Legends race heating up between Korsmo, Slabaugh and Kibbe

CEDAR RAPIDS — The tightest race at Hawkeye Downs Speedway just intensified.

With eight nights of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series down and six to go, Austin Slabaugh finds himself a point out from the lead after taking the checkered flag in the Legends feature Friday.

Slabaugh, of Kalona, started in the 3-spot and jockeyed between second and third before settling into the lead with two laps remaining for his first win of the season.

“I felt like I was doing the right thing, just staying there after I got to second, sticking to the bottom side, because it’s pretty hard to pass on top,” Slabaugh said. “After one of those restarts, I got shuffled back to third and saw that there were three laps left. I was like, now’s my chance — may as well take the top side and see what happens … and it worked.”

Kevin Korsmo finished second, preserving his spot as points leader — while Dallas Kibbe, who began the night one point behind Korsmo, finished fourth.

Now, just three points separate Korsmo, Slabaugh and Kibbe.

“I don’t know if there’s another class that has as many winners as we have,” Slabaugh said. “Coming out of every week, there’s not really a favorite. It’s pretty much anybody’s guess who’s going to be there at the end.

“It makes it fun when it’s not always the same person.”

In the Hornets class, Kurt Bohnsack, of Ely, started fourth and extended his points lead, crossing the finish line first Friday.

“I was a little worried about the tires being hot and the track being a little greasy, but they seemed to work pretty good for me tonight,” Bohnsack said. “I was just patient there, you know, let those guys do their thing out front. I knew eventually they’d start to get up because it was pretty greasy out there, and I ended up getting underneath and around them.”

Bohnsack now leads second place John Carnahan, who finished fifth, by 12 points.

Points leaders Adam Petrzelka (Hobby Stocks), Todd Ness (Sportsman) and Tallan Chandler (Sports Mods) all bolstered their leads, taking checkered flags Friday in their respective classes.

Marion’s Michael Weber, another points leader, capped Friday’s racing slate by winning the Late Models feature.

“We’ve got this car dialed in,” Weber said. “I have to thank Rusty Shadden, my crew chief, for all the hard work. I have to thank Griffin (McGrath), too — he owns the car. I’m just the driver.

“I thank both of those guys for this opportunity and excitement.”

Weber started in the pole position and never looked back.

“I guess I just hit the invert right and started on the pole, which is always nice,” Weber said. “I’ll take a win any time.”

It was his second victory and fifth top-5 finish this season.

“I had a car last year and it got wrecked, basically junk,” Weber said. “So this is a new car to me. It’s like a 2005 chassis … but it’s new to us.”

Drivers will take a break for Independence Day, with weekly racing set to resume July 11.

Weber already has his sights set on the next big race.

“The main goal is the Big 8 race, trying to win that thing,” Weber said.

The Big 8 Late Models Series race at Hawkeye Downs is set for July 18.