A side-by-side battle for the lead, five cars within striking distance of the win and a last lap pass off the final corner highlighted the season opener Sunday night at Benton County Speedway. (complete results and all-time opening night stats follow at the end.)
Benji Irvine pulled off the improbable in the waning moments of the 15-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature to pick up his career first points win on the quarter-mile and left Jeremiah Wilson still in search of his elusive first win at the speedway.
Wilson and defending track champion Brian Happel shared the front row at the start of the 15-lapper. Wilson drove the low groove to the front, leaving Happel and a host of others to battle behind him. Happel was able to keep pace with the leader by running the outside groove and inched ahead of Wilson for four laps throughout the middle of the race.
The lead pair continued to run in side-by-side formation throughout the event while Irvine, Jacob Keiser and Bill Bonnett all pursued within a few car-lengths of the leader. The battle for third found that trio of drivers running in door-to-door fashion at numerous stages, as well.
Following the race's only caution with two laps to go, Wilson led the field back to green with Happel close behind. Irvine, meanwhile, swept past Keiser for third and then quickly pressured Happel for the runner-up spot. He made that move a short time later and then quickly reeled in Wilson exiting turn four with the checkers in sight. Irvine lunged ahead at the line to score the victory.
With the win, Irvine became the 85th different Hobby Stock winner in weekly racing history at the speedway and the 16th different opening night winner in the division's 25 years of weekly racing in Vinton.
Scott Hogan started on the outside of the front now, quickly made his way into the lead and then protected the bottom groove on his way to victory lane in the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature.
Hogan took the lead from fellow front row starter Brandon Banks on the second lap and positioned himself at the bottom of the quarter-mile while Ronn Lauritzen and defending track champion Joe Docekal battled behind Banks for second.
Hogan continued to set the pace through a trio of cautions while Lauritzen and Docekal pestered Banks. They eventually made their way past Banks just prior to a lap 14 caution. Docekal restarted on Hogan's rear bumper, but was unable to challenge as Hogan drove to the victory.
The all-time Modified wins leader in weekly racing history at the speedway, Sunday's victory was Hogan's 44th in Vinton and his first since September 2, 2012. He has now won at least one feature in 16 separate seasons dating back to the year of his first win in 1995. It was his fourth career win in Vinton during the month of April.
All-time, Hogan's four opening night wins are the most in the division. Entering the night, he and Timm Jensen had three opening night wins apiece. Now in their 30th year in Vinton, the Modifieds have seen 22 different winners during the first night of points racing.
Damon Murty also raced the bottom groove to victory in the IMCA Stock Car feature. By luck of the redraw, Murty started the 15-lapper on the pole, then held off pressure from Scott Pippert and Norman Chesmore to score the win. Chesmore slipped past Pippert midway through that event and held on for second.
The all-time Stock Car wins leader in weekly racing history in Vinton, Murty has now earned 62 trips to the winner's circle and he has at least one win in each of the last 13 seasons. In the 14 years the Stock Cars have been part of the weekly program at the speedway, Murty has won on opening night an incredible eight times, including each of the last three seasons. It was his 10th career win in Vinton during the month of April.
Murty continues to be the sole member of another club in the Stock Car division. He remains the only driver in the division in Vinton to win on season championship night one season and then follow it up with a win on opening night of the next season. He has now done that four times.
Three-time Modified track champion Dave Burrell hasn't spent much time in a race car in the last 20 years. In fact, his most recent win in Vinton came nearly 20 years ago on May 22, 1994, the year of his last of three straight Modified titles. He almost ended his return to racing in the winner's circle Sunday night, but Tyler Soppe had other plans.
Soppe, who raced in Vinton only one other time prior to Sunday night, took the lead just past the midway point of the 15-lap IMCA Northern SportMod feature to earn his first win in Vinton.
Burrell took the early lead from his outside front row starting spot while Soppe quickly worked his way into a challenge after starting in row three. Soppe settled into second just prior to the second and final caution on lap seven, then held on when racing resumed to score the victory.
Soppe became the 45th different SportMod winner in weekly racing history in Vinton and the eighth different opening night winner in 10 years of SportMod racing at the speedway. He is the fifth straight different opening night winner in the division.
An emotional Bill Whalen Jr. made his way to victory lane in the IMCA Sport Compact division. Whalen was a close, longtime friend of fellow competitor Merv Chandler who unexpectedly passed away earlier this year. Whalen took the lead at the drop of the green and led all 12 laps in dominant fashion to earn his third victory of the weekend.
Ironically, the 12th win of Whalen's career in Vinton, he is now tied with Chandler for fourth on the division's all-time list. Whalen became the seventh different opening night winner in the division in the nine years the Sport Compacts have competed in Vinton. It was his third career win during the month of April on the quarter-mile.
RESULTS
IMCA MODIFIED
Feature: 1. 33D Scott Hogan, Vinton; 2. 12D Joe Docekal, Dysart; 3. 10K Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 4. 22 Brandon Banks, Washington; 5. 57V Mike Van Genderen, Newton; 6. 71 Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 7. F7 Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 8. 8 Tony Snyder, Readlyn; 9. 00J J.D. Auringer, Waterloo; 10. 24R Adam Johnson, Independence; 11. 80 Jerry Dedrick, Vinton; 12. 1X Steve Streeter, Madera, Calif.; 13. 81 Jesse Belez, Marengo; 14. 11B Mike Burbridge, Delhi; 15. 21K Kyle Brown, Kellogg; 16. 18J Jake Strayer, Newton; DNS/17. 23JR Nick Roberts, Des Moines; DNS 7S Robbie Schmuecker, Vinton.
Heat one: 1. Van Genderen; 2. Snyder; 3. Lauritzen; 4. Burbridge; 5. Brown; 6. Dedrick.
Heat two: 1. Hogan; 2. Cordes; 3. Flannagan; 4. Streeter; 5. Johnson; DNS Schmuecker.
Heat three: 1. Strayer; 2. Auringer; 3. Banks; 4. Docekal; 5. Roberts; 6. Belez.
IMCA STOCK CAR
Feature: 1. 99D Damon Murty, Chelsea; 2. 15 Norman Chesmore, Rowley; 3. 47 Scott Pippert, Elberon; 4. 67 Justin Stander, Shellsburg; 5. 76 Mike Galli, Urbana; 6. 99 Erick Knutsen, Cedar Rapids; 7. 8 Curtis Roster, Vinton; 8. 8B Scott Beauregard, Brandon; 9. 4JR Russell Damme Jr., Waterloo.
Heat: 1. Murty; 2. Chesmore; 3. Pippert; 4. Knutsen; 5. Galli; 6. Damme; 7. Roster; 8. Beauregard; 9. Stander.
IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD
Feature: 1. 3T Tyler Soppe, Sherrill; 2. 199 Dave Burrell, Dysart; 3. 22 Matt Petrzlka, Norway; 4. 72 Brett Lowry, Montezuma; 5. 00 Jim Buhlman, Cedar Falls; 6. CH19 Colby Heishman, Brooklyn; 7. 4 Ryan Maitland, Waterloo; 8. 22H Curt Hilmer, Dysart; 9. 57R Ryan King, Montour; 10. 7D Dakoda Sellers, Vinton; 11. J2 Dave Schulze, Keystone; 12. 3R Danny Dvorak, Vinton; 13. 10S John Schaefer, La Porte City; 14. 3B Brian Anderson, Garrison; 15. 36 Jake Salisbury, Dunkerton; 16. 64 Matt McKinnon, Hatley, Wis.; 17. 49 Brandon Smith, Quasqueton; 18. 777 Jayme Duinink, Pella; 19. 95 Mike McDonald, Cedar Rapids; 20. T17 Tom Rawlins, Kellogg.
Heat one: 1. Soppe; 2. Hilmer; 3. Buhlman; 4. Maitland; 5. Smith; DNS Schaefer; DNS Salisbury.
Heat two: 1. Petrzlka; 2. Sellers; 3. Heishman; 4. Schulze; 5. Anderson; 6. Duinink.
Heat three: 1. Dvorak; 2. McKinnon; 3. Lowry; 4. Burrell; 5. King; 6. McDonald; 7. Rawlins.
IMCA HOBBY STOCK
Feature: 1. 79 Benji Irvine, Cedar Falls; 2. T64 Jeremiah Wilson, Waterloo; 3. 46 Brian Happel, Vinton; 4. 07 Jacob Keiser, Marengo; 5. 19 Bill Bonnett, Knoxville; 6. 78 Matt Brown, Dysart; 7. 17K Kyle Parizek; 8. 45 Justin Wacha, Vinton; 9. 4P Matt Pohlman, Keystone; 10. 29 Nathan Ballard, Marengo.
Heat: 1. Happel; 2. Wilson; 3. Bonnett; 4. Keiser; 5. Irvine; 6. Pohlman; 7. Wacha; 8. Brown; 9. Parizek; 10. Ballard.
IMCA SPORT COMPACT
Feature: 1. 00W Bill Whalen Jr., Riverside; 2. 11 Steve Miedke, Shellsburg; 3. 99J Jeremy Lerch, Vinton; 4. 5 Toby Denning, Vinton; 5. 22 Nathan Chandler, Norway; 6. 73B Andrew Bieber, Independence; 7. 69 Bill Michel, Muscatine.
Heat: 1. Chandler; 2. Whalen; 3. Michel; 4. Miedke; 5. Lerch; 6. Denning; 7. Bieber.
ALL-TIME OPENING NIGHT WINNERS
(Years the opening night winner went on to win the track championship that same season are in pink.)
MODIFIED
4 - Scott Hogan (1996, 2009, 2011, 2014);
3 - Timm Jensen (1992, 1997, 2003);
2 - Jack Mitchell (1982, 1983);
2 - Arlo Becker (1994, 2001);
2 - Troy Cordes (2004, 2005);
1 each - Rick Brinkema (1979); Bernie Juliar (1980); Larry Druschel (1981); Kevin Pittman (1990); Larry Schmidt (1991); Jeff Mathes (1993); Todd Jensen (1995); Jeff Barkdoll (1998); Dan Kohls (1999); Darin Duffy (2000); Joey Schaefer (2002); Don Erger (2006); J.D. Auringer (2007); Jerry Luloff (2008); Richie Gustin (2010); Shawn Ryan (2012); Ronn Lauritzen (2013).
STOCK CAR
8 - Damon Murty (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014);
2 - Cliff Gray (2001, 2004);
1 each - Curtis Roster (2002); Sean Johnson (2008); Rod Snellenberger (2009); Paul Shepherd (2011).
NORTHERN SPORTMOD
3 - Austin Kaplan (2008, 2009, 2010);
1 each - Frankie Dulin (2005), Bob Ebaugh (2006); Jim Buhlman (2007); Kyle Olson (2011); Danny Dvorak (2012); Nick Roberts (2013); Tyler Soppe (2014).
HOBBY STOCK
4 - Chris Luloff (2005, 2006, 2008, 2013);
3 - Vince Buchholz (1997, 1999, 2003);
2 - Forrest Frost (1991, 1992);
2 - David Rice (1993, 1995);
2 - Scooter Dulin (2000, 2001);
2 - Scott Pippert (2011, 2012);
1 each - Craig Coventry (1990); Curtis Roster (1994); Dan Krug (1996); Jerry Dedrick (1998); Alvin Larsen (2002); Paul Shepherd (2004); Todd Reitzler (2007); Bill Bonnett (2009); Wes Stanek Jr. (2010); Benji Irvine (2014).
SPORT COMPACT
3 - Nathan Chandler (2009, 2012, 2013);
1 each - Will Kirk (2006); Doug Laughridge (2007); Zach Holerud (2008); Dallas Chandler (2010); Gary Peiffer (2011); Bill Whalen Jr. (2014).
That will do it for the first Sunday of the year in Vinton. Hopefully, we will have similar weather next Saturday so we can open the season at Independence Motor Speedway.
Have a great week and thanks for reading!
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