(Racing Every Friday Night)
Race Results
May 11, 2001
By Shawn Neisteadt
Rock Rapids, IA--A race that had too many lead changes to count
on one hand, would finally see Dusty Ballenger take his first
career win at Rapid Speedway. Pole position starter, Randy
Droescher, took the early lead of the NMRA 360 sprint car
"A" main event. The caution waved over the speedway
with two laps down, allowing the field to bunch up behind
Droescher. Upon the restart, Ballenger, the defending Rapid
Speedway point champion, would overtake Brent Vande Weerd and
move into the second position. The battle for a top five position
heated up as Bill Fredin would duck under Gerald Cressman, and
the two would run side by side for several laps. Ballenger
had also pulled alongside Droescher, and those two cars would
swap the lead numerous times. The young star, Ballenger,
and the 30-year veteran of racing, Droescher, used opposite
grooves to maneuver around the speedway. Ballenger would
rocket around the outside of the speedway, while Droescher would
take the shorter road by dropping to the very bottom of the
track. The battle for the lead would be interrupted on lap ten,
as Dave Becker would have a flat right rear tire and slow on the
speedway. Ballenger held the restart lead, but Droescher
passed him in turn one to regain the top spot. Vande Weerd
mounted a charge on Ballenger and would actually take the second
position going down the backstretch. As the leaders would
enter turn three, Ballenger would again use the rim of the track
and pass Vande Weerd and pull alongside Droescher. Droescher and
Ballanger would again drive wheel to wheel with each other until
Ballenger's momentum would finally propel him into the lead and
take him to the checkereds. "The momentum was a
definite advantage on top," said the exuberant young man who
had just claimed his first victory ever at Rapid Speedway, even
though he is the defending track champion. Droescher would come
home a strong second place, followed by Vande Weerd, Fredin
and Jim Smith. Heat races were won by Jeremy Fey, Gerald Cressman
and Shawn Van Wyhe. Gordy Vogelaar won the "B"
feature.
Mark Henry won the NMRA Late Model Stock Car "A" feature from the pole position, but is wasn't as easy as it sounds. Henry pulled into the lead at the drop of the green flag, but as the field would come out of turn four, Henry went extremely high and would fall all the way back to eighth place. Gus Clark would be the new leader as the field passed by the flag stand, and the yellow flag would wave over the speedway, as the second lap was completed. Points leader, Darrin Korthals, had already moved from the tenth starting position to third as the caution waved. As the field restarted, Furby and Clark would go hub-to-hub, and wheel-to-wheel for many laps. Henry would reclaim a spot in the top five on lap four. Furby would overtake Clark for the lead on lap eight, but Mark Deboer had also move by Clark and was mounting a charge on Furby. As the leaders, Furby and DeBoer, ran side by side, Henry would take the third spot and pull three wide with the leaders. DeBoer would come out with the lead. The tight racing action allowed Korthals to move back into the third spot, as Furby would lose ground. The yellow flag would come out over the speedway for a spun car, as the white flag was about to fly. The restart line up saw Henry in the lead, followed by DeBoer, Korthals, Furby, and Randy Brands. The green-white-checkered conclusion of the event would be exciting. Henry would lead the field to the white as DeBoer followed. The two would remain in a nose to tail order until they came off turm four. DeBoer cut low coming off the corner allowing him to pull door to door with Henry. The Cars would drag race to the finish line where the Dodge of Henry would win by the thickness of an Intrepid decal. Following Henry and DeBoer to the finish were Korthals, Brands and Furby. Henry also won his heat race; Doug Brinkhouse claimed the second.
Rick Goth took the Sportsman "A" feature lead on lap three and wouldn't look back. Goth inherited the lead as Brad Haas spun out. Rick Vander Weide, who started eleventh, took the second place. Randy Vander Weide followed his brother and finished third. Gary Mulder, a new grandfather, finished fourth, and Glenn Wynia rounded out the top five. Sportsmen heat winners included Brad Klaassen and Mulder.
Several of the top NMRA Hobby Stock runners would have flat tires after the leaders would go through a chain reaction spin out. The action handed Spencer's James Slawson the lead. Slawson piloted his 17s machine flawlessly to the victory. Darwin Klaassen would mount a late charge, but would have to settle for second place. Larry Kracht and Mike Deutsch crossed the finish line side by side and finished in that order. Denton Potter rounded out the top five. Klaasen, Anthony Mann and Dereck Van Der Brink all won their heat races. Jeff Hoogendoorn took the "B" feature.
NMRA 360 Sprints
Heat #1: 1. 8 Jermy Fey; 2. 47 Brent Vande Weerd; 3. 14 Bill Fredin; 4. 29G Ross Schenk; 5. 7 Dave Becker; 6. 3A Rick Adams
Heat #2: 1. 56 Gerald Cressman; 2. 2D Dusty Ballenger; 3. 33 Jim Smith; 4. Y4 David Beman Jr.; 5. 35 Eric McGillivray; 6. 51 Doug Martens; 7. 77 Troy Vink
Heat #3: 1. 99 Shawn Van Whye; 2. 24 Randy Droescher; 3. 11x Joe Riedel; 4. R19 Mike Mc Mahan; 5. 5K Kevin Burd; 6. 75 Gordy Vogelaar
B Feature: 1. 75 Gordy Vogelaar; 2. 3A Rick Adams; 3. 51 Doug Martens; 4. 77 Troy Vink; 5. 35 Eric McGillivray; 6. 3b Buck Wilson
A Feature: 1. 2D Dusty Ballenger; 2. 24 Randy Droescher; 3. 47 Brent Vande Weerd; 4. 14 Bill Fredin; 5. 33 Jim Smith; 6. 75 Gordy Vogelaar; 7. 56 Gerald Cressman; 8. 51 Doug Martens; 9. 29G Ross Schenk; 10. 5K Kevin Burd; 11. 99 Shawn Van Whye; 12. R19 Mike Mc Mahan; 13. 7 Dave Becker; 14. Y4 David Beman Jr.; 15. 11x Joe Riedel; 16. 3A Rick Adams; 17. 8 Jermy Fey
NMRA Late Model Street Stocks
Heat #1: 1. 43 Mark Henry; 2. 23 Mark De Boer; 3. 10 Dale Furby; 4. 44 Jason De Boer; 5. 42 Chad Overgaard; 6. 01 Greg Mulder; 7. 7 Steve DeKam
Heat #2: 1. 17 Doug Brinkhous; 2. 27 Randy Brands; 3. 17G Gus Clark; 4. 11K Darrin Korthals; 5. 35 John De Groot; 6. 98x Curt Van Beek; 7. 4 Kevin Larson
A Feature: 1. 43 Mark Henry; 2. 23 Mark De Boer; 3. 11K Darrin Korthals; 4. 27 Randy Brands; 5. 10 Dale Furby; 6. 42 Chad Overgaard; 7. 17G Gus Clark; 8. 44 Jason De Boer; 9. 17 Doug Brinkhous; 10. 7 Steve DeKam; 11. 01 Greg Mulder; 12. 98x Curt Van Beek; 13. 35 John De Groot; 14. 4 Kevin Larson
NMRA Sportsmen
Heat #1: 1. 45K Brad Klaassen; 2. 90 Rick Goth; 3. 66 Marty Halouska; 4. 72 Brad Haas; 5. 27B Billy Sprock; 6. 6 Rick Vander Weide; 7. 25 Rick Tarbox
Heat #2: 1. 00 Gary Mulder; 2. 63 Todd Huisman; 3. 40 Scott Overgaard; 4. 36 Glenn Wynia; 5. 8 Randy Vander Weide; 6. 5 Mel Elsberry
A Feature: 1. 90 Rick Goth; 2. 6 Rick Vander Weide; 3. 8 Randy Vander Weide; 4. 00 Gary Mulder; 5. 36 Glenn Wynia; 6. 63 Todd Huisman; 7. 66 Marty Halouska; 8. 45K Brad Klaassen; 9. 72 Brad Haas; 10. 27B Billy Sprock; 11. 25 Rick Tarbox; 12. 5 Mel Elsberry; 13. 40 Scott Overgaard
NMRA Hobby Stocks
Heat #1: 1. 45 Darwin Klaassen; 2. 17S James Slawson; 3. 9B Bob DeBoer; 4. 28 Denton Potter; 5. 8x Dale Hilt; 6. 24 Randall Kurth; 7. 99 Kevin Frodermann
Heat #2: 1. 20 Anthony Mann; 2. 21X Mike Deutsch; 3. 7x Chris DeHaan; 4. 80 James Brower; 5. 18 Jason Vande Vegte; 6. 12J Seth Jurrens; 7. 4 Travis Jansma
Heat #3: 1. 2 Dereck Van Der Brink; 2. 81 Mark Vanden Top; 3. 21 Larry Kracht; 4. 31x Jeremy Franken; 5. 91 Jeff Hoogendoorn; 6. 8 Broc Yesda
B Feature: 1. 91 Jeff Hoogendoorn; 2. 8x Dale Hilt; 3. 18 Jason Vande Vegte; 4. 24 Randall Kurth; 5. 4 Travis Jansma; 6. 12J Seth Jurrens; 7. 99 Kevin Frodermann; 8. 8 Broc Yesda
A Feature: 1. 17S James Slawson; 2. 45 Darwin Klaassen; 3. 21 Larry Kracht; 4. 21X Mike Deutsch; 5. 28 Denton Potter; 6. 20 Anthony Mann; 7. 31x Jeremy Franken; 8. 80 James Brower; 9. 7x Chris DeHaan; 10. 9B Bob DeBoer; 11. 91 Jeff Hoogendoorn; 12. 2 Dereck Van Der Brink; 13. 8x Dale Hilt; 14. 81 Mark Vanden Top