Woodworth, LaVeine and Sanders New Winners at 34 Raceway

West Burlington, IA (Saturday, July 27, 2013) - Who would have thought that on the last weekend in July we would have to wear a sweatshirt and/or a jacket to take in some racing action. Well that's exactly what happened Saturday night at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, IA, as temperatures hoovered around the low 60's as the sun set.

The first feature up on the night was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Lonnie Heap and Dustan Fenton leading the field to the green. Fenton took advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Heap and Andy Krieger. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 2, as Chadwick Giberson spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Dennis LaVeine, who started 5th, slipped under Fenton to grab the top spot. LaVeine then started to pull away from the battle for second, when the second caution of the race appeared on lap 12. Duagn Thye came to a stop in turn 1 to bring the yellow light on. On the restart Heap, who was running 7th, spun into the wall in turn 3 to bring the yellow light back on. The next restart saw LaVeine jump back out into the lead, with Krieger working to hold back Jeff Waterman, who started 8th. LaVeine would pull away over the final 7 laps to claim his first win of the season at the track. Krieger held on for second, Mitch Morris came from 10th to finish in 3rd, Joe Beal, who started 11th and spun in turn 4 on the start but kept going, came from the rear to finish in 4th, with Waterman coming home in 5th.

Up next was the 20 lap UMP Late Model feature, with Jason Perry and Denny Woodworth drawing the front row. Woodworth would grab the lead on the drop of the green over Perry and Mark Burgtorf, and then held it until the one and only caution on lap 2. Perry, who was challenging Woodworth for the lead lost an engine in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Woodworth moved back out front, with Burgtorf close behind in second. Burgtorf would look under Woodworth on laps 6-9, but Woodworth would hold him off each lap to keep the lead. Burgtorf would try a last lap pass of Woodworth, but again Woodworth held on to pick up his first win of the season at the track. Burgtorf was 2nd,  Jared Schlipman was 3rd, Ron Elbe 4th, with Matt Strassheim rounding out the top 5.

John Brockway and Corey Strothman led the field to the green in the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Strothman grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Jake Wenig and Brockway. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 5, when Ray Raker, who was running 8th, spun in turn 4 to bring out the caution. On the restart Abe Huls, who was running 5th, spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Strothman jump back out front, with Tom Bowling Jr., who started 6th, and Jason Cook, who started 10th, battling for second. Bowling Jr. would slip under Strothman on lap 7 to grab the top spot and then held it until lap 15. When Gabe Harrison spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. Under the caution Cook had to pit with a flat tire. Bowling Jr. moved back out front on the restart, with John Oliver Jr., who started 9th, over taking Strothman for second. The final caution of the race appeared on lap 16, as Brett Timmerman, who was running 5th, stopped in turn 2 with a right front flat. On the restart Bowling Jr. jumped back out front and then held off Oliver Jr. to pick up the win. Oliver Jr. settled for 2nd, Strothman held on for 3rd, Cook recovered from his lap 15 flat to finish in 4th, with Brockway coming home in 5th.

Up next was the 15 lap Mod Lite feature, with Blake Woodruff and Devon Rouse making up the front row. Just as the green flag waved the caution light would come on, as Dan Keltner and Jimmy Halcomb got together and spun down the front stretch. On the restart, seventh place starter, Chase Faltt quickly moved to the front to lead lap 1 over Justin Buchholz and Woodruff. The action up front was slowed for the second time on lap 2, as Keltner spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Evan Epperson, who started 8th, went to the top of the track on the restart to take over the top spot over Flatt and Shon Sanders, who started 10th. But another caution on lap 3 would slow the action, as Brian Schnell spun in turn 1 to bring out the caution. On the restart Epperson jumped back out front, with Flatt working to hold back Sanders for second. But just as the action up front was heating up the final caution of the event came out on lap 6. This time Halcomb spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Once again Epperson moved out front on the restart, with Flatt and Sanders battling for second. Sanders would slip under Epperson on lap 12 to take over the top spot and then held him off over the final 3 laps to claim his first win of the season at the track. Epperson settled for 2nd, Flatt was 3rd, Keltner recovered from his lap 1 and 2 spins to finish in 4th, with Buchholz rounding out the top 5.

Brendan Mehaffy and Brian Mehaffy led the field to the green in the 12 lap 4 Cylinder feature. But just as the green was waved the yellow light would come on, as Brent Hartley, who started 10th, jumped the start and was sent to the back. On the restart Robert Kibbe spun in turn 2 and collected Brendan Mehaffy and John Whalen to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Jacob Brown, who started 5th, grab the lead on lap 1 over Wayne Noble, who started 7th.  Noble would slip under Brown on lap 3 to grab the top spot by inches, but Brown would come back on the top side to take the lead back on lap 4. Then after the completion of lap 4 the final caution of the event would slow the action up front. This time Ron Kibbe would stop in turn 4 with a right front flat to bring out the yellow. Brown once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Noble working to hold back Hartley, who recovered from his lap 1 jump. Noble once again used the bottom of the track to grab the top spot away from Brown and then held on to pick up the win. Hartley over took Brown on the final lap to finish in 2nd, Brown was 3rd, Brian Mehaffy was 4th, with Larry Miller coming from 13th to finish in 5th.

The final feature of the night was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods, with Lyle Timmerman and Kyle Hill on the front row. Hill would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dean Kratzer and Timmerman. But Timmerman's run up front ended on lap 5, as he spun in turn 2 to bring out the first caution. On the restart Hill moved back out front, with Tony Dunker, who started 9th, grabbing second away from Kratzer. Dunker tried to get under Hill over the next 2 laps, when the second caution of the race appeared on lap 7. This time Phillip Cossel, who started 15th and had worked his way to 7th, spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Hill once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Dunker having to work to hold back Bobby Anders, who started 8th, in the battle for second. Dunker worked the bottom of the track to perfection to slip under Hill on lap 10 to take over the top spot. Hill wouldn't give up, as he tried to get back by Dunker up top over the next 5 laps. But Dunker was able to hold him off to claim the win. Hill held on for 2nd, Anders was 3rd, Rob Wilsey was 4th, with Dustin Crear coming from 11th to round out the top 5.

Notes from 34: Ryan Cook started the Modified feature in 9th and finished 6th....Quienten Schoffner came from 12th to finish in 9th....Jerry Whilhelm Jr. started 13th and finished 10th....Chadwick Giberson, started 14th, and recovered from his lap 2 spin to finish in 11th....Justin Hill crashed head on into the front stretch wall during his heat race and was forced to scratch from the feature......Dan Wenig drove the #4 Stock Car that son Jake started the season out in. He would start the feature in 12th and passed 6 cars to finish in 6th....Ray Raker recovered from his lap 5 spin to come back up to finish in 7th....Brett Timmerman recovered from his lap 16 flat to come back to finish in 9th....Gabe Harrison started 14th, but spun on lap 15 to bring out the caution. He would recover to take home a 10th place finish in is first race of 2013....Jake Wenig was running 6th, when he pulled off on lap 13 with a right rear flat to be credited with 11th....Skyler Troutman made the move up from the Hobby Stocks and made his first appearance of 2013 in the Stock Car class. He would have troubles in the heat that forced him to scratch from the feature....Jim Lynch broke a rear end in his heat race, that forced him to scratch from the feature......Gary Snyder came from 16th in the Mod Lite feature to finish in 9th....Collin Ball passed 7 cars from his 17th place starting spot to take home 10th....Brian Schnell recovered from his lap 3 spin to come back to finish in 12th......Scott Smith came from 9th in the 4 Cylinder feature to take home 6th....Robert Kibbe recovered from his lap 1 spin to come back up to finish in 7th....Jerrod Nichols started 15th and passed 7 cars to finish in 8th....Shawn Baker passed 6 cars from his 16th place starting spot to take home 10th....Kevin Mortimer came from 14th to finish in 11th....Travis Smith had troubles after the heat race to force him to scratch from the feature......Derek St. Clair passed 13 cars from his 19th place starting spot to take home 6th in the SportMod feature....Bradley Holtmeyer came from 14th to finish in 8th....Creston Williams passed 9 cars from his 18th place starting spot to take home 9th.

Cook Brothers Win On Same Night at 34 Raceway

West Burlington, IA (Saturday, July 20, 2013) - Another hot and humid night for racing didn't keep the drivers from producing some great racing action on Saturday at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, IA. At the end of the night two brothers ended up in victory lane on the same night, as Ryan Cook claimed the win in the IMCA Modified feature with Jason Cook picking up the win in the IMCA Stock Car feature. Also picking up wins on the night were Justin Newberry (305 Sprints), Bobby Anders (IMCA SportMods), Dan Keltner (Mod Lites), and Austen Becerra (4 Cylinders).

The first feature up on the night was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Lonnie Heap and Mike Weikert Jr. on the front row. Weikert Jr. would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Heap and Ryan Cook. The first caution of the event appeared on lap 2, as Dugan Thye spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Cook slipped under Weikert Jr.  to take over the top spot, with Weikert Jr. working to hold back Bill Roberts Jr. for second. Cook started to pull away from the battle for second, when the second caution of the race came out on lap 8. This time debris in turn 3 would bring the yellow light on. Once again Cook jumped out front on the restart, with Roberts Jr. over taking Weikert Jr. for second. While Cook set a fast pace out front, Jeff Waterman, who started 8th, Mitch Morris, who started 9th, and Dean McGee, who started 6th, were moving in to challenge Roberts Jr. for second. Cook again started to pull away from the battle for second, when the third and final caution of the event came out on lap 15. Dustan got into Dennis LaVeine in turn 4 with both spinning and collecting Jerry Wilhelm Jr. to bring out the yellow. On the restart Cook moved back out front on the restart, with Roberts Jr. working to hold back Waterman for second. Coming out of turn four for the checkered flag Waterman, up top, Morris on the bottom, tried to get past Cook for the win. But Cook was able to edge them out at the line to pick up the win. Waterman edged Morris for 2nd, Morris settled for 3rd, McGee was 4th, with Roberts Jr. holding on for 5th.

Up next was the 12 lap 4 Cylinder feature, with Robert Kibbe and Jerrod Nichols leading the field to the green. Kibbe took advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Austen Becerra, who started 6th, and Wayne Noble, who started 7th. But Kibbe's run up front would end on the completion of lap 1, as he came to a stopped on the high side of turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Becerra would inherit the lead for the restart, with Noble close behind in second. Noble would try to get under Becerra for the top spot over the final 10 laps. But Becerra was able to hold him back to claim the win. Noble settled for second. Kibbe recovered from his lap 1 caution to come back up to finish in 3rd, Jacob Brown was 4th, with Larry Miller rounding out the top 5.

Travis Hartman and Corey Strothman led the field to the drop of the green in the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Strothman grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Jake Wenig and Chad Krogmeier. Strothman then worked to hold back Wenig over the next 15 laps, when the first and only caution of the race appeared on lap 16. On the restart Strothman jumped back out front, with Jason Cook, who started 9th, over taking Wenig for second. Coming to the white flag Cook was able to slip under Strothman to grab the top spot, with Wenig, Tom Bowling Jr, who started 12th, and Abe Huls, who started 8th, making it three wide for 3rd. Cook was able to hold on over the final lap to claim the win. Strothman held on for 2nd, Wenig was 3rd, Bowling Jr. was 4th, with Huls coming home in 5th.

Up next was the 20 lap 305 Sprint feature, Dillan Roth and Nick Guernsey on the front row. But just as the green flag was waved the red light would come on. As Roth spun on the top of turn 2 and collected Damian Getchell who took a easy roll to bring out the red. Getchell was flipped back over and pushed off to join the back of the field for the restart. On the restart Dustin Clark would spin his machine in turn 2 to bring the yellow light on. The following restart saw Jacob Glasgow grab the lead on lap 1 over Jayson Ditsworth and Justin Newberry. Newberry used the bottom of the track to go from third to first on lap 2 and then started to pull away from second when another caution came out on lap 7. This time Brady Bennett spun in turn 2 and collected Clark and Guernsey to bring out the yellow. On the restart Newberry jumped back out front, with Ditsworth working to hold back Donnie Steward, who started 10th, in the battle for second. Just as Newberry started to pull away from the battle for second, another caution appeared on lap 12. Shawn Whiting would spin his machine in turn 1 to bring the yellow light on. Once again Newberry moved out front on the restart, with John Schulz, who started 11th, over taking Ditsworth and Steward for second. The action up front was slowed for the final time on lap 16, as Kade Higday spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Newberry again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Schulz, Ditsworth and Steward close behind. Going into turn 3 on the final lap Schulz would get under Newberry, with Steward charging on top, as the three came off turn four three wide. Newberry was able to edge ahead at the line to win by inches. Schulz settled for 2nd, Steward was 3rd, Ditsworth got high in three and got into the wall to drop from 2nd to 4th, with Daniel Bergquist coming from 9th to finish in 5th.

Gary Snyder and Devon Rouse made up the front row for the 12 lap Mod Lite feature. But it was sixth place starter Dan Keltner who quickly moved to the front to lead lap 1 over Snyder and Rouse. While Keltner put some distance on second, Greg Rossell, who started 7th, Evan Epperson, who started 9th, and Chase Flatt, who started 8th, were working there way towards the front. By the time those three drivers reach 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Keltner had built up to big of a lead, as he held on to claim the win in a caution free race. Rossell would finish 2nd, Epperson, was 3rd, Flatt was 4th, with Rouse holding on for 5th.

The final feature of the night was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods, with Don Crear and Lyle Timmerman on the front row for the event. Crear would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Rob Wilsey  and Creston Williams. Wilsey jumped to the top of the track to grab the lead away from Crear on lap 2 and then held it until lap 5. Bobby Anders, who started 8th, slipped under Wilsey to take over the top spot on lap 5 by inches. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 7, when Derek St. Clair, who was running 6th, spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart LaVerne Bowman spun his machine in turn 1 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Anders move back out front, with Crear working to hold back Sean Wyett, who started 6th. While Anders was pulling away from second, Bryce Garnhart who made the pull down from Shannon, IL which is up by Freeport, IL, started in 13th and took over second on lap 11. But Garnhart's run to chase down Anders would run out of laps, as Anders held on to pick up the win. Garnhart settled for 2nd, Wyett was 3rd, Williams was 4th, with Wilsey rounding out the top 5.

Notes from 34: Andy Krieger started the Modified feature in 11th and passed 5 cars to finish in 6th....Cole Stichter made the pull down from Shannon, IL, which is up by Freeport, IL, and started 15th in the feature. He would pass 6 cars to take home a 9th place finish......John Whalen came from 8th to finish 6th in the 4 Cylinder feature....Rachael Reger came from 11th to finish 8th....Billy Stanford started 13th and took home a 9th place finish....Shawn Baker came from 15th to finish in 12th......John Oliver Jr. was running 7th in the Stock Car feature, when he pulled off on lap 11 with mechanical troubles to end his night in 11th......Ryan Jamison started the 305 Sprint feature in 22nd after his car wouldn't start for the heat. He would pass 16 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Dustin Clark, who started 12th, spun on the start and was collected in another spin on lap 7 came from the back twice to finish in 8th....Shawn Whiting recovered from his lap 12 spin to come back up to finish in 9th....Cody Wehrle started 14th and finished in 11th....Dave Getchell came from 15th to finish in 12th....Andy Krieger drove the #84 305 Sprint and started 17th. He would pass 3 cars to finish in 14th....Brady Bennett, who started 19th, recovered from his lap 7 spin to finish in 16th....Janelle Schneiderman came from 20th to finish in 17th....Joey Moughan drove the #31 usually driven by Austin Sears. But motor troubles in the heat would force him to scratch from the feature....Both Sean Adair and Dave White had troubles after hot laps to force them to scratch for the nights activities in the Mod Lites.....Adam Shelman came from 11th to finish 6th in the SportMod feature....Derek St. Clair recovered from his lap 7 spin to come back to finish in 7th....Don Crear would cross the line in 3rd, but was disqualified for being 25 pounds light at the scales.

Murty Tops Independence Motor Speedway's 300th Stock Car Feature Event

Independence, IA (July 6, 2013) - I put the finishing touches on my 4th of July weekend by making the trip north to the Independence Motor Speedway in Independence, IA. The night would feature a 25 lap IMCA Stock Car special, paying $1,200 to win in honor of the 300th weekly feature event in the history of the track.

The first feature to take to the track on the night was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods, with Brian Hilbert and Scott Thomas making up the front row for the event. Thomas took advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Kevin Hurst, who started 5th, and Jim Buhlman, who started 6th. Thomas' run out front would only last for 1 lap, as Hurst slid under him to take the top spot on lap 2. The first caution of the race would appear on lap 3, as Ryan King lost a drive shaft in turn 3. By the time the first yellow light came on Austin Kaplan, who started 20th, had worked his way up to 11th. On the restart Hurst moved back out front, with Buhlman working to hold back Kip Siems, who started 8th. Just as Hurst was pulling away, the second caution of the event came out on lap 8. This time Shane Ebaugh slowed to a stop in turn 4 to bring on the yellow light. In five laps Kaplan was able to gain 4 more spots to move up to 7th for the restart. Hurst again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Siems over taking Buhlman for second. But another caution one lap later would slow the field down, as Alex Zwanziger, who started 12th, spun in turn 1 while battling for 4th. On the restart Hurst moved back out front, with Siems working to hold back Lucas Lundry, who started 9th. Just as Hurst came out of turn four to get the white flag, the caution light would come on to set up a green-white-checkered finish. Danny Dvorak spun his machine in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Hurst jumped out front on the restart and then held off a hard charging Kaplan on the final lap to claim his first career SportMod feature win. Kaplan settled for 2nd, Buhlman held on for 3rd, Rod McDonald finished 4th, Lundry crossed the finish line in 5th but was penalized to the last car running after contact with Siems on  the final lap and causing Siems to spin in turn 4 while battling for 3rd, this would move Matt McCahen, who started 13th, up to the 5th spot.

Up next was the 12 lap IMCA Sport Compact feature, with Dakota Schroyer and Travis Ross leading the field to the green flag. Ross would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Adam Gates. Gates would slip under Ross on lap 4 to take over the top spot and then pulled away in a caution free race to pick up his seventh win in a row at the track. Merv Chandler came from 5th to finish in 2nd, Ross held on for 3rd, Derek Ihde started 8th and finished in 4th, with Mike Tedesco coming home in 5th.

Kevin Pittman was suppose to start on the pole of the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, but troubles after his heat forced him to scratch from the event. This would put Adam Johnson and Shawn Ryan on the front row, with Johnson grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Ryan and Racer Hulin. Johnson would hold the top spot until lap 3 when he slowed with troubles, handing the lead over to Ryan. Ryan's run up front only lasted for 1 lap, as Ronn Lauritzen, who started 9th, slipped under him for the lead. The battle up front was slowed for the first time on lap 5, when Justin Buehler spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Lauritzen moved back out front, with Vern Jackson and Ryan battling for the second spot. Lauritzen, who was running the bottom, and Jackson, who was up top, ran laps 6-11 side-by-side, with Jackson getting the lead on lap 11. The great battle up front was slowed for the second time on lap 13, as Buck Swanson spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Lauritzen used the bottom groove to grab the lead, leaving Jackson to battle J.D. Auringer, who started 10th, for second. As the trio came around to get the white flag, the caution light would come on to set up a green-white-checkered finish. Jason Morehouse, Terry Johnson and Todd Jensen all collided in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Lauritzen grabbed the lead on the restart, with Auringer working to hold back Tyler Droste, who started 11th, and Jackson. Going into turn 3 on the final lap Auringer was able to get to the bottom of Lauritzen and then held on at the line to grab his third win of the season at the track. Lauritzen was 2nd, Droste was 3rd, Jackson was 4th, with Mark Schulte coming from 7th to finish in 5th.

Leah Wroten and Matt Lundry made up the front row for the 15 lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature. But just as the green flag was the dropped the caution light would come on for debris down the back stretch. On the following restart Lundry grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Vince Buchholz and Justin Stander, who started 8th. Lundry would hold the lead until lap 5, when Chris Luloff, who started 9th, slipped under him for the top spot. Luloff then started to pull away from the field, when the second caution of the event came out on lap 9. Wroten spun her machine in turn 4 to bring on the yellow light. On the restart Luloff moved back out front, with Stander working to hold back Benji Irvine, who started 11th, in the battle for second. But the third and final caution of the race would come out on lap 11 to slow the action. Wroten would spin in turn 4 for her second solo caution to end her night. Luloff jumped out front on the restart and then held off Stander on the final lap to pick up his fifth win of the season at the track. Stander settled for 2nd, Irvine was 3rd, Quinton Miller was 4th, with Shawn Kuennen coming home in 5th.

Up next was the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Kelly Pestka and Rory Metcalf leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Just as the green was dropped the caution light would come on, as Tyler Bruening slowed to a stop down the back stretch with a right front flat and nose damage. On the restart Rick Dralle, who started 5th, went three wide with Pestka and Greg Hunter to grab the lead on lap 1. Dralle then started to pull away from the field when the second and final caution of the race appeared on lap 5. This time Dale Hackwell Jr. got sideways off turn 2 and collected the car of Joel Brasch to bring out the yellow light. On the restart Dralle moved back out front, with Drew Johnson, who started 6th, holding back Metcalf for second. While Dralle pulled away from second place, Darren Ackerman, who started 14th, was working his way towards the front. Ackerman would slip into second on lap 16 and then went to work on cutting into Dralle's lead. Dralle came up on lapped traffic on lap 19, which allowed Ackerman to quickly close in on him. Ackerman would try to get under Dralle over the final 5 laps, but Dralle would hold him off to claim his second win of the season at the track. Ackerman settled for 2nd, Johnson was 3rd, Curt Martin came from 9th to finish in 4th, with Metcalf holding on for 5th.

The final feature of the night was the 25 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with $1,200 going to the winner of the 300th weekly feature event thanks to Superior Cleaning Service adding $200 to the posted top prize of $1,000. Jesse Brown and Damon Murty drew the front row for the event, with Murty grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Brown and Tony Schimmels. After the completion of lap 1 the first caution would come out, as Austin Evens spun in turn 1 and collected the cars of Jason Hocken and Jerome Jacoby. On the restart John Emerson, who was running 8th, spun in turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Murty move back out front, with Schimmels over taking Brown for second. But the action up front was slowed for the third time, as Evens spun in turn 1 on lap 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart K.C. Ansel spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. Murty jumped back out front on the next restart, with Sean Johnson, who started 7th, moving into second. Another caution on lap 4 slowed the action, as Ken Taylor spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Murty again grabbed the lead, with Johnson and Scott Pippert battling for the second spot. Just as Murty started to put some distance on the battle for second the final caution of the race would appear on lap 14. Taylor would spin in turn 2 for his second solo caution to end his night. Emerson who brought out the yellow on the lap 1 restart, restarted 18th and had moved up to 5th by the lap 14 caution. On the restart Murty jumped back out front, leaving Johnson and Emerson going at it for second. Emerson was able to clear Johnson for second on lap 22 and then went to work on Murty for the lead. But Murty was able to hold off Emerson's last lap challenge to pick up the win and the $1,200 top prize. Emerson settled for 2nd, Johnson was 3rd, Pippert was 4th, with Norman Chesmore coming from 8th to finish in 5th.

Notes from Independence: 25 Modifieds, 22 SportMods, 21 Stock Cars, 20 Hobby Stocks, 17 Late Models, and 8 Sport Compacts made up the 113 cars signed in on the night....Dakota Sellers started the SportMod feature in 15th and passed 9 cars to finish in 6th....Alex Zwanziger came from 19th after spinning on lap 9 to finish in 8th....Shane Ebuagh, started 17th, and came to a stop in turn 4 on lap 8 to bring out a caution. He recovered from that to come back up to finish in 11th....Joe Harken started 21st and passed 9 cars to take home 12th....Danny Dvorak, who was running 10th, spun on lap 13 to bring out the final caution of the race. He would restart 19th and was able to get back up to 14th in the final 2 laps....Dave Schulze had to much right front damage after the heat to make the call for the feature......Troy Cordes drove Jason Snyder's car after wrecking his car at Farley early in the week. He would start the Modified feature in 8th and finished 6th....Jeff Kriz came from 18th to finish in 10th....Ed Thomas finished 11th after starting in 16th....Keith Pittman passed 10 cars from his 23rd place starting spot to finish in 13th....Buck Swanson recovered from his lap 13 spin to come back up to finish in 14th....Jason Morehouse, who started 21st, was involved in the final caution on lap 18 and went to the back. He would recover over the final two laps to finish in 15th....Justin Buehler, who started 22nd, recovered from his lap 5 spin to come back up to finish in 16th....Kevin Pittman, Jamie Johnson, Dennis Betzer all had troubles after there heat races to force them to scratch from the feature....J.J. Scott's machine never made it to the track all night......Matt Burmeister started the Hobby Stock feature in 13th and took home an 8th place finish....James Sheldon came from 17th to finish in 11th....Jonathan Juett had troubles after the heat race to force him to scratch from the feature....Dru Kueker was disqualified after his heat and was unable to make the repairs to start the feature......Tyler Bruening recovered from his right front flat and nose damage on the drop of the green flag in the Late Model feature to come from 17th to 7th....Dean Wagner passed 8 cars from his 16th place starting spot to finish in 8th....Russell Hesse came from 13th to finish in 9th....Leon Thomsen started 15th and finished in 12th....Wayne Hesse came from 17th to finish in 13th......Jarod Weppie came from 11th in the Stock Car feature to finish in 6th....Scotty Anderson passed 10 cars from his 19th place starting spot to finish in 9th....Jim Lynch made the pull up from Donnellson, IA to finish in 10th....Derek Reimer started 15th and finished in 12th.

I would like to thank Ryan Clark and all the crew at the Independence Motor Speedway for another exciting   Saturday night of racing!!!

Babb, DeLonjay and Dunker Cash In at Quincy Raceways

Quincy, IL (Tuesday, July 2, 2013) -  The 31 scheduled race dates in 6 weeks known as the UMP Summer Nationals "The Hell Tour" made a stop at the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL on Tuesday night. Also in action on the night was the UMP Summit Modified Nationals and the IMCA SportMods. When all the activities were completed Shannon Babb (UMP Late Models), Steven DeLonjay (UMP Modifieds), and Tony Dunker (IMCA SportMods) were standing in victory lane holding up the big pay days.

Thirty-seven UMP Late Models, 27 UMP Modifieds, and 19 SportMods signed in on the night in hopes of taking home the big prizes. After Late Model and Modified qualifying, 4 heat races in both the Late Models and Modifieds, a Late Model C Main, B Main for the Late Models and Modifieds, and 3 SportMod heats the feature fields were set to take to the track.

The first feature up was the 30 lap UMP Modifieds, with Dave Wietholder and Matt Goulden drawing the front row for the event. Wietholder would take advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Goulden and Steven DeLonjay. Wietholder started to pull away from the battle for second and started to enter lapped traffic on lap 10, when the first caution of the event came out. Cody Bauman would spin in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Wietholder moved back out front, with DeLonjay working on Goulden for second. While Wietholder continued to set the pace, DeLonjay would over take Goulden on lap 15 and then went to work on Wietholder for the top spot. Wietholder would enter lapped traffic on lap 18, which allowed DeLonjay to close in on his back bumper. The two would work around the lapped car on lap 19,  with Wietholder choosing the top and DeLonjay the bottom. The bottom choice paid off for DeLonjay as he grabbed the lead away on lap 19. DeLonjay then went unchallenged over the final 11 laps to claim his sixth win of the season at Quincy Raceways in eight starts, plus took home the $1,000 top prize. Wietholder settled for 2nd, Goulden was 3rd, Rusty Griffaw was 4th, with Jim Black rounding out the top 5.

Brian Divley and Brian Shirley led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 40 lap UMP Late Model feature. But just as the green flag was waved the caution light would come on, as Clint Kirkham slowed to a stop in turn 2. On the original restart Shirley moved out front on lap 1 over Divley, Bobby Pierce and Shannon Babb. Just as Shirley started to pull away the second caution of the event would appear on lap 3. This time Jerry Lierly and Michael Long would collide in turn 4 to bring the yellow light on. Shirley once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Divley, Pierce and Babb going back with there battle for second. Babb made a power move up top to get around Divley and Pierce on lap 10 and then went to work on cutting into Shirley's lead. Shirley started to enter lapped traffic on lap 12 which allowed Babb to close in quickly. Babb would use the pick of the lapped car to jump to the outside of Shirley on lap 15 to take over the top spot. But Shirley didn't go away easy, as he stayed glued to Babb's back bumper over the next 5 laps. As the two crossed the halfway point of the race, they would enter more lapped traffic which allowed Shirley to slip under Babb to grab the lead on lap 21 by inches. Babb would come back on the top of the speedway the next lap to take the lead back by inches. Babb then pulled away over the final 19 laps to claim the $5,000 top prize and his second win on the tour in 2013. Shirley settled for 2nd, Pierce was able to clear Divley late to come home in 3rd, Divley was 4th, with current tour points leader Brandon Sheppard coming from 12th to round out the top 5.

The final feature up on the night was the 25 lap "King of the Bull Ring" IMCA SportMod feature, with Abe Huls and Brandon Dale drawing the front row for the event. Dale would take advantage of his draw to grab the lead on lap 1 over Tony Dunker and Tanner Klingele. But Dunker would jump to the bottom of the track on lap 2 to take over the top spot and then held it until the first caution on lap 5. Bradley Holtmeyer came to a stop on the front stretch to bring out the yellow. On the restart Austin Heacock would spin in turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Holtmeyer spin to a stop in turn 4 to keep the yellow light on. Another restart produced another caution, as Jim Gillenwater, who started 8th and had worked his way up to 5th, spun into the back stretch guardrail to bring the yellow light back on. The next attempt of a restart saw another caution, as Jason Baker spun to a stop in turn 2. Once back to green Dunker moved back out front, with Klingele and Dale going at it for second. Just as Dunker started to pull away, another caution came out on lap 9. Terry Houston would spin in turn 1 and collected Michael Joe Bliven to bring out the yellow. Dunker again jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Klingele and Dale side-by-side for second. But once again just as the action up front was heating up, another caution came out on lap 12 to slow it down. This time Huls, who was running 4th, slowed to a stop in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Greg Uppinghouse went over turns 1 and 2 to bring the yellow light back on. The next restart saw Dunker move back out front, with Klingele and Dale going back to the battle for second. Just like the last few times Dunker started to pull away from the field when another caution came out on lap 17 to slow the action down. Gillenwater, who was battling for 2nd after coming from the rear from the lap 5 spin, spun in turn 3 with a left rear flat to bring out the yellow. On the restart Uppinhouse took another trip over turns 1 and 2 to bring the yellow light back on. The next restart saw Dunker move back out front, with Dale now working to hold back Huls, who recovered from the lap 12 caution to get back up to 3rd. The final caution of the event would appear on lap 18, as a tire was pushed onto the track down the back stretch. Dunker grabbed the lead on the final restart and then held on to claim the $1,003 top prize. Huls won the battle for 2nd, Dale was 3rd, Charles VanZandt was 4th, with 10th place starter Bliven recovering from his lap 9 caution to come home in 5th.

Notes from Quincy: The list of Late Models drivers signed in at Quincy were from seven states, including Illinois, California, Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, Florida, and Wisconsin....Some of the drivers not making the A main include Tanner English, Terry English, Jason Riggs, Tim Lance, Justin Reed, Jared Schlipman, Jason Jaggers, and Todd Frank....Kevin Weaver started 10th and took home a 7th place finish....Randy Korte came from 13th and finished in 9th....Denny Woodworth passed 6 cars from his 16th place starting spot to finish in 10th....Matt Furman took the last qualifying spot in the B Main and started the feature in 18th. He would pass 7 cars to finish in 11th....Dustin Griffin took a provisional and started 19th, then passed 4 cars to finish in 15th....Jason McBride also took a provisional to get into the A Main. He started 22nd and passed 6 cars to finish in 16th...Todd Frank from Mellen, WI had planned on completing the entire tour, but after rolling a car in time trials for the second time during the tour his run may have come to an end......The Modified field had seven states represented, which was Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky....Michael Long started the A Main in 8th and finished in 6th....Michael Stuckey came from 14th to finish in 10th....NASCAR and SPEED tv star Kenny Wallace came from 13th to finish in 11th....Donovan Lodge won the B Main and started the A Main in 17th, he would then pass 5 cars to finish in 12th....Robbie Reed got a track provisional to get into the A Main, where he started 20th. He then passed 5 cars to finish in 15th....Russ Coultas also took a track provisional and started 21st. He to passed 5 cars to come home in 16th....Ryan Porter was awarded a track provisional to get into the A Main, where he started 22nd and finished 18th......Abe Huls, a Stock Car stand out for the past few years drove Richard Wagy's IMCA SportMod for the second time this year. He would started the feature on the pole and was running in the top 4 when he slowed to a stop in turn 4 on lap 12 to bring out the yellow. But he was able to drive it back to the front by lap 18 to challenge Dunker for the lead over the final 7 laps. At the drop of the checkered Huls crossed the line a close 2nd....Rick Barlow Jr came from 15th and passed 8 cars to finish in 7th....Bob Cowman passed 10 cars from his 18th place starting spot to come home in 8th....Terry Houston, another Stock Car driver for many years jumped behind the wheel of Chandler Owens' ride for the night. He would start the A Main in 7th and was running in the top 5 when he spun on lap 9 to bring out the caution. After working his way back up into the top 5 late and spinning again, but not bringing out the caution, Houston would settle with a 11th place finish....Nick Roberts made the pull over from Des Moines, IA to try and take the $1,003 back home with him. He would pull the number 12 for the redraw to start the A Main. Nick then drove it up to 8th by lap 5 when he had to pit under the caution with a right rear flat. But after returning to the track for the restart and working his way back up to 10th, he would pull off with troubles to get credited with 14th....Austin Heacock from Peason, IA, which is around Iowa City, IA, made the pull to Quincy to compete on the night. His luck was just like Nick Roberts, as he drew a number 11 for the feature. But on the restart after the lap 5 caution, Heacock ended up with right front damage after the field got stacked up in front of him. Heacock was credited with 16th....Chris Larson's night ended early, as contact from another car on the start of the heat race sent his car barrel rolling off turns three and four several times. He was taken out in an ambulance to be checked out at the local hospital. It was later announced that Larson was released after complaining of a shoulder pain!....Jon Lear had troubles after his heat race to force him to scratch from the feature.

Exciting Finishes Entertain the Crowd at Independence

Independence, IA (Saturday, June 22, 2013) - After a last minute change of plans on Saturday, I decided to make the trip north to the Independence Motor Speedway in Independence, IA. The temperatures were hot and the racing on the night was just as hot, as the features entertained the crowd.

The first feature up on the night was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Kevin Pittman and Vern Jackson on the front row. Just as the green flag was waved the caution light would come on, as Jason Morehouse spun off the track in turn 2. The following restart saw Jerry King, Justin Buehler and Adam Johnson get together in turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. On the third attempt of a start Jackson would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Pittman and Mark Schulte. Jackson then held the top spot until lap 10, when Ronn Lauritzen slipped under him to take over the lead. After the completion of the lap, Buehler would spin in turn 4 and collected Jason Snyder to bring out the caution. Lauritzen jumped back out front on the restart, with Jackson working to hold back Schulte. The action up front was slowed once again on lap 13, as Tyler Droste spun in turn 2 and collected the cars of J.J. Scott and Ryan DeShaw. On the restart Jamie Johnson would spin off turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. The third attempt of a restart saw Lauritzen move back out front, with Schulte edging Jackson at the line for second. But the final caution of the event would slow the action on lap 15, as DeShaw spun in turn 3. On the restart Lauritzen moved back out front and then pulled away over the final 5 laps to claim his first win of the season at the track. Schulte held on for 2nd, J.D. Auringer came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Scott Hogan was 4th, with Droste recovering from his spin on lap 13 to finish in 5th.

Up next was an exciting 18 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Jerome Jacoby and Jesse Brown leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Brown would jump out front on lap 1 over Jason Hocken and Tim Helle. But the first of three cautions in the event would come out on lap 2, as Jacoby spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Brown moved back out front, with Hocken and Helle battling for the second spot. Norman Chesmore, who started 7th, quickly worked his way to the front to grab the lead on lap 4. Just as the action up front was starting to heat up the second caution of the race would come out on lap 5. Helle, who was running 4th, spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Chesmore would jump back out front on the restart, but now had Sean Johnson, who started 13th, and John Emerson, who started 9th, close behind. Johnson jumped to the top of the track to grab the lead on lap 7 by inches, but Chesmore would come back on the bottom to lead lap 8 by inches. Johnson again used the top of the track to lead lap 9 by inches, with Chesmore coming back on the bottom to lead lap 10 by inches. A third driver, Emerson, entered the battle to make it three wide on lap 11. Emerson drove under Chesmore and Johnson to grab the lead on lap 11. The three car battle up front came to an end on lap 12, as Reggie Rema spun in turn 4 to bring out the caution. On the restart Johnson jumped to the outside of Emerson to grab the top spot away on lap 13. Emerson wouldn't give up as he worked the bottom of the speedway to grab the lead away on the white flag lap. Emerson then held off a last lap challenge of Johnson to pick up the win. Johnson settled for 2nd, Chesmore was 3rd, Justin Temeyer came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Helle recovering from his lap 5 spin to come back to finish in 5th.

A.J. Witten and Mike Tedesco led the field to the green in the 12 lap IMCA Sport Compact feature. But just as the green flag was waved the yellow light would come on, as Travis Ross spun down the front stretch. Under the caution Witten had troubles and had to pull his machine into the pits, moving Zach Marmann up to the pole for the restart. On the restart Dakota Schroyer, who started 7th, quickly moved to the front to grab the lead on lap 1 over Tedesco and Adam Gates. Schroyer's lead would only last for 2 laps, as Gates went by on lap 3 to take over the top spot. A caution on the completion of lap 3 would slow the action, as debris down the front stretch would cause the yellow light to come on. Gates jumped back out front on the restart, with Merv Chandler, who started 6th, moving into second and Mitchell Balik taking over third. Just as Gates started to pull away from the field, the final caution of the event would appear on lap 5. Schroyer would come to a stop off of turn 4 to bring the yellow light on. Once again Gates moved back out front on the restart and then pulled way over the final 7 laps to pick up the easy win. Chandler was 2nd, Balik was 3rd, Jeff Dvorak came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Marmann holding on for 5th.

The 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature was up next, with Joel Rust and Brian Hilbert leading the field to the green. Rust would take advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Kevin Hurst and Brennen Chip, who started 7th. While Rust was pulling away from the field, Austin Kaplan, who started 12th, was working his way to the front. Just as Kaplan worked his way into second, the first caution of the race would come out to help bring Rust back to his front bumper. Casey Heil would come to a stop off of turn 2 to bring the yellow light on. On the restart Lucas Lundry would spin down the backstretch and collected the car of Hilbert to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Rust move back out front, with Kaplan now challenging him for the top spot. Rust worked the bottom of the track over the final 10 laps, as Kaplan tried the low side in turns 1 and 2 and the top side in 3 and 4 to get around Rust. But Rust was able to hold him off to pick up the win. Kaplan settled for 2nd, Kip Siems came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Alex Zwanziger started 11th and finished in 4th, with Chip coming home in 5th.

Brett Vanous and Matt Lundry made up the front row for the 15 lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature, with Vanous grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Justin Wacha and Lundry. Vanous would only lead 2 laps, as Benji Irvine, who started 11th, moved up quickly to grab the top spot on lap 3. After the completion of lap 3, Lundry, who was running 4th spun off turn 4 and collected Chris Luloff to bring out the first caution of the race. On the restart Irvine moved back out front, with Justin Lichty and Wacha battling for second. While Irvine was pulling away from the battle for second, Nathan Ballard, who started 23rd, Jamie Whitaker, who started 8th, and Quinton Miller, who started 21st, were working there way towards the front. Just as Ballard started to put pressure on Irvine for the lead, the last caution of the race appeared on lap 12. Lichty's run up front came to an end, as he came to a stop in turn 3 while running 5th. Irvine grabbed the lead on the restart, with Whitaker over taking Ballard for second. Coming to the white flag Whitaker would jump to the top of the track coming out of turn four to edge Irvine at the line for the lead. Whitaker then held him off on the final lap to pick up the win. Irvine settled for 2nd, Miller over took Mallard on the final lap to finish in 3rd, Mallard was 4th, with Justin Stander coming from 9th to round out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 25 lap IMCA Late Models, with Greg Hunter and Luke Pestka on the front row. Hunter would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Pestka and Luke Merfeld. A caution on the completion of lap 1 would slow the field, as Jim Aschenbrenner spun in turn 3 and collected the car of Keith Kiernan to bring out the yellow. On the restart Hunter jumped back out front, with Merfeld working to hold back Darren Ackerman, who started 7th. After the completion of lap 2 another caution would slow the action, as Leon Thomsen spun in turn 2 and collected the cars of Aschenbrenner and Kiernan. Hunter once again jumped out front on the restart, with Ackerman over taking Merfeld for second. Ackerman would jump to the top of the track on lap 5 to take over the top spot from Hunter. Then the final caution of the race would appear on the completion of lap 5, as Curran Beckler spun in turn four and collected the car of Kelly Pestka. On the restart Ackerman moved back out front, with Hunter working to hold back Merfeld. Ackerman would pull away over the final 20 laps to pick up his first win since 2011, as he took the 2012 season off to battle colon cancer. Merfeld held on for 2nd, Tyler Bruening came from 11th to finish a close 3rd, Dale Hackwell Jr. was 4th, with Pestka holding on for 5th.

Notes from Indy: 28 SportMods, 26 Hobby Stocks, 25 Modifieds, 22 Late Models, 14 Stock Cars and 13 Sport Compacts made up the 128 cars signed in on the night......Jeff Kriz started the Modified feature in 14th and passed 6 cars to take home an 8th place finish....Kerry King recovered from his first lap crash to come back up to finish in 9th....Racer Hulin came from 17th to finish in 11th....Ed Thomas passed 10 cars from his 22nd starting spot to finish in 12th....Timm Jensen came from 25th to finish in 13th....Vern Jackson, who was running 4th until lap 17 when he pulled off with mechanical troubles, was credited with 15th....Kevin Pittman lost an engine on lap 6, while running 3rd, and was credited with 22nd....After a wreck in the heat race Chris Snyder was unable to make repairs for the feature and was a DNS......Reggie Rema, who started the Stock Car feature in 14th, recovered from his lap 12 spin to finish 9th....Jason Niedert was unable to make repairs to his machine after a heat race wreck and was a DNS for the feature......Travis Losenicky started the Sport Compact feature in 9th and worked his way up to finish in 6th....Derek Ihde came from 11th to finish in 7th....Arthur Schott started 13th and finished 9th......Troy Bauer started the SportMod feature in 16th and passed 9 cars to take home a 7th place finish....Matt McCahen passed 10 cars from his 19th place starting spot to finish in 9th....Sean Vogt finished 11th after starting in 15th....Scott Thomas came from 20th to finish in 15th....Bob Ebaugh finished 17th after starting in 22nd....Mike Nielsen came from 23rd to finish in 19th......Justin Hanson came from 26th in the Hobby Stock feature, after being disqualified in his heat, and passed 19 cars to take home a 7th place finish....Shawn Kuennen came from 20th to finish in 9th....Jeremy Floyd started 22nd and took home a 14th place finish....Mike Wilson started 19th and finished in 15th....Nathan Christie lost a right front tire in his heat race and was unable to get his machine fixed for the feature....Brayton Boyer was disqualified from his heat race and was able to get his car fixed, so he was a DNS for the feature......Stephan Kammerer started the Late Model feature in 12th and passed 6 cars to finish in 6th....Rory Metcalf finished 13th after starting in 18th....Dirk Hamilton came from 21st to finish in 17th....Joel Brasch had troubles in hot laps and was a DNS for both his heat and feature.

I can't think Ryan Clark and the entire crew for the great hospitality last night at the Independence Motor Speedway. But I am not sure they would like me to return, as last year I made three visits there and each time they had some difficulties keeping the show moving. Then the same thing happened last night, which means I must have a jinx on that place! LOL

Utter, Stewart and Cook Among Winners at CJ Speedway

Columbus Junction, IA (Friday, June 14, 2013) - It is very rarely to catch me at any other track on Friday nights besides the Lee County Speedway, as it is the track I work at weekly. But after heavy rain showers moved thru Donnellson, IA and forced the officials to cancel the nights activities, I decided to make the drive north to the CJ Speedway in Columbus Junction, IA. Despite the light rain showers during hot laps and the heats, the six features were completed.

The first feature up on the night was the 10 lap Mod Lites, with Gary Snyder and Michael Dominquez on the front row. But it was fifth place starter Dan Keltner who quickly moved to the front to grab the lead on lap 1. The only thing to slow down Keltner on this night was the lap 4 caution, as Brandon Skelly spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Keltner jumped back out front, with Troy Philpott, who started 6th, following in second. Keltner would go on to lead the final 6 laps to pick up his second straight win at the track. Philpott was 2nd, Evan Epperson came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Snyder held on for 4th, with Rob Guss rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 5 lap Truck feature, with two Trucks taking the green flag. Chad Milks grabbed the lead on lap 1 and never looked back, as he cruised to the win over Mick Wiele.

William Michel and Rick Hurlbut led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 10 lap IMCA Sport Compact feature. But it was fourth place starter Cory Sheetz who grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Tyler Whalen and Michel. Whalen drove his machine hard into turn 3 and pushed up the track making contact with Sheetz, and pushing Sheetz almost off the track in turn 4. This move would give Whalen the lead on lap 2, while Sheetz was able to hold on for 2nd. Whalen would then pull away over the final 8 laps to claim the win in a caution free event. Sheetz held on for 2nd, Darin Smith came from 6th to finish in 4th, with new comer Skipp Dunker coming from 8th to finish in 4th, with Michel holding on for 5th.

Doug Pratt and Johnathan Huston made up the front row for the 15 lap Modified feature. Just as the green flag was waved the yellow light would come on, as Levi Layman slowed to a stop in turn 1 with troubles. On the restart John Fellman grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Huston and Nick Hixson. The action was slowed for one final time after the completion of lap 1, as Brandon Banks spun in turn 2 after contact with one of the big tires. Fellman again moved out front on the restart, with Hixson working to hold back Steve Stewart, who started 8th. You could throw a blanket over Fellman, Hixson and Stewart over the final 13 laps. Fellman and Hixson both worked the top side of the track, while Stewart was working the bottom. Going into turn 3 on the final lap Stewart would dive to the bottom and made the pass to go from 3rd to first by the time they reached the checkered flag. Fellman settled for 2nd, Hixson was 3rd, Wade Lee was 4th, with Huston holding on for 5th.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Travis Finke and Bill Faler on the front row. But just as the green flag was waved the caution would come out, as Jeremy Tompkins went off the track in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Finke jumped out front on lap 1 over John Richardson and Shane Richardson. The three car battle up front was slowed for the second time on lap 4. This time Lane Kauffman and Nathan Wood spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. On the restart Blaine Dopler would spin his machine in turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Shane Richardson slip under Finke to grab the top spot on lap 5. Just as the lap was complete the yellow light would come on, as John Richardson, Kirk Kinsley and Kauffman collided in turn 2 to bring out the caution. On the restart Shane Richardson moved back out front, with Brandon Jay, who started 8th, holding back Cole Simmons in the battle for 2nd. Shane continued to hold back the field until the red flag came out on lap 8. Les Blakley went off the track in turn 1 and ended up rolling his machine to bring out the red, he would walk away ok. The final restart saw Shane jump back out front, with Jay working to hold back Jason Cook, who started 11th. Just like the Modified feature, Richardson and Jay worked the top of the track, while Cook worked the bottom. Coming out of trun 4 to take the white flag, Cook was able to clear both Richardson and Jay to take over the top spot. Cook then held on over the final lap to pick up the win. Jay would come home in 2nd, Wood recovered from his lap 4 spin to come back up to finish in 3rd by inches, with Shane Richardson coming home in 4th, and Finke holding on for 5th.

The final feature on the night was the 20 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Sam Halstead and Tommy Elston leading the field to the drop of the green. The only caution of the event came after the drop of the green, as the start was called back. The following restart saw Elston jump out front on lap 1 over Colby Springsteen and Jason Utter, who started 5th. Elston and Springsteen would run the top side of the track, leaving Utter to work the bottom. Utter then used the bottom of the track to work his way to the front on lap 6. He would pull away to lead the final 14 laps and claimed the $1,000 top prize. Elston came home in 2nd, Tom Goble was 3rd, Springsteen was 4th, with Jay Johnson rounding out the top 5.

Notes from CJ: 21 Stock Cars, 11 Modifieds, 11 Sport Compacts, 10 Late Models, 10 Mod Lites and 2 Trucks made up the 65 cars signed in on the night......Ron Kibbe started the Sport Compact feature in 9th and took home a 6th place finish......Rod Staats came from 10th in the Modified feature and passed 4 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Clayton Jensen came from 11th to finish in 8th....Todd Hansen was back up to 4th by lap 12, after pitting under the lap 1 caution. But mechanical troubles forced him to the pits on lap 13 to end his night in 9th......Blaine Dopler recovered from his lap 4 spin in the Stock Car feature to come back up to finish in 6th....Ryan Cook once again drove Corey Strothman's #c4 machine. He would start the feature in 14th and passed 7 cars to come home in 7th....John Hemsted came from 13th to finish in 8th....Shane Paris started 21st after having a left front flat in his heat. He would pass 12 cars to take home a 9th place finish....Darrin Ealey passed 5 cars from his 15th place starting spot to come home in 10th....Alex Buffington came home in 11th after starting in 18th....Jeremy Tompkins recovered from his lap 1 spin off the track in turn 2 to come back up to finish in 11th......Jay Chenoweth came from 10th in the Late Model feature and passed 4 cars to come home in 6th.

Burgtorf Holds Off Birkhofer For UMP Late Model Win at 34 Raceway

West Burlington, IA (Saturday, June 1, 2013) - Despite several inches of rains over Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the 34 Raceway crews were able to get things in shape to go racing on Saturday. The 111 cars signed in on the night provided the good crowd with some great racing action on a cool and windy June night.

The first feature up on the night was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods, with Creston Williams and Victor Hastings on the front row, after pole sitter Rob Wilsey elected to start from the rear. Just as the green flag waved the yellow light would come on, as Greg Uppinghouse lost a right front tire coming off turn 4. On the original restart, Hastings would jump out into the lead over Williams and Bobby Anders, who started 6th. Hastings then held the top spot until lap 4, when Anders slid under him for the lead. After the completion of lap 4, Austin Schulte would spin in turn 2 to bring out the caution. Anders grabbed the lead on the restart, but now had Tony Dunker, who started 9th, close behind in second. Dunker would make several attempts to get past Anders over the final 11 laps, but Anders was able to hold off his last lap challenge to pick up the win. Dunker settled for 2nd, Sean Wyett came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Derek St. Clair finished 4th after starting in 8th, with Hastings holding on for a fifth place finish.

Up next was the 20 lap 305 Sprint feature, with Damian Getchell and Shane Quam making up the front row. Getchell would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Ryan Jamison. But Jamison would slip past Getchell on lap 2 to take over the top spot. The action up front was slowed on lap 3, as Andy Baugh took a wild ride going into turn 3 and collected the car of Cody Wehrle to bring out the red. Baugh climbed from his machine ok. On the restart Donnie Steward, who started 10th and was running 5th, got out of shape in turn 1 with Jayson Ditsworth shooting under him. The right rear tire of Ditsworth's car made contact with Steward's left front, which caused heavy damage to Steward's front end. Causing Steward to spin to a stop in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. The following restart saw Jamison jump back out front, with Quam working to hold back John Schulz. Another caution on lap 5, for Tony Bundy who spun in turn 2, slowed the action up front. On the restart Daniel Bergquist would jump the start to bring out the yellow, and was sent to the rear. The next restart saw Jamison move back out front, with Schulz working on him for the top spot. But another roll in turn 4 would slow the action on lap 7, as Ditworth got upside down. He would climb from the car ok. Schulz would slip under Jamison on the restart to take over the lead and then held on over the final 12 laps to claim the win. Jamison crossed the line in 2nd but was later disqualified for illegal heads, moving Andy Huston up to 2nd after starting in 9th, Quam was moved up to 3rd, Dustin Whiting came from 11th to 4th, with Jarrod Schneiderman coming from 12th to round out the top 5.

Bill Roberts Jr. and Elmer Arnold led the field to the green in the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Roberts Jr. jumping out into the lead on the start. Roberts Jr., Jeff Mueller, Dennis LaVeine and Mitch Morris, who started 9th, had a great four car battle going up front, until the first caution of the race appeared on lap 9. Dean McGee, who was running 5th, caught a rut going into turn three and spun into the wall to bring out the yellow. On the restart Mueller was able to slip under Roberts Jr. to grab the lead, leaving Roberts Jr. to battle LaVeine and Morris for 2nd. The action was slowed for the second time of the race on lap 12, as Dustan Fenton spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Mueller jumped back out front on the restart, with Morris over taking Roberts Jr. and LaVeine to grab 2nd. Mueller then looked to be heading for a win until lap 17 when he slowed, allowing Morris to slip past for the lead. One lap later, lap 18, Mueller dropped the drive shaft coming off turn 4 to bring out the final caution. On the retart Morris moved out front and held on to pick up the win. LaVeine would finish in 2nd, Roberts Jr. held on for 3rd, Jeff Waterman came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Matt Werner passing 9 cars from his 14th starting spot to come home in 5th.

Chris Simpson and Chad Simpson led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 25 lap UMP Late Model feature, with Chad jumping out into the lead on lap 1 over Chris. The first caution of the event appeared on lap 3, as Dewayne Keiffer, who started 8th and was running 4th, spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Chad Simpson jumped back out front on the restart and then held it until lap 4. Disaster would strike Chad, as he slowed with a left rear flat, and at the same time Frankel, who was running 6th, had troubles in turn 4 to bring out the caution. Chris Simpson inherited the lead for the restart and then held it until another caution came out on lap 6. This time Ron Elbe would spin in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Chris moved back out front, with Mark Burgtorf and Brian Birkhofer battling for the second spot. Chris looked to be heading for an easy win, until disaster struke him on lap 13, when he came to a stop in turn 4 with heavy smoke coming from under the hood. Burgtorf would inherit the lead for the restart, and had to work to hold back Birkhofer. Burgtorf started to put a little distance between him and Birkhofer until he started entering lapped traffic on lap 20. As the two came to the white flag, Birkhofer made a low move to get under Burgtorf going into turn 1. But Burgtorf was able to clear the lapped cars coming off turn 2 to keep the lead. Burgtorf then held off Birkhofer coming off turn 4 to claim his first win of the season. Birkhofer was 2nd, Jason Perry came from 10th to finish in 3rd, Denny Eckrich was 4th, with Justin Reed coming from 11th to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Les Blakley and Jeremy Pundt on the front row. Just as the green flag waved the caution would wave, as Brett Timmerman slowed to a stop in turn 1 with a flat tire. Pundt would jump out into the lead on the restart, with Ray Raker working to hold back Abe Huls, who started 8th, in the battle for second. Another yellow waved on the completion on lap 1, as Shane Richardson, Travis Hartman and Travis Plummer collided in turn 4. On the restart Pundt once again grabbed the lead, but now had John Oliver Jr., who started 10th, close behind in 2nd. Oliver Jr. would slip past Pundt on lap 3 to take over the top spot, with another caution coming out on the completion of the lap. John Brockway and Alex Buffington would get together coming off turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Oliver Jr. moved back out front, with Huls and Jason Cook, who started 9th, battling it out for 2nd. Cook would clear Huls for second on lap 13 and then went to work on Oliver Jr. for the lead. Coming to lap 18, Cook was able to work under Oliver Jr. to take the lead, as Oliver Jr. got caught behind a lapped car. Oliver Jr. would make contact with the lapped car, which did a 360 and kept going to keep the race green. As Cook and Oliver Jr. came to the white flag, Oliver Jr. made the push into the lead from the top and then held off Cook on the final lap to claim the win. Cook was 2nd, Huls was 3rd, Blaine Dopler was 4th after starting in 11th, with John Richardson coming home in 5th.

The final feature up on the night was the 12 lap 4 Cylinders, with Austen Becerra and Jerrod Nichols on the front row. After two cautions before a lap was complete, the next 12 laps went caution free. The first caution that appeared before lap 1 was for Kimberly Abbott who spun in turn 4. On the next restart Dustin Ravelin spun to a stop off turn 2 to bring out the next yellow. The following restart saw Becerra grab the lead on lap 1 over Nichols and Ron Kibbe. As Becerra paced the field out front, Brent Hartley, who started 7th, and Skipp Dunker, who started 6th, worked there way to the front to make it a three car battle. Coming to the white flag Dunker would make a run at Becerra for the lead, but Becerra was able to hold him off for the win. Hartley would get past Dunker coming off turn 4 to finish in 2nd, Dunker settled for 3rd, Kibbe was 4th, with Wayne Noble coming from 8th to round out the top 5.

Notes from 34: 22 305 Sprints, 22 Stock Cars, 18 Late Models, 18 4 Cylinders, 16 SportMods, and 15 Modifieds made up the 111 cars signed in on the night......Brian Birkhofer made a rare appearence to 34 Raceway for a Late Model race that paid $1,200 to win. He and Burgtorf put on a great show for the fans to enjoy, with Burgtorf holding him off for the win......Rob Wilsey bought a car from Bobby Six this week and made his appearence as a car owner for the first time on Saturday at 34. He was suppose to start on the pole for the SportMod feature, but elected to go to the rear. He would pass 8 cars from his 16th place starting spot to finish in 8th....Scott Williams, Jake Morris and Adam Shelman all had troubles after there heat races to force them to scratch from the feature......Daniel Bergquist recovered from his lap 5 caution for jumping the restart and being sent to the back, to come back up to finish in 7th in the 305 Sprint feature....Cody Wehrle, who was driving a third car out of the Andy Huston stables, started 15th and was involved in the lap three red. He would make repairs and restarted in the back, only to come back to finish in 8th....Jacob Glasgow started 17th and passed 7 cars to come home in 10th....Dave Getchall came from 16th to finish in 11th....Harold Pohren passed 7 cars from his 19th place starting spot to finish in 12th....Nick Guernsey came from 18th to finish in 13th......Dugan Thye came from 12th in the Modified feature to finish in 8th......Clint Kirkham started the Late Model feature in 12th and passed 6 cars to come home in 6th....Bob Gardner made the pull over from Germantown Hills, IL and started 18th in the feature after having troubles in hot laps. He would pass 10 cars to take home an 8th place finish....Ron Elbe spun on lap 6 to bring out the caution and restarted in the rear, only to come back up to finish in 9th....Jared Schlipman started 15th and passed 5 cars to finish in 10th....Russ Adams made the pull from Princeville, IL and started 16th, but passed 5 cars to finish in 11th....Jay Johnson was running 4th, until he pulled off on lap 19 with troubles to end his night in 14th......Brett Timmerman recovered from his lap 1 flat to come from the rear of the Stock Car feature to finish in 6th....Kirk Kinsley came from 12th to finish in 7th....Ryan Cook drove Corey Strothman's c4 machine and started the feature in 15th. He would pass 7 cars to finish in 8th....Shane Richardson recovered from his lap 1 crash to come back to finish in 9th....Kris Walker made his first trip to 34 and started in 13th. But had to pit on the lap 3 caution with a flat. He would recover to come home in 11th....Chad Krogmeier started 17th and came home in 12th....Travis Hartman recovered from his lap 1 crash to finish in 14th....Dan Wenig drove Jake Wenig's number 4 machine and had troubles after the heat to scratch from the feature......Brandon Lambert started the 4 Cylinder feature in 12th and passed 6 cars to finish in 6th....Jacob Brown came from 15th and passed 8 cars to finish in 7th....Shawn Baker started 14th and finished in 9th....Kimberly Abbott recovered from her lap 1 spin to come back to finish in 11th....Kevin Mortimer and Roy Norton started the feature in 17th and 18th. Both passed 4 cars to take home 13th and 14th place finishes.