MAQUOKETA, Iowa – The pill draw was key for Jeff Larson Saturday evening at Maquoketa Speedway.
The Freeport, Ill., ace drew the number one after his heat and fended off a crazy finish to win the QCJeeps.com IMCA Modified 25-lap special and the $1,000 top prize.
He led all but two laps that a highside charging Ray Cox Jr. paced. A caution as the white flag was about to wave bunched the field for a two-lap dash.
Cox broke on the restart to bring out another yellow. Larson ran the low groove early in the event, switched high to try and run down Cox and then finished high to outrun Timmy Current. Matt Short, Mike Fryer and Jarrett Franzen followed.
Brock Bauman and Bryce Garnhart were in the top five with five laps to go, but spun together and restarted at the rear.
Derek Wilson took a wild ride, getting upside down on Lap 17. He was not injured. That was the third rollover on the night.
Fryer rolled his Modified during heat race action, but did repairs in time for the feature.
Andy Nezworski’s string of two straight Andover Meat IMCA Late Model wins came to an end. Todd Malmstrom started fifth, moved to the point early and held off Justin Kay to win the 25-lap feature.
Kay moved to second on lap 17 and could not take advantage of a late caution to close in. Jeremiah Hurst, Todd Van Tassel and Jeff Tharp completed the top five.
Nezworski brought out a yellow after going over the turn two bank and recovered to take sixth.
Justin Becker ended an even bigger win streak by taking the 15-lap B&D Pit Stop IMCA SportMod final. Tyler Soppe had won all four points races heading into the evening.
Fifteen-year old Logan Veloz drove from P17 at the start to finish third, followed by Jerry Miles and Rusty Deshaw.
Terry Dulin worked the low groove to perfection, worked his way to the front and held off Kyle Merkes by a bumper at the GRE/REV Chassis IMCA Stock Car checkers. Jimmy Comins, Matt Gilchrest and Jacob Waterman followed.
Randy Lamar started out front and stayed there the entire 15-lap Shawn’s Auto Service IMCA Hobby Stock feature. Shane Oberbreckling and point leader Kile Vohringer were charging on the high groove, but came up short ahead of Danield Wauters and Randy Byerly.
Two-time defending track champion Brett Marshall dominated the Obie’s Bar and Restaurant/B&C Liquors 4 Cylinder 12-lap main. Korey Lana, Ashley Reuman and Thomas Adams all battled for the runner up spot, finishing in that order. Tyler Shady was next.