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!