Olson sweeps SportMods on busy night at Benton County Speedway

Due to a rain-shortened program a week ago, race fans were provided with more than a full night of racing Sunday at Benton County Speedway.

The IMCA Northern SportMods completed five a 15 scheduled laps in their feature June 29 before the rain fell, leaving the rest of that feature to be made up July 6, along with make-up features for the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Hobby Stocks and BCS Micro Mods. In addition, a complete show was run for all six weekly divisions for the Gary's Auto Mid-Season Championships portion of the program. That meant 10 feature events were scheduled to wrap up the Independence Day holiday weekend.

Since points needed to be calculated and lineups made following the make-up features, I didn't get to see much of the action Sunday night, however the official complete results for all events Sunday (including last week's qualifying heat races) follow below.

Tony Olson made the most of his return to the SportMod division, as well as his recent return to Benton County Speedway, as he swept both features Sunday night.

After spending a few years behind the wheel of an IMCA Modified, Olson returned to the SportMod ranks in 2014. Entering Sunday night, he had completed a feature on the Vinton quarter-mile only once this season.

The 2007 SportMod track champion, Olson started the June 29 feature 11th and sat in 10th when the rain fell and delayed the completion of the event.

When the race resumed Sunday, Olson worked his way into the top five by the midway point before challenging Dave Schulze for the lead with three laps to go. He took over the top spot as the flying green waved to race to victory, his first in the division in nearly seven years in Vinton. His last SportMod win at the speedway came on July 8, 2007.

Olson didn't wait nearly as long before his next trip to victory lane. He started 10th in the regularly scheduled feature and raced the low line into contention, entering the top four by the time caution slowed action with six laps complete.

He quickly worked his way into the runner-up spot and challenged Joey Schaefer for the lead before taking control on the ninth circuit. He led the remainder of the event to sweep the evening.

Olson has now won 11 times in weekly racing history in the SportMod division in Vinton. Seven of those 11 wins have come during the month of July.

Olson ranks third all-time in SportMod wins in Vinton behind Danny Dvorak (52 wins) and Austin Kaplan (25). A total of 3,324 days span his first win (May 30, 2005) and Sunday's victories. That is the longest such span in division history at the speedway.

Outside front row starter Patrick Flannagan took the lead at the drop of the green and led all 20 laps in the make-up event for the IMCA Modified division.

With the win, Flannagan has 13 career Modified wins in weekly racing history in Vinton. That placed him in a tie (momentarily) with J.D. Auringer and Timm Jensen for ninth on the all-time list.

It was Flannagan's first win in Vinton since May 6, 2012. He has now earned at least one Modified feature win in eight of the last 12 seasons at the speedway. Five of his 13 wins have come in the month of July.

In the regularly scheduled 20-lap feature, Mike Burbridge and Ronn Lauritzen shared time at the front before Auringer made his way into the lead with seven laps remaining. He raced the low groove to victory to earn his second win of the year.

With his 14th career Modified win in Vinton, Auringer broke the tie with Flannagan and Jensen and moved into a tie with Corey Dripps for eighth on the track's all-time wins list. It is the first time Auringer has earned multiple wins in Vinton since his track championship season in 2007 when he won seven times. Only two other times has Auringer won this late in the season in Vinton - July 9, 2006 and July 26, 2007.

Norman Chesmore raced to his third win in the last five weeks in the 15-lap IMCA Stock Car main event. Chesmore started in row four and worked the low groove to the front. He took control on lap six to drive to victory.

Chesmore's 23 career Stock Car wins in Vinton place him fourth on the all-time list. He trails Curtis Roster by four wins for third. Six of Chesmore's 23 wins have come in the month of July.

Don Erger held off late pressure from Brandon Maitland to score his second win of the season in the make-up feature for the BCS Micro Mod division. Brody Willett led all 10 laps to earn his first career win in the division's mid-season make-up feature.

Kyle Parizek led the entire distance and won the 15-lap make-up feature for the IMCA Hobby Stock division for his first win of the season. Parizek has eight career Hobby Stock wins to his credit at the speedway, placing him in a tie with Jerry Dedrick for 17th on the all-time list. Half of Parizek's wins have come during the month of July.

Only a few laps were completed in the regularly scheduled Hobby Stock feature before rain and the threat of severe weather put an end to the program. It was the final event of the evening and will be made up in two weeks on July 20. It is being pushed back two weeks due to the running of the 20th annual Hogan Memorial next Sunday, July 13.

The Hobby Stock feature may have been completed if not for a delay following the IMCA Sport Compact feature.

With only five cars signed in and bad weather on the way, that feature was cut back to six laps. Bill Whalen Jr. won the event for his sixth win of the year, but proceeded to make a number of laps after the checkers waved. Whatever the reason for his refusal to pull in (and there really is no good one), it cost a few extra minutes and may have prevented the Hobby Stocks from completing their event. Either way, it's unfortunate, frustrating and a poor move on Whalen's part for not pulling in when the race was over.

Next Sunday in Vinton is the 20th annual Hogan Memorial, featuring a potential $4,000 payday for one IMCA Modified driver. While the Modifieds will not be running for track points, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Hobby Stocks will also be part of the annual event and will be competing for track points.

The Hogan Memorial is the biggest event of the year in Vinton and includes the best Modified drivers in the region. It is definitely an event you will want to attend.

Have a great week!

RESULTS (June 29)
IMCA MODIFIED
Feature (completed July 6): 1. F7 Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 2. Scott Hogan, Vinton; 3. 00 J.D. Auringer, Waterloo; 4. 71 Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 5. 10K Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 6. 12D Joe Docekal, Dysart; 7. 20L Zach Less, Hopkinton; 8. 80 Jerry Dedrick, Vinton; 9. 415 Josh Barta, Cedar Falls; 10. 77 Tim McBride, Denver; 11. 7 Todd Jensen, Waterloo; 12. 17 Devin Trumbley, Dunkerton; 13. 11B Mike Burbridge, Delhi; 14/DNS 22X Nick Nevins, Lisbon; 15/DNS 15K Justin Kay, Wheatland; 16/DNS 14 Tom Hanson, Vinton.
Heat one: 1. Cordes; 2. Burbridge; 3. Lauritzen; 4. Hogan; 5. Kay; 6. Barta; 7. McBride; 8. Hanson.
Heat two: 1. Flannagan; 2. Auringer; 3. Nevins; 4. Dedrick; 5. Jensen; 6. Trumbley; 7. Less; 8. Docekal.

IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD
Feature (completed July 6): 1. T23 Tony Olson, Cedar Rapids; 2. 3R Danny Dvorak, Vinton; 3. J2 Dave Schulze, Keystone; 4. 72 Brett Lowry, Montezuma; 5. 57R Ryan King, Montour; 6. 17 Dawn Krall, Evansdale; 7. 22 Matt Petrzelka, Norway; 8. 199 Dave Burrell, Dysart; 9. 7D Dakoda Sellers, Vinton; 10. 22H Curt Hilmer, Dysart; 11. 00 Jim Buhlman, Cedar Falls; 12. T17 Tom Rawlins, Kellogg; 13. 10S John Schaefer, La Porte City; 14. 6T Siraj Thomason, Montezuma; 15. 42L Lon Mercer, Urbana; 16. 16K Brandon Morris, Cedar Rapids; 17. 198 Sam Wieben, Dysart; 18. 7SR Shawn Ritter, Keystone; 19. 3T Tyler Soppe, Sherrill; 20. 95 Mike McDonald, Cedar Rapids; 21. 35 Kyle Bentley, Independence; 22. 30 Joey Schaefer, Waterloo; 23/DNS CH19 Colby Heishman.
Heat one: 1. Krall; 2. Joey Schaefer; 3. Dvorak; 4. Sellers; 5. King; 6. Morris; 7. Thomas; 8. Heishman.
Heat two: 1. Schulze; 2. Soppe; 3. Ritter; 4. Lowry; 5. John Schaefer; 6. Buhlman; 7. Burrell; 8. Mercer.
Heat three: 1. Olson; 2. Wieben; 3. McDonald; 4. Hilmer; 5. Bentley; 6. Petrzelka; 7. Rawlins.

IMCA HOBBY STOCK
Feature (completed July 6): 1. 17K Kyle Parizek, Belle Plaine; 2. 45 Justin Wacha, Vinton; 3. 79 Benji Irvine, Stanley; 4. 46 Brian Happel, Vinton; 5. 78 Matt Brown, Dysart; 6. 07 Jacob Keiser, Marengo; 7. 357 Brett Vanous, Quasqueton.
Heat: 1. Parizek; 2. Brown; 3. Irvine; 4. Happel; 5. Vanous; 6. Keiser; 7. Vanous.

BCS MICRO MOD
Feature (completed July 6): 1. 6E Don Erger, Brandon; 2. 2 Brandon Maitland, Waterloo; 3. 111 Buster Pate, Hiawatha; 4. 71 Tristan Cordes, Dunkerton; 5. 111A A.J. Witten, Cedar Rapids; 6/DNS 8 Curt Luhmann, Rishford, Minn.; 7/DNS 9F John Hershberger, Rochester, Minn.; 8/DNS 5 Eli Hershberger, Rochester, Minn.; 9/DNS 00X Bryce Bailey, Cedar Rapids; 10/DNS 42 Chris Eide, Rushford, Minn.
Heat one: 1. Maitland; 2. J. Hershberger; 3. Erger; 4. Eide; 5. Witten.
Heat two: 1. Luhmann; 2. E. Hershberger; 3. Bailey; 4. Pate; 5. Cordes.


RESULTS (July 6)
IMCA MODIFIED
Feature: 1. 00J J.D. Auringer; 2. 10K Ronn Lauritzen; 3. 71 Troy Cordes; 4. 11B Mike Burbridge; 5. 12D Joe Docekal; 6. 33D Scott Hogan; 7. F7 Patrick Flannagan; 8. 10 Kaleb Bentley, Fairbank; 9. K1 Kyle Krampe, Baxter; 10. 20L Zach Less; 11. 21 Brennen Chipp, Waterloo; 12. 415 Josh Barta; 13. 80 Jerry Dedrick; 14. 77 Tim McBride; 15. 17 Devin Trumbley; DNS 7 Todd Jensen; DNS 14 Tom Hanson.
Heat one: 1. Auringer; 2. Burbridge; 3. Hogan; 4. Krampe; 5. Less; 6. Chipp; 7. Dedrick; 8. Trumbley; DNS Hanson.
Heat two: 1. Lauritzen; 2. Cordes; 3. Flannagan; 4. Docekal; 5. Bentley; 6. Barta; 7. McBride; DNS Jensen.

IMCA STOCK CAR
Feature: 1. 15 Norman Chesmore, Rowley; 2. 47 Scott Pippert, Elberon; 3. 19J Jay Schmidt, Tama; 4. 76 Mike Galli, Urbana; 5. 67 Justin Stander, Shellsburg; 6. 8 Curtis Roster, Vinton; 7. 62G Adam Gebel, Cedar Falls; 8. 8B Scott Beauregard, Brandon; 9. 1X Michael Peterson, Montezuma; 10. 3 Ryan Coleman, Vinton; 11. 8E Mitchell Evens, Independence.
Heat one: 1. Stander; 2. Beauregard; 3. Chesmore; 4. Gebel; 5. Peterson; 6. Coleman.
Heat two: 1. Roster; 2. Pippert; 3. Schmidt; 4. Galli; 5. Evens.

IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD
Feature: 1. T23 Tony Olson; 2. 30 Joey Schaefer; 3. 00 Jim Buhlman; 4. 3R Danny Dvorak; 5. 72 Brett Lowry; 6. T17 Tom Rawlins; 7. 22 Matt Petrzelka; 8. 95 Mike McDonald; 9. 7D Dakoda Sellers; 10. K3 Kyle Olson, Cedar Rapids; 11. 36 Jacob Salisbury, Dunkerton; 12. J2 Dave Schulze; 13. 22H Curt Hilmer; 14. 199 Dave Burrell; 15. 6T Siraj Thomason; 16. 17 Dawn Krall; 17. 10S John Schaefer; 18. 6K Lee Rouse, Atkins; 19. 57R Ryan King; 20. MR09 Kurt Hogan, Vinton; 21. 16K Brandon Morris; 22. 42L Lon Mercer; 23. 4 Ryan Maitland, Waterloo; 24. 15B Troy Burkhart, Urbana.
Heat one: 1. Joey Schaefer; 2. Petrzelka; 3. McDonald; 4. T. Olson; 5. Hogan; 6. Salisbury; 7. Maitland; 8. King.
Heat two: 1. Buhlman; 2. Rawlins; 3. Schulze; 4. Burkhart; 5. Dvorak; 6. Thomason; 7. Rouse; 8. Burrell.
Heat three: 1. Lowry; 2. K. Olson; 3. Hilmer; 4. Sellers; 5. Morris; 6. John Schaefer; 7. Krall; 8. Mercer.

IMCA HOBBY STOCK
Feature: Rained out. Will be made up July 20.
Heats: Results will be included upon completion of feature.

IMCA SPORT COMPACT
Feature: 1. 00W Bill Whalen Jr., Riverside; 2. 3S Craig Streeter, Vinton; 3. 36DD Gary Peiffer, Troy Mills; 4. 99J Jeremy Lerch, Vinton; 5. 4 Mike Tedesco, Jesup.
Heat: 1. Whalen; 2. Streeter; 3. Lerch; 4. Peiffer; 5. Tedesco. 

BCS MICRO MOD
Feature: 1. 00 Brody Willett, Cedar Rapids; 2. 2 Brandon Maitland; 3. 111 Buster Pate; 4. 1 Chuck Ihde, Decorah; 5. 71 Tristan Cordes; 6. 26 Mason Schwake, Sumner; 7. 7 Adam Rogich, Mabel, Minn.; 8. 35 Jason Gorman, New Hampton; 9. 111A A.J. Witten; 10. 6E Don Erger.
Heat one: 1. Cordes; 2. Pate; 3. Schwake; 4. Rogich; 5. Witten.
Heat two: 1. Erger; 2. Ihde; 3. Willett; 4. Gorman; 5. Maitland.