McCalla's dominance came sooner than expected

CEDAR RAPIDS - Dave McCalla is accustomed to being fast, but his success returning to asphalt has been quicker than even he anticipated.

After a year away to race on dirt, the 35-year-old race car driver from Cedar Rapids has returned to Hawkeye Downs Speedway and dominated the sportsman division from the opening night.

McCalla earn his eighth sportsman feature win this season during weekly points races at Hawkeye Downs Friday night. The evening was declared Larry Niemeyer Appreciation Night, honoring the former Cedar Rapids Jefferson softball and girls basketball coach between heat and feature contests.

McCalla prepared for a transition period, but was surprised by his instant success back on asphalt.

"We never expected to have the car be this good so quick," McCalla said. "We figured we'd have to work at it."

It was apparent five races into the season the car was dialed in and McCalla was on his game. McCalla was spun out and sent to the rear of the 11-car field with about 10 laps to go. He passed the field and won.

"That's when I realized we have a good car," McCalla said. "We were going hard and making the car work that night."

Friday night he was nearly untouchable. McCalla, who received cheers from the crowd as he waved leaving victory lane, took the lead less than three laps into the 20-lap feature, blowing away the rest of the field. He said it was one of his best runs on the quarter-mile track and the car ran as strong as ever.

McCalla applied notes he learned back when he raced stock cars at this track, winning a season points title in 2004, which was his last year in that class. McCalla has recorded a number of victories, capturing three straight sportsman championships from 2006-08 and finishing second in 2005 and 2009. The ones this season are icing on the cake.

"We're having a lot of fun," McCalla said. "To have as much success as we're having is a bonus."

Another bonus is driving Wall of Famer Arlo Becker's modified. A long-time fan of Earnhardt family racing, McCalla drives a sportsman with Dale Earnhardt's No. 3 and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88, which adorns Becker's race car.

"To get this opportunity has been great," said McCalla, who built his old stock car at Becker's garage. "It allows me to learn more."

McCalla was fourth in the modified feature won by points leader Brian Gibson. He started on the outside of Row 1 and grabbed the lead early from Ryan Luedtke en route to his second win of the year. The key was adjustment to his tires.

"I went right around Ryan," Gibson said. "I had a great start."

In the late model feature, 20-year-old Thor Anderson won his division-leading fifth feature victory, closing the gap on season points leader Brad Osborn, who led by five points before placing fourth Friday night. Anderson grabbed the lead about three laps in, and kept runner-up Joey Gase at bay the rest of the way.

"I drove a consistent car," Anderson said, "and came away with a win."

Matt Petrzelka has been just as dominant as McCalla in the hobby stock division. He won his eighth feature this season. The defending season points champion grabbed the lead with eight laps remaining and never looked back, increasing his 72-point lead over runner-up Brad Chandler.

Todd Ness earned his first feature win of the season in the hornet division.

The legends division welcomed a newcomer Friday night. After getting a taste of auto racing during a celebrity race in June, former University of Iowa two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American wrestler Mark Ironside decided to make it a full-fledged activity. Ironside purchased a legends car, which is painted in Iowa colors with his favorite number, 10, and tributes to Iowa wrestling.

Ironside will run three race nights this summer with expectations to run regularly next season.

"I'm just trying to get some track time," Ironside said. "I'm just trying to have some fun and keep up with the pack."

Ironside finished ninth in the 12-car field in his first official feature. Legends points leader and Hawkeye Downs Wall of Fame member Kevin Korsmo regained the checker flag, winning his sixth feature this season.

"The car was perfect (Friday night)," said Korsmo, a 1982 Jefferson graduated who dedicated his win to Niemeyer.

Race Promoter Mike Becker, who had two sisters coached by Niemeyer, conducted a ceremony on the track.

HAWKEYE DOWNS SPEEDWAY

At Cedar Rapids

Late Models

Heat winners - 1st: Tim Plummer; 2nd: Joey Gase

Feature - 1. Thor Anderson, 2. Gase, 3. Plummer, 4. Griffin McGrath, 5. Brad Osborn

Modifieds

Heat winners - 1st: Jake Griffin; 2nd: Brian Gibson

Feature - 1. Gibson, 2. Mike Schulte, 3. Griffin, 4. Dave McCalla, 5. Ryan Luedtke

Sportsman

Heat winner - Dave McCalla

Feature - 1. Dave McCalla, 2. Ben Glascock, 3. Dave Ballstaedt, 4. Greg Hentrich, 5. Kandi Floyd

Legends

Heat winners - 1st: Rod McGlothlen; 2nd: Kevin Korsmo

Feature - 1. Korsmo, 2. Caleb Drian, 3. Dennis Diercks, 4. Rod McGlothlen, 5. Bryce Bailey

Hobby stocks

Heat winners - 1st: Brad Chandler; 2nd: Matt LaCoursiere

Feature - 1. Matt Petrzelka, 2. Chandler, 3. LaCoursiere, 4. Derek Parrott, 5. Blake Carson

Hornets

Trophy Dash winner - Jeff Dvorak

Heat winners - 1st: Shane Hanson; 2nd: Todd Ness

Feature - 1. Ness, 2. Hanson, 3. Jose DeJesus, 4. Hallie Hanson, 5. Ian Pate