Donnellson, IA (Friday, April 24, 2015) - The Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA played beat mother nature, for what seemed like the third time in four races so far in 2015, as rains covered most of the area. But everything would hold off long enough to get Friday nights races put in the books. At the end of the night there would be four two new winners and one repeat winner standing in victory lane.
The first feature to take to the track on the night was the 15 lap IMCA Sport Compacts, with John Whalen and Barry Taft leading the field to the green flag. Taft would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Michael Grossman and Whalen. Josh Barnes, who started 12th, quickly worked his way to the front, as Taft, Grossman and Barnes raced three wide for the lead going into turn 3 on lap 6. Taft was able to hold onto the lead each lap, until lap 8, when Barnes slipped under him to grab the top spot away. While Barnes set a fast pace out front, Grossman and Taft would race side-by-side for second on lap 10. The action up front was slowed for the first time on the completion of lap 10, as Colton Keck lost a right front wheel in turn 4 to bring out the caution. On the restart Barnes moved back out front, with Travis DeMint, who started 11th, and William Michel, who started 6th, moved into second and third. Debris in turn 1 on the completion of lap 11, slowed the field down for the second time. Barnes once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with DeMint and Michel close behind. DeMint and Barnes came off turn 4 to the white flag side-by-side, with DeMint edging out front at the line to grab the lead. Barnes car slowed going into turn 1, which allowed DeMint to pull away for his first win of the season at the track and breaking Barnes' two week winning streak. Kimberly Abbott started 9th and took second on the last lap, Chuck Fullenkamp started 10th and finished a close 3rd, Michel held on for 4th, with Grossman rounding out the top 5.
Up next was the 14 lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature, with Leah Wroten and Brandon Symmonds making up the front row for the event. But it was fourth place starter Dane Blozovich who jumped out into the lead on lap 1 over Dustin Griffiths and Wroten. Then going into turn 1 on the completion of lap 1 disaster would strike, as Griffiths got into the back of Blozovich and spun him to bring out the caution. Blozovich had to much damage to continue, while Griffiths was sent to the pits for rough driving. On the restart Wroten would inherit the lead over Garrett Eilander, who started 5th, and Symmonds. Eilander would slip under Wroten on lap 3 to grab the lead, and then was slowed on the completion of that lap. As Calvin Dhondt spun in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. Eilander moved back out front on the restart, with Symmonds and Wroten close behind. While Eilander worked the bottom of the track, Symmonds would work the middle, as the two raced side-by-side for the lead on laps 9 thru 10. Coming out of turn 4 on lap 12 Symmonds was able to edge Eilander at the line to grab the lead. But Eilander wouldn't give up, as the two raced side-by-side for the final two laps. Symmonds was able to edge out Eilander at the line by a half a car length to pick up his first career IMCA Hobby Stock win and his first since back in the outlaw days in 2012. Eilander finished a close 2nd, Dhondt recovered from his spin on lap 3 to come back up to 3rd, Wroten was 4th, with Kevin Koontz coming home in 5th.
Austin Howes and Austen Becerra led the field to the green flag in the 20 lap IMCA SportMod feature. But just as the green flag was waved the caution light would appear, as debris down the backstretch brought out the yellow. On the restart Becerra grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Nathan Bringer and Howes. After the completion of lap 1 Dan Keltner would spin in turn 4 and collected Colton Livezey to bring out the yellow. Becerra moved back out front on the restart, but now had Adam Birck, who started 7th, and Brandon Dale glued to his back bumper. Birck would slip under Becerra on lap 4 to take over the top spot and then was slowed after the completion of that lap. As Brandon Ruffcorn spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Bobby Six spun in turn 2 and collected Bringer, Phillip Cossel, Ashton Johnson, Colton Bowman and Ruffcorn to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Birck jump back out front, with Becerra and Dale battling for second. Birck then started to pull away from the battle behind him, until a caution on lap 9 brought the field back to his back bumper. Dale, who was running 6th, spun in turn 3 and collected Tony Olson, who started 11th and was running 7th, to bring out the yellow. Birck once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Becerra working to hold back Dakota Simmons, who started 9th, for the runner up spot. Shawn Ritter, who started 10th and was running 6th, spun in turn 4 on lap 13 to bring out the final caution of the race. On the restart Birck moved back out front, with Becerra and Joey Gower, who started 13th, battling for second. Birck would pull away over the final 7 laps to claim his first win of the season at the track. Becerra held on for 2nd, Gower was 3rd, Simmons was 4th, with Olson recovering from his involvement in the lap 9 caution to come back up to finish 5th.
Up next was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Jake Wenig and Jeremy Pundt on the front row. Just as the green flag was waved the caution light would come on, as Andrew Hustead spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Jason Cook, who started 3rd, grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Wenig and Pundt. While Cook worked the bottom of the track, Abe Huls, who started 6th, went to the top of track to take over the top spot on lap 4. The action up front was slowed on lap 6, when debris in turn 4 brought out the yellow. On the restart a tire was clipped in turn 4 and pushed onto the track to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Huls move back out front, with Cook working to hold off John Oliver Jr., who started 8th, for the second spot. Just as Huls started to pull away from the field, the final caution appeared on lap 10. Another tire in turn 2 was clipped and pushed out onto the track to bring out the yellow. Once again Huls jumped back out front on the restart, with Oliver Jr. over taking Cook for second. Oliver Jr. was able to challenge Huls for the top spot for a couple of laps, before Huls pulled away to pick up his second win in a row at the track. Oliver Jr. settled for 2nd, Cook was 3rd, Ray Raker was 4th, with Nathan Wood coming from 9th to finish in 5th.
The final feature to take to the track was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with AJ Johnson and Dustin Smith leading the field to the green flag. But just as the green flag was waved the caution light would come on, as Todd Cramer spun in turn 1 and Brandon Rothzen spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Smith spun in front of the field and collected Dugan Thye to bring the caution light back on. The following restart saw Carter VanDenBerg, who started 6th, edge out Johnson at the line to lead lap 1 by inches. After the completion of lap 1 Johnson would spin in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. VanDenBerg jumped back out front on the restart, with Bill Roberts Jr. and Tyler Groenendyk close behind. When VanDenBerg drifted high in turn 4 on lap 3, Roberts Jr. would slip under him to grab the lead away. The battle up front was slowed on lap 7, when Jeff Waterman, who was running 7th, spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Roberts Jr. moved back out front, with VanDenBerg working to hold off Kyle Brown, who started 12th, for the second spot. Roberts Jr., who was running the bottom, and VanDenBerg, who was running the top, raced laps 8 and 9 side-by-side, with VanDenBerg edging Roberts Jr. out at the line to lead lap 9. The final caution of the event appeared on lap 12, when Smith spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. VanDenBerg jumped back out front on the restart, with Roberts Jr. working to hold back Brown for second. While the battle went on for second, VanDenBerg would pull away to claim his first career IMCA Modified feature win. Roberts Jr. won the battle for 2nd, Brown was 3rd, Groenendyk was 4th, with Andrew Schroeder coming from 8th to round out the top 5.
Notes from LCS: 24 Sport Compacts, 20 Modifieds, 20 SportMods, 18 Stock Cars, and 7 Hobby Stocks, made up the 89 cars signed in this iffy night of racing......Brandon Lambert started the Sport Compact feature in 14th and finished 11th,...Josh Barnes' car slowed in turn 1 on the final lap and he limped around to finished 12th, after leading until the last lap....John Girdley started 19th and finished 14th....Alyssa Steele passed 7 cars from her 22nd place starting spot to finish in 15th....Kevin Garrett started 18th and finished 16th....Kyle Hamelton came from 21st to finish in 17th....Antonio Jacobs started 23rd and finished 18th....Will Calhoun started 24th and finished 20th......Colton Livezey passed 11 cars from his 17th place starting spot in the SportMod feature, plus recovered from his involvement in the caution on lap 1, to came back up to finish in 6th....Bobby Six recovered from his spin on lap 4 to come back up to finish in 8th....Brandon Dale also recovered from his spin on lap 9 to come back up to finish in 9th....Dan Keltner, who started 16th and spun on lap 1, recovered from his spin to climb back up to finish in 11th....Robert Gould who scratched from his heat race, started 20th and passed 8 cars to come home in 12th....Ashton Johnson started 19th and finished 15th......Donovan Nunnikoven started the Stock Car feature in 12th and finished 6th....Andrew Hustead, who started 15th and spun before the start, recovered from his spin to come back up to finish 7th....Randy Killen passed 8 cars from his 16th place starting spot to finish in 8th....Devon Timmerman started 13th and finished 9th....Michael Bilyeu started 17th and finished 14th....Jake Wenig, who was running 5th, pulled off under the caution on lap 6 with troubles to end his night in 16th....Jim Redmann was suppose to start 5th, but troubles after his heat race forced him to scratch from the feature......Scott Hogan started the Modified feature in 10th and finished 6th....AJ Johnson recovered from his spin on lap 1 to come back up to finish 7th....Brandon Rothzen also recovered from his spin on the start to come back up to finish in 8th....Blake Woodruff started 14th and finished 9th....Dylan Hoover started 17th and finished 11th....Scott Simatovich finished 13th after starting in 15th....Derek Reimer came from 18th to finish in 14th....Larry McConnell started 19th and finished 16th.
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