Robinson celebrates fatherhood with first-ever win at Independence Motor Speedway
By Ryan Clark

INDEPENDENCE, IA (July 29, 2006) – Just a few days after celebrating the birth of his new daughter, I.M.C.A. hobby stock driver Kevin Robinson capped off his week with his first career victory at Independence Motor Speedway.

At the start of the 15-lapper, second row starter Perry Thomsen shot to the front and assumed command. Thomsen stretched out his lead as Robinson settled into second with Wes Stanek Jr. running third.

Thomsen continued his stay out front as Robinson slowly reeled in the race leader. Just past the midway point, Robinson drove around the high side of Thomsen to settle into the lead. He held off the challenges of Stanek to score the milestone victory. Jim Ball crossed the line in third.

Travis Brown took the lead at the drop of the green in the 15-lap B modified feature. Brown enjoyed a comfortable lead while Joe Docekal worked through traffic from a fourth row start. Docekal settled into second after four laps and worked to reel in the leader until the caution flag waved two laps later.

On the restart, Brown continued to lead the pack with Docekal on his rear bumper as Brett Ladehoff and John Bates worked through traffic. With laps winding down, Brown remained the leader and the trio of drivers behind him battled side-by-side for the runner-up spot.

As the leaders took the white flag, Docekal shot under Brown as the two engaged in a side-by-side battle for the top spot. Docekal took the edge down the back straightaway and led through the final two turns to score the victory. Bates made his way around Brown for second at the line.

LaVerne Weber enjoyed the early lead of the I.M.C.A. stock car 20-lapper. As Weber led, Brian Irvine worked through the field from his fourth row starting spot and settled into second just prior to a lap nine caution.

Following the restart, Irvine worked his way around the high side of Weber to assume command. Irvine led the final 11 laps of the event to score the win over Jarod Weepie, who raced through the field after starting 13th. Weber crossed the line in third.

In I.M.C.A. modified action, Erik Haupt took charge early. From his pole position start, Haupt jumped into the lead at the drop of the green flag, chased by Johnathan Thimmesch and Ed Thomas. Haupt continued to show the way until a miscue on the ninth lap brought out the yellow flag.

Just prior to the caution, Thomas worked his way around Thimmesch and inherited the lead for the restart. Thomas continued to lead when the race resumed, but was heavily pressured by Patrick Flannagan and Vern Jackson. Thomas denied all challenges as he drove to the hard-fought win, his first of the season, over Flannagan and Jackson.

Rick Dralle took the early lead in the 25-lap I.M.C.A. late model main event. Dralle remained unchallenged out front until the race was slowed for caution on lap 12. Joel Brasch realigned in second with points leader Curt Martin third.

Following the restart, Martin worked under Brasch on lap 13 and then Dralle two laps later to take command. Martin drove away from the field over the final 10 laps to take the checkers ahead of Dralle and Tyler Bruening.



RESULTS

I.M.C.A. LATE MODEL

First heat – 1. 14B Levi Benn, Dyersville; 2. 85 LaVern Carey, Ionia; 3. 69B Joel Brasch, Dunkerton; 4. 145 Dale Hackwell Jr., Washburn; 5. 06 Dean Wagner, Evansdale; 6. 44 Luke Goedert, Holy Cross; 7. H2O Paul Watter, Parkersburg.

Second heat – 1. 86 Rick Dralle, Waterloo; 2. 16 Tyler Bruening, Decorah; 3. 2P Jon Passick, Waterloo; 4. 77 Dirk Hamilton, Jesup; 5. 53 Darren Ackerman, Waterloo; 6. 8 Randy Wheeler, Cedar Falls; 7. 4 Leon Thomsen, Waverly.

Third heat – 1. 45 Curt Martin, Independence; 2. 88 Drew Johnson, Belle Plaine; 3. 7 Greg Hunter, Independence; 4. 80 Jerry Dedrick, Vinton; 5. 73 Greg Kastli, Waterloo; 6. 68 Tysus Pattee, Vinton; 7. 4B Brian Lillie, Independence.

Feature – 1. Martin; 2. Dralle; 3. Bruening; 4. Kastli; 5. Brasch; 6. Benn; 7. Dedrick; 8. Hunter; 9. Hackwell; 10. Ackerman; 11. Wagner; 12. Pattee; 13. Goedert; 14. Hamilton; 15. Passick; 16. Johnson; 17. Wheeler; 18. Watters; 19. Lillie; 20. Thomsen; 21. Carey.



I.M.C.A. MODIFIED

First heat – 1. 01 Ed Thomas, Waterloo; 2. 64 Vern Jackson, Waterloo; 3. 3 Max Corporon, Marion; 4. 85 Johnathan Thimmesch, Aurora; 5. 18 Jerry Luloff, Independence; 6. 98 Jason Snyder, Dunkerton; 7. 33D Scott Hogan, Vinton; 8. 11 Timm Jensen, Dunkerton; 9. 111 Buster Pate, Hiawatha; 10. 24R Adam Johnson, Independence.

Second heat – 1. 14 Randy Trefz, Vinton; 2. 02 Mike Gill, La Porte City; 3. 93 Erik Haupt, Sumner; 4. F7 Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 5. 57B Dennis Betzer, Central City; 6. 4S Garry Stuber, Waterloo; 7. 71 Troy Cordes, Raymond; 8. 00 J.D. Auringer, Waterloo; 9. 83C Todd Conrad, Cedar Rapids; 10. 13 Jim Schaefer, Waterloo; 11. 6 Don Erger, Brandon.

Feature – 1. Thomas; 2. Flannagan; 3. Jackson; 4. Betzer; 5. Hogan; 6. Luloff; 7. Auringer; 8. Cordes; 9. Stuber; 10. Snyder; 11. Jensen; 12. Conrad; 13. Trefz; 14. Pate; 15. Corporon; 16. Gill; 17. Haupt; 18. Schaefer; 19. Thimmesch; 20. Johnson; DNS Erger.



I.M.C.A. STOCK CAR
First heat – 1. 26 Brian Irvine, Oelwein; 2. K38 Kenny Taylor, Strawberry Point; 3. 94 Steve Meyer, Grundy Center; 4. 4 LaVerne Weber, Waterloo; 5. 9 Dallas Morin, Cedar Rapids; 6. 29A Jeff Adams, Bondurant; 7. 3 Jarod Weepie, Dunkerton; 8. 21 Shane Manson, Manchester; 9. 8B Scott Beauregard, Center Point; 10. 58I Eric, Weber, Jesup.

Second heat – 1. 38 Dain Sires, Cedar Falls; 2. JR3 Jason Hocken, Independence; 3. 8R Sean Johnson, Independence; 4. 00 Tony Schimmels, Readlyn; 5. 20 Dan Trimble, Fairbank; 6. 69 Kurt Kastli, Waterloo; 7. 15 Norman Chesmore, Quasqueton; 8. 11 Loras Schaefer, Waterloo; 9. 83Z Nick Wroten, Rowley.

Feature – 1. Irvine; 2. Weepie; 3. L. Weber; 4. Sires; 5. Trimble; 6. Meyer; 7. Morin; 8. Schimmels; 9. Taylor; 10. E. Weber; 11. Schaefer; 12. Wroten; 13. Johnson; 14. Kastli; 15. Manson; 16. Hocken; 17. Beauregard; 18. Adams; 19. Chesmore.



I.M.C.A. HOBBY STOCK

First heat – 1. 30 Mike Stanek, Dewar; 2. 35 Josh Irvine, Oelwein; 3. 62G Adam Gebel, Dysart; 4. 55 Vince Buchholz, Cedar Falls; 5. 18W Dave Wheeler, Fairbank; 6. 8 Bill Meyer, Sumner; 7. 19 Greg Jones, Aplington.

Second heat – 1. 24R Kevin Robinson, Independence; 2. 8T Perry Thomsen, Cedar Rapids; 3. 64JR Jeremiah Wilson, Waterloo; 4. 22 Patrick Stansbery, Evansdale; 5. 25 Jamie Whitaker, Nevada; 6. 88S Joe Sprague, Independence; 7. 12J Jeremy Floyd, Cedar Rapids.

Third heat – 1. 32 Don Arnold, Stanley; 2. 48 Travis Michels, Hazleton; 3. 7B Jim Ball, Independence; 4. 20 Wes Stanek Jr., Cedar Falls; 5. 77 Rod Grother, Cedar Rapids; 6. 31S Paul Shepherd, Marengo; 7. 20W Bruce Fraser, Manchester.

Feature – 1. Robinson; 2. W. Stanek; 3. Ball; 4. Wilson; 5. Irvine; 6. Whitaker; 7. Shepherd; 8. Gebel; 9. Meyer; 10. Buchholz; 11. Sprague; 12. Floyd; 13. Grother; 14. Stansbery; 15. M. Stanek; 16. Fraser; 17. Michels; 18. Wheeler; 19. Thomsen; 20. Arnold; 21. Jones.



B MODIFIED
First heat – 1. 12X Brett Ladehoff, Marshalltown; 2. 25 Alan Wessels, Strawberry Point; 3. 12D Joe Docekal, Dysart; 4. 75 Josh Sherbon, Cedar Falls; 5. 7 Tim Swope, Waterloo; 6. 52R Marty Rouse, Grundy Center; 7. 66 Brian Kauffman, Cedar Rapids.

Second heat – 1. 24 Travis Brown, Cedar Rapids; 2. 069 Mike Krall, Waterloo; 3. 99 John Bates, Fairbank; 4. 20 Brian Kunkle, Oelwein; 5. 35 Kyle Bentley, Fairbank; 6. 69 Joel Cox, Waterloo; 7. 5 Bob Ebaugh, Raymond.

Third heat – 1. T23 Tony Olson, Cedar Rapids; 2. 57S Joe Sprague, Independence; 3. 15 Rod McDonald, Strawberry Point; 4. 00 Jim Buhlman, Cedar Falls; 5. 95 Todd Temeyer, Independence; 6. 83 Russell Hesse, Waterloo; 7. 95H Mary Handberg, Waterloo.

Feature – 1. Docekal; 2. Bates; 3. Brown; 4. Ladehoff; 5. Kunkle; 6. Olson; 7. Buhlman; 8. Bentley; 9. Rouse; 10. Krall; 11. Temeyer; 12. Handberg; 13. Sherbon; 14. Moore; 15. McDonald; 16. Swope; 17. Ebaugh; 18. Wessels; DSN Cox; DNS Hesse; DNS Kauffman.