DUBUQUE, Iowa — For the third year in a row, an out-of-state driver took the $2,000 Dubuque Speedway Sprint Invaders prize when Oklahoma’s Wayne Johnson claimed it in the Two-C Racing No. 2c on Wednesday.
Johnson’s score at Dubuque marked his second career win with the series.
A scramble for the lead of the 25-lap main event early resulted in sixteen-year-old Riley Goodno and Harold Pohren spinning before a lap could be completed. Johnson, John Schulz and Paul Nienhiser wrestled back and forth for the early advantage, but it was the Oklahoman at the fore.
Nienhiser grabbed second on lap two, before fourth-running Terry McCarl brought out a mandatory caution with a 360-degree spin in turn two and restarted at the tail.
Johnson led Nienhiser, Schulz, Jamie Ball and Chris Martin back to what would be non-stop green flag conditions the final 23 laps. Martin and Ball would wrestle for fourth before Jamie took the spot permanently.
Ball would use the low side to pass Schulz for the show position. Meanwhile, up front, Johnson and Nienhiser were in a class of their own in traffic. The leaders had to split cars on numerous occasions as they pulled away.
Following Johnson across the line were Nienhiser, Ball, Schulz and Carson McCarl, who moved into the top five at the halfway point.
“I’ve never been here before,” said Johnson. “This place is like a ‘pleasure dome.’ The boys gave me a really good car. We got a little free at the end. I knew the lapped cars were good on the bottom, but I knew if I couldn’t pass the lapped cars they (the cars behind him) couldn’t either.
“We were fortunate to get to start up front. It was pretty crazy for a little bit. Lapped cars were everywhere. I’m not sure where the second-place car was…I just went as hard as I could for 25 laps.”
“Lapped traffic threw us a pretty big curveball,” said Nienhiser. “We kind of got to the lead on both the starts, and I didn’t really cycle through three and four as well. Once we got to traffic, I kind of reeled Wayne in. I think I used my brakes up. We lost them about halfway through there, and it made it tricky in heavy traffic. All in all, it was a good run. I’d love to get a win in Scott’s (Bonar) car. We’ve been really close three or four times now.”
Matt Gansen ruled the IMCA Modified division, Mitch Manternach won the sport mod feature and Jason Utter topped the Legend Car main event.
The finish:
Feature (25 laps): 1. 2c, Wayne Johnson, Tuttle, OK (3) 2. 50, Paul Nienhiser, Chapin, IL (5) 3. 5J, Jamie Ball, Knoxville, IA (8) 4. 99, John Schulz, West Burlington, IA (2) 5. 27, Carson McCarl, Altoona, IA (12) 6. 81, Tanner Gebhardt, Burlington, IA (10) 7. 13, Brayden Gaylord, Wever, IA (11) 8. 44, Chris Martin, Ankeny, IA (9) 9. 17A, Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA (4) 10. 88, Dustin Selvage, Indianola, IA (19) 11. 22, Riley Goodno, Knoxville, IA (1) 12. 35, Josh Higday, Des Moines, IA (20) 13. 11, Colton Fisher, Mediapolis, IA (17) 14. 8L, Tom Lenz, Marion, IL (7) 15. 9, Daniel Bergquist, Burlington, IA (13) 16. 55, McKenna Haase, Des Moines, IA (16) 17. 40c, Cody Wehrle, Burlington, IA (14) 18. 50P, Harold Pohren, Lowell, IA (6) 19. 70K, Katlynn Leer, Moulton, IA (18) 20. 4, Bailey Goldesberry, Springfield, IL (21) 21. 11c, Mason Campbell, New Berlin, IL (15).