6/23/2023
RacinBoys
Aikey avenges DNF with Hoker Late Model triumph at Cresco
By Anthony Ainslie (Cresco,, IA) --- Jeff Aikey made his long-awaited return to victory lane on Thursday in the Haulin’ with Hoker Trucking Super Late Models East Series return to Cresco Speedway.
The 3/8 mile oval at the Mighty Howard County Fairgrounds was the sight for round 11 of the 2023 season. A field of 21 cars made the trip to Cresco, Iowa in front of a sold-out crowd for the tour’s third ever visit.
PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Ruefer
Charlie McKenna was the night’s top qualifier as he stopped the clock at 17.945 seconds. He was the only driver in the field to make it to the 17 second bracket. The three heat races were won by Andy Eckrich, Jeff Aikey and Chad Holladay.
When it was time for the 30-lap main event, Aikey was on the pole with McKenna sitting on the outside front row. McKenna jumped to the lead and proceeded to pull away from the rest of the field.
The only caution came out with 12 laps remaining when Andy Eckrich clobbered an infield tractor tire. The hit sent the tire over the turn four wall and caused severe nose damage to the car. Andy would come to a stop in turn one before pulling off the racetrack. He would finish 19th.
After racing resumed, McKenna and Aikey went into battle for the race lead. Meanwhile, Jason Hahne, Derrick Stewart, Luke Petska, and Chad Holladay went back and forth from the rest of the top six positions.
Aikey would take the lead with eight laps to go, and from there, the Cedar Falls, Iowa driver would capture his first win since 2021 at Marshalltown. The win snapped a 77-race losing streak for Aikey, and it marked his fifth career win with the series. Charlie McKenna came in second while Derrick Stewart took third. Jason Hahne was fourth, and Chad Holladay finished out the top five.
Only one stop remains on the weekend for the Haulin’ with Hoker Trucking East Series. The tour finishes the triplheader with the third annual visit to the Fayette County Speedway in West Union, Iowa. After that, the Malvern Bank West Series returns to action on July 1st and 2nd with their second visits of the year at Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa and the Stuart International Speedway in Stuart.
RESULTS
Hoker Trucking A Feature 1 (30 Laps): 1. 77-Jeff Aikey[1]; 2. 22-Charlie McKenna[2]; 3. 43-Derrick Stewart[6]; 4. 76H-Jason Hahne[7]; 5. 32C-Chad Holladay[4]; 6. 99-Luke Pestka[3]; 7. 15C-Curt Schroeder[9]; 8. 90-Lance Matthees[10]; 9. 58-Dave Eckrich[11]; 10. 45-Curt Martin[13]; 11. 07-Matt Ryan[12]; 12. 44-Luke Goedert[15]; 13. 99D-Darrel DeFrance[19]; 14. 91-Gabe Umbarger[20]; 15. 32-Curtis Glover[14]; 16. 50-Gavin Tarras[17]; 17. 57-Carson Brown[18]; 18. 42-Fred Remley[8]; 19. 56-Andy Eckrich[5]; 20. 15K-Justin Kay[16]; 21. 74-Ron Boyse[21]
Ideal Ready Mix Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 56-Andy Eckrich[5]; 2. 90-Lance Matthees[2]; 3. 43-Derrick Stewart[4]; 4. 22-Charlie McKenna[6]; 5. 99D-Darrel DeFrance[1]; 6. 91-Gabe Umbarger[7]; 7. 57-Carson Brown[3]
Ideal Ready Mix Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 77-Jeff Aikey[2]; 2. 45-Curt Martin[1]; 3. 99-Luke Pestka[4]; 4. 07-Matt Ryan[3]; 5. 42-Fred Remley[5]; 6. 76H-Jason Hahne[6]; 7. 74-Ron Boyse[7]
Ideal Ready Mix Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 32C-Chad Holladay[6]; 2. 32-Curtis Glover[1]; 3. 15C-Curt Schroeder[3]; 4. 44-Luke Goedert[7]; 5. 50-Gavin Tarras[2]; 6. 58-Dave Eckrich[5]; 7. 15K-Justin Kay[4]
Qualifying 1: 1. 22-Charlie McKenna, 00:17.945[11]; 2. 76H-Jason Hahne, 00:18.016[19]; 3. 32C-Chad Holladay, 00:18.041[17]; 4. 56-Andy Eckrich, 00:18.068[1]; 5. 42-Fred Remley, 00:18.156[2]; 6. 58-Dave Eckrich, 00:18.266[3]; 7. 43-Derrick Stewart, 00:18.279[14]; 8. 99-Luke Pestka, 00:18.282[15]; 9. 15K-Justin Kay, 00:18.312[13]; 10. 57-Carson Brown, 00:18.343[12]; 11. 07-Matt Ryan, 00:18.380[9]; 12. 15C-Curt Schroeder, 00:18.382[4]; 13. 90-Lance Matthees, 00:18.420[6]; 14. 77-Jeff Aikey, 00:18.500[5]; 15. 50-Gavin Tarras, 00:18.597[18]; 16. 99D-Darrel DeFrance, 00:18.661[8]; 17. 45-Curt Martin, 00:18.779[16]; 18. 32-Curtis Glover, 00:18.917[7]; 19. 91-Gabe Umbarger, 00:19.126[10]; 20. 74-Ron Boyse, 00:19.242[21]; 21. 44-Luke Goedert, 00:19.506[20]
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USRA MODIFIEDS
A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 20-Rodney Sanders[3]; 2. 15W-Alex Williamson[1]; 3. 1-Blake Arndt[2]; 4. 72-Doug Hillson[4]; 5. 27S-Jason Schlangen[5]
LIMITED SPRINTS - WINGED
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 50-Chase Viebrock[3]; 2. 74N-Luke Nellis[5]; 3. P1-Mark Chevalier[2]; 4. 13-Patrick Heikkinen[4]; 5. 42X-Brett Peterson[6]; 6. 61-Mike Mueller[7]; 7. 28-John Breitenfeldt[1]; 8. (DNF) 95-Tony Gernert[9]; 9. (DNF) 9C-Cole Stella[8]; 10. (DNF) C4-Carl Wade[10]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 50-Chase Viebrock[1]; 2. 13-Patrick Heikkinen[2]; 3. P1-Mark Chevalier[3]; 4. 61-Mike Mueller[4]; 5. 9C-Cole Stella[5]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 28-John Breitenfeldt[2]; 2. 74N-Luke Nellis[3]; 3. 42X-Brett Peterson[1]; 4. 95-Tony Gernert[5]; 5. (DNS) C4-Carl Wade
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott
