Herrera Goes A Long Way to Win Vinton Title
By Jim Ecker
VINTON – A 17-year-old kid from Utah enjoyed a big night at the Benton County Speedway Sunday. So did a woman who has successfully competed against men for a number of years.
Payce Herrera, 17, from Price, Utah, captured the Northern Sport Mod race at the Speedway for his 13th title of the season at a variety of tracks. He enjoys racing in Iowa and has been known to sell his own coloring books to racing fans to help defray expenses.
He began racing when he was 4 years old and his message to young drivers is “Believe in yourself,” according to a story by a Utah television station.
Leah Wroten, from Independence, finished third in the Hobby Stock race Sunday and earned enough points to win the season title in that division. Race officials believe she is the first woman to claim the Hobby Stock crown at the Speedway and only the second woman to win a season title of any sort here.
It was championship night at the Speedway Sunday with plenty of exciting races on the quarter mie dirt track.
Troy Cordes of Dunkerton won the Modified season title. Kyle Olson of Cedar Rapids captured the Northern Sport Mod crown. John Oliver Jr. of West Burlington is the season champ in the Stock Car category. Christian Grady of Cedar Rapids took the Sport Compact title. And Jeremiah Davis of Cedar Rapids won the Legend Cars championship.
The other race winners were Cordes in Modified, Olson in Stock Car, Justin Wacha of Vinton in Hobby Stock, Grady in Sport Compact, Robby Morrison of Alburnett in Legend Cars and Cade Richards of Lincoln, Neb., in Late Models.Utah
