West Burlington, IA (Thursday, May 16, 2019) - When you read the headline your first thoughts might be that veteran racer Don O'Neal took home the checkered flag on Thursday, May 16th at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa. But in all reality it was his eighteen year old son, Hudson O'Neal who actually drove to victory lane and taking home the $10,000 top prize.
It's been since 2011 since the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series made a stop at the 3/8th's mile track, located just on the outside of the small town of Middletown, Iowa. Well that all changed on Thursday night, as Bradley Stevens and Jessi Mynatt, in their second year as owners of 34 Raceway, brought the series back. The weather forecasts earlier in the week called for warmer temperatures and high humidity, but no chance of rain. Well part of that forecast changed by race time on Thursday, as it was hot and humid. But the chances of rain showers increased after 10 PM.
Thirty-six open Late Models signed in for competition, but Matt Mickelson didn't have the proper safety systems installed on his car that Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series requires. So he had to load his car up and pull out of the events, leaving thirty-five set for time trials, heats, B-Mains, and a feature. All thirty-five driver's drew a pill number at the Lucas Oil trailer when the checked in for competition. They were then split into two groups, Group A and Group B. Group A would time trial first, and they would make up heat races 1 and 2. Current Lucas Oil points leader Jonathan Davenport set fast time in Group A, with a lap of 14.581. Then Group B would come out, as they made up heats 3 and 4. Tim McCreadie was the fastest in Group B, and overall quick timer, with a lap of 14.466.
The heat races were lined straight up by fastest times, with the top 4 finishers in each of the four heat races moving directly into the 50 lap A Main. The remainder of the field were put into two B-Mains. Jonathan Davenport started heat 1 on the pole and jumped out into the lead on lap 1. He would pull away to pick up the win, which earned him the pole for the 50 lap A Main. Billy Moyer Jr. was 2nd, Chase Junghans was 3rd, with Tyler Erb rounding out the transfer cars in 4th...Heat 2 saw outside front row starter Earl Pearson Jr. grab the lead on lap 1. He would lead all 10 laps to pick up the win. Josh Richards came from 4th to finish 2nd, Devin Moran was 3rd, with Chris Simpson completing the top 4....Tyler Bruening got the lead from his outside front row starting spot in heat 3, and then went on to pick up the win. Which put him on the outside of row one for the A Main. Don O'Neal was 2nd, Tim McCreadie was 3rd, with Kyle Bronson finishing in the final transfer spot in 4th....Heat 4 saw veteran racer Billy Moyer grab the ead on lap 1 from his outside front row starting spot. He would go onto lead all 10 laps to claim the win. Hudson O'Neal was 2nd, Shannon Babb was 3rd, with Jimmy Owens completing the top 4....Two 12 lap B-Mains were next, with the top 3 finishers moving into the A Main. The first B-Main saw Bobby Pierce grab the early lead. He lead until about midway through the race, as Frank Heckenast Jr., who started 4th, slipped past for the lead. Heckenast Jr. then held off Pierce to pick up the win. Spencer Diercks started 8th and clawed his way up to a third place finish, which was the final transfer spot....Shannon Buckingham shot to the lead on the start of B-Main 2. He then cruised to an easy win. Chad Simpson, driving Larry Morning's #1 Late Model, finished 2nd, with Stormy Scott holding on for the final transfer spot in 3rd....Jason Jameson would be awarded a Lucas Oil provisional, while Allen Murray earned the fastest time provisional to set the field of 24 cars for the A-Main.
Now that the qualifying events were completed, it was time to go feature racing. The 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature was up first, with Shane Richardson and Les Blakley making up the front row. Blakley took advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Jason Cook and Jeremy Pundt. Just after the lap was scored complete the caution appeared, as Tom Bowling Jr. slowed in turn 4 with a left rear flat. On the restart Brandon Rothzen and Matt Gavin got off the track in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. The next restart saw Brett Timmerman loop it in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. On the next restart Blakley jumped back out front, with Cook and Pundt close behind. One lap later, lap 3, Pundt and John Oliver Jr., who started 9th, over took Cook to move into second and third. Pundt then went to the bottom coming off turn 4 to edge out Blakley at the line to lead lap 4. A couple of laps later Oliver Jr. was able to clear Blakley to take over the runner up spot, and then went to work on Pundt for the top spot. Pundt, who was working the middle groove of the track was able to hold off Oliver Jr. over the next 12 laps, and looked like he would hold him off if he hit his marks on the final 2 laps. But coming off turn 4 to get the white flag, Pundt slid up the track, which allowed Oliver Jr. to shoot under him to grab the lead. Oliver Jr. then held on over the final lap to score his third win in three races at 34 Raceway. Pundt was 2nd, Bolwing Jr. recovered from his flat on lap 1 to come back up to finish 3rd, Richardson was 4th, with Chad Krogmeier, who started 13th, being the final car to cross the line in 5th.
Jonathan Davenport and Tyler Bruening led the field to green in the 50 lap Lucas Oil Late Molde Dirt Series feature, with Davenport grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Bruening and Billy Moyer. Then just after lap 1 was scored complete the first of many cautions appeared, as Tim McCreadie slowed in turn 2 with a left front flat and nose damage. On the restart Davenport jumped back out front, with Moyer over taking Bruening for the runner up spot. The fast pace Davenport was setting put him into lapped traffic on lap 8. But when Jason Jameson spun in turn 3 on lap 8, this would give Davenport a clear track for the restart. Davenport would move back out front on the restart, with Moyer and now Don O'Neal, who started 6th, close behind him. Again Davenport entered lapped traffic on lap 15, which would allow Don O'Neal to close on his back bumper on lap 19. Over the next 5 laps Don O'Neal would look under Davenport in turns 3 & 4, but Davenport was able to use the momentum off the the top of 4 to keep the lead at the stripe each lap. The action up front was slowed on lap 23, when fifth place running Bruening spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow.
On the restart Bobby Pierce, Frank Heckenast Jr., Devin Moran and Jameson piled it up in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. While under caution Moyer, who was running 4th, pulled in to end his run up front. Also, Kyle Bronson, who was running 9th after starting in 14th, went to the pits. He would return to the track for the restart. On the following restart Davenport jumped back out front, with Don O'Neal battling teammate Josh Richards, who started 7th, for the second spot. After the lap was scored complete, Earl Pearson Jr., who was running 8th, slowed in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Davenport once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with father and son Don and Hudson O'Neal, who started 8th, battling for the runner up spot. Two laps later, lap 27, Chase Junghans, who was running 7th after starting in 12th, went over the track in turn 2 to avoid a spinning Jameson to bring out the yellow. On the restart Hudson O'Neal tried to go from the bottom of the track to the tp in turns 1 & 2 to slid up in front of Davenport. But Davenport was able to clear Hudson coming off turn 2 to keep the lead. The action up front was slowed on lap 28, when 10th place runner Billy Moyer Jr. slowed in turn 2 with a left rear flat to bring out the yellow.
Don O'Neal tried the same move his son did on the last restart, by going low in turn 1 and trying to slid up coming off turn 2. But both Davenport and Hudson O'Neal were able to squeeze past Don to keep the lead and the runner up spot. With Hudson and Don O'Neal running side-by-side for the runner up spot on laps 34, 35, and 36, this would allow Davenport to start to put some distance between the battle. But when Bruening slowed in turn 3 with a right rear flat on lap 37 to bring out the yellow, this would bring the field back to Davenport's back bumper. On the restart Tyler Erb, who was running 6th, got up on two wheels in turn 1 and when he came back down he spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Davenport move back out front, with Hudson and Don O'Neal close behind. Don O'Neal would work the bottom of the track and tried to get under Davenport coming off the corners over the next 8 laps. But Davenport was able to keep the lead at the line each lap. Then going into turn 1 to come around to complete lap 48, Don O'Neal would slid up the track coming off turn 2. He would pitch the car sideways off turn 2, and with Davenport on the gas he would get into Don O'Neal's left rear. His nose would cause Don to slow to a stop in turn 3 with a left rear flat to bring out the yellow. On the restart Hudson O'Neal got under Davenport to take over the top spot. Coming off turn 4 to get the double checkers Hudson O'Neal drifted high, which gave Davenport the shot he needed to shoot under him for the win. But Davenport's car got upset and wasn't able to take advantage, as Hudson O'Neal drove to the win and the $10,000 check to go with it. Davenport was 2nd, Josh Richards was 3rd, Kyle Bronson recovered from going into the pits on lap 23 to come back up to finish 4th, with Earl Pearson Jr. coming back up to 5th after slowing on lap 24.
The final feature to take to the track was the scheduled 12 lap Mini Hauler Trucks, with Billy Stanford and Jack Broeg drawing the front row for the event. Stanford took advantage of his starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Broeg and John Helenthal. On lap 2 Broeg got sideways coming off turn 4 and collected Drake Fenton to bring out the yellow. Helenthal inherited the lead on the restart, with Stanford and Jerad Ruble following. Just after lap 3 was scored complete, Lake Carlson and Dakota Fenton both got upside down off the track in turn 1 to bring out the red. Both driver's climbed out okay. Now with only three trucks left on the track, the feature would only run 5 more laps. Helenthal grabbed the lead on the restart, with Ruble and Stanford close behind. Helenthal then looked like he would go onto the pick up the win. But when he got high coming off turn 4 to get the checkered flag, this allowed Ruble to get under him. But when Helenthal turned the wheel to the left to keep his truck off the wall, he got into the side of Ruble. And both trucks looked like they would spin. But Ruble was able to get his straighten out first to cross the line for the win. Helenthal crossed in 2nd. Stanford was credited with 3rd, Carlson was credited with 4th, with Dakota Fenton getting credited with 5th.
Notes from 34: Chase Junghans finished 7th, after being involved in the lap 27 caution....Shannon Buckingham started 18th, after winning B-Main 2, and would come home in 8th....Tyler Bruening recovered from his flat on lap 37 to come back up to finish 9th...Devin Moran came back to 10th, after being in the wreck on the lap 23 restart....Billy Moyer Jr. receovered from his flat on lap 28 to come back up to finish 11th....Jimmy Owens started 16th and finished 12th....Stormy Scott took the last transfer spot in B-Main 2 and started 22nd. He would climb his way to a 13th place finish....Jason Jameson, who took a series point provisional and started 23rd, recovered from his lap 23 and 27 involvements in cautions to finish 15th.
I would like to say THANK YOU to Bradley Stevens and Jessi Mynatt for the great hospitality!!!
Food for thought, mother nature hasn't been to good to the tracks in the Midwest so far this season. With many weeks or more of rains then sun, it creates a challenge to be able to prep the grounds to be able to even put on a show of this magnitude. To me one of the toughest jobs at a race track is the track preps guys. Not every week are they going to hit it 100%, but when they don't it is to bad social media has to take it out on them. I personally don't like a rough race track, like most of use don't. But it is okay to have a rough track if it produces a decent race, like we seen Thursday at 34 Raceway. It could have easily been a single the file, no passing race. And then image what kind of negativity you would have seen on social media. With that I want to applaud the crew at 34 Raceway for trying their best, it would have been easy to just throw in the towel. But that wasn't their attitude. Keep plugging away, and pay NO attention to social media, it can be brutal at times!
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