VAN DER WAL TOPS LATE MODELS AT HAWKEYE DOWNS ON CHILLY OPENING NIGHT

 

( CEDAR RAPIDS, IA  05/02/08)--     Curtis Van Der Wal of Oskaloosa topped a thirteen car field in a special 50 lap Miller Lite Late Model feature on Altorfer CAT Opening Night at  very chilly and windy  Hawkeye Downs Speedway.

 

Van Der Wal started on the pole and never relinquished the position despite some heavy pressure from Wisconsin late model ace Steve Carlson in the closing laps. Carlson finished second, Brad Osborn was third, Dudley Fleck fourth, and Brett Moffett was fifth. Carlson started 5th and moved to the second spot on lap fifteen, made a serious run at the leader with 10 laps to go but VanDerWal pulled away again in the last couple laps posting a 1.723 second victory margin.

 

Carlson topped late model qualifying turning a lap of 18.598 seconds for lap average speed of 96.785 MPH.

 

In the Coors Light Modifieds, Larry Clausen notched the win in the 25 lap feature finishing ahead of Chad Willet, defending champion Tim Plummer, Arlo Becker, and Scott Grady. Clausen  started the race inside the second row and scooted under  Chad Willett on the 12th trip around the Hawkeye Downs half-mile after getting around Tim Plummer a few laps earlier.

 

In other Papa Johns Cup Championship action, returning champion Dave McCalla snagged the Budweiser Mid-Am Sportsmen feature win in impressive fashion despite a late caution that compacted the field. McCalla ducked under Doug Simon following a caution on lap three and then motored away until another caution bunched the field with four laps to go. Once racing resumed McCalla pulled away again beating the second place car of Mel Schappert to the stripe by 1.925 seconds. Simon was third, Travis Thompson fourth, and Scotty Welsh was fifth.

 

On the quarter mile,  Kurt Bohnsack picked up where he left off last season nabbing the win in the Barron Motor Supply IMCA Stock Car feature. Bohnsack started in the second row and took the lead from Greg Hentrich on lap nine of the 25 lap feature.  Bohnsack and Hentrich swapped the lead back and forth multiple times with Hentrich leading with two laps to go before Bohnsack powered into the lead one final time. The margin of victory was just .168 seconds. Brian Franks was third, Bob Ahrendsen fourth, and Randy Filling posted a fifth place finish.

 

The Barron Motor Supply IMCA Hobby Stock feature winner was Gary Pfantz who led the entire race .  Despite a couple early cautions Pfantz cruised to the win finishing ahead of Roland Bohnsack, Dennis Klinsky, Dwayne Herb, and Ed O’Brien.

 

The IMCA Sportmods were in action as well as Ryan Luedtke made a bold move with 4 laps to go, snagging the lead from Scott Grady. Luedtke actually went from third to first on that pass as Grady and Arnie Reif were engaged in a battle of their own leaving the door open for Luedtke.  Grady finished second, Reif was third, Aric Becker was fourth and Jamie Huff crossed the line in fifth.

 

Derek Parrott put his 01 Sunline Hornet in victory lane besting an 11 car field. Jim Hanson led in the early going before Parrott  took command with seven laps in the books. Hanson finished second followed by Brad Chandler, Jason Freeman,  and Cory VanDerWal.

 

All seven divisions return to action Friday night.

 

MILLER LITE LATE MODELS

Qualifying- 1) Steve Carlson- 18.598,  2) Johnny Spaw -19.176,  3) Dudley Fleck- 19.206, 4) Brett Moffitt- 19.284, 5) Curtis Van Der Wal- 19.321, 6) Ken Reiser-19.325, 7) Thor Anderson-19.507, 8)Brad Osborn- 19.557, 9) Brad Dvorak-19.567, 10) Joey Gase- 20.059, 11) Logan Hale- 20.491, 12) Jon Leonard- 21.826, 13) Nick Greif- no time

Heat 1- 1. Carlson 2. Dvorak 3. Fleck 4. Van Der Wal 5. Anderson  6. Greif  7. Leonard

Heat 2- 1. Osborn 2. Reiser 3. Spaw 4. Moffitt 5. Gase  6. Hale

Feature (50 laps) - 1. Curtis Van Der Wal, Oskaloosa, IA; 2. Steve Carlson, West Salem, WI; 3. Brad Osborn, Janesville, IA; 4. Dudley Fleck, Cedar Rapids, IA; 5. Brett Moffittt, Grimes, IA; 6. Thor Anderson, Bondurant, IA; 7. Johnny Spaw, Cedar Rapids, IA; 8. Brad Dvorak, Lison, IA; 9. Logan Hale, Cedar Rapids, IA; 10. Joey Gase, Cedar Rapids, IA; 11. Ken Reiser, Waukon, IA; 12. Jon Leonard, Vinton, IA

 

BUDWEISER MID-AM SPORTSMEN

Heat- 1. Kevin Lee, Cedar Rapids,IA; 2. Doug Simon, Marion, IA; 3. Dave McCalla, Cedar Rapids, IA; 4. Andy Edwards, New Hartford, IA; 5. Mel Schappert, Cedar Rapids, IA; 6. Bob Ahrendsen, Cedar Rapids, IA; 7. Travis Thompson, Atkins, IA; 8. Scotty Welsh, Marion, IA

Feature (25 laps)- 1. McCalla 2. Schappert 3. Simon 4. Thompson  5. Welsh  6. Edwards  7. Ahrendsen  DNS- Kevin Lee

 

COORS LIGHT MODIFIEDS

Heat- 1. Chad Willett, Alburnett, IA; 2. Larry Clausen, Cedar Rapids, IA; 3. Tim Plummer, Norway, IA; 4. Scott Grady, Cedar Rapids, IA; 5. Cory Houdek, Marion, IA; 6. Arlo Becker, Atkins, IA; 7. Scott Strauss, Cedar Rapids, IA; 8. Andy Huston; 10. Darrell Long, Cedar Rapids, IA

Feature ( 25 laps)- 1. Clausen  2. Willett  3. Plummer  4. Becker  5. Grady  6. Strauss  7. Houdek  8. Huston  9. Long

 

BARRON MOTOR SUPPLY IMCA STOCK CARS

Heat- 1. Kurt Bohnsack, Iowa City, IA; 2. Greg Hentrich, Hiawatha, IA; 3. Dennis Hundley, Center Point, IA; 4. Bob Ahrendsen, Cedar Rapids, IA; 5. Brian Franks, Cedar Rapids, IA; 6. Randy Filling, Toddville, IA; 7. Chad Siems, Shellsburg, IA; 8. David Ballstaedt, Cedar Rapids, IA; 9. Mark Bolton, Cedar Rapids, IA; 10. Rodney Grother, Cedar Rapids, IA

Feature ( 25 laps)- 1. Bohnsack  2. Henttrich  3. Franks  4. Ahrendsen  5. Filling  6. Hundley  7. Bolton  8. Siems  9. Ballstaedt  10. Grother

 

BARRON MOTOR SUPPLY IMCA HOBBY STOCKS

Heat- 1. Roland Bohnsack, Clutier, IA; 2. Gary Pfantz, State Center, IA; 3. Shawn Myers, Cedar Rapids, IA; 4. Ed O’Brien, Cedar Rapids, IA; 5. Dennis Klinsky, Ely, IA; 6. Dwayne Herb, Cedar Rapids, IA; 7. Deb Mefford, Marion, IA; 8. Scott Benesh, Newhall, IA; 9. Kandi Floyd, Cedar Rapids, IA; 10. Scott Siems, Cedar Rapids, IA; 11. Ron Fare, Cedar Rapids, IA

Feature (20 laps) 1. Pfantz  2. Bohnsack  3. Klinsky  4. Herb  5. O’Brien  6. Mefford  7. Floyd  8. Fare  9. Benesh  10. Siems  1. Myers

 

IMCA SPORTMODS

 Heat- 1. Ryan Luedtke, Norway, IA; 2. Scott Grady, Cedar Rapids, IA; 3. Arnie Reif, Hiawatha, IA; 4. Aric Becker, Cedar Rapids, IA  5. Jamie Huff, Center Point, IA  6. Jason Doyle, Cedar Rapids, IA; 7. Michael Mitchell, Cedar Rapids, IA

Feature (15 laps) – 1. Luedtke  2. Grady  3. Reif  4. Becker  5. Huff  6. Doyle  7. Mitchell

 

SUNLINE HORNETS

Heat- 1. Jim Hanson, Cedar Rapids, IA ; 2. Bryce Bailey, Cedar Rapids, IA; 3. Brad Burhite, Cedar Rapids, IA; 4. Derek Parrott, Cedar Rapids, IA; 5. Jason Freeman, Cedar Rapids, IA; 6. Cory Van Der Wal, Oskaloosa, IA; 7. Shane Hanson, Cedar Rapids, IA; 8. Brad Chandler, Vinton, IA; 9. Johnny Williams, Atkins, IA; 10. Blake Carson 11. Don Tellin

Feature (15laps)- 1. Parrott  2. Jim Hanson; 3. Chandler 4. Freeman 5. Van Der Wal  6. Burhite  7. Shane Hanson  8. Carson  9. Williams  10. Tellin  11. Bailey