Five drivers earn first victories of the season Independace Motor Speedway
INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (June 2) – Five new faces visited victory lane on Saturday night, two of whom earned their first-ever visits to the winner’s circle at Independence Motor Speedway.
Jason Hocken (IMCA Stock Cars) and Matt McCahen (IMCA SportMods) earned their first-ever wins at the speedway, while Bryan Klein (IMCA Late Models), Chris Luloff (IMCA Hobby Stocks) and Ronn Lauritzen (IMCA Modifed) picked up their first wins of the season.
Roger Ciesielski was the early leader in the 18-lap Stock Car feature. He paced the field while Jason Hocken quickly worked his way into a challenge for the lead from a fourth row starting spot.
Hocken settled into second following a lap one restart, then was challenging the low side of the leader when Ciesielski spun in turn two to bring out another caution. On the restart, Hocken pulled away from the pack, building a straightaway lead over the field.
Cautions late in the event bunched the field, however Hocken held on out front to take his first-ever win in the division ahead of Jarod Weepie and points leader Sean Johnson.
Matt McCahen faced a similar situation prior to earning his first-ever win on the Independence oval in the 15-lap SportMod feature. McCahen, who raced to a huge lead at the start of that event, saw his advantage disappear during a couple of mid-race cautions.
Jim Buhman, who started in the fourth row, raced his way into contention by the time the final caution waved on lap nine. McCahen, however, proved too strong on each restart to drive to the impressive win ahead of Buhlman, who took over the division’s points lead. Brandon Smith completed the top three.
Front row starter Greg Hunter took the lead at the drop of the green in the 25-lap Late Model feature. While Hunter led, Bryan Klein closely pursued from his second row starting spot. Klein worked beneath the leader on the sixth circuit, then pulled away until encountering lapped traffic three laps later.
Hunter remained close to Klein as he chased the leader through the backmarkers, briefly able to stick the nose of his #7 to the inside of Klein at numerous times. Hunter’s night then came to an abrupt end when he spun in turn four with only five laps to go.
On the restart, Klein held off pressure from Luke Pestka to take the victory. Dale Hackwell Jr. ran third.
After a month of bad luck that provided a string of DNFs, Chris Luloff finally had luck on his side as he led all 15 laps to take the win in the Hobby Stock feature. From his pole position start, Luloff built a big early lead, then sailed to the victory ahead of Vince Buchholz and Benji Irvine.
Mike Manson held the early lead in the 20-lap Modified main. He paced the field until ignition problems sidelined him while the race was under caution on lap three. This allowed Jerry Luloff to take command when the green flag waved.
Luloff held the point while Ronn Lauritzen worked through the pack from a fifth row starting spot. Lauritzen settled into second in just five laps, then chased Luloff for a dozen laps until the leaders encountered lapped traffic.
With three laps to go, Lauritzen made his way beneath Luloff as the leaders navigated lapped traffic, then held on over the final circuits to take the win. Luloff ran second and Mark Schulte finished third. By virtue of their finishes, Lauritzen and Schulte are now tied atop the division’s standings.
The evening’s event was held in conjunction with Relay for Life, who was on-hand to raise money to help fight cancer. Along with cash donations collected by drivers during intermission and money raised for a balloon release that was also held during the break, over $1,000 was collected for the cause.
Next Saturday, June 9, is Remax Independence Realty Night at the Races. Gates will open at 4 p.m. with hot laps slated for 6 and racing to follow.
RESULTS IMCA LATE MODEL Feature – 1. 25 Bryan Klein (Cedar Rapids); 2. 99 Luke Pestka (Robins); 3. 145 Dale Hackwell Jr. (Washburn); 4. 45 Curt Martin (Independence); 5. 16 Tyler Bruening (Decorah); 6. 21B Joel Brasch (Dunkerton); 7. 98 Travis Smock (Independence); 8. 88 Drew Johnson (Belle Plaine); 9. 68 Tysus Pattee (Vinton); 10. 3X Chad Lerch (North Liberty); 11. 4 Leon Thomsen (Waverly); 12. 5W Scott Welsh (Cedar Rapids: 13. 77A Jeff Aikey (Cedar Falls): 14. 7 Greg Hunter (Independence); 15. 4D Rick Dralle (Waterloo); 16. 2P Jon Passick (Waterloo); 17. 60 Dean Wagner (Evansdale); DNS 73 Greg Kastli (Waterloo).
First heat – 1. Hunter; 2. Aikey; 3. Passick; 4. Hackwell; 5. Welsh; 6. Thomsen.
Second heat – 1. Wagner; 2. Martin; 3. Klein; 4. Pestka; 5. Smock; 6. Dralle.
Third heat – 1. Pattee; 2. Bruening; 3. Brasch; 4. Johnson; 5. Lerch; 6. Kastli.
IMCA MODIFIED Feature – 1. 10K Ronn Lauritzen (Jesup); 2. 18 Jerry Luloff (Independence); 3. 27M Mark Schulte (Delhi); 4. 32 Chris Snyder (Raymond); 5. 57B Dennis Betzer (Central City); 6. 27 Jamie Johnson (Waterloo); 7. F7 Patrick Flannagan (Cedar Rapids); 8. 1J Jeff Streeter (Vinton); 9. 66 Terry Johnson (Waterloo); 10. 11 Timm Jensen (Dunkerton); 11. 5 Jason Morehouse (Evansdale); 12. 64 Vern Jackson (Waterloo); 13. 71 Troy Cordes (Dunkerton); 14. 80 Jerry Dedrick (Vinton); 15. 75 Josh Sherbon (Cedar Falls); 16. 14B Shane Burbridge (Manchester); 17. 83C Todd Conrad (Central City); 18. 49 Mike Manson (Manchester); 19. 24R Adam Johnson (Independence).
First heat – 1. Luloff; 2. A. Johnson; 3. Schulte; 4. Dedrick; 5. Jensen; 6. Jackson; 7. Snyder.
Second heat – 1. Lauritzen; 2. Manson; 3. Conrad; 4. Streeter; 5. Morehouse; 6. T. Johnson; 7. Sherbon.
Third heat – 1. Flannagan; 2. Betzer; 3. Cordes; 4. Burbridge; 5. J. Johnson; DNS 11B Mike Burbridge (Delhi)
IMCA STOCK CAR Feature – 1. JR3 Jason Hocken (Independence); 2. 3 Jarod Weepie (Dunkerton); 3. 8R Sean Johnson (Independence); 4. 15 Norman Chesmore (Rowley); 5. 7H Phil Holtz (Manchester); 6. G1 Mike Padden (Waterloo); 7. 8B Scott Beauregard (Center Point); 8. 85 Bryce Carey (Nashua); 9. 89B Dave Stricker (Waterloo); 10. 29X Paul Fauaser (Elgin); 11. 17 Jason Niedert (Cedar Falls); 12. 11J Jerome Jacoby (Waterloo); 13. 37C Roger Ciesielski (Waterloo); 14. 4JR Russell Damme Jr. (Waterloo); 15. 15T Tim Helle (Garnavillo); 16. 87 John Emerson (Waterloo).
First heat – 1. Stricker; 2. Padden; 3. Niedert; 4. Holtz; 5. Emerson; 6. Johnson; 7. Beauregard; 8. Jacoby; 9. Carey.
Second heat – 1. Hocken; 2. Helle; 3. Ciesielski; 4. Chesmore; 5. Damme; 6. Weepie; 7. Fauser; DNS 9E Austin Evens (Independence)
IMCA SPORTMOD Feature – 1. 63 Matt McCahen (Waterloo); 2. 00 Jim Buhlman (Cedar Falls); 3. 49 Brandon Smith (Rowley); 4. J2 Dave Schulze (Keystone); 5. 14 Shane Ebaugh (Evansdale); 6. 198 Sam Wieben (Dysart); 7. 93 Josh Burrell (Dysart); 8. 11M Mike Mitchell (Cedar Rapids); 9. 29 Sean Vogt (Watkins); 10. 50H Steve Wimer (Toddville); 11. 28P Rick Paulson (Tripoli); 12. S16 Kip Siems (Cedar Falls); 13. 3R Danny Dvorak (Vinton); 14. 11S Al Sweerin (Waterloo); 15. 39 Brian Hilbert (Independence); DNS 6 Jim Aschenbrenner (Aplington).
First heat – 1. Dvorak; 2. Paulson; 3. Aschenbrenner; 4. Sweerin; 5. Hilbert; 6. Siems; 7. Vogt; 8. Wieben.
Second heat – 1. Buhlman; 2. McCahen; 3. Schulze; 4. Burrell; 5. Smith; 6. Mitchell; 7. Wimer; 8. Ebaugh.
IMCA HOBBY STOCK Feature – 1. 18 Chris Luloff (Independence); 2. 55 Vince Buchholz (Cedar Falls); 3. 79 Benji Irvine (Cedar Falls); 4. 77 Rod Grother (Cedar Rapids); 5. 5 Marcus Wayne (Independence); 6. 45 Justin Wacha (Vinton); 7. 64JR Jeremiah Wilson (Waterloo); 8. 67 Justin Stander (Vinton); 9. 73 Quinton Miller (Independence); 10. 25 Jamie Whitaker (Oelwein); 11. 166 Justin Lichty (Waterloo); 12. 64 Jerome Wilson (Waterloo); 13. 2P Cale Petersen (Dysart); 14. 26 Nathan Christie (Waterloo); 15. 20B Matt Burmeister (Dunkerton); 16. 2 Nick Welch (Cedar Falls); 17. 90 Lowell Potter (White Bear Lake, Minn.); 18. 14G Curt Graham (Tiffin); 19. 20W Bruce Fraser (Manchester); 20. 57 Malena Betzer (Cedar Rapids); 21. 7B Jim Ball Jr. (Independence); 22. 14J Jacob Floyd (Cedar Rapids); DNS 21 Jason Williams (Belle Plaine); DNS 20JN Justin Ginther (Independence).
First heat – 1. Luloff; 2. Buchholz; 3. Wacha; 4. Whitaker; 5. Jerome Wilson; 6. Christie; 7. Potter; 8. Williams.
Second heat – 1. Graham; 2. Miller; 3. Irvine; 4. Lichty; 5. Fraser; 6. Burmeister; 7. Betzer; 8. Ginther.
Third heat – 1. Ball; 2. Stander; 3. Jeremiah Wilson; 4. Grother; 5. Wayne; 6. Floyd; 7. Welch; 8. Petersen.
