CHRISTOFFERSEN,
HERNANDEZ SCORE FIRST CAREER MID-AM SERIES WINS AT HAWKEYE DOWNS OPENER
(Cedar
Rapids, IA 042001) The McLeod USA Mid-American Stock Car Series and the McLeod
USA Mid-American Super Truck Series both opened their 2001 campaign at Hawkeye
Downs Speedway Friday night in front of an estimated 2500 fans.
The Barron Motor Supply Thunderstocks, A-1
Performance Marine Legends, Coke Women on Wheels and 2-Person Cruisers were
also in action Friday night.
Art Christoffersen, President and CEO of McLeod USA
Publishing, took home top honors in the McLeod USA Mid- American Super Truck
Series season opener Friday night. The win marked the Toddville, IA drivers
first career win in the truck series.
Jerry Seibel of Campbellsport, WI paced the 22 truck
field in qualifying, turning the half-mile in 20.151 seconds. Due to concerns
with impending weather series officials elected to set the grid for the 40-lap feature based on qualifying results.
Gordon Swanson of Apple Valley, MN held the early
lead after starting outside row one. A turn three crash on the second lap sent
the field scrambling for cover and knocked a couple entries, including Vincent
Wilkinson of Sandwich, IL from the field.
When racing
resumed, Swanson continued to hold the point until Conrad Jorgensen of
Lakeville, MN took command on lap six.
As those two continued to battle Christoffersen, who started 13th, was working toward the
front. Christoffersen was up to third by the eighth trip around the oval and
then used both the high and low grooves to pick his way to the front. He moved
into the lead on lap 19 after passing Jorgensen in turn four.
A caution with 12 laps top go bunched the field but
Christoffersen picked up where he left off and left Swanson and Seibel behind
once racing resumed.
Christoffersen, in a Ford, crossed the stripe well
ahead of Swanson, Seibel, Ricky Lemmens and Kim Hedberg.
The 22 trucks in attendance set an opening day
record for the series as well as a record number of entries for the series at
Hawkeye Downs Speedway.
Peter Hernandez, of Mokena, Il
grabbed the forty-lap feature for the Mid-American Stock Cars which was the
first of his career in the series. Hernandez is in his third year of competition
with the Mid-AM Stock Car Series
Twenty drivers put their cars
through qualifying paces with local driver Dr. JJ Meyer setting fast time of
20.165. Meyer competes regularly in the Hawkeye Downs Budweiser Sportsman
division.
Due to concerns with the weather,
the field was set according to qualifying results.
Mike Monroe, Pell Lake, WI led in
the early going with Brandon Blashe of Little Chute, WI and Hawkeye Downs
regular Dave Johnson of Ankeny, IA in close pursuit. Monroe began to pull away
with ten laps scored but the gap was erased for a caution on the 11th
circuit. Monroe continued to lead after the restart with Peter Hernandez moving
up fast after starting in the 13th slot.
The yellow waved again with nineteen
laps down after a spin. During that caution, Monroe retired to the pits which
put Hernandez on the point for the restart. He was followed by Bill Prietzel,
Franklin, WI., and JJ Meyer of Cedar Rapids, IA.
Curt
VanDerWal of Oskaloosa took the third spot just past the halfway point while
Hernandez continued to hold a safe lead over Prietzel.
With
nine laps remaining a thunderstorm hit the track, which caused officials to
throw the checkers and score the race as complete.
Hernandez
scored the win in a Monte Carlo, followed by Prietzel, VanDerWal, James Swan of
Lake Geneva, WI and Kevin Lee of Homestead, IA.
BJ Goodin picked uip right where he
left off last season and started the 2001 Legends season with a win over AL
Smith. Goodin started the 25-lap feature in 11th and wasted little
time in powering to the front.
In 2-Person Cruiser action, the
tandem of Bob Ahrendsen and Mike Desoto appeared to have the win in hand when
Matt Jones and John Morgan played their cards just right, using a lapped car as
a pick and making the winning move. Ahrendsen/Desoto
had to back out of the throttle to avoid the slower car which also allowed
Darryl and Scott Jones to slip by into second.
The other feature which was completed before a
thunderstorm scrubbed the last two events was the Thunderstocks. Mike Walsh
took the lead with nine laps to go after
Greg Hentrich dominated the early going. The action was tight
enough but the caution waved with 9 laps remaining bunching the field and enabling Walsh to take command on the
restart.
The remaining Thunderstock feature and the Women On
Wheels feature will be run at a later date.
1.
Peter Hernandez, Mokena, Il Chevy
Monte Carlo
2.
Bill Prietzek, Franklin, WI Dodge
Avenger
3.
Curtis VanDerWal, Oskaloosa, IA Chevy
Monte Carlo
4.
James Swan, Lake Geneva, WI Chevy
Monte Carlo
5.
Kevin Lee, Homestead, IA Chevy
Monte Carlo
6.
Rod Brewe, Kaukauna, WI Chevy
Monte Carlo
7.
Dave Johnson, Ankeny, IA Chevy
Monte Carlo
8.
Mel Schappert, Cedar Rapids, IA Chevy
Lumina
9.
Brandon Norris, Somonauk, IL Chevy
Monte Carlo
10.
Mike Anderson, Sheboygan, WI Chevy
Monte Carlo
11.
Scott Johnson, Ankeny, IA
12.
Jimmy Becker, Burlington, IL Dodge
Intrepid
13.
Josh Bauer, Randon Lake, WI Chevy
Monte Carlo
14.
Bobby Gutknecht, Oak Creek, WI Pontiac
Grand Prix
15.
Mike Monroe, Pell Lake, WI Chevy
Monte Carlo
16.
Brandon Blashe, Little Chute, WI Chevy
Monte Carlo
17.
John Henecke, Hiawatha, IA Pontiac
Grand Prix
18.
Monty Coffman, Barrington, IL Pontiac
Grand Prix
19.
Bruce Scheff, Swisher, IA Ford
Thunderbird
MID-AMERICAN SUPER TRUCK FEATURE RESULTS
1.
Art
Christoffersen, Toddville, IA Ford
2.
Gordon
Swanson, Apple Valley, MN Chevrolet
3.
Jerry
Seibel, Campbellsport, WI Chevrolet
4.
Ricky
Lemmens, Kewaunee, WI Chevrolet
5.
Kim
Hedberg, Farmington, MN Chevrolet
6.
Mark
Anderson, Minnetonka MN Chevrolet
7.
Jeff
Steenberger, Waupon, WI Ford
8.
Gary
Fredrickson, Lakeville, MN Ford
9.
Al
Brace, Wausau, WI Chevrolet
10.
Jamie
Farrell, New Prague, MN Chevrolet
11.
Mike
Martindale, Machesney Park, IL Chevrolet
12.
Zack
Hedburg, Farmington, MN Ford
13.
Mark
Eberhart, Ripon, WI Ford
14.
Conrad
Jorgensen, Lakeville, MN Chevrolet
15.
Donnie
Woller, Merrill, WI Chevrolet
16.
Bill
Prietzel, Franklin, WI Chevrolet
17.
John
Vig, Jr., Shakopee, MN Ford
18.
Randy
Garrison, Beatrice, NE Chevrolet
19.
Danny
Heinritz, Green Bay, WI Chevrolet
20.
Vincent
Wilkinson, Sandwich, IL Chevrolet
21.
Andy
Jirik, Lonsdale, MN Chevrolet
22.
Jason
Hicks, Lake Geneva, WI Ford
A-1 Performance Marine Legends
1.
BJ
Goodin, Hiawatha
2.
Al
Smith, Cedar Rapids
3.
Kevin
Foreman, Cedar Rapids
4.
Kyle
Hinrichs, Swisher
5.
Gene
Peterson, Des Moines
6.
Chris
Sevey, Waterloo
7.
Tom
Frady, Cedar Rapids
8.
Matt
Montieth, Port Byron, IL
9.
Larrie
Solbrig, Cedar Rapids
10.
Lane
Swearinger, Davenport
11.
Bob
Spiegel, Bettendorf
12.
Eric
Appleget, Ely
13.
Keith
Moline, Cedar Rapids
2-Person Cruisers
1.
Matt
Jones/John Morgan
2.
Darryl
Jones/Scott Jones
3.
Bob
Ahrendsen/Mike Desoto
4.
Marty
Klees/Eric Gintert
5.
Tim
Kemmerer/Ed O’Brien
6.
Steve
Luedtke/Mike Carver
7.
Brian
Dvorak/Matt Poduska
8.
Shellie
O’Brien/Ed O’Brien
9.
Scott
Siems/Chris Shakespeare
BARRON MOTOR SUPPLY THUNDERSTOCKS
1.
Mike
Walsh, Cedar Rapids
2.
Greg
Hentrich, Hiawatha
3.
Cory
Houdek, Anamosa
4.
Kevin
Sanborn, Ely
5.
Mike
Block, Cedar Rapids
6.
Mike
Desoto, Cedar Rapids
7.
Lisa
Dumond, Cedar Rapids
8.
Frank
Auen, Garrison, IA
9.
Travis
Dodney, Cedar Rapids
10.
Roger
LaCoursiere, Cedar Rapids
11.
Dan
Thompson, Cedar Rapids
12.
Aaron
Meyer, Cedar Rapids
13.
Chip
Kohl
14.
James
Sheldon, Cedar Rapids
15.
Jodi
Cranston, Cedar Rapids