Independence, IA (Saturday, May 30, 2015) - Somebody needs to tell mother nature that the calendar is May and almost June, not late September. With the rain and light drizzle canceling most tracks in Southeast Iowa and West Central Illinois, I decided to make the trip North to the Independence Motor Speedway in Independence, Iowa. Most of my trip I drove through light rain and drizzle, but just past Cedar Rapids I ran out of the light precipitation.When I arrived at the track, I found the pit area was packed with 126 cars ready for action.
The first feature to take to the track was the 15 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Jesse Brown and Scooter Dulin leading the field to the green flag. But just as the green flag waved the caution light would come on, as Roger Ciesielski spun in turn 4 and collected Scott Pippert and Cliff Gray to bring out the yellow. On the restart Russell Damme Jr. got sideways in turn 4 and collected Austin Evens, Lynn Panos, and Norman Chesmore to bring the yellow light back on. A third attempt of a start brought out another caution, as debris in turn 1 slowed the action. The following restart saw Brown take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Chris Luloff and Dulin. Brown then had to work to hold off Luloff, who looked under him over the next 7 laps when a caution came out to slow the action. Debris in turn 1 would once again bring the yellow light on. On the restart debris down the backstretch would bring the caution light back on. The following restart saw Jason Hocken spin off turn 2 from contact from Phil Holtz to bring out the yellow. On the next restart Brown jumped back out front, with Luloff and Jarod Weepie, who started 10th, close behind. Coming off turn 2 on lap 8, Luloff was able to final slip under Brown to take over the top spot on lap 9. Luloff looked like he would pull away from the field until he encountered lapped traffic on lap 12, which allowed Brown to close in coming to the white flag. Despite a last lap challenge from Brown, Luloff was able to hold on to pick up the win. Brown settled for 2nd, Weepie was 3rd, Tom Schmitt started 12th and finished 4th, with Hocken, who started 16th, recovering from his spin on lap 7 to come back up to finish in 5th.
Up next was the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with Matt McCahen and Dalton Clendenen making up the front row. But when Clendenen spun in turn 4 on the start to bring out the caution, this would move Lucas Lundry to the outside of the front row for the restart. On the restart Lundry went over the track in turn 1 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw McCahen jump out into the lead over Kevin Hurst and Kyle Bentley. Just after the completion of lap 1, Chris Lewis would spin in turn 4 and collect Clendenen to bring out the yellow. On the restart McCahen moved back out front, with Hurst and Bentley close behind. The action up front was slowed on lap 6, when Steve Wimer spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Tony Olson, who started 10th, went to the top of the track to grab the top spot away on the restart. Olson then started to pull away from the field, until the final caution appeared on lap 10. Wimer once again spun in turn 4 to bring out his second caution to end his night. Once again Olson grabbed the lead on the restart, with Hurst over taking McCahen for second. Olson would pull away from the field over the final 5 laps to claim the win. Hurst was 2nd, Alex Zwanziger started 18th and finished 3rd, Kip Siems finished 4th after starting in 7th, with McCahen holding on for 5th.
Randy Byerly and Andrew Torkelson led the field to green in the 15 lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature. But Torkelson would spin down the backstretch on the start to bring out the caution. This would move Rod Grother to the outside of the front row for the restart. On the restart Jeremiah Wilson, who started 6th, quickly moved to the front to lead lap 1 over Grother and Byerly. Wilson then had to work to hold off Grother, until debris in turn 3 on lap 3 slowed the action. Once again Wilson grabbed the lead on the restart, with Grother and Vince Buchholz, who started 8th, close behind. Wilson again had to work to hold off Grother over the next 8 laps, when another caution on lap 11 slowed the action. Debris in turn 4 would bring out the caution light. On the restart Wilson jumped back out front, with Grother working to hold back Benji Irvine, who started 9th, for second. The battle for the lead was slowed for the final time on lap 13 to set up a green-white-checkered finish. This time Mike Wilson spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Wilson once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Irvine slipping under Grother to grab the second spot. Coming to the white flag Irvine decided to go to the top of the track going into turn 1. He would use the momentum off turn 2 to edge out Wilson for the lead down the backstretch. Wilson tried to get back under Irvine coming off turn 4, but Irvine would hold on to pick up the win. Wilson settled for 2nd, Buchholz was 3rd, Grother was 4th, with Shawn Kuennen rounding out the top 5.
The 20 lap IMCA Modified feature was up next, with Josh Barta and Tony Snyder leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Snyder would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Barta and Ed Thomas. Snyder then started to put some distance on the field, until the first caution appeared on lap 5. Austin Bishop would spin in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Vern Jackson slipped under Snyder to edge him out at the line by inches to grab the lead. But Snyder wouldn't give up, as he battled back on the outside to take the top spot back on lap 8. Just after the completion of lap 8 the caution would come out to slow the battle up front. Josh Sherbon would spin in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Snyder jumped back out front on the restart, with Jackson and Ronn Lauritzen, who started 9th, close behind. While the top three cars battled for the lead, Troy Cordes, who started 11th, was working his way towards the front. By lap 15 Cordes had worked his way to fourth and was glued to Lauritzen's back bumper. On lap 17 Cordes made it three wide off turn 2, Synder up top, Cordes in the middle and Jackson down low, with Cordes coming out in second behind Snyder. Then coming to the white flag Cordes would slip under Snyder coming off turn 4 to edge him out at the line by inches. Cordes then held Snyder off on the final lap to claim the win. Snyder settled for 2nd, Lauritzen was 3rd, Jackson was 4th, with Brennen Chipp coming home in 5th.
Bobby Hansen and Ben Seemann led the field to the green in the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature. But it was third place starter Rick Wendling who grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Hansen and Seemann. While Wendling set a fast pace out front, Tyler Bruening, who started 6th, and Tyler Droste, who started 7th, were working their way towards the front. Bruening was able to slip into second on lap 10, but by then Wendling had built up a straight-away lead. Without a caution there was no catching Wendling on this night, as he pulled away to pick up the win. Bruening was 2nd, Droste was 3rd, Sean Johnson was 4th, with Curt Martin coming from 8th to finish in 5th.
The final feature to take to the track on the night was the 12 lap Micro Mods, with Cole McNeal and Matt Post on the front row. But it was Don Erger, who started 5th, who quickly moved to the front to lead lap 1 over McNeal and Post. Erger then started to pull away, until the first caution appeared on lap 3. Cole Suchow would spin in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Erger moved back out front, but now had Brody Willett, who started 8th, glued to his back bumper. Willett would use the middle of the track to slip past Erger on lap 5 to take over the top spot. Willett then started to pull away, until another caution appeared on lap 8. This time AJ Whitten stopped down the backstretch with rear end troubles to bring out the yellow. On the restart McNeal stopped in turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Willett move back out front over Erger and Jeff Davis, who started 10th. Willett then pulled away over the final 4 laps to claim the win. Erger held on for 2nd, Davis was 3rd, Post was 4th, with Jamie Whitaker finishing 5th after starting in 9th.
Notes from Indy: 25 Hobby Stocks, 22 Stock Cars, 22 SportMods, 21 Late Models, 21 Modifieds, and 15 Micro Mods made up the 126 cars signed in on the night......Norman Chesmore, who started 13th, Recovered from the crash on the start to come back up to finish 6th in the Stock Car feature....Phil Holtz, who started 14th, recovered from his involvement in the spin on lap 7 to come back up to finish 7th....Brian Mahlstedt passed 9 cars from his 17th place starting spot to finish 8th....Roger Ciesielski, who spun on the start and had worked his way back up to 5th by lap 7, went over the track in 1 & 2 on lap 8 and fell back to 11th. He would only recover from there to finish in 9th....Cliff Gray, who started 15th, recovered from the crash on lap 1 to come back up to finish 10th....Kevin Rose, who was running 5th on lap 12, pulled off with a right rear flat to end his night in 11th....Matt Brown started 19th and finished 14th....Rick Milks, Mike Galli, and Cody Freriech all had troubles after there heat races that forced them to scratch from the feature......Jim Buhlman started the SportMod feature in 16th and passed 8 cars to finish in 8th....Kyle Olson started 13th and finished 9th....Sean Vogt started 17th and finished 10th....Scott Williams started 14th and finished 11th....Kevin Robinson passed 8 cars from his 21st place starting spot to finish 13th....Steve Wimer started 19th and finished 14th....Chris Lewis recovered from his spin on lap 4 to come back up to finish 15th....JJ Anderson made the pull down from DePere, Wisconsin. He would start the feature in 12th and had worked his way up to 6th by lap 7. But a right front flat on lap 8 would end his night in 16th....Jenae Gustin started 8th and was running 5th, when motor troubles on lap 5 ended her night in 17th....Colby Heishman had troubles in the heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature......Jerome Wilson started the Hobby Stock feature in 10th and finished 6th....Justin Wacha started 12th and finished 7th....Jim Ball started 15th and finished 11th....Shawn Randall passed 7 cars from his 19th place starting spot to come home in 12th....Tyler Ollendieck started 18th and finished 15th....Kyle Dulin started 20th and finished 16th....Mike Wilson, started 25th, recovered from his spin on lap 13 to come back up to finish 17th....Daniel Wauters finished 18th after starting in 24th....Marcus Wayne was running 8th, when he pulled off on lap 5 with motor troubles to end his night in 21st....Nathan Forey had troubles in his heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature......JD Auringer started the Modified feature in 12th and finished 6th....Scott Hogan started 10th and finished 7th....Darin Duffy finished 8th after starting in 14th....Patrick Flannagan passed 9 cars from his 20th place starting spot to come home in 11th....Josh Sherbon,who started 16th, recovered from his spin on lap 8 to come back up to finish in 14th....Ryan Maitland started 19th and finished 15th......Darren Ackerman started the Late Model feature in 9th and finished 6th....Chris Snyder finished 11th after starting in 17th....Rory Metcalf started 18th and finished 13th....Brunson Behning, who started 19th and had worked his way up to 8th by lap 20, suffered troubles on lap 23 that forced him to exit the track with a 15th place finish......Buster Pate started the Micro Mod feature in 14th and passed 8 cars to finish in 6th....Robby Decker started 11th and finished 7th....Cole Suchow, who started 15th, recovered from his spin on lap 3 to come back up to finish 9th....Brandon Maitland, who started 7th and was running 3rd, pulled off on lap 8 with motor troubles to end his night in 12th.
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