With completion of the 2004 season my “research project” of closing the gap from when I stopped compiling the All Iowa Points in 1999 to when I resumed in 2006 is down to just one more year. Once again I want to thank my colleague Barry Johnson for the use of his Hawkeye Racing News archives to do this project!
This was a season of change at the top of the standings as seven of the nine divisions saw drivers win the state title for the first time, while the other two champions continued amazing streaks. For four of the “first timers” it would be their first of at least two All Iowa Points championships.
Rob Toland dominated the Deery Brothers Summer Series, won the $10,000 top prize at the Pepsi Nationals and scored enough points along the way to capture his first AIP Late Model championship. Toland picked up nineteen feature wins along the way and outdistanced defending champion Jeff Aikey by twenty-six points. This would be the first of three AIP Late Model titles for Toland as he also won in 2006 and 2007. Behind Aikey there was a three-way tie for third between Kevin Blum, Lonnie Bailey and Todd Cooney.
Once again there was little doubt as to who would win the Modified points chase as Ron Barker started strong and cruised to his fifth straight championship and his seventh in the last eight years. The Dubuque driver was not quite as dominant this season as he “only” scored twenty-nine wins on AIP points paying tracks easily outrunning Jay Noteboom who finished in the second position. Vern Jackson had a solid season and posted a third-place finish while future champion Jeremy Mills (2009) was fourth and Brad Bakken was fifth.
After several years of chasing Jeff Anderson in the standings, and now with Anderson focusing on his Modified in 2004, Brian Blessington fought of Mike Nichols for the Stock Car championship. Blessington finished in the top-five fifty-two times on the season including eighteen wins and he topped off his stellar season with a $2,000 victory during a late season special in Abilene, Texas. This is the first of Blessington’s three championships so far as he also won in 2006 and 2007. Nichols, who won the IMCA Stock Car National Championship this season, finished in second, Jason Rauen jumped up to third, Randy Brand finished fourth with Quad Cities competitor Tony VonDresky taking fifth.
It was a two horse race in the Pro Stocks/Limited Late Models as Jim Brokus and Bobby Moyer separated themselves from everybody else by mid-season. In the end it was Brokus taking his first of two titles as he was also the champion in 2006, the final year for the division. Behind Moyer in second was the best of the western Iowa contingent Dirk Kirk in third, fourth went to Dan Brockert and Jeff Valentine completed the top five.
Doug Gorden Jr. of Ottumwa got out to big lead early on in the Hobby Stock chase, but no lead is safe when the flying Smith brothers of Lake City are involved. Both Donavan and Dustin overhauled Gorden in late August as Donavon earned his first of two titles. He was the 2006 champion as well. The defending champion in the division, Dustin Smith finished second to his brother, Gorden slipped to third, Bill Bonnett was fourth and Mike Shelton listed in fifth.
A new name burst onto the scene in the Limited Modifieds in 2004 as Mike Kleinhesselink was the man to beat out west in the division as he won twenty-one feature races and claimed the 2004 All Iowa Points championship. Defending champion Mark Massey was a distant second, Jacob Seegmiller took third, fourth went to Jamie Anderson while Wyatt Lantz ended up in the fifth position.
It was the same family, but a different champion in the second year of the Four Cylinder division as Garner’s Greg Birkhofer topped the charts. Brandon Allen was the runner-up, future champ Joe Zrostlik (2006) was third, Becky Roth ranked fourth and 2003 champ Justin Birkhofer settled for fifth.
Terry McCarl’s domination of the 410 Sprint division continued as he posted his seventh straight and now tenth overall All Iowa Points championship, both records across all divisions. Danny Lasoski and champion in waiting Mark Dobmeier (2006, 2007, 2008 & 2010) tied for the runner-up spot while two-time 360 champ Jake Peters was fourth and Gregg Bakker finished fifth.
Young Dusty Zomer became a consistent winner in 2004 and earned the All Iowa Points title for the 360 Sprint division. 1999 champ Butch Hanssen finished in the second position, defending champion Dusty Ballanger was third, Jake Peters (2000 & 2001) finished fourth and 410 king Terry McCarl also found enough time to strap into the 360 to finish in fifth.
For a full rundown on the 2004 All Iowa Points check out the Points page at PositivelyRacing.com
One more season left to reconstruct and this project will be completed! Terry McCarl announced at the end of 2004 that he would chase the Outlaws in ’05 so will that be the first of five titles for Mark Dobmeier? Ron Barker was starting to run a Late Model late in the ’04 season, so will 2005 be the end of his reign atop the Modified division? If so, will it become the first of three straight titles for Mark Schulte who won in 2006 and 2007? Will Rob Toland fill in the 2005 Late Model championship as well to make his streak four straight years? And the same scenario as Toland exists for Brian Blessington in the Stock Cars. One year to go, now can I get it done before the 2011 racing season gets into full swing?
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