By Chris Faulkner
Tanner Gebhardt captured the 305 Winged Sprints class on Saturday, July 20, at 34 Raceway.
Cole Helmerson of New London came in second and points leader Cody Wehrle finished third. John Barnard of Sherman, Ill., came in fourth, followed by a trio of Burlington drivers: Dugan Thye, Nathan Murders, and Nick Guernsey. Chase Young of Altoona was eighth, Travis Pence of Stronghurst, Ill., was ninth, and McCain Richards of Burlington 10th.
Wehrle leads the standings with 326 points, and Gebhardt is 14 back at 312. Guernsey is third at 278, Helmerson fourth at 264, and Thye is holding onto a top-five spot, ahead of Chase Richards, 259-252.
Because of rain late in the night, the features for Sport Compacts, Modifieds, and Stock Car didn't run. There will be double features this Saturday, which will be 34 for Kids Night, presented by the New Mix, 107.3. Kids 10 and under get in free with a paid admission. Pits open at 4 p.m., and the gates open at 5 p.m. All seven classes will run.
The Sprint Invaders event will run on Aug. 16, and the Pepsi Season Championship will run on Aug. 24.
John Oliver Jr. of West Burlington won the Sports Modified class, narrowing the gap to within one point, 299-298, of Sean Wyett of Danville. Wyett came in fifth. Oliver Jr. beat out Logan Cumby of Quincy, Ill., and Matt Thomas of Danville. Brian Schrage of Creston was fourth.
There's a tight race for third: Matt Tucker of Lomax, Ill., is third with 235, but Thomas is next at 234 and Kevin Goben of Sherrard, Ill., is fifth at 232.
Trenton Witt of Oskaloosa took the checkered flag in the Stock Car class. Chad Krogmeier of Burlington was second, Blake Woodruff of Knoxville, Ill., was third, Jerry Jansen of Plainville, Ill., fourth, and Doak Allen of West Burlington fifth.
Oliver Jr. holds a solid lead in the standings with 311 points. Krogmeier is a point ahead of Wapello driver Kirk Kinsley, 280-279. Corey Strothman of New London is fourth at 224, and David Brandies of Wilton is trying to hold off Derek Schwandt of Burlington, 155-153, for a top-five spot.
In the Modifieds class, Michael Claeys of Knoxville won the first heat, followed by Bill Roberts Jr. of Burlington. Dustin Smith of Long Grove came in third, followed by Blaised Lewis of Kewanee, Ill., and Zach Dockter of Norwich, North Dakota.
Austen Becerra of Carthage, Ill., won the second heat, and Jadin Fuller of Memphis, Mo., was second.
Roberts Jr. has an eight-point lead in the standings, 265-257, over Chris Zogg of New Liberty. Claeys is third at 241, and Becerra is a distant fourth at 191.
Brian Tipps of Wapello won the Mini Hauler class, with Sheldon Brockett second. Grady Jones of Monmouth, Ill., was third, followed by Darin Ronner of Gladstone, Ill., in fourth, and Lyle Timmerman of Wapello fifth.
Tipps leads Brockett in the standings, 198-189. Roger Brockett has 181 points, Ronner is fourth with 171 and Eric Detlefsen of Burlington is fifth, four points ahead of Jones for a top-five spot.
Larry Miller of Burlington won the first heat of the Sport Compact class, with Tim Schnathorst second. Noah Kayser won the second heat ahead of Darrian Hammitt of Burlington, T.J.
Weyls of Burlington, and Barry Taft of Argyle.Kayser barely leads Dylan Bonk of Hannibal, Mo., in the points standings 226-225. Darin Smith of Columbus Junction has 219 for third, and Shane Vancil of Salem is just a point ahead of Miller for fourth, 200-199.
In a tight race for sixth, Weyls has 187 points, and Schnathorst is tied with Hammitt at 186 each.In the Dirt Late Models class, Ray Raker of Danville leads Jay Johnson of West Burlington, 218-211.