FRIGID TURKEY DERBY HELD AT HAWKEYE DOWNS

(Cedar Rapids, IA  11/30/02)—Temperatures in the 20’s, brisk winds, and snow flurries couldn’t deter a hardy group of racers from competing in the “turkey Derby” at Hawkeye Downs Speedway Saturday afternoon. A total of 54 cars and drivers, a few hundred crewmen, and a few hundred fans braved the elements and enjoyed an entertaining program.

            Feature winners Saturday were Rusty Zook of Riverside, IA in the Open Competition “Wishbones” class, and Randy Filling of Cedar Rapids and Zach Sobaski of Washington, IA in the stock body, stock frame, “drumsticks” class.

            Zook drove a dirt Late Model in the 30 lap, 16 car “Wishbones” main. He took the lead on the 2^nd lap, and ran away from the field, lapping all but the second, third, and fourth place cars in the 30 lap caution free main.

            Bob Moyer, of Dubuque, driving a dirt Pro Stock, nipped Hawkeye Downs Late Model champion Johnny Spaw of Cedar Rapids in a close race for second. Chad Willett of Cedar Rapids finished fourth in a Hawkeye Downs Modified, while Tim Plummer of Norway, IA, ina Hawkeye Downs Saturday Night Modified, was fifth.

            “Wishbone” heat races were won by Zook and Spaw.

            The 37 car “Drumsticks” field was divided into two classes by Time Trials. Filling won the 30 lap “A Feature” for the fastest 18 qualifiers, while Sobaski won the 25 lap “B Feature” for the rest of the field.

            Filling, driving a Hawkeye Downs Super Stock, started sixth in his feature, but was in the lead by the 2^nd lap. He pulled away quickly, and lapped everyone through sixth place. Hawkeye Downs drivers Doug Simon of Marion, Bryan Galde of Marion, Chad Siems of Mt. Auburn, and Paul Walder of Cedar Rapids finished 2^nd through 5^th. The highest finishing dirt driver was Richard Quail of Waterloo, in sixth place, one lap down.

            Sobaski, in a dirt Hobby Stock, nipped Hawkeye Downs Stock Car driver Derek Scott of Vinton in the close “B Feature.” Scott Siems of Mt. Auburn, another Hawkeye Downs Stock car divbision driver, finished third, with Shawn Redlinger of Washington, IA  fourth in a dirt car. Hawkeye Downs Stock Car driver Mike Desotel of Cedar Rapids was fifth.

            “Drumsticks” heats were won by Filling, Simon, Scott, and Desotel.

            The co-Promoters of the event, Hawkeye Downs General Manager and Special K Motorsports President Johnny Oberthein, announced the race would be held again next year as the “Halloween Challenge,” moving up a few weeks to get away from the cold weather, either the Saturday before or after Halloween.

RACE SUMMARY

WISHBONES (OPEN COMPETITION)

HEAT WINNERS

Johnny Spaw, Cedar Rapids, IA (Pavement Late Model)

Rusty Zook, Riverside, IA (Dirt Late Model)

30 LAP FEATURE

1. Zook
2. Bob Moyer, Dubuque, IA (Dirt Pro Stock)
3. Spaw
4. Chad Willett, Cedar Rapids, IA (Pavement Modified)
5. Tim Plummer, Norway, IA (Pavement Modified)
6. Johnny Mudd, Cedar Rapids, IA (Pavement Sportsman)
7. Marty Scheckel, Bellevue, IA (Dirt late Model)
8. Mike Wiersman, Fulton, IL (Dirt Late Model)
9. Craig Stepanke, Cedar Rapids, IA (Dirt Pro Stock)
10. Mel Schappert, Cedar Rapids, IA (Pavement Sportsman)

DRUMSTICKS ( STOCK CARS)

HEAT WINNERS

Derek Scott, Vinton, IA (Pavement)

Mike Desotel, Cedar Rapids, IA (Pavement)

Randy Filling, Cedar Rapids, IA (Pavement)

Doug Simon, Marion, IA (Pavement)

30 LAP “A” FEATURE

1. Filling
2. Simon
3. Bryan Galde, Marion, IA (Pavement)
4. Chad Siems, Mt. Auburn, IA (Pavement)
5. Paul Walder, Cedar Rapids, IA (Pavement)
6. Richard Quail, Waterloo, IA (Dirt)
7. Matt Greiner, Washington, IA (Dirt)
8. Aric Becker, Cedar Rapids, IA (Pavement)
9. Cligg Gray, Waterloo, IA (Dirt)
10. Don Johnson, Cedar Rapids, IA (Pavement)

25 LAP “B” FEATURE

1. Zach Sobaski, Washington, IA (Dirt)
2. Scott
3. Scott Siems, Mt. Auburn, IA (Pavement)
4. Shawn Redlinger, Washington, IA (Dirt)
5. Mike Desotel, Cedar Rapids, IA (Pavement)
6. Mike Loughren, Coggon, IA (Pavement)
7. Marty Sea, Independence, IA )Pavement)
8. Steve Luedtke, Norway, IA (Pavement)
9. John Lampe, Carroll, IA (Dirt)
10. Cory McCarlville, Carroll, IA (Dirt)