Sunday, May 11, 2014

Watts Claims First Career Stock Car Feature Win at 34 Raceway

West Burlington, IA (Saturday, May 10, 2014) - Mother nature tried once again to put the dampers on the racing action on Saturday night at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, as dark clouds and lighting was building from the south. But the rains held off to allow the full program to be completed, which produced three new winners so far this season at the track.

The first feature to take to the track was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Dugan Thye and Rich Smith leading the field to green. But just as the green flag was waved the yellow light came on, as Darrow Lillie, Troy Greiner and John Ahlers collided in turn 1 to bring out the caution. On the restart Smith jumped out into the lead, with Tyler Glass and Dennis LaVeine battling for second. Just as Smith started to put some distance between himself and the battle for second, the second caution appeared on lap 8. This time Thye spun off turn 1 to bring out the yellow. Smith grabbed the lead on the restart, with Glass working to hold back Brandon Rothzen, who started 8th, in the battle for second. Rothzen's run up front came to an end on lap 10, as he spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. On the restart Smith moved back out front, but now had Jeff Waterman, who started 5th, glued to his back bumper. Waterman would try to get under Smith over the next 5 laps, when the final caution of the race appeared on lap 15 to slow the action up front. Dean McGee, who started 7th and was going for 3rd, spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. Smith once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Waterman and Bill Roberts Jr., who started 6th, racing side-by-side for second. The veteran Smith, who took a couple years off from racing, made no mistakes over the final 5 laps to pick up his first win of the season at the track. Waterman won the battle for 2nd, Roberts Jr. was 3rd, Rothzen recovered from his lap 10 spin to come back up to finish 4th, with Mitch Morris coming from 9th to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 12 lap Mod Lite feature, with Greg Rossell and Devon Rouse on the front row for the event. Rossell would take advantage of his front row starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Rouse and Gary Snyder. Rossell then held the lead until lap 4, when Daniel Keltner, who started 8th, slipped under him to grab the top spot. The action up front was slowed for the one and only time on lap 5, when Collin Ball, who came from 7th and was going for 3rd, spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. On the restart Keltner moved back out front, with Rossell and Justin Buchholz, who started 9th, close behind. Keltner, who was glued to the bottom, Rossell, who followed in Keltner's tracks, and Buchholz, who ran up top, had a three way battle going for the final 7 laps. But Keltner was able to hold off all challenges to claim his first win of the season at the track and second of the weekend, as his won Friday night at the CJ Speedway in Columbus Junction, IA. Rossell held on for 2nd, Buchholz was 3rd, Michael Dominguez was 4th, with Rouse rounding out the top 5.

Chase Wanner and Janelle Schneiderman led the field to green in the 20 lap 305 Sprint feature. But just as the green flag was waved the yellow light would come on, as Shane Quam spun in turn 2 and collected Donnie Steward and Richard Brod. On the restart John Schulz edged Wanner at the line by inches to lead lap 1. Just after the completion of the lap the caution would come out, as a tire in turn 4 was pushed out onto the track to bring out the yellow. Schulz grabbed the lead on the restart, with Wanner working to hold back Justin Newberry, who started 5th, in the battle for second. Just as Schulz started to pull away, the red flag appeared on lap 4 to bring the action to a halt. Schneiderman tried to work under Kyle Peterson going into turn 1 when the two collided, causing both to roll to bring out the red. Both drivers climbed from their machines okay! On the restart Schulz moved back out front, with Newberry close behind in second. Schulz and Newberry started to put some distance on third, when the final caution of the race appeared on lap 8. Dillon Roth, who was running 6th, and Steward, who worked his way back to 7th after the lap 1 caution, spun down the backstretch to bring out the yellow. Once again Schulz grabbed the lead on the restart, with Newberry working to defend off Andy Huston, who started 6th, and Ryan Jamison, who started 11th. Schulz would go on to lead the final 12 laps to pick up his second win on the season at the track. Newberry won the battle for 2nd, Huston was 3rd, Jamison was 4th, with Daniel Bergquist coming from 7th to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Mark Bowman and John Brockway making up the front row for the event. Brockway would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dane Fenton and Bo Hunter. The action up front was slowed on lap 4, when Chad Krogmeier spun in turn 2 from contact from Wayne Landheer to bring out the yellow. On the restart Matt Keller spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Shane Watts, who started 7th, use the bottom of the track to grab the top spot on lap 5 over Brockway and Ray Raker, who started 9th. Just as Watts started to put some distance between himself and the battle for second, the third caution of the race appeared on lap 10. Landheer would spin in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Watts jumped back out front on the restart, with Raker now glued to his back bumper. Watts, who was on the bottom, Raker, who was up top, Jason Cook, who started 15th was on the bottom, and John Oliver Jr., who started 10th was up top, ran side-by-side two rows deep for lap 12, 13 and 14. When the final caution slowed the great battle on lap 14. This time Hunter slowed to a stop in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Watts moved back out front, with Cook, Raker and Oliver Jr. all close behind him. Cook tried to get under Watts over the final 6 laps, but Watts was able to hold him off to claim his first career Stock Car feature win. Cook settled for 2nd, Oliver Jr. was 3rd, Jim Lynch came from 8th to 4th, with Fenton holding on for 5th.

Creston Williams and Joey Gower made up the front row for the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature. But just as the green flag was waved the caution light would come on, as Jonny Williams, Adam Shelman, Tommy Lathrop and Bobby Anders collided in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Creston Williams jumped out front on lap 1, over Sean Wyett, who started 8th, and Gower. Brett Timmerman would come to a stop in turn 2 on lap 2 to slow the action down. Gower used the bottom of the track to grab the lead away on the restart, with Anders coming from the back after the lap 1 crash to take over second. Another caution on lap 5 would slow the action down, as Jonny Williams came to a stop down the front stretch to bring out the yellow. The yellow light would come back on on the restart, as debris down the front stretch slowed the action. Gower moved back out front on the following restart, with Anders and Wyett close behind. Anders slipped under Gower in turn 4 on lap 8 to grab the top spot away, leaving Gower to battle Wyett for the runner up spot. The three way battle for the lead was slowed for the final time on lap 10, as Scott Williams spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Anders jumped back out front on the restart, with Gower and Wyett battling side-by-side for second. But there was no catching Anders, as he held on to pick up his second win in a row at the track. Gower won the battle for 2nd, Wyett was 3rd, Creston Williams was 4th, with Shelman recovering from the lap 1 crash to come back up to 5th.

The final feature up on the night was the 12 lap 4 Cylinders, with Cody Washburne and Larry Miller leading the field to the green. But just as the green flag was waved the yellow light would come on, as Jeffery DeLonjay and William Michel collided in turn 2 to bring out the caution. On the restart Miller grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Austen Becerra, who started 11th, and Washburne. Becerra would use the top of the track to grab the top spot away from Miller on lap 3 and then pulled away to claim his second win in a row at the track.. Kimberly Abbott came from 8th to finish in 2nd, Billy Stanford was 3rd,  Wayne Noble started 13th and passed 9 cars to come home in 4th, with Washburne holding on to round out the top 5.

Notes from 34: All though there wasn't 100+ race cars signed in for the night, there was still 91 cars. As 20 4 Cylinders, 19 305 Sprints, 15 Modifeds, 15 Stock Cars, and 10 SportMods made up the that number......Dean McGee, who was going for 3rd on lap 15 of the Modifed feature, spun in turn 1 to bring out the final caution of the race. He would recover from that spin to come back up to finish 8th....Dustan Fenton came from 12th to finish in 9th......Collin Ball recovered from his spin on lap 5, while going for 3rd, in the Mod Lite feature to come back up to finish in 6th......Dillon Roth finished 7th in the 305 Sprint feature, after coming from the back from his spin on lap 8. Dave Getchell passed 9 cars from his 18th place starting spot to finish in 9th....Andy Krieger finished 10th after starting in 13th....Heath Bundy came from 17th to take home an 11th place finish....Austin Sears, Jayson Ditsworth and Shawn Whiting all had troubles in there heat races that forced them to scratch from the feature......Jake Wenig started the Stock Car feature in 13th and passed 7 cars to come home in 6th....Chad Krogmeier recovered from his lap 4 spin to come back up to finish in 8th....Wyane Landheer also recovered from a spin on lap 10 to come back up to finish in 9th....Ray Raker, who was battling for the top spot on lap 14, slowed with a right front flat on the last lap to be credited with 12th......Brett Timmerman recovered from the lap 4 caution to come back up to finish 6th in the SportMod feature....Kyle Hill broke something in the rear end in hot laps that forced him to scratch from the nights activities......Bryerson Tharp passed 6 cars from his 15th place starting spot in the 4 Cylinder feature to come home in 9th....Jerrod Nichols was 11th after starting in 14th....Barry Taft came from 19th to finish in 13th....Kevin Mortimer passed 6 cars from his 20th place starting spot to finish in 14th.

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