Historic night as sanctioned dirt racing returns to Hawkeye Downs

CEDAR RAPIDS — It was a night to remember at Hawkeye Downs Speedway.

Sanctioned dirt racing returned to the track Saturday night for the first time in nearly 40 years.

“IMCA (International Motor Contest Association) Night,” HD’s second event in its Dirt at the Downs series, featured 108 cars across four classes — IMCA Modifieds, Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks and IMCA Stock Cars.

The event was broadcast live on IMCA.tv.

Kolby Sabin of Des Moines was the first A Feature winner of the evening, capturing the 20-lap Hobby Stocks feature.

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“I really wanted to win this,” Sabin said. “It’s a cool event and I’ve been looking forward to it. It's only my third win this year, fourth win in a Hobby Stock too, and about my biggest one — event-wise.”

Sabin, 23, started ninth and rallied for the win.

“That caution came out with three laps to go, and it really saved me,” Sabin said. “I got a start in the bottom, got a good start, and then just went full center up to the top and it was wide open.”

The Sport Mods feature ran next.

Vinton’s Austin Kemp, 20, started on the pole and didn’t look back. Kemp led throughout the 20-lap race, enduring several cautions.

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“It’s crazy because this is my first-ever (Sport Mod) win,” Kemp said. “I was like, please, no more cautions … just let us run this thing out.”

Kemp has been competing in Sport Mods for “a year and a half” between Benton County Speedway and Independence Motor Speedway.

“(Hawkeye Downs) It’s definitely a lot tighter,” Kemp said. “I think ripping around the top would have been a lot different with that wall right there. But down on the bottom, I felt like it was pretty good. Just like every other track, the bottom was smooth and fast, honestly.”

Cedar Rapids’ Kaden Reynolds, 24, also began in the pole position and came out on top in the 25-lap IMCA Stock Cars A Feature.

“This is an awesome event,” Reynolds said. “I’m super happy that I’m a part of the dirt back at Hawkeye Downs. Not very many people can say that they’ve raced (dirt) here, let alone won.

“In the drivers meeting, they asked for a show of hands who’s raced dirt here. Johnny Spaw was in the only guy to raise his hand, so being able to put my name up there as a dirt winner at Hawkeye Downs is pretty cool.”

Spaw was inducted into Hawkeye Downs’ Wall of Fame in 2009.

Todd Shute, 47, of Norwalk capped the historic evening, winning 25-lap IMCA Modifieds A Feature sanctioned for IMCA points.

“I thought the track raced really good,” Shute said. “I mean, that top had a lot of character to it, which made it interesting. I feel like tracks with character put on a great show, and I felt like the fans got their money’s worth. And how can you not want to race in front of a crowd like that? I haven’t seen a grandstand like that in a long time.”

Shute entered Saturday’s race seventh in the IMCA’s national point standings.

“It’s definitely good to end the season on a high note,” Shute said. I’m just glad we took a chance on coming up here. It was absolutely incredible.”

The next event on HD’s Dirt at the Downs schedule is “Open Wheel Night” on Saturday.