Auringer tops Albert Auto Night at Benton County Speedway

J.D. Auringer worked around the outside of Scott Hogan midway through the IMCA Modified feature to drive to victory on Albert Auto Night at Benton County Speedway.

It was Mike Burbridge out front at the drop of the green in the 20-lapper while Scott Hogan worked the low side into contention from his third row start. Hogan settled into second on lap two, then quickly chased down the leader while Auringer followed Hogan from his fourth row starting spot.

Hogan took the lead on lap four while Auringer made his way into third. Auringer slipped around Burbridge for second just prior to a caution on lap nine.

Auringer quickly went to work on the top side of Hogan when racing resumed until he shot to the inside of the leader exiting turn two on lap 11. He pulled away while Troy Cordes entered a battle with Hogan for second.

Cordes made his way around Hogan, but his deficit was too large to overcome as Auringer drove to victory.

The win was Auringer's 13th in weekly racing history at the speedway. He is now tied with Timm Jensen on the track's Modified wins list. Six of those 13 wins have come in the month of May.

Auringer's win Sunday night came just four days after the eight year anniversary of his first win in Vinton (May 21, 2006).

There have been four different winners in the first four weeks of the season for the Modifieds. It's the 13th time in track history the Modifieds have started with four straight different winners.

Jay Schmidt raced from a fourth row starting spot and into second place just prior to a lap eight caution in the IMCA Stock Car feature. Schmidt restarted on Curtis Roster's rear bumper and shot to the inside of the leader to assume command one lap after racing resumed.

Schmidt pulled away from the field to score the victory, his second straight in Vinton. The third win of his career in Vinton, Schmidt is now tied with Doug Otto, Richard Quail, Scott Pippert, Sean Johnson, Steve Meyer and Tom Schmitt for 13th on the all-time wins list for Stock Cars at the speedway. He became the ninth different Stock Car driver in track history to earn wins in consecutive weeks. 

Damon Murty opened the season with back-to-back wins in the division before Schmidt's back-to-back wins the last two weeks. Only two times before in Vinton have two drivers earned back-to-back Stock Car wins, well, back-to-back. It actually happened twice in 2007.

Shawn Ritter made his way to victory lane in the 15-lap IMCA Northern SportMod main event. From his pole position start, Ritter survived numerous early cautions and led the event in its entirety to earn the second SportMod win of his career on the Vinton oval.

Ritter is one of 26 drivers with multiple SportMod wins in Vinton. He is tied for 19th on the division's wins list with Bob Ebaugh, Brett Root, Joe Docekal, Kurt Moeding, Kyle Wahlert, Mike Krall and Rod McDonald.

Ritter's first SportMod win came on July 23, 2006. Although he has only won two SportMod features in Vinton, that span of 2,863 days between his first and most recent wins is the second longest span in division history at the speedway. Danny Dvorak's wins span 3,024 days.

This is the third time in track history that at least four different SportMod drivers have earned wins through the first four weeks of the season. It was also accomplished in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, there were six straight different winners to start the season.

Dating back to last season, there have been eight straight different SportMod winners. The record? Nine straight different winners spanned the end of the 2006 season and the beginning of the 2007 season.

Nathan Ballard finally put his bad luck behind him in the IMCA Hobby Stock 15-lapper. Ballard took the lead from fellow front row starter Justin Wacha on the second lap and held off challenges from Jacob Keiser and then Benji Irvine to take the win.

Ballard now owns seven Hobby Stock wins in weekly racing history at the speedway. That ties him with Brad Anders, Keiser, Kyle Parizek and Steve Kesl for 17th on the all-time list. He has won one feature in each of the last three seasons.

Bill Whalen Jr. earned his third win in four weeks in the IMCA Sport Compact division. The 14th Sport Compact win of his career in Vinton, Whalen is now alone in third on the track's all-time list. He has now won back-to-back features three separate times in his career on the Vinton oval. He has also won at least three features in four of the last five seasons.

Sunday night was the first of four visits this season by the IMCA Late Model division as part of the IMCA Late Model Sunday Series. Luke Pestka, who won last year's Late Model opener, took the lead on lap two and then held off late pressure from Todd Cooney in lapped traffic to score the victory.

The BCS Micro Mods made their debut, as well, Sunday night. While they don't officially start racing for track points, the division took part in a non-points draw/redraw show.

Buster Pate took the lead at the drop of the green in that 10-lapper and then led the entire distance to become the inaugural Micro Mod winner.

Event sponsor Albert Auto Service rolled out the red carpet for both drivers and fans for Sunday night's show. Prize giveaways in the grandstands included a 40" TV, grill, four $50 gift certificates to Fareway, two Bath & Body Works gift baskets, Jeff Gordon cooler, Dewalt drill, socket set and battery charger. Free T-shirts were also thrown into the stands numerous times throughout the night.

For the drivers in the five weekly divisions, each heat race winner was awarded a $25 bonus for his efforts. In victory lane, each feature winner was presented the chance to take home additional prize money, as well. They could take their normal winner's share or select one of three envelopes. One envelope contained the normal winner's share for the respective division, one contained half of the normal amount and a third contained double. Whatever amount they selected was their prize money for the night.

In the event the winning driver selected the envelope with half of their normal winnings, the other half would be donated to Last Hope Animal Shelter.

All five drivers opted for the envelope draw and some were luckier than others. Stock Car winner Jay Schmidt doubled his money and offered half of his winnings to the animal shelter. Likewise, Shawn Ritter doubled-up and offered his entire SportMod winner's share to the shelter.

It was no harm/no foul for Bill Whalen Jr. who drew the normal amount, while Auringer and Ballard each came up short in the cash department and earned half of their normal winnings.

In the end, Last Hope Animal Shelter took home a total $980, with $500 coming from Albert Auto and $480 from promoter Mick Trier.

A 50/50 raffle was also conducted throughout the event and $200 was raised for the GoVS Scholarship Fund.

In addition to the cash prizes awarded by Albert Auto, the grandstand prizes they provided with the help from NAPA Auto Parts of Cedar Rapids, CarQuest Auto Parts of Cedar Rapids and Big B's BBQ of La Porte City, totaled thousands of dollars.

Hats off to Chad Albert, Wes White and the crew from Albert Auto for their great dedication to racing at Benton County Speedway and the incredible prizes they offered at Sunday's show. When you see them, be sure to thank them for going above and beyond!

To top it off, Don Burkey and Shawn Fisher prepared one heck of a race track Sunday night. It was smooth, multi-grooved and provided for three and four-wide racing all night long. Great work, guys!

Today, I'm off to Boone Speedway to call the action for the annual Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models event. Whether you're going to the races or have other plans, be sure to have a safe Memorial Day and please remember what this day is all about.

Thanks for reading!

RESULTS
IMCA LATE MODEL
Feature: 1. 99 Luke Pestka, Robins; 2. 30 Todd Cooney, Des Moines; 3. 70 Jerry King, Waterloo; 4. 37 Randy Foote, Stanton; 5. 9 Bobby Hansen, Center Point; 6. 22 Charlie McKenna, Clear Lake; 7. 23 Paul Conrad, Colo; 8. 77 Dirk Hamilton, Jesup; 9. 60 Ben Seemann, Waterloo; 10. 32X Chris Snyder, Raymond; 11. 32 Curtis Glover, Des Moines; 12. 5W Tom Hanson, Vinton.
First heat: 1. Foote; 2. Snyder; 3. King; 4. Cooney; 5. Pestka; 6. Hamilton.
Second heat: 1. Hansen; 2. McKenna; 3. Conrad; 4. Glover; 5. Wagner; 6. Hanson.

IMCA MODIFIED
Feature: 1. 00 J.D. Auringer, Waterloo; 2. 71 Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 3. 33D Scott Hogan, Vinton; 4. 11B Mike Burbridge, Delhi; 5. 19D Darin Duffy, Urbana; 6. 12D Joe Docekal, Dysart; 7. F7 Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 8. 20L Zach Less, Hopkinton; 9. 10K Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 10. 57B Dennis Betzer, Central City; 11. 14 Tom Hanson, Vinton; 12. 7S Robbie Schmuecker, Vinton; 13. 80 Jerry Dedrick, Vinton.
First heat: 1. Less; 2. Duffy; 3. Schmuecker; 4. Lauritzen; 5. Betzer; 6. Cordes; 7. Hanson.
Second heat: 1. Burbridge; 2. Hogan; 3. Dedrick; 4. Flannagan; 5. Auringer; 6. Docekal.

IMCA STOCK CAR
Feature: 1. 19J Jay Schmidt, Tama; 2. 8 Curtis Roster, Vinton; 3. 67 Justin Stander, Shellsburg; 4. 31S Paul Shepherd, Marengo; 5. 15 Norman Chesmore, Rowley; 6. 62G Adam Gebel, Cedar Falls; 7. 47 Scott Pippert, Elberon; 8. 8B Scott Beauregard, Brandon; 9. 76 Mike Galli, Urbana; 10. 38 Matt Brown, Marion.
First heat: 1. Gebel; 2. Beauregard; 3. Pippert; 4. Stander; 5. Shepherd.
Second heat: 1. Roster; 2. Schmidt; 3. Chesmore; 4. Galli; 5. Brown.

IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD
Feature: 1. 7SR Shawn Ritter, Keystone; 2. 49 Brandon Smith, Quasqueton; 3. J2 Dave Schulze, Keystone; 4. 19J Jenae Gustin, Marshalltown; 5. 15B Troy Burkhart, Urbana; 6. 57R Ryan King, Montour; 7. 72L Brett Lowry, Montezuma; 8. 3R Danny Dvorak, Vinton; 9. 7D Dakoda Sellers, Vinton; 10. 19G Gatlin Leytham, Garwin; 11. 95 Mike McDonald, Cedar Rapids; 12. 22 Matt Petrzelka, Norway; 13. 35 Kyle Bentley, Independence; 14. 199 Dave Burrell, Dysart; 15. T17 Tom Rawlins, Kellogg; 16. 4 Ryan Maitland, Waterloo; 17. 3B Brian Anderson, Garrison; 18. CH19 Colby Heishman, Brooklyn; 19. 10S John Schaefer, La Porte City; 20. 6T Siraj Thomason, Montezuma; 21. 22H Curt Hilmer, Dysart; 22. 36 Jacob Salisbury, Dunkerton.
First heat: 1. Burkhart; 2. McDonald; 3. Heishman; 4. Schulze; 5. Burrell; 6. Lowry; 7. Salisbury; DQ Leytham.
Second heat: 1. Ritter; 2. Gustin; 3. Sellers; 4. Hilmer; 5. Petrzelka; 6. Bentley; 7. Rawlins.
Third heat: 1. Dvorak; 2. Smith; 3. Schaefer; 4. King; 5. Maitland; 6. Anderson; 7. Thomason.

IMCA HOBBY STOCK
Feature: 1. 29 Nathan Ballard, Marengo; 2. 79 Benji Irvine, Stanley; 3. 17K Kyle Parizek, Belle Plaine; 4. 46 Brian Happel, Vinton; 5. 07 Jacob Keiser, Marengo; 6. 78 Matt Brown, Dysart; 7. 23 Andrew Torkelson, Lisbon; 8. 45 Justin Wacha, Vinton; 9. 19B Jim Sheldon, Marion.
Heat: 1. Ballard; 2. Parizek; 3. Wacha; 4. Irvine; 5. Keiser; 6. Torkelson; 7. Brown; 8. Happel; 9. Sheldon.

IMCA SPORT COMPACT
Feature: 1. 00W Bill Whalen, Riverside; 2. 36DD Gary Peiffer, Troy Mills; 3. 99J Jeremy Lerch, Vinton; 4. 007 Adam Gates, Marion.
Heat: 1. Whalen; 2. Gates; 3. Lerch; 4. Peiffer.

BCS MICRO MOD
Feature: 1. 111 Buster Pate, Hiawatha; 2. Brandon Maitland, Waterloo; 3. 6E Don Erger, Brandon; 4. 00 Brody Willett, Cedar Rapids; 5. 9F John Hershberger, Rochester, Minn.
Heat: 1. Pate; 2. Erger; 3. Hershberger; 4. Maitland; 5. Willett.

Irvine tops Showcase Saturday for IMCA Stock Cars at Independence

Brian Irvine hasn't raced a whole lot the last few years. In fact, his visit to Independence Motor Speedway Saturday night was his first time on the 3/8-mile oval in nearly a year-and-a-half. Despite that time away, Irvine ended his night in familiar territory as he made his way to victory lane following the 18-lap IMCA Stock Car feature.

It was a good night for Irvine to make his return as the Stock Cars were offered increased prize money as part of the Saturday Showcase. One division will be offered increased prize money one week a month and Saturday night Irvine took the top prize of $500.

After racing through the pack from a fifth row start, Irvine made his way around Jarod Weepie for the lead on lap six. He pulled away following a pair of mid-race restarts to score the impressive win.

For his career, Irvine has now earned 32 Stock Car wins in weekly racing history at the speedway. He ranks second all-time to Dan Trimble. It was his first win since May 29, 2010 and the ninth of his career during the month of May.

When combined with his 16 Hobby Stock wins in Independence, his 48 trips to the winner's circle ranks sixth all-time in weekly racing history. All of Irvine's wins have come in nine different calendar years, the fewest of any driver in the top nine in career wins at the speedway. He sits two wins behind Greg Kastli for fifth on the track's all-time wins list.

In IMCA Hobby Stock action, Shawn Kuennen earned the first win of his career in that division's 15-lapper. Kuennen took the lead early and then held off Benji Irvine in lapped traffic to win by half of a car-length.

With the win, Kuennen became the 92nd different Hobby Stock winner in weekly racing history at the speedway. He joined Matt White as first-time Hobby Stock winners so far this season. There have been at least two first-time winners in the division in 22 of the 26 years the Hobby Stocks have been part of the weekly racing program in Independence.

Jenae Gustin continued her dominance in the IMCA Northern SportMod division. Despite starting in the eighth row, Gustin raced through the pack and took the lead by the midway point of that 15-lapper. She pulled away following a mid-race restart to earn her third win in the last four weeks.

Gustin's three career SportMod wins in weekly racing history place her in a tie with Chris Luloff and Ray Lundry for third on the all-time list. She became just the third SportMod driver in track history to win three events in a four-week span. Josh Sherbon won four features in five weeks in 2010 and Tyler Droste won three times in four weeks in 2011.

Keep in mind, Gustin was not present May 10, meaning she has won in each of her last three appearances in Independence. Although history will reflect that she has won three of the last four features, Gustin is the first SportMod driver in track history to win three straight features.

In arguably the best race of the night, Performance Bodies IMCA Modified point leader Scott Hogan earned a hard-fought win in that 20-lapper.

After starting in row six, Hogan positioned himself to challenge J.D. Auringer for the lead following a lap 16 caution. Hogan took control shortly after racing resumed to take the win, his first in weekly competition at the speedway since June 12, 2004.

The 12th win of his weekly racing career in Independence, Hogan sits alone in 10th on the all-time list. His 12 wins span 7,224 calendar days - 81 days shy of 20 years. That is the second longest span in division history. Darin Duffy's career Modified wins span 7,266 days.

Darren Ackerman was the class of the field in the IMCA Late Model division. Ackerman took the lead early and then ran away to hide in lapped traffic to earn his first win of the season.

With 19 Late Model wins in weekly racing history, Ackerman is alone in ninth on the all-time list. You're closing in on eighth, Darren. One more win will tie you with Greg Hunter.

The trend of different winners continued Saturday night. There have been 20 different feature winners in 25 events through the first five weeks. In fact, there have been only three repeat winners so far this season. Jenae Gustin (SportMod) and Benji Irvine (Hobby Stock) each have three wins and Ronn Lauritzen has two wins in the Modifieds.

That means there have been five different Late Model and five different Stock Car winners through the first five weeks of the season.

It has happened more often than you probably realize in the Late Models. There have been five different Late Model winners out of the gate six times in the last nine years and it's happened 22 times in track history.

The track record for the Late Models is eight different winners to open a season. That has happened twice - in 1970 and 1985.

It's much less common to see so many different winners to start a season in the Stock Car division. In the division's 22 year history at the speedway, only one other time have we seen five straight different Stock Car winners to open a season. That happened in 2003. If we get another different winner next week, a new record will be established. Who will be the first to repeat in 2014?

The track record for most consecutive different Stock Car winners at any point in a season is seven. That occurred during the middle of the 2005 season. Dating back to July 6 of last season, there have been 10 different feature winners in the Stock Cars in the last 13 events.

We continue to dodge the wet spring weather in Independence. In fact, Saturday night was beautiful from start to finish. For only the sixth time in track history have we completed the first five nights of weekly racing without a cancellation. 

We'll see two days of racing next weekend in Independence. The Friday, May 30, Open Wheel Shootout special will feature the Brockway Mechanical & Roofing Sprint Invaders, along with Modifieds and Stock Cars. We'll turn right around and return next Saturday, May 31, for the sixth night of weekly points racing. Details for the busy weekend are available at www.independencemotorspeedway.com.

Tonight, it's off to Benton County Speedway for Albert Auto Night. Along with great sponsorship prizes courtesy of Albert Auto, the IMCA Late Models make their first of four appearances this season and the Micro Mods make their debut. It promises to be an exciting night on the Vinton quarter-mile.

Tomorrow, I'm heading to Boone Speedway to fill in for track announcer Jerry Vansickel for the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models event.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!

Anderson earns first SportMod win at Southern Iowa Speedway

Logan Anderson took control early and led all 16 laps to earn his first career win in the IMCA Northern SportMod division Wednesday night at Southern Iowa Speedway.

Anderson, who started outside of row two, made his way past front row starters Jason Hall and Tyler Gross by the completion of the first lap. Carter VanDenBerg started directly behind Anderson and chased him to the front, but was unable to gain ground on the leader.

Anderson enjoyed a comfortable lead while Curtis Van Der Wal positioned himself in a challenge for second with VanDenBerg. VanDenBerg held on to win that battle, but Anderson led the event in its entirety to take the milestone win.

Brad Pinkerton raced from deep in the field to victory lane in the IMCA Stock Car feature. Pinkerton, who failed to make the invert through his heat race, started 11th in the main event.

It was pole sitter Cory Stout at the helm early. Stout built a five car-length lead before Donovan Nunnikhoven challenged for the top spot on lap six. Nunnikhoven pulled even with Stout in turn two on the sixth circuit and appeared poised to take control until he spun in turn four a short time later.

On a lap eight restart, Pinkerton was running in the fourth position, but worked into a challenge for the lead by lap nine. Cayden Carter joined the battle for the lead with Pinkerton and Stout before Pinkerton broke free on the 10th circuit. He pulled away in the late staged to score the victory. Carter edged Stout at the line for second.

Casey Greubel held the early lead in the 16-lap IMCA Modified feature. From his front row starting spot, Greubel looked strong before his #64 developed a push midway through that event and allowed Jesse Sobbing to challenge for the lead.

Sobbing worked the low side of Greubel on the back straightaway on lap nine before powering into the lead on his way to victory. Greubel held on for second ahead of Todd Shute.

Mike Hughes dominated the IMCA Hobby Stock feature. Hughes raced from a fourth row starting spot and into the lead on lap four and then blistered the field by taking the checkers by a straightaway ahead of Dustin Griffiths.

Todd Cooney led all 20 laps after pole sitter Jeremy Grady spun on the initial green of the IMCA Late Model feature. Cooney held off late pressure from Colby Springsteen to take the victory.

John Whalen won the IMCA Sport Compact feature in convincing. He raced to the checkers ahead of his brother, Bill, to take the victory.

Notes from Osky
Streaking (no, not that kind) was the theme on the half-mile Wednesday night - a number of them ended while another may have started. Todd Shute's three-race winning streak ended in the Modifieds, Bill Whalen Jr.'s bid for a third straight Sport Compact win was foiled by his brother and Todd Cooney won his second straight Late Model feature. The Late Models are set to return to action in Osky around Mahaska County Fair time.

Dustin Griffiths' second place finish was as impressive as anyone's run Wednesday night. A pileup on the initial start of the 15-lapper collected Griffiths and forced him to restart at the tail. He made it back through the pack to finish second by the time Hughes built his huge lead. I'm not so sure the outcome would have been the same had the Hobby Stocks suffered one more caution.

It was a great night of racing and promoter Mike Van Genderen provided a fantastic race track for Wednesday's show. Although he fought wet conditions from the day before and a steady wind out of the north on race day, Van Genderen put together a smooth, fast surface for all six divisions.

There was a medical delay of around 30 minutes during the middle of the Stock Car feature when a gentleman required assistance in the grandstands. While it's not something anyone wishes to experience at the race track, Van Genderen and his crew handled the situation very well.

I mentioned to fellow Positively Racing blogger Joyce Eisele during the delay that I did not envy track announcer Tony Paris since the mood of the evening turned in the blink of an eye. After medical personnel tended to the gentleman, Paris asked those in attendance to offer prayers to the man and his family, then offered well-deserved recognition to the paramedics and emergency crew on the scene. Paris was professional, heartfelt and spot-on with his handling of the situation. Thanks, Tony, for putting everything in perspective and for handling the situation with dignity. Continued thoughts and prayers to the man and his family.

Cordes collects 40th Benton County Speedway win in Modifieds

Mike Burbridge got the early jump, but Troy Cordes got all the glory Sunday night at Benton County Speedway. Cordes took the lead three laps into the IMCA Modified feature and drove to victory, his career 40th in the division on the Vinton oval alone. (complete results follow)

Burbridge sat on the pole for the 20-lapper and pulled away from the pack at the drop of the green while Cordes pursued from a third row starting spot. He worked into second by the completion of the first lap while Burbridge ran a few car-lengths out front.

Running the top side, Cordes quickly reeled in Burbridge and made his bid for the lead two laps later. He then pulled away from traffic until the caution flag waved on lap 12 when Burbridge chucked a driveshaft in turn three.

On the restart, Cordes again took control on the top side of the fast, smooth, quarter-mile while Scott Hogan, J.D. Auringer and Ronn Lauritzen battled for second. The trio ran in three-wide formation as they fought for position until the caution flag waved again three laps later.

When racing resumed, Hogan slipped off the high side of turn one to bring out a final stoppage with Auringer positioned on Cordes' bumper for the ensuing restart. Cordes led the remainder of the event unchallenged to score the victory.

With 40 Modified wins in weekly racing history at the speedway, Cordes is second to Hogan's 44 victories on the all-time list.

Cordes has now won at least one Modified feature in each of the last 13 seasons in Vinton. That is not only the longest active streak, but the longest streak in Modified history at the speedway. Cordes matched Arlo Becker with Modified wins in 13 separate seasons in Vinton. He now trails only Hogan, who has Modified feature wins in 16 different seasons at the speedway.

The first time Cordes visited Modified victory lane in Vinton was July 21, 2002. That span of 4,319 days between his first and most recent wins is the seventh longest span in division history. When he won that first feature in 2002, Cordes became the 50th different Modified winner in track history. There have been 25 more first-time winners since he earned that win. Feeling old yet, Troy?

All 40 wins for Cordes in Vinton have come under the IMCA sanction. He has more sanctioned Modified wins than any other driver in weekly racing history at the speedway. Of Hogan's 44 wins to-date, 34 were IMCA sanctioned.

Eight of Cordes' 40 wins have come in the month of May. He has won 11 features in July, eight in August, six in June, five in September and two in April. He is the only Modified driver in track history with at least five feature wins in five different calendar months.

To keep the Cordes-themed number trend moving along, it was also the second straight year he won on Fuzzy Friends Hawaiian Night, which serves as a fundraiser for the local animal shelter. The evening's winners are asked (required) to wear a grass skirt, lei and coconut bra for the victory lane photo. Check out track photographer Jim Wittke's web site, www.speedwaysouvenir.com, in the coming days for the latest in the Cordes Collection, along with the rest of Sunday's winners sporting the Hawaiian look.

Zach McKinnon made the six-and-a-half hour pull from Hatley, Wis., pay off as he earned the win in the IMCA Northern SportMod division. McKinnon, who started inside of row two, chased pole-sitter Tom Rawlins throughout the first half of the 15-lapper.

McKinnon was poised to work around the outside of Rawlins for the lead on lap six, but a caution for cars tangled in turn two negated that pass. He restarted in second while Danny Dvorak, who started 11th, ran third.

McKinnon and Dvorak both pressured Rawlins for the lead before McKinnon found room on the top side of Rawlins in turn one on lap 10. He powered around the leader to assume command and then drove away to victory, his first in Vinton in only two appearances.

With the win, McKinnon became the 47th different SportMod winner in track history and the third first-time winner in the division through the first three weeks of the 2014 season. This year marks the first time in the division's 10-year history in Vinton that a season opened with three consecutive first-time winners.

Twice before have there been more than three straight first-time winners in the SportMod division at any point in the season. Kyle Walhert, Keith Williamson, Bob Ebaugh and Jody Junge earned their first Vinton wins in consecutive events toward the end of the 2005 season. There were also four straight first-time winners late in 2006 when Shawn Ritter, Mike Krall, Kyle Olson and Rob Olson earned their first wins in consecutive events.

The three first-time winners so far this year spanned a total of 28 calendar days. The three most recent first-time winners prior to this season spanned nearly a full calendar year.

Of the 47 SportMod winners in track history, 15 earned their first wins during the month of May, which is more than any other month. Dating back to August of last year, there have been seven straight different feature winners in the division.

Curtis Roster held the early lead in the 15-lap IMCA Stock Car feature while Norman Chesmore, Justin Temeyer and Jay Schmidt raced through traffic prior to a lap three caution. The top four were running in that order when racing resumed, however they didn't stay that way for long.

Shortly after the green flag waved, Chesmore and Temeyer challenged to opposite sides of Roster while Schmidt worked the extreme outside lane of the front straightaway as the leaders ran in four-wide formation entering the first set of turns. Schmidt powered around his competitors to assume command as he exited turn two and led the rest of the way to earn his first win of the season.

With two career Stock Car wins in weekly racing history in Vinton, Schmidt is now tied with Frankie Dulin, Jason Deshaw, Jeremy Miller and Kevin Rose for 19th on the track's all-time list.

Jay, to answer your question, I will shave my beard when you shave your goatee. I hope to be in Marshalltown this Friday. Maybe we need to make a wager of some sort before the razors come out? By the way, before tonight I'd never been asked to hold a man's bra while he was having his picture taken...

Nathan Ballard has had a rough start to his season and he hoped things would change when he took the green flag from the pole position of the 15-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature.

Ballard, who has suffered mechanical problems every night this season, built a sizable lead by the time the demons struck again a handful of laps into the event. He coasted to a stop off the high side of turn two to bring out the event's only stoppage with 10 laps to go.

Prior to the caution, Brian Happel was trying to wrestle second place away from Justin Wacha. When racing resumed, they were fighting for the lead. Happel won that war when he shot to the inside of Wacha on the seventh lap to steal the top spot. Wacha tried to return the favor exiting turn two, but was unsuccessful in that attempt as Happel drove away to the win.

It was the first win of the season for Happel, who has now earned 10 Hobby Stock wins in weekly racing history in Vinton. He ended Sunday night tied for 12th on the all-time list with Danny Dvorak and Frankie Dulin.

The defending track champion, Happel earned his first win last season during the third night of weekly racing, as well. Are you superstitious, Brian?

Bill Whalen Jr. raced to his second win of the year in the IMCA Sport Compact division and the 13th of his career on the Vinton oval. Sunday night's victory moved Whalen into a tie with Jena Barthelmes for third on the track's all-time list. He has some work to do to move into second place on that list. It is currently occupied by Gary Peiffer, who has won 28 Sport Compact features at the speedway.

Whalen has spread out his Vinton wins through the years. He has won three times each during the months of April, May, June and July. Whalen also has one win during the month of September.

Through three nights of racing, there have been 12 different winners in 15 feature events in Vinton. Of those winners, five have been first-timers and four have earned at least 40 wins in their respective divisions on the Vinton oval. The other three have won 13, 12 and two features apiece. Now that's parity.

I know you've all heard about track conditions in Vinton this season and if you weren't there Sunday night, you missed a heck of a show. Don Burkey and Shawn Fisher have spent countless hours the last two weeks to get the track race-ready for whenever Mother Nature was planning to allow us to race again. They provided a smooth, fast, multi-groove surface that provided two, three and four-wide racing all night long.

Jay Schmidt, who has done his share of track prep through the years, said it best in victory lane Sunday night. It's easy for people to talk about preparing a race track, but it's another thing to go out, put the work into it and get the job done. I know Don and Shawn appreciate those words of support. The track was phenomenal Sunday night. Thanks, guys, for a job well done!

Depending on the week ahead, I'm tentatively planning on making my first trip of the year to Marshalltown Speedway this Friday. I'll be back at Independence Motor Speedway Saturday for the Stock Car Showcase, which will feature increased purse money for the IMCA Stock Car division. The winner's share that evening will be $500 with $400 going to the runner-up. The normal winner's share will be awarded to the third place finisher, second place money will go to fourth place and so on. It will be a regular weekly points race for the division. The Stock Cars will have a second Showcase Saturday later this season and the Northern SportMods and Hobby Stocks will have their chance to shine this season, as well. Check out the track schedule at www.independencemotorspeedway.com for details.

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

RESULTS
IMCA MODIFIED
Feature: 1. 71 Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 2. 00J J.D. Auringer, Waterloo; 3. 10K Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 4. 12D Joe Docekal, Dysart; 5. 20L Zach Less, Hopkinton; 6. F7 Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 7. 33D Scott Hogan, Vinton; 8. 81 Jesse Belez, Marengo; 9. 14 Tom Hanson, Vinton; 10. 7 Todd Jensen, Waterloo; 11. 57B Dennis Betzer, Central City; 12. 7S Robbie Schmuecker, Vinton; 13. 11B Mike Burbridge, Delhi; 14. 80 Jerry Dedrick, Vinton.
First heat: 1. Cordes; 2. Hogan; 3. Auringer; 4. Docekal; 5. Belez; 6. Jensen; 7. Schmuecker.
Second heat: 1. Burbridge; 2. Less; 3. Flannagan; 4. Lauritzen; 5. Hanson; 6. Dedrick; 7. Betzer.

IMCA STOCK CAR
Feature: 1. 19J Jay Schmidt, Tama; 2. 56T Justin Temeyer, Independence; 3. 47 Scott Pippert, Elberon; 4. 15 Norman Chesmore, Rowley; 5. 76 Mike Galli, Urbana; 6. 8 Curtis Roster, Vinton; 7. 67 Justin Stander, Shellsburg; 8. 62G Adam Gebel, Cedar Falls; 9. 8B Scott Beauregard, Brandon; 10. 38 Matt Brown, Marion.
First heat: 1. Temeyer; 2. Roster; 3. Chesmore; 4. Galli; 5. Brown.
Second heat: 1. Stander; 2. Schmidt; 3. Pippert; 4. Beauregard; 5. Gebel.

IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD
Feature: 1. 64 Zach McKinnon, Hatley, Wis.; 2. 3R Danny Dvorak, Vinton; 3. T17 Tom Rawlins, Kellogg; 4. 72 Brett Lowry, Montezuma; 5. 95 Mike McDonald, Cedar Rapids; 6. 57R Ryan King, Montour; 7. 49 Brandon Smith, Quasqueton; 8. 199 Dave Burrell, Dysart; 9. 7D Dakoda Sellers, Vinton; 10. 22 Matt Petrzelka, Norway; 11. 00 Jim Buhlman, Cedar Falls; 12. 10S John Schaefer, La Porte City; 13. CH19 Colby Heishman, Brooklyn; 14. 42L Lonnie Mercer, Urbana; 15. 15B Troy Burkhart, Urbana; 16. 36 Jake Salisbury, Dunkerton; 17. 3B Brian Anderson, Garrison.
First heat: 1. McKinnon; 2. King; 3. Rawlins; 4. Sellers; 5. Petrzelka; 6. Heishman.
Second heat: 1. Buhlman; 2. Lowry; 3. Anderson; 4. Salisbury; 5. Schaefer.
Third heat: 1. McDonald; 2. Burrell; 3. Smith; 4. Dvorak; 5. Burkhart; 6. Mercer.

IMCA HOBBY STOCK
Feature: 1. 46 Brian Happel, Vinton; 2. 79 Benji Irvine, Stanley; 3. 45 Justin Wacha, Vinton; 4. 78 Matt Brown, Dysart; 5. 07 Jacob Keiser, Marengo; 6. 17K Kyle Parizek, Belle Plaine; 7. 357 Brett Vanous, Quasqueton; 8. 23 Andrew Torkelson, Lisbon; 9. 19B Jim Sheldon, Marion; 10. 29 Nathan Ballard, Marengo.
First heat: 1. Ballard; 2. Happel; 3. Brown; 4. Irvine; 5. Wacha.
Second heat: 1. Parizek; 2. Keiser; 3. Torkelson; 4. Vanous; 5. Sheldon.

IMCA SPORT COMPACT
Feature: 1. 00W Bill Whalen Jr., Riverside; 2. 99J Jeremy Lerch, Vinton; 3. 07 Joe Goodenbour, Garrison; DNS 3S Craig Streeter, Vinton.
Heat: 1. Whalen; 2. Lerch; DNS Streeter; DNS Goodenbour.

Klein gets late break, races to IMCA Late Model checkers in Independence

A fantastic field of 28 IMCA Late Models signed in to do battle Saturday night at Independence Motor Speedway and when the checkered flag waved, a new winner was in victory lane for the third time in four weeks.

After Darren Ackerman made his way around Joel Brasch for the lead eight laps into the event, he extended his advantage to a straightaway margin. Contact with a lapped car, however, ended Ackerman's run and handed the lead to Ron Klein for a three-lap dash to the finish.

Klein held on over the final three circuits of the 25-lap event to take his first Independence victory. He joined Joel Callahan and John Emerson as first-time Independence Late Model winners this season and also became the 101st different Late Model winner in weekly racing history at the speedway.

Prior to this season (the Stock Cars also did it this year), it was the first time a division saw three first-time winners in the first four weeks of a season in Independence since 1997 when there were three first-time Hobby Stock winners in the first four weeks. Never before have two divisions done it in the same season.

Benji Irvine continued to be the man to beat in the IMCA Hobby Stocks. Irvine took command early and then destroyed the field to take his third win in four weeks. Irvine took the checkers by half of a lap ahead of second place finisher Brian Happel.

Irvine now owns eight career Hobby Stock wins in weekly racing history at the speedway, placing him alone in 13th on the all-time list. It was his third career win during the month of May, but the first time Irvine has won back-to-back features at the speedway.

The last driver to win at least three Hobby Stock features in the first four weeks of a season was Brian Irvine. He won the first four Hobby Stock features of 2004. There's still hope, Benji. Brian didn't win again that year until week 10.

Irvine's eight career wins in weekly racing place him in a tie with Dan Nesteby, Bernard Reinking, Bob Fisher, Brian Kunkle, Chuck Larsen, Dave Thorsten, Dean Gissel, Dean Wagner, Jim Moss, Joe Schaefer, Joey Schaefer, John Light and Tom Fitzpatrick for 85th on the track's all-time list.

Ronn Lauritzen made his way around Keith Pittman midway through the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature, then held off pressure from Scott Hogan before driving away to his second win of the season.

With 10 Modified wins in weekly racing history in Independence, Lauritzen is tied with J.D. Auringer for 11th on the all-time list. Lauritzen's win Saturday was his first during the month of May. He has now won at least one feature in Independence during every calendar month from April through August. Only eight other Modified drivers in track history have done that.

His 10 career wins in Independence tie Lauritzen for 66th on the track's all-time list with Auringer, Adam Gates, Doc Mayner, Alan Wessels, John Walker, Lon Gadow, Nick Wroten, Red Droste, Rick Johnson and Rodney Brandt.

Jenae Gustin won for the second time in three weeks in the IMCA Northern SportMod division. Caution slowed action early, but when the dust cleared, Gustin took the checkers by a straightaway ahead of Rod McDonald.

Gustin is now one of a dozen drivers with multiple SportMod wins in weekly racing history at the speedway and one of 302 drivers all-time in Independence with multiple trips to the winner's circle.

Jason Hocken put the misfortune of the first three weeks of the season behind him as he led all 18-laps of the IMCA Stock Car feature to take his first win of the year. Hocken held off late pressure from Justin Temeyer to become the fourth Stock Car winner in as many weeks of racing this season.

This season marks just the fourth time in track history (22 years) that four different drivers won Stock Car features over the first four weeks of the season (2001, 2003, 2008). The record for the most consecutive different winners to start a season in the division is five, which occurred in 2003.

With four career Stock Car wins, Hocken is now tied with Dave Stricker and Tony Schimmels for 16th on the track's all-time list.

Despite the long winter and cold, wet spring, we've managed to successfully complete the first four weekly points races in Independence this season. Only seven times in track history has that been accomplished. Prior to this season, it hadn't been done since 2007. The last time we started the season without a rainout in the first five weekly programs was 1997. That remains the only season in track history that didn't suffer a single rainout. Hmmm...

Sunday night, it's a return to Benton County Speedway in Vinton for the third night of weekly racing on the Vinton quarter-mile. Vinton has not been quite as fortunate at dodging the wet weather. Including last Tuesday's rainout of the XSAN Hawkeye Dirt Tour, six of eight events scheduled so far this season in Vinton have been won by Mother Nature. Yes, we're due to race in Vinton. I hope to see you there!

Emerson, Sherbon earn first career wins at Independence Motor Speedway

While John Emerson and Josh Sherbon experienced much success in the IMCA Stock Car and IMCA Northern SportMod divisions, respectively, both drivers earned their first career wins in their current divisions Saturday night at Independence Motor Speedway.

Emerson led all 25 laps of the IMCA Late Model feature to earn his first win in that division. After piloting Kenny Pint's Late Model a few nights last year, Emerson took just three nights this season to reach victory lane in his first full year in the division.

Emerson survived numerous stoppages in the first six laps and then held off Rick Wendling in lapped traffic to score the milestone victory. The Late Models have seen three different winners in the first three weeks of the season for the 11th time in the last 12 years.

With the win, Emerson became the 100th different Late Model winner in weekly racing at the speedway since the start of the 1967 season. He became the 23rd driver in the division to earn his first career win during the month of May.

When combined with his 10 career Stock Car wins, Emerson's 11 total wins in weekly racing history in Independence tie him with Dave Myers, Duane Bentley, Kevin Vorwald, Mike Krall, Patrick Stansbery, Quinton Miller, Scott Hogan and Todd Temeyer for 57th on the track's all-time list.

Josh Sherbon has fought demons throughout his brief two-plus years in the IMCA Modified division. After a strong career in the IMCA Northern SportMods, Sherbon earned his first Modified win in dominant fashion Saturday night. He pulled away from the pack to win convincingly ahead of Ronn Lauritzen.

Sherbon became the 82nd different Modified winner in weekly racing history at the speedway and the first new face to grace Modified victory lane in Independence since Tyler Droste nearly one year ago. Of the 82 different Modified winners, Sherbon became the 27th to earn his first win during the month of May.

Like the Late Models, the Modifieds have seen three different winners in as many weeks this season. This is the ninth straight year there were no repeat Modified winners in the first three weeks.

When combined with his two B Mod wins and 12 Northern SportMod wins, Sherbon has 15 career wins in weekly racing history at the speedway. That ties him for 35th on the all-time list with Denny Osborn, Jeff Aikey, Norman Chesmore, Tom Hanson and Tom Schmitt.

The trend of first-time winners continued in the IMCA Stock Cars. Not only did Jesse Brown become the third first-time winner of the night, he became the third straight first-time winner in the division.

Brown took the lead on the fourth of 18 laps and then held off a late charge from Jarod Weepie to earn his first win in Independence and the second Stock Car win of his career.

There have now been 47 different Stock Car winners in weekly racing history at the speedway and 13 of them earned their first win during the month of May. Saturday night marked the first time in track history that the Stock Car division produced three straight first-time winners to start a season. The last time any division had three consecutive first-time winners to start a season was in 1989 in the Hobby Stocks. That was the first season the Hobby Stocks were a part of the weekly program in Independence.

Rod McDonald won the IMCA Northern SportMod feature in convincing fashion. McDonald led the entirety of that 15-lapper to earn his first win of the year and the second of his career in Independence. McDonald is now alone in 11th on the division's all-time wins list at the speedway.

There have been three different SportMod winners to start the season in Independence four times in the seven years they have been a part of the weekly program. The SportMods have never produced four straight different winners to start a season.

Benji Irvine became the track's first repeat winner as he took top honors in the 15-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature. Irvine took the lead from Jamie Whitaker on the 10th lap to drive to victory, the seventh of his career at the speedway.

All-time, Irvine is now tied with Justin Lichty and Rod Grother for 13th on the division's all-time wins list. His seven victories in weekly racing place him in a tie with 20 other drivers for 98th on the track's career wins list. His seven wins match Bob Bennett, Carl Severson, Dave Rice, Deon Turner, Don Erger, Duane White, Ed Thomas, Jerry Holbach, Johnathan Thimmesch, Justin Lichty, Larry Schmidt, Mark Noble, Max Corporon, Merv Chandler, Mike Sampson, Mitch Fretheim, Rick Dralle, Rod Grother, Ron Barker and Tim McBride on that list.

Other trends following the completion of Saturday night's program include:
* The first three weeks of the season mark the first time in track history that there were three first-time winners in three consecutive nights of weekly points racing. It had never happened during any three week stretch of any season prior to 2014.
* For the first time since the 2007 season, the first three scheduled nights of weekly points racing were completed without a rainout. Next week we will attempt four straight shows to start the season without a cancellation for the first time since 2007. That has only been done six times in the last 47 years.
* Looking ahead, only once since 1999 have we gone through the month of May without a single cancellation and only eight times in track history has the month of May had a perfect track record. Keep in mind, this season is one with five Saturdays during the month of May. Although the odds may be against us (and we definitely dodged a weather bullet Saturday night), we can hopefully buck those trends this year.

Weather permitting, I'll be across town at Benton County Speedway later today for the third night of weekly points racing in Vinton. That will be followed up by a return trip to BCS this Tuesday for the 2014 opener of the XSAN Hawkeye Dirt Tour for Modifieds.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Have a great Sunday!

Wood wins again in IMCA Stock Cars at CJ Speedway

A late caution helped Nathan Wood keep his Friday night record perfect this season at CJ Speedway. Running third on a restart with three laps to go, Wood made his way past Shane Paris and Blaine Dopler to earn his third win in as many nights of racing in Columbus Junction.

From his second row starting spot, Dopler battled outside front row starter Paris for the lead in the early stages of the 15-lapper. Dopler made his way to the front and was chased by Paris as the lead pair pulled away from the pack. Meanwhile, Wood made his way by Billy Faler for third, but the leaders had already extended their advantage to half of a straightaway.

Wood gained ground while Paris continually pestered Dopler for the lead. Dopler held the point when caution slowed action on lap 12.

When racing resumed, Wood made his way around Paris and then went to work on the low side of Dopler for the top spot. Exiting turn four on the final lap, Wood surged ahead of Dopler to drive to victory. Paris followed Dopler on the low groove to chase Wood to the front, but in all honesty, I was so caught up in the pass for the lead that I don't remember if Paris got the job done or settled for third. Check out CJ's results on speednet when they are posted.

Bill Whalen Jr. pulled off a close victory, as well, in the 10-lap IMCA Sport Compact feature. Whalen shot into the lead at the drop of the green from his second row starting spot while point leader Aaron Hitt challenged Wayne Noble and John Whalen for second.

Witt secured the runner-up spot a short time later and quickly went to work on chasing down the leader. Although he reeled him in at various points throughout the remainder of the event, Bill Whalen held on for the exciting win, his first of the season at the speedway. John Whalen ran third.

Dan Albright held the early lead in the 15-lap Modified feature and quickly pulled away from traffic. Brandon Rothzen and Todd Hansen, who both started in row four, raced their way into second and third a few laps into the event.

Rothzen caught Albright in the late stages and was making his bid for the lead when Albright spun exiting turn two to bring out the caution. With the leader gone, Rothzen and Hansen sat alongside each other at the front of the pack for the ensuing restart.

When racing resumed, Hansen powered ahead on the top side to drive away to his first win of the season. Rothzen ran second ahead of Wade Lee.

Dan Keltner dominated the 10-lap Mod Lite feature to earn his third win in three weeks. Along with three heat wins this season, Keltner remained perfect in all events at the speedway for 2014. Rob Guss ran second Friday night ahead of Mike Morrow.

Chad Milks led all 10 laps of the Truck feature to earn his first win of the season. He was chased to the checkers by Chase Klenk. Point leader and two-time feature winner Jason Delzell was hoping to join Wood and Keltner in the undefeated ranks. A wild ride over the turn four tractor tire midway through that event ended those hopes, however he was able to continue and salvaged a third place finish.

It was a great night of racing at CJ in my first visit in nearly two years. As I mentioned in my blog earlier in the week, CJ is one of those tracks where the low car count is a concern to many, however the fans got their money's worth with Friday's program as three of the five features went down to the final set of turns.

If you haven't been to CJ lately or if the reports of the low car count have deterred you from going, I encourage you to make the visit some night this season. They get the kids involved in the program and the crew ran a very efficient show tonight by keeping the action moving. The few times the yellow flag waved, realignments and a return to racing were soon to follow.

I realize there are numerous entertainment options these days, including plenty of Friday night race tracks in that part of the state, but give CJ a chance and you might be surprised. Whether you're a driver or a fan, it's a fun way to spend a Friday night.

Thanks to announcer Gene Arnold for asking me to fill him for him behind the mic and thanks to Kurt Burmeister, the Louisa County Fairboard and the entire CJ crew for their hospitality.

I also want to take a moment to thank the readers of my blog. What I wrote last Sunday night got a much larger response than I ever imagined. The intent of that post was not to upset nor point fingers at specific individuals, rather it was to create discussion about how we behave during and following the races. At times, all of us have room to improve how we handle our frustrations, especially if it negatively impacts our sport. I was floored when I started receiving positive comments and messages from people across the country who had read it. The 6,300-plus hits on that page is six times more than any other post I've written at Positively Racing and it is truly humbling. Whether or not you agreed with what I wrote, I appreciate you all for taking the time to read it and for providing your thoughts and comments. It's a discussion that I have discovered many feel is well worth the time.

Up next for me is the third night of weekly racing at Independence Motor Speedway on Saturday night and then night three at Benton County Speedway in Vinton on Sunday before Tuesday's XSAN Hawkeye Dirt Tour for Modifieds opener in Vinton. There's a lot of racing going on now as the season is in full swing. Get out and support a track near you!

As always, thanks for reading.

Are you a race fan or just someone who goes to the races?

This is when I'd normally write about who won at Benton County Speedway Sunday night, how their achievements compared to the history of the speedway and which milestones were reached with the evening's racing program and blah, blah, blah. If you want results, they are included below, but that isn't what people were talking about after Sunday night's show.

And that's a shame.

There was some good, and I mean damned good, racing in Vinton Sunday night. Ask Sam Wieben how he won the IMCA Northern SportMod feature. Ask Benji Irvine how narrowly he beat Bill Bonnett in the IMCA Hobby Stocks. No, what I've heard or read since the end of Sunday night's show had little to do with the competitive racing or thrilling finishes.

Before I continue, no, I'm not upset. I'm not even mildly irritated. I'm just tired. Tired of dealing with so many people playing the role of the victim. Poor track conditions, expensive repairs, perceived bad calls, fighting with fellow competitors, car counts. It took me over 30 years of being a race fan to realize it, but I now understand that people just like to have a reason to complain.

And it isn't just about the track in Vinton. The negativity seems more widespread than ever. Just check out the message boards or the facebook newsfeed items from your racing friends. It's scary.

I was raised in a racing family. My dad raced. He had to put up with less than perfect track conditions on occasion, he was the victim of a "bad call" from time to time and my mom often saw dollar signs when repairs needed to be made to his race car. I understand the frustrations that come with that. I also understand that just because things don't go your way is no reason to blame or condemn someone else just to make yourself feel better.

The track in Vinton Sunday night was rough. I take that back, it got rough during the features. I spoke with many drivers in the infield following their heat races and they loved the surface. Despite rain nearly every day in the past week and incredibly cool temperatures, the track held up much longer than I, and numerous others, anticipated. Those opinions changed during the course of the features.

Everyone I talked to Sunday night mentioned how cold it was to be at the races. Many were bundled up in blankets, hats and gloves, yet there they were - the diehards were going to take in some racing. I think everyone in attendance would probably claim they have a passion for racing more than just that of the average fan based on the simple fact that they braved the conditions to be there. I'm not so sure.

Those who were there freezing yet still complaining about the track conditions forget that weather goes a long way toward track prep, too, and not just your comfort on race night. It's been wet, it's been cold and it's been less than ideal to prepare a race track. You were uncomfortable just sitting outside in the weather for a few hours? How do you think it is to try to work a racing surface in wet, cold conditions? 

"No! Not acceptable! We expect perfection or the closest thing to it! If things don't go as we expect, we will bitch and complain until every set of ears hears what we have to say! It may not change anything, but I'm the victim and I must be heard! I put a lot of money into this hobby so I expect better results! I pay a lot of money to watch the races so I expect a better show! I am the victim!"

Guess what? No promoter wants to provide a less than perfect racing surface. No promoter wants to see wet and cold weather prevent him from preparing that surface, either. No promoter wants to see a driver spend a lot of money repairing his race car. No promoter wants to lose the return business because his drivers can't afford to race, either. It costs them money, too. They risk losing out whether they race or cancel. Maybe it's about more than just your own misfortune.

Well, why not cancel if the track is going to end up like that? Sure! They did that in Marshalltown Friday night and I know Toby and his crew have received some negative comments on that decision. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. It isn't even a matter of not pleasing everyone. It's a matter of people not accepting the fact that things don't always work out the way you want them to work out. The track was good early Sunday night and everyone was hopeful that it would stay smooth all night. It just didn't work out that way.

"No! Not acceptable! If it's dry on race day you shall not cancel and we shall race on an ideal surface regardless what conditions were like during the week! You shall only cancel if it's raining at race time! To cancel for any other reason or to provide a surface other than ideal on a dry race day is not acceptable! I am the victim!"

Arguing among drivers has also always been a problem. The best solution in that situation is to run over to the person who you feel cut you off/took you out/bladed you off the track and confront them immediately after the incident in question, threaten them and risk being fined and/or suspended. This is, of course, unless you have the opportunity to drive through them on the track before even making it back to the pit area. You are the victim!

Seriously? Unfortunately, I think a great number of people believe that.

I will always remember what a driver told me many years ago about how he handled the frustration during that type of situation. He told me he always waited a week to cool down before he approached another driver if he felt they wronged him on the track. Chances are, the week to cool off did the trick and removed any desire to confront the other party. Cooler heads prevail? If he still felt the need to talk to his competitor, giving himself a week to cool down meant he was much more likely to approach the situation in a more respectful way and actually achieve some type of resolution. Cooler heads prevail. Thank you, T.H., for that life lesson I wish others would follow, as well.

Another hot topic this spring has been car counts. If there's one phrase I've never understood it's "full field." What is a full field of race cars, anyway? Is it 10, 18, 20, 24? Something else? I've been in search of this number for years and it continues to escape me.

Folks have been commenting how certain tracks are getting good car counts, how others are down and how other tracks fluctuate from week to week. Much like the double standard in how the weather relates to race night comfort versus track prep ability, race fans hold a double standard when it comes to car count and the desire for a full field (whatever that is).

It seems a lot of people think you need around 20 or more cars for a division to have a "full field" on a given race night. Failing to reach that number mysteriously means you'll also fail to be provided with ample entertainment for your dollar.

"I need at least 20 cars in five divisions to get my money's worth. Only 60 cars total? I won't be back! I am the victim!"

"Full field" is one of the most over-used, meaningless phrases in weekly racing and is extremely misleading when it comes to getting your money's worth at a race track.

I think most of my readers attend the races in Vinton on a regular basis so I'll use opening night from a couple weeks ago at Benton County Speedway as an example. Ten IMCA Hobby Stocks signed in that night and I heard before the races even started that the car count was low. If you were in Vinton that night, you saw a hell of a feature. If you weren't there, you missed out despite the "lacking" car count that didn't amount to a "full field." What it DID amount to was one of the best five car battles, yes, I said FIVE CAR battles, for a win I've ever seen. Did you need 20 cars on that track to make the five car battle for the lead worth being there? Absolutely not. I'll take a great race over a "full field" any day.

Besides, it's the same people wanting 20-plus cars per division who also complain about the slower cars who are "always in the way" and "always cause a caution" and "ruin a good race." Really?

"Really! I expect there to be a 'full field' of 20-plus mistake-free contenders in each of five divisions every night I'm at a race track! Anything short of that and I am the victim!"

I'm sorry, as much as I hate to say it, but I've rarely seen a 10-car field, let alone a 20-car field, where all participants can win on any given night. Hell, even the "good" guys make mistakes once in a while. (Although, I'm sure your favorite driver is always the victim in those situations.) If you want the "full fields," you're going to have to accept the fact that they come with some guys who may get in the way on occasion. Victim or not, that, too, is a part of racing.

Everyone is so caught up in what they feel is wrong with racing that they don't take the time to enjoy all that is good about it. I heard more complaining Sunday night than I heard how grateful people were to be at the races for just the second time this season after weather washed away four of the first five events. Were the conditions ideal? No, but we were where we wanted to be.

To me, a true race fan has a passion for the sport and understands what draws them to the track. A true race fan can take the good from any given race night and appreciate the atmosphere, the environment, the people and the family aspect of our sport. I realize there aren't as many racers out there as there were a few years ago and I know racing is more expensive now that it has ever been. I understand that those things can make us question the future of our sport.

I think there's a concern even greater than those two things. I believe the number of passionate race fans is decreasing and the number of people who simply go to the races is on the rise.

People with a passion and fire for racing wouldn't slam race tracks for the work they put into making a race program. Passionate race fans wouldn't spread negativity on social media. They wouldn't condemn someone else for every bit of their own misfortune. They wouldn't seek blame. They would support their local tracks by not simply attending the races, but by taking away and sharing the positives they experienced during their visits.

Yes, negative stuff happens at the track. That's true in all aspects of life, but the passionate fans don't dwell or thrive on the negativity. How do you look at people who have only negative things to say about their life outside of the track? We all have facebook friends who post nothing but negative, self-pity status updates. What thoughts go through your mind when you read it? Are you that person when it comes to racing? Are you always the victim? Those are the people who simply go to races and share the negativity because they don't understand the passion the rest of us have for the sport. If you're eager to blame, spread negativity and put our sport in a bad light are you really a race fan or just someone who goes to the races?

I'm honestly scared to think of the answer to that question. Then again, maybe racing just isn't as much fun anymore.

RESULTS
IMCA MODIFIED
Feature: 1. 57V Mike Van Genderen, Newton; 2. 00J J.D. Auringer, Waterloo; 3. 12D Joe Docekal, Dysart; 4. 10K Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 5. 26J Joel Rust, Grundy Center; 6. 17J Jason Seegmiller, Dubuque; 7. 80 Jerry Dedrick, Vinton; 8. 17R Derek Reimer, St. Anthony; 9. 7 Todd Jensen, Waterloo; 10. F7 Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 11. 20L Zach Less, Hopkinton; 12. 14 Tom Hanson, Vinton; 13. 71 Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 14. 23JR Nick Roberts, Des Moines; 15. 21K Kyle Brown, Kellogg; 16. 33D Scott Hogan, Vinton; 17. 7S Robbie Schmuecker, Vinton; 18. 22 Brandon Banks, Washington; 19. 505 Racer Hulin, Laurel; 20. 64 Casey Greubel, Lacona; 21/DNS. 18J Jake Strayer, Newton.
First heat: 1. Brown; 2. Flannagan; 3. Hogan; 4. Banks; 5. Seegmiller; 6. Reimer; 7. Schmuecker.
Second heat: 1. Cordes; 2. Roberts; 3. Lauritzen; 4. Less; 5. Hulin; 6. Dedrick; 7. Hanson.
Third heat: 1. Auringer; 2. Docekal; 3. Van Genderen; 4. Rust; 5. Jensen; 6. Greubel; 7. Strayer.

IMCA STOCK CAR
Feature: 1. 99D Damon Murty, Chelsea; 2. 47 Scott Pippert, Elberon; 3. 7H Phil Holtz, Manchester; 4. 67 Justin Stander, Vinton; 5. 15 Norman Chesmore, Rowley; 6. 52 Nathan Wood, Sigourney; 7. 76 Mike Galli, Urbana; 8. 8B Scott Beauregard, Brandon; 9. 74C Cole Mather, Dundee; 10. 8 Curtis Roster, Vinton; 11. 4JR Russell Damme Jr., Waterloo; 12. 99 Erick Knutsen, Cedar Rapids; DNS/13. 38 Matt Brown, Marion.
First heat: 1. Roster; 2. Damme; 3. Pippert; 4. Murty; 5. Galli; 6. Mather; 7. Brown.
Second heat: 1. Knutsen; 2. Chesmore; 3. Holtz; 4. Wood; 5. Stander; 6. Beauregard.

IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD
Feature: 1. 198 Sam Wieben, Dysart; 2. 3R Danny Dvorak, Vinton; 3. 95 Mike McDonald, Cedar Rapids; 4. 72 Brett Lowry, Montezuma; 5. CH19 Colby Heishman, Brooklyn; 6. 10S John Schaefer, La Porte City; 7. 22H Curt Hilmer, Dysart; 8. 19J Jenae Gustin, Marshalltown; 9. 4 Ryan Maitland, Waterloo; 10. 3T Tyler Soppe, Sherrill; 11 57R Ryan King, Montour; 12. 49 Brandon Smith, Quasqueton; 13. J2 Dave Schulze, Keystone; 14. 22 Matt Petrzlka, Norway; 15. 7D Dakoda Sellers, Vinton; 16. 199 Dave Burrell, Dysart; 17. 3B Brian Anderson, Garrison; 18. 00 Jim Buhlman, Cedar Falls; 19. 42L Lonnie Mercer, Urbana; 20. 7SR Shawn Ritter, Keystone; 21. T17 Tom Rawlins, Kellogg; 22. 19G Jenae Gustin, Marshalltown; 23. 16K Brandon Morris, Ely; DNS 36 Jacob Salisbury, Dunkerton.
First heat: 1. King; 2. Dvorak; 3. Heishman; 4. Petrzlka; 5. Morris; 6. Ritter; 7. Rawlins; DNS Salisbury.
Second heat: 1. McDonald; 2. Schulze; 3. Gustin; 4. Hilmer; 5. Wieben; 6. Buhlman; 7. Anderson; 8. Burrell.
Third heat: 1. Lowry; 2. Maitland; 3. Schaefer; 4. Soppe; 5. Gustin; 6. Sellers; 7. Mercer; 8. Smith.

IMCA HOBBY STOCK
Feature: 1. 79 Benji Irvine, Stanley; 2. 19 Bill Bonnett, Knoxville; 3. 07 Jacob Keiser, Marengo; 4. 17K Kyle Parizek, Belle Plaine; 5. 78 Matt Brown, Dysart; 6. 46 Brian Happel, Vinton; 7. 35B Shawn Kuennen, Hazleton; 8. 23 Andrew Torkelson, Lisbon; 9. 88 C.J. Dall, Marshalltown; 10. 19B Jim Sheldon, Marion; 11. 45 Justin Wacha, Vinton; 12. 29 Nathan Ballard, Marengo.
First heat: 1. Parizek; 2. Ballard; 3. Happel; 4. Bonnett; 5. Kuennen; 6. Dall.
Second heat: 1. Keiser; 2. Irvine; 3. Brown; 4. Wacha; 5. Torkelson; 6. Sheldon.

IMCA SPORT COMPACT
Feature: 1. 22 Nathan Chandler, Norway; 2. 00W Bill Whalen Jr., Riverside; 3. 99J Jeremy Lerch, Vinton; 4. 3S Craig Streeter, Vinton; 5. 44 Troy Scott, Fairfax.
Heat: 1. Chandler; 2. Lerch; 3. Whalen; 4. Streeter; 5. Scott.

More new winners in victory lane at Independence Motor Speedway

For the second straight week, new faces were found in victory lane at Independence Motor Speedway. For the 2006 IMCA Hobby Stock track champion, it was his first IMCA Stock Car win at the speedway, and for another it was her first win in Independence in the IMCA Northern SportMod division.

Perhaps the most eye-opening, however, was Matt White's first IMCA Hobby Stock victory at the speedway - in his first time on the Independence oval.

White, who lives in Nashua, spends most of his time behind the wheel on the half-mile at I-35 Speedway in Mason City on Sundays. He decided to travel southeast Saturday night and made the haul payoff with a trip to victory lane following the 15-lap feature.

White started the event outside of row five and worked his way into sixth by the time a late caution slowed action. He rocketed into second one lap later before the caution flag waved a final time. White made his way around Brian Happel with just a couple laps to go to take the victory.

With his victory, White became the 91st different Hobby Stock winner in weekly racing history in Independence and the first new Hobby Stock winner at the speedway since Curt Graham's win July 28, 2012. That span of 644 calendar days between first-time Hobby Stock winners is the longest such span in the division's 25-plus years in Independence. The longest previous span between first-time Hobby Stock winners was a mere 364 days in the mid-2000s.

Jenae Gustin earned her first IMCA Northern SportMod win on the Independence oval. Gustin started inside row two, built a huge lead, then held off a charging Alex Zwanziger to take the win.

Gustin became the 26th different SportMod winner in track history, marking the first time since 2008 (the first year SportMods competed in Independence) that a season opened with back-to-back first-time winners in the division. It was the fourth time in SportMod history in Independence that first-time winners were seven days apart.

Dating back to July 6 of last season, there have been six new winners in the last 10 weekly points races for SportMods in Independence. Since the start of last season, nine of the 18 SportMod victors have been first-time winners.

In the IMCA Stock Car division, Paul Shepherd came from deep in the field to earn his first Independence win since he topped the IMCA Hobby Stock feature July 1, 2006 - the year he won that division's points title.

From a 13th starting spot, Shepherd worked through traffic and into the top three by the time a mid-race caution slowed action. He made his way around Jarod Weepie and Blake Cole when racing resumed to drive to victory.

All-time, Shepherd became the 46th different Stock Car winner in Independence and the second in as many weeks following Troy Hovey's win during last week's opening night program. Back-to-back first-time Stock Car winners to open the season has happened four times in the division's 22 year history at the speedway. This year was the first time it happened since 2005 when Damon Murty and Brian Irvine earned their first Independence Stock Car wins in the first two weeks of that season.

Saturday night marked the ninth time in track history that first-time Stock Car winners graced victory lane in successive weeks.

In IMCA Modified action, J.D. Auringer slipped beneath Troy Cordes as the white flag waved to take the win in that 20-lapper. Ed Thomas and Dennis Betzer split time out front over the course of the first four laps before Cordes took charge. A couple cautions kept the field bunched and allowed Auringer the chance to make his move in the late stages.

With the win, Auringer now owns 10 Modified wins in weekly racing history at the speedway. He ranks alone in 11th on the all-time list. Saturday's win was the third of Auringer's career during the month of May in Independence.

Tyler Bruening won by over a straightaway margin in the 25-lap IMCA Late Model feature. Bruening, who led by nearly half a track late in the event, carefully worked through traffic to beat Tyler Droste to the checkers.

The win was the 18th of Bruening's weekly racing career in Independence and moved him into a tie with Darren Ackerman for ninth on the all-time list. Bruening has now won at least one Late Model feature in each of the last five seasons at the speedway, the longest active streak in the division. He has won features in eight of the last nine years in Independence.

While the weather has been the story in the Midwest this spring, we have managed to successfully complete the first two weekly programs in Independence without a rainout. That hadn't been done since the 2007 season when we completed the first four weekly shows without a cancellation. It was the 16th time in track history that the first two weekly programs were successfully completed at the speedway without a weather postponement. It has been done seven times since 1986, when the season first started scheduling the season opener in late April.

Weather permitting, Benton County Speedway will be back in action this Sunday. After three rainouts delayed the start of the season, we managed only one race prior to last weekend's rainout. With four of the first five shows canceled due to weather, I think it's safe to say we're due for a dry Sunday in Vinton. I hope to see you there!