The final checkered flag was waved on the 2006-racing season at the Buena Vista Raceway
By Denny Grabenbauer

BUENA VISTA, IA. (Aug. 30, 2006) - The final checkered flag was waved on the 2006-racing season at the Buena Vista Raceway on Wednesday night with as much enthusiasm and excitement that the first green flag was waved some nineteen weeks prior. “It’s hard to believe that here we are, at the end of the season,” said co-promoter Becky Meyer. “Time goes as fast as the race car’s on the track. It seems like just yesterday we were in here cleaning things up from the winter, now we are stowing things away for the next winter”

With all of the point races but just a formality going into the final night, the racing action would prove exciting and close through out all of the divisions, much to the delight to the capacity grandstand crowd on this final night.

Only one driver would repeat as track champion after the final flag fell, and that would be Dave Smith in the I.M.C.A. Stock Car class. After moving from the I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock division where he was track champion in 2001, Smith has compiled a total of two track championships, 24-wins, 50-top fours, and 73-top ten finishes, a remarkable record. Smith’s feature win on Wednesday, his tenth of the season and one shy of last year’s record eleven wins, also keep’s Smith’s hopes of a National Championship alive. Also in the running for National award is Brian Blessington and Damon Murty. “All of us here at BVR Raceway are very proud of our drivers who compete with us weekly,” said Lee Meyer. “We have Dave and Brian in the Stock Car class, Donovan Smith in the Hobby Stock class and Jay Noteboom in the Modified who could all win National I.M.C.A. Championships in there respective divisions, that is a feat that I don’t think any other race track can boast. We have the chance to be the home of three National Champions this year.”

Nick Smith would finish second, but after a disqualification of Devin Smith in the Rasmussen Ford BVR Bombers, would score his first feature win of the season. A yellow flag would come on lap three to slow the event. Second place would go to Eric Puhrman followed by Shawn Halder and Justin Nehring. Adam Hicks would finish fifth and would go on to score the BVR Bomber Track Championship.

Mark Hill would become another first time winner in the Storm Lake Truck & Trailer I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock feature. Hill would lead the green to checkered event from start to finish. Behind Hill would be Trent Murphy, Point Champion Donovan Smith and Bill Woodcock, who scored his best finish of the year.

Yellow flags would slow the Storm Lake Honda Artic Cat 360-B-Mod feature but not the eventual winner Jake Simpson. Brett Meyer would lead through out the first ten laps until Simpson would get the jump on Meyer after a yellow flag on lap ten. Simpson would go low off of turn two, make the pass and go on to win his fifth feature of the year. Meyer would finish second followed by Mike Bailey and Austin Lucas.

Tom Sierck would lead the opening lap of the Scooters Bar &Grill I.M.C.A. Stock Car feature. With the field bunched up two and three wide behind the leader, a yellow flag would come out on lap three. On the restart, Randy Lawrey would make a pass for the lead. Lawrey, in his rookie season in the Stock Car class, would have the field covered until back-to-back yellows would come out on laps nine and ten. On each restart, Dave Smith would get close to the front. With three laps to go, Smith and Lawrey would run side by side. With less than two laps to go, Smith would make the pass for the lead and would go on to score the victory and gain his track championship. Last week’s feature winner Jason Mickelson would finish second followed Brian and Bud Mattson.

In the final championship feature of the night Loren Reuter would lead the early laps in the Fitzpatrick Auto Center I.M.C.A. Modified feature before Jay Noteboom would work his magic once again and go on to score the victory. With Reuter running up front, Noteboom was weaving his way to the front. A pair of yellow flags past the halfway point would be the only thing that would slow Noteboom on his way to his eighth victory of the year. Behind Noteboom were Jim Thies, Reuter and Ricky Stephan.

Sarah Nelson would ad her name to the history books at the BVR Raceway by being the first women to post a race win. The sixteen-year-old Nelson would win the heat race in the 4-Banger class, and become the first woman since 1994 to go to victory lane. Nelson would finish forth in the feature that was won by Elijah Zevenbergen, his second in a row. Second place would be Richard Goscinski with Brad Bohn third.

The 2006 racing season is now just a list of memories. To conclude the season the annual awards banquet will be held on Saturday January 27th, 2007 at the Alta Community Center

Wednesday Race Results:

FITZPATRICK AUTO CENTER I.M.C.A. MODIFIED:

HEAT 1: Loren Reuter-Allen, Neb—Brad Williams-Lytton—Jeff Herrig-Wall Lake

HEAT 2: Brian Schmitt—Wall Lake—Bruce Bonnesen-Aurelia—Jay Noteboom-Hinton

FEATURE: Jay Noteboom—Jim Thies—Loren Reuter—Ricky Stephan— Jeff Herrig—Clay Christenson—Bruce Bonnesen—Brad Williams—Joel Ziegmann—Dean Larson—Brian Schmitt—Jeff Stephens—Mark Gaskill



SCOOTERS BAR & GRILL I.M.C.A. STOCK CAR:

HEAT 1: Jason Mickelson-Storm Lake—Brian Blessington-Breda—Mike Scharn-Sac City

HEAT 2: Randy Lawrey-Cherokee—Bud Mattson-Alta—Dave Smith-Lake City

FEATURE: Dave Smith—Jason Mickelson—Brian Mattson—Bud Mattson—Brian Blessington—Randy Lawrey—Mike Nichols—Dale Woodard—Mark Stanley—Tom Sierck—Sam Monahan—Mike Scharn—Chris Ullrich—Roger Tripp—Jay Lockwood—Randy Brands



STORM LAKE TRUCK & TRAILER I.M.C.A HOBBY STOCK:

HEAT 1: Matt Schmillen-Marcus—Donovan Smith-Lake City—Trent Murphy-Jefferson

HEAT 2: Kyle Robinson-Cherokee—Dustin Smith-Lake City—Paul Toms-Lytton

FEATURE: Mark Hill—Trent Murphy—Donovan Smith—Bill Woodcock—Kyle Robinson—Matt Schmillen—Dustin Smith—Tony Pogeler—Kyle Timmerman—Cody Lucas—Paul Toms—Merle Bass—Doug Smith—Galen Freese—Matt Mahoney—Derrick Barglof—Brian Beal



RASMUSSENS FORD BVR BOMBERS:

HEAT 1: Adam Hicks-Lake City—Nick Smith-Storm Lake—David Hildreth-Rockwell City

HEAT 2: Devin Smith-Lake City—Eric Puhrman-Newell—Ramon Luna-Spencer

FEATURE: Nick Smith—Eric Puhrman—Shawn Halder—Justin Nehring—Adam Hicks—Tim Rupp—Gary Duitsman—Dave Hildreth—Brandon Thomas—Jason Iehl—Tim Hanson—Jon Vonnahme—Ramon Luna



STORM LAKE HONDA ARTIC CAT BVR 360 B-Mods:

HEAT 1: Brett Meyer-Ames—Matt Sangwin-Aurelia—Mark White-Spencer

HEAT 2: Harvey VanDeWeerd-Granville—Austin Lucas-Cherokee—Jake Simpson-Algona

HEAT 3: Dan VanBruggen-Hospers—Brandon Lucas-Cherokee—Tony Ross-Marcus

FEATURE: Jake Simpson—Brett Meyer—Dan VanBruggen—Mike Bailey—Harvey VanDeWeerd—Dan Hanselman—Mark White—Doug Ockerman—Adam Nissan—Matt Sangwin—Travis Schuller—Mark Mayer—Tony Ross—Casey Friedrichsen—Ronnie Fogelman—Bob Lindquist—Chris Grothe—Brandon Lucas



FOUR-BANGER CLASS:

HEAT RACE: Sarah Nelson-Humboldt—Brad Bohn-Brewster, MN—Brad Kathman-Emmetsburg

FEATURE: Elijah Zevenbergen —Richard Goscinski—Brad Bohn—Sara Nelson—Brad Kathman—Terry Sidles—Terry Berg, Jr.