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!
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