SPAW, SCHULTE, DVORAK, VAN DER WAL AND HINRICHS TAKE HAWKEYE DOWNS POINTS TITLES

SEVEY, AHRENDSEN, BECKER, VAN DER WAL, AND SPAW COLLECT FEATURE WINS

 

By Brad Grupe

 

(Cedar Rapids, IA  083002)—The 2002 regular season for the “ASA Papa Johns Cup presented by Iowa Wireless” came to a close at Hawkeye Downs Speedway on Friday night. The “Rainbow Painting and Sandblasting Season Championships” mark the final regular Friday night racing event for 2002.

 

            One of the largest crowds of the season was on hand for the event which also included and on-track autograph session prior to the start of the program.

 

            The point leader in each division coming into Friday night drew to determine the number of cars inverted for the features.

 

            The Barron Motor Supply Super Stocks featured the tightest point battle with Brad Dvorak and team mate Kurt Bohnsack separated by a mere four points. The battle continued through the feature with that duo starting in the sixth row. They collided on lap 25 with Bohnsack heading into the grass and Dvorak to the pits with a flat tire. Both restarted at the back of the pack and Dvorak was able to put some distance between him and Bohnsack eventually finishing two positions ahead of Bohnsack. That margin allowed Dvorak to secure his second straight championship.

 

            The feature was won by another team mate of Bohnsack and Dvorak, Bob Ahrendsen, who picked up his first feature win of the season. Ahrendsen took the lead  from Greg Hentrich with 13 laps scored and then motored to the win.  Cory Houdek finished second, with Jayson Scott, Hentrich, and John Ness completing the top of the order.

 

            The Performance Concepts Late Model title went to Johnny Spaw but it wasn’t an easy road for Spaw to pick up his 7th season championship title. In May Spaw was mired deep in the point standings after a couple racing penalties including a two-week suspension or a “trip to Disney World” as Spaw called it.

 

            Spaw who battled Brian Gibson  throughout the last part of the season, posted 13 top five finishes and six wins which was enough to take the title.

 

            On the track Friday night Spaw finished well ahead of rookie of the year Brad Osborn in the 35 lap feature. Spaw drew a ‘six” for the invert which put him in the third row for the race. Spaw passed Osborn for the lead on the ninth lap and never looked back in collecting the win. Osborn, who’s had a stellar rookie season on the pavement, finished in second with Dudley Fleck, Brian Gibson, and TJ Schaefer.

 

            Mike Schulte cleaned up his 12th Modified title Friday night but it was a season where Schulte acknowledges he had to “work a lot harder for this one.” Schulte posted two wins during the 2002 campaign which led to his fifth straight title.

 

            On the track, the “Mayor of Beckerville”, Arlo Becker, picked up his fourth win of the season holding off Larry Clausen for the thirty-lap feature. Becker started in the front row and led every lap in claiming the win. Clausen finished second with Schulte, Bob Gase and Jim Williams rounding out the top five.

 

            Kyle Hinrichs just had to take the green flag to lay claim to the Foreman Hydraulics Legends title and he was able to back up the start with a fifth place finish in the feature. Hinrichs, a freshman at Cedar Rapids Prairie,  posted seven wins during the season to capture the title.

 

            On the track Chris Sevey racked up win number six of the season to win the 30 lap feature. Sevey finished ahead of Eric Appleget, Crystal Horn,  Tom Frady and  Hinrichs.

 

            Curt Van Der Wal already had his second straight Budweiser Sportsmen title wrapped up coming into Friday night and he backed that up with a dominant performance again Friday night outdistancing Johnny Mudd for the win. JJ Meyer finished a strong third in that feature with Kevin Lee and Martin Ballard just behind.

 

            The feature saw some great side-by-side racing throughout which was typical of most of the features in the division during the season.

 

            Van Der Wal visited Coca-Cola Victory Lane  six times during the 2002 season which allowed him to build a substantial margin in the points.

 

            The Performance Concepts Late Models will visit the Hawkeye Downs half-mile once more this season running a 50-lap event as part of the ASA Racing Series qualifying day on Saturday, September 7. The Late Models will time trial for starting positions in the non-points event.

 

PERFORMANCE CONCEPTS LATE MODELS

FEATURE  (35 laps)

  1. Johnny Spaw, Cedar Rapids
  2. Brad Osborn, Janesville
  3. Dudley Fleck, Cedar Rapids
  4. Brian Gibson, Walford
  5. TJ Schaefer, Solon
  6. Mike Ehde, Prairie Du Chien, WI
  7. Curt Martin, Independence
  8. Greg Kastli, Waterloo
  9. Jim Ross, Cedar Rapids
  10. Jeff King, Cedar Rapids
  11. Dean Cornelius, Bloomington, MN
  12. Ross Kurth, Waterville
  13. Scott Delsing, Marion
  14. Matt Lundberg, Johnston
  15. Randy Coghlan, Toddville
  16. Les Cady, Rock Falls, IL
  17. Lorin Kurth, Waukon

 

SEASON CHAMPION-JOHNNY SPAW

 

BUDWEISER SPORTSMEN

FEATURE (30 laps)

  1. Curt Van Der Wal, Ankeny
  2. Johnny Mudd, Cedar Rapids
  3. JJ Meyer, Cedar Rapids
  4. Kevin Lee, Cedar Rapids
  5. Martin Ballard, Marengo
  6. Brian Franks, Central City
  7. Bob Ahrendsen, Cedar Rapids
  8. John Henecke, Hiawatha
  9. Andy Duggan, Marion
  10. Craig Bender, Cedar Rapids
  11. Lyle Williams, Center Point
  12. Ron Fisher, Shellsburg
  13. Mel Schappert, Cedar Rapids
  14. Paul Walder, Cedar Rapids
  15. Kurt Bohnsack, Iowa City
  16. Rob Keeney, Cedar Rapids
  17. Tom Burke, Nevada
  18. Matt Van Gelder, Oskaloosa

 

SEASON CHAMPION-CURT VAN DER WAL

 

MILLER TIME MODIFIEDS

FEATURE (30 laps)

  1. Arlo Becker, Atkins
  2. Larry Clausen, Cedar Rapids
  3. Mike Schulte, Norway
  4. Bob Gase, Cedar Rapids
  5. Jim Williams, Atkins
  6. James Lamphier, Urbana
  7. Chad Willett, Cedar Rapids
  8. Sonny Parker, Cedar Rapids
  9. Dave Novotny, Solon
  10. Keith Gogel, Solon
  11. Mike Thomas, Cedar Rapids’
  12. Tim Plummer, Norway
  13. Bob Glick, Evansdale
  14. Rodney Rocarek, Mt. Vernon
  15. Aric Becker, Cedar Rapids
  16. Kurtis Miller, Maquoketa
  17. Brian Allen, Hiawatha

 

SEASON CHAMPION- MIKE SCHULTE

 

BARRON MOTOR SUPPLY SUPER STOCKS

FEATURE (30 laps)

  1. Bob Ahrendsen, Cedar Rapids
  2. Cory Houdek, Anamosa
  3. Jayson Scott
  4. Greg Hentrich, Hiawatha
  5. John Ness, Cedar Rapids
  6. Jeff Franks, Rowley
  7. Randy Filling, Toddville
  8. Aric Becker, Cedar Rapids
  9. Chad Siems, Mt. Auburn
  10. Jim Hanson, Cedar Rapids
  11. Kevin Franks, Cedar Rapids
  12. Brad Dvorak, Ames
  13. Doug Simon, Marion
  14. Kurt Bohnsack, Iowa City
  15. Brad Helle, Cedar Rapids
  16. Russ Schwandt, Marion
  17. Arnie Reif, Hiawatha
  18. Mike Walsh, Cedar Rapids
  19. Brenda Thomsen, Cedar Rapids
  20. Wendy Carnahan, Cedar Rapids

 

SEASON CHAMPION- BRAD DVORAK

 

FOREMAN HYDRAULICS LEGENDS

FEATURE (30 laps)

  1. Chris Sevey, Waterloo
  2. Eric Appleget, Ely
  3. Crystal Horn, Cedar Rapids
  4. Tom Frady, Cedar Rapids
  5. Kyle Hinrichs, Swisher
  6. Mike Foreman, Cedar Rapids
  7. Landon Cassill, Cedar Rapids
  8. Gene Peterson, Des Moines
  9. Scott Unash, Cedar Rapids
  10. Gary Dyer, Bettendorf

 

SEASON CHAMPION- KYLE HINRICHS

 

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