J.D. Auringer meets USRA A-Mod goal with track title

J.D. Auringer set a goal out a few years ago for his Modified racing. He wanted to get into a USRA/USMTS A-Mod and be successful.

It's no easy task, considering the bigger (and far more expensive, compared to an IMCA crate) engine, different tires (IMCA Hoosiers to American Racer) and a different driving style. And for Auringer, the goal was set out while still racing his IMCA Modified.

Two cars, two maintenance programs and, most weeks, two nights of racing.

After chasing success in the A-Mod for a multiple seasons, Auringer found plenty this year — wrapping up a track championship at Mason City Motor Speedway on Sunday with his third win of the season. The Waterloo driver, who races weekly at Independence Motor Speedway, too, is as proud of this season as any other. Meeting goals is hard in any sport, after all.

'I've always looked at the USMTS or USRA (A-Mod) as kind of like your NASCAR,' Auringer said. 'It takes more money to run it, so that's why there's not quite as many, but the guys in there are really good and some doing it for a living. It means a lot to me to run well against those guys. It proves to yourself you are good. I don't like to toot my own horn or whatever, but it means a lot to me.'

The driving aspect wasn't a huge hurdle, Auringer said.

USRA A-Mods have the different tire and an engine with far more horsepower, but also a taller rear spoiler. Auringer said the best way to describe the style of driving required is close to that of an IMCA Late Model. As others have shown, going back and forth between different kinds of cars is something highly-capable racers can do — it just requires seat time to be good.

He said the two different cars 'react kind of the same,' but that 'the USRA car works so much better with the size of the tire we're on. It's more adapted to the tire.'

Being good requires work out of the car too, of course. Doubling the work is hard for big time teams, but Auringer takes even more pleasure in being able to do it with a small team consisting of him, his dad and a friend racing for car owner Gene Sheetz - whom Auringer said he owes a lot.

Racing is littered with stories of small teams taking on the big ones, and any time the former has success, it comes with an understandable amount of pride.

'It just feels really good for a small program to have success,' Auringer said. 'We set up both cars a little different. And then it's definitely more work because you're taking on a whole other car maintenance-wise, so now you've got double. Thank god I've got my dad (Steve) and Jason (Dostart) to help.

'I'm just really happy with what we've been able to do. Racing has gotten so expensive, it's all tough to do.'

OLSON GETS WIN NO. 100

Cedar Rapids racer Tony Olson notched another career milestone this weekend.

The 2016 IMCA Northern Sport Mod national champion got his 100th career Sport Mod win Saturday night at Independence Motor Speedway — a night after win No. 99 at Davenport Speedway — which makes him just the sixth driver to reach the mark in the division's history. Olson joins Swea City's Matthew Looft (achieved in June), Lanesboro's Doug Smith, Glenwood's Jesse Sobbing, Norfolk, Neb. driver Kyle Prauner and the all-time wins leader, Belleville, Kan. native Tyler Frye, who has 158 wins.

Olson's success in the division has been concentrated in the last four seasons. According to IMCA records, Olson has 83 sanctioned wins since the start of the 2014 season. Overall, he has 91 wins since moving from Modified to Sport Mod after the 2013 season.

INDEPENDENCE, BENTON COUNTY SPEEDWAYS CROWN TRACK CHAMPS

Independence Motor Speedway and Benton County Speedway wrapped up their points championship seasons this weekend, crowning six class champions apiece on Saturday and Sunday night, respectively.

At Independence on Saturday, IMCA Sport Mod driver Kyle Olson clinched his first track championship, beating his cousin Tony by five points. Cole Mather claimed the IMCA Stock Car championship, Benji Irvine got another title in IMCA Hobby Stock, Brian Hunter won IMCA Late Model and Jason Gorman took the Indee Cars (MicroMod) championship.

Scott Hogan took the IMCA Modified championship at both Independence and in Vinton. He was joined by Ryan Dolan in Late Models, Nathan Wood in Stock Car, Tony Olson in Sport Mod, Nathan Ballard in Hobby Stock and Cole McNeal in MicroMod.

STAT OF THE WEEK

Scott Hogan swept this season's IMCA Modified track titles at Independence Motor Speedway and Benton County Speedway. It was the second time in his career that Hogan accomplished a title sweep between the two tracks. Others drivers earning Modified title sweeps at the two tracks include Troy Cordes (2002, 2014), Jack Mitchell (1983), Jerry Luloff (2001), Vern Jackson (2004) and J.D. Auringer (2007).

-Ryan Clark, IMCA

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