DEB MEFFORD COLLECTS FIRST WIN
ILLINOIS DRIVER RONEY TOPS USST TRUCK-SPORTSMEN CHALLENGE
by: Brad Grupe

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA  (May 18) - Cedar Rapids Barron Motor Supply IMCA Hobby Stock driver Deb Mefford picked up her first career win at Hawkeye Downs Speedway on Friday night on a perfect night for racing. You could say the win was ten years in the making as Mefford had been close to victory several times in the past but hadn’t visited Coca-Cola-Victory Lane until Friday night. In fact, Mefford had “retired” after last season but friends and family coaxed her to return to the track this season.

Mefford took the lead three laps into the scheduled 15-lapper and then held off the likes of Gary Pfantz, Tim Dains, Rodney Grother and others to secure the win. Pfantz actually took the lead briefly with less than five laps to go but lapped traffic played a factor and Mefford, who was running the high groove, used the slower cars to her advantage, regained the point, and motored to the win.

Gary Pfantz maintained second while Tim Dains, Ron Dighton, and Dennis Klinsky filled out the top five while carrying on position battles of their own.

In other Papa Johns/ Cup I Wireless Championship action at ASA- sanctioned Hawkeye Downs Speedway, Thomas Roney of Crystal Lake, IL scored the win in the 50-lap “USST Trucks/ Budweiser Sportsmen Challenge 50.” Roney piloted his Ford F-150 to fast time of the night and started tenth in the 19 vehicle field after drawing a “ten” for the invert.

Roney secured the point on the eighth circuit of the half-mile and wasn’t tested for the lead although Brett Widdis did close the gap to about a half-second in the closing laps of the race. Widdis, from Manistique, MI finished second. The next four finishing positions were all held by Hawkeye Downs Budweiser Sportsmen drivers as Martin Ballard, Andy Duggan, Michael Weber and Mel Schappert crossed the stripe in that order.

Hawkeye Downs drivers in this race receive regular points with the highest finishing driver picking up first place points and so on through the
finishing order.

Arlo Becker picked up his first win of the 2007 campaign in the Miller Time Modifieds after his crew thrashed all week repairing damage from a brush with the wall in turn three last week. Becker, who started outside row one, held off points leader Tim Plummer for most of the race and with just a couple laps to go Plummer, Chad Willet, Rodney Rocarek, and Shawn Stinger were all grouped behind Becker looking for a way around.

Willet was able to secure second from Plummer as they maneuvered around a slower car and Willet finished a scant .087 seconds behind the cagey Becker. Plummer finished third, Rocarek fourth, and Stinger fifth.

Logan Hale notched win number two of the season in the Barron Motor Supply IMCA Stock Car feature finishing nearly seven-tenths of a second ahead of Randy Filling. Hale used the high groove to keep ahead of the pack for his second straight win. Doug Otto continued his good run in 2007 by finishing third with Bob Ahrendsen and Dennis Hundley also in the top five.

In the always exciting Sunline Hornets feature, Brad Chandler saw a sizeable lead dissolve but was still able to hold off Shawn Myers for the feature win in that division. John Schroer finished third after leading early and point leader Brian Beaty was fourth. Jeff Selfridge finished fifth.


Ryan Luedtke took top honors in yet another exciting feature in the IMCA Sportmods. Luedtke held off first-week winner Tony Olson and last week’s winner and driver of the week Arnie Reif to collect the checkers. Jim Buhlman and Brian Buhlman also scored top-five finishes.

Racing action resumes next Friday night, May 25 as the Memorial Day weekend kicks off with racing in the Miller Time Modifieds, Budweiser Sportsmen, Barron Motor Supply IMCA Stock Cars, Barron Motor Supply IMCA Hobby Stocks, Sunline Hornets, IMCA Sportmods and the second appearance of the season for the Go- Karts.





FEATURE RESULTS
May 18, 2007

SUNLINE HORNETS (12 laps)
1. Brad Chandler, Vinton, IA: 2. Shawn Myers, Cedar Rapids, IA; 3. John Schroer, Marion, IA; 4. Brian Beaty, Palo, IA; 5. Jeff Selfridge, Marion, IA; 6. Brian Bries, Norway, IA; 7. Larry Wolfe, Cedar Rapids; 8. Jon Livingston,
Marion, IA


IMCA SPORTMODS ( 15 laps)
1. Ryan Luedtke, Norway, IA; 2. Tony Olson, Cedar Rapids, IA; 3. Arnie Reif, Hiawatha, IA; 4. Jim Buhlman, Cedar Falls, IA; 5. Brian Kauffman. Cedar Rapids,
IA


BARRON MOTOR SUPPLY IMCA HOBBY STOCKS (20 laps)
1. Deb Mefford, Marion, IA; 2. Gary Pfantz, State Center, IA; 3. Tim Dains, Marion, IA; 4. Ron Dighton, Cedar Rapids, IA; 5. Dennis Klinsky, Ely, IA; 6. Kandi Floyd, Cedar Rapids, IA; 7. Steve Wilhelm, Cedar Rapids, IA; 8. Roland Bohnsack, Clutier; 9. Matt Lacoursiere, Cedar Rapids, IA; 10. Kris Jones, Cedar Rapids, IA; 11. Bill McVey, Cedar Rapids, IA; 12. Scott Benesh, Newhall, IA; 13. Duayne Herb, Cedar Rapids, IA; 14. Rodney Grother, Cedar Rapids, IA; 15. Malena Betzer, Cedar Rapids, IA; DNS- Scott Siems, Cedar Rapids, IA DNS- Perry
Thomsen, Cedar Rapids, IA


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


MILLER TIME MODIFIEDS (25 laps)
1. Arlo Becker, Norway, IA; 2. Chad Willet, Alburnett, IA; 3. Tim Plummer, Norway, IA; 4. Rodney Rocarek, Mt. Vernon, IA; 5. Shawn Stinger, Palo, IA; 6. Darrell Long, Cedar Rapids, IA; 7. Jim Hanson, Cedar Rapids, IA; 8. Joey Gase, Cedar Rapids, IA; 9. Cory Houdek, Marion, IA; 10. Steve Lindell, Marion, IA


BUDWEISER SPORTSMEN/USST TRUCKS (50 laps)
1. Tom Roney, Crystal lake, IL; 2. Brett Widdis, Manistique, MI; 3. Martin Ballard, Marengo, IA; 4. Andy Duggan, Marion, IA; 5. Michael Weber, Ryan, IA; 6. Mel Schappert, Cedar Rapids, IA; 7. Brandon Lollis, Altus, OK; 8. Bob Ahrendsen, Cedar Rapids, IA; 9. Brad Sams, Richardson, TX; 10. Chris Stocks, Milton, WI; 11. Bobby Ingram, Norman, OK; 12. Erie Caudell, Piedmont, OK; 13. Jon Leonard, Vinton, IA; 14. Dave McCalla, Cedar Rapids, IA; 15. Brian Franks, Central City, IA; 16. Steve Hillary, Machesney Park, IL; 17. Ryan Hicks, Yukon, OK; 18. Jeff Babb, Elgin, IL; 19. Craig Stepanek, Vinton, IA: DNS- Daniel Caddel, Tulsa, OK; DNS- Kevin Jones, Hollis, OK