Independence Motor Speedway
September 1, 2012
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Kastli scores thrilling Late Model win at Independence

by Ryan Clark
INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (Sept. 1) – A stout field of 111 teams filled the pit area for Budweiser Season Championship Night at Independence Motor Speedway. A trio of drivers topped off track championships by taking home feature wins on the final night of the 2012 season.

Drivers were lined up straight-up based on season point totals for the championship events, with five laps added to those features.

Entering the night, eleven points separated Justin Stander and Benji Irvine at the top of the IMCA Hobby Stock standings. The season-long battle that pair of drivers had in the standings played out on the final night of racing, as well.

From his outside front row starting spot, Irvine took command at the drop of the green with Stander in pursuit. Irvine stretched out his advantage while Rod Grother battled Stander for second. In lapped traffic, Grother slipped past Stander on the ninth circuit just prior to the first caution.

When racing resumed, Irvine again set the pace while Stander regained second until the final stoppage on lap 13. On that restart, Stander went to work on the high side of the smooth surface and challenged to the outside of the leader. The front-runners ran in side-by-side formation until Stander broke free with five laps remaining in the 20-lapper.

Stander led the remainder of the event to take his third win of the season, locking up his first career track championship in the process. Irvine ran second at the line ahead of a hard-charging Quinton Miller.

From his pole position start, Danny Dvorak showed the way in the 20-lap IMCA SportMod feature. Dvorak led while Jim Buhlman challenged Dave Schulze for second. Dvorak’s pursuers continued to battle until Buhlman spun right after the race went to caution at the midway point. Contact from several drivers forced an early end to his night.

When racing resumed, Dvorak pulled away to score his division-leading fifth win of the season, wrapping up his second career SportMod points championship at the speedway. Lucas Lundry crossed the line second ahead of Sam Wieben.

Sean Johnson had his second straight IMCA Stock Car title wrapped up a few weeks ago and added a little icing on cake by earning his track-leading eighth feature win of the season.

From his pole position starting spot, Johnson took the early lead with Norman Chesmore in tow. As Chesmore chased the leader, Phil Holtz worked his way through traffic from a fourth row starting spot into third place in just five laps.

Holtz worked past Chesmore two laps later then started to reel in Johnson until the caution flag waved on lap 12. Holtz briefly challenged Johnson for the lead when racing resumed, however Johnson pulled away in the final stages to earn the victory. Holtz ran second ahead of Jarod Weepie.

Entering their final event of the season, a mere two points separated division leader Mark Schulte and Ronn Lauritzen in the IMCA Modified division. It was Lauritzen who took charge at the drop of the green in that 25-lapper.

While Lauritzen extended his advantage, Schulte fought to hold off Adam Johnson and Darin Duffy. Lauritzen’s lead disappeared when contact from a lapped car in turn one on the 16th circuit bunched the top four drivers.

Schulte dropped to the low side of Lauritzen to steal the lead while Duffy ran the low groove into contention. He raced past both Lauritzen and Schulte on the 18th lap, then pulled away to score the victory, his fourth of the season. Johnson crossed the line second ahead of Schulte, who ended the night as the track champion. Lauritzen finished fourth, three points behind Schulte in the final standings.

First time visitor Nathan Chandler surprised the crowd as he won the championship event in the IMCA Sport Compact division. Chandler raced from the back of the 12-car starting field while Travis Ross set the early pace. Steve Miedke, who also started deep in the field, took the lead from Ross on the fourth of 12 laps with Chandler on his rear bumper.

Chandler pulled alongside the leader a short time later as the lead pair swapped the top spot in thrilling fashion throughout the remainder of the event. Chandler pulled away at the end to take the win in his first-ever appearance at the speedway.

Miedke came home second with Merv Chandler third. Merv Chandler entered the night with a three point edge over Miedke and held on by two points in the final standings to earn the track title.

Although, the points season for the IMCA Late Models ended last weekend, drivers in that division were invited to compete in a special draw/redraw show for championship night. Greg Kastli took the lead from Curt Martin late in that 30-lapper to score the thrilling win. Martin came home second ahead of a hard-charging Jon Passick.

The championship program was the final event of the 2012 season at the speedway with the awards banquet the next item on the calendar. The November 17 ceremony will take place in the 4-H Building on the Buchanan County Fairgrounds. Details of the banquet will be made available in the coming weeks at www.independencemotorspeedway.com.

RESULTS

IMCA MODIFIED
Feature – 1. 19D Darin Duffy (Hazleton); 2. 24R Adam Johnson (Independence); 3. 27M Mark Schulte (Delhi); 4. 10K Ronn Lauritzen (Jesup); 5. 98 Jason Snyder (Dunkerton); 6. 12D Joe Docekal (Dysart); 7. 3 Jason Schueller (Dubuque); 8. 91 Shawn Ryan (Waterloo); 9. 85 Johnathan Thimmesch (Independence); 10. 41P Keith Pittman (Waterloo); 11. F7 Patrick Flannagan (Cedar Rapids); 12. 93K Jeff Kriz (Waterloo); 13. 80 Jerry Dedrick (Vinton); 14. 15 Josh Barta (Cedar Falls); 15. 11B Mike Burbridge (Delhi); 16. 11 Timm Jensen (Dunkerton); DNS 26 Luke Miller (Epworth); DNS 111 Buster Pate (Hiawatha).

IMCA STOCK CAR
Feature – 1. 8R Sean Johnson (Independence); 2. 7H Phil Holtz (Manchester); 3. 3 Jarod Weepie (Dunkerton); 4. JR3 Jason Hocken (Independence); 5. 00 Tony Schimmels (Readlyn); 6. 87 John Emerson (Waterloo); 7. 15 Norman Chesmore (Rowley); 8. 15T Tim Helle (Garnavillo); 9. 4 Cory Tharp (Waterloo); 10. 22K Kevin Rose (Waterloo); 11. 85 Bryce Carey (Nashua); 12. 17 Jason Niedert (Cedar Falls); 13. 26 Brian Irvine (Oelwein); 14. 77D Kirk Fauser (Clermont); 15. 11J Jerome Jacoby (Waterloo); 16. G1 Mike Padden (Waterloo); DNS 4JR Russell Damme Jr. (Waterloo).

IMCA SPORTMOD
Feature – 1. 3R Danny Dvorak (Vinton); 2. 96 Lucas Lundry (Maynard); 3. 198 Sam Wieben (Dysart); 4. S16 Kip Siems (Cedar Falls); 5. J2 Dave Schulze (Keystone); 6. 6 Jim Aschenbrenner (Aplington); 7. 98 Hope Schlerbach (LaMotte); 8. 22H Curt Hilmer (Dysart); 9. 21 Brennen Chipp (Waterloo); 10. 14 Shane Ebaugh (Evansdale); 11. 23W Robert Whalen (Nashua); 12. B62 Brandon Davis (Tiffin); 13. 86 Rod McDonald (Manchester); 14. 9 Synjun Bauer (Prairie du Chien, Wis.); 15. 93 Josh Burrell (Dysart); 16. 63 Matt McCahen (Waterloo); 17. 11 Bob Ebaugh (Raymond); 18. 50H Steve Wimer (Toddville); 19. 00 Jim Buhlman (Cedar Falls); 20. 66E Cory Evans (Independence); 21. 39 Brian Hilbert (Independence); 22. 29 Sean Vogt (Watkins); 23. 49 Brandon Smith (Rowley).

IMCA HOBBY STOCK
Feature – 1. 67 Justin Stander (Vinton); 2. 79 Benji Irvine (Cedar Falls); 3. 73 Quinton Miller (Independence); 4. 166 Justin Lichty (Waterloo); 5. 5 Marcus Wayne (Independence); 6. 77 Rod Grother (Cedar Rapids); 7. 99 Erick Knutsen (Center Point); 8. 258 Doug Laughridge (Vinton); 9. 64 Jerome Wilson (Waterloo); 10. 95 Matt Lundry (Oelwein); 11. 8X Brannan Bechen (Farley); 12. 20B Matt Burmeister (Dunkerton); 13. 2 Nick Welch (Cedar Falls); 14. 57 Malena Betzer (Cedar Rapids); 15. 7B Jim Ball (Independence); 16. 20JN Justin Ginther (Independence); 17. 26 Nathan Christie (Waterloo); 18. 55 Vince Buchholz (Cedar Falls); 19. 58B Randy Byerly (Tipton); 20. 64JR Jeremiah Wilson (Waterloo); 21. 45 Justin Wacha (Vinton).

IMCA SPORT COMPACT
Feature – 1. 26 Brad Chandler (Norway); 2. 11 Steve Miedke (Shellsburg); 3. 2 Merv Chandler (Vinton); 4. 22 Nathan Chandler (Norway); 5. 36DD Gary Peiffer (Troy Mills); 6. 83 Travis Ross (Evansdale); 7. 007 Adam Gates (Cedar Rapids); 8. 57 Duayne Herb (Cedar Rapids); 9. 78 Jeff Vislisel (Mt. Vernon); 10. 7 Dave Fangman (Marion); 11. 111 A.J. Witten (Cedar Rapids); 12. 7X Zach Hartman (Solon).

LATE MODEL
Feature – 1. 73 Greg Kastli (Waterloo); 2. 45 Curt Martin (Independence); 3. 2P Jon Passick (Waterloo); 4. 21M Luke Merfeld (Peosta); 5. 60 Dean Wagner (Evansdale); 6. 3X Chad Lerch (North Liberty); 7. 145 Dale Hackwell Jr. (Washburn); 8. 38 Dain Sires (Cedar Falls); 9. 77 Dirk Hamilton (Jesup); 10. 88 Drew Johnson (Belle Plaine); 11. 0 Rory Metcalf (West Union); 12. 7 Greg Hunter (Independence); 13. 4D Rick Dralle (Waterloo); 14. 79 Darren Mish (Hazel Green, Wis.); 15. 98 Travis Smock (Independence); 16. 83 Russell Hesse (Waterloo); 17. 25 Kenny Pint (Independence); 18. 4 Leon Thomsen (Waverly); 19. 21B Joel Brasch (Dunkerton); 20. 85 LaVern Carey (Ionia).
First heat – 1. Sires; 2. Kastli; 3. Brasch; 4. Hunter; 5. Hesse; 6. Pint; 7. Smock.
Second heat – 1. Mish; 2. Merfeld; 3. Martin; 4. Hackwell; 5. Johnson; 6. Hamilton; 7. Thomsen.
Third heat – 1. Lerch; 2. Wagner; 3. Passick; 4. Dralle; 5. Metcalf; 6. Carey