Friday, April 13, 2018

Last Lap Passes Highlights the Action During the Frostbuster at the Benton County Speedway

Vinton, IA (Thursday, April 12, 2018) - With the bleak weather forecasted for this weekend, I decided to make the 2.5 hour drive northwest to the Benton County Speedway in Vinton, Iowa. I arrived just as hot laps were being completed to find the pit area jam packed with 128 cars in the five classes competing on night #2 of the Frostbuster's. Was it worth the drive? I would have to say definitely, as closes finishes in all five features made it pay off.

After 17 heat races and 5 B-Mains were ran to set the starting line-ups for the feature events, it was time to go feature racing. The first one to take to the track was the 12 lap Micro Mods, with Chad Dugan and Darrick Knutsen leading the field to green. Knutsen took advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dugan. The Micro Mods found the bottom groove to there liken, so Dugan chose to follow in Knutsen's tire tracks over the next 11 laps. Then coming off turn 2 on the final lap Dugan was able to slip under Knutsen to grab the top spot away and then held on to pick up the win. Dallon Murty, who started 7th, also made the last lap pass of Knutsen to finish in 2nd, which pushed Knutsen back to 3rd, Erick Knutsen started 8th and finished 4th.
Wauken, Iowa's Chad Dugan won the Micro Mod feature on Thursday, April 12, 2018 at the Benton County Speedway in Vinton, Iowa

Up next was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Damon Murty and Steve Meyer drawing the front row. Murty used his front row draw to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Kody Schlopp and Meyer. Schlopp was able to put some pressure on Murty for the lead over the next several laps, that was until he excited the speedway on lap 14 with mechanical troubles. It then looked like Murty would cruise to an easy when, until the caution came out on lap 15 for debris in turn 4. On the restart Murty jumped back out front, but now had Todd Reitzler, who started 10th, battling him for the top spot. Reitzler would look under Murty going into the corners, but Murty would use the momentum off the top of the track to keep the lead. Murty, who finished second to Reitzler the night before in Donnellson, Iowa, was able to hold off Reitzler to claim the win. Reitzler was 2nd. Brian Mahlstedt, who started 12th, crossed the line in 3rd, but was disqualified in tech with an illegal carburetor. This would move Meyer to 3rd, Jay Schmidt was moved up to 4th, with John Oliver Jr. being moved up to 5th.
Damon Murty of Chelsea, Iowa was the winner of the IMCA Stock Car feature at the Benton County Speedway in Vinton, Iowa on Thursday, April 12, 2018

Ethan Braaksma and Arie Schouten led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 20 lap IMCA SportMod feature. But just as the green waved the caution light came on, as Justin Becker spun in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the original restart Schouten used the top of the track to edge Braaksma at the line to lead lap 1. Then just after the completion of lap 1 was scored, the second caution appeared. This time Thomas Egenberger went over the track in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Daniel Fellows got turned sideways in turn 4, after several rows in front of him got on the gas and then slammed on the brakes, to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Schouten move back out front, with Johnathon Logue and Joey Schaefer getting past Braaksma for second and third. Just after lap 2 was scored complete another caution came out, as Tony Olson slipped off the track in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. Debris in turn 2 on the restart brought the yellow light back on for the final time.

Once back to green the racing was exciting, as Logue slipped under Schouten on the restart to edge him out at the line for the lead. But Schouten, who was using the top of the track, came back to lead lap 4. Logue would slip back under Schouten to grab the top spot back on lap 5. Schouten wouldn't give up though, as he used the momentum off the top of turn 4 to grab the lead back on lap 7. Then going into turn 1 Schouten got to high and slid off the track in turn 2 to fall back to fifth. This handed the lead back over to Logue, who now had Schaefer glued to his back bumper. Schaefer would look under Logue over the final laps, with Logue holding him off each lap. That was until the final lap when Logue slowed off turn 2, which allowed Schaefer to go by for the win. Tyler Soppe finished 2nd after starting in 15th, Sam Wieben started 7th and finished 3rd, Joe Docekal came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Braaskma holding on for 5th.
Johnathon Logue (69JR) of Boone, Iow and Joey Schaefer (2) of Waterloo, Iowa battled late in the IMCA SportMod feature on Thursday, April 12, 2018 at the Benton County Speedway in Vinton, Iowa. Broken steering on Logue's car allowed Schaefer to go onto to pick up the win.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature, with Seth Janssen and Bradly Graham making up the front row for the event. Graham used his draw to his advantage, as he grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Janssen and Bryce Sommerfeld. Then after lap 1 was scored complete the first caution came out, as David Simpson and Breyden Forbes spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Graham jumped back out front, but Sommerfeld slipped past Janssen for the runner up spot. The action was slowed for the second time, as Simpson spun in turn 4 on lap 6 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Eric Stanton, who started 11th, went three wide thru the middle to take over the top spot. Then just after that lap was scored complete, another caution came out. This time Rowan Mason, Janssen and Leah Wroten collided in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Stanton jumped back out front on the restart, with Sommerfeld and David Rieks, who started 6th, glued to his back bumper. Disaster would strike Sommerfeld on lap 9, as he spun in turn 3 to bring out the final caution of the race. On the restart Rieks squeezed under Stanton to take the top spot away. Two laps later, lap 12, Stanton got under Reiks coming off turn 2 to get the lead back, as the two ran down the backstretch banging doors and sparks flying. Rieks tried to get back under Stanton over the final laps, but Stanton held on to claim the win. Rieks settled for 2nd, Justin Wacha finished 3rd after starting in 12th, Graham was 4th, with Matt Pohlman coming from 15th to finish in 5th.

The final feature to take to the track was the 25 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Cory Wray and Kyle Brown drawing the front row. But it looked like third place starter Tyler Droste would make the pass to lead lap 1, as he went low into turn 1 and slid up in front of Wray and Brown. But they would turn under him down the backstretch, with Wary coming around to lead 1 over Brown and Hunter Marriott. Droste's run up front came to an end on the completion of lap 1, as he slid off the track in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Marriott slid under Wray to grab the lead, with Brown also over taking Wray to stay second. Just as the front runners looked like they would be catching the back of the field, the second caution of the race appeared on lap 10 to slow the action. This time Dan Menk spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. The yellow light would come back on on the restart, as Droste dropped a drive shaft in turn 1 and came to a stop just of turn 2 to bring out the yellow. The following restart saw Marriott move back out front, with Brown and Cayden Carter, who started 5th, close behind. Just after the lap was scored complete the final caution of the race came out, as Nate Hughes spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow.

Marriott jumped back out front on the restart, with Brown and Carter following. While Marriott set the pace out front, Brown, who was running up top, and Carter, who was on the bottom, raced several laps side-by-side for second. This would allow Richie Gustin, who started 10th, to move into the battle, as Marriott started to pull away. Carter broke away from Brown and Gustin on lap 18, then went to work on cutting into Marriott's lead. After taking the white flag, Carter got under Marriott going into turn 1, as the two raced side-by-side thru turn 2. Carter found the grip on the bottom coming off turn 2 to take over the top spot and then held on for the win. Marriott settled for 2nd for the second night in a row, Gustin would cross the line in 3rd. But was disqualified in tech for an incorrect rev limiter setting. This would move Brown to 3rd, Joel Rust was moved to 4th after starting in 9th, with Ethan Dotson moved up to 5th.
Oskaloosa, Iowa's Cayden Carter made a last lap pass to claim the IMCA Modified feature at the Benton County Speedway in Vinton, Iowa on Thursday, April 12, 2018

Notes from BCS: 40 SportMods, 32 Modifieds, 23 Hobby Stocks, 19 Stock Cars, and 14 Micro Mods made up the 128 cars signed in....Larry Karcz Jr. started the Stock Car feature in 9th and finished 6th....Kellie Schmitt passed 10 cars from the 11th place starting spot to finish in 7th....Jake Nelson also passed 10 cars from his 18th place starting spot to finish 8th....Scooter Dulin came from 14th to finish in 9th....Mitch Meier started 16th and finished 13th......Johnathon Logue who looked to be heading to the win in the SportMod feature, slowed on the final lap with something in the steering breaking. he was able to come across the line in 7th....Kyle Olson passed 11 cars from his 19th place starting spot to finish in 8th....Gage Neal charged passed 14 cars from his 24th place starting spot to come home in 10th....Tony Olson recovered from going over the track in turn 3 on lap 2 to come back up to finish 11th....Jerry Miles started 17th and finished 12th....Erik Laudenschlager finished 15th after starting in 22nd......Matt Olson started the Hobby Stock feature in 10th and finished 6th....Mike Kimm passed 10 cars from his 18th place starting spot to come home in 8th....Bryce Sommerfeld recovered from his spin on lap 9 to come back up to finish 10th....Rowan Mason recovered from his involvement in the lap 7 caution to come back up to finish 11th....Kenzie Ritter finished 13th after starting in 21st....Jamie Coady started 20th and finished 14th....Derrick Thran came from 23rd to finish in 15th....Breyden Forbes recovered from his spin on lap 1 to come back up to finish 16th......Todd Shute started the Modified feature in 11th and finished 6th....Jeff Aikey came from 14th to finish in 8th....Troy Cordes started 12th and finished 9th....Jacob Murray finished 10th after starting in 10th....Scott Hogan came from 16th to finish in 11th....Clay Money started 19th and finished 12th....Nate Hughes recovered from his spin on lap 11 to come back up to finish 13th....T.J. Smith came from 22nd to finish in 14th....Tony Hilgebberg finished 15th after starting in 23rd.

Mother nature rained out the following events scheduled for Friday night in the area:

Deery Brothers Summer Series opener at the Davenport Speedway in Davenport, Iowa
Frostbuster Night #3 at the Marshalltown Speedway in Marshalltown, Iowa
Season points opener for the Late Models at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa
World of Outlaw Sprints at Jacksonville, Illinois - This event was rescheduled for June 27th
World of Outlaw Late Models "Illini 100" for Friday and Saturday at the Farmer City Raceway in Farmer City, Illinois - This event will not be rescheduled
MLRA Late Models for Friday and Saturday at the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri

There are a few shows still scheduled for Saturday night. But please check with the track you plan on attending before you leave home to make sure they are still racing.

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