Donnellson, IA (Saturday, October 25, 2014) - What a great way to put an end to the 2014 racing season in the state of Iowa, with the annual "Shiverfest" event at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA. Not only did mother nature co-operate, with temps hoovering around the low 70's by race time. But the drivers turned out to support this event, with 172 cars signed in on the night from 5 states.
After 20 heat races, and 8 B-Mains, the twenty-four car fields were set in the Modified, Stock Car, SportMod, Hobby Stock, and Sport Compact divisions.
The first feature to take to the track was the 22 lap SportMod, with Brayton Carter and Joey Gower drawing the front row for the event. Gower would take advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Carter and Austin Howes, who started 5th. While Gower set a fast pace out front, Richie Gustin, who started 13th in the Shawn Ritter #7SR machine, and Jenae Gustin, who started 11th, were making their way towards the front. Richie Gustin would take over the runner up spot on lap 6, while Jenae slipped into 4th. But by that time Gower had built up a straight-away lead, even while battling lapped traffic. It looked like there was no hope in catching Gower, that was until the first caution of the race appeared on lap 17. A tire was clipped and thrown onto the racing surface in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Gower moved back out front, leaving Jenae and Richie Gustin to battle each other side-by-side for the runner up spot. But the action up front was slowed for the second and final time on lap 18, when Sean Wyett spun in turn 4 and collected Logan Anderson to bring out the yellow. Gower once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Jenae and Richie Gustin close behind. Coming to the white flag Jenae Gustin, who was using the top in turns 1 and 2 and the middle of turns 3 and 4, was able to get up beside Gower going into turn 3. But Gower, who was glued to the bottom, was able to hold her off at the line to pick up the win. Jenae Gustin settled for 2nd, Richie Gustin was 3rd, Brett Lowry was 4th, with Howes coming home in 5th.
Up next was the 16 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Brett Vanous and Dustin Griffiths drawing the front row for the event. Just as the green flag was waved the caution light would come on, as Quinton Miller and Bobby Greene slowed to a stop down the backstretch to bring out the yellow. On the restart Waylan Raines spun in turn 2 to bring the caution light back on. A third attempt of a start saw Griffiths jump out front to lead lap 1 over Vanous and Travis Bunnell. One lap in the books produced another caution, as Sierra Wilsey spun in turn 4 on lap 2 to bring out the yellow. Griffiths once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Jacob Keiser, who started 7th, moving into the runner up spot. Another lap completed, lap 3, only meant another caution, as Gina Gruebel spun in turn 2 from contact from Tim Gebel to bring out the yellow. On the restart Griffiths moved back out front, with Keiser, Bunnell, Justin Wacha, who started 5th, and August Bach, who started 12th, battling for the runner up spot. The action up front was slowed for the final time on lap 6, when Raines spun in turn 4 for his second solo caution to end his night. Griffiths once again jumped out front on the restart, with Wacha over taking Keiser for the runner up spot. While Griffiths paced the field out front, Wacha, Keiser, Bach and Bunnell battle two and event three wide at times for the runner up spot. Despite a few attempts by Wacha to slip under Griffiths over the final laps, Griffiths was able to hold on to claim the win. Keiser over took Wacha on the final lap to finish in 2nd, Justin Lichty passed 12 cars from his 16th place starting spot to finish in 4th, with Bunnell rounding out the top 5.
John Oliver Jr. and Michael Peterson let the field to the drop of the green flag in the 24 lap Stock Car feature, with Oliver Jr. grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Abe Huls and David Brandies.The battle up front was slowed for the first time on lap 3, when Jason See spun in turn 1 and collected Brian Mahlstedt and Jake Powers to bring out the yellow. On the restart Oliver Jr. jumped back out front, with Huls and Brandies continuing their battle for the runner up spot. While Oliver Jr. worked to hold back Huls and Brandies for the top spot, Cayden Carter, who started 11th, moved in to the battle. Carter used the top of the track to slip past Brandies and Huls for the second spot on lap 10, and then went to work on Oliver Jr. for the lead. But the second and final caution of the race on lap 12, slowed the action up front. This time debris in turns 3 and 4 brought out the yellow. On the restart Carter went to the bottom of the track to slip under Oliver Jr. for the top spot, leaving Oliver Jr. to battle with Brandies for second. While all eyes were on the battle up front, Jason Cook, who started 9th, was slowly creeping his way into the battle. On lap 22 Cook was able to slip under Brandies for second and then went to work on Carter for the lead. Coming to the white flag lap Cook was able to get up beside Cater off turn 4, only to have Carter use the momentum off the top of the track to keep the lead. But going into turn 3 Cook went to the bottom, while Carter went to the high side. Cook then held off Carter at the line to pick up the win, that was until post race inspection. Cook was found to have illegal cylinder heads and the wrong carburetor / motor combination, which resulted in him being disqualified. This would give Carter the win. Brandies was moved up to 2nd, Oliver Jr. was moved up to 3rd, Todd Reitzler was moved up to 4th, with Andy Aultenburg, who made the trip down from Minnesota, getting moved up to finish 5th.
Up next was the 14 lap Sport Compact feature, with Bryan Shipley and Brandon Lambert drawing the front row for the event. Shipley took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Michael Grossman and Lambert. Grossman would use the bottom of the track to slip past Shipley for the top spot on lap 2. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 4, when Eric Lambert spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Grossman moved back out front, with Adam Gates, who started 8th, moving into the runner up spot. Gates, who was running the top of the track, was able to grab the lead away from Grossman on lap 6 and then started to pull away from the field. But a caution on lap 12, for spin in turn 4 by Eric Lambert that brought out his second solo caution of the race, would bring the field to his back bumper. On the restart tight racing down the backstretch sent John Whalen rolling into turn 3 to bring out the red. He climbed from his car okay. The following restart saw Grossman use the bottom of the track to slip under Gates to move back out front and then held on over the final lap to pick up the win. David Helenthal came from 6th to finish in 2nd, Brandon Rue passed 9 cars from his 12th place starting spot to come home in 3rd, Gates held on for 4th, with Kimberly Abbott rounding out the top 5.
The final feature to take to the track on the night was the 25 lap Modifieds, with Richie Gustin, in Shawn Ritter's #7SR SportMod, and Levi Nelson leading the field to the green flag. Richie Gustin would use his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Jimmy Gustin, who started 5th, and Nelson. While Richie Gustin paced the field out front, Kelly Shryock, who started 7th, and Cayden Carter, who started 11th, were using the top of the track to move towards the front. Shryock took over second on lap 10, while Carter moved into fourth. The action up front was slowed for the first and only time on lap 14, when Ryan Maitland spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Richie Gustin moved back out front, while Carter went thru the middle off turn 4 to slip past Shryock for the runner up spot. Two laps later, lap 17, Carter used the top of the track to edge Richie Gustin at the line by inches to take over the top spot. Carter then held on over the final 8 laps to pick up his second win of the night and third straight at the track. Shryock was 2nd, Richie Gustin held on for 3rd, Bruce Hanford was 4th, with Tony VonDresky coming home in 5th.
Notes from LCS: When I arrived at the track at around 4:30 pm the cars were heading to the front stretch to do trick-or-treating with the kids. Meanwhile there were trucks and trailers circling the pits, and even sitting on pit road clear to the road looking for a spot to pit. So I jumped into action and helped the Lee County crew clear a path to get to the north pit wall in order to accommodate the 172 cars, including 44 Modifieds, 38 SportMods, 34 Sport Compacts, 32 Stock Cars and 24 Hobby Stocks, signed in for action on the night. Those drivers came from 5 states, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota and even Nebraska to compete for a spot in the 24 car features......Tony Olson started the SportMod feature in 16th and passed 10 cars to finish in 6th....Tanner Klingele passed 11 cars from his 18th place starting spot to finish in 7th....Derek St. Clair came from 19th to finish in 10th....Kyle Anderson passed 11 cars from his 22nd place starting spot to come home in 11th....Trevor Fecht finished 13th after starting in 20th....Jason Doyle came from 24th to finish in 15th....Sean Wyett recovered from his spin on lap 18 to come back up to finish 17th......August Bach started the Hobby Stock feature in 12th and finished 6th....Quinton Miller recovered from his left rear flat on the start of the feature to come back up to finish 7th....Randy Byerly finished 10th after starting in 13th....Gina Greubel, who started 19th and got spun on lap 3 to bring out a caution, recovered to finish in 11th....Sierra Wilsey also recovered from a spin on lap 2 to come back up to finish in 12th....Brian Bries passed 9 cars from his 23rd place starting spot to come up to finish in 14th....Richard Pahlka Jr came from 21st to finish in 16th....Kevin Koontz started 24th and finished 17th......Jim Lynch passed 15 cars from his 21st place starting spot to come home in 6th....Bob Lynch started 19th and finished 9th....Jerry Pilcher came from 15th to finish in 10th....Doug Sylvester passed 12 cars from his 23rd place starting spot to come home in 11th....Dane Fenton finished 12th after starting in 22nd....Jason See recovered from his spin on lap 3 to come back up to finish in 15th....Chad Krogmeier started 24th and finished 16th......Wayne Noble started the Sport Compact feature in 18th and passed 12 cars to finish in 6th....Ryan Moore came from 22nd to finish in 12th....Dustan Fenton Jr. passed 10 cars from his 23rd place starting spot to come home in 13th....Spencer Coats started 21st and finished 16th......Patrick Flannagan started the Modified feature in 24th and passed 17 cars to come home in 7th....Robbie Reed came from 14th to finish in 8th....Jeff Waterman passed 9 cars from his 18th place starting spot to finish in 9th....Shawn Deering started 19th and finished 13th....Scott Simatovich finished 14th after starting in 21st....Dennis Betzer came from 22nd to finish in 15th....Mike Fluegel started 20th and finished 16th....Ryan Maitland recovered from his spin on lap 14 to come back up to finish in 17th....Andrew Schroder, who started 15th and had worked his way to 8th pulled off under the lap 14 caution with left front damage after clipping a tire a few laps before to finish in 21st.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Sunday, October 19, 2014
VanderBeek, Van Der Wal and Hughes Sweep Memphis Fall Nationals
Memphis, MO (Saturday, October 18, 2014) - WOW, what a difference a day or night makes. As the crew was able to get on the track after the final checkers fell on Friday night and all day Saturday to produce a great surface for Saturday night's finale at the 8th Annual Memphis Fall Nationals at the Scotland County in Memphis, Missouri. All that paid off with 136 cars signed in from 6 states, including 34 Modifieds, 31 SportMods, 30 Stock Cars, 23 Hobby Stocks and 18 Sport Compacts.
The first feature up on the night was the 14 lap Sport Compacts, with Kimberly Abbott and Adam Gates leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Abbott would take advantage of her front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Gates and Matt Moore. While Abbott worked to hold off Gates over the next 6 laps, Michael Grossman who started 18th was working his way towards the front. The field was slowed for the first and only time on lap 7, as two cars got together in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Abbott moved back out front, with Gates glued to her back bumper. Gates would try to work the low and top side of the track over the final 7 laps to get around Abbott. But Abbott held on to pick up the win and the $500 top prize. Gates settled for 2nd, John Whalen came from 6th to finish in 3rd, Grossman climbed his way to 4th, with Darin Smith coming from 8th to round out the top 5.
Up next was the 20 lap SportMod feature, with Curtis Van Der Wal and Carter VanDenBerg making up the front row for the event. Van Der Wal grabbed the lead on the drop of the green over VanDenBerg and Jason McDaniel. Everybody would have thought that with Van Der Wal out front he would check out on the field, but that was far from the truth. He started to enter lapped traffic on lap 10, which allowed McDaniel to close in on him fast. While Van Der Wal worked the bottom of the track, McDaniel used the very top of the track to pull up along side Van Der Wal late in the race. But Van Der Wal was able to use some lapped traffic to his advantage to claim his second win of the weekend in a caution free race, and the $1,000 top prize to go with it. McDaniel settled for 2nd, Brett Lowry started 5th and finished 3rd, Brayton Carter was 4th after starting in 6th, with VanDenBerg holding on for 5th.
Cayden Carter and David Brandies led the field to the green in the 22 lap Stock Car feature, with Carter grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Brandies and Jeff Mueller, who was driving Don Fenton's #3 machine. Carter then started to pull away from the battle behind him, until the first and only caution of the race appeared on lap 4. Tim Kraber spun in turn 2 and collected Todd Inman to bring out the yellow. On the restart Carter moved back out front, with Mueller slipping under Brandies to grab the second spot. Once again Carter started to pull away from the battle going on behind him between Mueller, Brandies, John Oliver Jr. and Zack VanderBeek, who started 8th. VanderBeek used the bottom of the speedway to slip into second late in the race. But there was no chasing down Carter, who cruised to the win and the $1,000 top prize to go with it. VanderBeek settled for 2nd, Mueller was 3rd, Oliver Jr. was 4th, with Brandies in 5th.
Up next was the 16 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Dustin Griffiths and Tim Dawson leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Dawson took advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 by inches, as he and Mike Hughes, who was on the bottom, crossed the line side-by-side. Hughes then slipped under Dawson to take the top spot away on lap 2. The battle behind Hughes was heating up, that was until lap 4. Nick Ulin, who was running 4th, got into Griffiths, who was running 3rd, in turn 4, which caused Griffiths to do a complete 360. Griffiths tried to get his machine fired back up, but was unable to as the caution waved. On the restart Hughes moved back out front, with Jacob Keiser working under Dawson to take over second. The action up front was slowed for the second time on lap 10, as a car spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Hughes once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Keiser and Dawson continuing there battle for second. Just as Hughes took the white flag, the final caution of the race appeared to set up a green-white-checkered overtime finish. This time Tim Pettibone spun in turn 3 and collected Andrew Hustead to bring out the yellow. On the restart Hughes jumped back out front and held on for his second win on the weekend and took home the $1,000 top prize to go with it. Keiser won the battle for 2nd, August Bach started 6th and finished 3rd, Dawson was 4th, with Steve Allen coming home in 5th.
The final feature to take to the track was the 24 lap Modifieds, with Kelly Shryock and Zack VanderBeek on the front row. Shryock would use his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over VanderBeek and Michael Long. But VanderBeek, who was using the top of the track, went around Shryock coming off turn 4 to take the top spot away on lap 2. VanderBeek then started to pull away from the field, even entering lapped traffic on lap 9. Cayden Carter, who started 9th, worked his way into second on lap 15, but was still over a straight-away behind VanderBeek. That was until the first and only caution of the race appeared on lap 18. Carter VanDenBerg, who was running 8th, slowed to a stop in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart VanderBeek jumped back out front, but now had Carter glued to his back bumper. Despite Carter getting beside VanderBeek on lap 19. VanderBeek would hold on to claim his second win on the weekend and another $1,000 to go with it. Carter settled for 2nd, Shryock was 3rd, Tyler Droste came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Andrew Schroeder rounding out the top 5.
My final race of the 2014 season will most likely come next weekend, as the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA hosts their annual "Shiverfest" event on Saturday, October 25th. This event will get started with hay rack rides thru the pits at 3:00 pm, followed by trick-or-treating with the drivers at 4:30 pm. That will be followed up with box car races at 5:00 pm, and then the racing gets going with hot laps at 5:30 pm. The Modifieds will be racing for $500 to win, the Stock Cars and SportMods are racing for $400 to win, the Hobby Stocks are gunning for $250 to win, with the Sport Compacts racing for $200 to win. For more information about this event, please check out the Lee County Speedway's website at www.leecountyspeedway.com.
The first feature up on the night was the 14 lap Sport Compacts, with Kimberly Abbott and Adam Gates leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Abbott would take advantage of her front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Gates and Matt Moore. While Abbott worked to hold off Gates over the next 6 laps, Michael Grossman who started 18th was working his way towards the front. The field was slowed for the first and only time on lap 7, as two cars got together in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Abbott moved back out front, with Gates glued to her back bumper. Gates would try to work the low and top side of the track over the final 7 laps to get around Abbott. But Abbott held on to pick up the win and the $500 top prize. Gates settled for 2nd, John Whalen came from 6th to finish in 3rd, Grossman climbed his way to 4th, with Darin Smith coming from 8th to round out the top 5.
Up next was the 20 lap SportMod feature, with Curtis Van Der Wal and Carter VanDenBerg making up the front row for the event. Van Der Wal grabbed the lead on the drop of the green over VanDenBerg and Jason McDaniel. Everybody would have thought that with Van Der Wal out front he would check out on the field, but that was far from the truth. He started to enter lapped traffic on lap 10, which allowed McDaniel to close in on him fast. While Van Der Wal worked the bottom of the track, McDaniel used the very top of the track to pull up along side Van Der Wal late in the race. But Van Der Wal was able to use some lapped traffic to his advantage to claim his second win of the weekend in a caution free race, and the $1,000 top prize to go with it. McDaniel settled for 2nd, Brett Lowry started 5th and finished 3rd, Brayton Carter was 4th after starting in 6th, with VanDenBerg holding on for 5th.
Cayden Carter and David Brandies led the field to the green in the 22 lap Stock Car feature, with Carter grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Brandies and Jeff Mueller, who was driving Don Fenton's #3 machine. Carter then started to pull away from the battle behind him, until the first and only caution of the race appeared on lap 4. Tim Kraber spun in turn 2 and collected Todd Inman to bring out the yellow. On the restart Carter moved back out front, with Mueller slipping under Brandies to grab the second spot. Once again Carter started to pull away from the battle going on behind him between Mueller, Brandies, John Oliver Jr. and Zack VanderBeek, who started 8th. VanderBeek used the bottom of the speedway to slip into second late in the race. But there was no chasing down Carter, who cruised to the win and the $1,000 top prize to go with it. VanderBeek settled for 2nd, Mueller was 3rd, Oliver Jr. was 4th, with Brandies in 5th.
Up next was the 16 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Dustin Griffiths and Tim Dawson leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Dawson took advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 by inches, as he and Mike Hughes, who was on the bottom, crossed the line side-by-side. Hughes then slipped under Dawson to take the top spot away on lap 2. The battle behind Hughes was heating up, that was until lap 4. Nick Ulin, who was running 4th, got into Griffiths, who was running 3rd, in turn 4, which caused Griffiths to do a complete 360. Griffiths tried to get his machine fired back up, but was unable to as the caution waved. On the restart Hughes moved back out front, with Jacob Keiser working under Dawson to take over second. The action up front was slowed for the second time on lap 10, as a car spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Hughes once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Keiser and Dawson continuing there battle for second. Just as Hughes took the white flag, the final caution of the race appeared to set up a green-white-checkered overtime finish. This time Tim Pettibone spun in turn 3 and collected Andrew Hustead to bring out the yellow. On the restart Hughes jumped back out front and held on for his second win on the weekend and took home the $1,000 top prize to go with it. Keiser won the battle for 2nd, August Bach started 6th and finished 3rd, Dawson was 4th, with Steve Allen coming home in 5th.
The final feature to take to the track was the 24 lap Modifieds, with Kelly Shryock and Zack VanderBeek on the front row. Shryock would use his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over VanderBeek and Michael Long. But VanderBeek, who was using the top of the track, went around Shryock coming off turn 4 to take the top spot away on lap 2. VanderBeek then started to pull away from the field, even entering lapped traffic on lap 9. Cayden Carter, who started 9th, worked his way into second on lap 15, but was still over a straight-away behind VanderBeek. That was until the first and only caution of the race appeared on lap 18. Carter VanDenBerg, who was running 8th, slowed to a stop in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart VanderBeek jumped back out front, but now had Carter glued to his back bumper. Despite Carter getting beside VanderBeek on lap 19. VanderBeek would hold on to claim his second win on the weekend and another $1,000 to go with it. Carter settled for 2nd, Shryock was 3rd, Tyler Droste came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Andrew Schroeder rounding out the top 5.
My final race of the 2014 season will most likely come next weekend, as the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA hosts their annual "Shiverfest" event on Saturday, October 25th. This event will get started with hay rack rides thru the pits at 3:00 pm, followed by trick-or-treating with the drivers at 4:30 pm. That will be followed up with box car races at 5:00 pm, and then the racing gets going with hot laps at 5:30 pm. The Modifieds will be racing for $500 to win, the Stock Cars and SportMods are racing for $400 to win, the Hobby Stocks are gunning for $250 to win, with the Sport Compacts racing for $200 to win. For more information about this event, please check out the Lee County Speedway's website at www.leecountyspeedway.com.
VanderBeek Doubles Up On Night 1 of the Memphis Fall Nationals
Memphis, MO (Friday, October 17, 2014) - Sometimes people expect the track and racing to be the same as the races held there on previous events, but what they don't understand is that is impossible mostly due to mother nature. That was the case on Friday night at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri. Yeah, the track was dusty and no they weren't racing 6 wide. But what people forgot was that on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mother nature dumped over 2 inches of rain onto the grounds, which wouldn't allow the crew to get onto the surface until late Thursday night. Even then they couldn't get enough water into the surface to keep the dust down, plus the gusty winds didn't help things out either. With all that being said the racing went on and the surface held up nicely, and the drivers produced some great two wide racing.
The first feature to take to the track was the 20 lap SportMods, with Brandon Dale and Brayton Carter drawing the front row. Carter took advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dale and Brett Lowry. Disaster would strike Dale on the completion of lap 1, when he spun in turn 1 to bring out the first and only caution of the event. On the restart Carter jumped back out front over Logan Anderson, who started 6th, and Curtis Van Der Wal, who started 11th. One lap later, lap 3, Van Der Wal slipped under Anderson to move into second and then went to work on Carter for the lead. But Carter, who was running the top of the track, was able to use his momentum off the top to hold off Van Der Wal, who was glued to the bottom, over the next 14 laps. On lap 17, as these two pulled away from the battle for third, they started to enter heavy lapped traffic, which allowed Van Der Wal to pull even with Carter in the turns. Coming to the white flag Van Der Wal drove it hard into turn 1 and was able to pull ahead of Carter coming off turn 2. But when Carter tried to use the momentum off the top the two made contact, with Carter's left front breaking. This allowed Van Der Wal to go on to pick up the win and the $500 top prize. The lead the two had built up allowed Carter to limp his broken car around to hold on for 2nd, Jared VanDeest came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Anderson held on for 4th, with Jenae Gustin coming from 9th to round out the top 5.
Up next was the 14 lap Sport Compact feature, with Nick VanHemert and Steven Struck leading the field to the drop of the green flag. But just as the green was wave the caution light would come on, as Richard Bank spun in turn 1 to bring out the caution. On the restart Bank once again spun in turn 1 and collects Alyssa Steele to bring the yellow light back on. The third restart saw Matt Moore, who started 5th, grab the lead on lap 1 over Trent Orwig, who started 7th, and Kimberly Abbott. Moore, who was running the middle of the track, had Orwig slip under him off turn 4 as the two crossed the line side-by-side, with Orwig leading that lap by inches. Just after the completion of the lap, Barry Taft came to a stop down the front stretch to bring out the yellow. Orwig would jump out into the lead on the restart, only to have Moore move to his outside to lead lap 4. But Orwig slipped back under Moore on lap 5 to grab the top spot back, with Abbott following him into second one lap later. Abbott tried to work under Orwig over the final 8 laps, but Orwig was able to hold on to claim the win and the $250 top prize. Abbott settled for 2nd, John Whalen came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Moore was 4th, with Travis DeMint coming home in 5th.
Kelly Shryock and Ken Schrader, yes the former NASCAR competitor, drew the front row for the 22 lap Modified feature, with Shryock grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Schrader and Jake Griffin. Shryock then started to pull away from the battle going on behind him, that was until lap 7 when Griffin, who was using the very top of the track, pulled even with Shryock. But the action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 8 when Michael Long, who was battling hard with Schrader for 6th, spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. On the restart Zack VanderBeek, who started 9th, used the low side of turns 1 and 2 and then shot to the top in turns 3 and 4 to grab the lead away from Shryock. VanderBeek then started to pull away from the battle for second between Shyrock, Griffin and Cayden Carter, who started 8th, when the second caution of the race appeared on lap 17. Shyrock, who was running third, slowed to a stop in turn 4 with a right front flat to bring out the caution. On the restart Brandon Banks, who started 20th and had climbed his way into the top 10, slowed off turn 4 with troubles and collected Kyle Brown, Joel Rust, and Danny Crane to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw VanderBeek move back out front, with Carter using the bottom to go from 5th to 2nd and Schrader following behind him. Meanwhile Griffin, who was battling for second, suffered a left rear flat on the restart and faded to the back, before pull off one lap later. VanderBeek would go on to lead the final 5 laps to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize. Carter settled for 2nd, Schrader was 3rd, Bruce Hanford came from 7th to finish in 4th, with Carter VanDenBerg passing 9 cars from his 14th place starting spot to round out the top 5.
Up next was the 16 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Steve Allen and Tim Dawson leading the field to the green. Dawson would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dustin Griffiths and Allen. But the action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 2, when Derek Sammons spun in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Mike Hughes, who started 8th, slipped under Dawson to grab the top spot away. But Dawson wouldn't give up easy, as he tried to get back by Hughes on the top side of the track over the next 11 laps. When the second and final caution of the event on lap 14 slowed the action up front. This time Greg Gilbert spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Hughes would jump back out front on the restart and then held on to claim the win and the $400 top prize. Dawson settled for 2nd, Griffiths was 3rd, Clayton Crump was 4th, with Nick Ulin coming home in 5th.
The final feature to take to the track was the 20 lap Stock Cars, with Zack VanderBeek and Doug Sylvester on the front row. VanderBeek took advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Nathan Wood and Derrick Agee. The action up front was slowed for the first and only time on lap 2, when Tyler Pickett, who was starting in his first Stock Car race after competing all year in a Hobby Stock, spun in turn 4 and collected Jimmy Comins and Greg Harsch to bring out the yellow. On the restart VanderBeek moved back out front, with Wood, Agee and John Oliver Jr., who started 8th, battling for the runner up spot. There was no catching VanderBeek on this night as he pulled away to pick up his second win of the night and another $1,000 top prize thanks to 79s See Racing. Wood won the battle for 2nd, Oliver Jr was 3rd, Agee was 4th, with Michael Peterson coming from 12th to finish in 5th.
118 cars, including 33 Modifieds, 28 Stock Cars, 27 SportMods, 15 Hobby Stocks and 15 Sport Compacts, from 6 states signed in to compete on Night 1 of the 8th Annual Memphis Fall Nationals.
The first feature to take to the track was the 20 lap SportMods, with Brandon Dale and Brayton Carter drawing the front row. Carter took advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dale and Brett Lowry. Disaster would strike Dale on the completion of lap 1, when he spun in turn 1 to bring out the first and only caution of the event. On the restart Carter jumped back out front over Logan Anderson, who started 6th, and Curtis Van Der Wal, who started 11th. One lap later, lap 3, Van Der Wal slipped under Anderson to move into second and then went to work on Carter for the lead. But Carter, who was running the top of the track, was able to use his momentum off the top to hold off Van Der Wal, who was glued to the bottom, over the next 14 laps. On lap 17, as these two pulled away from the battle for third, they started to enter heavy lapped traffic, which allowed Van Der Wal to pull even with Carter in the turns. Coming to the white flag Van Der Wal drove it hard into turn 1 and was able to pull ahead of Carter coming off turn 2. But when Carter tried to use the momentum off the top the two made contact, with Carter's left front breaking. This allowed Van Der Wal to go on to pick up the win and the $500 top prize. The lead the two had built up allowed Carter to limp his broken car around to hold on for 2nd, Jared VanDeest came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Anderson held on for 4th, with Jenae Gustin coming from 9th to round out the top 5.
Up next was the 14 lap Sport Compact feature, with Nick VanHemert and Steven Struck leading the field to the drop of the green flag. But just as the green was wave the caution light would come on, as Richard Bank spun in turn 1 to bring out the caution. On the restart Bank once again spun in turn 1 and collects Alyssa Steele to bring the yellow light back on. The third restart saw Matt Moore, who started 5th, grab the lead on lap 1 over Trent Orwig, who started 7th, and Kimberly Abbott. Moore, who was running the middle of the track, had Orwig slip under him off turn 4 as the two crossed the line side-by-side, with Orwig leading that lap by inches. Just after the completion of the lap, Barry Taft came to a stop down the front stretch to bring out the yellow. Orwig would jump out into the lead on the restart, only to have Moore move to his outside to lead lap 4. But Orwig slipped back under Moore on lap 5 to grab the top spot back, with Abbott following him into second one lap later. Abbott tried to work under Orwig over the final 8 laps, but Orwig was able to hold on to claim the win and the $250 top prize. Abbott settled for 2nd, John Whalen came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Moore was 4th, with Travis DeMint coming home in 5th.
Kelly Shryock and Ken Schrader, yes the former NASCAR competitor, drew the front row for the 22 lap Modified feature, with Shryock grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Schrader and Jake Griffin. Shryock then started to pull away from the battle going on behind him, that was until lap 7 when Griffin, who was using the very top of the track, pulled even with Shryock. But the action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 8 when Michael Long, who was battling hard with Schrader for 6th, spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. On the restart Zack VanderBeek, who started 9th, used the low side of turns 1 and 2 and then shot to the top in turns 3 and 4 to grab the lead away from Shryock. VanderBeek then started to pull away from the battle for second between Shyrock, Griffin and Cayden Carter, who started 8th, when the second caution of the race appeared on lap 17. Shyrock, who was running third, slowed to a stop in turn 4 with a right front flat to bring out the caution. On the restart Brandon Banks, who started 20th and had climbed his way into the top 10, slowed off turn 4 with troubles and collected Kyle Brown, Joel Rust, and Danny Crane to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw VanderBeek move back out front, with Carter using the bottom to go from 5th to 2nd and Schrader following behind him. Meanwhile Griffin, who was battling for second, suffered a left rear flat on the restart and faded to the back, before pull off one lap later. VanderBeek would go on to lead the final 5 laps to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize. Carter settled for 2nd, Schrader was 3rd, Bruce Hanford came from 7th to finish in 4th, with Carter VanDenBerg passing 9 cars from his 14th place starting spot to round out the top 5.
Up next was the 16 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Steve Allen and Tim Dawson leading the field to the green. Dawson would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dustin Griffiths and Allen. But the action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 2, when Derek Sammons spun in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Mike Hughes, who started 8th, slipped under Dawson to grab the top spot away. But Dawson wouldn't give up easy, as he tried to get back by Hughes on the top side of the track over the next 11 laps. When the second and final caution of the event on lap 14 slowed the action up front. This time Greg Gilbert spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Hughes would jump back out front on the restart and then held on to claim the win and the $400 top prize. Dawson settled for 2nd, Griffiths was 3rd, Clayton Crump was 4th, with Nick Ulin coming home in 5th.
The final feature to take to the track was the 20 lap Stock Cars, with Zack VanderBeek and Doug Sylvester on the front row. VanderBeek took advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Nathan Wood and Derrick Agee. The action up front was slowed for the first and only time on lap 2, when Tyler Pickett, who was starting in his first Stock Car race after competing all year in a Hobby Stock, spun in turn 4 and collected Jimmy Comins and Greg Harsch to bring out the yellow. On the restart VanderBeek moved back out front, with Wood, Agee and John Oliver Jr., who started 8th, battling for the runner up spot. There was no catching VanderBeek on this night as he pulled away to pick up his second win of the night and another $1,000 top prize thanks to 79s See Racing. Wood won the battle for 2nd, Oliver Jr was 3rd, Agee was 4th, with Michael Peterson coming from 12th to finish in 5th.
118 cars, including 33 Modifieds, 28 Stock Cars, 27 SportMods, 15 Hobby Stocks and 15 Sport Compacts, from 6 states signed in to compete on Night 1 of the 8th Annual Memphis Fall Nationals.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
One Streak Ends, While Two More Continue On Night 2 of the Fall Extravaganza
Donnellson, IA (Saturday, October 11, 2014) - The 3rd Annual Fall Extravaganza at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa came to a close on Saturday night, with the second and final night being put into the books. When the final checkers fell one winning streak came to a end, while two other winning streaks continued on to the next weekends action.
The 22 lap SportMod feature was the first to take to the track, with Carter VanDenBerg and Brandon Dale drawing the front row for the event. Dale would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over VanDenBerg and Bobby Anders. Just after the completion of lap 1 the first caution would appear, as David Cloke, Michael Guthrie and Jake Wenig spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Dale jumped back out front, with Anders over taking VanDenBerg for the runner up spot. Another lap complete produced another caution, as Cloke, Robert Gould and Guthrie spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Dale once again moved out front on the restart, with VanDenBerg grabbing the second spot back from Anders. Two laps later, lap 4, Cloke would spin in turn 2 to bring out the caution. Under that caution Curtis Van Der Wal, who has won the last 5 fall specials and started 12th, went to the pits with right rear damage after getting into the turn 2 wall from contact while battling for 9th to end his winning streak. Once again Dale jumped out front on the restart, with Anders slipping back by VanDenBerg for the second spot. While Dale paced the field out front, Tony Dunker, who started 7th, and Joey Gower, who started 11th, were working their way towards the front. Dale's lead over the battle behind him was erased on lap 8, when Ethan Allen spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution.
On the restart Dale moved back out front, with Gower slipping under Dunker to take over the second spot. Gower then tried to work under Dale over the next 4 laps, when a caution for Gould's spin in turn 2 slowed the action. Gower was able to slip under Dale in turn 2 on the restart to grab the lead away, leaving Dale to try and work on holding off Dunker for second. While Gower continued to lead, all eyes were on Jenae Gustin, who started 4th and at one time had slipped back to 8th, who jumped to the top of the track to work herself into second on lap 17. She would quickly close in on Gower coming to the white flag. But she wasn't able to make the pass, as Gower held on to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize. Gustin settled for 2nd, Dunker was 3rd, Dale was 4th, with Brett Lowry coming home in 5th.
Up next was the 16 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Brandon Symmonds and Derek Hodges leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Hodges used his front row starting spot to his advantage, as he jumped out front on lap 1 over Justin Wacha and Symmonds. While Hodges worked to hold back Wacha, Dustin Griffiths, who started 8th, worked his way up to make it a three car battle up front. Wacha and Griffiths raced side-by-side for second several times, with Wacha able to hold him off at the line on every lap. Those two tried everything possible to get around Hodges over the 16 lap caution free race. But Hodges was able to hold them off to claim his first win at the Lee County Speedway and the $500 top prize to go with it. Wacha held on for 2nd, Griffiths was 3rd, Jacob Keiser came from 7th to finish in 4th, with Dale Porter passing 5 cars from his 10th place starting spot to finish in 5th.
Scott Hogan and Andrew Schroeder drew the front row for the 25 lap Modified feature, with Hogan grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Cayden Carter and Bill Roberts Jr. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 3, as Mike Joski and Tyler Hackett spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Carter jumped to the top of the track to over take Hogan for the lead, while Michael Long followed him up top to move into third. Carter then started to pull away from the battle behind him, when the caution came out on lap 10. This time Ben Kates, who was running 8th, got into the wall in turn 4 and slowed to a stop to bring out the yellow. On the restart Brad Lautenbach, who was running 8th, got sideways in turn 2 and collected Jimmy Gustin, who started 16th and worked his way to 9th, to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Carter jumped back out front, with Hogan and Schroeder battling for second. The action up front was slowed for the final time on lap 13, when Joski and Hackett spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Carter once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Hogan and Schroeder going back to there battle for second. There was no catching Carter over the final 12 laps, as he went on to claim his second win in a row and another $1,000 in doing so. Hogan won the battle for 2nd, Roberts Jr. was 3rd, Jeff Waterman came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Schroder holding on for 5th.
Up next was the 14 lap Sport Compact feature, with Mike Reu and Michael Grossman leading the field to the green. Grossman jumped out front on lap 1 over Reu and Kimberly Abbott, and then held it until the first caution appeared on lap 3. Debris on fire in turn 1 would bring out the yellow. On the restart Josh Barnes, who was running 4th, jumped the start to bring out the yellow and was sent to the back for the following restart. The following restart saw Brandon Lambert get into Cody Cleghorn, who started 19th and was battling for 5th, causing Cleghorn to spin in turn 2 and collect Jerrod Nichols, Austin Kaplan, Dustan Fenton, and Barnes to bring the yellow light back on. On the next restart Grossman moved back out front, with Abbott and Trent Orwig, who started 13th, close behind. Abbott worked under Grossman on lap 5 to take over the top spot and then was slowed on the completion of that lap. As Alex Costigan lost and engine in turn 4 and slowed to a stop. On the restart Abbott moved back out front. with Grossman working to hold back Orwig for second. On lap later, lap 6, debris in turn 1 would slow the action up front for the final time. Once again Abbott jumped back out front on the restart, with Grossman and Brandon Reu, who started 10th, close behind. Grossman tried to work under Abbott over the final 7 laps, but Abbott would hold him off to pick up her second win at the track and in a row to take home another $300 for her efforts. Grossman settled for 2nd, Brandon Reu was 3rd, Barry Taft came from 7th to finish in 4th, with Darin Smith passing 19 cars from his 24th place starting spot to to come home in 5th.
The 24 lap Stock Car feature was the final one to take to the track on the night, with David Atcher and Bob Lynch making up the front row for the event. Atcher used his front row start to jump out front on lap 1 over John Oliver Jr. and Lynch. Just after the completion of lap 1 the caution would come out, as Jim Lynch slowed to a stop in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Atcher moved back out front, with Bob Lynch over taking Oliver Jr. for the runner up spot. Atcher, who was working the middle of the track, Jeff Mueller, who started 6th and was working the bottom, and Cayden Carter, who started 11th and was working the top, came out of turn 4 three wide on lap 11, with Mueller edging out front at the line. The battle out front was slowed for the final time on lap 14, when Jake Wenig spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Mueller grabbed the lead on the restart, with Carter and Jason Cook, who started 9th, close behind. With Mueller glued to the bottom of the track, Carter tried a different approach to get around Mueller over the next 9 laps. He would enter turn 1 high and then cut to the bottom of turn 2 to get a run at Mueller down the backstretch. Mueller was able to hod off Carter until the white flag lap, when Carter was able to get under Mueller in turn 2 to grab the lead down the backstretch. But Carter left to much room on the bottom going into turn 3. Which allowed Mueller to slip under him coming off turn 4 to grab the win and the $1,000 top prize. Carter settled for 2nd, Cook was 3rd, Atcher was 4th, with Todd Reitzler rounding out the top 5.
Notes from LCS: One Hundred and twenty-four cars signed in on night 2, including 34 Modifieds, 27 SportMods, 26 Sport Compacts, 21 Stock Cars and 16 Hobby Stocks......Ryan Fullenkamp came from 13th in the SportMod feature to finish in 8th....Logan Anderson passed 9 cars from his 17th place starting spot to finish in 9th....Alex Zwanziger finished 10th after starting in 15th....Rich Vogt came from 16th to finish in 11th....Bradley Holtmeyer passed 8 cars from his 20th place starting spot to finish in 12th....Austen Becerra came from 18th to finish in 13th....Michael Guthrie, who started 22nd, recovered from his involvement in the lap 2 caution to come back up to finish in 15th....Dakota Simmons, who won the semi feature, broke something in the rear end after the checkered flag in that semi. They were able to make the changes good enough for him to start and make one lap......August Bach, Randy Byerly, Randy Stalder all hat troubles in there heat races that forced them to scratch from the Hobby Stock feature......Ronn Lauritzen started 11th in the Modified feature and finished 6th....Tyler Droste came from 12th to finish in 7th....Brandon Banks passed 11 cars from his 19th place starting spot to finish in 8th....Joel Rust also passed 11 cars from his 20th place starting spot to finish in 9th....Lance Arneson, who made the pull down from Abrams, Wisconsin, started 18th and finished 11th....Tyler Groenendyk passed 12 cars from his 24th place starting spot to come home in 12th....Scott Simatovich came from 22nd to finish in 13th....Kyle Brown started 23rd and finished 16th....Michael Long, who was running 6th on lap 16, got into the guardrail in turn 2 and pulled into the pits with left side damage to end his night in 18th......Casey Lambert started the Sport Compact feature in 9th and finished 6th....Chuck Fullenkamp came from 11th to finish in 7th....Shawn Baker passed 7 cars from his 15th place starting spot to come home in 8th....John Whalen started 12th and finished 9th....Austin Kaplan recovered from the crash on lap 3 to come back up to finish in 10th....Josh Barnes recovered from jumping the restart on lap 3 to come back up to finish in 12th....Ron Kibbe passed 12 cars from his 25th place starting spot to come home in 13th....William Michel finished 14th after starting in 18th....Jerrod Nichols, who started 21st, recovered from the crash on lap 3 to come back up to finish in 15th....Justin Stevenson passed 7 cars from his 23rd place starting spot to finish in 16th....Trent Orwig, who started 13th and had worked his way to 3 by lap 4, lost power on the 6 restart and pulled into the infield to end his night in 19th......Shane Paris started the Stock Car feature in 12th and finished in 6th....Doug Sylvester came from 15th to finish in 8th...Michael Peterson finished 10th after starting in 13th....Jesse Brown came from 14th to finish in 11th....Ray Raker started 16th and finished 12th....Jason See came from 17th to finish in 13th....Jerry Jansen finished 14th after starting in 20th....Jerry Pilcher lost an engine in his heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature.
Just when everybody thinks the 2014 season has come to a close in Southeast Iowa and West Central Missouri, well you are sadly mistaken. The 8th Annual Memphis Fall Nationals takes place next Friday, October 17th and Saturday, October 18th at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, MO. Ken Schrader will be in action both nights with his Modified. Friday nights action gets underway with hot laps at 7:00 pm, while Saturday night will start one hour earlier at 6:00 pm.
The 22 lap SportMod feature was the first to take to the track, with Carter VanDenBerg and Brandon Dale drawing the front row for the event. Dale would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over VanDenBerg and Bobby Anders. Just after the completion of lap 1 the first caution would appear, as David Cloke, Michael Guthrie and Jake Wenig spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Dale jumped back out front, with Anders over taking VanDenBerg for the runner up spot. Another lap complete produced another caution, as Cloke, Robert Gould and Guthrie spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Dale once again moved out front on the restart, with VanDenBerg grabbing the second spot back from Anders. Two laps later, lap 4, Cloke would spin in turn 2 to bring out the caution. Under that caution Curtis Van Der Wal, who has won the last 5 fall specials and started 12th, went to the pits with right rear damage after getting into the turn 2 wall from contact while battling for 9th to end his winning streak. Once again Dale jumped out front on the restart, with Anders slipping back by VanDenBerg for the second spot. While Dale paced the field out front, Tony Dunker, who started 7th, and Joey Gower, who started 11th, were working their way towards the front. Dale's lead over the battle behind him was erased on lap 8, when Ethan Allen spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution.
On the restart Dale moved back out front, with Gower slipping under Dunker to take over the second spot. Gower then tried to work under Dale over the next 4 laps, when a caution for Gould's spin in turn 2 slowed the action. Gower was able to slip under Dale in turn 2 on the restart to grab the lead away, leaving Dale to try and work on holding off Dunker for second. While Gower continued to lead, all eyes were on Jenae Gustin, who started 4th and at one time had slipped back to 8th, who jumped to the top of the track to work herself into second on lap 17. She would quickly close in on Gower coming to the white flag. But she wasn't able to make the pass, as Gower held on to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize. Gustin settled for 2nd, Dunker was 3rd, Dale was 4th, with Brett Lowry coming home in 5th.
Up next was the 16 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Brandon Symmonds and Derek Hodges leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Hodges used his front row starting spot to his advantage, as he jumped out front on lap 1 over Justin Wacha and Symmonds. While Hodges worked to hold back Wacha, Dustin Griffiths, who started 8th, worked his way up to make it a three car battle up front. Wacha and Griffiths raced side-by-side for second several times, with Wacha able to hold him off at the line on every lap. Those two tried everything possible to get around Hodges over the 16 lap caution free race. But Hodges was able to hold them off to claim his first win at the Lee County Speedway and the $500 top prize to go with it. Wacha held on for 2nd, Griffiths was 3rd, Jacob Keiser came from 7th to finish in 4th, with Dale Porter passing 5 cars from his 10th place starting spot to finish in 5th.
Scott Hogan and Andrew Schroeder drew the front row for the 25 lap Modified feature, with Hogan grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Cayden Carter and Bill Roberts Jr. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 3, as Mike Joski and Tyler Hackett spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Carter jumped to the top of the track to over take Hogan for the lead, while Michael Long followed him up top to move into third. Carter then started to pull away from the battle behind him, when the caution came out on lap 10. This time Ben Kates, who was running 8th, got into the wall in turn 4 and slowed to a stop to bring out the yellow. On the restart Brad Lautenbach, who was running 8th, got sideways in turn 2 and collected Jimmy Gustin, who started 16th and worked his way to 9th, to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Carter jumped back out front, with Hogan and Schroeder battling for second. The action up front was slowed for the final time on lap 13, when Joski and Hackett spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Carter once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Hogan and Schroeder going back to there battle for second. There was no catching Carter over the final 12 laps, as he went on to claim his second win in a row and another $1,000 in doing so. Hogan won the battle for 2nd, Roberts Jr. was 3rd, Jeff Waterman came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Schroder holding on for 5th.
Up next was the 14 lap Sport Compact feature, with Mike Reu and Michael Grossman leading the field to the green. Grossman jumped out front on lap 1 over Reu and Kimberly Abbott, and then held it until the first caution appeared on lap 3. Debris on fire in turn 1 would bring out the yellow. On the restart Josh Barnes, who was running 4th, jumped the start to bring out the yellow and was sent to the back for the following restart. The following restart saw Brandon Lambert get into Cody Cleghorn, who started 19th and was battling for 5th, causing Cleghorn to spin in turn 2 and collect Jerrod Nichols, Austin Kaplan, Dustan Fenton, and Barnes to bring the yellow light back on. On the next restart Grossman moved back out front, with Abbott and Trent Orwig, who started 13th, close behind. Abbott worked under Grossman on lap 5 to take over the top spot and then was slowed on the completion of that lap. As Alex Costigan lost and engine in turn 4 and slowed to a stop. On the restart Abbott moved back out front. with Grossman working to hold back Orwig for second. On lap later, lap 6, debris in turn 1 would slow the action up front for the final time. Once again Abbott jumped back out front on the restart, with Grossman and Brandon Reu, who started 10th, close behind. Grossman tried to work under Abbott over the final 7 laps, but Abbott would hold him off to pick up her second win at the track and in a row to take home another $300 for her efforts. Grossman settled for 2nd, Brandon Reu was 3rd, Barry Taft came from 7th to finish in 4th, with Darin Smith passing 19 cars from his 24th place starting spot to to come home in 5th.
The 24 lap Stock Car feature was the final one to take to the track on the night, with David Atcher and Bob Lynch making up the front row for the event. Atcher used his front row start to jump out front on lap 1 over John Oliver Jr. and Lynch. Just after the completion of lap 1 the caution would come out, as Jim Lynch slowed to a stop in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Atcher moved back out front, with Bob Lynch over taking Oliver Jr. for the runner up spot. Atcher, who was working the middle of the track, Jeff Mueller, who started 6th and was working the bottom, and Cayden Carter, who started 11th and was working the top, came out of turn 4 three wide on lap 11, with Mueller edging out front at the line. The battle out front was slowed for the final time on lap 14, when Jake Wenig spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Mueller grabbed the lead on the restart, with Carter and Jason Cook, who started 9th, close behind. With Mueller glued to the bottom of the track, Carter tried a different approach to get around Mueller over the next 9 laps. He would enter turn 1 high and then cut to the bottom of turn 2 to get a run at Mueller down the backstretch. Mueller was able to hod off Carter until the white flag lap, when Carter was able to get under Mueller in turn 2 to grab the lead down the backstretch. But Carter left to much room on the bottom going into turn 3. Which allowed Mueller to slip under him coming off turn 4 to grab the win and the $1,000 top prize. Carter settled for 2nd, Cook was 3rd, Atcher was 4th, with Todd Reitzler rounding out the top 5.
Notes from LCS: One Hundred and twenty-four cars signed in on night 2, including 34 Modifieds, 27 SportMods, 26 Sport Compacts, 21 Stock Cars and 16 Hobby Stocks......Ryan Fullenkamp came from 13th in the SportMod feature to finish in 8th....Logan Anderson passed 9 cars from his 17th place starting spot to finish in 9th....Alex Zwanziger finished 10th after starting in 15th....Rich Vogt came from 16th to finish in 11th....Bradley Holtmeyer passed 8 cars from his 20th place starting spot to finish in 12th....Austen Becerra came from 18th to finish in 13th....Michael Guthrie, who started 22nd, recovered from his involvement in the lap 2 caution to come back up to finish in 15th....Dakota Simmons, who won the semi feature, broke something in the rear end after the checkered flag in that semi. They were able to make the changes good enough for him to start and make one lap......August Bach, Randy Byerly, Randy Stalder all hat troubles in there heat races that forced them to scratch from the Hobby Stock feature......Ronn Lauritzen started 11th in the Modified feature and finished 6th....Tyler Droste came from 12th to finish in 7th....Brandon Banks passed 11 cars from his 19th place starting spot to finish in 8th....Joel Rust also passed 11 cars from his 20th place starting spot to finish in 9th....Lance Arneson, who made the pull down from Abrams, Wisconsin, started 18th and finished 11th....Tyler Groenendyk passed 12 cars from his 24th place starting spot to come home in 12th....Scott Simatovich came from 22nd to finish in 13th....Kyle Brown started 23rd and finished 16th....Michael Long, who was running 6th on lap 16, got into the guardrail in turn 2 and pulled into the pits with left side damage to end his night in 18th......Casey Lambert started the Sport Compact feature in 9th and finished 6th....Chuck Fullenkamp came from 11th to finish in 7th....Shawn Baker passed 7 cars from his 15th place starting spot to come home in 8th....John Whalen started 12th and finished 9th....Austin Kaplan recovered from the crash on lap 3 to come back up to finish in 10th....Josh Barnes recovered from jumping the restart on lap 3 to come back up to finish in 12th....Ron Kibbe passed 12 cars from his 25th place starting spot to come home in 13th....William Michel finished 14th after starting in 18th....Jerrod Nichols, who started 21st, recovered from the crash on lap 3 to come back up to finish in 15th....Justin Stevenson passed 7 cars from his 23rd place starting spot to finish in 16th....Trent Orwig, who started 13th and had worked his way to 3 by lap 4, lost power on the 6 restart and pulled into the infield to end his night in 19th......Shane Paris started the Stock Car feature in 12th and finished in 6th....Doug Sylvester came from 15th to finish in 8th...Michael Peterson finished 10th after starting in 13th....Jesse Brown came from 14th to finish in 11th....Ray Raker started 16th and finished 12th....Jason See came from 17th to finish in 13th....Jerry Jansen finished 14th after starting in 20th....Jerry Pilcher lost an engine in his heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature.
Just when everybody thinks the 2014 season has come to a close in Southeast Iowa and West Central Missouri, well you are sadly mistaken. The 8th Annual Memphis Fall Nationals takes place next Friday, October 17th and Saturday, October 18th at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, MO. Ken Schrader will be in action both nights with his Modified. Friday nights action gets underway with hot laps at 7:00 pm, while Saturday night will start one hour earlier at 6:00 pm.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Van Der Wal Remains Unbeaten in Fall Specials
Donnellson, IA (Friday, October 10, 2014) - Another weekend in October meant another fall special, this time it was night one of the 3rd Annual Fall Extravaganza at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA. The night would feature a complete show, with heat races, semis and features in the Modified, Stock Car, SportMod, Hobby Stock and Sport Compact divisions.
The first feature to take to the track on the night was the 22 lap SportMods, with Logan Anderson and Dakota Simmons drawing the front row for the event. But it was fourth place starter Tony Dunker who charged to the lead on lap 1 over Simmons and Anderson. Just after the completion of lap 1 Robert Gould would spin in turn 3 to bring out the first caution. On the restart Dunker moved back out front, with Simmons working to hold off Curtis Van Der Wal, who started 6th, for the battle for second. While Dunker paced the field out front, Van Der Wal, Jenae Gustin, who started 9th, and Joey Gower, who started 11th, were working there way towards the front. Both Gustin and Gower were using the bottom of the speedway to get to the front, while Dunker and Van Der Wal ran the top of the track. The top four cars were battled side-by-side until the second caution of the race on lap 9 slowed the action. Gould once again spun in turn 4 to bring out his second solo caution of the race to end his night. Dunker once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Van Der Wal and Gustin battling side-by-side for the second spot. The battle up front was brought to an end on lap 10, as the red was displayed on the speedway for an accident in turns 1 and 2. Austen Becerra, Jim Gillenwater, who was driving the #15 that Phillip Cossel drove all year, Nathan Bringer, Kyle Olson, and Tom Elsen all collided, with Gillenwater getting upside down to bring out the red. Gillenwater would climb out okay. On the restart Anderson got into the left rear of Austin Kaplan in turn 4 and got hooked together to bring the yellow light back on.
The following restart saw Dunker jump back out front, with Van Der Wal and Gustin close behind. Van Der Wal used the bottom of the speedway in turns 1 and 2 on lap 11 to slip under Dunker of turn 2 to grab the top spot away on lap 12. Van Der Wal then started to pull away from the field, when the final caution of the race appeared on lap 15. Gower, who was running with slowed to a stop in turn 4 with troubles to bring out the yellow. Under the caution Jenae Gustin, who was running 2nd, pulled off with a left rear tire going down to end her great battle up front. On the restart Van Der Wal moved back out front, with Dunker, Brandon Dale, and Brett Lowry, who started 10th, following. Van Der Wal would pull away over the final 7 laps to pick up his fifth straight fall special win and the $1,000 top prize to go with it. Dunker was 2nd, Lowry was 3rd, Carter VanDenBerg came from 13th to finish in 4th, with Dale holding on for 5th.
Up next was the 16 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Andrew Hustead and Brandon Symmonds leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Symmonds would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dustin Griffiths and Hustead. Griffiths jumped to the very top of the speedway to slip past Symmonds on lap 2 to grab the top spot away. While Griffiths set a fast pace out front, Symmonds, Derek Hodges, who started 7th, Justin Wacha, who started 8th, and Dale Porter, who started 10th, raced two and even three wide for the second spot. There was no catching Griffiths on this night as he pulled away in a caution free race to claim the win and the $500 top prize. Wacha won the battle for 2nd, Hodges crossed the line in 3rd but was penalized for contact in turn 3 that got Symmonds sideways, which moved Porter up to 3rd, Symmonds collected his car to finish in 4th, with Hodges moved back to a 5th place finish.
Dean Kratzer and Todd Reitzler drew the front row for the 24 lap Stock Car feature, with Kratzer grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Reitzler and Jeff Mueller, who was driving the #3 car that Dane Fenton drove all year. Kratzer, who was running the top of the track, then tried to hold back Reitzler and Mueller, who were both running the bottom, over the next 4 laps. Reitzler was able to slip under Kratzer on lap 5 to grab the top spot away, as Mueller went to work on Kratzer for second. Once Reitzler got out front he decided to move to the top of the track, which almost cost him. As Mueller, who stayed on the bottom, was able to get up beside Reitzler on lap 7, as the two came across the line side-by-side. But Reiztler was able to hold on and then pulled away in a caution free race to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize. Mueller settled for 2nd, John Oliver Jr. came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Kratzer held on for 4th in his first race of the 2014 season, with Shane Paris coming from 9th to round out the top 5.
Up next was the 14 lap Sport Compact feature, with Michael Grossman and Brandon Lambert leading the field to the green flag. But it was seventh place starter Cody Thompson who quickly moved to the front to grab the lead on lap 1 over Trent Orwig and Lambert. Thompson looked like he had things well in hand, until the first and only caution of the race appeared on lap 7. Austen Becerra spun in turn 4 to avoid contact with two cars that got sideways in front of him to bring out the yellow. On the restart Thompson jumped back out front, with Kimberly Abbott, who started 9th, using the bottom of the speedway to move into second. Abbott started to put pressure on Thompson for the lead, until lap 9 when Thompson lost power off turn 4 and pulled into the infield. Abbott would inherit the lead and then pulled away to claim her first win at the Lee County Speedway and the $300 top prize. Grossman settled for 2nd, Orwig was 3rd, Travis DeMint passed 7 cars from his 11th place starting spot to come home in 4th, with Lambert holding on for 5th.
The final feature to take to the track on the night was the 25 lap Modifieds, with Jimmy Gustin and Bill Roberts Jr. drawing the front row for the event. Roberts Jr. would take advantage of his draw to grab the lead on lap 1 over Gustin and Brandon Banks. But Roberts Jr. run out front would come to an end on lap 2, as he lost a motor in turn 2 to bring out the first caution. On the restart Gustin moved out front, with Michael Long, who started 7th, going three wide to move into second. Long, who was running the top of the track, slipped past Gustin on lap 4 to take over the top spot and then started to pull away from the battle behind him. But when Dylan Hoover slowed off turn 4 on lap 17 and couldn't get off the track, the caution would come out to bring the field back to Long's back bumper. Long once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Gustin, Carter VanDenBerg, who started 6th in Jason Murray's #49J machine, Cayden Carter, who started 13th, and Scott Hogan, who started 8th, raced four wide on lap 20. Carter would use the bottom of the speedway to slip into second on lap 22, but there was no catching Long, who had built up a lead. That was until Kyle Brown spun in turn 4 on lap 23 to bring out the yellow light, and setting up a 2 lap dash to the finish. On the restart Long went back to the top of the track, while Carter stayed glued to the bottom. Coming to the white flag Carter would edge out Long at the line to grab the lead. Long tried everything he could to come back on the outside off turn 4, but Carter was able to hold him off to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize. Long settled for 2nd, Hogan was 3rd, Joel Rust passed 10 cars from his 14th place starting spot to edge out 4th at the line, with VanDenBerg holding on for 5th.
One hundred and thirty-one cars from five states, including 36 Modifieds, 31 SportMods, 27 Sport Compacts, 24 Stock Cars, and 13 Hobby Stocks, signed in for night one of the Fall Extravaganza. Night two will conclude tonight, with heats, semis, and features in all five classes once again. The Modifieds, Stock Cars, and SportMods will all be battling for $1,000 to win, while the Hobby Stocks gun for $500 to win and the Sport Compacts for $300 to win. The action will get started one hour earlier, with hot laps at 6:00 pm.
The first feature to take to the track on the night was the 22 lap SportMods, with Logan Anderson and Dakota Simmons drawing the front row for the event. But it was fourth place starter Tony Dunker who charged to the lead on lap 1 over Simmons and Anderson. Just after the completion of lap 1 Robert Gould would spin in turn 3 to bring out the first caution. On the restart Dunker moved back out front, with Simmons working to hold off Curtis Van Der Wal, who started 6th, for the battle for second. While Dunker paced the field out front, Van Der Wal, Jenae Gustin, who started 9th, and Joey Gower, who started 11th, were working there way towards the front. Both Gustin and Gower were using the bottom of the speedway to get to the front, while Dunker and Van Der Wal ran the top of the track. The top four cars were battled side-by-side until the second caution of the race on lap 9 slowed the action. Gould once again spun in turn 4 to bring out his second solo caution of the race to end his night. Dunker once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Van Der Wal and Gustin battling side-by-side for the second spot. The battle up front was brought to an end on lap 10, as the red was displayed on the speedway for an accident in turns 1 and 2. Austen Becerra, Jim Gillenwater, who was driving the #15 that Phillip Cossel drove all year, Nathan Bringer, Kyle Olson, and Tom Elsen all collided, with Gillenwater getting upside down to bring out the red. Gillenwater would climb out okay. On the restart Anderson got into the left rear of Austin Kaplan in turn 4 and got hooked together to bring the yellow light back on.
The following restart saw Dunker jump back out front, with Van Der Wal and Gustin close behind. Van Der Wal used the bottom of the speedway in turns 1 and 2 on lap 11 to slip under Dunker of turn 2 to grab the top spot away on lap 12. Van Der Wal then started to pull away from the field, when the final caution of the race appeared on lap 15. Gower, who was running with slowed to a stop in turn 4 with troubles to bring out the yellow. Under the caution Jenae Gustin, who was running 2nd, pulled off with a left rear tire going down to end her great battle up front. On the restart Van Der Wal moved back out front, with Dunker, Brandon Dale, and Brett Lowry, who started 10th, following. Van Der Wal would pull away over the final 7 laps to pick up his fifth straight fall special win and the $1,000 top prize to go with it. Dunker was 2nd, Lowry was 3rd, Carter VanDenBerg came from 13th to finish in 4th, with Dale holding on for 5th.
Up next was the 16 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Andrew Hustead and Brandon Symmonds leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Symmonds would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dustin Griffiths and Hustead. Griffiths jumped to the very top of the speedway to slip past Symmonds on lap 2 to grab the top spot away. While Griffiths set a fast pace out front, Symmonds, Derek Hodges, who started 7th, Justin Wacha, who started 8th, and Dale Porter, who started 10th, raced two and even three wide for the second spot. There was no catching Griffiths on this night as he pulled away in a caution free race to claim the win and the $500 top prize. Wacha won the battle for 2nd, Hodges crossed the line in 3rd but was penalized for contact in turn 3 that got Symmonds sideways, which moved Porter up to 3rd, Symmonds collected his car to finish in 4th, with Hodges moved back to a 5th place finish.
Dean Kratzer and Todd Reitzler drew the front row for the 24 lap Stock Car feature, with Kratzer grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Reitzler and Jeff Mueller, who was driving the #3 car that Dane Fenton drove all year. Kratzer, who was running the top of the track, then tried to hold back Reitzler and Mueller, who were both running the bottom, over the next 4 laps. Reitzler was able to slip under Kratzer on lap 5 to grab the top spot away, as Mueller went to work on Kratzer for second. Once Reitzler got out front he decided to move to the top of the track, which almost cost him. As Mueller, who stayed on the bottom, was able to get up beside Reitzler on lap 7, as the two came across the line side-by-side. But Reiztler was able to hold on and then pulled away in a caution free race to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize. Mueller settled for 2nd, John Oliver Jr. came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Kratzer held on for 4th in his first race of the 2014 season, with Shane Paris coming from 9th to round out the top 5.
Up next was the 14 lap Sport Compact feature, with Michael Grossman and Brandon Lambert leading the field to the green flag. But it was seventh place starter Cody Thompson who quickly moved to the front to grab the lead on lap 1 over Trent Orwig and Lambert. Thompson looked like he had things well in hand, until the first and only caution of the race appeared on lap 7. Austen Becerra spun in turn 4 to avoid contact with two cars that got sideways in front of him to bring out the yellow. On the restart Thompson jumped back out front, with Kimberly Abbott, who started 9th, using the bottom of the speedway to move into second. Abbott started to put pressure on Thompson for the lead, until lap 9 when Thompson lost power off turn 4 and pulled into the infield. Abbott would inherit the lead and then pulled away to claim her first win at the Lee County Speedway and the $300 top prize. Grossman settled for 2nd, Orwig was 3rd, Travis DeMint passed 7 cars from his 11th place starting spot to come home in 4th, with Lambert holding on for 5th.
The final feature to take to the track on the night was the 25 lap Modifieds, with Jimmy Gustin and Bill Roberts Jr. drawing the front row for the event. Roberts Jr. would take advantage of his draw to grab the lead on lap 1 over Gustin and Brandon Banks. But Roberts Jr. run out front would come to an end on lap 2, as he lost a motor in turn 2 to bring out the first caution. On the restart Gustin moved out front, with Michael Long, who started 7th, going three wide to move into second. Long, who was running the top of the track, slipped past Gustin on lap 4 to take over the top spot and then started to pull away from the battle behind him. But when Dylan Hoover slowed off turn 4 on lap 17 and couldn't get off the track, the caution would come out to bring the field back to Long's back bumper. Long once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Gustin, Carter VanDenBerg, who started 6th in Jason Murray's #49J machine, Cayden Carter, who started 13th, and Scott Hogan, who started 8th, raced four wide on lap 20. Carter would use the bottom of the speedway to slip into second on lap 22, but there was no catching Long, who had built up a lead. That was until Kyle Brown spun in turn 4 on lap 23 to bring out the yellow light, and setting up a 2 lap dash to the finish. On the restart Long went back to the top of the track, while Carter stayed glued to the bottom. Coming to the white flag Carter would edge out Long at the line to grab the lead. Long tried everything he could to come back on the outside off turn 4, but Carter was able to hold him off to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize. Long settled for 2nd, Hogan was 3rd, Joel Rust passed 10 cars from his 14th place starting spot to edge out 4th at the line, with VanDenBerg holding on for 5th.
One hundred and thirty-one cars from five states, including 36 Modifieds, 31 SportMods, 27 Sport Compacts, 24 Stock Cars, and 13 Hobby Stocks, signed in for night one of the Fall Extravaganza. Night two will conclude tonight, with heats, semis, and features in all five classes once again. The Modifieds, Stock Cars, and SportMods will all be battling for $1,000 to win, while the Hobby Stocks gun for $500 to win and the Sport Compacts for $300 to win. The action will get started one hour earlier, with hot laps at 6:00 pm.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Van Der Wal, Hughes, and Thompson Sweep Fall Challenge Features
Oskaloosa, IA (Saturday, October 4, 2014) - Saturday night was the final night of the 28th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, which also put a close on the 2014 racing season at the 1/2 mile track. Mother nature once again wasn't to kind, as temps hoovered around the high 40's by race time. But what helped make Saturday's show more bearable then Friday nights was the winds, which by race time had diminished considerably.
The first feature up on the night was the 16 lap Hobby Stocks, with Craig Brown and Andrew Hustead drawing the front row for the event. Hustead would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dustin Griffiths, who started 6th, and Nick Ulin. Griffiths used the very top of the speedway to slip past Hustead on lap 2 to take the top spot away. He then started to pull away from the two and three wide battle for second going on behind him between Hustead, Danny Thrasher, who started 7th, Jacob Keiser, Mike Hughes, who started 10th, and Brown. The first caution of the race appeared on lap 7, which brought the field back to Griffiths back bumper. Kevin See, who started 12th and was battling for 6th, slowed to a stop in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Chad Dehne spun into the wall off turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Griffiths jump back out front over Thrasher and Hughes. While Griffiths paced the field out front, Thrasher was working to hold off Hughes in the battle for the runner up spot. Hughes was able to clear Thrasher for second on lap 11 and then went to work on Griffiths for the top spot. Griffiths, who was running the top, and Hughes, who was glued to the bottom, raced laps 13, 14, and 15 side-by-side, with Hughes edging out Griffiths at the line coming to the white flag. Hughes then held on to claim his second win of the weekend and collecting another $1,000 top prize in doing so. Griffiths settled for 2nd, Thrasher was 3rd, Hustead held on for 4th, with Ulin coming home in 5th.
Up next was the 18 lap SportMod feature, with Ryan Fullenkamp and Brayton Carter leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Fullenkamp and Carter raced lap 1 side-by-side, with Fullenkamp edging out Carter at the line by inches to lead the lap. But Carter would use the top of the speedway to grab the top spot away from Fullenkamp on lap 2. Curtis Van Der Wal, who started 5th, quickly moved up to battle Carter for the lead on lap 3. Carter, who was working the top, and Van Der Wal, who was on the bottom, raced side-by-side on lap 4, crossing the line dead even, before Van Der Wal was able to clear Carter for the lead on lap 5. Van Der Wal then started to pull away from the field, when he entered heavy lapped traffic on lap 13. This allowed Carter to quickly close in on Van Der Wal's back bumper. But Van Der Wal was able to hold on to claim his second win of the weekend and another $1,000 to go with it, it also kept Van Der Wal's perfect 2014 fall specials wins intake. Carter was 2nd, Jenae Gustin was 3rd, Fullenkamp held on for 4th, with Jason McDaniel coming from 11th to round out the top 5.
Mike Hughes and Gary Harward led the field to green in the 20 lap Stock Car feature, with Hughes grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Cayden Carter, who started 4th, and Damon Murty, who started 5th. Hughes was only able to hold the top spot until lap 4, when Carter shot under him to take the lead. While Carter started to pull away, teammates Murty and Hughes battled for the runner up spot. Without the help of a caution there was no catching Carter, as he pulled away to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize. Murty won the battle for 2nd, Hughes was 3rd, Corey Stout came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Shay Curtin passing 9 cars from his 14th place starting spot to finish in 5th.
Up next was the 10 lap Sport Compact feature, with Cody Thompson and John Girdley drawing the front row for the event. Thompson would take advantage of his front row start to jump out front on lap 1 over Jason Klerk De Reus, who started 6th, and Bill Whalen Jr, who started 5th. There was no stopping Thompson on this night, as he cruised to his second straight win on the weekend and picked up another $250 in the process. Klerk De Reus was 2nd, Whalen Jr was 3rd, Matt Moore was 4th, with Matt Girdley coming home in 5th.
The final feature to take to the track was the 20 lap Modifieds, with Cayden Carter and Todd Shute leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Shute would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Carter and Tyler Droste. Carter, who was working the bottom of the track, tried to slip past Shute, who was working the top, over the next 10 laps. But Shute was able to hold him off each lap at the line to keep the lead. The duo started to work lapped traffic on lap 11, which allowed Zack VanderBeek, who started 6th, to close in to make it a three car battle out front. Despite Carter getting up beside Shute over the final three laps, Shute was able to hold on to claim the win and the $1,000 top prize. Carter settled for 2nd, VanderBeek was 3rd, Andrew Schroeder was 4th, with Droste holding on for 5th.
The fall specials events moves to the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa next Friday, October 10th and Saturday, October 11th. Each night will feature heats, semis and features in the Modified, Stock Cars, SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts, with a payout each night. Both Friday and Saturday the Modifieds, Stock Cars and SportMods will be racing for $1,000 to win, while the Hobby Stocks run for $500 to win each night and $300 up for grabs each night for the Sport Compacts. For more information you can check out the Lee County Speedway's website at www.leecountyspeedway.com.
The first feature up on the night was the 16 lap Hobby Stocks, with Craig Brown and Andrew Hustead drawing the front row for the event. Hustead would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dustin Griffiths, who started 6th, and Nick Ulin. Griffiths used the very top of the speedway to slip past Hustead on lap 2 to take the top spot away. He then started to pull away from the two and three wide battle for second going on behind him between Hustead, Danny Thrasher, who started 7th, Jacob Keiser, Mike Hughes, who started 10th, and Brown. The first caution of the race appeared on lap 7, which brought the field back to Griffiths back bumper. Kevin See, who started 12th and was battling for 6th, slowed to a stop in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Chad Dehne spun into the wall off turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Griffiths jump back out front over Thrasher and Hughes. While Griffiths paced the field out front, Thrasher was working to hold off Hughes in the battle for the runner up spot. Hughes was able to clear Thrasher for second on lap 11 and then went to work on Griffiths for the top spot. Griffiths, who was running the top, and Hughes, who was glued to the bottom, raced laps 13, 14, and 15 side-by-side, with Hughes edging out Griffiths at the line coming to the white flag. Hughes then held on to claim his second win of the weekend and collecting another $1,000 top prize in doing so. Griffiths settled for 2nd, Thrasher was 3rd, Hustead held on for 4th, with Ulin coming home in 5th.
Up next was the 18 lap SportMod feature, with Ryan Fullenkamp and Brayton Carter leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Fullenkamp and Carter raced lap 1 side-by-side, with Fullenkamp edging out Carter at the line by inches to lead the lap. But Carter would use the top of the speedway to grab the top spot away from Fullenkamp on lap 2. Curtis Van Der Wal, who started 5th, quickly moved up to battle Carter for the lead on lap 3. Carter, who was working the top, and Van Der Wal, who was on the bottom, raced side-by-side on lap 4, crossing the line dead even, before Van Der Wal was able to clear Carter for the lead on lap 5. Van Der Wal then started to pull away from the field, when he entered heavy lapped traffic on lap 13. This allowed Carter to quickly close in on Van Der Wal's back bumper. But Van Der Wal was able to hold on to claim his second win of the weekend and another $1,000 to go with it, it also kept Van Der Wal's perfect 2014 fall specials wins intake. Carter was 2nd, Jenae Gustin was 3rd, Fullenkamp held on for 4th, with Jason McDaniel coming from 11th to round out the top 5.
Mike Hughes and Gary Harward led the field to green in the 20 lap Stock Car feature, with Hughes grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Cayden Carter, who started 4th, and Damon Murty, who started 5th. Hughes was only able to hold the top spot until lap 4, when Carter shot under him to take the lead. While Carter started to pull away, teammates Murty and Hughes battled for the runner up spot. Without the help of a caution there was no catching Carter, as he pulled away to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize. Murty won the battle for 2nd, Hughes was 3rd, Corey Stout came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Shay Curtin passing 9 cars from his 14th place starting spot to finish in 5th.
Up next was the 10 lap Sport Compact feature, with Cody Thompson and John Girdley drawing the front row for the event. Thompson would take advantage of his front row start to jump out front on lap 1 over Jason Klerk De Reus, who started 6th, and Bill Whalen Jr, who started 5th. There was no stopping Thompson on this night, as he cruised to his second straight win on the weekend and picked up another $250 in the process. Klerk De Reus was 2nd, Whalen Jr was 3rd, Matt Moore was 4th, with Matt Girdley coming home in 5th.
The final feature to take to the track was the 20 lap Modifieds, with Cayden Carter and Todd Shute leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Shute would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Carter and Tyler Droste. Carter, who was working the bottom of the track, tried to slip past Shute, who was working the top, over the next 10 laps. But Shute was able to hold him off each lap at the line to keep the lead. The duo started to work lapped traffic on lap 11, which allowed Zack VanderBeek, who started 6th, to close in to make it a three car battle out front. Despite Carter getting up beside Shute over the final three laps, Shute was able to hold on to claim the win and the $1,000 top prize. Carter settled for 2nd, VanderBeek was 3rd, Andrew Schroeder was 4th, with Droste holding on for 5th.
The fall specials events moves to the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa next Friday, October 10th and Saturday, October 11th. Each night will feature heats, semis and features in the Modified, Stock Cars, SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts, with a payout each night. Both Friday and Saturday the Modifieds, Stock Cars and SportMods will be racing for $1,000 to win, while the Hobby Stocks run for $500 to win each night and $300 up for grabs each night for the Sport Compacts. For more information you can check out the Lee County Speedway's website at www.leecountyspeedway.com.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Exciting Racing on a Cool Night In Oskaloosa Helps to Heat Up the Fans
Oskaloosa, IA (Friday, October 3, 2014) - Despite the temps hoovering around the mid 40's, with wind chills around the upper 30's, night one of the 28th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa went off without a hitch. Mother Nature tried everything to stop this event from getting kicked off, as over an inch of rain fell on the grounds on Thursday. But Mike VanGenderen and his crew worked hard to get the racing surface prepared, which paid off with a fast and smooth track from top to bottom.
The first feature to take to the track was the 10 lap Sport Compacts, with Matt Moore and Matt Girdley leading the field to the green flag. Moore and Girdley came around to complete lap 1 side-by-side, with Girdley edging out Moore by inches to grab the lead. But Moore didn't give up as he slipped past Girdley on lap 2 to take over the top spot. While Moore and Girdley battled for the top spot, Cody Thompson, who started 6th, worked his way into the battle on lap 2. Thompson made a three wide pass on Moore and Girdley coming off turn four on lap 3 to take over the lead. Thompson then pulled away over the final 7 laps of a caution free race to pick up the $250 top prize. Moore was 2nd, Girdley was 3rd, Steven Struck was 4th, with Levi Heath rounding out the top 5.
Up next was the 20 lap Stock Car feature, with Jerry Pilcher and Alan VaGorp drawing the front row for the event. But just as the green flag was waved the caution light would come on, as Corey Stout and Darrin Adamy, who made the long pull over from David City, Nebraska, spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart VanGorp led lap 1 over Pilcher and David Brandies. With VanGorp out front, the battle behind him was two and even three wide at times. Damon Murty, who started 8th, used the low groove of the half mile to edge VanGorp at the line to take over the top spot on lap 6. Meanwhile Brandies, who was running 3rd, spun off turn four with a broken right front to bring out the caution. Murty jumped back out front on the restart, with Donovan Nunnikhoven working to hold off Shay Curtin, who started 10th, in the battle for second. The action up front was slowed for the third time on lap 8, as Adamy spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Joe Zadina, who started 15th, used the top of the track to grab the top spot away from Murty and Nathan Wood, who started 8th. Zadina paced the field out front, while Mike Hughes, who started 18th, moved in to challenge Murty and Wood for the second spot. Hughes run to the front came to an end on lap 12, as he was going for second in turn 1 and got in to hot and spun in front of the field to bring out the final caution of the race. On the restart Murty would use the bottom of the track to edge Zadina at the line to grab the lead back and then pulled away over the final 7 laps to claim the win and the $1,000 top prize. Wood finished in 2nd, Zadina was 3rd, Derrick Agee came from 16th to finish in 4th, with Pilcher rounding out the top 5.
Tony Johnson and Brett Lowry led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 18 lap SportMod feature, with Lowry grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Logan Anderson and Johnson. While Lowry paced the field out front, Matt Lettow, who started 6th, found the top of the track to his liking. Lettow would use that groove to slip past Lowry on lap 5 to grab the top spot and then started to pull away. But when John Anderson slowed in turn 4 on lap 6 to bring out the first and only caution of the race, it would bring the field back to his back bumper. On the restart Lettow held off Curtis Van Der Wal, who started 9th and went from 5th to 2nd on the restart, at the line to hold the lead. Van Der Wal tried the low groove on the restart and wasn't able to make the pass, so he jumped to the top of the track coming off turn 4 on lap 8 to grab the lead away. Van Der Wal, who swept the Grand Nationals last weekend down at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, MO, went on to lead the final 10 laps to claim the $1,000 top prize and go three for three in fall specials so far in 2014. Lettow settled for 2nd, Brayton Carter came from 11th to finish in 3rd, Luke Wanninger drove Ty Luellen's 32L machine to a 4th place finish, with Carter VanDenBerg coming from 12th to finish in 5th.
Up next was the 16 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Bill Bonnett and Nick Ulin drawing the front row for the event. Bonnett would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Mike Hughes and Ulin. Hughes jumped to the top of the track on lap 2 to over take Bonnett for the top spot and then started to put some distance on the field. Until the first and only caution of the race appeared on lap 8, as Bobby Greene, who was running 6th, slowed to a stop in turn 4 with a right rear flat to bring out the yellow. On the restart Hughes moved back out front, with Danny Thrasher, who started 5th, and Dustin Griffiths, who started 9th, glued to his back bumper. Thrasher tried to stay in Hughes' tracks over the final 8 laps, but Hughes would hold on to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize. Thrasher settled for 2nd, Bonnett was 3rd, Craig Brown started 7th and finished 4th, with Andrew Hustead coming home in 5th.
The final feature to take to the track was the 20 lap Modifieds, with Tyler Droste and Ryan Peckham leading the field to the green. Droste took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Scott Dickey and Peckham. But Dickey would jump to the top of the track on lap 2 to over take Droste for the top spot. While Dickey set a very fast pace out front, Jesse Dennis, who started 5th, and Cayden Carter, who started 7th, were working their way towards the front. At the midway point of the race, lap 10, Dennis would move into 2nd, with Carter following him into 3rd. But by then Dickey had built up a straight-away lead. Dennis and Carter tried to chase down Dickey over the final laps, but Dickey was to far out front as he claimed the win and the $1,000 top prize in a caution free race. Carter over took Dennis late to finish in 2nd, Dennis was 3rd, Jacob Murray started 10th and finished 4th, with Peckham holding on to finish in 5th.
Night 2 of the 28th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge concludes tonight, Saturday, October 4th. The Modifieds, Stock Cars, SportMods, and Hobby Stocks will once again battle for a $1,000 top prize, while the Sport Compacts battle for $250 to win. Hot laps start at 6 pm, with racing to follow. So bundle up and take in the final night of racing for 2014 at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA!
The first feature to take to the track was the 10 lap Sport Compacts, with Matt Moore and Matt Girdley leading the field to the green flag. Moore and Girdley came around to complete lap 1 side-by-side, with Girdley edging out Moore by inches to grab the lead. But Moore didn't give up as he slipped past Girdley on lap 2 to take over the top spot. While Moore and Girdley battled for the top spot, Cody Thompson, who started 6th, worked his way into the battle on lap 2. Thompson made a three wide pass on Moore and Girdley coming off turn four on lap 3 to take over the lead. Thompson then pulled away over the final 7 laps of a caution free race to pick up the $250 top prize. Moore was 2nd, Girdley was 3rd, Steven Struck was 4th, with Levi Heath rounding out the top 5.
Up next was the 20 lap Stock Car feature, with Jerry Pilcher and Alan VaGorp drawing the front row for the event. But just as the green flag was waved the caution light would come on, as Corey Stout and Darrin Adamy, who made the long pull over from David City, Nebraska, spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart VanGorp led lap 1 over Pilcher and David Brandies. With VanGorp out front, the battle behind him was two and even three wide at times. Damon Murty, who started 8th, used the low groove of the half mile to edge VanGorp at the line to take over the top spot on lap 6. Meanwhile Brandies, who was running 3rd, spun off turn four with a broken right front to bring out the caution. Murty jumped back out front on the restart, with Donovan Nunnikhoven working to hold off Shay Curtin, who started 10th, in the battle for second. The action up front was slowed for the third time on lap 8, as Adamy spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Joe Zadina, who started 15th, used the top of the track to grab the top spot away from Murty and Nathan Wood, who started 8th. Zadina paced the field out front, while Mike Hughes, who started 18th, moved in to challenge Murty and Wood for the second spot. Hughes run to the front came to an end on lap 12, as he was going for second in turn 1 and got in to hot and spun in front of the field to bring out the final caution of the race. On the restart Murty would use the bottom of the track to edge Zadina at the line to grab the lead back and then pulled away over the final 7 laps to claim the win and the $1,000 top prize. Wood finished in 2nd, Zadina was 3rd, Derrick Agee came from 16th to finish in 4th, with Pilcher rounding out the top 5.
Tony Johnson and Brett Lowry led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 18 lap SportMod feature, with Lowry grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Logan Anderson and Johnson. While Lowry paced the field out front, Matt Lettow, who started 6th, found the top of the track to his liking. Lettow would use that groove to slip past Lowry on lap 5 to grab the top spot and then started to pull away. But when John Anderson slowed in turn 4 on lap 6 to bring out the first and only caution of the race, it would bring the field back to his back bumper. On the restart Lettow held off Curtis Van Der Wal, who started 9th and went from 5th to 2nd on the restart, at the line to hold the lead. Van Der Wal tried the low groove on the restart and wasn't able to make the pass, so he jumped to the top of the track coming off turn 4 on lap 8 to grab the lead away. Van Der Wal, who swept the Grand Nationals last weekend down at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, MO, went on to lead the final 10 laps to claim the $1,000 top prize and go three for three in fall specials so far in 2014. Lettow settled for 2nd, Brayton Carter came from 11th to finish in 3rd, Luke Wanninger drove Ty Luellen's 32L machine to a 4th place finish, with Carter VanDenBerg coming from 12th to finish in 5th.
Up next was the 16 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Bill Bonnett and Nick Ulin drawing the front row for the event. Bonnett would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Mike Hughes and Ulin. Hughes jumped to the top of the track on lap 2 to over take Bonnett for the top spot and then started to put some distance on the field. Until the first and only caution of the race appeared on lap 8, as Bobby Greene, who was running 6th, slowed to a stop in turn 4 with a right rear flat to bring out the yellow. On the restart Hughes moved back out front, with Danny Thrasher, who started 5th, and Dustin Griffiths, who started 9th, glued to his back bumper. Thrasher tried to stay in Hughes' tracks over the final 8 laps, but Hughes would hold on to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize. Thrasher settled for 2nd, Bonnett was 3rd, Craig Brown started 7th and finished 4th, with Andrew Hustead coming home in 5th.
The final feature to take to the track was the 20 lap Modifieds, with Tyler Droste and Ryan Peckham leading the field to the green. Droste took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Scott Dickey and Peckham. But Dickey would jump to the top of the track on lap 2 to over take Droste for the top spot. While Dickey set a very fast pace out front, Jesse Dennis, who started 5th, and Cayden Carter, who started 7th, were working their way towards the front. At the midway point of the race, lap 10, Dennis would move into 2nd, with Carter following him into 3rd. But by then Dickey had built up a straight-away lead. Dennis and Carter tried to chase down Dickey over the final laps, but Dickey was to far out front as he claimed the win and the $1,000 top prize in a caution free race. Carter over took Dennis late to finish in 2nd, Dennis was 3rd, Jacob Murray started 10th and finished 4th, with Peckham holding on to finish in 5th.
Night 2 of the 28th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge concludes tonight, Saturday, October 4th. The Modifieds, Stock Cars, SportMods, and Hobby Stocks will once again battle for a $1,000 top prize, while the Sport Compacts battle for $250 to win. Hot laps start at 6 pm, with racing to follow. So bundle up and take in the final night of racing for 2014 at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA!
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