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.

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