Hill, Morris get 34 Raceway wins by mere inches

 

By Dana Royer/34 Raceway

BURLINGTON, IA  (July 6, 2013) – A great night of racing Saturday night July 6 saw a large crowd, 104 cars competing, some extremely close finishes and beautiful weather  for the area’s race fans. Three of the six classes competing thrilled the fans with racers getting wins from mere inches to a ½ car length keeping the fans on the edge of the seats on Rockstar Energy Drink and KILJ Radio night. Race fans filed to the front stretch during intermission for a driver autograph session with racecars and drivers lining the front stretch. Three drivers raced to their first wins of the season. Kyle Hill, New London (sport mods), Brent Hartley, Niota, Il.  (4 cylindes) and Jayson Ditsworth, Gladstone, Il (305 Sprints). Mitch Morris, Eldridge (modifieds), Tom Bowling, Danville (stock cars) and Evan Epperson, Muscatine (mod lites) all made return trips to the winners circle.

Coming up this week, Saturday, July 13, is the event late model fans have been waiting for when the  Pepsi UMP Summer Nationals Hell Tour makes its only Iowa stop at 34 Raceway. $10,000 is up for grabs with the best in late model racing taking on the challenge. As of July 5, Brandon Sheppard leads the point race for the UMP series followed by Bobby Pierce, Ryan Unzicker and Shannon Babb. Among area racers scheduled to compete include Chad Simpson, Chris Simpson, Brian Birkhofer, Mark Burgtorf,  and many others. Also scheduled will be the IMCA Sport Mods, 4 Cylinders and back for the second time this year 4 Wheelers and Pit Bikes.

The Weikert Iron and Metal IMCA Sport Mods started the feature races off with a thriller with Kyle Hill and Bobby Anders crossing the finish line side by side.  It was a photo finish with the scoreboard showing Hill the winner getting his first ever win by inches. Hill took the lead on the first lap and led all the fifteen laps. Anders worked his way up through the field back to second after a spin early on put him in the back of the field.  Anders pulled along side Hill on the back stretch on the final lap and stayed with the leader as they crossed the finish line.  Victor Hastings, Sean Wyett and Dustin Smith rounded out the top five.

Austen Becerra looked to be on his way to his fourth straight I Connect You/Louisa Communications 4 Cylinder feature win. Becerra led the nineteen car field for ten laps before running into lap traffic. Hartley, running in second, took advantage and went to the inside of Becerra coming out of turn three to take the lead. Hartley would hold off Becerra to get his first ever win by two car lengths. Larry Miller, Ron Kibbe, and Wayne Noble would round out the top five. Kibbie worked his way up to fourth from his sixteenth position start.

Jayson Ditsworth was one of three drivers to get their first wins this season. Ditsworth had his 305 Sprint set to run the 3/8 mile taking the lead from Kyle Peterson on lap four and pulled away the field early on. Ditsworth began maneuvering his way through lap traffic hanging on to his lead. But moving up late in the race was Donnie Steward. Steward would close the gap but wouldn’t be able to catch Ditsworth who went on to take the checkered flag first by several car lengths for his first win this season. Steward finished second followed by Justin Newberry, John Schulz and Daniel Bergquist rounding out the top five.

Muscatine’s Evan Epperson picked up his third mod lite feature this year in the thirteen car field. Epperson took the lead on lap four from Gary Snyder and would pull away from the field. With Epperson out in front, Daniel Keltner and Jimmy Halcomb were battleing it out for second. Keltner, after having contact with Joe Waterman causing him to spin earlier in the race, would work his way back up through the field from the rear of the pack to challenge Halcomb for second. But Keltner couldn’t pull it out to settle for third. Gary Snyder and Michael Dominguez rounded out the top five.

Abe Hulls developed a comfortable lead early in the Pepsi IMCA Stock Car feature event. It was a battle for position in the top five between Tom Bowling, Jr., John Oliver, Brett Timmerman and Jason Cook as they put on a show for the fans. With a caution on lap fifteen of the twenty lap feature the gap between Huls and Bowling was closed. With a battle still going on for position behind the leaders, Bowling would pull along side Hulls as the came out of turn four on the final lap. The two, Huls and Bowling, crossed the finish line at the same time in the second  photo finish of the night with Bowling edging out the win by inches. Oliver, Cook and Timmerman would round out the top five.

The final feature of the night was just as exciting as the first with Mitch Morris holding off Steve Stewart for his second Coors Silver Bullet IMCA Modified feature win at 34 Raceway this year. Rich Smith took the early lead in the sixteen car field leading the field for the first nine laps of the twenty lap race before giving it up to Bill Roberts, Jr. Roberts then led the next two circuits before Morris would get by for the as the third leader of the race.  Morris would lead the field through three yellow flags toward the end of the race. Scott Hogan and Steve Stewart would take advantage of the yellow’s and moved closer to the leader. Hogan got past Roberts for second and one lap later Stewart would move by Hogan with his sights set on Morris.  Stewart made a valiant effort taking a brief lead coming out of turns three and four but couldn’t hang on as Morris took the win by less than a car length.

 

W.T. GABELINE AND SONS TRUCKING 305 SPRINTS

FEATURE: 1. Jayson Ditsworth, Gladstone, Il., 2. Donnie Steward, West Burlington, 3. Justin Newberry, Danville, 4. John Schulz, West Burlington, 5.Daniel Bergquist, Burlington, 6. Andy Huston, Roseville, Il., 7. Nick Guernsey, Burlington, 8. Kyle Peterson, Gladstone, Il., 9. Shawn Whiting, West Burlington,  10. Damian Getchell, Sperry, 11. Shane Quam, Gladstone, Il., 12. Keoni Texiera, Moulton, 13. Andy Breuer, Burlington, 14. Heath Bundy, Oquawka, Il., 15. Richard Brod, Downers Grove, Il., 16. Janelle Schneiderman, West Burlington, 17. Jacob Glasgow, West Burlington, 18. Austin Sears, Macomb, Il., 19. Patrick Moore, Bettendorf, 20. Cody Wehrle, Burlington, 21. Dillan Roth, Burlington, 22. Ryan Jamison, Mediapolis, 23. Dave Getchell, Sperry. HEAT WINNERS: Peterson, Moore, Ditsworth.

 

COORS SILVER BULLET IMCA MODIFIEDS

FEATURE: 1. Mitch Morris, Eldridge, 2. Steve Stewart, Burlington, 3. Scott Hogan, Vinton, 4. Bill Roberts, Jr., Burlington, 5. Rich Smith, Davenport, 6. Dean McGee, Galesburg, Il., 7. Tyler Glass, Cedar Rapids, 8. Andy Krieger, Burlington, 9. Jeff Waterman, Quincy, Il., 10. Dennis LaVeine, West Burlington, 11. Mike Weikert,  Jr., Muscatine,  12. Jerry Wilhelm, Jr., Danville, 13. Dustan Fenton, Burlington, 14. Dugan Thye, Burlington, 15. Chadwick Giberson, Packwood, 16. Johnathan Huston, Columbus Junction, 17. Lonne Heap, Media, Il., 18. Paul Nelson, Colchester, Il. HEAT WINNERS:  Hogan, Morris, Waterman.

 

PEPSI IMCA STOCK CARS

FEATURE: 1. Tom Bowling, Danville, 2. Abe Huls, Carthage, Il., 3. John Oliver, Jr., Danville, 4. Jason Cook, Mt. Pleasant, 5. Brett Timmerman, Wapello, 6. Ray Raker, Danville, 7. Joe Gerdes, Burlington, 8. Travis Plummer, Burlington, 9. John Brockway, Morning Sun, 10. Wayne Landheer, Carmen, Il., 11. Derek Scwandt, Danville, 12. Jake Wenig, Burlington,  13. Mark Bowman, Burlington, 14. Chad Krogmeier, Burlington, 15. Travis Hartman, Burlington. HEAT WINNERS:  Huls, Wenig.

 

WEIKERT IRON AND METAL IMCA SPORT MODS

FEATURE: 1. Kyle Hill, New London, 2. Bobby Anders, Quincy, Il., 3. Victor Hastings, Oquawka, Il., 4. Sean Wyett, Danville, 5. Dustin Smith, Davenport, 6. Derek St. Clair, Donnellson, 7. Rodger Dresden, Keokuk, 8. Adam Shelman, Ames, 9. Lyle Timmerman, Wapello, 10. Dean Kratzer, Fort Madison,  11. Tim Zeman, Muscatine, 12. Laverne Bowman, Burlington, 13. Creston Williams, Atkins. HEAT WINNERS: Williams, Anders.

 

I CONNECT YOU/LOUISA COMMUNICATIONS 4 CYLINDERS

FEATURE: 1. Brent Hartley, Niota, Il., 2. Austen Becerra, Carthage, Il., 3. Larry Miller, Burlington, 4. Ron Kibbe, Danville, 5. Wayne Nobel, Wapello, 6. Bryerson Tharp, Grandview, 7. Brandon Lambert, Carthage, Il., 8. John Whalen, Ainsworth, 9. Jerrod Nichols, Stronghurst, Il., 10. Ryan Pace, Atalissa,  11.  Brian Mehaffy, Danville, 2. Rachael Reger, Burlington, 13. Brendan Mehaffy, Danville, 14. Jordan Tipps, Wapello, 15. Kevin Mortimer, Biggsville, Il., 16. Shawn Baker, Burlington, 17. Travis Smith, LaHarpe, Il., 18. Becky Dockendorf, Danville, 19. Robert Kibbe, Danville, 20. Jacob Brown, Wapello. HEAT WINNERS: Hartley, Becerra, Whalen.

 

MOD LITES

FEATURE: 1. Evan Epperson, Muscatine, 2. Jimmy Halcomb, Kirkwood, Il., 3. Daniel Keltner, Wapello, 4. Gary Snyder, Monmouth, Il.,5. Michael Dominguez, Lone Tree, 6. Blake Woodruff, Galesburg, Il., 7. Devon Rouse, Burlington, 8. Sean Adair, Little York, Il., 9. Jared Halcomb, Monmouth, Il., 10. Todd Thornburg, New London, 11. Chase Flatt, Monmouth, Il., 12. Justin Buchholz, Davenport, 13. Joe Waterman, West Burlington, 14. Dave White, Burlington. HEAT WINNERS:  Keltner, Buchholz.

Category: 34 Raceway, Iowa