Jeff Mitrisin Holds Off Hull, Mother Nature at 34
By Jake Croxton

BURLINGTON, IA (Sept. 9, 2006) – The tradition continued at the 34 Raceway. Over the past two seasons, Mother Nature has attempted to spoil Ideal Ready Mix Sprint Invaders competition on nearly every occasion. It took just 1:45 to run through the field of 30 360 Sprints and 16 Modifieds. Those that attended witnessed a heated race-long battle between Oskaloosa, Iowa, favorite Jeff Mitrisin and all-time series win-leader Jerrod Hull.

Six cautions slowed the “Budweiser 25,” all for minor spins. In between, the front-row starting cars of Mitrisin and Hull shadowed one another on the 3/8-milewith Hull leading the first nine laps.

“We rolled around the bottom and showed him the good line at the beginning,” said Mitrisin, driver of the Wares-Harrison Motorsports / Pro Line Buildings / Mitrisin Motors / Eagle. “I knew he’d block me, because he’s (Hull) a good racer. Other than that, we just hung around there and rolled around the bottom because I knew he’d be committed to the top at the time. We ended up making a few runs there in the middle of the race while the fuel was good.”

Mitrisin made his move underneath Hull on the tenth circuit and stayed within striking distance over the final 15 laps. Dustin Selvage’s top ten night ended a she brought out the final caution of the event with five laps remaining. With the light mist now a moderate sprinkle, Hull went to work a lane above Mitrisin’s low-line-running machine.

“The rain conditions kind of hurt us a little,” revealed Mitrisin. “We were set up a little loose and it blew off a little quicker than we thought. The previous times we’ve been here, we were tight [so we kept the car a little looser] and it almost cost us.”
As the lead duo entered the final set of corners, Hull turned the car to the left and came up a car-length shy in the drag race to the checkers.

“Right there at the end, I thought that we maybe had a shot around the top,” said Hull, the July 3rd winner at 34. “We just missed it and congratulations to him (Mitrisin). He ran a good race and maybe we can get him next time.”

Mitrisin said of the last-lap scramble, “I could hearhim around there, but I just had to hold my line. Iknew if he got it there in the middle, I could drivehim up a little if I had to just to protect there acouple laps.” Mitrisin heads to Lee County Speedway on September 23rd as the defending race winner.

Bobby Hawks’ consistency continued as he brought the Jacksonville Chrysler-Dodge /Lumley Trucking / Eagle to his third-straight third place finish. Bronson Maeschen ended his first Invaders start of the season in fourth, while Matt Sutton completed the top five. Bobby Mincer, Ryan Jamison, John Hall, Nick Eastin, and John Schulz rounded out the top ten.

In the battle within the battle, Matt Sutton inched closer to his first Sprint Invaders drivingchampionship. All Sutton to do is qualify for thefeature in Donnellson to clinch the title. For moreinformation on the 2006 Ideal Ready Mix Sprint Invaders campaign, dial up www.sprintinvaders.com.

Results

Staats Awards Heat Race #1 (Top 4 Advance) – 1. Jeff Mitrisin, Oskaloosa; 2. Jerrod Hull, Sikeston, MO; 3.John Hall, Marion; 4. Bart Andrews, Muscatine; 5. Josh Schneiderman, W. Burlington; 6. Patrick Moore, Moline, IL; 7. Justin Newberry, Burlington; 8. Brian Hetrick, Stronghurst, IL

Storm Steel / Abrasive Jet Technologies Heat Race #2
(Top 4 Advance) – 1. Matt Sutton, Macomb, IL; 2. BobbyHawks, Jacksonville, IL; 3. John Schulz, W.Burlington; 4. Matt Harms, Chillicothe, IL; 5. TravisPorter, E. Moline, IL; 6. Jesse Wagler, Burlington; 7.Dan Avery, Burlington; 8. Matt Krieger, Burlington

Rich DeReu Memorial Heat Race #3 (Top 4 Advance) – 1.Rager Phillips, Pleasantville; 2. Bronson Maeschen,Knoxville; 3. Dustin Selvage, Indianola; 4. RyanJamison, Mediapolis; 5. Jimmie Davies, Oquawka, IL; 6.Charlie Gilpin, Jr., Dallas City, IL; 7. Scott Boles,New London

Ideal Ready Mix Heat Race #4 (Top 4 Advance) – 1.Bobby Mincer, Burlington; 2. Curtis Boyer, New Haven,MO; 3. Randy Plath, Stronghurst, IL; 4. Nick Eastin,W. Burlington; 5. Korey Weyant, Springfield, IL; 6.Jayson Ditsworth, Gladstone, IL; 7. Dave Anderson,Burlington

Mike Campbell’s Body Shop & Towing Shake-Up Dash – 1.Sutton; 2. Hull; 3. Mitrisin; 4. Maeschen; 5. Hawks;6. Boyer; 7. Mincer; 8. Phillips

Budweiser B-Main (Top 4 Advance) – 1. Schneiderman; 2. Ditsworth; 3. Porter; 4. Davies; 5. Newberry; 6. Gilpin, Jr.; 7. Boles; 8. Avery; 9. Moore; 10. Wagler; 11. Weyant; 12. Anderson DNS; 13. Hetrick DNS; 14. Krieger DNS

Budweiser 25 – 1. Mitrisin; 2. Hull; 3. Hawks; 4.Maeschen; 5. Sutton; 6. Mincer; 7. Jamison; 8. Hall;9. Eastin; 10. Schulz; 11. Harms; 12. Davies; 13.
Schneiderman; 14. Boyer; 15. Plath; 16. Andrews; 17.Selvage; 18. Porter; 19. Ditsworth; 20. Phillips

Car Count – 30
Cautions – 6 (L1, 1, 7, 11, 13, 20)
Leaders – Hull 1-9, Mitrisin 10-25
Laps Led – Mitrisin 16, Hull 9
Highest Finishing Rookie – N/A

Contingency:
QA1 Motorsports Feature Winner – Jeff Mitrisin
B&B Oval Track Products Pole Award – Jerrod Hull
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger – Ryan Jamison
(Started 15th, Finished 7th)
Design 500 5th Place – Matt Sutton
Design 500 First Non-Qualifier – Justin Newberry
Weld Racing Products First Non-Qualifier – Justin
Newberry
Rainbo Oil Second Non-Qualifier – Charlie Gilpin, Jr.
Storm Steel 6th in B-Main – Charlie Gilpin, Jr.
Saldana Racing Products – Bobby Hawks
Ultra Shield Racing Products – John Hall
Jocko’s Sprint Parts – Bart Andrews
Rod End Supply – Jerrod Hull
Brake Man – Bobby Mincer
M&W Aluminum Products – Travis Porter
Hepfner Racing Products – Nick Eastin
Velocity Wings – Matt Harms