Murphy Repeats

By: Anthony Sandoval
EAST MOLINE, IL. (6/29/14) – With adrenaline running high, Mike Murphy Jr. was able to pull off the Quad City race weekend sweep.

He won on Friday over at Davenport Speedway quarter-mile. He was able to rally from early trouble to win his fourth feature of the 2014 season at Quad City Speedway on Sunday night. Murphy’s No. 14 IMCA Late Model was turned around by the No. 3 of Mike Cothron on the sixth lap of the 30-lap feature.

After sustaining some right-front damage to his machine, Murf did continue. He worked his way through the field, eventually passing Ray Guss Jr. with six to go to score the victory in the Eriksen Chevrolet-Buick sponsored feature.

“The guys told me that I could keep going if I wanted to,” said Murphy. “I told them, ‘I’m mad enough to where I think I can stay out here.’ We kept riding and charging and I saw where I was better than everybody. I picked everyone off individually. I’ll attribute this one to adrenaline.”

Murphy and Cothron weren’t the only two to run into some trouble on Sunday night. Todd Malmstrom and Brunson Behning got a tangled up a bit as well. The end result was the No. 37 of Behning getting sent to the pits by QCS officials. What triggered all of that was Malmstrom and Behning getting tangled up in turn four on a lap 20.

That was the feature’s third and final caution. Behning led a race-high 16 laps. Guss Jr. finished second and Malmstrom came home in third with Matt Ryan and Shawn Mulvany rounding out the Top-5.

Doug Crampton capped off a bitter-sweet weekend on the sweet side and a win in the Toppert Services IMCA Modifieds. He blew an engine on Friday in Davenport, but sure didn’t lack any power on Sunday night. He started 14th and led the final four laps after claiming the lead from Greg Durbin.

“We hung in there and found a good groove at the end there,” said Crampton, who borrowed his brother-in-law’s street stock engine. “Found a great line and passed them.”

Milo Veloz Jr. and Eric Barnes looked to have the fastest cars on track in the modified feature. Running first and second on lap seven, that changed. With Veloz on the high-side and Barnes on the inside, their tires met, flattening Barnes’ right-front and Veloz’s left-front. That opened the door for Durbin to lead a race-high nine laps before being passed by Crampton. Durbin finished in ninth.

The McDonald’s Mod Lites ran a 20-lap, $300 to win STARS race on Sunday. Jason Masengarb’s 4M machine claimed the victory under caution as Bryan Brinker — second-place finisher — closed the gap in the closing laps. Mike Pershing finished third and Brian Schnell was fourth. The Contingency Connection winners were Erik Close and A.J. Pappas.

Brandon Dahl won the makeup Riverbend Pizza Place 4-cylinder 12-lap feature. Luke Benischek was able to pull off the win in a caution-free main event 4-cylinder race. Dustin Forbes and Eric Stogdell notched Top-5’s in both features. Aaron Shuck made a late-race pass on Andy Baugh to score the 15-lap IMRA Midget Lite feature win. Jeremy Gustaf was able to hold off a hard charging Rick Schriner for the Weber Auto Group Street Stock feature win. Schriner finished second with Steven Jackson in third and Chad Coyne finished fourth

Results – 6/29/14
U-Pull-A-Part/Cimco IMRA Midget Lites
Heat 1
1. 53 – Aaron Schuck
2. 2 – Austin Archdale
3. 6B – Andy Baugh
4. 3 – Rich Drangmeister
5. 56 – Mitchell Davis
6. 0 – Tyler Roth
7. 01 – Travis Pence
Heat 2
1. 15M – Shane Morgan
2. 13 – Brayden Gaylord
3. 0B – Robert Bell
4. 22 – Jeremy Hull
5. 77K – Kendra Leer
6. 31J – Jeff Mallonee
Feature
1. 53 – Aaron Schuck
2. 6B – Andy Baugh
3. 13 – Brayden Gaylord
4. 2 – Austin Archdale
5. 15M – Shane Morgan
6. 0 – Tyler Roth
7. 3 – Rich Drangmeister
8. 56 – Mitchell Davis
9. 77K – Kendra Leer
10. 22 – Jeremy Hull
11. 0B – Robert Bell
DNS: 31J – Jeff Mallonee, 01 – Travis Pence
McDonald’s Mod Lites
Heat 1
1. 4M – Jason Masengarb
2. 1M – Bryan Brinker
3. 11s – Gary Snyder
4. 16P – Mike Pershing
5. 2 – Brian Schnell
6. 69 – Gary Weatherington Jr.
7. 22 – Dave Nelson
8. 3 – A.J. Pappas
9. 15 – Justin Ashby
Heat 2
1. 8G – Dan Guss
2. 4 – Erik Close
3. 007 – Jared Norton
4. 7 – Jim Betcher
5. 5 – Mike Dominguez
6. 20J – John Belville
7. 1 – Graham Fate
8. 17M – Mike Morrow
Feature
1. 4M – Jason Masengarb
2. 1M – Bryan Brinker
3. 16P – Mike Pershing
4. 2 – Brian Schnell
5. 4 – Erik Close
6. 007 – Jared Norton
7. 11s – Gary Snyder
8. 5 – Mike Dominguez
9. 8G – Dan Guss
10. 3 – A.J. Pappas
11. 1 – Graham Fate
12. 22 – Dave Nelson
13. 69 – Gary Weatherington Jr.
14. 20J – John Belville
15. 7 – Jim Betcher
DNS: 17M – Mike Morrow, 15 – Justin Ashby
Weber Auto Group Street Stocks
Heat 1
1. 8 – Rick Schriner
2. 19 – Steven Jackson
3. 33 – Jarett Franzen
4. 83 – Jimmy Comins
5. 28 – Jimmy Simpson
6. 84 – Ben Gallentine
7. 2 – Jake Whittington
Heat 2
1. 86 – Jeremy Gustaf
2. 1 – Rob Nylin
3. 13 – Chad Coyne
4. 21 – Keith Blum
5. 3 – Dwayne Smith Jr.
6. 85JR – Erick Turner
7. 81 – Cary Brown
Heat 3
1. 86 – Jeremy Gustaf
2. 8 – Rick Schriner
3. 19 – Steven Jackson
4. 13 – Chad Coyne
5. 1 – Rob Nylin
6. 33 – Jarett Franzen
7. 3 – Dwayne Smith Jr.
8. 28 – Jimmy Simpson
9. 83 – Jimmy Comins
10. 84 – Ben Gallentine
11. 85JR – Erick Turner
12. 2 – Jake Whittington
13. 21 – Keith Blum
DNS: 81 – Cary Brown

Toppert Services IMCA Modifieds
Heat 1
1. 17P – Jason Pershy
2. 15D – Brandon Durbin
3. 11 – Ray Cox Jr.
4. 21C – Chad Tucker
5. 40 – Doug Crampton
6. 4G – Kevin Goben
Heat 2
1. V – Milo Veloz Jr.
2. 8 – Greg Durbin
3. 00 – Rob Henry
4. 8L – Chris Lawrence
5. 14 – B.J. Jackson
6. 85 – Leland Bushong
Heat 3
1. 1 – Eric Barnes
2. 85B – Brian Bushong
3. 18R – Terry Rentfro
4. 17 – Todd Dykema
5. 99 – R.J. Gonzales
6. 89 – T.J. Patz
Feature
1. 40 – Doug Crampton
2. 85B – Brian Bushong
3. 17P – Jason Pershy
4. 00 – Rob Henry
5. 11 – Ray Cox Jr.
6. 18R – Terry Rentfro
7. 8L – Chris Lawrence
8. 99 – R.J. Gonzales
9. 8 – Greg Durbin
10. 85 – Leland Bushong
11. 17 – Todd Dykema
12. 89 – T.J. Patz
13. 1 – Eric Barnes
14. V – Milo Veloz Jr.
15. 21C – Chad Tucker
16. 15D – Brandon Durbin
17. 4G – Kevin Goben
18. 14 – B.J. Jackson

Eriksen Chevrolet Buick IMCA Late Models
Heat 1
1. 14 – Mike Murphy Jr.
2. 75M – Todd Malmstrom
3. 53 – LeRoy Brenner
4. 6K – Korey Peterson
5. 44 – Nate Beuseling
6. 70 – Shawn Mulvany
Heat 2
1. 37B – Brunson Behning
2. 58 – Ray Guss Jr.
3. 5 – Shaune Lewis
4. 07 – Matt Ryan
5. 3 – Mike Cothron
Feature
1. 14 – Mike Murphy Jr.
2. 58 – Ray Guss Jr.
3. 75M – Todd Malmstrom
4. 07 – Matt Ryan
5. 53 – LeRoy Brenner
6. 70 – Shawn Mulvany
7. 3 – Mike Cothron
8. 6K – Korey Peterson
9. 5 – Shaune Lewis
DNS: 44 – Nate Beuseling
DQ: 37B – Brunson Behning

Riverbend Pizza Place 4-Cylinders
Make Up Feature
1. D17 – Brandon Dahl
2. 51 – Ken Stogdell
3. 50 – Eric Stogdell
4. F79 – Dustin Forbes
5. 17 – Andy Loy
6. s4 – Steven Spiker
7. 8 – John Scott III
8. C22 – Cameron Poci
9. 28 – Brad Salisberry
10. 75K – Jake Smith
11. D23 – Zach Dahl
DNS: 25A – Jon Scott, 77X – Brandon Setser
Heat 1
1. D17 – Brandon Dahl
2. 28 – Brad Salisberry
3. 48 – Aaron Hitt
4. C22 – Cameron Poci
5. 8 – John Scott III
6. 51 – Ken Stogdell
7. 75K – Jake Smith
8. 24 – Steven Struck
9. 13 – Shawn Pappas
Heat 2
1. F79 – Dustin Forbes
2. 5 – Luke Benischek
3. 17 – Andy Loy
4. 3 – Jake Benischek
5. 50 – Eric Stogdell
6. s4 – Steven Spiker
7. F88 – Sean Fersch
8. 61 – Erick Hood
9. 6C – Sean Jungbolt
10. 14 – Drew Wise
Feature
1. 5 – Luke Benischek
2. F79 – Dustin Forbes
3. 48 – Aaron Hitt
4. 17 – Andy Loy
5. 50 – Eric Stogdell
6. 3 – Jake Benischek
7. 8 – John Scott III
8. s4 – Steven Spiker
9. 51 – Ken Stogdell
10. 28 – Brad Salisberry
11. F88 – Sean Fersch
12. 61 – Erick Hood
13. 24 – Steven Struck
14. 6C – Sean Jungbolt
15. 75K – Jake Smith
16. D17 – Brandon Dahl
17. C22 – Cameron Poci
DNS: 13 – Shawn Pappas, 14 – Drew Wise, D23 – Zach Dahl