One night after a fantastic IMCA Modified feature at Benton County Speedway, the division offered an encore during the XSAN Hawkeye Dirt Tour stop Monday night.
The tour's all-time leading feature winner, Richie Gustin drove the high side to victory in a thrilling finish on the Vinton quarter-mile. (complete results follow)
Outside front row starter Vern Jackson set the pace at the start of the 30-lapper with pole-sitter Tyler Droste in tow. Jackson ran the high side of the fast, smooth surface while Droste tried to pull alongside him down low.
Droste was able to draw even with the leader as they crossed the stripe to complete lap seven, however Jackson maintained the point. Meanwhile, Gustin, who was also running the top groove, reeled in the lead pair.
As the front trio battled, Ronn Lauritzen and Joe Docekal joined the battle and made it a five-car breakaway at the front of the pack.
Gustin was able to reel in Jackson and Droste exiting turn four on lap 14 as they ran three-wide off the corner. Jackson and Droste then opened up some breathing room while Gustin fell back into a battle for third.
Working the low side, Droste, pulled ahead of Jackson to take control with 10 laps to go. He built a five car-length lead and was approaching lapped traffic when caution slowed action on lap 23.
Following another restart on lap 24, Droste set the pace with Gustin and Jackson in row two. Jackson, who had been running the top side all night, elected to start outside of that row, however Gustin powered in front of him when racing resumed.
One more caution slowed the field with four laps remaining and Droste again set sail when the green flag waved.
Running the top side, Gustin powered back into contention and pulled even in turns three and four. He surged into the lead as the flying green waved and led the final two circuits on his way to victory.
Droste ran second ahead of Lauritzen, Jackson and Docekal.
IMCA sanctioned Stock Cars, Northern SportMods and Hobby Stocks also took part in Monday's program. They were not running for track points, but all other applicable IMCA points in the draw/redraw special.
Scott Pippert took the lead at the drop of the green in the 15-lap Stock Car feature. He worked the top side while Damon Murty pursued.
Although Murty remained glued to Pippert's rear bumper, he was unable to pass the leader until Pippert got sideways in turn four on the final lap. Murty swept to the outside of Pippert to take the unexpected victory.
Tony Olson, Sunday night's Northern SportMod winner, made it back-to-back wins in that division's 15-lapper.
Kip Siems held the early lead while Olson made his way through traffic from a mid-pack start. Olson quickly raced his way into second and set his sights on Siems after just one lap.
Olson chased Siems for a handful of laps until he made his move to the inside of the leader on lap six. Olson took command and led the remainder of the event to score the victory.
Although low in number, the Hobby Stocks provided plenty of excitement in that 12-lapper.
From his outside front row starting spot, Matt Pohlman took the the lead with Justin Wacha in tow. Wacha kept pace with the leader and dropped to his inside entering turn three on lap five.
Wacha exited turn four with the lead and then held off late pressure from Jacob Keiser to score the victory.
Tuesday night my plan is to head to Cedar County Raceway in Tipton for the next round of the Hawkeye Dirt Tour, plus the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models and IMCA Stock Cars. I've been battling a bad cold all day and was hesitant to even make the drive across town Monday night for the races in Vinton. If I'm feeling better, I hope to see you tomorrow in Tipton. If not, I'll catch the action on XSAN and see you in Independence next weekend!
RESULTS
HAWKEYE DIRT TOUR IMCA MODIFIEDS
Feature: 1. 19G Richie Gustin, Gilman; 2. 92 Tyler Droste, Waterloo; 3. 10K Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 4. 64 Vern Jackson, Waterloo; 5. 12D Joe Docekal, Dysart; 6. 10M Jeremy Mills, Garner; 7. 00J J. D. Auringer, Waterloo; 8. 21K Kyle Brown, Kellogg; 9. 57V Mike Van Genderen, Newton; 10. 26J Joel Rust, Grundy Center; 11. 99 Jess Sobbing, Glenwood; 12. 10C Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa; 13. 71W Jeff Waterman, Quincy, Ill.; 14. 17R Derek Reimer, Marshalltown; 15. 71 Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 16. 48J Jacob Murray, Hartford; 17. 20L Zach Less, Hopkinton; 18. 33D Scott Hogan, Vinton; 19. 9 Tyler Groenendyk, Oskaloosa; 20. 81 Jesse Belez, Marengo; 21. 12X Trent Jackson, Marshalltown; 22. F7 Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids.
Heat one (four redraw): 1. Auringer; 2. Gustin; 3. Brown; 4. Rust; 5. Waterman; 6. Reimer; 7. Cordes; 8. Sobbing.
Heat two: 1. Docekal; 2. Mills; 3. Groenendyk; 4. V. Jackson; 5. Less; 6. Murray; 7. T. Jackson.
Heat three: 1. Droste; 2. Flannagan; 3. Lauritzen; 4. Van Genderen; 5. Hogan; 6. Belez; 7. Carter.
IMCA STOCK CAR
Feature: 1. 99D Damon Murty, Chelsea; 2. 47 Scott Pippert, Elberon; 3. 15 Norman Chesmore, Rowley; 4. 67 Justin Stander, Shellsburg; 5. 76 Mike Galli, Urbana; 6. 3 Ryan Coleman, Vinton; 7. 62G Adam Gebel, Cedar Falls; 8. 8E Mitchell Evens, Independence.
Heat: 1. Murty; 2. Chesmore; 3. Stander; 4. Galli; 5. Pippert; 6. Coleman; 7. Gebel; 8. Evens.
IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD
Feature: 1. T23 Tony Olson, Cedar Rapids; 2. S16 Kip Siems, Cedar Falls; 3. 198 Sam Wieben, Dysart; 4. K3 Kyle Olson, Cedar Rapids; 5. 15B Troy Burkhart, Urbana; 6. 19J Jenae Gustin, Marshalltown; 7. 22H Curt Hilmer, Dysart; 8. 1 Austin Kaplan, Ankeny; 9. 00 Jim Buhlman, Cedar Falls; 10. J2 Dave Schulze, Keystone; 11. 22 Matt Petrzelka, Norway; 12. 15N Ross Neal, Marion; 13. 30 Joey Schaefer, Waterloo; 14. 199 Dave Burrell, Dysart; 15. 57R Ryan King, Montour; 16. 3R Danny Dvorak, Vinton; DNS/17. CH19 Colby Heishman, Brooklyn.
Heat one: 1. Buhlman; 2. Wieben; 3. Burkhart; 4. K. Olson; 5. T. Olson; 6. Petrzelka; 7. Burrell; 8. Neal; 9. Kaplan.
Heat two: 1. Hilmer; 2. Gustin; 3. Heishman; 4. Siems; 5. Schaefer; 6. Schulze; 7. King; 8. Dvorak.
IMCA HOBBY STOCK
Feature: 1. 45 Justin Wacha, Vinton; 2. 07 Jacob Keiser, Marengo; 3. 46 Brian Happel, Vinton; 4. 4P Matt Pohlman, Keystone; 5. 1 Scott Siems, Cedar Rapids.
Heat: 1. Keiser; 2. Happel; 3. Pohlman; 4. Wacha; 5. Siems.
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