Strickler shines at Night of 1,000 Stars

BRITT, Iowa (Aug. 8) – Kyle Strickler continued his Hawkeye State success at Hancock County Speedway’s Night of 1,000 Stars.

The IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified driver from North Carolina was the seventh and final different leader in Thursday night’s 50-lap feature at Britt. After passing Scott Hogan with five circuits to go, Strickler wheeled into victory lane to collect a $3,500 check, plus another $250 in lap money.

Benji LaCrosse and Ryan Ruter, like Strickler qualifiers from the “B” features, slipped past Hogan in the late stages to finish second and third, respectively. Brian Mullen was fifth.

Played out to a capacity crowd, the Night of 1,000 Stars was also a Karl Performance Hawkeye Dirt Tour presented by XSAN and drew 72 Modified entries from eight states.

Austin Wolf drew the pole and led the first two laps before giving way to Mike Jergens, whose tenure up front lasted until lap eight, when Todd Shute drove by.

Mullen was scored first on a single circuit before Shute regained the spot and earned a $1,000 bonus for leading when the race was stopped for a mandatory caution at midway.

With that stoppage and a handful of cautions, lapped traffic never became a factor in the second half of the race. Ryan Ruter and Hogan took turns at the front but Strickler was clearly on a mission, making the most of the middle groove to complete his charge with five laps left, then fending off LaCrosse to take the win by two car lengths.

Strickler won from the 17th starting spot while LaCrosse moved up 28 positions and Ruter 24. Jeremy Mills was sixth and a plus 26 on the night while NASCAR visitor and fan favorite Ken Schrader advanced 23 places to ninth.

Shute’s share of the purse included $1,250 in lap money in addition to the lap 25 bonus.

Conqueror of last month’s Harris Clash at Knoxville, Strickler was elected to start the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational on Sept. 6 during the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.

His Thursday night victory put him on the ballot for the 2014 event.

Modified drivers chase a guaranteed payday of $7,000, plus another $3,000 in bonuses at Friday’s Night of 10,000 Stars at Britt. The feature event purse adds up to nearly $28,000

Pit gates open at 4:30 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. and racing to follow.

Feature results – 1. Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C.; 2. Benji LaCrosse, Green Bay, Wis.; 3. Ryan Ruter, Kanawha; 4. Scott Hogan, Vinton; 5. Brian Mullen, Seymour, Wis.; 6. Jeremy Mills, Garner; 7. Todd Shute, Des Moines; 8. Ken Schrader, Concord, N.C.; 9. Clint Wendel, Mason City; 10. Mark Elliott, Webster City; 11. Tad Reutzel, Burt; 12. Mike Van Genderen, Newton; 13. Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Neb.; 14. Rob Rose, West Des Moines; 15. Levi Nielsen, Mason City; 16. Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 17. Curt Lund, Redwood Falls, Minn.; 18. Jon Snyder, Ames; 19. Adam Larson, Ames; 20. Mike Jergens, Plover; 21. Randy Havlik, Boone; 22. Rob Hughes, Humboldt; 23. Richie Gustin, Gilman; 24. Scott Olson, Blairsburg; 25. Troy Swearingen, Thompson; 26. Alex Hanson, Northwood; 27. J.J. Wise, Manly; 28. Jimmy Gustin, Marshalltown; 29. Brandon Beckendorf, Danube, Minn.; 30. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa; 31. Chris Abelson, Sioux City; 32. Austin Wolf, Algona; 33. Mark Schulte, Delhi; 34. Jeff Waterman, Quincy, Ill.; 35. Joel Bushore, Boone; 36. Ryan Watnem, Humboldt; 37. Kevin Stoa, Clear Lake.

1st heat (top two) – 1. Jergens; 2. Grabouski; 3. Schulte; 4. Bushore; 5. Chris Mills, Sioux City; 6. Josh Rogotzke, Sanborn, Minn.; 7. Schrader; 8. Strickler; 9. David Brown, Kellogg; 10. Jim Mathieson, Sioux City.

2nd heat – 1. Van Genderen; 2. Mullen; 3. Lauritzen; 4. Kyle Brown, Kellogg; 5. Jason Schneiders, Sioux City; 6. Shane Monson, Clear Lake; 7. Al Hejna, Clear Lake; 8. Zack Rawlins, Kellogg; 9. Waterman; 10. Tyler Limoges, Redwood Falls, Minn.

3rd heat – 1. Stoa; 2. Lund; 3. Rose; 4. Watnem; 5. Jesse Hoeft, Forest City; 6. Hanson; 7. Justin Jergens, Lincoln, Neb.; 8. Dustin Brown, Thornton; 9. David Pries, Medaryville, Ind.

4th heat – 1. Wolf; 2. Hogan; 3. Clint Hatlestad, Glencoe, Minn.; 4. Larson; 5. LaCrosse; 6. Jeff Ignaszewski, Wells, Minn.; 7. Brian Joski, Abrams, Wis.; 8. Dustin Andersen, Omaha, Neb.; 9. Ruter.

5th heat – 1. Olson; 2. Snyder; 3. Swearingen; 4. Jay Noteboom, Hinton; 5. Scott Davis, Madrid; 6. Matthew Meinecke, Madrid; 7. Jay Goosman, Merrill; 8. Justin Sackett, Pierson; 9. Brandon Davis, Medford, Minn.

6th heat – 1. Shute; 2. Wise; 3. Mark Elliott; 4. Greg Elliott, Webster City; 5. Carter; 6. Zach Less, Hopkinton; 7. Racer Hulin, Laurel; 8. Steve Stultz, Peoria, Ariz.; 9. Josh Ruby, Lakota.

7th heat – 1. Abelson; 2. Wendel; 3. Ricky Stephan, South Sioux City, Neb.; 4. Hughes; 5. Jimmy Gustin; 6. Jamie Anderson, Mason City; 7. Troy Jerovetz, Green Bay, Wis.; 8. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton.

8th heat – 1. Havlik; 2. Beckendorf; 3. Richie Gustin; 4. Reutzel; 5. Luke Wanninger, Minburn; 6. Thomas Buns, Woden; 7. Clint Homan, Bellevue, Neb.; 8. Nielsen.

1st “B” feature (top three) – 1. Strickler; 2. Schulte; 3. Bushore; 4. Ruby; 5. Eric Dailey, Armstrong; 6. Schrader; 7. Noteboom; 8. Swearingen; 9. David Brown; 10. Sackett; 11. Rogotzke; 12. Chris Mills; 13. Meinecke; 14. Goosman; 15. Scott Davis.

2nd “B” feature – 1. Carter; 2. Lauritzen; 3. Mark Elliott; 4. Monson; 5. Kyle Brown; 6. Jeremy Mills; 7. Greg Elliott; 8. Schneiders; 9. Rawlins; 10. Hulin; 11. Waterman; 12. Less; 13. Mathieson; 14. Stultz; 15. Hejna.

3rd “B” feature – 1. Watnem; 2. Rose; 3. Jimmy Gustin; 4. Jerovetz; 5. Limoges; 6. Hoeft; 7. Dustin Brown; 8. Jurgens; 9. Anderson; 10. Stephan; 11. Pries; 12. Hughes; 13. Hanson; 14. Cordes.

4th “B” feature – 1. Reutzel; 2. Ruter; 3. LaCrosse; 4. Larson; 5. Wanninger; 6. Richie Gustin; 7. Joski; 8. Nielsen; 9. Hatlestad; 10. Brandon Davis, Medford, Minn.; 11. Andersen; 12. Ignaszewski; 13. Buns; 14. Homan.

Series provisionals – Richie Gustin and Waterman. Sponsor provisionals – Schrader, Jeremy Mills, Swearingen, Hughes, Larson,

Category: Iowa