Birkhofer Waits Till Late Race Pass to Win Lucas Oil Late Model Event
By Bob Wilson

KNOXVILLE, IA (July 21, 2006) - The Iowa Boy, Brian Birkhofer, showed some of the best late model drivers in the nation the fast way around the half-mile Marion County fairgrounds oval as he captured the Iowa Telecom Summer Classic Friday night. The win paid the Muscatine driver $10,000.

In the end, the race would boil down to four drivers who had a chance at winning the event. The early going saw Jimmy Mars and Matt Miller dice with each other and exchange the lead until they hit the five mile mark. That is when Mars took the lead which he held for nearly the entire 50-lap distance.

A yellow for a stopped car on lap 13 was one of several slowdowns that brought an exciting race to calm and order. At this point Mars led Miller, Birkhofer, Scott Bloomquist, Don O'Neal, Donnie Moran and Earl Pearson, Jr.

When the race resumed, Mars was able to put some distance on his nearest challengers as Miller and Birkhofer battled for the runner-up spot. Bloomquist waited in the wings for either of those two to error as his mount held a close fourth.

At the end of seventeen laps the Miller-Birkhofer shootout came down to a blanket finish as they raced under the flag stand for second. When they raced out of turn two with Birkhofer on the high side, the eastern Iowa driver edged ahead to claim the second place position. Shortly thereafter two more yellow flags slowed the action as the race edged toward the half-way point.

When the race indeed hit the 25-lap mark, the fourth yellow of the race was shown for Moran who had slowed to a near stop. During this caution, Steve Casebolt and Ronny Lee Hollingsworth also came pitside. None of the cars returned to the track.

The restart saw Mars, Birkhofer, Miller, Bloomquist, Darren Miller and Pearson, Jr. take the green in that order. Yet another yellow slowed those battles on the 28th go around. When the race again went green, Birkhofer began to chase Mars in close order. At the end of thirty laps only one car length separated those top two cars.

It was during this time that those three top running cars began to sort out what they felt were the fast lines around the Knoxville oval. Mars used the cushion in turns one and two and drove the bottom line in turns three and four. Birkhofer and Bloomquist drove the cushion at the high Knoxville fences all the way around. Little by little Birkhofer was able to pull away and was soon on the heels of Mars.

As the race edged toward the forty lap point, the leaders headed into heavy lap traffic. Bloomquist was able to get by Birkhofer for a lap but Birkhofer repaid the pass on the next go around. All the while, Birkhofer was gaining on the leader using his patience and Knoxville track savy. When those two front runners flew past the start-finish line, it was a near dead heat and only the transponders told the name of Mars as the leader.

Having headed once again into turn one on the cushion, Birkhofer this time roared out of turn two with the lead on lap 42. Mars was ever so close but he was unable to thwart the Birkhofer momentum. In the remaining laps of this 25-mile sprint, Birkhofer was able to pull away and in the end he had mounted a margin of 15 car lengths at the checkered flags. Chasing him to the stripe were Mars, Bloomquist, Matt Miller, Darren Miller, O'neal, Pearson, Jr., Chris Wall, Freddy Smith and Brady Smith.

A companion division of 305 winged sprints accompanied the Friday night program and saw 18-year-old Jonathan Cornell win the 15-lap feature. It was thought at press time that the win was Cornell's 13th of the season around the upper mid-west, one of the high marks for sprint wins in the nation.

Cornell did not take the lead until lap eight but once he had the point he walked away with the show. Trailing him to the checkers were Marty Stephenson, Tom Lenz, Matt Stephenson, Mark Widmar, Doug Bratrud, Kenny Potter, Nate Van Haaften, Kevin Tanner and Bob Thompson. Twenty-four cars started the feature event.


KNOXVILLE RACEWAY, Knoxville, IA
July 21, 2006


305 Winged-Sprint RESULTS

Heat 1, 6 laps, No Time: 1. Bruce Anderson, Trimont MN; 2. Jonathan Cornell, Sedalia MO; 3. Kenny Potter, Kansas City MO; 4. Matt Stephenson, Altoona IA; 5. Jack Potter, Kansas City MO; 6. Nate Van Hafften, Otley IA; 7. Carl Moyer, Ankeny IA; 8. Bob Lamb, Mitchellville IA; 9. Larry Webb, Ankeny IA; 10. Rob Kubli, Milo IA; 11. Ryan Yager, Fenton IA;

Heat 2, 6 laps, No Time: 1. Mitchell Alexander, Knoxville IA; 2. Steve Breazealle, Trenton MO; 3. Marty Stephenson, Mitchellville IA; 4. Mark Widmar, Ottumwa IA; 5. Tom Lenz, Strawberry Point IA; 6. Todd Pankow, Trimont MN; 7. Kevin Tanner, Russell IA; 8. Shadrach Sporaa, Iowa Falls IA;

Heat 3, 6 laps, 1;58.7: 1. Mike Mayberry, Fremont IA; 2. Louis Lynch, Glenwood MO; 3. Bob Hildreth, Iowa Falls IA; 4. Austin Alumbaugh, Higginsville MO; 5. Adam Thurmer, Jackson MN; 6. Doug Bratrud, Jackson MN; 7. Jeff Edgington, Sioux Falls SD; 8. Chris Walraven, Knoxville IA;

A Feature , 15 laps, No Time: 1. Jonathan Cornell, Sedalia MO; 2. Marty Stephenson, Mitchellville IA; 3. Tom Lenz, Strawberry Point IA; 4. Matt Stephenson, Altoona IA; 5. Mark Widmar, Ottumwa IA; 6. Doug Bratrud, Jackson MN; 7. Kenny Potter, Kansas City MO; 8. Nate Van Hafften, Otley IA; 9. Kevin Tanner, Russell IA; 10. Bob Thompson, Des Moines, IA; 11. Bruce Anderson, Trimont MN; 12. Mike Mayberry, Fremont IA; 13. Bob Hildreth, Iowa Falls IA; 14. Larry Webb, Ankeny IA; 15. Shadrach Sporaa, Iowa Falls IA; 16. Adam Thurmer, Jackson MN; 17. Jeff Edgington, Sioux Falls SD; 18. Jack Potter, Kansas City MO; 19. Todd Pankow, Trimont MN; 20. Louis Lynch, Glenwood MO; 21. Austin Alumbaugh, Higginsville MO; 22. Steve Breazeale, Trenton MO; 23. Mitchell Alexander, Knoxville IA; 24. Bob Lamb, Mitchellville IA. Lap Leaders: Anderson 1-4; Matt Stephenson 5; Marty Stephenson 6-7; Cornell 8-15
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series RESULTS

Time Trials, 1 laps, 1. Brian Birkhofer, Muscatine IA, 18.505; 2. Justin Fegers, Mound MN, 18.577; 3. Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, 18.595; 4. Jimmy Mars, Menomonie WI, 18.611; 5. Darren Miller, Chadwick IL, 18.641; 6. Brady Smith, Solon Springs WI, 18.658; 7. Don ONeal, 18.749; 8. Donnie Moran, Dresden OH, 18.816; 9. Scott James, Lawrenceburg IN, 18.836; 10. Steve Casebolt, 18.852; 11. Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg TN, 18.892; 12. Matt Miller, Arlington OH, 18.939; 13. Freddy Smith, 18.984; 14. Earl Pearson Jr., Jacksonville FL, 19.025; 15. Kerry Hansen, Spencer WI, 19.078; 16. Stseve Ihm, 19.104; 17. Johnny Bone Jr., Pea Ridge AR, 19.218; 18. Michael England, 19.231; 19. Jay Johnson, West Burlington IA, 19.273; 20. Chris Smyser, Lancaster MO, 19.289; 21. Andrew McKay, 19.29; 22. Matt Furman, 19.356; 23. Denny Woodworth, Mendon IL, 19.374; 24. Todd Shute, 19.425; 25. Chris Spieker, Massena IA, 19.456; 26. Boone McLaughlin, Mediapolis IA, 19.635; 27. Johnny Johnson, West Burlington IA, 19.766; 28. Ryan Vicker, 19.9; 29. Jeff French, Waukee IA, 20.074; 30. Jill George, Cedar Falls IA, 20.1; 31. Paul Glendenning, Mount Ayr IA, 20.597; 32. Richard Foster, Holts Summit MO, No Time; 33. Alonzo Grosse, Council Bluffs IA, No Time;

Heat 1, 10 laps, 3:16.3: 1. Jimmy Mars; 2. Don ONeal; 3. Brian Birkhofer, Muscatine IA; 4. Steve Casebolt; 5. Chad Simpson, Mount Vernon IA; 6. Freddy Smith; 7. Todd Shute; 8. Andrew McKay; 9. Johnny Johnson, West Burlington IA; 10. Michael England; 11. Jill George, Cedar Falls IA;

Heat 2, 10 laps, 3:18.0: 1. Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg TN; 2. Donnie Moran, Dresden OH; 3. Josh Richards, Shinnston WV; 4. Matt Furman; 5. Ace Ihm; 6. Jay Johnson, West Burlington IA; 7. Chris Spieker, Massena IA; 8. Nick Marolf, Moscow IA; 9. Ryan Vicker; 10. Justin Fegers, Mound MN; 11. Darren Miller, Chadwick IL;

Heat 3, 10 laps, 3:17.5: 1. Mike Stadel, Rapid City SD; 2. Brady Smith, Solon Springs WI; 3. Chris Wall; 4. Ronny Lee Hollingsworth; 5. Scott James, Lawrenceburg IN; 6. Chris Smyser, Lancaster MO; 7. Denny Woodworth, Mendon IL; 8. Kyle Berck, Marquette NE; 9. Johnny Bone Jr., Pea Ridge AR; 10. Jeff French, Waukee IA; 11. Alonzo Grosse, Council Bluffs IA;

B Feature , 12 laps, No Time: 1. Freddy Smith; 2. Chris Spieker, Massena IA; 3. Kyle Berck, Marquette NE; 4. Todd Shute; 5. Darren Miller, Chadwick IL; 6. Justin Fegers, Mound MN; 7. Denny Woodworth, Mendon IL; 8. Chris Smyser, Lancaster MO; 9. Michael England; 10. Nick Marolf, Moscow IA; 11. Johnny Bone Jr., Pea Ridge AR; 12. Andrew McKay; 13. Johnny Johnson, West Burlington IA; 14. Ryan Vicker; 15. Jeff French, Waukee IA; 16. Jill George, Cedar Falls IA; 17. Jay Johnson, West Burlington IA; 18. Alonzo Grosse, Council Bluffs IA; 19. Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg TN;

A Feature, 50 laps, No Time: 1. Brian Birkhofer, Muscatine IA; 2. Jimmy Mars; 3. Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg TN; 4. Matt Miller, Arlington OH; 5. Darren Miller, Chadwick IL; 6. Don ONeal; 7. Earl Pearson Jr., Jacksonville FL; 8. Chris Wall; 9. Freddy Smith; 10. Brady Smith, Solon Springs WI; 11. Justin Fegers, Mound MN; 12. Boone McLaughlin, Mediapolis IA; 13. Todd Shute; 14. Michael England; 15. Steve Ihm; 16. Jay Johnson, West Burlington IA; 17. Scott James, Lawrenceburg IN; 18. Steve Casebolt; 19. Ronny Lee Hollingsworth; 20. Donnie Moran, Dresden OH; 21. Chris Spieker, Massena IA; 22. Matt Furman; 23. Denny Woodworth, Mendon IL; 24. Kerry Hansen, Spencer WI. Lap Leaders: Mars 1; M. Miller 2-3; Mars 4-8; M. Miller 9. Mars 10-42; Birkhofer 43-50