NEWS

Hensel Win the Final Corn Belt Clash  Battle – Foss Wins the War

West Union, Iowa – The series finale of the Dart Corn Belt Clash Series presented by Cen-Pe-Co Lubricants took place at the 3/8-mile Fayette County Speedway last night.

With an increased purse, $3,500-to-win, new faces attempted to take home the top prize, including Adam Hensel, Denny Eckrich and Jeremiah Hurst.

 At the start of the 40-lap feature, Terry Neal powered away from the field of cars, using the high line to his full advantage. Chris Smyser and Lance Matthees were running second and third, as Matthees was working the low line trying to get past Smyser and into second.

Neal didn’t take long to work his number 28c into lapped traffic. Matthees moved into second and was trying to close the gap between him and Neal while a four car battle took place for fourth. Justin Mitchell, Jeremiah Hurst, Keith Foss and Chad Simpson were back and forth for positions lap after lap as Matthees was starting to reel in Neal.

Tenth place starter Adam Hensel was one of the few drivers working the low groove. Hensel was moving quickly and was into the top four prior to the halfway point. Neal was working through lapped traffic without any bobbles Neal had Matthees, Foss, and Hensel now trying to catch him.

The first caution of the event is not what Neal wanted to see as his substantial lead disappeared. Foss and Hensel used the caution to their advantages as Foss moved into second and Hensel followed. Hensel shot low on Foss and moved into second prior to another caution.

Neal had Hensel and Foss now on his back bumper. Hensel who had been working the low line for most of the event went low on Neal with five laps to go. Side by side Neal and Hensel battled for the lead. On the green it seemed Hensel would be in the front spot, but Neal was not backing down. It was Hensel’s first appearance and first win of the series as he took the check for $3,500 back home to Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Neal was a close second and Keith Foss rounded out the top three. Foss also won the series title.

CORN BELT CLASH FINALE WORTH $3,500 TO WINNER

August 5, 2009 (West Union, Iowa) Officials from the Dart Corn Belt Clash presented by Cen-Pe-Co Lubricants have announced an increase in payoff for the final race of the 2009 season.  The finale for the Corn Belt Clash will take place next Wednesday, August 12, at the Fayette County Speedway in West Union, Iowa, and the winner of that race will take home $3,500 for their efforts. 

According to Cam Granger, Series Co-Owner, the increase in purse is in part to create excitement for the last race of the year and also to reward the efforts of all the racers who have made the inaugural season of the Corn Belt Clash such a big success.  “We really appreciate the participation of the racers who have supported us this season,” said Granger.  “And with the increase in payoff for the winner, we hope to have the best car count and fan count we’ve had all year. “

The points’ race for the 2009 Corn Belt Clash will also be decided at West Union.  Going into the last event on the schedule, Winona, Minnesota’s Keith Foss is out in front by 12 points over Independence, Iowa’s Curt Martin, and is only 16 points better than Mount Vernon, Iowa’s Chad Simpson, who comes into the West Union race in third place.  The point champion will take home an additional $2,000 and the point fund pays back to tenth place. 

Keith Foss takes Corn Belt Clash victory at Fayette County Speedway
By Christine Rublack

West Union, Iowa – The Dart Corn Belt Clash Series presented by Cen-Pe-Co Lubricants highlighted the opening night at the Fayette County Fair.

Keith Foss started on the pole and that is where he stayed as the checkers waved. During the first few laps, Foss and Jason Utter were battling for the top spot. Utter went low on Foss but Foss shot right back and took the lead back over. Kevin Kile had moved into the third position as Gary Webb was working the high line of the track into fourth. Chris Smyser was following Webb and moved into fifth but was advancing quickly.

Foss was starting to pull away from the field as Smyser moved into second and began closing the gap on the leader. Kile now had Webb hot on his bumper and Webb had his groove found.

At the halfway point, while Foss was working through lapped traffic, Smyser and Webb were running second and third and with Smyser caught up behind a lapped car, which allowed Webb to power into second place.  Meanwhile, Lance Matthees had found the high groove and was into third after passing Utter. Webb had moved passed the lapped car and was quickly gaining ground on Foss but there weren’t enough laps.

Foss took the checkers first, Webb, Matthees, Utter, and Smyser rounded out the top five.
           
Results
Feature – 1. Keith Foss; 2. Gary Webb; 3. Lance Matthees; 4. Jason Utter; 5. Chris Smyser; 6. Curt Martin; 7. Jason Rauen; 8. Kevin Kile; 9. Travis Smock; 10. Darin Burco; 11. Rick Wendling; 12. Curt Schroeder; 13. Kevin Keuhn; 14. Kevin Kirkpatrick; 15. Shawn Ryan; 16. Sam Harroun; 17. Jon Passick; 18. Randy Wheeler; 19. Mike Wiele; 20. Justin Mitchell.

Heat winners – Jason Utter; Chris Smyser and Travis Smock.

Corn Belt Clash Headlines Fayette County Fair July 28

July 27, 2009 (West Union, IA) - The fourth race of the season on the Dart Corn Belt Clash presented by Cen-Pe-Co Lubricants will take place tomorrow night, July 28, 2009 as part of the Annual Fayette County Fair in West Union, Iowa. 

Based on the results from the last race, held on July 16 at the Independence Motor Speedway in Independence, Iowa, it’s anybody’s guess as to who will end up in victory lane.  IMCA cars took three out of the top six spots, but a NASCAR open motor car (Chris Simpson) won the race and a WISSOTA powered car (Jerry Bloom)came from 20th to tenth and one, in the form of Jason Rauen, led the event for 31 laps.  So Tuesday night should be another interesting and exciting night of racing action on the 2009 Corn Belt Clash season.

Racing action starts tomorrow at 6:45 with hot laps and racing to follow at approximately 7:00.  Adult admission is $15 and pit passes are $25.  In support of the Late Models will be A-Mods racing for $700 under track rules and B-Mods racing for $400 also under track rules. 

Chris Simpson takes Corn Belt Clash at Independence Motor Speedway
By Christine Rublack
           
Independence, Iowa – The Dart Corn Belt Clash Series presented by Cen-Pe-Co Lubricants took a trip to Independence Motor Speedway last night for the one and only time this season as part of the 2009 Buchanan County Fair.  Chris Simpson found more than enough money for the midway rides and he scored his first victory on the series.
           
Rick Wendling and Keith Foss started the 40-lap feature on the front row with Foss taking the early lead. Foss, who already has one victory this season, was looking to be the first two-time winner, but a flat tire early in the event sent him from the front to the back and brought out the first caution of the night.
           
On the restart, Jason Rauen took the lead and was quickly pulling away from the field. Behind Rauen, Chad Simpson was moving towards the front and was looking for third using the low groove.
           
Justin Mitchell was holding onto second and trying to close the gap between himself and Rauen. Mitchell had company with Simpson right behind him, continuing to use the low groove to his advantage.  With 10 laps down, Simpson was able to get by Mitchell, take over second place and go after Rauen for the lead. 

Rauen had almost a full straightaway lead on the rest of the field as he moved into lapped traffic, but a caution put Simpson right behind him and the two had a terrific multi-lap battle for the top spot.  Then on lap 31, push came to shove, literally.  On lap 31, Simpson shot beneath Rauen going into turn one.  Simpson’s car hit a rut that had developed in turn one and the car came off the ground and made contact with Rauen, putting Rauen into a spin, which brought out the caution.  Both drivers were sent to the tail, setting up a nine-lap sprint to the finish with a new front row made up of Simpson’s brother Chris and Jason Utter.  Close on their heels was tenth-starting Travis Smock, a hometown son of Independence, Iowa.

Smock was able to get by Utter and started to put some serious heat on Chris Simpson for the win.  A late caution seemed to break Smock’s rhythm just a bit and Simpson was able to hold on for the $2,000 win.  Smock, as the highest finishing IMCA car, took home a $200 bonus for his efforts on top of his second place check. 

Rounding out the top five were Utter, Curt Martin and Terry Neal. 

$200 to Top-Finishing IMCA Car at Independence Motor Speedway Corn Belt Clash

July 14, 2009 (Independence, Iowa) Officials with the Dart Corn Belt Clash Presented by Cen-Pe-Co Lubricants have put up a $200 bonus to the top-finishing IMCA Spec Engine car in Thursday night’s Corn Belt Clash at Independence Motor Speedway.

According to Series Co-Director Cam Granger, the bonus came about as a means to encourage IMCA Late Model drivers to give the series a try and to help prove out that the rules package in place will enable the IMCA cars to be competitive with cars from other series.

“We feel strongly that the rules package we have in place, especially on smaller tracks like Independence and West Union that tend to slick off, will enable the IMCA cars to be competitive,” said Granger.  “The only way to see if in fact that’s the case is for them to come and race with us.  We’ve put this bonus in place to encourage as many IMCA drivers as possible to come and compete on the Corn Belt Clash.”

Rule Change Extended for the Remainder of the Season

July 14, 2009 (West Union, Iowa) Officials of the Dart Corn Belt Clash Presented by Cen-Pe-Co Lubricants have made the decision to extend a rule change that was put into effect for the Corn Belt Clash at Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa, for the remainder of the season.  IMCA Spec Engine cars competing in Corn Belt Clash events do not have a weight minimum, may remove their roofs should they so desire and may run any combination of rear spoiler configurations allowed for in the Corn Belt Clash rules. 

According to Series Co-Director Cam Granger, the rule change produced the desired effect at Highway 3. “We have paid close attention to how competitive the cars from each sanction were in our first two races,” said Granger.  “The rule change we put in for Allison seemed to really help the IMCA cars, so we’re going to continue with that rule for the rest of the season.  We want everybody from the three main sanctioning bodies in our area to be able to come to these races and be competitive.  If you look at the results to this point; that has been the case, so we think we’re real close on the rules package we operate under at this time.”

The next race on the Corn Belt Clash Schedule is Thursday night, July 16, at the Independence Motor Speedway in Independence, Iowa.  Racing action starts with hot laps at 6:30 and races at 7:00.  Support classes are IMCA A-Mods and SportMods who are racing for $700 and $350-to-win respectively. 

Corn Belt Clash Headlines Buchanan County Fair on July 16th

The third race of season for The Dart Corn Belt Clash Presented by Cen-Pe-Co Lubricants takes place this Thursday night, July 16, at the Independence Motor Speedway in Independence, Iowa.  Thursday’s race headlines the 2009 edition of the Buchanan County Fair.

Heading into the series’ third event, the points’ race is tight, as expected, at the top.  Jeff Aikey from Cedar Falls, Iowa, is just two points ahead of red hot Chad Simpson from Mount Vernon, Iowa.  Simpson won the last Corn Belt Clash event, held at Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa, on July 2.  Simpson has either won or been towards the front of every race he’s entered in the past couple of weeks. 

Chasing Simpson and Aikey in the Clash point standings, are Jason Rauen, Curt Martin and Kurt Kile, who round out the top-five heading into Independence.

Added intrigue for Thursday’s event in Independence is a rule change that went into effect for the race at Highway 3.  IMCA spec engine Late Models that choose to compete on the Corn Belt Clash, no longer have a weight minimum, they may remove their roofs if they so choose and they can use any combination of spoiler package allowed for in the rules package.  Both Gary Webb and Darrel DeFrance took their roofs off at Highway 3 and were very competitive on their way to top-ten finishes.  Independence Motor Speedway runs IMCA Late Models weekly, so it will be interesting to see how many IMCA drivers enter their hats into the ring this Thursday.

Racing action on the 16th begins with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:00.  IMCA A-Mods and SportMods will be on the card as well, and they will be racing for national and regional IMCA points.  Top prizes are $2,000-to-win for the Late Models, $700 for the A-Mods and $300 for the SportMods.

Simpson Takes Corn Belt Clash at Highway 3 Raceway
           
Allison, Iowa- The second race of the Dart Corn Belt Clash Presented by Cen-Pe-Co Lubricants took place at Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa, tonight and Chad Simpson took home the $2,000 top prize.

From lap four to the checkers, Simpson stayed up front and steered his number 25 all the way to victory lane. It took two tries to get the feature started, but it didn’t take long for the action to heat up on the ½ mile dirt oval. The second caution of the night helped Simpson work the low side of Darrell DeFrance and move into the lead. Kevin Kile quickly moved into the second position with Jeff Aikey following into third. Curt Martin had moved into the fifth position with DeFrance in his sights using the low line Martin moved into fourth.

Just before the halfway point Simpson had moved into lapped traffic increasing his lead until a caution caused that lead to disappear. On the restart, Simpson was off like a rocket, while Aikey worked the high line to move past Kile before the green waved. Aikey had Simpson in his sites but it was too late. The checkers waved as Simpson took the win, Aikey, Kile and Martin rounded out the top four.

The next Corn Belt Clash race will be held at the Independence Motor Speedway on July 16 in conjunction with the 2009 Buchanan County Fair.

Rules Change for Highway 3 Raceway Corn Belt Clash

Officials from the Dart Corn Belt Clash Presented by Cen-Pe-Co have announced a rules change effective for the next series event in Allison, Iowa, this Thursday, July 2.  The rules change is for the Allison, Iowa event ONLY!

The rules change is as follows:  IMCA cars competing in the July 2 race at Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa, do NOT have a weight minimum for this race.  In addition, those cars competing with an IMCA Spec Engine can take their roofs off for this event.  Please also note that they 10 inch spoiler rule for IMCA cars is an option, it is not a requirement. 

For more information on this rules change or if you have questions, call Cam Granger at 563-380-0665.

Information for July 2nd race at Highway 3 Raceway - Allison, Iowa

Rock Band Lyin Heart
5:30 in front of Grandstand

Admission $ 15.00 - Pit Pass $ 25.00

KIDS NIGHT
Kids 12 and under FREE with a paid adult
FREE Tee Shirt for the first 100 kids
FREE Treats from the Nestles Bunny
FREE Boys Bike
FREE Girls Bike

Hot Laps 6:30
Racing at 7:00
Fireworks at Dark

Late Model            $ 2,000.00 to win       14 or more Cars
Stock Car              $ 400.00 to win          14 or more Cars
"B" Mod                  $ 400.00 to win          14 or more Cars
Hobby Stock         $ 300.00 to win          14 or more Cars
Hornet                    $ 100.00 to win          14 or more Cars

Pay Out will Reduce if less than 14 cars per class
Sponsored By
Car Country and Pat's Speed Shop

Photo Finish at Inaugural Corn Belt Clash

June 27, 2009 (West Union, Iowa) Winona, Minnesota’s Keith Foss took home the $2,000 and the big trophy Friday night at the first ever Dart Corn Belt Clash presented by Cen-Pe-Co Event.

Twenty-seven cars signed in for the re-scheduled event, which was originally slated for Wednesday the 26th of June, but was rained out. 
Chris Smyser brought the field to green for their forty laps around the venerable northeast Iowa speed plant.  Chris Simpson led early in what quickly became a spirited battle between him, Fosse, Lance Mathees, also of Winona, and long-time Hawkeye state favorite, Jeff Aikey, from Cedar Falls, Iowa. 

Foss gained the point of lap eight and went on to lead the race until it’s only caution on lap 31 for debris.  Meanwhile, Aikey moved into the third position shortly before half way and set about hounding Mathees for second in lapped traffic. 

A dramatic finish was set-up when racing resumed.  Aikey, who started outside Mathees on the re-start, rocketed to the top and powered past Foss for the lead on lap 32.  Undaunted, Foss used the low line of the distinctly two-groove surface to stay right with the red 77.  As the two drivers took the white flag, Foss pulled even with Aikey coming out of turn two.  You knew something dramatic was going to happen and it did. 

Foss threw his orange number 95 Warrior into three and did an old fashioned slide job on Aikey.  But that wasn’t the end of the action.  Aikey hit the brakes, did a cross over move on Foss and it was a drag race to the finish where Foss crossed the line by inches ahead of Aikey.
The next Corn Belt Clash even will be held this coming Thursday night at Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa.

Summary of Results

Heat One: Curt Martin, Chris Simpson, Chad Simpson, Lance Mathees, Travis Smock, Jon Rogers, Dustin Reeh, Rick Dralle, Kevin Kirkpatrick

Heat Two: Terry Neal, Chris Smyser, Keith Foss, Rick Wendling, Jason Rauen, Rodney Combs, Bobby Hansen, Andy Altenbrurg Kurt Kile,

Heat Three: Jeff Aikey, Sam Harroun, Jeremy Grady, Kevin Kile, Tyler Bruening, Darin Burco, Paul Novotny, Nick Kramer, Joe Luedemann

B-Feature: Jon Rogers, Darin Burco, Rodney Combs, Bobby Hansen, Dustin Reeh, Paul Novotny, Rick Dralle, Nick Kramer, Joe Luedemann, Kevin Kirkpatrick

Dart Corn Belt Clash Opener Re-Set for June 26 – Incentives Added to Follow the Series

June 25, 2009 (West Union, Iowa) Officials with the Dart Corn Belt Clash Series announced today that the series’ opener, which was washed out last night, has been re-set for this Friday, June 26.  The event will again be at the Fayette County Speedway in West Union, Iowa.  According to Series’ President Cam Granger, Friday was the best choice given a crowded special event calendar in the region.  “Friday night is the normal race night for Fayette County Speedway, and we want to make this deal work for Chuck (FCS Promoter Chuck Ihde), so we’ll run tomorrow and hope as many of the guys as possible that want to race our series, will be able to come.”

Granger went on to announce some added incentives that have been put in place, in light of yesterday’s rainout, that he hopes will encourage those that can’t make the rescheduled opener, to attend the rest of the series’ races.  “We realize fully that by scheduling on a Friday, we’re going to lose some cars and we want those guys to come and race with us the rest of the season, when we’re back to mid-week shows,” explained Granger.  “So we have decided to work our points on a best four out of five races basis.  That way you can miss a show and not get behind on points.  We are also really excited about an offer that our presenting sponsor, Cen-Pe-Co Lubricants, has stepped up to.  Any driver that competes in all five of our Corn Belt Clash races will receive a free case of Cen-Pe-Co oil.  They can choose oil for their hauler or for their car; whichever is best for them.  So we think that’s a really great deal and hope that we’ll have a lot of drivers take advantage of this offer. 

Corn Belt Clash Ready for Harvest on June 24th

(West Union, Iowa - June 17, 2009) – The much anticipated debut of the Dart Corn Belt Clash Dirt Late Model Series presented by Cen-Pe-Co Lubricants is set to go for this upcoming Wednesday, June 24th.

The site for the series’ first race is the Fayette County Fairgrounds in West Union, Iowa.  According to Series President, Cam Granger, West Union is the perfect place to get things started.  “The old fairgrounds has always had one of the best track surfaces in the state, it just hasn’t been raced on enough these past few years, “said Granger.  “Now that Chuck Ihde and his group are running races there weekly, the track should be in great shape and provide an awesome show, like it has in years past.”  

According to Series Director, Mike O’Connor, fans can expect some of the region’s best to be in attendance on Wednesday.  “We have commitments from drivers such as: Chad and Chris Simpson, Brian Harris, Jeff Aikey, Curt Martin and more,” said O’Connor.  “So we’re very excited to help our partners, Dart and Cen-Pe-Co, bring an exciting show to the fans in the West Union area.” 

New Dates for Corn Belt Clash Opener and Finale

(May 19, 2009 – West Union, Iowa) The Dart Corn Belt Clash presented by Cen-Pe-Co Lubricants has moved its season opening date from Friday, June 12 to Wednesday, June 24.   According to CJ Promotions President, Cam Granger, the move was made to better position the series opener for success and as a gesture of good faith to other series with area dates in that timeframe.  “We’re positioned to be a mid-week show and that’s where we feel we’ll have the most success, both in the pits and the grandstands,” said Granger.  “We’ve been able to work some things out with management at Fayette County Speedway and with other series in the area to move our date, hopefully to the benefit of everyone involved.”

That makes the inaugural race on the Corn Belt Clash Wednesday night, June 24 at Fayette County Speedway in West Union, Iowa.  The series has also cemented the date for the season finale, which will be held as scheduled, at the fairgrounds in West Union.  That date is now set for August 12th. 

Corn Belt Clash Announces Point Fund for 2009 Season

(April 29, 2009 – West Union, Iowa) CJ Promotions, LLC has established a point fund payout for the inaugural season of the Corn Belt Clash.  The winner of the 2009 Dart Corn Belt Clash presented by Cen-Pe-Co Lubricants will receive $2,000 for their efforts and the point fund will pay back ten spots. 

According to CJ Promotions President Cam Granger, the point fund monies have been set aside and are in place as added incentive for the top Late Model drivers in the area to come and compete with the series in its first year.  “We realize that drivers have been promised things relative to point funds in the past that haven’t come to be,” said Granger.  “So we want everybody to know that we’ve put this money aside and it will definitely be paid out at the end of the season.  We feel like our series has a lot to offer to the racers in our region and we hope that our point fund will provide added incentive for them to be at all of our races, if at all possible.” 

The Corn Belt Clash will kick off the year on June 12, 2009 at the Fayette County Speedway in West Union, Iowa.