Cothron Celebrates Independence Day Early

DAVENPORT, IA (June 30, 2006) – Veteran late model driver Mike Cothron ended the longest dry spell of his racing career Friday at the Davenport Speedway. Cothron's 4th of July celebration started early as he won the 25-lap IMCA late feature, his first win in three years.

Mike Murphy Jr., led the first three laps of the race, but lost the lead to Cothron after a lap four restart. Cothron never had more than a five-car length lead, but managed to keep that distance on the entire field to the checkers. Point leader Kevin Blum started 12th and was able to take second by lap ten, but could not mount a challenge for the lead. Finishing behind Blum in third was Murphy, with Doug Nigh fourth and Mark Preston fifth.

Murphy, Eric Gustaf, and Jim Sandusky won the late model heats.

Kevin Peters of Monmouth, another veteran racer ended a Davenport dry spell. Peters captured the V-8 Modified feature after starting on the outside pole position. Peters took the lead of the feature on lap three from pole sitter Donovan Lodge.

Peters most serious challenge came from Milo Veloz Jr on lap 17, when Veloz tried to drive under Kevin in turn three. The two cars made heavy contact, with Peters maintaining the lead and Veloz falling back to third. At the stripe, it was Peters with the win, Lodge second, and Veloz third. Andy Cook and Rick Ratliff rounded out the top five. Modified heat race wins went to Peters, John Bull, and Jerry Connors, with Doug Crampton taking the semi-feature.

Jerry Pratt captured his first Davenport points feature of the year in exciting fashion. Pratt won the Street Stock main, leading only the last 100 feet of the race.

Tim Koehler had taken the lead from Henry Carson on lap five and looked for victory until Pratt stole the show on the final lap. Koehler finished a fender length back in second. Matt Zumwalt was third with Ron Doolittle fourth, and Carson fifth. Pratt, Randy Exline, and Korey Peterson won the heats. Jerry Pratt had also won a non-points race earlier in the year.

The B-Mod main saw a repeat winner for the second week in a row. Jake Waterman started fifth and took the lead on the second lap en route to his second win of the season. In a hotly contested race, Craig Crawford survived the mayhem to finish second with Pat Fennelly third. Joe Jones Jr. was fourth on the track, but was DQ'd for being light at the scales. B.J. Jackson and Josh Giegle were credited with fourth and fifth respectively. Jones, Mike Fluegel, and Kevin Fitzgibbon won the B-Mod heats.

Warren Ropp scored his second straight INEX Legend Car feature win. Young Perry Mitchell held the early lead, until Eric Barth took the lead on lap six. The Wisconsin driver was run off the track by a lapped car with two to go, giving the lead and the win to Ropp. Joel Wyttenbach was second with Mitchell third, Rick Harris fourth, and Barth recovering for fifth. Three former INEX national champions, Barth, Harris, and Keith Moline took the heats.

Joe Zrostlik won his second feature of the season at Davenport in the 4-Cylinder main. Zrostlik blasted through the field to get the lead and held off Justin Kay down the stretch to take the win. Kay would finish second with Steven Phillips third. Zrostlik and Todd Sibley won the heats.



Results -

IMCA Late Models
Heat 1: 1. Eric Gustaf; 2. Kevin Blum; 3. Andy Nezworski; 4. Nate Buesling; 5. Rick Wages;
Heat 2: 1. Mike Murphy Jr; 2. Doug Nigh; 3. Hershel Roberts; 4. Fred Remley; 5. Jason Parrish;
Heat 3: 1. Jim Sandusky; 2. Eddie Volquardsen; 3. Mike Cothron; 4. Mark Preston; 5. Matt Ryan;

Feature: 1. Mike Cothron; 2. Kevin Blum; 3. Mike Murphy Jr; 4. Doug Nigh; 5. Mark Preston; 6. Fred Remley; 7. Andy Nezworski; 8. Eric Gustaf; 9. Terry Neal; 10. Matt Ryan; 11. Hershel Roberts; 12. Nate Buesling; 13. Jason Parrish; 14. Eddie Volquardsen; 15. Ray Guss Jr; 16. Rick Wages; 17. Scott Schurbon; 18. Mike Guldenpfennig; 19. Joe Zrostlik; 20. Jim Sandusky; 21. Adam Oppendike;



V-8 Modifieds
Heat 1: 1. Jerry Connors; 2. Chris Giegle; 3. Ray Cox Jr; 4. Andy Cook; 5. Marty Diercks;
Heat 2: 1. John Bull; 2. Donovan Lodge; 3. Milo Veloz Jr; 4. Brandon Durbin; 5. Matt Stein:
Heat 3: 1. Kevin Peters; 2. Chuck Hanna; 3. Rick Ratliff; 4. Thad Wilson; 5. Mike Zemo Jr;
Semi: 1. Doug Crampton; 2. Marty Diercks; 3. Dean McGee; 4. Matt Stein; 5. Mike Zemo Jr;

Feature: 1. Kevin Peters; 2. Donovan Lodge; 3. Milo Veloz Jr; 4. Andy Cook; 5. Rick Ratliff; 6. Chuck Hanna; 7. Thad Wilson; 8. Marty Diercks; 9. Dean McGee; 10. Ray Cox Jr; 11. Brandon Durbin; 12. Jerry Connors; 13. John Bull; 14. Mike Zemo Jr; 15. Matt Stein; 16. Keith Blum; 17. Doug Crampton; 18.Erik Close; 19. Chris Giegle; 20. Don Pataska;



Street Stocks
Heat 1: 1. Jerry Pratt; 2. Brad Tyler; 3. Matt Zumwalt; 4. Ron Doolittle; 5. Don Hatfield;
Heat 2: 1. Korey Peterson; 2. Toby Spicer; 3. Tim Koehler; 4. Kevin Schloemer; 5. Jamie Wilson;
Heat 3: 1. Randy Exline; 2. Andrew Chelf; 3. Bruce Fosdyck; 4. Henry Carson; 5. Andrew Burk;
Feature: 1. Jerry Pratt; 2. Tim Koehler; 3. Matt Zumwalt; 4. Ron Doolittle; 5. Henry Carson; 6. Toby Spicer; 7. Brad Tyler; 8. Jamie Wilson; 9. Bruce Fosdyck; 10. Terry Coon; 11. Matt Werner; 12. Kevin Schloemer; 13. Denny Dillon; 14. Don Hatfield; 15.Andrew Chelf; 16. Randy Exline; 17. Andrew Burk;



B-modifieds
Heat 1: 1. Joe Jones Jr; 2. Jeremy Marquette; 3. Craig Crawford; 4. Nick Hixson; 5. Mike Lief Jr;
Heat 2: 1. Kevin Fitzgibbon; 2. Josh Giegle; 3. BJ Jackson; 4. Jake Waterman; 5. Mike Claussen;
Heat 3: 1. Mike Fluegel; 2. Pat Fennelly; 3. Bryan Rogers; 4. Dan Anderson; 5. Mike Baker;

Feature: 1. Jake Waterman; 2. Craig Crawford; 3. Pat Fennelly; 4. BJ Jackson; 5. Josh Giegle; 6. Dan Anderson; 7. Mike Baker; 8. Nick Hixson; 9. Kevin Fitzgibbon; 10. Mike Claussen; 11. Brad Pershy; 12. Adam Kinion; 13. Jeremy Marquette; 14. Mike Fluegel; 15. Mike Lief Jr; 16. Bryan Rogers;



INEX Legend Cars

Heat 1: 1. Keith Moline; 2. Jeremy Meyer; 3. Warren Ropp; 4. Tom Butler; 5. David Dvorak;
Heat 2: 1. Rick Harris; 2. Brandon Hentges; 3. Ken Burns; 4. Chase Diercks; 5. Chad Patch;
Heat 3: 1. Eric Barth; 2. Joel Wyttenbach; 3. Craig Peekenschnieder; 4. Perry Mitchell; 5. Keith Meyer;

Feature: 1. Warren Ropp; 2. Joel Wyttenbach; 3. Perry Mitchell; 4. Rick Harris; 5. Eric Barth; 6. Chad Patch; 7. Keith Moline; 8. Tom Butler; 9. Jeremy Meyer; 10. Lane Swearinger; 11. Brandon Hentges; 12. Keith Meyer; 13. Jeremie Johnson; 14. David Dvorak; 15. Ken Burns; 16. Chase Diercks; 17. Dennis Begyn; 18. Phil Hamilton; 19. Bruce Andreas; 20. Don Gillham; 21. Craig Peekenschnieder;



4-Cylinders

Heat: 1: 1. Todd Sibley; 2. Steve Boyle; 3. Kevin Haury; 4. Dennis Dammann Jr; 5. Dustin Kay;
Heat: 2: 1. Joe Zrostlik; 2. Justin Kay; 3. Steven Phillips; 4. Brad Roelandt; 5. Stacy Nall;

Feature: 1. Joe Zrostlik; 2. Justin Kay; 3. Steven Phillips; 4. Dustin Kay; 5. Todd Sibley; 6. Kevin Haury; 7. Brad Roelandt; 8. Dennis Dammann Jr; 9. Ricky Kay; 10. Stacy Nall; 11. Steve Boyle;