Monday, May 31, 2010

Lee County Speedway Runs a Rare Saturday Night Show in May

Donnellson, IA (Saturday, May 22, 2010) - After Friday nights rain out, the fourth one in five points races, the Lee County Speedway decided to run a draw/redraw show for there regular five classes on Saturday night. With the other track in the area not racing on there regular night it turned out to be a good move, as 92 teams signed in to get there try at the tricky 3/8th mile track.

The first feature of the night was the 15 lap SportMods, with Jim Gillenwater and Derek Coleman drawing the front row. Gillenwater would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. The first of two cautions in the event came out on lap 1, as Rodger Dresden spun in turn 2. On the restart Gillenwater again jumped out into the lead, with Mike Shelton and Jason Cook battling for second. Gillenwater started pulling away from the field, when the final caution waved on lap 10. Bill Gibson, who started 8th and had worked his way to 3rd, spun in turn two. Once again Gillenwater grabbed the top spot on the restart, but had Shelton challenging him for the lead. Gillenwater would hold off Shelton over the final 5 laps to pick up the win. Cook held on for 3rd, Michael Bliven started 9th and finished 4th, with Coleman holding on for fifth.

Up next was the 12 lap Wild Thing feature, with Jerry Ostby and Dakota Fenton leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Ostby would lead all 12 laps in a caution free race to claim the win. Chuck Fullenkamp came from 8th to finish in 2nd, Devin Still was 3rd after starting 7th, William Michel came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Fenton holding on for fifth.

Doug Fenton and Josh Tripp drew the front row for the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Tripp grabbing the lead on lap 1. Tripp would hold the top spot until lap 3, when Jeremy Pundt slipped by for the lead. Pundt started pulling away from the field and looked to be heading for his first career Hobby Stock feature win. But disaster would strike Pundt on the white flag lap, as a ball joint broke on the right front, causing him to spin into the in field. Jim Lynch, who started 10th, inherited the lead going into turn three and then held off Dave Cloke, who started 7th, coming off of four to claim his first Hobby Stock feature win at his home town track. Tripp held on for 3rd, Lane Kauffman was 4th, with Tanner Thomann coming home in fifth.

The 15 lap Stock Car feature was up next, with Dave Warth and Corey Strothman drawing the front row. Strothman jumped out into the lead on lap 1, with Warth and Chris Webb battling for second. Strothman would continue to lead the field, as the battle for second between Warth, Abe Huls, Jason Cook, who started 9th, and Webb heated up. Cook was able to wrestle the second place away from the rest on lap 10 and then set his sights on Strothman for the top spot. Cook worked the bottom of the speedway to grab the lead away from Strothman on lap 12 and then went on to lead the final 3 laps to pick up his second win of 2010 at the speedway. Warth won the battle for 2nd, Huls was 3rd, Webb was 4th, with John Oliver Jr. coming from 10th to round out the top five.

The final feature of the night was the 20 lap Modifieds, with Bill Roberts and Wyatt Lantz leading the field to the green. Lantz moved out front on the drop of the green flag to lead lap 1. But Michael Long would slip by Lantz on lap 2 to take over the top spot. Long then started to pull away from the field and started to lap cars quickly. Lantz would close back in on Long as they entered heavy lapped traffic late in the race. But Long proved to be to much, as his went on to claim the win. Lantz settled for second, Josh Foster came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Jeff Waterman started 11th and finished in 4th, with Dustin Crear coming home in fifth.

LCS Notes: 22 Modifeds, 19 Stock Cars, 19 SportMods, 16 Hobby Stocks and 16 Wild Things made up the 92 cars singed in for competition....The five features on the night were ran in just under an hour, as four of them were caution free! ...... Dean Kratzer came from 10th to finish 6th in the SportMod feature.... Jacob Smith came from 11th to finish in 7th....Bob Woodrow finished 8th after starting in 13th....AJ Johnson started 12th and was battling for 6th on the final lap when he got to high in turn two and collided with the guardrail. He feel back to finish in 9th....Mitch Higdon took over the driving duties of the 45 car and started in 15th. He would pass 5 cars to take home a 10th place finish....Corey Botkins made the pull up from Columbia, MO. He would miss the heat race and was forced to start in the 19th place. He would pass 7 cars to come home in 12th...... Gabe Harrison, Chuck Fullenkamp and William Michel got together on the start of the Wild Thing feature and fell all the way to the back....Fullenkamp would charge back up to make a late race charge for the lead, only to come up short.... Devin Still pulled his car up from Anabel, MO and started the feature in 7th. He would pass 4 cars to finish in 3rd....Michel recovered from the first lap tangle to come back to finish in 4th......Dan Wenig started the Hobby Stock feature in 11th and had worked his way to 6th, when he pulled in on lap 11th with troubles....Victor Hastings had a top five going when he pulled in on lap 13 with a flat tire......Corey Strothman led the Stock Car feature from the drop of the green flag and looked to be heading for the win. He started to slow on lap 12 with a left rear flat, which allowed Cook to go by for the lead, and would finish in 15th....Jeff Mueller brought out the new car, but would pull in on lap 10 to give him a rare 16th place finish......Long started the Modified feature in 4th and grabbed the lead on lap 2. He then set a fast pace and would lap up to the 7th place car.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Mueller Remains Unbeaten at 34 Raceway; While Hogan, Morrill and Rain Also Win

Burlington, IA (Saturday, May 15, 2010) - 34 Raceway was another race track that finally got there 2010 points season started after three straight weeks of rain. Despite all the rain on Wednesday and Thursday morning, mother nature would shine on Thursday night, Friday and Saturday to help dry things up enough to go racing.

The first feature to take to the speedway was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Bill Roberts and Dustin Crear drawing the front row. Roberts would grabbed the lead on the drop of the green, with Crear and Mike Weikert Jr. battling for second. Brandon Rothzen would slip under Roberts going into turn two on lap 2 to grab the top spot away. But the first caution of the event would come out before the lap was complete when Cory Barker spun in turn two, giving the lead back to Roberts. On the restart Roberts then had to work to hold off Rothzen, as the two made contact going into turn one. Rothzen's night would end on lap 7, when he spun in turn two with a right front flat. Scott Hogan, the 2009 Track Champion, started 7th and would inherit the lead as a result. On the restart, Roberts would get sideways going down the backstretch and collected Kevin Goben and Crear to bring the caution back out. Hogan moved back out into the lead on the restart, with Rich Smith who started 10th now chasing him for the lead. Hogan started to pull away from the rest of the field, when the final caution would appear on lap 13 for a spin in turn three by Dustan Fenton. Once again Hogan jumped out into the lead on the restart and then pulled away over the final 6 laps to pick up the win. Smith settled for second, Dusty Kraklio was third, Dennis LaVeine came from 17th to finish in fourth, with Adam Birck taking home a fifth place finish.

Up next was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with John Oliver Jr. and Jeff Mueller making up the front row. Mueller grabbed the lead on the drop of the green flag, but Oliver Jr. would over take him on lap 2. Mueller would follow in Oliver Jr's tracks for the next 7 laps, when he drove under him to take the lead back on lap 8. The first and only caution would come out on lap 16 when Travis Finke, who was running fifth, slowed to a stop in turn 2. On the restart Mueller moved back out front and then went on to lead the final 4 laps to claim his third win in a row at 34 Raceway. Jim Redmann would come home in second, Nathan Wood came from 11th to finish in third, Oliver Jr. settled for fourth, with Abe Huls who started 12th getting moved to fifth.

Jeff Miller and Joe Huggins led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 15 lap Mod Lite feature, with Huggins leading lap 1. The red flag would come out after the completion of lap 1, as Mark Winkel rolled going into turn three. He would climb out of the car ok. On the restart Huggins moved back out into the lead, only to be slowed on lap 2 for Joel Langrehr who stopped on the front stretch. Huggins again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Greg Rossell, Justin Buchholz and Mike Morrill, who started 10th, battling for the second spot. The four car battle at the front would be slowed down on lap 4, when Johnathan Huston hit the front stretch wall. Again Huggins grabbed the lead on the restart, but had Morrill battling him for the top spot. Morrill would jump to the outside of Huggins on lap 8 to take over the top spot. Morrill and Huggins battled back and forth for the lead, when the final caution came out on lap 14 when Dustin Schram spun in turn four. On the restart Morill jumped out into the lead, but Huggins would try to get under him coming out of four to the checkers. Morrill was able to hold off Huggins at the line to pick up the win. Rossell was third, Buchholz was fourth, with David Norton coming home in fifth.

Just as the 305 Sprints were set to be pushed off for their 20 lap feature, the skies opened up. The steady rain that last for about 25 minutes was enough to make the track to greasy to race on. So the 305 Sprints will run double features on June 5th and the 4 Cylinders will make up there feature on June 19th.

Notes from 34: 29 Modifieds, 28 4 Cylinders, 23 Mod Lites, 20 305 Sprints and 20 Stock Cars made up the 120 cars signed in for competition......Brandon Savage would start the Modified feature in 12th. He would pass 6 cars to finish in 6th....Andy Krieger came from 14th to finish in 7th....Dean McGee passed 7 cars from his 15th place starting spot to finish in 8th....Roberts recovered from his spin on lap 8 to come back to finish in 9th....Toby VandeKamp started 22nd and passed 12 cars to take home a 10th place finish....Kevin Goben came from 21st to finish in 11th....Derek Hamm took the last spot in the B and started 24th. He would pass 11 cars to take home a 13th place finish....Seth Bundy came from 23rd to finish in 17th....AJ Fike would start 7th in the B and passed 5 cars to take 2nd. But he was disqualified in tech, giving Hamm the final transfer spot into the A.......Jason Cook would cross the finish line 5th in the Stock Car feature. But was disqualified in tech for a illegal carb spacer. That would move Abe Huls up to fifth....Dave Warth started 20th and passed 14 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Brett Timmerman came from 18th to finish in 9th......Daniel Guss started the Mod Lite feature in 16th and passed 10 cars to finish in 6th..... Evan Epperson came from 17th to take home a 10th place finish....Dustin Schram recovered from his last lap spin to come back to finish in 12th....Joe Stomberg started 20th and passed 7 cars to take home a 13th place finish....Cody Brown passed 7 cars from his 21st starting spot to finish in 14th.

Lee County Points Openers Go To Burgtorf, Foster, Cook, Coleman, Wenig and Michel

Donnellson, IA (May 14, 2010) - Finally after three straight weeks of rain outs, mother nature allowed the 2010 points season to get started on Friday at the Lee County Speedway. Despite the five inches of rain that fell in the area on Wednesday and Thursday morning, the sun and wind would appear late Thursday and much of Friday to help make it possible to dry things up.

The first feature of the night would be the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Lonnie Heap and Bill Roberts drawing the front row for the event. The caution would fly before lap 1 could be completed, as Seth Bundy, Dean McGee and A.J. Fike spun in turn two. On the restart Heap took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. Heap would hold the top spot until lap 4, when Josh Foster jumped to his outside to take over the lead. The caution would come out after the completion of lap 4, when Rob Kirchner spun in four and collected Dustan Fenton. Foster jumped back out front on the restart, with Wyatt Lantz, Michael Long, who started 9th, and Brandon Rothzen, who started 10th, battling it out for second. Foster started to pull away from the field, when the caution came out on lap 12 for a spin by Roberts in turn one. Again Foster moved back out front on the restart, only to have the caution appear after the completion of lap 13. Dean McGee would slow to a stop in turn four with mechanical troubles. On the restart Foster grabbed the lead, with Long and Rothzen now battling him for the top spot. The battle for the lead would be slowed for the last time on lap 16, when Fenton spun in turn two to end his night. Foster again grabbed the lead on the restart, but now had to deal with Long. Foster, who was up top, and Long, who ran the middle, ran laps 18 & 19 side-by-side. Long would make on last attempt for the lead going into turn two and drifted to high, allowing Foster to go on to claim the win. Rothzen would get past Long to get second, Long settled for third, Lantz was fourth, with Heap holding on for fifth.

John Oliver Jr. and Rookie IMCA Stock Car driver Derek St. Clair would draw the front row for there 15 lap feature. Just like the Modified feature, a caution for Matt Griener, Dave Warth and Damon Aplara who collided in turn 4 before lap one could be completed. On the restart Corey Strothman would spin down the front stretch to bring the caution back out. Oliver Jr. jumped out front once the race got going green, but was slowed after the completion of lap 2 when Derek Sammons stopped in turn 1. Again Oliver Jr. moved out front on the restart, with Jason Cook and Jeff Mueller, who started 7th, battling it out for second. Oliver Jr. then held the lead until lap 7, when Mueller slipped under him to grab the top spot. Mueller started to pull away, when the caution appeared on lap 13 when Aaron Brocksieck, who was running fifth, slowed to a stop in turn 2. Cook would slip under Mueller on the restart to grab the lead on lap 14, but Mueller would try to get back by Cook going down the backstretch. Cook came off of turn four and would edge Mueller out at the line by inches to pick up the win. Oliver Jr. settled for third, Griener recovered from the lap one caution to come back up to finish in fourth, with Abe Huls coming from 10th to finish in fifth.

The 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature saw Colby Springsteen and Denny Woodworth drawing the front row for the event. But just like the first two features a caution before lap 1 could be completed set up a complete restart. Tony Fraise and Tony Dunker would spin in four to bring out the first caution. On the restart, Mark Burgtorf would slip under Springsteen and Woodworth to grab the lead on lap 1. The final caution of the race would come out on lap 6, when Vance Wilson slowed to a stop in turn three with a right rear flat. Burgtorf jumped back out into the lead on the restart, but Woodworth would try to get under him coming off four to get the lead. But Burgtorf held him off and then crushed over the final 19 laps to claim the win. Rob Toland came from 7th to finish in second, Woodworth held on for third, Springsteen was fourth, with Jay Johnson coming home in fifth.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with Thad Gaylord and Dean Kratzer leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Kratzer would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. But his lead only lasted for one lap, as AJ Johnson slipped by to grab the top spot away on lap 2. The first caution of the race would come out on lap 4 when Justin Alderton spun off four and was hit head on by Rick Barlow Jr. Both drivers would climb out ok. On the restart Johnson moved back out front, with Michael Bliven, Rodger Dresden and Derek Coleman, who started 10th, battling it out for second. Johnson would hold the top spot until lap 8, when Coleman slipped under him to grab the lead away. The race would be slowed after the completion of lap 8, when Gaylord spun in turn 3. The final caution of the event would come out a lap later when Adam Swanson came to a stop in turn 2. On both restarts Coleman would jump into the lead. Coleman then pulled away over the final 6 laps to pick up his first career SportMod feature. Bliven held on or second, Dresden was third, Johnson settled for fourth, with Jason Cook coming home in fifth.

Jake Wenig and Ray Raker drew the front row for the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Wenig moving out front on lap 1. The caution after the completion of lap 1 would come out for Travis Hartman, who stopped in turn four. On the restart Wenig again grabbed the lead, with Jeremy Pundt, Rob Wilsey and Jim Lynch, who started 7th, battling it out for second. Wenig started to pull away when he was slowed on lap 10 for a caution. Ricky Miller would come to a stop in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Again Wenig jumped out into the lead on the restart. Wenig then held off Lynch on the final lap to pick up the win. Pundt held on for third, Wilsey was fourth, with Raker rounding out the top five.

The final feature of the night was the 12 lap Wild Things, with Mike Fisher and Dakota Fenton drawing the front row. Fisher would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. Rex Smart and Mike Horning Jr. would come to a stop in turn four after the completion of lap 1 to bring the caution out. On the restart Fisher moved back out into the lead, with William Michel close behind in second. Michel would jump to the oustside of Fisher on lap 6 to grab the top spot away. The final caution of the race would appear on lap 9, when Seth Woodruff, who was running fourth, lost a right front tire. On the restart Michel grabbed the lead and then held off a charging Chuck Fullenkamp, who started 18th, on the final lap to claim the win. Fisher settled for third, Jerry Ostby was fourth, with Fenton holding on for fifth.

Notes from LCS: 26 Late Models, 23 SportMods, 22 Modifieds, 21 Wild Things, 20 Hobby Stocks and 16 Stock Car made up the 128 cars signed in to due battle on opening night......Jeff Waterman started 22nd in the Modified feature and passed 15 cars to take home a 7th place finish....Roberts recovered after his lap 12 spin to come back to finish 8th....Dustin Crear started 19th and passed 9 cars to take home a 10th place finish......Derek St. Clair, the 2009 Hobby Stock Champion, moved up to the Stock Car class for 2010. He would draw the front row for the feature and then held on to finish in 6th....Chris Webb got a flat tire and had to pit before lap 1 could be completed. He would return and recover to finish in 8th......Gary Russell was suppose to start 4th in the Late Model feature, but would pull in on the parade lap....Andy Eckrich would start 14th and passed 7 cars to finish in 7th, Jeff Aikey took home the hard charger award, as he started 18th and passed 10 cars to finish in 8th....Only 9 cars would finish the Late Model feature on the lead lap......Jason McDaniel came from 12th in the SportMod feature to finish in 7th....Rod Staats started 17th and passed 10 cars to finish in 9th....Nathan Murders came from his 23rd starting spot to take home a 13th place finish......Jim Oliver Jr. came from 12th in the Hobby Stock feature and passed 6 cars to finish in 6th....Dale Porter started 15th and passed 7 cars to take home a 8th place finish....Dan Wenig was running 5th after the completion of lap 1, but he would pull into the pits and had to settle for a 17th place finish.......Chris Rullman came from 17th in the Wild Thing feature and would pass 7 cars to take home a 9th place finish....Ethan Thompson started 20th and passed 10 cars to take home 10th.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Burgtorf, Schlipman, Griffin and Klingele Claim Quincy Raceways Wins After Two Week Layoff

Quincy, IL (Sunday, May 9, 2010) - The Quincy Raceways finally got back into the swing of the 2010 racing season on Sunday, after two weeks of being rained out. Taking home feature wins on the night were Mark Burgtorf (IMCA Late Models), Jared Schlipman (UMP Modifieds), Andrew Griffin (IMCA Stock Cars) and Tanner Klingele (Hobby Stocks).

The first feature of the night was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Wesley Mayfield and and Andrew Griffin leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Griffin would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. Griffin then had to work to hold off Aaron Brocksieck, until the caution came out on lap 8 for a spin in turn two by Steve Steinkuhler. On the restart Mayfield would spin in turn two to bring the caution back out. Then Terry Houston got sideways down the front stretch and collected the car of Jeff Mueller to bring the caution back out on the following restart. Griffin jumped back out into the lead on the restart, with Brocksieck and Abe Huls battling it out for second. The final caution of the event came out on lap 13, as Mayfield and Mueller got together coming off turn four. Once again Griffin would grab the lead on the restart and then held off a charging Houston, who came back from a lap 8 wreck, to claim the win. Huls would finish in third, Steinkuhler came back from a lap 2 spin to finish in fourth, with Jerry Jansen rounding out the top five.

Up next was the 25 lap UMP Modified feature, with Jared Schlipman and Tony Dunker making up the front row for the event. Todd Reed and Jerry Lierly got together in turn two on the drop of the green, with Reed spinning to a stop to bring the caution out. Schlipman grabbed the top spot on the restart, only to be slowed after the completion of lap 1 for a spin in turn two by Joe Kindhart. Once again Schlipman would jump out front on the restart, with Steve Grotz and David Wietholder battling for second. The field would be slowed on lap 3, when Derek Hamm spun to a stop in turn two. Schlipman moved back out front on the restart and then worked to hold off Grotz. Grotz would try to get by Schlipman, but his challenges would be slowed on lap 12, when Hamm spun in two, his second solo to end his night. Again Schlipman grabbed the lead on the restart, with Grotz putting pressure on him for the top spot. Ryan Morrison would slow the battle for the lead on lap 20, when he spun in turn four. Justin Reed, who was running 6th, would get into Dunker, who was running fourth, on the restart, with Dunker spinning to a stop in four to bring the caution back out. The time limit had expired on the event, so the next caution or the checkers would finish the race. On the restart Schlipman jumped back out front, with Grotz close behind. Grotz's great run up front ended on lap 21, when he came to a stop off turn four to bring the yellow and checkers out. Schlipman would pick up his first career Modified feature win, Wietholder was second, Shawn Deering came from 10th to finish in third, Wyatt Lantz passed 12 cars from his 16th starting spot to finish in fourth, with Troy Grotz coming home in fifth.

Jason Perry and Mark Burgtorf drew the front row for the 30 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Perry grabbing the lead on the drop of the green flag. The first caution of the event would come out on lap 4, as Tony Dunker spun in turn two. On the restart Perry jumped back out front, with Matt Bailey and Burgtorf battling for second. Perry would hold the top spot until lap 18, when Burgtorf slid under him coming off four to take the top spot. The caution would come out after the completion of the lap for Justin Jennings, who spun off the track in turn two. On the restart Burgtorf again grabbed the lead, with Bailey getting by Perry for second. Burgtorf, Bailey and Perry would run nose-to-tail over the next 10 laps, when the final caution coming out on lap 29. Dunker would spin in turn four for his second solo, ending his night. Again Burgtorf moved out into the lead on the restart, with Perry getting by Bailey for second. Burgtorf would hold on to claim the win. Perry held on for second, Bailey was third, Robby Warner came from 9th to finish in fourth, with Dustin Griffin coming home in fifth.

The final feature of the night was the 20 lap Hobby Stocks, with Tanner Klingele and Nathan Hayes on the front row. The first and only caution of the event would come out after the completion of lap 1, as Nathan Anders came to a stop on the front stretch. On the restart Klingele jumped back out front and started to pull away from the field. But the man on the move was Travis Booher, who started 9th. Booher quickly moved up to take chase of Klingele for the top spot. But Klingele was up to the challenge and held him off for the win. Booher would cross the line in second, but a protest on his car found it to be illegal. Jim Powell came from 6th to be moved to second, Mike Wiley started 7th and was moved to third, Steve Carlin came from 10th to be moved to fourth, with Jake Powers getting moved to fifth.

Notes from Quincy: 25 UMP Modifieds, 21 IMCA Late Models, 16 Hobby Stocks and 12 IMCA Stock Cars signed in after a two week layoff to due battle......Aaron Brocksieck would run second for much of the Stock Car feature, when he drifted to high in turn two on the last lap to fall all the way back to finish in 7th.... Andrew Griffin, won the Stock Car feature, and Steve Steinkuhler, who finished fourth, were disqualified after tech inspection for illegal rear control arms. But both disqualifications were over turned after a call to IMCA on Monday morning found a typo error in the measures printed in the rule book to be wrong......Ryan Meyer started 14th in the Modified feature and passed 8 cars to finish in 6th....Dunker recovered from the lap 20 spin to come back to finish 9th.... Todd Reed started 18th and passed 8 cars to finish in 10th....Jake Griffin came from 22nd and passed 11 cars to finish in 11th....Robbie Reed was running in 5th, when the lap 3 caution put an end to his night. As the front of the field slowed for the caution, the back half didn't and piled into Reed to end his night......Jason Frankel came from 18th and passed 11 cars to finish 7th in the Late Model feature....Rookie driver Justin Jennings started 16th and had worked his way up to 12th by lap 18. But his run to the front would end after the completion of that lap, as he went over the track in turn two to bring the caution out.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Mother Nature Plays Havoc With Racing Around Midwest

Monmouth, IL (Sat. May 8, 2010) - Mother nature has really played havoc on the 2010 racing season around the midwest in the first part of the new season. Rains and cold weather have forced racing action from three area tracks to be cancelled for two and three straight weeks now.

Friday, April 23rd was suppose to get the "Drive For Five" IMCA Late Models, plus IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA SportMods and Hobby Stocks points underway at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA. But rain moved in on Friday to force Terry and Jenni Hoenig to pull the plug on the first points race of the season.

Then Saturday, April 24th 34 Raceway in Burlington, IA had planned one of the biggest and unheard of events for there season opening points event. The Laue's, Bowling's and Parrish's were offering all fans FREE grandstand admission and all pit passes were lowered to just $12 dollars. Again rains overnight and no sun on Saturday forced them to move the event back to Saturday, May 1st.

Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL was set to open there points races in the IMCA Late Models on Sunday, April 25th. But just like Friday and Saturday, rains moved in on Sunday to force them to pull the plug on the night.

A week of great sunny and warm weather looked like a great thing for the up coming weekend of racing. But mother nature once again decided to open up the skies, with rain starting to fall Friday afternoon.

Racing action at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA for Friday, April 30th was forced to be called off for the second week in a row due to the rains. They were set to kick off the first points races of the 2010 season with the IMCA Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Wild Things. Now race fans, drivers and crews would have to wait another week to see if the points season could get started.

Just like the previous week, heavy rains Friday and Saturday forced 34 Raceway to cancel there FREE-4-ALL Night once again on Saturday, May 1st. But it was announced on www.34raceway.com that the FREE-4-ALL Night would now be held on Saturday, May 29th. That will be the second visit of the 2010 season by the Sprint Invaders, also on the card is the IMCA Late Models and IMCA Modifieds. Yes you are reading it right, the Sprint Invaders on May 29th will be a FREE grandstand night, along with $12 pit passes!

Sunday, May 2nd Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL would try for the second week to get the IMCA Late Model points underway. But again mother nature wouldn't co-operate, as steady rains all day forced the cancellation of the nights activities. They will try again Sunday, May 9th to get the Late Model points started, along with the UMP Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks continuing there points battles.

Mother nature shined all week long with beautiful sunny and warm weather throughout the week. But just like the previous weeks, heavy rains moved in on Thursday night and early Friday morning. With over three inches of rain the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA had to cancel for the third event in a row for the 2010 season on Friday, May 7th. They will try again Friday, May 14th to get the IMCA Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Wild Things points started.

Saturday, May 8th 34 Raceway was set to get the IMCA Late Models, 305 Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks points battles underway. But with all the rain on Friday and cold temperatures all day Saturday, officials were forced to pull the plug for the third week in a row. Next Saturday, May 15th will be Fan Appreciation Night, with just $5 to get into the grandstands to see the 305 Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars set to get there points battles started, while the Mod Lites and 4 Cylinders set for there second event of 2010.

Lets hope mother nature will allow the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL to get there IMCA Late Models points started on Sunday, May 9th. Also scheduled to be in action will be the UMP Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Woodworth, Long, Steinkuhler and Anders Top Features at Quincy Raceways

Quincy, IL (April 18, 2010) - The Quincy Raceways hosted there second event of the 2010 racing season, with a beautiful night for racing action. Taking home feature wins on the night were Denny Woodworth (IMCA Late Models), Michael Long (UMP Modifieds), Steve Steinkuhler (IMCA Stock Cars) and Bobby Anders (Hobby Stocks).

The first feature of the night was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Cars. Dave Warth, who was suppose to start on the pole, scratched from the event, giving Steve Steinkuhler and Aaron Brocksieck the front row. Brocksieck won the battle of the 04's to lead lap 1, but Steinkuhler would slip under him to grab the top spot on lap 2. The one and only yellow would come out on lap 11, when Kevin Tomlinson, who was running third, slowed to a stop in turn four. On the restart, Steinkuhler jumped back out into the lead, but now had to work to hold off Jeff Mueller, who started 6th. Mueller would try to get under Steinkuhler several times over the next 8 laps, but wasn't able to quite clear him going into the corners. Steinkuhler opened the bottom for Mueller going into turn three on the final lap, as the two came off four side-by-side. Steinkuhler would edge Mueller at the line to claim the win. Brocksieck held on for third, Terry Houston came from 8th to finish in fourth, with Andrew Griffin coming home in fifth.

Up next was the 25 lap UMP Modified feature, with Michael Long and David Wietholder leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Long would grab the lead on lap one, with Wietholder working to hold off Justin Reed for second. A caution on lap 3 for a spin in turn four by James Leffew, would slow the event down. On the restart, Jerry Lierly would spin in turn two to bring the caution back out. Long moved out into the lead on the restart, with Wietholder, Justin Reed and Robbie Reed battling for second. Long would pull away from the field over the final 22 laps, which were caution free, to claim his third win of the weekend. Wietholder won the battle for second, Robbie Reed was third, Justin Reed fourth, with Steven DeLonjay coming home in fifth.

Billy Genenbacher and Denny Woodworth drew the front row for the 30 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Woodworth jumping out into the lead on lap 1. Woodworth would pull away from the field and led all 30 laps, which were run caution free, to pick up the win. Justin Reed came from 8th to finish in second, Keith Pratt was third, Matt Bailey came home fourth, with Genenbacher holding on for fifth.

The final feature of the night was the 15 lap Hobby Stocks, with Nathan Hayes and Adam Scott on the front row. Hayes would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1, but Scott would slip by on lap 2 to take over the top spot. While Scott and Hayes battled for the lead, Bobby Anders, who started 10th, was quickly moving through the field. Scott held the lead until lap 4, when Anders moved past to take over the top spot. Anders then pulled away over the final 11 laps to pick up his second win in a row at the track. Steve Carlin came from 9th to finish in second, Scott was held on for third, Travis Booher started 11th and was moved up to fourth, with Jake Powers credited with fifth.

Notes from Quincy: Abe Huls lost a drive shaft in hot laps and had to scratch from the heat race, forcing him to the back of the Stock Car feature. He would pass 5 cars to take home a 6th place finish......Michael Long made a clean sweep of the weekend in the Modified, as he won Friday at Pontoon Beach, IL, then Saturday at Donnellson, IA and Sunday at Quincy, his second in a row at the track....Vance Wilson passed 7 cars from his 13th starting spot to come home in 6th......Wilson then jumped into the Late Model and started 14th. He would pass 6 cars to come home in 8th....Justin Jennings made his first start of his rookie career in a IMCA Late Models. He was the 2009 asphalt Late Model rookie at the Hawkeye Downs track in Cedar Rapids, IA. Jennings started the event in 7th and stayed out of troubles to take home a 10th place finish....Nick Ingalls, Lonnie Bailey and Terry Gallaher all scratched from the feature after heavy contact on the final lap of the heat. Gallaher would come off of four to wide and clipped the front stretch wall. Ingalls and Bailey had no where to go and piled into Gallaher. Everybody was ok, but heavy damage was done to all 3 cars to force them to scratch for the rest of the evening.....Tanner Klingele and Jim Powell would cross the finish line in 4th and 5th in the Hobby Stock feature. But after finding some "creative engineering" in the exhaust system, both drivers were disqualified and moved to the back of the finishing order.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Modified Smackdown Money Goes to Long at Lee County

Donnellson, IA (April 17, 2010) - The 2010 season got underway at the Lee County Speedway on Saturday, with the 1st Annual IMCA Modified Smackdown presented by Discount Tire & Service. Michael Long (IMCA Modifieds), Phillip Cossel (IMCA SportMods), Derek Kirkland (Hobby Stocks) and James Oliver III (Wild Things) would take the top prizes back home with them at the end of the evening.

The first feature of the night was the 15 lap Hobby Stocks, with Jeremy Pundt and Dave Cloke drawing the front row for the event. On the drop of the green, Josh Tripp would clip a tire coming off of turn four to bring out the caution before the lap was complete. Pundt would jump out into the lead on the restart and then held it until another caution came out on lap 4. Jeremy Billings would loose the left rear axle and tire in turn four to bring out the yellow. On the restart, Cloke would stall in turn four to bring the caution back out again. Pundt again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Derek Kirkland close behind in second. Kirkland would slip under Pundt on lap 7 to grab the top spot and then held it until a caution on lap 10. Cloke would spin off of turn four to avoid Rob Wilsey, who crossed in front of him to get off the track. On the restart, Kirkland moved back out into the lead and looked to be heading for his first win of 2010, when the final caution came out on lap 14 to set up a green-white-checkered finish. Kirkland was up to the challenge on the restart, as he jumped out front on the start and then held on to claim the win. Jim Lynch would come home in second, third went to Andy Coleman, who started 16th, Dale Porter started 13th and came home in fourth, with Jake Wenig coming from 11th to round out the top five.

Up next was the 12 lap Wild Thing feature, with James Olive III and John Helenthal leading the field to the drop of the green. Oliver III would take advantage of his front row start to jump into the lead on lap 1. The first of three cautions would appear on the speedway on lap 6, when William Michel lost a right front tire while running fourth. On the restart, Oliver III moved back out into the top spot only to be slowed on lap 7 for a spin by Don DeMint in turn four. He was also running fourth at the time of his spin. The caution would come back out on the restart, when Chris Loring Jr., who was running 6th, slowed to a stop in turn one. Once again Oliver III would grab the lead on the restart and then pulled away over the final 5 laps to pick up the win. Jerry Ostby would come home second, Helenthal held on for third, Kimberly Abbott came from 9th to finish in fourth, with Mike Horning Jr. coming from 11th to take home a top five.

Michael Bliven and Jim Lynch, rookie SportMod driver, drew the front row for the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature. The caution would appear before lap 1 could be complete, for a spin in turn two for Jacob Smith. On the restart, Bill Gibson, Jayme Duninik and Kaleb Bentley would get together in turn four to bring the caution back out. Cayden Carter, Dean Kratzer, Lynch, Adam Shelman, Jason McDaniel, Rick Barlow Jr. and Bentley would collide in turn four on the restart to bring out the yellow again. The field was set into single file formation for the restart. Bliven would take advantage of the single file start to lead lap 1 over Phillip Cossel. Cossel would slip under Bliven on lap 3 to grab the top spot and then held it until a caution on lap 7 for tires in turn four. On the restart, Cossel jumped back out into the lead, with Bliven and Gillenwater, who started 9th, battling for second. Another caution would appear on the speedway on lap 12, when Kratzer spun in turn two while running 8th. Cossel again took the lead on the restart only to be slowed for the final time for another caution on lap 13, as Gibson spun in turn three. He was also running 8th at the time. On the restart, Cossel again grabbed the lead and then held off Gillenwater over the final 2 laps to claim the win. Gillenwater would cross the line second, but was DQ'ed after finding an illegal ignition switch. Bliven was moved to second, Kurt Hogan came from 12th to finish in third, Carter held on to finish fourth, with Thad Gaylord coming from 11th to finish in fifth.

The 35 lap IMCA Modified feature was the final one of the night, with Rich Smith and Greg Cox drawing the front row for the event. Smith would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on the drop of the green flag. The first of three cautions would come out on lap 3, as a tire would be pushed onto the track. On the restart, Smith took off where he left off, leading the field. Smith started to build up a lead over the battle for second, when another caution appeared on lap 9. Jeff Waterman would spin in turn two to bring the field back to Smith's bumper. Smith again moved out into the lead on the restart, with Mark Elliott, Josh Foster and Michael Long battling for second. Long would jump to the top of the track on lap 15 to grab the second spot and then set his sights on Smith for the lead. Smith stayed glued to the bottom, as Long worked the top side. Long would over take Smith on lap 21 for the top spot, only to be slowed on lap 22 for a spin into the front stretch wall by Mark Schulte. On the restart, Long took off into the lead and then led the final 13 laps to take home the $2,000 top prize. Smith settled for second, Foster came home in third, Scott Hogan came from 7th to finish in fourth, with Elliott coming home in fifth.

LCS Notes: 37 Modifieds, 28 SportMods, 21 Hobby Stocks and 15 Wild Things made up the 101 cars signed in to due battle.......Donavan Nunnikhoven came from 14th and passed 8 cars to finish 6th in the Hobby Stock feature....TJ Henderson also passed 8 cars from his 15th place start to finish in 7th.....Kirkland was the winner, Coleman 3rd, Porter 4th, Nunnikhoven 6th and Henderson in 7th gave the 9:1 Hobby Stocks 5 of the top 7 spots.....Dan Wenig came from 8th and was going for the win on the white flag lap, when he slowed going into turn one. He would come across the line in 8th....Pundt would recover from his spin to make it back to 10th....Chuck Fullenkamp came from 19th to finish 11th......Carter VanDenBerg came from 16th and passed 10 cars to finish 6th in the SportMod feature....Derek Coleman passed 13 cars from his 20th starting spot to finish in 7th....Jason Cook came from 13th to finish in 8th....Mike Shelton started 17th and passed 8 cars to take home 9th....McDaniel recovered from the lap 1 crash to come back to 11th....Rod Staats came from 18th to finish in 12th....Eric Flander who moved up from the Stock Car class to the SportMods in 2010, was running 3rd when he pulled into the pits on the lap 7 caution with mechanical troubles to end his strong run up front......Troy Cordes came from 16th and passed 8 cars to take home an 8th place finish in the Modified feature......Max Corporon started 15th and came home in 9th....Corey Dripps came from the back of the B-Main, when he jumped into Duane Peterson's car after he lost an engine in his heat, to take the 22nd place starting spot. He would pass 11 cars to come home in 11th....Mark Schulte had a good run going, when he had to pit on the lap 9 caution for a left rear tire going down. He would return to tag the back of the field, only to bring out the final caution on lap 22.