On a Sunday when the weather finally wasn't a major player in the course of the evening's events, a grandstand full of race fans came out for mid-season championship racing, sponsored by Gary's Auto, at Benton County Speedway in Vinton.
Going away from the traditional mid-season format of lining up cars based on total points (more on that later), a regular night of racing was in store for race fans as heat race qualifying and average point inverts determined the starting lineups.
First out of the gate was the 15-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature. At the drop of the green in that event, pole-sitter Justin Wacha took command. Wacha, in search of his first career win in the Hobby Stocks, was impressive early as he skated away from the pack by a few car-lengths. Third row starter Justin Stander made an impressive run through traffic to take over second place from Cale Peterson following a lap three caution. Stander started to cut into Wacha's advantage and found himself on the leader's rear bumper following the race's final caution on lap seven.
On the restart, Stander remained glued to Wacha's rear bumper as the leaders ran the low groove of the speedway. Stander tried a couple of times to work the low side of Wacha, but was unable to make the move until the white flag waved. Stander then shot to the inside of the the leader in the first set of turns and exited turn two with a slight advantage.
Despite contact between the two, both drivers held their positions entering turns three and four. Stander pulled away from the pack as Wacha faded when he bobbled on the low side, leaving Stander to drive away with the win. For Stander, it was a bit of redemption as he lost the lead on the final lap of the Hobby Stock feature the night before at Independence Motor Speedway.
1. 67 Justin Stander
2. 77 Rod Grother
3. 78 Matt Brown
4. 17K Kyle Parizek
5. 55 Vince Buchholz
6. 2P Cale Peterson
7. 1S Greg Sweerin
8. 4X Gary Pfantz
9. 07 Jacob Keiser
10. 25 Doug Laughridge
Nathan Chandler went to work on the high side to make an early charge to the front in the 12-lap IMCA Sport Compact feature. Chandler, who started inside of row three, quickly made his way to the high groove and took over second on the first lap. Just one lap later he worked around James Stevens to take control out front. As Chandler extended his lead, Gary Peiffer settled into second on lap three.
Slowed three times for caution over the final eight laps, the field remained bunched together. On each restart, Chandler pulled away as Peiffer worked to hold off Brad Chandler for the runner-up spot. Nathan Chandler survived each caution period to drive to the win while Peiffer held off Brad Chandler at the line for second.
1. 22 Nathan Chandler
2. 36DD Gary Peiffer
3. 2 Brad Chandler
4. 51 Bryce Bailey
5. 07X Tyler Whalen
6. 8M Jacob McVay
7. 13X James Stevens
8. 35 Brett Vanous
9. 83 Travis Ross
10. A1 Louis Trachta
Pole-sitter Jesse Belez held the early lead in the 15-lap IMCA SportMod feature. Quick to challenge, third row starter Dave Schulze dropped to the low side and battled for the lead on the first lap. He came away with the lead as the field completed lap two and showed the way until the first caution waved on lap five. By this time, Kyle Brown worked through traffic after starting alongside Schulze, and found himself in second for the ensuing restart.
When racing resumed, Brown worked the low side of the leader while Drew Fish was running the high groove after restarting in fourth. Fish inched ahead at the completion of lap nine with Schulze and Brown still running the low side. Schulze briefly took command on the following lap as the trio battled three-wide for the lead. Brown, however, snuck ahead on the following lap before the caution flag waved again.
Brown restarted out front and never looked back when the green flag waved as he drove to his first win in Vinton. Fish remained committed to the high groove to beat Schulze to the line for second.
1. 21X Kyle Brown
2. 3D Drew Fish
3. J2 Dave Schulze
4. K0 Ken Kositzky
5. 3R Danny Dvorak
6. K3 Kyle Olson
7. 00 Jim Buhlman
8. 81 Jesse Belez
9. 95 Mike McDonald
10. 33 Ed O'Brien
Andy Bryant was in search of his first IMCA Stock Car win on the Vinton oval and appeared poised to take home the hardware as the pole-sitter rocketed to the lead at the drop of the green. He quickly extended his lead to multiple car-lengths while Paul Shepherd fought to hold off a hard-charging Justin Temeyer for second.
Temeyer, who started eighth, worked the low side of Shepherd to take second place just three laps into the event, then set his sights of Bryant. Temeyer quickly reeled in the leader, making his bid for the lead on the low side of the speedway on lap five. Temeyer pulled away from the pack to sail to victory. Phil Holtz, who was nearly a straightaway behind the leaders by the time he made his way into third on lap six, made an impressive run to chase down Bryant and sneak beneath him for second at the checkers.
1. 56T Justin Temeyer
2. 7H Phil Holtz
3. 77 Andy Bryant
4. 6X Bob Ahrendsen
5. 3T Scooter Dulin
6. 31S Paul Shepherd
7. 15 Norman Chesmore
8. 09M Brett Mather
9. 22R Todd Reitzler
10. 76 Mike Galli
By the time the IMCA Modifieds made their way to the speedway for the evening's 20-lap finale, the surface became dry slick and proved driver ability would prevail. In the end, Jerry Dedrick made his first career trip to the winner's circle in the division.
At the drop of the green, Dawn Krall held the top spot, but Dedrick was able to make his way by her on the second circuit. He worked the low side of the speedway as Mike Burbridge and Patrick Flannagan gave chase. The first to challenge for the lead, Burbridge closed on Dedrick's four car-length advantage and was able to stick his nose beneath the leader with five laps to go. Unable to take advantage, Burbridge settled back into second with Flannagan hot on his heels.
Flannagan worked the low side of Burbridge as the flying green was displayed as he took over the second position. Like Burbridge, Flannagan's attempts to work the low side of Dedrick were unsuccessful as Dedrick drove to the milestone win.
1. 5 Jerry Dedrick
2. F7 Patrick Flannagan
3. 11B Mike Burbridge
4. 10K Ronn Lauritzen
5. 12D Joe Docekal
6. 33D Scott Hogan
7. 32 Chris Snyder
8. 8 Tony Snyder
9. 25 Shawn Fisher
10. 22 Brandon Banks
As I mentioned earlier, the racing format for tonight's mid-season event was the standard qualify/invert format you'll see any other night throughout the season. It was great to see BCS use the qualifying format for tonight's show. As a kid, I always liked to see out-of-car introductions and the points leaders start up front, but the older I've gotten (insert own jokes here), the more I've come to appreciate a "regular" race night for mid-season. Quite frankly, mid-season serves as no more than a reminder that the season is already halfway gone (as if we want to be presented with that terrible notion, anyway); not a reason to alter the racing format. In fact, it wouldn't bother me if tracks did away with a proclaimed "mid-season championships" event altogether, unless, of course, you do it the right way. They did it the right way tonight in Vinton. Gary Peiffer of Gary's Auto in Troy Mills did a phenomenal job in sponsoring tonight's show. With the Frisbee toss, giveaways (including 10 bikes for the kids), and T-shirt cannon, he showed he really knows how to sponsor a night of fun for the whole family. I realize the old saying that "drivers work all year to start up front," and I agree with that sentiment... AFTER they've worked all year, they can start up front during season championship events. It takes away from the ebb and flow of a season to lineup by points for mid-season and it makes championship night mean that much more.
Up next for me is the Butler County Fair race at Highway 3 Raceway in Allison this Tuesday night. It will be my first time at Allison this summer and I'm looking forward to the long climb to the crow's nest to call the night's action. USRA Stock Cars, B Mods and Hobby Stocks, along with 4-Cylinder Hornets, will be on-hand. Come on out as county fair season in Iowa gets underway! I hope to see you there!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Jackson, Johnson stay hot at Independence Motor Speedway
On a night when storm cells littered eastern Iowa, only a few sprinkles of rain fell at Independence Motor Speedway, allowing for a great night of racing on the smooth, fast 3/8-mile oval. By night's end, a pair of drivers continued their hot streaks at the speedway while another pair earned their first wins of the season.
In the IMCA Modified division, Vern Jackson joined an elite group of drivers as he drove to his third consecutive feature win in the division, becoming only the seventh Modified driver in speedway history to record three straight victories.
Outside front row starter Jason Snyder held the early advantage while Jackson worked into contention after starting in the fifth row. Following a pair of cautions on laps one and three that kept the field bunched together, Jackson worked into a battle for the lead a handful of laps into the event. He made his way past Snyder for the lead on lap six and then set sail.
Adam Johnson made his way through traffic and settled into second on lap 14, then went to work on closing in on Jackson. Although he made up ground late in the event when the leader encountered lapped traffic, Jackson's margin was too large to overcome as he drove to the win. Johnson finished second ahead of Troy Cordes, Mike Burbridge and points leader Jerry Luloff.
For Jackson, it was his division-leading 38th career Modified win at the speedway and 94th overall at Independence. He joined Darin Duffy, Jack Mitchell, Troy Cordes, Duane Van Deest, Greg Kastli and Mark Noble as the only drivers in track history to earn three straight wins in the division. Jackson also moved atop another category in the Modified ranks. He now has seven seasons with three-plus wins, the most of any Modified driver in track history.
Sean Johnson also earned his third win of the year as he topped the 15-lap IMCA Stock Car main event. From an inside third row starting spot, Johnson shot to the inside at the drop of the green and came away with the lead by the completion of the first lap. A pair of early cautions allowed Damon Murty, who made his first appearance of the season, to stay close with the leaders. Murty swept around the outside of his competitors to steal third after just two laps from a fifth row starting spot. He closed on Johnson and pulled alongside of the leader just as the final caution waved on lap four.
On the restart, Johnson led the field to green and fought off a couple more challenges from Murty. He then pulled away to score the victory, his second straight and third of the season. Murty ran second ahead of Justin Temeyer, Jarod Weepie and points leader Dave Stricker.
It was Johnson's 11th career trip to the winner's circle in the Stock Car division at Independence and his fifth win in the last eight Stock Car features at the speedway. He remains eighth on the division's all-time wins list and now sits within three victories of Norman Chesmore for seventh.
Pole-sitter Rick Wendling paced the field at the start of the 25-lap IMCA Late Model feature. Wendling held the point while Rick Dralle gave chase and Tyler Bruening worked through the field from a fifth row start.
As Bruening made his way through traffic, Dralle closed the gap out front and slid past Wendling for the lead at the 10-lap mark. As Dralle made his bid for the lead, Bruening closed the gap on the leaders, working below Wendling one lap later. Bruening then snuck past Dralle for the lead on lap 12.
Bruening came upon lapped traffic just two laps later while Jon Passick was charging through the field. Running the high groove, Passick chased Bruening through the backmarkers as he tried to cut into the straightaway advantage Bruening held out front. Passick closed the gap late in the race, but remained a few car-lengths back at the line. This allowed Bruening to take his second win of the season, and first since opening night, in the caution-free event. Dralle ran third ahead of Curt Martin and Greg Kastli, who both started in the sixth row. Darren Ackerman came from a 17th starting spot to finish sixth.
The win was Bruening's ninth career at Independence, moving him into a tie with Bill Barthelmes for 19th on the all-time list. Bruening's win propelled him back into a tie atop the division's standings with Ackerman. Passick's good run kept him within two points of the division leaders.
A three-wide finish wowed the crowd as the IMCA Hobby Stocks arguably put on the best show of the night. At the drop of the green, Chris Luloff held the point from his pole-position start. Luloff extended his advantage throughout the first few laps of the 15-lapper while Jim Ball and Steve Wiltse battled for position.
With Luloff nearly half of a straightaway ahead of the field, Justin Stander worked into contention from a fifth row starting spot as he drove the high groove into third on lap seven. Stander's progress was assisted when the caution flag waved on lap eight.
On the restart, Stander quickly challenged Luloff for the lead and came away with the top spot on the following lap. Stander held the point until the race's final caution waved on lap 11. When racing resumed one last time, Luloff, Justin Lichty and Jamie Whitaker challenged Stander for the lead as the quartet went four-wide down the front stretch to complete lap 12. Stander still held the advantage a lap later, but Lichty and Whitaker remained wheel-to-wheel with the leader as Luloff faded to fourth.
The leaders ran three-wide throughout the remainder of the event with Stander holding a slight edge in turn four on the final lap. Lichty, however, went to the high side and had a great run off the corner. He surged ahead by a bumper at the line to earn the thrilling win. Stander finished second with Whitaker third as that trio ran in three-wide formation to the end. Luloff and Ball completed the top five.
It was Lichty's seventh career win in the division at Independence, moving him into sole possession of 12th on the all-time Hobby Stock wins list at the speedway. It was also Lichty's first win of the season, which extends his streak to five consecutive years at Independence with at least one Hobby Stock win. That ties him with Chris Luloff for second all-time in that category. Patrick Stansbery, who won at least one Hobby Stock feature for six consecutive years (1998-2003), is at the top of that list.
Cory Evans held the early lead in the 15-lap IMCA SportMod feature while Matt McCahen and Tyler Droste gave chase. Evans worked the high line while Droste, who made his way past McCahen on lap three, ran the low groove. Droste pulled even with Evans as the caution flag waved on lap five.
Following the restart, Droste worked past Evans on the low side, however contact between the two brought out another stoppage a short time later, sending both to the back for the ensuing restart. For that restart, Lucas Lundry inherited the pole as he led the remainder of the event to take his first win of the season. Jim Buhlman finished second ahead of Ray Lundry, Danny Dvorak and Drew Fish.
The third SportMod win of his career at Independence, Lucas Lundry is now tied for fourth with Chris Luloff and Tyler Droste on the all-time list. Lundry now has one win in each of the last three seasons, the second longest streak in the division.
With the threat of rain in the area, track officials made every attempt to keep the show moving. After getting underway just past the 6 p.m. hour, the 102 cars on-hand competed in 19 events in a program that ended at 9:10. Great job to promoter Cam Granger and his track crew for nailing the track prep on Saturday!
After a return to Vinton tonight (weather permitting), I'll head to Highway 3 Raceway in Allison this Tuesday for the Butler County Fair race program, then (tentatively) I'm planning a trip to Cresco Speedway for the JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt tour event on Thursday.
In the IMCA Modified division, Vern Jackson joined an elite group of drivers as he drove to his third consecutive feature win in the division, becoming only the seventh Modified driver in speedway history to record three straight victories.
Outside front row starter Jason Snyder held the early advantage while Jackson worked into contention after starting in the fifth row. Following a pair of cautions on laps one and three that kept the field bunched together, Jackson worked into a battle for the lead a handful of laps into the event. He made his way past Snyder for the lead on lap six and then set sail.
Adam Johnson made his way through traffic and settled into second on lap 14, then went to work on closing in on Jackson. Although he made up ground late in the event when the leader encountered lapped traffic, Jackson's margin was too large to overcome as he drove to the win. Johnson finished second ahead of Troy Cordes, Mike Burbridge and points leader Jerry Luloff.
For Jackson, it was his division-leading 38th career Modified win at the speedway and 94th overall at Independence. He joined Darin Duffy, Jack Mitchell, Troy Cordes, Duane Van Deest, Greg Kastli and Mark Noble as the only drivers in track history to earn three straight wins in the division. Jackson also moved atop another category in the Modified ranks. He now has seven seasons with three-plus wins, the most of any Modified driver in track history.
Sean Johnson also earned his third win of the year as he topped the 15-lap IMCA Stock Car main event. From an inside third row starting spot, Johnson shot to the inside at the drop of the green and came away with the lead by the completion of the first lap. A pair of early cautions allowed Damon Murty, who made his first appearance of the season, to stay close with the leaders. Murty swept around the outside of his competitors to steal third after just two laps from a fifth row starting spot. He closed on Johnson and pulled alongside of the leader just as the final caution waved on lap four.
On the restart, Johnson led the field to green and fought off a couple more challenges from Murty. He then pulled away to score the victory, his second straight and third of the season. Murty ran second ahead of Justin Temeyer, Jarod Weepie and points leader Dave Stricker.
It was Johnson's 11th career trip to the winner's circle in the Stock Car division at Independence and his fifth win in the last eight Stock Car features at the speedway. He remains eighth on the division's all-time wins list and now sits within three victories of Norman Chesmore for seventh.
Pole-sitter Rick Wendling paced the field at the start of the 25-lap IMCA Late Model feature. Wendling held the point while Rick Dralle gave chase and Tyler Bruening worked through the field from a fifth row start.
As Bruening made his way through traffic, Dralle closed the gap out front and slid past Wendling for the lead at the 10-lap mark. As Dralle made his bid for the lead, Bruening closed the gap on the leaders, working below Wendling one lap later. Bruening then snuck past Dralle for the lead on lap 12.
Bruening came upon lapped traffic just two laps later while Jon Passick was charging through the field. Running the high groove, Passick chased Bruening through the backmarkers as he tried to cut into the straightaway advantage Bruening held out front. Passick closed the gap late in the race, but remained a few car-lengths back at the line. This allowed Bruening to take his second win of the season, and first since opening night, in the caution-free event. Dralle ran third ahead of Curt Martin and Greg Kastli, who both started in the sixth row. Darren Ackerman came from a 17th starting spot to finish sixth.
The win was Bruening's ninth career at Independence, moving him into a tie with Bill Barthelmes for 19th on the all-time list. Bruening's win propelled him back into a tie atop the division's standings with Ackerman. Passick's good run kept him within two points of the division leaders.
A three-wide finish wowed the crowd as the IMCA Hobby Stocks arguably put on the best show of the night. At the drop of the green, Chris Luloff held the point from his pole-position start. Luloff extended his advantage throughout the first few laps of the 15-lapper while Jim Ball and Steve Wiltse battled for position.
With Luloff nearly half of a straightaway ahead of the field, Justin Stander worked into contention from a fifth row starting spot as he drove the high groove into third on lap seven. Stander's progress was assisted when the caution flag waved on lap eight.
On the restart, Stander quickly challenged Luloff for the lead and came away with the top spot on the following lap. Stander held the point until the race's final caution waved on lap 11. When racing resumed one last time, Luloff, Justin Lichty and Jamie Whitaker challenged Stander for the lead as the quartet went four-wide down the front stretch to complete lap 12. Stander still held the advantage a lap later, but Lichty and Whitaker remained wheel-to-wheel with the leader as Luloff faded to fourth.
The leaders ran three-wide throughout the remainder of the event with Stander holding a slight edge in turn four on the final lap. Lichty, however, went to the high side and had a great run off the corner. He surged ahead by a bumper at the line to earn the thrilling win. Stander finished second with Whitaker third as that trio ran in three-wide formation to the end. Luloff and Ball completed the top five.
It was Lichty's seventh career win in the division at Independence, moving him into sole possession of 12th on the all-time Hobby Stock wins list at the speedway. It was also Lichty's first win of the season, which extends his streak to five consecutive years at Independence with at least one Hobby Stock win. That ties him with Chris Luloff for second all-time in that category. Patrick Stansbery, who won at least one Hobby Stock feature for six consecutive years (1998-2003), is at the top of that list.
Cory Evans held the early lead in the 15-lap IMCA SportMod feature while Matt McCahen and Tyler Droste gave chase. Evans worked the high line while Droste, who made his way past McCahen on lap three, ran the low groove. Droste pulled even with Evans as the caution flag waved on lap five.
Following the restart, Droste worked past Evans on the low side, however contact between the two brought out another stoppage a short time later, sending both to the back for the ensuing restart. For that restart, Lucas Lundry inherited the pole as he led the remainder of the event to take his first win of the season. Jim Buhlman finished second ahead of Ray Lundry, Danny Dvorak and Drew Fish.
The third SportMod win of his career at Independence, Lucas Lundry is now tied for fourth with Chris Luloff and Tyler Droste on the all-time list. Lundry now has one win in each of the last three seasons, the second longest streak in the division.
With the threat of rain in the area, track officials made every attempt to keep the show moving. After getting underway just past the 6 p.m. hour, the 102 cars on-hand competed in 19 events in a program that ended at 9:10. Great job to promoter Cam Granger and his track crew for nailing the track prep on Saturday!
After a return to Vinton tonight (weather permitting), I'll head to Highway 3 Raceway in Allison this Tuesday for the Butler County Fair race program, then (tentatively) I'm planning a trip to Cresco Speedway for the JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt tour event on Thursday.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Barker is best in Hawkeye Dirt Tour action at Cedar County Raceway
A strong field of 33 IMCA Modifieds were on-hand at Cedar County Raceway in Tipton on Tuesday night for the third event of the 2011 JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour. When the checkers waved, Modified veteran Ron Barker stood in victory lane for his first HDT win.
Pole-sitter Ronn Lauritzen paced the 23 starters at the drop of the green. Running the low groove of the smooth, multi-groove 1/4-mile, Lauritzen powered ahead of Jeff Waterman. A pair of early cautions kept the field bunched together and allowed Kurt Krauskopf to challenge Waterman for second. Krauskopf made his way past Waterman following the second caution on lap four, then worked the high side to chase down Lauritzen. Those efforts were assisted when the final caution of the event waved three laps later.
On the restart, Lauritzen held the point while Krauskopf elected to start on the outside of the second row with Waterman to his inside. Krauskopf again went to work up top with Lauritzen a groove off the bottom while Dusty Kraklio battled his way into contention. As Kraklio went to work on the low side of Lauritzen in turns one and two on the eighth lap, the field battled three and four-wide behind them for position.
Kraklio inched ahead for the lead one lap later while Barker settled into the top four after starting eighth. Running the high side, Barker swept past Krauskopf on the 11th circuit, then made his way past Lauritzen one lap later. Following Barker on the high side of the track was Jacob Waterman, who started deep in the field, but made his way into fourth as Barker passed for second.
Committed to the high groove, Barker made his way around Kraklio on the following lap as Jacob Waterman tried to keep pace with the new leader. Waterman took the high side around Lauritzen and Kraklio just past the midway point.
Barker's lead appeared insurmountable until he reached lapped traffic with just five laps to go. As he navigated the backmarkers, Waterman closed the gap while Brian Webb reeled in the leaders. Barker shot beneath the lapped car of Larry Herring with just two laps to go, putting traffic between himself and Waterman to close the deal as Barker drove to the exciting win. Waterman held off Webb for second.
1. 37B Ron Barker
2. 69 Jacob Waterman
3. 6 Brian Webb
4. 2 Dusty Kraklio
5. 60 Kurt Krauskopf
6. X Ryan Dolan
7. 1 Dan Chapman
8. 21A Kelly Meyer
9. 71W Jeff Waterman
10. 10K Ronn Lauritzen
11. 19G Richie Gustin
12. 27M Mark Schulte
13. 62 Greg Cox
14. 70 Mitch Morris
15. 8 Rich Smith
16. 11B Mike Burbridge
17. 25X Jake Bowman
18. 67 John Ahlers
19. 12 Mark Elliott
20. 8T Tony Snyder
21. 96 Larry Herring
22. 57B Dennis Betzer
23. 21 Todd Hansen
24. 17D Todd Dykema (DNS)
Josh Foster, who suffered mechanical problems throughout the night, was scheduled to be the series provisional for the feature, however he was unable to make repairs in time so that position went to Tony Snyder. Todd Dykema, the track provisional, was also unable to make the starting call.
My main duty of the night was to fill in and sell HDT T-shirts on the grandstands side so I was unable to see the Stock Car or 4-Cylinder features. Tim Current broke Chip Kohl's winning streak in the Stock Car division to take the win in that feature while Nathan Chandler came out on top in the 4-Cylinders.
Although I wasn't able to take in all of the action on the track tonight, it was a pleasant change of pace to have the chance to visit with race fans in attendance. It was nice to meet Mike Weikert Sr., the father of Modified driver Mike Weikert Jr., although Mike Jr. struggled throughout the event and was unable to qualify for the feature. I had the chance to chat with former Pro Stock and Late Model driver Tom Struve of Palo. While he hasn't been racing this year, Struve's weekend schedule has been kept busy with six grandchildren. I also enjoyed watching the Modified feature with Ginny Thomas, the mother of Modified driver Ed Thomas. While I've spent a lot of time at the Thomas Racing shop in Waterloo over the years, it was the first time Ginny and I had actually watched a race together. Thanks for saving my spot, Ginny!
Thanks also to tour director Bucky Doren for inviting me down to help out tonight. It was a blast. And, as always, I have to give credit to promoters Al and Kathy Dlouhy. Some of the friendliest people you will meet, they truly define the word "promoter" when it comes to our sport. While many people in charge of racing facilities simply "put on races," the Dlouhys take pride in their product and truly care for their drivers and fans. They not only have a successful weekly program, but they are willing to bring in specials that they know drivers and fans want to see in that area. They don't just stick out their necks, take a chance and hope for the best - they work their tails off to get the job done right.
To top it off, they know what they're doing. The Dlouhys don't saturate and lengthen a mid-week show by adding numerous classes in support of the headlining division. Three divisions for a mid-week special is the perfect number and they proved it again tonight by providing a great show that had people on their way home by the 10 o'clock hour. Their efforts are shown each time I make the trip to Cedar County and they have a top notch staff in place to ensure your visit to Tipton is well worth it. If you still haven't put Cedar County Raceway on your schedule for this season, take the time to do it. The hospitality and quality of racing are second-to-none
That's all of the mid-week racing for me this time around. Another weekend of weekly racing at Independence and Vinton are up next before my schedule starts to slowly pick in anticipation of the "blur" that is July. Have a great week!
Pole-sitter Ronn Lauritzen paced the 23 starters at the drop of the green. Running the low groove of the smooth, multi-groove 1/4-mile, Lauritzen powered ahead of Jeff Waterman. A pair of early cautions kept the field bunched together and allowed Kurt Krauskopf to challenge Waterman for second. Krauskopf made his way past Waterman following the second caution on lap four, then worked the high side to chase down Lauritzen. Those efforts were assisted when the final caution of the event waved three laps later.
On the restart, Lauritzen held the point while Krauskopf elected to start on the outside of the second row with Waterman to his inside. Krauskopf again went to work up top with Lauritzen a groove off the bottom while Dusty Kraklio battled his way into contention. As Kraklio went to work on the low side of Lauritzen in turns one and two on the eighth lap, the field battled three and four-wide behind them for position.
Kraklio inched ahead for the lead one lap later while Barker settled into the top four after starting eighth. Running the high side, Barker swept past Krauskopf on the 11th circuit, then made his way past Lauritzen one lap later. Following Barker on the high side of the track was Jacob Waterman, who started deep in the field, but made his way into fourth as Barker passed for second.
Committed to the high groove, Barker made his way around Kraklio on the following lap as Jacob Waterman tried to keep pace with the new leader. Waterman took the high side around Lauritzen and Kraklio just past the midway point.
Barker's lead appeared insurmountable until he reached lapped traffic with just five laps to go. As he navigated the backmarkers, Waterman closed the gap while Brian Webb reeled in the leaders. Barker shot beneath the lapped car of Larry Herring with just two laps to go, putting traffic between himself and Waterman to close the deal as Barker drove to the exciting win. Waterman held off Webb for second.
1. 37B Ron Barker
2. 69 Jacob Waterman
3. 6 Brian Webb
4. 2 Dusty Kraklio
5. 60 Kurt Krauskopf
6. X Ryan Dolan
7. 1 Dan Chapman
8. 21A Kelly Meyer
9. 71W Jeff Waterman
10. 10K Ronn Lauritzen
11. 19G Richie Gustin
12. 27M Mark Schulte
13. 62 Greg Cox
14. 70 Mitch Morris
15. 8 Rich Smith
16. 11B Mike Burbridge
17. 25X Jake Bowman
18. 67 John Ahlers
19. 12 Mark Elliott
20. 8T Tony Snyder
21. 96 Larry Herring
22. 57B Dennis Betzer
23. 21 Todd Hansen
24. 17D Todd Dykema (DNS)
Josh Foster, who suffered mechanical problems throughout the night, was scheduled to be the series provisional for the feature, however he was unable to make repairs in time so that position went to Tony Snyder. Todd Dykema, the track provisional, was also unable to make the starting call.
My main duty of the night was to fill in and sell HDT T-shirts on the grandstands side so I was unable to see the Stock Car or 4-Cylinder features. Tim Current broke Chip Kohl's winning streak in the Stock Car division to take the win in that feature while Nathan Chandler came out on top in the 4-Cylinders.
Although I wasn't able to take in all of the action on the track tonight, it was a pleasant change of pace to have the chance to visit with race fans in attendance. It was nice to meet Mike Weikert Sr., the father of Modified driver Mike Weikert Jr., although Mike Jr. struggled throughout the event and was unable to qualify for the feature. I had the chance to chat with former Pro Stock and Late Model driver Tom Struve of Palo. While he hasn't been racing this year, Struve's weekend schedule has been kept busy with six grandchildren. I also enjoyed watching the Modified feature with Ginny Thomas, the mother of Modified driver Ed Thomas. While I've spent a lot of time at the Thomas Racing shop in Waterloo over the years, it was the first time Ginny and I had actually watched a race together. Thanks for saving my spot, Ginny!
Thanks also to tour director Bucky Doren for inviting me down to help out tonight. It was a blast. And, as always, I have to give credit to promoters Al and Kathy Dlouhy. Some of the friendliest people you will meet, they truly define the word "promoter" when it comes to our sport. While many people in charge of racing facilities simply "put on races," the Dlouhys take pride in their product and truly care for their drivers and fans. They not only have a successful weekly program, but they are willing to bring in specials that they know drivers and fans want to see in that area. They don't just stick out their necks, take a chance and hope for the best - they work their tails off to get the job done right.
To top it off, they know what they're doing. The Dlouhys don't saturate and lengthen a mid-week show by adding numerous classes in support of the headlining division. Three divisions for a mid-week special is the perfect number and they proved it again tonight by providing a great show that had people on their way home by the 10 o'clock hour. Their efforts are shown each time I make the trip to Cedar County and they have a top notch staff in place to ensure your visit to Tipton is well worth it. If you still haven't put Cedar County Raceway on your schedule for this season, take the time to do it. The hospitality and quality of racing are second-to-none
That's all of the mid-week racing for me this time around. Another weekend of weekly racing at Independence and Vinton are up next before my schedule starts to slowly pick in anticipation of the "blur" that is July. Have a great week!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Bonus Blitz! Mid-June numbers, and then some...
I decided to leave my lawn mower in the garage for one more night, turn on an NCIS rerun and crunch some numbers for a Bonus Stats Blitz for Independence Motor Speedway. The following stats stray from the normal information I provide at the end of each calendar month. Actually, all of it could probably fall under the “Stuff Nobody Should Know” section at the end of the monthly Blitz. Call it corny, unnecessary, just something to do on a Monday night or anything else that comes to mind… Enjoy the Bonus Blitz!
***There have been four consecutive different Late Model winners to open the current season. Although that seems like it would be a rare occurrence, in 47 years, at least four consecutive different drivers opened the season with a win in 28 separate seasons. Of those, nine times five consecutive different Late Model drivers opened the season in victory lane, three times there were six straight winners, five times there were seven straight winners and two times (in 1970 and 1985) a record eight different Late Model drivers won features through the first eight weeks of the season.
***There have been four consecutive different Hobby Stock winners to open the current season. In the division’s 23 seasons at Independence, at least four consecutive different drivers opened the season with a win in 10 seasons. Of those, three times five consecutive different Hobby Stock drivers opened the season in victory lane and two times (in 2002 and 2010) a record six different Hobby Stock drivers won features through the first six weeks of the season.
***With his Modified victory on June 11, Vern Jackson won back-to-back features in the division for the third time in his career at Independence. He is one of 18 drivers in the division’s history to win consecutive Modified features at Independence. The others, in alphabetical order, are J.D. Auringer, Jeff Barkdoll, Ron Barker, Tom Bartholomew, Troy Cordes, Max Corporon, Steve Droste, Darin Duffy, Craig Haupt, Greg Kastli, Tim McBride, Jack Mitchell, Mark Noble, Keith Pittman, Kevin Pittman, Mike Sampson and Joey Schaefer. For those scanning the list, no, Jerry Luloff’s name is not on it. Although he is fifth on the all-time wins list at the speedway for the Modifieds, none of his 21 career wins have come in consecutive weeks. To his credit, his 21 wins have come in 14 different seasons, which leads the Modified division. Jackson is second on that list with at least one Modified win in 13 different seasons. One reason Luloff probably doesn’t mind? He leads the division all-time with five track championships. You can read more about the wins-to-championships ratio at the end of this blog.
***Jackson’s first Modified win at Indee came in 1997. Of those 15 years, he has had seasons with multiple wins a record 11 times. Darin Duffy is second on that list with eight seasons of multiple Modified wins at the speedway. Saturday night’s win for Jackson was his ninth in the month of June at Independence. His nine wins are the most all-time for the division in June.
***Dating back to July 17, 2010, Josh Sherbon and Tyler Droste have won eight of the last 10 IMCA SportMod features. Sherbon has won five of the last 10 and Droste three times in that span.
***Dating back to August 14, 2010, Sean Johnson has won four of the last seven IMCA Stock Car features. No other driver has more than one win in that span.
***Through 20 features so far this season, there have been 17 different feature winners. Those drivers have earned a combined 135 career wins in their respective divisions at Independence.
***June 11 was the fourth weekly points race of the 2011 season. My apologies in advance to Luke Merfeld, Vern Jackson, Sean Johnson, Josh Sherbon and Rod Grother… In the last 30 seasons, only 15.8% of all feature winners during the fourth week of the season have gone on to win track championships. The percentage for the fourth week is tied for the least likely to produce a track champion. With which week is it tied? Week 5.
To put it into perspective, since 1981, only six of 30 eventual Late Model track champions won in week four, five of 28 Modifieds, one of 18 Stock Cars, three of 22 Hobby Stocks and one of three SportMods. Of the past 30 track champions (among all divisions since 2005), only two champions won during week four – Curt Martin (Late Models, 2005) and Danny Dvorak (SportMods, 2008).
The numbers for week five are as follows: Only three of 30 eventual Late Model track champions won during week five of the season, four of 28 Modifieds, three of 18 Stock Cars, six of 22 Hobby Stocks and none of three SportMods.
To take it a step further (because I tend to like to do that), 128 track champions have been crowned since 1981. Of those titlists, only five times has an eventual track champion won back-to-back features during the fourth and fifth weeks of racing. They include Jack Mitchell (Modifieds, 1984), Greg Kastli (Modifieds, 1986), Dave Gerner (Sportsmen, 1987), Curt Martin (Late Models, 1999 and 2004). So, yeah, sorry guys, but it looks like you’re doomed if you win again on night five!
For an overall look at how often track champions visit victory lane, here are those numbers. Since 1981, Late Model champions have won 112 of 437 features (25.6%), Modified champions have won 106 of 414 features (also 25.6%), Stock Car champs are 79 of 262 (the highest percentage at 29.8%), Hobby Stock champions are 88 of 323 (27.2%) and SportMod track champions are six of 37 (16.2%).
***While wins help a driver move up the standings, consistency (not necessarily feature wins) equates to a division title. While Jack Mitchell (Modifieds, 1984) and Larry Portis (Stock Cars, 1995) earned 10 wins (the most all-time in a season) on their way to track championships, three-time and five-time winners during the course of the season have produced the most champions since 1985. Of the 95 champions crowned since 1985 in the divisions that currently compete at the speedway, 15 were three-time winners during their championship seasons and 15 were also five-time winners. There have been 14 two-time winners to earn championships and 12 four-time winning titlists. An astounding 11 times has a driver earned a track title without earning a feature win while, on the flip-side, only seven times has a one-time feature winner earned championship honors. Just 21 times (22%) has a track champion earned more than five feature wins in a season since 1985. Of the 95 track champions mentioned above, 42 did not even lead their division in the number of feature wins during their championship seasons.
I think that’s enough for tonight. I’ll be back sometime in late June or early July with the next Blitz!
***There have been four consecutive different Late Model winners to open the current season. Although that seems like it would be a rare occurrence, in 47 years, at least four consecutive different drivers opened the season with a win in 28 separate seasons. Of those, nine times five consecutive different Late Model drivers opened the season in victory lane, three times there were six straight winners, five times there were seven straight winners and two times (in 1970 and 1985) a record eight different Late Model drivers won features through the first eight weeks of the season.
***There have been four consecutive different Hobby Stock winners to open the current season. In the division’s 23 seasons at Independence, at least four consecutive different drivers opened the season with a win in 10 seasons. Of those, three times five consecutive different Hobby Stock drivers opened the season in victory lane and two times (in 2002 and 2010) a record six different Hobby Stock drivers won features through the first six weeks of the season.
***With his Modified victory on June 11, Vern Jackson won back-to-back features in the division for the third time in his career at Independence. He is one of 18 drivers in the division’s history to win consecutive Modified features at Independence. The others, in alphabetical order, are J.D. Auringer, Jeff Barkdoll, Ron Barker, Tom Bartholomew, Troy Cordes, Max Corporon, Steve Droste, Darin Duffy, Craig Haupt, Greg Kastli, Tim McBride, Jack Mitchell, Mark Noble, Keith Pittman, Kevin Pittman, Mike Sampson and Joey Schaefer. For those scanning the list, no, Jerry Luloff’s name is not on it. Although he is fifth on the all-time wins list at the speedway for the Modifieds, none of his 21 career wins have come in consecutive weeks. To his credit, his 21 wins have come in 14 different seasons, which leads the Modified division. Jackson is second on that list with at least one Modified win in 13 different seasons. One reason Luloff probably doesn’t mind? He leads the division all-time with five track championships. You can read more about the wins-to-championships ratio at the end of this blog.
***Jackson’s first Modified win at Indee came in 1997. Of those 15 years, he has had seasons with multiple wins a record 11 times. Darin Duffy is second on that list with eight seasons of multiple Modified wins at the speedway. Saturday night’s win for Jackson was his ninth in the month of June at Independence. His nine wins are the most all-time for the division in June.
***Dating back to July 17, 2010, Josh Sherbon and Tyler Droste have won eight of the last 10 IMCA SportMod features. Sherbon has won five of the last 10 and Droste three times in that span.
***Dating back to August 14, 2010, Sean Johnson has won four of the last seven IMCA Stock Car features. No other driver has more than one win in that span.
***Through 20 features so far this season, there have been 17 different feature winners. Those drivers have earned a combined 135 career wins in their respective divisions at Independence.
***June 11 was the fourth weekly points race of the 2011 season. My apologies in advance to Luke Merfeld, Vern Jackson, Sean Johnson, Josh Sherbon and Rod Grother… In the last 30 seasons, only 15.8% of all feature winners during the fourth week of the season have gone on to win track championships. The percentage for the fourth week is tied for the least likely to produce a track champion. With which week is it tied? Week 5.
To put it into perspective, since 1981, only six of 30 eventual Late Model track champions won in week four, five of 28 Modifieds, one of 18 Stock Cars, three of 22 Hobby Stocks and one of three SportMods. Of the past 30 track champions (among all divisions since 2005), only two champions won during week four – Curt Martin (Late Models, 2005) and Danny Dvorak (SportMods, 2008).
The numbers for week five are as follows: Only three of 30 eventual Late Model track champions won during week five of the season, four of 28 Modifieds, three of 18 Stock Cars, six of 22 Hobby Stocks and none of three SportMods.
To take it a step further (because I tend to like to do that), 128 track champions have been crowned since 1981. Of those titlists, only five times has an eventual track champion won back-to-back features during the fourth and fifth weeks of racing. They include Jack Mitchell (Modifieds, 1984), Greg Kastli (Modifieds, 1986), Dave Gerner (Sportsmen, 1987), Curt Martin (Late Models, 1999 and 2004). So, yeah, sorry guys, but it looks like you’re doomed if you win again on night five!
For an overall look at how often track champions visit victory lane, here are those numbers. Since 1981, Late Model champions have won 112 of 437 features (25.6%), Modified champions have won 106 of 414 features (also 25.6%), Stock Car champs are 79 of 262 (the highest percentage at 29.8%), Hobby Stock champions are 88 of 323 (27.2%) and SportMod track champions are six of 37 (16.2%).
***While wins help a driver move up the standings, consistency (not necessarily feature wins) equates to a division title. While Jack Mitchell (Modifieds, 1984) and Larry Portis (Stock Cars, 1995) earned 10 wins (the most all-time in a season) on their way to track championships, three-time and five-time winners during the course of the season have produced the most champions since 1985. Of the 95 champions crowned since 1985 in the divisions that currently compete at the speedway, 15 were three-time winners during their championship seasons and 15 were also five-time winners. There have been 14 two-time winners to earn championships and 12 four-time winning titlists. An astounding 11 times has a driver earned a track title without earning a feature win while, on the flip-side, only seven times has a one-time feature winner earned championship honors. Just 21 times (22%) has a track champion earned more than five feature wins in a season since 1985. Of the 95 track champions mentioned above, 42 did not even lead their division in the number of feature wins during their championship seasons.
I think that’s enough for tonight. I’ll be back sometime in late June or early July with the next Blitz!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Just your typical Sunday...
There's a town in east central Iowa that has boasted many things over the years. The community of just over 5,000 people, nestled along the Cedar River in Benton County, was known as the "Popcorn Capital" of Iowa due to its popular Vinton Popcorn Company that was located on West 4th Street for many years. Although that business closed a number of years ago, the rural community is still known as the "City of Lights" for its numerous, beautiful Christmas light displays which draw many travelers during the holiday season.
The community of Vinton is a proud little town. When you enter the city from the north on Highway 150, you feel as though you've entered a small town like those depicted in annual holiday TV specials. You always tend to feel you're visiting the right place as you travel across the bridge and down the hill, greeted by old fashioned street lights and murals that grace the buildings as you make your way downtown. The residents of Vinton take pride in their community and they know how to get things done.
On the southeast corner of town you'll find the Benton County Fairgrounds, the location of the annual Benton County Fair in late July and, more recently, the Boomtown Vinton fireworks celebration that was started just a few years ago, along with weekly stock car racing from April through mid-September every year . When it comes to getting things done in Vinton, you won't find a better example than a Sunday night at the fairgrounds. This Sunday night, June 12, was no different.
4:00 p.m. - Normally a bustling place around this time, the gate to the pit area of the race track and main grandstand entrance were relatively quiet on this night. A few regulars, committed to reserving their seats for the weekly racing program, were in attendance, as were a couple of race teams wanting to be sure to get their parking spots in the pits. It was casual, however, almost giving you an uneasy feeling that the hard work put into the week's program was done in vain. The clouds were present for most of the day and a few light, random sprinkles were starting to make their way to the ground.
Those rain drops didn't materialize into anything more than a nuisance over the next hour or so as the line of cars to the pit entrance and the line of race fans at the main gate continued to lengthen. "It's Sunday and we're in Vinton. We will race tonight," appeared to be the sense shared by everyone who made their way to the track despite the increasingly threatening skies to the west.
5:22 p.m. - Race cars were called to the race track to help pack in the racing surface in order to get the program underway in a timely manner and, hopefully, to dodge as many rain drops as possible.
5:31 p.m. - The many cars on the track were ushered off of the speedway by track official as the track packing was quick, efficient and thorough. It was time for hot laps.
5:52 p.m. - With hot laps complete and the show opened by announcer Bucky Doren, the first heat of IMCA Hobby Stocks makes its way to the speedway... then the second... then the IMCA Sport Compacts as the drops became slightly bigger and greater in number. Cars entered and left the track in quick, orderly fashion. We don't rain out in Vinton. We race.
6:27 p.m. - Thirty-five minutes after the first heat race took the first green flag of the night, the final heat race took the checkered flag - 11 heat races, 35 minutes, 0 caution flags.
6:28 p.m. - A quick check of the radar revealed there were still showers in the area. Actually, from the looks of Accuweather radar, it WAS raining in Vinton. Nevermind that, we had work to do... It was time for feature racing.
6:33 p.m. - After a parade lap for the IMCA Hobby Stocks, the field took the green flag for the first feature of the night. Inside second row starter Russell Damme Jr. swept past front row starters Justin Wacha and Cale Peterson to lead the first time around the fast 1/4-mile oval. Damme maintained a nice advantage out front while fellow second row starter Jacob Keiser worked past Wacha and Peterson on lap three as Justin Stander followed him into third.
Keiser reeled in Damme on the seventh lap and applied pressure to the leader's back bumper as Vince Buchholz made his way into fourth after starting in the fifth row. The order remained unchanged until the 13th lap when Stander bobbled exiting turn two. As he was trying to regain control of his machine, Buchholz slipped past him as the two made contact, sending Stander into a spin off the back stretch to bring out the first caution of the race. Check that, the first caution of the night... during race 12... on lap 93. When racing resumed, Damme held off the persistent Keiser to score his first win of the season.
1. 4JR Russell Damme Jr.
2. 07 Jacob Keiser
3. 55 Vince Buchholz
4. 78 Matt Brown
5. 2P Cale Peterson
6. 47 Scott Pippert
7. 17K Kyle Parizek
8. 45 Justin Wacha
9. 77 Rod Grother
10. 64JR Jeremiah Wilson
6:40 p.m. - Russell Damme Jr. made his way to victory lane for his interview as the IMCA Sport Compacts prepared to roll out of the staging area for their 12-lap feature event and the pesky rain drops stopped, at least momentarily.
6:44 p.m. - The green flag waved for the IMCA Sport Compact main event with pole-sitter Ross Kitner showing the way to lead lap one. Nathan Chandler, who started a row behind Kitner to the outside, quickly made his way past Jacob McVay and the leader to secure the top spot on lap two. Three laps later, Brad Chandler worked his way into second from a fourth row start as the lead pair quickly pulled away from the field.
The Chandlers were a straightaway ahead of third-running Brett Vanous when the race's only caution waved on lap eight after Gary Peiffer and Merv Chandler came together in turn four. When racing resumed, the leaders again pulled away from the pack with Nathan holding off Brad to score the victory.
1. 22 Nathan Chandler
2. 2 Brad Chandler
3. 35 Brett Vanous
4. 51 Bryce Bailey
5. 07 Tyler Whalen
6. 57K Ross Kitner
7. 1 Merv Chandler
8. 22T Travis Losenicky
9. 83 Travis Ross
10. 23 Brad Vanous
6:50 p.m. - As Nathan Chandler exited his car to prepare for the victory lane interview, the IMCA SportMods remained in staging, anxiously awaiting their turn on the speedway for their 15-lap feature.
6:54 p.m. - The green flag waved for the 21-car IMCA SportMod field with second row starter Racer Hullin powering to the front on the low groove of the speedway. He disposed of front row starters Ed O'Brien and Curt Hilmer to lead lap one. Hilmer remained in second while Ken Kositzky quickly made his way into third on lap three following a caution one lap prior.
Hullin held a decent advantage over the field when he entered lapped traffic just past the midway point, allowing Kositzky, who drove the low line into second, and Hilmer to close the gap. A caution one lap later removed the lapped traffic, but placed Kositzky and Hilmer on his rear bumper for the restart. When racing resumed, Hullin pulled away from the field and survived one final stoppage to motor to his second win of the season.
1. 505 Racer Hullin
2. K0 Ken Kositzky
3. 22H Curt Hilmer
4. 30X Josh Modde
5. J2 Dave Schulze
6. 00 Jim Buhlman
7. 3R Danny Dvorak
8. 3D Drew Fish
9. K3 Kyle Olson
10. 23R Nick Roberts
7:09 p.m. - Racer Hullin prepared for his second career victory lane interview with the IMCA Stock Cars at the ready to start their 15-lap feature as the light, pesky rain drops returned to the southeast corner of town.
7:12 p.m. - John Schaefer shot into the lead at the start of the IMCA Stock Car main event. Schaefer was among a trio of different drivers to hold the lead over the course of the first three laps. After Mike Galli briefly assumed command on lap two, the middle of the pack saw four-wide action for position on lap three with Damon Murty sneaking through for fourth as Scooter Dulin took a turn out front.
As Dulin led, Paul Shepherd settled into second and briefly challenged to the low side while Murty worked the top groove. Murty worked the high side around Shepherd, then quickly dropped to the bottom to inch ahead of Dulin for the lead on lap seven. Dulin led the remainder of the caution-free event to score the victory, his second straight.
1. 99D Damon Murty
2. 3T Scooter Dulin
3. 31S Paul Shepherd
4. 81X Randy Killen
5. 10 John Schaefer
6. 76 Mike Galli
7. 17 Jason Niedert
8. 15 Norman Chesmore
9. 6X Bob Ahrendsen
10. 7H Phil Holtz
7:17 p.m. - Damon Murty prepared to answered questions about his second straight trip to victory lane as the evening's finale, the IMCA Modified feature, was ready to give the night a memorable finish.
7:21 p.m. - IMCA Modified feature pole-sitter Tony Olson, who has made it an undesirable habit of starting mid-pack or worse the past couple of weeks, took the green flag from the pole in the night's feature. Following a caution on the initial start of the 20-lap event, Olson rocketed into the lead only to have action slowed one final time after the completion of lap two.
On that restart, Olson again took charge, running the extreme high groove of the speedway. Fellow front row starter Brandon Banks gave chase while Troy Cordes and Joe Docekal worked the bottom groove into third and fourth. Olson allowed his competitors to stay in the hunt via a miscue exiting turn four midway through the event and getting a little too high in the corners late in the race.
Banks, Docekal and Cordes switched grooves throughout the event, running high and low at various times as they tried to cut into Olson's lead. The top four were running just a couple of car-lengths apart when the white flag waved. At that time, both Cordes and Docekal shot to the low side of Banks as Olson's pursuers worked the low side of the leader. Olson, Cordes and Docekal stayed three-wide down the back stretch as Olson regained the edge in the final set of turns. He powered off turn four to take the thrilling win in a photo finish that separated all three drivers by mere inches. Cordes edged Docekal at the line for second.
1. T23 Tony Olson
2. 71 Troy Cordes
3. 12D Joe Docekal
4. 22 Brandon Banks
5. 33D Scott Hogan
6. F7 Patrick Flannagan
7. 25 Shawn Fisher
8. 11B Mike Burbridge
9. 5 Jerry Dedrick
10. 7 Todd Jensen
7:34 p.m. - With the sprinkles slowly fading away, Tony Olson made his way to victory lane for the final celebration of the night. Sixteen races and an hour and 42 minutes after the first green flag waved, the track officials quietly gathered their belongings, loaded their ATVs and made their way to the pit office to drop off their radios while concession manager Dan Engledow and his staff worked to close down and clean up below the grandstands. Judy Burkey - ticket taker, grandstand greeter, grounds worker, track prep worker (yes, she spent two hours on the sheeps foot on Saturday night as she has for many years) and master of all trades at the speedway, exited to her car while Don Burkey quietly pulled the road grader onto the track to get an early start for next week's show.
They say rain was in the forecast for Vinton on Sunday. Those on-hand at Benton County Speedway, however, had racing in the forecast. And racing wins out over rain on Sundays in Vinton. They know how to get the job done and, on this Sunday, the racing in the forecast made for a typical Sunday night at the speedway.
The community of Vinton is a proud little town. When you enter the city from the north on Highway 150, you feel as though you've entered a small town like those depicted in annual holiday TV specials. You always tend to feel you're visiting the right place as you travel across the bridge and down the hill, greeted by old fashioned street lights and murals that grace the buildings as you make your way downtown. The residents of Vinton take pride in their community and they know how to get things done.
On the southeast corner of town you'll find the Benton County Fairgrounds, the location of the annual Benton County Fair in late July and, more recently, the Boomtown Vinton fireworks celebration that was started just a few years ago, along with weekly stock car racing from April through mid-September every year . When it comes to getting things done in Vinton, you won't find a better example than a Sunday night at the fairgrounds. This Sunday night, June 12, was no different.
4:00 p.m. - Normally a bustling place around this time, the gate to the pit area of the race track and main grandstand entrance were relatively quiet on this night. A few regulars, committed to reserving their seats for the weekly racing program, were in attendance, as were a couple of race teams wanting to be sure to get their parking spots in the pits. It was casual, however, almost giving you an uneasy feeling that the hard work put into the week's program was done in vain. The clouds were present for most of the day and a few light, random sprinkles were starting to make their way to the ground.
Those rain drops didn't materialize into anything more than a nuisance over the next hour or so as the line of cars to the pit entrance and the line of race fans at the main gate continued to lengthen. "It's Sunday and we're in Vinton. We will race tonight," appeared to be the sense shared by everyone who made their way to the track despite the increasingly threatening skies to the west.
5:22 p.m. - Race cars were called to the race track to help pack in the racing surface in order to get the program underway in a timely manner and, hopefully, to dodge as many rain drops as possible.
5:31 p.m. - The many cars on the track were ushered off of the speedway by track official as the track packing was quick, efficient and thorough. It was time for hot laps.
5:52 p.m. - With hot laps complete and the show opened by announcer Bucky Doren, the first heat of IMCA Hobby Stocks makes its way to the speedway... then the second... then the IMCA Sport Compacts as the drops became slightly bigger and greater in number. Cars entered and left the track in quick, orderly fashion. We don't rain out in Vinton. We race.
6:27 p.m. - Thirty-five minutes after the first heat race took the first green flag of the night, the final heat race took the checkered flag - 11 heat races, 35 minutes, 0 caution flags.
6:28 p.m. - A quick check of the radar revealed there were still showers in the area. Actually, from the looks of Accuweather radar, it WAS raining in Vinton. Nevermind that, we had work to do... It was time for feature racing.
6:33 p.m. - After a parade lap for the IMCA Hobby Stocks, the field took the green flag for the first feature of the night. Inside second row starter Russell Damme Jr. swept past front row starters Justin Wacha and Cale Peterson to lead the first time around the fast 1/4-mile oval. Damme maintained a nice advantage out front while fellow second row starter Jacob Keiser worked past Wacha and Peterson on lap three as Justin Stander followed him into third.
Keiser reeled in Damme on the seventh lap and applied pressure to the leader's back bumper as Vince Buchholz made his way into fourth after starting in the fifth row. The order remained unchanged until the 13th lap when Stander bobbled exiting turn two. As he was trying to regain control of his machine, Buchholz slipped past him as the two made contact, sending Stander into a spin off the back stretch to bring out the first caution of the race. Check that, the first caution of the night... during race 12... on lap 93. When racing resumed, Damme held off the persistent Keiser to score his first win of the season.
1. 4JR Russell Damme Jr.
2. 07 Jacob Keiser
3. 55 Vince Buchholz
4. 78 Matt Brown
5. 2P Cale Peterson
6. 47 Scott Pippert
7. 17K Kyle Parizek
8. 45 Justin Wacha
9. 77 Rod Grother
10. 64JR Jeremiah Wilson
6:40 p.m. - Russell Damme Jr. made his way to victory lane for his interview as the IMCA Sport Compacts prepared to roll out of the staging area for their 12-lap feature event and the pesky rain drops stopped, at least momentarily.
6:44 p.m. - The green flag waved for the IMCA Sport Compact main event with pole-sitter Ross Kitner showing the way to lead lap one. Nathan Chandler, who started a row behind Kitner to the outside, quickly made his way past Jacob McVay and the leader to secure the top spot on lap two. Three laps later, Brad Chandler worked his way into second from a fourth row start as the lead pair quickly pulled away from the field.
The Chandlers were a straightaway ahead of third-running Brett Vanous when the race's only caution waved on lap eight after Gary Peiffer and Merv Chandler came together in turn four. When racing resumed, the leaders again pulled away from the pack with Nathan holding off Brad to score the victory.
1. 22 Nathan Chandler
2. 2 Brad Chandler
3. 35 Brett Vanous
4. 51 Bryce Bailey
5. 07 Tyler Whalen
6. 57K Ross Kitner
7. 1 Merv Chandler
8. 22T Travis Losenicky
9. 83 Travis Ross
10. 23 Brad Vanous
6:50 p.m. - As Nathan Chandler exited his car to prepare for the victory lane interview, the IMCA SportMods remained in staging, anxiously awaiting their turn on the speedway for their 15-lap feature.
6:54 p.m. - The green flag waved for the 21-car IMCA SportMod field with second row starter Racer Hullin powering to the front on the low groove of the speedway. He disposed of front row starters Ed O'Brien and Curt Hilmer to lead lap one. Hilmer remained in second while Ken Kositzky quickly made his way into third on lap three following a caution one lap prior.
Hullin held a decent advantage over the field when he entered lapped traffic just past the midway point, allowing Kositzky, who drove the low line into second, and Hilmer to close the gap. A caution one lap later removed the lapped traffic, but placed Kositzky and Hilmer on his rear bumper for the restart. When racing resumed, Hullin pulled away from the field and survived one final stoppage to motor to his second win of the season.
1. 505 Racer Hullin
2. K0 Ken Kositzky
3. 22H Curt Hilmer
4. 30X Josh Modde
5. J2 Dave Schulze
6. 00 Jim Buhlman
7. 3R Danny Dvorak
8. 3D Drew Fish
9. K3 Kyle Olson
10. 23R Nick Roberts
7:09 p.m. - Racer Hullin prepared for his second career victory lane interview with the IMCA Stock Cars at the ready to start their 15-lap feature as the light, pesky rain drops returned to the southeast corner of town.
7:12 p.m. - John Schaefer shot into the lead at the start of the IMCA Stock Car main event. Schaefer was among a trio of different drivers to hold the lead over the course of the first three laps. After Mike Galli briefly assumed command on lap two, the middle of the pack saw four-wide action for position on lap three with Damon Murty sneaking through for fourth as Scooter Dulin took a turn out front.
As Dulin led, Paul Shepherd settled into second and briefly challenged to the low side while Murty worked the top groove. Murty worked the high side around Shepherd, then quickly dropped to the bottom to inch ahead of Dulin for the lead on lap seven. Dulin led the remainder of the caution-free event to score the victory, his second straight.
1. 99D Damon Murty
2. 3T Scooter Dulin
3. 31S Paul Shepherd
4. 81X Randy Killen
5. 10 John Schaefer
6. 76 Mike Galli
7. 17 Jason Niedert
8. 15 Norman Chesmore
9. 6X Bob Ahrendsen
10. 7H Phil Holtz
7:17 p.m. - Damon Murty prepared to answered questions about his second straight trip to victory lane as the evening's finale, the IMCA Modified feature, was ready to give the night a memorable finish.
7:21 p.m. - IMCA Modified feature pole-sitter Tony Olson, who has made it an undesirable habit of starting mid-pack or worse the past couple of weeks, took the green flag from the pole in the night's feature. Following a caution on the initial start of the 20-lap event, Olson rocketed into the lead only to have action slowed one final time after the completion of lap two.
On that restart, Olson again took charge, running the extreme high groove of the speedway. Fellow front row starter Brandon Banks gave chase while Troy Cordes and Joe Docekal worked the bottom groove into third and fourth. Olson allowed his competitors to stay in the hunt via a miscue exiting turn four midway through the event and getting a little too high in the corners late in the race.
Banks, Docekal and Cordes switched grooves throughout the event, running high and low at various times as they tried to cut into Olson's lead. The top four were running just a couple of car-lengths apart when the white flag waved. At that time, both Cordes and Docekal shot to the low side of Banks as Olson's pursuers worked the low side of the leader. Olson, Cordes and Docekal stayed three-wide down the back stretch as Olson regained the edge in the final set of turns. He powered off turn four to take the thrilling win in a photo finish that separated all three drivers by mere inches. Cordes edged Docekal at the line for second.
1. T23 Tony Olson
2. 71 Troy Cordes
3. 12D Joe Docekal
4. 22 Brandon Banks
5. 33D Scott Hogan
6. F7 Patrick Flannagan
7. 25 Shawn Fisher
8. 11B Mike Burbridge
9. 5 Jerry Dedrick
10. 7 Todd Jensen
7:34 p.m. - With the sprinkles slowly fading away, Tony Olson made his way to victory lane for the final celebration of the night. Sixteen races and an hour and 42 minutes after the first green flag waved, the track officials quietly gathered their belongings, loaded their ATVs and made their way to the pit office to drop off their radios while concession manager Dan Engledow and his staff worked to close down and clean up below the grandstands. Judy Burkey - ticket taker, grandstand greeter, grounds worker, track prep worker (yes, she spent two hours on the sheeps foot on Saturday night as she has for many years) and master of all trades at the speedway, exited to her car while Don Burkey quietly pulled the road grader onto the track to get an early start for next week's show.
They say rain was in the forecast for Vinton on Sunday. Those on-hand at Benton County Speedway, however, had racing in the forecast. And racing wins out over rain on Sundays in Vinton. They know how to get the job done and, on this Sunday, the racing in the forecast made for a typical Sunday night at the speedway.
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