Murty, Schafroth top Whole Hog Qualifier Winners

While IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars were qualifying for their big show, Jon Padilla was winning the Cornbelt Clash feature and overall title Sunday at Stuart Speedway. (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motorsports Photography)

STUART, Iowa (May 28, 2023) – The third annual Whole Hog 50 sponsored by VanEaton Pork kicked off Sunday at Karl Chevrolet of Stuart International Speedway. Winners for the night were Jon Padilla, Ben Kraus, Damon Murty, Buck Schafroth, Tristan Grape, Brayton Carter and Todd Shute.

Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites were first to the track for the final night of the three-day swing for the Cornbelt Clash. Jon Padilla led early and often in this one with Josh May stalking him in second.

May and Austin Gray had a couple of chances with cautions but Padilla had the line and stayed smooth to take the win. Gray came home second with Justin Kinderknecht third, May faded to fourth and Brandon Freeburg fifth. Padilla took home an extra $1,000 for the Clash points title, May $500 and Kinderknecht $250 to round out the top three.

Next up was the first of two Whole Hog 50 qualifiers for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. The top four from each qualifier would be locked in for the 50-lap, $5,000 to win Memorial Day finale with the rest of the field being filled out from the heats and “B” features on Monday.

Lineups were determined by passing points from the heats and it was Chanse Hollatz leading Damon Murty and Austin Bouzek in the early stages. Murty stayed within striking distance, and with lapped traffic coming into play he was able to pounce on lap 19 to take over the lead.

Hollatz gave it his all but it was Murty coming out on top to take the win. Hollatz crossed in second with Bouzek third and Austin Meiners fourth. 

Whole Hog 50 qualifier no. 2 came out next and the duo of Buck Schafroth and Jeff Mueller traded turns out front through lap four. Once that battle was settled it was Schafroth dominating the rest of the way to take the win in the caution-free race. Mueller finished second with Nick Roberts third and Michael Jaennette fourth.

IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks were next on the track and Skylar Pruitt shot out to the lead with Tristan Grape and John Watson close behind. Grape used the bottom side of the track to get up beside Pruitt and eventually took the top spot on lap seven. Grape would sail to the win with Pruitt second, Watson third, Seth Janssen fourth and Calvin Dhondt fifth.

Brayton Carter pulled the one pill and jumped out to the early lead in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature with Mitchell Morris and Amber Cook in tow. A lap six caution was the only thing slowing down Carter as he drove to the comfortable win. Matt Avila finished second with Arie Schouten third, Morris fourth and Garrett Nelson fifth.

Last up for the night’s racing was the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and it was Todd Shute blasting out to the lead early on.

Nick Roberts, after drawing the lowest number in the field at the start of the night, made his way to second on lap two as Shute set sail on the top side. Roberts inched closer each lap and got up beside Shute on lap 17, but the no. 5 switched up his line and drove away from there to take the win.

Roberts settled for second with Jacob Hobscheidt third, Chase Rudolf fourth and Josh Gilman fifth.

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