Saturday night, I decided to venture to the Independence Motor Speedway for the Tribute to Legends Night featuring the Malvern Bank Super Late Model Racing East Series and the A.I.R.S. American Iron Racing Series. The night was a tribute to Glen Martin, Red Dralle, and Greg Hunter. The night was sponsored by Red's Limo, Curt Martin ReMax Realty, Hunter Auto Sales, Pat's Auto Salvage, Emerson Crane, Sheetz Towing, and Jim Hackett.
A total of one hundred fifty cars were in the pits to tame the 3/8-mile banked dirt track on the Buchanan County Fairgrounds, including 32 SLMR Late Models. Racing action started shortly after late model time trials, and the final checkered flag was waived at 11:46 p.m.
The first feature of the night was the CC's Floors and More IMCA Sport Compacts 16-lap feature event. Blake Driscol out wrestled Clayton Loeb for the early lead, but he was also pursued by Korey Lana, driving Jeremy Williams hot rod, and Jaice Tuttle. The caution came out on lap four when Austin Kirkpatrick spun off the top of turn three. Driscol remained out front until Lana was able to take the top spot away on lap eight. Lana went on to claim the victory ahead of Driscol, nineteenth place starter Christopher Mannion, eleventh-place starter Chris Pittman, and Loeb.
After passing points in the heat races, 2 Predator Custom Trailers b-features, and provisionals, the field of 32 Malvern Bank Super Late Model Racing Series was dwindled down to 24 cars for the thirty-lap feature event. Andy Eckrich took the early lead, fending off challenges from Jason Hahne and Derrick Stewart. Chad Holladay finally worked his lane and wasted little time getting up to challenge Eckrich for the race lead. Holladay took the top spot away on lap seven, using the high line, and started to pull away. The caution came out on lap 17 for Andrew Kosiski slowing off the backstretch. Holladay held off Eckrich on the restart, but the caution came out again on lap 21 when Dylan Thornton slipped off the top of turn four. Holladay got another great restart and went on to take the win for a $3,000 pay day. Last year, Holladay won the East Series points without getting a win, and now, after two races, he has a win and leads the points. Eckrich came home in second, Derrick Stewart in third, Nick Marolf in fourth, and fourteenth-place starter Blair Nothdurft in fifth.
Wolfey's and Eddie's IMCA Sport Mods 20-lap feature event had a little trouble getting started off on the right foot. After two attempts, Kole Quam, the pole sitter, was penalized and sent to the tail. When the race finally got rolling, Tony Olson took the top spot. Olson checked out with Will Wolf and Cole Suckow in hot pursuit. The caution came out on lap six when Curt Smeins went off the top of turn two. Olson held off any challenges until another caution on lap 16 when Mason McNett spun in turn four as Chris Lewis spun off the top of turn two. Olson fended off challenges again from Suckow to claim the victory on his birthday weekend. Suckow came home as runner-up; Kyle Olson used the high groove to come home in third; Rayce Mullen in fourth; and Wolf in fifth.
Jim Ball Jr. led the first lap of the Performance Bodies & Parts IMCA Hobby Stocks 16-lap feature event. The caution came out shortly after lap one scored for Zach McNeese, sitting on the top of the backstretch. Bradly Graham got a great restart and got by Ball for the race lead. Graham pulled away, and the only thing going to slow him down was lap traffic. The caution came out on lap 11 for debris in turn two. Graham got another great restart and cruised into victory lane. Ball, Jacob Floyd, Trenton Neuhaus, and Carson James round out the top five.
Next up was the A.I.R.S. (American Iron Racing Series) feature event, initially scheduled for fifteen laps but ending up going 16 laps because of a late-race green-white-checkered finish. Jake Hayes and Steve Olson battled side by side for the race lead in the early going. The first caution came out on lap four when Dennis Etten blew up and came to a stop in turn one. Olson was the race leader, and he continued to lead the way until Bart Miller worked his way from tenth place. Miller took over the top spot on lap 11 from Olson. Another caution came out on lap 13, when Brian Gade blew up coming to a stop. Miller held everybody off on the restart, but the caution came out again on lap 14 for Domanic McNabb spinning in turn four. Miller held on to take the win after the green-white-checkered restart. Nineth-place starter Tracy Quigley, Jake Hayes, Owen Hayes, and Bruce Yoerger finished second through fifth, respectively.
Christie Door Company IMCA Stock Cars, known as "The Class Too Tough Too Tame," lived up to their name as there were great battles throughout the field. Scooter Dulin and Kaden Reynolds battled for the top spot early, with Dulin leading the first two laps. Reynolds took the top spot away and looked pretty tough out front as John Oliver Jr., Cole Mather, and Rowdee Van Genderen entered the battle with Dulin. The first caution was on lap seven when Dru Kueker spun turns one and two. Reynolds held off all challenges on the restart initially until Mather worked his way into second. Mather took the top spot away on lap 12 just prior to a pair of cautions. The first caution on lap 12 was for Dulin spinning in turn one. The second one was on the restart when Braxton Franks, Dulin, Buck Swanson, and Russell Damme Jr. all got together in turn one. Mather got a great restart and went on to take the feature win. Twelfth-place starter Tom Schmitt moved through the field to finish second. Reynolds fell back to third, Oliver came in fourth, and Jarod Weepie came home in fifth.
Final feature of the night was the Waterloo Auto Parts IMCA Modifieds 20-lap feature event, It took three attempts to get a single lap scored. Jerod Ballhagen led the first lap before Adam Shelman took the top spot on lap two. Kip Siems moved ahead of Shelman on lap five, while Dallon Murty worked the high line from tenth. The caution came out on lap seven for Brandon Lewis in turn four. Murty used the high side on the restart to get by Siems and pull away from the field to claim victory. Nineth place started, and Jeff Aikey took second place following the restart on lap seven. Twelfth-place starter Troy Cordes came home in third, Siems fell back to fourth, and Brennen Chipp came from eleventh to finish fifth.
No racing next Saturday, the next race at the Independence Motor Speedway is on Saturday, May 25th, for the Denny Osborn Memorial. Pro Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Hobby Stocks, and IMCA Sport Compacts take to the Speedway. Hot Laps at 6:30 p.m., Racing to Follow
For more information about the Independence Motor Speedway like the Facebook page Race Indee - Independence Motor Speedway or contact promoters Mike Van Genderen at 641-521-0330 or Dana Benning at 319-404-7177.
The Malvern Bank SLMR Late Models return to action next Saturday, May 18th, for their West Series opener at Central Missouri Speedway in Warrensburg, Missouri. East Series returns to action with a Memorial Day tripleheader in Iowa: Davenport Speedway on May 24th, Maquoketa Speedway on May 25th, and Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway on May 26th.
For more information about the SLMR Series check out slmrseries.com, or like the Facebook page Super Late Model Racing (SLMR) Series or call the SLMR office at 402-342-3453.
Independence Motor SpeedwaySaturday May 11th, 2024
presented by Malvern Bank
Predator Custom Trailers B Feature 2 (8 Laps) : 1. Less; 2. Johnson; 3. 42 Fred Remley (Anamosa); 4. 14 Logan Duffy (Independence); 5. 1 Jake Bridge (Waverly, Neb.); 6. Ryan; 7. 45 Curt Martin (Independence); 8. 5 Rusty Patterson (Mason City).
Heat 2 (8 Laps) : 1. Dave Eckrich; 2. Kastli; 3. Spieker; 4. DeFrance; 5. Andy Eckrich; 6. Johnson; 7. Simpson; 8. Martin.
Qualifying A (2 Laps) : 1. 32C Chad Holladay (13.931); 2. 56 Andy Eckrich (14.075); 3. 53 Andrew Kosiski (14.190); 4. 45 Curt Martin (14.209); 5. 15K Justin Kay (14.367); 6. 17 Tim Simpson (14.367); 7. 04 Tad Pospisil (14.370); 8. 56S Chris Spieker (14.385); 9. 44 Luke Goedert (14.396); 10. 73 Greg Kastli (14.433); 11. 76 Blair Nothdurft (14.467); 12. 58 Dave Eckrich (14.529); 13. 32G Curtis Glover (14.568); 14. 99D Darrel DeFrance (14.690); 15. 70 Shawn Mulvany (14.743); 16. 8R Sean Johnson (15.022).
Qualifying B (2 Laps) : 1. 43 Derrick Stewart (14.083); 2. 33 Nick Marolf (14.103); 3. 76H Jason Hahne (14.114); 4. 38T Dylan Thornton (14.136); 5. 22 Charlie McKenna (14.270); 6. 1 Jake Bridge (14.367); 7. 77 Jeff Aikey (14.372); 8. 10T Jeff Tharp (14.409); 9. 99 Luke Pestka (14.543); 10. 20 Zach Less (14.547); 11. 14 Logan Duffy (14.585); 12. 01 CJ Horn (14.629); 13. 07 Matt Ryan (14.645); 14. 15C Curt Schroeder (14.867); 15. 42 Fred Remley (14.902); 16. 5 Rusty Patterson (15.573).
presented by Waterloo Auto Parts
presented by Wolfey's & Eddie's
presented by Performance Bodies & Parts
