Ryan dominates Davenport opener
by Mike McGuire
DAVENPORT, Ia. (May 1, 2015) – The Davenport Speedway jump-started the 2015 point season in a big way, Friday night. One hundred and twenty-four racers took part in the Koehler Electric Season Opener.
In the Petersen Plumbing & Heating IMCA Late Model action, Davenport’s Matt Ryan dominated the field. Ryan started on the pole and led all twenty-five laps despite a couple of late race cautions. Ray Guss Jr., Andy Nezworski, and Jay Johnson, all took a turn in the runner-up spot, before Guss secured the spot late in the race. Nezworski would finish third, ahead of Johnson and Colby Springsteen.
Ryan, Guss, and Nezworski each won a late model heat race.
Tony VonDresky topped a huge field of Milan Heating and Air IMCA Modifieds. Rich Smith led the first four laps of the Mod feature. Bruce Hanford used the high side to take the lead on lap five. On lap seven, Tony VonDresky used the very bottom of the racetrack to get by Hanford and set sail for victory lane.
Hanford held on to finish second. Mitch Morris would finish third. Jeremy Marquette ran in the top five the entire race and finished fourth. Scott Powell rounded out the top five.
Four heats and two semis were needed to whittle the field down to the twenty-four feature starters. Heat race wins went to VonDresky, Bob Dominacki, Dusty Kraklio, and Matt Werner. Kelly Meyer and Nathan Hall took the semis.
Nick Claussen posted the first feature win of his racing career in Koehler Electric Street Stock action. Kevin Dickey jumped out to the early lead, but on lap three Donnie Louck put his racecar into the top spot. Louck held the lead through a rash of caution flags in the middle portion of the race. Claussen, who started thirteenth, was able to pass Louck for the lead on lap twelve, and held on to the checkers. Cary Brown made a late race charge to finish second, with Louck taking third. Perry Gellerstedt and Randy Lamar were fourth and fifth respectively.
Tony Olson made the trip from Cedar Rapids pay off with a win in the Hawkeye Auto IMCA SportMods. Olson started on the outside pole and led all fifteen laps of the race. Defending track champion Bryce Garnhart finished second with Jarrett Franzen taking third. Mike McGarry and Henry Carson completed the top five.
The Roto-Rooter 4-Stock feature was loaded with brotherly love. Brandon Dahl took up where he left off last season. Dahl led the last eleven laps of the feature to take the win. His brother, Zach Dahl finished second. Jake Benischek took third, just ahead of his brother Luke Benischek. Allen Morris finished fifth.
The Lucas Oil MLRA Super Late Models will invade the Davenport Speedway next Friday, May 8th. The cars and stars of the Lucas Oil MLRA series will take on the quarter-mile oval. Also racing will be modifieds, street stocks, sportmods, and 4-stocks, competing for weekly points. This event will be run in memory of Martin Diercks.
Results –
Davenport Speedway
May 1, 2015
IMCA Late Model
Heat 1: 1. Andy Nezworski; 2. Brian Harris; 3. Jonathon Brauns; 4. Jay Johnson; 5. Sam Halstead;
Heat 2: 1. Ray Guss Jr.; 2. Jon Poll; 3. Colby Springsteen; 4. Nate Bueseling; 5. Joe Ross;
Heat 3: 1. Matt Ryan; 2. Joe Zrostlik; 3. Gary Webb; 4. Mike Garland; 5. Stephan Kammerer;
Feature: 1. Matt Ryan; 2. Ray Guss Jr.; 3. Andy Nezworski; 4. Jay Johnson; 5. Colby Springsteen; 6. Joe Zrostlik; 7. Nate Bueseling; 8. Gary Webb; 9. Mike Garland; 10. Jon Poll; 11. Mike Zemo Jr.; 12. Sam Halstead; 13. Chuck Hanna; 14. Todd Mallmstrom; 15. Mitch Current; 16. Eric Sanders; 17. Todd VanTassel; 18. Stephan Kammerer; 19. Jonathan Brauns; 20. Ryan Claeys; 21. Brian Harris; 22. Joe Ross; 23. LeRoy Brenner;
IMCA Modifieds
Heat 1: 1. Bob Dominacki; 2. Bruce Hanford; 3. Mitch Morris; 4. Josh Starr; 5. Nick Hixson;
Heat 2: 1. Dusty Kraklio; 2. Brad Tyler; 3.Ray Cox Jr. ; 4. Jeremy Marquette; 5. Nick Nevins;
Heat 3: 1. Matt Werner; 2. Scott Powell; 3. Doug Crampton; 4. RJ Gonzales; 5. Kelly Meyer;
Heat 4: 1. Tony VonDresky; 2. Rich Smith; 3. Jake Bowman; 4. Ben Chapman; 5. Craig Crawford;
Semi 1: 1. Kelly Meyer; 2. Milo Veloz Jr; 3. Brandon Durbin; 4. Brian Bushong; 5. George Spence III;
Semi 2: 1. Nathan Hall; 2. Joe Beal; 3. Craig Crawford; 4. Terry Rentfro; 5. Jusin Veloz;
Feature: 1. Tony VonDresky; 2. Bruce Hanford; 3. Mitch Morris; 4. Jeremy Marquette; 5. Scott Powell; 6. Bob Dominacki; 7. Dusty Kraklio; 8. Matt Werner; 9. Brandon Durbin; 10. Ray Cox Jr.; 11. Brad Tyler; 12. Milo Veloz Jr.; 13. Craig Crawford; 14. Kelly Meyer; 15. Terry Rentfro; 16. Jake Bowman; 17. Joe Beal; 18. Brian Bushong; 19. Josh Starr; 20. Rich Smith; 21. Ben Chapman; 22. Doug Crampton; 23. RJ Gonzales; 24. Nathan Hall;
Street Stocks
Heat 1: 1. Keith Blum; 2. Donnie Louck; 3. Phil Anderson; 4. Chance Huston; 5. Robert Mueller;
Heat 2: 1. Perry Gellerstedt; 2. Kevin Dickey; 3. Bryan Ritter; 4. Mark Anderson; 5. Steve Cox;
Heat 3: 1. Cary Brown; 2. Rick Schriner; 3. Cord Williams; 4. Tom Riggs; 5. Jack Greve;
Feature: 1. Nick Claussen; 2. Cary Brown; 3. Donnie Louck; 4. Perry Gellerstedt; 5. Randy Lamar; 6. Cord Williams; 7. Bryan Ritter; 8. Mark Anderson; 9. Phil Anderson; 10. Jack Greve; 11. Jesse Owen; 12. Keith Blum; 13. Tom Riggs; 14. Kevin Dickey; 15. Chance Huston; 16. Robert Mueller; 17. Rick Schriner; 18. Steve Cox;
IMCA Sport Mods
Heat 1: 1. Dalton Simonsen; 2. Joe Grant; 3. Henry Carson; 4. David Norton; 5. Emily Gade;
Heat 2: 1. Dustin Crear; 2. Jared Miller; 3. Mike McGarry; 4. Justin Conklin; 5. Ron Cook;
Heat 3: 1. Tony Olson; 2. Bryce Garnhart; 3. Phil Anderson; 4. Mitch Bielenberg; 5. Gerald Ward;
Semi 1: 1. Jarrett Franzen; 2. Jacob Arp; 3. Jake Morris; 4. Gary Rentfro; 5. Rance Powell;
Feature: 1. Tony Olson; 2. Bryce Garnhart; 3. Jarrett Franzen; 4. Mke McGarry; 5. Henry Carson; 6. Mitch Bielenberg; 7. Dustin Crear; 8. Joe Grant; 9. Dalton Simonsen; 10. Phil Anderson; 11. Jacob Arp; 12. David Norton; 13. Rance Powell; 14. Gary Rentfro; 15. Dave Bielenberg; 16. Jake Morris; 17. Justin Conklin; 18. Jared Miller; 19. Gage Neal; 20. Kyle Eller;
4-Stocks
Heat 1: 1. Zach Dahl; 2. Jake Benishcek; 3. Steven Phillips; 4. Luke Benischek; 5. Josh Stanley;
Heat 2: 1. Brandon Dahl; 2. Brandon Setser; 3. Allen Morris; 4. Brandt Cole; 5. Drew Wise;
Feature: 1. Brandon Dahl; 2. Zach Dahl; 3. Jake Benischek; 4. Luke Benischek; 5. Allen Morris; 6. Steven Phillips; 7. Brandt Cole; 8. Josh Stanley; 9. Drew Wise; 10. ; 11. Richard Dearborn; 12. Steven Spiker; 13. Josh Riley; 14. Brandon Setser;
Category: Davenport Speedway, Iowa
