Seven Champions Crowned During 99th Season Finale
For the final Friday night of 2024, drivers and fans came together for the Sadler Power Train Season Championship! Our NASCAR Advanced Auto Parts Weekly Series racers participated in feature races, including late models, HD Dawgs, and the Sprint Series on Friday, August 16th.
Coming into the Sunline Hornets finale, Chad Vozenilek was eight points behind Corey Crispin. The two had a hard-fought battle the entire season. It was the same story for the final race. John Carnahan cleared Vozenilek at the start to lead the first half of the race. Vozenilek then began to put the pressure on and took over the lead a couple of laps later. Despite his 6th win of the season, it was not enough to defeat Crispin, who finished 2nd in the race and claimed the championship.
Photo by Ed Siems
Photo by Ed Siems
As the field continued to strengthen in the Performance Concepts Late Models, Griffin McGrath focused on building up his speed throughout the year. After starting 4th, McGrath made his way to 2nd and then chopped away the lead of Kody King lap-by-lap. With 8 to go, McGrath cleared King and then extended his gap. Ty Fredrickson gained five spots on his way to a 3rd-place finish. With enough of a points lead and a fresh engine that still needed to be properly broken in, Greg Hentrich started the race to claim the championship and then pulled off.
With an absolute dominant season, the last race was no different for Adam Petrzelka in the Anderson Automotive Hobby Stocks. Right from the jump, Petrzelka began to pass cars and move forward. An intense battle between him and Brad Chandler broke out for several laps before Petrzelka slipped through on the inside and went on to Green State Credit Union Victory Lane once again. After winning all but two races in the season, Petrzelka wins the championship in dominant fashion.
Photo by Ed Siems
Both the last feature and the championship for the All Seasons Automotive Sportsman class came down to Brandon Herb and Todd Ness. The two drivers snagged multiple wins in the second half of the season. Ness was a dominant force and led all but three laps to score the victory and the track championship. Herb and Hentrich finished 2nd and 3rd in the race and championship standings, respectively.
Photo by Ed Siems
The Cassill Motors Sport Mods have dished up a lot of action during the year, and fans were not disappointed as the season championship came down to a tie between two drivers. Tallan Chandler and Chad Siems battled for the top spot in the race when the two made contact sending Siems spinning and Chandler needing to come back through the field. Siems would go on to win his first feature of the year, doing everything he could for the championship attempt. Unfortunately for him, Chandler also did exactly what he needed to, coming back to finish 5th and tying the standings. With more wins in the season, Chandler earned the tiebreaker and the championship.
Despite leading the HD Dawgs standings headed to the last race, Will Zamastil was still searching for a feature victory. Zamastil started on the front row but lost the lead to Dave Ballstaedt four laps in. After a couple of laps, Zamastil regained the rhythm and passed Ballstaedt to lead 12 more laps, including the final one, grabbing his first-ever feature win. This also propelled him to the inaugural HD Dawgs championship.
Photo by Ed Siems
Photo by Ed Siems
Four different drivers had a shot at the Legends.Direct Legends championship heading into the final season points race. Kacey Korsmo had the points advantage but found himself stuck in the middle of the pack after losing a couple of spots early on. At the front, Kevin Korsmo was focused on keeping up with leader Danny Lehmkuhl. Lehmkuhl would go flag-to-flag in the event, snagging his 3rd victory of the year. Second place was not enough for Kevin overall, and Kacey Korsmo went back-to-back in the Legends class.
The Enduro Sprint Series was added to the Season Championship Night program. Justin Kacena beat one of the best in a 4-cylinder, Dallas Chandler. Kacena led the opening half of the race but was then overtaken by Chandler. The lead grew, but Kacena continued to stalk his prey and close the gap in the final five laps. On the last lap, Kacena made his move back around Chandler to win the race and a trip to Green State Credit Union Victory Lane.
Photo by Ed Siems
Racing Isn’t Over in 2024
While the season may end, racing doesn’t have to end there! Hawkeye Downs Speedway will host its 2nd Annual Enduro Weekend on Saturday, September 14th and Sunday, September 15th. Registration and event details will be announced soon.
If you want to follow our weekly racers into the fall racing season, mark your calendars for Saturday, September 28th! Our NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series classes, along with the HD Dawgs and Late Models, will be back at the track for one final race in our 99th season of racing. Details are coming soon on our website and social media.
A Big Thank You
Photo by Ed Siems
On behalf of our Hawkeye Downs leadership team and board of directors, we want to thank every sponsor, racer, fan, staff member, and volunteer who supports the track and its operations week after week. It’s been an incredible 99th season of racing, and we can’t wait to celebrate year #100 with you in 2025! Thank you!
