Champions Crowned at Davenport Speedway
by Mike McGuire
DAVENPORT, Ia. (August 23, 2013) – Friday was Season Championship night at the Davenport Speedway. Track champions were crowned in all five weekly classes. The point leader in each was given the chance at the “Back Row Challenge”, where if they started last and won, would double their prize money.
Andy Nezworski captured his second Petersen Plumbing & Heating IMCA Late Model feature of the year. Nezworski and Justin Kay raced side by side for the first six laps of the race. Andy took the lead on lap nine and would sail to the victory.
Rob Toland turned in another solid run to take second, followed by Nate Bueseling in third. Mike Zemo Jr. and Chuck Hanna were fourth and fifth respectively.
Justin Kay was involved in an incident on lap seven but worked his way back to a sixth place finish. The effort was enough to claim his first late model track championship at Davenport.
Last Friday, Craig Crawford dropped out of the point lead in the EMS IMCA Modified division for the first time since the end of May. This week, he got just enough of that lead back. Crawford started on the pole of the twenty lap main and led the entire distance for his third feature win of the season.
Tony VonDresky started the evening with the points lead, but had mechanical trouble in his heat race and started last in the feature. Tony slowly worked his way through the field to a sixth place finish, two spots short of what he needed to become track champion. Unofficially, Crawford won the track championship by a single point.
Matt Werner finished second, just ahead of Joe Beal, Dean McGee, and Mitch Morris, in that order.
Cary Brown used the bottom of the racetrack to get by Jeremy Marquette and take his second Koehler Electric Street Stock feature win of the season. Brown grabbed the lead on lap nine and held the top spot the rest of the way to the checkers. Marquette would hang on for second and win his fourth track championship at Davenport. Donnie Louck, Keith Jackson, and Perry Gellerstedt completed the top five.
Bryce Garnhart tried to double his money, by taking the “Back Row Challenge”, in the Hawkeye Auto IMCA SportMod feature. But it was Dan Mohr who wound up in victory lane. The win was Mohr’s first at Davenport, in 2013. Mohr took the lead from Doug Burkhead on lap ten, en route to the checkers. Burkhead would finish in the runner-up spot, with Garnhart coming through the field to take third and the track championship. Ben Chapman and Emily Gade rounded out the top five in the feature.
Aaron Hitt also opted for the “Back Row Challenge” in the Roto-Rooter 4-Stock main. He came up just inches short of collecting the bonus. Brandon Dahl led the twelve lap race from the drop of the green flag, while Hitt quickly worked his way through traffic. Dahl and Hitt would race side by side in the final laps with Dahl taking the win by less than a bumper. Hitt however won the track championship, his second in two years.
Third went to Andrew Fitzgerald, with Zach Dahl fourth, and Andy Loy fifth.
Maniac mechanic races were the added attraction for the evening. Mechanic race winners were: Street Stock –Joe Claussen, Modified – Floyd Chirstmas, Late Model – Russell Engeland, and SportMod – Keith Feller. The 4-Stock Mechanic race was called, after an incident that brought out the red flag.
Post-season action at the Davenport speedway kicks off on Friday, September 13th, with the Night of Destruction. Cheater races will be held in the Modified, Street Stock, SportMod, and 4-Stock classes. The featured event of the evening will be the trailer race, always a fan favorite.
Davenport Speedway
August 23, 2013
Results –
IMCA Late Models
Heat 1: 1. Chuck Hanna; 2. Mike Murphy Jr.; 3. Nate Bueseling; 4. Spencer Diercks; 5. Doug Nigh;
Heat 2: 1. LeRoy Brenner; 2. Matt Ryan; 3. Scott Fitzpatrick; 4. Andy Nezworski; 5. Mike Zemo Jr.;
Heat 3: 1. Joe Ross; 2. Rob Toland; 3. Stephan Kammerer; 4. Todd Malmstrom; 5. Justin Kay;
Feature: 1. Andy Nezworski; 2. Rob Toland; 3. Nate Bueseling; 4. Mike Zemo Jr.; 5. Chuck Hanna; 6.Justin Kay ; 7. Mike Murphy Jr.; 8. Marty Diercks; 9. Doug Nigh; 10. Cory Goldbeck; 11. Todd Malmstrom; 12. Scott Fitzpatrick; 13. Marty Scheckel; 14. Gary Webb; 15. Stephan Kammerer; 16. Joe Ross; 17. LeRoy Brenner; 18. Spencer Diercks; 19. Matt Ryan;
IMCA Modifieds
Heat 1: 1. Joe Beal; 2. Mitch Morris; 3. Matt Wilson; 4. Todd Reed; 5. Matt Werner;
Heat 2: 1. Dean McGee; 2. Jason Bahrs; 3. Brad Tyler; 4. Craig Crawford; 5. Doug Crampton;
Heat 3: 1. Todd Dykema; 2. Brian Bushong; 3. Terry Rentfro; 4. Tim Arp; 5. BJ Jackson;
Feature: 1. Criag Crawford; 2. Matt Werner; 3. Joe Beal; 4. Dean McGee; 5. Mitch Morris; 6. Tony Vock, nDresky; 7. Brad Tyler; 8. BJ Jackson; 9. Bruce Fosdyck Sr.; 10. Brian Bushong; 11. Terry Rentfro; 12. Josh Starr; 13. Bob Dominacki; 14. Doug Crampton; 15. Matt Wilson; 16. Todd Reed; 17. Greg Wilson; 18. Jason Bahrs; 19. Jarrod Struss; 20. Tim Arp; 21. Todd Dykema;
Street Stocks
Heat 1: 1. Kevin Dickey; 2. Perry Gellerstedt; 3. Tim Hazen; 4. Randy Lamar; 5. Donnie Louck;
Heat 2: 1. Nick Claussen; 2. Cary Brown; 3. Gerald Ward; 4. Bryan Ritter; 5. Jeremy Marquette;
Feature: 1. Cary Brown; 2. Jeremy Marquette; 3. Donnie Louck; 4. Keith Jackson; 5. Perry Gellerstedt; 6. Gerald Ward; 7. Nick Claussen; 8. Randy Lamar; 9. Steve Gustaf Jr.; 10. Tim Hazen; 11. Kevin Dickey; 12. Chris Schloemer; 13. Erick Turner; 14. Rick Schriner; 15. Randy Farrell; 16. Bryan Ritter;
IMCA Sport Mods
Heat 1: 1. Bryce Garnhart; 2. Dan Mohr; 3. Kory Meyer; 4. Ricky Kay; 5. Angie Feller;
Heat 2: 1. Ben Chapman; 2. Jason Wiggins; 3. Emily Gade; 4. Brandon Jewell; 5. Doug Burkhead;
Feature: 1. Dan Mohr; 2. Doug Burkhead; 3. Bryce Garnhart; 4. Ben Chapman; 5. Emily Gade; 6. Ricky Kay; 7. Joe Grant; 8. Jason Wiggins; 9. Kory Meyer; 10. Andre LaPorte; 11. Brandon Jewell; 12. Angie Feller;
4-Stock
Heat 1: 1. Luke Benischek; 2. Andrew Fitzgerald; 3. Brandon Dahl; 4. Brandon Setser; 5. Dan Peeters;
Heat 2: 1. Aaron Hitt; 2. Andy Loy; 3. Zach Dahl; 4. Ken Stogdell; 5. Eric Stodgell;
Feature: 1. Brandon Dahl; 2. Aaron Hitt; 3. Andrew Fitzgerald; 4. Zach Dahl; 5. Andy Loy; 6. Luke Benischek; 7. Eric Stogdell; 8. Jake Benischek; 9. Ken Stogdell; 10. Brandon Setser; 11. Dan Peeters;
Maniac Mechanic Race Winners:
Street Stock: Joe Claussen
Modified: Floyd Christmas
Late Model: Russell Engeland
SportMod: Keith Feller
4-Stock: called due to Red Flag
Category: Davenport Speedway, Iowa
