Tuesday, June 29, 2010

USAC Sprints and Midgets Make First Ever Trip to 34 Raceway

Burlington, IA (Saturday, June 26, 2010) - 34 Raceway hosted the USAC Sprints and Midgets for the first time in the 37 year history, with some great racing for the fans to enjoy.

The first feature to take to the track was the 30 lap USAC Midgets, with Danny Stratton and Zach Daum leading the field to the green flag. Stratton, Daum and fourth place starter Levi Jones would go three wide through three and four on lap 1, but it was Stratton who was credited with leading the lap. But Jones would get by on the next lap to take over the top spot. The three drivers would put on a show for the lead, with Bryan Clausen, who started 6th, moving in on lap 4 to make it a four car battle for the top spot. But Clausen would almost loop his car in turns one and two on lap 5, as he caught the hole in the turn to cause him to drift high. He would make a nice recovery, but fell back several car lengths from the lead. Jones mean time started to stretch his lead out front. As Jones was pulling away, Clausen had regrouped and make his way into second on lap 15 and started his chase on Jones. Clausen would catch Jones on lap 20, as Jones' car seemed to be slowing every lap. Going into turn two Jones' left rear tire went down and he came to a stop on the backstretch. Clausen inherited the lead on the restart and then pulled away over the final 9 laps to pick up the win. Daum would hold on to finish in 2nd, Brad Kuhn came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Tracy Hines charged from 12th to finish in 4th, with Henry Clarke rounding out the top 5.

Bo Hunter and David Schrier made up the front row for the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature. Schrier, Sky Griffith and Abe Huls, who started 8th, would go three wide for the lead, with Schrier leading lap 1. Huls would slip under Schrier on lap 3 to take over the top spot and then started to pull away from the field. But the only caution of the event came out on lap 10, as John Brockway and Brett Timmerman got together, with Timmerman slowing with a flat tire. On the restart Huls moved back out into the lead, with Jeff Mueller, who started 9th, grabbing the second spot. Mueller would close in on Huls back bumper on lap 16, but something broke on the left front suspension the next lap. Huls would pull away over the final 3 laps to claim his second win in a row at 34 Raceway. Mueller nursed his car to a 2nd place finish, Kirk Kinsley was moved to 3rd, Chris Webb came from 11th to be giving 4th, with Greg Johnson coming from 14th to get the fifth place finish.

The final feature of the night was the 30 lap USAC Sprints, with Ricky Williams and Dave Darland on the front row. The red would come out on lap 1, as Casey Riggs would roll in turns one and two. At the same time Tracy Hines would get upside down on the backstretch. Both drivers climbed out ok. Riggs crew went to work on his car and made repairs before the restart, he would join the back of the field. On the restart Darland would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. While Darland continued to lead, Levi Jones, who started 5th, started to close in on Darland. Darland and Jones would battle side-by-side for the top spot through lapped traffic on laps 15-20. With Jones finally grabbing the lead on lap 21. Jones then cruised over the final 9 laps to pick up the win. Chris Windom charged from 9th to get 2nd, Shane Hmiel was able to get by Damion Gardner for 3rd on the final lap, with Terry Babb coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

Notes from 34: 20 Sprints, 18 Midgets and 16 Stock Cars showed up for action on the night......Dave Darland slowed on the final lap of the Midget feature while running 3rd and was credited with 8th....Levi Jones was credited with 10 after leading until the lap 20 flat tire ended his run up front....Kyle Robbins would start Bryan Clausen's back-up car on the tail of the field, but only made 1 lap and pulled in to get 17th....Kurt Mayhew had troubles all night long and was forced to scratch from the feature......John Oliver Jr. started the Stock Car feature in 13th and passed 7 cars to finish in 6th....Shane Watts came from 15th to finish in 7th....Brockway recovered from the lap 10 tangle to finish in 8th....Rookie Stock Car driver Derek St. Clair came from 16th to finish in 9th....Sky Griffith, another rookie Stock Car driver, crossed the finish line in 3rd. But was found to have no mufflers and was disqualified from the event......Justin Grant came from 11th to finish in 6th in the Sprint feature....Henry Clarke passed 6 cars to finish in 6th....Bryan Clausen came from 14th to finish in 9th....Dave Darland, who was battling for the lead early on, had mechanical troubles late and fell back to finish in 10th....Casey Riggs who brought out the red on the start would come back to finish 14th....Local driver Ryan Jamison started 19th and finished 15th....Blake Nimee (only 16 years old) rolled his Sprint during the third heat race to end his night.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Another Eight Features and Eight Different Winners on the Night at Lee County

Donnellson, IA (Friday, June 25, 2010) - Once again the fans at the Lee County Speedway were treated to eight features in six classes, with eight different winners on the night.

The rained out Wild Things 12 lap feature was the first to take to the speedway, with Rex Smart and Kimberly Abbott on the front row. But it was third place starter Gabe Harrison who grabbed the lead on the drop of the green flag. The first and only caution of the event would come out after the completion of the lap, as Chuck Fullenkamp spun on the backstretch from contact from Abbott and Wayne Noble. On the restart Harrison moved back out into the lead, but had Bryan Rodefer, who started 8th, close behind in second. Rodefer would slip past Harrison on lap 2 to take over the top spot and then went on to lead the final 10 laps to claim the win. Harrison held on for 2nd, William Michel came from 15th to finish in 3rd, Don DeMint was 4th, with Smart holding on for 5th.

Up next was the 15 lap make-up Hobby Stock feature, with TJ Henderson and Dan Wenig leading the field to the green flag. But it was third place starter Dane Fenton who jumped out into the lead on lap 1. The first of three cautions would come out on lap 3, as Tanner Thomann slowed to a stop in turn 3 with troubles. On the restart Dan Wenig would slow in turn 2, while Jake Wenig got into the back stretch wall to bring the caution back out. Fenton moved back out into the lead on the restart, with Dean Kratzer, who started 9th, close behind in second. Kratzer would slip past Fenton coming off of turn 2 on lap 9 to grab the lead. But a caution before the lap was completed gave the lead back to Fenton. The caution would come out for Alex Buffington, who was running 3rd after starting 10th, when he slowed with troubles in turn 2. Once again Fenton would grab the lead on the restart, and again Kratzer would battle him in second. Kratzer would slip under Fenton on lap 12 to take over the top spot and then held on for the final 3 laps to pick up the win. Fenton held on for 2nd, Jeremy Pundt came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Victor Hastings was 4th, with Henderson holding on for fifth.

The first regular feature on the night was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods with Mitch Higdon and Rick Barlow Jr. making up the front row for the event. Barlow Jr. would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. But Hidgon would slip under him on lap 2 to take over the top spot. The first of two cautions would come out on lap 2, when Jacob Smith, who was running 5th, spun into the backstretch guardrail. On the restart Higdon moved back out into the lead, but was slowed on lap 3 for the final caution. Rodger Dresden spun in turn 2 and collected Dale Marriott. Higdon again moved back out front on the restart, with Barlow Jr. working to hold off Michael Bliven, Phillip Cossel and Jim Gillenwater for second. Higdon would pull away from the field over the final 12 laps to pick up his first win. Bliven won the battle for 2nd, Cossel was 3rd, Gillenwater was 4th, with Jason Cook coming from 9th to round out the top 5.

Terry Gallaher and Robby Warner led the field to the drop of the green in the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Warner grabbing the lead on lap 1. Warner would only lead that lap, as Tom Goble slipped under him on the next lap to take over the top spot. Goble then started to pull away from the field, when the first and only caution came out on lap 19. Jay Chenoweth would spin in front of the field in turn 2. On the restart Goble jumped back out into the lead, but had Justin Reed, who started 8th, close behind him. Reed would jump to the outside of Goble on lap 21 to take over the top spot and then held on for the final 4 laps to claim the win. Goble was 2nd, Warner held on for 3rd, Keith Pratt was 4th, with Tony Fraise coming home in fifth.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Nathan Wood and Luke McLaughlin on the front row. Wood would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1. He then pulled away to lead all 15 laps in a caution free event to pick up his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Jeff Mueller came from 8th to finish in 2nd, Derek St. Clair in his rookie season in the Stock Cars had a career best 3rd, Chris Webb was 4th, with McLaughlin holding on for 5th.

Dennis Krieger and Dean McGee led the field to the drop of the green in the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with McGee moving out front on lap 1. Krieger wouldn't give up, as he came back on the bottom to lead lap 2. But McGee would come back up top to grab the top spot back on lap 3. With McGee and Krieger battling for the lead, Josh Foster, who started 8th, quickly worked the top of the speedway to get up to battle for the lead. Foster would slip by the top of McGee on lap 4 to take over the lead. The first of 2 cautions would come out on lap 5, as Hunter Marriott spun coming out of turn 4. On the restart Foster moved back out into the lead and was pulling away from the field. Foster's lead was erased on lap 16, when Levi Smith slowed with troubled. Foster again jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Michael Long, who started 11th, and Brandon Rothzen, who started 9th, battling it out for second. Long put pressure on Foster for the lead on lap 18, but bobbled in turn 2 to lose some ground which allowed Foster to hold on for his 4th win of the season at the track. Long was 2nd, Rothzen was 3rd, Jeff Waterman fresh off his HDT win the night before at Cresco was 4th, with Rich Smith coming home in 5th.

Matt Tucker and Alex Buffington led the field to the green in the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, but the caution would come out on the start for debris on the front stretch. On the original restart Buffington jumped out front on lap 1 over Tucker. The next caution would appear on the completion of lap 1, as Dean Kratzer spun off of turn 4 with a right front flat. Buffington once again moved back out into the lead on the restart, with Tucker close behind in second. Buffington would go on to lead all 15 laps to claim his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Tucker held on for 2nd, Tanner Thomann was 3rd, Victor Hastings came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Jake Wenig rounding out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 12 lap Wild Things, with Jerrod Nichols and Todd Cloke on the front row. Cloke would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. The first of four cautions would come out on the completion of the lap when Derek Randall spun in turn 4. On the restart Cloke moved back out into the lead, with Wayne Noble, who started 8th, close behind in second. Cloke would hold off Noble until the next caution came out on lap 5 when Randall spun in 2 for his second solo to end his night. On the restart Noble would jump to the outside of Cloke to grab the top spot. But another caution on lap 8 for Don DeMint who spun in turn 2 and collected Dakota Fenton and Nick Wilkerson. On the restart Brandon Lambert would jump to bring out the yellow, he was docked two spots on the restart. Noble again grabbed the lead on the restart and then held off Gabe Harrison, who started 9th, on the final lap to pick up his first win of 2010 at the track. Kimberly Abbott was 3rd, William Michel came from 12th to finish in 4th, with Nichols holding on for 5th.

Notes from LCS: 24 Late Models, 23 Wild Things, 22 Hobby Stock, 20 Modifieds, 19 SportMods and 16 Stock Cars made up the 124 cars signed in for competition.....Wayne Noble recovered from the lap 1 contact in the make up Wild Thing feature to come back to finish in 8th....Chuck Fullenkamp also recovered from the lap 1 crash to come back to finish 10th....Cory Sheetz came from 18th to finish in 11th......Ray Raker came from 13th to finish in 6th in the make up Hobby Stock feature....Dan Wenig recovered from his lap 3 caution to come back to finish in 9th....Travis Lair started 15th and finished in 10th......A.J. Johnson came from 11th to finish 6th in the SportMod feature....Rod Staats passed 9 cars from his 19th place starting spot to finish in 10th....Jacob Smith recovered from his lap 2 spin to finish in 12th....Dale Marriott made the pull up from Brookfield, MO to compete in the SportMod feature. He would get caught up in Rodger Dresden's spin on lap 3 to end his night......Boone McLaughlin started 11th and came home 7th in the Late Model feature....Mark Burgtorf came from 15th to finish in 10th....Colby Springsteen started 22nd and came home in 17th....Rob Toland started 24th and finished in 19th....Jeff Aikey was running 13th on the lap 19 caution, when he pulled into the pits with troubles to end his night in 22nd.....Cale Samberg started the Stock Car feature in 16th and would come home in 10th......Mike Weikert Jr. came from 20th in the Modified feature to finish in 12th....Hunter Marriott pulled up from Brookfield, MO to compete in the Modified feature. But mechanical troubles early in the feature would give him a 17th place finish....Jame Leffew took a nasty roll in turn 2 of the second Modified heat and collected the cars of Mike Weikert Jr. and Jeff Gerhardt. Leffew would climb from the heavily damaged car ok......Bobby Anders started 22nd in the Hobby Stock feature and passed 15 cars to take home a 7th place finish....Lane Kauffman came from 18th to finish in 14th....Travis Lair finished 15th after starting 21st....Jeremy Pundt was running 9th when he pulled off the track on lap 13 with a left rear flat......John Whalen came from 13th to finish in 6th in the Wild Things feature....Jason Barnes started 16th and finished in 9th....Bill Whalen Jr. came from 19th to finish in 12th....Daytona Fenton passed 9 cars from his 22nd starting spot to finish in 13th....Nick Wilkerson recovered from the lap 8 crash to finish in 14th....Matt Marshall came from 21st to finish in 15th....Jerry Ostby was running 3rd when he pulled off on lap 4 with front end troubles to end his night in 22nd.

Monday, June 21, 2010

34 Raceway Fans Were Treated to Six Features in Five Classes

Burlington, IA (Saturday, June 19, 2010) - What a beautiful night it finally turned out to be on Saturday, as 34 Raceway was able to get in a race after three straight weeks of rain. The fans were treated to an extra feature on the night, as the rained out 4 Cylinder feature from May 15th was run before the regular night got started.

Up first on the night was the 12 lap 4 Cylinder make-up feature from May 15th. Bryce Bailey and Brad Chandler drew the front row for the event, with Bailey grabbing the lead on the drop of the green flag. Bailey would lead all 12 laps to claim the win. Chandler held on to finish in 2nd, Gabe Harrison came from 9th to finish in 3rd, William Michel was 4th, with Nick Wilkerson passing 11 cars from his 16th place starting spot to round out the top 5.

After 3 IMCA Modified heats, 3 IMCA Stock Car heats, 3 4 Cylinder heats, 3 Late Model heats, 3 Hobby Stock heats and 1 4 Cylinder B-Main the regular night features were set to begin.

Up first was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Darin Thye and Dustin Crear leading the field to the drop of the green flag. But the red would come out on the start as Brandon Rothzen, who started 6th, didn't come up to speed and caused a six car pile up behind him. Mike Weikert Jr., Adam Birck, Scott Boles, Jamie Smith, Scott Hogan and Norm Brakeville would all be involved. On the restart Thye would grab the lead on lap 1, but would only lead that lap as Crear jumped to the outside of him to grab the top spot away on lap 2. Crear then had to work to hold off Bill Roberts, until the next caution came out on lap 5. Adam Birck would spin in turn 3 to slow the event down. On the restart Matt Gavin, who started 21st and had worked his way to 11th, would spin off of turn 1 to bring the caution back out. Once again Crear jumped back out into the lead on the restart, with Roberts and Tyler VandeKamp battling it out for second. VandeKamp would work the bottom of the speedway to get under Crear on lap 9 to take over the top spot. But Crear didn't give up as he worked the top of the speedway for the next 2 laps to take the lead back on lap 11. Crear then held the top spot until lap 15, when VandeKamp again worked the bottom of the speedway to grab the lead back. VandeKamp then held off Rich Smith, who started 11th, over the final 5 laps to pick up his first career Modified feature win. Dusty Kraklio came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Jeff Waterman passed 12 cars from his 16th place starting spot to finish in 4th, with Dennis LaVeine coming from 13th to round out the top 5.

Next up was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Kirk Kinsley and Sky Griffith, rookie Stock Car driver, making up the front row for the event. Kinsley moved out front on lap 1 and then held it until the caution came out on lap 2. Greg Johnson, David Schrier and Bo Hunter collided in turn 1. On the restart Kinsley jumped back out into the lead, with Abe Huls close behind in second. Huls would work under Kinsley on lap 4 to take over the top spot, but a caution for Chris Webb who spun in turn 4 would give the lead back to Kinsley. Huls jumped back under Kinsley on restart to grab the lead on lap 4, with Jeff Mueller, who started 9th, following him into second. Huls was slowed on lap 5 when Rod Staats and Brian Holmes spun in turn 4 to bring caution out once again. Once again Huls moved out into the lead on the restart, with Mueller close behind in second. The battle for the lead was slowed for the final time on lap 6 for debris on the front stretch. Huls grabbed the lead on the restart and then held off Dave Warth on the final lap to pick up the win. Mueller held on for 3rd, Kinsley was 4th, with John Oliver Jr. coming home in 5th.

Brett Vanous and Merv Chandler drew the front row for the 12 lap 4 Cylinder feature. But it was third place started Geoffrey Theobald jumping out into the lead on lap 1. The first caution of the race would come out on lap 4 for debris. On the restart Theobald moved back out into the lead and then started to pull away slightly when another caution came out on lap 6. Jerrod Nichols would spin in turn 2. Theobald once again grabbed the lead on the restart and now had to work to hold off Bryce Bailey, who started 11th. The caution would appear again on lap 9 for Nick Wilkerson who stopped on the front stretch. But at the same time William Michel, who was running 4th, suddenly rolled in turn 4 to turn the caution into a red flag. He would climb out ok. On the restart Theobald jumped back out into the lead, with Bailey pressuring him for the top spot. But the battle would be slowed for the final time on lap 10, when Troy Wanders and Chandler spun in turn 2. Theobald again grabbed the lead on the restart and held off Bailey over the final 2 laps to claim the win. Wayne Noble was 3rd, Bryan Rodefer was 4th, with Chuck Fullenkamp rounding out the top 5.

Tom Goble and Shawn Mulvany drew the front row for the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Mulvany grabbing the lead on lap 1. Goble would jump to the outside of Mulvany on lap 2 to take over the top spot, with Justin Reed following him into second. Reed would then work under Goble on lap 5 to take over the lead. The first caution of the event would come out on lap 7, when Goble slowed with a left rear flat to end his run up front. On the restart Reed moved back out into the lead, with Rob Toland, who started 6th, close behind in second. Reed worked to hold off Toland until the next caution came out on lap 10, when Tom Bowling Jr. spun down the backstretch. On the restart Mick Wiele would spin off of turn 2 to bring the caution back out. Reed again moved back out into the lead on the restart, with Denny Woodworth close behind in second. Reed started to pull away from Woodworth and Joey Gower, who started 10th, when the final caution of the event brought the field back to his bumper. Duane Christisen would come to a stop in turn 2. Once again Reed would grab the lead on the restart and then held on for the final 5 laps to pick up the win. Woodworth held on for 2nd, Gary Russell passed 12 cars from his 15th starting spot to finish in 3rd, Gower held on for 4th, with Keith Pratt coming from 13th to round out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 15 lap Hobby Stocks, with Rob Wilsey and Roger Krieger drawing the front row for the event. Wilsey would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1, but disaster would strike him one lap later as he spun in turn 4. He would collected the cars of Victor Hastings, who was running 4th, and Dean Kratzer, who was running 5th. On the restart Dane Fenton and Chad Krogmeier would get into the backstretch wall to bring the caution back out. Caution would appear one more time on the second restart, when Josh Tripp spun in turn 4. Randy Wachter would inherit the lead on the restart and then held it until another caution came out on lap 4. Travis Hartman would spin in 4. Once again Wachter jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Tanner Thomann, who started 9th, close behind in second. The caution would come out for the final time on lap 6, when Wilsey spun down the front stretch. This would set up a green-white-checkered finish as the time limit was up on the event. On the restart Wachter moved out into the lead and then held on for the final 2 laps to pick up his second win in a row. Thomann held off Jake Wenig, who started 18th, for 2nd, Hastings recovered from the lap 1 crash to finish in 4th, with Krieger holding on to finish in fifth.

Notes from 34: 31 4 Cylinders, 27 Late Models, 26 Modifieds, 21 Hobby Stocks and 19 Stock Cars made up the 124 cars signed in to due battle on the night.....In the make-up 4 Cylinder feature Chuck Fullenkamp came from 13th to finish in 6th....Kimberly Abbot passed 11 cars from her 20th place start to finish in 9th....Jerrod Nichols came from 17th to finish in 12th....Corey Sheetz started 19th and finished in 13th....Justin Mosser passed 10 cars from his 24th starting spot to finish in 14th......A.J. Fike started the Modified feature in 23rd and passed 11 cars to take home a 12th place finish....Matt Gavin started in 21st and had worked his way to 11th when he spun off turn 1 on lap 5 to bring out the caution. He would work his way back up to finish in 13th....Mike Weikert Jr. recovered from the wreck on the start to come back to finish in 14th....Norm Brakeville was another driver involved in the wreck on the start. He would recover to finish in 15th....Josh Foster got disqualified after his heat race for no stickers on the wheels. He would choose to load up and go home, rather then tag the back of the feature......Gabe Harrison came from 12th to finish 6th in the regular 4 Cylinder feature....Rex Smart started 13th and came home home in 7th....Bill Whalen Jr. passed 10 cars from his 18th starting spot to finish in 8th....Darin Smith came from 15th to finish in 9th....Amanda Tipps came from 21st to finish in 14th....Troy Wanders recovered from the lap 10 spin to finish in 17th....Seth Woodruff was running 6th when he started to loose some fluids on the speedway on lap 5. He would retire to the pits on the lap 6 caution to finish in 22nd.....Nate Beuseling started the Late Model feature in 14th and passed 5 cars to finish in 9th....Robby Warner started 20th and passed 10 cars to finish in 10th....Matt Ryan would passed 13 cars from his 25th starting spot to finish in 12th....Lonnie Bailey came from 24th to finish in 15th....Jeff Guengerich passed 11 cars from his 27th place start to finish in 16th....Brett Diercks started 8th and had worked his way to 2nd by lap 10. He would get a little out of shape on the lap 11 restart, which resulted in some contact between he and Denny Woodworth. On the second restart of the same lap Diercks would pull into the pits with a left rear flat, a result of the contact the restart before....Rob Toland came from 6th and had worked his way into 2nd on lap 8. He was going for the lead on the next lap, when he slowed and pulled into the pit with a broken gear......Alex Buffington started the Hobby Stock feature in 13th and passed 6 cars to finish in 7th....Dan Wenig had to come from the rear of the field, as he got a flat from contact in the lap 1 wreck. He would come back up to finish in 9th....Aric Webb came from 21st to finish in 13th.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Lee County Speedway Almost Escapes Mother Nature

Donnellson, IA (Friday, June 18, 2010) - Mother nature has really played a big roll in the 2010 season when it comes to dirt track racing. Despite all the rain in the area on Friday afternoon the Lee County Speedway was able to escape them and was able to get there regular night started.

The first feature of the night was the 15 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Jim Redmann and Corey Strothman leading the field to the green flag. Strothman jumped out into the lead on lap 1, with Redmann close behind in second. The first of 3 cautions would come out on lap 2, when Jeff Mueller spun in turn 2. On the restart Strothman moved back out into the lead, with Redmann working to hold off Abe Huls for second. Strothman started to pull away from the battle for second, when the second caution came out on lap 11. Josh Robinson would spin in turn 4. Strothman again grabbed the lead on the restart, but was slowed on lap 12 when Devon Timmerman slowed in turn four with a right front flat. Once again Strothman jumped out into the lead on the restart, but now had Jason Cook, who started 8th, on his back bumper. Strothman, was working the top of the speedway, and Cook, was on the bottom, came off turn 2 on the last lap side-by-side. Cook drove hard into turn three on the bottom and drifted up in front of Strothman to come off four for the win. Redmann settled for 3rd, John Oliver Jr. came from 7th to finish in 4th, with Huls rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with Rick Barlow Jr. and Rod Staats on the front row. Barlow Jr. took advantage of his front row start to jump into the lead on lap 1. He would only lead that lap, as Jim Gillenwater, who started 5th, slipped under Barlow Jr. on lap 2 to grab the top spot. Gillenwater then started to pull away from the rest of the field when the first of 2 cautions came out on lap 8. Sarah Tweedy was getting lapped and came off of turn 4 sideways and collected the cars of Michael Bliven and Phillip Cossel. On the restart Gillenwater moved back out into the lead, but now had Jason Cook, who started 10th, close behind in second. The final caution of the event came out on lap 9, when Cossel spun in turn 3. Once again Gillenwater grabbed the lead on the restart and then held off Cook over the final 6 laps to claim the win. Barlow Jr. held on for 3rd, Thad Gaylord was 4th, with AJ Johnson coming from 11th to round out the top 5.

Andy Krieger and James Leffew led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Leffew jumping out front on lap 1. Leffew slowly started to pull away from the rest of the field, when he was slowed on lap 3. Dustin Crear, who was running 8th, spun in turn 4 to bring the first caution out. On the restart Leffew moved back out into the lead and again was slowly pulling away from the field. But he would get sideways coming off turn 2 on lap 7 and had to go through the infield grass. He would come back out on the backstretch with the lead, but had Josh Foster, who started 9th, right behind him. Foster would slip under Leffew on lap 8 to take over the top spot, with the caution coming out after the completion of the lap. Dean McGee would spin in turn 4. Foster grabbed the lead on the restart and then pulled away for his second win in a row at the track. Leffew held on for a season best 2nd at the speedway, Rich Smith came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Brandon Rothzen started 10th and passed 6 cars to come home in 4th, with Adam Birck coming home in 5th.

The 12 lap Wild Things feature took to the track next, with Rex Smart and Kimberly Abbott on the front row after Ethan Thompson, who was suppose to start on the pole but scratched from the event. On the drop of the green flag Don DeMint would spin in turn 2 to bring the caution out. Mother nature then moved in, with strong winds and then heavy rains to cancel the Wild Things and Hobby Stock features.

Notes from LCS: Kimberly Abbott won the Wild Thing Rookie Rally after all the heat races were completed. The Rookie Rally was for any driver who hasn't won a feature in 2010 at the speedway and wasn't in the top 5 in points. She would beat 14 other drivers to take the win......Jeff Mueller had some smoke come out from under the hood in his Stock Car heat. The crew changed motors for the feature, where he started 13th. Mueller would spin in turn 2 on lap 2 to bring the first caution out, but later retired to the pits with mechanical troubles to finish in 15th....Nathan Wood made the pull to LCS when CJ Raceway got rained out. He would have to start the heat in 8th, with no point average and got up to finish 5th. Wood then started the feature in 10th, where he finished in his first trip of 2010 to LCS......L.Z. Coleman started the SportMod feature in 14th and passed 5 cars to finish in 9th....Jason Doyle made the pull down from Cedar Rapids to run in the SportMod class. He would have to start 6th in the heat, with no points average, but managed to get up to 4th. Doyle then started the feature in 12th and passed 2 cars finish in 10th.....Rod Staats was running in the second spot, when he pitted on lap 9 with troubles. He would return to the back of the field and managed to get back up to finish in 12th....Cody Layman came down from Ainsworth and started 18th in the feature. He would pass 5 cars to take home a 13th place finish.......Dustin Crear spun on lap 3 while running 8th in the Modified feature. He would recover from the back of the field to finish in 9th....Jerry Pratt made the pull down from Bennett, after Davenport wasn't racing due to Sturgis By The River. He would start the feature in 18th and passed 7 cars to finish in 11th....Andrew Burk from Eldridge was another driver making the pull down after Davenport wasn't racing. He started the feature in 12th, where he finished....Jacob Waterman came down from Milan, IL after Davenport took a week off. He had the worst luck of the 3 drivers. He started 19th in the feature and had rear end troubles early in the race to give him a 18th place finish....A make-up date for the rained out Wild Things and Hobby Stock features haven't been set yet as of this writing.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Lee County Speedway Fans Saw Eight Features and Eight Different Winners

Donnellson, IA (Friday, June 11, 2010) - The fans in attendance Friday night at the Lee County Speedway were treated to 8 features, as the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and Wild Things features rained out from last Friday were run first. In the 8 features run on the night, there were 8 different winners.

The first feature on the night was the make-up 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Andy Krieger and Rob Kirchner on the front row. Kirchner grabbed the lead on the drop of the green flag and then held it until the caution came out on lap 3. Krieger, who was running second, slowed to a stop in turn four to bring out the caution. On the restart Rich Smith would jump to the outside of the track to get around Kirchner for the top spot. After the completion of the lap Mike Weikert Jr. and Dustan Fenton got stuck together in turn two to bring caution back out. Smith moved back out front on the restart and started to pull away from the field. With Smith out to a straight-away lead, Wyatt Lantz, who started 8th, and Brandon Rothzen, who started 11th, were battling it out for second. A caution on lap 12 for Adam Birck who spun in turn 4 brought the field back to Smith's back bumper. On the restart Jeff Waterman, who was running 3rd, got sideways and collected Brandon Savage, Josh Foster and Dean McGee to bring the caution back out. Waterman, Foster and Savage pitted and were done for the event, while McGee tagging the back. Once again Smith grabbed the lead on the restart, with Lantz and Rothzen continuing there battle for second. The field was slowed one last time on lap 18, as Birck spun off 4 for his second solo. Smith would go on to lead the final 2 laps to claim his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Lantz held off Rothzen by inches in the battle for second, Bill Roberts would come from 12th to finish in 4th, with McGee coming back to finish in 5th.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car make-up feature, with Corey Strothman and Damon Aplara leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Strothman would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap l. The only caution of the event would come out on lap 4, as Jason Cook spun in turn 4. On the restart Strothman again grabbed the top spot, with Chris Webb working to hold off Jeff Mueller, who started 10th. Mueller would work the bottom of the speedway to get around Webb and then Strothman on lap 8 to take over the lead. But Strothman wouldn't give up easy, as he followed Mueller in his tracks for the next 6 laps. Strothman would get under Mueller going into turn three on the last lap and then came out of four with the lead to pick up his first win of 2010 at the track. Mueller held on for 2nd, Matt Greiner came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Webb was 4th, with John Oliver Jr. coming home in 5th.

Jerrod Nichols and Roscoe Mosser led the field to green in the 12 lap Wild Things make-up feature, but it was 10th place starter Bryan Rodefer quickly moving through the field to grab the lead on lap 1. The only caution of the event would come out on lap 3, as Mosser spun into the front stretch wall. On the restart Rodefer jumped back out into the lead, with C.J. Loring and William Michel, who started 12th, close behind in second. The top three cars would enter lapped traffic on the final lap, with Rodefer and Michel choosing the top to get around the lapped car. But the lapped car would push up in front of them, allowing Loring to shoot to the bottom to get by them coming out of turn 2. Loring then held on through 3 and 4 to get his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Rodefer recovered to finish in 2nd, Michel was 3rd, Gabe Harrison was 4th, with Chuck Fullenkamp coming home in 5th.

The first feature on the regular program was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods, with Tim Zeman and Mitch Higdon on the front row. Zeman grabbed the lead on the drop of the green flag and would hold it until the first of three cautions came out on lap 2. Dean Kratzer would spin hard into the front stretch wall to bring the caution out. He would drive away with heavy damage, but was done for the night. On the restart Zeman jumped back out front, but now had Jason Cook battling him for the lead. Cook would jumped to the outside of Zeman on lap 8 to take over the top spot and then held it until the next caution came out on lap 11. Rodger Dresden would spin in turn 2. On the restart Zeman, who was running 3rd, slowed to a stop in turn 2 with mechanical troubles. Cook would move back out front on the restart and then held on over the final 4 laps to pick up his second win of the season at the track. Michael Bliven would come home in 2nd, AJ Johnson came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Derek Coleman started 8th and finished in 4th, with Jacob Smith coming from 13th to round out the top 5.

Travis Lair and Bob Cowman led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Lair grabbing the lead on lap 1. TJ Henderson would slip under Lair on lap 2 to grab the top spot and looked to be heading for his first win of the season at the speedway. But something would break on Henderson's car going into turn 3 which caused him to roll and bring out the red flag. He would cimb out ok. Tanner Thomann would inherit the lead on the restart, with Jake Wenig close behind in 2nd. Jake Wenig would jump to the outside of Thomann coming off of turn 2 on lap 8 to grab the lead away. But a caution before the lap was completed for Ronald Kibbe who spun in turn 4, would give the lead back to Thomann. On the restart Thomann again had to work to hold off Jake Wenig, when another caution would come out on lap 11. Dane Fenton, who started 13th and had worked his way to 5th, spun into the turn 2 guardrail to bring the caution out. Once again Thomann had to work to hold off Jake Wenig on the restart. But Jake would work around Thomann on lap 13 to take over the top spot and then held on to pick up his 3rd win of the season at the track. Thomann held on for 2nd, Dan Wenig was 3rd, Jeremy Pundt came from 9th to finish in 4th, with Jim Lynch rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Dustan Fenton and Dean McGee on the front row for the event. Fenton would jump out into the lead on the drop of the green flag, with the caution coming out after the completion of the lap. Rich Smith would come to a stop on the front stretch. On the restart Fenton moved back out into the lead, with McGee and Bill Roberts battling for second. Fenton was slowed one more time on lap 5, as Mike Weikert Jr., who was running 7th, spun on the front stretch to bring the caution out. Fenton again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Roberts working to hold off Josh Foster, who started 8th, for second. Wyatt Lantz, who started 10th had worked his was to 4th, when he spun coming off of turn 4 on lap 7 and collected Brandon Rothzen, who started 11th. Lantz would pull in, with Rothzen having to go to the back. On the restart Foster would jump to the top of the track to grab the top spot away from Fenton and then started to pull away. But another caution would come out on lap 14, when Levi Smith spun to a stop in turn 3. Fenton's great run up front came to a stop on lap 16, as he spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out. Foster would jump out into the lead on the restart and then pulled away over the final 4 laps to claim his 2nd win of the season at the track. Roberts held on for 2nd, Jeff Waterman would come home in 3rd, Dustin Crear started 13th and passed 9 cars to finish in 4th, with Rothzen recovering the the lap 7 troubles to finish in 5th.

Dave Warth and Corey Strothman led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Strothman grabbing the lead on lap 1. Strothman would hold the lead until the first caution came out on lap 4. John Oliver Jr. tried to get under Luke McLaughlin for second going into turn four, but would push up into McLaughlin causing him to spin and bring out the caution. On the restart Strothman again grabbed the lead, but had Warth, Matt Greiner, who started 10th, and Jeff Mueller who started 13th, close behind. Greiner would slip under Strothman on lap 10 to grab the lead away, with Mueller following him into second. Mueller then pulled the same move as Greiner on lap 12 to take the top spot away. The final two cautions came out on lap 12, as a tire was pushed out onto the track both times. On both restarts Mueller grabbed the lead and then held off Greiner to claim his second win of the season at the speedway. Jason Cook would come from 9th to finish in 3rd, Warth held on for 4th, with Strothman coming home in 5th.

The final feature on the night was the 12 lap Wild Things, with Rex Smart and Jerry Ostby on the front row. But it was 6th place starter CJ Loring quickly coming to the front to grab the lead on lap 1. The first of 2 cautions would come out after the completion of lap 1 for debris. On the restart Loring moved back out into the lead, but was again slowed on lap 6 for the final caution. Daytona Fenton would spin into the turn four guardrail to bring the caution out. Loring again moved out front on the restart and would hold on over the final 6 laps to claim his second win of the night. But he was claimed by Dakota Fenton and refused, which gave Fenton his first win of the season. William Michel came from 9th to finish in 2nd, Ostby held on for 3rd, Chuck Fullenkamp was 4th, with Don DeMint coming home in 5th.

Notes from LCS: The make-up Modified feature saw Mike Weikert Jr. recover from his tangle on lap 5 to come back to finish 6th......Jason Cook came back from his lap 4 spin in the make-up Stock Car feature to finish in 6th....Michael Grossman came from 15th in the make-up Wild Thing feature and passed 6 cars to finish in 9th......Jim Gillenwater started 9th in the SportMod feature and had worked his way up to 5th by lap 4. But he would pull in on that lap with mechanical troubles to end his run to the front......Rich Smith slowed to a stop on lap 1 of the Modified feature to bring out the caution. He would dart to the pits to make repairs and rejoined the field at the back for the restart. Smith then passed 9 cars to come back to finish in 6th....Mike Weikert Jr. recovered from his lap 5 spin to finish in 7th....Dean McGee was running 4th when he slowed on lap 17 with troubles and pulled in to end his run up front......Jeff Mueller discovered he dropped a valve after the first Stock Car feature, so they went to work and changed motors. He was forced to scratch from the heat, which put him 13th in the feature. Mueller would work the bottom of the speedway to quickly move to 3rd by the lap 4 caution. He then followed Greiner pass Strothman on lap 10 and then used the same pass on lap 12 to get by Greiner for the lead. Mueller then led the final 3 laps to claim the win....Abe Huls had motor troubles in the first Stock Car feature and was forced to scratch from the second feature....Chuck Fullenkamp had to pit on lap 1 of the Wild Thing feature to remove the back bumper which was hanging from his car. He would charge back through the field to finish in 4th....Gabe Harrison blew his motor on the final lap of the first Wild Thing feature. He would jump into the car driven by Michael Grossman in the second feature and had to start last on the field. He would pass 12 cars to take home a 8th place finish.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Gharst, Lynch and Pundt Top Wednesday Night Special at the Lee County Speedway

Donnellson, IA (Wednesday, June 9, 2010) - The Sprint Invaders returned to the Lee County Speedway on Wednesday, along with the Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. Picking up wins on the night were Kaley Gharst (Sprints), Jim Lynch (Modifieds) and Jeremy Pundt (Hobby Stocks).

The 20 lap Modified feature was up first, with Brandon Rothzen and Lonnie Heap drawing the front row. Rothzen would take advantage of his front row draw to grab the lead on the drop of the green flag. Rothzen only held the top spot for one lap, as Jim Lynch jumped to the top of the speedway to grab the lead away on lap 2. The first caution would come out on lap 5, when Michael Long spun in turn turn. On the restart Lynch moved back out into the lead, with Rothzen working to hold off Josh Foster. With Lynch pulling away, Rothzen and Foster would swap second several times before the next caution came out on lap 8. Levi Smith would come to a stop in turn 4. On the restart Rob Kirchner would get into the back of Brandon Savage, with the 2 getting tangled together. Once again Lynch would grab the lead on the restart, with Rothzen and Foster going at it for second. Lynch started to pull away from the battle for second, when another caution came out on lap 16. Lonnie Heap, who was running 5th, spun into the wall on the backstretch going into turn 3. The field was slowed again on lap 17 when Brandon Savage got into Andy Krieger in turn 2. The final caution of the event would come out on lap 19, as Kirk Hopkins spun to a stop in turn 4 after contact with Kirchner. This would set up a green-white-checkered overtime finish. On the restart Lynch moved out into the lead, but now had to work to hold off Rothzen and Michael Long, who came from the rear. Long would get past Rothzen on the restart, but couldn't get past Lynch who went on to pick up his first win of the season at the speedway. Long held on for 2nd, Wyatt Lantz came from 12th and was moved to 3rd, Adam Birck started 16th and would get 4th, with Foster coming home in 5th.

Jake Wenig and Jeremy Pundt drew the front row for the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Pundt grabbing the lead on lap 1. Wenig would come back on the bottom to grab the lead away on lap 2, but Pundt wouldn't give up as he came back on the top to grab the top spot back on lap 3. The battle for the lead was slowed on lap 4, when Michael Wenke spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. On the restart Pundt moved back out into the lead, but Wenig would keep working on him for the top spot. The field was slowed again on lap 6 when Josh Tripp spun in turn 1. Again Pundt would jump out into the lead on the restart, with Wenig having to battle Dane Fenton, who started 7th, for second. Pundt would hold off a last lap challenge from Fenton to claim his first career win in the Hobby Stock division. Wenig held on for 3rd, Ray Raker was 4th, with Tanner Thomann coming from 11th to round out the top 5.

The final feature on the night was the 25 lap Sprint Invaders, with Kaley Gharst and Josh Higday on the front row. Gharst would power out into the lead on the drop of the green flag and quickly pulled away until lap 8. Ben Wagoner would slow to a stop in turn 3 on lap 8 to bring the first caution out. On the restart Gharst again pulled out to a big lead, with Tasker Phillips and Jim Moughan battling for second. The second caution of the event would come out on lap 11, as Travis Porter spun in turn 4. Gharst again moved out into the lead on the restart, with Phillips close behind in second. Gharst again started to pull away from the field when he was slowed on lap 22. Jon Agan, who was battling for 8th, would clip a tire coming off turn four and rolled to bring out the red. He would climb from the machine ok. On the restart Gharst pulled away over the final 3 laps to pick up the win. Phillips had a career best 2nd with the Invaders, Moughan held on for 3rd, Mark Shirshekan came from 12th to finish in 4th, with Russ Hall coming home in 5th.

Notes from LCS: 30 Sprints, 23 Hobby Stocks and 18 Modifieds made up the 71 cars in the 3 classes......Brandon Rothzen would cross the finish in 3rd in the Modified feature. But he would run into the back of Long's car after the checkered flag. He was then disqualified for the actions after the checkered....Michael Long was leading his heat race, but pulled off with mechanical troubles forcing him to start the feature in 18th. He would spin in turn 2 on lap 5 to move back to the back. Long would jump to the top of the track to pick cars off, and by lap 17 he was up to 4th. He would then get into 2nd with 2 laps to go, but came up short for the win....Josh Foster was battling Rothzen for second until lap 17. Foster would get sideways on the restart and fell back to 7th. But he would recover over the final laps to finish in 5th....Andy Krieger recovered from the lap 17 tangle to finish in 6th....Dustin Crear came from 15th and passed 7 cars to finish in 8th....Rich Smith dropped a valve in his heat race and was forced to scratch from the feature......Jim Lynch came from 19th in the Hobby Stock feature and passed 12 cars to finish in 7th....Chuck Underwood came from 20th to finish in 9th....Rob Wilsey came from 21st and passed 11 cars to finish in 10th....Dean Kratzer came from 10th and had worked his way to second by lap 9. But he would pull off on lap 9 with a flat to end his great run to the front.......Bobby Mincer came from 16th to finish 7th in the Sprint feature....Ryan Jamison came from 13th to finish in 8th....Donnie Steward started 14th to finish in 9th....Jarrod Schneiderman came from 18th and passed 7 cars to finish in 11th....Matt Harms came from 20th to finish in 14th.

Reed, Long, Tomlinson and Anders Visit Quincy Raceways Victory Lane

Quincy, IL (Sunday, June 6, 2010) - Despite the rains that moved through the area on Saturday night, the Quincy Raceways was able to get there Sunday night events in. Justin Reed (IMCA Late Models), Michael Long (UMP Modifieds), Kevin Tomlinson (IMCA Stock Cars) and Bobby Anders (Hobby Stocks) took home the feature wins in there respectable classes.

The first feature on the night was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Kevin Tomlinson and Wesley Mayfield on the front row. Tomlinson took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. But a caution after the completion of the lap would slow him down, as Jerry Jansen and Andrew Griffin got together on the front stretch to bring out the caution. On the restart Tomlinson moved back out into the lead, with Steve Steinkuhler and Abe Huls battling for second. Tomlinson started to pull away from the field when the final caution of the race came out on lap 8 to bring the field back to his bumper. Aaron Brocksieck, who was running 4th, dropped a drive shaft on the front stretch to bring out the final caution. Tomlinson again grabbed the top spot on the restart, but now had Huls close behind in second. Tomlinson would pull away over the final 12 laps to pick up his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Huls held on for 2nd, Steinkuhler was 3rd, Terry Houston was 4th, with Jim Redmann coming home in 5th.

Up next was the 20 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Nathan Anders and Larry Powell making up the front row. Nathan Anders would grab the lead on lap 1 from his front row starting spot and then held it until the caution came out on lap 10. Jim Powell would spin down the front stretch with a left front flat tire to bring out the only caution of the event. On the restart Nathan Anders moved back out front, but now had Steve Carlin, who started 10th, close behind in second. Carlin would slip under Nathan Anders on lap 12 to take over the top spot, bringing Bobby Anders, who started 7th, with him into second. Carlin then held the lead until lap 15, when Bobby Anders got under him to take over the top spot. Bobby Anders would go on to the final 5 laps to claim his third win of the season at the track. Carlin held on for 2nd, Nathan Anders was 3rd, Jake Powers came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Larry Powell holding on for 5th.

Justin Jennings was suppose to be on the pole of the 30 lap IMCA Late Model feature, but he choose to start tail. That would put Ron Elbe and Nick Ingalls on the front row for the event. Ingalls would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1, with Elbe and Lonnie Bailey battling it out for second. The first of 2 cautions in the event would come out on lap 7, as Vance Wilson, who was running 5th, slowed with a left rear flat tire. On the restart Dustin Neese would loose a right front tire to bring the caution back out. Ingalls would jump back out into the lead on the restart, with Bailey, Denny Woodworth, who started 9th, and Justin Reed, who started 11th, putting on a show for second. Reed would jump to the top of the track to get by Woodworth and Bailey on lap 13 and then went to work on Ingalls for the lead. Ingalls held off Reed until lap 15, when Reed got by for the top spot. Reed then held off Bailey over the final laps to claim his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Woodworth came home in 3rd, Ingalls held on for 4th, with Jason Perry coming from 12th to round out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 25 lap UMP Modifieds, with Michael Long and Jared Schlipman making up the front row. On the start of the race Steve DeLonjay, who started 3rd, and Wyatt Lantz, who started 4th, made contact on the front stretch, with Lantz pounding the outside wall. Lantz then slowed to a stop in turn three with rear end damage to end his night, DeLonjay was put to the back for being a part of the caution. On the restart Jerry Lierly would spin in turn 3 to bring the caution back out. Long would grab the lead on the restart, but was slowed after the completion of the lap for a red flag. Lierly and Joe Kindhart got together down the front stretch, with Kindhart taking a roll just past the flag stand. He would climb out ok, but done for the night. On the restart Long again moved out into the lead, with Schlipman giving chase in second. Another caution would come out on lap 3, as Bill Parks, who was running 7th, came to a stop on the backstretch. Once again Long would move out into the lead on the restart, with Schlipman trying to get around him. Long started to pull away from the field, when another caution would appear on lap 16. Jake Griffin would come to a stop on the backstretch to bring caution back out. On the restart Tony Dunker, who was running 5th, slowed to a stop on the back stretch with rear end troubles to bring the caution back out. Long jumped back out front on the restart and then pulled away over the final 9 laps to pick up his third win of 2010 at the speedway. Schlipman held on for 2nd, David Wietholder came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Justin Reed charged from 19th to take home a 4th place finish, with Terry Cox coming home in fifth.

Notes from Quincy: Rookie Late Model drive Justin Jennings came off turn 4 on the last lap of his heat sideways, with Dustin Griffin under him. Jennings would try to correct after contact with Griffin and would hit the wall just past the flag stand. He would cross the line in second, but had heavy front end damage. Jennings was scheduled to start the Late Model feature on the pole, but decided to fall to the rear with all the damage. He would make a few laps in the feature before pulling in....Tony Dunker came from 18th and passed 10 cars to finish in 8th....Robbie Warner started 17th and would come home in 9th......Robbie Reed started the Modified feature in 22nd and passed 16 cars to finish in 6th....James Leffew came from 21st and passed 14 cars to finish in 7th....Les Harding passed 9 cars from his 18th starting spot to finish in 9th....Ben Huff started 16th and finished in 10th....Troy Grotz started 23rd and passed 11 cars to take home a 12th place finish....Ryan Porter came from 24th and passed 10 cars to finish in 14th....Steven DeLonjay had worked his way back to 7th when smoke came from under the hood on lap 8 to end his night....Ryan Meyer was running 4th when he went to the pits on the lap 2 red, giving him a 21st place finish.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Guengerich, Johnson, Wenig and Rain Top Night Five of the Lee County Speedway

Donnellson, IA (Friday, June 4, 2010) - Just when everybody thought mother nature was going to be kind to the Lee County Speedway for the second week in a row, well it almost came true. The sun was out all day long, which looked to be a beautiful Friday night for racing. But just about 5:30, the time to open the pits, the skies darkened and about a 20 minute shower moved over the track. Shortly after the blue skies appeared along with the sun, so things went on as scheduled.

The first feature on the night was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods, with Rich Uppinghouse and Rick Barlow Jr. on the front row. Barlow Jr. would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. But his lead only lasted 1 lap, as AJ Johnson slipped by to take over the top spot. Barlow Jr. didn't give up that easy, as he came back on the next lap to grab the lead back. Just like Barlow Jr., Johnson didn't lay down that easy, as he returned the move on Barlow Jr. to take the top spot back on lap 4. Once Johnson got out front he then started to pull away, until the one and only caution came out on lap 10 when Sarah Tweedy spun off turn 4. On the restart Johnson jumped back out into the lead and then held on over the final 5 laps to claim his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Dean Kratzer would come home in 2nd, Jim Gillenwater started 11th to finish in 3rd, Barlow Jr. held on for 4th, with Uppinghouse rounding out the top five.

Up next was the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Travis Hartman and Dane Fenton leading the field to the drop of the green flag. But the caution would come out before lap 1 could be completed, as Dave Cloke spun in turn 2. At the same time Hartman would head to the pits with mechanical troubles. This would move Jake Wenig to the pole for the restart, in which he would take advantage of to grab the lead on lap 1. The second of three cautions would appear on lap 4, when Josh Tripp spun in turn 4. Wenig again moved out front on the restart and started to pull away from the field, when the final caution came out on lap 6. Dan Wenig, who was running 8th, spun in turn 2 with a right rear flat. Once again Wenig moved out into the lead on the restart. Wenig would lead the final 9 laps to pick up his second win of the season at the track. Tanner Thomann came from 5th to finish in 2nd, Rob Wilsey started 7th to come home in 3rd, Fenton held on for 4th, with Victor Hastings coming home in 5th.

Tom Goble and Gary Russell made up the front row for the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Russell moving out front on lap 1. With Russell out front, Jeff Guengerich, who started 5th, was working his way to the front. Russell had built up a good lead with Guengerich trying to close in on him, when the only caution of the event came out on lap 15. Robby Warner would spin coming off of turn 4. On the restart Guengerich would jump to the bottom of the speedway to try and work by Russell going into turn one. Russell and Guengerich would go into turn three side-by-side, when Russell jumped the cushion in four to fall back to sixth. Guengerich would take advantage of Russell's mistake to take over the top spot. Guengerich then pulled away over the final 9 laps to claim his first win of the season in the Team 15 car. Goble held on for 2nd, Tony Fraise was 3rd, Colby Springsteen came from 9th to finish in 4th, with T.J. Criss rounding out the top 5.

Just as the Late Model feature took the checkered flag, mother nature opened up the skies and down poured. The IMCA Modified, IMCA Stock Car and Wild Things features were forced to be canceled and will be made up on Friday, June 11th.

Notes from LCS: Jeff Guengerich's win in the Late Model feature made it 3 different winners in the 3 nights that the Late Models have raced at the speedway....Mark Burgtorf would take home the hard charger award on the night, as he started 15th and came home in 8th....Current IMCA Late Model National Points Leader Ray Guss Jr. and the Roberts Racing Team number 58 made the pull to Donnellson when there weekly track in Davenport was rained out. Guss Jr. would start the feature in 16th and only managed to get up to 14th....Justin Reed came from 22nd and would finish in 15th.......AJ Johnson would become the 5th different winner in 5 nights of racing for the SportMods.... Thad Gaylord started the feature in 14th and passed 6 cars to come home in 8th.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Schlipman and Klingele Go Back-to-Back; While Perry and Huls Get There First Wins at Quincy Raceways

Quincy, IL (Sunday, May 30, 2010) - The Quincy Raceways was back in action on Sunday, with two drivers claiming there second wins in a row and two others getting there first.

The first feature of the night was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Aaron Brocksieck and Jerry Jansen leading the field to the green. Brocksieck would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1, with Abe Huls close behind in second. The first and only caution of the event came out on lap 2, as Steve Steinkuhler spun in turn two and collected Andrew Griffin. On the restart Brocksieck moved back out into the lead and then held it until lap 6, when Huls got by for the top spot. Huls would go on to lead the final 14 laps and held off Terry Houston at the line to pick up his first win of 2010 at Quincy. Steinkuhler recovered to finish in 3rd, Jansen held on for 4th, with Brocksieck slipping to 5th.

Up next was the 30 lap Sprint feature, with Jimmy Davies and Jimmy Hurley making up the front row. Davies took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. Jerrod Hull and Jim Moughan collided in turn 2 on lap 2 to bring the first caution out. On the restart Hurley would slip past Davies to grab the top spot away on lap 3. As Hurley started to pull away, the next caution would come out on lap 13. Terry Babb would spin in turn 2. Once again Hurley jumped out into the lead on the restart and started pulling away again. But the final caution would come out on lap 28 to set up a green-white-checkered finish. This time Kody Kinser would go over turns 1 & 2 with a left rear flat tire. Hurley again moved out front on the restart and held on to pick up the win. Aaron Bruns came home in 2nd, Hull came back to finish in 3rd, Moughan recovered to finish in 4th, with Jeremy Standridge coming home in 5th.

Nathan Hayes and Brian Hoener led the field to the green in the 20 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Hoener leading lap 1. The first of five cautions would come out on lap 3, as Nathan Anders came to a stop in turn 2. On the restart Hoener moved back out into the lead with Adam Scott close behind in second. The second caution would appear on lap 6, as Larry Powell got into the back of Bobby Anders. Anders would spin in front of Steve Carlin to end both drivers nights, with heavy damage done to both cars. On the restart Mike Wiley would get past Hoener to take over the top spot on lap 7. Wiley then held on until the caution came out on lap 17, when Jim Brown blew a tire on the front stretch. On the restart Jake Powers would get into the back of Wiley, spinning him in turn 4 to bring the caution back out. Tanner Klingele would inherit the lead and held on to pick up his second win in a row. Jim Powell came from 12th to finish in 2nd, Hoener held on for 3rd, Scott was 4th, with Justin Bartz coming from 14th to round out the top 5.

Ron Elbe and Lonnie Bailey drew the front row for the 30 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Elbe grabbing the lead on the drop of the green. Elbe would hold the top spot until lap 3, when Bailey slipped under him for the lead. The first of two cautions would come out on lap 12, when a tire was pushed out into the racing groove. On the restart Bailey jumped back out into the lead and then held it until lap 14, when Jason Perry jumped to his outside to grab the top spot. Perry, Bailey and Denny Woodworth, who started 9th, waged a battle up front until the final caution came out on lap 26. Justin Jennings would go over turn 3 to bring out the caution. Perry would get the jump on the restart to hold on to pick up his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Woodworth won the battle for 2nd, Bailey was 3rd, Keith Pratt was 4th, with Justin Reed coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 25 lap UMP Modifieds, with Tony Dunker and Jared Schlipman on the front row. The Modifieds had troubles getting the first lap in, as three cautions would wave before lap 1 could be completed. The first caution was for Les Harding who spun in turn 2. On the next restart Justin Reed got into Gary Wilson in turn three and collected Bill Parks, Robbie Reed and Shawn Deering. Todd Reed, Steve Grotz, Jason Daggs, Ryan Morrison and Ben Huff would pile up in turn three on the next restart to put the field in single file formation. Dunker would grab the lead on lap 1 and then held on until another caution came out on lap 7. Joe Kindhart would spin in turn 4. Once again Dunker would moved out front on the restart, but was slowed on lap 12 for another caution. Robbie Reed would spin in turn 2. The final caution of the event would come out on the restart, when Deering spun in turn 4. Dunker grabbed the lead on the restart, but had to work to hold off Schlipman. Schlipman would jump to the outside of Dunker on lap 19 to take over the top spot and then went on to claim his second win in a row at the track. Dunker held on for 2nd, Steven DeLonjay was 3rd, Reed recovered to finish in 4th, with Ryan Meyer coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

Cook Survives to Claim the "Show-Me 100"

Wheatland, MO (Saturday, May 29, 2010) - Saturday was night two of the 18th Annual DART "Show-Me 100" at the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO. This event was co-sanctioned by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and the Lucas Oil MLRA.

After the manufacturing race and three B-Mains the field was set for the 100 lap event in front of a standing room only crowd. Jimmy Owens and Earl Pearson Jr. would lead the field to the drop of the green flag, with Owens grabbing the lead on lap 1. Owens set a fast pace, as he entered lapped traffic by lap 6. The big advantage Owens had built up over the first 9 laps came to an abrupt end on lap 10. Brian Birkhofer got sideways in turn 4 and collected Chris Wall, who took a light roll to bring out the red. Owens who was getting ready to put them a lap down had nowhere to go and was collected up in the wreck, sending him to the rear of the field.

Don O'Neal would inherit the lead on the restart, but was slowed on lap 11 when Owens came to a stop with a flat. Once again O'Neal moved out into the lead on the restart only to be slowed 1 lap later, as Shannon Babb came to a stop with a flat. Steve Casebolt also took advantage of the caution to head into the pits for fresh rubber. O'Neal again grabbed the lead on the restart and started to pull away from the field when another caution came out on lap 21. Dale McDowell, who was running 5th, slowed with a flat to bring the caution back out.

On the restart O'Neal jumped back out into the lead for a couple of green flag laps, as another caution came out on lap 23. Brad Neat would come to a stop with a flat tire. Chris Wall would return to the feature after his lap 10 roll. A few more green flag laps would be run, before the caution came back out on lap 27. This time it was 6th place runner Scott Bloomquist who slowed to a stop with a flat tire. On the next lap Eric Jacobsen would spin in turn 2 to bring the caution back out. Billy Moyer would give up his 5th place spot to head to the pits.

O'Neal continued to lead the field on the restarts, with Terry Phillips and Ray Cook, who started 11th, moving pass Earl Pearson Jr. to battle for the second spot. O'Neal had built up an eight car advantage over the battle for second, when the caution came back out on lap 38. Chris Simpson rolled to a stop on the backstretch.

Once again O'Neal grabbed the top spot on the restart, with Phillips trying to hold off Cook and Billy Moyer Jr., who started 12th. O'Neal again built up a good lead, only to be slowed on lap 50 when Jacobsen spun in turn 2. Again O'Neal moved out front on the restart, but now had Cook stalking him in his tracks. As the battle for the lead heated up, Pearson Jr., who was running 4th, slowed to a stop on lap 52 with a flat to bring the caution back out.

On the next lap, lap 53, Jared Landers would spin in turn 4 to bring the caution out again. O'Neal would survive another restart on lap 56, when Owens got into the turn 4 wall hard to end his night. But another caution would appear on lap 58, as Will Vaught spun in turn 3. On the restart O'Neal jumped out front, with Cook close behind in second. O'Neal, was working the bottom of the speedway, as Cook, was running the top. Cook would work the top to perfection as he slipped past O'Neal on lap 62 to take over the top spot.

Just as Cook and O'Neal waged a battle for the lead, the caution would come back out on lap 65. Jesse Stovall would spin in turn 4. On the restart Cook moved out into the lead, with O'Neal and Casebolt, who pitted on lap 12, battling it out for second. Casebolt would jump to the outside of O'Neal on lap 70 to grab the second spot, and then set his sights on Cook for the lead. As Cook worked the high groove, Casebolt would work the bottom. On lap 73, Casebolt would slip under Cook to grab the top spot and then started to pull away from the field.

A caution on lap 82 would bring the field back to Casebolt's back bumper. This time John Blankenship, who started 29th and was up to 6th, came to a stop with a flat. On the restart Casebolt jumped out into the lead and was starting to pull away again. But disaster would strike Casebolt on lap 89, as he lost the drive shaft going down the front stretch to end his great run.

Cook would inherit the lead on the restart, with O'Neal battling him for the lead. Jimmy Mars would spin in turn 4 on lap 91 to bring the caution out again. On the restart Cook again worked to hold off O'Neal, but the final caution would appear on lap 92. Landers would come to a stop in turn 4.

On the final restart Cook moved back out into the lead and then fended off O'Neal to claim the $30,000 "Show-Me 100". Phillips came home in 3rd, Eric Wells started 27th and passed 23 cars to finish in 4th, Dennis Erb Jr. passed 19 cars after starting in 24th to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 20 lap Modified feature, with Jesse Stovall and Steve Martin on the front row. Martin would get the jump on the drop of the green flag to lead lap 1, with Stovall and Tim Setzer battling for second. Martin held the top spot until lap 10, when he pulled in with a flat tire. Stovall would inherit the lead and then pulled away from the field to pick up his 6th straight win at the track. Setzer came home 2nd, Johnny Fennewald was 3rd, Terry Kirk was 4th, with Chance Bishop coming from 17th to round out the top 5.

Lucas Notes: 73 Late Models and 31 Modifieds took part in the two-day show......Billy Moyer Jr. showed everybody that he was ready to battle with the top drivers in the country. He started the 100 lap event in 12th and had battled his way into the top 3 by the midway portion. But he would slip on the final restarts to finish in 6th....Bloomquist recovered from his flat on lap 27 to work his way back to 7th....Dan Schlieper started 14th and finished in 8th....Brad Neat came back to finish 9th after his lap 23 flat....Mike Marlar started 19th and passed 9 cars to finish in 10th....Blankenship came back from his lap 82 flat to finish in 11th....Al Purkey took an MLRA provisional and started 26th. He would pass 12 cars to take home a 14th place finish....Wall returned to the feature on lap 24, after his lap 10 roll. He would survive to take home a 19th place finish......Jon Sheets started the Modified feature in 13th and passed 7 cars to finish in 6th....Jody Tillman came from 12th to finish in 7th....Josh Greggs started 20th and passed 10 cars to finish in 10th....Kyle Covert came from 18th to finish in 11th....Justin Rexwinkle started 19th and finished in 12th....Jerry Lankton came from 21st to finish in 15th.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Aikey, Long, Mueller, Cook, Wenig and Harrison Grab Night 2 of the Points Battle at the Lee County Speedway

Donnellson, IA (Friday, May 28, 2010) - It was finally back to Friday Night Thunder in the Heartland at the Lee County Speedway, as it was the second night for points in 2010. Jeff Aikey (IMCA Late Models), Michael Long (IMCA Modifieds), Jeff Mueller (IMCA Stock Cars), Jason Cook (IMCA SportMods), Dan Wenig (Hobby Stocks) and Gabe Harrison (Wild Things) took home feature wins in there respective classes.

The first feature to take to the speedway was the 15 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Corey Strothman and Dave Warth leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Strothman would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1, with Warth battling Jim Redmann and Chris Webb for second. Jeff Mueller, who started 9th, quickly worked the bottom of the speedway to move under Strothman on lap 3 to take over the top spot. Mueller then started to pull away from the field, when the first of 2 cautions would appear on lap 5. Chris Webb would spin in turn 3. On the restart Mueller moved back out front, with Redmann working to hold off Matt Greiner, who started 7th, and Jason Cook, who started 10th. The final caution of the race would come out on lap 14 when a tire was clipped and thrown out onto the racing surface in turn four. Mueller again jumped out into the lead on the restart and then held on over the final 2 laps to pick up his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Greiner was credited with 2nd, Redmann was giving 3rd, Cook crossed the checkered in 2nd but was docked 2 spots for jumping the final restart to get 4th, with Abe Huls coming home in 5th.

Up next was the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Rob Kirchner and Dean McGee on the front row. Kirchner would grab the lead on the drop of the green flag and then held it until lap 4 when Jeff Waterman, who started 7th, slipped by for the top spot. Waterman had the lead for one lap, as Michael Long, who started 9th, jumped to his outside to grab the top spot. After the completion of lap 5 the first of 2 cautions would come out, as Dustin Crear spun in turn 2. On the restart Long moved out into the lead, with Waterman, Rich Smith and Brandon Rothzen, who started 10th, battling it out for second. Long started to pull away and lap cars until the final caution came out on lap 10 when Kirk Hopkins spun in turn 2. Once again Long grabbed the lead on the restart and then pulled away over the final 10 lap to pick up his third win of 2010 at the track. Rothzen won the battle for 2nd, Smith was 3rd, Josh Foster came from 11th to finish in 4th, with Waterman holding on for 5th.

T.J. Criss and Boone McLaughlin drew the front row for the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with McLaughlin grabbing the lead on lap 1. The first caution of the event would come out on lap 4 when Rob Toland came to a stop on the backstretch. On the restart McLaughlin jumped back out into the lead. While McLaughlin started to pull away from the field Jeff Aikey, who started 5th, and Mark Burgtorf, who started 7th, were battling there way to the front. Aikey would slip under McLaughlin on lap 15 to take over the top spot, but was slowed one lap later as a caution would come out for Lynn Monroe who slowed down the backstretch. Aikey moved out front on the restart, with Burgtorf getting by McLaughlin for second. Burgtorf started to put pressure on Aikey for the lead, when the final caution came out on lap 21 when Tommy Elston spun in turn 4. Once again Aikey jumped out front on the restart and then held off a last lap challenge from Burgtorf to claim the win. McLaughlin held on for 3rd, Denny Woodworth came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Lonnie Bailey rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods, with Jeremiah Fry and Rick Barlow Jr. on the front row. Fry would get sideways going down the front stretch on the drop of the green and collected Mike Shelton to bring the caution out. On the restart Jacob Smith grabbed the top spot, with Jason Cook following him into second. Cook would slip under Smith on lap 2 to take over the lead. Another caution would come out on lap 8 when Nathan Murders came to a stop in turn 4. On the restart Cook again grabbed the lead, but was quickly slowed for another caution on lap 9 when a tire was knocked out into the groove in turn 4. Cook again jumped out front on the restart, with Phillip Cossel close behind in second. The final caution of the event came out on lap 12 when Steve Hodson spun in turn 3. Once again Cook moved out front on the restart and then led the final 3 laps to pick up his first win of 2010 in the SportMod class. Rodger Dresden came from 9th to finish in 2nd, Cossel held on for 3rd, Rod Staats started 13th and passed 9 cars to finish in 4th, with Shelton recovering from the lap 1 crash to take home a 5th place finish.

Gabe Harrison and Rex Smart led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 12 lap Wild Thing feature. A caution for debris on the start would set up a complete restart. On the restart Harrison took advantage of his front row start to grab the top spot on lap 1. Another caution would come out after the completion of the lap, as a bumper was dropped on the front stretch. Dakota Fenton would get around Harrison on the restart to take over the lead on lap 2. But another caution after the completion of the lap 2 would slow the field again. This time it was for a crash in turn 2 involving Kimberly Abbott, Matt Marshall and John Friedhoff. On the restart Chuck Fullenkamp would loose a tire in turn 2 to bring the caution back out. Harrison would get back by Fenton on the restart to take the lead back. Harrison then had to work to hold off Jerry Ostby over the final laps in order to claim the win. But a caution on lap 10 for a tire would put an end to the battle up front, as the time limit had expired on the event. Harrison took the win, Michael Grossman came from 8th to finish in 2nd, Fenton held on for 3rd, William Michel was 4th, with Don DeMint coming home in 5th.

The final feature of the night was the 15 lap Hobby Stocks, with Dan Wenig and Bob Cowman on the front row for the event. Wenig would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. Wenig then pulled away from the field to pick up the win in a caution free event. Tanner Thomann came home in 2nd, Jeremy Pundt was 3rd, Jim Lynch was 4th, with Victor Hastings rounding out the top 5.

LCS Notes: 24 Late Models, 20 Modifeds, 20 Wild Things, 19 SportMods, 18 Hobby Stocks and 15 Stock Cars made up the 116 cars signed for competition......Cale Samberg came from 13th to finish 7th in the Stock Car feature....Luke McLaughlin came from 14th and passed 6 cars to finish in 8th in his first Stock Car start in 2010....Strothman's bad luck continued, as he pulled in on the lap 5 caution with mechanical troubles while running 2nd......Adam Birck passed 8 cars from his 15th starting spot to take home a 7th place finish in the Modified feature......Justin Reed started 15th in the Late Model feature and had worked his way up to 5th by lap 21. But he would get sideways going into turn 3 on the restart and fell back to finish in 11th......Rich Uppinghouse came from 16th in the SportMod feature and passed 7 cars to take home a 9th place finish....Mitch Higdon and Thad Gaylord would watch the feature from the trailers. After the checkered flag in the heat race both cars spun down the front stretch, with both drivers getting out of there cars and throwing punches. As a result both drivers were disqualified for the remainder of the night......Derek Randall started 12th in the Wild Thing feature and passed 6 cars to finish in 6th....Chris Loring Jr. came from 19th to finish in 7th....Seth Woodruff finished 8th after starting in 14th....Jerry Ostby was put to last for his acitons after the checkered was waved. He and Harrison were battling for the lead on lap 10, when Ostby tried to get under Harrison going into turn 3. He would clip a tire to bring out the caution and fell back to 5th. But he would come up to spin Harrison out on the front stretch after the race was over to be put to last in the finishing order......Andy Coleman started 12th and passed 6 cars to finish in 6th in the Hobby Stock feature....Jim Oliver Jr. came from 15th to finish in 8th....You sure could tell the full moon was out in full force on the night, LOL!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Makes First Ever Stop to 34 Raceway

Burlington, IA (Sunday, May 23, 2010) - The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series was set to make there first ever visit to 34 Raceway on Friday, but early morning showers forced the event to be moved to Sunday night. After getting done with a graduation, I had time to make it over to see the 40 Late Models and 21 305 Sprints signed in for competition.



The first feature on the night was the 20 lap 305 Sprints, with Cale Hutchings and Corey Timmerman drawing the front row for the event. Hutchings would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. The first caution of the night would come out on lap 3 when Andy Huston spun in turn one. On the restart Hutchings again moved back out front, but now had Kevin Hetrick, who started 9th battling him for the top spot. Hetrick jumped under Hutchings on lap 5 to grab the lead away and was starting to pull away when the final caution came out on lap 18. On the restart Hetrick moved back out into the lead and then held on for the final 2 laps to claim the win. Jarrod Schneiderman came from 5th to finish in 2nd, Tony Davis came home in 3rd, Bobby Mincer charged from 16th to take home a 4th place finish, with Nick Guernsey coming from 10th to round out the top 5.



Time trials, four heat races, two b-mains and three provisionals would help set the field of 25 cars for the 50 lap Late Model feature. Don O'Neal and Ray Cook led the field to the drop of the green flag, with O'Neal grabbing the lead on lap 1. He would only lead one lap, as Earl Pearson Jr., who started 5th, quickly worked the bottom of the speedway to take the top spot away on lap 2. Pearson Jr. then started to pull away from the rest of the field until the first caution came out on lap 6. Jason Utter would slow with a flat tire. On the restart Pearson Jr. again moved out front, but was slowed two laps later when Mike Marlar slow with a flat tire. Pearson Jr. again jumped back out into the lead, with Cook close behind in second. But Pearson Jr. again started to pull away from the field when on lap 26 he just missed disaster. Chris Wall was about to go a lap down when he spun in front of Pearson Jr. coming off of turn two to bring the caution back out.



Pearson Jr. again took off into the lead on the restart and never was challenged over the final 24 laps to pick up the $10,000 win. Cook was able to hold on for second, Will Vaught came from 12th to take home a 3rd place finish, Dale McDowell charged from 17th to finish in 4th, with Jimmy Mars coming from 11th to round out the top 5.



Notes from 34: Bobby Mincer's night didn't start like he would wanted it to in the 305 Sprints, as he hit the pit entrance wall during hot laps, causing the car to over turn easily. He would then spin out midway through his heat race while leading, with a one spin and your done rule for the heat, he was sent to the pits. He then started 16th in the feature and passed 12 cars to recover for a nice 4th place finish.... Nick Guernsey made a nice last lap pass of two cars after starting in 10th to pick up a 5th place finish....Justin Newberry came from 12th to finish in 7th.... Jim Hetrick started 18th and passed 7 cars to come home in 11th......On my over to Burlington I came up on a race hauler stopped on the side of the road, so I pulled over to see if they needed any help. As I walked up I discovered it was Bloomington, Illinois Late Model driver Jason Feger. He said they had Jason Frankel coming to get them and didn't need anything. Feger's would arrive at the track just in time to jump into his Late Model for time trials. With no hot laps and being one of the first cars on the track, he would go out and set fast time for the night....Don O'Neal was battling to hold on for 6th, when he pitted on lap 26 for a right rear flat. He would start in the back and then charged back through the field to come home in 10th....Scott Bloomquist started the 50 lap feature in 15th and passed 9 cars to finish in 6th....Brian Birkhofer came from 14th to finish in 7th....Dan Schlieper took a provisional and started 23rd, he then passed 11 cars to take home 12th....Brad Neat started 21st and finished in 13th....Eric Wells came from 19th to finish 14th....John Blankenship also took a provisional and started 24th, he would pass 7 cars to finish in 17th....All 25 cars that started the 50 lap feature would take the checkers.....Jason Hughes collided with the turn four wall in hot laps, causing to much damage to the right front. So he was a scratch for the rest of the night.... Ricky Frankel had motor troubles in hot laps and was forced to scratch for the night as well....Matt Miller had a fourth and final transfer spot going in the 4th heat, when mechanical troubles ended his night.