Mills catches up, then checks out in BVR Karl Performance Hawkeye Dirt Tour feature

ALTA, Iowa (June 25) – Jeremy Mills played catch-up before running away with the Karl Perfor­mance Hawkeye Dirt Tour presented by XSAN main event Tuesday night at Buena Vista Race­way.

Mills reeled in leader Chris Abelson 24 circuits into the 30-lapper for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, held onto the front spot after back-to-back cautions and then checked out on every­body in scoring the $1,000 feature victory.

Abelson ended in second while hard charger Justin Sackett raced all the way from 18^th starting to third. Former series champions Mark Elliott and Mike Jergens completed the top five.

The fifth different winner in as many series events this season, Mills notched his career third Haw­keye Dirt Tour checkers. He was already on the ballot for this fall’s Fast Shafts All-Star Invita­tional.

Jergens drew the outside pole start and led the first two times around the oval. Abelson, winner of the HDT race at Alta in 2011, got underneath Jergens on the next circuit and set sail. He was half a straightaway ahead by the time the fifth starting Mills got past Jergens for second on lap 10.

That advantage was the same when Abelson began encountering lapped traffic near midway. Mills pared the margin to five car lengths by lap 20 and pulled even with Abelson three laps later.

He used the higher line to complete the pass coming out of the last turn on lap 24.

Caution flags waved on each of the next two laps. Sackett was in second on lap 25 but lost the position to Abelson.

Neither had anything for Mills, however, who took the checkers 10 car lengths ahead of Abelson.

Point leader Richie Gustin was 18^th and a DNF.

Round six of the Hawkeye Dirt Tour is on Thursday, July 4 at Algona Raceway. The Modified main event pays $1,000 to win while IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run for $750 and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $500.

Pit gates open at 4:30 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m. Hot laps are at 6:30 p.m. with racing to follow.

Feature results – 1. Jeremy Mills, Garner; 2. Chris Abelson, Sioux City; 3. Justin Sackett, Pierson; 4. Mark Elliott, Webster City; 5. Mike Jergens, Plover; 6. Jim Thies, Mapleton; 7. Mike Albertsen, Audubon; 8. Dustin Smith, Lake City; 9. Mark Schulte, Delhi; 10. Mike Van Genderen, Newton; 11. Matt Bonine, Onawa; 12. Shane DeMay, Denison; 13. Zach Less, Hopkinton; 14. Jim Mathieson, Sioux City; 15. Brian Schmitt, Wall Lake; 16. Brett Meyer, Lytton; 17. Austin Lucas, Cherokee; 18. Richie Gustin, Gilman; 19. Brad Williams, Lytton; 20. Jeff Ignaszewski, Wells, Minn.; 21. Joel Bushore, Boone; 22. Jesse Sobbing, Glenwood; 23. Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 24. Clayton Christensen, Spencer; 25. Tad Reutzel, Burt.

1^st heat – 1. Abelson; 2. Schmitt; 3. Gustin; 4. Ignaszewski; 5. Thies; 6. Less; 7. DeMay; 8. Lau­ritzen; 9. Reutzel.

2^nd heat – 1. Smith; 2. Sobbing; 3. Williams; 4. Albertsen; 5. Meyer; 6. Lucas; 7. Bonine; 8. Bushore.

3^rd heat – 1. Jergens; 2. Mills; 3. Christensen; 4. Elliott; 5. Van Genderen; 6. Schulte; 7. Sackett; 8. Mathieson.

Category: Hawkeye Dirt Tour, Iowa, Series