Independence Motor Speedway
June 9, 2012
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Wagner first repeat winner in IMCA Late Models at Independence

by Ryan Clark
INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (June 9) – Chris Luloff had a specific goal in mind at the start of the 2012 season – to make his way to the top of the all-time wins list in the Hobby Stock division at Independence Motor Speedway. He marched one step closer Saturday night by earning his 20th career win in the division at Independence, moving him into a tie at the top with Chris Wessner.

Following a rough start to the season that resulted in four DNFs, Luloff’s poor point average left him on the front row of the 15-lapper despite his win last Saturday. He took charge at the drop of the green and quickly pulled away from Jeremiah Wilson.

Luloff continued to increase his advantage until lapped traffic slowed his progress over the final four circuits. This allowed Wilson to close to within a couple of car-lengths in the final laps. Luloff withstood those efforts as he raced through the backmarkers to the milestone win, his second straight victory.

Adam Johnson reached a milestone of his own in the IMCA Modified division. From his inside second row starting spot, Johnson took the lead following a pair of early cautions. He pulled away from the pack, leaving Ronn Lauritzen and Troy Cordes in pursuit.

The field was bunched following a final stoppage on lap 16, which left his challengers on Johnson’s bumper for the restart. Johnson held off heavy pressure from Lauritzen to take the win, the ninth of his career in the division at Independence. The victory moved Johnson into a tie with Timm Jensen for 10th all-time on the Modified wins list at the speedway.

For the third time in four weeks, the IMCA Stock Car division produced a first-time winner. This time, it was John Emerson making his first-ever visit to the winner’s circle.

Emerson took the lead at the drop of the green from his outside front row starting spot in the 18-lapper. He held the point while Phil Holtz and Sean Johnson raced through traffic from mid-pack starts.

The leaders ran nose-to-tail over the final half of the event, hugging the bottom of the smooth, fast oval. Emerson ran the low groove to perfection, holding off pressure from Holtz to take the win.

Dean Wagner became the first IMCA Late Model to make a repeat trip to the winner’s circle this season. Wagner raced past front row starters Drew Johnson and Rick Dralle at the drop of the green to take the early lead. Wagner quickly pulled away from the pack and survived a mid-race caution to claim his second win in the last three weeks.

Tyler Droste survived a pair of early caution periods to make his way into contention from a fifth row starting spot in the IMCA SportMod main. Droste slid through the field and into the top four after only one lap, then made his way to the lead one lap later. He pulled away from the pack to take the win, his first of the season.

RESULTS
IMCA LATE MODEL
Feature – 1. 60 Dean Wagner (Evansdale); 2. 73 Greg Kastli (Waterloo); 3. 45 Curt Martin (Independence); 4. 4D Rick Dralle (Waterloo); 5. 88 Drew Johnson (Belle Plaine); 6. 3X Chad Lerch (North Liberty); 7. 145 Dale Hackwell Jr. (Washburn); 8. 99 Luke Pestka (Robins); 9. 21B Joel Brasch (Dunkerton); 10. 7 Greg Hunter (Independence); 11. 25 Bryan Klein (Cedar Rapids); 12. 68 Tysus Pattee (Vinton): 13. 4 Leon Thomsen (Waverly); 14. 2P Jon Passick (Waterloo); 15. 0 Rory Metcalf (West Union); 16. 25P Kenny Pint (Independence); 17. 14 Tracey Rigel (Waterloo); 18. 5W Scott Welsh (Cedar Rapids); 19. 16 Tyler Bruening (Decorah).
First heat – 1. Passick; 2. Klein; 3. Bruening; 4. Hunter; 5. Lerch; 6. Thomsen.
Second heat – 1. Wagner; 2. Dralle; 3. Hackwell; 4. Rigel; 5. Pint; 6. Pestka.
Third heat – 1. Kastli; 2. Martin; 3. Johnson; 4. Brasch; 5. Welsh; 6. Pattee; 7. Metcalf.

IMCA MODIFIED
Feature – 1. 24R Adam Johnson (Independence); 2. 10K Ronn Lauritzen (Jesup); 3. 71 Troy Cordes (Dunkerton); 4. 27M Mark Schulte (Delhi); 5. 57B Dennis Betzer (Central City); 6. 41P Keith Pittman (Waterloo); 7. 11B Mike Burbridge (Delhi); 8. 11 Timm Jensen (Dunkerton); 9. F7 Patrick Flannagan (Cedar Rapids); 10. 27 Jamie Johnson (Waterloo); 11. 1J Jeff Streeter (Vinton); 12. 5 Lason Morehouse (Evansdale); 13. 18 Jerry Luloff (Independence); 14. 49 Mike Manson (Manchester); 15. 85 Johnathan Thimmesch (Independence); 16. 91 Shawn Ryan (Waterloo); 17. 93K Jeff Kriz (Waterloo); DNS 83C Todd Conrad (Central City).
First heat – 1. Lauritzen; 2. Ryan; 3. Flannagan; 4. A. Johnson; 5. Manson; 6. Conrad; 7. Pittman; 8. Jensen; 9. Betzer.
Second heat – 1. Thimmesch; 2. Luloff; 3. Burbridge; 4. Cordes; 5. Schulte; 6. Streeter; 7. Kriz; 8. J. Johnson; 9. Morehouse.

IMCA STOCK CAR
Feature – 1. 87 John Emerson (Waterloo); 2. 7H Phil Holtz (Manchester); 3. 8R Sean Johnson (Independence); 4. 15 Norman Chesmore (Rowley); 5. 22K Kevin Rose (Waterloo); 6. 15T Tim Helle (Garnavillo); 7. 83E Thomas Thompson (Hopkinton); 8. 17 Jason Niedert (Cedar Falls); 9. 8B Scott Beauregard (Center Point); 10. 4JR Russell Damme Jr. (Waterloo); 11. 4 Cory Tharp (Cedar Falls); 12. 11J Jerome Jacoby (Waterloo); 13. JR3 Jason Hocken (Independence); 14. G1 Mike Padden (Waterloo); 15. 85 Bryce Carey (Nashua); 16. 9E Austin Evens (Independence).
First heat – 1. Holtz; 2. Evens; 3. Niedert; 4. Padden; 5. Chesmore; 6. Jacoby; 7. Carey; 8. Rose.
Second heat – 1. 87 Emerson; 2. Hocken; 3. Johnson; 4. Thompson; 5. Beauregard; 6. Helle; 7. Damme; 8. Tharp.

IMCA SPORTMOD
Feature – 1. 92 Tyler Droste (Waterloo); 2. 3R Danny Dvorak (Vinton); 3. 14 Shane Ebaugh (Evansdale); 4. 00 Jim Buhlman (Cedar Falls); 5. 63 Matt McCahen (Waterloo); 6. 28P Rick Paulson (Tripoli); 7. J2 Dave Schulze (Keystone); 8. 11M Mike Mitchell (Cedar Rapids); 9. 7Z Zac Becker (Waterloo); 10. 9 Synjun Bauer (Prairie du Chien, Wis.); 11. 198 Sam Wieben (Dysart); 12. 50H Steve Wimer (Toddville); 13. 49 Brandon Smith (Rowley); 14. 29 Sean Vogt (Watkins); 15. 22H Curt Hilmer (Dysart); 16. 96 Lucas Lundry (Maynard); DNS 6 Jim Aschenbrenner (Aplington); DNS 57G Rich Gerhold (Central City).
First heat – 1. Droste; 2. Lundry; 3. Dvorak; 4. Wieben; 5. Ebaugh; 6. Vogt; 7. Paulson; 8. Becker; 9. Aschenbrenner.
Second heat – 1. Hilmer; 2. Buhlman; 3. Mitchell; 4. Bauer; 5. Smith; 6. Schulze; 7. McCahen; 8. Gerhold; 9. Wimer.

IMCA HOBBY STOCK
Feature – 1. 18 Chris Luloff (Independence); 2. 64JR Jeremiah Wilson (Waterloo); 3. 73 Quinton Miller (Independence); 4. 29 Nathan Ballard (Marengo); 5. 25 Jamie Whitaker (Oelwein); 6. 79 Benji Irvine (Cedar Falls); 7. 45 Justin Wacha (Vinton); 8. 67 Justin Stander (Vinton); 9. 14G Curt Graham (Tiffin); 10. 77 Rod Grother (Cedar Rapids); 11. 166 Justin Lichty (Waterloo); 12. 7B Jim Ball (Independence); 13. 26 Nathan Christie (Waterloo); 14. 55 Vince Buchholz (Cedar Falls); 15. 58B Randy Byerly (Tipton); 16. 14J Jacob Floyd (Cedar Rapids); 17. 95 Matt Lundry (Oelwein); 18. 64 Jerome Wilson (Waterloo); 19. 2 Nick Welch (Cedar Falls); 20. 5 Marcus Wayne (Independence); 21. 12OZ Gary Gates (Waterloo); 22. 20w Bruce Fraser (Manchester).
First heat – 1. Luloff; 2. Wacha; 3. Wayne; 4. Ball; 5. Graham; 6. Byerly; 7. Floyd; 8. Gates.
Second heat – 1. Jeremiah Wilson; 2. Grother; 3. Whitaker; 4. Stander; 5. Buchholz; 6. Lundry; 7. Fraser.
Third heat – 1. Irvine; 2. Miller; 3. Ballard; 4. Welch; 5. Lichty; 6. Jerome Wilson; 7. Christie