Well the 4th of July is known as Independence Day so what better way than spend the holiday watching races at a speedway named the Independence Motor Speedway. That is exactly what i did as I made the trip for the second week in a row to Independence for the 4th of July Special at 3/8 mile banked oval.
One Hundred and eleven cars signed in for the 4th of July Special at the Independence Motor Speedway. It was a hot night so was the racing action as it was hot and heavy. All the racing action was completed in 3 hours as the first green flag was at 6pm and final checkered was displayed at 9pm.
First feature of the night was the 15 lap Burco Sales IMCA Sport Mods Feature. Tony Olson started inside row two but by the end of lap one, Tony Olson was the leader. The caution came out for Steve Wimer spinning in turn four. Tony Olson fend off Brett Thomas and Jason Doyle on the restart and pulled away until the caution came out again on lap nine, this time for Jordan Dumer spinning in turn four. Tony Olson now had Doyle and Cousin Kyle Olson on the back bumper. Tony Olson held them off and late race challenges from Kyle Olson to take his third win of the season in Indee. Kyle Olson finished second, last week's winner Kip Siems finished third, Doyle fell back to fourth and Thomas finished fifth.
First feature of the night was the 15 lap Burco Sales IMCA Sport Mods Feature. Tony Olson started inside row two but by the end of lap one, Tony Olson was the leader. The caution came out for Steve Wimer spinning in turn four. Tony Olson fend off Brett Thomas and Jason Doyle on the restart and pulled away until the caution came out again on lap nine, this time for Jordan Dumer spinning in turn four. Tony Olson now had Doyle and Cousin Kyle Olson on the back bumper. Tony Olson held them off and late race challenges from Kyle Olson to take his third win of the season in Indee. Kyle Olson finished second, last week's winner Kip Siems finished third, Doyle fell back to fourth and Thomas finished fifth.
Dominator Chassis IMCA Stock Cars were up next for their 20 lap feature event. Jarod Weepie wrestled the early race lead from fellow front row starter Leah Wroten. Weepie and Wroten ran one and two until the caution came out for debris in turn one and two. Weepie got a restart, Wroten did not and slipped back to fourth as both Chris Luloff and Cole Mather went by Wroten. The caution came out again on lap 8 for debris in turn three. Weepie held on to the race lead by riding the top side until lap 16 when Mather got the bottom side to work and he nosed his way to the top spot. Mather went on to take his fourth win in Indee. Weepie, Chris Luloff, Tom Schmitt and Leah Wroten rounded the top five.
Ronn Lauritzen jumped out to the early lead of the Performance Bodies IMCA Modifieds 20 lap feature event. Laurtizen held off early challenges from Jeff Aikey and Darin Duffy. The first caution came out on lap three for Kevin Hurst going off the turn two. Laurtizen held off Duffy and Aikey on the restart. Another caution came out on lap 6 when Tony Snyder slid off the top side of turn four. Kollin Hibdon restarted fifth on that restart and made the right move as he found himself in second and then going for the race lead on lap thirteen. Hibdon pulled away and cruised on to the win. Lauritzen finished second, Aikey was third, Mark Schulte was fourth and Duffy was fifth.
In the RCZ Enterprises Indee Cars (Micro Mods and Late Models) for their twelve lap feature. Donald Erger grabbed the early lead fending off Chaz Thompson and Cole McNeal. Erger however experience over heating issues on lap seven just after Thompson took the top spot away. Erger exited pit side meanwhile Thompson battled with McNeal for the race lead. The caution came out on lap ten when Logan Takes spun in turn three. McNeal made the right move on the restart and passed Thompson. McNeal went on to take his first win in Indee this season. Thompson finished second, Carson James was third, Matt Dugan was fourth and Skylar Dugan was fifth.
Ronn Lauritzen jumped out to the early lead of the Performance Bodies IMCA Modifieds 20 lap feature event. Laurtizen held off early challenges from Jeff Aikey and Darin Duffy. The first caution came out on lap three for Kevin Hurst going off the turn two. Laurtizen held off Duffy and Aikey on the restart. Another caution came out on lap 6 when Tony Snyder slid off the top side of turn four. Kollin Hibdon restarted fifth on that restart and made the right move as he found himself in second and then going for the race lead on lap thirteen. Hibdon pulled away and cruised on to the win. Lauritzen finished second, Aikey was third, Mark Schulte was fourth and Duffy was fifth.
In the RCZ Enterprises Indee Cars (Micro Mods and Late Models) for their twelve lap feature. Donald Erger grabbed the early lead fending off Chaz Thompson and Cole McNeal. Erger however experience over heating issues on lap seven just after Thompson took the top spot away. Erger exited pit side meanwhile Thompson battled with McNeal for the race lead. The caution came out on lap ten when Logan Takes spun in turn three. McNeal made the right move on the restart and passed Thompson. McNeal went on to take his first win in Indee this season. Thompson finished second, Carson James was third, Matt Dugan was fourth and Skylar Dugan was fifth.
Cristian Grady led the first five laps of the Indee Compacts 12 lap feature. Korey Lana got by Grady when Grady made contact with the lap car of Trevor Forey on lap six. That resulted in the caution coming out on the speedway. Lana got a great restart but that was all washed away as a just after lap seven was scored, the caution came out when Justin Hempstead spun on the backstretch. Lana led until he slowed just bit after he hit what appeared to be an exhaust pipe sitting in the top side of turn three. Ryan Havel took the race lead and went on to take the win. Lana managed to finish second ahead of Justin Hempstead, Adam Gates and Alicia Steepleton.
Up next was the Dunlap Motors IMCA Late Models 25 lap feature and it was Eric Pollard grabbing the lead. Pollard held off Sean Johnson and Jeff Aikey early before pulling away until the only caution came out on lap nine when Scotty Welsh spun in turn four. Pollard was not to be denied as he went on to take the feature win. Curt Martin grabbed the runner-up honors ahead of Johnson, Logan Duffy and Aikey.
Final feature of the night was the 15 lap Christie Door Company IMCA Hobby Stocks feature event. Aaron Rudolph with his normal Saturday Night track (Boone Speedway) giving Hobby Stocks the night off, grabbed the early lead. Rudolph's lead was short lived as Kaden Reynolds worked his way from sixth place starting spot and took the race lead from Rudolph on lap three. Reynolds pulled away and not even lap traffic slowed him down. Reynolds went on to take his fourth win at 3/8 mile dirt oval. Rudolph finished second ahead of another Boone Speedway competitor visiting Miciah Hidlebaugh. Tyler Ollendieck and Justin Hanson finished fourth and fifth.
Independence Motor Speedway will be back in action next Saturday Night July 11th with Dunlap Motors IMCA Late Models, Performance Bodies IMCA Modifieds, Dominator Chassis IMCA Stock Cars, Burco Sales IMCA Sport Mods, Christie Door Company IMCA Hobby Stocks, Indee Compacts and Indee Micros. Gates Open at 4:30pm, Hot Laps at 5:45pm and Racing at 6pm.
Following week the speedway hosts Iowa Donor Network Night, Late Models ($800 to win), Modifieds ($700 to win), Stock Cars ($500 to win), Sport Mods ($400 to win), Hobby Stocks ($300 to win), Indee Cars ($350 to win) and Indee Compacts ($250 to win) plus other prizes to be given out.
For more information about Independence Motor Speedway checked out JJAMRacing.net or like the Facebook page Independence Motor Speedway or contact Track Manager / Race Director Justin Temeyer at (563) 920-2867 or Promoter Mick Trier and JJAM Racing at (515) 201-5526.
I took pictures during the make-up features and they can be found on the Trackside Report by Foxman Facebook Page or the direct link to the photos Independence 4th of July Special 7-4-20. All the photos are unedited and free to use as long you give me a shout out and remember I do not take pictures full time, I take pictures because I love the sport of racing.
I took pictures during the make-up features and they can be found on the Trackside Report by Foxman Facebook Page or the direct link to the photos Independence 4th of July Special 7-4-20. All the photos are unedited and free to use as long you give me a shout out and remember I do not take pictures full time, I take pictures because I love the sport of racing.
Independence Motor Speedway
4th of July Special
Saturday July 4th, 2020
Dunlap Motors
IMCA Late Models
Feature (25 laps): 1. P7 Eric Pollard (Peosta); 2. 45 Curt Martin (Independence); 3. 8R Sean Johnson (Independence); 4. 14 Logan Duffy (Independence); 5. 77 Jeff Aikey (Cedar Falls); 6. 60C Dalton Simonsen (Fairfax); 7. 35 Curran Beckler (Whitewater, Wis.); 8. 60 Ben Seeman (Waterloo); 9. 25 Dirk Hamilton (Jesup); 10. 13JR Colton Leal (Dubuque); 11. 5W Scotty Welsh (Cedar Rapids); 12. 22 Jill George (Cedar Falls)
Feature (25 laps): 1. P7 Eric Pollard (Peosta); 2. 45 Curt Martin (Independence); 3. 8R Sean Johnson (Independence); 4. 14 Logan Duffy (Independence); 5. 77 Jeff Aikey (Cedar Falls); 6. 60C Dalton Simonsen (Fairfax); 7. 35 Curran Beckler (Whitewater, Wis.); 8. 60 Ben Seeman (Waterloo); 9. 25 Dirk Hamilton (Jesup); 10. 13JR Colton Leal (Dubuque); 11. 5W Scotty Welsh (Cedar Rapids); 12. 22 Jill George (Cedar Falls)
Heat 1 : 1. Seeman; 2. Beckler; 3. Johnson; 4. Duffy; 5. Hamilton; DNS George
Heat 2 : 1. Pollard; 2. Martin; 3. Aikey; 4. Simonsen; 5. Welsh; 6. Leal
Performance Bodies
IMCA Modifieds
Feature (20 laps)
: 1. 48K Kollin Hibdon (Pahrump, Nev.); 2. 10K Ronn Lauritzen (Jesup); 3. 77 Jeff Aikey (Cedar Falls); 4. 27M Mark Schulte (Delhi); 5. 19D Darin Duffy (Toddville); 6. 71C Troy Cordes (Dunkerton); 7. 21 Brennan Chipp (Dunkerton); 8. 11B Mike Burbridge (Delhi); 9. 98 Tony Snyde (Readlyn); 10. F7 Patrick Flannagan (Cedar Rapids); 11. 54 Jordan Walker (Riverside); 12. 5 Jason Morehouse (Evansdale); 13. 41P Keith Pittman (Waterloo); 14. 17 Brady Kohrs (Independence); 15. 7 Todd Jensen (Waterloo); 16. 223 Jake Pike (Pahrump, Nev.); 17. 01 Ed Thomas (Waterloo); 18. 33 Chuck Lewis (Oelwein); 19. 339 Kevin Hurst (Janesville); 20. 415 Josh Barta (Cedar Falls)
Heat 1 : 1. Chipp; 2. Aikey; 3. Hibdon; 4. Schulte; 5. Burbridge; 6. Barta; 7. Jensen
Heat 1 : 1. Chipp; 2. Aikey; 3. Hibdon; 4. Schulte; 5. Burbridge; 6. Barta; 7. Jensen
Heat 2 : 1. Duffy; 2. Thomas; 3. Pike; 4. Flannagan; 5. Kohrs; 6. Morehouse; 7. Walker
Heat 3 : 1. Cordes; 2. Lauritzen; 3. Snyder; 4. Pittman; 5. Lewis; 6. Hurst
Dominator Chassis
IMCA Stock Cars
Dominator Chassis
IMCA Stock Cars
Feature (20 laps)
: 1. 74C Cole Mather (Fairbank); 2. 3 Jarod Weepie (Dunkerton); 3. 18L Chris Luloff (Independence); 4. 15 Tom Schmitt (Independence); 5. 14C Leah Wroten (Independence); 6. 6X Bob Ahrendsen (Cedar Rapids); 7. 115 Hannah Chesmore (Rowley); 8. 20B Matt Burmeister (Denver); 9. 171 Buck Swanson (Waterloo); 10. 4R Riley Hanson (Vinton); 11. 7B Jim Ball Jr (Independence); 12. 23 Tyer Travis (Vinton); 13. 17 Andrew Chelf (Lost Nation); 14. 4JR Russell Damme Jr (Waterloo)
Heat 1 : 1. Schmitt; 2. Weepie; 3. Chesmore; 4. Hanson; 5. Burmeister; 6. Travis; 7. Ball
Heat 1 : 1. Schmitt; 2. Weepie; 3. Chesmore; 4. Hanson; 5. Burmeister; 6. Travis; 7. Ball
Heat 2 : 1. Luloff; 2. Wroten; 3. Damme; 4. Ahrendsen; 5. Mather; 6. Swanson; 7. Chelf
Burco Sales
IMCA Sport Mods
IMCA Sport Mods
Feature (15 laps)
: 1. T23 Tony Olson (Cedar Rapids); 2. K3 Kyle Olson (Cedar Rapids); 3. 16SS Kip Siems (Cedar Falls); 4. 40J Jason Doyle (Marion); 5. 82T Brett Thomas (Cedar Rapids); 6. B21 Brandon Tharp (Vinton); 7. 48S Adam Shelman (Ames); 8. 19B Nate Smith (Cedar Falls); 9. 33J Joe Luethje (Nevada); 10. 17 Ethan Krall (Evansdale); 11. 50H Steve Wimer (Toddville); 12. 118 Austin Stann (Orangville); 13. 65 Jordan Dumer (Evansdale); 14. 28R Carl Reninger (Cedar Falls); 15. 64 Vern Jackson (Waterloo); DNS 35 Kyle Bentley (Fairbank)
Heat 1
: 1. Shelman; 2. Jackson; 3. Kyle Olson; 4. Smith; 5. Doyle; 6. Reninger; 7. Bentley; 8. Wimer
Heat 2 : 1. Siems; 2. Tony Olson; 3. Tharp; 4. Stann; 5. Thomas; 6. Luethje; 7. Krall; 8. Dumer
IMCA Hobby Stocks
Heat 1 : 1. Reynolds; 2. Rudolph; 3. Neuhaus; 4. Wayne; 5. Olson; 6. Peterson; 7. Mannion; 8. Weepie
Heat 2 : 1. Hidlebaugh; 2. Gary Ollendieck; 3. Tyler Ollendieck; 4. Hanson; 5. Jordan; 6. Ball; 7. Jared; 8. VanousIndee Compacts
Feature (12 laps) : 1. 0 Ryan Havel (Iowa City); 2. 24 Korey Lana (Center Point); 3. 11H Justin Hempstead (Maquoketa); 4. 007 Adam Gates (Marion); 5. 2 Alicia Steepleton (Marion); 6. 89 Cristian Grady (Cedar Rapids); 7. 11 Rick Hempstead (Manchester); 8. 18H Josh Hills (Elkader); 9. 87c Jay Crabill (Cedar Rapids); 10. 69M Jeremy Wheeler (Vinton); 11. 4W Matt Westfall; 12. 17B Garrett Ball (Independence); 13. 73 Andrew Bieber (Independence); 14. 17N Nicole Miller (Waverly); 15. 20 Erin Twente (Hudson); 16. 64 Dakota Redig-Wilson (Waterloo); 17. 818 Joshua Muse (Tipton); 18. 4E Trevor Forey (Waverly); 19. 10 Chris Pittman (Dunkerton); 20. 23H Alex Hayes (Lone Tree); 21. 15M Zeke Wheeler (Vinton); 22. 17 Nathan Forey (Waverly)
Heat 2 : 1. Lana; 2. Havel; 3. Ball; 4. Westfall; 5. Jeremy Wheeler; 6. Bieber; 7. Twente
Heat 3 : 1. Muse; 2. Gates; 3. Steepleton; 4. Rick Hempstead; 5. Crabill; 6. Nathan Forey; 7. Miller; 8. Zeke WheelerMicros
Indee Cars
Feature (12 laps)
: 1. 51 Cole McNeal (Dysart); 2. Z1 Chaz Thompson (Dallas, Texas); 3. 33J Carson James (Winthrop); 4. 19X Matt Dugan (Garnavillo); 5. 41 Skylar Dugan (Waukon); 6. T25 Logan Takes; 7. 57A David Anderson (Jesup); 8. 25 Dale Schwamman (West Union); 9. 93 Chase Brunscheen (Dyersville); 10. 18 Jeff Davis (Vinton); 11. 6 Donald Erger (Brandon)
Indee Cars
Heat 1 : 1. McNeal; 2. Skylar Dugan; 3. Thompson; 4. Takes; 5. Schwamman; 6. Davis
Heat 2 : 1. Matt Dugan; 2. James; 3. Brunscheen; 4. Anderson; 5. Erger