Aikey, Schulte score Indee Open Series wins at Highway 3 Raceway
By Ryan Clark

ALLISON, Ia (June 6, 2006) – Jeff Aikey has found his groove in the Indee Open Series. The veteran late model driver picked up his second series win of the season and third in the last four series events with his victory at Highway 3 Raceway.

The series made its first of two appearances on the half-mile oval this season as late models, modifieds and hobby stocks provided all the action.

At the start of the 30-lap late model feature, it was pole-sitter Greg Kastli taking the early lead. Kastli shot into the lead at the drop of the green flag and quickly distanced himself from the rest of the field. Tyler Bruening, Kevin Kile, Darrel DeFrance and Darin Duffy engaged in two and three-wide battles behind the leader throughout the early stages of the event.

As Kastli continued to pace the field, Kile pulled away from the pack and slowly reeled in Kastli as he entered lapped traffic on the 12th lap. By that time, the rest of the pack closed the gap on Kile, as well.

Just prior to the midway point of the event, Aikey moved into third position running the bottom groove of the lightning-fast oval. Aikey, who started 10th, powered into the lead on the 16th circuit and pulled away from the field to score the impressive win in the caution-free event. Kurt Kile marched through traffic to take runner-up honors and Kastli crossed the line in third.

In modified action, outside front row starter Mark Schulte took charge early. Schulte rocketed into the lead at the drop of the green, chased by second row starter Al Hejna. The lead pair broke away from the field and ran nose to tail until the first caution was displayed on the ninth lap of the 20-lap event.

Prior to the race restarting, Hejna pulled into the infield with mechanical problems, ending his run. Keith Schmitz inherited second with Kevin Pittman third. During the second caution on lap 12, Schmitz was sidelined with mechanical problems, as well.

On the restart, Dan Bohr settled into the runner-up spot after starting the event in 11th. Bohr pressured Schulte briefly when the race resumed, however Schulte was too strong as he drove to the victory, leading the event in its entirety. Bohr and Pittman ran second and third.

Mike Grantham led the early stages of the hobby stock main event until Mitch Hovden made his bid for the lead just past the mid-way point of the event. Hovden held on to take the win ahead of Grantham and Shane Barnett.


RESULTS

LATE MODEL

First heat – 1. 99D Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown; 2. 14B Levi Benn, Dyersville; 3. 19 Darin Duffy, Hazleton; 4. 77X Kurt Kile, Nichols; 5. 76 Jason Hahne, Webster City; 6. 32 Chris Simpson, Marion; 7. 15G Cam Granger, West Union; 8. 22 Jill George, Cedar Falls; DNS 15C Curt Schroeder, Des Moines.

Second heat – 1. 88 Kevin Kile, West Liberty; 2. Z2 Gary Webb, Blue Grass; 3. 78W Rick Wendling, Hazleton; 4. 06 Dean Wagner, Evansdale; 5. 85 Kelly Tapper, Boone; 6. 9 Bobby Hansen, Center Point; 7. 33 Kevin Kirkpatrick, Waterloo; 8. 17A Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove; 9. 25X Nate Hartzell, Cedar Falls.

Third heat – 1. 73 Greg Kastli, Waterloo; 2. 16 Tyler Bruening, Decorah; 3. 11 Ace Ihm, Hazel Green, Wis.; 4. 77 Jeff Aikey, Waterloo; 5. 45 Curt Martin, Independence; 6. 29 Wayde Russell, Dunkerton; 7. 145 Dale Hackwell Jr., Washburn; 8. 4 Leon Thomsen, Waverly.

Feature – 1. Aikey; 2. Kurt Kile; 3. Kastli; 4. Kevin Kile; 5. Duffy; 6. DeFrance; 7. Simpson; 8. Martin; 9. Ihm; 10. Bruening; 11. Wagner; 12. Wendling; 13. Tapper; 14. Hansen; 15. Hackwell; 16. Hahne; 17. Benn; 18. Russell; 19. Granger; 20. Zrostlik; 21. Thomsen; 22. Webb; 23. George; 24. Schroeder; 25. Hartzell; 26. Kirkpatrick.



MODIFIED
First heat – 1. 26P Kevin Pittman, Waterloo; 2. 7X Al Hejna, Clear Lake; 3. 41P Keith Pittman, Waterloo; 4. 21 Layne Meyer, West Union; 5. 9L Tim Current, Dubuque; 6. 91 Shawn Ryan, Waterloo; 7. F7 Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 8. 11B Mike Burbridge, Delhi.

Second heat – 1. 43 Jim Williams, Atkins; 2. 25X Keith Schmitz, Swaledale; 3. 40 Brett Root, Vinton; 4. 99L Luke Pestka, Robins; 5. 7A Mike Liddle, Plainfield; 6. 99M Tim Murty, Tama; DNS 92D Ron Hurst, Cedar Falls.

Third heat – 1. 27M Mark Schulte, Delhi; 2. 66 Dan Bohr, Decorah; 3. 70 Jerry King, Waterloo; 4. 98 Jason Snyder, Dunkerton; 5. 2 Joey Schaefer, Waterloo; 6. 17 Brian Krall, Readlyn; 7. 14B Shane Burbridge, Manchester.

Feature – 1. Schulte; 2. Bohr; 3. Kevin Pittman; 4. Meyer; 5. Current; 6. Snyder; 7. Williams; 8. Krall; 9. M. Burbridge; 10. Keith Pittman; 11. Ryan; 12. Schaefer; 13. Schmitz; 14. King; 15. Hejna; 16. Pestka; 17. Liddle; 18. S. Burbridge; 19. Root; DNS Murty; DNS Flannagan; DNS Hurst.



HOBBY STOCK

First heat – 1. 20G Mike Grantham, Clarksville; 2. 28B Russell Bohach, Allison; 3. 15 Mitch Hovden, Decorah; 4. 83 Dave Lickteig, Cresco; 5. 11 Steve Brass, Cedar Falls; 6. 20J Jeremy Grantham, Allison; 7. 2S Brad Schipper, New Hartford.

Second heat – 1. 6B Shane Barnett, Allison; 2. Ryan Bochmann, Greene; 3. 43 Calvin Lange, Humboldt; 4. 70 Chris Hovden, Cresco; 5. 04 Rick Osterman, Iowa Falls; DNS 22H Curt Hilmer, Dysart; DNS 64 Brandon Leeman, Roland.

Feature – 1. M. Hovden; 2. M. Grantham; 2. Barnett; 4. C. Hovden; 5. Bochmann; 6. J. Grantham; 7. Lickteig; 8. Osterman; 9. Brass; 10. Bohach; 11. Leeman; 12. Lange; DNS Schipper; DNS Hilmer.