Abelson Makes Long Tow Worth It As He Claims Victory In Webster City
A few weeks ago i was asked to head to the Hamilton County Speedway to fill in by Ryan Bergeson, who was going to go down to Florida for a Family vacation including a visit to the Daytona for the Coke Zero 400 and with an available Saturday on my schedule i said yes. 103 cars checked in including several regulars in Harlan making the trek over after early day rain dampened their saturday holiday weekend plans.
Jason Hahne (IMCA Late Models), Chris Abelson (IMCA Modifieds), Steve Meyer (IMCA Stock Cars), Doug Smith (IMCA SportMods) and Danny Ayers (IMCA Hobby Stocks) all claimed feature wins on U.S. Cellular Night at the Hamilton County Speedway.
First feature of the night was the IMCA Hobby Stocks 16 lap feature but before a lap was completed, Dakota Feickert spun in turn four forcing a complete restart. On the restart, it was the "Dilly Bar Special" of Danny Ayers grabbing to spot just before another caution was displayed on lap one for Gilliland in turn two and Corey Roe on the frontstretch. Ayers got a great restart and began to pull away but Craig Graham chase him down and began to battle for the top spot but it was Ayers hold on to take his second win of the season. Graham finished second, Myles Michehl was third, Ryan Boland was fourth and Tommy Beekman was fifth.
Autum Anderson led lap one of the IMCA Northern SportMods feature event but it was Doug Smith taking the lead away on lap two. Smith started to pull away but the caution came out on lap four, first for Travis Staley in turn three and debris in turn two and then on the restart, Jason Bass spun in turn two and collected Rick Fasse, Justin Patterson, Jared Van Deest and Carter VanDenBerg. Smith got a great restart but the caution was displayed again just after the fifth circruit was scored when Bryan Johnson spun in turn three. Smith was finally able to get a commanding lead only to see the caution come out on lap 15 for Levi Chipp in turn four forcing a green-white-checkered finish. Just after Smith took the white flag on the restart the red flag came out when Jerid Ratzke got into the front stretch wall collecting George Gilliland, Levi Chipp and Bryan Johnson. Johnson ended upside down in turn one. This forced racing officials to make it a green-white restart and Smith held on to take his fourth win at Webster City. Ty Griffith, Rocky Caudle, Josh Appel and Carter VanDenBerg rounded out the top five.
Vince Loewen and John Campbell led the field to the green in the 18 lap Stock Car feature event but it was Jason Minnehan taking the top spot early. Minnehan left the door open to get back by Campbell to take the lead away on lap three. Minnehan worked his way back by Campbell on lap seven and he would hold the top spot until the only caution came out on lap 13 for Parker Slagle in turn four. Minnehan saw Matt Ring and Steve Meyer got back on his bumper only to take the top spot away and it was Meyer cruising on to his second win in a row and third win of the season. Devin Smith finished second, Minnehan was third, Reid Keller was fourth and Ring fell back to fifth.
Cole Hall and Tristan Vesterby led the field to the green in the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds feature event and it was Hall leading the first five laps before Vesterby took the lead away on lap five. Vesterby time out front was short lived as Ethan Dotson from Bakersfield, California took the top spot away on lap seven. The only caution came out on lap eight for Bill Crimmins and Coty Albers on the back stretch. Dotson saw Chris Abelson and Scott Olson right behind him but held them off until Abelson was able to sneak by on lap 15. Abelson led remaining laps making the long tow from Sioux City worth it as he found his way to victory lane. Dotson finished second ahead of fellow Californian Cody Laney, Tim Ward and Tyler Prochaska.
Final feature of the night was the 20 lap Neighbor's Heating, Cooling and Plumbing IMCA Late Models feature event. Paul Conrad led the first two laps before "Hollywood" Jason Hahne powered his Billy Moyer Victory Race Car by on lap three. Hahne pulled away and never looked back going on to take his third win at his hometown track. Gabe Umbarger finished a distance second, Darrel DeFrance finished third, Jeremy Grady was fourth and Charlie McKenna was fifth.
Racing action returns to the Hamilton County Speedway on Thursday Night when the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series takes to the half mile dirt track. Also Racing is Holley Iron Man Challenge Series for USRA Stock Cars and Out-Pace Racing Products Iron Man Challenge Series for USRA B-Mods. Hot Laps 7pm and Racing to Follow.
Weekly Racing Action continues Saturday Night with a $750 to win IMCA Hobby Stock Special plus the North Iowa Vintage Club will be on hand racing as well. Hot Laps at 6:30pm and Racing to Follow.
Thanks again to the Hamilton County Fairboard, the Hamilton County Speedway and Ryan Bergeson for asking me and letting me fill in on Saturday. I am sure i will back sometime before the racing season is all over.
For more information about racing at the Hamilton County Speedway check out http://www.hamiltoncospeedway.com/ or Like the Hamilton County Speedway Facebook Page or Follow HamiltonCoSpeed on Twitter.
Hamilton County Speedway
U.S. Cellular Night
July 2nd, 2016
Neighbor's Heating/Cooling/Plumbing IMCA Late Models
Feature - 1. 76 Jason Hahne (Webster City); 2. 91 Gabe Umbarger (Garner); 3. 99D Darrel DeFrance (Marshalltown); 4. 43 Jeremy Grady (Story City); 5. 22 Charlie McKenna (Clear Lake); 6. 26JR Corey Zeitner (Omaha, NE); 7. 3Z Randy Havlik (Madrid); 8. 05 Paul Nagle (Nevada); 9. 15C Curt Schroeder (Newton); 10. 66 Todd Johnson (Mitchellville); 11. K1 Kyle Krampe (Baxter); 12. 21 Ben Nading (Ankeny); 13. 7 Jenna Johnson (Mitchellville); 14. 23 Paul Conrad (Colo); 15. 15X Ryan Griffith (Webster City)
Heat 1 - 1. Griffith; 2. Conrad; 3. Nading; 4. Zeitner; 5. Hahne; 6. Todd Johnson; 7. Nagle; 8. Jenna Johnson
Heat 2 - 1. DeFrance; 2. Umbarger; 3. Havlik; 4. Grady; 5. McKenna; 6. Schroeder; 7. Krampe
IMCA Modifieds
Feature - 1. 1X Chris Abelson (Sioux City); 2. 174 Ethan Dotson (Bakersfield, CA); 3. 11 Cody Laney (Torrance, CA); 4. 4TW Tim Ward (Harcourt); 5. 22T Tyler Prochaska (Iowa Falls); 6. 12 Mark Elliott (Webster City); 7. 64ZC Brandon Leeman (Roland); 8. 85 Dustin Smith (Lake City); 9. 75 Clint Wendel (Mason City); 10. 71 Jeff James (Stanton); 11. 25 Ricky Stephan (South Sioux City, NE); 12. 38 Brad Bergren (Red Oak); 13. 14E Chase Ellingson (Iowa Falls); 14. 5D Devon Havlik (Iowa Falls); 15. 02 John Davis (Altoona); 16. 28 Cole Hall (Sheffield); 17. 15M Shane DeMey (Denison); 18. 02A Coty Albers (Wellsburg); 19. 00 Tristan Vesterby (Webster City); 20. 8X Scott Olson (Blairsburg); 21. 4ORD Bob Sutherland (Blairsburg); 22. 35 Bill Crimmins (Fort Dodge); 23. 3 Joe Mefferd (Westside)
Heat 1 - 1. Oslon; 2. Abelson; 3. Vesterby; 4. Hall; 5. Smith; 6. Havlik; 7. Bergren; 8. Ellingson
Heat 2 - 1. Dotson; 2. Ward; 3. Stephan; 4. Laney; 5. Crimmins; 6. Demey; 7. Mefferd; 8. Sutherland
Heat 3 - 1. Elliott; 2. James; 3. Prochaska; 4. Leeman; 5. Wendel; 6. Davis; 7. Albers
Stock Cars
Feature - 1. 94 Steve Meyer (Grundy Center); 2. 81 Devin Smith (Lake City); 3. 7 Jason Minnehan (Churdan); 4. 19 Reid Keller (Webster City); 5. 58 Matt Ring (Dows); 6. 83 Mike Harris (Avoca); 7. 7J John Campbell (Belmond); 8. 81X Randy Killen (Des Moines); 9. 59 Jeff Lyon (Duncombe); 10. 32X Brett Ladehoff (Marshalltown); 11. M5 Jim Mitchell (Webster City); 12. 18C Ron Bougher (Des Moines); 13. J7B Jon Braathun (Story City); 14. 74C Calvin Hinders (Ackley); 15. 32JR Laura Curry (Algona); 16. 59L Vince Loewen (Hubbard); 17. 556 Terry Cornelison (Boone); 18. 47 Parker Slagle (Eagle Grove)
Heat 1 - 1. Ring; 2. Smith; 3. Harris; 4. Minnehan; 5. Loewen; 6. Lyon; 7. Slagle; 8. Bougher; 9. Hinders
Heat 2 - 1. Keller; 2. Campbell; 3. Meyer; 4. Killen; 5. Ladehoff; 6. Mitchell; 7. Curry; 8. Braathun; 9. Corneilson
IMCA Northern SportMods
Feature - 1. 12 Doug Smith (Lanesboro); 2. 56 Ty Griffith (Webster City); 3. 99 Rocky Caudle (Ellsworth); 4. 65J Josh Appel (Mason City); 5. 7 Carter VanDenBerg (Oskaloosa); 6. 28 Autum Anderson (Mason City); 7. 25X Josh Blim (Sioux City); 8. 82 Colby Bangasser (Allison); 9. 4 Jason Bass (Fort Dodge); 10. 11 Paul Price (Iowa Falls); 11. 75 Christopher Elliott (Webster City); 12. T16 Taylor Elliott (Webster City); 13. 3B Brandon Coffman (Nevada); 14. 2 Jerid Ratzke (Williams); 15. 66 Levi Chipp (Latimer); 16. 40 George Gilliland (Lehigh); 17. 26B Bryan Johnson (Roland); 18. 38S Paul Atchison (Webster City); 19. 63R Rick Fasse (Urbandale); 20. 80J Jared Van Deest (Holland); 21. 49 Nate Whitehurst (Mason City); 22. 25 Justin Patterson (Fort Dodge); 23. 121 Travis Staley (Iowa Falls); 24. 9 Nick Duncan (Iowa Falls); 25. 85T Brandon Toftee (Webster City); 26. 1R Brad Ratcliff (Webster City); 27. 32X Gerald Curry (Luverne); 28. 74 Ben Schultz (Algona)
Heat 1 - 1. Caudle; 2. Bass; 3. Anderson; 4. Bangasser; 5. Whitehurst; 6. Price; 7. Duncan
Heat 2 - 1. Chipp; 2. Griffith; 3. Appel; 4. Christopher Elliott; 5. Coffman; 6. Johnson; 7. Ratzke
Heat 3 - 1. Atchison; 2. Van Deest; 3. Fasse; 4. Patterson; 5. Staley; 6. Ratcliff; 7. Curry
Heat 4 - 1. Smith; 2. VanDenBerg; 3. Blom; 4. Toftee; 5. Gilliland; 6. Taylor Elliott; 7. Schultz
IMCA Hobby Stocks
Feature - 1. 4D Danny Ayers (Webster City); 2. 13G Craig Graham (Webster City); 3. 21 Myles Michehl (Fort Dodge); 4. 18 Ryan Boland (Fort Dodge); 5. 3T Tommy Beekman (Otho); 6. Y5 Matt Byrne (Webster City) 7. 57C Cody Wirt (Fort Dodge); 8. 50 Bryce Sommerfeld (Fort Dodge); 9. 8R Corey Roe (Webster City); 10. 23G Dusin Tapp (Ames); 11. 18A Shane Aldinger (Iowa Falls); 12. 55 Jason Fusselman (Shelby); 13. 21W Wade Gilliland (Callender); 14. 75 Brad Hass (Portsmouth); 15. 89 Dakota Feickert (Webster); 16. 88 Daniel Smith (Lake City); 17. 85 Seth Janssen (Ogden); 18. 3 Allen Dixon (Webster City); 19. 83JR Justin Frederick (Cleghorn)
Heat 1 - 1. Graham; 2. Aldinger; 3. Gilliland; 4. Wirt; 5. Fusselman; 6. Frederick; 7. Beekman
Heat 2 - 1. Boland; 2. Roe; 3. Sommerfeld; 4. Feickert; 5. Dixon; 6. Byrne
Heat 3 - 1. Ayers; 2. Smith; 3. Michehl; 4. Janssen; 5. Tapp; 6. Hass
