Hawkeye Downs crowns 2024 track champions

Seven drivers were crowned track champions Friday at Hawkeye Downs Speedway.

Adam Petrzelka (Hobby Stocks), Corey Crispin (Hornets), Kacey Korsmo (Legends), Todd Ness (Sportsmans), Tallan Chandler (Sports Mods), Greg Hentrich (Late Models) and Will Zamastil (HD Dawgs) each secured titles in their respective classes, concluding the 2024 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series.

Adam Petrzelka (Hobby Stocks)

Petrzelka had a near-perfect season, winning 11 of 12 Hobby Stocks features. The only race he didn’t take the checkered flag came on July 17, when he finished second.

“It feels really good,” Petrzelka said. “I just wish I had one more lap on that one I lost. I think I could have won them all.”

It was Petrzelka’s first title.

Corey Crispin (Hornets)

For the second straight year, Crispin edged Chad Vozenilek in a tight race for the Hornets crown. Just five points separated the drivers.

“It’s good to have a third title (2021, 2023 and 2024) out here,” Crispin said. “It’s my last year in the Hornets. I kind of decided that before the year even started, so I just wanted to make sure it ended well, and it did.”

Crispin won six of 13 features and ran top five in every race.

“It’s fun running side-by-side with him (Crispin),” Vozenilek said. “Most of the time we don’t touch each other. It’s just good, clean, hard racing.”

Kacey Korsmo (Legends)

Korsmo also defended his 2023 crown, once again taking the Legends championship. Korsmo was consistent all season, finishing top five in 10 of 13 features, with one win.

“This year is a little different feeling because my dad (Kevin Korsmo) was in the lead most of the year up until last week,” Korsmo said. “We had a racing incident happen on the track, and he got collected in it and wasn’t able to finish the race (Aug. 9). This championship is dedicated to him because it honestly should have been his.”

Todd Ness (Sportsmans)

After a second-place points finish last year, Ness secured his second Sportsmans title in three years Friday. Ness was dominant throughout the season, winning eight features and running top five in all 13 races.

“It feels awesome to run with a group of racers that run clean,” Ness said. “It’s been a good season. The car’s been kicking together all year. I didn’t have any issues. I’ve got a great support group behind me.”

Tallan Chandler (Sports Mods)

Tallan Chandler, 14, became the youngest track champion in Hawkeye Downs history Friday. He finished fifth in the Sports Mods feature, which left him tied in points with Chad Siems. With season wins serving as the tiebreaker, Chandler took the title with his three first-place finishes to Siems’ one.

“It means a lot because my family’s been racing their whole life and just so I can follow in their tracks is cool,” Chander said. “I just want to thank my dad (Nate Chandler), he’s fixed the car every time I’ve wrecked. It’s been a roller coaster, but the car always got fixed and we ended up track champion.”

Chandler ran top five in 11 of 13 races.

Greg Hentrich (Late Models)

In Late Models, Greg Hentrich, who also finished third in Sportsmans, earned a Hawkeye Downs title for the first time. He had three top five finishes and ran top 10 in all eight features.

“It feels good after I’ve been doing this for 30 years,” Hentrich said. “I raced back in 1983 when it was a dirt track and then I started back in 1996 … I’ve had five or six seconds in points in the Sportmans, and five or six thirds, but this is my first championship.”

Will Zamastil (HD Dawgs)

The inaugural HD Dawgs track title went to Will Zamastil of Fairfax. He picked up his first feature win of the year Friday to cap his championship season.

“It’s pretty amazing; we worked really hard,” Zamastil said. “It was really exhilarating to win the last race and then also the points championship. It’s a fun class to run.”