INDEPENDENCE, Iowa -- Division points leaders Curt Martin and Brian Irvine called their competitors’ bluffs as they drove to their seventh victories of the season at Independence Motor Speedway. Both victories, with a little help from Lady Luck late in the events, kept the fans on the edges of their seats.

Pole-sitter Jim Aschenbrenner paced the field at the start of the 25-lap I.M.C.A. late model feature. He shot into the lead on the bottom groove and immediately pulled away from second-running Drew Johnson.

Aschenbrenner continued his stay out front as Darin Duffy drove the high side into second place on lap 14. Just four laps later, Duffy pulled even with the race leader, but went high off of turn three, ending his run at the front, and bringing out the yellow flag.

Johnson and Martin took advantage of another restart one lap later and made their way around Aschenbrenner to settle into the top two spots. Martin, running the high groove, and Johnson ran side-by-side as laps wound down. Martin was finally able to take command as the pair exited turn four on the final lap, winning by a car-length. The win was Martin’s fifth in the last six weeks, and his seventh of the season.

Although he had yet to visit victory lane this season, veteran Vince Buchholz dominated much of the 15-lap I.M.C.A. hobby stock feature. After starting sixth, Buchholz rocketed into second place after just one trip around the speedway, and proceeded to take the lead on the following lap.

Buchholz extended his lead to a near-straightaway margin as Irvine worked through the pack from a sixth row start. Irvine moved into second on lap seven and set sail for the lead car. Irvine chipped away at Buchholz’ lead when, with just three laps to go, Buchholz pulled to the infield with mechanical problems. This paved the way for Irvine to motor to his third win in four weeks and his seventh of the season. Rod Grother finished second.

Joey Schaefer made his way to victory lane for the second time this season in the I.M.C.A. modified division. Schaefer, after starting ninth, took the lead from pole-sitter Deon Turner on the third lap and led the remaining 17 laps to score the win. Vern Jackson made a charge following a late caution, but settled for second at the stripe.

Jeff Roete and Roger Samec pulled away from the field to pace the 20-lap I.M.C.A. stock car feature. The lead pair ran nose-to-tail while Jarod Weepie made his way through traffic from an eighth place starting position. Weepie pulled under Samec for second on lap 12 and made his way around Roete two laps later to drive to his second win of the season. Points leader Dan Trimble raced from a 10th place start to finish second, his track-leading fifth runner-up finish of the season.

Johnathan Thimmesch led the first 14 laps of the B modified feature, but failed to show the way when it mattered the most in the 15-lapper. Thimmesch, who saw his large lead disappear when Kurt Roose challenged late in the event, spun coming out of the final set of turns. That allowed Don White and Dan Feltus to make their way into second and third while Roose took the checkers and apparent win. In post-race inspection, however, Roose was disqualified for losing a muffler during the event, which handed the win to White, his first victory of the season.

RESULTS

B MODIFIED
First heat – 1. Brian Kunkle, Oelwein; 2. Joe Docekal, Dysart; 3. Craig Cordes, Cedar Falls; 4. Chris Marchese, Cedar Falls; 5. John Wilhelmi, Maynard; 6. Tony Olson, Cedar Rapids; 7. Diana Sterrett, Waterloo.

Second heat – 1. Johnathan Thimmesch, Aurora; 2. Don White, Waterloo; 3. Kurt Roose, Bristow; 4. Todd Ihde, Garnavillo; 5. Dan Feltus, Allison; 6. Dawn Krall, Waterloo.

Feature – 1. White; 2. Feltus; 3. Thimmesch; 4. Kunkle; 5. Ihde; 6. Olson; 7. Cordes; 8. Krall; 9. Sterrett; 10. Docekal; 11. Wilhelmi; 12. Marchese; DQ Roose.

I.M.C.A. HOBBY STOCK
First heat – 1. Brian Irvine, Oelwein; 2. Vince Buchholz, Cedar Falls; 3. Tim Swope, Waterloo; 4. Rod Grother, Cedar Rapids; 5. Scott Siems, Cedar Rapids; 6. Kevin Robinson, Rowley; 7. Don Arnold, Stanley; 7. Shane Ebaugh, Cedar Falls; 8. Bill Meyer, Sumner.

Second heat – 1. Jerome Wilson, Waterloo; 2. Marty Smith, Center Point; 3. John Roete, Oelwein; 4. Dan Olsen, Cedar Rapids; 5. Matt Burmeister, Waterloo; 6. Doug Steere, New Hartford; 7. Brian Stoll, Denver; 8. Brian Happel, Cedar Rapids.

Third heat – 1. Patrick Stansbery, Evansdale; 2. Leonard Mason, Oelwein; 3. Jim Ball, Independence; 4. Seth Thomas, Center Point; 5. Brandon Davis, Cedar Rapids; 6. Joe Sprague, Independence; 7. Chris Luloff, Independence; 8. Jason Niedert, Waterloo.

Feature – 1. Irvine; 2. Grother; 3. Stansbery; 4. Wilson; 5. Luloff; 6. Roete; 7. Ball; 8. Mason; 9. Sprague; 10. Niedert; 11. Siems; 12. Thomas; 13. Swope; 14. Ebaugh; 15. Burmeister; 16. Happel; 17. Buchholz; 18. Davis; 19. Smith; 20. Steere; 21. Olsen; 22. Robinson; 23. Stoll; 24. Arnold; 25. Meyer.

I.M.C.A. STOCK CAR
First heat – 1. Jarod Weepie, Dunkerton; 2. Sean Johnson, Independence; 3. Roger Samec, New Hartford; 4. Dan Trimble, Fairbank; 5. LaVerne Weber, Waterloo; 6. Mike Stanek, Independence; 7. Doug Otto, Cedar Falls; 8. Matt Brown, Fairbank; DQ Jeff Kennett, Waterloo; DNS Justin Temeyer, Independence.

Second heat – 1. Jeff Roete, Oelwein; 2. Wes Stanek Jr., Cedar Falls; 3. Tom Schmitt, Independence; 4. Scooter Dulin, Cedar Rapids; 5. Nick Wroten, Independence; 6. Jeff Franck, Winthrop; 7. Norman Chesmore, Quasqueton; 8. Dwan Waddell, Waterloo; 9. Brett Mather, Lamont; 10. Michele Weber, Waterloo.

Feature – 1. Weepie; 2. Trimble; 3. Roete; 4. Samec; 5. Temeyer; 6. W. Stanek; 7. Franck; 8. Kennett; 9. Schmitt; 10. Dulin; 11. Brown; 12. M. Stanek; 13. Mather; 14. M. Weber; 15. Wroten; 16. Johnson; 17. Waddell; 18. Chesmore; 19. L. Weber; 20. Otto.

I.M.C.A. MODIFIED
First heat – 1. Vern Jackson, Waterloo; 2. Deon Turner, Waterloo; 3. Jason Snyder, Dunkerton; 4. Travis Heyer, Dundee; 5. Chad Knipp, Raymond; 6. Dennis Betzer, Central City; 7. Derrick Reedy, Waterloo; 8. Randy Trefz, Vinton; 9. Dave Stricker, Waterloo.

Second heat – 1. Scott Hogan, Vinton; 2. Jerry Luloff, Independence; 3. Don Erger, Brandon; 4. Ed Thomas, Waterloo; 5. Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 6. Kurt Hogan, Vinton; 7. John Schaefer, La Porte City; 8. Shawn Fisher, Garrison; 9. Garry Stuber, Waterloo.

Third heat – 1. Joey Schaefer, Waterloo; 2. Adam Johnson, Independence; 3. Ben Metcalf, Evansdale; 4. Buster Pate, Hiawatha; 5. Mike Gill, La Porte City; 6. Brian Krall, Readlyn; 7. Troy Cordes, Raymond; 8. Terry Folkers, Central City.

First B feature – 1. Cordes; 2. Stricker; 3. Reedy; 4. K. Hogan; 5. Knipp; 6. Gill; 7. Fisher.

Second B feature – 1. Flannagan; 2. Betzer; 3. Krall; 4. Folkers; 5. John Schaefer; 6. Stuber; 7. Trefz.

A feature – 1. Joey Schaefer; 2. Jackson; 3. Johnson; 4. Luloff; 5. S. Hogan; 6. Stricker; 7. Thomas; 8. Betzer; 9. Metcalf; 10. Flannagan; 11. Krall; 12. Heyer; 13. Pate; 14. Erger; 15. K. Hogan; 16. Reedy; 17. Turner; 18. Cordes; 19. Snyder; 20. Folkers.

I.M.C.A. LATE MODEL
First heat – 1. J.D. Auringer, Evansdale; 2. Darren Ackerman, Waterloo; 3. Darin Duffy, Hazleton; 4. Jim Aschenbrenner, Waterloo; 5. Ben Schaefer; 6. Randy Wheeler, Cedar Falls; 7. Brian Hunter, Independence; 8. Joel Brasch, Dunkerton.

Second heat – 1. Dirk Hamilton, Jesup; 2. Ron Hurst, Cedar Falls; 3. Dale Hackwell Jr., Washburn; 4. Dale Stolte, Springville; 5. Kenny Pint, Independence; 6. Lee Herman, Dunkerton; 7. Greg Hunter, Independence.

Third heat – 1. Dean Wagner, Evansdale; 2. Curt Martin, Independence; 3. Drew Johnson, Belle Plaine; 4. Tysus Pattee, Garrison; 5. Rick Dralle, Waterloo; 6. Brett McGill, Independence; 7. Dave Thorsten, Decorah.

Feature –1. Martin; 2. Johnson; 3. Wagner; 4. Hamilton; 5. Ackerman; 6. Stolte; 7. G. Hunter; 8. Aschenbrenner; 9. Pattee; 10. Hackwell; 11. Duffy; 12. Thorsten; 13. Wheeler; 14. Schaefer; 15. B. Hunter; 16. Auringer; 17. Brasch; 18. Herman; 19. Pint; 20. Dralle; 21. Hurst; 2. McGill.