Cordes, Zwanziger win thrillers at Independence Motor Speedway

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (Aug. 2) – Troy Cordes and Alex Zwanziger both stood in victory lane Saturday night at Independence Motor Speedway – and they got there in different, yet equally thrilling ways.

Cordes, who earned his third win of the year in the Performance Bodies IMCA Modified feature, chased down leader Adam Johnson for a late pass on his way to victory. Zwanziger took advantage of a late restart and topped a three-car battle to earn his first win of the season in the IMCA Northern SportMods.

Brennen Chipp held the early lead in the 20-lapper for the Modifieds while Johnson challenged to his outside. Johnson took the lead following the race’s only caution on lap three and quickly extended his advantage.

Meanwhile, Cordes was working from a sixth row start and sat in the top five shortly after the restart. He chased Chipp and Kaleb Bentley until making his way into the runner-up spot at the midway point.

By the time Cordes motored into second with 10 laps to go, Johnson built a straightaway lead as both front-runners worked the top groove of the speedway.

Cordes pulled to within a couple car-lengths of Johnson when the leader encountered lapped traffic in the waning laps. Cordes dropped to the middle groove as the lead pair negotiated the slower traffic and drew even with Johnson as the white flag waved.

Cordes slipped past Johnson in the final set of turns to escape with the victory. Johnson and J. D. Auringer completed the top three.

Brian Hilbert enjoyed a sizable lead in the early stages of the 15-lap Northern SportMod feature while Danny Dvorak worked through traffic from a fourth row starting spot.

Dvorak made his way around Hilbert following a lap eight restart while Zwanziger and Jenae Gustin gave chase. Caution slowed action one final time to set up a green, white, checkered finish with Dvorak at the point and Gustin and Zwanziger side-by-side behind him.

When racing resumed, Gustin worked low and Zwanziger worked high as they both challenged Dvorak for the lead. Zwanziger was able to pull even with the leader as the white flag waved and then surged ahead off the final corner to steal the victory. Dvorak ran second at the line ahead of Gustin.

Jerry King earned the second win of his IMCA Late Model career and his first in Independence in that 25-lapper.

After Drew Johnson and Brian Hunter shared time at the front of the pack, King raced the high side past Hunter following a lap 15 restart. He drove away from the field to take the victory. Darren Ackerman came from the fifth row to finish second ahead of Hunter.

Brian and Benji Irvine are no strangers to victory lane in Independence, however the cousins shared time in victory lane on the same night for the first time in their careers Saturday.

Brian came from the fourth row to dominate the 18-lap IMCA Stock Car feature, earning his fifth win in as many appearances this season.

Likewise, Benji earned his sixth win of the season in dominant fashion after starting in the fourth row of the 15-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature.

 

RESULTS IMCA LATE MODEL Feature – 1. 70 Jerry King, Waterloo; 2. 53 Darren Ackerman, Readlyn; 3. 1H Brian Hunter, Independence; 4. 88 Drew Johnson, Belle Plaine; 5. 45 Curt Martin, Independence; 6. 51 Ryan Dolan, Lisbon; 7. 73 Greg Kastli, Waterloo; 8. 60 Dean Wagner, Evansdale; 9. 31 Tyler Droste, Waterloo; 10. 8R Sean Johnson, Independence; 11. 99 Luke Pestka, Robins; 12. 77 Dirk Hamilton, Jesup; 13. 87 John Emerson, Waterloo; 14. 145 Dale Hackwell Jr., Washburn; 15. 2 Rory Metcalf, West Union; 16. 1X Rick Dralle, Waterloo; 17. 83 Russell Hesse, Waterloo; 18. 2P Jon Passick, Waterloo; DNS/19. 4 Leon Thomsen, Waverly; DNS/20. 21B Joel Brasch, Dunkerton.

First heat – 1. King; 2. D. Johnson; 3. Ackerman; 4. Hamilton; 5. S. Johnson; 6. Dralle; 7. Thomsen.

Second heat – 1. Droste; 2. Hunter; 3. Wagner; 4. Emerson; 5. Dolan; 6. Hackwell; 7. Brasch.

Third heat – 1. Pestka; 2. Metcalf; 3. Passick; 4. Martin; 5. Kastli; 6. Hesse.

 

IMCA MODIFIED Feature – 1. 71 Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 2. 24R Adam Johnson, Independence; 3. 00J J. D. Auringer, Waterloo; 4. 10 Kaleb Bentley, Fairbank; 5. F7 Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 6. 20L Zach Less, Hopkinton; 7. 92 Tyler Droste, Waterloo; 8. 33D Scott Hogan, Vinton; 9. 01 Ed Thomas, Waterloo; 10. 57B Dennis Betzer, Central City; 11. 23 J. J. Scott, Iowa City; 12. 49 Mike Manson, Manchester; 13. 5 Jason Morehouse, Evansdale; 14. 21 Brennen Chipp, Waterloo; 15. 75 Josh Sherbon, Cedar Falls; 16. 41P Keith Pittman, Waterloo; 17. 17 Justin Buehler, Oelwein; 18. 13X Clifford Schimmels, Denver; 19. 10K Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 20. 93K Jeff Kriz, Waterloo; 21. 64 Vern Jackson, Waterloo.

First heat – 1. Manson; 2. Bentley; 3. Johnson; 4. Lauritzen; 5. Jackson; 6. Morehouse; 7. Pittman.

Second heat – 1. Flannagan; 2. Kriz; 3. Droste; 4. Betzer; 5. Hogan; 6. Buehler; 7. Schimmels.

Third heat – 1. Chipp; 2. Sherbon; 3. Cordes; 4. Less; 5. Auringer; 6. Scott; 7. Thomas.

 

IMCA STOCK CAR Feature – 1. 26 Brian Irvine, Oelwein; 2. 15 Norman Chesmore, Rowley; 3. 3 Jarod Weepie, Dunkerton; 4. 11 Jesse Brown, Nashua; 5. 22K Kevin Rose, Waterloo; 6. JR3 Jason Hocken, Independence; 7. 23 Justin Hanson, Waterloo; 8. 74C Cole Mather, Dundee; 9. 4JR Russell Damme Jr., Waterloo; 10. 11J Jerome Jacoby, Waterloo; 11. 14 Shane Ebaugh, Evansdale; 12. 8 Mitchell Evens, Independence; 13. 37C Roger Ciesielski, Waterloo; DNS/14. K38 Ken Taylor, Strawberry Point.

First heat – 1. Hanson; 2. Mather; 3. Weepie; 4. Hocken; 5. Jacoby; 6. Ebaugh; DNS Evens.

Second heat – 1. Chesmore; 2. Irvine; 3. Rose; 4. Ciesielski; 5. Damme; 6. Taylor; 7. Brown.

 

IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD Feature – 1. 32Z Alex Zwanziger, Nashua; 2. 3R Danny Dvorak, Vinton; 3. 19J Jenae Gustin, Marshalltown; 4. 25 Austin Moyer, Dubuque; 5. S16 Kip Siems, Cedar Falls; 6. 7D Dakoda Sellers, Vinton; 7. 339 Kevin Hurst, Janesville; 8. 35 Kyle Bentley, Independence; 9. 96 Lucas Lundry, Maynard; 10. 00 Jim Buhlman, Cedar Falls; 11. 39 Brian Hilbert, Independence; 12. J2 Dave Schulze, Keystone; 13. 24R Kevin Robinson, Dewar; 14. 50H Steve Wimer, Toddville; 15. 63 Matt McCahen, Waterloo; 16. 15N Ross Neal, Marion; 17. 14 Brian Schrage, Cresco; 18. 36 Jacob Salisbury, Dunkerton; 19. 29 Sean Vogt, Watkins.

First heat – 1. Hilbert; 2. Sellers; 3. Gustin; 4. Bentley; 5. Dvorak; 6. Siems; 7. Wimer; 8. Schulze; 9. McCahen.

Second heat – 1. Schrage; 2. Robinson; 3. Vogt; 4. Zwanziger; 5. Hurst; 6. Lundry; 7. Buhlman; 8. Moyer; 9. Neal; 10. Salisbury.

 

IMCA HOBBY STOCK Feature – 1. 79 Benji Irvine, Stanley; 2. 36 Brian Happel, Vinton; 3. 83W Matt White, Nashua; 4. 35B Shawn Kuennen, Hazleton; 5. T64 Jeremiah Wilson, Waterloo; 6. 2 Nick Welch, Cedar Falls; 7. 5 Marcus Wayne, Independence; 8. 58B Randy Byerly, Tipton; 9. 95 Matt Lundry, Oelwein; 10. 7B Jim Ball, Independence; 11. 45 Justin Wacha, Vinton; 12. 19B James Sheldon, Marion; 13. 20B Matt Burmeister, Dunkerton; 14. 17 Nathan Forey, Waverly; 15. 357 Brett Vanous, Quasqueton; 16. 25 Jamie Whitaker, Oelwein.

First heat – 1. White; 2. Irvine; 3. Wayne; 4. Kuennen; 5. Byerly; 6. Burmeister; 7. Forey; 8. Ball.

Second heat – 1. Whitaker; 2. Vanous; 3. Wilson; 4. Welch; 5. Sheldon; 6. Wacha; 7. Lundry; 8. Happel.

Category: Independence, Iowa