GRIFFIN MCGRATH HOLDS OFF ARLO BECKER FOR MODIFIED WIN AT ‘DOWNS
by: Brad Grupe

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA  (July 14, 2006) - Griffin McGrath of Cedar Rapids picked up his second win of the 2006 campaign Friday night, holding off a determined Arlo Becker to win the “Mike McGrath Auto Center 50” for the Miller Time Modifieds at Hawkeye Downs Speedway.

The field was set based on an invert following two-laps on time for each car. Griffin McGrath was the top qualifier turning the half-mile in 19.646 seconds. He then drew a ‘three’ which meant he would start third in the fifty lapper.

The first twenty-eight circuits around the Hawkeye Downs half-mile were relatively event free and McGrath built over a four-second lead on the rest of the field after taking the lead on lap four. That lead was erased when the caution flag waved with twenty-two laps remaining. That set the tone for next several laps as multiple cautions slowed the action. On the last green flag run McGrath did a masterful job of holding off veteran Arlo Becker who repeatedly tried to find a way around or under McGrath.

Becker, settled for second while defending champion Tim Plummer finished third. Larry Clausen turned in another good performance, finishing fourth. Rodney Rocarek, who started on the pole, finished in fifth.

In other Papa Johns Cup/ I Wireless Championship action, Scott Wennermark emerged victorious in the Performance Concepts Late Model feature after setting fast time in qualifying earlier in the evening. The win was the second straight for Wennermark and his third of the season. Brad Osborn finished in second with Jeff King third. The point leader coming into the night, Kyle Hinrichs, likely surrendered his lead after posting a DNF following a crash with Chris Sevey, who also didn’t finish the race.

Joey King of Silvis, IL posted his first career half-mile win in the Budweiser Sportsmen feature on Friday night. After starting in the second row King was able to secure the lead just past the halfway point of the race and then hold off Brian Franks for the win. Franks was closing in the final laps but King maintained a .325 second margin at the stripe. Ross Zumbach finished third with Dave McCalla and Andy Duggan also in the top five.

The Budweiser Sportsmen division has seen eight different winners in the ten races run this season.

Nathan Ballard continues to have a stranglehold on the Sunline Hornets, recording his fifth win of the season and bolstering his already large point lead. Doug Simon, guest driver in the “0” car, finished in second with Brian Beaty scored in third. Defending champion Connie Binder was fourth and Brian Bries finished fifth.

Ron Fare scored an easy win in the Barron Motor Supply IMCA Hobby Stocks after starting on the pole. Roland Bohnsack was second across the Coors Light Finish Line with Chad Vozenilek in third. Dennis Klinsky turned in another fine performance finishing in fourth while point leader Rodney Grother was fifth.

Bob Ahrendsen came from deep in the pack to win the Barron Motor Supply IMCA Stock Care feature. Ahrendsen wrestled the lead from Kurt Bohnsack on lap 16 after working through the pack and then motored to the checkers for his second win of the season. Bohnsack maintained second while Chad Siems finished third, Logan Hale fourth, and the point leader coming into Friday night, Brad Dvorak, was fifth. The win unofficially gives Ahrendsen a one point lead on the points chart.



RESULTS
MILLER TIME MODIFIEDS
FEATURE (50 laps)1. Griffin McGrath, Cedar Rapids, IA; 2. Arlo Becker, Norway, IA; 3. Tim Plummer, Norway, IA; 4. Larry Clausen, Cedar Rapids, IA; 5. Rodney Rocarek, Mount Vernon, IA; 6. Aric Becker, Cedar Rapids, IA; 7. Shawn Stinger, Palo, IA; 8. Cory Houdek, Marion, IA; 9. Chad Willett, Alburnett, IA; 10. Jim Hanson, Cedar Rapids, IA; 11. Darrell Long, Cedar Rapids, IA; 12. Scott Grady, Cedar Rapids, IA; 13. Scott Strauss, Cedar Rapids, IA; 14. Craig Bender, Cedar Rapids, IA FAST TIME- 19.646 Griffin McGrath

PERFORMANCE CONCEPTS LATE MODELS
FEATURE (25 laps)1. Scott Wennermark, Cedar Rapids, IA; 2. Brad Osborn, Janesville, IA; 3. Jeff King, Cedar Rapids, IA; 4. Chris Sevey, Waterloo, IA; 5. Kyle Hinrichs, Swisher, IA FAST TIME-18.848 Scott Wennermark

BUDWEISER SPORTSMEN
FEATURE (25 laps)1. Joey King, Silvis, IL; 2. Brian Franks, Central City, IA; 3. Ross Zumbach, Racine, MN; 4. Dave McCalla, Cedar Rapids, IA; 5. Andy Duggan, Marion, IA; 6. Kevin Lee, Cedar Rapids, IA; 7. Martin Ballard, Marengo; 8. Kevin Franks, Cedar Rapids, IA; 9. Mel Schappert, Cedar Rapids, IA; 10. Mark Hauder, Dubuque, IA; 11. Bob Ahrendsen, Cedar Rapids, IA; 12. Gene Peterson, Des Moines, IA; 13. Sonny Parker, Cedar Rapids, IA

SUNLINE HORNETS
FEATURE (12 laps)1. Nathan Ballard, Marengo, IA; 2. Doug Simon, Marion , IA; 3. Brian Beaty, Palo, IA; 4. Connie Binder, Clutier, IA; 5. Brian Bries, Norway, IA; 6. Derrick Beadle, Hiawatha, IA; 7. Jeremy Capron, Monticello, IA; 8. Brad Fisher, Oxford, IA

BARRON MOTOR SUPPLY IMCA HOBBY STOCKS
FEATURE (15 laps)1. Ron Fare, Cedar Rapids, IA; 2. Roland Bohnsack, Clutier, IA; 3. Chad Vozenilek, Cedar Rapids, IA; 4. Dennis Klinsky, Ely, IA; 5. Rodney Grother, Cedar Rapids, IA; 6. Tim Dains, Marions, IA; 7. Gary Pfantz, State Center, IA; 8. Scott Siems, Cedar Rapids, IA; 9. Kandi Floyd, Cedar Rapids, IA; 10. Deb Mefford, Marion, IA; 11. Kris Jones, Cedar Rapids, IA; 12. Jeremy Floyd, Cedar Rapids, IA; 13. Duayne Herb, Marion, IA DNS- Joe Sprague, Independence, IA

BARRON MOTOR SUPPLY IMCA STOCK CARS
FEATURE (20 laps)1. Bob Ahrendsen, Cedar Rapids, IA; 2. Kurt Bohnsack, Iowa City, IA; 3. Chad Siems, Marion, IA; 4. Logan Hale, Cedar Rapids, IA; 5. Brad Dvorak, Cedar Rapids, IA; 6. Greg Hentrich, Hiawatha, IA; 7. Dennis Hundley, Center Point, IA; 8. Doug Otto, Cedar Falls, IA; 9. Terry Clayton, Brooklyn, IA; 10. Wendy Carnahan, Cedar Rapids, IA; 11. Randy Filling, Toddville, IA