Burlington, IA (Saturday, March 30th, 2013) - Despite the cool temperatures and the light mist in the air, 34 Raceway in Burlington, IA was able to get their 2013 Season Opener Frostbuster event in. The Sprint Invaders would also open there 2013 season on the night, with 16 year old Paul Nienhiser collecting his career first Sprint Invaders win.
The night started off with the 15 lap Mod Lite feature, with Greg Rossell and Daniel Keltner drawing the front row for the event. Rossell would take advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Chase Flatt, who started 6th, and Randy Bryan, who started 4th. The event was only slowed one time, as 14 year old Devon Rouse rolled his machine in turn 3 on lap 5 to bring out the red. He was ok, but done for the night. On the restart Rossell again shot out into the lead, with Flatt and Keltner battling for second. Rossell would hold off a late charge from Flatt to pick up the win. Flatt settled for 2nd, Keltner was 3rd, Bryan was 4th, with Josh May rounding out the top 5.
Up next was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Jason Cook and Ray Raker on the front row. Just as the green flag was waved the caution light would come on, as Shane Richardson spun in turn 4. Under the caution, pole sitter Cook would go to the pits to have his right front looked at. This would move third place starter Jim Lynch to the pole for the restart. Raker moved out front on the restart, with Chris Wibbell and Lynch battling for the second spot. The lead that Raker built up over the second place battle was erased on lap 10, as debris in turn 4 brought out the yellow. On the restart Raker jumped back out front, with Wibbell now trying to hold back John Oliver Jr., who started 8th. Another caution on lap 14 for debris in turn 4 would slow the action up front. Wibbell slipped past Raker on the restart, as Raker slowed with troubles, to take over the top spot. But Wibbell couldn't hold off Tom Bowling Jr., who started 9th, as Bowling Jr. slid past to grab the lead on lap 16. Oliver Jr. would find the top of the track to his liking, as he came off of turn 4 to take the white flag and grabbed the lead at the same time. But Bowling Jr. and Oliver Jr. would get together going into turn 1, which allowed Abe Huls, who started 7th, to shoot under them for the top spot. Huls then held off Wibbell off of turn 4 to claim the win. Wibbell was 2nd, Oliver Jr. recovered to finish in 3rd, Bowling Jr. crossed the line in 4th but was disqualified in tech, which moved rookie Stock Car driver Chad Krogmeier, who came from the Hobby Stock class, up to 4th, with Raker credited with 5th.
Brandon Rothzen and Richie Gustin led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Gustin grabbing the lead on lap 1. The first caution of the event would come out on lap 6, as Mitch Morris slowed to a stop in turn 2 with right front troubles. On the restart Gustin moved back out front, but now had Mike Van Genderen, who started 6th, battling Rothzen for second. Dugan Thye, who jumped from the Hobby Stock class to take over the drivers seat of his dads, Darin, Modified, spun in turn 2 on lap 7 to bring the yellow back on. Gustin again jumped out front on the restart, with Van Genderen and Rothzen still battling for second. Gustin was slowed for the third time on lap 14, as debris in turn 2 brought out the caution. Once again Gustin grabbed the lead on the restart, with Van Genderen, Rothzen and Kyle Brown, who started 12th, battling for the second spot. Brown's run to the front ended on lap 18, as he slowed to a stop under the flagstand to bring out the final caution of the event. Gustin moved out front on the restart and then held on over the final 2 laps to claim the $1,000 top prize. Rothzen was 2nd, Jeff Waterman came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Dustan Fenton was 4th, with Andy Krieger coming from 14th to take home a 5th place finish.
The final feature of the night was the 25 lap Sprint feature, with Bret Tripplett and Jon Agan on the front row. But it was third place starter Paul Nienhiser who jumped into the lead on lap 1 over Agan and Tripplett. The one and only red flag of the event would appear on lap 2, as Tripplett clipped a tire on the inside of the track in turn 3. Which caused him to shoot out into Agan, causing the two to flip in turn 4. At the same time Dave Getchell spun to avoid the wreck and ended up on his side. Everybody climbed from there machines ok, but dsone for the night. On the restart Nienhiser moved back out front, with Scotty Thiel, who started 5th, following in second. Nienhiser would enter heavy lapped traffic by lap 10, but wasn't slowed as he pulled out to a straight-away lead over second. Nienhiser would hold on for the entire 25 laps to pick up his first Sprint Invaders win. Thiel came home in 2nd, Josh Schneiderman was 3rd, Russ Hall came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Alan Ambers rounding out the top 5.
Notes from 34: 30 Sprint Cars, 19 Mod Lites, 15 Modifieds and 13 Stock Cars made up the 77 cars signed in on the night....Ryan Jamison, who won the Sprint B Main, started the feature in 17th. He would pass 11 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Tony Shilling came from 16th to finish in 8th....Matt Krieger put on a show for the fans from lap 10 until lap 24, as he worked the top of the track to work his way into second. But then jumped the cushion in turn 4 and spun into the wall on the final lap to get credited for 9th....Mike Houseman Jr. took the final transfer spot in the B Main and started the feature in 20th. He would pass 10 cars to come home in 10th....Daniel Bergquist came from 18th to finish in 12th......JD Beal drove the second car out of the Rothzen camp and started the Modified feature in 13th. He would pass 6 cars to take home a 7th place finish....Dugan Thye was suppose to start in 11th, but elected to go to the tail for the start. He would spin in turn 2 on lap 7 to bring out the caution, but recovered to finish in 8th....Mike Van Genderen was running 2nd on the final restart, when a broke a rear flange and limped it back to finish 9th....Scott Hogan was running 4th on the restart of lap 7, when he was pushed from behind and drifted off the track in turn 2. He would sit there for 2 laps waiting for the flagman to throw the yellow, which didn't happen. So he slowly worked his way back to the pits to get credited for 13th......Jason Cook, who started on the pole of the Stock Car feature but pitted on the first caution, came back out only to pull off on lap 14 with more troubles to get credited with 6th....Jake Wenig was running 4th when he pulled off on lap 12 with troubles to get credited for 7th....For the second night in a row, Jim Lynch had troubles on the restart of lap 10 while running 3rd. He would pull in and was credited with 8th......Evan Epperson came from 10th in the Mod Lite feature to finish in 6th....Dusty Masolini came from 14th to finish in 9th....Danny Foster started 17th and took home an 11th place finish....Brian Schnell, Gary Snyder, Mike Stoker, Jimmy Halcomb and Justin Buchholz all had troubles in there heats to force them to scratch from the feature.
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