Monday, July 29, 2013

Woodworth, LaVeine and Sanders New Winners at 34 Raceway

West Burlington, IA (Saturday, July 27, 2013) - Who would have thought that on the last weekend in July we would have to wear a sweatshirt and/or a jacket to take in some racing action. Well that's exactly what happened Saturday night at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, IA, as temperatures hoovered around the low 60's as the sun set.

The first feature up on the night was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Lonnie Heap and Dustan Fenton leading the field to the green. Fenton took advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Heap and Andy Krieger. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 2, as Chadwick Giberson spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Dennis LaVeine, who started 5th, slipped under Fenton to grab the top spot. LaVeine then started to pull away from the battle for second, when the second caution of the race appeared on lap 12. Duagn Thye came to a stop in turn 1 to bring the yellow light on. On the restart Heap, who was running 7th, spun into the wall in turn 3 to bring the yellow light back on. The next restart saw LaVeine jump back out into the lead, with Krieger working to hold back Jeff Waterman, who started 8th. LaVeine would pull away over the final 7 laps to claim his first win of the season at the track. Krieger held on for second, Mitch Morris came from 10th to finish in 3rd, Joe Beal, who started 11th and spun in turn 4 on the start but kept going, came from the rear to finish in 4th, with Waterman coming home in 5th.

Up next was the 20 lap UMP Late Model feature, with Jason Perry and Denny Woodworth drawing the front row. Woodworth would grab the lead on the drop of the green over Perry and Mark Burgtorf, and then held it until the one and only caution on lap 2. Perry, who was challenging Woodworth for the lead lost an engine in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Woodworth moved back out front, with Burgtorf close behind in second. Burgtorf would look under Woodworth on laps 6-9, but Woodworth would hold him off each lap to keep the lead. Burgtorf would try a last lap pass of Woodworth, but again Woodworth held on to pick up his first win of the season at the track. Burgtorf was 2nd,  Jared Schlipman was 3rd, Ron Elbe 4th, with Matt Strassheim rounding out the top 5.

John Brockway and Corey Strothman led the field to the green in the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Strothman grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Jake Wenig and Brockway. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 5, when Ray Raker, who was running 8th, spun in turn 4 to bring out the caution. On the restart Abe Huls, who was running 5th, spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Strothman jump back out front, with Tom Bowling Jr., who started 6th, and Jason Cook, who started 10th, battling for second. Bowling Jr. would slip under Strothman on lap 7 to grab the top spot and then held it until lap 15. When Gabe Harrison spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. Under the caution Cook had to pit with a flat tire. Bowling Jr. moved back out front on the restart, with John Oliver Jr., who started 9th, over taking Strothman for second. The final caution of the race appeared on lap 16, as Brett Timmerman, who was running 5th, stopped in turn 2 with a right front flat. On the restart Bowling Jr. jumped back out front and then held off Oliver Jr. to pick up the win. Oliver Jr. settled for 2nd, Strothman held on for 3rd, Cook recovered from his lap 15 flat to finish in 4th, with Brockway coming home in 5th.

Up next was the 15 lap Mod Lite feature, with Blake Woodruff and Devon Rouse making up the front row. Just as the green flag waved the caution light would come on, as Dan Keltner and Jimmy Halcomb got together and spun down the front stretch. On the restart, seventh place starter, Chase Faltt quickly moved to the front to lead lap 1 over Justin Buchholz and Woodruff. The action up front was slowed for the second time on lap 2, as Keltner spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Evan Epperson, who started 8th, went to the top of the track on the restart to take over the top spot over Flatt and Shon Sanders, who started 10th. But another caution on lap 3 would slow the action, as Brian Schnell spun in turn 1 to bring out the caution. On the restart Epperson jumped back out front, with Flatt working to hold back Sanders for second. But just as the action up front was heating up the final caution of the event came out on lap 6. This time Halcomb spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Once again Epperson moved out front on the restart, with Flatt and Sanders battling for second. Sanders would slip under Epperson on lap 12 to take over the top spot and then held him off over the final 3 laps to claim his first win of the season at the track. Epperson settled for 2nd, Flatt was 3rd, Keltner recovered from his lap 1 and 2 spins to finish in 4th, with Buchholz rounding out the top 5.

Brendan Mehaffy and Brian Mehaffy led the field to the green in the 12 lap 4 Cylinder feature. But just as the green was waved the yellow light would come on, as Brent Hartley, who started 10th, jumped the start and was sent to the back. On the restart Robert Kibbe spun in turn 2 and collected Brendan Mehaffy and John Whalen to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Jacob Brown, who started 5th, grab the lead on lap 1 over Wayne Noble, who started 7th.  Noble would slip under Brown on lap 3 to grab the top spot by inches, but Brown would come back on the top side to take the lead back on lap 4. Then after the completion of lap 4 the final caution of the event would slow the action up front. This time Ron Kibbe would stop in turn 4 with a right front flat to bring out the yellow. Brown once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Noble working to hold back Hartley, who recovered from his lap 1 jump. Noble once again used the bottom of the track to grab the top spot away from Brown and then held on to pick up the win. Hartley over took Brown on the final lap to finish in 2nd, Brown was 3rd, Brian Mehaffy was 4th, with Larry Miller coming from 13th to finish in 5th.

The final feature of the night was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods, with Lyle Timmerman and Kyle Hill on the front row. Hill would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dean Kratzer and Timmerman. But Timmerman's run up front ended on lap 5, as he spun in turn 2 to bring out the first caution. On the restart Hill moved back out front, with Tony Dunker, who started 9th, grabbing second away from Kratzer. Dunker tried to get under Hill over the next 2 laps, when the second caution of the race appeared on lap 7. This time Phillip Cossel, who started 15th and had worked his way to 7th, spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Hill once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Dunker having to work to hold back Bobby Anders, who started 8th, in the battle for second. Dunker worked the bottom of the track to perfection to slip under Hill on lap 10 to take over the top spot. Hill wouldn't give up, as he tried to get back by Dunker up top over the next 5 laps. But Dunker was able to hold him off to claim the win. Hill held on for 2nd, Anders was 3rd, Rob Wilsey was 4th, with Dustin Crear coming from 11th to round out the top 5.

Notes from 34: Ryan Cook started the Modified feature in 9th and finished 6th....Quienten Schoffner came from 12th to finish in 9th....Jerry Whilhelm Jr. started 13th and finished 10th....Chadwick Giberson, started 14th, and recovered from his lap 2 spin to finish in 11th....Justin Hill crashed head on into the front stretch wall during his heat race and was forced to scratch from the feature......Dan Wenig drove the #4 Stock Car that son Jake started the season out in. He would start the feature in 12th and passed 6 cars to finish in 6th....Ray Raker recovered from his lap 5 spin to come back up to finish in 7th....Brett Timmerman recovered from his lap 16 flat to come back to finish in 9th....Gabe Harrison started 14th, but spun on lap 15 to bring out the caution. He would recover to take home a 10th place finish in is first race of 2013....Jake Wenig was running 6th, when he pulled off on lap 13 with a right rear flat to be credited with 11th....Skyler Troutman made the move up from the Hobby Stocks and made his first appearance of 2013 in the Stock Car class. He would have troubles in the heat that forced him to scratch from the feature....Jim Lynch broke a rear end in his heat race, that forced him to scratch from the feature......Gary Snyder came from 16th in the Mod Lite feature to finish in 9th....Collin Ball passed 7 cars from his 17th place starting spot to take home 10th....Brian Schnell recovered from his lap 3 spin to come back to finish in 12th......Scott Smith came from 9th in the 4 Cylinder feature to take home 6th....Robert Kibbe recovered from his lap 1 spin to come back up to finish in 7th....Jerrod Nichols started 15th and passed 7 cars to finish in 8th....Shawn Baker passed 6 cars from his 16th place starting spot to take home 10th....Kevin Mortimer came from 14th to finish in 11th....Travis Smith had troubles after the heat race to force him to scratch from the feature......Derek St. Clair passed 13 cars from his 19th place starting spot to take home 6th in the SportMod feature....Bradley Holtmeyer came from 14th to finish in 8th....Creston Williams passed 9 cars from his 18th place starting spot to take home 9th.

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