Post by Webmaster on Jun 23, 2012 15:41:30 GMT -5
Spangler wins series feature one night, then clinches Evenson Iron Man crown the next
By: IMCA.com
ELY, Nev. (June 15-16) – Aaron Spangler won a series feature on one night and the series championship the next at Great Basin Speedway.
Spangler’s fourth $1,000 IMCA Modified checkers of the Evenson Iron Man Challenge Series on Friday kept him within haling distance of point leader Robert Miller heading into the Saturday finale at Ely.
Miller’s seven point advantage was erased and then some on night two when he got caught up with two other cars and ended the race in 19th. Justen Yeager was the feature winner and Spangler was fifth, good enough for a 14 point reversal and the Challenge Series crown.
“We went into the series with the idea of winning it but after breaking the first night and never making a lap under green, I thought that ended it for us,” admitted Spangler, who will get the biggest share of a $3,000 point fund. “But I never thought we’d win four times, either. We had a good run out there. Almost everything went right for us.”
Spangler followed the second annual series in a 2003 GRT borrowed from Race Fisher and powered by a Don Baisch-built engine. Remarkably, he used just four tires over the course of nine events at five different Nevada speedplants June 7-16.
Defending series champion Zane DeVilbiss, Cory Sample, Michael Hale and Dan Fitzgerald rounded out Friday’s top five. Jake Holland captured the hard charger prize, advancing eight spots to finish eighth.
Yeager had led most of the way before hitting an infield tire while trying to avoid contact with a lapped car on the final circuit and breaking the left front suspension.
Both Great Basin dates doubled as EQ Cylinder Heads Wild West Tour events. Yeager, the defending WWMT king, atoned some for the Friday night disappointment by winning from the 12th starting position on Saturday.
“It’s a nice little track. There were enough grooves that you could race your way to the front,” Yeager said. “It seemed like we got into the lead pretty fast.”
Yeager took charge before midway and built a straightaway lead. The last five laps ran green and he pulled away again as hard charger Jake Holland and DeVilbiss fought over second.
Holland, who’d started 18th, prevailed in that battle. DeVilbiss, Chase Hansen and Spangler followed.
Chase Hansen was a plus nine on a busy night in the race toward the front. Bert Beech moved up 10 spots to sixth, Dustin Hansen 16 spots to seventh, Dan Fitzgerald a dozen spots to eighth and Steve Evenson 15 spots to ninth.
Yeager’s win was the 13th of his Wild West Tour career and IMCA 121st. He became the fourth former Western Region champion to win a feature in the Iron Man Challenge Series.
June 15 feature results – 1. Aaron Spangler; 2. Zane DeVilbiss; 3. Cory Sample; 4. Micheael Hale; 5. Dan Fitzgerald; 6. Jake Holland; 7. Bert Beech; 8. Wade Taylor; 9. Brian Ungaro; 10. Riley Simmons; 11. Wyatt Howard; 12. Robert Miller; 13. Ron Moser; 14. Rick Spangler; 15. Richard Anderson; 16. Dustin Hansen; 17. Greg Scott; 18. Richard Mueller; 19. Butch Vernon; 20. Jeff Olschowka; 21. Justen Yeager; 22. Austin Black; 23. Ryan Cotrell; 24. Mickey Stubbings.
1st heat (top two) – 1. Aaron Spangler; 2. Taylor. 2nd heat – 1. Rick Spangler; 2. Beech. 3rd heat – 1. Fitzgerald; 2. Sample. 4th heat – 1. Howard; 2. Scott. 5th heat – 1. Yeager; 2. Hale. 6th heat – 1. DeVilbiss; 2. Olschowka.
1st “B” feature (top four qualify) – 1. Ungaro; 2. Black; Miller; 4. Cotrell. 2nd “B” feature – 1. Holland; 2. Anderson; 3. Moser; 4. Stubbings. 3rd “B” feature – 1. Simmons; 2. Mueller; 3. Dustin Hansen; 4. Vernon.
June 16 feature results – 1. Yeager; 2. Holland; 3. DeVilbiss; 4. Chase Hansen; 5. Aaron Spangler; 6. Beech; 7. Dustin Hansen; 8. Fitzgerald; 9. Steve Evenson; 10. Black; 11. Scott; 12. Rick Spangler; 13. Anderson; 14. Sample; 15. Simmons; 16. Howard; 17. Moser; 18. Andy Strait; 19. Miller; 20. Olschowka; 21. Dusty Safley; 22. Hale; 23. Dan Lee; 24. Cotrell.
1st heat (top two) – 1. Lee; 2. Aaron Spangler. 2nd heat – 1. DeVilbiss; 2. Sample. 3rd heat – 1. Simmons; 2. Rick Spangler. 4th heat – 1. Olschowka; 2. Hale. 5th heat – 1. Howard; 2. Miller. 6th heat – 1. Yeager; 2. Strait.
1st “B” feature (top four qualify) – 1. Chase Hansen; 2. Beech; 3. Moser; 4. Anderson. 2nd “B” feature – 1. Black; 2. Cotrell; 3. Fitzgerald; 4. Dustin Hansen. 3rd “B” feature – 1. Safley; 2. Holland; 3. Scott; 4. Evenson.
Evenson Iron Man Challenge Series top 10 point standings – 1. Aaron Spangler, Dove Creek, Colo., 307; 2, Robert Miller, Gardnerville, Nev., 300; 3. Chase Hansen, Myton, Utah, 278; 4. Wyatt Howard, Price, Utah, 275; 5. Richard Anderson, Shelly, Idaho, 267; 6. Cory Sample, Winnemucca, Nev., 264; 7. Wade Taylor, Spring Creek, Nev., 258; 8. Riley Simmons, Susanville, Calif., 255; 9. Dan Fitzgerald, Las Vegas, Nev., 244; 10. Jeff Olschowka, Olivehurst, Calif., 229.
By: IMCA.com
ELY, Nev. (June 15-16) – Aaron Spangler won a series feature on one night and the series championship the next at Great Basin Speedway.
Spangler’s fourth $1,000 IMCA Modified checkers of the Evenson Iron Man Challenge Series on Friday kept him within haling distance of point leader Robert Miller heading into the Saturday finale at Ely.
Miller’s seven point advantage was erased and then some on night two when he got caught up with two other cars and ended the race in 19th. Justen Yeager was the feature winner and Spangler was fifth, good enough for a 14 point reversal and the Challenge Series crown.
“We went into the series with the idea of winning it but after breaking the first night and never making a lap under green, I thought that ended it for us,” admitted Spangler, who will get the biggest share of a $3,000 point fund. “But I never thought we’d win four times, either. We had a good run out there. Almost everything went right for us.”
Spangler followed the second annual series in a 2003 GRT borrowed from Race Fisher and powered by a Don Baisch-built engine. Remarkably, he used just four tires over the course of nine events at five different Nevada speedplants June 7-16.
Defending series champion Zane DeVilbiss, Cory Sample, Michael Hale and Dan Fitzgerald rounded out Friday’s top five. Jake Holland captured the hard charger prize, advancing eight spots to finish eighth.
Yeager had led most of the way before hitting an infield tire while trying to avoid contact with a lapped car on the final circuit and breaking the left front suspension.
Both Great Basin dates doubled as EQ Cylinder Heads Wild West Tour events. Yeager, the defending WWMT king, atoned some for the Friday night disappointment by winning from the 12th starting position on Saturday.
“It’s a nice little track. There were enough grooves that you could race your way to the front,” Yeager said. “It seemed like we got into the lead pretty fast.”
Yeager took charge before midway and built a straightaway lead. The last five laps ran green and he pulled away again as hard charger Jake Holland and DeVilbiss fought over second.
Holland, who’d started 18th, prevailed in that battle. DeVilbiss, Chase Hansen and Spangler followed.
Chase Hansen was a plus nine on a busy night in the race toward the front. Bert Beech moved up 10 spots to sixth, Dustin Hansen 16 spots to seventh, Dan Fitzgerald a dozen spots to eighth and Steve Evenson 15 spots to ninth.
Yeager’s win was the 13th of his Wild West Tour career and IMCA 121st. He became the fourth former Western Region champion to win a feature in the Iron Man Challenge Series.
June 15 feature results – 1. Aaron Spangler; 2. Zane DeVilbiss; 3. Cory Sample; 4. Micheael Hale; 5. Dan Fitzgerald; 6. Jake Holland; 7. Bert Beech; 8. Wade Taylor; 9. Brian Ungaro; 10. Riley Simmons; 11. Wyatt Howard; 12. Robert Miller; 13. Ron Moser; 14. Rick Spangler; 15. Richard Anderson; 16. Dustin Hansen; 17. Greg Scott; 18. Richard Mueller; 19. Butch Vernon; 20. Jeff Olschowka; 21. Justen Yeager; 22. Austin Black; 23. Ryan Cotrell; 24. Mickey Stubbings.
1st heat (top two) – 1. Aaron Spangler; 2. Taylor. 2nd heat – 1. Rick Spangler; 2. Beech. 3rd heat – 1. Fitzgerald; 2. Sample. 4th heat – 1. Howard; 2. Scott. 5th heat – 1. Yeager; 2. Hale. 6th heat – 1. DeVilbiss; 2. Olschowka.
1st “B” feature (top four qualify) – 1. Ungaro; 2. Black; Miller; 4. Cotrell. 2nd “B” feature – 1. Holland; 2. Anderson; 3. Moser; 4. Stubbings. 3rd “B” feature – 1. Simmons; 2. Mueller; 3. Dustin Hansen; 4. Vernon.
June 16 feature results – 1. Yeager; 2. Holland; 3. DeVilbiss; 4. Chase Hansen; 5. Aaron Spangler; 6. Beech; 7. Dustin Hansen; 8. Fitzgerald; 9. Steve Evenson; 10. Black; 11. Scott; 12. Rick Spangler; 13. Anderson; 14. Sample; 15. Simmons; 16. Howard; 17. Moser; 18. Andy Strait; 19. Miller; 20. Olschowka; 21. Dusty Safley; 22. Hale; 23. Dan Lee; 24. Cotrell.
1st heat (top two) – 1. Lee; 2. Aaron Spangler. 2nd heat – 1. DeVilbiss; 2. Sample. 3rd heat – 1. Simmons; 2. Rick Spangler. 4th heat – 1. Olschowka; 2. Hale. 5th heat – 1. Howard; 2. Miller. 6th heat – 1. Yeager; 2. Strait.
1st “B” feature (top four qualify) – 1. Chase Hansen; 2. Beech; 3. Moser; 4. Anderson. 2nd “B” feature – 1. Black; 2. Cotrell; 3. Fitzgerald; 4. Dustin Hansen. 3rd “B” feature – 1. Safley; 2. Holland; 3. Scott; 4. Evenson.
Evenson Iron Man Challenge Series top 10 point standings – 1. Aaron Spangler, Dove Creek, Colo., 307; 2, Robert Miller, Gardnerville, Nev., 300; 3. Chase Hansen, Myton, Utah, 278; 4. Wyatt Howard, Price, Utah, 275; 5. Richard Anderson, Shelly, Idaho, 267; 6. Cory Sample, Winnemucca, Nev., 264; 7. Wade Taylor, Spring Creek, Nev., 258; 8. Riley Simmons, Susanville, Calif., 255; 9. Dan Fitzgerald, Las Vegas, Nev., 244; 10. Jeff Olschowka, Olivehurst, Calif., 229.