Monday, May 16, 2016

Sheppard Makes First Visit to Lee County Payoff With MLRA Late Model Win

Donnellson, IA (Thursday, May 5, 2016) - I know there are fans out there that say I like to watch the Modifieds, or I like to watch the Sprint Cars, or I like this class. Well if you are a Late Model fan, then the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa was the place to be this past Thursday night. As the MLRA Late Models made their first stop of the season at the track and brought 37 drivers with them, while the Lee County Late Model class pulled in 21 to bring the total number of Late Models on the grounds to 59.

After 18 qualifying events, including 2 MLRA Late Model B-Mains, it was time to go feature racing. The first feature to take to the track was the 18 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Jake Wenig and Jeremy Pundt drawing the front row for the event. Pundt would take advantage of his starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Jason See and Wenig. The first caution of the race appeared on lap 2, when Greg Gill spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Wenig went to the bottom, with Pundt in the middle, and John Oliver Jr., who started 6th, up top, as the trio raced off turn 4 three wide. Wenig would edge the lead out at the line, only to have Oliver Jr. slip past him on the next lap to take the top spot away. After the completion of lap 4, another caution appeared to slow the action up front. Kevin Koontz would spin in turn 3 to bring the yellow light on. Oliver Jr. moved back out front on the restart, but now had Jeff Mueller, who started 8th, glued to his back bumper. Coming off turn 2 to complete lap 7, Mueller was able to squeeze under Oliver Jr. to take the lead. The action up front was slowed for the final time on lap 10, when Brent Hartley spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. Mueller jumped back out front on the restart and then pulled away to win his third win in a row at the track. Oliver Jr. was 2nd, Nathan Wood was 3rd, Gill recovered from his spin on lap 2 to come back up to finish 4th, with See holding on for 5th.
Jeff Mueller won his third IMCA Stock Car feature in a row at the Lee County Speedway on Thursday, May 5th.

Up next was the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Brandon Rothzen and Kyle Brown leading the field to the drop of the green flag. But just as the green flag was dropped the caution light came on, as Larry McConnell spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart third place starter Jerad Fuller grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Brown and Rothzen. But Brown would use the momentum off turn 4 coming to complete lap 3 to take the top spot away from Fuller. The action was slowed on lap 4, when Kelly Buckallew spun in turn 4 to bring out the caution. Brown jumped back out front on the restart, with Fuller and David Brown close behind. Two laps later, lap 6, Bill Roberts Jr. spun in turn 2 to bring the caution out. Once again Kyle Brown moved out front on the restart, with Rothzen moving into second. While Brown set the pace out front, Tyler Groenendyk, who started 10th, and Cayden Carter, who started 11th, were working their way towards the front. Groenendyk used the bottom of the track to grab the top spot away from Brown on lap 10. The action up front was slowed on lap 11, when a tire in turn 2 was pushed onto the track. On the restart Groenendyk jumped back out front, with Carter and Richie Gustin, who started 6th, close behind. Carter would use the momentum off the top of the track to take the top spot away from Groenendyk on lap 14, and then looked to be heading to a win. But the final caution of the race appeared on lap 18, as Jardin Fuller spun in turn 2, to bring the field back to Carter's back bumper. On the restart Carter moved out front and then held on for the final 2 laps to claim the win. Groenendyk was 2nd, Gustin was 3rd, Kyle Brown was 4th, with Bruce Hanford rounding out the top 5.
Cayden Carter charged from 11th to win the IMCA Modified feature on Thursday, May 5th at the Lee County Speedway.

Brian Birkhofer and Dave Eckrich led the field to the green flag in the 40 lap MLRA Late Model feature, with Birkhofer grabbing the lead on lap 1 over JC Wyman and Eckrich. Just as Birkhofer started to put some distance between himself and the rest of the field, the first and only caution of the race appeared on lap 5. Reid Millard would spin in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Birkhofer moved back out front, with Eckrich and Earl Pearson Jr. close behind. While Birkhofer paced the field out front, Brandon Sheppard was using the top of the track to work himself into second on lap 11. Sheppard then went to work on chasing down Birkhofer for the top spot. The two would have to maneuver through lapped traffic, which allowed Sheppard to quickly close on Birkhofer. Sheppard would over take Birkhofer for the lead on lap 21, as Pearson Jr. closed in to battle for the runner up spot. On lap 26, Pearson Jr. was able to clear Birkhofer for second. But Sheppard was to far out front to catch without a caution, as he picked up his first win at the track in his first ever visit. Pearson Jr. settled for 2nd, Chris Simpson charged from 14th to finish in 3rd, Tony Jackson Jr. came from 10th to finish 4th, with Jesse Stovall finishing fifth after starting in 9th.
The MLRA Late Model feature at the Lee County Speedway on Thursday, May 5th was won by Brandon Sheppard.

Up next was the 16 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with Brett Lowry and Brandon Dale up front. Lowry would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dale and Tony Dunker. Lowry then held the top spot until coming off turn 4 to complete lap 4, when Dunker used the top of the track to grab the lead. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 8, when Logan Anderson spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Dunker moved back out front, with Joey Gower and Lowry battling for second. While Dunker paced the field out front, Jim Gillenwater was working his way towards the front from his 8th place starting spot. Just as Dunker took the white flag, the caution would come out to set up a green-white-checkered overtime finish. Justin Ebbing stopped in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Dunker again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Lowry trying to hold off Gillenwater for second. Once again as Dunker took the white flag the caution would come, this time John Oliver Jr. and Anderson collided in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Dunker again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Gillenwater over taking Lowry for second. Dunker then held off a last lap challenge from Gillenwater to pick up the win. Gillenwater settled for 2nd, Lowry was 3rd, Gower was 4th, with Austen Becerra charging from 15th to round out the top 5.
Tony Dunker won the IMCA SportMod feature at the Lee County Speedway on Thursday, May 5th.

Todd Frank and Tommy Elston drew the front row for the 25 lap LCS Late Models, with Elston moving out front on lap 1 over Frank and Andy Nezworski. While Elston was out front, Sam Halstead, who started 7th, was working his way towards the front. On lap 11 Halstead would over take Elston for the top spot, and then started to pull away until the first and only caution came out on lap 13. Gunner Frank spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Halstead jumped back out front, with Elston working to hold off Colby Springsteen for the runner up spot. Halstead then pulled away to cruise to his second win in a row at the track. Springsteen won the battle for 2nd, Elston was 3rd, Chad Jensen who made the pull from Norfolk, Nebraska finished 4th after starting in 8th., with Jeff Guengerich coming from 11th to finish 5th.
The LCS Late Model feature On Thursday, May 5th at the Lee County Speedway was won by Sam Halstead for the second week in a row.

The final feature to take to the track was the 12 lap IMCA Sport Compacts, with Darin Smith and Jeffery DeLonjay up front. DeLonjay would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Brandon Lambert and Smith. But DeLonjay's lead only lasted 1 lap, as Lambert slipped by for the lead. Lambert then lost the lead to Smith on lap 3, with Smith giving up the lead on lap 4 to Ron Kibbe. The action up front came to an abrupt stop on lap 9, as Brandon Rue and Lambert rolled in turn 2 to bring out the red. Both climbed from their cars okay. On the restart Kibbe moved back out front, with Kimberly Abbott, who started 8th, and DeLonjay close behind. Kibbe would hold on over the final 3 laps to pick up the win. Abbott was 2nd, Josh Barnes came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Darin Weisinger Jr. was 4th, with Levi Heath coming from 11th to finish in 5th.
Ron Kibbe broke Josh Barne's two race win streak in the IMCA Sport Compacts at the Lee County Speedway on Thursday, May 5th.

Notes from LCS: 37 MLRA Late Models, 23 Modifieds, 21 LCS Late Models, 18 SportMods, 16 Stock Cars, and 14 Sport Compacts made up the 129 cars signed in on the night......Dean Kratzer started the Stock Car feature in 14th and then passed 7 cars to finish in 7th....Brent Hartley, who started 16th, recovered from his spin on lap 10 to come back up to finish in 12th......Steve Stewart started the Modified feature in 17th and passed 8 cars to come home in 9th....Jim Redmann started 18th and finished 12th....Levi Smith came from 20th to finish in 15th....Larry McConnell recovered from his spin on the start to come back up to finish in 18th....Rick Durey had troubles in his heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature......Chad Simpson finished 7th in the MLRA Late Model feature, after starting in 11th....Jason Papich took a provisional and started 23rd. He passed 15 cars to come home in 8th....Terry Phillips passed 8 cars from his 19th place starting spot to finish in 11th....Gordy Gundaker came from 22nd to finish in 15th....Brantlee Gotschall also took a provisional and started 24th. He passed 8 cars to come home in 16th....Reid Millard, who started 26th, recovered from his spin on lap 5 to come back up to finish in 18th....Brian Birkhofer broke a oil pump with 3 laps go, while running 3rd, to end his night in 20th....Dustin Griffin, Denny Eckrich, Justin Reed, Jacob Magee, Bryon Allison, Jeremy Payne, Jay Johnson, Chris Spieker, Jay Chenowith, Mark Burgtorf, and Dick Weber were the cars who din't qualify for the A Main......Carter VanDenBerg started the SportMod feature in 11th and finished 6th....Austin Howes came from 12th to finish 7th....Matt Petrzelka started 13th and finished 9th....Jim Lynch (Kahoka, MO) came from 14th to finish in 10th....Brandyn Ryan finished 12th after starting in 18th....Jon Lear came from 17th to finish in 13th....Brandon Dale was running 3rd when he pulled off on lap 7 with troubles......Jim Lynch (Bloomfield, IA) started the LCS Late Model feature in 10th and finished 6th....Tyler Cale passed 12 cars from his 19th place starting spot to come home in 7th....Terry Gallaher started 15th and finished 8th....Kevin Kile was the highest finishing IMCA Late Model in 10th....Louis Lynch started 16th and finished 11th....Gunner Frank recovered from his spin on lap 13 to come back up to finish in 14th......Billy Cain started 12th in the IMCA Sport Compact feature, and then passed 5 cars to come home in 7th....Eric Misner started started 13th and finished 9th....Wayne Chamblee had troubles in his heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature.

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