independence. He is tied for 12th on the all-time list with Greg Kastli, Joey Schaefer and Kevin Pittman. It was his second career win during the month of June.
Chris Luloff scored the 25th career Hobby Stock win of his career at the speedway. The all-time wins leader in the division took the lead from Justin Wacha following a mid-race caution to drive to the victory, his third of the season.
Luloff, who also won last week, now has five separate streaks of at least two wins in his career in Independence. It was his ninth win all-time during the month of June.
Adam Gates led wire-to-wire to claim his fifth win of the season in the IMCA Sport Compact division. Gates, whose five wins lead the all-time list at the speedway, has won the last four features in the division.
The ability to get the show in the books was very much up in the air throughout the day Saturday. For the second week in a row, forecasters were calling for upwards of a 90% chance of rain in the area. Independence dodged the weather yet again to complete its sixth night of points racing without interruption. Great job to track prep guru Don Burkey for assembling another stellar track despite Mother Nature's curveballs Saturday.
Coincidentally, the track has not had a Saturday rainout during the month of June since June 12, 2010. That streak of 14 straight successful weekly programs during the month is the third longest all-time. Over a span of 33 events scheduled during the month of June from 1975-1983, the track lost only one weekly racing program - June 9, 1979. There were 15 consecutive programs without a rainout during the month of June prior to that rainout and 17 straight June programs following that cancellation. Those are the only longer June streaks in track history.
We still have a few June race dates to go to set the overall track record, however. From 1993 to 1999, the track didn't see a single rainout during the month of August for 28 consecutive weekly programs.
By the way, Mother Nature allowed us to keep June 15 off the track's all-time cancellation list. Saturday night was the seventh time in track history weekly racing was scheduled for that calendar date and all seven of those programs were successfully completed. For what it's worth, June 22 has never rained out, either...
Speaking of which, next Saturday night, June 22, is another night of weekly racing and includes added purse money for the SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts. Due to the rainout of the Entry Level Extravanganza earlier this month, promoters Darin Burco and Todd Summers opted to pay the special purse during a weekly points night rather than reschedule the entire event.
For those interested, the program for those three divisions will be run the same as a regular points night. Track points will be awarded and the qualifying format will remain the same, based on season point averages. The only thing different is the increase in purse, which will pay $500 to the SportMod winner, $300-to-win Hobby Stocks and $200-to-win Sport Compacts. Points racing will also be held in the other weekly divisions. Pit gate prices and grandstand admission will remain the same.
I know it's still the middle of the month, but I've noticed a few interesting statistical trends that have formed (or continued) in recent weeks. Here's a mid-month Stats Blitz bonus for race fans at Independence Motor Speedway...
Odds and Ends
* Along with his four feature wins, Tyler Bruening has earned a pair of second place finishes in Late Model action this season. All six of his feature finishes have been top-two runs. In fact, dating back to June 16 of last season, Bruening has earned 13 top-three finishes in 14 nights of racing in Independence. His other finish was sixth on August 11 of last year.
* Sean Johnson continued his incredible streak of top-three finishes in the Stock Car class Saturday. Dating back to July 30, 2011, Johnson has earned an incredible 26 straight top-three finishes in weekly racing. During those 26 events, Johnson has earned 14 wins, eight second place finishes and four thirds.
* Modified points leader Tyler Droste has used a string of top-four finishes to carry him to the top of the standings. Droste has finished in each of the top-four finishing spots once in each of the last four weeks, the longest currently active top-five streak in the division.
* The Hobby Stocks have completed 90 laps of feature racing this season, but the feature winners led only 33 laps of the events they won. In fact, no Hobby Stock feature winner has led prior to lap six. To take it a step further, in four of six features, the winner didn't take control until the final five laps.
* On the flip side, the IMCA Sport Compacts have completed 66 laps of feature racing... and there has yet to be a lead change. That's right, every feature winner in the division through six weeks led those events in their entirety.
* A bit of a milestone will be reached next Saturday in the IMCA Modified division - it will be the 450th IMCA Modified feature in weekly racing history in the division in Independence. Dating back to the start of the 1983 season, the IMCA Modified division is now in its 31st season at the speedway. To see how times have progressed, here's a look back at each 50-race milestone winner through the years:
50th - John Light (June 28, 1986) / The fourth of Light's seven career wins in Independence.
100th - Deon Turner (July 1, 1989) / Turner's first of seven Modified win in Independence.
150th - Timm Jensen (August 15, 1992) / The third of Jensen's nine wins in Independence
200th - Steve Droste (July 6, 1996) / Droste's 13th and final Modified win in Independence came the following week.
250th - Darin Duffy (July 19, 1999) / The 12th of Duffy's 42 career wins at the speedway.
300th - Ben Metcalf (August 17, 2002) / Metcalf's only win in Independence.
350th - J.D. Auringer (May 6, 2006) / Auringer's second of eight Independence wins.
400th - Darin Duffy (August 29, 2009) / Career win number 33 of 42 for Duffy in Independence.
For those interested, Jack Mitchell won the first weekly IMCA Modified feature in track history on May 21, 1983.
* The Stock Cars are also approaching a milestone. The division, which was added to the weekly program in 1993 and has been IMCA sanctioned since the start of the 1994 season, is approaching the 300 mark. As of Saturday, 297 Stock Car features have been held in weekly racing history in Independence. Barring any weather-related problems, the 300th Stock Car feature is slated for July 6. As was mentioned earlier this month, a special increased purse for the Stock Cars is also in the works for one Saturday this season. Wouldn't it be perfect to add the prize money on the night the division's 300th feature is held? Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks.
That's all for now. I'll see you tonight (assuming I ever get to bed) at Benton County Speedway!
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