Sports : Views from the Grandstands – BCS – Aug 1

Welcome to another weekly summary of the races at the birthplace of the IMCA Modified, Benton County Speedway.  Before I get started I want to mention how tough it is out there racing as I got my first taste of Hobby Stock racing at Hawkeye Downs this past Friday night. First up was the IMCA Hobby Stocks.  17 cars were on hand tonight.  Steve Higham was the early leader as Matt Brown slowed on lap 2 with some rear end problems.  While this caution was out, Kyle Parizek and Vince Bucholz got together in turn 2 with Bucholz sustaining some sheet metal damage.  On lap 5, Justin Stander passed Higham for the lead.  Higham went in too hard on the ensuing lap and spun in 3 and 4 collecting the cars of Rod Grother, Al Sweerin, Wes Stanek, and Brad Forbes.  The crowd voiced their disapproval when track officials noted that the Grother car was moving before the caution and got his 3rd place spot back.  On lap 6 Parizek spun while in 2nd place.  Two laps later the caution would fly for a fourth time as Jeremy Floyd lost a driveshaft while in 5th place.  Grother would also see some bad luck as he had a tire go down in the late stages of the race.  Stander went on to score the victory with last place starter Scott Pippert in second.  Russell Damme Jr, Parizek, and Stanek rounded out the top 5.  Heat races were won by Jacob Kaiser, Stander, and Bucholz. Next up was the Sport Compacts.  We only had 13 cars this week.  Duayne Herb took the early lead from the front row.  Just past halfway Gary Peiffer passed Herb and went on to take the win.  Nathan Chandler would finish second with Merv Chandler, Bill Whalen, Jr, and Justin Wacha the unofficial top 5.  Heat races were won by N Chandler and Brett Vanous. The Sport Mods were next, with 28 cars on hand to battle for the right to start the 22 car feature event.  Tim Swope was the early leader.  Three cautions would keep the field close.  Curt Hilmer passed Swope near the halfway point of the event.  Most of the cars were running the very bottom of the track.  Drew Fish was running about one groove up off the bottom and made it work as he passed Hilmer with 2 laps to go and went on the take the checkers.  Hilmer finished second, with Jim Buhlman, Joel Rust, and Jason Doyle the top 5.  Heat races were won by Bryan Rodman, Hilmer, Fish, and Swope.  B Mains were won by Kyle Olson and Rust. Next up was the IMCA Stock Cars.  13 cars were on hand tonight.  Phil Holtz took the early lead after a rough start with a lot of beating and banging near the front of the field.  Holtz went on to win the feature with Norman Chesmore, Scooter Dulin, Justin Temeyer, and Kevin Rose the unofficial top 5.  Heat races were won by Richard Quail and Temeyer. Teh final race of the night was the IMCA Modifieds.  17 warriors were here tonight to battle on the quarter-mile bullring.  Jonathan Thimmesch took the early lead, but it was short lived as outside 2nd row starter, Patrick Flannigan took the lead.  Flannigan would go on to score the victory.  Scott Hogan, Jerry Luloff, Richie Gustin, and Tony Olson rounded out the top 5.  Heat races were won by Thimmesch, Hogan, and Flannigan. The final checkers flew at 8:40.  That’s all for now and we’ll see you, at the races.