Waterman best at Benton County in JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour

Quincy, Ill., hotshoe   Jeff Waterman drew the pole and ran at the front all 30 laps, beating J.D.   Auringer to the checkers by a car length after two of the race’s three   caution flags wiped out big leads.

The victory paid $1,250   and put Waterman on the ballot for the 2012 Fast Shafts All-Star   Invitational.

Richie Gustin challenged   midway and finished third. Mitch Morris and Mark Schulte both came from “B”   features, improving 15 and eight spots from their original starts to finish   fourth and fifth, respectively.

“We weren’t fast in the   turns but I knew as long as I kept the car where I wanted on the track that   we’d be OK,” said Waterman, who was pulling away from outside row one starter   Ryan Dolan and the rest of the field before the first yellow, on lap eight.   “This was probably the oldest car in the field tonight. I was probably the   oldest driver, too.”

Dolan got together with   Gustin and wound up restarting at the back following the first of   back-to-back yellows on laps 15 and 16.

The race stayed green   from that point, with Auringer taking over second with 10 circuits left and   Morris cracking the top four the next time around. It became a two-car race   with six to go, with Waterman taking the checkers before lapped traffic could   become a factor.

Waterman’s career first   Hawkeye Dirt Tour victory came on June 24 of 2010 at Cresco Speedway.

“Cresco was pretty   special,” acknowledged Waterman, also one of the drivers being featured in   the Fuel The Thunder 2 documentaries. “I’m generally not a small track guy   but we always come to Vinton for the Frostbuster, the Hawkeye Dirt Tour and   the Hogan Memorial. Benton County Speedway has always been good to me.”

Kelly Meyer was sixth and   defending series champion Mark Elliott finished seventh. Thirty-eight   Modifieds were in town for the opening night program, completed in just under   three hours on a brisk evening.

Jim Gillenwater topped   the $400 to win feature for Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods, Scott Pippert   banked $300 for his IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock victory and Merv Chandler was the   $100 Mach-1 Sport Compact feature winner.

The second of 13 series   events this season is on Memorial Day Monday, May 28 at I-35 Speedway in   Mason City.

That main event pays   $1,000 to win. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and   IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks complete the program.

Pit gates open at 4 p.m.,   the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. and hot laps are at 6 p.m. with racing to   follow.

Feature results – 1. Jeff   Waterman, Quincy, Ill.; 2. J.D. Auringer, Evansdale; 3. Richie Gustin,   Gilman; 4. Mitch Morris, Eldridge; 5. Mark Schulte, Delhi; 6. Kelly Meyer,   Tipton; 7. Mark Elliott, Webster City; 8. Jimmy Gustin, Marshalltown; 9.   Scott Hogan, Vinton; 10. Rich Smith, Davenport; 11. Jeremy Mills, Garner;12.   Jay Noteboom, Hinton; 13. Dan Chapman, Clarence; 14. Larry Herring, Lone   Tree; 15. Vern Jackson, Waterloo; 16. Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 17. Ryan Dolan,   Lisbon; 18. Darin Duffy, Hazleton; 19. Mike Jergens, Plover; 20. Mike   VanGenderen, Newton; 21. Jake Bowman, Maquoketa; 22. Mike Burbridge, Delhi;   23. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa; 24. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton.

1st heat – 1. Waterman;   2. Dolan; 3. Hogan; 4. Ed Thomas, Waterloo; 5. Herring; 6. Ben Chapman,   Clarence; 7. Kyle Krampe, Baxter; 8. Smith.

2nd heat – 1. Richie   Gustin; 2. Carter; 3. VanGenderen; 4. Cordes; 5. Elliott; 6. Duffy; 7. Dan   Klatt, Wheatland; 8. Jacob Waterman, Milan, Ill.

3rd heat – 1. Burbridge;   2. Meyer; 3. Noteboom; 4. Jergens; 5. Ray Cox Jr., Maquoketa; 6. Jeff Connor,   Panora; 7. Dennis Betzer, Central City.

4th heat – 1. Jimmy   Gustin; 2. Auringer; 3. Schulte; 4. Jason Schoenberger, Gorham, Kan.; 5. Todd   Dykema, Davenport; 6. Albert Wolfgram, Boone; 7. Ben Traver, Lowden.

5th heat – Chapman; 2.   Bowman; 3. Jackson; 4. Mills; 5. Joe Docekal, Dysart; 6. Lauritzen; 7.   Morris; 8. Rick Speck, Garwin.

1st “B” feature – 1.   Cordes; 2. Hogan; 3. Noteboom; 4. Jackson; 5. Morris; 6. Duffy; 7. Cox; 8.   Schoenberger; 9. Herring; 10. Wolfgram; 11. Docekal; 12. Krampe; 13. Betzer;   14. Jacob Waterman.

2nd “B” feature – 1.   Schulte; 2. Mills; 3. Jergens; 4. Elliott; 5. Smith; 6. VanGenderen; 7.   Lauritzen; 8. Traver; 9. Connor; 10. Speck; 11. Thomas; 12. Dykema; 13.   Klatt; 14. Chapman.

Northern SportMods – 1.   Jim Gillenwater, Keokuk; 2. Racer Hulin, Laurel; 3. Scott Davis, Madrid; 4.   Carter VanDenberg, Oskaloosa; 5. Austin Kaplan, Ankeny; 6. Ryan Ashton,   Beaman; 7. Kurt Moeding, Mason City; 8. Jim Buhlman, Cedar Falls; 9. Curt   Hilmer, Dysart; 10. Jamie Duinink, Pella; 11. Ryan Coleman, Urbana; 12. Rick   Paulson, Tripoli; 13. Randy Butterbrodt, Clarence; 14. Bob Ebaugh, Raymond;   15. Joel Rust, Grundy Center; 16. Jason Mallicoat, Jefferson; 17. Nick   Roberts, Des Moines; 18. Kyle Olson, Cedar Rapids; 19. Mike Hogencamp,   Waterloo; 20. Rich Gerhold, Central City.

Heat winners were   Mallicoat, Hulin and Kaplan.

Hobby Stocks – 1. Scott   Pippert, Elberon; 2. John Watson, Des Moines; 3. Doug Laughridge, Vinton; 4.   Matt Brown, Dysart; 5. Brad Forbes, Waterloo; 6. Vince Buchholz, Cedar Falls;   7. Dustin Filloon, Tama; 8. Justin Stander, Vinton; 9. Justin Wacha, Vinton;   10. Nathan Ballard, Marengo; 11. Cory Tharp, Cedar Falls; 12. Randy   VandeVegte, Manchester; 13. Cale Petersen, Dysart; 14. Greg Sweerin,   Evansdale; 15. Rod Grother, Cedar Falls.

Heat winners were Ballard   and Pippert.

Sport Compacts – 1. Merv   Chandler, Vinton; 2. Nathan Chandler, Norway; 3. Andy Wagner, Maquoketa; 4.   Tyler Whalen, Riverside; 5. Adam Gates, Cedar Rapids; 6. Louis Trachta,   Vinton; 7. A.J. Witten, Cedar Rapids; 8. Jacob McVay, Palo.

Gates won the heat.