Monday, April 20, 2015

Unzicker Makes Last Lap Pass to Win "Slocum 50"

West Burlington, IA (Saturday, April 18, 2015) - Back in 2005 Brent Slocum was taking from the racing community at a young age in a pit road accident at the 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa. In 2009 his close friends and family went to work to put together an annual event to honor their fallen angel. With all their hard work, this event has grown to one in which everyone pencils in on there schedule each year to attend.

Last year was the first year the event was run with the open type rules for the Late Models, and was also co-sanctioned by the Corn Belt Clash (CBC), MARS Dirtcar (MARS), and American Late Model Series (ALMS). It was also the first year the race paid $10,555 to win. 2015 wasn't any different, as the event was co-sanctioned by the Corn Belt Clash, MARS Dirt Car, and American Late Model Series. Plus the event once again paid $10,555 to the winner.

Thirty-eight Late Models from 9 states, including Wisconsin, Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana, Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee, Texas and South Dakota, signed in in hopes of taking home the $10,555 top prize. Those 38 drivers drew a number after they signed in to determine what group they would be put into for time trials. Each driver would be given 2 laps within their group to determine where they would start in their heat race. Mike Fryer of Freeport, IL, Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, IL, Chris Simpson of Oxford, IA, Spencer Diercks of Davenport, IA and Chad Simpson of Mt. Vernon, IA set fast times in their groups to start the five 10 lap heat races from the pole. The young Diercks was also the overall quickest time, with a lap around the 3/8th mile oval of 15.461 seconds.

The top 3 out of the 5 heat races would move directly into the "Slocum 50", with the remainder going into one of the 2 B Mains. Heat race 1 saw Mike Fryer grab the lead and hold off Mark Burgtorf of Quincy, IL and Terry Phillips of Springfield, MO to earn spots into the A Main. Heat race 2 went to Ryan Unzicker. He was followed across the line by Justin Reed of Camp Point, IL and Denny Woodworth of Mendon, IL. Heat race 3 went to Marshalltown, Iowa's Ryan Gustin. With Chris Simpson and Ray Guss Jr. of Milan, IL following behind him. Heat race 4 went to Tony Jackson Jr. of Lebanon, MO. He was followed across the line by Spencer Diercks and Jason Utter of Columbus Junction, IA. Heat race 5, which was stacked, was won by Batesville, Arkansas' Billy Moyer. Chad Simpson and Rodney Sanders from Happy, TX would follow Moyer across the line in 2nd and 3rd.

Two 12 lap B Mains would hit the track, with the top 3 out of both of those moving on into the A Main. B Main number 1 saw Tim Manville of St. Jacob, IL pick up the win. Rich Bell of Sheffield, IL was 2nd, with Garrett Alberson of Shreveport, LA holding off Moorsburg, Tennessee's Scott Bloomquist to earn the final transfer spot. Mitch McGrath of Waukesha, WI claim the win in B Main number 2. Jesse Stovall of Billings, MO started 5th and finished 2nd, with Dave Eckrich of Oxford, IA taking the third and final transfer spot. Bloomquist earned the ALM provisional, with Justin Asplin of Birch Tree, MO giving the MARS provisional. Jay Johnson of West Burlington, IA earned the track provisional, with Mark Rose of Elcho, WI giving the CBC provisional. With the 25 car field set for the 50 lap "Slocum 50", it was time to go feature racing!

The first feature to take to the track was the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Randy Wachter and Jake Wenig drawing the front row. Wenig would take advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Wachter and Jason Cook. Just after the completion of lap 1 the caution would come out, as Dane Fenton and Brad Egbert collided in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Wenig jumped back out front, with John Oliver Jr. over taking Wachter for the runner up spot. While Wenig stayed out front, the battle for second was between Wachter, Tom Bowling Jr., and Oliver Jr. The action up front was slowed for the second time during the race on lap 8, as Shane Watts, who was running 6th, spun in turn 2 and collected Ryan Fullenkamp, who started 12th and was running 8th, to bring out the yellow. Once again Wenig moved out front on the restart, with Oliver Jr. and Cook close behind. But just after the completion of lap 9 the caution light came on, as a tire was pushed onto the track in turn 4 to bring out the yellow.

On the restart Wenig grabbed the lead, with Oliver Jr. and Bowling Jr. battling for second. With Wenig out front and Oliver Jr. and Bowling Jr. battling for second, all eyes were on Andrew Hustead, who started 15th and had worked his way into 4th. The fourth caution of the race appeared on lap 12, when Chase Klenk spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Another lap complete produced the fifth and final caution of the race on lap 13, to set up a 2 lap dash to the finish. This time Derek Schwandt spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Wenig jumped back out front, with Bowling Jr., Oliver Jr. and Hustead battling it out for second. Wenig would hold on over the final 2 laps to pick up the win. Oliver Jr. won the battle for 2nd, Bowling Jr. was 3rd, Hustead was 4th, with Abe Huls rounding out the top 5.

Mike Fryer and Ryan Unzicker lead the field to the drop of the green flag in the 50 lap "Slocum 50" Late Model feature, with Unzicker grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Tony Jackson Jr. and Fryer. While Unzicker and Jackson Jr. worked the top of the track, Billy Moyer was working the bottom. Moyer would use the bottom to clear Unzicker for the top spot on lap 6. Then just after the completion of lap 6 the first caution would appear to slow the pace down. Scott Bloomquist and Jay Johnson would collide in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Moyer moved back out front, with Unzicker and Jackson Jr. battling for second. While Moyer started to pull away from the field, Mark Burgtorf would over take Jackson Jr. for third on lap 13 and then went to work on Unzicker for second. The field was brought back to Moyer's back bumper on lap 17, when Rich Bell spun down the backstretch with rear end troubles to bring out the yellow. Once again Moyer grabbed the lead on the restart, with Burgtorf over taking Unzicker for the runner up spot. Unzicker was able to grab the second spot back from Burgtorf on lap 20 and the set his sights on Moyer for the lead.

Moyer's lead was wiped away on lap 26, when Mitch McGrath spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Fryer would spin in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Moyer jump back out front, with Unzicker working to hold back Chris Simpson, who started 8th, and was now running third. Moyer then started to put some distance on Unzicker by using the middle groove in turns 1 and 2, and then going to the bottom in turns 3 and 4. But Unzicker, who was using the bottom in both sets of corners, started reeling in Moyer with about 10 laps to go. On lap 46, Unzicker was able to get up beside Moyer exciting turn 2. But Moyer was able to hold him off going into turn 3. Two laps later, lap 48, Unzicker was once again able to get up beside Moyer coming off turn 2. Just like the last time Moyer was able to hold him off coming to the white flag. Unzicker shot to the bottom to get under Moyer in turn 1, with Moyer holding him off coming out of turn 2. With Moyer going low into turn 3, Unzicker decided to go to the top of the track. Unzicker would use the momentum off the top of turn 4 coming to the checkered flag to edge out Moyer at the line to claim the win and the $10,555 top prize. Moyer settled for 2nd, Chris Sipmson was 3rd, Jason Utter passed 10 cars from his 14th place starting spot to come home in 4th, with Chad Simpson coming from 10th to finish in 5th.

The final feature to take to the track was the 20 lap 305 Sprints, with Nathan Murders and John Schulz drawing the front row.Schulz would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Cody Wehrle and Donnie Steward, who started 8th and quickly moved up to 3rd. Just after the completion of lap 1 the caution light would come on. Dustin Clark, who showed up just before the Late Model B Mains after coming from a rained out Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, IA, spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Schulz moved back out front, with Werhle holding off Steward for second. The action up front was slowed on lap 4, when Shane Quam spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Schulz once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with both Steward and Justin Newberry over taking Wehrle for second and third. Steward, who was using the top of the track, would power around Schulz to grab the top spot away on lap 7. The fast pace that Steward was setting was slowed on lap 9, when Murders spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow.

On the restart Steward jumped back out front, only to be slowed one lap later with another caution. Quam would spin in turn 2 for his second solo caution to end his night. Steward once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Schulz working to hold off Clark, who recovered from his spin on lap 1 to work himself back up to 3rd, for the second spot. The action up front was slowed for the final time on lap 14, when Evan Epperson, who came out of the Mod Lites and returned to racing after taking a year off, spun off turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Steward moved back out front, with Schulz, Newberry, who faded to 6th at one point, Wehrle, and Clark battled for the runner up spot. While the battle was going on for second, Steward would pull away over the final 6 laps to pick up the win. Newberry won the battle for 2nd, Clark was 3rd, Schulz was 4th, with Wehrle coming home in 5th.

Notes from 34: Dane Fenton recovered from his spin on lap 1 of the Stock Car feature to come back up to finish in 6th....Ray Raker came from the rear to finish in 8th....Shane Watts recovered from his spin on lap 8 to come back up to finish in 10th....Devon Timmerman started 20th and finished 11th....Tyler McClure started 16th and finished 12th......Garrett Alberson started the Late Model feature in 20th and passed 12 cars to finish in 8th....Dave Eckrich passed 11 cars from his 21st place starting spot to finish in 10th....Tim Manville started 16th and finished 11th....Justin Asplin passed 11 cars from his 23rd place starting spot to come home in 12th....Mitch McGrath recovered from his spin on lap 26 to come back up to finish in 13th....Mark Rose passed 10 cars from his 25th place starting spot to finish in 15th....Jason Rauen suffered engine troubles in his heat race that forced him to scratch from his B Main......Jacob Glasgow started the Sprint feature in 12th and would come home in 6th....Andy Krieger started 10th and finished 7th....Nick Guernsey started 13th and finished 9th....Brandyn Martin, Austin Sears, Heath Bundy, and Blaine Jamison all had troubles that forced them to scratch from the feature......All throughout the even the large crowd on hand would keep their eyes on the skies and the weather radar on their cell phones. As just when the 5 Late Model heat races were taking to the track, the skies started to darken to the north, west and south of the facilities. There was even some lighting strikes in those dark clouds, which lead everyone to believe there was no way of getting the complete show in. But with only a few sprinkles falling on the track on a couple of occasions, it would lead me and perhaps everyone else that a certain angel was looking over 34 Raceway on this night!

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