LUEDTKE WINS FIRST BUDWEISER MODIFIED FEATURE

MCGRATH TOPS PERFORMANCE CONCEPTS LATE MODELS ON CASEYS GENERAL STORES NIGHT

By Brad Grupe

PHOTOS: Jim Wittke- Speedway Souvenir/Touch of Class

PHOTOS: Ed Siems

(Cedar Rapids, IA 07/29/2011)—Hawkeye Downs welcomed a huge “Caseys General Stores Night” crowd Friday night with all six divisions of the Papa Johns Cup/I-Wireless Championship Series in action. The Sunline Hornets and McGrath Powersports Legends also ran double features.

INNOVATIVE SIGNS PROMOTERS CHOICE TROPHY DASH WINNER

CASEY BILDEN

Jim Wittke- Speedway Souvenir/Touch of Class Photo

BARRON MOTOR SUPPLY HOBBY STOCKS

Jim Wittke- Speedway Souvenir/Touch of Class Photo

Matt Petrzelka picked up his fifth win of the season in Barron Motor Supply Hobby Stocks. After starting inside row two, Petrzelka took the point from Brad Chandler on lap four and was never challenged the rest of the way. Chandler finished in second followed by Jeremy Robbins, Rod Grother, and Roland Bohnsack.

HEAT 1- 1. Matt Petrzelka, Norway, IA; 2. Brad Chandler, Cedar Rapids, IA; 3.Brian Bries, Norway, IA; 4. Jacob Floyd, Cedar Rapids, IA; 5. Matt Lacoursiere, Cedar Rapids, IA

HEAT 2- 1. Jeremy Robins, Swisher; 2.Roland Bohnsack, Clutier; 3.Rodney Grother, Cedar Rapids; 4.Bryan Galde, Marion; 5.Kandi Floyd, Cedar Rapids

FEATURE(15 laps) 1. Petrzelka 2.Chandler 3.Robbins 4.Grother 5.Bohnsack 6.Galde 7.J. Floyd 8.Bries 9.K. Floyd DNS- Lacoursiere

COCA-COLA SPORTSMEN

Jim Wittke- Speedway Souvenir/Touch of Class Photo

Ben Glascock led the first four laps of the Coca-Cola Sportsmen feature before Cory Houdek seized control of the race on lap five. After riding in third earlier, Dave Ballstaedt took the second slot with Craig Stepanek in third. Last week’s feature winner, Bob Ahrendsen scored fourth while Glascock was fifth. Houdek’s win was his seventh of the season.

HEAT 1-1. Craig Stepanek, Cedar Rapids; 2.Cory Houdek, Marion; 3.Greg Hentrich, Hiawatha; 4.Malena Betzer, Cedar Rapids

HEAT 2-1.Dave Ballsteadt, Marion; 2.Ben Glascock, Indianola; 3.Bob Ahrendsen, Cedar Rapids; 4.Al Jarvis, Center point

FEATURE (20 laps) 1.Houdek 2.Ballstaedt 3.Stepanek 4.Ahrendsen 5.Glascock 6.Hentrich 7.Jarvis 8. Betzer

MCGRATH POWERSPORTS LEGENDS

Jim Wittke- Speedway Souvenir/Touch of Class Photo

In the first McGrath Powersports Legends feature of the evening, Troy Burkhart led the first half of of the 20-lap race before caution slowed the action after Rachael Pinkerman spun. Warren Ropp got a great restart and took control until two laps to go when Michael Weber made an outside pass for the lead. Ropp maintained second with Burkhart, Kevin Korsmo, and Dennis Diercks completing the top of the ruing order.

Weber, a former Hawkeye Downs Sportsmen driver grabbed the win in just his second time in a Legends car.

MAKE-UP FEATURE FROM 7/22 (20 laps) 1. Michael Weber, Ryan 2.Warren Ropp, Kalona; 3.Troy Burkhart, Cedar Rapids; 4.Kevin Korsmo, Atkins; 5.Dennis Diercks, Davenport; 6.Rachael Pickerman, Barrington Hills, IL; 7.Danny Lehmkuhl, Cedar Rapids; 8.Ron Boyse, Kalona; 9.Brogan Fiala, Fairfax; 10.Bryce Bailey, Cedar Rapids; 11.Ross Davisson, Coralville; 12.Jason Beauregard, Cedar Rapids; 13.Aaron Meyer, Cedar Rapids; 14. Keith Meyer, Cedar Rapids

Ed Siems Photo

In he second McGrath Powersports INEX Feature, Ron Boyse held off Rachael Pinkerman for the first five before Michael Weber slipped by Pinkerman into second and immediately challenged Boyse for the point. Weber took the lead on lap 17 and swent on to win his second feature of the night. Boyse maintained second with Troy Burkhart running in third. Pinkerman finished fourth and Warren Ropp was fifth.

7/29 FEATURE (20 laps) 1. Weber 2.Boyse 3.Burkhart 4.Pinkerman 5.Ropp 6.Fiala 7.Dennis Diercks 8.Lehmkuhl 9.Bailey 10.Aaron Meyer 11.Al Diercks 12.Beauregard 13.Davisson 14. Keith Meyer

BUDWEISER MODIFIEDS

Jim Wittke- Speedway Souvenir/Touch of Class Photo

Ryan Luedtke bolted to the lead from outside row one and was never seriously challenged in collecting his first career Budweiser Modified feature win. Tim Plummer was his closest pursuer but couldn’t mount a serious challenge for the lead. After running fourth, earlier Brian Gibson slipped around Johnny Spaw to claim third. Spaw maintained fourth and Craig Bender was fifth.

HEAT 1-1. Brian Gibson, Walford; 2.Ryan Luedtke, Norway; 3.Steve Lindell, Marion; 4.James Dixon, Cedar Rapids

HEAT 2- 1.Tim Plummer, Cedar Rapids; 2.Craig Bender, Cedar Rapids; 3.Johnny Spaw, Cedar Rapids; 4.Jason Beauregard, Cedar Rapids

FEATURE (20 laps) 1. Luedtke 2.Plummer 3.Gibson 4.Spaw 5.Bender 6.Beauregard 7.Lindell 8. Dixon

SUNLINE HORNETS

Like The Legends, the Sunline Hornets also had a double-winner with Brad Chandler taking the top spot in both events.

Jim Wittke- Speedway Souvenir/Touch of Class Photo

In the first feature, Casey Bilden led the first five circuits before Brad Chandler took control. Bilden chased him the rest of the 15-lap feature to maintain second while Dallas Chandler was third, Kurt Bohnsack crossed the stripe in fourth and Derek Parrott was fifth.

MAKE-UP FEATURE FROM 7/15 (15 laps) 1. Brad Chandler, Cedar Rapids; 2.Casey Bilden, Cedar Rapids; 3.Dallas Chandler, Cedar Rapids; 4.Kurt Bohnsack, Iowa City; 5.Derek Parrott, Marion; 6.Aaron Jarvis, Center Point; 7.Jeff Dvorak, Lisbon; 8. Hallie Hanson, Cedar Rapids; 9.Merv Chandler, Cedar Rapids; 10.Jamie Witham, Cedar Rapids; 11.Jose DeJesus, Cedar Rapids; 12.John Ness, Cedar Rapids; 13.Parker Anderson, Marion; 14.Todd Ness, Cedar Rapids; 15.Nate Chandler, Cedar Rapids; 16.Kevin Bailey, Cedar Rapids; 17.Shane Hanson, Cedar Rapids; 18.Patty Fossum 19.Dan Hartman 20.Prestin Witham, Cedar Rapids; 21.Joe Bean DNS- James Stevens

Ed Siems Photo

Nate Chandler led much of the second Sunline Hornets feature with his brother Brad in hot pursuit. Caution slowed the action at the halfway mark and the battle picked back up right where it left off once the green waved. Brad Chandler finally wrestled the lead from his brother in the closing laps which included a last lap that could only be described as a scorer’s nightmare. When the dust settled, Brad Chandler, Nathan Chandler, and Dallas Chandler held down the top three spots while casey Bilden was fourth and Jeff Dvorak fifth.

7/29 FEATURE (15 laps) 1.Brad Chandler 2.Nate Chandler 3.Dallas Chandler 4.Bilden 5.Dvorak 6.Todd Ness 7.Anderson 8.Parrott 9. Hallie Hanson 10.Jarvis 11.Bailey 12.Jamie Witham 13.John Ness 14.Shane hanson 15.Prestin Witham 16.Bohnsack 17.Stevens 18.Fossum 19. DeJesus 20.Bean DNS-Merv Chandler, Dan Hartman

PERFORMANCE CONCEPTS LATE MODELS

Brian Allen led the first half of the 30-lap Performance Concepts Late Models feature outrunning Brad Osborn and Griffin McGrath early. McGrath was on Allen’s rear bumper with twelve laps gone before taking the point on lap sixteen. Allen maintained second with Tim Plummer in third before caution slowed the action with five laps to go.

When racing resumed McGrath maintained the point while Plummer slipped around Allen to take second with less than five laps remaining. Allen held on to third as the checkers waved with Thor Anderson in fourth and Brad Osborn running fifth.

HEAT 1- 1.Griffin McGrath, Cedar Rapids; 2.Chad Siems, Shellsburg; 3.Brad Osborn, Janesville; 4.Kyle Hinrichs, Swisher; 5.Jay Jaspers, Steamboat Rock; 6. Scott Siems, Cedar Rapids

HEAT 2- 1. Brian Allen, Hiawatha; 2.Thor Anderson, Bonduraunt; 3.Tim Plummer, Cedar Rapids; 4.Mason Mitchell, West Des Moines; 5.Andy Edwards, New Hartford; 6. Travis Thompson, Cedar Rapids

FEATURE (30 laps) 1. McGrath 2.Plummer 3.Allen 4.Anderson 5.Osborn 6.Edwards 7.Mithchell 8. Jaspers 9.Chad Siems 10.Thompson 11.Scott Siems 12. Hinrichs

The Lil’ Racer Car Club did some racing of their own Friday night as well. Boxcar Races were held with trophies for all.

PHOTO: ED SIEMS

Weekly racing resumes next week with all six divisions again in action.