Hocken delivers in IMCA Stock Cars at Independence Motor Speedway

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (Aug. 17) – On the night Jason Hocken and his wife, Molly, announced to family and friends they were expecting their second child, the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car driver earned his second win of the season at Independence Motor Speedway.

From his outside front row starting spot, Hocken assumed command at the drop of the green while the field battled for position in two and three-wide formation behind him. Justin Temeyer, who started in row five, made his way into the runner-up spot following a lap six restart and pestered Hocken for the remainder of the 18-lapper.

Temeyer remained on Hocken’s rear bumper throughout the final dozen laps and attempted to get a run on the low side of the leader. Hocken denied Temeyer’s challenges to lead the event in its entirety on his way to victory. Temeyer ran second ahead of Jesse Brown.

In Performance Bodies IMCA Modified action, pole-sitter Jeff Kriz paced the field for the first five laps until caution slowed action. On the restart, Vern Jackson worked the top side of the speedway into a battle for the lead before taking over one lap later.

Jackson held off late pressure from points leader Tyler Droste to take the win, his first in Independence since 2011. Droste and Ronn Lauritzen completed the top three.

Brian Hilbert was the early leader in the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod 15-lapper. Hilbert held the point while Joel Rust was making his way to the front from a sixth row start.

Rust worked the top groove into a three-wide battle with Jim Buhlman and Dave Schulze for second as the field exited turn four on lap eight. After making his way into the runner-up spot off the corner, Rust swept past Hilbert at the flag stand to assume command.

Rust drove away from the pack to score his second win in only three appearances this season. Buhlman and Schulze rounded out the top three.

Luke Pestka led all 25 laps to earn his first win of the season in the IMCA Late Model division. From his outside front row starting spot, Pestka built a straightaway lead by the time the caution flag waved 10 laps into the event.

Pestka again pulled away when racing resumed while Darren Ackerman raced into contention from a fifth row start. Ackerman closed late, however Pestka held on for the victory. Rick Dralle ran third.

Quinton Miller earned his second straight win and third of the season in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock division. Miller assumed command following a lap six restart to drive to victory in the 15-lapper ahead of points leader Benji Irvine and Jim Ball.

Merv Chandler locked up his second straight points championship in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact division. Chandler raced from the back of the pack to assume the lead on the third of 12 laps. He won the event going away ahead of A.J. Witten and Travis Ross.

Next Saturday, August 24, is Budweiser Season Championship Night. Track champions will be crowned in the final weekly points event of the season. Starting lineups will be straight-up based on season point totals with no heat race qualifying.

Visit www.independencemotorspeedway.com for the latest speedway news.

RESULTS IMCA LATE MODEL Feature – 1. 99 Luke Pestka, Robins; 2. 53 Darren Ackerman, Readlyn; 3. 1 Rick Dralle, Waterloo; 4. 2 Rory Metcalf, West Union; 5. 35 Curran Beckler, Tiffin; 6. 60 Dean Wagner, Evansdale; 7. 73 Greg Kastli, Waterloo; 8. 145 Dale Hackwell Jr., Washburn; 9. 16 Tyler Bruening, Decorah; 10. 21B Joel Brasch, Dunkerton; 11. 88 Drew Johnson, Belle Plaine; 12. 54 Wayne Hesse, Waterloo; 13. 4 Leon Thomsen, Waverly; 14. 77 Dirk Hamilton, Jesup; 15. 38S Dain Sires, Cedar Falls; 16. 45 Curt Martin, Independence; 17. 2P Jon Passick, Waterloo; 18. 83 Russell Hesse, Waterloo; 19. 98 Travis Smock, Independence. First heat – 1. Pestka; 2. Metcalf; 3. Passick; 4. Wagner; 5. R. Hesse; 6. Smock; 7. W. Hesse. Second heat – 1. Dralle; 2. Kastli; 3. Martin; 4. Johnson; 5. Brasch; 6. Thomsen. Third heat – 1. Ackerman; 2. Hackwell; 3. Bruening; 4. Beckler; 5. Sires; DNS Hamilton.

IMCA MODIFIED Feature – 1. 64 Vern Jackson, Waterloo; 2. 92 Tyler Droste, Waterloo; 3. 10K Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 4. 27M Mark Schulte, Delhi; 5. 71 Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 6. 12J Justin O’Brien, West Union; 7. 91 Shawn Ryan, Waterloo; 8. 93K Jeff Kriz, Waterloo; 9. 01 Ed Thomas, Waterloo; 10. 41P Keith Pittman, Waterloo; 11. 77 Tim McBride, Denver; 12. 78S Steve Stultz, Peoria, Ariz.; 13. 11 Timm Jensen, Dunkerton; 14. 10 Kaleb Bentley, Fairbank; 15. 5 Jason Morehouse, Evansdale; 16. F7 Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 17. 38M Dan Praska, Dunkerton; 18. 415 Josh Barta, Cedar Falls; 19. 49 Mike Manson, Manchester; 20. 11B Mike Burbridge, Delhi; 21. 24R Adam Johnson, Independence; 22. 75 Josh Sherbon, Cedar Falls. First heat – 1. Droste; 2. Jackson; 3. Kriz; 4. O’Brien; 5. Thomas; 6. Barta; 7. Cordes; 8. Bentley. Second heat – 1. Ryan; 2. Schulte; 3. Burbridge; 4. Sherbon; 5. Manson; 6. Praska; 7. Stultz. Third heat – 1. Johnson; 2. Pittman; 3. Flannagan; 4. Lauritzen; 5. McBride; 6. Morehouse; 7. Jensen.

IMCA STOCK CAR Feature – 1. JR3 Jason Hocken, Independence; 2. 56T Justin Temeyer, Independence; 3. 11 Jesse Brown, Nashua; 4. 8R Sean Johnson, Independence; 5. 3 Jarod Weepie, Dunkerton; 6. 7H Phil Holtz, Manchester; 7. 81 K.C. Ansel, Dubuque; 8. 22K Kevin Rose, Waterloo; 9. 15 Norman Chesmore, Rowley; 10. 94 Steve Meyer, Grundy Center; 11. 17 Jason Niedert, Winthrop; 12. 4JR Russell Damme, Waterloo; 13. 11J Jerome Jacoby, Waterloo; 14. 87 John Emerson, Waterloo; 15. 15T Tim Helle, Garnavillo; 16. 85C Bryce Carey, Nashua; DNS 6X Bob Ahrendsen, Cedar Rapids. First heat – 1. Chesmore; 2. Brown; 3. Holtz; 4. Emerson; 5. Temeyer; 6. Niedert; 7. Carey; 8. Jacoby; DNS Ahrendsen. Second heat – 1. Hocken; 2. Johnson; 3. Helle; 4. Weepie; 5. Meyer; 6. Damme; 7. Ansel; 8. Rose.

IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD Feature – 1. 26J Joel Rust, Grundy Center; 2. 00 Jim Buhlman, Cedar Falls; 3. J2 Dave Schulze, Keystone; 4. 86U Rod McDonald, Manchester; 5. 96 Lucas Lundry, Maynard; 6. 14 Shane Ebaugh, Evansdale; 7. 22H Curt Hilmer, Dysart; 8. 39 Brian Hilbert, Independence; 9. 63 Matt McCahen, Waterloo; 10. 21 Brennen Chipp, Waterloo; 11. 45 Jonathan Williams, Walker; 12. 35 Kyle Bentley, Independence; 13. 4 Ryan Maitland, Waterloo; 14. 7 Dave Fangman, Marion; 15. 32Z Alex Zwanziger, Nashua; 16. 20T Scott Thomas, Waterloo; 17. 21J Joe Harken, Waterloo; 18. 114 Mike Nielsen, Evansdale; 19. 50H Steve Wimer, Toddville; 20. 339 Kevin Hurst, Janesville; 21. S16 Kip Siems, Cedar Falls; 22. 115 Bob Ebaugh, Raymond; 23. 23 Synjun Bauer, Prairie du Chien, Wis.; 24. 3R Danny Dvorak, Vinton; 25. B62 Brandon Davis, Robins; 26. 198 Sam Wieben, Dysart. First heat – 1. Schulze; 2. McDonald; 3. Davis; 4. Zwanziger; 5. Lundry; 6. Williams; 7. Bentley; 8. Bauer; DNS B. Ebaugh. Second heat – 1. Buhlman; 2. Dvorak; 3. Hilmer; 4. Rust; 5. Thomas; 6. Fangman; 7. Wimer; 8. Hurst; 9. Harken. Third heat – 1. Siems; 2. Hilbert; 3. Chipp; 4. S. Ebaugh; 5. McCahen; 6. Maitland; 7. Nielsen; 8. Wieben.

IMCA HOBBY STOCK Feature – 1. 73 Quinton Miller, Independence; 2. 79 Benji Irvine, Cedar Falls; 3. 7B Jim Ball, Independence; 4. 14C Leah Wroten, Independence; 5. 25 Jamie Whitaker, Oelwein; 6. 35B Shawn Kuennen, Hazleton; 7. 45 Justin Wacha, Vinton; 8. 95 Matt Lundry, Oelwein; 9. 18X Dru Kueker, West Union; 10. 58B Randy Byerly, Tipton; 11. 18 Chris Luloff, Independence; 12. T64 Jeremiah Wilson, Waterloo; 13. 20B Matt Burmeister, Dunkerton; 14. 2 Nick Welch, Cedar Falls; 15. 55 Vince Buchholz, Waterloo. First heat – 1. Luloff; 2. Wacha; 3. Wilson; 4. Wroten; 5. Buchholz; 6. Byerly; 7. Kuennen; DNS Welch. Second heat – 1. Ball; 2. Miller; 3. Whitaker; 4. Kueker; 5. Lundry; 6. Irvine; 7. Burmeister.

IMCA SPORT COMPACT Feature – 1. 2 Merv Chandler, Urbana; 2. 111 A.J. Witten, Cedar Rapids; 3. 83 Travis Ross, Waterloo; 4. 26H Jim Hoth, Elkader; 5. 4 Mike Tedesco, Jesup; 6. 007 Adam Gates, Marion; 7. 25 D.J. Arnold, Stanley. Heat – 1. Witten; 2. Ross; 3. Gates; 4. Hoth; 5. Tedesco; DNS Chandler.

Category: Independence, Iowa