Donnellson, IA (Friday, March 22, 2019) - After a cold and snowy winter many thought there would be no chance of the 2019 racing season getting starting anytime soon in the Midwest. But with a lot of hard work and determination by the crew at the Pepsi Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa the opening night of the Fall Extravaganza was put into the books on Friday, March 22nd. Coming away with opening night wins were Tommy Elston (I-Smile Silver Late Models), Michael Long (Budweiser Modifieds), Abe Huls (Donnellson Tire & Service Stock Cars), Tyler Soppe (Roberts Tire Center SportMods), and Jacob Houston (Discount Tire & Service Sport Compacts).
The first feature to take to the track was the 20 lap I-Smile Silver Late Models, with Dustin Bluhm and Sam Halstead drawing the front row. Bluhm would take advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Halstead and Jay Johnson. The action was slowed for the first time on lap 4, when debris in turn 3 brought out the caution. On the restart Bluhm jumped back out front, with Johnson over taking Halstead for second. Just after the lap was scored complete Bryan Berger spun into the guardrail in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Bluhm again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Johnson and Tommy Elston, who started 5th, close behind. Two more laps would be scored complete when Todd Frank spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow out. On the restart Bluhm jumped back out front with Johnson and Elston still following. Disaster would strike Bluhm on lap 9, when he spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. This would hand the lead over to Johnson on the restart. On that restart Brandon Queen spun in turn 1 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Johnson jump out front, with Halstead and Elston battling for second. Elston would secure the runner up spot on lap 11 and then went to work on Johnson for the top spot. Coming out of turn 4 to complete lap 17 Johnson slid high, which allowed Elston to pull even with him down the front stretch. Elston would come out turn 2 with the lead, and then pulled away over the final laps to pick up the win. Johnson was 2nd, Halstead was 3rd, Bluhm recovered from his spin on lap 9 to come back up to finish 4th, with Berger also recovering from an early spin to finish 5th.
Up next was the 20 lap Roberts Tire Center SportMod feature, with Jeremy Gustaf and Brandon Dale leading the field to green. Dale would edge out Gustaf on lap 1 to grab the lead. While Dale set the pace out front, Gustaf, Nathan Bringer, Tyler Soppe, Daniel Fellows, who started 9th, and Austen Becerra, who started 7th, waged a battle for the runner up spot. Soppe was able to grab the second spot on lap 11 and then went to work on cutting into Dale's lead. On lap 15 Dale started entering lapped traffic, which allowed Soppe to close in on him quickly. Coming off turn 2 to come around to complete lap 16 Dale chose to try the topside to get around some lapped cars. This would allow Soppe to slip under him to grab the top spot away. Soppe then pulled away over the final laps to score his first win at the Pepsi Lee County Speedway, and score the $1,000 check. Becerra made a last lap pass to finish 2nd, Dale was 3rd, Fellows was 4th, with Bringer rounding out the top 5.
Abe Huls and Jay Schmidt drew the front row for the 22 lap Donnellson Tire & Service Stock Car feature, with Schmidt edging out the lead at the stripe on lap 1 over Huls. With Schmidt out front, Huls, John Oliver Jr., Derek Green, Damon Murty, who started 5th, and Todd Reitzler, who started 8th, made it a six car battle up front. Huls would find a groove up top to his liking, which allowed him to challenge Schmidt for the top spot on lap 9. When Schmidt upset the car in turn 3 coming to lap 10, this allowed Huls to shoot under him for the lead. Huls then started to pull away, when the first caution of race appeared on lap 16. Green, who was running fifth, slowed with a right rear flat and couldn't get off the track. On the restart Huls moved back out front, but now had Murty glued to his back bumper. Murty would keep the pressure on Huls over the final laps, but Huls was able to hold on for the $1,000 paycheck. Murty was 2nd, Schmidt held on for 3rd, Oliver Jr. was 4th, with Jeremy Pundt coming from 9th to round out the top 5.
Following the Stock Car feature was the 22 lap Budweiser Modified feature, with Aaron Johnson and Mike Van Genderen leading the field to green. Van Genderen took advantage of his draw to grab the lead on lap 1 over Chad Holladay and Jeremy Mills, who started 6th. The lead for Van Genderen lasted until lap 2, as he slowed off turn 4 before pulling into the infield in turn 1. This would hand the lead over to Holladay. With Holladay setting a fast pace out front. Micheal Long, who started 10th, was working his way towards the front. Long would challenge Mills for the runner up spot on lap 6, before over taking him on lap 7. He then went to work on cutting into Holladay's lead. By lap 17 Long had pulled himself up to Holladay's back bumper. Then on lap 19 he made a move off of turn 2 to take the top spot. Long then pulled away to claim the $1,000 top prize. Holladay was 2nd, Mills was 3rd, Dave Wietholder started 8th and finished 4th, with Johnson holding on for 5th.
The final feature to take to the track was the 14 lap Discount Tire & Service Sport Compacts, with Chris Wilson and Brandon Reu drawing the front row for the event. Reu would use his starting spot to his advantage, as he grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Barry Taft, and Jacob Houston, who started 8th. With Reu out front, Taft and Houston raced side-by-side for the runner up spot. Going into turn four to complete lap 4 Houston got up on two wheels, and with Taft to his outside it would help to settle him back down on all four tires. But as a result of the contact Taft would slow off turn 4 the following lap with a left front flat to bring out the one and only caution of the race. On the restart Reu moved back out front, with Jason Ash, who started 11th, over taking Houston for second. Ash would grab the top spot away from Reu on lap 9. Two laps later Houston made the pass on Reu to take second, and then went to work on Ash for the lead. Going into turn 3 on the final lap Houston got under Ash and then edged him at the line by half a car length to claim the win and the $300 top prize. Ash was 2nd, Reu was 3rd, Chuck Fullenkamp came from 7th to finish in 4th, with Zach Bohlmeyer coming home in 5th.
Notes from LCS: Drivers from six states, including Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Illinois, Missouri,and Nebraska made the pull to the Lee County Speedway to open the 2019 season......Mechanical problems in hot laps forced Adam Birck to scratch from his heat race, this would relegate him to a 15th place starting spot in the feature. Birck would quickly move through the field, cracking the top 10 by lap 1. He would continue to climb slowly through the rest of the top 10, before settling into 6th on lap 8. But without a caution to bunch the field up, Birck would have to settle for a 9th place run......Dan Mackenthun made the pull down from Hamburg, Minnesota to compete in the Stock Cars. He started the feature in 11th and took home a sixth place finish....Derek Green was another Stock Car driver making the pull down from Minnesota. He would battle within the top 5 all race long, that was until lap 16 when he had a right front tire go down. The crew made the tire change and Green returned to the track for the restart. He was able to climb his way back up to 7th in the final 5 laps. Adam Klocke started 13th and finished 9th....Dallon Murty came from 16th to finish 11th....Jared Miller finished 12th after starting in 18th......Jeff Waterman started the Modified feature in 12th, and without a caution to bunch the field up he was only able to climb up to a 7th place finish......Oliver Monson started the Sport Compact feature in 20th and would pass 14 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Kimberly Abbott came from 14th to finish in 8th....Drake Bohlmeyer finished 9th after starting in 16th....John Gill came from 17th to finish in 12th....David Prim started 19th and finished 13th.
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