After forcing the postponement of all five features
Saturday night at Independence Motor Speedway, there were still nearly four
features left to complete Sunday night at Benton County Speedway before heavy
rain fell on the Vinton quarter-mile.
Prior to the suspension of the program, three of seven
feature events were completed, including those for the IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Sport
Compacts and IMCA Late Models.
A strong field of 15 Late Models turned out for their
second appearance of the season in Vinton as part of the IMCA Late Model Sunday Series. Among the field were national points
leader Todd Cooney and defending national champion Justin Kay, who is also
currently leading the standings in the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA
Late Models.
The race came down to that pair of drivers and they put on
a whale of a show until the checkers waved.
Richie Gustin redrew the pole position for the 20-lap
feature with Kay in row two and Cooney in row three. Gustin paced the field
through a pair of early stoppages while Cooney raced into the runner-up spot
following a lap six restart with Kay right behind him.
Cooney worked around Gustin on the eighth circuit before
caution slowed action once again on lap 10. Kay restarted alongside Gustin and
took over second place a short time later.
Cooney and Kay pulled away from traffic and engaged in a
terrific battle for the lead. Kay surged ahead on the low side in turns one and
two before Cooney used a slingshot move in turns three and four to regain
control in the final laps.
The leaders jockeyed for position and swapped grooves
numerous times before Cooney raced the outside line off turn four to a narrow
win, his second in Vinton since Late Models returned to action in Vinton last
summer. Charlie McKenna came from the fourth row and made a late push on the
leaders to finish a close third.
First-year IMCA Stock Car driver Matt Brown held the lead
throughout the early stages of that 15-lapper.
From his pole position start, Brown raced the top side to
lead the pack while Justin Stander, Scott Pippert and Damon Murty gave chase.
Stander worked beneath Brown following a lap six restart while Pippert and
Murty challenged.
Pippert slipped beneath Stander for the lead one lap
later and set the pace before Murty used the same move to take the lead from
him with five laps to go.
Murty sailed to the win, his third of the year and the 64th
of his career in weekly racing history in Vinton. Murty has now won at least
three features per year in each of the last 11 seasons at the speedway. His 64
wins are the most all-time in the division in Vinton. Thirteen of Murty’s wins have
come during the month of June.
Nathan Chandler’s first appearance in Vinton in a number
of weeks resulted in a familiar finish for the IMCA Sport Compact veteran.
Chandler took the lead early and then sailed to a convincing win ahead of Gary
Peiffer and Bill Whalen Jr. in that 10-lapper.
His second win of the season, Chandler now owns 47 Sport
Compact victories in weekly racing history in Vinton to lead all drivers. Chandler
has multiple wins in each of the last seven seasons at the speedway.
Of his 47 wins, Chandler has won 11 times in the month of
June. He also has 11 wins each during the months of May and July.
The rain halted action five laps into the 15-lap IMCA
Northern SportMod feature. That feature will pick up where it left off next
Sunday night. The make-up features for the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Hobby Stocks
and BCS Micro Mods will also be held next week, along with a complete
program for the six weekly divisions. That’s right, 10 features
will be scheduled for next week. In addition, next week’s program is Gary’s
Auto Mid-Season Championship night with bike giveaways for the kids.
These last two rainy nights will lead to an action-packed
weekend next weekend for race fans in eastern Iowa. In addition to all of
Sunday night’s action in Vinton, two of the five features rained out in
Independence Saturday night will be made up next weekend when the Modifieds and
Stock Cars will have their double feature night.
Yes, 17 feature events are slated for next weekend
alone between the two tracks, including double IMCA Modified features both nights. If
you haven’t been to Indee or Vinton in a while, you will definitely get your
money’s worth next weekend.
Before the busy weekend next weekend, don’t forgot about
this Tuesday’s special in Independence when the Deery Brothers Summer Series
for IMCA Late Models makes its annual stop. IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA
Hobby Stocks will also compete July 1.
Of course, in two weeks, the 20th annual Hogan
Memorial will take center stage in Vinton and there are also county fair races
to account for in the coming weeks, plus the World of Outlaws Late Model Series
and XSAN Hawkeye Dirt Tour for IMCA Modifieds during the month of July in
Independence.
Confused yet? Need a breather? Here is a list of race
dates just for Independence and Vinton for the month of July:
Tuesday, July 1 /
Independence – Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models, plus IMCA
Northern SportMods and IMCA Hobby Stocks;
Saturday, July 5 /
Independence – Make-up features for IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Stock Cars,
plus complete program for IMCA Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars,
IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Hobby Stocks;
Sunday, July 6 /
Vinton – Make-up features for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Northern SportMods, IMCA
Hobby Stocks and BCS Micro Mods, plus complete program for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA
Stock Cars, IMCA Northern SportMods, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compacts and
BCS Micro Mods;
Saturday, July 12
/ Independence – Make-up features for IMCA Late Models, IMCA Northern
SportMods and IMCA Hobby Stocks, plus complete program for IMCA Late Models,
IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Hobby Stocks
(increased prize money also on the line for the regular Hobby Stock feature as part
of Saturday Showcase series);
Sunday, July 13 /
Vinton – 20th annual Hogan Memorial, including 40-lap IMCA
Modified feature, plus weekly program for IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Northern
SportMods and IMCA Hobby Stocks;
Wednesday, July 16
/ Independence – Buchanan County Fair special, featuring IMCA
Stock Cars, IMCA Northern SportMods, IMCA Hobby Stocks and BCS Micro Mods;
Sunday, July 20 /
Vinton – Weekly racing program for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA
Northern SportMods, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compacts and BCS Micro Mods;
Thursday, July 24
/ Independence – World of Outlaws Late Models Series and XSAN Hawkeye Dirt
Tour for IMCA Modifieds;
Thursday, July 24
/ Vinton – Benton County Fair special (classes to be announced);
Saturday, July 26
/ Independence – Weekly racing program for IMCA Late Models, IMCA
Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Hobby Stocks;
Sunday, July 27 /
Vinton – Benton County Fair, including weekly racing for IMCA Modifieds,
IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Northern SportMods, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport
Compacts, BCS Micro Mods and the IMCA Late Model Sunday Series.
This doesn’t even account for “non-racing events” at both
tracks during the county fairs.
Additional Benton County Fair events in Vinton include
the Night of Destruction on Friday, July 25 and the annual Demolition Derby and Rollover Contest the
following night Saturday, July 26.
Other Buchanan County Fair specials in Independence
include the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling Truck/Tractor Pull on Thursday, July 17, plus
the Night of Destruction (Demo Derby and Trailer Races) on Friday, July 18.
Country music star Chris Cagle will be performing live at the fairgrounds
Saturday, July 19, in Independence so we will not be racing that evening. For information on the concert and other fair events in Independence, visit www.buchanancountyfair.org. Oh, yeah, don't forget that RAGBRAI will also be making an overnight stop in Independence on Friday, July 25.
Of course, there are a ton of other events scheduled in
the month of July, including the incredibly full week of Modified racing that
starts with the Hogan Memorial in Vinton (July 13). That week alone includes Hawkeye Dirt
Tour stops at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson (July 14) and Southern Iowa Speedway in
Oskaloosa (July 15), followed by another big money show for Modifieds in Oskaloosa on
Wednesday (July 16) of that week, before culminating with the Harris Clash in Knoxville (July 17).
With the Independence Day holiday this Friday, the special events calendar is full for this week, as well. The 19th annual Stock Car Shootout is this Wednesday and Thursday in Oskaloosa and will include the Merv Chandler Memorial. A memorial event for Chandler will also be held on the asphalt at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids this Saturday, July 5, featuring a 42-lap $2,000-to-win show for IMCA Sport Compacts.
You can check out the entire list of special events on
the calendar page at Positively Racing.
The heat and feature results from Sunday night in Vinton are below, however they include only results from the three divisions that were run to completion. While heat races were run in the Modified, SportMod, Hobby Stock and Micro Mod divisions Sunday night, they are not included here, but will be included next Sunday night following the completion of their features.
RESULTS
IMCA LATE MODEL
Feature: 1. 30 Todd Cooney, Des Moines; 2. 15K Justin Kay, Wheatland; 3. 22 Charlie McKenna, Clear Lake; 4. 87 John Emerson, Waterloo; 5. 70 Jerry King, Waterloo; 6. 9 Bobby Hansen, Center Point; 7. 15C Curt Schroeder, Ames; 8. 23 Paul Conrad, Colo; 9. 21B Joel Brasch, Dunkerton; 10. 5W Tom Hanson, Vinton; 11. 23B Jeramia Boynton, La Porte City; 12. 32X Chris Snyder, Raymond; 13. 19G Richie Gustin, Gilman; 14. 32 Curtis Glover, Des Moines; 15. 60 Dean Wagner, Evansdale.
Heat one: 1. McKenna; 2. Cooney; 3. Wagner; 4. Brasch; 5. Kay; 6. Conrad; 7. Hanson.
Heat two: 1. Emerson; 2. King; 3. Gustin; 4. Hansen; 5. Schroeder; 6. Glover; 7. Conrad; DNS Snyder.
IMCA STOCK CAR
Feature: 1. 99D Damon Murty, Chelsea; 2. 47 Scott Pippert, Elberon; 3. 67 Justin Stander, Shellsburg; 4. 8 Curtis Roster, Vinton; 5. 15 Norman Chesmore, Rowley; 6. 62G Adam Gebel, Cedar Falls; 7. 8B Scott Beauregard, Brandon; 8. 76 Mike Galli, Urbana; 9. 171 Buck Swanson, Waterloo; 10. 99 Erick Knutsen, Cedar Rapids; 11. 38 Matt Brown, Marion; 12. 31S Paul Shepherd, Marengo.
Heat one: 1. Stander; 2. Pippert; 3. Brown; 4. Knutsen; 5. Gebel; DNS Roster.
Heat two: 1. Murty; 2. Chesmore; 3. Galli; 4. Shepherd; 5. Beauregard; 6. Swanson.
IMCA SPORT COMPACT
Feature: 1. 22 Nathan Chandler, Norway; 2. 36DD Gary Peiffer, Troy Mills; 3. 00W Bill Whalen Jr., Riverside; 4. 3S Craig Streeter, Vinton; 5. 99J Jeremy Lerch, Vinton; 6. 33B Zach Brenner, Dubuque; 7. 007 Adam Gates, Marion.
Heat one: 1. Chandler; 2. Peiffer; 3. Gates; 4. Streeter; 5. Whalen; 6. Lerch; 7. Brenner.
That will take care of Sunday night's recap. I apologize that it wasn't posted earlier, however the storm that came through Vinton left my internet down periodically throughout the night. I decided to let the storm run its course before losing all electricity shortly after 1 a.m.
A brief loss of power is nothing compared to what a number of people are experiencing tonight. I saw a number of photos on facebook of flooded streets and homes in eastern Iowa as a result of the storm, along with a number of damaged structures. Thoughts are with everyone affected by the latest round of powerful weather.
For those who are able to make it, say hello Tuesday night at the Deery show in Independence and, as always, thanks for reading!
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