West Burlington, IA (Saturday, May 19, 2018) - Over the past three weeks I have witnessed four exciting Stock Cars feature events, three of them I have had the privilege of scoring. The first one happened back on May 4th in Memphis, Missouri, and then two came at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa on May 11th & May 18th. The other one happened last night at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa.
But before we get to the Stock Car feature, it was the 12 lap IMCA Sport Compact feature that took to the track first. Jake Houston and Jason Ash led the field to green, with Houston taking advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Ash and Aaron Berry. Houston then had to work to hold off Ash over the next 5 laps, as Cody VanDusen, who started 10th, and Barry Taft, who started 11th, were trying to play catch up. As on the start of the race they went three and four wide going into turn 1 to try and get to the front, only to be turned sideways from contact from other competitors. The amazing thing was everyone got their cars pointed in the right direction and kept going without bringing out a caution. A caution on lap 6 for Seth Keiser's stalled car down the backstretch would help VanDusen and Taft's caused, as it would bunch the field back up for the restart. On the restart Houston jumped back out front, with VanDusen over taking Ash for the runner up spot, as Ash had to work to hold off Taft for third. Coming off turn 4 to complete lap 8 VanDusen, who was on the bottom, Taft, who was in the middle, and Houston, who was up top, raced three wide for the the top spot. Houston would use the momentum off the top to edge them at the line to keep the lead. Then on lap 9 Taft was able to make the pass of Houston to take over the lead. Taft then went on to lead the final 3 laps to claim his second win in a row at the track. It was also his second win of the weekend, as he picked up the win Friday at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa. VanDusen got by Houston on the white flag lap to finish in 2nd, Houston was 3rd, David Prim was 4th, with Ash holding on for 5th.
Up next was the 20 lap 305 Sprint feature, with Colton Fisher and Kyle Peterson making up the front row. Peterson used his starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Fisher and Dan Keltner. Peterson then started to pull away from the field, when the first caution of the race appeared on lap 10. Tanner Gebhardt, who started 10th and had worked his way up to 4th, slowed down the front stretch when something broke in the rear end to bring out the yellow. On the restart Peterson moved back out front, with Fisher and Nick Guernsey close behind. One lap later, lap 12, the second caution of the race appeared, as Keltner spun off turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Once again Peterson grabbed the lead on the restart, with Jarrod Schneiderman, who started 7th, over taking Guernsey for second. The action would be slowed one final time, as debris in turn 3 on lap 14 brought out the caution. Peterson moved back out front on the restart, with Schneiderman and Guernsey following. Schneiderman, who was working the bottom of the track, showed his nose to Peterson, who was working the top, on lap 16. This would force Peterson to change his line down to the bottom of the track. As a result Schneiderman went to the top to try and get the lead away from Peterson. But Peterson was able to hold him off on the final lap to score his first Sprint feature win. Schneiderman settled for 2nd, Kaley Gharst started 9th and finished 3rd, Daniel Bergquist came from 8th to finish 4th, with Guernsey rounding out the top 5.
James Roose and Ron Kibbe were scheduled to lead the field to the drop of the green flag in the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature. But when Kibbe had to be pushed out of staging to get his car started, this would force him to the rear. As a results Tom Lathrop was moved up to the outside of the front row for the start. Third place starter Jeffrey DeLonjay would grab the lead on lap 1 over Austen Becerra, who started 6th, and Sean Wyett, who started 5th. The lead for DeLonjay only last 1 lap, as Becerra shot under him coming off turn 4 to take over the top spot on lap 2. DeLonjay's run up front came to an end on lap 6, as he got sideways in turn 2 and fell from 2nd to 7th. Then on lap 9 he spun in turn 4 to bring out the caution. On the restart Becerra jumped back out front, with Wyett and Daniel Fellows, who started 7th, close behind. Just after lap 10 was scored complete, Lathrop lost a left rear tire coming off turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Becerra would grab the lead on the restart, with Wyett and Fellows following. One lap later, lap 12, the third and final caution of the event appeared, as Roose spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Wyett drove it hard down low into turn 3 and then slid up in front of Becerra coming off turn 4 to take the top spot away. Wyett then held off Becerra over the final laps to claim his second win in a row at the track. Becerra was 2nd, Fellows was 3rd, Kibbe came from the rear after being pushed out of staging to come up to finish 4th, with Shane Paris finishing 5th after starting in 8th.
Up next was the scheduled 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, but they would have a hard time getting some green laps scored. With 8 cautions within the first 9 laps, this would bring the time limit up on this race. So for the final restart the next caution or the checkered flag would bring an end to the race. The race would start with Chadwick Giberson and Mitch Boles leading the field to the drop of the green flag, with Boles grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Dean McGee and Derrick Stewart. The action was slowed for the first time on lap 2, as Joey Gower spun in turn 2 and collected Derek Walker and Steve Stewart to bring out the yellow. On the restart Boles moved back out front, with Derrick Stewart and Jeff Waterman, who started 10th, close behind. Disaster would strike the top two cars on lap 3, as Derrick Stewart drove it hard into turn three on the bottom and then tried to slid up in front of Boles. But he would loose the car and spun in front of him instead and collected Boles to bring out the yellow. On the restart Dennis LaVeine, who was running 5th, came to a stop off the exit of the track in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Waterman jump back out front, with Bill Roberts Jr., who started 7th, over taking McGee for second. Just after the lap was scored complete another caution appeared, as James Raleigh spun in turn 4 and collected Tyler Smith to bring out the yellow. Waterman once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Roberts Jr. and McGee glued to his back bumper.
But after lap 6 was scored complete another caution came out, as Raleigh spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Waterman jumped back out front, with Roberts Jr. and Chris Zogg, who started 11th, following. With another lap scored complete another caution appeared, as debris in turn 3 brought out the yellow. On the restart Zogg's car didn't come up to speed, which caused McGee to get into the back of him and sending him spinning to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Waterman move back out front, with Roberts Jr. and now Rich Smith following. Now with 9 laps scored complete and another caution for debris in turn 3, this would bring the race to the time limit. The call was made to run to the next caution or the checkered flag, which ever came first. On the final restart Waterman grabbed the lead, with Roberts Jr. and Brandon Rothzen, who started 9th, glued to his back bumper. Roberts Jr. would follow in Waterman's tire tracks over the next 3 laps, waiting for Waterman to make a mistake so he could take advantage and grab the lead. But when Derrick Stewart, who got back up to 6th after his involvement in the lap 3 caution, hit the wall hard in turn 4 on lap 15 to bring out the caution, this would bring an end to the race. Waterman would pick up his first win of the season at the track. Rothzen got by Roberts Jr. on lap 15 to give him a 2nd place finish. Roberts Jr. 3rd, Rich Smith was 4th, with Chris Zogg recovering from the lap 7 spin to come back up to finish 5th.
The final feature, and the best of the night, to take to the track was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Brandon Rothzen and Scott Jordan on the front row. But just as the green flag waved the caution light would come on, as Jordan spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the original restart this would move Jake Wenig to the outside of the front row. Wenig used that to his advantage, as he grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Cody Washburne and Jason Cook. Coming off turn 2 to come around to complete lap 3, John Oliver Jr., who started 9th and was running the bottom, Cook, who was in the middle, and Wenig, who was up top, raced three wide for the lead. But Wenig would use the momentum off the top to keep the lead. That was until lap 4, when Cook used the bottom to take over the top spot. While Cook worked the bottom of the track, Oliver Jr. went to the top to try and get the lead away from Cook. That moved paid off on lap 8, as Oliver Jr. used the momentum off the top of turn 4 to edge Cook out at the line for the lead. The two would race side-by-side around the 3/8th mile track over the final 12 laps, with Oliver Jr. holding off one last lap challenge by Cook to claim his third win in a row at the track. Cook finished a close 2nd, Tom Bowling Jr. came from 7th to finish 3rd, Abe Huls passed 8 cars from his 12th place starting spot to come home in 4th, with Wenig holding on for 5th.
Notes from 34: Despite the long Modified feature, the final checkered flag waved at 10:10 PM......Bryerson Tharp finished 12th in the Sport Compact feature after starting in 16th....Adam Christy and Randy Magnusson had troubles in there heat races that forced them to scratch from the feature......Bailey Goldesberry made her first start of the season at 34 on Saturday night in the 305 Sprint feature. She would start 11th and come home in 7th....Dan Keltner recovered from his spin on lap 12 to come back up to finish 9th....Colton Fisher, who was running 2nd, pulled off with mechanical troubles under the lap 12 caution to end his night in 13th......Cody Layman started the SportMod feature in 9th and would bring home a 6th place finish......Jordan Walker would finish the Modified feature in 7th after starting in 18th....Dean McGee recovered from his involvement in the lap 7 caution to come back up to finish 8th....Derek Walker started 14th and finished 9th....Tyler Smith came from 16th to finish in 10th......Austin Kemper made his first start of the season at 34 Raceway in the Stock Car feature. He would start 10th and finish 8th....Joe Gerdes finished 10th after stating in 13th.
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