100th IMCA Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights checkers fly at Benton County for Berry

Feature

Tom Berry saw his Benton County Speedway success continue Sunday night with the $1,000 IMCA Modified Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour feature win. (Photo by Jim Wittke)

VINTON, Iowa (Aug. 30) – After taking the checkers, Tom Berry took time to appreciate his latest accomplishment at Benton County Speedway: Winning the Sunday night Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights tour feature. 

Berry, in the hunt for the IMCA Modified national championship, led all 30 laps in winning the 100th event in tour history. He became the 45th different winner in tour history by taking the 2020 finale checkers at Vinton. 

“It means a lot to us to win the 100th Dirt Knights event. It’s awesome to get this win tonight and our 20th win of the season.” Berry said following the convincing run to the checkers. “This is a bullring and the lapped traffic made it a little hairy, but this was a win we needed and it feels good to get it.”

The $1,000 victory put Berry on the ballot for the 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. He’d won five times previously this season at The Bullring. 

Berry had drawn the outside pole start and had Troy Cordes and Jeff Aikey in tow when he caught up to the back on the field just seven circuits in.

He’d checked out on everybody before the only caution of the race came out on lap 12. Cayden Carter took over second following the restart but Berry couldn’t be caught, getting as many as six lapped cars between as he pulled away. 

Aikey caught Carter for the runner-up spot with four laps left. Carter, Cordes and Kollin Hibdon completed the top five. 

Ethan Braaksma wrapped up the championship of the 11th annual tour with an 11th place run.

Other feature winners were Michael Peterson in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Kaden Reynolds in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Brayton Carter in the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods. 

Feature results – 1. Tom Berry, Des Moines; 2. Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls; 3. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa; 4. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 5. Kollin Hibdon, Pahrump, Nev.; 6. Cody Laney, Torrance, Calif.; 7. Dylan Thornton, Santa Maria, Calif.; 8. Jerry Dedrick, Vinton; 9. Thor Anderson, Rock Valley; 10. Derrick Stewart, Ainsworth; 11. Ethan Braaksma, Newton; 12. Brennen Chipp, Dunkerton; 13. Mike Burbridge, Delhi; 14. Mark Schulte, Delhi; 15. Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 16. Dallon Murty, Chelsea; 17. Greg Kastli, Waterloo; 18. Matt Short, Maquoketa; 19. Josh Barta, Cedar Falls; 20. Jaden Fryer, Freeport, Ill.; 21. Joe Haresky, Apple Valley, Calif.; 22. Jason Brees, Meriden; 23. Kevin Hurst, Janesville; 24. Todd Jensen, Waterloo; 25. Rod Clement, Rhodes; 26. Ryan Maitland, Waterloo; 27. Tommy Belmer, Evansdale.

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