Crispin doubles his fun at Downs

By Jim Ecker

CEDAR RAPIDS – Corey Crispin loved playing with his PlayStation game when he was a kid. It was all about car racing and he couldn’t get enough.

Now he’s heavily involved with car racing as a successful young driver.

Crispin, 25, captured two events at Hawkeye Downs Wednesday night, first taking the Sunline Hornets race and then doubling in the Sportsmans feature.

It was the first double of his career, which began when he was 17.

“I was about an inch away from doing it in 2023,” he said. “Never twice in one night. Not until now. It was awesome.”

Crispin’s parents were involved with racing. So was a cousin.

“I would come out all the time and watch,” he said. “I like racing.”

Crispin lives in Dubuque, where he’s a flight instructor at the Dubuque airport.

“I teach them to be safe and careful,” he remarked, smiling. “Then I come down here and do just the opposite.”

Crispin began the night in second place behind Brandon Herb of Marion in the Sportsmans class at the Downs, but then edged Herb in a tight race. “I had 12 (Herb) in my mirror the whole time,” he noted.

Garrett Warren of Indianola won the HD Dawgs event. Hayden Sherman of Cedar Rapids took the Hobby Stocks race. 

Nathan Ballard of Marengo captured the Sport Mods. Michael Weber of Marion won the Late Models event.

They normally race on Friday nights at Hawkeye Downs, but they switched to Wednesday this week due to the NASCAR events in Newton this weekend.