Donnellson, IA (Friday, April 10, 2015) - After taking a week off from racing, the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa returned to action with there season points opener. For the second event in a row mother nature tried to keep that from happening, as strong storms moved thru the area on Thursday night. But the track was spared by this storm, which allowed Tyler Groenendyk (IMCA Modifieds), John Oliver Jr. (IMCA Stock Cars), Bobby Six (IMCA SportMods), Dustin Griffiths (IMCA Hobby Stocks), and Josh Barnes (IMCA Sport Compacts) to find victory lane.
The first feature to track to the track was the 15 lap IMCA Sport Compacts, with John Whalen and Josh Barnes drawing the front row for the event. Barnes would take advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Kimberly Abbott and Whalen. While Barnes set a fast pace out front, Abbott was working to hold off Michael Grossman, who started 5th, for second. With Brandon Rue, who started 7th, Whalen, and Barry Taft battling two and even three wide for the fourth spot. Grossman would over take Abbott around the mid point of the race and then tried to track down Barnes for the top spot. But without a caution, Barnes was able to hold on to pick up the win. Grossman settled for 2nd, Abbott was 3rd, Reu was 4th, with Seith Woodruff coming from 10th to round out the top 5.
Up next was the 12 lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature, with Dustin Griffiths and Kevin Koontz leading the field to the green flag. Griffiths grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Mike Kincaid and Nick Ulin. With Griffiths out front, Kincaid worked to hold back Ulin for the second spot, that was until lap 5 when Ulin slipped under Kincaid off turn 4 to take over the runner up spot. Ulin then went to work on Griffiths for the lead. Ulin would look under Griffiths coming off the corners over the final 2 laps. But Griffiths was able to hold off Ulin to claim the win. Ulin was 2nd, Kincaid was 3rd, with Koontz in 4th.
Austin Howes and Bobby Six lead the field to the drop of the green flag in the IMCA SportMod feature. But just as the green flag was dropped the caution light would come on, as Groenendyk and Robert Gould spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Under the caution Howes would pull into the pits with troubles, which moved Austen Becerra to the pole for the restart. On the restart Becerra would grab the lead on lap 1 over Six and Kyle Hill. Becerra's lead out front only lasted 1 lap, as Six used the top of the track to grab the top spot away on lap 2. Becerra then tried to get under Six until he spun in turn 2 on lap 4 with a broken right front to bring out the caution. Six once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Dan Keltner over taking Hill for the second spot. Joey Gower, who started 8th, made his move into second on lap 12, using the bottom of the track, and then went to work on Six for the lead. Gower was able to pull up beside Six over laps 14 and 15, but coming out of turn 4 on lap 16 Gower was held up by a lapped car which allowed Six to pull away. Six then held on to pick up his first career SportMod feature win. Gower settled for 2nd, Phillip Cossel was 3rd, Brandon Dale was 4th, with Keltner holding on for 5th.
Up next was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Jason See and John Oliver Jr. drawing the front row. Oliver Jr. would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over See and Corey Strothman. The battle up front was slowed on lap 5, when Ryan Fullenkamp, who was running 8th, spun in turn 1 to bring out the caution. On the restart Oliver Jr. jumped back out front, with Strothman and Nathan Wood, who started 6th, battling for the runner up spot. Wood went to the top of the track on lap 11 to over take Strothman for second and then went to work on Oliver Jr. for the lead. Wood was able to pull up along side Oliver Jr. coming off turn 4 on lap 13, with Oliver Jr. edging him at the line to keep the lead. Brad Egbert would come to a stop in turn 3 on lap 15 to bring out the caution and slow the action. Once again Oliver Jr. moved out front on the restart, with Strothman, Wood, and Jim Redmann, who started 14th, going three wide off turn 2 for the runner up spot. Strothman, who was running the bottom of the track, slipped under Oliver Jr. off turn 4 on the white flag lap to grab the lead by inches. But Oliver Jr. would use the momentum off the top of the track in turn 2 to grab the lead back, and then held on to claim his second win in a row at the track. Wood was 2nd, Redmann was 3rd, Strothman was 4th, with Jeremy Pundt coming from 8th to finish in 5th.
The final feature to take to the track on the night was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Jerad Fuller and Brandon Banks leading the field to the drop of the green flag. But just as the green flag was dropped the caution light would come on, as Fuller got the jump on the field to bring out the yellow. On the restart third place starter Tyler Groenendyk slipped under Banks and Fuller to grab the lead on lap 1. Groenendyk then went to the top of the track, which allowed Banks to run the bottom, as the two raced side-by-side until lap 4. Brian Woodruff would spin in turn 3 to bring out the yellow, and slow the battle up front. On the restart Groenendyk jumped back out front, with Banks working to hold off Scott Hogan, who started 10th, for the runner up spot. Banks, who was using the bottom of the track, made one last move to try and get under Groenendyk on lap 7. But Groenendyk held on to the lead. Groenendyk then pulled away over the final 13 laps to pick up his first win of the season at the track. Hogan was 2nd, Banks was 3rd, Brandon Rothzen came from 8th to 4th, with Carter VanDenBerg rounding out the top 5.
Notes from LCS: Trent Orwig started the Sport Compact feature in 8th and finished 6th....Matt Moore came from 15th to finish in 9th......Bobby Anders started the SportMod feature in 14th and passed 8 cars to finish in 6th.....LeRoy Groenendyk, who started 15th and was involved in the first caution, came from the rear to finish in 7th....Robert Gould, who started 13th and was also involved in the first caution, came back up to finish in 8th....Nathan Bringer started 11th and finished 9th....Kyle Hill, who was running 2nd, pulled off with engine troubles on lap 11 to end his night in 10th....Travis Hartman had troubles in his heat raced that forced him to scratch from the feature......Ray Raker finished 7th in the Stock Car feature after starting in 11th....Doug Sylvester came from 13th to finish in 9th....Devon Timmerman returned to the seat of a race car after a 5 year absence. He would start the feature in 15th and brought home an 11th place finish....Jason See, who was running 5th, pulled off after the restart of the lap 15 caution with a right front flat to end his night in 13th......Jeff Waterman passed 6 cars from his 13th place starting spot in the Modified feature to come home in 7th....Steve Stewart started 11th and finished 9th....Blake Woodruff started 15th and finished 11th.
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