CHARLIE
MENARD TOPS MILLER 100 FIELD AT HAWKEYE DOWNS
KORSMO, PLUMMER AND
AHRENDSEN SCORE FEATURE WINS IN ANNUAL EVENT
(Cedar
Rapids, IA 06/25/04)—The 32nd
annual running of the Keith Fleck Miller 100 will be a memorable one in many ways.
Charlie Menard of Eau Claire, WI led a barrage of drivers that shattered the
previous Pavement Late Model record at Hawkeye Downs by a substantial margin.
Menard turned the ‘Downs half-mile in 18.302 seconds, besting the previous
record of 19.047 which was held by
former Miller 100 winner Steve Carlson of West Salem. WI.
When qualifying for the MARS Late
Models was complete 19 of the 21 drivers who timed had beat the previous record
on a night when conditions were right for making good horsepower and keeping
the cars stuck to the track.
Menard drew a six, which meant that
the top 14 cars would be inverted by time for the 100-lap Miller 100. That put
Menard, who is the nephew of IRL team owner and home improvement supply mogul,
John Menard, in the seventh row for the start of the 100 lapper.
The Miller 100’s namesake, Keith
Fleck, gave the command to start engines for the annual race for Charity. This
year proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society in honor of Doris Fleck.
Menard moved steadily though the
field and found himself in third place by lap 15 and up to second before 20
laps were in the books. He used a nifty high side move to secure the lead for
good on lap 22, passing Dean Cornelius, a Bloomington, MN drive.
Menard was never seriously
challenged during the balance of the race although he did have to hold off
Justin Diercks of Davenport, series point leader Jeff Van Oudenhoven of
Kimberly, WI and Carlson as he maneuvered through lapped traffic.
Before collecting the checkers and
the $2,000 payday Menard succeeded in lapping all but 6 cars of the 22 car
field.
“It was just a great night, “ Menard
stating during a victory lane interview. “We had a great car and I really
believed we could do this. The car stuck real well”
Diercks, Carlson, Van Oudenhoven,
and Johnny Spaw of Cedar Rapids made up the rest of the top five. Spaw started
the feature in fifth.
Also on the card Friday night was
the second appearance of the season for the Yellowbook Mid-American Super
Trucks. Jamie Farrell of New Prague, MN., took top honors in qualifying with a
lap of 20.050 seconds.
Kevin Korsmo of Atkins, who runs his
familiar orange #16 truck with the
Hawkeye Downs Late Model Sportsmen division, started dead last in the 11 truck
field. Korsmo picked his way through the pack and with 11 laps in the books was
nearly halfway through the field, riding in fifth. Korsmo found himself on the
tailgate of leader John Vig, Jr. of Shakopee, MN after a spin on lap 17
eliminated the two trucks separating Vig and Korsmo.
Korsmo spend the next ten laps on
Vig’s bumper before executing an outside move to secure the lead. Korsmo
motored away from the field in the closing laps of the 40-lap feature
event Donnie Woller of Merrill, WI finished
in second with Farrell third, Bill Prietzel of Franklin, WI fourth, and Vig,
Jr. winding up fifth.
Korsmo said of Vig,” John is an
awfully talented driver. I wanted to get by him on the bottom, but I thought,
If I’m going to win this thing, I need to do it now.”
Tim Plummer of Norway made some
history of his own Friday night winning his first half-mile feature in the
Miller Time Modified division. Plummer, started the 20-lap feature in third
and took command of the field on the fourth
lap. He kept himself a safe distance from
the 2nd place car Larry Clausen for the balance of the event
before collecting his first half-mile checkers. Arlo Becker, who has a habit of
running strong in Miller 100 races finished in third, Max Corporon was fourth,
and Rodney Rocarek finished fifth.
The Barron Motor Supply Super Stocks
were also in action Friday night with Cedar Rapids driver Bob Ahrendsen picking
up his third win of the season. Ahrendsen has dominated the division in the first
half of the season winning 3 of the 4 events run to date. Ahrendsen started the 25-lap feature in the fourth
slot and took the point on lap 8 after battling with Jim Hanson. Finishing
second was Hanson, while Dave McCalla was third.
MARS
LATE MODELS
Fast
Qualifier- Charlie Menard, Eau Claire, WI
18.302 (New track record)
Heat
1-Steve Rubeck, Cherry Valley, IL
Heat
2- Trent Snyder, Ironton, MN
Heat
3- Menard
FEATURE
(100 laps) 1. Menard; 2. Justin Diercks, Davenport, IA; 3. Steve Carlson, West Salem,
WI; 4. Jeff Van Oudenhoven; 5. Johnny Spaw, Cedar Rapids; 6. Ryan Manthei,
Green Bay, WI; 7. Dean Cornelius, Blommington, MN; 8. Dudley Fleck, Cedar
Rapids; 9. Kirby Kurth, Wisconsin Rapids, WI; 10. Rubeck; 11. Brian Johnson,
South Beloit, WI; 12. Landon Cassill, Fairfax, IA; 13. Snyder; 14.Kyle
Hinrichs, swisher, IA; 15. Tony Bagstad, Cashton, WI; 16. Blake Bjorkland,
Isanti, MN; 17. Ken Reiser Waukon, IA; 18.Dexter Bean, Westby, WI; 19. Todd
Stapleman; 20. Gary Mueller, Chisago City, MN; 21.Chris Grimes, Green Bay, WI;
22. Steve Schultz, Elko, MN
YELLOWBOOK
MID-AM SUPER TRUCKS
Fast
Qualifier- Jamie Farrell, New Prague, MN
Heat
1- Kevin Korsmo, Atkins
Heat
2- John Vig, Jr., Shakopee, MN
FEATURE
(40 laps) 1. Korsmo; 2. Donnie Woller, Merrill, WI; 3. Farrell; 4. Bill
Prietzel, Fanklin, WI; 5. John Vig, Jr.; 6. Tony Holm, Prior Lake, MN; 7. John
Froelich, Chippewa Falls, WI; 8. Anthony Brewer, Shakopee, MN; 9. Gary
Fredrickson, Northfield, MN; 10. Dominick Brewer, Shakopee, MN; 11. Art
Christoffersen, Toddville, IA; DNS-Vince Wilksinson, Sandwich, IL; DNS-Kyle
Bauknecht, Reedsville, WI
MILLER
TIME MODIFIEDS
Heat
1- Max Corporon, Marion
Heat
2- Larry Clausen, Cedar Rapids
FEATURE
(20 laps) 1. Tim Plummer, Norway, IA; 2. Clausen; 3. Arlo Becker, Atkins; 4.
Corporon; 5. Rodney Rocarek, Cedar Rapids; 6. Bob Gase, Cedar Rapids; 7. Brian
Allen, Hiawatha; 8. Landon Cassill, Fairfax; 9. Chad Willett, Cedar Rapids; 10.
John Baker, Cedar Rapids; 11. Aric Becker, Cedar Rapids DNS-Darrell Long, Cedar
Rapids; DNS- Kevin lee, Homestead
BARRON
MOTOR SUPPLY SUPER STOCKS
Heat
1- Jim hanson, Cedar Rapids
Heat
2- Jayson Scott, Cedar Rapids
FEATURE
(25 laps) 1. Bob Ahrendsen, Cedar Rapids; 2. Hanson; 3. Dave McCalla, Cedar Rapids;
4. Paul Walder, Cedar Rapids; 5. Scott; 6. Chad Siems, Mt. Auburn; 7. Brad
Dvorak, Mt. Vernon; 8. Norman Chesmore, Rowley; 9. Kevin Franks, Cedar Rapids;
10. Doug Simon, Marion; 11. Kurt Bohnsack, Iowa City; 12. Logan Hale, Cedar
Rapids; 13. Scott Beauregard, Center Point; 14. Cory Houdek, Anamosa; 15. Wendy
Carnahan, Cedar Rapids; 16. Jason Block, Mt. Vernon; 17. Greg Hentrich, Hiawatha;
18. Randy Filling, Toddville