Lewis Wins Big on C.O.P.S. Night
As part of the annual Iowa Concerns of Police Survivors Night presented by GATR Truck Center, the Legends class held a $1,000-to-win race on Friday, July 12th. This special race was in addition to the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series at Hawkeye Downs Speedway and late models on the track.
Photo by Ed Siems/EDs Photography
Photo by Ed Siems/EDs Photography
The evening started with qualifying, which saw father-son duo Kevin and Kacey Korsmo qualify on the front row. Kacey Korsmo set a fast time with a 14.932-second lap and drew the 8th starting spot for the feature in the Legends.Direct Legends class.
Photo by Renae Gibson
Austin Slabaugh drew the pole and battled with Jackson Lewis throughout the feature race. In the feature, Lewis worked hard to get past. In the final few laps, the leaders quickly caught lapped traffic, allowing Lewis to get to the inside Slabaugh. The two came to the checkered flag, separated just 0.016 seconds between each other, and Lewis took the win.
“We made a couple adjustments after practice, and I felt like I babied it during qualifying,” Lewis said. “I started 3rd, and it was a lot of fun. We came to the line, and you can’t get much closer than that. This one means a lot.”
On the cool-down lap, the two drivers made contact, which caused Slabaugh to spin in front of Kevin Korsmo. Korsmo went off the track in turn four and upside down. Despite the car being fairly damaged, he was unhurt.
“Hardest hit I’ve ever had on the cool-down lap,” Korsmo laughed after the race. “My tailbone is a bit sore, but other than that, I am alright. Thirty-nine years of racing, I’ve never rolled a car, so maybe it’s out of my system.”
Kacey Korsmo later went on to win the Performance Concepts Late Models feature. He opened nearly a two-second gap on Kody King, the first outing for both drivers since the beginning of the year.
“We had two solid race cars tonight,” Kacey said. “We haven’t raced it in two months, so showing up tonight, we didn’t know what it would bring.”
Corey Crispin picked up his third Sunline Hornets victory of the year, climbing five spots from the start. Duane Hochstedler led the opening laps until being passed by Crispin halfway through the race and ultimately surrendering the runner-up spot to Chad Vozenilek. Crispin controls the standings over Vozenilek by just three points.
Photo by Ed Siems/EDs Photography
The fiercest battle of the evening happened in the Anderson Automotive Hobby Stock feature, with brothers Adam and Matt Petrzelka duking it out for most of the race. Adam worked hard for most of the race and finally slipped to the lead on the inside, continuing his winning streak.
Photo by Ed Siems/EDs Photography
In the All Seasons Automotive Sportsman class, Brandon Herb returned to Green State Credit Union Victory Lane for the second time this season after patiently waiting to move around Greg Hentrich. Cory Houdek and Todd Ness were also behind, trying to find the right groove to pass. Ness leads Herb by just five points.
Patrick Flannagan and Tony Olson gained four spots en route to their first and second-place finishes in the Cassill Motors Sport Mods. Flannagan quickly got out front and walked away from the field while Olson took a couple of laps to get to second but could not make up ground on Flannagan, who earned his fifth win of the season.
Next Race: Friday, July 19th
NASCAR Advanced Auto Parts racing continues this Friday, July 19th, with the weekly racing series, the late models, and HD Dawgs. It was announced that the Sunline Hornets will also have a double feature this Friday. During intermission, we’ll also host kids on the track for our annual backpack giveaway.
Gates open to the public at 6:00pm. Opening ceremonies will be held at 7:00pm, with racing to follow. Tickets are available at the gate. Follow Hawkeye Downs on Facebook for more information.
