Jackson holds off Hogan for I.M.C.A. modified checkers at Independence Motor Speedway

By Ryan Clark

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (July 8) – Two veteran drivers each in search of their first win of the season put on an exciting show in the I.M.C.A. modified division at Independence Motor Speedway.

Vern Jackson and Scott Hogan hadn’t made the trip to the winner’s circle during the first half of the season, but both drivers put on a show for the ages as they battled at the front of the pack during the 20-lap event.

At the drop of the green, Ed Thomas set the pace as he assumed command early from his second row start. Thomas led the pack for the first four circuits while Jackson worked through traffic from a fifth row start. Jackson took over the lead on lap five driving the bottom side of the 3/8-mile oval.

In the meantime, Hogan was also working his way through traffic and settled into second on lap seven. Running the high side, Hogan reeled in Jackson and the two engaged in a side-by-side battle for the lead a few laps later. Hogan took the edge with only five laps remaining.

Jackson continued to pressure Hogan from the bottom groove and the lead pair swapped the top spot until Jackson was able to take charge for good with only one lap remaining. He drove to the checkers to take home the win ahead of Hogan in the caution-free event.

Troy Cordes raced through the field and pulled to within a car-length of the leaders at the stripe, but settled for third. Points leader J.D. Auringer made a charge through the field, as well, nipping track newcomer Richie Gustin at the line for fourth.

Luke Goedert was the early leader in the 25-lap I.M.C.A. late model feature. Goedert held the point as Tysus Pattee worked the bottom groove from his third row start. Pattee pulled even with the race leader and took command on lap five, just prior to a pair of caution periods.

When the race resumed, Pattee held the point with Curt Martin, who started 11th, in tow. Martin drove under Pattee on lap eight and drove away from the field to score the victory, his second straight win. Greg Hunter and Dean Wagner completed the top three.

In the I.M.C.A. stock car division, defending national champion Damon Murty was in the cat bird’s seat, starting the feature from the pole position. Murty survived a handful of cautions in the early stages of the event to lead all 20 laps en route to the victory.

Brian Irvine, who started seventh, made an impressive run through the field to take runner-up honors. Jason Goedken finished third.

Chris Luloff made quick work of the field in the I.M.C.A. hobby stock feature. From his fourth row start, Luloff made his way through traffic early to assume command on lap two. He led the remainder of the 15-lapper to score the victory over Matt Brown and Brandon Davis.

John Bates took the lead from Kyle Bentley on the second lap of the 15-lap B modified feature and never looked back as he scored his first win of the season. Bates was chased to the checkers by a pair of sixth row starters – points leader Brian Kunkle and track newcomer Brett Ladehoff, respectively.

RESULTS

I.M.C.A. LATE MODEL

First heat – 1. 68 Tysus Pattee, Garrison; 2. 145 Dale Hackwell Jr., Washburn; 3. 16 Tyler Bruening, Decorah; 4. 7 Greg Hunter, Independence; 5. 44S Tom Struve, Palo; 6. 85 LaVern Carey, Ionia; 7. 2P Jon Passick, Waterloo; DQ 86 Rick Dralle, Waterloo.

Second heat – 1. 06 Dean Wagner, Evansdale; 2. 53 Darren Ackerman, Waterloo; 3. 45 Curt Martin, Independence; 4. 77 Dirk Hamilton, Jesup; 5. 14B Levi Benn, Dyersville; 6. 88 Drew Johnson, Belle Plaine; 7. 4B Brian Lillie, Independence; 8. 4 Leon Thomsen, Waverly.

Third heat – 1. 78W Rick Wendling, Hazleton; 2. 44 Luke Goedert, Holy Cross; 3. 73 Greg Kastli, Waterloo; 4. 17 Brian Hunter, Independence; 5. 69B Joel Brasch, Dunkerton; 6. 8 Randy Wheeler, Cedar Falls; 7. 31$ Dave Stricker, Waterloo.

B feature – 1. Struve; 2. Brasch; 3. Johnson; 4. Carey; 5. Passick; 6. Benn; 7. Stricker; 8. Wheeler; 9. Thomsen; 10. Lillie.

A feature – 1. Martin; 2. G. Hunter; 3. Wagner; 4. Bruening; 5. Ackerman; 6. Pattee; 7. Wendling; 8. Goedert; 9. Passick; 10. Hamilton; 11. Struve; 12. Hackwell; 13. Wheeler; 14. Benn; 15. Carey; 16. Johnson; 17. Brasch; 18. Stricker; 19. B. Hunter; 20. Kastli.

I.M.C.A. MODIFIED

First heat – 1. 24R Adam Johnson, Independence; 2. 64 Vern Jackson, Waterloo; 3. 01 Ed Thomas, Waterloo; 4. 00 J.D. Auringer, Waterloo; 5. 85 Johnathan Thimmesch, Aurora; 6. 57B Dennis Betzer, Central City; 7. 1ST Brett Hamilton, Flat Rock, Va.; 8. 17B Brian Sondag, Vinton; 9. 111 Buster Pate, Hiawatha.

Second heat – 1. 33D Scott Hogan, Vinton; 2. 14 Randy Trefz, Vinton; 3. F7 Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 4. 3 Max Corporon; 5. 8F Ernie Freese, Morley; 6. 93 Erik Haupt, Sumner; 7. 13 Jim Schaefer, Waterloo; 8. 43 Ty Glass, Cedar Rapids; DNS 78 Adam Bolin, Waterloo.

Third heat – 1. 4S Garry Stuber, Waterloo; 2. 71 Troy Cordes, Raymond; 3. 18 Jerry Luloff, Independence; 4. 98 Jason Snyder, Dunkerton; 5. 19G Richie Gustin, Gilman; 6. 11 Timm Jensen, Dunkerton; 7. 23W Robert Whalen, Nashua; 8. 83C Todd Conrad, Cedar Rapids; 9. 02 Mike Gill, La Porte City.

First B feature – 1. Gustin; 2. Gill; 3. Hamilton; 4. Whalen; 5. Pate; 6. Thimmesch; DNS Haupt; DNS Glass.

Second B feature – 1. Betzer; 2. Jensen; 3. Schaefer; 4. Freese; 5. Sondag; 6. Bolin; 7. Conrad.

A feature – 1. Jackson; 2. Hogan; 3. Cordes; 4. Auringer; 5. Gustin; 6. Luloff; 7. Thomas; 8. Snyder; 9. Corporon; 10. Flannagan; 11. Stuber; 12. Jensen; 13. Gill; 14. Johnson; 15. Trefz; 16. Schaefer; 17. Hamilton; 18. Betzer; 19. Whalen; 20. Freese.

I.M.C.A. STOCK CAR
First heat – 1. 99D Damon Murty, Chelsea; 2. 20 Dan Trimble, Fairbank; 3. 8R Sean Johnson, Independence; 4. 38 Dain Sires, Cedar Falls; 5. 21 Shane Manson, Manchester; 6. 9S Rick Suckow, Oelwein; 7. K38 Kenny Taylor, Strawberry Point.

Second heat – 1. 3 Jarod Weepie, Dunkerton; 2. JR3 Jason Hocken, Independence; 3. Steve Meyer, Grundy Center; 4. 7G Jason Goedken, Fairbank; 5. 83Z Nick Wroten, Rowley; 6. 00 Tony Schimmels, Readlyn; 7. 6X Bob Ahrendsen, Cedar Rapids.

Third heat – 1. 29A Jeff Adams, Bondurant; 2. 22 Kevin Rose, Waterloo; 3. 26 Brian Irvine, Oelwein; 4. 69 Kurt Kastli, Waterloo; 5. 58I Eric Weber, Jesup; 6. 15 Norman Chesmore, Quasqueton; DNS 4 LaVerne Weber, Waterloo.

Feature – 1. Murty; 2. Irvine; 3. Goedken; 4. Trimble; 5. Weepie; 6. Wroten; 7. Johnson; 8. Manson; 9. E. Weber; 10. Adams; 11. Meyer; 12. Sires; 13. Schimmels; 14. Ahrendsen; 15. Chesmore; 16. Taylor; 17. Hocken; 18. Kastli; 19. Rose; 20. Suckow; DNS L. Weber.

I.M.C.A. HOBBY STOCK

First heat – 1. 30 Mike Stanek, Dewar; 2. 55 Vince Buchholz, Cedar Falls; 3. 22 Patrick Stansbery, Evansdale; 4. 8 Bill Meyer, Sumner; 5. 22H Curt Hilmer, Dysart; 6. 77 Rod Grother, Cedar Rapids; 7. 32 Don Arnold, Stanley; 8. C67 Ryan Hogan, Littleton; 9. 19 Greg Jones, Aplington.

Second heat – 1. 31S Paul Shepherd, Marengo; 2. 78 Matt Brown, Dysart; 3. 20 Wes Stanek, Cedar Falls; 4. 1S Greg Sweerin, Evansdale; 5. 64JR Jeremiah Wilson, Waterloo; 6. 7B Jim Ball, Independence; 7. 20W Bruce Fraser, Manchester; 8. 12J Jeremy Floyd, Cedar Rapids; 9. 62 Ryan Bochmann, Greene.

Third heat – 1. 24R Kevin Robinson, Independence; 2. 18 Chris Luloff, Independence; 3. B62 Brandon Davis, Cedar Rapids; 4. 35 Josh Irvine, Oelwein; 5. 25 Jamie Whitaker, Nevada; 6. 8T Perry Thomsen, Cedar Rapids; 7. 88S Joe Sprague, Independence; 8. 18W Dave Wheeler, Fairbank; 9. 6G Keven Gonzales, Fairbank.

First B feature – 1. Hilmer; 2. Whitaker; 3. Ball; 4. Floyd; 5. Sprague; 6. Gonzales; 7. Jones; DNS Arnold.

Second B feature – 1. Thomsen; 2. Wilson; 3. Bochmann; 4. Wheeler; 5. Hogan; DNS Grother; DNS Fraser.

A feature – 1. Luloff; 2. Brown; 3. Davis; 4. Buchholz; 5. Stansbery; 6. Irvine; 7. Bochmann; 8. Ball; 9. Meyer; 10. Whitaker; 11. Sweerin; 12. Floyd; 13. Wilson; 14. Robinson; 15. W. Stanek; 16. Wheeler; 17. Thomsen; 18. M. Stanek; 19. Shepherd; 20. Hilmer.

B MODIFIED

First heat – 1. 12D Joe Docekal, Dysart; 2. 19 Chuck Lewis, Coggon; 3. 24 Travis Brown, Cedar Rapids; 4. 35 Kyle Bentley, Fairbank; 5. 069 Mike Krall, Waterloo; 6. 40J Jason Doyle, Cedar Rapids; 7. 6 Steve Swope, Waterloo.

Second heat – 1. 75 Josh Sherbon, Cedar Falls; 2. T23 Tony Olson, Cedar Rapids; 3. 95H Mary Handberg, Waterloo; 4. 52R Marty Rouse, Grundy Center; 5. 00 Jim Buhlman, Cedar Falls; 6. 66 Brian Kauffman, Cedar Rapids; 7. 61 Lloyd Bacon, Cedar Falls; 8. 15 Rod McDonald, Strawberry Point.

Third heat – 1. 12X Brett Ladehoff, Marshalltown; 2. 99 John Bates, Fairbank; 3. 69 Joel Cox, Waterloo; 4. 20 Brian Kunkle, Oelwein; 5. 5 Bob Ebaugh, Raymond; 6. 7 Tim Swope, Waterloo; 7. 95 Todd Temeyer, Independence; 8. 57 Justin Hempstead, Manchester.

B feature – 1. Krall; 2. Ebaugh; 3. T. Swope; 4. S. Swope; 5. McDonald; 6. Bacon; 7. Temeyer; 8. Hempstead; 9. Doyle; 10. Kauffman;11. Buhlman.

A feature – 1. Bates; 2. Kunkle; 3. Ladehoff; 4. Olson; 5. Bentley; 6. Rouse; 7. Ebaugh; 8. T. Swope; 9. Handberg; 10. Sherbon; 11. Krall; 12. McDonald; 13. Temeyer; 14. Lewis; 15. S. Swope; 16. Bacon; 17. Hempstead; 18. Docekal; 19. Cox; 20; Brown.