By Rob Hinckley
MAQUOKETA, Iowa (May 19) – Bryce Garnhart kept rolling Saturday night at Maquoketa Speedway, speeding to the QCJeeps.com IMCA Modified 35-lap special feature win and cashing the $1,000 check that went with it.
The victory was Garnhart’s fourth straight to start the 2018 season at the Jackson County Fairgrounds speed plant. The new Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier held off a hard charging Ray Cox Jr., who was racing the top groove from deep in the field.
“I knew he was coming,” Garnhart said. “I searched around there at one point with lapped traffic coming. I was like ‘the top ain’t too bad so I might run up there.’ It’s hard to give up the bottom when you got the lead.”
Garnhart won his heat, picked number one on the redraw and led every lap.
Cox, Tyler Madigan, Zach Less and David Brown rounded out the top five. Less came from 21st in the 26-car field.
Andy Nezworski was patient and then put the late move on track champion Matt Ryan to win the Andover Meat IMCA Late Model 25-lap feature.
Jeremiah Hurst also got by Ryan. Joe Zrostlik and Chad Holladay followed.
Sponsors donated and the cars came for the Ueland Auto IMCA Stock Cars. A season-high 19 were in the field, including Greg Gill. He fought off Timmy Current, Donnie Louck and a charging Todd Reisler to take home the $950 top prize in the 15-lap main.
Jared Waterman said before the evening he wanted his luck to change. It did in the B&D Pit Stop IMCA Northern SportMods.
The Coyne Center, Ill. driver swept his heat and the 15-lap finale. He swiped the lead from Joe Grant with six laps to go and ran to the win.
Daniel Wauters creeped around the high and low grooves and launched to the 12-lap IMCA Hobby Stock win.
A total of 107 race teams filled the pits and the final checkered flag fell just after 10 p.m.
