Coffee wins again at BBB

Reese Coffee opens the season with a win at Blackbird Bend Speedway
May 15, 2009, 2009
Onawa, IA
LeRoy Beck

Northwest Iowa hot shoe Reese Coffee started the 2009 season at Blackbird Bend Speedway in the best possible way, in Victory Lane. Under the new management of Allen Yanke and Dirt Dogs LLC, Blackbird Bend Speedway opened a new season with over 60 cars in the pit area, and a great crowd battling a fierce wind to see some incredible racing. Randy Cass, Craig Clift, and Chad Dills all found Victory Lane as well to start the season.

After heat race action, most in the crowd would have figured the evenings feature would come down to a pair of teammates, Reese Coffee and Chris Abelson. Both cars were clearly very fast in their heat race; with Coffee starting at the front of the field, most would believe the only question would be if Abelson would be able to keep up. Trouble would strike early in the event for Abelson, suffering a flat tire, sending him to the pits. Coffee would not go unchallenged however as Matt Bonine and later Clint Homan would both contest for the top spot. Homan seemed to have the best shot at Coffee, but heavy smoke began under Homan’s machine with three to go, and he would fall back to finish eighth. At the drop of the checkered, Bonine, Jeff Jones, Denny Johnson, and Lucas Robinson would follow Coffee to the line.

The Sportmod feature would be one of the best races of the night, with no less than four cars battling for the top spot. At any point during the feature, Jeff Brunssen, Steve Olson, Chad Dills, and Keith Sanders would all hold the top spot. In the waning laps, Brunssen and Dills would separate themselves from the pack. Brunssen, running second, would try high, low, and any other line to work around Dills’ machine. Coming to the checkered flag, Brunssen would make one last run, entering turn three on the absolute top of the speedway, then attempting to cut down the track and exit turn four off the bottom. Unfortunately, Brunssen would not be able to hold the line, and Dills would cross the line first. After the top two were Sanders, Olson, and Ty Merrill.

Very rarely can a driver say they had a “perfect” night. It almost never happens, and when it does, it is truly something to behold. Craig Clift had a perfect Friday night. Clift would dominate his heat race, and then continue and dominate the feature racing, leading by nearly half a lap at certain points. Fans however would not be disappointed as a three way battle for the runner up spot would keep fans on the edge of their seats. Jake McClure, Derek Anderson, and Nelson Vollbrecht would have the fans attention through the race as nearly every lap the drivers would run three wide at some point. At the drop of the checkered, McClure would take the runner up spot followed by Anderson, Vollbrecht, and Randy Anderson all inside the top five.

Fans of the Hornet division in the Siouxland area have been watching the cars from the Cass Motors shop dominate the racing early in the season. This Friday night would be no different as Randy Cass and Vince Trometer would engage in a race long battle for the top spot. Trading the top spot at various points around the speedway, neither driver would be able to hold a sizable advantage. Cass had been making most of his ground on the bottom of the speedway, with Trometer making headway all over the track. Entering turn three on the final circuit, Trometer would try to make a move to the high side around Cass, but it would be for not as Cass would pick up the feature win followed by Trometer, Cain Mahlberg, Tim Cass, and Joelle Gustin.

Next Friday night the racing continues once again at Blackbird Bend Speedway. For more information on Blackbird Bend Speedway visit http://www.bbbspeedway.com

RESULTS
Modifieds presented by Struble Agronomy and Cheap Smokes Package Beer and Liquor
Heat Winners
Matt Bonine, Chris Abelson
Feature
1. Reese Coffee
2. Matt Bonine
3. Jeff Jones
4. Denny Johnson
5. Lucas Robinson
6. Jason Schniders
7. Grant Holberg
8. Clint Homan
9. Justin Wolf
10. Chad Anderson

Sportmods presented by Duane Wasmund Motors
Heat Winners
Jeff Brunssen, Chad Dills
Feature
1. Chad Dills
2. Jeff Brunssen
3. Keith Sanders
4. Steve Olsen
5. Ty Merrill
6. Nick Lakes
7. Shawn Bearce
8. Eric Spenner
9. George Whitmore
10. Mike Kramer

Hobby Stocks presented by Farm Bureau Financial, David Gaukel and Gerry Johnson
Heat Winners
Craig Huffless, Craig Clift
Feature
1. Craig Clift
2. Jake McClure
3. Derek Anderson
4. Nelson Vollbrecht
5. Randy Anderson
6. Rick Munson
7. Jeremie Brabec
8. Craig Huffless
9. Steve Anderson
10. Austin Lee

Hornets presented by Cass Motors
Heat Winners
Michael Denney, Tim Cass
Feature
1. Randy Cass
2. Vince Trometer
3. Cain Mahlberg
4. Tim Cass
5. Joelle Gustin
6. Zach Ankrum
7. Tyson Nawanna
8. Neal Reynolds
9. Don Tank
10. Michael Denney