(Racing Every Friday Night)
Race Results
July 19, 2002
By Shawn Neisteadt
(July 19, 2002-Rock Rapids, IA) Shawn Van Wyhe and Brian Baker set the pace coming for the start of the 360 Sprint Car feature. Before they could reach the starting line the front row bumped wheels and Van Wyhe was on his lid. Also collected in the incident was Mike Sandvig. Neither driver was injured, but both saw their "A" feature end before it officially started.
When the green flag flew, Baker took the lead, but Johnn Cressman took the position off turn two. One lap was counted when Rob Danielson spun in turn one. On the resulting restart, 2000 track champion, Dusty Ballenger rocketed from seventh to fifth place. At the start of the front stretch on lap two, Clint Garner moved into second place as he overtook Baker. Ballenger had worked his way to third by the sixth lap.
With the leaders in heavy lap traffic, Cressman and Garner ran side by side on lap 10. Coming to the line to complete the lap, Garner took the top spot, but Cressman battled back and retook the spot with a slide job at the entrance of turn three on lap 11. Garner would have none of it as he countered and found his way back to the lead at the exit of turn four. Garner would flawlessly pick and choose his way through the lap traffic to go on and take his sixth win of the 2002 season at Rapid Speedway. Ballenger finished second followed by Baker. Gordy Vogelaar came from eleventh to take fourth and Cressman took fifth after slowing momentarily on lap 17.
"In open traffic Johnn had a little faster car than I had," commented Garner after the battle with Cressman. "If it wouldn't have been for lap traffic, Johnn would've probably won the race. The heat races were won by Ballenger and Jim Smith.
Darrin Korthals took the lead of the Short Track Stock Car feature at the drop of the green flag. Randy Brands held second place until Mark DeBoer took the spot on lap four. On the same lap, Gary Brown Jr. took fifth from Jason DeBoer. Brown took fourth place from Mark Henry on lap 6. One lap later the caution flew when David Kruger and Heath Warntjes spun in turn two.
Brown took third from Brands on the restart, but Brands came back to retake the position in the fourth turn. Brown used the high groove to take third back on lap eight. Out front Mark DeBoer was in hot pursuit of Korthals, but Korthals would lead all 15 laps of the event give the current point leader his fifth win of the season. Defending track champion, Mark DeBoer, crossed the line in second. Brown, who is the current Huset's and Lake County Speedway point leader finished third followed by Jason DeGroot and Jason DeBoer. DeGroot and Henry won the heat races.
Rick Vander Weide led the first seven laps of the Sportsmen "A" feature, but during a caution period seven laps into the race, the engine would ignite an oil fire. Vander Weide was unharmed in the fire, but it would cause him to give up the lead and park the #6 for the evening. That gave the lead of Brad Haas, and Haas would lead the remaining five laps to take his first win of the season. Scott Overgaard finished second followed by Evan DeHaan. Kevin Broesder finished fourth and then backed into the turn one wall. Mel Elsberry finished fifth. Vander Weide and Casey Hurney were victorious in heat race competition.
Shannon VanWyk came from eleventh and made a last lap pass on Mark VandenTop to take his first career win. VandenTop finished second followed by Coulter Deutsch. Terry Penning finished fourth followed by Denton Potter. The heat races were won by Don Gerritsen Jr. and Shaun Jurrens.
NMRA 360 Sprints
Heat #1: 1. 2D Dusty Ballenger; 2. 25 Brian Baker; 3. 24 Randy Droescher; 4. 3b Buck Wilson; 5. 7 Mike Sandvig; 6. 75 Gordy Vogelaar; 7. 2 Gary Winter
Heat #2: 1. 33 Jim Smith; 2. 17V Clint Garner; 3. 3c Chase Wilson; 4. 99 Shawn Van Wyhe; 5. 56 Johnn Cressman; 6. R19 Mike Mc Mahan; 7. 46 Robert Danielson
A Feature: 1. 17V Clint Garner; 2. 2D Dusty Ballenger; 3. 25 Brian Baker; 4. 75 Gordy Vogelaar; 5. 56 Johnn Cressman; 6. 3b Buck Wilson; 7. 24 Randy Droescher; 8. 33 Jim Smith; 9. 3c Chase Wilson; 10. 2 Gary Winter; 11. 46 Robert Danielson; 12. R19 Mike Mc Mahan; 13. 99 Shawn Van Wyhe; 14. 7 Mike Sandvig
NMRA Short Track Stock Cars
Heat #1: 1. 35 John De Groot; 2. 27 Randy Brands; 3. 23 Mark De Boer; 4. 22 Gary Brown Jr; 5. 44 Jason De Boer; 6. 28 Mark Van Voorst
Heat #2: 1. 43 Mark Henry; 2. 11K Darrin Korthals; 3. 17 Doug Brinkhous; 4. 97 David Kruger; 5. 7s David Mulder; 6. 22W Heath Warntjes
A Feature: 1. 11K Darrin Korthals; 2. 23 Mark De Boer; 3. 22 Gary Brown Jr; 4. 35 John De Groot; 5. 44 Jason De Boer; 6. 27 Randy Brands; 7. 97 David Kruger; 8. 22W Heath Warntjes; 9. 43 Mark Henry; 10. 7s David Mulder; 11. 17 Doug Brinkhous; 12. 28 Mark Van Voorst
NMRA Sportsmen
Heat #1: 1. 6 Rick Vander Weide; 2. 36 Glenn Wynia; 3. 91 Jeff Hoogendoorn; 4. 40 Scott Overgaard; 5. 5 Mel Elsberry; 6. 7x Evan DeHaan; 7. 15 Pete Kracht
Heat #2: 1. C4 Casey Hurney; 2. 11k Kevin Broesder; 3. 63 Todd Huisman; 4. 72 Brad Haas; 5. 45K Brad Klaassen; 6. 20 Anthony Mann
A Feature: 1. 72 Brad Haas; 2. 40 Scott Overgaard; 3. 7x Evan DeHaan; 4. 11k Kevin Broesder; 5. 5 Mel Elsberry; 6. C4 Casey Hurney; 7. 91 Jeff Hoogendoorn; 8. 63 Todd Huisman; 9. 45K Brad Klaassen; 10. 36 Glenn Wynia; 11. 20 Anthony Mann; 12. 6 Rick Vander Weide; 13. 15 Pete Kracht
NMRA Hobby Stocks
Heat #1: 1. 27 Donald Gerritsen Jr; 2. 81 Mark VandenTop; 3. 55t Terry Penning; 4. 21 Larry Kracht; 5. 80 James Brower; 6. k95 Shannon VanWyk
Heat #2: 1. 2J Shaun Jurrens; 2. 28x Josh Klay; 3. 7x Chris DeHaan; 4. 5 Colter Deutsch; 5. 45 Darwin Klaassen; 6. 2 Dereck Van Der Brink; 7. 28 Denton Potter
A Feature: 1. k95 Shannon VanWyk; 2. 81 Mark VandenTop; 3. 5 Colter Deutsch; 4. 55t Terry Penning; 5. 28 Denton Potter; 6. 28x Josh Klay; 7. 7x Chris DeHaan; 8. 27 Donald Gerritsen Jr; 9. 80 James Brower; 10. 45 Darwin Klaassen; 11. 2 Dereck Van Der Brink; 12. 21 Larry Kracht; 13. 2J Shaun Jurrens