SPAW CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY WITH LATE MODEL
WIN
By Brad Grupe
(
Miller Lite Late Models and Budweiser Mid-Am Sportsmen
were battling for Papa Johns/I-Wireless Championship Cup points on the
half-mile while Barron Motor Supply IMCA Stock Cars, Barron Motor Supply IMCA
Hobby Stocks, and Sunline Hornets raced for points on the quarter-mile. There was also a non-points Coors Light
Modified vs. IMCA SportMod race on the quarter-mile.
In addition to regular racing on the big tracks , kids
participated in a Big Wheel race along with a candy and nickel dash.
Brad Osborn grabbed the early lead in the Miller Lite
Late Model feature but by lap three Jay Herbst was challenging for position.
The two ran side-by-side for several laps before Herbst took command on lap
seven and begin to pull away from the field as they battled for position. Osborn and Brad Dvorak tangled and brought
out a caution at the halfway mark bringing out the “lane choice” cone. Johnny
Spaw, who set fast time earlier in the evening, opted to use the cone and
started outside the second row with the leader Herbst solo in the first row.
Herbst appeared to hesitate as the field charged to
the green and that coupled with a perfectly timed start from Spaw put the
multi-time champion in the lead and he went on to collect his first weekly
racing win at Hawkeye Downs in about 4 years.
Herbst maintained second with Dudley Fleck, Ken Reiser, and Joey Gase
filling out the top of the order.
In Budweiser Sportsmen, it appeared to be business as
usual for Dave McCalla as the defending champion notched his first win of the
season. Bob Ahrendsen led the first couple circuits before Michael Weber passed
three cars on the outside to assume command. McCalla zipped under Weber to take
the lead for good four laps later crossing the stripe ahead of Weber, Doug
Simon, and Andy Edwards.
Dave Ballastaedt III picked up his first career
Hawkeye Downs win in the Barron Motor Supply IMCA Stock Cars. Ballstaedt drew
the pole for the 25-lap feature and outpaced Bob Ahrendsen, Kurt Bohnsack,
Brian Franks, and Rodney Grother for the win. Ahrendsen did make up some ground
in the closing laps but was unable to mount a serious challenge. Ballstaedt is in his second year of racing at
Hawkeye Downs.
2008 Barron Motor Supply IMCA Hobby Stock points
runner-up Roland Bohnsack established himself as the early favorite for the
2009 title by winning the 15-lap feature for that division Friday night.
Bohnsack started outside the first row, survived a couple restarts and cruised
to a relatively easy win. Bohnsack was chased to the stripe by Scott Siems,
Nathan Ballard, Kandi Floyd, and Ron Dighton.
One of the fastest growing divisions at Hawkeye Downs,
the Sunline Hornets, saw twenty-one cars start the 20-lap feature and the field
ran a caution free race with Nathan Chandler collecting the win after starting
ninth. Chuck Hanson led in the early going
but
Scott Kositzky, in a SportMod, prevailed in the IMCA
SportMod vs. Coors Light Modified feature. Scott Grady led much of the event
but he and Arlo Becker tangled with two laps to go sending them to the back and
putting Kositzky on the point. Kositzky
took care of business on the restart and held off Tim dains for the win. Arlor
becker rallied for third with Blake Carson and Creston Williams also placing in
the top five.
Racing resumes next Friday night, May 8 with Miller
Lite Late Models, Budweiser Mid-AM Sportsmen, Coors Light Modifieds, Barron Motor
Supply IMCA Stock Cars, Barron Motor Supply IMCA Hobby Stocks, and Sunline
Hornets all slated for action.
RESULTS
MILLER LITE LATE MODELS
HEAT- 1. J. Herbst, Lacrosse, WI; 2. Thor Anderson,
Bondaurant, IA; 3. Johnny Spaw, Cedar Rapids, IA; 4. Ken Reiser, Waukon, IA; 5.
Brad Osborn, Janesville, IA; 6. Brad Dvorak, Lisbon, IA; 7. Joey Gase, Cedar
Rapids, IA; 8. Jim Ross, Cedar Rapids, IA; 9. Justin Jennings; 10. Dudley
Fleck, Cedar Rapids, IA; 11. Ron Boelts, Wellsburg, IA; 12. Curt Tillman,
Rockford, IL; 13. Scott Siems, Cedar Rapids, IA
FEATURE(25 laps) 1. Spaw 2. Herbst 3. Fleck 4.Reiser
5.Gase 6.
BUDWEISER SPORTSMEN
HEAT- 1. Andy Edwards, New Hartford, IA; 2. Michael
Weber, Ryan, IA; 3.Doug Simon, Marion, IA; 4.Bob Ahrendsen, Cedar Rapids, IA;
5. Andy Duggan, Marion, IA; 6. Travis Thompson, Atkins, IA; 7. Dave McCalla,
FEATURE (14 laps) 1. McCalla 2. Weber 3. Duggan 4.
Simon 5. Edwards 6. Ahrendsen 7.
Thompson
BARRON MOTOR SUPPLY IMCA STOCK CARS
HEAT 1- 1. Bob Ahrendsen, Cedar Rapids, IA; 2. Kurt
Bohnsack, Iowa City, IA; 3. Scooter Dulin, Cedar Rapids, IA; 4.
HEAT 2- 1. Brian Franks, Cedar Rapids, IA; 2. Dave
Ballstaedt III, Cedar Rapids, IA; 3. Rodney Grother, Cedar Rapids, IA; 4. Brian
Beatty, Palo, IA; 5. Greg Hentrich,
FEATURE ( 25 laps) 1. Ballstaedt 2.Ahrendsen 3.
Bohnsack 4. Franks 5.Grother 6.Beatty
7.Siems 8.Dulin 9.Houdek 10.Galli 11.Hentrich
BARRON MOTOR SUPPLY IMCA HOBBY STOCKS
HEAT- 1. Roland Bohnsack, Clutier, IA; 2. Ron Dighton,
Cedar Rapids, IA; 3. Nathan Ballard, Marengo, IA; 4. Scott Siems, Cedar Rapids,
IA; 5. Shaun Myers, Cedar Rapids, IA; 6. Kandi Floyd, Cedar Rapids, IA; 7. Deb
Mefford, Marion, IA; 8. Malena Betzer, Cedar Rapids, IA; 9. Duayne Herb,
FEATURE (15 laps) 1. Bohnsack 2. Siems 3. Ballard
4. Floyd 5. Dighton 6. Betzer 7. Mefford 8. Herb 9. Myers
SUNLINE HORNETS
HEAT 1- (Previous Feature Winners) 1. Derek Parrott,
Marion, IA; 2. Nathan Chandler, Cedar Rapids, IA; 3. Brad Chandler, Vinton, IA;
4. Shane Hanson, Cedar Rapids, IA; 5. Jim Hanson, Cedar Rapids, IA; 6. Chuck
Hanson, Marion, IA; 7. Jeff Selfridge, Marion, IA; 8. Merv Chandler,
HEAT 2- (Non-Feature winners) 1. Jasen Freeman, Cedar
Rapids, IA; 2. Steve Miedke 3. Steve
Dighton, Cedar Rapids, IA; 4. Brogan Fiala, Fairfax, IA; 5. Christian Grady,
Cedar Rapids, IA; 6. Tyler Whalen, Riverside, IA; 7. Bill Whalen, Jr. ; 8. Dan
Burhite, Cedar Rapids, IA; 9. Brett Timmerman; 10. John Whalen; 11. Charles Evens; 12. Jerey Heim;
13. Brad Burhite,
FEATURE (20 laps) 1.N.
SPORTMOD/MOD
FEATURE (25 laps) 1. Scott Kositzky, Cedar Rapids, IA;
2. Tim Dains, Marion, IA; 3.Arlo Becker, Norway, IA; 4. Blake Carson 5. Creston Williams, Atkins, IA; 6. Scott
Grady, Cedar Rapids, IA; 7. Ken Kositzky, Cedar Rapids, IA; 8. Mike Dains,