• Article Photo. Vinton dirt track driver Merv Chandler set a record by winning 4 track championships in one season.
    Vinton dirt track driver Merv Chandler set a record by winning 4 track championships in one season.

Merv Chandler (right) of Vinton became the first driver in IMCA Mach-1 Sport Compact division history to win four local track titles in the same season. In addition to his hometown Benton County Speedway, Chandler was best at Independence Motor Speedway, Marshalltown Speedway and Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa. Also the Allstar Performance Iowa State champ, Chandler is pictured with IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root during the Nov. 24 national awards banquet in Lincoln, Neb. 

(Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motorsports Photography)