GIBSON RETURNS TO VICTORY LANE ON “LARRY NIEMEYER APPRECIATION NIGHT”
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (July 27, 2012) – After winning the first Budweiser Modified Feature of the season back on May 4, division point leader Brian Gibson has endured a winning drought akin to the drought currently plaguing the Midwest. That changed Friday night as Gibson dominated the 20-lap Budweiser Modified feature on “Larry Niemeyer Appreciation Night” at Hawkeye Downs.
Gibson started outside row one, powered around pole-sitter Ryan Luedtke, and cruised to a relatively easy win over the veteran Mike Schulte and the much younger Jake Griffin. The best battle of the race was near the mid-point as Schulte and Dave McCalla battled for the second spot. Schulte claimed the spot after the duo battled for a couple laps with McCalla holding third until just a couple laps remained. Jake Griffin slid into third with two laps to go. McCalla finished fourth while Luedtke scored fifth.
In other Papa Johns Cup/I-Wireless Championship Series action, Matt Petrzelka earned another ticket to victory Lane Friday night picking up his 8th win of the season in Barron Motor Supply Hobby Stocks. Petrzelka battled Brad Chandler early as the pair ran side-by-side for multiple laps before Petrzelka claimed the point on lap seven. Petrzelka pulled away from the pack as the race progressed leaving Chandler to finish second and Matt Lacousiere third. Derek Parrott finished fourth and Blake Carson was fifth.
Mountain Dew Sportsmen driver Dave McCalla continues to show his return to Hawkeye Downs this season was a good decision as he picked up his eighth win of the season Friday night. Ben Glascock led the first three trips around the quarter-mile before McCalla pulled alongside and snagged the lead. Glascock was still within three car-lengths at the halfway point of the feature but McCalla widened his lead in the final laps. Glascock finished second while dave Ballstaedt was third. Greg Hentrich crossed the stripe in fourth while Kandi Floyd was fifth.
The Dublin City Pub Legends also featured a repeat winner Friday night as point leader Kevin Korsmo earned his sixth run to the checkers of the season. After a rough go last week, Korsmo started on point and that proved to be too much for the rest of the field to handle as Korsmo easily outran the pack. Caleb Adrian chased Korsmo in second for the entire race while a good battle between Rod McGlothlen, Danny Lehmkuhl, and Al Diercks was on for third. While McGlothlen emerged from that battle holding third, Dennis Diercks moved into the picture late in the race taking third from McGlothlen. McGlothlen finished fourth and Bryce Bailey was fifth.
After a misfire on the original start the Sunline Hornets feature proved to be another good one. Jose DeJesus led the first three laps with Brad Chandler challenging for the lead on each of those laps. Chandler squeezed into the lead on the next lap and held the point until Todd Ness challenged for the lead on lap ten. Ness took command on that lap and wasn’t seriously challenged the rest of the way as he collected his first win of 2012. Shane Hanson came on strong in the closing laps to finish second while DeJesus finished third. Chandlerwas fourth and Ian Pate was fifth.
The Performance Concepts Late Models point leader Brad Osborn led one lap Friday night before Thor Anderson, who runs second in points, took control of the race. Caution for a spin slowed the action on lap eight but Anderson maintained the lead on the restart. Anderson’s closest challenger, Joey Gase ran lap after lap trying to catch the leader. Gase appeared to gain ground in the corners but was out-powered on the straights and he enevr could draw closer than a couple car-lengths as the laps ticked off. Tim Plummer Ran a steady third the entire race while Griffin McGrath was fourth and Osborn finished fifth.
In addition to racing, Friday night was “Larry Niemeyer Appreciation Night.” The outgoing Cedar Rapids Jefferson J-Hawks coach was on hand with his family as fans, former players, friends and others gathered to show support which included a standing ovation. Neimeyer has amassed an unmatched record coaching girls basketball and softball and Hawkeye Downs wanted to publicly pay tribute to him. Race Promoter Mike Becker, who had two sisters that played for Niemeyer, recognized Niemeyer and his accomplishments during Intermission and a very emotional Niemeyer addressed the crowd briefly as well.
Racing continues Friday, August 3 when McGrath Auto Group presents racing in all six divisions of the Papa Johns Cup/I-Wireless Championship Series.
HAWKEYE DOWNS SPEEDWAY RESULTS
PAPA JOHN’S CUP/ I-WIRELESS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
LARRY NIEMEYER APPRECIATION NIGHT
JULY 27, 2012
BARRON MOTOR SUPPLY HOBBY STOCKS
HEAT 1- Brad Chandler, Cedar Rapids; 2. Matt Petrzelka, Norway; 3.Brian Bries, Norway; DNS- Jason Sherman, Marengo
HEAT 2- Matt Lacoursiere, Cedar Rapids; 2.Blake Carson, Cedar Rapids; 3.Derek Parrott, Marion; 4.Michael Holtz, Cedar Rapids
FEATURE (15 laps) 1. Petrzelka 2.Chandler 3.Lacoursiere 4.Parrott 5.Carson 6.Bries 7. Holtz DNS- Sherman
MOUNTAIN DEW SPORTSMEN
HEAT- 1. Dave McCalla, Cedar Rapids; 2.Dave Ballsteadt, Marion; 3.Ben Glascock, Indianola; 4. Greg Hentrich, Hiawatha; 5. Kandi Floyd, Cedar Rapids
FEATURE (20 laps) 1. McCalla 2.Glascock 3.Ballstaedt 4. Hentrich 5.Floyd
DUBLIN CITY PUB INEX LEGENDS
HEAT 1- 1. Rod McGlothlen, Oskaloosa; 2.Logan Mitchell, Palmyra, MO; 3.Mark Ironside, Swisher; 4. Bryce Bailey, Cedar Rapids; 5.Dennis Diercks, Davenport; 6. Riley Hershberger, Kalona
HEAT 2- 1. Kevin Korsmo, Atkins; 2.Calen Adrian, Davenport; 3.Danny Lehmkuhl, Cedar Rapids; 4. Al Diercks, Davenport; 5.Tim Goettsch, Davenport; 6. Jeremy Cassill, Cedar Rapids; 7. Matt Blake, Cedar Rapids; 8. Troy Burkhart, Vinton
FEATURE (20 laps) 1. Korsmo 2.Adrian 3.Dennis Diercks 4.McGlothlen 5.Bailey 6.Lehmkuhl 7.Cassill 8.Goettsch 9.Ironside 10. Mitchell 11. Al Diercks 12. Hershberger DNS- Burkhart, Blake
BUDWEISER MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1- 1. Jake Griffin, Quincy, IL; 2.Ryan Luedtke, Norway; 3.Dave McCalla, Cedar Rapids; 4. Ed O’Brien, Cedar Rapids
HEAT 2- 1. Brian Gibson, Walford; 2.Mike Schulte, Norway; 3.Craig Bender, Cedar Rapids; 4.James Dixon, Cedar Rapids
FEATURE (20 laps) 1. Gibson 2.Schulte 3.Griffin 4.McCalla 5. Luedtke
SUNLINE HORNETS
ANDERSON AUTOMOTIVE TROPHY DASH- Jeff Dvorak
FEATURE (20 laps) 1. Todd Ness, Cedar Rapids; 2.Shane Hanson, Cedar Rapids; 3.Jose DeJesus, Cedar Rapids; 4.Brad Chandler, Cedar Rapids; 5.Ian Pate, Cedar Rapids; 6.John Ness, Cedar Rapids; 7. Zach Chevalier, Cedar Rapids; 8. Jeff Dvorak, Cedar Rapids; 9. Kurt Bohnsack, Iowa City; 10. Prestin Witham, Cedar Rapids; 11. Steve Woodrow, Cedar Rapids; 12. Tom Blum 13. Dan Hartman, Cedar Rapids; 14. Joe Bean, Cedar Rapids; 15. Dan Schmidt, Cedar Rapids; 16. Zach Hartman, Cedar Rapids
PERFORMANCE CONCEPTS LATE MODELS
HEAT 1- 1. Tim Plummer, Cedar Rapids; 2. Jake Griffin, Quincy, IL; 3.Griffin McGrath, Cedar Rapids; 4. Jay Jaspers, Steamboat Rock; 5. Scott Siems, Cedar Rapids
HEAT 2- 1. Joey Gase, Cedar Rapids; 2. Thor Anderson, Bonduraunt; 3. Brad Osborn, Janesville; 4. Chad Siems, Shellsburg
FEATURE (30 laps) 1. Anderson 2.Gase 3.Plummer 4.McGrath 5.Osborn 6. Jaspers 7. Griffin 8. Chad Siems 9. Scott Siems
Category: Hawkeye Downs Speedway, Iowa, News
