Crampton Cruises to Victory

By: Anthony Sandoval

EAST MOLINE, IL (April 20, 2014) — Doug Crampton just had that feel from the moment he unloaded the car on Sunday.

Fast in his heat, and fast in the feature was the No. 40 IMCA Modified. Crampton led all 20 laps of the Toppert Services IMCA Modified show.

“It helps when you start out front,” said Crampton, who started on the outside-pole next to Brandon Durbin. Durbin spun after he and Crampton made contact in turn two on lap one. That caused a race-restart. “I had a couple good battles there after the cautions.”

Eric Barnes was one of those challenges as he finished second. The first 12 laps, it was Crampton with a massive lead. A few cautions in the middle part of the feature allowed Barnes to catch and nearly complete the pass on Crampton.

Matt Werner had to maneuver through the wrecks as he started towards the back. He made it up to third-place before the car just went away. He settled for a fifth-place finish.

“It’s just wasn’t working,” said Werner of the final five laps when he slipped three positions. “Luckily, I was able to miss the wrecks and gain a couple spots anyways.”

Eriksen Chevrolet Buick IMCA Late Models: If this one was a 20-lap feature, Mike Zemo Jr. would have won in dominating fashion. But it was a 30-lapper, and it was Ray Guss Jr. seeing the checkered flag first.

Zemo, and the Z car, had one slip up in the entire race, and it came after crossing the starting stripe for the 20th time.

“I was being told that I had a big lead, but I felt like I was slowing down,” said Zemo. “I wanted to pass the lapped (traffic), and I went in and I went too hard. I hit the brakes and spun out. It was one of those where you’re just not going to save it.”

At that point, Zemo was frustrated with himself. He was forced to restart at the back of the eight-car field with 10 to go. Z rallied for a second-place finish, challenging Guss in the final three laps.

Guss and the No. 39 of Rob Toland battled back and forth for five laps for the top spot after the Zemo spin. Guss managed to beat Toland to the line in each of those laps and led the final 5 laps for the win.

“I don’t know what Zemo had going on, but he was gone,” said Guss. “I was patient. If I would have over-drove it, I would have been doing the slide too. The car had plenty of traction off the bottom, and I had to keep it down there.”

Mike Murphy Jr., Toland, and Milo Veloz Jr. rounded out the Top-5.

Final lap: Mitchell Davis won the U-Pull-A-Part/Cimco IMRA Midget Lite 20-lap feature, claiming his first lead off turn two with 2 to go. Jeff Zelinski led a race-high nine laps. Rick Schriner was able to hold off a late-charging Steve Jackson for the Weber Auto Group Street Stock feature win. Jackson finished second with Jarret Franzen, Chad Coyne and Rob Nylin all in the Top-5. It was the Dahl show in the 4-cylinder feature as the D23 of Zach Dahl defeated his brother Brandon Dahl.

Results – 4/20/14
U-Pull-A-Part/Cimco IMRA Midget Lites

Heat 1
1. 15 – Jeff Zelinski
2. 31J – Jeff Mallonee
3. 51R – Gedd Ross
4. 15M – Shane Morgan
5. 54 – Jason Allen

Heat 2
1. 53 – Aaron Schuck
2. 56 – Mitchell Davis
3. 21 – Kurt Mayhew
4. 3 – John Springer
5. 0B – Robert Bell

Feature
1. 56 – Mitchell Davis
2. 15 – Jeff Zelinski
3. 51R – Gedd Ross
4. 15M – Shane Morgan
5. 3 – John Springer
6. 53 – Aaron Schuck
7. 42 – T.J. Bollen
8. 83 – Patrick Bruns
9. 13 – Brayden Gaylord
10. 21 – Kurt Mayhew
11. 54 – Jason Allen
12. 0 – Scotty Hines
DNS:
31J – Jeff Mallonee
69 – Barry Trones
46M – Matt Boyd
DQ – 0B – Robert Bell

Toppert Services IMCA Modifieds

Heat 1
1. 8L – Chris Lawrence
2. 1 – Eric Barnes
3. 17 – Todd Dykema
4. 4G – Kevin Goben
5. 43 – Justin Veloz

Heat 2
1. 93 – Matt Werner
2. 85 – Leland Bushong
3. 18R – Terry Rentfro
4. 00 – Rob Henry
5. 32 – Sam Davis

Heat 3
1. 40 – Doug Crampton
2. 613 – Dan Hahn
3. 15D – Brandon Durbin
4. 85B – Brian Bushong
5. 89 – T.J. Patz

Feature
1. 40 – Doug Crampton
2. 1 – Eric Barnes
3. 8 – Greg Durbin
4. 18R – Terry Rentfro
5. 93 – Matt Werner
6. 17 – Todd Dykema
7. 613 – Dan Hahn
8. 43 – Justin Veloz
9. 85B – Brian Bushong
10. 85 – Leland Bushong
11. 4G – Kevin Goben
12. 32 – Sam Davis
13. 99X – Mark VerVynck
14. 8L – Chris Lawrence
15. 89 – T.J. Patz
16. 15D – Brandon Durbin
17. 00 – Rob Henry
DNS:
6 – Brock Bauman
35 – Chance Huston

Weber Auto Group Street Stocks
Heat 1
1. 19 – Steven Jackson
2. 13 – Chad Coyne
3. 33 – Jarett Franzen
4. 42 – Kevin Dickey
5. 02B – Rob Nylin

Feature
1. 8 – Rick Schriner
2. 19 – Steven Jackson
3. 33 – Jarett Franzen
4. 13 – Chad Coyne
5. 02B – Rob Nylin
6. 42 – Kevin Dickey
7. 87 – Jeremy Gustaf

Eriksen Chevrolet Buick IMCA Late Models

Heat 1
1. 39 – Rob Toland
2. 58 – Ray Guss Jr.
3. 14 – Mike Murphy Jr.
4. 75M – Todd Malmstrom
5. 3 – Mike Cothron

Feature
1. 58 – Ray Guss Jr.
2. Z – Mike Zemo Jr.
3. 14 – Mike Murphy Jr.
4. 39 – Rob Toland
5. V – Milo Veloz Jr.
6. 75M – Todd Malmstrom
7. 53 – LeRoy Brenner
8. 3 – Mike Cothron
9. 6K – Korey Peterson

4-Cylinders
Heat 1
1. 48 – Aaron Hitt
2. 50 – Eric Stogdell
3. F11 – Sean Fersch
4. S4 – Steven Spiker
5. 75K – Jake Smith

Heat 2
1. D17 – Brandon Dahl
2. 25A – Jon Scott
3. D23 – Zach Dahl
4. F79 – Dustin Forbes
5. 28 – Brad Salisbury

Feature
1. D23 – Zach Dahl
2. D17 – Brandon Dahl
3. 48 – Aaron Hitt
4. F79 – Dustin Forbes
5. 28 – Brad Salisbury
6. S4 – Steven Spiker
7. 77X – Brandon Setser
8. F11 – Sean Fersch
9. 75K – Jake Smith
10. 14 – Drew Wise
11. 50 – Eric Stogdell
12. 25A – Jon Scott
DNS:
07 – Josh Sharpe

Category: East Moline, Illinois