It Was a Night of First Time Winners at Quincy Raceways

Quincy, IL (Sunday, April 28, 2013) - Another beautiful night for racing allowed the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL to get in there third straight week of racing in. At the end of the night there would be four new winners on the season, in the five classes.

The first feature up on the night was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Jim Powell and Timothy Anders on the front row. Just as the green flag was waved the yellow light would come on, as Anders spun in turn 2 and collected Steve Carlin to bring out the caution. On the restart Powell edged out Michael Larsen at the line to lead lap 1, only to loose it on lap 2 to Larsen. Powell's run up front then came to an end on the completion of lap 2, as he spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. Larsen would jump out into the lead on the restart, with Abe Huls, who started 8th, close behind in second. Another caution on lap 7 would slow the field down, as Anders spun in turn 4. On the restart Larsen edged Huls out at the line by inches to hold the top spot. But Huls would slip under Larsen on lap 9 to grab the lead away. The action up front was slowed on lap 11, as a tire was clipped onto the surface in turn 1 to bring out the caution. On the restart Jerry Jansen, who was running 3rd, would spin in turn 1 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Huls moved back out front, but now had Jake Powers, who started 12th, and Brandon Savage, who started 11th, close behind. Huls was able to lead the final 9 laps to claim his first win of the season at the track. Powers finished in 2nd, Beau Taylor came from 10th to finish in 3rd, Savage held on for 4th, with Terry Huston coming from 9th to round out the top 5.

Abe Huls of Carthage, IL won the IMCA Stock Car feature on Sunday, April 28, 2013 at the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL.

Up next was the 20 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with Tanner Klingele and Bucky Gallaher leading the field to the green. Klingele would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Bobby Anders, who started 5th, and Charles VanZandt. On the completion of lap 1 Gallaher would spin in turn 4 to bring out the first caution of the event. On the restart Klingele jumped back out front, with Anders and Michael Joe Bliven battling close behind for second. Anders would slip under Klingele on lap 3 to grab the top spot away and then held it until another caution slowed him down. Jeff DeLonjay would spin in turn 2 on lap 11 to bring the yellow light on. On the restart Anders moved back out front, but now had Tony Dunker, who started 6th, in his tire tracks. Dunker would try everything possible to get by Anders, but was slowed on lap 15 when a tire was clipped and pushed onto the track. Dustin Crear would spin in turn 1 on the restart and collected the cars of Brandon Dale and Chandler Owens to bring the yellow back out. The following restart saw Anders jump back out front, with Dunker working to hold back Bliven for second. The action up front was slowed for the final time on lap 16, as Crear and Gallaher got together in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Anders again moved back out front on the restart and then held off Dunker over the final 4 laps to claim his first win of the season at the speedway. Dunker settled for 2nd, Bliven was 3rd, Klingele held on for 4th, with VanZandt coming home in 5th.

The IMCA SportMod feature at the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL on Sunday, April 28, 2013 was won by Quincy, Illinois' own Bobby Anders.

Rickey Frankel and Dewayne Kiefer led the field to green in the 30 lap UMP Late Model feature. But just as the green flag was waved the yellow light would come on, as Jim Moon drifted over the track in turns one and two to bring out the caution. Another attempt of getting a lap in on the restart failed, as Donnie Cisco spun in turn 1 and collected Moon to bring out the caution. The following restart saw Frankel move out front on lap 1 over Kiefer and Mark Burgtorf. The battle up front was slowed for the third time on lap 3, as Vance Wilson spun down the front stretch to avoid Jerry Leirly, who got sideways off 4. On the restart Frankel jumped back out front, with Kiefer working to hold back Burgtorf for second. Just as Frankel started to enter lapped traffic, the final caution of the event would appear on lap 16. This time Alan Westling spun in turn 4 to bring out the caution. Frankel grabbed the lead on the restart, with Burgtorf edging out Kiefer at the line for second. But nothing was going to slow down Frankel on the night, as he went on to pick up his frist career Late Model feature at his hometown track. Kiefer came back to finish in 2nd, Moon recovered from his lap 1 spin to edge out Burgtorf at the line for 3rd, Burgtorf was 4th, with Justin Reed rounding out the top 5.

Rickey Frankel of Quincy, IL won the UMP Late Model feature on Sunday, April 28, 2013 at the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL.

Larry Powell Jr. and Brandon Lambert made up the front row for the 12 lap IMCA Sport Compact feature, with Powell Jr. grabbing the lead on lap 1. Powell Jr.'s run up front only lasted for 2 laps, as Skipp Dunker, who started 5th, quickly shot to the front to grab the top spot on lap 3. Dunker looked well on his to the win, until the one and only caution of the event came out on lap 9. Gary Stephenson would come to a stop in turn 2 to bring the yellow out. On the restart Dunker jumped back out front, but now had Austen Becerra, who started 7th, and Craig Bangert, who started 9th, close behind in second and third. As the three cars came out of turn four to take the white flag, Becerra was able to slip past Dunker to grab the lead. Becerra then held off Dunker over the final lap to pick up his first win of the season at the track. Dunker settled for 2nd, Bangert was 3rd, Kimberly Abbott came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Hayden Goodwin coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

Carthage, Illinois' Austen Becerra won the IMCA Sport Compact feature on Sunday, April 28, 2013 at the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL.

The final feture on the night was the 25 lap UMP Modifieds, with Steven DeLonjay and Chris Spaulding on the front row. DeLonjay would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Spaulding and Long. Just as DeLonjay started to put some distance on the battle for second, the first of two cautions would come out on lap 8. Dave Wietholder, who was running 9th, got sideways in turn 1 and collected the cars of Ryan Porter and Patrick Phillips to bring the yellow light on. On the restart Kelly Bartz got sideways in turn 1 and collected the cars of Wietholder, Robert Thompson and Porter to bring out the final caution of the event. DeLonjay moved out front on the restart, while Long overtook Spaulding for second. The two car break away of DeLonjay and Long would finish the final 17 laps without anyone gaining on the other, giving DeLonjay his second win of the season at the track. Long settled for 2nd, Shawn Deering was 3rd, Robbie Reed was 4th, with Jake Griffin coming from 11th to round out the top 5.

The UMP Modified feature at the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL was won by Steven DeLonjay of Quincy, IL on Sunday, April 28, 2013.

Notes from Quincy: 20 Late Models, 18 Modifieds, 13 SportMods, 12 Stock Cars, and 11 Sport Compacts made up the 74 cars signed into the pits on the night......Jim Powell recovered from his lap 1 spin in the Stock Car feature to come back to finish in 6th....Steve Carlin once again drove Kevin Tomlinson's #49 machine and was involved in the lap 1 crash. He would recover to come back up to finish in 7th....Timothy Anders finished 8th after being involved in the lap 1 and lap 11 cautions....Michael Larsen received a right rear flat after contact on the final restart of lap 11 to end his night in 11th......Brandon Dale recovered from the lap 15 caution to come back up to finish 7th in the SportMod feature....Jeff DeLonjay, who started 13th, spun on lap 11 to bring out the caution. He would recover to take home an 8th place finish......Robby Warner came from 14th in the Late Model feature to finish in 6th....Jason Perry started 10th and finished in 7th....Ron Elbe came from 17th to finish in 11th....Haley Porter, a rookie driver in the Sport Compacts, started 11th in the feature and finished 8th....Laine VanZandt was suppose to start on the pole, but troubles after the heat race forced him to scratch from the feature......Dave Wietholder, who had to pit on the lap 8 caution with a flat, restarted in 18th. He would work his way back to 9th by the end of the 25 lap Modified feature....Shane Lewis came from 15th to finish in 10th....Ryan Porter recovered from his lap 8 involvement in the caution to come back up to finish in 12th....Kelly Bartz also recovered from the lap 8 caution to come back up to 13th.

Chris Simpson's Misfortune Results in Chad Simpson Winning at 34 Raceway

West Burlington, IA (Saturday, April 20, 2013) - The crew at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, IA wouldn't let over 3 inches of rain on Wednesday and Thursday stop them from bringing the Corn Belt Clash, the Mid-American Racing Series (MARS), and the Sunoco American Late Model Series (ALMS) series to the track for the first time in history. All the hard worked paid off for them, as 44 Open Late Models from five states signed in on the night in hopes of claiming the $4,000 top prize.

After two 305 Sprint heats, five Late Models heats, three 4 Cylinder heats, a Late Model dash and two Late Model B-Mains, the feature fields were set to take to the track.

The 12 lap 4 Cylinder feature was up first, with Michael Grossman and Brent Hartley leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Hartley would edge out Grossman to grab the lead on lap 1 and then held it until lap 2, when Grossman slid by for the top spot. Just after the completion of lap 2 the red flag was displayed, as Corey Sheetz rolled in turn 2. Sheetz would climb from his machine ok. At the same time Hartley pulled into the pits with a right front flat. On the restart Grossman jumped back out front, with Dustin Ravelin and Austen Becerra battling for 2nd. Grossman's big lead would evaporate on lap 4, when Ron Kibbe slowed in turned 1 to bring out the caution. Grossman again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Ravelin working to hold back Eric Hood, who started 18th, for the battle for second. Grossman's bid lead was wiped away once again on lap 10, as Jerrod Nichols spun in turn 1 to bring out the caution. At the same time Hood couldn't get his machine slowed to avoid the spinning Nichols and got into the back of Ravelin's car, which caused him to spin off turn 4. On the restart Grossman moved back out front, with Steve Miedke, who started 12th, and Dayton Racer, who started 11th, now battling for second. Grossman would pull away over the final 2 laps to pick up the win. Miedke settled for 2nd, Racer crossed the line in 3rd but was docked 2 spots for jumping the restart, which moved John Whalen up to 3rd after starting 7th, Wayne Noble came from 9th to get credited with 4th, while Racer was moved back to 5th.

Michael Grossman of Keokuk, IA pulled away over the final two laps to claim the 12 lap 4 Cylinder feature at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, IA on Saturday, April 20, 2013.

Up next was the 20 lap 305 Sprint feature, with Andy Huston and rookie Damian Getchel drawing the front row for the event. Huston would take advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1. Just after the completion of lap 1 the red flag was waved, as rookie Heath Bundy rolled in turn 2. He would climb from his machine ok. On the restart Corey Timmerman, who was running 4th, spun in turn 2. While Dave Getchell clipped his rear and would have to go pit side with a left front flat. The next restart saw Damian Getchell, who was running 3rd, all but roll his machine in turn 1. Which resulted in him spinning in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. Huston grabbed the lead on the next restart, with defending track champion Donnie Steward battling John Schulz for 2nd. The action up front was slowed on lap 2, as leader Huston lost the right side headers to bring out the caution for debris down the front stretch. On the restart, Jason Ditsworth, who started 8th and worked his way to 3rd, did a complete 360 spin and kept going. But the track rule is if a Sprint driver spins the caution is waved and that driver is put to the rear for causing the caution. So Ditsworth had to restart in the back. Huston again jumped out front on the restart, with Steward pressuring him for the top spot. But just as the two waged a battle for the lead, a red flag was waved on lap 13. Justin Newberry got upside down in turn 2, but climbed from his car ok. The final restart saw Huston grab the lead, with Steward again putting pressure on him for the lead. Huston worked the bottom of the track, while Steward was working the middle grove in turns one and two. Steward's groved paid off for him on lap 18, as he over took Huston for the lead. Steward then held on for the final two laps to claim the win. Huston settled for 2nd, Ditsworth recovered from his lap 2 spin to come back to 3rd, Shultz was 4th, with Ryan Jamison coming from 11th to finish in 5th.

Defending 305 Sprint Track Champion Donnie Steward of Burlington, IA won the season points opener for the 305 Sprints on Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, IA.

The final feature of the night was the 40 lap Late Models, with Terry Phillips and Kevin Weaver leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Just as the green flag was waved the yellow light would come on for a bad start. The following restart saw Weaver jump out front, with Phillips holding back Jay Johnson in the battle for 2nd. The action up front was slowed on lap 2, as Jake Meier spun in turn 4 to bring out the caution. Weaver moved back out front on the restart, with Phillips and Chris Simpson going at it for 2nd. Weaver started to pull away from the battle for 2nd, when he entered lapped traffic on lap 10. Then on lap 11 Weaver drifted high in turn 3 to allow Phillips to shoot under him for the lead, with Chris Simpson following him into 2nd. The action up front was slowed on lap 14, as Mark Burgtorf, who was battling for 6th, slowed to a stop in turn 4 to bring out the caution. Chris Simpson jumped back out front on the restart, with Phillips working to hold back Jesse Stovall, Weaver and Chad Simpson, who started 15th. But the action up front was slowed again on lap 17, as 10th place runner Scott Schmitt spun in turn 4 to bring out the final caution of the event. On the restart Chris Simpson jumped back out front, with Phillips now working to hold back Chad Simpson. Chad Simpson would over take Phillips for 2nd on lap 19 and then set his sights on brother Chris, who had already built up a straight away lead. While Chad tried to chase down Chris for the lead, Tyler Reddick, who got a provisional and started 26th, was putting on a show for the fans. The "California Kid" charged his way to 9th by lap 20, then with 10 laps to go he had worked his way into 6th. Chris Simpson looked like the man to beat on this night, until a broken axle with two laps to go sent him into the infield. Chad Simpson would inherit the lead on lap 38 and then went on to claim the win and the $4,000 top prize. Stovall would finish in 2nd, Brian Shirley came from 10th to finish in 3rd, Reddick crossed the line in 4th, with Phillips holding on for 5th.

Mount Vernon, Iowa's Chad Simpson rallied from is 15th place starting spot to take advantage of his brother Chris Simpson's broken axle on lap 38 to claim the 40 lap Late Model feature on Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, IA.

"The California Kid" Tyler Reddick started the 40 lap Late Model feature in 26th and then went on to pass 22 cars to bring home a 4th place finish.

Notes from 34: 44 Late Models, 30 4 Cylinders and 16 305 Sprints made up the 90 cars signed in on the night.....The Corn Belt Clash/MARS/ALMS Late Models drew a starting spot for one of the 5 Late Model heats, with passing points used to determine the top 16 locked into the feature....Heat race 1 saw Jason Perry grab the lead from his pole position and then held off Ryan Unzicker to pick up the win. Jesse Stovall came from 9th to finish 3rd, while Brian Harris came from 6th to 4th....Heat race 2 had Chris Simpson jump from his 2nd place starting spot into the lead on lap 1 and pull away for an easy win. Scott Schmitt held on for 2nd, Ray Guss Jr was 3rd, with Richie Bell coming from 6th to 4th....Brandon Sheppard starting on the pole for heat 3, but saw 6th place starter Kevin Weaver jump to the top of the track to grab the early lead. Sheppard put the pressure on Weaver late to grab the win. Weaver settled for 2nd, while Jay Johnson came from 8th to finish in 3rd, and Mark Dotson holding on for 4th....Heat race 4 saw third place starter Terry Phillips over take Steve Lance Jr. for the lead early. Phillips then pulled away to claim the win. Lance Jr. settled for 2nd, Mark Burgtorf came from 8th to slip past Brandon Thirlby on the final lap to claim 3rd....Tony Jackson Jr. took advantage of his pole start in heat 5 to lead early. Jackson Jr. then held off a last lap pass by Brian Shirley going into turn three to claim the win. Denny Eckrich held off 8th place starter Chad Simpson to finish in 3rd....Brian Harris and Justin Kay would finish 1st and 2nd, the two transfer spots, in B Main 1 to move on to the feature....While Mark Dotson and Richie Bell finished 1 and 2 in B Main number 2 to take the final two transfer spots into the feature....Dustin Walker, Billy Drake, Jake Meier, Dave Eckrich, Justin Asplin, Tyler Reddick and Denny Woodworth made up the provisional starters for the 27 car field....Ray Guss Jr., Andy Eckrich, Rickey Frankel, Justin Mitchell, Rick Wendling, Skip Frey, Michael Long were just some of the names watching the feature from the trailer......Rachael Reger came from 17th in the 4 Cylinder feature to finish in 7th....Bryerson Tharp passed 14 cars from 22nd starting spot to finish in 8th....Jacob Brown started 27th and passed 18 cars to come home in 9th....Jerrod Nichols recovered from his lap 10 spin to come back to finish 10th....Brandon Setser came from 21st to finish in 11th....Scott Smith started 24th and finsihed in 12th....Brent Terry came home 13th after starting in 20th....Brendan Mehaffy came from 23rd to finish in 17th....Eric Stogdell started 29th and finished in 18th....Kevin Mortimer came from 26th to finish in 20th....Travis Smith started 30th, last, and passed 9 cars to finish in 21st....Kyle Hamelton was a scratch from the feature......Andy Baugh made the pull from Mason City, IL to race his 305 Sprint. He would start 7th in the feature and took home a 6th place finish....Daniel Bergquist came from 10th to finish in 7th....Shane Quam came from 13th to finish in 9th....Chase Wanner and Jeff Wilke had troubles in hot laps to force them to scratch for the night......Billy Darke, who took a provisional, started the Late Model feature in 22nd and passed 14 cars to finish in 8th....Justin Kay came from 19th to finish in 9th....Richie Bell started 20th and took home a 10th place finish....Jake Meier, who started 23rd, spun in turn 4 on lap 2 to bring out the caution. He would recover from that to finish in 13th....Denny Woodworth started 27th and passed 12 cars to come home in 15th....Dave Eckrich came from 24th to finish in 16th....Mechanical troubles forced Brandon Sheppard, who was running 4th after starting in 8th, into the infield on the restart of lap 2 to give him a 27th place finish......These same drivers and series' move to the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL on Sunday, April 21st.

Lierly Claims First Career Late Model Feature at Quincy Raceways Opener

Quincy, IL (Sunday, April 14, 2013) - Sunday afternoon and evening turned out to be a prefect night for the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL to kick off there 2013 season. Despite a brief shower and some lighting in the area before the start of the first feature, they were able to get all of the nights action complete before the storm hit. At the end of the night Jerry Lierly (UMP Late Models), Steven DeLonjay (UMP Modifieds), Terry Houston (IMCA Stock Cars), Tony Dunker (IMCA SportMods), and Craig Bangert (IMCA Sport Comacts) parked there machines in victory lane.

The first feature up on the night was the 15 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Michael Larsen and Jake Powers, a rookie in the Stock Car class who is the defending track champion in the Hobby Stock class, drawing the front row for the event. Powers would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Jerry Jansen and Steve Carlin, another Hobby Stock driver who tried his luck in a Stock Car driving Kevin Tomlinson's #49T machine. The one and only caution of the event appeared on the completion of lap 1, as Larsen spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Powers moved back out front, with Jansen working to hold back Abe Huls, who started 6th, and Terry Houston, who started 7th. Huls would work the bottom to grab the top spot away from Powers on lap 5, leaving Powers to battle to hold back Houston for second. The battle for the top spot heated up as Huls and Houston came out of turen 4 for the white flag, with Houston slipping under Huls to edge him out at the line for the lead. Huls wasn't about to give up though, as he tried the same move on Houston coming out of turn 4 for the checkered. But Houston was able to edge out Huls at the line to pick up the win. Huls settled for 2nd, Powers came home in 3rd, Jansen was 4th, with Darin Lambert rounding out the top 5.

Terry Houston of Mt. Sterling, IL won the IMCA Stock Car feature on Sunday, April 14, 2013 at the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with Michael Joe Bliven and Nathan Anders drawing the front row for the event. Bliven's jumped out into the lead on the drop of the green, with Anders working to hold back Tony Dunker, who started 6th, for second. Bliven's would hold the top spot until the first caution of the event slowed the action on lap 3. Bucky Gallaher, a rookie SportMod driver who moved up from the Sport Compacts, spun in turn 3 on lap 3 to bring out the yellow. Just as the green flag was dropped for the restart, the yellow light would come back on for a bad start. On the following restart Jeff DeLonjay, another rookie SportMod driver who moved up from the Hobby Stock class, got into the back of Bobby Anders going into turn 1. Bobby would end up going for a spin and collected the cars of Charles VanZandt and Gallaher to bring the caution back out. Another caution appeared on the next restart, as Tanner Klingele had a broken left front and ended up going off of turn 3 to bring the red light on. As he also had heavy smoke and a small fire coiming out of the left side of the engine. He climbed from his car ok, but done for the night. The following restart saw Bliven's moved back out front, only to be slowed 1 lap later as Jon Lear spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Bob Woodrow went for a spin in turn 4 and collected the car of Lear, to bring the yellow light back on. Dunker slid under Bliven's on the restart to take over the top spot on lap 6, while Bobby Anders went to work on Bliven's for second. The action up front was slowed for the final time on the completion of lap 6, as VanZandt spun in turn 2 and collected Gallaher to bring out the caution. Dunker would jump back out front on the restart, with Bobby Anders pressuring him for the top spot. But Dunker would hold on over the final 9 laps to pick up the win. Bobby Anders settled for 2nd, Bliven's was 3rd, Nathan Anders was 4th, with VanZandt recovering from his lap 6 caution to finish in 5th.

Defending IMCA SportMod track champion, Tony Dunker of Quincy, IL won the 15 lap feature at the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL on Sunday, April 14, 2013.

Jerry Lierly and Brian Harris led the field to the green in the 30 lap UMP Late Model feature. The only two cautions of the event would appear before a lap was complete, as rookie Late Model driver Shawn Powell spun off turn 2 on both restarts to end his night with two solo spins. On the follow restart Harris grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Jason Perry and Lierly. Harris would then work the bottom of the speedway, with Lierly putting pressure on him over the next 25 laps. Then as the two entered lapped traffic by lap 27, Lierly would decide to try his luck at the top of the track. The moved paid off for Lierly, as Harris was held up long enough for Lierly to grab the top spot coming to the white flag. Lierly then held on for the final lap to claim his first career Late Model feature. Harris settled for 2nd, Perry was 3rd, Denny Woodworth was 4th, with Clint Kirkham coming home in 5th.

The 30 lap UMP Late Model feature on Sunday, April 14, 2013 at the Quincy Racewyas in Quincy, IL was won by Camp Point, Illinois' Jerry Lierly. For Lierly it was his first career Late Model feature win.

Jerrl Lierly (7L) and Brian Harris (15R) battled side-by-side in the UMP Late Model dash early in the evening. These same two drives battled for the lead in the 30 lap feature, with Lierly pulling off his first career Late Model win.

Michael Long and Dave Wietholder made up the front row for the 25 lap UMP Modified feature, with Long jumping out front on the drop of the green. The first caution of the race would appear on the completion of lap 1, as Ethan Schnapp spun in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Robert Thompson got into the back of Frankie Wellman going into turn 1, with Wellman going for a spin to bring out the yellow. The following restart saw Long jump back out front, with Wietholder and Steven DeLonjay battling for second. Long's run up front ended on lap 3, as he pulled off on the back stretch with troubles. Wietholder would inherit the lead and then held off DeLonjay until the next caution came out on lap 6. This time Ryan Porter spun in turn 2 and collected Danny Lake to bring out the yellow. On the restart Wietholder moved back out front, with DeLonjay working to hold back Kenny Wallace for second. The action up front was slowed on lap 9, as Shane Lewis spun his machine in turn 2 to bring out the caution. Wietholder once again grabbed the lead on the restart, but now had Robbie Reed, who started 7th, battling him for the top spot. Reed used the top of the track to edge out Wietholder for the lead on lap 11, only to have Wietholder come back on the bottom to lead lap 12. But just as the action up front was heating up, another caution on the completion of lap 12 would slow it down. This time Jake Griffin, who was running 5th, spun in turn 2 and collected the cars of Wellman, Lewis, Porter and Terry Gallaher to bring out the yellow. The final restart saw Wietholder out front, with DeLonjay over taking Reed for second. DeLonjay slid under Wietholder on lap 16 to take over the top spot and then went on to lead the final 9 laps to claim the win. Wietholder held on for 2nd, Reed was 3rd, Wallace was 4th, with Shawn Deering rounding out the top 5.

Steven DeLonjay of Quincy, IL, the defending UMP Modified track champion, picked up the 25 lap feature on Sunday, April 14, 2013 at Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL.

NASCAR SPEED comentator Kenny Wallace, who had a Sunday off, made an appearance at the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL on Sunday, April 14, 2013 to race his UMP Modified.

The final feature of the night was the 12 lap IMCA Sport Compacts, with Robert Thompson Jr. and Brandon Lambert drawing the front row for the event. But just as the caution came out the yellow light would appear for a no start. On the following restart Thompson Jr. jumped out into the lead, with Lambert and Austen Becerra battling for second. But the action up front was slowed on lap 2, as Seith Woodruff lost a right rear tire in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Thompson Jr. would edge out Becerra on the restart and then worked to hold him back. But Becerra would slip under him on lap 4 to take over the top spot. The two would battle for the lead until the caution came out on lap 8, as Mike Hornung Jr. stopped in turn 1 with troubles. On the restart Becerra held off Thompson Jr. and Craig Bangert, who started 7th, to grab the lead. But Thompson Jr. would slip under Becerra on lap 10 to grab the lead by inches. The three car battle up front would come to a halt in turn 4, as the three made contact, with Becerra and Thompson Jr. spinning off turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Bangert would inherit the lead for the green-white-checkered finish and then held off Kimberly Abbott to pick up the win. Abbott came from 5th to finish in 2nd, Becerra recovered from thr lap 10 spin to finish in 3rd, Brodie Dunker came home in 5th, with Bryce Baker coming from 12th to finish in 5th.

Golden, Illinois' Craig Bangert picked up the 12 lap IMCA Sport Compact feature at Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL on Sunday, April 14, 2013.

Notes from Quincy: Timothy Anders, Ben Huff, who drove a UMP Modified for a few years, and Hobby Stock driver Jim Powell made the move into the Stock Car class for 2013....Huff ended the night with a 7th place finish, while Anders was 9th, with Powell coming home in 10th......Nathan Anders and Jeff DeLonjay both moved up from the Hobby Stock class to the SportMods, with Bucky Gallaher coming from the Sport Compact class. Anders faired the best out of those three drivers, with a 4th place finish. Gallaher came home in 6th, with DeLonjay credited with 9th......Jared Schlipman followed in his fathers, Terry's, footsteps by moving into the Late Model ranks in 2013 after several years behind the wheels of a Modified. Jared would start the feature in 15th and brought home a 12th place finish......Jake Griffin recovered from his lap 12 spin in the Modified feature to come back up to finish in 7th....Terry Gallaher, a long time native in the Late Model ranks, decided to try his luck in a Modified for 2013. Terry would elect to start on the tail of the feature and after being collected up in a crash on lap 12, he would recover to finish in 8th....Shane Lewis, who started 14th, recovered from his lap 9 spin and the lap 12 crash to finish in 9th....Ryan Porter recovered from his lap 6 spin and the lap 12 crash to take home a 10th place finish......Haley Porter took the green flag in the Sport Compact feature in 13th, but crossed the finish line with a 6th place finish....Robert Thompson Jr. was disqualified on the night after showing his reaction to the lap 10 crash, while battling for the lead. He would drive his car into the side of Becerra's and then drove thru the infield and pits at a high rate of speed.

Cook, VanDenBerg and Moore Open Points Races With Wins at Lee County

Donnellson, IA (Friday, April 5, 2013) - The 2013 season points openers for the Donnellson Tire IMCA Stock Cars, Shottenkirk Parts Express IMCA SportMods and Sunline Auto Parts IMCA Sport Compacts took place on Friday, April 5th at the Lee County Speedway during Precision Equipment Night. Also in action on the night was the Brockway Mechanical & Roofing Sprint Invaders and STARS Mod Lite Series.

The first feature on the night was the 15 lap STARS Mod Lite Series, with Chase Flatt and Justin Buchholz drawing the front row for the event. Flatt would take advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Josh May and Buchholz. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 6, when Gary Snyder spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Flatt moved back out front, with May close behind in second. May jumped to the top of the track to edge out Flatt at the line on lap 11 to take over the top spot. Just as May started to pull away from the battle for second, another caution would appear on lap 13. This time Jimmy Halcomb, who was running 8th, spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Brian Schnell would spin in turn 1 on the restart to bring the yellow light back on. The next restart had May jump back out front, with Flatt working to hold back Greg Rossell, who started 8th. May would hold on for the final 2 laps to claim the win and the $300 top prize. Flatt won the battle for 2nd, Rossell was 3rd, Andy Hennigar came from 18th to finish in 4th, with Buchholz rounding out the top 5.

The STARS Mod Lite feature winner on Friday, April 5, 2013 at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA was Josh May of DeSoto, IA. Photo courtesy of D&M Racing Photography.

Up next was the 12 lap Sunline Auto Parts IMCA Sport Compacts feature, with Matt Moore and Brandon Reu leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Just as the green was waved, the caution would appear for a bad start. On the restart Moore would jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Reu and Kimberly Abbott. Moore then started to pull away from the field, as Josh Barnes, who started sixth, worked his way into second on lap 5. Barnes then went to work on cutting into Moore's lead. But Moore was able to hold him off to pick up his first career feature win. Barnes settle for 2nd, Michael Grossman came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Seth Woodruff started 9th and finished in 4th, with Abbott coming home in 5th.

The Sunline Auto Parts IMCA Sport Compact feature on Friday, April 5, 2013 at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA was claimed by Matt Moore of Ottumwa, IA. The win was Matt's first career feature win. Photo courtesy of D&M Racing Photography.

Chris Larson and Eric Flander drew the front row for the 16 lap Shottenkirk Parts Express IMCA SportMod feature, with Larson grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Flander and Brett Lowry. Larson then started to pull away from the field, as Lowry worked to hold back Carter VanDenBerg in the battle for second. Larson's big lead was erased on lap 9, as Bradley Holtmeyer lost the drive shaft down the front stretch to bring out the caution. On the restart Larson moved back out front, with VanDenBerg now following him in second. Larson, who was running the bottom, and VanDenBerg, who was up top, crossed the line side-by-side on lap 11. VanDenBerg would take over the top spot on lap 12, while Larson had to defend second over Lowry. The final caution of the race appeared on lap 13, when Justin Alderson spun in turn 3. On the restart VanDenBerg jumped back out front, with Larson, Bobby Anders who started 7th, and Lowry racing three wide for second. VanDenBerg went unchallenged over the final 3 laps to pick up his first win of 2013 at the speedway. Larson won the battle for 2nd, Anders was 3rd, Lowry was 4th, with Derek St. Clair coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

Oskaloosa, Iowa's Carter VanDenBerg won the Shottenkirk Parts Express IMCA SportMod feature on Friday, April 5, 2013 at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA. Photo courtesy of D&M Racing Photography.

The final feature on the night was the 15 lap Donnellson Tire IMCA Stock Car feature, with Jim Lynch and Jason Cook leading the field to the green. Cook would grab the lead on lap 1 over Lynch and Abe Huls. While Cook continued to lead the field, David Brandies, who started 8th, was working his way towards the front. Brandies slipped past John Oliver Jr. for second on lap 13 and then tried to chase down Cook, who had built up a straight away lead. But Cook would hold on in a caution free event to claim the win. Brandies settled for 2nd, Oliver Jr. was 3rd, Abe Huls was 4th, with Lynch coming home in 5th.

Jason Cook of Mt. Pleasant, IA was joined in victory lane by his family and crew after winning the Donnellson Tire IMCA Stock Car feature on Friday, April 5th at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA. Photo courtesy of D&M Racing Photography.

Notes from LCS:

Nienhiser Collects Career First Sprint Invaders Win at 34 Raceway

Burlington, IA (Saturday, March 30th, 2013) - Despite the cool temperatures and the light mist in the air, 34 Raceway in Burlington, IA was able to get their 2013 Season Opener Frostbuster event in. The Sprint Invaders would also open there 2013 season on the night, with 16 year old Paul Nienhiser collecting his career first Sprint Invaders win.

The night started off with the 15 lap Mod Lite feature, with Greg Rossell and Daniel Keltner drawing the front row for the event. Rossell would take advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Chase Flatt, who started 6th, and Randy Bryan, who started 4th. The event was only slowed one time, as 14 year old Devon Rouse rolled his machine in turn 3 on lap 5 to bring out the red. He was ok, but done for the night. On the restart Rossell again shot out into the lead, with Flatt and Keltner battling for second. Rossell would hold off a late charge from Flatt to pick up the win. Flatt settled for 2nd, Keltner was 3rd, Bryan was 4th, with Josh May rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Jason Cook and Ray Raker on the front row. Just as the green flag was waved the caution light would come on, as Shane Richardson spun in turn 4. Under the caution, pole sitter Cook would go to the pits to have his right front looked at. This would move third place starter Jim Lynch to the pole for the restart. Raker moved out front on the restart, with Chris Wibbell and Lynch battling for the second spot. The lead that Raker built up over the second place battle was erased on lap 10, as debris in turn 4 brought out the yellow. On the restart Raker jumped back out front, with Wibbell now trying to hold back John Oliver Jr., who started 8th. Another caution on lap 14 for debris in turn 4 would slow the action up front. Wibbell slipped past Raker on the restart, as Raker slowed with troubles, to take over the top spot. But Wibbell couldn't hold off Tom Bowling Jr., who started 9th, as Bowling Jr. slid past to grab the lead on lap 16. Oliver Jr. would find the top of the track to his liking, as he came off of turn 4 to take the white flag and grabbed the lead at the same time. But Bowling Jr. and Oliver Jr. would get together going into turn 1, which allowed Abe Huls, who started 7th, to shoot under them for the top spot. Huls then held off Wibbell off of turn 4 to claim the win. Wibbell was 2nd, Oliver Jr. recovered to finish in 3rd, Bowling Jr. crossed the line in 4th but was disqualified in tech, which moved rookie Stock Car driver Chad Krogmeier, who came from the Hobby Stock class, up to 4th, with Raker credited with 5th.

Brandon Rothzen and Richie Gustin led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Gustin grabbing the lead on lap 1. The first caution of the event would come out on lap 6, as Mitch Morris slowed to a stop in turn 2 with right front troubles. On the restart Gustin moved back out front, but now had Mike Van Genderen, who started 6th, battling Rothzen for second. Dugan Thye, who jumped from the Hobby Stock class to take over the drivers seat of his dads, Darin, Modified, spun in turn 2 on lap 7 to bring the yellow back on. Gustin again jumped out front on the restart, with Van Genderen and Rothzen still battling for second. Gustin was slowed for the third time on lap 14, as debris in turn 2 brought out the caution. Once again Gustin grabbed the lead on the restart, with Van Genderen, Rothzen and Kyle Brown, who started 12th, battling for the second spot. Brown's run to the front ended on lap 18, as he slowed to a stop under the flagstand to bring out the final caution of the event. Gustin moved out front on the restart and then held on over the final 2 laps to claim the $1,000 top prize. Rothzen was 2nd, Jeff Waterman came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Dustan Fenton was 4th, with Andy Krieger coming from 14th to take home a 5th place finish.

The final feature of the night was the 25 lap Sprint feature, with Bret Tripplett and Jon Agan on the front row. But it was third place starter Paul Nienhiser who jumped into the lead on lap 1 over Agan and Tripplett. The one and only red flag of the event would appear on lap 2, as Tripplett clipped a tire on the inside of the track in turn 3. Which caused him to shoot out into Agan, causing the two to flip in turn 4. At the same time Dave Getchell spun to avoid the wreck and ended up on his side. Everybody climbed from there machines ok, but dsone for the night. On the restart Nienhiser moved back out front, with Scotty Thiel, who started 5th, following in second. Nienhiser would enter heavy lapped traffic by lap 10, but wasn't slowed as he pulled out to a straight-away lead over second. Nienhiser would hold on for the entire 25 laps to pick up his first Sprint Invaders win. Thiel came home in 2nd, Josh Schneiderman was 3rd, Russ Hall came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Alan Ambers rounding out the top 5.

Notes from 34: 30 Sprint Cars, 19 Mod Lites, 15 Modifieds and 13 Stock Cars made up the 77 cars signed in on the night....Ryan Jamison, who won the Sprint B Main, started the feature in 17th. He would pass 11 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Tony Shilling came from 16th to finish in 8th....Matt Krieger put on a show for the fans from lap 10 until lap 24, as he worked the top of the track to work his way into second. But then jumped the cushion in turn 4 and spun into the wall on the final lap to get credited for 9th....Mike Houseman Jr. took the final transfer spot in the B Main and started the feature in 20th. He would pass 10 cars to come home in 10th....Daniel Bergquist came from 18th to finish in 12th......JD Beal drove the second car out of the Rothzen camp and started the Modified feature in 13th. He would pass 6 cars to take home a 7th place finish....Dugan Thye was suppose to start in 11th, but elected to go to the tail for the start. He would spin in turn 2 on lap 7 to bring out the caution, but recovered to finish in 8th....Mike Van Genderen was running 2nd on the final restart, when a broke a rear flange and limped it back to finish 9th....Scott Hogan was running 4th on the restart of lap 7, when he was pushed from behind and drifted off the track in turn 2. He would sit there for 2 laps waiting for the flagman to throw the yellow, which didn't happen. So he slowly worked his way back to the pits to get credited for 13th......Jason Cook, who started on the pole of the Stock Car feature but pitted on the first caution, came back out only to pull off on lap 14 with more troubles to get credited with 6th....Jake Wenig was running 4th when he pulled off on lap 12 with troubles to get credited for 7th....For the second night in a row, Jim Lynch had troubles on the restart of lap 10 while running 3rd. He would pull in and was credited with 8th......Evan Epperson came from 10th in the Mod Lite feature to finish in 6th....Dusty Masolini came from 14th to finish in 9th....Danny Foster started 17th and took home an 11th place finish....Brian Schnell, Gary Snyder, Mike Stoker, Jimmy Halcomb and Justin Buchholz all had troubles in there heats to force them to scratch from the feature.

Hogan, Murty, Luellen, Coffman and Dunker Collect at Lee County Speedway Opener

Donnellson, IA (Friday, March 29, 2013) - Despite mother nature dumping several inches of snow on the facilities last Sunday at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA, the scheduled season opener went off as planned. The track promoter Mike Van Genderen and owner Dave Sapp worked all day Monday to remove the snow from the track and pits, and then waited until Thursday and Friday to work it back in. There hard work would pay off, as the Mohrfeld Electric Spring Extravaganza was put into the books.

The first feature of the night was the 16 lap Shottenkirk Parts Express IMCA SportMods, with Jim Gillenwater and Derek St. Clair drawing the front row for the event. Gillenwater took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1, with Clint Luellen and St. Clair close behind. But Gillenwater would only lead lap 1, as Luellen slipped by on the top side of lap 2 to take over the top spot. The first caution of the event appeared on the completion of lap 2, as Brandon Brinton spun into the wall in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Bobby Anders slowed to a stop in turn 3 to bring the yellow light back on. Luellen jumped back out front on the next restart, with Gillenwater working to hold back St. Clair for second. The four car battle up front was slowed for the third time on lap 7, as Brayton Carter and Victor Hastings collided in turn 1 to bring out the caution. On the restart Luellen moved back out front, but now had defending track champion Tony Dunker, who started 6th, battling him for the lead. While Luellen worked to hold back Dunker, Gillenwater was battling Carter VanDenBerg, who started 8th, for the third spot. Gillenwater's run up front came to a stop on lap 10, as he got into the wall in turn 2 to bring out the caution. Luellen once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Dunker now in a battle with VanDenBerg for second. VanDenBerg would clear Dunker for second on lap 14 and then went to work on Luellen for the top spot. The two drivers took the white flag with Luellen running up top and VanDenBerg on the bottom. VanDenBerg made a last corner charge on the bottom to come to the checkered, but wasn't able to get past Luellen who held on by half a car length to claim the $500 top prize. VanDenBerg was 2nd, Dunker was a close 3rd, Brett Lowry came from 12th to finish in 4th, with Brad Iverson coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 18 lap Donnellson Tire IMCA Stock Car feature, with Jim Lynch and Damon Murty leading the field to the drop of the green. But just as the green was dropped the yellow light would come on, as Michael Bilyer spun in turn 1 to bring out the caution. On the restart Lynch would slow with troubles causing Nathan Wood to jump over Jeremy Pundt's right rear and sending Wood into the guardrail in turn 1 to bring the yellow light back on. This would move Todd Reitzler from 5th to the pole for the restart, but it was Murty who jumped out into the lead on lap 1. Murty then had to work to hold back Jason Cook over the next 18 laps, as the two pulled away from the rest of the field. Murty was able to hold back several attempts by Cook to claim the win and the $500 top prize. Cook crossed the line in 2nd but lost an engine, Reitzler was 3rd, John Oliver Jr. came from the rear after electing to start at the tail to finish in 4th, with Chris Wibbell rounding out the top 5 after starting in 12th.

JD Beal and Scott Hogan drew the front row for the scheduled 20 lap Budweiser IMCA Modified feature, that was cut to 15 laps. Hogan took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Jacob Murray, who started 5th, and Tyler Cale, who started 7th. The first caution of the event appeared on the completion of lap 1,as Bill Roberts spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Hogan moved back out front, with Cale close behind in second. Hogan worked to hold back Cale, until the next caution of the race appeared on lap 5 for debris in turn 2. Hogan again jumped back out front on the restart, with Cale close behind in second. Cale's run up front came to a halt on lap 7, as he got into the guardrail in turn 1 to bring out the caution. On the restart Hogan moved back out front, with Murray working to hold back Jeff Waterman, who started 12th, for second. Waterman drifted high in turn 1 and got sideways, which caused Mitch Morris, who was running 5th, to get into the guardrail in turn 1 to bring out the yellow on lap 9. Hogan once again grabbed the lead on the restart and then pulled away over the final 6 laps to claim the win and the $1,000 top prize. Murray held on for 2nd, Brandon Rothzen came from 13th to finish in 3rd, Waterman was 4th, with Steve Stewart coming from 11th to take home 5th.

Up next was the 12 lap Coor's Light IMCA Hobby Stock feature, that was cut from its scheduled 15 laps. Erick Knutsen and Garrett Eilander would lead the field to the green, with Knutsen grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Scott Shull and Eilander. While Knutsen continued to hold the top spot, Shull, Eilander, Shannon Anderson and Dustin Griffiths, who started 12th, battled two and even three wide for second. Eilander would work the bottom of the track to get past Knutsen on lap 6 to take over the top spot. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 10, when Danny Miller spun to a stop in turn 2 to bring out the caution. This would set up a green-white-checkered sprint to the finish. On the restart Griffiths jumped to the top of the track, with Anderson in the middle and Eilander on the bottom coming out of turn two. Anderson would break an axle going into turn 3 and got into Griffiths, who spun to a stop in turn 4 to bring the yellow back on. The following restart saw Knutsen jump to the top of the track, with Shull down low to over take Eilander for the lead coming out of turn two. Shull would charge into turn three to hot and got into the back of Knutsen, causing himself to spin into the wall in turn four to bring out another caution. On the final restart Andy Coffman came from 5th on the bottom of the speedway to charge into the lead coming to the white flag. Coffman then held off Eilander to claim his first win at the speedway and the $300 top prize. Eilander was 2nd, Knutsen was 3rd, Jason See came from 9th to finish in 4th, with Tim Pettibone coming from 13th to finish in 5th.

The final feature of the night was the 10 lap, cut from the scheduled 12 laps, Sunline Auto Parts IMCA Sport Compacts feature. Chuck Fullenkamp and Seith Woodruff led the field to the green flag, with Woodruff edging out Fullenkamp to lead lap 1. Fullenkamp would work the bottom of the track to work his way past Woodruff into the lead on lap 5. Fullenkamp then had to battle to hold back Austin Becerra, until Patrick Dunker, who started 10th moved up to challenge them two for the top spot. Going into turn 3 on the final lap Fullenkamp would choose the bottom, while Dunker took the top side of the track. Dunker would use his momentum up top to edge Fullenkamp at the line by inches for his first career feature win and the $200 top prize. Fullenkamp was 2nd, Becerra was 3rd, Craig Bangert was 4th, with Brandon Lambert coming home in 5th.

Notes from LCS: 22 SportMods, 21 Modifieds, 17 Hobby Stocks, 17 Sport Compacts and 14 Stock Cars made up the 91 cars signed in on opening night......Bill Roberts came from 20th in the Modified feature to claim a 6th place finish....Kyle Brown passed 10 cars from his 18th place starting spot to finish in 8th....Scott Boles started 17th and took home a 9th place finish....Hunter Marriott finished 10th after starting in the 15th spot....Jeff Mueller made his debut in the Modified class and started 21st in the feature and then took home a 17th place finish....Thad Wilson, AJ Fike and Tyler Groenendyk all had troubles in hot laps or in there heats and were forced to scratch from the feature......Terry Houston started the Stock Car feature in 14th and passed 7 cars to finish in 7th....Jake Wenig made the move up from the Hobby Stock class to the Stock Cars for 2013 and would start 10th in the feature. He would work his way up to battle for 6th, before troubles forced him out to finish 8th....Abe Huls started 9th and had worked his way up to battle for the 4th spot, before troubles forced him out to finish in 11th......Rob Wilsey took over the #1 SportMod ride owned by Dave Sapp for 2013 and would start the feature in 17th. He then passed 10 cars to take home a 7th place finish....Victor Hastings moved up from the Hobby Stock class to the SportMods for 2013, and started the feature in 14th. He would pass 5 cars to take home a 9th place finish in his first time out....Tom Rawlins started 18th and passed 5 cars to claim a 13th place finish....Charles VanZandt came from 21st to claim a 14th place finish....Mike Hornung Jr., Nathan Anders and Chris Larson all had troubles in hot laps or there heat races to force them to scratch from the feature......Gina Gruebel made the pull from Lacona, IA pay off, by coming from 11th in the Hobby Stock feature to finish in 6th....Nathan Ballard was suppose to start the feature in 4th, but was a scratch....Austin Luellen also scratched from the feature, after scheduled to start in the 7th spot....Jamie Songer was a scratch from the feature, after allowing Shannon Anderson to borrow his car to race for the night. Anderson had troubles in hot laps and was forced to borrow Songer's car for the night....Dale Porter, who is driving a second car out of the Dustin Griffiths camp, was also a scratch from the feature after troubles in hot laps......Mike Miller started the Sport Compact feature in 15th and passed 7 cars to finish in 8th....Bradley Stevenson came from 14th to take home home a 10th place finish.