Jacob Tiegen returns from wreck for his fifth Legends feature win at Hawkeye Downs Speedway

Jacob Tiegen went first-lap wreck to first place.

He was able to increase his season points lead as well.

Tiegen started at the front and survived a crazy finish that included two wrecks late for his fifth feature victory win at weekly points races Friday night at Hawkeye Downs Speedway.

Tiegen had to overcome two green-white-checker restarts. The first came as two cars spun out as they started the final lap. The field didn’t make it a lap when a multi-car accident forced another caution and restart. Tiegen avoided trouble and closed it out.

“To come back this week and blow the doors off everybody,” Tiegen said in his post-race Victory Lane interview. “To go from a wreck to that was a big deal for us.”

Patrick Flannagan also won his fifth feature. Flannagan was head and shoulders above the field. He overcame a caution and restart with three laps left and pulled away for the win.

The hobby stocks feature was chippy, including two spin outs with one resulting in a caution. Points leader Matt Petrzelka and second-place Scott Siems were battling for the lead, but Adam Petrzelka slipped by when the three bumped together going into the fourth turn.

Adam Petrzelka took the lead and held on for his first feature win of the season. His brother, Matt, was second.

“I finally beat the 54 (car driven by Matt),” Adam Petrzelka said. “I saw a gap and I went for it.”

Brandon Herb also nabbed his first feature win of the season. He exorcised some demons, winning his first sportsman feature in a couple years.

“It’s been a bit of a rough patch midseason,” Herb said. “It’s good to see we got it fixed.”

The track welcomed the bandalero division feature and the Midwest Dash Series. The small turnkey, spec-series car is designed for drivers from 8 to 12 years old and usually a springboard car for Legends racing.

Cohen Henze, of Brodhead, Wis., swept the class. He opened the night earning the Fastest Qualifier honor. Henze followed it with a heat victory and cruised to the feature victory.

Justin Pearson won the first heat of the Midwest Dash Series and followed it with an exciting feature win. He battled fastest-lap qualifier Scott Ciesielski for the final couple laps. The two ran side-by-side in the final lap, including from the final turn to the finish line. Pearson held off Ciesielski for the win.

“Scott is great to race with,” Pearson said after the feature. “He races it clean. Man, that was fun.”

HAWKEYE DOWNS SPEEDWAY

At Cedar Rapids

Midwest Dash Compacts

Heat winners - 1st: Justin Pearson; 2nd: James Bohling

Feature - 1. Justin Pearson, 2. Scott Ciesielski, 3. Dan Braun, 4. Mark English, 5. Merek Pankow

Bandoleros

Heat winner – Cohen Henze

Feature - 1. Henze, 2. Lincoln Cain, 3. Bentley Thompson, 4. Parker Bodendorfer, 5. Riley Smith.

Sportsmen

Heat winner - Todd Ness

Feature - 1. Brandon Herb, 2. Ness, 3. Greg Hentrich, 4. Josh Sevey, 5. Dan Zamastil

Legends

Heat winners - 1st: Adam Reed; 2nd: Kacey Korsmo; 3rd: Austin Slabaugh

Feature - 1. Jacob Tiegen, 2. Jordan Miklas, 3. Danny Lehmkuhl, 4. Ty Fredrickson, 5. Korsmo

Hobby Stocks

Heat winner – Matt Lacoursiere

Feature - 1. Adam Petrzelka, 2. Matt Petrzelka, 3. Lacoursiere, 4. Tucker Bodendorfer, 5. Dale Sherman

Sportmods

Heat winner – Jonny Williams

Feature – 1. Patrick Flannagan, 2. Brandon Morris, 3. Chad Siems, 4. Sean Vogt, 5. Scott Williams