(Racing Every Friday Night)
Race Results
May 3, 2002
By Shawn Neisteadt
(Rock Rapids, IA-5/3/2002) After Mother Nature claimed victory on what was to be the opening weekend of the 2002 season, Rapid Speedway kicked of the season on May 3. The beginning of the season showed many new cars, new looks, and gave many teams new hope. Not all had changed over the off season, as many drivers would restart as they had left off.
Clint Garner and Mitch Runge led the full field of NMRA 360 sprint cars to the start of the A-feature. Garner established the lead, but the yellow flag would wave before the first lap was completed as Brian Baker looped his #25 entering turn three.
When the field restarted, Garner again rocketed into the top spot. Buck Wilson maneuvered his Agan #3B into second as the first lap was completed. The yellow flag waved again with three laps in the books as sophomore driver Ryan Bickett slipped off turn four.
On the resulting restart, father-son combination, Steve and Dusty Ballenger battled for the fourth position. The family affair ended on lap eight when Dusty tapped the rear of Steve's #2x. Dusty would spin his machine and cause the #7 of Mike Sandvig to spin. Both cars were able to tag the back of the field and restart. But, before another lap was completed, Mitch Runge drew another yellow flag when he relinquished the third spot by turning his car around in turn four.
The final ten laps ran clean and green, and when the checkereds flew, it was Garner still in front of the pack to take the win. "It's good to start on a positive note like that," commented Garner. Lap traffic was an issue for the eventual winner for the final six laps of the event, but the slower traffic didn't slow the D & G Concrete Construction #17v. "The track was good from top to bottom," added Garner. "That made it pretty easy to roll by them."
Micah Schliemann came from eleventh to finish second followed by Wilson. Shawn Van Whye came to the stripe fourth and Baker returned to make a last lap pass on Steve Ballenger to finish in the top five.
Heat races were won by Wilson, Baker and Van Whye.
Defending track champion, Mark DeBoer would hold off a hard charging Darrin Korthals to take the win in the 15 lap main event for the Short Track Stock Cars. DeBoer muscled his #23 into the lead at the drop of the green flag. Korthals overtook Randy Brands and Chad Overgaard exiting turn two on lap two to claim second. That set up a side by side battle that wouldn't separate until the checkereds declared DeBoer as the winner by a short interval over Korthals.
Overgaard finished third. Doug Brinkhous raced from tenth to finish fourth. Mark Henry came back from an opening lap incident to round out the top five.
Short Track Stock Car heat races were won by Korthals and DeBoer.
In Sportsmen Stock Car action, it was the 2000 Rapid Speedway champion returning to the top spot. Brad Klaassen took the lead from Mel Elsberry at the halfway point of the 12 lap feature and would never look back on the way to taking the win. Elsberry, the leader of the opening half of the event, had to retire his #5 as a power steering fluid leak would cause the car to be parked after eight laps.
Daryl Reverts finished a strong second with Anthony Mann in third. Scott Overgaard came from the seventh row to take fourth and defending track champion, Rick Vander Weide, finished fifth. Heat race wins for the Sportsmen went to Reverts, Don Grems and Gary Mulder.
Darwin Klaassen led the final nine laps of the NMRA Hobby Stock feature to take the trophy home. Mark Vandentop charged from tenth to finish in the runner-up position. Colter Deutsch finished third. Dereck Van Der Brink and Matt Hagedorn rounded out the top five. The "B" feature was won by Josh Klay. Heat race wins were scored by Bob DeBoer, James Brower and Denton Potter.
Racing resumes at the historic Rapid Speedway next Friday night at 8 o'clock.
NMRA 360 Sprints
Heat #1: 1. 3b Buck Wilson; 2. 7 Mike Sandvig; 3. 2X Steve Ballenger; 4. 70 Blaine Foreman; 5. 76 Butch Evink; 6. 77 Troy Vink
Heat #2: 1. 25 Brian Baker; 2. R19 Mike McMahan; 3. 17V Clint Garner; 4. 9 Micah Schliemann; 5. 17B Ryan Bickett; 6. 11 Joe Riedel
Heat #3: 1. 99 Shawn Van Whye; 2. 2D Dusty Ballenger; 3. 28 Mitch Runge; 4. 24 Randy Droescher; 5. 99X Troy Kampmann; 6. 3c Chase Wilson
A Feature: 1. 17V Clint Garner; 2. 9 Micah Schliemann; 3. 3b Buck Wilson; 4. 99 Shawn Van Whye; 5. 25 Brian Baker; 6. 2X Steve Ballenger; 7. 70 Blaine Foreman; 8. 2D Dusty Ballenger; 9. 77 Troy Vink; 10. R19 Mike McMahan; 11. 7 Mike Sandvig; 12. 24 Randy Droescher; 13. 17B Ryan Bickett; 14. 76 Butch Evink; 15. 3c Chase Wilson; 16. 99X Troy Kampmann; 17. 28 Mitch Runge; 18. 11 Joe Riedel
NMRA Short Track Stock Cars
Heat #1: 1. 11K Darrin Korthals; 2. 42 Chad Overgaard; 3. 82 Howard Baartman; 4. 44 Jason De Boer; 5. 27 Randy Brands; 6. 43 Mark Henry; 7. 22W Heath Warntjes
Heat #2: 1. 23 Mark De Boer; 2. 17 Doug Brinkhous; 3. 36 Glenn Wynia; 4. 35 John De Groot; 5. 90 Rick Goth; 6. 28 Mark Van Voorst
A Feature: 1. 23 Mark De Boer; 2. 11K Darrin Korthals; 3. 42 Chad Overgaard; 4. 17 Doug Brinkhous; 5. 43 Mark Henry; 6. 90 Rick Goth; 7. 35 John De Groot; 8. 22W Heath Warntjes; 9. 36 Glenn Wynia; 10. 44 Jason De Boer; 11. 82 Howard Baartman; 12. 27 Randy Brands; 13. 28 Mark Van Voorst
NMRA Sportsmen
Heat #1: 1. 00 Gary Mulder; 2. 7x Evan DeHaan; 3. 5 Mel Elsberry; 4. 45K Brad Klaassen; 5. 40 Scott Overgaard
Heat #2: 1. 21 Don Grems; 2. C4 Casey Hurney; 3. 91 Jeff Hoogendoorn; 4. 13 Chuck Harming; 5. 6 Rick Vander Weide
Heat #3: 1. 7 Daryl Reverts; 2. 3J Jeremiah Jordahl; 3. 20 Anthony Mann; 4. 36 Glenn Wynia; 5. 72 Brad Haas; 6. 27B Billy Sprock
A Feature: 1. 45K Brad Klaassen; 2. 7 Daryl Reverts; 3. 20 Anthony Mann; 4. 40 Scott Overgaard; 5. 6 Rick Vander Weide; 6. 72 Brad Haas; 7. 21 Don Grems; 8. 91 Jeff Hoogendoorn; 9. C4 Casey Hurney; 10. 13 Chuck Harming; 11. 5 Mel Elsberry; 12. 7x Evan DeHaan; 13. 3J Jeremiah Jordahl; 14. 36 Glenn Wynia; 15. 00 Gary Mulder; 16. 27B Billy Sprock
NMRA Hobby Stocks
Heat #1: 1. 9B Bob DeBoer; 2. 8 Matt Hagedorn; 3. 7x Chris DeHaan; 4. 2 Dereck Van Der Brink; 5. 16J Jon De Boer; 6. 82 Chris Mace
Heat #2: 1. 80 James Brower; 2. 81 Mark VandenTop; 3. 55t Terry Penning; 4. 40 Tim Dann; 5. 17S James Slawson; 6. 28x Josh Klay
Heat #3: 1. 28 Denton Potter; 2. 45 Darwin Klaassen; 3. F2 Justin Lebahn; 4. 5 Colter Deutsch; 5. 3 Walter Kiggins; 6. 8C Casey Abbas
B Feature: 1. 28x Josh Klay; 2. 16J Jon De Boer; 3. 82 Chris Mace; 4. 98 Daniel Riemersma; 5. 3 Walter Kiggins; 6. 17S James Slawson; 7. 8C Casey Abbas
A Feature: 1. 45 Darwin Klaassen; 2. 81 Mark VandenTop; 3. 5 Colter Deutsch; 4. 2 Dereck Van Der Brink; 5. 8 Matt Hagedorn; 6. 28 Denton Potter; 7. 7x Chris DeHaan; 8. 40 Tim Dann; 9. 28x Josh Klay; 10. 55t Terry Penning; 11. 16J Jon De Boer; 12. 98 Daniel Riemersma; 13. 80 James Brower; 14. F2 Justin Lebahn