VINTON, Iowa – Benton County Speedway, located in the home city of IMCA, presented five sanctioned divisions on Sunday in addition to visiting Legend cars and micro sprints.
Maintaining the traditional Sunday night slot, new promoter Ron Dripps has dealt with the usual first year issues plus much more in 2020. He also owns the Dirt Knights Tour for IMCA modifieds.
The 18-car field of sport compacts led off the main event list and Peoria, Ill., driver, Jimmy Dutlinger led the final nine laps for the win. Dutlinger was on hand only because Dubuque rained out.
Nine micro sprints raced a 12-lap finale and Tyler Lee of nearby Cedar Rapids, Iowa, controlled the race. Lee is 14 years old.
Another of the visiting divisions was the Wisconsin-based Legend car group. Their 25-lap main offered $1,000 to win and 20 drivers from five states were on hand. David McCalla led all the way, keeping Ryan Sullivan behind him for 25 laps.
Just seven stock cars showed, but their 15 lap main generated plenty of close competition.
John Oliver Jr. along with Dallon and Damon Murty immediately pulled away and put on a 15 lap display of high speed, top shelf close racing. Dallon tried a final turn slider, but came up a bit short and Oliver was the winner.
Northern sport mods had 21 in the pits for a 15-lap finale. Brandon Tharp led a pair before Kyle Olson took over. Two laps later Ben Chapman emerged from the middle of a backstretch three wide array to speed into the lead.
Chapman went on to victory after the time limit shortened the finale.
Hobby stock racing presented an 18-car field. The 15 lapper saw Joren Fisher lead two laps, but a low turn four pass by Kaden Reynolds changed the lead for the next four laps.
Fisher used a turn four crossover move to regain the lead, but four laps later Reynolds used the backstretch upper line to again lead and collect the win.
A 21-car field of modifieds were set for 20 laps and Cave Creek, Ariz., driver Austin Kuehl led three laps before Santa Maria, Calif., based Dylan Thornton took over.
The race had a long list of yellows, but also a list of lead changes. Troy Cortez led lap eight, but Thornton was right back in front a lap later.
Thornton had a tire going down and Tom Berry Jr. jumped into the lead on a lap-23 restart and put an end to lead changes, pulling away for the win over Cordes. Berry started ninth.