VELOZ TURNS LAST LAP OPPORTUNITY INTO $1k HDT WIN AT CEDAR COUNTY

TIPTON, IOWA (June 12, 2012) – He only led half a lap, but it was the most important half a lap.

Milo Veloz Jr. took advantage of a late bobble by race-long leader Ryan Dolan to win Tuesday’s JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour main event for IMCA Modifieds, in front of a record crowd at Cedar County Raceway.

Dolan had run at the front of the field for each of the first 29 circuits but got high on turn two the last time around. Veloz, who’d worked his way patiently from the 10^th starting spot, zipped by on the inside to take the $1,000 checkers.

Veloz brought point leader Richie Gustin along, relegating Dolan to third. Jimmy Gustin and Jer­emy Mills rounded out the top five.

Only two cautions came out of the night, the first coming before the opening lap could be scored and shuffling outside front row starter Larry Herring to the rear.

Dakota Hayden restarted from the pole, quickly giving way to Dolan. Rickie Gustin and Jimmy Gustin both stayed hot on his back bumper for seven laps before Dolan eased ahead.

Richie Gustin had settled into second and Veloz cracked the top five before Dolan encountered lapped traffic just past midway. Veloz took over second just before the second yellow ended 28 green flag laps and set up the dramatic green, white, checkered ending.

Mills qualified from his “B” feature and passed Hayden for fifth on the last lap. Brad Dierks was the hard charger, passing 14 cars to finish seventh.

Twenty-two of the 24 cars that started the main event at Tipton were still on the track when the race ended. Thirty-nine entries were on hand for the midweek event.

Veloz is the fourth different winner in as many series events so far this season. He was already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, most recently as the winner of the Modified Mad­ness special at Davenport Speedway on June 1.

Another $1,000 top prize is at stake next Thursday, June 21, when the Hawkeye Dirt Tour head­lines the Mighty Howard County Fair program at Cresco Speedway.

Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m. Hot laps are at 6:45 p.m. with racing to follow. Ten $100 bonuses will be given by the fair board, by random draw, to feature qualifiers after the main event is completed.

The next installment of the Fuel The Thunder 2 documentary series will be filmed at Cresco.

Feature results – 1. Milo Veloz Jr., Colona, Ill.; 2. Richie Gustin, Gilman; 3. Ryan Dolan, Lisbon; 4. Jimmy Gustin, Marshalltown; 5. Jeremy Mills, Garner; 6. Dakota Hayden, Wilton; 7. Brad Dierks, Clarence; 8. Darin Duffy, Hazleton; 9. Jay Noteboom, Hinton; 10. Dusty Kraklio, Durant; 11. Jeff Waterman, Quincy, Ill.; 12. Dan Chapman, Clarence; 13. Mike Van Genderen, Newton; 14. Kelly Meyer, Big Rock; 15. Mark Elliott, Webster City; 16. Mitch Morris, Eldridge; 17. Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 18. Mark Schulte, Delhi; 19. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa; 20. Rich Smith, Daven­port; 21. Matt Werner, Colona, Ill.; 22. Larry Herring, Lone Tree; 23. Ray Cox Jr., Maquoketa; 24. Adam Johnson, Independence.

1^st heat (top two qualify) – 1. Lauritzen; 2. Schulte; 3. Duffy; 4. Johnson; 5. Diercks; 6. Morris; 7. Noteboom; 8. Brad Tyler, Wilton.

2^nd heat – 1. Dolan; 2. Veloz; 3. Werner; 4. Waterman; 5. Van Genderen; 6. Smith; 7. Todd Dykema, Davenport; 8. Dennis LaVeine, West Burlington.

3^rd heat – 1. Herring; 2. Kraklio; 3. Mike Burbridge, Delhi; 4. Carter; 5. Keith Pittman, Waterloo; 6. Kevin Goben, Sherrard, Ill.; 7. Dakoda Sellers, Vinton; 8. Jake Bowman, Maquoketa.

4^th heat – 1. Elliott; 2. Hayden; 3. Meyer; 4. Joe Beal, Milan, Ill.; 5. Justin Rix, Olin; 6. Derek Thomp­son, Freeport, Ill.; 7. Cox; 8. Ben Traver, Lowden.

5^th heat – 1. Jimmy Gustin; 2. Richie Gustin; 3. Mills; 4. Chapman; 5. John Ehlers, LeClaire; 6. Leon Wilson, Hopkinton; 7. Bryan Wonick, Iowa City.

1^st “B feature (top six qualify) – 1. Duffy; 2. Mills; 3. Waterman; 4. Noteboom; 5. Smith; 6. Diercks; 7. Ehlers; 8. Beal; 9. LaVeine; 10. Thompson; 11. Sellers; 12. Pittman; 13. Wonick; 14. Burbridge; 15. Traver.

2^nd “B” feature – 1. Meyer; 2. Chapman; 3. Johnson; 4. Carter; 5. Morris; 6. Werner; 7. Van Gen­deren; 8. Dykema; 9. Wilson; 10. Cox; 11. Tyler; 12. Goben; 13. Rix; 14. Bowman.

Provisionals – Van Genderen and Cox.

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