Lauritzen, Gustin, Irvine repeat winners at Independence Motor Speedway

admin | May 18, 2014

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (May 17) – Repeat winners were few and far between through the first three weeks of the season at Independence Motor Speedway. That changed Saturday night as three drivers made return trips to the winner’s circle.

Ronn Lauritzen became the first driver to return to victory lane in the Performance Bodies IMCA Modified division. Lauritzen worked from a fourth row starting spot while Keith Pittman set the pace in the early going of that 20-lapper.

Lauritzen made his way into the runner-up spot just before the first caution on lap seven. He worked past Pittman on the restart and paced the field through a couple more mid-race stoppages.

Scott Hogan, who started 11th, raced through traffic and challenged Lauritzen late, however Lauritzen pulled away in the waning laps to score his second win of the year. By virtue of his second place finish, Hogan took over the points lead. Troy Cordes ran third.

Jenae Gustin dominated the 15-lap IMCA Northern SportMod feature. After an early caution shook-up the lineup, Gustin raced from a fourth row starting spot and into the lead by the completion of the first lap.

She dominated the field going away to win the event by over a straightaway ahead of Rod McDonald. Ross Neal finished third.

Benji Irvine won his third IMCA Hobby Stock feature in four weeks in convincing fashion. From a third row start, Irvine worked around Matt Lundry on the second of 15 laps and then pulled away from the field to win by half of a lap ahead of Brian Happel. Jamie Whitaker ran third in the caution-free event.

Darren Ackerman appeared poised to take his first win of the year in the IMCA Late Model division until contact with a lapped car late in that 25-lapper ended his run.

Ackerman, who took command from Joel Brasch on the eighth circuit, built over a straightaway lead before the lap-22 mishap forced him pitside. Ron Klein inherited the point and led the final three laps to score his first win in Independence. First-year Late Model driver Jerry King, who finished second, took over the points lead. Dale Hackwell Jr. ran third.

Jason Hocken earned his first win of the year in the IMCA Stock Car division. From his pole position start, Hocken took the lead at the drop of the green and then held off late pressure from Justin Temeyer to score the win. Tim Helle took the points lead with his third place finish.

RESULTS

IMCA LATE MODEL Feature – 1. 12 Ron Klein, Sherrill; 2. 70 Jerry King, Waterloo; 3. 145 Dale Hackwell Jr., Washburn; 4. 31 Tyler Droste, Waterloo; 5. 40 Joel Callahan, Dubuque; 6. 60 Dean Wagner, Evansdale; 7. 73 Greg Kastli, Waterloo; 8. 87 John Emerson, Waterloo; 9. 26 Cory Goldbeck, Camanche; 10. 77 Dirk Hamilton, Jesup; 11. 9 Bobby Hansen, Center Point; 12. 45 Curt Martin, Independence; 13. 11 Lyle Klein, Sherrill; 14. 2P Jon Passick, Waterloo; 15. 16 Tyler Bruening, Decorah; 16. 32 Chris Snyder, Raymond; 17. 88 Drew Johnson, Belle Plaine; 18. 19 Kelly Pestka, Preston; 19. 2 Rory Metcalf, West Union; 20. 21B Joel Brasch, Dunkerton; 21. 53 Darren Ackerman, Readlyn; 22. 48Z Jon Poll, Delmar; 23. 8R Sean Johnson, Independence; 24. 99 Luke Pestka, Robins.

First heat – 1. Callahan; 2. Hackwell; 3. Ackerman; 4. Hansen; 5. Emerson; 6. 5W Scott Welsh, Cedar Rapids; 7. 4 Leon Thomsen, Waverly.

Second heat – 1. King; 2. Goldbeck; 3. Wagner; 4. Snyder; 5. L. Klein; 6. S. Johnson; 7. Martin.

Third heat – 1. Passick; 2. R. Klein; 3. Metcalf; 4. Hamilton; 5. K. Pestka; 6. 54 Wayne Hesse, Waterloo; 7. L. Pestka.

Fourth heat – 1. Brasch; 2. Kastli; 3. Poll; 4. Bruening; 5. Droste; 6. D. Johnson; 7. 83 Russell Hesse, Waterloo.

B Feature – 1. Emerson; 2. L. Klein; 3. Martin; 4. L. Pestka; 5. D. Johnson; 6. S. Johnson; 7. Droste; 8. K. Pestka; 9. Welsh; 10. R. Hesse; 11. W. Hesse; 12. Thomsen.

IMCA MODIFIED Feature – 1. 10K Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 2. 33D Scott Hogan, Vinton; 3. 71 Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 4. 64 Vern Jackson, Waterloo; 5. 19D Darin Duffy, Urbana; 6. 26J Joel Rust, Grundy Center; 7. 92 Tyler Droste, Waterloo; 8. 27M Mark Schulte, Delhi; 9. 75 Josh Sherbon, Cedar Falls; 10. 2G Matt Gansen, Dubuque; 11. 24R Adam Johnson, Independence; 12. 57B Dennis Betzer, Central City; 13. F7 Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 14. 11B Mike Burbridge, Delhi; 15. 41P Keith Pittman, Waterloo; 16. 00J J.D. Auringer, Waterloo; 17. 01 Ed Thomas, Waterloo; 18. 98 Jason Snyder, Dunkerton; 19. 10 Kaleb Bentley, Independence; 20. 12D Joe Docekal, Dysart; 21. 73M Matt Irwin, Maquoketa.

First heat – 1. Droste; 2. Bentley; 3. Auringer; 4. Schulte; 5. Sherbon; 6. Rust; 7. Irwin.

Second heat – 1. Lauritzen; 2. Cordes; 3. Pittman; 4. Thomas; 5. Duffy; 6. Johnson; 7. Burbridge.

Third heat – 1. Jackson; 2. Hogan; 3. Betzer; 4. Docekal; 5. Snyder; 6. Flannagan; 7. Gansen.

IMCA STOCK CAR Feature – 1. JR3 Jason Hocken, Independence; 2. 56T Justin Temeyer, Independence; 3. 15T Tim Helle, Garnavillo; 4. 31S Paul Shepherd, Marengo; 5. 7H Phil Holtz, Manchester; 6. 15 Norman Chesmore, Rowley; 7. 22K Kevin Rose, Waterloo; 8. 4JR Russell Damme Jr., Waterloo; 9. 11 Jesse Brown, Nashua; 10. 7C Blake Cole, Nashua; 11. 37C Roger Ciesielski, Waterloo; 12. K38 Ken Taylor, Strawberry Point; 13. 87A Aaron Matthias, Fairbank; 14. 38 Matt Brown, Marion; 15. 3 Jarod Weepie, Dunkerton; 16. 74C Cole Mather, Dundee; 17. 6X Bob Ahrendsen, Cedar Rapids; 18. 17 Jason Niedert, Evansdale; 19. 11J Jerome Jacoby, Waterloo.

First heat – 1. Cole; 2. Damme; 3. Helle; 4. Holtz; 5. Rose; 6. Shepherd; 7. Mather; 8. M. Brown; 9. Jacoby.

Second heat – 1. Hocken; 2. Weepie; 3. Temeyer; 4. Matthias; 5. Ahrendsen; 6. Ciesielski; 7. Chesmore; 8. Niedert; 9. Taylor; 10. J. Brown.

IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD Feature – 1. 19J Jenae Gustin, Marshalltown; 2. 86U Rod McDonald, Manchester; 3. 15N Ross Neal, Marion; 4. 3R Danny Dvorak, Vinton; 5. 32Z Alex Zwanziger, Nashua; 6. 7D Dakoda Sellers, Vinton; 7. 7SR Shawn Ritter, Keystone; 8. 24R Kevin Robinson, Dewar; 9. 339 Kevin Hurst, Janesville; 10. J2 Dave Schulze, Keystone; 11. 49 Brandon Smith, Quasqueton; 12. 35 Kyle Bentley, Fairbank; 13. 00 Jim Buhlman, Cedar Falls; 14. 50H Steve Wimer, Toddville; 15. 21J Joe Harken, Waterloo; 16. 29 Sean Vogt, Watkins; 17. 198 Sam Wieben, Dysart; 18. 96 Lucas Lundry, Maynard; 19. 22H Curt Hilmer, Dysart; 20. CH19 Colby Heishman, Brooklyn; 21. 36 Jacob Salisbury, Dunkerton; 22. 10J Jason Weiland, Sherrill; 23. 199 Dave Burrell, Dysart; 24. 63 Matt McCahen, Waterloo.

First heat – 1. Bentley; 2. McDonald; 3. Hurst; 4. Wieben; 5. Zwanziger; 6. Robinson; 7. Schulze; 8. Salisbury.

Second heat – 1. Buhlman; 2. Neal; 3. Burrell; 4. Ritter; 5. Vogt; 6. Heishman; 7. Harken; 8. Wimer.

Third heat – 1. Sellers; 2. Gustin; 3. Dvorak; 4. Hilmer; 5. Smith; 6. Lundry; 7. McCahen; 8. Weiland.

IMCA HOBBY STOCK Feature – 1. 79 Benji Irvine, Stanley; 2. 46 Brian Happel, Vinton; 3. 25 Jamie Whitaker, Oelwein; 4. 95 Matt Lundry, Oelwein; 5. T64 Jeremiah Wilson, Waterloo; 6. 5 Marcus Wayne, Independence; 7. 35B Shawn Kuennen, Hazleton; 8. 45 Justin Wacha, Vinton; 9. 83W Matt White, Nashua; 10. 23 Chad Albert, Cedar Rapids; 11. 07 Jacob Keiser, Marengo; 12. 58B Randy Byerly, Tipton; 13. 20B Matt Burmeister, Dunkerton; 14. 87X Ryan Schimek, Fairbank; 15. 357 Brett Vanous, Quasqueton; 16. 12 Jake Doubek, Elgin; DNS 19B Jim Sheldon, Marion.

First heat – 1. Happel; 2. Irvine; 3. Lundry; 4. White; 5. Wacha; 6. Burmeister; 7. Albert; DNS Sheldon; DQ 7B Jim Ball, Independence.

Second heat – 1. Whitaker; 2. Keiser; 3. Wilson; 4. Kuennen; 5. Doubek; 6. Wayne; 7. Schimek; 8. Vanous; 9. Byerly.