Kaplan drives by a dozen to score Iron Man Challenge win at Humboldt
HUMBOLDT, Kan. -- Austin Kaplan of Des Moines, Iowa, used what he learned by winning the first “B” Main to roar past a dozen drivers in 20 laps and score a $500 victory Thursday night in the USRA B-Mod feature during opening night of the King of America III Modified Nationals at the Humboldt Speedway.
Despite a stout field stacked with the region’s best USRA B-Mod racers, Kaplan maneuvered his way to the front of the pack and then blasted by Jake Richards with five laps to go in scoring his career-first Iron Man Challenge feature win.
Jason Schlangen of Cresco, Iowa, took home third ahead of Shawn Strong of Billings, Mo., and Mike Striegle of Wheatland, Mo.
Seventeenth-starting Troy Hovey was sixth, while Dustin Bluhm, Jared Timmerman, Jeremy Chambers and Tim Van Gotten rounded out the top 10 finishers.
The Iron Man Challenge for USRA B-Mods will join the party again on Friday and Saturday, with a complete program of heat races and feature events both nights. USRA B-Mod drivers will be racing for a whopping $2,000 top prize on Friday and $1,000 to the winner on Saturday.
The crown jewel event will culminate on Saturday night with a 100-lap main event for the USMTS Modifieds that pays $10,000 to win and $1,000 to start.
On Friday, pit gates will open at 3 p.m., grandstands open at 5, the drivers meeting is at 6:15, hot laps for USRA B-Mods is at 6:45 and the first heat race will follow. All times are one hour earlier on Saturday.
Single-day tickets for grown-ups are $20 on Friday and $25 on Saturday. Youth get in for $10 each day and kids are just $5. Children ages 5 & under get in for free every day.
For those unable to attend this year’s King of America III Modified Nationals, you’re in luck! XSAN will be at Humboldt Speedway to broadcast the entire event LIVE. Go to www.xsan.tv/register to order the Pay Per View event and get access to the entire week of the 2013 King of America III Modified Nationals, including all USMTS and USRA races over the three days.
The Humboldt Speedway is a located 0.1 mile west of US 169 at the Humboldt Exit, then 0.5 mile south, then 0.9 mile east on Georgia Rd. For more information call 620-431-2470 (office) or 620-473-3694 (track) or visit www.humboldtspeedway.com. For camping, ATV and/or golf cart permits call 620-473-3694.
To learn more about the USRA, visit www.usraracing.com or call 515-832-6000. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usraracing, follow us at www.twitter.com/usraracing on Twitter and check out our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usratv.
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OFFICIAL RESULTS
American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series
USRA Iron Man Challenge for USRA B-Mods
King of America III Modified Nationals
Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, Kan. – Night 1 of 3
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown and money won. The top 12 in heat race passing points advanced to the “A” Main with the top 8 redrawing for starting positions 1-8.
USRA B-MODS
Heat #1 (8 laps):
1. (1) 19 Mike Striegle, Wheatland, Mo.
2. (4) 65 Kris Jackson, Lebanon, Mo.
3. (2) 37 Tim Van Gotten, Chanute, Kan.
4. (3) 27 Kevin Joachim, Larchwood, Iowa.
5. (8) 476x Troy Hovey, Castalia, Iowa.
6. (6) R63 Riley Whitworth, Humboldt, Kan.
7. (7) 15w Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
8. (5) 19 Curt Drake, Moran, Kan.
9. (9) 5 Dakota Foster, Gardner, Kan.
Heat #2 (8 laps):
1. (1) 7m Miah Christensen, Sioux Falls, S.D.
2. (6) 27 Jason Schlangen, Cresco, Iowa.
3. (4) 51 Dustin Bluhm, Grafton, N.D.
4. (5) 101 Matthew Rose, Liberal, Mo.
5. (2) 24 Aaron Benson, Clear Lake, Iowa.
6. (7) 94 Jacob Ebert, Oak Grove, Mo.
7. (3) 10 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
8. (8) 30x Josh Modde, Des Moines, Iowa.
9. (9) 6 Dustin Kruse, Brandon, S.D.
Heat #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 4j Jake Richards, Edwardsville, Kan.
2. (2) 1tp0 Tyler Peterson, Hickson, N.D.
3. (9) 3x3 Nick Newton, Kansas City, Kan.
4. (3) 33 Steve Muilenburg, Sparta, Mo.
5. (4) 68 Craig Mintz, Humboldt, Kan.
6. (6) 54 Tyler Kidwell, Chanute, Kan.
7. (7) 44 Trevor Drake, Joplin, Mo.
8. (8) 36m Logan Martin, West Plains, Mo.
9. (5) 777 Aaron Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
Heat #4 (8 laps):
1. (2) 14 Shawn Strong, Billings, Mo.
2. (1) 2 Bryan Lariviere, Wichita, Kan.
3. (3) 42 Gene Claxton, Kansas City, Kan.
4. (4) 28 Brian Bolin, Fort Scott, Kan.
5. (7) 17 Jeremy Chambers, Parsons, Kan.
6. (5) 1 Austin Kaplan, Des Moines, Iowa.
7. (9) 8 Mike Letterman, Chanute, Kan.
8. (8) 11c Chad Feather, Kearney, Mo.
9. (6) 76 Greg Roemen, Ellsworth, Minn.
Heat #5 (8 laps):
1. (3) 07 Corey Crapser, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
2. (8) 7+ Jared Timmerman, Norwalk, Iowa.
3. (4) 4d Blake Davis, South Coffeyville, Okla.
4. (2) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
5. (7) Red1 Dan Wheeler, Savage, Minn.
6. (1) 14 Bobby Gough, Joplin, Mo.
7. (6) 9 Jon Westhoff, Chanute, Kan.
8. (5) 211 Tim Eaton, St. Joseph, Mo.
“B” Main #1 (12 laps, top 6 advance):
1. (9) 1 Austin Kaplan, Des Moines, Iowa.
2. (4) 33 Steven Muilenburg, Sparta, Mo.
3. (3) 476x Troy Hovey, Castalia, Iowa.
4. (6) Red1 Dan Wheeler, Savage, Minn.
5. (1) 4d Blake Davis, South Coffeyville, Okla.
6. (5) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
7. (11) 10 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn., $40.
8. (8) R63 Riley Whitworth, Humboldt, Kan., $40.
9. (13) 30x Josh Modde, Des Moines, Iowa, $40.
10. (2) 42 Gene Claxton, Kansas City, Kan., $40.
11. (10) 8 Mike Letterman, Chanute, Kan., $40.
12. (7) 68 Craig Mintz, Humboldt, Kan., $40.
13. (15) 5 Dakota Foster, Gardner, Kan., $40.
14. (16) 777 Aaron Krohn, Slayton, Minn., $40.
15. (12) 9 Jon Westhoff, Chanute, Kan., $40.
16. (14) 11c Chad Feather, Kearney, Mo., $40.
“B” Main #2 (12 laps, top 6 advance):
1. (5) 17 Jeremy Chambers, Parsons, Kan.
2. (4) 28 Brian Bolin, Fort Scott, Kan.
3. (7) 94 Jacob Ebert, Oak Grove, Mo.
4. (6) 24 Aaron Benson, Clear Lake, Iowa.
5. (12) 19 Curt Drake, Moran, Kan.
6. (1) 37 Tim Van Gotten, Chanute, Kan.
7. (14) 211 Tim Eaton, St. Joseph, Mo., $40.
8. (2) 101 Matthew Rose, Liberal, Mo., $40.
9. (13) 36m Logan Martin, West Plains, Mo., $40.
10. (10) 15w Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn., $40.
11. (11) 44 Trevor Drake, Joplin, Mo., $40.
12. (16) 76 Greg Roemen, Ellsworth, Minn., $40.
13. (8) 54 Tyler Kidwell, Chanute, Kan., $40.
14. (3) 27 Kevin Joachim, Larchwood, Iowa, $40.
15. (15) 6 Dustin Kruse, Brandon, S.D., $40.
16. (9) 14 Bobby Gough, Joplin, Mo., $40
“A” Main (20 laps):
1. (13) 1 Austin Kaplan, Des Moines, Iowa, $500.
2. (1) 4j Jake Richards, Edwardsville, Kan., $400.
3. (6) 27 Jason Schlangen, Cresco, Iowa, $230.
4. (8) 14 Shawn Strong, Billings, Mo., $200.
5. (4) 19 Mike Striegle, Wheatland, Mo., $140.
6. (17) 476x Troy Hovey, Castalia, Iowa, $140.
7. (12) 51 Dustin Bluhm, Grafton, N.D., $90.
8. (5) 7+ Jared Timmerman, Norwalk, Iowa, $100.
9. (14) 17 Jeremy Chambers, Parsons, Kan., $90.
10. (24) 37 Tim Van Gotten, Chanute, Kan., $80.
11. (11) 2 Bryan Lariviere, Wichita, Kan., $75.
12. (7) 07 Corey Crapser, Chippewa Falls, Wis., $75.
13. (18) 94 Jacob Ebert, Oak Grove, Mo., $75.
14. (2) 7m Miah Christensen, Sioux Falls, S.D., $75.
15. (9) 65 Kris Jackson, Lebanon, Mo., $75.
16. (23) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn., $75.
17. (20) 24 Aaron Benson, Clear Lake, Iowa, $75.
18. (15) 33 Steve Muilenburg, Sparta, Mo., $75.
19. (16) 28 Brian Bolin, Fort Scott, Kan., $50.
20. (22) 19 Curt Drake, Moran, Kan., $75.
21. (21) 4d Blake Davis, South Coffeyville, Okla., $75.
22. (10) 1tp0 Tyler Peterson, Hickson, N.D., $75.
23. (3) 3x3 Nick Newton, Kansas City, Kan., $75.
24. (19) Red1 Dan Wheeler, Savage, Minn., $75.
Points Standings: Kaplan 178, Jackson 162, Chambers 161, Hovey 157, Muilenburg 151, Richards 140, Strong 140, Lariviere 140, Ebert 132, Van Gotten 126.
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