Rouse and Wilson earn first career wins at Independence Motor Speedway
by Ryan Clark

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (Aug. 18) - Although nearly two inches of rain fell throughout the morning hours, diligent track preparation allowed racing to go on as scheduled at Independence Motor Speedway. When the final checkered flag waved, three winners earned their first trips to victory lane this season, two of whom earned their first career feature wins.

In the B modified division, pole-sitter Mary Handberg held the early advantage in the 15-lapper. She held the point until Marty Rouse worked past her on lap five after starting in the second row.

As Rouse made his way to the front, Travis Brown drove his way through traffic from a third row start and followed Rouse into second on the fifth circuit. Brown then chased down the leader and pulled alongside Rouse's No. 52R when the caution flag was displayed on lap nine. Rouse restarted out front and quickly distanced himself from his competitors.

Following another caution period on lap 10, Rouse pulled away from the field. The leaders encountered lapped traffic with only a couple of laps to go, allowing Brown to close in on Rouse. The leaders made their way around the backmarker on the final lap and Brown came within a car-length at the line, however Rouse held on for his first career win in the division. Joe Docekal ran third.

In the 15-lap I.M.C.A. hobby stock feature, outside front row starter Jeremiah Wilson took the quick lead. As Wilson paced the field, pole-sitter Joe Sprague settled in behind the leader.

Wilson extended his advantage a number of times following a trio of caution periods throughout the contest. He led the entire event to earn his first career win in the division. Sprague and Matt Brown completed the top three.

Todd Conrad was also in search of his first win of the season in the 20-lap I.M.C.A. modified feature. From his pole position start, Conrad assumed command at the drop of the green and immediately worked the bottom groove of the fast 3/8-mile oval.

After receiving early pressure from Scott Hogan, Conrad extended his lead to half of a straightaway until caution slowed the event just prior to its midway point. When racing resumed, Conrad again pulled away from the field and appeared to be on the way to his first win of the season when he entered lapped traffic late in the race.

Exiting turn two on lap 17, Conrad pulled up onto the rear of a lapped car and made contact. He spun the backmarker into the infield to bring out the race's final caution. With Conrad penalized for bringing out the yellow flag, Hogan inherited the lead on the ensuing restart. Brett Ladehoff and J.D. Auringer restarted behind him.

When racing resumed, Ladehoff worked under the leader when Hogan got too high on lap 19. Ladehoff led the final lap to score his first win of the season. Auringer and Patrick Flannagan also made their way around Hogan to steal second and third.

Terry Neal earned his second win of the season in the 25-lap I.M.C.A. late model feature. From a sixth row start, Neal made his way through the field and into the lead on lap 10. He led the final 15 circuits to take the victory ahead of Darin Burco and Greg Kastli.

Norman Chesmore made an impressive run through the field to take the apparent victory in the I.M.C.A. stock car division. From a fourth row starting spot, Chesmore made his way through traffic and into the lead after only five laps. He led the final 15 circuits to take the checkers ahead of Jarod Weepie and Tony Schimmels.

Following the event however, Chesmore refused an engine claim and was disqualified, leaving Weepie with the win, his fourth of the season.

RESULTS
I.M.C.A. LATE MODEL
First heat - 1. 45 Curt Martin, Independence; 2. 73 Greg Kastli, Waterloo; 3. 14B Levi Benn, Dyersville; 4. 88 Drew Johnson, Belle Plaine; 5. 114B J.D. Auringer, Waterloo; 6. 4D Rick Dralle, Waterloo; 7. 4 Leon Thomsen, Waverly.
Second heat - 1. 77 Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls; 2. 53 Darren Ackerman, Waterloo; 3. 145 Dale Hackwell Jr., Washburn; 4. 80 Jerry Dedrick, Vinton; 5. 70 Dirk Hamilton, Jesup; 6. 2P Jon Passick, Waterloo.
Third heat - 1. C10 Darin Burco, Independence; 2. 28C Terry Neal, Ely; 3. 8 Randy Wheeler, Cedar Falls; 4. 27B Travis Smock, Independence; 5. 44 Luke Goedert, Holy Cross; 6. 68 Tysus Pattee, Vinton.
Feature - 1. Neal; 2. Burco; 3. Kastli; 4. Hackwell; 5. Dedrick; 6. Smock; 7. Ackerman; 8. Dralle; 9. Goedert; 10. Johnson; 11. Pattee; 12. Auringer; 13. Wheeler; 14. Thomsen; 15. Martin; 16. Benn; 17. Aikey; 18. Hamilton; 19. Passick.

I.M.C.A. MODIFIED
First heat - 1. 00 J.D. Auringer, Waterloo; 2. 3 Max Corporon, Marion; 3. 35 Rob Olson, Cedar Rapids; 4. 33D Scott Hogan, Vinton; 5. F7 Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 6. 23W Robert Whalen, Nashua; 7. 01 Ed Thomas, Waterloo; 8. 13 Jim Schaefer, Waterloo.
Second heat - 1. 83C Todd Conrad, Cedar Rapids; 2. 64 Vern Jackson, Waterloo; 3. 18 Jerry Luloff, Independence; 4. 8G George Cunha, Evansdale; 5. 11 Timm Jensen, Dunkerton; 6. 24R Adam Johnson, Independence; 7. 14 Randy Trefz, Vinton.
Third heat - 1. 93 Craig Haupt, Sumner; 2. 14B John Burbridge, Delhi; 3. 12X Brett Ladehoff, Marshalltown; 4. 85 Johnathan Thimmesch, Aurora; 5. 14H Tom Hanson, Vinton; 6. 01K Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 7. 100 Cliff Schimmels, Denver; DNS 71 Troy Cordes, Raymond.
B feature - 1. Flannagan; 2. Hanson; 3. Thomas; 4. Jensen; 5. Hanson; 6. Lauritzen; 7. Johnson; 8. Whalen; 9. Schimmels; 10. Cordes; 11. Schaefer (DNS).
A feature - 1. Ladehoff; 2. Auringer; 3. Haupt; 4. Flannagan; 5. Hogan; 6. Corporon; 7. Jackson; 8. Trefz; 9. Conrad; 10. Burbridge; 11. Jensen; 12. Whalen; 13. Lauritzen; 14. Johnson; 15. Thomas; 16. Hanson; 17. Luloff; 18. Thimmesch; 19. Cunha (DNS); 20. Olson (DNS).

I.M.C.A. STOCK CAR
First heat - 1. K38 Kenny Taylor, Strawberry Point; 2. 22 Kevin Rose, Waterloo; 3. 3 Jarod Weepie, Dunkerton; 4. 15 Norman Chesmore, Quasqueton; 5. 11R Roger Samec, New Hartford; 6. 17 Jason Niedert, Fairbank; 7. 8R Sean Johnson, Independence.
Second heat - 1. 26 Brian Irvine, Oelwein; 2. 99L Lon Mercer, Urbana; 3. 94 Steve Meyer, Grundy Center; 4. 00 Tony Schimmels, Readlyn; 5. 21 Shane Manson, Manchester; 6. 9 Dallas Morin, Marion; 7. JR3 Jason Hocken, Independence.
Feature - 1. Weepie; 2. Schimmels; 3. Samec; 4. Johnson; 5. Hocken; 6. Rose; 7. Taylor; 8. Niedert; 9. Manson; 10. Irvine; 11. Meyer; 12. Morin; 13. Mercer; DQ Chesmore.

I.M.C.A. HOBBY STOCK
First heat - 1. 73 Quinton Miller, Independence; 2. 88S Joe Sprague, Independence; 3. 20 Wes Stanek, Buckingham; 4. 166 Justin Lichty, Waterloo; 5. 8 Bill Meyer, Sumner; 6. 062 Kerry Davis, Monticello; 7. 77 Rod Grother, Cedar Rapids; 8. 20W Bruce Fraser, Manchester; 9. B62 Brandon Davis, Cedar Rapids; 10. 6 Keven Gonzales, Fairbank.
Second heat - 1. 78 Matt Brown, Dysart; 2. 64JR Jeremiah Wilson, Waterloo; 3. 35 Josh Irvine, Oelwein; 4. 55 Vince Buchholz, Cedar Falls; 5. 62G Adam Gebel, Dysart; 6. 7B Jim Ball, Independence; 7. 8W Dave Wheeler, Fairbank; 8. 20B Matt Burmeister, Waterloo; 9. 53 Gabe Phelps, Cedar Rapids; 10. 171 Jeremy Swanson, Maynard.
Feature - 1. Wilson; 2. Sprague; 3. Brown; 4. Irvine; 5. Lichty; 6. Grother; 7. Ball; 8. Gebel; 9. Buchholz; 10. Meyer; 11. Fraser; 12. Miller; 13. B. Davis; 14. K. Davis; 15. Burmeister; 16. Stanek; 17. Wheeler; 18. Swanson; 19. Phelps; 20. Gonzales (DNS).

B MODIFIED
First heat - 1. 25 Alan Wessels, Strawberry Point; 2. 00 Jim Buhlman, Cedar Falls; 3. 95H Mary Handberg, Waterloo; 4. T23 Tony Olson, Cedar Rapids; 5. 32 Chris Snyder, Evansdale; 6. 95 Todd Temeyer, Independence; 7. 75 Josh Sherbon, Cedar Falls.
Second heat - 1. 24 Travis Brown, Cedar Rapids; 2. 83 Russell Hesse, Waterloo; 3. 24D Mike Depping, Reinbeck; 4. 12D Joe Docekal, Dysart; 5. 52R Marty Rouse, Grundy Center; 6. 57 Josh Steere, New Hartford; 7. 35 Kyle Bentley, Fairbank; 8. 20T Scott Thomas, Waterloo.
Feature - 1. Rouse; 2. Brown; 3. Docekal; 4. Wessels; 5. Depping; 6. Hesse; 7. Olson; 8. Snyder; 9. Buhlman; 10. Steere; 11. Sherbon; 12. Bentley; 13. Thomas; 14. Handberg; 15. Temeyer.