Sunday, July 4, 2010

Six Features, Six Different Winners at 34 Raceway

Burlington, IA (Saturday, July 3, 2010) - 34 Raceway hosted the "Firecracker 50" featuring the IMCA Late Models racing for $1,000. Also on the card was double 305 Sprint features, one rained out from back on May 15th, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks.

The first event on the night was the rained out 305 Sprint feature from back on May 15th. Kevin Hetrick and Justin Newberry drew the front row for the event, with Hetrick jumping out front on the drop of the green flag. The first caution would come out on lap 2, as Shawn Whiting lost a drive shaft in turn 2. On the restart Hetrick moved back out into the lead, only to be slowed on lap 4. Newberry, who was running 3rd, slowed to a stop on the front stretch. Hetrick again grabbed the lead on the restart and then pulled away over the final 16 laps to claim the win. Tony Davis came home in 2nd, Dave Anderson charged from his 20th place starting spot to finish in 3rd, John Draper passed 8 cars from his 12th place starting spot to finish in 4th, with Jessie Wagler coming from 16th to round out the top five.

After all the heats to set the feature line ups for the regular nights features, the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature was up first. Lonnie Heap and Dustin Crear led the field to the green, but it was 3rd place starter Brandon Rothzen jumping out front on lap 1. Rothzen would pull away from the field in a caution free event to pick up the win. Scott Hogan came from 7th to finish in 2nd, Bill Roberts was 3rd after starting in 6th, Jeff Waterman came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Dusty Kraklio coming from 9th to come home in fifth.

Corey Strothman and Rod Staats made up the front row for the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature. On the start Derek St. Clair got into the left rear of Abe Huls and spun him out in turn 2 to bring the caution out. On the restart fourth place starter Chris Webb made the move to grab the lead on lap 1. While Webb started to pull away from the field Brett Timmerman, who started 6th, and Jeff Mueller, who started 9th, made there way towards the front. Mueller would move into the second spot, with Timmerman following on lap 11. The two then tried to real in Webb for the lead. But Webb would hold on to claim the win. Mueller was 2nd, Timmerman 3rd, Tim Breuer was 4th, with Strothman holding on for fifth.

Up next was the 50 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Rob Toland and Tom Darbyshire drawing the front row. On the parade lap fireworks were set on in the infield and then the MUSCO lights went out. After a delay to bring the lights back on the race was set for green. Toland would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on the drop of the green flag. The first of two cautions would come out on lap 10, as Colby Springsteen, who was running 3rd, slowed to a stop in turn 2 with front end suspension troubles. On the restart Toland moved back out front, with Darbyshire and Justin Reed battling for second. While Toland pulled away, Darbyshire and Reed got together in turn four on lap 20 and almost looped there machines. But they were both able to regroup and continue without loosing any spots. Toland would entire lapped traffic for the first time on lap 33, allowing the battle for second to close in on him some. The man on the move was Denny Woodworth, who started 15th. On lap 40 Woodworth over took the 4th place spot and 5 laps later he got by both Darbyshire and Joey Gower, who started 8th, for the 2nd spot. Woodworth then went to work on Toland for the lead, as Toland had built up a straight-away lead over him. Toland was able to hold off the charge from Woodworth over the final lap to pick up the win. Darbyshire held on for 3rd, Gary Russell charged from his 14th place starting spot to finish in 4th, with Gower holding on for fifth.

Matt Krieger and Patrick Moore were on the front row for the 20 lap 305 Sprint feature, with Krieger moving out front on lap 1. Krieger was starting to pull away from the field, when he was slowed on lap 5 for a spin in turn 2 by Mark Johnson, who was running 9th. On the restart Jayson Ditsworth, who was running 2nd, spun in turn 2. Brandyn Martin would clip Ditsworth, as a result he would end up with a right rear tire. While Ditsworth got a right front flat from the contact to end both their nights. Krieger again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Kevin Hetrick, who started 10th, now battling him in second. Krieger would pull away from Hetrick over the final 15 laps to claim the win. Hetrick came home 2nd, John Draper came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Dustin Whiting started 13th and passed 9 cars to finish in 4th, with Moore holding on to come home in fifth.

The final feature of the night was the 15 lap Hobby Stocks, with Randy Wachter and Tanner Thomann drawing the front row for the event. A caution before the lap was complete would set up a restart. Jake Wenig and Matt Gavin would get together in turn four. On the restart Thomann would take advantage of his front row start to jump into the lead on lap 1. John Oliver Jr. would spin in turn 4 after the completion of lap 1 to bring caution back out on the speedway. On the restart Josh Tripp spun in turn 2 and collected the car of Jake Wenig. Thomann again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Dean Kratzer, Dane Fenton and Alex Buffington battling it out for second. Another caution would slow the action down on lap 10, as Travis Plummer spun in turn 4. On the restart Thomann jumped to the top of the track, while Dan Wenig, who started 12th, took to the bottom. The two would run the next 2 laps side-by-side, with Wenig edging out into the lead on lap 13. The final caution of the race would come out on lap 14, when Chuck Underwood got into the front stretch wall. This would set up a white-checkered finish, with Weing holding on to pick up the win. Kratzer started 5th and was 2nd, Buffington came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Fenton started 7th and was 4th, with Oliver Jr. coming from 20th after his lap 1 spin to round out the top 5.

Notes from 34: Nick Guernsey came from 13th in the make-up 305 Sprint to finish in 7th....Jim Hetrick started 14th and finsihed 9th....Jayson Ditsworth started 19th and worked his way to 3rd, when he pulled in on lap 13 with troubles. He still was credited with 10th, as only 9 cars finished....Dustin Whiting was battling for the second spot on lap 11, but heavy smoke from under the hood would get him the black flag. He was credited with 11th....Matt Krieger started 15th and was up to 2nd by lap 11, but he also pulled in with troubles to get 12th....Patrick Moore was running 7th, when he pulled in on lap 10 with troubles. He was credited with 14th......Dennis LeVeine won his Modified heat race early in the night, but was disqualified in tech for a mud plug violation. He would start 18th in the feature and passed 12 cars to finish in 6th....Rich Smith came from 12th to finish in 7th....Dean McGee came from 13th to finish in 9th....Darin Thye started 14th and finished in 10th......Derek St. Clair recovered from his lap 1 crash with Abe Huls to come back to finish in 7th....Shane Watts came from 11th to finish in 8th....John Brockway started 13th and finished in 9th....Kirk Kinsley was running 4th when he pulled in on lap 6 with a right rear flat. He was credited with 12th....Abe Huls, who won the last 2 Stock Car features at 34, had to much rear end damage after the lap 1 crash to end his night in 15th......Keith Pratt started the Late Model feature in 16th and passed 8 cars to finish in 8th....Sam Halstead came from 20th and finished in 12th....Tommy Elston came from 24th and passed 8 cars to finish in 16th......Greg Rossell, who usually drives a Mod Lite, jumped behind the wheel of Kenneth Bragg's 305 Sprint and started 11th in the feature. He would pass 2 cars to finish in 9th....Mark Johnson recovered from his lap 5 spin to come back to finish in 10th....John Dimmitt was behind the wheel of Alexsha Alexander's car. He would started the feature in 15th and came home in 11th....Destini Clark, Jami Lusher, Jessie Wagler, Cale Hutchings, Shawn Whiting and Tim Rose all scratched from the second 305 Sprint feature, as a result from troubles from the first feature or their heat races......Matt Gavin recovered from the lap 1 crash to come back to finish in 6th in the Hobby Stock feature....Jake Wenig came from the back twice, as he was involved in the lap 1 crash and the lap 4 crash to finish in 7th...Chad Krogmeier started 18th and passed 10 cars to finish in 8th....Randy Wachter, who won the only 2 Hobby Stock feature so far in 2010 at 34 Raceway, started the feature on the pole. But he would have a right rear tire go flat on the drop of the green. He would make the turn into the pits, looking to end his night. But the caution would come out before the lap was completed, allowing him to get the tire changed and return to the back of the field. He would recover from the flat to come home in 9th....Tanner Thomann, who was running 2nd on the white flag, suddenly slowed down the backstretch and would cross the line in 11th.

No comments:

Post a Comment