Burlington, IA (Sunday, May 23, 2010) - The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series was set to make there first ever visit to 34 Raceway on Friday, but early morning showers forced the event to be moved to Sunday night. After getting done with a graduation, I had time to make it over to see the 40 Late Models and 21 305 Sprints signed in for competition.
The first feature on the night was the 20 lap 305 Sprints, with Cale Hutchings and Corey Timmerman drawing the front row for the event. Hutchings would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. The first caution of the night would come out on lap 3 when Andy Huston spun in turn one. On the restart Hutchings again moved back out front, but now had Kevin Hetrick, who started 9th battling him for the top spot. Hetrick jumped under Hutchings on lap 5 to grab the lead away and was starting to pull away when the final caution came out on lap 18. On the restart Hetrick moved back out into the lead and then held on for the final 2 laps to claim the win. Jarrod Schneiderman came from 5th to finish in 2nd, Tony Davis came home in 3rd, Bobby Mincer charged from 16th to take home a 4th place finish, with Nick Guernsey coming from 10th to round out the top 5.
Time trials, four heat races, two b-mains and three provisionals would help set the field of 25 cars for the 50 lap Late Model feature. Don O'Neal and Ray Cook led the field to the drop of the green flag, with O'Neal grabbing the lead on lap 1. He would only lead one lap, as Earl Pearson Jr., who started 5th, quickly worked the bottom of the speedway to take the top spot away on lap 2. Pearson Jr. then started to pull away from the rest of the field until the first caution came out on lap 6. Jason Utter would slow with a flat tire. On the restart Pearson Jr. again moved out front, but was slowed two laps later when Mike Marlar slow with a flat tire. Pearson Jr. again jumped back out into the lead, with Cook close behind in second. But Pearson Jr. again started to pull away from the field when on lap 26 he just missed disaster. Chris Wall was about to go a lap down when he spun in front of Pearson Jr. coming off of turn two to bring the caution back out.
Pearson Jr. again took off into the lead on the restart and never was challenged over the final 24 laps to pick up the $10,000 win. Cook was able to hold on for second, Will Vaught came from 12th to take home a 3rd place finish, Dale McDowell charged from 17th to finish in 4th, with Jimmy Mars coming from 11th to round out the top 5.
Notes from 34: Bobby Mincer's night didn't start like he would wanted it to in the 305 Sprints, as he hit the pit entrance wall during hot laps, causing the car to over turn easily. He would then spin out midway through his heat race while leading, with a one spin and your done rule for the heat, he was sent to the pits. He then started 16th in the feature and passed 12 cars to recover for a nice 4th place finish.... Nick Guernsey made a nice last lap pass of two cars after starting in 10th to pick up a 5th place finish....Justin Newberry came from 12th to finish in 7th.... Jim Hetrick started 18th and passed 7 cars to come home in 11th......On my over to Burlington I came up on a race hauler stopped on the side of the road, so I pulled over to see if they needed any help. As I walked up I discovered it was Bloomington, Illinois Late Model driver Jason Feger. He said they had Jason Frankel coming to get them and didn't need anything. Feger's would arrive at the track just in time to jump into his Late Model for time trials. With no hot laps and being one of the first cars on the track, he would go out and set fast time for the night....Don O'Neal was battling to hold on for 6th, when he pitted on lap 26 for a right rear flat. He would start in the back and then charged back through the field to come home in 10th....Scott Bloomquist started the 50 lap feature in 15th and passed 9 cars to finish in 6th....Brian Birkhofer came from 14th to finish in 7th....Dan Schlieper took a provisional and started 23rd, he then passed 11 cars to take home 12th....Brad Neat started 21st and finished in 13th....Eric Wells came from 19th to finish 14th....John Blankenship also took a provisional and started 24th, he would pass 7 cars to finish in 17th....All 25 cars that started the 50 lap feature would take the checkers.....Jason Hughes collided with the turn four wall in hot laps, causing to much damage to the right front. So he was a scratch for the rest of the night.... Ricky Frankel had motor troubles in hot laps and was forced to scratch for the night as well....Matt Miller had a fourth and final transfer spot going in the 4th heat, when mechanical troubles ended his night.
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