WEBSTER CITY – Five drivers had their names etched into history forever when they earned track championships at the Hamilton County Speedway on Saturday.

With just two points separating the first- and second-place Modified drivers – Tim Ward and Dustin Smith – fans expected the feature to be a duel to the end for the crown. However, Smith, driving out of Lake City, blew a motor in the heat race and was unable to start the main event. That left the crown in the hands of Ward, who found success a long way from his home in Gilbert, Arizona. Smith settled for second, 15 points out of the lead.

This was the first time a non-Iowa driver has won a local track championship.

Racers provided another surprise ending in the Modified feature, as former motocross racer Chase Ellingson, an Iowa Falls native, led the first half of the race with Medford, Oregon hot shoe Tom Berry taking over at the midpoint. Tyler Prochaska of Iowa Falls hounded Berry in the remaining laps and then powered around him on the final lap backstretch to take his first win of the year.

With the IMCA National Late Model championship race tightening, Rob Toland made the four-hour pull from Davenport for the second straight week to run head-to-head with his closest competitor – Marshalltown veteran Darrel DeFrance. With both drivers starting in the fifth row, DeFrance moved into the lead on a lap No. 12 restart with Toland close behind. But DeFrance was able to pull away for the victory; Toland took second.

Already comfortably ahead on points, DeFrance won his fifth track championship, joining the trophies he claimed in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010. Webster City’s Jason Hahne finished second.

Lanesboro Sport Mod driver Doug Smith rolled into Victory Lane for the seventh time this season, but it still wasn’t enough to earn him a track championship. Second-place Jared VanDeest of Holland was close behind Smith.

Webster City’s Ty Griffith was crowned the track champion with VanDeest in the runner-up position, five points back.

John Campbell, driving out of Belmond, topped the Stock Car division for the second time this season. Lake City’s Devin Smith finished second, just a bumper’s width over Steve Meyer of Grundy Center.

Devin Smith earned this year’s Stock Car track championship with Matt Ring of Dows in the runner-up slot.

Seth Janssen, hailing from Ogden, went wire-to-wire to again win the Hobby Stock feature race. It was his second win of the year.

Corey Roe of Webster City, who was second across the line, was glued to Janssen’s bumper from the start, but could not get around him on the final laps.

Fort Dodge pilot Myles Michehl repeated as the Hobby Stock track champion with local driver Matt Byrne in second.

Only special events remain on the schedule as the 2016 season draws towards a close.

Next on the calendar is the 25th anniversary of the Harris Clash on Aug. 9. The race will draw Modified and Sport Mod racers from all across the country.

Finishing the season will be the rescheduled Mid-Iowa Topless 50 on Friday, Sept. 23, and the annual Fall Challenge on the docket for Saturday, Sept. 24.