Kevin Cywinski Scores Third Win at ASA Hawkeye Downs 300
14 July 1997
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - For the second week in a row, Kevin Cywinski held off a bevy of veteran drivers to score his third win of the American Speed Association season Friday in the Hawkeye Downs 300.On July 4, Cywinski held seven-time champion Mike Eddy and Scott Hansen at bay to win the Wisconsin 300, on Friday he held off Hansen, Gary St Amant and Eddy to score the win.
Starting in third position, Cywinski, in the LaFavre Racing Teams Pontiac, led 132 of the 300 laps around the half-mile Hawkeye Downs Speedway in a nip and tuck battle with the ACDelco Challenge Series veterans.
"These guys are the best drivers," Cywinski said of his fellow competitors. "Last week Mike (Eddy) raced me clean and this week it was Scott (Hansen). Goodyear gave us a great tire. I ran the last 110 laps on the same tires and never considered pitting again. The wins aren't coming easy, but this car is awesome.
Cywinski collected $14,630 for his third win of the 1997 season and his sixth career ASA victory.
St Amant, in the Wynn's/West Michigan Chevy Dealers Monte Carlo took the lead on the first lap from the outside of the front row, but quickly gave way to Hansen in the Ken Schrader Racing Chevrolet with Cywinski running third.
On lap 10 Cywinski went into the lead for the first time chased by Hansen and local favorite Brad Loney in the Bunsaver/Hunter's Specialties/Flexsteel Pontiac. St Amant continued to hold fourth and Mike Miller had brought the GOOp/AFC 1000/Uniseal Pontiac to fifth.
Hansen retook the lead on lap 14 and managed to hold it until lap 85 when the third caution flag of the race sent the leaders into the pits for attention from their crews. Cywinski was first out of the pits, followed by St Amant, Steve Carlson and Ted Smokstad.
Cywinski held the lead until lap 92 when Hansen made the pass coming off turn 2. Hansen then led for the next 9 laps until Cywinski once again took the point and remained out front until lap 130.
When the leaders pitted under caution on lap 131 Rick Beebe kept the St Louis Gear/Royal Machine Pontiac on the track to inherit the lead. Beebe gambled by staying on the track and continued to lead until he was passed by Carlson on lap 198. Closing on The top two, after making final pit stops, were the erstwhile leaders Cywinski, St Amant and Eddy. The leading duo finally headed for the pits on lap 206, under caution, and that put Cywinski back into the lead followed by Hansen, St Amant and the Goodwrench Service/HRE Pontiac of Eddy.
Hansen made several attempts to get under Cywinski in the closing laps as the cars rocketed of turns two and four, but was unable to complete the pass as Cywinski had the power to hold him at bay. Cywinski's winning margin was just .243 seconds in a race slowed by 15 cautions for a total of 91 laps.
The second place finish was the best of the season for Hansen and followed up on the third place finish last week at the Wisconsin 300.
"We came up just a little bit short," Hansen said. At the end of the race the car got a little tight in the corners. We needed a strong run tonight, and now have finally put two together."
Cywinski extended his points margin over St Amant to 226 as the series reached the halfway point of the season. Hansen occupies the third spot in the points 327 markers back of the leader.
The winner of the Wynn's Wynning move was the Leo Motorsports/ Wehr Pontiac for his ninth place finish after starting 22nd on the grid.
The ACDelco Challenge Series travels to LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, WI for the running of the LaCrosse 300 on Sunday July 27th. The race will be televised by TNN on a tape delayed basis at Midnight on the 27th.
John Kaiser -- The Auto Channel
Hawkeye Downs Speedway - Provisional results for the ASA ACDelco Challenge Series, Hawkeye Downs 300: Ps.Ql.No. Driver , Car Laps -- -- ---- ----------------------------------------------------- ----- 1 3 1 Kevin Cywinski Coleman Racing Products PONT 300 2 1 52 Scott Hansen AFCO Racing Products PONT 300 3 2 7 Gary St Amant Wynn's/W Michigan Chevy Dealers CHEV 300 4 10 88 Mike Eddy GM Goodwrench Service/HRE PONT 300 5 15 87 Steve Carlson(R)Baker Enterprises/Clean Burn PONT 300 6 5 33 Brad Loney Bunsaver/Hunter's Spec/Flexsteel PONT 300 7 16 32 Ted Smokstad Corp. Auto/SMS Parts PONT 300 8 11 5 Steve Holzhausen Structural Transport FORD 300 9 22 55 Tim Sauter (R) Leo M/S/Wehr/Racing Adventures PONT 300 10 8 84 Bob Senneker Lane Auto/JR Automation/Mr GasketFORD 300 11 7 23 Rick Beebe St Louis Gear/Royal Machine PONT 300 12 17 6 Dave Sensiba Engineered Polymer/W MI Auto AuctPONT 300 13 21 81 Harold Fair Car Quest/ACDelco/Victor Reinz PONT 300 14 24 26 Bill Baird Spee-Dee Pop Popcorn/Saturn Mach CHEV 300 15 9 35 Buddy Schrock Big A Auto Parts/UniDial CHEV 300 16 12 48 Joe Nott Valvoline/Allan Nott Toyota/RaabeFORD 299 17 25 83 Andy Bozell DeVrou Chev/Crokkston Poured WallCHEV 299 18 19 21 Kevin Nuttleman Citgo/Midwest Fuels/Dutch Mill PONT 299 19 13 51 Brandon Sperling Sperling Motorsports CHEV 298 20 23 72 Junior Hanley Skillman Motorsports PONT 298 21 27 40 Peter Cozzolino McDonalds/Raabe Ford FORD 297 22 32 79 Mike Cofer (R) Black & Decker Versa Pack PONT 296 23 29 95 Chuck Hemmingston Rodeway Inn PONT 295 24 31 0 Tom Jones Jones Motorsports PONT 295 25 30 47 Paul Paine Paine Racing PONT 294 26 14 8 Mike Garvey AFCO Racing Products PONT 282 27 6 07 Jack Landis Adirondak/Lyndaker/Maisto/N.YoderFORD 257 28 33 93 Alec Pinsonneault Build-A-Mold/Trimplas/Moldplas PONT 245 29 4 18 Mike Miller South East Air Service PONT 191 30 28 43 Curt Martin Team 17 FORD 158 31 20 03 Johnny Spaw Mid-West Plumbing/Clemnet TrailerPONT 111 32 26 64 Ricky Bilderback Bilderback Auto Parts PONT 107 33 34 58 Billy Turner Sanifill/Central Fiber PONT 30 34 18 56 Brett Bell Wunder-Bar/Red Line Oil FORD 14 (R)= Pat Schauer Memorial Rookie Candidate Time of Race : 2 hrs 16 min 47 secs Average Speed : 53.624 mph Margin of Victory : .243 secs Lap Leaders : St Amant, Hansen, Cywinski, Beebe, Carlson Cautions : 15 for 91 laps Track Length : 0.5000 Miles ASA POINTS PROVISIONAL STANDINGS After 10 of 20 Events ------------------------------------------------------ 1. Kevin Cywinski 1822 2. CarySt Amant 1596 (-226) 3. Scott Hansen 1495 (-327) 4. Rick Beebe 1470 (-352) 5. Steve Carlson 1448 (-374) 6. Dave Sensiba 1446 (-376) 7. Mike Miller 1399 (-423) 8. Harold Fair 1347 (-475) 9. Mike Eddy 1316 (-506) 10.Tim Sauter 1269 (-553)