Des Moines, Iowa

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August 16, 2004

by David Wilkinson

(Des Moines, Iowa) (August 16, 2004) The annual evening race Monday during the 150^th Iowa State Fair featured the traveling Derry Brothers Summer Series for IMCA late models and local point leader Todd Cooney won the 35-lap feature. In a series of exciting races, Bret Moyer won the Karl Chevrolet dirt truck feature, Chris Spieker won the modified race and John Hunnell captured an exciting stock car race.

Drivers, pit crews, families, and fans, sadden by the death of 36 year-old Maynard Davis III on Saturday in a modified race, were more subdued than usual.. Prior to the start of the program, all participated in a minute of silence that finished when announcer Tim Trier asked everyone to face the large US flag in the infield, flying at half-mast, for the national anthem. Earlier in a private moment, the two daughters of Davis with other family members and friends symbolically placed a bouquet of roses on the track. It was a moment they would repeat at the end of the program.

The field of 44 IMCA late models for the Deery Brothers Summer Series race was whittled to 26 starters for the feature after five heats and two b-features. In the feature, Gary Russell built a nice lead from his front row starting position over Darrell DeFrance. On lap nine, fourth row starter Todd Cooney passed DeFrance and started to haul in Russell. Three laps later, Cooney passed Russell and took command of the race. Cooney started to pull away from the field and then a caution was thrown on lap 22. On the restart, Russell used the low groove in turns three and four to pass Cooney for the lead. On the next lap, Cooney regained the lead using the high groove. Cooney led all the way to the checkered with Ray Guss Jr. closing in on him for the last few laps. Finishing third was last year’s winner of this race Jeff Aikey and Rob Toland was fourth.

The Karl Chevrolet dirt trucks hit the track for first feature of the evening and it started with a frightening accident with the drop of the green. As the trucks started racing down the front stretch, the 03 truck of Jim Tull rolled violently end-over-end right in front of the grandstand. The crowd was very quiet as Tull lay still in the truck, then broke into loud applause when he made his way out of the truck. After the restart the race ran without interruption with several lead changes. Lou Sipolt took the lead with Mike Stark right behind. On lap three, Stark passed Sipolt. Then on lap seven, Stark was off the power and later left the race. Sipolt inherited the lead, but Carl Moyer was right behind him. On lap 10, Moyer went ahead. Bret Moyer, who started in the fifth row, made his way through the pack and was chasing Carl Moyer by lap 13. On the next lap, Bret passed Carl Moyer and won the race. The finishing order behind Bret Moyer was Carl Moyer, Sipolt, and Matt Waugh.

The modified main started as a family affair with Richie, Jimmy , and Rick Gustin running in the top four briefly. Richie Gustin was the early leader and was stalked at first by Mike Bennett and later by Jimmy Gustin. Following a lap ten restart, Chris Spieker, who started tenth, moved into second and then first place another lap later. Spieker built a large lead and won the race ahead of Richie Gustin, Jimmy Gustin, and Mark Daughenbaugh.

The final race of the night was a great one. In the 20-lap stock car feature, there were five "official" lead changes among three drivers – Don Killen, Steve Jackson, and John Hunnell. In addition to the changes scored at the finish line, other lead changes occurred elsewhere on the track. Killen and Jackson started on the front row and Killen blasted into the lead at first sight of the green. Jackson started closing in and was right behind Killen on lap four. On the next lap, Hunnell passed Jackson and was running along side the leader, Killen. On the following lap, Jackson ran second just ahead of Hunnell. On lap seven Jackson gains the lead and two laps later Killen moves one-half of a car in front of Jackson. Jackson runs a car length ahead on the next lap. Killen regains the lead on the next lap and then two laps later John Hunnell takes the front position. By this time, Bobby Greiner Jr., who started twelfth, joined the fray. Hunnell beat Greiner to the finish by about two feet as the cars were side-by-side. Jackson finished third and Todd Inman was fourth.

After the driver’s meeting, drivers took their helmets into the large grandstand seeking contributions for the Davis family. Contributions by racers, pit crews, fans and others totaled over $4,400.

Racing continues Friday September 3rd with season championships for IMCA modifieds, stock cars, and hobby stocks as well as Karl Chevrolet dirt trucks competing. Hot laps are at 6:00 PM with racing following around 7:00 PM.

Heat Winners

1. Tom Darbyshire, Morning Sun

2. Dean Wagner, Waterloo

3. Garry Russell, Batesville IL

4. Darin Duffy, Waterloo

5. Todd Cooney, Des Moines

1^st B-Feature

2^nd B-Feature

Feature

Heat Winners

1. Pat Graham, Ames

2. Rick Gustin, Marshalltown

3. Jim Lynch, Bloomfield

Feature

Heat Winners

1. John Hunnell, Des Moines

2. Rick Brown, Kellogg

3. Don Killen, Des Moines

4. Greg Shepherd, Altoona

B-Feature

Feature

Heat Winners

1. Lou Sipolt, Altoona

2. Bret Moyer, Polk City

Feature