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.
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