Donnellson, IA (Friday, August 27, 2010) - After two straight weeks of getting rained out, it was a beautiful night for racing on a Friday night at the Lee County Speedway. This night was all about crowning the 2010 Track Champions, as it was Season Championship Night at the speedway. Ending the night with the titles were Mark Burgtorf (IMCA Late Models), Rich Smith (IMCA Modifieds), Matt Greiner (IMCA Stock Cars), Jason Cook (IMCA SportMods), Tanner Thomann (Hobby Stocks) and William Michel (Wild Things). Mark Burgtorf (IMCA Late Models), Michael Long (IMCA Modifieds), Jason Cook (IMCA Sport Mods), Jeff Mueller (IMCA Stock Cars), Matt Tucker (Hobby Stocks) and Michael Grossman (Wild Things) took home feature wins on the evening.
The first feature on the night was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Rich Smith and Adam Birck on the front row. Smith grabbed the lead on the drop of the green flag over Birck and then held it until lap 5, when he pulled into the pits on the backstretch with troubles. Brandon Rothzen inherited the top spot as a result, with the first caution coming out on that lap for a spin in turn 4 by Derek Hamm. On the restart Rothzen jumped back out into the lead, with Jeff Waterman and Wyatt Lantz left to battle for second. While Rothzen was working out front to hold back Waterman and Lantz, Michael Long, who started 15th, was quickly moving towards the front. The great battle up front was slowed once again on completion of lap 9, when Kirk Hopkins came to a stop in turn 2. Rothzen again grabbed the top spot on the restart, with Lantz moving into second and leaving Waterman to battle Long for 3rd. The final caution of the event would appear on lap 11 when Hamm and Brian Clark collided in turn 2. On the restart Rothzen moved back out into the lead over Lantz, while Long got passed Waterman for 3rd. Long then worked past Lantz on lap 13 into the second spot and then went to work on Rothzen for the top spot. Rothzen tried to hold back Long, but Long would slip under him on lap 16 to grab the lead away. Long then pulled away over the final 4 laps to claim his 6th win of the season at the track. Rothzen settled for 2nd, Waterman was 3rd, Birck held on for 4th, with Rob Kirchner coming from 11th to round out the top 5.
Up next was the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with Jason Cook and Phillip Cossel leading the field to green. The caution would come out before the completion of lap 1 for debris in turn 4. On the restart Cook moved out front on lap 1 over Bliven and then held it until lap 2, when another caution appeared on the speedway. Dylan Book would come to a stop in turn 2 with troubles, just as Dean Kratzer stopped in turn 4. Cook again jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Bliven trying to hold off Rick Barlow Jr., who started 5th, for 2nd. Cook started to pull away from the field, when he was slowed once again on lap 6 for Tenny Sammons, who slowed to a stop. Again Cook moved out front on the restart, with Bliven now working to hold off Jim Gillenwater, who started 13th, for second. The battle up front was slowed on lap 8 when Rodger Dresden, who was running 9th, spun in turn 2 and collected Mitch Higdon, who was in 10th. Again Cook grabbed the lead on the restart, but now had Gillenwater close behind in second. Gillenwater tried to get under Cook over the next 5 laps, when the final caution of the event came out on lap 13. Rod Staats, who was running 5th, spun in turn 2 and collected Mike Shelton, who was running 7th. Cook then held on over the final 2 laps to claim his third win of the season at the track. Barlow Jr. came home in 2nd, Cossel held on for 3rd, Bliven was 4th, with Gillenwater bobbling on the restart to fall back to finish in 5th.
Matt Greiner and Jeff Mueller made up the front row for the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Mueller moving out front on the drop of the green. Greiner would reel Mueller in with 2 laps to go to set up a great battle for the top spot. But Mueller was able to hold off Greiner in a caution free race to claim his third win of the season at the speedway. Jason Cook came from 6th to finish in 3rd, Corey Strothman was 4th, with Cale Samberg coming home in fifth.
The 12 lap Wild Things feature was next, with William Michel and Gabe Harrison on the front row. But it was third place started Chuck Fullenkamp grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Harrison. Fullenkamp would hold off Harrison until lap 4, when he slipped by for the top spot. The first of 2 cautions would appear on lap 5, when Derek Randall spun in turn 4. On the restart Harrison's car wouldn't come up to speed, which allowed Jerry Ostby, who started 7th, to get by for the lead. But Ostby couldn't hold off Michael Grossman, who charged from 13th, to grab the lead away on lap 7. But Ostby would come back on the next lap to grab the top spot back, only to give it back to Grossman on lap 8. The battle for the lead was slowed for the final time on the completion of lap 9, when Fullenkamp, who was running 4th, slowed to a stop in turn 2 with right front end troubles. Wayne Noble, who started 11th, made a move around Grossman on the restart to grab the lead and then crossed the finish line in first. But his car was protested in the inspection area and found to have an illegal roll cage. Giving the win to Grossman, his first on the season at the track. Ostby was moved to 2nd, Harrison was 3rd, Michel came home in 4th, with Jerrod Nichols coming from 10th to round out the top 5.
Mark Burgtorf and Jeff Aikey started the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature on the front row, with Burgtorf moving out front on the drop of the green. Burgtorf would pull away from the field and led all 25 laps in a caution free event to pick up his second win of the season. Denny Woodworth would come home in 2nd, Aikey slipped back to 3rd, Justin Reed came from 7th to finish in 4th, with Gary Russell coming home in 5th.
The 15 lap Hobby Stock feature was the final feature of the night, with only 1 point seperating first and second in points. Tanner Thomann and Jeremy Pundt would lead the field to the green, with the yellow coming out on the start for a bumper on the front stretch. On the restart Pundt would slow to a stop in turn 2 with a right rear flat tire to bring the caution back out, giving him a slim chance at the points crown. On the second restart Thomann jumped out front to lead lap 1 over Jake Wenig, who came into the night just 4 points back in third. Once again the event was slowed with another caution, this time Dave Cloke spun in turn 1. Wenig would slip under Thomann on the restart to grab the lead on lap 2. But another caution after the completion of lap 2, would slow the event down. Dan Wenig, who was running 3rd, spun in turn 3 and collected the cars of Bob Cowman and Larry McConnell. The event then went red on the backstretch, as turn 3 was blocked with the three cars tangled. Dan was able to get to the pits to make repairs and return to the back for the restart, but Cowman and McConnell were both done for the night. Jake Wenig would jump back out into the lead on the restart, with Matt Tucker coming from 9th to battle Thomann for second. The three car battle for the lead was slowed after the completion of lap 12, as Dan Wenig, who made it back up to 5th, spun in turn 4 to end his night. On the restart Jake Wenig had to work to hold back Tucker, when the final caution came out on the completion of lap 14 to set up overtime. Jamie Bevill, who made the pull up from Bethel, MO, would spin in turn 4 to bring out the final yellow. On the restart Jake Wenig again grabbed the lead, but Tucker was pressuring him for the lead. Tucker would slip under Wenig going into turn 1 on the last lap and moved Wenig out of the grove to get the lead going down the back stretch. Wenig would then try the same move on Tucker going into four, but he would spin to allow Tucker to go on for his first win of the season at the track. Thomann was 2nd, Rob Wilsey came from 12th to finish in 3rd, Clayton Crump made the pull up from Centralia, MO and started 19th. He would pass 15 cars to finish in 4th, with Dane Fenton coming home in 5th.
Notes from LCS: 20 SportMods, 20 Wild Things, 19 Modifieds, 19 Hobby Stocks, 18 Late Models and 12 Stock Cars made up the 108 cars signed in on the final night for points......Rich Smith came into the night with a 47 point lead in the Modified class, which was enough for him to lock the crown up before the night even started....Daniel Hilsabeck started the Modified feature in 19th and passed 8 cars to finish in 11th....Levi Smith had troubles in hot laps and scratched from the feature......Jason Cook came into the night with a 1 point lead over Phillip Cossel for the SportMod track title. Cook would lead all 15 laps of the feature to seal his first SportMod track championship....L.Z. Coleman started 16th and passed 8 cars to finish in 8th....Dean Kratzer recovered from his lap 2 caution to come back to finish in 9th....Rod Staats came back from his lap 13 spin to finish in 10th....Jeremiah Fry started 20th and passed 7 cars to come home in 13th......Matt Greiner came into the night with a 19 point advantage over Jeff Mueller in his quest for his first IMCA Stock Car track championship. So all he had to do was take the green to clinch the title, but he would battle Mueller to the checkered to claim the title....William Michel held a 5 point lead over Gabe Harrison in the Wild Thing track title. Harrison looked to be heading for the title, when he took the lead on lap 4 and Michel was back to 6th. But Harrison's car wouldn't come up to speed on the lap 6 restart, knocking him back to 6th. Harrison would recover to finish in 3rd, but Michel was 4th giving the title to Michel by 4 points....Richard Bank started 18th and passed 12 cars to come home in 6th....C.J. Loring came from 15th to finish in 9th....Derek Randall recovered from his lap 5 spin to come back up to finish in 10th....Andrew Putnam started 19th and passed 8 cars to finish in 11th......Mark Burgtorf came into the night with a 15 point advantage over Jeff Aikey for his second track championship in a row at the speedway. Burgtorf would jump into the lead on the start of the Late Model feature and then pulled away to pick up the win and the title....TJ Criss came from 11th to finish in 7th....Rob Toland came from 13th to finish in 8th....Andy Eckrich started 14th and came home in 9th....Jay Johnson came from 15th to finish in 11th....Tom Goble had motor troubles after his heat and was suppose to take the green in 8th. But chose to watch from the trailer......The closiest points battle was in the Hobby Stock class and it turned out to be the wildest race on the night. Tanner Thomann had a 3 point lead over Jeremy Pundt and 4 points over Jake Wenig in his quest for his first track championship. Pundt's hopes would be hurt on the lap 1 restart, when he cut a right rear tire to bring the yellow back out. He would come back out to start last. But in the mean time Thomann grabbed the lead on lap 1, with Wenig working under him on lap 2 for the lead. Wenig then held the lead until the final lap, when he and Matt Tucker tangled. Wenig would spin in four on the final lap and collected Pundt. Allowing Thomann to finish in second to clinch the title....Justin Bevill was another driver to make the pull up from Bethel, MO. He would take the green in 18th and passed 12 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Jim Oliver Jr. came from 13th to finish in 7th....Jamie Bevill recovered from his lap 14 spin to come back up to finish in 8th....TJ Henderson had a flat on the lap 1 caution while running 6th. He would return to come back up to 9th.
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