Carter edges Gustin to win Hogan Memorial at Benton County Speedway

VINTON, Iowa (July 14) – Cayden Carter proved patience is a virtue.

Carter remained committed to the high groove and took advantage of a late restart to edge Richie Gustin in the 19th annual Hogan Memorial Sunday at Benton County Speedway.

Gustin led much of the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified 40-lapper, but a late caution allowed Carter to challenge for the lead as the white flag waved. Carter went on to win in thrilling fashion, pocketing $1,250 plus an additional $100 in bonus lap money.

Pole-sitter Jerry Dedrick paced the field for the first eight laps while Tyler Droste and Gustin challenged. Droste took over for a pair of laps before Gustin ran the bottom groove into contention from a fourth row start.

Gustin battled three-wide with Dedrick and Droste before assuming command on lap 11. He quickly extended that advantage running the low side of the speedway while Carter, who started in the second row, slipped out of the top five.

Carter fought his way back into contention by running the top groove of the 1/4-mile and sat in fourth when a mandatory caution slowed action at the midway point on lap 20.

When racing resumed, Carter again went to the top side and made his way past Kyle Strickler for third. He then battled Droste side-by-side for numerous circuits until a lap 32 caution negated Gustin’s straightaway lead.

On the restart, Carter worked the outside lane past Droste while Gustin continued to stretch out his advantage on the bottom groove. That all changed when the final caution waved with three laps to go.

Carter again shot to the outside of Gustin when the green flag waved and pulled even with the leader in the first set of turns. Gustin led the next time past the flag stand, but Carter inched ahead when the white flag was displayed.

Gustin powered to the low side of Carter in turns three and four on the final lap, however Carter held on to score the thrilling win by less than a car-length.

With the victory, Carter became the 15th different winner in Hogan Memorial history and the seventh straight different driver to reach victory lane. He’d qualified for the 2013 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational by winning the Karl Performance Hawkeye Dirt Tour presented by XSAN feature at Vinton in May.

In addition to $600 for his runner-up finish, Gustin earned $1,400 for leading 28 laps, plus a $250 bonus for leading on lap 20. Dedrick got $400 in lap money, Droste $100.

Scott Hogan was the hard charger, advancing 13 positions to finish third.

Defending IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s champion Jeff Taylor vied for one of the 24 starting spots, running sixth in his heat and seventh in the first “B” main.

Weekly points racing complemented the Modified special. Danny Dvorak was the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod winner and Damon Murty held off late pressure from Norman Chesmore to win in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car division.

Kyle Parizek earned top honors in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Bill Whalen Jr. won the Mach-1 Sport Compact feature.

Feature – 1. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa; 2. Richie Gustin, Gilman; 3. Scott Hogan, Vinton; 4. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 5. Tyler Droste, Waterloo; 6. Joe Docekal, Dysart; 7. Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C.; 8. Steve Stewart, Burlington; 9. Jerry Luloff, Independence; 10. Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 11. Mike Van Genderen, Newton; 12. Dan Chapman, Clarence; 13. Jeff Waterman, Quincy, Ill.; 14. Vern Jackson, Waterloo; 15. Jerry Dedrick, Vinton; 16. Racer Hulin, Laurel; 17. Ed Thomas, Waterloo; 18. Tony Olson, Cedar Rapids; 19. Jake Bowman, Maquoketa; 20. Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 21. Kyle Brown, Kellogg; 22. J.D. Auringer, Waterloo; 23. Chris Snyder, Raymond; 24. Mike Burbridge, Delhi.

First heat (top three) – 1. Carter; 2. Stewart; 3. Docekal; 4. Chapman; 5. Lauritzen; 6. Kyle Krampe, Baxter; 7. Zach Rawlins, Kellogg; 8. Leon Wilson, Hopkinton.

Second heat – 1. Gustin; 2. Burbridge; 3. Waterman; 4. Flannagan; 5. Van Genderen; 6. Tony Snyder, Readlyn; 7. Olson; 8. Hulin.

Third heat – 1. Auringer; 2. Droste; 3. Cordes; 4. Mitch Morris, Eldridge; 5. Thomas; 6. Zach Less, Hopkinton; 7. David Brown, Kellogg.

Fourth heat – 1. K. Brown; 2. Dedrick; 3. Bowman; 4. Dennis Betzer, Central City; 5. Kevin Stoa, Clear Lake; 6. Jackson; 7. Kevin Goben, Sherrard, Ill.

Fifth heat – 1. Strickler; 2. C. Snyder; 3. Luloff; 4. Hogan; 5. Johnathan Huston, Columbus Junction; 6. Jeff Taylor, Cave City, Ark.; 7. Jason Murray, Hartford.

1st “B” feature (top three) – 1. Hogan; 2. Chapman; 3. Van Genderen; 4. Morris; 5. Krampe; 6. Stoa; 7. Taylor; 8. Olson; 9. Wilson; 10. Less; 11. Goben.

2nd “B” feature – 1. Lauritzen; 2. Flannagan; 3. Thomas; 4. Jackson; 5. D. Brown; 6. Murray; 7. Hulin; 8. T. Snyder; 9. Betzer; 10. Rawlins; 11. Huston.

Past champions provisional ­– Jackson. Track point provisionals – Olson and Hulin.

Category: Iowa