Fired up for the Fair

     Completely dry weather conditions allowed every scheduled sports event at this year’s Great Jones County Fair to be held.

     All the events returned to the fair after being cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

     Included were motocross, tractor and truck pulls, harness racing, and two days of auto racing.

     Here is a rundown of everything that was held.

Motocross

     Monticello’s Jamie Eaton and Matthew Morris were among the class winners as the fair sports events got underway with the motocross event July 20.

     Eaton won the Open B class, and Morris was the winner in 85cc.

     Results from all classes follow.

TUESDAY, JULY 20

     250A – 1, Brent McClaud, Cedar Rapids; 2, Bryce McClaud, Cedar Rapids; 3, Dillon Thomas, Anamosa.

     Open B – 1, Jamie Eaton, Monticello; 2, Michael Aureden, Zwingle; 3, Luka Rickles, Cascade.

     250B – 1, Ryan Takes, Coggon; 2, Luka Rickles, Cascade; 3, Matthew Morris, Monticello.

     50cc Junior – 1, Knox Palmer, Farley; 2, Bentley Grulkey, Fairfax; 3, Mika Eales, Marion.

     Open A – 1, Brent McClaud, Cedar Rapids; 2, Bryce McClaud, Cedar Rapids; 3, Dillon Thomas, Anamosa.

     65cc – 1, Jax Huston, Tipton; 2, Cameron Leidigh, Marino; 3, Drew Simon, Manchester.

     50cc Open – 1, Beckett Dahl, Marion; 2, Mika Eales, Marion; 3, Dayton Sunderson, Waterloo.

     85cc – 1, Matthew Morris, Monticello; 2, Cole Kjormoe, Anamosa; 3, Cayden Leidigh, Marion.

ECIPA Tractor Pull

     Andrew Vorwald and Tim Vorwald, both of Scotch Grove, took two of the five classes in the East Central Iowa Pullers Association (ECIPA) Tractor Pull Wednesday afternoon, July 21, at the fairgrounds. In addition, Justin Vorwald of Scotch Grove took home a second place finish.

     Results from all classes follow, listing the driver’s name, hometown and distance.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21

     9,500-pound Hot Farm – 1, Tim Vorwald, Scotch Grove, 337.61 feet; 2, Nate Simon, Epworth, 329.29; 3, Curt Boeckenstedt, Edgewood, 328.69.

     9,300-pound Super Farm – 1, Dan Schulte, Manchester, 337.56; 2, Troy Heiderscheit, Epworth, 335.70; 3, Ryan Jensen, Osage, 327.78.

     6,450/6,700-pound Light Limited Super Stocks – 1, Barry Mohr, Marengo, 364.74; 2, Darin Hynick, Eddyville, 361.61; 3, Dave Zenz, Potosi, Wis., 335.65.

     6,200-pound Super Stock 2wd Trucks – 1, Larry Boggess, Charles City; 2, Cody Kayser, Waterloo; 3, Leo Massman, Waverly.

     7,700-pound 360 Hot Stocks – 1, Andrew Vorwald, Scotch Grove, 340.79; 2, Justin Vorwald, Scotch Grove, 334.13; 3, Steve Kyarsgaard, Monmouth, 332.32.

NTPA National

Summer Slide

     Six classes of competition were held in the National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA) National Summer Slide, held Wednesday evening, July 21 at the fair.

     Results from all classes follow.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21

     6,200-pound Modified 4wd Trucks – 1, Cory Lemiranda, 329.945 feet; 2, Jamie Busch, 328.345; 3, Andy Skluzacek, 327.030.

     6,200-pound Modified 2wd Trucks – 1, Dustin Amundson, 371.060; 2, A.J. Riedl, 367.155; 3, Wayne Timmerman, 361.775.

     9,500-pound Limited Pro Stock Tractors – 1, Matthew Lindstrom, 341.500; 2, Jeremy Ploetz, 338.150; 3, Collin Leer, 334.835.

     9,300-pound Super Farm Tractors – Mark Miller, 356.780; 2, Jeff Larson, 345.380; 3, Peter Koenig, 344.715.

     7,500-pound Modified Tractors – 1, Corey Kielmeyer, 324.025; 2, Doug Christensen, 297.280; 3, Adam Revler, 239.915.

     8,000-pound Heavy Super Stock Tractors – 1, Robert Gansemer, 384.705; 2, Zach Degenhardt, 346.110; 3, Ken Rachner, 330.925.

Harness racing

     A track record for trotters was broken as the Iowa Harness Horseman’s Association (IHHA) was able to conduct the races at the GJCF for the first time since 2015.

     CR Valentine closed the 11-race program with a track record trot of 2:01 2/5.

     Results follow, including horse’s name, driver’s name and winning times for each race.                

THURSDAY, JULY 22

     Race 1 (pace) – 1, Minnie Vinnie, Chad Svendsen, 1:57 4/5 (track record); 2, Roland N Rock, Duane Roland; 3, It’s a Marcs World, Royal Roland.

     Race 2, (trot) – 1, King Rail, Cary Sturtz, 2:05; 2, First Gunner, Royal Roland; 3, Lone Star Tap, Adam Hauser.

     Race 3 (pace) – 1, Red N Hotallover, Chad Svendsen, 2:01 3/5; 2, Nat A Cam, Adam Hauser; 3, Ruby Rose, John Saner.

     Race 4 (pace) – 1, Hangman McGee, Cary Sturtz, 2:03; 2, Pick A Genre, Chad Svendsen; 3, Midnight Zen, Scott Smith.

     Race 5 (trot) – 1, Fox River Lukie, S. Bernard Demars; 2, Julie Ot, Lorenza Gooch; 3, Blazing Lifter, Amos Hines.

     Race 6 (pace) – 1, Texas Connection, S. Bernard Demars, 2:06 3/5; 2, Omadome, Cary Sturtz; 3, A Lil Sass, Scott Smith.

     Race 7 (trot) – 1, Al-mar Famous, Adam Hauser, 2:13 4/5; 2, CR Vita Boy, Chad Svendsen; 3, Patchinswan Gonspi, Amos Hines.

     Race 8 (pace) – 1, Rendezvous Roo, Scott Smith, 2:16 4/5; 2, Sunshine Ace, Royal Roland; 3, Ryan N Wisco, Chad Svendsen.

     Race 9 (trot) – 1, Duane’s Cookie, Duane Roland, 2:08; 2, Hawkifly Gonspi, Chad Svendsen; 3, Loicingdacake, Lorenza Gooch.

     Race 10 (pace) – 1, RD Skippy, Scott Smith, 2:03 1/5; 2, Sneaky Sunrizer, Chad Svendsen; 3, Hollafaahdolla, S. Bernard Demars.

     Race 11 (trot) – 1, CR Valentine, Chad Svendsen, 2:01 2/5 (track record); 2, Lo Can Gogogo, S. Bernard Demars; 3, Final Quote, Lorenza Gooch.

Auto racing

     Two days of auto racing returned to the GJCF after a year’s absence for the Mid-Summer Dirt Classic, Saturday and Sunday, July 24 and 25 at the fairgrounds track.

     Mark Merfeld of Monticello won Sunday’s Jalopy feature race, while the team of Thomas Thompson, Hopkinton; and Dylan Elledge, Dundee; won the Two-Man Cruiser feature.

     On Saturday, Mark Schulte of Delhi won the Modified division.

     There were seven divisions of racing over the two days. Results from all classes follow.

SATURDAY, JULY 24

     Stock Cars – 1, Johnny Spaw, Cedar Rapids; 2, Damon Murty, Chelsea; 3, Nathan Ballard, Marengo; 4, Wayne Hora, Anamosa.

     Modified – 1, Mark Schulte, Delhi; 2, Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls; 3, Milo Veloz, Colona, Ill.; 4, Jeff Larson, Freeport, Ill..

     Sport Compact – 1, Logan Clausen, Atkins; 2, Alex Hayes, Lone Tree; 3, Lucas Rick, Urbana; 4, Robert Rundle, Center Point.

SUNDAY, JULY 25

     Two-Man Cruisers – 1, Thomas Thompson, Hopkinton and Dylan Elledge, Dundee; 2, Corey Van Der Wilt and Brett Maasdam, Sully; 3, Laverne Lehman and Jacob Lehman, Waterloo.

     Sport Modified – 1, Joe Docekal, Dysart; 2, Troy Bauer, Monticello; 3, Justin Schroeder, Low Moor; 4, Jason Roth, Hazel Green, Wis.; 5, Curtis Van Der Wal, Oskaloosa; 6, Gage Neal, Anamosa.

     American Iron Racing Series (AIRS) – 1, Bart Miller, Clarence; 2, Scott Vanbuskirk, Hedrick; 3, Robin Atkins, Clarence; 4, Ron Cook, Clinton; 5, Bruce Yoerger, DeWitt; 6, Tim Bader, Monticello; 7, Craig Adams, Milan, Ill.

     Jalopies – 1, Mark Merfeld, Monticello; 2, Tim Bader, Monticello; 3, Austin Honts, Muscatine; 4, Terry Doud, Batavia.