WEST LIBERTY, Iowa — Night 2 of the Liberty 100 had a little of everything. Speed, strategy, and pit stops all came into play.
Dallon Murty captured the $20,000 payday in the 100-lap MLRA Late Model feature. Murty started on the front row and darted into the lead. He led 26 of the first 28 laps of the race before yielding to Chris Simpson. Simpson led to lap 60, when the caution flag waved. At this point most of the field came in to pit for fuel and tires. This included top five contenders Chad Simpson, Daniel Hilsabeck and Mike Spatola.
Five laps later, the caution came out again. Chris Simpson and Dallon Murty, who were first and second, came in to pit. Murty got out of the hot pit first. With so much of the field a lap down, the pair were placed fourth and fifth for the restart.
On the restart, there was a nine-car pile-up on the frontstretch. Several cars were eliminated from the race. When green flag racing resumed, Murty quickly pulled up behind the leader Chad Simpson. On lap 82, the challenge became physical as Murty dove under Simpson to take the lead.
Murty would lead the rest of the way to the checkers. An upset Chad Simpson finished second with Hilsabeck rounding out the podium. Chris Simpson, whose car was not the same after pitting finished fourth, the last car on the lead lap. Dillon McCowan was fifth, one lap down.
It was wash, rinse, and repeat in the West Liberty Auto Parts – IMCA Modifieds. After winning Friday’s Modified feature, Jace Eckrich again blistered the field. This time Eckrich led every lap.
Eric Barnes drove from sixth starting spot to finish second. Mark Burgtorf ran the entire race in the top five before finishing third. Tenth place starter Brandon Durbin was fourth, while 14th place starter Kurt Kile rounded out the top five.
Saturday provided another last-lap winner in the Aupp Automotive- IMCA SportMods. Jason Roth of Wisconsin, led all but the first and last laps of the fifteen lap main. Roth looked to have the race in hand, but slowed on the final lap allowing Bryson Eckrich and Friday winner Tim Plummer to cross the finish line ahead of him. Roth coasted to third, ahead of Jarrett Franzen and Lee Kinsella.
Saturday’s racing action closed out with the Brothers Towing – IMCA Stock Cars. The feature was a two-car battle between David Brandies and Andrew Schroeder. Contact was made on lap 12 that sent both cars spinning in turn two.
On the ensuing restart, Keegan Wells got the edge over Johnny Spaw and would go to the win. Spaw would hold on for second.
The finish:
Feature 1 (100 Laps): 1. 13-Dallon Murty[2]; 2. 25-Chad Simpson[3]; 3. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[5]; 4. 32S-Chris Simpson[1]; 5. 8M-Dillon McCowan[9]; 6. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[6]; 7. 51F-Matt Furman[14]; 8. 1X-Aaron Marrant[7]; 9. 11H-Jeff Herzog[15]; 10. 17-Tim Simpson[17]; 11. 15C-Curt Schroeder[20]; 12. 112-Tyler Smith[22]; 13. (DNF) 89-Mike Spatola[4]; 14. (DNF) 91G-Mike Guldenpfennig[21]; 15. (DNF) 33-Nick Marolf[25]; 16. (DNF) 58E-Dave Eckrich[12]; 17. (DNF) 51W-JT Wasmund[8]; 18. (DNF) 10P-Paul Parker[13]; 19. (DNF) 321-Amelia Eisenschenk[10]; 20. (DNF) 8L-Matthew Larson[24]; 21. (DNF) 21B-Rich Bell[19]; 22. (DNF) 1M-Mike Mataragas[11]; 23. (DNF) 01-CJ Horn[16]; 24. (DNF) 44W-David Webster[23]; 25. (DNF) 23-Chad Walter[18]
