Sports : Brian’s Views From the Grandstands – Vinton 5/16/10

  Welcome to another issue of Views from the Grandstands from the Benton County Speedway.  Auto Source sponsored the night’s festivities and it was definitely a wild one to say the least.  Some drivers seem to be taking a lot more than giving and the red flag was thrown often.  Onto the report as I was a little late getting there after attending the race and wreck show at Hawkeye Downs. The first feature up was the IMCA Stock Cars.  17 cars would answer the call for the 15 lap main event.  The race’s first caution flew on the first lap as Brett Mather lost a driveshaft on the front stretch.  Phil Holtz passed early race leader Paul Shepherd as 4 more cautions would keep the field close.  Shepherd’s season of woe continued as he blew a motor on lap10.  Holtz would take the win with Damon Murty finishing second.  Nathan Wood, Norman Chesmore, and Scooter Dulin rounded out the top 5.  I missed the heat races. Next up was the IMCA Hobby Stocks.  18 cars started the feature.  Tempers would be flaring during this feature as Frank Auen and Justin Stander got together in turn 2.  On the restart, Stander spun again in turn one and he did have some help.  I did not see who got into him, but Stander threw his steering wheel towards the Auen car.  This earned Stander a trip to the pits.  Al Sweerin then took the early lead.  The race would take a dramatic turn on lap as it looked like Doug Laughridge lost a wheel in turn 4 and him and Steve Higham went off the track.  It appeared as though Higham’s car was accelerating towards the fence and he took a hard hit into the wall.  Flagman Dan Hilby was right on top of things by throwing the red flag immediately.  Higham got out of his car unhurt, which is a testament tot he structural integrity of his car.  During this red flag Chad Baker’s car caught fire but was put out immediately.  Sweerin continued to lead, but then spun in turn 4 while leading, handing the lead over to Kyle Parizek.  Brad Forbes then lost a motor with 5 laps to go.  Matt Brown made his way around Parizek with 4 laps to go, but then Sweerin spun in turns 1 and 2.  Brown had nowhere to go and hit the Sweerin car.  Since Brown was stopped on the track when the caution flew, he was relegated to the back of the pack.  The fans voiced their displeasure with this, but a track rule is a track rule regardless of who it happens to.  Parizek reassunmed the lead and went on to score the victory.  Russell Damme Jr finished second with Rod Grother, August Bach, and Eric Stanton the top 5.  Heat races were won by Forbes, Damme Jr, and Parizek The third feature was the IMCA Northern Sport Mods.  27 cars were on hand tonight.  Ken Kositsky was the early leader.  Another major accident happened at the bottom of turn 2 as 2 Sport Mods running near the front of the pack flipped.  I believe Mike Hoggencamp and Joel Cox were the two that were on their lid.  Kositsky would pull inot hte infield with problems while leading handing the top spot over to Jesse Belez.  Kurt Hogan would make his way past Belez just prior to halfway and go on the win the race.  Austin Kaplan finished second with Drew Fish, Rod McDonald, and Belez rounding out the top 5.  Heat race winners were Belez, Jim Buhlman, and Kurt Moeding.  McDonald won the B feature. I was now checking around for a full moon with all of the chaos that has taken place so far tonight.  Would that be the end of drama?  Unfortunately not, as 21 IMCA Sport Compacts would be on hand.  On the very first lap, Jeremy Wheeler took a nasty barrel roll in one and two after contact with pole starter Ross Kitner.  Wheeler was transported toe the hospital for observation.  Kitner was sent to the pits for rough driving.  Dallas Chandler assumed the lead with both front row starters out of the race.  The next caution would fly a handful of laps later as Gary Peiffer was spun off turn 2 after the Brad Chandler machine had problems and both machines went off the track.  The black flag would fly for Bryce Bailey who tried to restart along Dallas Chandler.  On this third restart the D Chandler machine would have problems in low gear and 2nd place running, Bill Whalen, Jr got turned around on the front stretch.  Nathan Chandler would get by brother Dallas and took home the checkers.  Brett Vanous finished second with Merv Chandler third.  Justin Wacha and D Chandler rounded out the top 5.  Heat race winners were Peiffer, N Chandler, and Whalen, Jr. The final race of the night was the IMCA Modifieds.  16 cars started the feature event.  Patrick Flannigan took the early lead, but as has been the case in the other classes, he spun out handing the lead over to Troy Cordes.  2 other minor cautions would slow the field down.  With 3 laps to go, Scott Hogan passed Cordes and went on to victory.  Joe Docekal finished second with Cordes, Max Corporon. and Jerry Luloff the top 5.  Flannigan and Rick Speck won the heat races.  The final checkered flew at 9:40.   It was a very long night of racing with a lot of drivers taking and not a lot of giving.  My driver of the week award goes to Scott Hogan, who is on a rail right now, and will have a $100 bounty on his head for next week.  My tough break of the week goes to quite a few drivers:  Pat Flannigan, Al Sweerin, Matt Brown, Ken Kositsky, and Jeremy Wheeler. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you next week for another weekly recap.