Andy Boeckman nips Miles Michehl to win the first USRA Hobby Stock heat race. Michehl bounced back to beat Boeckman in the main event.

FORT DODGE, Iowa -- History was made Friday night in Fort Dodge, Iowa, as an estimated crowd of nearly 5,000 people packed the Mineral City Speedway for Fan Appreciation Night presented by Motorsports Safety Products.

For two weeks prior to the event, competitors at the high-speed half-mile clay oval handed out free passes to their family members, friends and co-workers to invite them out to watch them race. What followed was the largest audience in the history of the facility, and possibly the community of Fort Dodge.

With picture-perfect weather, an excellent racing surface and plenty of cold beverages on hand, the drivers did not disappoint those in attendance as they conjured up photo-finish after photo-finish from the first heat race until the final checkered flag at 10:15 p.m.

Hornets kicked off the feature race action with Mike McFarland of Clare holding off Joe DeBoer of Fort Dodge to claim the victory. Jarid Kuchenreuther of Rockwell City raced from seventh on the starting grid to finish third, with Fort Dodge drivers Mick Evans and Zach Sells completing the top 5.

Mellissa Evans of Fort Dodge had a hard crash early in the feature race when her Hornet sailed over the turn 3 embankment and nose-dived into the ground. After about a 30-minute delay while safety personnel extracted her from the race car, she was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital where she was later released.

According to her husband, Nick Evans, who also competes in the Hornet division, Melissa suffered a compression fracture in her lower vertebrae, but is doing well and expected to fully recover.

In the Econo Stock main event, Brad Hanse of Fort Dodge made a late-race pass to secure the win with Fort Dodge’s Brad Babb taking the runner-up spot. Dan Dahl of Rutland, Dan Crawford of Duncombe and Jason Lowe of Sac City rounded out the top 5.

Sac City’s Andy Boeckman nipped Myles Michehl of Fort Dodge by a nose to win the first USRA Hobby Stock heat race, but Michehl turned the tables in the feature race with a late pass to take the $500 top prize and score his third win of the season.

Behind Boeckman, third place went to Ty Griffith of Webster City, with Lyle Oberhelman of Fort Dodge grabbing fourth and Jeff Lyon of Duncombe coming from the 12th starting spot to garner a fifth-place paycheck.

In USRA B-Mod action, Rocky Caudle led the bulk of the main event, but the Webster City racer was unable to hold off hard-charging Tyler Droste for the $500 winner’s share of the prize money. The 16-year-old from Waterloo took the lead with two laps to go and held on to take his third win of the season at the Mineral City Speedway.

Caudle took the runner-up spot while Boone’s Eric Elliott, Roland’s Matt Lettow and Jerid Ratzke of Williams finished third through fifth, respectively.

From the pole position, Wayne Crimmins of Fort Dodge jumped out to a big lead in the USRA Stock Car nightcap and appeared to be on his way to an easy win, but a caution flag with seven laps to go erased nearly a full straight-away advantage and gave last week’s winner, Lance Deal, a shot at the leader.

Deal tested the low side of the racing surface and pulled alongside Crimmins several times over the final few circuits, but Crimmins was able to hold on for the $500 triumph and celebrated in front of the packed house with a two-wheeling “drift” on the front stretch.

Behind Deal, Churdan’s Jason Minnehan captured a third-place finish, veteran Steve Jackson of Polk City finished fourth and Ryan Leeman of Roland came away with the fifth spot.

The air will be quiet for just four days before the Mineral City Speedway revs up again with the sound of horsepower as the USMTS Modifieds invade on Tuesday, June 26. Joining the nation’s hottest open-wheel dirt modified drivers will be the top Stock Car and B-Mod pilots in the region as they compete in the Iron Man Challenge.

As if that wasn’t enough, kids will get their chance to catch some cash in the $1,000 Kids’ Money Drop.

Grandstand gates open at 5:00, hot laps start at 7:00 and racing begins at 7:30. Adult grandstand tickets are $17, kids ages 6-12 are $5 and children ages 5 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $30.

For those 5,000 fans in attendance on Friday night, bring your ticket stub and save $5 on an adult admission this Tuesday.

The Mineral City Speedway is a 1/2-mile semi-banked dirt oval located 0.9 mile north of US 20 on US 169, then 0.5 mile east on 230th. For a complete 2012 schedule, complete weekly payouts and more check out www.mineralcityspeedway.com online.

To learn more about the USRA, visit www.usraracing.com or call 515-832-6000.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series
Mineral City Speedway, Fort Dodge, Iowa
Friday, June 22, 2012

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown and money won.

USRA HOBBY STOCKS

Heat #1:
1. (3) 62b Andy Boeckman, Sac City.
2. (5) 21 Myles Michehl, Fort Dodge.
3. (1) 56 Ty Griffith, Webster City.
4. (4) 10s Adam Suhrbier, Fort Dodge.
5. (2) 2ez Josh Niemand, Fort Dodge.
6. (7) 14b Brett Smith, Madrid.
7. (6) 27b Aaron Benz, Humboldt.
8. (8) 27p Kevin Berger, Otho.
9. (9) 3 Chris Friesth, Vincent.

Heat #2:
1. (1) 01z Zach Angstrom, Gowrie.
2. (4) 71m Jeremy Morriss, Clare.
3. (2) 21x Lyle Oberhelman, Fort Dodge.
4. (8) 25m Matt Mundt, Callender.
5. (6) 13 Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge.
6. (7) 59 Jeff Lyon, Duncombe.
7. (3) 49 Jack Marsh, Fort Dodge.
8. (5) 14 Todd Hillman, Kamrar.

“A” Main:
1. (7) 21 Myles Michehl, Fort Dodge, $500.
2. (3) 62b Andy Boeckman, Sac City, $300.
3. (4) 56 Ty Griffith, Webster City, $200.
4. (8) 21x Lyle Oberhelman, Fort Dodge, $150.
5. (12) 59 Jeff Lyon, Duncombe, $120.
6. (10) 25m Matt Mundt, Callender, $100.
7. (15) 27p Kevin Berger, Otho, $90.
8. (5) 71m Jeremy Morriss, Clare, $80.
9. (2) 2ez Josh Niemand, Fort Dodge, $75.
10. (1) 01z Zach Angstrom, Gowrie, $75.
11. (6) 10s Adam Suhrbier, Fort Dodge, $75.
12. (14) 49 Jack Marsh, Fort Dodge, $75.
13. (17) 3 Chris Friesth, Vincent, $75.
14. (9) 13 Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, $75.
15. (11) 14b Brett Smith, Madrid, $75.
16. (13) 27b Aaron Benz, Humboldt, $75.
17. (16) 14 Todd Hillman, Kamrar, $75.

USRA B-MODS

Heat #1:
1. (5) 321 Andy Tiernan, Woodward.
2. (6) 92 Tyler Droste, Waterloo.
3. (2) 21L Matt Lettow, Roland.
4. (1) 66 Levi Chipp, Latimer.
5. (4) 3 Trevor Chaplin Falls.
6. (7) 64 Brandon Leeman, Roland.
7. (3) 23 Clayton Crimmins, Fort Dodge.

Heat #2:
1. (2) 99 Rocky Caudle, Webster City.
2. (5) 9e Eric Elliott, Boone.
3. (1) 2 Jerid Ratzke, Williams.
4. (4) 14e Chase Ellingson, Iowa Falls.
5. (3) 5f Mitch Frakes, Eagle Grove.
6. (6) 14k Donoven Kennebeck, Lytton.

“A” Main:
1. (7) 92 Tyler Droste, Waterloo, $500.
2. (3) 99 Rocky Caudle, Webster City, $400.
3. (5) 9e Eric Elliott, Boone, $300.
4. (4) 21L Matt Lettow, Roland, $200.
5. (1) 2 Jerid Ratzke, Williams, $170.
6. (11) 64 Brandon Leeman, Roland, $140.
7. (10) 5f Mitch Frakes, Eagle Grove, $110.
8. (2) 66 Levi Chipp, Latimer, $100.
9. (9) 3 Trevor Chaplin Falls, $90.
10. (8) 321 Andy Tiernan, Woodward, $80.
11. (12) 14k Donoven Kennebeck, Lytton, $75.
12. (6) 14e Chase Ellingson, Iowa Falls, $75.
13. (13) 23 Clayton Crimmins, Fort Dodge, $30.

USRA STOCK CARS

Heat #1:
1. (4) 22x Lance Deal, Fort Dodge.
2. (1) R31 Ryan Leeman, Roland.
3. (5) 57 Dennis Plain, Webster City.
4. (2) 20t Malcolm Teachout, Fort Dodge.
5. (6) 50 Robert Stofer, Jefferson.
6. (3) 22 Jeff Deal, Fort Dodge.

Heat #2:
1. (1) 35 Wayne Crimmins, Fort Dodge.
2. (3) 2j Steve Jackson, Polk City.
3. (2) 7 Jason Minnehan, Churdan.
4. (5) 5m Jim Mitchell, Webster City.
5. (4) 97 Adam Silvey Falls.

“A” Main:
1. (1) 35 Wayne Crimmins, Fort Dodge, $500.
2. (7) 22x Lance Deal, Fort Dodge, $400.
3. (5) 7 Jason Minnehan, Churdan, $300.
4. (6) 2j Steve Jackson, Polk City, $200.
5. (4) R31 Ryan Leeman, Roland, $170.
6. (8) 20t Malcolm Teachout, Fort Dodge, $140.
7. (2) 5m Jim Mitchell, Webster City, $110.
8. (9) 50 Robert Stofer, Jefferson, $100.
9. (3) 57 Dennis Plain, Webster City, $90.
10. (10) 97 Adam Silvey Falls, $80.
11. (11) 22 Jeff Deal, Fort Dodge, $40.