Baxter Gets First Feature Win on Linn Animal Hospital Night
Some new faces saw the checkered flag Friday night with our weekly racing classes plus the late models and AIRS Vintage Series at Hawkeye Downs Speedway! With the most perfect summer weather on Friday, June 16th, we were excited to host our friends from Linn Animal Hospital for a stellar night of racing.
Ian Pate took the lead on lap two of the Sunline Hornets, only getting caught up slightly when working lapped traffic. Chad Vozenilek made it to the bumper of Pate for a brief moment but was unable to capitalize. Corey Crispin and Vozenilek made contact in turn three late in the race giving the runner up spot to Crispin. Pate went on to score the win.
The Performance Foods Sportsman saw an early battle between Dave Ballstaedt and Todd Ness before Ness took the lead on the outside. Ness walked away from the field as Jim Hanson worked through traffic and took second with 10 to go, but wasn’t able to make the gap up.
In the Anderson Automotive Hobby Stocks, the leaders made it three-wide on the start with Adam Petrzelka coming out ahead. Derek Parrott and Reggie Mitchell began to close in and a yellow with four to go gave them a shot at it. Petrzelka had a great restart and held off Parrott by a car length.
The AIRS Vintage Series was also back at Hawkeye Downs for the first time this year with Mallet Meyer and Jim Studer on the front row. Meyer took the lead on the start but Jeff Durst right at his rear. Just a couple laps after, Durst passed for the top stop and stretched his lead out over Meyer and Bruce Yoerger to win the feature.
Photography by Ed Siems
“I don’t know how far back the others were,” Durst said. “This car was fast for sure.”
It was a 99 front row for the start of the Legends.Direct Legends feature with Logan Mitchell leading the first few laps. With 18 to go, Austin Slabaugh grabbed second place. On the following lap, he went to the inside of Mitchell for the lead. Kevin Korsmo maneuvered to second and reeled in the leader until he stalled out. On the white flag lap, a car stalled on the track prompting a green-white-checkered finish. Korsmo took the outside and fell back a couple positions on the restart while Kacey Korsmo emerged in second but wouldn’t catch Slabaugh.
Photography by Ed Siems
Everything came together for Bryan Baxter in the Cassill Motors Sport Mods. Baxter was able to grab his first feature win! After starting on the outside of row one, Baxter took off and outran Patrick Flannagan who couldn’t appear to make up any ground. It was a night of mechanical issues with five cars not finishing including Tallan Chandler who had a motor expire early on.
Photography by Ed Siems
“It’s about time,” Baxter said. “After about seven years, we finally made it here.”
For the finale on Friday, the Kings Enterprises Late Models were back! Mark Ironside started on the point but the field watched Danny Lehmkuhl fly past on the outside of turn two to take the lead. Lehmkuhl was driving the #64 (normally piloted by Griffin McGrath). The car Lehmkuhl normally races was heavily damaged during the Big-8 race and McGrath was out of town. This opportunity lead to the perfect storm and Lehmkuhl raced to his first late model feature win.
“The field is racing against Rusty Shadden (the crew chief), not who is in the car,” Lehmkuhl said. “A big thanks to him for making the car fast. I never thought I’d be in victory lane in a late model.”
This Friday, June 23rd is Cassill Motors night at the races! Join us for our five weekly racing classes and the Enduro Sprint Series! Gates open at 6pm. Racing begins at 7pm. More information is available on Facebook.
