A Night of Wild Racing and Aikey Takes Greg Hunter Memorial at Indee

by Jeremy Fox

Independence, Iowa (July 16th, 2022) – Finally for the first time in almost a month, the Independence Motor Speedway saw some racing action after having the final night of June rained out, 4th of July weekend off and then having the fair race rained out. Justin Temeyer and track prep crew worked hard and got the racing surface ready, it was fast and had character leaving the it up to driver skill. One hundred and twenty three cars signed in for the Greg Hunter Memorial including 24 IMCA Late Models.

Saturday Night we remembered a hall of famer of the speedway in Greg Hunter, who passed away a week ago. Thanks to Jeff Temeyer, Scott Crawford, Flaucher (Dan & Layette), Johnson Plumbing & Heating, Denali’s on the River, Courtney Cue, Duffys (Jim, Lisa, Logan and Landon), Brian & Jadin Hunter, Ray & Gail Hunter, Benson Security, Mandy & Nathan Ritter, Joe Hayes, Tarpy Trucking, Ken’s Electric, Crawford Transport, Rick Wendling Family, Tim & Kelly Philo, Brad Osborn & Waterloo Auto Parts, Dominator Chassis, Curt Martin Family / Remax Independence Realty, Travis Smock / Peoples Company, Jeff Lickiss, Quam Trucking, Independence Plumbing & Heating, Zack Masteller, Black Hat Photography, Taylor & Jenny Simmons, Missy Simmons Davies & Donna Simmons, Christie Door Company, Chris Donnely, Ram Plumbing (Aaron & Andrea Luke), Chris Rodgers, Chris Canfield, Nick Wells Transportation, Dixon Chassis, Hosch Farms, Doug Cue (Superior Cleaning), JR3 Racing, Andy & Penny Donnelly, PC Dirt Works, Cody Rawsom Family, Jeff Huntley Trucking, Tom Brown, Memory of David Fangmans for adding money to make the night even more special remembering a friend Greg Hunter.

First feature of the night was the Burco Sales IMCA Sport Mod feature event, originally scheduled for 15 laps but a bounty was place on Tony Olson, he was given the option to go to the tail to double his money no matter where he finished and if somebody else could be Olson, they would claim $200. Well Tony Olson accepted the challenge and that turned the feature into a 20 lap feature event. Vern Jackson grab the stop spot early fending Cole Suckow and Brandon Tharp. The caution came out on lap two when Rayce Mullen spun in turn two. Jackson led until lap four when Logan Veloz took the top spot away. Veloz held off Jackson and Suckow meanwhile Olson was working his through to the top five. The caution came out again on lap 12 when Josh Weltzin spun in turn two. Veloz led until lap 14 when Olson made the move and took the lead away. The caution came out again on lap fifteen twice and on lap eighteen. Olson held off Veloz including the last lap when Olson about gave it away. Olson took his fifth in a row at Indee ahead of Veloz, Austin Stamm, Jackson and Kip Siems.
Dominator Chassis IMCA Stock Cars 20 lap feature was next on the speedway and it was Jason Hocken grabbing the early lead but the caution came on lap two when Trent Blessing spun in turn two. Hocken had to deal with Leah Wroten on the restart, Wroten took advantage and took the lead away on lap four. The caution came on lap six when Kaden Reynolds was spun in turn four by Chris Luloff. Wroten looked to be heading on to take the feature win but Cole Mather was able to steal it away on lap sixteen. Mather went on to take his fourth win of the season in Indee. Wroten finished second, Tom Schmitt was third, Jason Doyle in fourth and Reynolds in fifth.
Chris Pittman took the lead on lap one in the Waterloo Auto Parts Compacts 12 lap feature but before the field completed another lap the red flag came out when Joseph Hempstead took a tumble in turn four. Korey Lana stole the lead away temporarily on lap two before Pittman regaining on lap four. Blake Driscol worked his way through and took over the race lead on lap six. Driscol held off a hard charging Colton Stewart to take his second win of the season. Stewart, Lana, Pittman and Matt mIller rounded out the top five.
Bobby Hansen and Jeff Aikey led the field to the green flag in the 25 lap Dunlap Motors IMCA Late Model feature event. Aikey used that too his advantage by taking the race lead early. Hansen had to battle with Matt Ryan, Andy Nezworski and Sean Johnson until the caution came out on lap eight when Chase Jermeland and Scott Welsch spun in turn three and four. The caution came out again on the restart when Brandon Davis Spun turn two. Aikey was not fazed and held off any challenge on the restarts. Aikey went on to take the feature win worth $2,777 to win. Must have been a power of the sevens to remember Greg Hunter with Aikey taking the win in the number 77, Nezworski finished second in the number 7 car. Johnson was third, Ryan in the 07 car was fourth and Hansen was fifth.
Waterloo Auto Parts Indee Cars 12 lap feature was next and Dale Schwamman led the first four laps before a caution came out when Owen Rosburg went off the top of turn one. Chad Dugan stole the lead away on the restart and not even the caution on lap seven for Skyler Dugan getting into Kolton Osborn in turn two was Chad Dugan going to be denied his fourth win in a row. Schwamman, Carson James, Skyler Dugan and Dave Rosburg rounded out the top five.
Josh Barta grab the lead early in the Performance Bodies IMCA Modifieds 20 lap feature event but just after one lap scored the caution came out when Dustin Kroening and Rod McDonald in turn one. Barta held on to the race lead until lap four when Ryan Maitland took it away. Troy Cordes used a caution on lap six to take the race lead away. Cordes appeared to be the guy to beat however on lap 16, Cordes had to contend with a lap car and ended up sliding off the top resulting in to the tail that gave the lead over to Maitland. Maitland held off Burnson Behning on the restart but the caution came out again on lap 17 when Behning spun in turn one. JD Auringer, driving for Timmy Current, took the race lead away on the restart and never looked back. Auringer took his first win of the season. Maitland was second, Dustin Kroening was third, Mark Schulte was fourth and McDonald was fifth.

Final feature of the night was the 15 lap Albert Auto IMCA Hobby Stocks feature event. Third place starter Billy Rhoades took the race lead early and not even a lap eight caution for Dalton Weepie and Mathew Vislisel spinning on the front stretch and Randy LaMar in turn three on lap 14. Rhoades was determined to claim the win, Brett Vanous tried to get by but had to settle for second. Shawn Kuennen, Caden Helle and Tyler Ball rounded out the top five.
Next Saturday Night is Iowa Donor Network “Racing to Save Lives” Night presented by Geater Machining & Manufacturing. Kid’s Giveways, Iowa Donor Network will be on hand and Increased Purse for all classes. Dunlap Motors IMCA Late Models, Performance Bodies IMCA Modifieds, Dominator Chassis IMCA Stock Cars, Burco Sales IMCA Sport Mods, Albert Auto Service IMCA Hobby Stocks, Waterloo Auto Parts Indee Cars and Waterloo Auto Parts Sport Compacts. Pits Open at 4p, Grandstands Open at 4:30p, Hot Laps at 5:30p, Racing at 6p.

The following week Saturday August 6th, the speedway will try again to host the Haulin’ with Hoker Trucking SLMR Late Models for a night as the rescheduled Buchanan County Fair Late Model Showdown presented by People’s Company. SLMR Late Models will be $7,200 to win for the Denny Osborn Memorial. IMCA Modifieds ($1,000 to win) and IMCA Stock Cars ($750 to win), both are Fast Shaft and B&B Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifiers. IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Hobby Stocks, Compacts and Indee Cars also fill out the card. Hot Laps at 6:30p, Racing to Follow.

For more information about Independence Motor Speedway check out jjamracing.net or independencemotorspeedway.myracepass.com or like the Facebook page Independence Motor Speedway or contact promoter Mick Trier at (515) 201-5526 or Track manager Justin Temeyer at (563) 920-2867.

Independence Motor Speedway
Greg Hunter Memorial

Saturday July 16th, 2022

IMCA LATE MODELS
presented by Dunlap Motors
Feature (25 laps) : 1. 77 Jeff Aikey (Cedar Falls); 2. 7 Andy Nezworski (Blue Grass); 3. 8R Sean Johnson (Independence); 4. 07 Matt Ryan (Davenport); 5. 9 Bobby Hansen (Center Point); 6. 10 Jacob Waterman (Colona, Ill.); 7. 17 Tim Simpson (Iowa City); 8. 60 Dalton Simonsen (Fairfax); 9. 98 Travis Smock (Independence); 10. 45 Curt Martin (Independence); 11. 72 Jerod Ballhagen (Allison); 12. 73 Greg Kastli (Waterloo); 13. 12 Don Pataska (Green Island); 14. 13JR Colton Leal (Dubuque); 15. 2P Jon Passick (Waterloo); 16. 62 Brandon Davis (Waterloo); 17. 1425 Leah Wroten (Independence); 18. 23 Austin Russell (Dunkerton); 19. 33 Kevin Kirkpatrick (Waterloo); 20. 14 Logan Duffy (Independence); 21. 192 Chase Jermeland (Decorah); 22. 5W Scott Welsh (Cedar Rapids); 23. 56W Gary Webb (Blue Grass); DNS 92 Dustin Schram (Sterling, Ill.).
Heat 1 (10 laps) : 1. Simonsen; 2. Nezworski; 3. Simpson; 4. Leal; 5. Waterman; 6. Kirkpatrick; 7. Welsh; 8. Schram.
Heat 2 (10 laps) : 1. Aikey; 2. Duffy; 3. Webb; 4. Ryan; 5 . Kastli; 6. Smock; 7. Russell; 8. Wroten.
Heat 3 (10 laps) : 1. Johnson; 2. Martin; 3. Hansen; 4. Passick; 5. Pataska; 6. Ballhagen; 7. Jermeland; 8. Davis.

IMCA MODIFIEDS
presented by Performance Bodies
Feature (20 laps) : 1. 12T JD Auringer (Waterloo); 2. 4 Ryan Maitland (Waterloo); 3. 56 Dustin Kroening (Hebron, Ill.); 4. 27M Mark Schulte (Delhi); 5. 49 Rod McDonald (Manchester); 6. 3S Adam Shelman (Traer); 7. 70 Jerry King (Waterloo); 8. 80 Jerry Dedrick (Vinton); 9. 71 Troy Cordes (Dunkerton); 10. 5 Jason Morehouse (Evansdale); 11. 7 Todd Jensen (Waterloo); 12. 57H Richard Hines (Waterloo); 13. 57B Dennis Betzer (Central City); 14. 37B Brunson Behning (Calamus); 15. 11B Mike Burbridge (Delhi); 16. 43 Milo Veloz (Colona, Ill.); 17. 415 Josh Barta (Cedar Falls); 18. 23 JJ Scott (Iowa City); DNS 41P Keith Pittman (Waterloo).

Heat 1 (8 laps) : 1. Cordes; 2. Shelman; 3. Schulte; 4. Dedrick; 5. Pittman; 6. Hines.
Heat 2 (8 laps) : 1. Maitland; 2. Burbridge; 3. Veloz; 4. Morehouse; 5. Betzer; 6. Jensen.
Heat 3 (8 laps) : 1. Auringer; 2. King; 3. Behning; 4. Barta; 5. Kroening; 6. McDonald; 7. Scott.

IMCA STOCK CARS
presented by Dominator Chassis
Feature (20 laps) : 1. 74C Cole Mather (Oelwein); 2. 14C Leah Wroten (Independence); 3. 18 Tom Schmitt (Independence); 4. 40J Jason Doyle (Marion); 5. 1 Kaden Reynolds (Cedar Rapids); 6. 115 Hannah Chesmore (Rowley); 7. 85R Tyler Carey (Nashua); 8. 22K Kevin Rose (Waterloo); 9. JR3 Jason Hocken (Independence); 10. 18L Chris Luloff (Independence); 11. 3 Jarod Weepie (Dunkerton); 12. 4JR Russell Damme Jr (Waterloo); 13. 16 Rob Twaites (Waterloo); 14. 20B Matt Burmeister (Denver); 15. 12B Ed Thomas (Waterloo); 16. 23 Tyler Travis (Vinton); 17. 171 Buck Swanson (Reinbeck); 18. 13A Trent Blessing (Cedar Rapids); DNS 99G Scott Nagel (Riverside, Calif.).

Heat 1 (8 laps) : 1. Mather; 2. Wrtoten; 3. Schmitt; 4. Travis; 5. Swanson; 6. Thomas.
Heat 2 (8 laps) : 1. Weepie; 2. Reynolds; 3. Chesmore; 4. Damme; 5. Carey; DNS Blessing.
Heat 3 (8 laps) : 1. Doyle; 2. Luloff; 3. Hocken; 4. Rose; 5. Burmeister; 6. Nagel; 7. Twaites.

IMCA SPORT MODS
presented by Burco Sales
Feature (15 laps) : 1. T23 Tony Olson (Cedar Rapids); 2. 43LV Logan Veloz (Colona, Ill.); 3. 118 Austin Stamm (Orangeville, Ill.); 4. 64 Vern Jackson (Waterloo); 5. 16SS Kip Siems (Cedar Falls); 6. 22JR Brady Hilmer (Dysart); 7. 42 Chris Lewis (Vinton); 8. 77JR Rayce Mullen (Pearl City, Ill.); 9. 7 Jerad Staver (Stockton, Ill.); 10. 17 Ethan Krall (Evansdale); 11. 75 Cole Suckow (Cresco); 12. 34N Thomas Nelson (Stuart); 13. 15B Troy Burkhart (Urbana); 14. 88K Kole Quam (Waterloo); 15. 59 Josh Fisher (La Porte City); 16. 28R Carl Reninger (Cedar Falls); 17. 66 Terry Johnson (Waterloo); 18. B21 Brandon Tharp (Vinton); 19. 11 Josh Weltzin

Heat 1 (8 laps) : 1. Jackson; 2. Tharp; 3. Suckow; 4. Burkhart; 5. Staver; 6. Johnson; 7. Mullen.
Heat 2 (8 laps) : 1. Olson; 2. Veloz; 3. Hilmer; 4. Lewis; 5. Reninger; 6. Nelson.
Heat 3 (8 laps) : 1. Stamm; 2. Siems; 3. Quam; 4. Fisher; 5. Krall; 6. Weltzin.

IMCA HOBBY STOCKS
presented by Albert Auto

Feature (15 laps) : 1. 82 Billy Rhoades (Maynard); 2. 357 Brett Vanous (Quasqueton); 3. 35B Shawn Kuennen (Hazleton); 4. 15C Caden Helle (Garnavillo); 5. 27B Tyler Ball (Independence); 6. 7N Trenton Neuhaus (Quasqueton); 7. 24T Tyler Ollendieck (Tripoli); 8. 146 Leighton Potter (Lake Elmo, Minn.); 9. 3 Dalton Weepie (Dunkerton); 10. 06S Adam Streeter (Walker); 11. 4R Randy LaMar (Buffalo); 12. 7B Jim Ball Jr (Independence); 13. 72 Mathew Vislisel (Cedar Rapids); 14. 17B Garrett Ball (Independence); 15. 15M Zeke Wheeler (Vinton); DNS M35 Chad Mannion (Waterloo).

Heat 1 (8 laps) : 1. Rhoades; 2. Potter; 3. Kuennen; 3. Weepie; 4. Mannion; 5. Helle; 6. Jim Ball Jr; 7. Neuahus.
Heat 2 (8 laps) : 1. LaMar; 2. Vanous; 3. Streeter; 4. Wheeler; 5. Tyler Ball; 6. Vislisel; 7. Garrett Ball; 8. Ollendieck.

INDEE CARS
presented by Waterloo Auto Parts

Feature (12 laps) : 1. 1 Chad Dugan (Garber); 2. 25 Dale Schwamman (Fort Akinson); 3. 33 Carson James (Winthrop); 4. 1JR Skyler Dugan (Waukon); 5. 74 Dave Rosburg (Arlington); 6. 72 Kolton Osborn (Janesville): 7. 37 Owen Rosburg (Arlington); 8. 19 Matt Dugan (Garnavillo); 9. 79 Matt Dales (Oelwein); DNS 44 Cayden Bergmann (Tripoli).

Heat (6 laps) : 1. Schwamman; 2. Osborn; 3. Matt Dugan; 4. Owen Rosburg; 5. Skyler Dugan; 6. James; 7. Chad Dugan; 8. Dave Rosburg; 9. Bergmann; DNS Dales.

SPORT COMPACTS
presented by Waterloo Auto Parts

Feature (12 laps) : 1. 31D Blake Driscol (Dysart); 2. 65C Colton Stewart (Vinton); 3. 24 Korey Lana (Center Point); 4. 25 Chris Pittman (Dunkerton); 5. 29 Matt Miller (Watelroo); 6. 11H Justin Hempstead (Manchester); 7. T2 Jaice Tuttle (Vinton); 8. 35M Tyler Mannion (Jesup); 9. 04 Aden Knight (Waterloo); 10. 69M Jeremy Wheeler (Vinton); 11. 07 Gracie Hempstead (Maquoketa); 12. 58 Aaron Swearingen (Monticello); 13. 81 Christopher Mannion (Waterloo); 14. 143C Zander Carter (Manchester); 15. 56 Joseph Hempstead (Manchester); DNS 4R Spencer Roggentien (Amana).

Heat 1 (6 laps) : 1. Miller; 2. Pittman; 3. Lana; 4. Tuttle; 5. Christopher Mannion; 6. Wheeler; 7. Carter; 8. Tyler Mannion.
Heat 2 (6 laps) : 1. Driscol; 2. Stewart; 3. Joseph Hempstead; 4. Justin Hempstead; 5. Knight; 6. Gracie Hempstead; 7. Swearingen; 8. Roggentien.

Category: Iowa