Donnellson, IA (Thursday, April 11, 2018) - They say that third time is a charm, as this was the third attempt by the Pepsi Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa to get their 2018 season started. This was also the kick-off of the four day Frostbuster events, which was being presented by Sitler's LED Supplies out of Washington, Iowa.
With beautiful weather provided by mother nature, 124 cars jammed the pit area in hopes of ending in victory lane at the end of the nights competition. After 16 heat races and 3 B-Mains were completed to help determine the starting field for the features, it was time to go feature racing.
First up was the the 15 lap Coors Light IMCA Hobby Stocks, with Eric Knutson and Leah Wroten drawing the front row for the event. Knutson took advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Wroten and Shannon Anderson, who started 6th. The lead for Knutson lasted until lap 3, when Anderson used the momentum off the top of the track coming off turn 4 to edge Knutson at the line for the top spot. Three laps later the first and only caution of the race appeared, as Nathan Ballard slowed to a stop in turn 4 with right front end troubles. On the restart Anderson moved back out front, with Wroten, Knutson, and Eric Stanton, who started 10th, battling for the runner up spot. While Wroten and Stanton battled side-by-side for the second spot, Anderson would pull away to pick up the win. Stanton won the battle for 2nd, Wroten was 3rd, Knutson was 4th, with David Rieks rounding out the top 5.
The IMCA Hobby Stock feature winner on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa was won by Des Moines, Iowa's Shannon Anderson
Up next was the 20 lap Discount Tire and Service IMCA SportMod feature, with Arie Schouten and Brandon Setser leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Schouten jumped out front to lead lap 1 over Daniel Fellows and Setser. Just as Fellows got up beside Schouten to challenge him for the lead, the caution would come out to slow the action. A tire was clipped in turn 2 and pushed out onto the racing surface to bring out the yellow. On the restart Matt Webb got sideways in turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Schouten move back out front, with Austin Howes over taking Fellows for the runner up spot. Howes, who was using the top of the track, edged out Schouten, who was on the bottom of the track, to lead lap 8. Schouten would come back under Howes to grab the top spot back on lap 10. Only to have Howes regain the lead back on lap 11. While Howes and Schouten battle for the top spot, Fellows, Austen Becerra, who started 12th, and Jake McBirnie, who started 10th, were racing two and three wide for the third spot. With 5 laps to go McBirnie was able to wrestle the runner up spot away from Schouten, and then went to work on Howes for the lead. McBirnie tried to slip under Howes coming off turn 4 on the final lap for the win, but Howes would hold him off to claim the win. McBirnie settled for 2nd, Becerra was 3rd, Tyler Soppe charged from his 14th place starting spot to come home in 4th, with Schouten holding on for 5th.
Austin Howes of Memphis, Missouri won the IMCA SportMod feature at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa on Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Jason See and Damon Murty drew the front row for the 20 lap Donnellson Tire and Service IMCA Stock Car feature, with Murty grabbing the lead on lap over J.J. Heinz and See. While Murty set a fast pace out front, all eyes were on Todd Reitzler. Reitzler, who started 9th, was working his way towards the front, and on lap 7 he would take over the runner up spot. Todd then went to work into cutting into Murty's lead. His efforts would be helped with a caution on lap 13. A tire was clipped and moved out onto the track to bring out the yellow. On the restart Reitzler used the bottom of the track to edge out Murty for the top spot. Murty would try the low line and the high line to get back by Reitzler over the final laps. But Reitzler was able to hold him off to pick up the win. Murty was 2nd, John Oliver Jr. was 3rd, Tom Bowling Jr. started 7th and finished 4th, with See rounding out the top 5.
Grinnell, Iowa's Todd Reitzler won the IMCA Stock Car feature on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa
Up next was the 14 lap Armstrong Tractor IMCA Sport Compact feature, with David Prim and Barry Taft leading the field to green. Taft used his front row starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Josh Barnes, who started 6th, and Chuck Fullenkamp. The action was slowed for the first time on lap 3, when Jason Ash spun in turn 3 and Oliver Monson slowed to a stop in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Taft moved back out front, with Barnes and Brandon Reu, who started 10th, glued to his back bumper. Barnes would slip past Taft on lap 5 to take over the top spot, and then held the lead until lap 10. Disaster would strike Barnes, as he lost a right front tire in turn 4 to bring out the yellow and ending his night. Taft would inherit the lead back for the restart, with Ryan Havel, who started 14th, over taking Reu for the second spot. Havel would challenge Taft for the lead, until he slowed to a stop in turn 4 on lap 12 with troubles. On the restart Jake Benischek got under Taft to grab the top spot away. But Taft would slip under Benischek coming off turn 4 on the final lap to edge him out for the win. Benischek settled for 2nd, Darin Weisinger Jr. started 11th and finished 3rd, William Michel finished 4th after starting in 9th, with Reu coming home in 5th.
The IMCA Sport Compact feature winner on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa was won by Barry Taft of Argyle, Iowa
The final feature to take to the track on the night was the 25 lap Budweiser IMCA Modifieds, with Shawn Ritter and Chad Holladay drawing the front row. Ritter took advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Holladay and Kelly Shryock. The lead for Ritter lasted until lap 5, when Shryock slipped under him to take over the top spot. Then just after the lap was scored complete the first caution of the race appeared. Joel Rust would spin in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Shryock jumped back out front, with Jeff Aikey, who started 6th, over taking Holladay for the runner up spot. The second and final caution of the race came out on the completion of lap 6, as debris in turn 2 brought out the yellow. Once again Shryock moved back out front on the restart, with Holladay and Hunter Marriott, who started 11th, both getting past Aikey. A couple of laps latter Marriott over took Holladay for second, and then went to work on catching Shryock for the lead. Even with some lapped traffic to slow Shryock down. Marriott wasn't able to take advantage of it, as Shryock held on for the win and the $1,000 top prize to go with it. Marriott settled for 2nd, Cayden Carter finished 3rd after starting in 7th, Aikey was 4th, with Holladay holding on for 5th.
Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa won the IMCA Modified feature at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa on Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Notes from LCS: 31 Modifieds, 29 SportMods, 24 Stock Cars, 24 Sport Compacts, and 16 Hobby Stocks made up the 124 cars signed in for the nights competition....They included driver's from 10 states (Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Montana, Nebraska, California, Minnesota, and Kansas) plus Canada......Matt Olson out of Franklin, Minnesota started the Hobby Stock feature in 11th and passed 5 cars to come home in 6th....Seth Janssen started 12th and finished 9th....Brok Hopwood came from 14th to finish in 11th....David Simpson and Ricky Miller Jr. both had troubles in their heat races that forced them to scratch from the feature......Sam Wieben passed 12 cars from his 18th place starting spot in the SportMod feature to come home in 6th....Brandon Dale came from 13th to finish in 8th....Phillip Keller, who made the pull all the way from Sydney, Montana, started 19th and finished 13th....Also making the pull from Sydney, Montana was Kyle Keller. He started 21st and finished 14th....Michael Carter came from 22nd to finish 15th...Rick Barlow Jr. passed 7 cars from his 23rd place starting spot to come home in 16th....Jeff Frana had troubles after taking the last qualifying spot out of the B-Main that forced him to scratch from the feature......Dustin Griffiths charged past 14 cars from his 21st place starting spot in the Stock Car feature to bring home a 7th place finish....Brian Mahlstedt started 19th and passed 11 cars enroute to an 8th place finish....Abe Huls, who had to go pit side after the pile-up on the start, raced his way thru the field to come home in 9th....Jay Schmidt finished 10th after starting in 16th....Andrew Borchardt started 17th and finished 13th....Jake Nelson made the pull down from Williston, North Dakota and started 23rd in the feature. He would pass 9 cars to finish in 14th....Ray Raker finished 16th after starting in 20th......Luke Benischek finished 6th in the Sport Compact feature after starting in 12th....John Gill passed 13 cars from his 20th place starting spot to come home in 7th....Jason Ash, who started 24th, came from the rear twice after spinning on lap 3 to bring out the caution and having to go to the rear again. He then passed 16 cars enroute to an 8th place finish....Mike Hornung Jr. started 18th and passed 7 cars to finish in 11th....Robert Sturms came from 17th to finish in 12th....Matt Milligan finished 13th after starting in 19th....Rachel Kile had troubles in her heat race that forced her to scratch from the feature......Eric Barnes started 10th in the Modified feature and finished 7th....Ethan Dotson from Bakersfield, California passed 10 cars from his 19th place starting spot to come home in 9th....Penokee, Kansas' Clay Money came from 20th to finish in 10th....Jacob Murray passed 11 cars from his 22nd place starting spot enroute to an 11th place finish....Joel Rust recovered from his spin on lap 5 to come back up to finish 12th....Kevin Kile started 16th and finished 13th....Travis Perry from Williston, North Dakota finished 14th after starting in 18th....Franklin, Minnesota's Dan Menk came from 23rd to finish in 15th....T.J. Smith from Menasha, Wisconsin came from 21st to finish in 16th.
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