8/23/2019
RacinBoys
Aikey takes Yankee Dirt Track Classic opener
By Anthony Ainslie (Farley, IA) -- Another first-time was made Thursday on opening night of the 42nd annual Yankee Dirt Classic at 300 Raceway.
Thursday night was a very historic night for the Malvern Bank Super Late Model Series as the tour made its debut at 300 Raceway in Farley, Iowa. For the first time in the race’s history, the late models were under the Malvern Bank Series banner. The two-day weekend is a non-points race for the series. Also, the top three finishers in the main event received invites to the series’ Midwest Mobile Tech 22 at Knoxville Raceway.
PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Ruefer
One notable driver not in attendance was defending Malvern Bank Series champion and current points leader Kyle Berck. The Marquette, Nebraska driver took the show off as he continues to battle a case of shingles.
The single racecar count record was shattered as a whopping 49 late models from four states made the trip to Farley. The previous record was 46 set during the 2016 Midwest Fall Brawl at I-80 Speedway.
A 26-car field was assembled for the 25-lap main event with a massive $5,000 check going to the winner. Early on, Jeff Aikey jumped from the pole position to take the early lead. The Ceder Falls, Iowa driver built up a convincing lead, but the slicked off surface on the track made for a very challenging race.
Lapped traffic played a big factor in the race. Once Aikey got to the tail of the field, he had many difficulties trying to pass the slower cars allowing second place Tyler Bruening and third place Jason Rauen to close in.
With 15 laps to go, Bruening was able to stick his nose ahead of Aikey in order to lead a lap. He did just before the only caution came out for a car stopped in turn four.
When racing resumed, Bruening broke away from Aikey and Rauen. Once again, Bruening’s lead shrank as he got to slower traffic. Aikey capitalized on an opening Bruening left as they came off turn four.
Aikey took the lead late in the distance and held on to take home the opener of the Yankee Dirt Classic. It was Aikey’s first ever Malvern Bank Series win in his storied late model career. The win also landed him the first of three invites to Knoxville.
Bruening and Rauen got the other two invites as they finished second and third. Modified ace Ricky Thornton Jr., making his Malvern Bank Series debut, finished fourth, and Justin Kay rounded out the top five.
The Malvern Bank Super Late Model Series finishes up the 42nd annual Yankee Dirt Classic tomorrow with the longest and richest feature event series history. Friday’s main event will be 50 laps in distance and will pay a massive $12,000 top prize; the first time ever a winner’s check has been five figures.
After Farley, the series heads west for the third and final race at the Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Nebraska on the 24th and then finishes the month of August on Saturday the 31st with the second and final visit to Shelby County Speedway in Harlan, Iowa.
RESULTS
Dirt Super Late Models
A Feature 1
Pos Start Driver Hometown Car
1 1 Jeff Aikey Cedar Falls, IA #77
2 2 Tyler Bruening Decorah, IA #16
3 3 Jason Rauen Farley, IA #98R
4 5 Ricky Thornton Jr Adel, IA #30
5 4 Justin Kay Wheatland, IA #15K
6 6 Tad Pospisil Norfolk, NE #04
7 7 Chris Simpson Oxford, IA #32
8 11 Andy Eckrich Oxford, IA #56
9 9 Chad Holladay Muscatine, IA #32C
10 12 Charlie McKenna Ames, IA #22C
11 8 Corey Zeitner Omaha, NE #19
12 14 Jeremiah Hurst Dubuque, IA #58
13 15 Bill Leighton Lavista, NE #24
14 10 Kyle Hinrichs Swisher, IA #15H
15 22 Ryan Griffith Webster City, IA #15X
16 17 Chad Simpson Mt. Vernon, IA #25
17 19 Matt Ryan Davenport, IA #07
18 18 Jason Hahne Webster City, IA #76H
19 20 Josh Leonard Gibbon, NE #1
20 23 Joel Callahan Dubuque, IA #40
21 13 Lyle Klein Sherrill, IA #11
22 24 Jeff Tharp Sherrill, IA #10T
23 21 Curt Martin Independence, IA #45
24 26 Andrew Kosiski Lavista, NE #53
25 25 Brian Kosiski Papillion, NE #52
26 16 Jason O'Brien Atlantic, IA #15
B Feature 1
Pos Start Driver Hometown Car
1 1 Matt Ryan Davenport, IA #07
2 3 Curt Martin Independence, IA #45
3 5 Joel Callahan Dubuque, IA #40
4 2 John Emerson Waterloo, IA #87
5 6 Dave Eckrich Oxford, IA #58E
6 4 Andrew Kosiski Lavista, NE #53
7 7 Darrel DeFrance Marshalltown, IA #99D
8 8 Gabe Umbarger Garner, IA #91
9 13 Greg Kastli Waterloo, IA #73
10 10 Jeremy Grady Webster City, IA #43
11 15 Tegan Evans Clinton, IA #T22
12 16 Ryan Claeys Morrison, IL #35C
13 14 Matt Snoberger Aurora, NE #7
14 9 Nick Roberts Des Moines, IA #22N
15 12 Ben Schaller Omaha, NE #98
16 11 Ron Klein Sherrill, IA #12
B Feature 2
Pos Start Driver Hometown Car
1 1 Josh Leonard Gibbon, NE #1
2 2 Ryan Griffith Webster City, IA #15X
3 6 Jeff Tharp Sherrill, IA #10T
4 5 Curran Beckler Whitewater, WI #35
5 8 Kyle Krampe Baxter, IA #K1
6 12 Curt Schroeder Newton, IA #15C
7 7 Brian Kosiski Papillion, NE #52
8 9 Luke Petska Robins, IA #99
9 13 Tim Simpson Iowa City, IA #17
10 10 David Webster Monroe, WI #44W
11 14 Jill George Cedar Falls, IA #22
12 15 Ryan Hill Dubuque, IA #17H
13 4 Spencer Diercks Davenport, IA #29D
14 3 Curtis Glover Des Moines, IA #32G
15 11 Ben Seeman Waterloo, IA #60
Heat 1
Pos Start Driver Hometown Car
1 2 Bill Leighton Lavista, NE #24
2 3 Charlie McKenna Ames, IA #22C
3 5 Ricky Thornton Jr Adel, IA #30
4 6 Jason Rauen Farley, IA #98R
5 4 Curt Martin Independence, IA #45
6 7 Luke Petska Robins, IA #99
7 8 Tim Simpson Iowa City, IA #17
8 9 Ryan Claeys Morrison, IL #35C
9 1 Ben Seeman Waterloo, IA #60
Heat 2
Pos Start Driver Hometown Car
1 2 John Emerson Waterloo, IA #87
2 1 Dave Eckrich Oxford, IA #58E
3 3 Curtis Glover Des Moines, IA #32G
4 6 Justin Kay Wheatland, IA #15K
5 4 Spencer Diercks Davenport, IA #29D
6 5 Josh Leonard Gibbon, NE #1
7 7 Curt Schroeder Newton, IA #15C
8 8 Tegan Evans Clinton, IA #T22
Heat 3
Pos Start Driver Hometown Car
1 2 Andrew Kosiski Lavista, NE #53
2 1 Darrel DeFrance Marshalltown, IA #99D
3 4 Lyle Klein Sherrill, IA #11
4 3 Curran Beckler Whitewater, WI #35
5 5 Chad Simpson Mt. Vernon, IA #25
6 7 Ron Klein Sherrill, IA #12
7 6 Jason Hahne Webster City, IA #76H
8 8 Ryan Hill Dubuque, IA #17H
Heat 4
Pos Start Driver Hometown Car
1 2 Jason O'Brien Atlantic, IA #15
2 4 Chris Simpson Oxford, IA #32
3 1 Jeff Tharp Sherrill, IA #10T
4 6 Tyler Bruening Decorah, IA #16
5 3 Joel Callahan Dubuque, IA #40
6 5 Jeremiah Hurst Dubuque, IA #58
7 7 David Webster Monroe, WI #44W
8 8 Matt Snoberger Aurora, NE #7
Heat 5
Pos Start Driver Hometown Car
1 2 Ryan Griffith Webster City, IA #15X
2 4 Kyle Hinrichs Swisher, IA #15H
3 6 Jeff Aikey Cedar Falls, IA #77
4 5 Andy Eckrich Oxford, IA #56
5 1 Gabe Umbarger Garner, IA #91
6 8 Greg Kastli Waterloo, IA #73
7 7 Ben Schaller Omaha, NE #98
8 3 Brian Kosiski Papillion, NE #52
Heat 6
Pos Start Driver Hometown Car
1 4 Corey Zeitner Omaha, NE #19
2 3 Matt Ryan Davenport, IA #07
3 5 Chad Holladay Muscatine, IA #32C
4 6 Tad Pospisil Norfolk, NE #04
5 7 Jeremy Grady Webster City, IA #43
6 1 Kyle Krampe Baxter, IA #K1
7 8 Jill George Cedar Falls, IA #22
8 2 Nick Roberts Des Moines, IA #22N
Qualifying Group A
Pos Start Driver Hometown Car
1 8 Jason Rauen Farley, IA #98R
2 23 Justin Kay Wheatland, IA #15K
3 25 Jason Hahne Webster City, IA #76H
4 24 Ricky Thornton Jr Adel, IA #30
5 11 Josh Leonard Gibbon, NE #1
6 5 Chad Simpson Mt. Vernon, IA #25
7 18 Curt Martin Independence, IA #45
8 10 Spencer Diercks Davenport, IA #29D
9 21 Lyle Klein Sherrill, IA #11
10 13 Charlie McKenna Ames, IA #22C
11 20 Curtis Glover Des Moines, IA #32G
12 4 Curran Beckler Whitewater, WI #35
13 12 Bill Leighton Lavista, NE #24
14 3 John Emerson Waterloo, IA #87
15 6 Andrew Kosiski Lavista, NE #53
16 7 Ben Seeman Waterloo, IA #60
17 9 Dave Eckrich Oxford, IA #58E
18 22 Darrel DeFrance Marshalltown, IA #99D
19 17 Luke Petska Robins, IA #99
20 14 Curt Schroeder Newton, IA #15C
21 19 Ron Klein Sherrill, IA #12
22 15 Tim Simpson Iowa City, IA #17
23 16 Tegan Evans Clinton, IA #T22
24 1 Ryan Hill Dubuque, IA #17H
25 2 Ryan Claeys Morrison, IL #35C
Qualifying Group B
Pos Start Driver Hometown Car
1 7 Tyler Bruening Decorah, IA #16
2 24 Jeff Aikey Cedar Falls, IA #77
3 19 Tad Pospisil Norfolk, NE #04
4 18 Jeremiah Hurst Dubuque, IA #58
5 14 Andy Eckrich Oxford, IA #56
6 9 Chad Holladay Muscatine, IA #32C
7 13 Chris Simpson Oxford, IA #32
8 11 Kyle Hinrichs Swisher, IA #15H
9 3 Corey Zeitner Omaha, NE #19
10 22 Joel Callahan Dubuque, IA #40
11 20 Brian Kosiski Papillion, NE #52
12 4 Matt Ryan Davenport, IA #07
13 16 Jason O'Brien Atlantic, IA #15
14 21 Ryan Griffith Webster City, IA #15X
15 15 Nick Roberts Des Moines, IA #22N
16 5 Jeff Tharp Sherrill, IA #10T
17 12 Gabe Umbarger Garner, IA #91
18 23 Kyle Krampe Baxter, IA #K1
19 10 David Webster Monroe, WI #44W
20 8 Ben Schaller Omaha, NE #98
21 2 Jeremy Grady Webster City, IA #43
22 1 Matt Snoberger Aurora, NE #7
23 17 Greg Kastli Waterloo, IA #73
24 6 Jill George Cedar Falls, IA #22
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott
