Hornets get a little testy at Hawkeye Downs

CEDAR RAPIDS - Pulling into victory lane Friday night at Hawkeye Downs, Dallas Chandler received mixed emotions from the crowd. Half were cheering him on, and the other half were hurling boos.

He had just won the Miller Time Hornets race, the first feature race of the night, and his second win of the season. Yet before he could celebrate the win, Derek Parrott - who took second in the race - pulled up right next to him.

Words were exchanged, and then Parrott was off, exiting the track.

'Usually when drivers pull up in there they congratulate you for a win,” Chandler said after the race. 'I'll just say that the words he said were not congratulations, and I guess he said he's going to see me next week on the track, so we'll see what that brings.”

Now initially, Parrott crossed the finish line first, and Chandler came in second. Parrott even started his approach to victory lane, removing his helmet and gloves in the car. That's when he saw it: the caution flag had been thrown.

A driver had spun out on the back end, and neither Parrott nor Chandler had seen it.

'I was fine with that finish,” Chandler said. 'Getting second to Derek, it's good deed because he's winning the championship. He's raced probably more laps than I have out here, and it's an honor just to get second to him. I was fine with that finish.”

So the restart was on, and three laps were tacked on.

And on the final turn, the two were neck and neck. Chandler fought for inside position, and the two bumped multiple times around the curve until Chandler finally got the edge for the win.

'I had to wait until the last lap,” Chandler said. 'I went, dropped a wheel into the dirt and held it down there. He just didn't want to give up that position for the win.”

Parrott knew it was going to be a tough finish to keep his win, as Chandler is known for his quick bursts out of the gate.

From his view, Chandler completely 'knocked him out of the way for the win” on the last lap.

'My car is a momentum car, and Dallas is a little bit faster on the restarts,” Parrott said. 'He kind of dirty rode me on the last lap, and that's kind of how it goes sometimes.”

And as for why the restart was called in the first place, after he had crossed the finish line, Parrott can only speculate. He didn't see the stumble on the backside that caused the caution flag, so he can't argue it too much.

'I'm assuming that's for the fans' sake,” Parrott said. 'They like to see a green light checkered, but it just sucks when you're on the losing end of it sometimes.”

Regardless, Parrott still sits at the top of the standings for the season. And, he started out in last place coming in, so a second-place finish still is a productive night in his mind.

'Tonight's not bad for starting last,” Parrott said. 'You can't complain. I'm still a little upset about how the finish went, but it is what it is. That's a part of racing. You have to take your lumps sometimes, and we took ours tonight.”

l Comments: ryan.young@thegazette.com