Midwest Racing News

Dlouhy / DeVore Memorial Wins Go To Elston and Stewart

2011-10-05T18:12:00.000-07:00

Tipton, IA (Sunday, October 2, 2011) - The Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, IA played host to the 3rd Annual Dlouhy / DeVore Memorial Race on Sunday, October 2nd, and what a beautiful afternoon and evening to have a race. One Hundred forty-one race cars in six classes packed themselves into the pits in hopes of taking home the top prizes in each division.

After 17 heat races and 4 semi features, the main events were set. The first one to take to the track was the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Randy Butterbrodt and Joe Grant drawing the front row. Butterbrodt would take advantage of his front row start by jumping out into the lead on lap 1. Butterbrodt then held the top spot until lap 4, when Joe Grant jumped to his outside to take over the lead. But Butterbrodt didn't give up, as he came back on the bottom to grab the lead back on lap 6. While Butterbrodt and Grant battled for the top spot, Matt Short, who started 4th, and Jeremy Campbell, who started 6th after showing up after the heat was run, were working there way into the battle. Short moved to the top of the track on lap 11 and took over the top spot from Butterbrodt. Short then held off a charging Campbell over the final 4 laps to claim the win. Butterbrodt settled for 3rd, Nate Yoerger was 4th, with Grant holding on for a top five.

Roy Pestka and Brant Hubler led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 15 lap B-Modified feature, with Pestka moving out front on lap 1. The first caution of the event would come out on the completion of lap 1, as Keith Keltner spun in turn 2. On the restart Pestka moved back out front, with Hubler still in second. The action was slowed one more time on lap 3, when Jason Hall and Ben Chapman collided in turn 3 to bring out the caution. Pestka again grabbed the lead on the restart, only to be slowed on lap 4. This time Brad Iverson came to a stop in turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. Once again Pestka jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Hubler working to hold back Jarrett Franzen for second. Pestka started to pull away from the field, when the caution came back out on lap 7. Chris Case would spin his machine in turn 4 to bring the field back to Pestka's back bumper. On the restart Pestka again moved back out into the lead, with Hubler holding back Franzen. Pestka again pulled away from the field over the next 7 laps, when David Imming spun his machine in turn 2 on the white flag lap to bring out the yellow and checkers. Pestka would claim the win, Hubler held on for 2nd, Franzen was 3rd, Dakota Hayden came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Kevin Schroeder passing 9 cars from his 14th starting spot to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 15 lap 4 Cylinder feature, with Jeffrey Vislisel and Jordan Walker drawing the front row for the event. Walker took advantage of his front row draw to grab the lead on lap 1, only to be slowed on the completion of the lap for the first caution. Andy Wagner and Art Schott would spin in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Justin Kay grabbed the lead away from Walker, with Chuck Fullenkamp following him into second. Fullenkamp would slip under Kay on lap 3 to grab the top spot, only to have Kay come back on the top to lead lap 4. But Fullenkamp didn't give up as he slipped under Kay on lap 5 to take the top spot back. With Fullenkamp and Kay battling for the lead, Jacob Ellithorpe, who started 11th, was working his way into the battle. Ellithorpe jumped the outside of Fullenkamp and Kay to go three wide for the lead on lap 7, with Ellithorpe coming out on top. The three way battle up front was slowed for the final time on lap 8, when Jason Blocker spun in turn 3. On the restart Ellithorpe moved back out into the lead, with Fullenkamp and Kay going back to the battle for second. Ellithorpe would go on to lead the final 7 laps to pick up the win. Shane Evans came from 13th to edge Fullenkamp at the line to finish 2nd, Fullenkamp was 3rd, Gene Potter passed 12 cars from his 16th place starting spot to finish 4th, with Bryce Bailey charging from 19th to claim fifth.

The 15 lap Stock Car feature was the next event to take to the speedway, with Matt Picray and Terry Rittmer leading the field to the green. Rittmer took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. But he was slowed on the completion of lap 1, when Jamie Figg came to a stop in the middle of the backstretch to bring out the first caution. On the restart Rittmer moved back out front, with Joe Bonney and Tim Current, who started 6th, battling for second. The battle up front was slowed on lap 3 when Dwaine Hasson got into Donnie Louck while battle for sixth, which caused Louck to spin in turn 3 and collected the cars of Wayne Hora and Figg. Once again Rittmer grabbed the lead on the restart and then held it until lap 5, when Current over took him on the top side of the speedway. Current then started to pull away from the rest of the field, when another yellow came out on lap 12. This time Rob Henry, who started 20th and had worked his way to 7th, spun in turn 1 to bring out the caution. On the restart Hora, who came from the rear after a lap 3 crash and was running 9th, spun his machine in turn 4 and collected the machines of Dan Mohr and Josh Starr. Once again Current moved back out front on the restart, but now had Matt Greiner, who started 12th, battling him for the lead. Just as the front runners took the white flag, Figg would spin his machine in turn four to bring out the yellow and checkers. Current would hold on for the win, Greiner settled for 2nd, Mike Schmidtz started 10th and came home in 3rd, Bonney held on for 4th, with Jeremy Marquette passing 14 cars from his 19th place starting spot to finish in fifth.

Tommy Elston and Jake Meier led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 30 lap Late Model feature, but it was third place starter Ray Guss Jr. grabbing the lead on lap 1. The first caution of the event came out on lap 2, when Chad Patch and Mike Cothron spun in turn 1. On the restart Bryan Klein, Stephen Kammerer, Rick Dralle and Cothron collided in turn 1. Guss Jr. would jumped out front on the next restart, with Elston and Meier battling for second. But another caution on lap 4 would slow the action once again. This time Kammerer would spin in turn 2 to bring the yellow back out. Once again Guss Jr. grabbed the lead on the restart, with Elston in 2nd and Matt Ryan, who started 7th, grabbing third. Guss Jr. started to pull away from the field and looked to be heading for the win. But disaster would strike him on lap 22 when two lapped cars got together in front of him in turn 4. Guss Jr. would get on the binders to avoid them, but somebody got into the back of Guss Jr. who did a 360 and kept going. But the caution was waved and the flagmen made the call that Guss Jr. was involved, sending him to the back. Nate Beuseling and Doug Nigh, who were battling for 6th, were also piled up in the caution, ending both there nights. Elston would inherit the lead on the restart and then pulled away over the final 8 laps to pick up the $1,500 top prize. Ryan was 2nd, Meier settled for 3rd, Kevin Kile came from 15th to finish in 4th, with Gary Webb passing 12 cars from his 17th place starting spot to take home fifth.

The last feature of the night was the 35 lap Modifieds, with Brian Webb and Brandon Durbin leading the field to the green. Webb would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. The first caution of the event would come out on the completion of lap 1, when Justin Speers and Brad Tyler collided in turn 3. On the restart Webb moved back out front, with Brandon Durbin close behind in second. Durbin would slip under Webb on lap 3 to grab the top spot and then held it until lap 6. Steve Stewart was able to get under Durbin to grab the lead and then started to pull away from the field. But a caution on lap 16 for Wade Lee who spun in turn 4 would help bring the field back to his back bumper. Another caution would come out on lap 17, when Speers spun his machine in turn 1. Then on the restart 11 cars would pile up in turn four to bring out the red. Those involved were Brad Dierks, Bob Dominacki, Bruce Hanford, Nick Dains, Tyler, Ray Cox Jr., Lee, Ryan DeShaw, Johnny Spaw, Speers and Mike Shrope. Only the cars of Dominacki, Hanford, Cox Jr., Lee and Speers were able to continue. Stewart would jump back out front once the event went back green, with Ryan Dolan, who started 8th, and Mark Schulte, who started 10th, battling for second. Stewart was working to fight off Dolan on every lap, when the caution came out once again on lap 29. This time Chris Zogg would slow to a stop in turn 3 to bring the yellow on. On the restart Noah Coppess, who came from 19th and had worked his way to 5th, spun his machine in turn 2 to bring the yellow back on. Stewart again held off Dolan on the restart and then held him at bay over the final 6 laps to claim the $2,000 top prize. Dolan settled for 2nd, Schulte was 3rd, Kevin Kile was 4th, with John Bull coming home in 5th.

Notes from Tipton: 38 Modifieds, 29 4 Cylinders, 26 Late Models, 22 B-Modifieds, 20 Stock Cars and 6 Hobby Stocks made up the 141 cars signed in on the day......Darrin Plett started the B-Modified feature in 13th and came up to take home 6th....Jason Hall recovered from his lap 3 crash to come back to finish in 8th....Dan Kessler passed 7 cars from his 16th place starting spot to come home in 9th....Ben Chapman also recovered from the lap 3 crash to come back up to 11th....Brian Wendel, who started his heat race in 6th, had quickly worked his way to the lead only to blow a motor with 2 laps to go to end his night....Bryce Bailey showed up at the track just as the 4 Cylinder heats were running, which caused him to start 13th in the semi. He would pass 9 cars to finish in 4th, which put him 19th in the feature. Once again he would pass 14 cars by the end of the race to take home a 5th place finish....Kyle Volinger came from 12th to finish in 8th....Lucas Short started 18th and finished in 13th....Art Schott started 23rd and was in the lap 1 crash, but was able to recover to finish in 15th......Jeremy Marquette would come from 7th in his heat race and crossed the line in 2nd. But was DQ in tech for adjustable trailing arms. That would put him in the 19th starting spot for the feature. Jeremy would pass 14 cars to take home a 5th place finish....Nathan Hall was driving the 00 car that Rob Henry drove all year. He would take the green in the feature in 9th and settled for a 6th place finish....Donnie Louck recovered from the lap 3 crash to come back to finish in 7th....Wayne Hora also recovered from his lap 3 and lap 12 crashes to take home an 11th place finish....Ron Henry drove a #73 machine on the night and started 5th in his heat and crossed the line in 4th. But he was also DQ in tech for trailing arms and had to start 20th in the feature. He had worked his way up to 7th when he spun on lap 12 to finish in 14th....Dwaine Hasson was in the #40 driven much of the year by Nathan Hall. He would take the green in the feature in 8th and was battling for 6th, when he was involved in a yellow on lap 3 to end his night in 15th....RJ Gonzales had troubles in his heat race to cause him to scratch from the feature......Jake Meier jumped behind the wheel of the #87 Late Model driven by Jon Merfeld. He would pick up the win in heat race 1 to earn a spot in the dash, where he started 3rd and finished 2nd. Jake then took the green on the outside of the front row for the feature and held on to take home a 3rd place finish....Travis Denning took the Late Model feature from his 21st place starting spot. He would pass 15 cars by the end of the 30 lap race to take home a nice 6th place finish....Joe Zrostlik was behind the wheel of the 21H machine in which Brian Harris drove for much of 2011. He would start 11th in the feature and came home in 10th....Chad Patch recovered from his lap 2 crash to come back up to 11th....Bart Miller came from 22nd to finish 13th in his first year behind a Late Model......Jason Schueller passed 14 cars from his 20th place starting spot in the Modified feature to claim a 6th place finish....Bruce Hanford recovered from the lap 17 pile up to come back to finish in 7th....Noah Coppess recovered from his lap 29 spin, while running 5th after starting 19th, to come back to take home 9th....Dan Chapman was running 4th after starting 11th, when he pulled into the pits on the lap 29 caution. He would return to come back to finish in 10th....Wade Lee recovered from his lap 16 spin and being involved in the lap 17 pile up to finish in 11th after starting 17th....Shaune Lewis came from 18th to finish in 12th....Justin Speers started 24th and was involved in the lap 3 crash, lap 17 spin and lap 17 pile up to come back to take home a 13th place finish....Chris Zogg drove his dads, Mike Zogg's #9z, car on the night and was running up front when he was involved in the lap 17 pile up and then came to a stop on lap 29 to end his run in 15th....Ray Cox Jr. started 26th and was involved in the lap 17 pile up to end his night in 16th.

Webb and Fullenkamp Claim First Wins of the Season at Lee County

2011-07-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Friday, July 22, 2011) - Friday night was another action packed night of racing at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa. At the end of the night there were two new winners and three repeat winners in victory lane.

The first feature of the night was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods, with Jim Kuhlmeier and Jacob Smith leading the field to the green. But it was third place starter Dean Kratzer who edged out Rod Staats at the line to lead lap 1. Kratzer was able to hold back Staats over the next 2 laps, before Jeff Mueller, who started 8th, over took Staats for second. Mueller then went to work on Kratzer for the lead, until the first caution of the event slowed the action down on lap 8. Staats, who was running 3rd, spun to a stop in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Kuhlmeier came to a stop in turn 3 to bring the caution light back on. Kratzer grabbed the lead on the restart, with Mueller holding back Jim Gillenwater, who started 9th, for second. Gillenwater would jump to the bottom of the track coming out of turn four to grab the top spot on lap 10. Gillenwater then pulled away over the final 5 laps to claim his 5th win of the season at the track. Kratzer held on for 2nd, Mueller was 3rd, Rodger Dresden came home 4th, with Kevin Cale edging out 5th at the line by inches.

Up next was the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Bob Cowman and Dugan Thye making up the front row. But just like the SportMod feature, third place starter Jake Wenig jumping out front on lap 1 over Dane Fenton. The first caution of the event would come out on the completion of lap 1, as Nathan Anders spun in turn 1. On the restart Wenig grabbed the lead, with Fenton holding off Dan Wenig, who started 7th, for second. Jake Wenig started to pull away from the battle for second, when the second caution of the event came out on lap 10. This time Michael Wenke spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow light. Once again Jake Wenig moved back out front, with Fenton challenging him for the top spot. Just as Fenton went under Jake Wenig to take over the top spot, Wenke would spin in turn 4 on lap 14 to bring out the final caution. This would set up a green-white-checkered overtime finish. On the restart Fenton slipped under Jake Wenig to grab the top spot away on lap 15. But Jake Wenig would come back on the top of the track coming out of turn 2 to take back the lead. Jake Wenig, was up top, Fenton, in the middle, and Dan Wenig, down low, would come off of turn four three wide for the win. But it was Jake Wenig who went on to claim his 6th win of the season at the track. Fenton held on for 2nd, Dan Wenig was 3rd, Jim Lynch was 4th, with Ray Raker rounding out the top 5.

Connie Justice and Sierra Bueker were suppose to lead the field to the green in the 12 lap Wild Things feature, but both would scratch from the event. That would move the second row of Craig Bangert and Kimborly Abbott up to the front row. Bangert would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Chuck Fullenkamp, who started 5th. Fullenkamp would slip under Bangert on lap 3 to take over the top spot, with Nick Wilkerson, who started 6th and David Helenthal, who started 7th, moving up to challenge. Wilkerson and Helenthal both tried the low side to get around Fullenmkap. But Fullenkamp would hold them back for the final 9 laps to claim his frist win of the season at the speedway. Wilkerson settled for 2nd, Helenthal was 3rd, Bangert held on for 4th, with Abbott coming home in 5th.

The 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature was up next, with Jeremy Pundt and Derek St. Clair on the front row for the event. Pundt would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Corey Strothman. But Pundt would only lead 1 lap, as Chris Webb, who started 5th, slipped under him to grab the top spot on lap 2. On the completion of the lap Ryan Cook would spin to a stop in turn 2 to bring out the first caution of the race. On the restart Webb moved back out front with Pundt working to hold back Strothman for 2nd. Just as Webb started to pull away, the final caution of the event would appear on lap 11. This time Pundt would come to a stop up against the guardrail in turn 3 to end his run up front. Webb once again jumped back out front on the restart, with Jason Cook, who started 7th, moving up to challenge him. Cook would make a last lap challenge on Webb coming off four, but Webb was able to hold him back to claim his first win of the season at the track. Matt Greiner came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Justin Temeyer started 12th and passed 8 cars to finish in 4th, with Jeff Mueller coming from 9th to round out the top 5.

The final feature on the night was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Bill Seyb and Rob Kirchner leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Kirchner would grab the lead on lap 1 over Dustin Crear and Adam Birck. Tyler Cale, who started 8th, quickly moved to the front to grab the top spot away from Kirchner on lap 5. Just as the lap was completed, Birck, who was running 3rd, spun to a stop in turn 4 to bring out the first caution. On the restart Cale jumped back out front, with Wyatt Lantz, who started 6th, moving in to challenge. The battle up front was slowed again on lap 9. Once again Birck would spin his machine in turn 2 to bring out his second solo spin to end his night. Lantz would jumped to the outside of Cale on the restart to grab the top spot on lap 10. Lantz then started to pull away from the battle for second between Cale, Jeff Waterman, who started 7th, and Josh Foster, who started 9th. The final caution of the event would come out on lap 15 to bring the field back to Lantz's back bumper. This time the yellow would be displayed for Bill Roberts who spun off of 4 and Chadwick Giberson who spun in turn 4. Once again Lantz moved back out front on the restart, with Cale holding back Waterman and Foster for 2nd. Foster would make his move into second on lap 18 and then went to work on Lantz for the lead. But Lantz had built up to big of a lead to hold on to claim his 2nd win of the season at the speedway. Foster settled for 2nd, Cale was 3rd, Waterman was 4th, with Kirchner holding on for a 5th place finish.

Notes from LCS: In 77 laps of feature racing, there were only 10 cautions on the night. With the Wild Things going caution FREE!!!......Patrick Profeta started the SportMod feature in 12th and passed 5 cars to finish in 7th....Rick Barlow Jr. also passed 5 cars from his 13th place starting spot to take home 8th....Rod Staats would recover from his lap 8 spin to come back to finish in 9th......Jake Wenig claim his 6th Hobby Stock feature in 11 started at the Lee County Speedway for 2011. Wenig's all 6 wins came in features he would finish, his other 5 starts were races he wasn't around at the finish....Bobby Anders drove Wesley Mayfield's Hobby Stock to a 6th place finish after starting 9th......Mike Fisher started the Wild Things feature in 9th and passed 3 cars to finish in 6th....Ben Reschke passed 9 cars from his 16th place starting spot to take home a 7th place finish....Bradley Stevenson came from 14th to take home 8th....Darin Smith, who was the points leader going into the night, started the feature in 8th and had worked his way to 3rd by lap 5. But a right front flat on lap 6 would end his run to the front to give him a 13th place finish......Ryan Cook recovered from his lap 2 spin in the Stock Car feature to come back up to finish in 6th....Cale Samberg was suppose to start 4th in the feature, but motor troubles after his heat would make him scratch from the event......Brandon Banks started the Modified feature in 13th and passed 7 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Derek Hamm came from 12th to finish in 7th....Dustin Crear was running 2, when he got off the track in turn 1 and fell back to 12th. He would recover to take home a 8th place run....Rayn Cook was suppose to start the feature in 10th, but elected to tag the tail. He would come up to claim 9th at the finish.

"Hershel Roberts Memorial" Goes to Guss Jr.

2011-07-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

Ray Guss Jr. drove the #58 Roberts Motorsports IMCA Late Model to the 1st Annual Hershel Roberts Memorial Deery Brothers Summer Series win on Wednesday, July 20th at the Quad City Speedway in East Moline, IL. Photo courtesy of Tri-State Speed Review - Dewain Hulett.

East Moline, IL (Wednesday, July 20, 2011) - The 1st Annual "Hershel Roberts Memorial" featuring the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models took place on Wednesday, July 20th at the Quad City Speedway in East Moline, IL. Despite the hot and humid night the fans would pack the grandstand to honor the late Hershel Roberts. In action on the night, during the Rock Island County Fair, was the IMCA Late Models, Street Stocks and Mod Lites.

The first feature on the night was the 25 lap Street Stocks, with $1,500 going to the winner. Ron Marks Jr. and Cary Brown drew the front row for the event, with Brown grabbing the lead on lap 1. The first caution would appear on the completion of the lap, as Randy Exline spun in turn 4. On the restart Brown jumped back out front, with Jason Bahrs and Ron Marks Jr. battling close behind. Chuck Fox would spin his machine in turn 4 on lap 5 to bring the action to stop. Brown again grabbed the lead on the restart, only to be slowed again on lap 6. This time Justin Veloz, who was running 8th, would spin in turn 4 to bring out the caution. On the restart Nick Lawrence and Tyler Soppe got together in turn 1 to bring the yellow light back on. Bahrs would take advantage of the restart, as he jumped to the outside of Brown coming out of turn 4 to grab the top spot on lap 7. The three car battle up front was slowed on lap 8, as Joe Wagner spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Then on lap 10 Veloz would spin in turn 2 and collected Jimmie Simpson to slow the action. Bahrs would grabbed the lead on the restarts, with Tim Current, who started 5th, challenging him. But Current would drift to high in turn 4 on lap 12 and got into the wall to fall from 2nd to 4th. Then on the next lap, lap 13, Bahrs' had a right front brake line break going into turn 3 which caused him to hit the wall and bring out the caution. On the restart Wayne Hora, who started 7th, inherited the lead, with Current close behind. Hora could only hold back Current for 1 lap, as he slipped under Hora coming out of turn 4 on lap 15 to grab the top spot. The only thing to slow Current down over the final 10 laps was two more cautions. The first was on lap 19 when Phil Anderson spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. The final caution of the event came out on the restart, when Wagner hit the turn 1 wall hard. On both restarts Current moved out into a lead in which he held to the checkered flag to claim the $1,500 top prize. Hora held on for 2nd, Brown settled for 3rd, Soppe, who started 15th, recovered from the lap 6 crash to come back to take home 4th, with Chris Hambright coming from 11th to round out the top 5.

Charlie McKenna and Mike Murphy Jr. led the field to the green in the 40 lap "Hershel Roberts Memorial" Deery Brothers Summer Series IMCA Late Models feature. Murphy Jr. took advantage of his draw to move out front on lap 1 over McKenna, Tyler Bruening and Mike Garland. Murphy Jr. set a fast pace early, as he started to come up on lap traffic on lap 10. The lapped cars would slow Murphy Jr. down enough to allow McKenna, Terry Neal, who started 7th, and Ray Guss Jr., who started 9th, to close in to make it a four car battle. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 13, when Jon Passick spun in turn 4. On the restart Murphy Jr. jumped back out into the lead, with Neal and Guss Jr. battling for 2nd. Guss Jr. was able to get by Neal for 2nd on lap 20 and then went to work on chasing down Murphy Jr. for the lead. Another caution on lap 26, for Bruening who spun in turn 3 while running 5th, would close the gap. The yellow light would come back out on lap 27 when Todd Mahlstrom spun his machine in turn 4 to slow the field down. On both restarts Murphy Jr. grabbed the top spot, with Guss Jr. close behind. Murphy Jr., who was working the top of the speedway, and Guss Jr., who was down low, would battle side-by-side on laps 33 and 34, with Guss Jr. getting the advantage on lap 35. On the completion of the lap, Colby Springsteen would spin in turn 1 and collected Gary Webb, Jon Passick and Sam Halstead to bring out the final caution of the event. On the restart Guss Jr. moved out front, with Nate Beuseling, who started 11th, battle Murphy Jr. for 2nd. Beuseling would try to get under Guss Jr. over the final 2 laps, but Guss Jr. would hold on to claim the win. Beuseling settled for 2nd, Murphy Jr. was 3rd, McKenna held on for 4th, with Neal coming home in 5th.

The final feature on the night was the 15 lap Mod Lites, with Cody Brown and David Norton leading the field to the green. Norton would take advantage of his start to grab the lead on lap 1. But the first caution of the event would come out on the completion of the lap, as Brown spun in turn 1. On the restart Andrew Smith, who started 5th, slipped under Norton to take over the top spot. Smith then held the lead until lap 6, when Jason Masengarb, who started 9th, slipped under him for the top spot. Masengarb then started to pull away, when the final caution came out on lap 13. Gary Snyder would spin in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Masengarb again jumped out into the lead, but now had Greg Rossell, who started 10th, close behind in 2nd. Rossell tried the top side to get around Masengarb over the final 2 laps, but Masengarb was able to hold on to pick up the win. Rossell settled for 2nd, Dustin Masolini came from 6th to claim 3rd, Smith held on for 4th, with Shon Sanders coming from 8th to round out the top 5.

Notes from QCS: 24 Late Models, 22 Street Stocks and 17 Mod Lites signed in for competition on the hot night......Before the start of the Street Stock feature the top 4 starters, which included Ron Marks Jr., Cary Brown, Jason Bahrs and Emily Gade, were offered a $400 bonus to go to the rear. If they could win from the rear that would mean they would win $1,900, but all turned it down....Chuck Fox, who started 16th, spun on lap 5 and recovered to take home a 6th place finish....Nick Lawrence, who started 14th, would spin on lap 1 and came back from the rear to claim 9th....Randy Exline recovered from his spin on lap 1 to come back to take home 11th....Joe Beal drove Matt Marshall's car from a 17th place starting spot to finish in 12th....Phil Anderson came from 21st to finish 13th....Jamie Balensiefen came from 12th and was running 4th, when he had a flat tire on the lap 19 caution to end his run in 14th......The 1st Annual "Hershel Roberts Memorial" was held to honor the late Hershel Roberts. Hershel who raced Modifieds and Late Models for many years in the Quad City area passed early this year after a battle with cancer. Hershel, who along with his son Ken, hired Ray Guss Jr. to drive the #58 Late Model in late 2009 when Hershel decided to hang up the helmet. The team would have an awesome 2010, as they won the IMCA National Championship, Deery Brothers Summer Series Title and 3 track titles. The win on this night was very emotional for the team, which debuted a new body on the car to honor Hershel....Justin Reed started 16th and passed 10 cars to take home a 6th place finish in the Late Model feature....Mike Zemo Jr., who has won the last 2 Late Model features at the speedway, started 23rd. He would pass 14 cars, which gave him the hard charger award, to take home a 9th place finish....Andy Eckrich passed 10 cars from his 20th place starting spot to take home a 10th place. Eckrich now holds a 2 point lead over Terry Neal and a 4 point lead over Ray Guss Jr. in the chase for the 2011 Deery Brothers Summer Series title....Matt Ryan came from 17th to finish in 11th....Jay Johnson passed 8 cars from his 21st starting spot to finish in 13th....Darrel DeFrance arrived late and had to start in the back of his heat, which he finished 8th in. DeFrance then started the feature in 22nd and passed 7 cars to finish in 15th....Sam Halstead, who started 24th, recovered from the lap 35 crash to finish in 18th......Jonathan Huston started the Mod Lite feature in 15th and then went on to pass 9 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Evan Epperson passed 10 cars from his 17th place starting spot to finish in 10th....Dan Guss came from 16th to take home 9th.

Crear Wins Career First; While Mueller Doubles Up at Lee County

2011-06-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Friday, June 17, 2011) - After a week off due to rain and despite the rains throughout the week, the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA was able to get a regular night of racing in on Friday. At the end of the night one driver picked up his career first feature win, while another one visited victory lane not once but twice.

The first feature on the night was the 12 lap Wild Things, with Casey Mehaffy and Andrew Davis leading the field to the drop of the green flag. But it was seventh place starter David Helenthal who quickly moved to the front to grab the lead on lap 1. While Helenthal continued to lead, William Michel, who started 11th, and Nick Wilkerson, who started 8th, were working there way to the front. The battle up front was slowed only one time, as Chuck Fullenkamp slowed in turn 4 on lap 9 to bring out the only caution. On the restart Helenthal jumped back out front, with Wilkerson and Michel battling it out for 2nd. Helenthal would hold off all challenges to pick up his third win of the season at the track. Wilkerson won the battle for 2nd, Michel settled for 3rd, Darin Smith came from 9th to finish in 4th, with Davis holding on for a fifth place finish.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with Patrick Profeta and Dean Kratzer on the front row. Profeta would take advantage of his front row start to edge out Kratzer at the line to lead lap 1. Kratzer then tried everything to get by Profeta for the top spot, when he final got the job done on lap 5 to take the lead. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 8, when Brandon Ruffcorn spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. On the restart Krazter jumped back out front, but now had Jeff Mueller, who started 10th, close behind in 2nd. Kratzer would hold back Mueller until the second caution of the event came out on lap 11. This time Adam Shelman spun in turn 4, as a result of contact from Jacob Smith. Mueller would slip past Krazter on the restart to grab the lead on lap 13, with the final caution coming out after the completion of the lap. Ryan Fullenkamp spun his machine in turn 2 to bring the yellow light on. On the restart Mueller grabbed the lead and then held on for the final 3 laps to claim his first win of the season in the SportMods. Jim Gillenwater came from 9th to claim 2nd, Kratzer held on for 3rd, Michael Joe Bliven came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Rod Staats rounding out the top 5.

Jake Wenig and Bob Cowman led the field to the green in the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Wenig jumping out front on lap 1. The first of two cautions would come out on the completion of lap 1, as Jim Lynch, who was running 7th, spun in turn 4 and collected the cars of Michael Wenke and Dale Porter. On the restart Jake Wenig grabbed the lead, with Dan Wenig coming from 7th to challenge him for the top spot. Jake would hold back Dan over the next 10 laps, when the final caution came out on lap 11. This time Matt Tucker, who was running 4th, slowed with a left rear flat tire. Jake Wenig once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Dan Wenig trying to hold back Dane Fenton for second. Jake would lead the final 4 laps to pick up his third win of the season at the speedway. Dan Wenig held on to the battle for 2nd, Ray Raker came from 6th to over take Fenton for 3rd, Fenton settled for 4th, with Lynch recovering from his lap 1 spin to come back to finish in 5th.

Corey Strothman and Jeremy Pundt made up the front row for the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Strothman jumping out front on lap 1. While Strothman worked to hold back John Oliver Jr, Jason Cook, who started 8th and Jeff Mueller, who started 9th, were working there way to the front. Cook would over take Oliver Jr on lap 9 to take 2nd, while Mueller moved into third on lap 10. Then Mueller made his move around Cook on lap 11 to get into second, and went to work on Strothman for the lead. Strothman was able to hold back Mueller until the white flag lap, when Mueller slipped by for the lead. Mueller then held off a last lap charge from Cook to claim his third win of the season at the track and the second win of the night. Strothman settled for 3rd, Oliver Jr was 4th, with Aaron Brocksieck coming home in 5th.

The final feature of the night was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Jim Lynch and Dustin Crear on the front row. Crear would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on the drop of the green flag. But the first caution of the event would appear on the completion of lap 1, as Ryan Cook spun in turn 4. On the restart Crear once again jumped out into the lead, with Rich Smith, who started 7th, close behind in 2nd. Smith would try Crear down low for the next 12 laps, before the action was slowed for the final time on lap 13. Lynch, who was running 4th, had troubles and pulled off on the backstretch in front of Jeff Waterman, who was running 5th, and had to spin to avoid Lynch to bring out the yellow. Crear again moved out into the lead on the restart, with Smith close behind. But Crear was able to hold back Smith over the final 7 laps to claim his first career feature win. Brandon Banks came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Adam Birck was 4th, with Tyler Cale coming from 11th to round out the top 5.

Notes from LCS: Brandon Ruffcorn who started 17th in the SportMod feature and spun in turn 2 on lap 8 to bring out the first yellow, recovered to finish in 9th....Adam Shelman came back for his spin on lap 11 to take home a 10th place finish....Ryan Fullenkamp recovered from his lap 12 spin to take home a 13th place......Tanner Thomann came from 9th in the Hobby Stock feature to take home a 6th place finish....Josh Tripp passed 6 cars from his 13th place starting spot to come home in 7th......Matt Griener started the Stock Car feature in 10th and would pass 4 cars to take home a 6th place finish....The Stock Cars ran 15 laps CAUTION FREE!!!!......Jeff Waterman, who started 10th, had worked his way to 5th by lap 13 when Jim Lynch pulled off the track in front of him. Waterman would spin his machine to avoid contact and brought out the yellow to be sent to the back. He then recovered to take home a 6th place finish....Bill Roberts came from 14th to finish in 8th....Dustan Fenton started 13th and came home in 9th....Bill Seyb came from 15th to finish in 10th....Brandon Savage, who was suppose to start in the 4th spot, was sent to the back for being pushed off before the start of the feature. He would work his way up to 3rd by lap 18, but pulled off on lap 19 with troubles to end his run in 11th....Derek Hamm had a 6th place run going when he pulled off on lap 17 to end his night in 12th....Josh Foster's back luck continued, as he broke a motor in his heat to scratch from the feature. Back on Tuesday Foster suffered motor troubles at the Hawkeye Dirt Tour at Tipton and then suffered the same fate on Friday at Lee County.

Harrison Scores Career First; While Carlin Ends Anders Win Streak

2011-06-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

Quincy, IL (Sunday, June 12, 2011) - Finally mother nature allowed Quincy Raceways to get in a Sunday evening racing program. Despite a brief rain shower during the first Late Model heat, crews were able to get the track back into racing shape after an hour and 30 minute delay. The hard work by all paid off, as the racing action was fast and furious.

The first feature up on the night was the 25 lap UMP Modifieds, with Jake Griffin and David Wietholder drawing the front row. Griffin was able to take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1, as Wietholder worked to hold back Steven DeLonjay and Jared Schlipman. DeLonjay proved to have a fast car, as he quickly moved into second on lap 2 and then went to work on Griffin for the lead. Griffin tried to hold back DeLonjay, but DeLonjay would slip under him coming off turn four on the 4th lap to take over the top spot. The only thing to slow down DeLonjay was the first and only caution of the event, which came out on lap 5. Mark Zimmer would spin in turn 4 and collected Terry Wilson and Ryan Morrison to bring out the yellow. On the restart DeLonjay jumped back out front and then pulled away to pick up an easy win. Wietholder held on for 2nd, Schlipman was 3rd, Justin Reed came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Shawn Deering coming home in 5th.

Up next was the 20 lap Hobby Stock feature, which turned out to be the most exciting one on the night. Adam Scott and Tanner Klingele drew the front row for the event, with Klingele grabbing the lead on the drop of the green flag. Klingele then went on to lead the next 5 laps, as Steve Carlin, who started 6th, moved up to challenge him. Carlin, who was running the bottom, took the top spot away from Klingele, who was up top, on lap 6. But Klingele wouldn't give up, as he came back on the top side to grab the lead back on lap 7. The two would run the next 2 laps side-by-side, before Carlin grabbed the advantage on lap 10. Just as Carlin started to pull away from the battle for second, Jim Powell would spin in turn 2 on lap 14 to bring out the first caution of the race. On the restart Bobby Anders jumped to the top of the track to take over the lead on lap 15, with Carlin close behind in 2nd. The action up front was slowed for the second time on the completion of lap 17. This time Nathan Anders would spin his machine in turn 4 to bring the yellow light on. On the restart Klingele, who was running 4th, spun in turn 3 and collected Nathan Anders to bring the caution back out. Bobby Anders, who was up top, and Carlin, who was on the bottom, would run laps 18 and 19 side-by-side. But disaster would strike Bobby Anders on the final lap going into turn 1. Carlin grabbed the advantage on the bottom going into turn 1, with Anders trying to come back on the top. But Anders would loose control of his machine coming out of turn 2 and spun. Which allowed Carlin to drive away to claim the win, which also put an end to Anders' 5 race win streak. Wesley Mayfield came from 5th to claim 2nd, Scott held on for 3rd, Nathan Hayes started 7th and finished in 4th, with Powell recovering from his lap 14 spin to come back to finish 5th.

Billy Genenbacher and Darin Wiesinger led the field to the green in the 30 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Genenbacher grabbing the lead on lap 1. The 1 and only caution of the event would come out on the completion of lap 1, as Justin Reed, who was running 4th, spun to a stop in turn 4. On the restart Lonnie Bailey slipped past Genenbacher to take over the top spot. Lonnie Bailey then pulled away over the final 28 laps to claim an easy win. Joey Gower came from 7th to finish in 2nd, Keith Pratt started 9th and passed 6 cars to claim 3rd, Matt Bailey came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Genenbacher holding on for a fifth place finish.

Craig Bangert and Kimberly Abbott drew the front row for the 12 lap Wild Things feature, with Bangert moving out front on the drop of the green to lead lap 1. Bangert then went on to lead the next lap, before Casey Kendrick jumped to his outside to take over the top spot on lap 3. Kendrick would lead the final 9 laps to pick up his second win in a row at the track. Bangert settled for 2nd, Abbott held on for 3rd, William Michel came home in 4th, with Austin Uppinghouse rounding out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 15 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Gabe Harrison and Jerry Jansen on the front row for the event. Harrison would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. As Harrison continued to pull away from the field, Aaron Brocksieck, who had troubles in the heat and had to start 9th in the feature, was working his way to the front. But Garrison, in his first year in the Stock Car class after racing 4 Cylinders for a few years, had built up a lead big enough to hold on to in a caution free race. For Harrison it was his career first win in the Stock Car class. Brocksieck charged from 9th to settle for 2nd, Kevin Tomlinson came home in 3rd, Jansen held on for 4th, with Terry Houston coming home in 5th.

Notes from Quincy: Twelve year old Jake Griffin held his own in the 25 lap Modified feature and took home a nice 6th place finish....Ben Huff started the feature in 14th and passed 5 cars to take home a 9th place finish.......Nathan Anders, who started 12th in the Hobby Stock feature, and was involved in 2 cautions came back up to claim a 6th place finish....Bobby Anders, who was going for his 6th win in 6 starts at Quincy, had his season thrown away after the checkered flags flew at the end of the event. He would spin in turn 2 on the final lap while battling for the lead and then recovered to come across the line to finish in 9th to maintain his points lead in the division. But what happened on the cool down lap was something we have seen or heard about to many times in 2011. Anders would spin his machine around on the front stretch and then headed the wrong way towards turn 3, where Steve Carlin was en route to the victory circle. Anders then turned his machine up into Carlin's drivers door in turn 4 to get him disqualified on the night and a 4 week suspension......Denny Woodworth had troubles in his Late Model heat and had to start the feature in 13th. But he would pass 7 cars by the end of the race to pick up a 6th place finish....Justin Reed recovered from his lap 1 spin to come back to claim 7th......It was nice to see in 102 laps of feature racing in 5 classes there was only 5 cautions. One in the Modified, 3 in the Hobby Stock and 1 in the Late Model features. Great job by all drivers on the night!

Anders Remains Unbeaten at Quincy Raceways on Make-Up Tuesday

2011-06-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

Quincy, IL (Tuesday, June 7, 2011) - After mother nature took the sixth Sunday night program out of the first 10 scheduled dates of the 2011 season, track promoters decided to use Tuesday nights as a make-up date. This was a trial to see if any cars and fans would be in favor of the idea, and at the end of the night the promoters were pleased with the result.

The 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature was the first up on the night, with Aaron Brocksieck and Terry Houston drawing the front row. Brocksieck would take advantage of his start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Houston. As Brocksieck pulled away from the field, Kevin Tomlinson, who started 5th, worked his way into second by lap 6. But Brocksieck had built to much of a lead to chase him down, as he claimed the win in a caution free race. Jerry Jansen came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Gabe Harrison came home in 4th, with Kelly Bartz rounding out the top 5.

Jim Powell and Nathan Hayes drew the front row for the 20 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Powell grabbing the lead on lap 1. But Powell would only lead that lap, as Bobby Anders, who started 5th, edged him out at the line to lead lap 2. Anders then started to pull away, when the first caution of the event came out on lap 7. Brandon Symmonds, who was running 4th, and Hayes, who was running 5th, collided in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Anders jumped back out front and again started to pull away from the field. Steve Carlin moved into second on lap 9 and then went to work on chasing down Anders for the lead. Travis Kelle spun in turn 5 on the completion of lap 15 to bring the field back to Anders' bumper. Anders grabbed the lead on the restart, with Carlin close behind. But the field was slowed for the final time on lap 16, when Nathan Anders spun down the backstretch. Once again Anders jumped out front on the restart and then held off Carlin over the final 4 laps to claim his 5th win in 5 starts at Quincy. Jake Powers came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Adam Scott started 8th and came home in 4th, with Tanner Klingele rounding out the top 5.

The 12 lap Wild Things feature was up next, with Casey Kendrick and Austin Uppinghouse drawing the front row. Kendrick would take advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1. Kendrick then pulled away over the 12 laps of caution free racing to pick up the win. Todd Nelson, who started 5th, edged out William Michel, who started 6th, at the line by inches to claim 2nd, Devin Still was 4th, with Uppinghouse holding on for a 5th place finish.

Darin Weisinger and Joey Gower led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 30 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Gower grabbing the lead on lap 1. While Gower was out front, Denny Woodworth, who started 5th, moved into 2nd on lap 6 and then went to work on Gower for the lead. But Clint Kirkham would spin in turn 1 on lap 8 to bring out the first caution of the event. On the restart Gower moved back out front, with Woodworth close behind in second. Woodworth jumped to the top of the track to grab the top spot away from Gower on lap 10, as Lonnie Bailey, who started 6th, followed into 2nd. Bailey would then slip under Woodworth on lap 12 to grab the lead away. The battle up front was slowed for the final time on lap 16. This time Ron Elbe and Billy Genenbacher collided in turn 2 to bring out the caution. On the restart Woodworth would slip under Bailey to take back the top spot on lap 17. Woodworth then held the lead until lap 24, when Gower slid under him to take over the top spot. Gower would go on to lead the final 6 laps to pick up the win. Woodworth settled for 2nd, Keith Pratt came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Baliey was 4th, with Weisinger holding on for a 5th place finish.

The final feature of the night was the 25 lap UMP Modifieds, with Shawn Deering and Rusty Griffaw on the front row. Griffaw would edge out Deering at the line by inches to grab the lead on lap 1. But Deering came back on the bottom of the speedway to take the top spot away on lap 2. The battle up front was slowed on the completion of lap 2, as Terry Wilson slowed down the backstretch to bring out the first caution. On the restart Deering jumped back out front, with Griffaw and Jared Schlipman battling for 2nd. The three way battle for the lead was slowed for the second time on lap 7, as Ben Huff spun in turn 2. Deering once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Griffaw and Schlipman close behind. Just as Deering started to pull away from the battle for second, the yellow light would come on. This time debris down the backstretch from the rear end of Steven DeLonjay's car would bring out the caution. On the restart Schlipman slipped past Deering to grab the top spot on lap 19. But after the completion of the lap, the final caution of the event would come out. Gary Wilson would spin in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Schlipman moved out front on the restart and then held on over the final 6 laps to claim the win. Deering settled for 2nd, Griffaw was 3rd, David Wietholder came home in 4th, with Todd Reed coming from 11th to round out the top 5.

Notes from Quincy: Terry Houston suffered a left rear flat tire on the final lap of the Stock Car feature while running 5th and settled for a 7th place finish......Travis Kelle recovered from his lap 15 spin to come back to finish 6th in the Hobby Stock feature....Nathan Anders finished 7th after spinning down the backstretch on lap 16....Justin Bartz came from 12th to finish in 8th....Wesley Mayfield, who scratched from his heat, started 13th and passed 4 cars to take home 9th......Tom Goble started the Late Model feature in 12th and passed 6 cars to take home 6th....Robby Warner came from 14th to finish in 8th....Clint Kirkham recovered from his lap 8 spin to come back to finish in 10th......Terry Wilson came from the rear after his lap 2 caution to come back to finish 6th in the Modified feature....James Leffew started 10th and took home 7th....Ben Huff recovered from his lap 7 spin to finish in 8th.

Vetran Holds Back Another Vetran for Late Model Win at Quad City Speedway

2011-06-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

East Moline, IL (Sunday, June 5, 2011) - I decided to make another trip up to the Quad City Speedway in East Moline, IL, after rain cancelled Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL. What a good decision that turned out to be, as the Late Model feature alone was worth the trip up.

The night started out with a 12 lap make-up 4 Cylinder feature, which was rained out from May 22nd. Rick Wagner and Jason Blocker was suppose to start on the front row, but with Blocker not returning that put Mike Cusack Jr on the outside front row. Cusack Jr would take advantage of his start to grab the lead on lap 1 and then held it until lap 5 when he pulled off with troubles. Brandon Dahl, who started 6th, inherited the lead on lap 5 and then held the top spot for 1 lap, as Mike Wisdom, who started 5th, slipped under him for the lead. Just like Dahl, Wisdom would only lead 1 lap, as Rob Brasher, who started 8th, jumped to the outside to take over the lead on lap 7. Brasher then pulled away over the final 5 laps to claim the win in a caution free race. But in post race inspection, Brasher was disqualified for not running the same car he ran in the heat. That would give Wisdom the win, Brandon Dahl was moved to 2nd, Wade Dahl was credited with 3rd, Justin Veloz came from 10th to get 4th, with Dustin Forbes rounding out the top 5.

The first regular feature of the night was the 15 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Doug Curless and Mark VerVynck leading the field to the drop of the green. But TJ Patz would spin in turn 2 to set up a complete restart. On the restart Jacob Waterman, Bill Roberts, Jarod Coppejans and Andrew Burk collided in turn four to bring the yellow light back on. VerVynck jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Milo Veloz Jr close behind in second. The action up front was slowed once again on lap 3, when Curless, who was running 5th, spun in turn 2 to bring the caution out. VerVynck moved back out front on the restart, with Veloz Jr giving chase once again. But the action was slowed again on lap 5, when Coppejans and Curless collided in turn 3 to bring the yellow light on. On the restart Veloz Jr got into the back of VerVynck in turn 1, which spun VerVynck to bring the caution back out. Both drivers were sent to the rear for the restart. Thad Wilson, who started 6th, inherited the lead on the restart. Wilson then started to build up a lead, when another caution came out on lap 10. This time Stanley VerVynck spun in turn 4 and collected Dwaine Hasson. On the restart Wilson again grabbed the lead, with Waterman coming from the back after the lap 1 crash to give chase. Wilson was able to hold back Waterman until another caution came out on lap 12. Roberts, who came from the rear after his lap 1 crash had moved back to 6th, spun in turn 1 with a broken rear end. On the restart Todd Dykema spun in turn 2 and collected Terry Rentfro to bring the yellow back out. This would put an end to the time limit, which meant the next caution or the checkered flag would put an end to the race. Wilson jumped back out front on the restart, with Waterman close behind in second. Hasson would come to a stop in turn 3 on lap 14 to bring the caution out, which put an end to the race. Wilson claimed the win, Waterman settled for 2nd, Craig Crawford was 3rd, Patz came from the rear after his spin on the start to claim 4th, with Veloz Jr recovering from his lap 5 contact to come back to take home a fifth place finish.

Justin Hamm and Jerame Mowery made up the front row for the 15 lap Street Stock feature. Hamm would spin in turn 3 on the start and collected Cary Brown to bring out the first caution of the event. On the restart Mowery jumped out front on lap 1, with Jeremy Gustaf and Mark Anderson close behind. Anderson would spin in turn 2 on the completion of lap 1 to bring the yellow light on. Rob Henry, who started 9th, slipped past Mowery on the restart to grab the top spot on lap 2. Another caution came out on the completion of lap 2, when Chuck Fox spun in turn 3. On the restart Henry again grabbed the lead, with Rick Schriner, who started 8th, and RJ Gonzales battling for second. Gonzales would get under Schriner going into turn 1 on lap 5, with Schriner spinning and collecting Gonzales to bring the caution back out. Both drivers were sent to the back for the restart. Henry again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Nathan Hall, who started 12th, now giving chase. Hall would try everything to get around Henry over the next 7 laps, when the final caution of the race came out on lap 12. This time Hamm spun in turn 4 and collected Bryan Ritter. On the restart Henry moved back out front, with Hall again chasing him. But Henry would hold back Hall over the final 3 laps to claim the win. Chris Lawrence came from 10th to finish in 3rd, Emily Gade passed 7 cars from her 11th place starting spot to finish in 4th, with Brown recovering from the lap 1 crash to finish in 5th.

The 20 lap Open Modified feature was up next, with Brad Tyler and Bryan Bushong on the front row. Leland Bushong would spin in turn 4 on the drop of the green to bring out the caution. On the restart Tyler jumped out into the lead on lap 1, only to be slowed after the completion of the lap with a caution. Matt Werner spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. John Bull, who started 8th, slipped under Tyler on the restart to grab the top spot on lap 2. Bull then started to pull away, when Chad Tucker spun in turn 4 on lap 5 to bring the caution out. On the restart Bull again jumped out front, with Doug Crampton, who started 6th, close behind in 2nd. Tucker would spin in turn 4 on lap 7 to bring out another yellow, his second solo to end his night. On the restart John Ahlers would spin in turn 4 to bring out the final caution of the event. Bull moved out front on the restart and then held off Crampton over the final 12 laps to pick up the win. Brandon Durbin came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Jason Pershy was 4th, with Ryan Dolan coming from 9th to round out the top 5.

Gary Webb and Jeremy Gustaf led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature. But Shawn Mulvany and Buck Harmenning would collided in turn 4 on the start to bring the yellow light on. On the restart Webb jumped out into the lead on lap 1 over Jeremy Gustaf. Webb would start to pull away from the field when another caution appeared on lap 9. This time Mike Murphy Jr, who started 7th and had worked his way to 2nd, slowed in turn 4 with a left rear flat. On the restart Jeff Stevens stopped in turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. Webb once again jumped out front on the restart, with Eric Gustaf and Mike Garland battling for 2nd. As Webb started to pull away from the battle for 2nd, Ray Guss Jr, who started 11th, was working his way to the front. Guss Jr would slip past Gustaf for second just past the half way point of the race and then set his sights on Webb for the top spot. Webb was working the bottom of the speedway, as Guss Jr used the top to chase down Webb with 3 laps to go. The two went into turn 1 with 2 laps to go side-by-side, but Guss Jr had to let up for a lapped car which was running the top of the track. That allowed Webb to pull out to a lead coming off turn 4 for the white flag. But Guss Jr wouldn't give up, as the two entered turn 3 side-by-side, with Webb coming out of turn 4 to edge Guss Jr at the line by inches for the win. Rob Toland came from 10th to finish in 3rd, Eric Gustaf was 4th, with Garland rounding out the top 5.

Since I had to be up at 5:15am the next morning, I decided to head for the car before the final feature of the night. I see Wade Dahl came from 4th to win the 12 lap 4 Cylinder feature. Jacob Ellithorpe came from 7th to finish in 2nd, Steve Phillips passed 8 cars from his 11th place starting spot to come home in 3rd, Justin Veloz charged from 16th to take home 4th, with Rick Wagner coming home in 5th.

Notes from QCS: Jon Scott started the make-up 4 Cylinder feature in 12th and passed 5 cars to finish in 7th....Jacob Ellithorpe finished 9th after starting 13th....Jason Blocker, Gabe Schrader, Bobby Barker Jr and Darren Hartman didn't make it back for the rescheduled race......Stanley VerVynck started the IMCA Modified feature in 15th and spun in turn 4 on lap 10 to go to the rear. He would come back to finish in 6th....Todd Dykema came back from his lap 12 spin to finish in 7th....Terry Rentfro was 8th, after being involved with Dykema on the lap 12 crash......RJ Gonzales came from the rear after the lap 5 spin to take home a 6th place finish in the Street Stock feature....Rick Schriner, who spun down into Gonzales on lap 5, also came from the rear to finish in 7th....Mike Anderson came from 14th to finish in 8th....Chuck Fox recovered from his lap 2 spin to come back to finish in 9th....Mark Anderson came from the rear after his lap 1 spin to finish in 11th....Bryan Ritter was 12th after being involved in the lap 12 crash....Nick Lawrence came from 18th to finish in 13th....Ben Gallenstine started 19th and finished in 14th......John Ahlers came back to finish in 7th in the Open Modified feature, after his spin on lap 8....Leland Bushong recovered from his spin on the start to come back to take home 9th......Matt Ryan finished the Late Model feature in 6th after starting 9th....Shawn Mulvany came from the rear after his lap 1 spin to finish in 9th....Mike Zemo Jr came from 14th to finish in 11th....Eric Sanders came from 17th to take home 14th......Rob Brasher passed 6 cars from his 12th place starting spot to finish 6th in the regular 4 Cylinder feature....Rob Harding Sr came from 10th to finish in 7th....Mike Wisdom started 14th and took home 10th....Jason Blocker came in late and started 18th, he would pass 6 cars to finish in 12th.

Greiner, Cossel and Wilkerson Get First Wins of the Season at Lee County

2011-06-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Friday, June 3, 2011) - Despite the 2 inches of rains that fell Thursday, mother nature was kind enough to provide plenty of sun and winds to help dry the Lee County Speedway out in time for racing on Friday. At the end of the night there were three new winners and two repeat winners in victory lane on the night.

The first feature of the night was the 12 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Corey Strothman and Cale Samberg on the front row. Strothman would take advantage of his front row start to edge out John Oliver Jr at the line by inches to lead lap 1. While Strothman continued to lead the field, Oliver Jr and Derek St. Clair would battle side by side for the second spot before Ryan Cook, who started 6th, moved in on lap 3 to join the two car battle. The first yellow would appear on the speedway on lap 6 for debris in turn 3. On the restart Samberg, who was running 6th, would spin in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. Strothman jumped back out into the lead on the restart, with Matt Greiner, who started 9th, moving into second. Greiner then grabbed the top spot away from Strothman on lap 7 and then started to pull away from the battle for second. But the final caution of the event would bring the field back to Greiner's back bumper on lap 13. Strothman, who was running 5th, spun in turn 2 and collected St. Clair, who was running 9th, and Les Blakley. On the restart Greiner grabbed the lead, with Ryan Cook now challenging him for the top spot. Cook would take a last lap shot at Greiner coming out of four, but Greiner was able to hold on to pick up his first win of the season at the track. Jeff Mueller came from 10th to finish in 3rd, Jim Redmann started 8th and finished in 4th, with Oliver Jr holding on for 5th.

Up next was the 12 lap Wild Things feature, with Steven Lake and William Michel leading the field to the drop of the green. Michel grabbed the lead on lap 1 over David Helenthal and Nick Wilkerson, who started 7th. Michel held the top spot for 2 laps, as Helenthal slipped under him on lap 3 to take over the lead. But Helenthal was only able to lead that lap, as Wilkerson grabbed the top spot away on lap 4. Wilkerson would then hold off all challenges from Helenthal over the final 8 laps to claim his first win of the season at the speedway. Darin Smith came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Michel held on for 4th, Mike Fisher started 9th and finished in 5th.

Josh Tripp and John Oliver Jr led the field to the green flag in the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Oliver Jr grabbing the top spot on lap 1. Oliver Jr then worked to hold back Jake Wenig, until the first and only caution of the event came out on lap 3 for a tire in turn 1. On the restart Jake Wenig would over take Oliver Jr for the lead, with Dane Fenton, who started 6th, moving in to challenge for 2nd. Wenig continued to hold the lead, when Fenton slipped past Oliver Jr on lap 9 and then went to work on Wenig for the top spot. Wenig would hold back Fenton coming out of turn four on the last lap to claim his second win of the season at the track. Jim Lynch came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Tanner Thomann started 10th and passed 6 cars to claim 4th, with Mike Hughes coming from 12th to round out the top 5.

Dustin Crear and Rob Kirchner made up the front row for the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Crear taking advantage of his starting spot to lead lap 1. The first caution of the event would come out after the completion of lap 1 for debris in turn 4. On the restart Crear would jumped back out front, with Kirchner working to hold back Andy Krieger. Just as Crear started to pull away from the battle for second, another caution appeared on the speedway on lap 6. Kirk Hopkins would spin in turn 2. On the restart Wyatt Lantz, who was running 10th, jumped the restart to bring the yellow back out. He was docked two spots to 12th for the jump. Rich Smith, who started 5th, would slid under Crear on the restart to grab the top spot away. But Ryan Cook would spin in turn 2 on the completion of lap 7 to bring caution back out. On the restart Smith grabbed the lead, with Josh Foster, who started 12th, following him into 2nd. The final caution of the event would come out on lap 9, as Eric Fullenkamp spun in turn 4 and collected Derek Hamm. Smith again jumped out front on the restart, with Foster now challenging him for the top spot. Foster would slip past Smith on lap 11 to take over the lead and then held him back over the final 9 laps to claim his 4th win in 5 starts at the track. Krieger held on for 3rd, Kirchner was 4th, with Dennis LaVeine passing 10 cars from his 15th place starting spot to round out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods, with Ryan Fullenkamp and Phillip Cossel on the front row. Cossel would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. On the completion of the lap, Rod Staats would spin in turn 2 to bring the first caution out. Cossel moved back out front on the restart, only to be slowed on lap 3 for another caution. This time Fullenkamp, who was running 3rd, spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow light on. Once again Cossel grabbed the lead on the restart, with Rodger Dresden, who started 6th, battling Jacob Smith for second. Cossel continued to hold back the challenges of Dresden, Michael Bliven, who started 7th, and Jim Gillenwater, who came from 12th, over the next 8 laps. When a tire was clipped and pushed out on the track in turn 4 to bring the caution out. On the restart Jim Kuhlmeier would come to a stop in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. Cossel once again jumped back out into the lead on the restart, with Bliven moving into second. Bliven would try the low side to get by Cossel over the final 4 laps, but Cossel was able to hold him back. Bliven would try one last time to get under Cossel coming off of turn 4 for the checkered. But he would do a complete 360, which allowed Cossel to claim his first win of the season at the speedway. Gillenwater would slip past for 2nd, Bliven came across the line spinning in 3rd, Jeff Mueller came from 9th to finish in 4th, with Dresden holding on for 5th.

Notes from LCS: Aaron Brocksieck started the Stock Car feature in 11th and finished 8th....Jeremy Pundt came from 14th to finish in 10th......The Wild Things feature went CAUTION FREE!!!....Derek Fenton passed 5 cars from his 13th place starting spot to take home 8th....Matt Marshal came from 12th to finish in 9th....Cory Howk started 14th and would finish in 11th....Casey Mehaffy came from 16th to finish in 13th....Connie Justice started 17th and would finish in 14th......Mike Hughes arrived at the track to late to run his heat in the Hobby Stock class. So he had to start 12th in the feature. But that wouldn't slow him down as he passed 7 cars to take home a fifth place finish in a 9:1 legal Hobby Stock....Dan Wenig would pit on the lap 3 caution for a flat. He would come back out last and then climbed his way back up to finish in 7th without any cautions to help him out......Derek Hamm recover from the lap 9 crash to come back to finish 9th in the Modified feature, after starting 18th.... Ryan Cook came back to finish 10th after his spin on lap 7....Lonnie Heap started 16th and passed 5 cars to finish in 11th......AJ Johnson started the SportMod feature in 10th. He would pass 4 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Dean Kratzer recovered from his roll a week ago to finish 7th....Rod Staats came from the rear after spinning on lap 1 to take home 10th, after starting in 16th....Ryan Fullenkamp recovered from his lap 3 spin to come back up to 11th.

Simpson Gets Redemption in Corn Belt Clash Race at Tipton

2011-06-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

Tipton, IA (Wednesday, June 2, 2011) - On a picture perfect night for racing, the Corn Belt Clash Series race number 2 of the 2011 season invaded the Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa on Wednesday. Chris Simpson would get redemption from his let down after leading 47 of the 50 laps at the season opener on Sunday in Nebraska, before loosing an engine. He would pass brother Chad on the white flag lap to claim the win and the $2,000 top prize.

But the first feature on the night was the 20 lap Legends, with Hal Russell and Mike Mueller drawing the front row for the event. Russell would take advantage of his draw to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dominic Bates. Russel then worked to hold back Bates, until the first caution of the race came out on lap 4. Tyler Kelly and Keith Meyer spun in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Ron Boyse, who was running 7th, spun in turn four as a result from contact from Craig Peekenschneider, who was running 9th, to bring the caution back out. Both drivers were sent to the rear for the restart. Russell moved out front on the restart, with Brett Diercks, who started 10th, quickly moving up to challenge Bates for 2nd. Diercks would clear Bates for the runner up spot on lap 8 and then went to work on Russell for the top spot. On lap 10 Diercks jumped to the top of the speedway to grab the lead away from Russell. Russell tried to get back by Diercks going into 1, but ended up doing a 360 and kept going to fall back to 11th. Diercks would lead the final 10 laps to pick up the win. Adam Bell came from 11th to finish in 2nd, Bates held on for 3rd, Mueller was 4th, with Adrianne Russell coming home in 5th.

Scott Fridley and Ryan Dolan led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 25 lap Modified feature, with Dolan edging out Fridley to grab the lead on lap 1. But Fridley's great run up front only lasted 1 lap, as he spun in turn 2 to bring out the first caution of the event. On the restart Dolan jumped back out into the lead, with Mike Burbridge close behind in 2nd. The final caution of the race would come out on lap 4, when Mike Schump spun in turn 3. Dolan again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Burbridge trying to hold back Bruce Hanford, who started 7th, and Brad Diercks, who started 8th. Dierck would use the bottom of the speedway and the top to work his way into 2nd and then went to work on Dolan for the lead. Diercks, running the bottom, and Dolan, who was up top, would race side by side over the final 9 laps to make for an exciting finish to the Modified feature. Diercks grabbed the lead on lap 16, but was caught behind some lapped cars on lap 19 to give the lead back to Dolan. Diercks didn't give up the bottom grove to get back by Dolan on lap 21. Both Diercks and Dolan fought to the checkered, with Diercks edging out the win coming out of turn 4. Dolan settled for 2nd, Burbridge held on for 3rd, Hanford was 4th, with Chris Zogg rounding out the top 5.

The final event on the night was the 35 lap Late Model feature, with Chad Simpson and brother Chris Simpson leading the field to the green. Chad would edge out Chris at the line to grab the lead on lap 1. After Chad got out front he set a fast pace and had pulled out to a straight away lead over Chris when the 1 and only caution came out on lap 14. Jason Jaggers, who was running 8th, drifted to high in four and went off the track to bring out the yellow. On the restart Chad jumped back out front, with Denny Eckrich getting by Chris for 2nd. Eckrich would work the bottom to get even with Chad on laps 25 and 26. But as the two went into turn 3 on lap 28, they came up on lapped traffic. Eckrich would almost spin to avoid contact and fell back to 3rd, with Chris closing in on brother Chad for the lead. On lap 32, Chris jumped to the top to draw even with Chad. The two came to the white flag side by side, as lapped traffic held up Chad in turn 2 Chris was able to pull away in turns 3 and 4 to claim the win. Chad settled for 2nd, Denny Eckrich was 3rd, Jason Rauen was 4th, with Dave Eckrich coming home in 5th.

Notes from Tipton: 31 Late Models, 24 Modifieds and 17 Legends made up the 72 cars signed in to do battle in front of a packed house......Jeremy Meyer started 14th in the Legend feature and passed 8 cars to finish in 6th....Greg Hartlaub came from 12th to finish in 8th....Warren Ropp started 13th and finished in 9th....Tim Simpson passed 5 cars from his 15th place starting spot to finish in 10th......Noah Coppess won the Modified B Main and started the feature in 15th. He would pass 9 cars to take home a 6th place finish......Johnny Spaw came from 11th to finish in 8th....John Ahlers started 14th and finished 10th....Dan Chapman finished 2nd in heat 3, but heavy smoke after the checkered scratched him from the feature....Mike Zogg, who was running 2nd in the B Main, but spun in 4 on the last lap to hope for an alternate for the feature. He would get the call when Chapman scratched. Zogg would make a few laps to retire in 20th....Donovan Lodge had troubles after hot laps and loaded his car to end his night early......Kurt Kile came from 10th in the Late Model feature to finish in 6th....Andy Eckrich started 14th and passed 7 cars to finish in 7th....Justin Mitchell picked up the hard charger award as he started 19th, after finishing 2nd in B Main 1. He would then pass 10 cars to take home a 9th place finish....Tim Isenberg came from 22nd to claim 14th....Andrew McKay, who edged Gary Webb at the line to take the final transfer spot in B Main 2, had transmission troubles before the start of the feature. The crew would get it repaired in time to take the green flag. He would pass 8 cars to take home 16th.

I would like to thank Al and Kathy Dlouhy for a great night of racing. The track was in awesome shape the entire night, which provided a close finish in both the Modified and Late Model features. The surface allowed two and three wide racing from the bottom to the top. I would encourage anybody who hasn't taken a night in at the Cedar County Raceway, should plan a trip.

Sprint Invaders Season Opener Goes to Moughan

2011-05-31T19:25:00.000-07:00

Quincy, IL (Monday, May 30, 2011) - After heavy rain showers on Saturday and Sunday morning the Sprint Invaders scheduled for Sunday at the Quincy Raceways had to be pushed back to Monday. The wait was well worth it, as sunny skies and warm temperatures brought out many fans to enjoy the season opening race for the Sprint Invaders for 2011.

The 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature was first to take to the track, with Gabe Harrison and Terry Houston drawing the front row. Harrison would edge out Abe Huls at the line to grab the lead on lap 1. But Huls jumped to the outside of Harrison to take over the top spot on lap 2. The battle up front was slowed for the first time after the completion of lap 2, as Cale Samberg spun in 2 and collected Aaron Brocksieck and John Oliver Jr. On the restart Huls moved back out front with Harrison close behind in second. Derek Sammons would come to a stop in turn 3 on lap 5 to bring the yellow light on. On the restart Huls had a right front flat to give the lead over to Andrew Griffin on lap 6. Griffin, who was working the top, and Harrison, who was on the bottom, swapped the lead over the next 3 laps before Griffin took command on lap 10. The battle up front was slowed once again on lap 10, when Brocksieck spun in turn 4. Griffin jumped back out front on the restart, with Kevin Tomlinson, who started 8th, moving in to battle him for the lead. Tomlinson would slid under Griffin on lap 12 to take over the top spot, with Houston following him into 2nd. Houston would spin coming off of turn 4 on lap 13, after contact from Griffin to bring the caution out. Both drivers were sent to the back for the restart. Huls, who went in and changed the tire and came back out on lap 6, jumped to the outside of Tomlinson on the restart to grab the lead away on lap 13. But Tomlinson would come back on the bottom to take back the top spot on lap 14. Tomlinson then held off Huls over the final 6 laps to claim his first win of the season at the track. Jerry Jansen came from 12th to finish in 3rd, Beau Taylor started 9th and came home in 4th, with Houston coming back from his spin on lap 13 to finish in 5th.

Up next was the 25 lap Sprint Invaders feature, with Ben Wagoner and CJ Houseman leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Wagoner would take advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1. Wagoner was starting to pull away from the field and was coming up on lapped traffic, when the first caution came out on lap 8. Ryan Jamison, who was running 10th, would spin in turn 4 to bring out the first yellow flag. On the restart Houseman, who was running 2nd, clipped the cone on the front stretch to bring the caution back out. Houseman was sent to the back, which would end his chances for a win. Wagoner moved out front for another restart, with Mark Shirshekan close behind in 2nd. Shrirshekan would jump to the top of the speedway to over take Wagoner on lap 11 for the lead, with another caution coming out on the completion of the lap. Houseman would clip a tire in turn 1 and would come to a stop in turn 2 with front end damage. On the restart Jami Lusher would come to a stop in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. Andy Houston, who was running 10th, would spin in turn 4 on the next restart to bring the caution back out. The next restart would put an end to Wagoner's chances of winning, as he clipped the cone on the front stretch to bring the yellow back out. Wagoner would be sent to the rear for the restart. Shirshekan jumped back out front for the restart, only to be slowed 1 lap later for debris on the front stretch. Jim Moughan, who started 8th, grabbed the lead away from Shirshekan on the restart and then held off a last lap challenge from Kaley Gharst to claim the win. Justin Parrish came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Shirshekan held on for 4th, with Donnie Steward coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

Nathan Hayes and Jake Powers led the field to the green flag in the 20 lap Hobby Stock feature. But a tire was clipped and thrown onto the track in turn 1 to bring the caution out before lap 1 was complete. On the restart Bobby Anders, who started 3rd, jumped to the lead over Hayes. Tanner Klingele would spin in turn 4 on lap 2 to bring the yellow light on. On the restart Nathan Anders would spin in turn 4 with a left front flat to bring the caution back out. Bobby Anders grabbed the lead on the restart and then pulled away from the field over the final 18 laps to claim his 4th win in 4 races at the speedway. Brandon Symmonds was 2nd, Steve Carlin was 3rd, Powers held on for 4th, with Klingele coming back from his spin to finish in 5th.

The 30 lap IMCA Late Model feature was up next, with Lonnie Bailey and Robby Warner drawing the front row for the event. Warner would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1. But Bailey, who was working the bottom, slipped under Warner to take the top spot on lap 2. The first of three cautions would come out on the completion of lap 2, when Justin Jennings spun on the front stretch. On the restart Keith Pratt, who was running 5th, spun in turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. Bailey again jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Denny Woodworth now challenging him. The final caution of the event would appear on lap 10, when Dustin Neese spun in turn 4. Once again Bailey grabbed the lead on the restart, with Woodworth still giving chase. Woodworth would jump to the top of the speedway to grab the top spot away from Bailey on lap 12. Woodworth then held off Bailey on the final lap to claim the win. Joey Gower would finish in 3rd, Jake Griffin came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Warner holding on for a top 5 finish.

Wesley Rensch and Devin Still led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 12 lap Wild Things feature, with Still grabbing the lead on lap 1. Still would hold the top spot until lap 6, when the first and only caution of the event came out. Chuck Fullenkamp, who was running 2nd, lost a right rear wheel tire going into turn 3 to bring the yellow light on. On the restart Stil had a right front go flat giving the lead to William Michel, who started 6th. Michel then held on over the final 5 laps to pick up the win. Craig Bangert came from 10th to finish in 2nd, Seth Woodruff was 3rd, Brandon Lambert started 12th and finished in 4th, with Austin Uppinghouse rounding out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 25 lap UMP Modified feature, with Ryan Meyer and Shawn Deering on the front row. Deering would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1. On the completion of lap 1 Ryan Porter would spin in turn 4 to bring out the first caution. On the restart Todd Reed, Ben Huff, Ryan Morrison, Terry Wilson and Porter would collide in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. Steven DeLonjay would jump to the top of the track on the restart to grab the lead away from Deering. But Deering would come back on the bottom to get the top spot back on lap 6. DeLonjay wouldn't give up the top side of the speedway, as he grabbed the lead away from Deering on lap 16. But a tire was clipped in turn 4 on the completion of lap 17 to slow the battle up front. On the restart Travis Griffith would spin in turn 1 to bring the yellow back out. Vance Wilson, who was running 3rd, got into the back of Deering on the restart to break the right front. He would slid into the front stretch wall, with Griffith spinning to try to avoid Wilson, but would make contact into Wilson's left rear. Griffith would climb out of his machine slowly but appeared to be ok, but both machines were done for the night. After another lap in the books, Mike VandeRiet spun off turn 2 to bring out another caution. DeLonjay again moved out into the lead on the restart only to be slowed for the final time on lap 21 for debris in turn 3. Once again DeLonjay would grab the lead on the restart and then led the final 4 laps to pick up the win. Deering held on for 2nd, Dave Wietholder came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Meyer held on for 4th, with Jared Schlipman coming home in 5th.

Notes from Quincy: 23 Sprint Cars, 18 Modifieds, 15 Late Models, 14 Hobby Stocks, 12 Stock Cars and 12 Wild Things made up the 94 cars signed in on the night......Beau Taylor, John Oliver Jr. and Cale Samberg were among the Stock Cars making there first trip of 2011 to Quincy......Bobby Mincer came from 11th to finish in 7th in the Sprint feature....Ryan Jamison recovered from his lap 4 spin to come back to finish in 8th....Jordan Goldsberry came from 14th to finish in 10th....Joe Beaver claimed the hard charger award, as he passed 8 cars from his 20th starting spot to finish in 12th....John Greenwood came from 19th to finish in 15th....Jimmy Davies started 22nd and finished 16th......Adam Scott started 12th in the Hobby Stock feature and passed 6 cars to finish in 6th......Keith Pratt recovered from his spin on lap 4 of the Late Model feature to come back to finish in 7th....Matt Bailey came from 13th to finsih in 8th....Justin Jennings came from the back after his spin on lap 2 to finish in 9th......Gary Wilson started 14th in the Modified feature and finished in 9th.

Smith Tops Modified Shootout at Lee County

2011-05-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Friday, May 27, 2011) - Mother nature tried once again to put a stop to the rescheduled Modified Shootout from April 17th at the Lee County Speedway. But despite the light rain showers and thanks to the hard work and patience by all involved, the night was able to be completed. In action on the night was the IMCA Modifieds going for $2,000 to win, IMCA SportMods and Hobby Stocks racing for $500 to win, IMCA Stock Cars for $300 to win and the Wild Things for $200 to win.

The first feature of the night was the 15 lap Hobby Stocks, with Matt Gavin and Jake Wenig drawing the front row. Wenig would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1, with Gavin and Dan Wenig battling for 2nd. The first caution of the event would appear after the completion of lap 1, as Matt Tucker, Nick Fenton and Bobby Anders collided in turn 4. On the restart Jake Wenig jumped back out into the lead, with Gavin and Dan Wenig giving chase. Gavin would try Jake Wenig on the low side of the track for the next six laps, until the final caution of the race came out on lap 8. Aaron Sperry would slow to a stop to bring out the yellow. On the restart Jake Wenig would slow with a left rear flat, giving the lead over to Gavin. Gavin then pulled away over the final 6 laps to pick up his first win of the season at the speedway. Ray Raker came from 9th to claim 2nd, Dan Wenig was 3rd, Tanner Thomann was 4th, with Jim Lynch rounding out the top 5.

Chris Webb and Derek St. Clair led the field to the green in the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Webb grabbing the lead on lap 1. Webb then worked to hold back Sean Johnson over the next 2 laps, when the first caution came out on lap 3. Jim Redmann, Aaron Brocksieck, Ryan Cook and Gabe Harrison all collided in turn 2. On the restart Webb moved back out front, with Johnson close behind in second. But another caution would appear on lap 4, when Harrison spun in turn 2 to end his night. Webb again grabbed the lead on the restart, while Johnson drifted high in turn four and lost 5 spots and fell back to 7th. Jeff Mueller would move into 2nd and then went to work on Webb for the lead. Mueller would slip by Webb on lap 8 to grab the top spot, with Matt Griener, who started 8th, battling Webb for second. While Mueller was working to hold back Griener, Ryan Cook was coming back to the front after his lap 3 crash. Cook would over take Griener for 2nd on the white flag lap and then went to work on Mueller for the win. But Mueller came from the top to the bottom of the speedway coming off turn four, which made Cook jump on the binders to avoid a collision. Cook would spin into the infield, allowing Mueller to go on for the win. Griener came home 2nd, Johnson recovered to finish in 3rd, Webb held on for 4th, with Abe Huls coming from 13th finish in 5th.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with Jacob Smith and Derek Coleman drawing the front row. But it was third place starter Jim Gillenwater who grabbed the lead over Coleman on lap 1. Gillenwater would hold back Coleman until the first caution of the event came out on lap 3, when Nathan Murders spun in turn 4. On the restart Gillenwater jumped back out into the lead, with Dylan Book over taking Coleman for 2nd. The yellow light would come back on after the completion of lap 4, when Kyle Bentley stopped on the back stretch and collected David Matthews. On the restart Ryan Fullenkamp would spin off turn 4 to bring the caution back out. Gillenwater again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Book close behind in 2nd. The battle for the lead was slowed on lap 7, when Austin Schulte spun in turn 2. On the restart Jeff Mueller, who was running 6th, spun in turn 2. Jacob Smith, who was running 3rd, spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on for another restart. Once again Gillenwater moved out front on the restart, with Book close behind in 2nd. The action up front was slowed for the final time on lap 9, when Dean Kratzer rolled in turn 2 and collected Coleman and Patrick Profeta. Kratzer climbed from his car ok. On the restart Gillenwater jumped back out front and then pulled away over the final five laps to claim the win. Mueller charged back through the field to come home in 2nd, Michael Bliven was 3rd, Rod Staats came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Greg Wichman making the pull down from Wisconsin pay off, as he took home a top five.

Luke Wanninger and Dan Chapman led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 30 lap IMCA Modified Shootout feature. Wanninger would edge out Chapman at the line to lead laps 1 and 2, but Chapman would edge Wanninger at the line to lead lap 3. As the two battled up front, Rich Smith would close in to join the battle on lap 3. Smith jumped under Chapman and Wanninger coming off turn 4 to grab the top spot on lap 4, with Josh Foster moving in to battle Ricke Gustin for 3rd. Smith continued to lead, as Gustin Foster and Chapman swapped the second spot over the next 3 laps when the first caution came out on lap 8. Adam Birck and JJ Wise would come to a stop on the back stretch to bring the yellow light on. On the restart Smith moved back out front, with Foster and Gustin challenging him for the top spot. Foster would grab the lead away from Smith on lap 10, with Gustin trying to get by Smith for 2nd. But Smith wouldn't back down as he over took Foster on lap 8 to grab the lead back, leaving Foster to work to hold back Gustin. The final caution of the event would appear on lap 17, when Brandon Savage, Jeff Waterman and Rob Kirchner collided in turn 2. On the restart Smith moved back out front, with Foster close behind in second. Smith would lead the final 13 laps to claim the win and the $2,000 top prize. Foster held on for 2nd, Todd Schute was 3rd, Chapman held on for 4th, with Daniel Hilsabeck coming home in 5th.

The final feature of the night was the 12 lap Wild Things, with Darin Smith and C Jay Loring on the front row. Smith would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on the drop of the green. Smith then worked to hold back Nick Wilkerson and Chuck Fullenkamp, who started 10th. The first caution of the race would come out on lap 8, when Fullenkamp was trying to lap Steven Lake who made contact with Fullenkamp. Fullankamp then made contact with the front stretch wall to end his night. On the restart Smith again jumped out into the lead, with Wilkerson close behind in 2nd. The final caution of the race would appear on lap 11, when William Michel was spun around on the backstretch by Jerrod Nichols. Smith again grabbed the lead on the restart and then held on over the final 3 laps to pick up the win. Wilkerson held on for 2nd, Devin Still came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Derek Fenton passed 10 cars from his 14th place starting spot to finish in 4th, with Kimberly Abbott rounding out the top 5.

Notes from LCS: 33 Modifieds, 23 Wild Things, 22 SportMods, 19 Hobby Stocks and 17 Stock Cars made up the 114 cars signed in on the night......Clayton Crump made the 2 hour drive to Donnellson from Centralia, MO. He would start 3rd in the Hobby Stock feature and would cross the line in 6th with his 9:1 legal Hobby Stock....Dean Kratzer came from 14th to finish in 7th....Bobby Anders started 15th and was collected up in the lap 1 crash. He would recover to finish in 8th....Jake Wenig, who was leading until the lap 9 restart, pulled off with a flat and was credited with 12th......Aaron Brocksieck recovered from the lap 3 crash in the Stock Car feature to come back up to finish in 7th....Jeremy Pundt came from 14th to finish in 9th....Ryan Cook was credited with 11th after coming from the back after a lap 3 crash and then battling for the lead on the final lap.......Rick Barlow Jr started the SportMod feature in 12th and passed 5 cars to finish in 7th....Jacob Smith recovered from his lap 7 spin to come back to finish in 8th....Nathan Murders recovered from his lap 3 spin to finish in 9th....Ryan Fullenkamp started 22nd and spun on lap 5. But he would recover to finish in 10th....Patrick Profeta came from 17th and was involved in the lap 9 red. He would come back to finish in 11th....Dylan Book was credited with 16th after battling Gillenwater for the lead until lap 11, when he pulled off with troubles......Brandon Banks, who took the final transfer spot in the B Main, would start the Modified feature in 24th. He would pass 17 cars to finish in 7th to take home the $100 hard charger award....Dennis LaVeine, who also came out of the B Main, started 22nd and passed 13 cars to take home 9th....Rob Kirchner recovered from the lap 17 crash to come back to finish in 11th....Andy Krieger, who started 19th, had worked his way up to 5th by lap 22. But he would pull off on lap 23 with rear end troubles to end his run in 14th....Richie Gustin would pull off on the lap 17 caution with a flat, after battling for the top 3. He was credited with 15th....Michael Long, who started 11th, was battling for 8th on lap 12. When Luke Wanninger got sideways off of turn 2 and collected Long. Long would break something in the rear end to end his night in 19th....Brian Mullen made the pull down from Seymour, Wisconsin and picked up the win in the B Main. But he had troubles early in the feature to end his night in 24th....Rich Smith would take home $845 in lap money to make his total night take home worth $2845....Josh Foster would claim $330 in lap money, while Chapman took home $85, Wanninger $70 and Richie Gustin $20......Casey Kendrick was DQ in his heat and would start the Wild Thing feature in 22nd. He would pass 16 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Mike Hornung Jr came from 13th to finish in 7th....Andrew Davis passed 11 cars from his 21st starting spot to claim 10th....Connie Justice was also DQ from the heat and started 23rd in the feature. She would pass 12 cars to come home in 11th.

Foster Repeats, While Redmann, Gillenwater, Tucker and Helenthal Get First of the Season at Lee County

2011-05-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Friday, May 6, 2011) - For the second week in a row mother nature provided the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa with some great weather. The second points night of the 2011 season, featuring the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Wild Things, was put into the books.

The first feature on the night was the 15 lap Hobby Stocks, with Jake Wenig, suppose to start on the pole but scratched, moving Mike Amenell and Josh Tripp to the front row. Tripp would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Amenell. The field was slowed on lap 3 for the first of two cautions of the event, when Bob Cowman came to a stop in turn 4 with a flat. On the restart Tripp moved back into the lead, with Nathan Anders and Jim Lynch battling it out for 2nd. Lynch would over take Anders for 2nd on lap 5 and then went to work on Tripp for the top spot. Tripp was able to hold back Lynch until lap 7, when Lynch got under him to grab the lead by inches. The field was slowed for the final time on lap 9, when Tripp, who was running 2nd, spun in turn 2, and Dan Wenig, who started 12th and was up to 4th, spun to avoid him to bring out the yellow. Lynch grabbed the lead on the restart, with Tanner Thomann, who started 10th, and Matt Tucker who started 9th, who were both making there 2011 debut at Lee County, following him close in 2nd and 3rd. Coming out of turn 4 to get the white flag Lynch would drift to high which allowed Tucker and Thomann to make it three wide out of four. Lynch would run out of space on the top side and came down into Thomann, which caused Lynch to get into the front stretch wall. Tucker meanwhile drove away to pick up the win, his first of the season. Thomann was able to hold on to finish in 2nd, Ray Raker came from 14th to finish in 3rd, Anders held on for 4th, with Jim Powell, another newcomer for 2011, coming from 8th to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with Phillip Cossel and Jim Gillenwater leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Gillenwater jumped out into the lead on lap 1 over Cossel and Jacob Smith. The first caution of the event would come out on the completion of lap 1, as Mike Shelton spun in turn 2 and collected Patrick Profeta. On the restart Gillenwater moved back out into the lead, with Cossel hold back Smith for 2nd. After the completion of lap 2 the yellow light would come back on, as Rick Barlow Jr., AJ Johnson, Brandon Ruffcorn and Aric Beckler spun in turn 1. Gillenwater again jumped back into the lead on the restart, with Cossel close behind in 2nd. Just as Gillenwater started to pull away from the field, the caution would come back out on lap 8 for debris on the backstretch. With that yellow the time limit was up on this event, which meant the next yellow or checkered flag would put an end to the race. On the restart Gillenwater grabbed the lead, with Coseel holding back Smith for 2nd. The race would come to an end on lap 11, when AJ Johnson spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out. Gillenwater claimed the win, his first of the season. Cossel held on for 2nd, Jeff Mueller came from 12th to finish in 3rd, Rodger Dresden started 8th and came home in 4th, with Smith holding on to finish in fifth.

Nick Wilkerson and Dakota Fenton made up the front row for the 12 lap Wild Thing feature, with Wilkerson grabbing the lead on lap 1. Wilkerson was able to hold back the field until the one and only caution of the event came out on lap 4. C Jay Loring would come to a stop in turn 1. On the restart Wilkeron moved back out into the lead, with David Helenthal, who started 10th, following close behind in 2nd. Helenthal would try Wilkerson on the bottom for the next 3 laps, before making the pass for the lead on lap 8. Helenthal then led the final 4 laps to claim his first of the season. Wilkerson held on for 2nd, Chuck Fullenkamp came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Darin Smith started 9th and finish in 4th, with Craig Bangert rounding out the top 5.

The IMCA Stock Car feature was up next, with John Oliver Jr. and Ryan Cook on the front row. Oliver Jr. would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Derek St. Clair. The first of three cautions would come out on the completion of lap 2, as Aaron Brocksieck, who was running 4th, spun in turn 2 and collected Gabe Harrison. On the restart Jeremy Pundt spun in turn 1 to bring the yellow light back on. Oliver Jr. jumped back into the lead on the restart, with Ryan Cook close behind in 2nd. Just as a three car battle between Oliver Jr., Ryan Cook and Jim Redmann, who started 9th, for the lead was going three wide somebody clipped a tire in turn 4 to bring the final caution out on lap 8. Once again Oliver Jr. grabbed the lead on the restart, with Redmann challenging. Redmann would slip under Oliver Jr. coming off turn 4 on lap 9 to take over the top spot, with Ryan Cook working to hold back Jeff Mueller, who started 10th. Redmann held on over the final 6 laps to claim his first win of the season. Oliver Jr. was 2nd, Ryan Cook was 3rd, Mueller finished 4th, with Jason Cook coming home in fifth.

The final feature of the night was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Dustin Crear and Bill Roberts leading the field to the green flag. Crear jumped out into the lead on lap 1, as Adam Birck and Brandon Savage battled for 2nd. Crear, Birck and Wyatt Lantz would battle for the lead, as Josh Foster, who started 10th, was working his way to the front. Foster worked the bottom to perfection as he over took Crear on lap 9 to grab the lead. Foster then started to pull away when the first caution of the race came out on lap 15, as Dustan Fenton spun in turn 1. On the restart Kirk Hopkins would spin in turn 3 to bring the yellow light back on. Foster grabbed the lead on the next restart, with Lantz and Crear battling for 2nd. The next caution would appear on lap 17, when Tyler Cale, who was running 6th, spun to a stop in turn 4. On the restart Lantz's car wouldn't come up to speed as Crear, Birck, Savage and Lonnie Heap piled up on the front stretch. Foster jumped into the lead on the restart and then led the final 3 laps to claim his second win in a row at the speedway. Brandon Banks came from 11th to finish in 2nd, James Leffew started 13th and passed 10 cars to come home in 3rd, Bill Roberts came from the back after pitting on the lap 17 caution to finish in 4th, with Cale recovering from his spin on lap 17 to round out the top 5.

Notes from LCS: 25 Modifieds, 20 SportMods, 19 Wild Things, 16 Hobby Stocks and 15 Stock Cars made up the 95 cars in 5 classes......Dan Wenig, who started 12th and had worked his way to 4th, recovered from his lap 9 caution to finish in 6th in the Hobby Stock feature....Dane Fenton came from 11th to finish in 7th....Kirk Puttmann started 13th and finished in 9th....Bob Cowman recovered from his flat on lap 3 to come back to finish in 10th....Michael Wenke came from 16th to finish in 11th....Jim Lynch was disqualified after the event for using his car as a weapon, as he drove into Matt Tucker on the backstretch after the race was over......Dylan Book started the SportMod feature in 15th and passed 8 cars to take home 7th....Patrick Profeta recovered from the lap 1 crash to come back to finish in 10th....Mike Shelton also recovered from the lap 1 crash to come back up to 11th......Wayne Noble had to start the Wild Thing feature from 19th after a disqualification in the heat race. He would pass 12 cars to take home 7th......Chris Webb made his 2011 debut at the speedway in the Stock Car class. He would start the feature in 15th and passed 6 cars to finish in 9th......Bill Seyb started the Modified feature in 16th and passed 10 cars to finish in 6th....Dustan Fenton, who started 14th, recovered from his lap 15 spin to come back to finish in 7th....Jim Roach passed 16 cars from his 24th staring spot to finish in 8th....Kirk Hopkins, who started 19th, recovered from his lap 15 spin to finish in 9th....Derek Hamm came from 18th to finish in 10th....Chadwick Giberson passed 10 cars from his 21st staring spot to take home 11th....Wyatt Lantz, who was running 2nd, was credited with 12th after his car wouldn't come up to speed on the lap 17 caution....Adam Birck was credited with 13th, after running 3rd and getting caught up in the pile up on the lap 17 restart....Dustin Crear was running 4th and got caught up in the lap 17 crash to get credited with 14th....Rich Smith started 25th, after troubles in the heat, and had worked his way to 5th when he pulled off with troubles on the lap 17 caution. He was credited with 15th....Jeff Waterman came from 15th to 10th when he pulled off on the lap 17 caution with troubles to end his night in 17th.

Quad City Speedway Opening Night Wins Go To Neal, Wilson, Dolan, Henry and Dahl

2011-05-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

East Moline, IL (Sunday, May 1, 2011) - For the first time in 2011 I was able to take in three nights of racing all on the same weekend. Rain showers moved in from the south to cancel Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL soon enough to head north to the Quad City Speedway in East Moline, IL for there season points opener. In action on the night was the IMCA Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Pro Modifieds, Street Stocks and 4 Cylinders.

The first feature of the night was the 15 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Jake Waterman and Jerry Durbin drawing the front row for the event. Jason Pestka and Dwaine Hasson would collide in turn 1 on the drop of the green to bring the caution out for the first time. On the restart Mark VerVynck would spin in turn 1 to bring the yellow light back on. Waterman grabbed the lead on the restart, with Thad Wilson and John Ahlers following close behind. Ahlers run in the top 3 would come to an end, as he spun to a stop in turn 3 on lap 2 to bring the caution out. On the restart Tim Arp and Dwaine Hasson collided in turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. VerVynck then dropped a drive shaft in turn 1 on the restart to bring caution back to the speedway. Once again Waterman moved out front on the restart, with Wilson close behind in second. Waterman worked to hold back Wilson over the next 12 laps. But a lapped car on the final lap would come into play, as Waterman went low coming off turn four to clear the lapped car. But Wilson would stay on the high side to get by Waterman at the line by inches to claim the win. Waterman settled for 2nd, Mitch Morris came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Craig Crawford started 10th and passed 6 cars to take home 4th, with Milo Veloz Jr., who had a flat in the heat, coming from 15th to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 15 lap Street Stock feature, with Chuck Fox and Ron Henry leading the field to the drop of the green. Henry would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Tim Current. Henry then held off Current until a lap 5 caution slowed the battle down. Cord Williams spun in turn 2 to bring out the first yellow of the event. On the restart Henry again moved out into the lead, with Current pressuring him for the top spot. The battle up front would take a big change on lap 6, as Jeremy Marquette, who was running 4th, spun in turn 4 to bring out the caution. At the same time Current slowed in turn 4 and pulled off with troubles. Henry jumped back out front on the restart and then held back Cary Brown over the final 9 laps to pick up the win. Fox was 3rd, Rick Schriner was 4th, with Chris Lawrence finishing fifth.

Ryan Dolan and Jerry Bailey Jr. drew the front row for the 20 lap Pro Modified feature, with Dolan jumping out front on lap 1. Dolan set a fast pace early as he built up a half a track lead over second. But the one and only caution of the race would come out on lap 3 to bring the field back to Dolan's back bumper. Andy Warner stopped in turn 4 to bring out the caution. On the restart Dolan moved back out into the lead, with Brandon Durbin following in second. Durbin would close in on Dolan over the final 2 laps, but Dolan was able to hold on to claim the win. John Bull came home in 3rd, Donovan Lodge was 4th, with Doug Crampton rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Shawn Mulvaney and Mike Zemo Jr. leading the field to the green. Zemo Jr. would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Mulvaney and Terry Neal, who started 5th. The first caution of the event would come out on the completion of lap 1, as Todd Alexander spun in turn 4 with a flat left rear. On the restart Travis Denning, who was running 11th, spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. Zemo Jr. grabbed the lead over Neal and Mulvaney on the restart. The top three cars would start to enter lapped traffic on lap 9, as Neal tried the bottom several times to get by Zemo Jr. Neal would make the move stick on lap 11 as he over took Zemo Jr. for the top spot. But Zemo Jr. would come back on lap 12 to grab the lead back only to have the caution come out before the lap was complete, giving the lead back to Neal for the restart. Jeremy Gustaf would come to a stop in turn 1 to bring out the caution. On the restart Neal moved back out front, with Mulvaney grabbing second from Zemo Jr. Zemo Jr.'s great run up front would come to an end on lap 19 when Mike Garland rolled in turn 1 and collected him, as the two battled for 6th. Neal again jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Mulvaney and Adam Oppendike, who started 6th, battling for second. The last caution of the event came out on lap 20 for debris on the backstretch. Once again Neal grabbed the lead on the restart, with Oppendike over taking Mulvaney for second. Neal then held off a last lap challenge from Oppendike to pick up the win. Mulvaney settled for 3rd, Matt Ryan charged from 17th to take home 4th, with Ray Guss Jr. coming from 10th to finish in fifth.

The final feature of the night was the 12 lap 4 Cylinders, with Wade Dahl and Thomas Patz drawing the front row. Dahl took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dustin Forbes and Justin Veloz. The first of two cautions in the event would come out on lap 3, when Aaron Hitt came to a stop in turn 2. On the restart Dahl moved back out into the lead, with Veloz and Bryce Garnhart, who started 8th, battling for 2nd. The battle of the front runners would take a change on lap 8 when Veloz slowed with motor troubles. At the same time Garnhart lost a right front tire in 3 and Jason Blocker came to a stop in turn 4, while running 6th, to bring the final caution out. Dahl again grabbed the lead on the restart and then led the final 4 laps to pick up the win. Brent Terry came from 18th to finish in 2nd, Forbes held on for 3rd, Brandon Dahl passed 17 cars from his 21st starting spot to take home 4th, with Dale Tucker coming from 19th to round out the top 5.

Notes from EM: Ray Cox Jr. scratched from his heat and started the IMCA Modified feature in 18th. He would pass 12 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Tim Arp recovered from his lap 2 crash to come back to finish in 7th....Dwaine Hasson also recovered from the lap 2 crash to come up and finish 10th....Todd Dykema came from 14th to finsih in 11th....Jason Pestka started 17th and finished 13th......Ron Henry claimed the Street Stock feature in a IMCA legal Stock Car....RJ Gonzales came from 12th to take home 6th....Jeremy Marquette recovered from his lap 6 spin to finish in 7th....Rob Nylin and Gerald Ward crashed hard in the heat race and was unable to fix there cars forcing them to scratch from the feature......Mike Murphy Jr. started the IMCA Late Model feature in 18th and passed 11 cars to take home 7th....Eric Sanders came from 19th to finish in 8th....Todd Mahlstrom passed 11 cars from his 20th place starting spot to finish in 9th....Travis Denning, a rookie driver in the IMCA Late Model class in 2011, recovered from his lap 1 spin to come back to finish 13th....Eric Gustaf was suppose to take the green from the 4th spot in the feature, but was late to the line up and was forced to start on the tail. He would make a few laps before pulling off to finish in 18th......Gabe Schrader took the green from the 11th place in the 4 Cylinder feature and passed 5 cars to finish 6th....Mike Wisdom came from 15th to take home 7th....Cameron Poce passed 12 cars from his 20th place starting spot to finish in 8th....Mike Cusack, started 17th and had worked his way to 4th, when he slowed on the final lap with troubles to get credited with 11th....Brandt Cole came from 16th to finish in 12th....Zachary Dahl was running 3rd, when he had a right front flat on the lap 3 restart. He was credited with 18th....Jeremy Kingsley was suppose to start 10th in the feature, but was a scratch.

I would like to thank Dewain Hulett from Tri State Speed Review for keeping me company on the drive up and back.

Babb Claims $10,000 Shootout Win at West Liberty

2011-05-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

West Liberty, IA (Sat. April 30, 2011) - Its hard to believe after two weeks of almost no racing in this part of the country, I was able to get in two nights in a row in. Saturday at the West Liberty Raceway in West Liberty, Iowa was night 2 of the May Day Classic Shootout, featuring the Open Late Models battling for $10,000 to win.

After three Late Model heats with the top 16 in passing points going to the A Main, in which the top 6 going to the dash. Then a B Main, with the top 8 cars going to the A Main. The 24 car field was set for the 50 lap A Main, paying the winner $10,000.

The first feature of the night was the 12 lap IMCA Sport Compacts, with Bill Whalen and Dwyane Herb leading the field to the drop of the green flag. But it was 4th place starter Jarod McMichael who jumped into the lead on lap 1. McMichael would then hold the top spot until lap 3, when Merv Chandler, who started 8th, slipped by for the lead. The field was stopped for the one and only red, as Herb, who was running 3rd, rolled coming out of turn 2 and collected Whalen, who was running 4th. Herb and Whalen both climbed from there machines unhurt, but done for the event. On the restart Merv Chandler grabbed the lead, with Nathan Chandler, who started 10th, close behind in 2nd. Coming off of turn four for the checkered Nathan would get under Merv, as the two drag raced to the line. Merv was able to edge out Nathan by inches to claim the win. Brad Chandler would cross in 3rd, Steve Miendke came from 7th to finish in 4th, with McMichael coming home in fifth.

Tim Sands and Colt Mather drew the front row for the 20 lap Open Modified feature. Johnny Spaw would spin in turn 1 on the drop of the green flag with a flat to bring the caution out. On the restart Justin Spears came to a stop on the top of turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. Mather jumped into the lead on the restart, with Steve Stewart and Scott Dickey, who started 7th, battling for 2nd. Mather quickly pulled out to a big lead and started to lap cars on lap 6. But the field was brought back to his back bumper on lap 9, when Bruce Hanford, who started 9th and was up to 4th, slowed to a stop to bring out the caution. On the restart Mather again moved out into the lead, with Stewart and Rayn Dolan, who started 14th, battling for 2nd. Mather would hold off a late challenge from Stweart to pick up the win. Dolan settled for 3rd, Mark Schulte started 13th and passed 9 cars to finish in 4th, with Ryan Peckman coming from 8th to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 50 lap Open Late Model Shootout, with dash winner Brian Birkhofer and Brian Shirley on the front row. Birkhofer would take advantage of his front row start to jump into the lead on lap 1 over Shirley, Billy Moyer and Shannon Babb, who started 6th. While Birkhofer set a fast pace up front, Babb would over take Moyer on lap 5 for the 2nd spot and then went to work on Birkhofer. But the first of two cautions would come out on lap 10. Jason Utter, who started 17th and had worked his way to 10th, slowed to a stop in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Birkhofer moved back into the lead, with Moyer over taking Babb for 2nd. Once again Birkhofer was pulling away, when Babb over took Moyer for 2nd on lap 22. Babb then caught Birkhofer as the two went side-by-side on laps 23rd and 24th, before Babb grabbed the top spot on lap 25. Babb then started to pull away from 2nd, as Moyer over took Birkhofer for 2nd on lap 30. The field was slowed for the final time on lap 36 for debris in turn 3. On the restart Babb jumped back into the lead over Birkhofer and Moyer. While Babb worked the bottom of the speedway, Birkhofer went to the top to take the top spot away from Babb on lap 39. But Babb didn't give up, as he closed in on Birkhofer with 2 laps to go. Then on the white flag lap Babb would slip under Birkhofer to take the lead and then pulled away on the final lap to claim the $10,000 top prize. Birkhofer settled for 2nd, Moyer was 3rd, Shirley 4th, with Justin Mitchell taking home fifth.

Notes from WL: Only 29 Open Late Models signed in on the night to compete for $10,000, with 28 Open Modifieds and 12 IMCA Sport Compacts making up the 69 cars total......Ryan Walker started the Sport Compact feature in 12th and passed 6 cars to take home 6th....John Flurry started 9th and finished 7th....Jason Delzell finished 9th after starting 11th....Larry Herring passed 6 cars from his 12th place starting spot in the Open Modified feature to take home 6th....Johnny Spaw recovered from his lap 1 flat tire to come back to finish in 7th......Kellen Chadwick came from 16th to finish in 10th....Chris Zogg passed 13 cars from his 24th place starting spot to take home 11th....Zack Less started 19th and came home in 12th....Rick Hixson, who was running 6th, went to the pits on the lap 9 caution for a left rear flat. He was credited with a 15th place finish....Scott Dickey, who was running 3rd on the lap 9 caution, would pull into the pits with troubles and was credited with 16th....Todd Hansen was suppose to start 3rd in the feature, but motor troubles in his heat caused him to scratch from the the event....Noah Coppess was another one with troubles after his B Main, as he was suppose to start the feature in 20th. But was forced to scratch from the event....Dan Albirght, Brad Dierks, Mike Zogg, Alex Buffington all crashed in there B Main events. All cars were to damaged to continue on for the rest of the night....Terry Walker was leading the 3rd heat, when he crashed hard in the turn 4 wall to end his night. He walked away ok......Chad Simpson started 10th in the Open Late Model feature and finished 6th....Jeremiah Hurst came from 12th to finish in 7th....Todd Frank made the pull down from Green Bay, WI pay off, as he started 18th and passed 9 cars to finish in 9th....Matt Furman came from 14th to finish in 10th....Darren Miller was credited with 11th, after starting 11th and making it up to 4th before pulling off on lap 26 with troubles....Andy Eckrich came from 16th and was running 12th, when he pulled off on lap 21 to get credited with 12th....Brain Harris came from 22nd and passed 8 cars to finish in 14th....Tyler Bruening, who passed Ricky Frankel on the last lap of the B Main to take the final transfer spot, started the A Main in 24th. He would pass 9 cars to take home a 15th place finish....Chris Simpson was suppose to start the dash, after coming from 5th to 2nd in heat 3. But motor troubles after the checkered in that heat would force him to scratch from the dash. He would tag the tail of the A Main and only made 1 lap to finish in 24th....Only 9 cars of the 24 Late Models that started the A Main would finish the race. While only 5 of them were on the lead lap....Those who failed to make the A Main were Ricky Frankel, Jim Rychtik, John Brauns, Mike Fryar, who was running 3rd in the B Main but pulled off with troubles to end his night, and Andrew McKay..........My only question on the night was the way they qualified the Modifieds. With 28 cars signing in they ran 4 heats races and only taking the top 3 to the A Main. They then ran 2 B Mains, with only 8 cars in each. On the start of each B Main they had two cars pile up to cut the field to 6, in which all 6 would make the A Main. But they still ran 8 laps. Why? Guess they needed to stretch the program out or tried to sell more concession to the small crowd in attendance...who knows!

Lee County Speedway Finally Gets There 2011 Season Started

2011-05-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (April 29, 2011) - The Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa finally got there 2011 season started, after two straight weeks of rain outs. For the fans the wait was well worth it, as 131 cars signed in to do battle for the points opener.

The first feature on the night was the 15 laps IMCA SportMods, with Austin Schulte and Dylan Book drawing the front row. Before the first lap could be scored the caution would appear, as Rod Staats spun in turn 1 to avoid a tire. On the restart Shannon Sample would spin in turn four and collect the machines of Jim Gillenwater, Nathan Murders, Chad Cannady, Steve Pumphrey and Phillip Cossel. Book would grab the lead on the restart over Jeff Mueller, who is driving the Fenton owned car driven by Jason Cook to the 2010 Championship in the SportMod class. But the field was again slowed after the completion of lap 1, as Brandon Ruffcorn spun in turn 4. On the restart Jacob Smith would spin in turn 4 and collected Ryan Fullenkamp and Jim Gillenwater to bring the caution light back on. Once again Book would move out into the lead on the restart, with Mueller close behind in second. The battle up front was slowed on lap 3, as Brandon Ruffcorn spun in turn 4 for his second solo to end his night. This caution would put an end to the time limit, with the next yellow or the checkered flag putting an end to the race. Book again grabbed the lead on the restart over Mueller, as the top two was pulling away. But the battle would end on lap 8, as Dustin Smith spun in turn 4 on lap 8 to bring an end to the race. Book held on for the win, Mueller was 2nd, Dean Kratzer came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Mike Shelton started 10th and came home in 4th, with Rick Barlow Jr. coming from 9th to round out the top 5.

Mike Amenell and Bob Cowman led the field to the drop of the green in the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, but it was 5th place starter Dan Wenig who would grab the lead on lap 1. The first of four yellows would come out on the completion of lap 1, as Nathan Anders spun in turn 4 with a flat. On the restart Kirk Puttmann would spin in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. Aaron Sperry and Puttman would collide on the restart in turn 2 to bring caution out once again. On the restart Wenig jumped out into the lead, with Dane Fenton, who started 7th, close behind in 2nd. While Wenig started to pull away, the battle for 2nd would heat up as Fenton, Rob Wilsey and Matt Gavin would go three wide for 2nd. But the 3 wide battle would come to an end on lap 7, as Wilsey and Gavin got together going into turn 1 with both spinning to bring out the final caution. Weing once again grabbed the lead on the restart and then pulled away over the final 8 laps to claim the win. Fenton settled for 2nd, Jim Lynch came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Nick Fenton was 4th, with Ray Raker coming from 12th to finish in fifth.

Up next was the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Mark Burgtof and Ray Guss Jr. drawing the front row for the event. Guss Jr. would take advantage of his front row draw to grab the lead on the drop of the green, with Burgtorf following behind in second. The two started to pull away from the field when they entered lapped traffic on lap 10, that would allow Jason Perry and Justin Reed to close in. Burgtorf would try to get under Guss Jr. over the next 10 laps, as they entered more lapped traffic, but Guss Jr. was able to hold Burgtorf back. Guss Jr. would lead all 25 laps, which went caution free, to pick up the $1,000 top prize. Burgtorf held on for 2nd, Perry was 3rd, Reed 4th, with Jeff Aikey coming from 8th to round out the top 5.

Ryan Cook and Kevin Goben led the field to the green in the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Goben grabbing the lead on lap 1. But the first caution of the race would come out on the completion of lap 1, as Dustin Crear, AJ Fike, Kirk Hopkins, Bill Roberts and Joe Beal collided off of turn 4. On the restart Goben jumped back out into the lead, with Cook working to hold back Josh Foster, who started 7th, for second. Foster worked the bottom of the speedway to perfection, as he grabbed the top spot away from Goben on lap 5. Foster then started to pull away from the field, when Hopkins spun in turn 2 on lap 10 to bring the yellow light on. Once again Foster moved out front on the restart, but now had Dennis LaVeine following close behind in second. LaVeine tried to get by Foster on the top side, but there battle would be slowed on lap 13 when Dustan Fenton spun in turn 2. Foster again grabbed the lead on the restart, with LaVeine trying the high side to get by Foster for the lead. But there battle was slowed on lap 15 when Roberts and Beal collided in turn 4 to bring the yellow out. At the same time Goben would clip a tire in turn 2 and broke his left front to spin to a stop, which ended his top 5 run. Once again Foster grabbed the lead on the restart, with LaVeine working to hold back Brandon Rothzen, who started 11th. The three car battle up front was slowed for the final time on lap 18, as Milo Veloz Jr. spun in turn 2. Foster again moved out front on the restart and held on over the final 2 laps to pick up the win. LaVeine held on for 2nd, Rothzen was 3rd, Tyler Cale came from 9th to finish in 4th, with Jim Roach coming home in fifth.

Up next was he 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with rookie Jeremy Pundt and Jason Cook leading the field to the green. But it was 3rd place starter Jeff Mueller grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Jason Cook. Pundt's run up front would come to an end on the completion of lap 2, as he spun off turn 4 and collected John Oliver Jr. to bring out the first caution. On the restart Ryan Cook and Gabe Harrison collided in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. Mueller jumped back out into the lead on the restart, with Jason Cook getting sideways and falling from 3rd to 6th. Just as Mueller started to put some distance on the second place car, the caution would come out on the completion of lap 3. This time a tire was clipped and thrown out onto the track in turn 3. On the restart Derek St. Clair would get sideways off turn 4 and collected the cars of Corey Strothman, Aaron Brocksieck and Ryan Cook to bring the yellow back out. Mueller again jumped out front on the restart, with Kevin Tomlinson, who started 7th, and Jim Redmann, who started 8th, battling it out for second. Mueller would pull away from the field over the final 12 laps to claim the win. Redmann came home in 2nd, Jason Cook recovered to finish in 3rd, Matt Greiner started 10th and finished in 4th, with Cale Samberg coming home in fifth.

The final feature of the night was the 12 lap Wild Things, with Darin Smith and Chuck Fullenkamp drawing the front row. But it was 3rd place starter David Helenthal moving out into the lead on lap 1. Helenthal, Smith and Fullenkamp had a great three car battling going up front until the 1 and only caution of the event came out on lap 6. Debris in turn 4 would slow the field down and set up a lap 6 dash to the finish. On the restart Helenthal moved back out into the lead and then held it until lap 9, when Smith got by for the top spot. Smith then held on over the final 3 laps to claim the win. Helenthal crossed the line in 2nd but was disqualified in tech for miss matched tires. That would move Fullenkamp up to 2nd, Wayne Noble charged from 16th to finish in 3rd, Craig Bangert came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Kimberly Abbott rounding out the top 5.

Notes from LCS: 30 IMCA Modifieds, 24 IMCA Late Models, 23 IMCA SportMods, 21 Hobby Stocks, 17 IMCA Stock Cars and 16 Wild Things made up the 131 cars signed in on the first night of competition......AJ Johnson started 11th in the IMCA SportMod feature and worked his way up to finish in 7th....Patrick Profeta came from 12th to finish in 8th....Rodger Dresden started 15th and passed 6 cars to finish in 9th....Michael Joe Bliven passed 7 cars from his 17th place starting spot to take home 10th....Derek Coleman came from 19th and passed 8 cars to finish in 11th....Rod Staats recovered from his lap 1 spin to finish in 12th....Jacob Smith came from 21st and passed 8 cars to take home 13th....Phillip Cossel had a hard crash in his heat to end his night early, as he was a scratch from the feature......Nathan Anders who brought out the caution on lap 1 of the Hobby Stock feature and then pitted with a flat, restarted 17th. He would work his way to finish in 6th by the end of the 15 lap event....Tim Dawson made the pull up from Callao, Missouri pay off, as he started 15th and passed 8 cars to finish in 7th....Jim Oliver Jr. charged up from his 19th place starting spot to claim 8th....Josh Tripp came from 14th to take home 10th....Michael Wenke came from 17th to finish in 12th......Rob Toland started the IMCA Late Model feature in 12th and passed 5 cars to finish in 7th....Jason Frankel started 11th and came home in 8th....Boone McLaughlin came from 13th to finish in 9th....Colby Springsteen passed 6 cars from his 18th place starting spot to take home 12th....Nick Marolf started 17th and took home an 13th place finish....Jay Johnson came from 20th to finish in 15th......Jeff Waterman, who picked up the IMCA Modified B Main, started the feature in 21st. He would pass 15 cars to take home a 6th place finish....James Leffew came from 13th to finish in 7th....Mike Weikert Jr. also came from the B Main and started 22nd. He would pass 10 cars to take home an 12th place finish....Jim Lynch started 19th and passed 6 cars to finish in 13th....Dustan Fenton recovered from his lap 13 spin to come back to finish in 14th......Abe Huls took the green in the IMCA Stock Car feature in 11th and passed 5 cars to finish in 6th....Kevin Tomlinson was going for second on the final lap, when he and Redmann made contact in turn 2. Tomlinson would get into the guardrail, which cut the right front, to drop him back to 10th at the finish......C Jay Loring came from 15th to pass 9 cars for a 6th place finish in the Wild Things feature....Sierra Bueker started 13th and passed 6 cars to take home 7th....Mike Hornung Jr. came from 12th to finish in 8th.

Inaugural Midwest Open Wheel Association Win Goes to Lasoski

2011-04-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

Burlington, IA (Saturday, April 23, 2011) - Despite mother natures attempts on Friday and several times during the night on Saturday, 34 Raceway was able to get there program in. The Monster Energy Midwest Open Wheel Association 410 Sprint Cars inaugural season kicked off, along with the IMCA Late Models and IMCA Stock Cars in action on the night.

Thirty-nine 410 Sprint Cars signed, with Danny Lasoski getting the events started by setting fast time, with a lap of 12.5428. Then 4 heats, with the top 4 going into the feature, and 2 B Mains, with the top 2 going into the feature, were ran to help set the 21 car feature.

The first feature of the night was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Jim Redmann and John Oliver Jr drawing the front row. Oliver Jr would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on the drop of the green flag. Redmann and Jeff Mueller, who started 5th, would make it a three car battle for the lead until the first caution came out on lap 5. Gabe Harrison would come to a stop on the front stretch to slow the great battle of front. On the restart Oliver Jr would moved back out into the lead over Mueller by inches. But Mueller would slip under him on lap 7 to take over the top spot. Mueller then pulled away over the final 13 laps of caution free racing to claim his first win of 2011. Oliver Jr settled for 2nd, Corey Strothman started 9th and came home in 3rd, Matt Greiner passed 11 cars from his 15th place starting spot to finish in 4th, with Derek St. Clair coming from 13th to round out the top five.

Jerrod Hull and Danny Lasoski led the field to the green flag in the 30 lap 410 Sprint car feature, with Lasoski leading lap 1 over Hull and Craig Dollansky, who started 6th. Lasoski started to pull away from the battle for second when he entered lapped traffic on lap 4, to allow Dollansky and Kerry Madsen to close in on him. But the battle for second and third would change on lap 6 when Madsen came off of turn four on the high side of Dollansky, who was running the middle. Dollansky would try to move up to the top to clear a lapped car and made contact with Madsen. Robbie Standridge had not where to go and was collected in the wreck, causing his machine to get upside down. He climbed out ok, with Dollansky having to be towed off with right front damage. Madsen would continue on from the wreck without stopping and would restart in 2nd.

Lasoski jumped back out into the lead on the restart, with Madsen following behind. On lap 10 Lasoski caught back up to the back of the field to allow Madsen to close in on him for the lead. Madsen would take advantage of a lapped car on lap 11 to grab the top spot away from Lasoski. But disaster strike Madsen 1 lap later as he slowed to a stop in turn 1 with a right rear flat, a result of the contact with Dollansky back on lap 6. Once again Lasoski moved back into the lead on the restart and was pulling away, when he entered lapped traffic on lap 17. This allowed Joey Moughan, who started 8th, and Kaley Gharst, who had charged up from his 18th place starting spot, to close in. Gharst would over take Moughan on lap 27 for second and then went to work on Lasoski for the lead. Coming out of turn 4 for the white Gharst tried to get under Lasoski in turn 1, but bobbled to allow Lasoski to pull away enough to claim the win and the $2,500 top prize. Gharst settled for 2nd, Moughan was 3rd, Brandon Wimmer was 4th, with Hull holding on for 5th.

The final feature of the night was the 25 lap IMCA Late Models, with Matt Bailey and Keith Pratt drawing the front row for the event. A caution before the first lap was complete, for Darin Weisinger who slowed to a stop in turn 2 with a left front flat, set up a complete restart. On the restart Pratt jumped into the lead over Matt Bailey and Colby Springsteen. Pratt would work to hold off Matt Bailey, Tom Darbyshire and Rob Toland until lap 7. Toland went into turn 1 on the top of Matt Bailey and would come out of turn 2 on the bottom of Pratt to set up a challenge going into turn 3 for the lead. Toland came out of turn four with the lead on lap 8 and then held it until lap 10. Darbyshire would jump under Toland going into turn 1 when Toland moved down to get around a lapped car. The two made contact with Darbyshire coming out of turn 2 with the lead. But Toland would shove Darbyshire down the backstretch, getting Darbyshire sideways and spinning himself out to bring out the caution. Darbyshire would continue on before the caution appeared to get the lead back for the restart, while Toland went to the pits. On the restart Darbyshire moved out into the lead, with Denny Woodworth, who started 7th, close behind in 2nd. Darbyshire would hold off several challenges from Woodworth over the final 15 laps to claim the win. Woodworth settled for 2nd, Tom Goble came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Jason Frankel passed 9 cars from his 13th place starting spot to finish in 4th, with Jason Perry coming home in fifth.

Notes from 34: The crew from 34 Raceway has to be thanked for there hard work all night Friday and all day Saturday to get the show in. Jeff Laue said they worked Friday night after the rains until 4am Saturday, then went home to get a break before returning Saturday morning to stay with it. The hard work paid off with 39 410 Sprints, 26 IMCA Late Models and 26 IMCA Stock Cars signing in to do battle in front of a great crowd......Ron Henry in his first year in an IMCA Stock Car legal car, after several years in a Street Stock, made the trip to 34 pay off with a nice 6th place finish....Tim Breuer passed 9 cars from his 16th place starting spot to finish in 7th....Brain Holmes started 21st and passed 13 cars to take home 8th....Rookie IMCA Stock Car driver Jeremy Pundt, who moved up from the Hobby Stock ranks for 2011, managed to come home in 9th....Another rookie IMCA Stock Car driver Gabe Harrison, who moved up from the 4 Cylinders, came from 14th to finish in 10th....Brett Timmerman, who started 7th, had worked his way into 3rd but pulled off on lap 18 with troubles to end his night in 11th....Kirk Kinsley was running in 5th when he pulled off on lap 18 with troubles to end his run in 12th....Jim Redmann who was battling for the lead early and fell back to 6th, before troubles sent him pitside on lap 17 to finish in 13th....Bo Hunter came from 23rd and passed 9 cars to finish in 14th....Abe Huls was running 4th when he pulled off on lap 16 with troubles to end his run in 15th....Chris Wibbell was running in 10th when he left the track on lap 11 with troubles to end his night in 17th....Shane Watts ended his night in 18th, after running 12th, when he pulled off on lap 11 with troubles....It was nice to see Ryan Cook back in action in the area. Ryan moved back from the state of Washington this winter after serving our country in the military. (Thank you Ryan for your service!) He would start the feature in 10th, but had troubles early to end his run in 19th....David Brandies, Chris Webb, Mark Massey and Troy Greiner all had troubles in there heat race or hot laps to end there nights before the feature......Korey Weyant would start the 410 Sprint feature in 15th and passed 6 cars to take home 9th....Matt Sutton, who won heat 2 in a 360 powered Sprinter, started the feature in 14th and came home in 11th....Ben Wagoner, who made a last lap pass coming off 4 in the first B Main to get into the feature, came from 19th to finish in 15th....Davey Heskin was leading the first B Main when he slowed in turn 4 with 2 laps to go with a broken driveshaft....Jordan Goldsberry lost a tire in the first B Main to get upside down in turn 3, but he climbed from his machine ok....Brian Rieck, who moved up from the Modified ranks, took a few rolls in turn 3 in the second B Main. He also climbed from his machine ok....Cory Bruns had troubles in hot laps and was a scratch for the rest of the evening......Matt Strassheim passed 9 cars from his 15th place starting spot to finish the Late Model feature in 6th....Tom Bowling Jr came from 12th to finish in 7th....Lonnie Bailey, who was leading heat race 3 but pulled off with troubles, had to start the feature in 24th. He would pass 15 cars in the 25 lap event to take home a 9th place finish....Justin Reed came from his 23rd starting spot to pass 12 cars in finishing 11th....Jason Cook started 19th and finished in 13th, in only his 3rd Late Model start of his career....Doug Yates made the pull down to 34 pay off, as he started 25th in the feature and passed 10 cars to finish in 15th....Travis Smock came from 22nd to finish in 17th....Mark Burgtorf started 26th, after troubles in the heat, and had worked his way to 13th before pulling off mid race to finish in 19th....Matt Bailey challenged for the lead early, but would pull off early to end his run in 20th....Rob Toland was credited with 21st after his lap 8 tangle....Keith Pratt was leading early and would have troubles to end his night in 22nd......I would also like to thank Jason Goble, who opened up an empty both for fellow Positively Racing writers, Jeff Broeg and Ryan Clark, to get in out of the weather.

Quincy Raceways Produces Another Career First Deery Series Win in Matt Bailey

2011-04-11T18:39:00.001-07:00

Quincy, IL (Sunday, April 10, 2011) - Despite mother natures attempt, with lighting and rains all around the raceway, Quincy Raceways was able to get in there Sunday night program featuring the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models. Another career first Deery Brothers Summer Series winner was produced when the checkers fell at the end of the 40 lap IMCA Late Model main event.

The evening started out with 35 IMCA Late Models signing in to battle for the $2,000 top prize. Four heat races, with the top 3 transferring to the A Main, followed by 2 B Mains, with the top 4 going into the A Main, would help set 20 of the 24 car field. The final 4 cars were added with the driver passing the most cars in the heats and B Mains combined, followed by 3 series provisionals for the highest in points that didn't make it in the A Main through the heats and B Mains.

Up first on the night was the 25 lap UMP Modified feature, with David Wietholder and Shawn Deering drawing the front row for the event. Wietholder would take advantage of his front row start to jump into the lead on lap 1, with Deering and Michael Long battling for second. The first caution of the event would appear on the completion of lap 1, as Trent Grotz and Steven DeLonjay collied in turn 4. On the restart, Wietholder moved back into the lead, with Long and Jared Schlipman, who started 5th, battling for the runner up spot. The action up front was slowed again on lap 4, as a tire was thrown onto the raceway in turn 2. Wietholder again grabbed the lead on the restart and was working to hold off Schlipman, when another caution appeared on lap 7. Deering and Patrick Phillips would make contact, with both spinning to a stop in turn 1.

On the restart Wietholder again grabbed the lead, with Schlipman close behind in second. Schlipman would slip under Wietholder coming off turn 4 on lap 8 to take over the top spot and then started to pull away from the field. But another caution on lap 11, for Robbie Reed who spun in turn 4, would slow Schlipman's pace. Schlipman moved back out into the lead for the restart, only to be slowed 1 lap later for another caution. This time Phillips would spin his machine in turn 4. On the restart Todd Reed, Jake Griffin, Grotz and Phillips would collide in turn 4 to bring the caution back out. Schlipman again grabbed the lead on the restart, but once again was slowed 1 lap later as Joe Kindhart spun in turn 4. With that caution the time limit was up for the event, so the next yellow or the checkers would put an end to the event. On the restart Schlipman jumped into the lead and then started to pull away from the battle for second between Wietholder, Vance Wilson, Tony Dunker and DeLonjay, who battled back to the front after his lap 1 crash. The final caution, which meant the race was over, appeared on lap 18 when Deering got into Long for the battle for 6th with Long spinning to a stop in turn 4. Schlipman was declared the winner, his first of 2011. Wietholder won the battle for 2nd, Wilson was 3rd, Dunker 4th in his first appearance of 2011 at Quincy, with DeLonjay coming home in 5th.

Bobby Anders and Jake Powers led the field to the drop of the green in the 20 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Anders jumping out front on lap 1. Anders started to put some distance between himself and the second place car, when the first of 2 cautions appeared on lap 10. Jim Powell would spin in turn 4. Then Tanner Klingele, who was running 4th, would spin in turn 4 on the restart to bring the final caution out. On the restart Anders again moved out into the lead, with Wesley Mayfield close behind in second. Mayfield would stay close to Anders over the final 10 laps, but Anders was to much as he claimed his second win in a row at the raceway. Nathan Anders came from 6th to finish in 3rd, Brandon Symmonds started 11th and passed 7 cars to finish in 4th, with Steve Carlin rounding out the top 5.

With heavy lighting south of the raceway the 40 lap IMCA Late Model feature came out with the decision to scratch the 4 wide salute to the fans and go right to racing. Mark Burgtorf and Andy Eckrich drew the front row for the event, with Burgtorf grabbing the lead on the drop of the green. Tyler Bruening, who started in 3rd, moved up to challenge Burgtorf early in the event. The battle for the lead was only slowed once, as Jason Frankel, who started 16th and worked his way to 12th, slowed to a stop on the backstretch on lap 10. He would drop a drive shaft on the front stretch to end his night early. On the restart Burgtorf again moved out into the lead, but now had Matt Bailey close behind in second. Bailey would slip under Burgtorf coming off 4 on lap 12 to take over the top spot. He would lead the final 28 laps to claim his career first Deery Brothers Summer Series win. Burgtorf held on for 2nd, Terry Neal came from 13th to pass Justin Reed on the final lap to finish in 3rd, Reed was 4th, with Bruening holding on for fifth.

Matt Bailey celebrates with his family and crew after picking up his first ever Deery Brothers IMCA Late Model Series Feature Win at Quincy Raceways on Sunday April 10, 2011. Photo by Hulett Photography.

Andrew Griffin and Terry Houston led the field to the green in the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Griffin grabbing the lead on lap 1. Aaron Brocksieck, who started 5th, quickly moved up to challenge Griffin for the lead. Coming off turn 2 Brocksieck would get under Griffin, with Griffin not giving an inch as the two got tangled up in turn 3 to bring out the caution. Griffin would have to pit with a right front flat, with Brocksieck going to the back. Jerry Jansen would inherit the lead on the restart, but the caution would come back out as Griffin jumped from last to first on the restart. Again Jansen would grabbed the lead on the restart, but couldn't hold back Houston who slipped under him on lap 5 to take over the top spot. Houston would then have to try to hold back Griffin and Brocksieck, who came from the back after there lap 3 collision. Griffin make the pass for the lead on lap 13, with Brocksieck following him into second. Coming off turn 4 for the white flag Brocksieck would get under Griffin, as the two entered into 1 and 2 side-by-side. Griffin would try the bottom grove pass of Brocksieck coming off 4 for the checkered, but Brocksieck was able to hold him off by inches at the line for his second win in a row. Houston held on for 3rd, Jansen was 4th, with Kevin Tomlinson coming home in 5th.

The final feature of the night was the 12 lap Wild Things, with Seth Woodruff and Casey Kendrick leading the field to the drop of the green. Kendrick would move out into the lead on lap 1, with Woodruff battling Todd Nelson, who started 5th, for second. Kendrick would lead all 12 laps, which ran caution free, to claim his first win of 2011 at the raceway. Nelson came home in 2nd, Craig Bangert started 6th and finished in 3rd, Woodruff was 4th, with Austin Uppinghouse rounding out the top 5.

Notes from Quincy: Jake Griffin started the Modified feature in 17th and was involved in the lap 12 crash, but that didn't slow the youngster down as he recovered to finish in 7th....Patrick Phillips was involved in a crash on lap 7 and then a solo spin on lap 12 to be sent to the back twice. But he would come back to take home a 8th place finish....Joe Kindhart spun on lap 13, but recovered to finish in 9th....Long was credited with 10, after Deering got into him on lap 18 while battling for 6th......Jim Powell came from the rear of the Hobby Stock feature, after spinning on lap 10, to finish in 7th....Adam Scott came from 12th to finish in 8th......Terry Neal picked up the hard charger award in the Late Model feature, as he started 13th and passed 10 cars to finish in 3rd....Jason Perry came from 15th and passed 8 cars to claim 7th....The "Ironman" of the Deery Series Darrel DeFrance passed 9 cars from his 17th place starting spot to come home in 8th....Colby Springsteen took a series points provisional and started 22nd. He would pass 6 cars to finish in 16th....Tommy Elston earned the passing provisional and started 21st. He would pass 3 cars to finish in 18th....Boone McLaughlin was another driver who took a points provisional and started 24th. He would pass 4 cars to finish in 20th....Todd Mahlstrom was the final points provisional and started 23rd. He would pull out of the event early to finish in 23rd.

Ryan Claims Career First Deery Win During "Slocum 50"

2011-04-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

Burlington, IA (Saturday, April 9, 2011) - WOW!!! Couldn't have asked for better weather for the 3rd Annual "Slocum 50", featuring the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models. A huge crowd came out to pay tribute to the late Brent Slocum, on a night with mid 70's temperatures.

Forty-seven IMCA Late Models signed in, with hopes of taking home the $3,000 top prize. The top 3 in each of the five heats would transfer into the A Main, with the top 3 in each of the two B Mains also moving into the A Main. Then two series provisionals for the highest in 2011 points who didn't make into the A Main through the heats and B Mains would be added. The final spot was giving to the driver who passed the most cars during the heats and B Mains combined, to make up the twenty-four starting field.

The first feature of the night was the 25 lap 305 Sprints, with Bobby Mincer and Justin Parrish drawing the front row. Parrish would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on the drop of the green over Mincer and Matt Krieger. The first caution of the event would appear on lap 14, when Kenneth Bragg spun off of turn 2. Parrish had built up a half a track lead over the battle for second between Mincer and Krieger. On the restart the red flag was displayed as Krieger, who was running 3rd, got sideways in turn one and was hit by Alan Ambers, who was running 6th. Causing both cars to roll off the speedway in turn 2. Both drivers climbed from there machines ok. Another red flag appeared on the restart, as Nick Guernsey got high in turn 1 and rolled off turn 2. Parrish jumped back out front on the restart, with Mincer and Jayson Ditsworth, who started 10th, close behind in 2nd and 3rd. Ditsworth would clear Mincer for 2nd on lap 18 and then went to work on Parrish for the lead. Parrish was able to hold back Ditsworth until lap 22, when he drifted to high coming off 2 allowing Ditsworth to slip under for the top spot. Ditsworth then pulled away over the final 3 laps to claim the win. Parrish held on for 2nd, Mincer was 3rd, Chad Huston was 4th, with Justin Newberry coming from 9th to round out the top 5.

Wayne Noble and Kenny Foor led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 15 lap 4 Cylinder feature, with Noble moving out front on the drop of the green. The first of two cautions of the event would come out on lap 2, for debris in turn 1. On the restart Noble jumped back into the lead and started to pull away, when he was slowed for the final time on lap 5. Mike Hornung would get into the side of Jason Delzell, with both spinning to a stop in turn 2. Once again Noble moved into the lead on the restart, but now had Nick Wilkerson, who started 10th, and Darin Smith, who started 9th, close behind in second. Noble, who was running the high side, Wilkerson, was running the middle, and Smith, down low, would run several laps three wide for the lead. On the final lap Wilkerson would slid under Noble going into turn 3 and then edged out Noble at the line to pick up the win. Smith settled for 3rd, Brad Chandler started 11th and came home in 4th, with Jacob Darbyshire coming home in 5th.

The final feature of the night was the 50 lap "Slocum 50" for the IMCA Late Models. Denny Woodworth and Billy Tuckwell drew the front row to lead the field to the drop of the green flag. Woodworth would grab the lead on lap 1 over Tuckwell, Todd Mahlstrom and Rob Toland. Toland worked the bottom of the speedway to perfection, as he slid under Woodworth on lap 6 to grab the top spot. The field was slowed for the first time on lap 7, as Dan Shelliam spun down the backstretch. On the restart Toland moved back out into the lead, with Woodworth and Boone McLaughlin, who started 6th, battling it out for second. Toland would hold the lead until lap 10, when he suddenly did a 360 spin in turn 2, giving the lead back to Woodworth. A caution on lap 11 for Terry Neal, who started 14th and was up to 10th, spun to a stop in turn 2. Meanwhile Toland excited to the pits to change a left rear flat, which may have been the cause of his 360 spin a lap earlier. Woodworth again jumped into the lead on the restart, leaving McLaughlin and Ray Guss Jr., who started 10th, battling for the running up spot. Just as Woodworth started to pull away from the field, another caution appeared on lap 15. Brian Harris, who started 11th, got into the left rear of Guss Jr., as the two where battling for 3rd, causing Harris to spin to a stop in turn 2. On the yellow, Guss Jr. went to the pits to change the left rear flat from the contact from Harris.

On the restart Woodworth once again grabbed the lead, with McLaughlin and Matt Ryan, who started 7th, battling it out for 2nd. Woodworth's lead was erased on lap 18, as Keith Pratt, who started 18th and had work his way up to 7th, slowed to a stop off of turn 2 to bring caution to the speedway. Once again Woodworth moved into the lead on the restart, with McLaughlin trying to hold back Ryan for 2nd. Woodworth had built up a straight away lead over McLaughlin over the next 13 laps, when the final caution of the event came out on lap 31. Toland, who had come from the rear after his lap 11 flat to get back to 6th, slowed to a stop in turn 2. On the restart Woodworth jumped back out into the lead, with Ryan getting by McLaughlin for 2nd. Woodworth looked to be heading for victory when disaster struck him on lap 34, when he excited the track in turn 2 with a right rear flat. Ryan would inherit the lead, with McLaughlin close behind in 2nd. Ryan, was working the bottom of the speedway, with McLaughlin, working the top, as the two battled side-by-side for the lead. McLaughlin would try a last lap pass of Ryan coming off turn four, but would come up a half a car length short. Ryan would claim his first career Deery Brothers Summer Series win and the $3,000 top prize. Mark Burgtorf charged from 22nd to finish in 3rd, Neal recovered from his lap 11 spin to come back to finish 4th, with Tom Darbyshire taking a provisional and passing 18 cars to round out the top 5.

Notes from 34: 47 Late Models, 26 4 Cylinders and 17 305 Sprints made up the 90 cars signed in to battle in front of the huge crowd......Brian Harris, who started 10th, made a last lap pass of Keith Pratt to take the final transfer spot in heat 1...Tom Goble came from 7th to grab the final transfer spot in heat 2....Justin Reed came from 6th to hold off Colby Springsteen, who started 7th, for the final transfer spot in heat 3....Ray Guss Jr came from 6th to win heat 5....Jason Cook held off Jeff Aikey to take the final transfer spot in heat 5, to make his first career Deery Brothers Summer Series start....Matt Bailey held off a charge from Mark Burgtorf, who started 12th, to get the final transfer spot in B Main 1....Joey Gower held off Matt Strassheim for the final transfer spot in B Main 2. But was disqualified in tech to give Strassheim the transfer spot....Burgtorf would get the most cars passed provisional and started 22nd in the A Main. He would pass 19 cars to claim 3rd and the hard charger of the race....Terry Neal, who started 14th, recovered from his lap 11 spin to come back to finish in 4th....Tom Darbyshire took a series provisional and started 23rd, he would pass 18 cars to come home in 5th....Strassheim came from 21st and passed 15 cars to come home in 6th....Colby Springsteen started 16th and passed 9 cars to finish in 7th....Tyler Bruening also took a series provisional and started 24th. He would pass 16 cars to take home an 8th place finish....Jason Cook would finish in 10th in his first career Deery Summer Series A Main start....Denny Woodowrth, who dominated much of the race, was credited with 11th....Brian Harris had worked his way back to 5th after a lap 15 spin, but excited on lap 33 to finish in 13th....Any Eckrich was running 6th and also excited to the speedway on lap 33 to end the night in 14th....Toland was credited with 14th, after his flat on lap 11 and then move back up to 6th before his troubles on lap 31....Tom Goble, who started 12th, had worked his way to 3rd when he pulled off on the lap 18 yellow to be credited with 21st......Tony Davis started the 305 Sprint in 13th and passed 7 cars to finish in 6th....Daniel Bergquist came from 14th to also pass 7 cars to finish in 7th....John Draper passed 8 cars from his 16th starting spot to come home in 8th....Defending track champion Kevin Hetrick struggled on the night and came home in 10th....Jason Gingerich started 17th and passed 6 cars to finish 11th in his first 305 Sprint Car start......Nathan Chandler passed 8 cars from his 14th starting spot in the 4 Cylinder feature to come home in 6th....Todd Nelson, who owns the Late Model of Mark Burgtorf, started the feature in 13th and passed 5 cars to finish in 8th....Gabe Schrader came from 18th to pass 9 cars to take home a 9th place finish....CJ Loring came from 15th to round out the top 10....Mike Hornung recover the the lap 5 spin to finish in 15th....David Helenthal started 26th and passed 8 cars to come home in 18th.

Harris Dominates Deery Series Opener at Dubuque

2011-04-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

Dubuque, IA (Saturday, April 2, 2011) - Finally after five months, the 2011 racing season in the midwest went into full swing. What started out to be a very poor forecast for the weekend, turned out to be a great weekend to kick off the racing season. On Saturday the Dubuque Speedway in Dubuque, Iowa played host to the season opener for the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models.

Forty-three IMCA Late Models signed in, in hopes of taking home the $2,000 top prize. After five heat races (with the top three cars transferring into the A Main, with the top 2 redrawing), two B Mains (with the top three making into the A Main) and three provisionals the field was set for the 50 lap A Main.

But before that took place the 15 lap Stock Car feature took to the track first, with David Brandies and Joe Bonney drawing the front row for the event. On the drop of the green flag Duane Smith slowed coming off of four, with Jason Brimeyer running into the back of him to bring out the caution. Brandies jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Bonney, Mitch Schmitz and Timmy Current, who started 9th, battling it out three wide for second. But Jeremy Gustaf would spin in 4, with Austin Heacock spinning to avoid him to bring the caution back out. Once again Brandies jumped into the lead on the restart, only to be slowed on lap 2, for Heacock who spun off of turn 4. On the restart Terry Rittmer, who started 8th, slipped under Brandies to grab the top spot away. After the completion of lap 3, Kerry Dake spun in turn 2 to bring the caution back out. Rittmer again moved out into the lead on the restart, but was slowed one lap later as Bonney stopped in turn 4 with troubles.

On the restart, Rittmer grabbed the lead and then had to work to hold off Current, who started 9th. The battle up front would be slowed again on lap 5, as Gustaf spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. Once again Rittmer had to work to hold off Current on the restart. But another caution on lap 8 for Ethan Milder who spun in turn 2 would slow the field. One lap later Dake would spin in turn 2 for his second solo to end his night. On the restart Milder dropped a drive shaft down the front stretch to bring the yellow out for the final time. Rittmer again worked to hold off Current on the restart. Coming out of turn four for the checkered, Current was able to get under Rittmer. But Rittmer was able to hold back Current at the line by inches to pick up the win. Rob Henry came from 13th to finish in 3rd, Schmitz was 4th, with K.C. Ansel coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

Lenny Ollendick and Chris Powers led the field to the green in the 12 lap Sport Compact feature, with Ollendick grabbing the lead. His lead would only last for 1 lap, as Trevor Bookman slipped by to grab the top spot away on lap 2. John Flury, who started 6th, would slip past Bookman on lap 4 to grab the lead. But Bookman took the lead back on lap 5. The first caution would come out on lap 6, as Ollendick spun off of turn 4. On the restart, Flury tried to get under Bookman coming out of turn four. But made contact with the left rear of Bookman, causing the right front tire to be cut and giving Bookman a left rear flat. The yellow light would appear on the restart, as debris was left on the track in turn 4. Bryce Garnhardt inherited the lead over Gabe Schroeder and Steve Niedke on the restart. One final caution in the event would appear on lap 9, as Powers spun in turn 2. On the restart B. Garnhardt would hold off a last lap charge from Flury, who restarted in 12th on lap 6, to claim the win. But after going thru tech he was found to have an illegal aftermarket header and was disqualified, giving the win to Flury. Schroeder was moved to 2nd, after starting in 10th, Niedke was credited with 3rd, Jacob Ellithrope came from 8th to get 4th, with Derek McBee coming home in fifth.

The final feature of the night was the 50 lap IMCA Late Models, with Tom Darbyshire and Colby Springsteen drawing the front row for the event. Darbyshire would jump out into the lead on the drop of the green flag, as Darrel DeFrance and Brian Harris battled for the second spot. Harris slipped under Darbyshire on lap 3 to take over the top spot. Once out front, Harris set a fast pace and was pulling away from the field. He would approach lap traffic on lap 14, but that didn't slow him down. While Harris was lapping cars, Andy Eckrich, who started 15th, was working his way towards the front. Eckrich would slip into 2nd on lap 30 and then went to work on cutting into Harris' lead. The one and only caution of the race would appear on lap 42, as Ray Guss Jr. slowed in turn 3 with a left rear flat. On the restart, Harris moved back into the lead, with Eckrich close behind in second. Eckrich would try Harris on the bottom over the final 8 laps, but couldn't make the pass as Harris held on for the win. Darbydhire came home in 3rd, Tyler Bruening started 8th and came gome in 4th, with Terry Neal rounding out the top 5.

Notes from Dubuque: Mike Murphy Jr. came from 5th in heat 2 and raced his way to a 2nd place finish. But found to be illegal in tech and was disqualified, moving Mark Burgtorf into the redraw spot and Todd Mahlstrom into the A Main in 3rd....Heat race 5 had the defending series champion Ray Guss Jr. starting in 7th. He would hit the tire in turn two to bring out the caution. Alot of front end damage was done to the car. But the crew got it fixed to take a provisional and start the feature in 23rd....B Main 1 had Murphy Jr. starting from the rear, 14th. But he would jump to the top of the speedway to work his way to the final transfer spot by the checkers....Matt Ryan started B Main 2 in the third spot and was battling for the lead when he jumped a restart with 3 laps to go, penalizing him 2 spots. He never recovered to finish in 6th....B Main 2 had Billy Tuckwell in the 90x starting in 13th. He would pass 8 cars by the end of the race to finish in 5th. But he was giving the provisional to the driver who passes the most cars in the heat and B Mains combined....The other series provisional went to Jay Johnson....Rob Toland started the A Main in 11th and would come home in 7th....Jason Perry came from 16th to finish in 8th....Murphy Jr. passed 9 cars from his 20th place starting spot to finish in 11th....Ray Guss Jr. came from 23rd and a flat tire on lap 42 to finish in 14th....Matt Strassheim was the final car to get in by finishing 3rd in B Main 2. He would start 21st in the A Main and passed 6 cars to come in 15th.....Harris , who started lapping cars by lap 14, had put 13 cars a lap down by the lap 42 caution.... My only question on the night was if the support classes had a time limit on thier feature events, as the 15 lap Stock Car feature took about 35 minutes to run. The crowd kept yelling throw the checkered as, yellow, after yellow, after yellow kept coming out with 7 cars left on the track with only 9 laps down.

A Look Ahead to the 2011 Racing Season

2011-03-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

Monmouth, IL (Sunday, March 27, 2011) - After a long, snowy, and cold winter the 2011 racing season has finally arrived. Following is a look ahead to the season at some of the local tracks in the area.

First off is the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa, which races weekly on Friday nights. There season will get started on Saturday, April 9th with a car show and kick-off party in West Point. The car show will be held at the square and park from 1pm-5pm, followed by the kick-off party at the 4th Street Bar. Then on Sunday, April 10th they will hold an open practice from 2pm-5pm. The season opener is set for Friday, April 15th with the IMCA Modified Smackdown, featuring the IMCA Modifieds racing for $2,000 to win. Also in action that night will be the IMCA SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Wild Things. The weekly points races will begin on Friday, April 22nd featuring the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Wild Things. The IMCA Late Models will possibly make 3 appearances in 2011, the first may be April 29th, then again on July 1st and finally again on August 5th.

On Saturday, May 28th will be the first of two "Eve of Destruction Nights", with another one being held on Saturday, August 6th. Mid-Season Championship night is scheduled for Friday, June 24th. Then six days laters will be the "Liberty Cup", featuring the drivers of the Hawkeye Dirt Tour. Also running that night will be the IMCA Stock Cars and IMCA SportMods. Following the "Liberty Cup" on Friday, July 1st will be the IMCA Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Wild Things and the first of two appearances by the 305 Sprint Cars. Then on Friday, July 8th will be the Lee County Fair race, featuring the Sprint Invaders.

The 2011 point champs will be crowned on Friday, August 26th. But the season won't end there, as two more events are on the schedule before calling it a season. On Saturday, Sept. 17th will be the IMCA SportMod Fall Classic, with the second appearance from the 305 Sprint Cars, along with the Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks. The final event is set for Friday, Oct. 14th a practice night for "Shiverfest", which is set for Saturday, Oct. 15th. To keep up to date about the Lee County Speedway log online at http://www.leecountyspeedway.com/.

34 Raceway in Burlington, Iowa kicked off there 2011 season on Saturday, March 26th with the car show and kick-off party. The Westland Mall in West Burlington was the place to go to check out some of the cars that will be turning laps around 34 Raceway on Saturday nights throughout 2011. Then the kick-off party was held at Whitey's Bar and Billiards. An open practice is set for Saturday, April 2nd from 1pm-4pm. The first night of racing kicks off on Saturday, April 9th with the "Slocum 50", featuring the IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series for Late Models. The Late Models will be going for a top prize of $3,000 to win, plus the lap money from the 2010 rained out Late Model Nationals. Saturday, April 16th will kick-off the 2011 season for the Sprint Invaders, with the IMCA Modifieds racing for $1,000 to win. Plus the IMCA SportMods will make there first of nine nights of racing. The 410 Outlaw Sprint Cars will return for one of there two nights on Saturday, April 23rd. Then on Saturday, April 30th all regular points classes: IMCA Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, 305 Sprints and Hobby Stocks will all be in action.

Friday, May 13th the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Series, featuring the top touring Late Model drivers in the country returns for the second year. The first of three $5 nights will take place on Saturday, May 14th, the second being on June 18th and the third on August 13th. A Tribute to the late Johnny Johnny will be held on Saturday, May 21st. The following week, May 28th, will be Racing and a Band night, as the band "Concrete" with Mandy Farren putting on a concert following the races. Mid-Season Championship night is set for June 25th. Then on Monday, July 4th the UMP Summernationals, featuring the top UMP Late Models drivers in the area, returns to 34 Raceway after a few years off.

Saturday, July 9th will be another Racing and a Band Night, as Jake McVey will be in concert following the nights races. The Sprint Invaders return on Saturday, August 20th for the "Nite of Twins". Season Championship night is scheduled for Saturday, August 27th. On Friday, Sept. 2nd and Saturday, Sept. 3rd is the USA Late Model Nationals, featuring the drivers of the IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series. Friday will be the "Brian Hetrick Tribute" for the 305 Sprint Cars. Then on Saturday the Late Models will battle it out for 100 laps for $10,000 to win. On Saturday, Sept. 10th will be the Season Championship for the Sprint Invaders. The final event for the 2011 season will be another appearance by the 410 Outlaw Sprint Cars. For all the latest news check out 34 Raceway online at http://www.34raceway.com/.

On Sunday nights you can check out the action at the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, Illinois, featuring the IMCA Late Models, UMP Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and 4 Cylinders (returning to weekly action in 2011). Mother nature hasn't been to kind to Quincy Raceways already in 2011, as cold temperatures forced them to cancel there practice nights scheduled for March 25th, 26th and 27th. They will now try to practice on March 30th, 31st and April 1st. Sunday, April 3rd will be the season opener for all classes, with no points being awarded. Then on Sunday, April 10th the IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models invades the raceway. Regular Sunday races will continue on until May 15th, when the USMTS Modifieds return after several years. The best of the best touring Modifieds will battle it out with the best of the local drivers for a $2,000 top prize.

Sunday, May 29th the Sprint Invaders invade the raceway for the first of two appearances, with the second one set for Sept. 4th. The Mid-Season Championship night is scheduled for June 26th. Then the annual Titan Wheel & Tire Shootout, featuring the IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series, takes place on July 3rd. On Sunday, July 31st the PCRA Crate Late Models will join the weekly classes for competition. The Late Model points champ will be crowned on Sunday, August 28th. While the UMP Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and 4 Cylinders Season Championships being held on Sept. 18th. Sunday, Sept. 25th the "King of the Hill Challenge" will be the final event for 2011. For all the latest news about the Quincy Raceways log online at http://www.quincyraceways.com/.

New for 2011 for 34 Raceway and Quincy Raceways is the Q34 Dual Track IMCA Late Model Points Challenge. It is a combined points challenge between the two tracks for the IMCA Late Models. In order to be eligable for the $1,500 first place prize, a driver must compete at 75% of the events at both tracks. There points will be based on there best 75% finishes. Plus 2 bonus points will be award to the track champion and 2 bonus points to any driver who competes at 100% of the events at each track. $1,000 will go to 2nd, $600 for 3rd, $500 for 4th, $400 for 5th, $300 for 6th, $250 for 7th, $200 for 8th, $150 for 9th and $100 for 10th.

The Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa holds racing in the Modifieds, Stock Cars, B-Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Legends (Mod Lites) and 4 Cylinders on Friday nights. Mother nature spoiled there practice day scheduled for Sunday, March 27th, as cold temperatures forced them to cancel. A car show at the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort is set for Saturday, April 2nd. Friday, April 8th is the season opening points night. The "Racing For Freedom" event will be held on Friday, May 27th. Then on Wednesday, June 1st the Corn Belt Clash, featuring the Open Late Models will invade the raceway. Tuesday, June 14th the Hawkeye Dirt Tour for the IMCA Modifieds makes there debut at the raceway. The annual Cedar County Fair will have two nights of racing. The first on Thursday, July 14th when the Sprint Invaders come to town. Then on Friday, July 15th will be the weekly points race. On Tuesday, August 2nd the Deery Brothers Summer Series, featuring the IMCA Late Models will invade the Cedar County Raceway. The final event on the schedule is on Friday, August 26th as the USMTS Modifieds make there inaugural visit to the raceway. This event will be part of the "Hunt" for the 2011 National Champion, which means it will pay the winner $3,000 to win. For more information about the Cedar County Raceway go online at http://www.cedarcountyraceway.net/.

Another local area track that races weekly on Friday nights is the Davenport Speedway in Davenport, Iowa, featuring the IMCA Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks and 4 Cylinder Stocks. A practice night is scheduled for Friday, April 8th from 6pm-9pm. Then on Friday, April 15th the Deery Brothers Summer Series for the IMCA Late Models is set to invade the 1/4 mile. The season points opener is scheduled for Friday, April 22nd. There will be a week off on April 29th, as the Torque Fest moves into the fairgrounds. A IMCA Modified Shootout, paying $2,000 to win, is set for May 27th. June 17th is another off night, as Sturgis on the River takes over the fairgrounds. Mid-Season Championship is set for June 24th. Then on Friday, July 29th (set up for the Mississippi Valley Fair) and Friday, August 5th (Mississippi Valley Fair week) there will be no races. The final night for points will be Friday, August 26th. Then the season finale will be the All Star Classic, featuring the IMCA Late Models on the 1/2 mile, on Friday, Sept. 9th. To keep up with the latest news about the Davenport Speedway log online at http://www.drttrak.com/.

The West Liberty Raceway in West Liberty, Iowa holds there weekly program on Saturday nights, featuring IMCA Late Models, Open Modifieds, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and IMCA 4 Cylinders. A car show and practice day is set for Saturday, April 16th starting at 1pm. The "Spring Championship" is scheduled for Saturday, April 23rd to kick-off the season points races. Then on Saturday, April 30th the Open Late Models will invade the 1/2 mile for an event paying $10,000 to win. On July 2 it will be the "Firecracker 50", featuring twin 25 lap IMCA Late Model features. Tuesday, July 12th the Deery Brothers Summer Series will make there debut at the raceway. The Muscatine County Fair race is set for Saturday, July 23rd. Another $10,000 to win for the Open Late Models is scheduled for Tuesday, August 9th. Then the final night to earn points is set for August 27th. The final event on the 2011 schedule is the "Liberty 100" on Friday, Oct. 7th and Saturday, Oct 8th. For more information about the West Liberty Raceway log online at http://www.simmonspromotionsinc.com/.

Another track that runs weekly Saturday night races is the Peoria Speedway in Peoria, Illinois, featuring UMP Late Models, UMP Modifieds, Limited Late Models, UMP Street Stocks and UMP Hornets. New owner Curt Mottaz of Brimfield, Illinois has put out a schedule full of weekly and special events. A practice event was scheduled for Saturday, March 26th, but cold temperatures forced it to be cancelled. The season will get underway on Sunday, April 3rd with the "Don Bohlander Tribute", featuring the UMP Late Models battling it out for $4,000 to win. On Saturday, April 9th the weekly points battles will begin. An Outlaw Street Stock Special is set for Sunday, May 29th. Then on Saturday, June 4th the POWRi Midgets take to the speedway. A NASCAR Night is on the schedule for Wednesday, June 15th. The annual visit for the UMP Summernationals, featuring the Late Models, will be held on Wednesday, July 6th. On Sunday, July 24th the Sprint Invaders make there way to Peoria. Season Championship night to crown the 2011 champs will be Saturday, August 27th. The following three weekends will feature the IL State Championships, with the Limited Late Models, Street Stocks and Hornets being held on Sept. 3. Saturday, Sept. 10th will be an off weekend, with possible go-karts. Then the Modified IL State Championship will be held on Sept. 17th, followed by the Late Models on Sept. 24th. The final event will be the Al Archdale Jr. Memorial Mini Sprint Nationals on October 1st. Log online at peoriaspeedway.com to get the latest news about the Peoria Speedway.

The Quad City Speedway in East Moline, Illinois runs there weekly racing program on Sundays, featuring the IMCA Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Open Modifieds, Street Stocks and 4 Cylinders. New for the 2011 season will be the hiring of Shane Davis, as the track manager, by the Rock Island County Fairboard. The Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models will kick off the 2011 season on Sunday, April 17th. Then the following Sunday, April 24th will be the season opening points event. On Sunday, June 12th the Open Modifieds will compete for $1,000 to win during the Ronnie Weedon Memorial. Tuesday, July 19th is a tentative Rock Island County Fair race, with the IMCA Modifieds gunning for $1,000 to win. On the following night, Wednesday, July 20th the IMCA Late Models will go for $1,500 and the Street Stocks for $700 to win on night 2 of racing during the Rock Island County Fair. The end of the points chase will come to a close for all weekly classes, except IMCA Modifieds which will be Sept. 25th, on Sunday, August 28th. A weekly race will be held on Sept. 4th, with no races being held on Sept. 11th. The Gary Reinhart Memorial, featuring the Open Modifieds for $1,000 to win, will be held on Sunday, Sept. 18th. Then the final race of the 2011 season will be the Deery Brothers Summer Series Finale on Saturday, Sept. 24th and Sunday, Sept. 25th. Saturday, Sept 24th will be the "Race of Champions" for the IMCA Late Models, paying $800 to win. Then on Sunday, Sept. 25th The IMCA Late Models will battle for $5,000 to win and the IMCA Modifieds for $1,000 to win. For more information on the Quad City Speedway log online at quadcityspeedway.webs.com.

For me, my 2011 season will get underway on Saturday, April 2nd with a trip up to the LaSalle Speedway in LaSalle, Illinois for night two of the "Illini 100", featuring the World of Outlaw Late Models. Then on the following Saturday, April 9th it will be off to the Brownstown Speedway in Brownstown, Indiana for the make-up race for the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series. A possible trip to Quincy Raceways in Quincy, Illinois on Sunday, April 10th for the Deery Brothers Summer Series, featuring the IMCA Late Models. New for 2011 you can follow live updates on my twitter account at twitter.com/MidwstRacinNews.

Hogan, Rust and Smith Become New Winners of 2010 at Lee County

2010-10-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Saturday, October 9, 2010) - If there wasn't a full moon out on Friday night, it sure seemed like there was one over the Lee County Speedway. The action was wild in a few features, while the others provided some close finishes. After the checkered flag flew for the final time on the night Scott Hogan (Modifieds), Jason Cook (Stock Cars), Joel Rust (SportMods), Jake Wenig (Hobby Stocks), and Darin Smith (Wild Things) all took home feature wins.

The first feature of the night was the 15 lap SportMods, with Joel Rust and Michael Bliven drawing the front row. Rust would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Rodger Dresden and Bliven. The action up front was slowed for the first time after the completion of lap 2, as Dylan Book came to a stop in turn 2 with troubles. On the restart Bliven spun in turn 3 and collected Derek Coleman, Levi Smith and Creston Williams to bring the yellow light back on. Rust jumped back out into the lead on the restart, with Rod Staats getting around Dresden for second. While Rust worked to keep the lead the battle for second was a three car battle between Dresden, Staats and Kevin Cale, who was driving the 4k usually driven by Dean Kratzer. The battle up front was slowed again on lap 5, when Creston Williams came to a stop on the backstretch. On the restart Tom Elsen, who was running 5th, spun in turn 1 and collected Cory Tharp to bring the caution back out. Once again Rust moved out in the lead on the restart, with Dresden and Cale battling it out for second. Just as the battle up front was getting good, another caution would come out on lap 7. This time Dustin Smith, making his first start of 2010, spun in turn 1 to bring the yellow light on. The time limit was up, so the race would either be ran green to the end of 15 laps or the next caution would put an end to the race. So on the restart Rust again grabbed the top spot, with Dresden holding back Cale for second. As Rust continued to hold back Dresden and Cale for the lead, Staats, who was running 5th, spun off of turn 4 and collected Coleman, who was running 7th. That would bring an end to the race with 10 laps completed. Rust would claim his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Dresden held on for 2nd, Cale was 3rd, Jim Gillenwater came from 11th to finish in 4th, with Phillip Cossel passing 9 cars from his 14th place starting spot to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 12 lap Wild Thing feature, with Devin Still and Wayne Noble leading the field to the drop of the green. Noble would take the lead on lap 1 over Still and Darin Smith. The three would battle for the lead, when they entered lap traffic on lap 7. Noble held the top spot, with Smith holding back Still for second. As they came up on a lap car on lap 10, Noble would choose the outside, with Smith going to the bottom. Smith came out of turn 2 with the lead, as Noble got hung up behind the lapped car. Smith then held off Noble on the final lap by inches to pick up his first win of 2010 at the track. Still held on for 3rd, Craig Bangert was 4th, with Chuck Fullenkamp coming home in 5th.

Nick Nevins and Jeff Waterman drew the front row for the 20 lap Modified feature. A caution would come out before the completion of lap 1, as Dennis LaVeine came to a stop in turn 2 and collected the cars of Wyatt Lantz, Beau Taylor, Jeff Kriz and Mike Fluegel. With five or more cars involved before a lap was completed all cars able to continue would get there spot back. On the restart Nevins grabbed the top spot over Waterman and Bill Roberts. Nevins then held the lead until lap 5, when Waterman slipped under him to grab the top spot. As Waterman held the lead, Nevins worked to hold back Tony Olson, who started 7th, and Scott Hogan. The action up front was slowed on lap 8, as Brandon Savage spun in turn 4 to bring the yellow light on. On the restart Tony Vondresky lost a drive shaft on the front strecth to bring the caution back out. The yellow light would appear on the 2nd attempt of a restart, when James Leffew spun in turn 1 and collected Scott Boles, Lonnie Heap, Ron Lauritzen and Kriz. Waterman would grab the lead again on the restart, with Nevins and Olson battling for second. Olson slipped under Nevins on lap 10 and then went to work on Waterman for the lead, as Nevins worked to hold back Hogan for 3rd. The four car battle up front was slowed on lap 14, when Mike Weikert Jr., who was battling Hogan for 3rd, slowed to a stop in turn 3 and collected Bill Roberts and Rich Smith. Once again Waterman jumped back out into the lead on the restart, with Olson getting sideways in turn 2 and falling back to 8th. Hogan would jump to the top of the track on lap 17 to take over the top spot from Waterman. After the completion of lap 17 the final caution of the event would come out, when Boles spun in turn 4 and collected Olson and Roberts. Hogan moved back out into the lead on the restart, with Josh Foster over taking Waterman for 2nd. Hogan then held off Foster over the final 3 laps to claim his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Waterman settled for 3rd, Nevins held on for 4th, with Leffew recovering from his lap 8 spin to finish in 5th.

John Hemsted and Abe Huls led the field to the green in the 15 lap Stock Car feature. But it was 3rd place starter Jeff Mueller who jumped into the lead on lap 1. Mueller started to pull away from Huls and Chris Webb, who were battling for 2nd, when the first caution came out on lap 4. Steve Steinkuhler came to a stop in turn 2 to bring the yellow light on. On the restart Mueller moved back out into the lead, with Huls holding back Webb for second. Mueller again started to pull away from the battle for second, as Dave Warth, who started 7th, and Jason Cook, who came from 16th, were working there way towards the front. The final caution of the event would bring the field back to Muller's back bumper on lap 8. John Oliver Jr. got into Terry Houston and spun him in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Mueller again grabbed the top spot, with Warth moving into 2nd. Mueller would bobble going into turn 3 on lap 11, with Warth getting into the back of him. But both drivers would recover to continue there battle for the lead. The white flag would come out on lap 14, with Mueller working the bottom of the track and Warth jumping to his outside. Going into turn 1 Mueller would slid into Warth and push him into the guardrail. Both came out of turn 2 with banged up cars, as Warth grabbed the lead going into turn 3. Mueller again slid off the bottom of turn 4 into Warth and spun him coming off of four. Both cars spun to a stop short of the finish line to bring out the yellow and checkered. Cook was giving the win, his 5th win of the season at the track. Derek St. Clair came from 6th to finish in 2nd, Houston recovered from the lap 8 spin to come back to finish in 3rd, Huls held on for 4th, with Webb rounding out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 15 lap Hobby Stocks, with Ray Raker and Rob Wilsey on the front row. Wilsey took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. But a caution after the completion of lap 1 would slow the action down. Drake Fenton would spin in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Wilsey again moved out into the lead, with Tanner Thomann coming from 6th to grab 2nd and Jake Wenig coming from 8th to take 3rd. Another caution would come out after the completion of lap 2, as Gabe Harrison spun in turn 2. On the restart Wenig would jump to the top of the speedway to take over the top spot on lap 3. Jake then worked to hold back Thomann and Wilsey, when the yellow came out on lap 6. Dean Kratzer, who was running 4th, slowed in turn 2 with a right rear flat. Wenig again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Thomann holding off Dan Wenig, who started 7th, for 2nd. Jake started to pull away from the battle for 2nd, when another caution came out on lap 11. Harrison would spin in turn 4 to bring the yellow back on and ending his night with a second solo spin. On the restart Jeremy Billings would spin in turn 4 to bring the caution back out. A second attempt for a restart would be slowed for Chad Krogmeier who spun in turn 2. Jake Wenig moved out into the lead on the restart, with Dan Wenig close behind in 2nd. Jake would hold off his dad on the final lap to claim his 8th win of the season at the track. Wilsey held on for 3rd, Thomann came back to finish 4th after pitting on the lap 11 caution for a right front flat, with Raker holding on to finish in 5th.

Notes from LCS: 31 Modifieds, 24 Wild Things, 20 Stock Cars, 19 SportMods and 17 Hobby Stocks made up the 111 cars signed in on the night......Brandon Symmonds passed 13 cars from his 19th place starting spot to finish in 6th in the SportMod feature. He was disquailified after the heat for having a j-bar and was forced to start in the back of the feature....Michael Bliven recovered from his spin on lap 2 to come back to finish in 7th....Jesse Belez came from 12th to finish in 8th....Tom Elsen came back from his spin on lap 9 to finish in 9th....Jim Kuhlmeier started 16th and came home in 10th....Jim Buhlman was running 5th when he pulled in on lap 7 with troubles to end his night in 15th....Johnny Williams was running 7th when he had troubles and pulled in on lap 2 to end his run in 18th......The Wild Thing feature went 12 laps of caution FREE!!! racing....Nick Wilkerson came from 12th to finish in 7th....Jerrod Nichols passed 12 cars from his 22nd place starting spot to finish in 10th....Kimberly Abbott came from 17th to finish in 12th......Tyler Olson recovered from the lap 17 yellow to come back to finish in 6th in the Modified feature....Wyatt Lantz passed 14 cars from his 21st starting spot finish in 7th....Rob Kirchner came from 14th to finish in 8th....Brandon Savage came from 19th and recovered from his lap 8 spin to finish in 9th....Scott Boles came from 20th to finish in 11th....Mike Fluegel took the last transfer spot out of the B-Main to start 24th. He would pass 9 cars to finish in 15th....Tyler Cale was suppose to start in the 16th starting spot, but he would loose a driveshaft going into turn 1 on the parade lap to end his night before it got started......John Emerson passed 13 cars from his 20th place starting spot to finish 7th in the Stock Car feature....Travis Finke came from 15th to finsih in 9th......Adam Scott came from 13th to finsih in 6th in the Hobby Stock feature....Jeremy Billings started 12th and recovered from his lap 11 spin to come home in 7th....Drake Fenton made his first start of the season in the Hobby Stocks and started 17th. He would spin on the first lap and 12th lap to end his night in 9th....Jim Lynch was running 5th when he pulled in on the lap 11 caution with a right rear flat to end his night in 10th......Kevin Cale held off Dylan Book, who started 7th, to win the SportMod Rookie Rally......Devin Still held off Craig Bangert, who started 14th, to claim the Wild Thing Rookie Rally......Jeff Waterman won the Modified Rookie Rally over Tyler Glass and Dustan Fenton......Aaron Brockseick held off Derek St. Clair, who started 10th, to claim the Stock Car Rookie Rally......Tim Dawson came from 6th to pass Ray Raker to win the Hobby Stock Rookie Rally.

VanderBeek, Curtin, Gibson and Brown Take Home $1,000 Wins on Night 1 of the Fall Challenge

2010-10-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

Oskaloosa, IA (Friday, October 8, 2010) - What a beautiful night for racing on a Friday in October, as temperatures were around the mid 80's during the day time and mid 50's at night. With the beautiful weather and $1,000 to win in the Modifieds, Stock Cars, B-Modifieds and Hobby Stocks 173 cars signed in for Night 1 of the 24th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA.

After 3 Modified heats, 4 Stock Car heats and 2 B-Mains, 6 B-Modified heats and 2 B-Mains, and 6 Hobby Stock heat races and 2 B-Mains the 24 car fields were set in all 4 classes. The winner of each class would take home a top prize of $1,000.

The first feature on the night was the 20 lap B-Modifieds, with Michael Grantham and Bill Gibson drawing the front row for the event. Gibson would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Grantham and Andrew Schroeder. Gibson held Grantham off until the first caution slowed the action on lap 3. Galen Hassler spun to a stop in turn 1. On the restart Gibson moved back out into the lead, with Schroeder and Brett Moffitt battling it out for second. The second caution of the event would come out on lap 6, when Drew Lawson was forced into the front stretch wall, where he came to a stop. Gibson once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Schroeder and Moffitt still battling for second. Schroeder would try several times to get around the top of Gibson, but Gibson would hold him back until lap 14. Paul Underwood would spin in turn 4 to bring out the final caution of the event. On the restart Gibson jumped back out into the lead, with Moffitt getting second. Gibson would hold on over the final 6 laps to pick up the win. Moffitt finished 2nd, Schroder was 3rd, Scott Davis came from 9th to finish in 4th, with Jason Schlangen coming from 8th to round out the top 5.

Zack VanderBeek and Matt Dotson led the field to the green in the 25 lap Modified feature, with VanderBeek grabbing the top spot on lap 1. VanderBeek started to put some distance between him and the second place car of Ron VerBeek, when he entered lap traffic on lap 5. VerBeek was able to close in on VanderBeek and then went to work on him for the lead. But a caution on lap 9 would slow the battle for the top spot. Debris in turn 4 would bring out the first yellow of the event. On the restart VanderBeek jumped back out into the lead, with Bruce Hanford and Brad Pinkerton over taking VerBeek for 2nd and 3rd. VanderBeek again started to put some distance between him and the battle for second, when he entered lap traffic on lap 16. But a caution on lap 18 for Tim Sands who spun off turn 2, would bring the field back to VanderBeek's back bumper. Once again VanderBeek moved out front on the restart, with VerBeek getting second back. VanderBeek would pull away over the final 7 laps to claim the win. VerBeek settled for 2nd, Kevin Blackburn came from 5th to finish in 3rd, Kelly Shryock started 9th and finished 4th, with Ryan Peckham coming from 7th to round out the top 5.

The 18 lap Hobby Stock feature was up next, with Richard Yaw II and Craig Brown drawing the front row. Brown would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Yaw II and Chris Hovden, who started 5th. The first caution of the event would come out after the completion of lap 1, as Rocky Fosdyck spun to a stop in turn 4. On the restart Brown moved back out into the lead, with Hovden and Yaw II battling for 2nd. The action up front was slowed on lap 3, as Todd Reitzler, who started 10th, got into the side of Yaw II coming out of 4. Yaw II would make contact into the front stretch wall, with parts fall off his car onto the racing surface. Brown again jumped out into the top spot on the restart, with Hovden working to hold off Reitzler for 2nd. The final caution of the event would come out on lap 6, as Donovan Nunnikhoven got sideways coming off of turn four and collected the cars of Andy Coleman and Kris Walker. Once again Brown grabbed the lead on the restart, with Hovden and Shane Klaassen following close behind. Brown would hold off a last lap challenge from Hovden to pick up the win. Klaassen settled for 3rd, Reitzler was 4th, with Danny Thrasher coming from 18th to finish in 5th.

The final feature of the night was the 20 lap Stock Cars, with Ty Hill and Corey Stout leading the field to the green flag. Stout took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Shay Curtin and Kyle Harwood. Stout then worked to hold off Curtin until the first caution would come out on lap 4, as Lynn Panos spun to a stop in turn 4. On the restart Curtin would slip past Stout to take over the top spot. Curtin then worked to hold off Stout, until another caution came out on lap 8. Wayne Crimmins would spin in turn 2. On the restart Michael Johnston spun in turn 3 to bring the yellow light back on. Once again Curtin jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Nathan Wood coming from 5th to get second. Curtin was running the top, with Wood on the bottom, as the two battled for the top spot. But a red on lap 11 would slow the action, as Kevin Donlan took a nasty roll at the end of the front stretch going into turn 1. He would climb from the car ok, but there was heavy damage done to the machine. On the restart Curtin again moved back out into the lead, with Wood going back to work on him for the lead. The battle up front would be slowed for the final time on lap 13, as Keith Williamson's machine caught fire going into turn 1 to bring out the red. Curtin again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Wood and Steve Jackson, who started 15th, battling for 2nd. Curtin would hold off all challenges from Wood over the final 2 laps to claim the win. Jackson came home in 3rd, Todd Inman came from 9th to finish in 4th, with Matt Greiner rounding out the top 5.

Notes from Osky: 54 B-Modifieds, 50 Hobby Stocks, 44 Stock Cars and 25 Modifieds made up the 173 cars signed into to battle it out......Tyler Groenendyk came from 12th in the B-Modified feature to finish in 6th....Tad Reutzel started 22nd and passed 14 cars to finish in 8th....Greg Elliott passed 11 cars from his 20th place starting spot to finish in 9th....Cayden Carter came from 19th to finish in 10th....Michael Grantham started on the pole and was running in the top 5, until his left front broke on lap 15. He would finish the final 5 laps with a broke left front and managed to come home in 11th....Scott Van Buskirk came from 21st to finish in 12th....Carter VanDenBerg passed 11 cars from his 24th place start to finish in 13th....Chad Louk started 17th and had worked his way into 10th. But a left rear flat on lap 18 would give him a 19th place finish......Brandon Banks started the Modified feature in 17th and passed 7 cars to finish in 7th....Mark Widmar came from 18th to finish in 10th....Rick Germer passed 7 cars from his 20th place starting spot to finish in 13th....Tyler VandeKamp came from 23rd to finish in 15th....Dave Garber made the long pull over from Las Cassas, TN to battle it out in the Modified division. He would start heat race 2 from the pole and the held on for a 4th place finish, good enough to get in the redraw. He would redraw 11th for the feature, but troubles late in the race would give him an 18th place finish....Corey Dripps was leading heat 1 when he slowed and pull in on the backstretch of the white flag lap. He would pull over to the scales and found out the race wasn't over, so he was credited with 7th. He thought the heat races were 7 laps and not 8. That would put Dripps in the 21st starting spot instead of a redraw spot. He would make a few laps in the feature and then pulled in to finish in 23rd....John Fellman had motor troubles in hot laps to end his night early......Scott Pipert started the Hobby Stock feature in 12th and would come home in 6th....John Watson passed 10 cars from his 17th place starting spot to finish in 7th....Ryan Vicker came from 22nd to finish in 9th....Jim Tull passed 11 cars from his 21st starting spot to finish in 10th....Dan Hovden started 11th and was running 7th when he pitted on the lap 6 yellow. He would come from the back to take home a 12th place finish....Dean Richards came from 24th to finish in 13th......Night 2 of the MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge concludes tonight (Saturday, October 9th) with $2,000 to win in the Modifieds, Stock Cars, B-Modifieds and Hobby Stocks!!!

Moyer Sweeps Knoxville With Big Win on Saturday

2010-10-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

Knoxville, IA (Saturday, October 2, 2010) - Billy Moyer became the first driver in the 7 year history of the Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals at the Knoxville Raceway to sweep all 3 nights of racing. Moyer who won Thursday and Friday nights preliminary features, then came back to take home the big prize on Saturday night.

The first event on the night was the 15 lap Late Model C-Main, with the top 6 going on to tag the back of the B-Main. John Duty and Rickey Frankel led the field to the drop of the green, with Frankel leading lap 1 over Duty and Kerry Hansen. Frankel would hold the top spot until lap 13, when Duty slipped by for the lead. Duty then led the final 2 laps to claim the win. Frankel held on for 2nd, Hansen was 3rd, Mike Fryer was 4th, Joel Callahan was 5th, with Darrel DeFrance claiming the final transfer spot into the B-Main.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA Modified B-Main, with the top 8 moving into the A-Main. Ron Pope and Eric Dailey made up the front row for the event, with Dailey grabbing the lead on the drop of the green. Pope, who was running 4th, jumped the cushion in turn 2 on lap 2 and collected Rob Hughes. Hughes would make hard contact with the outside fence to end his night. On the restart Dailey moved back out into the lead, with JJ Wise and Greg Cox battling for second. The second yellow of the event would come out on lap 3 as Josh Gilman got sideways in turn 2, with Jeff Waterman spinning to avoid contact. On the restart Cox jumped to the outside of Dailey to take over the top spot. Cox then held it until the next caution came out on lap 10. Josh Foster, who was battling for the 8th and final transfer spot, slowed to a stop in turn 2 with troubles to end his night. Once again Cox would grab the lead on the restart and then went on to claim the win. Wise held on for 2nd, Jake Durbin was 3rd, Shawn Jerovetz started 15th and passed 11 cars to finish in 4th, Jerry Wilinski came from 12th to finish in 5th, Gilman finished 6th, Tyler VandeKamp came from 16th to finish in 7th, with Mike O'Lear holding on to take the final transfer spot into the A-Main.

Jake Sullivan and Rob Moss led the field to the green in the 20 lap Late Model B-Main, with the top 6 going to the A-Main. But it was fourth place starter Brad Neat who jumped out into the lead on lap 1 over Sullivan, Moss and Jimmy Mars. Neat would hold the top spot until lap 7, when Mars slipped by to take over the lead. But Neat would come back to grab the lead back on lap 8. Neat and Mars would battle for the top spot until lap 13, when Mars finally took the lead for good. Neat settled for 2nd, Sullivan was 3rd, Jason Rauen was 4th, Moss held on for 5th, with Chris Simpson claiming the final transfer spot.

The 25 lap IMCA Modified feature was up next, with Rich Smith and Michael Long leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Long would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Darin Duffy and Todd Shute. Long's lead only last for 1 lap, as Shute slipped under him to take over the top spot on lap 2. The first yellow would appear on lap 7, as Randy Havlik would slow to a stop in turn 2 with troubles. On the restart Shute again moved out into the lead over Duffy, Long, Ryan Ruter and Richie Gustin. The battle up front would come to a stop on lap 8, as Jake Durbin brought the red out. He would roll going into turn 3 to end his night. But he would climb from the car ok! Shute again jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Duffy and Gustin battling for 2nd. Shute started to pull away from the field, when smoke appeared from his machine on lap 14. Duffy was slowly gaining on Shute for the lead, when another caution came out on lap 21 for debris. When Shute slowed for the caution, heavy smoke emerged from his machine to end his run up front. On the restart Duffy would inherit the lead. But the yellow light would come back on, as Richie Gustin slipped in turn 2 and got into Jon Snyder, who came from 7th to 3rd. Snyder would make hard contact into the turn 1 wall to end his night. Another caution on the restart would slow the pace for the final time. This time Long, who was running 7th, tagged the wall in turn 3 to come to a stop. He would collect the car of Mark Elliott, who came from 13th to 8th at the time. Duffy moved back out into the lead on the restart and then pulled away over the final 4 laps to claim the win and the $2,000 top prize. Brian Mullen came from 9th to finish in 2nd, Smith held on for 3rd, Jeremy Mills started 11th and slipped past Gustin on the final lap to claim 4th. Gustin was 5th.

The final event of the night was the 100 lap Late Model feature, with Scott Bloomquist and Billy Moyer on the front row. Bloomquist would grab the lead on the drop of the green flag over Moyer, Earl Pearson Jr. and Tim McCreadie. But the first caution of the event would come out after the completion of lap 1, as Jason Utter spun in turn 1. On the restart Steve Francis, who was running 8th, spun in turn 2 and collected Brad Neat, Darren Miller and Jason Rauen. Bloomquist again moved out into the lead on the restart, with Moyer and Pearson Jr. battling it out for 2nd. The action was slowed again on lap 5, when Bub McCool came to a stop in 3 with troubles. Once again Bloomquist jumped out into the top spot on the restart, with Pearson Jr., Moyer, Darrell Lanigan, who started 8th, close behind. Bloomquist then held onto the lead until lap 7, when Brian Birkhofer slowed to a stop in turn 2 with a left rear flat. On the restart Bloomquist again grabbed the lead, with Moyer, Pearson Jr. and Lanigan battling it out for 2nd. Moyer would slip under Bloomquist on lap 12 to take over the top spot, as Lanigan followed him into 2nd. Moyer started to pull away from Lanigan, when he entered lapped traffic on lap 15 to allow Lanigan to gain on him. Lanigan, who was working the bottom, and Moyer, who was up top, ran laps 20-26 side-by-side. But a caution on lap 26 would slow the battle up front, as Utter came to a stop in turn 4.

Moyer moved back out front on the restart, with Josh Richards, who started 11th, taking over 2nd from Lanigan. Richards tried several times to get by Moyer for the lead. But there battle would be slowed on lap 37, as Kelly Boen, who was running 11th, spun in turn 1. On the restart Moyer again grabbed the lead over Richards, Bloomquist and Jimmy Owens, who started 15th. Richards again tried Moyer for the lead several times, but Moyer started to pull away. Moyer's advantage would be erased on lap 57, when Jimmy Mars, who started 25th and had worked his way to 8th, slowed in turn 1 with tire smoke. His right front nose piece was rubbing the tire to cause the heavy smoke. Once again Moyer jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Richards and Shannon Babb, who came from 21st, battling it out for 2nd. Moyer's lead over the battle for second would be erased on lap 67, as Rick Eckert slowed down the backstretch. Officials would put the red light on, as they decided to stop the cars on the front stretch to allow the teams to add fuel only. On the restart Moyer again grabbed the lead, with Babb holding off Richards for second. But the yellow light would come back on 1 lap later, as Dan Schlieper slowed to a stop in turn 2.

Again Moyer moved out into the lead on the restart, with Richards and Babb still battling for second. The action was slowed again on lap 70, as Matt Miller slowed in turn 1 with a left rear flat. Moyer jumped back out into the top spot on the restart, but was slowed for the final time on lap 71. Owens, who was running 8th, would slow to a stop in turn 1 with a left rear flat. On the restart Moyer again grabbed the lead and then pulled away over the final 29 laps to claim his first Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals. Moyer with his win both Thursday and Friday, worth $7,000 each night, and his win on Saturday, worth $40,000, took home $54,000 for his three nights. Richards won the battle for 2nd, Lanigan came back to finish in 3rd, Francis recovered from his lap 1 spin to finish in 4th, with the man on the move at the finish Will Vaught coming from 22nd to round out the top 5.

Notes from Knoxville: 52 Late Models returned on the final night to try for one of the 30 spots in the A-Main....The top 6 in the C-Main would move into the B-Main, as John VanDenBerg and John Anderson didn't return. VanDenBerg and Anderson where scheduled to start 13th and 14th in the B-Main....Mark Burgtorf made a last lap attempt to get past Chris Simpson for the final transfer spot into the A-Main, but would come up short....Babb on the final restarts would slip back to finish 6th in the A-Main....Mars recovered from his lap 57 yellow to come back to finish in 7th....Owens finished 11th after his lap 71 flat....Eckert came back to finish 15th after his lap 67 yellow....Scott Bloomquist who was running 4th at the time of the lap 57 caution, pulled into the pits to make changes. He crew looked to be changing both rear shocks and tires. They didn't get the work done in time to get Bloomquist out for the restart, so Bloomquist would go 1 lap down to finish in 19th....Ryan Newman was given a provisional and started 31st. He would pass 10 cars to take home a 21st place finish....The top 8 cars in the IMCA Modified B-Main would transfer into the A-Main, as a result of Chris Abelson and Jeff Jones not returning. Abelson and Jones were scheduled to start the A-Main in 11th and 12th....Jimmy Gustin started the B-Main in 8th and had worked his way up to 3rd by lap 8. But he would slow and pull into the pits with troubles on lap 9 to end his night....Eric Dailey, who was running 2nd, in the B-Main slowed on the lap 10 restart and pulled into the pits to end his night....J.D. Auringer started the A-Main in 12th and passed 5 cars to take home a 7th place finish....Josh Gilman came from 21st and passed 13 cars to finish in 9th....JJ Wise started 18th and passed 8 cars to finish in 10th....Bill Davis Jr. came from 16th to finish in 11th....Greg Cox won the B-Main and started 17th. He would pass 4 cars to finish in 13th....Shawn Jerovetz came from 20th to finish in 15th....Clayton Christensen has motor troubles in hot laps and had to scratch from his 14th place starting spot in the A-Main.

Night One of the 7th Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals Goes to Moyer

2010-10-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

Knoxville, IA (Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010) - With work sending me off to a computer class on Friday, which meant I didn't have to get up so early, I decided to make the trip over to Knoxville, IA. On tap was night one of the 7th Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals, along with an invitational for the IMCA Modifieds.

The night started off with 59 of the 61 Late Models taking time trials. Jimmy Owens was the third car out and was the only one to get into the 17 second range, with a lap of 17.950. Scott Bloomquist was the 57th car out and was 2nd, Steve Francis was 3rd, Earl Pearson Jr. was 4th, with Matt Miller coming in 5th.

Up next was the 4 IMCA Modified 8 lap heat races, with the top 16 in passing points going into the A-Main....Heat 1 saw Ryan Ruter grab the top spot from his outside front row starting spot. Ruter then held it until lap 3, when Richie Gustin, who started 6th, slipped under him for the lead. Gustin then pulled away for the win. Ruter was 2nd, with Eric Dailey 3rd....Mark Schulte jumped out front on lap 1 of heat race 2 and then pulled away to pick up the win. Jeremy Mills would come home in 2nd, with Clint Hatelstad coming from 7th to finish in 3rd....Heat race 3 saw Randy Havlik grab the top spot on the drop of the green flag and then went on to take the checkered flag. Brain Mullen held on for 2nd, with Jason Snyder coming from 6th to finish in 3rd....Rich Smith came from 3rd to grab the lead on lap 1 of heat race 4. Smith then held off Darin Duffy, who started 8th, to pick up the win. Ron Pope would come home in 3rd.

Five 12 lap Late Model heat races were next, with the top 50 in times inverted in the first five rows of the heat races. The top 4 finishers would move on into the A-Main, with 5th-8th going to the B-Main, and the final finishers going to the C-Main....Heat race 1 saw Jeep VanWormer jump out into the lead on lap 1, but Mark Burgtorf would slip under him on lap 3 to take over the top spot. Burgtorf would go on to lead the final 9 laps to get the win. Chad Simpson came from 6th to finish in 2nd, Brian Shirley came from 7th to finish in 3rd, with Josh Richards coming from 8th to finish in 4th....John VanDenBerg took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 of heat race 2. But Brady Smith, who started 7th, moved under him on lap 4 to take over the top spot. Smith then pulled away to claim the win. Austin Hubbard came from 9th to finish in 2nd, Scott Bloomquist started 10th and finished in 3rd, with VanDenBerg holding on for the final transfer spot in 4th....Heat race 3 saw Kerry Hansen jump out into the early lead from his pole position. Hansen then held the top spot until lap 7, when Darrell Lanigan slipped under him for the top spot. Lanigan would hold the lead until the restart on lap 10, when he pulled into the pits with troubles. Bub McCool, who started 9th, would inherit the lead and then went on to claim the win. Steve Francis came from 10th to finish in 2nd, Scott James was 3rd, with Ryan Newman coming from 11th to take the 4th and final transfer spot....Denny Woodworth took advantage of his pole position to grab the lead on lap 1 of heat race 5. But Jack Sullivan would jump to his outside to grab the lead away on lap 2. Earl Pearson Jr., who started 10th, would take advantage of the lap 8 yellow to grab the lead on lap 9. But Sullivan would slip back under him on lap 10 to grab the lead back. Sullivan then led the final 2 laps to claim the win. Tim McCreadie came from 9th to get 2nd, Pearson Jr. held on for 3rd, with Kelly Boen coming home in 4th....The fifth and final heat saw Rob Moss jump out into the lead on lap 1. Moss then held the lead until lap 3, when Billy Moyer, who started 7th, slipped by for the lead. Moyer then pulled away to pick up the win. Moss held on for 2nd, Brad Neat was 3rd, with Matt Miller coming from 10th to round out the top 4.

After a break the 15 lap Late Model C-Main would take to the speedway next, with the top 4 tagging the tail of the B-Main. Will Vaught took advantage of his outside front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Jimmy Owens. Vaught would go on to lead all 15 laps to claim the win. Owens held on for 2nd, Shannon Babb was 3rd, with Jason Utter coming from 9th to claim the 4th and final transfer spot.

The two 10 lap IMCA Modified B-Mains were next, with the top 4 in each transferring into the A-Main. Greg Cox grabbed the lead on the drop of the green in the first B-Main, with Jake Durbin close behind in second. Cox would go on to lead all 10 laps to pick up the win. Durbin held on for 2nd, JD Auringer was 3rd, with Chris Abelson holding on to take the final transfer spot....The second B-Main saw Jon Snyder grab the lead on lap 1 over Jimmy Gustin. Snyder would lead all 10 laps to pick up the win. Gustin held on for 2nd, Mark Elliott came from 6th to finish in 3rd, with Jeff Jones holding on for 4th.

Brian Birkhofer moved out front on lap 1 of the 20 lap Late Model B-Main, where the top 4 finishers transferred into the A-Main. Darren Miller would try to work past Birkhofer early in the race, but Birkhofer was able to hold of his challenges. Birkhofer would lead all 20 laps to claim the win. Miller held on for 2nd, Rick Eckert was 3rd, with Denny Eckrich taking the 4th and final transfer spot.

With both features set, the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature was up first. Richie Gustin took advantage of his pole position to jump out into the lead on the drop of the green flag, with Darin Duffy, Rich Smith and Mark Schulte battling it out for second. Gustin started to pull away from the second place battle, when the first and only caution of the event came out on lap 7. Eric Dailey, who started 13th and was up to 6th, Jeremy Mills was running 8th, and Michael Long, who started 16th and was up to 10th, all slowed to a stop in turns 3 and 4 with troubles. On the restart Gustin moved back into the lead, with Duffy working to hold off Schulte, Ryan Ruter, who started 8th, and Todd Schute, who came from 12th. Ruter would over take Duffy for second on lap 12 and then set his sights on Gustin for the lead. But Gustin had build up a straight away lead and then pulled away to claim the win and the $1,500 top prize. Ruter held on for 2nd, Duffy was 3rd, Shute came home in 4th, with Schulte holding on for 5th.

The final event of the night was the 25 lap Late Model feature, with Josh Richards and Tim McCreadie leading the field to the green. McCreadie would grab the lead on lap 1, with Richards, Austin Hubbard, Matt Miller and Bub McCool battling for second. Richards would slip under McCreadie on lap 3 to take over the top spot and then held it until lap 7. Steve Francis, who was running 9th, brought out the one and only caution, when he came to a stop in turn 1. On the restart Richards jumped back out into the lead, with McCreadie working to hold off Hubbard, Earl Pearson Jr. and Billy Moyer, who started 11th. McCreadie would take the top spot away from Richards on lap 10, with Pearson and Moyer moving up to 2nd and 3rd on lap 11. Moyer then would work past Pearson for the 2nd spot on lap 14 and then went to work on McCreadie for the lead. On lap 17 Moyer slipped under McCreadie to take over the top spot and then pulled away over the final 8 laps to pick up the win and the $7,000 check. McCreadie held on for 2nd, Scott Bloomquist came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Pearson Jr. held on for 4th, with Brady Smith coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

Notes from Night 1 at Knoxville: 59 of the 61 Late Models took times, with Curt Schroeder and Ron Boyse having troubles in hot laps and scratched for the remainder of the evening....Jimmy Owens who set fast time, would struggle the rest of the night. He would start 10th in heat 1 and would only manage a 9th place finish to put him in the C-Main. Owens then started on the pole of the C-Main and would finish 2nd to transfer to the back of the B-Main, where he started 22nd. Again Owens struggles to get to the front, as he settled for an 18th place finish to end his night....Will Vaught was another driver who started the night out good but struggled throughout the evening. As he would set the 6th fastest time and then started heat 1 in the 9th spot. Vaught would finish 10th in that race and then started the C-Main on the outside of the front row. He would jump into the lead on lap 1 and then went on to win the C-Main to earn the 21st starting spot for the B-Main. Vaught would pass 14 cars, but would come up 3 spots short of transferring into the A-Main....Jeep VanWormer was running 3rd, in a transfer spot, in the first heat race when he slowed on the final lap to finish 7th....Shannon Babb started heat race 4 in the 7th spot and had worked his way into 2nd by lap 7. But Babb would slow on lap 8 with a left rear flat to end his run in a transfer spot. Babb then started the C-Main in 5th and worked his way up to finish 3rd to take a transfer spot into the B-Main. He then started the B-Main in 23rd and passed 9 cars to finish 14th, but not good enough to transfer into the A-Main....Jake Meier in his first attempt at the Late Model Nationals, started off the night by setting the 10th fastest time in time trials. He then started heat race 5 in the 9th spot, but would finish there. That would put him 3rd in the C-Main where he was running 4th, a transfer spot into the B-Main. But Meier would slow on lap 3 with troubles and pulled off to end his night....Brian Birkhofer would start the A-Main from the 21st starting spot. He would pass 13 cars to take home a 8th place finish....Rick Eckert came from 23rd to finish in 14th....Darren Miller was running 13th, when he slowed on the final lap to fall back to a 21st place finish....37 IMCA Modifieds signed in on Night 1....Jon Snyder would pass 9 cars from his 18th starting spot in the A-Main to come home in 9th....Chris Abelson came from 23rd to pass 13 cars to finish in 10th....JD Auringer started 21st and passed 10 cars to come home in 11th....Jeff Jones passed 12 cars from his 24th starting spot to finish in 12th....Jimmie Gustin came from 20th and was running 7th, when he lost an engine on the final lap to end his night in 18th....Mark Elliott started 22nd and had worked his way up to 5th by lap 13. But he would slow and pull off on lap 14 with troubles to end his night in 19th.

Andy Eckrich and Miller Top "Race of Champions" Events on Night 1 of the Liberty 100

2010-09-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

West Liberty, IA (Friday, Sept. 24, 2010) - With the 2010 racing season starting to wind down, I decided to make the trip to the West Liberty Raceway in West Liberty, IA for night 1 of the Liberty 100. The air temperatures turned out to be cool, but the racing was hot enough to keep your blood flowing.

The night featured 2 Flyer heat races and a feature, 3 B-Modified heat races and a B-Main, 4 IMCA Late Model heat races and 2 B-Mains, 3 Modified heat races and a B-Main, 4 Open Late Model heat races and 2 B-Mains. Then the night ended with a "Race of Champions" race in both the Open Late Models and IMCA Late Models. The top 12 in passing points from the heat races, with the exception of the Flyers, were locked into Saturday nights A-Mains, with the rest having to run a B-Main.

First heat races of the night were the 5 lap Flyers, with Brad Chandler and Steve Miedke taking the wins.

Next up was the B-Modified 6 lap heats. The first heat saw Dan Hahn jump out into the lead on lap 1 and then pulled away to claim the win. He was followed by 32J (sorry didn't get the name), Tyler Madigan and Keith Feller, Curren Beckler, Scott Hill and #00 (sorry didn't get the name)....Jason Schueller grabbed the early lead in heat 2, only to slow to a stop with 2 laps to go with mechanical troubles. That gave the lead over to Jarrett Franzen, who held off Brad Tyler at the line by inches for the win. Scott Vanbuskik was 3rd, with Brant Hubler 4th, John Ryan 5th, Schueller 6th and Shelley Mizell (DNS)....Twelve year old Tanner Allen grabbed the lead on the drop of the green in heat race 3, with Jason Speers and Zack Less battling for second. Less would slip under Speers coming off of turn 4 on lap 2, with some contact being made and sending Less spinning to a stop to bring out the caution. Both drivers were sent to the back for the restart. On the restart Allen moved back out into the lead. Allen would hold the top spot until lap 4, when Less quickly moved to the front to grab the lead away. Less then pulled away to pick up the win over Allen, Speers would cross the line in 3rd, but when the B-Main came out he was in the back. The announcer said he was disqualified from the heat, but gave no reason why. That moved Jeff Nantz to 3rd and Dakota Hayden to 4th, Doug Pratt was 5th, with Nick Hixson 6th.

Four 10 lap IMCA Late Model heat races were up next. Sam Halstead and Colby Springsteen had a great side-by-side battle for the first 2 laps, before Andy Eckrich over took them both for the lead on lap 4. Eckrich then pulled away to claim the win. Halstead held off Springsteen for 3rd, with Jay Johnson coming home in 4th, Todd Hormel was 5th, Joel Callahan was 6th, Jonathan Brauns 7th and Aaron Luke 8th....Jeff Aikey took command on the drop of the green flag in the 2nd heat race and then pulled away to pick up the win. Boone McLaughlin was 2nd, Tommy Elston was 3rd, with Jason Bahrs coming home in 4th, Stephen Kammerer was 5th, Rick Dralle 6th and Jay Chenoweth 7th....The third heat race saw Ray Guss Jr. and Tyler Bruening battle early for the lead, until Guss Jr. took the lead for good on lap 2. Guss would pull away to pick up the win. Bruening held on for 2nd, Nate Beuseling was 3rd, with Rob Toland 4th, Terry Neal was 5th, Leroy Brenner 6th and Jon Merfeld 7th....Darren Miller took the lead on the drop of the green in heat 4 and pulled away to claim an easy win. Matt Ryan came home in 2nd, Jeremiah Hurst came from 6th to finish in 3rd, with Mike Garland coming from 7th to finish in 4th, Jim Brokus was 5th, Darrel DeFrance 6th and Doug Yates 7th.

Gus Hughes moved out front on lap 1 of the first of three 8 lap heats in the Modified division, with Scott Dickey close behind in 2nd. Hughes would spin in turn 3 on lap 2, while battling under Dickey for the lead to bring out the caution. Dickey would grab the lead on the restart and then held off Ryan Dolan, who started 5th, to claim the win. Noah Coppess came from 6th to finish in 3rd, with Todd Hansen 4th, Hughes was 5th, Larry Herring 6th and Shaun Lewis 7th....Johnny Spaw took the lead on the drop of the green in the 2nd heat race and started to pull away from the field, when a caution came out on lap 5. Rick Hixson, who was running 4th, slowed in turn 2 with a right rear flat. On the restart Spaw again grabbed the top spot, but now had Bruce Hanford, who started 7th, on his back bumper. Hanford would try to get under Spaw for the lead over the final 3 laps, but Spaw would hold him off to pick up the win. Nick Nevins came home in 3rd, with Justin Speers crossing the line in 4th, Ryan Buffington was 5th, Rick Hixson 6th and Clayton Jensen 7th....The third heat race saw Terry Walker grab the lead on lap 1 and then hold it until lap 3, when Brad Dierks slipped by for the lead. Dierks would then lead the final 5 laps to pick up the win. Jason Schueller came from 7th to finish in 2nd, Steve Stewart was 3rd, with Chris Zogg coming home in 4th, Dan Albright was 5th, Walker 6th and Tyler Cale 7th.

The final heat races of the night were the four 10 lap Open Late Models. Denny Eckrich took advantage of his outside front row draw to grab the lead on the start of heat one. Denny then pulled away from the field to claim the win. Kevin Kile came home in 2nd, Jeremiah Hurst was 3rd, with Brian Harris coming home in 4th, Jake Meier was 5th, Jason Utter 6th, Mike Klinkkammer was 7th and Boone McLaughlin 8th....Chad Simpson drew the pole for heat 2 and took advantage of that by grabbing the lead on the start. Just like Eckrich in heat one, he would pull away to claim an easy win. The battle for second between Nick Marolf and Chris Simpson would go to Marolf at the line. Jay Johnson would come home in 4th, Mike Fryer was 5th, Ron Boyse 6th and Ron Klein 7th....Andy Eckrich started the third heat race on the outside front row and would move out front on the drop of the green flag. Andy would pull away from the field in a caution free race to claim the win. Brian Birkhofer started 7th and by the time he got to 2nd Eckrich was to far out front to catch. So Birkhofer had to settle for 2nd, Kevin Kile was 3rd, with Steve Boley coming home in 4th, Skip Frey was 5th, Chad Patch was 6th and Jill George 7th....Just like the first three heat races, Darren Miller took advantage of his pole position to take the lead on lap 1. He then pulled away to claim an easy win. Jeff Guengerich would finish in 2nd, Rob Moss was third, with Richie Bell 4th, Justin Mitchell was 5th, Joel Callahan 6th and Chad Holliday 7th.

The 6 lap B-Modified B-Main was up next, with the top 6 cars moving into Saturday nights A-Main. Dakota Hayden jumped out front on lap 1, with Jason Schueller close behind in second. Schuller would slip past Hayden for the lead on lap 2 and then went on to lead the final 4 laps to take the win. Hayden held on for 2nd, Jason Speers came from 9th to finish in 3rd, #00 (sorry didn't catch the drivers name) was 4th, Nick Hixson was 5th, with Shelley Mizell rounding out the top 6. Doug Pratt would finish in 7th, John Ryan was 8th and Scott Hill was 9th.

Jay Johnson moved out front on lap 1 of the first of two 10 lap IMCA Late Model B-Mains, with the top 3 moving into Saturday nights A-Main. Johnson would hold off Terry Neal in the 10 lap race to claim the win, with Nate Bueseling holding on for the final transfer spot. Joel Callahan was 4th, Stephen Kammerer 5th, Jon Merfeld 6th, Jonathan Brauns 7th, Leroy Brenner 8th and Aaron Luke 9th....Rob Toland took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 of the second 10 lap B-Main. Toland would battle with Jason Bahrs early, before pulling away to pick up the win. Bahrs would come home in 2nd, with Jim Brokus holding on for the final transfer spot. Darrel DeFrance finished in 4th, Jay Chenoweth was 5th, Rick Dralle was 6th, Doug Yates 7th and Todd Hormel 8th.

The 8 lap Modified B-Main was next, with the top 6 cars moving into Saturday nights A-Main. Larry Herring came from 4th to grab the lead on the drop of the green flag and then went on to lead all 8 laps to claim the win. Gus Hughes was 2nd, Dan Albright was 3rd, Shaun Lewis was 4th, Rick Hixson was 5th, with Alex Buffington holding on to take the final transfer spot. Clayton Jensen was 7th, Terry Walker was 8th and Tyler Cale was 9th (DNS).

Steve Boley took the lead on the drop of the green in the first of two 10 lap Open Late Model B-Mains, with the top 3 moving into Saturday nights A-Main. Boley would lead all 10 laps to claim the win. Mike Fryer came home in 2nd, with Skip Frey holding off a closing Jason Utter to take the final transfer spot. Jay Johnson was 5th, Mike Kinkkammer was 6th, Jill George 7th, Boone McLaughlin 8th and Chad Patch 9th....Brian Harris and Richie Bell would battle early for the lead in the second B-Main, until Harris took command on lap 3. Harris then went on to lead the final 7 laps to claim the win. Bell settled for 2nd, with Jake Meier taking the final transfer spot. Joel Callahan came home in 4th, Justin Mitchell was 5th, Ron Boyse 6th, Ron Klein 7th and Chad Holliday was 8th.

The 12 lap Flyer feature was next up, with Brannon Bechen and Steve Miedke leading the field to the green. Miedke would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on the drop of the green flag. The first of 2 cautions would come on after the completion of lap 1, as debris in turn one would bring the yellow light on. On the restart Brad Chandler would slip under Miedke to take the top spot on lap 2. Chandler then worked to hold off Miedke and Bechen, when the second and final caution came out on lap 3. The R22 (sorry didn't get the drivers name) spun to a stop in turn one to bring caution to the speedway. Chandler again moved out front on the restart, with Bechen and Jarrod McMichael, who started 12th, battling for second. McMichael would grab the top spot away from Chandler on lap 5, leaving Chandler to battle Bechen for the second spot. McMichael looked to be heading for the checkered flag when he slowed coming out of turn four for the white flag, allowing Bechen to get by for the lead. Chandler would slip under Bechen going into turn 3 and then came out of turn 4 with the lead. Chandler then edged out Bechen at the line to pick up the win. James Roose came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Wayne Noble was 4th, with Nathan Chandler coming from 9th to round out the top 5.

Andy Eckrich and Jeremiah Hurst made up the front row for the 20 lap Open Late Model "Race of Champions", with Andy Eckrich grabbing the lead on the drop of the green flag. Brian Birkhofer, who started 6th, would make it up to 2nd on lap 4 but would spin in turn 2 on the next lap to bring out the caution. On the restart Andy Eckrich again moved out front, with Hurst and Steve Boley battling for second. While Andy Eckrich was pulling away from the field, the battle for second would heat up between Hurst and Denny Eckrich. Hurst, was running the top of the speedway, while Denny Eckrich, was working the bottom. Those two would swap second several time over the final 8 laps. Andy Eckrich would pull away to claim the $1,000 prize, with Denny Eckrich coming off of turn four on the last lap to get 2nd, Hurst settled for 3rd, Darren Miller came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Birkhofer recovering from his spin to finish in 5th. Nick Marlof would take 6th, Chad Simpson was 7th, Ray Guss Jr. (driving the #21H) was 8th, Jeff Guengerich was 9th, with Steve Boley 10th.

The final event of the night was the 20 lap IMCA Late Model "Race of Champions", with Mike Garland and Tyler Bruening on the front row for the event. Bruening took advantage of his starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Garland, Rob Toland and Andy Eckrich. While Bruening continued to pace the field, Darren Miller, who started 11th, was working his way to the front. Miller would over take Toland for the second spot on lap 17 and then set his sights on Bruening for the lead. Bruening would take the 2 to go signal from the flagman, with Miller right on his back bumper. Miller would go into turn 1 on the bottom, while Bruening took to the top side. Miller then came out of turn 2 with the lead and then went to to claim the win and the $1,000 top prize. Toland would slip under Bruening on the final lap coming out of 4 to get 2nd, Bruening settled for 3rd, Andy Eckrich was 4th, with Garland holding on for 5th. Ray Guss Jr. came from 10th to finish in 6th, Terry Neal was 7th, Jeff Aikey was 8th, Darrel DeFrance was 9th, Jim Brokus was 10th, with Matt Ryan 11th.

Notes from WL: 29 Open Late Models, 29 IMCA Late Models, 21 Modifieds, 21 B-Modifieds and 20 Flyers made up the 120 cars singed in for action......Rob Axom started the Flyer feature in 11th and passed 3 cars to finish in 8th....Jordan Walker passed 6 cars from his 16th place starting spot to finish in 10th....Jeffrey Vislisel came from 18th to finish in 12th....The number 58 started 19th and passed 5 cars to finish in 15th....Jarrod McMichael led from lap 6 until lap 10, when he slowed on the white flag lap with troubles. He would finish in 16th....Steve Miedke led the feature on lap 1, but would slow on the lap 3 restart with troubles to end his night in 16th....Pat Quinn was running 4th after lap 1, but would pull in on the yellow with front end damage to end his night in 19th......I thought the format they used to determine the "Race of Champions" races was pretty clever. They put numbers in one bag and the drivers name in another bag. They then had a driver pull a number out, and then a drivers name. That driver would start in the position they drew. Then the driver who's name was drawn came up and repeated the process until the line-up was set....It was ironic that Darren Miller got the last starting spot in both "Race of Champions", thanks to the luck of the draw, lol....Six drivers, Jeremiah Hurst, Boone McLaughlin, Jay Johnson, Andy Eckrich, Darren Miller and Joel Callahan competed in both the IMCA and Open Late Model classes. If any of those drivers would happen to win both features, they would collect a $1,000 bonus.......Thanks to mother nature all 3 events in this area for tonight have been rained out. The Sprint Invaders Season Championship at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA has been moved to October 2nd. The Hawkeye Dirt Tour at 34 Raceway has been cancelled and can't be rescheduled. The final night of the Liberty 100 has been rained out and will be rain on October 16th.

Frankel and Beuseling Earn Front Row For Deery Finale at 34 Raceway

2010-09-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

Burlington, IA (Friday, Sept. 17, 2010) - The 19th Annual Pepsi USA Late Models Nationals featuring the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models finale got underway Friday night at 34 Raceway in Burlington, IA. In action on the night was the IMCA Late Models, 305 Sprints and IMCA Stock Cars.

The night started off with 51 IMCA Late Models getting 2 laps around the speedway for times to help set the 5 heat race line-ups. At the end of qualifying Denny Woodworth would come out on top with the fastest time, followed by Tyler Bruening, Leroy Brenner, Justin Reed and Joey Gower. The top 20 drivers in times were then inverted for the five 12 lap heat races, with the rest lined up by times after the first two rows.

Late Model heat 1 had Jason Perry and Jason Frankel, the defending champion, on the front row. Frankel would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Perry and Josh Most, who started 6th. While Frankel and Perry pulled away from the field, Most and Denny Woodworth put on a battle for the 3rd and final transfer spot. Woodworth would slip under Most going into turn 1 on lap 8, but would slid up to high into turn 2 to allow Most to get back under him coming off of turn 2. Frankel would lead all 12 laps to claim the win and the pole for the 100 lap finale. Perry came home in 3rd, with Most holding off Woodworth for the final transfer spot. Notes from heat 1: Frankel was driving the number 72 machine driven by Billy Genebacher during the 2010 season....Mark Burgtorf was suppose to start outside row 3, but didn't make the call. As the field took the green to start the heat, Burgtorf's machine made the slow drive to staging to line-up for another heat. But he would learn that he was to late for his heat and now would have to come from the back of a B-Main. Seems there was some confusion about where he was posted on the board by a pit member.

Darren Miller and Nate Beuseling led the field to the drop of the green in heat race number 2, with Beuseling jumping out front on lap 1 over Miller and Tyler Bruening. Beuseling started to pull away from Miller over the next few laps, with Bruening working to hold off Sam Halstead for the battle for the third spot. Miller would close the gab between him and Beuseling on lap 10 and then went to work on him for the top spot. But Bueseling would hold on to pick up the win and earn the outside front row for the 100 lap finale. Miller settled for 2nd, followed by Bruening in 3rd. Notes from heat 2: Miller drove a #32D machine owned by Diercks....Kevin Sather made his Late Model debut at 34 Raceway in his #3 machine and then timed in 7th fastest overall. He would finish 5th in the heat to have a good start in one of the B-Mains....Keith Pratt drove the #11 machine driven by Darin Weisinger during the 2010 season to a 8th place finish....Mike Zemo Jr. started 7th and was running there when he went over turns 1 & 2 on lap 3. He would pull into the pits to avoid a caution and going to the rear.

Heat 3 was up next, with Ron Elbe and Lonnie Bailey on the front row for the 12 lap event. Bailey moved out front on the start, with Elbe and Terry Neal, who started 5th, following in 2nd and 3rd. While Bailey pulled away from the rest of the field and Elbe comfortable running in 2nd, the battle for 3rd heated up between Neal and Jay Johnson. Johnson would slip under Neal in turn 2, when Neal got to high and jumped the cushion to get the final transfer spot on lap 6. Bailey would lead all 12 laps to claim the easy win, Elbe held on for 2nd, with Johnson holding off a last lap challenge from Neal to earn the final transfer spot. Notes from heat 3: Leroy Brenner started 4th, as the 3rd fastest in time trials, but had troubles on the drop of the green. He would take his machine to the pits off of turn 2 to end his night....Stephen Kammerer drove the #99 machine driven by Doug Curless during the 2010 season to a 7th place finish.

Tom Goble and Boone McLaughlin made up the front row for the 12 lap heat 4, with McLaughlin grabbing the lead on the drop of the green. McLaughlin, who was running the top of the track, and Goble, who was glued to the bottom, ran the next 9 laps side-by-side, while Justin Reed, Ray Guss Jr. and Colby Springsteen waged a three car battle for the final transfer spot. Goble tried for the next 9 laps to get under McLaughlin for the lead, when disaster struck him coming off of turn four on lap 10. He would slow on the front stretch with steam coming from the front and made the pull into the infield to end his night. That put Reed into second and Guss Jr. in 3rd. The field was slowed on lap 11 when Mike Garland spun to a stop in turn 2 while running 5th. On the restart McLaughlin pulled away to claim the win, Reed held off Guss Jr. for 3rd. Notes from heat 4: Rob Toland came from 8th and finished a close 5th....Jason Cook slowed to a stop in turn one on the parade lap, as it appeared he lost some fluids out of the #3d machine.

The final heat race had Tom Bowling Jr. and Andy Eckrich on the front row, with Eckrich grabbing the lead on the drop of the green. While Eckrich started to pull away and Joey Gower comfortable in second, the battle for third would heat up. Kevin Blum was in the final transfer spot, with Bowling Jr. and Jack Sullivan wanting it. Sullivan would come from the bottom of the speedway to slid up in front of Bowling Jr. in turn 4 on lap 5. But he didn't quite clear Bowling's machine and made some contact, which slid Bowling Jr. back to 7th. Eckrich would pick up an easy win in heat 5, Gower held on for 2nd, with Blum coming home in 3rd. Notes from heat 5: Jay Chenoweth came from 8th and tried to get around Blum for the final transfer spot over the final 3 laps, but had to settle for 4th....Sullivan came home in 5th, driving the #15 machine owned by Lynn Richards....Jeff Aikey had motor troubles after hot laps and scratched his number #77 machine for the night. But Hershel Roberts would allow him to put a #77 on his second machine and use it for the night. He would come home in 6th at the checkered....Carey Umberger had troubles after hot laps and scratched from the rest of the nights activities.

Up next was the 20 lap 305 Sprint feature, with Patrick Moore and Carson McCarl drawing the front row. On the drop of the green, McCarl would go into turn one and two to hot and got sideways. He would collect the car of Jayson Ditsworth, who started 4th, to bring out the caution and ending both drivers nights. For the restart Moore and Harold Pohren would make up the front row for the start, but it was 6th place man Brandyn Martin who jumped to the top of the track to grab the lead on lap 1. Another caution would appear on the speedway on the completion of lap 1, as Pohren spun in turn 2 and collected the machines of Moore and Jarrod Schneiderman. Pohren was able to tag the back of the field, while Moore had front end damage and Schneiderman had heavy wing damage to end both of there nights. On the restart Josh Higday, who was driving the 23J machine driven by Jim Hetrick during the 2010 season, jumped the start and brought the yellow light back on. He was sent to the back of the field, after coming from 7th to 2nd in one lap. Once again Higday would jump the restart from the back of the field to bring out the yellow. He was warned not to start until the orange cone in turn 4 or he would be blacked flag for jumping one more restart.

Martin grabbed the lead on the restart, with Justin Parrish, who started 9th, now following him in second. Parrish was working the bottom of the speedway and would slip under Martin on lap 3 to grab the top spot away. Parrish then started to pull away, when another caution came out on lap 7, when Bazil Hicks spun in turn 2. During the caution period, Bobby Mincer, who started 23rd after missing his heat with troubles, had worked his way to 3rd. But he would come to a stop on the front stretch when the engine compartment started to catch on fire. He would climb from the machine with his leg on fire, after rolling on the ground and help from Dennis Krieger the fire was put out on his leg. Mincer was ok, but his great run to the front was done. On the restart Parrish again jumped out front, with Martin working to hold off Kevin Hetrick, who started 12th. The final caution of the event came out on lap 11, as a tire was clipped in turn 2 and thrown out onto the racing surface. Parrish would pull away over the final 9 laps to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize. Matt Stephenson came from 11 and finished in 2nd, Hetrick was 3rd. Chad Huston made the pull up from Jamesport, MO and started the feature in 8th. He would pass 4 cars to come home in 4th, with Matt Krieger coming from 18th to round out the top 5.

Jeff Mueller and John Oliver Jr. drew the front row for the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature. Luke McLaughlin, who started 6th, spun down the backstretch to bring out the caution before a lap was scored. On the restart Mueller edged out Oliver Jr. at the line to lead lap 1. With Mueller out front, Oliver Jr. worked to hold off Derek St. Clair and Nathan Wood for second. The second caution of the event would come out on lap 4 when Andrew Griffin spun in turn 4 and collected the cars of Joe Gerdes and Greg Johnson. Mueller again grabbed the lead on the restart, as Wood who was 4th, went three wide going into turn three and came out of turn four with 2nd. Devon Timmerman would spin in turn 3 on lap 7 to bring caution to the speedway once again. On the restart Mueller again jumped out into the lead, with Wood now pressuring him for the lead. The yellow light would come back on, when McLaughlin spun in turn 2 to avoid hitting a slowing Travis Finke on lap 9. On the restart McLaughlin again spun his machine in turn 3, this time he elected to take it to the pits to end his night. Mueller again moved out front on the restart, with Wood again working on him for the top spot. Wood would try to get under Mueller on the final lap, but Mueller held him off at the line to pick up the win. Wood settled for 2nd, Jim Redmann came from 7th to finish in 3rd, St. Clair came home in 4th, with Kirk Kinlsey coming from 10th to round out the top five.

The final event of the night was the 20 lap J&J Steel Iron Man Challenge, an event ran for any driver who had a perfect attendance for the 2010 Deery Brothers Summer Series. The field of 12 drivers were inverted by points, which put TJ Criss and Todd Malmstrom on the front row. Criss would grab the lead on the drop of the green flag over Malmstrom and Kevin Blum. Criss started to pull away from the battle for second, when the first caution came out on lap 12, when Blum, who was running 5th, spun in turn four. On the restart Criss again moved out front, with Mark Preston moving into second over Malmstrom. Criss again started to pull away from the field, when the final caution of the event came out on lap 16. Malmstrom, who was running 4th, would spin to a stop in turn 2. Once again Criss moved out into the lead on the restart, but now had Terry Neal, who started 9th, following him in 2nd. Criss was able to hold off Neal over the final 4 laps to pick up the win. Neal settled for 2nd, Preston was 3rd, Andy Eckrich came from 10th to coming home in 4th, with Ray Guss Jr. passing 7 cars from his 12th place starting spot to round out the top 5.

Notes from 34: 51 Late Models, 24 305 Sprints and 22 Stock Cars made up the 97 cars signed in for battle......Nick Guernsey started the Sprint feature in 20th and passed 14 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Harold Pohren recovered from his lap 1 spin to come back to finish in 7th....Alan Ambers came from 15th and passed 7 cars to finish in 8th....Justin Newberry came from the rear after changing a flat tire to finish in 9th....Jamie Needham started 14th and came home in 10th....Alexsha Alexander came from 16th to come home in 11th....Bazil Hicks recovered from his lap 7 spin to finish in 12th....Brandyn Martin was running 2nd, but pulled off on lap 15 with troubles to end his night in 13th....Josh Higday came from the rear after jumping the restart on lap 1 to come back up to 3rd. But he would pull off on lap 14 with troubles to end his night in 14th....Bobby Mincer was credited with 15th after his fire on the lap 7 caution. He started 23rd and was up to 3rd before his troubles....Tony Davis, who finished 2nd in points for 2010, had motor troubles to end his night in 20th....Carson McCarl, the 16 year old son of Sprint Car driver Terry McCarl, made his second start of the season in a 305 Sprint. He would draw the 6th starting spot for heat race 3 and made it up to finish 2nd. Carson then drew number 2 for the feature to start outside the front row. On the drop of the green he would go into one and two to hard and got sideways. Jayson Ditsworth had no where to go and collided with McCarl. McCarl ended up with front end damaged to end his night in 21st....Matt Rogerson drove the #40 machine owned by Andy Huston. But troubles after hot laps would scratch him for the night......Rod Staats started the Stock Car feature in 12th and passed 5 cars to come home in 7th....Abe Huls came from the rear, after changing a tire on the lap 4 caution. He would restart in 17th and passed 9 cars to take home an 8th place finish....Sky Griffith started 15th and passed 6 cars to come home in 9th....Devon Timmerman recovered from his lap 7 spin to come back to finish in 14th....Tim Breuer started 22nd and passed 7 cars to take home 15th......With 15 drivers making into the 100 lap finale, that leaves 11 spots still up for grabs. The top 3 cars from the B-Mains will make into the finale. The the fastest in time trials not in the show will get a spot, followed by a driver who passes the most cars through the heats and B-Mains combined. Then 2 Deery Brothers Summer Series points provisionals will be awarded, with the final spot going to the highest in points from 34 Raceway getting into the show....Drivers like Denny Woodworth, Rob Toland, Jeff Aikey, Darrel DeFrance, Mark Burgtorf, Gary Russell, Jack Sullivan are still yet to make it into the field....Mother nature moved in on Saturday morning and afternoon to cancel the finale until Sunday evening. If things are able to be run on Sunday, hot laps will start at 4:30, with racing starting at 5. The 2 Late Model B-Mains will be run, along with features in the Mod Lites and 4 Cylinders. Then the 100 lap Late Model finale, paying $10,000 to win will highlight the nights ending.

Pittman, Beuseling and Zroslik Top Dlouhy / DeVore Memorial Races at Tipton

2010-09-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Tipton, IA (Saturday, September 11, 2010) - What looked like a gloomy day to start out, turned out to be a beautiful afternoon and evening for racing in the midwest. I made the trip northwest to the Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa for the 2nd Annual Dlouhy / DeVore Memorial race, featuring Modifieds for $2,000 to win, Late Models racing for $1,500 to win and 4 Cylinders going for $400 to win. For me it has been 5 or more years since I have been to Tipton to take in some racing action, and I must say I didn't leave there disappointed!

With 29 Late Models, 31 4 Cylinders and 50 Modifieds signed in to do battle, 17 events would have to be ran to determine what cars would take the green in each of the classes feature events. After 3 Late Model heats, 3 4cylinder heats and 5 Modified heats the top 16 cars in passing points were locked into the features, the remainder of the fields would have to make it in through the B-Mains. One Late Model B-Main, 2 4 Cylinder B-Mains and 3 Modified B's would set the field for each divisions features. Then the top 6 in passing points in each class ran a 6 lap dash to determine the first 3 rows of there features. Now that the features were set it was time for them to take to the track.

First up was the 15 lap 4 Cylinder feature, with James Roose and Joe Zroslik leading the field to the drop of the green flag. But Jarod McMichael, Brannon Bechen, Rob Axon and Tyler Whalen would collide in turn one to bring out the first caution. On the restart Zroslik took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. The field was slowed on lap 2, as Jeremy Campbell spun to a stop in turn 3 to bring the yellow light on. Zroslik again moved out front on the restart, with Steve Miedke holding on to 2nd. Bryce Garnhart slowed to a stop in turn 2 on lap 5 to bring the caution out, he was running 4th at the time. On the restart Lane Vohringer, who was runing 5th, Chris Holmlund, was running 6th, and Mike Morrow, who was in 7th, tangled going down the backstretch to bring the yellow light back on. On the restart Miedke, who was running 4th, got into the back of Steve Dwyer, who was running 2nd, causing him to get sideways and bottling the field up to bring out the yellow. Miedke was sent to the back for the restart for rough driving. Zroslik again moved out into the lead on the restart, with Dwyer and Jacob Ellithorpe trying to hold off a charging Campbell, who came from the rear after his lap 2 spin. Campbell would work his way into 2nd on lap 9 and then set his sights on Zroslik for the top spot. Coming of of turn four for the white flag, Campbell slipped under Zroslik for the lead. The two then came up on some lap traffic going into turn 3. Zroslik would choose the top of the speedway, while Campbell stayed low. The two would come off of turn four side-by-side with Zroslik edging out Campbell at the line by inches for the win and the $400 payday. Campbell was then penalized to the last car on the track, 13th, for actions in the tech area after the race. That would move Ellithorpe up to 2nd after starting 9th, Dwyer came from 12th to take home 3rd, McMichael after starting 13th, recovered from his lap 1 crash to come back to finish in 4th, with Kile Vohringer coming from 11th to round out the top 5.

Terry Neal and Ray Guss Jr. led the field to the green in the 30 lap Late Model feature, but it was third place starter Nate Beuseling who grabbed the top spot on lap 1. While Beuseling started pulling away from the rest of the field, Andy Eckrich, Ray Guss Jr. and Terry Neal battled for the 2nd spot. The one and only caution of the event would come out on lap 8, as Ryan Duhm spun to a stop in turn 2. On the restart Beuseling moved back out front, leaving Guss Jr. and Eckrich to battle for the second spot. Beuseling once again starting pulling away from the field, when he entered lapped traffic on lap 24. But that didn't slow him down as he led all 30 laps to claim the win and the $1,500 check. Eckrich and Guss Jr. would run the last 6 laps side-by-side through lapped traffic, with Eckrich edging out a second place finish, Guss Jr. settled for 3rd, Brian Harris came from 9th to finish in 4th, with Doug Nigh charging from 13th to come home in 5th.

The final feature of the night was the 35 lap Modifieds, with John Bull and Jeff Larson making up the front row. Larson would take advantage of his front row start to edge Bull at the line to lead lap 1. While Larson set the pace the battle for second was hot and heavy, as Milo Veloz, Bull and Bob Dominacki were battling two and three wide. The first caution of the race would come out on lap 9, as Thad Wilson, who was running 6th, slowed in turn 4 with rear end troubles. On the restart Larson would jump back out into the lead, but now had Mark Schulte, who started 12th, and Kevin Pittman, who made the pull down from Waterloo, IA started 8th, close behind him in second and third. The battle for the top spot would heat up on lap 12, as Pittman, on the bottom, Schulte, in the middle, and Larson, up top, went three wide coming off of turn four. Pittman would grab the top spot away from Larson and Schulte on lap 13 and then started to pull away. On lap 25 Pittman entered lap traffic, but that didn't slow him down as he had build up a straight away lead over the battle for second. But the final caution of the event would slow Pittman, as Scott Fridley spun to a stop in turn 4. Pittman again jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Schulte working to hold off Bruce Hanford and Ryan Dolan, who started 11th and was up to 4th, for 2nd. Pittman would pull away over the final 8 laps to pick up the win and the $2,000 top prize. Schulte won the battle for 2nd, Dolan settled for 3rd, Hanford was 4th, with Noah Coppess coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

Notes from Tipton: After several years of not making the trip up to Tipton to take in a night of racing and after last nights show, I am sorry to say it has been to long. The action started on time and was run through without very little delay. The racing surface was awesome, as it provided two and three wide racing all night long. I must make sure I put them on the schedule for a return trip in 2011!......After Steve Miedke was sent to the back on lap 5 for rough driving, he was able to make his way back to the front to finish 6th in the 4 Cylinder feature....Rob Axon, who started 19th, was involved in the crash on the start and went to the back. He then passed 12 cars to bring home a 7th place finish....Chad Tucker came from 16th to finish in 8th....Brannon Bechen, who started 17th, was another driver involved in the lap 1 crash and sent to the back. He would come back through the field to finish in 9th....Jeffrey Vislisel came from 15th and passed 5 cars to finsh in 10th....Bill Whalen started 18th and finished in 11th....Tyler Whalen got into the feature after Tyler Kelly scratched and then passed 5 cars from his 20th place start to finish in 15th......Rob Toland started the Late Model feature in 11th and passed 4 cars to finish in 7th....Terry Neal was running 4th, when he got to high in turn one on the lap 9 restart and fell back to 9th where he finished. Mike Garland charged from his 18th place starting spot to take home a 10th place finish....Tom Goble had troubles in hot laps and scratched from the nights events....Dale Stolte had motor troubles in his 78 machine. But then jumped into the M2 car for the night and put it in the show. He would finish 13th after starting 10th......Steve Stewart was the man on the move at then end of the Modified feature, as he started 17th and passed 11 cars to finish in 6th....Brad Dierks passed 8 cars from his 15th starting spot to finish in 7th....Dan Albright started 20th and finished in 12th....Mike Darnell made the pull down from West Union and got the last spot in the third B-Main to start 22nd in the feature. He would pass 9 cars to take home 13th....Johnny Spaw started 21st and came home 15th....Scott Fridley appeared to have won the third Modified heat, but when the B-Mains came out he was last in the third B. Nothing was mentioned by the announcer to why he might got disquailifed from the win. In the B he started 12th and made it up to 5th, but they only took the top 2. So he would get into the feature with a track provisional and started 23rd. He then passed 7 cars to finish in 16th....Kevin Blackburn made the long pull up from Fulton, MO and drew the outside front row for the second heat race. He would spin in turn 2 on the start to bring out the caution, but with the one solo caution in effect he was sent to the pits. Kevin then started the third B-Main in 11th and managed to work his way to 4th, but missed making the feature by 2 spots.

Most From Last to First For His First Deery Win of the Season

2010-09-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Saturday, September 4, 2010) - What a perfect night for racing on a Saturday night, as the Lee County Speedway held there final night for the "Drive For Five". At the end of the night Josh Most (IMCA Late Models), Matt Greiner (IMCA Stock Cars), Mike Shelton (IMCA SportMods), Jake Wenig (Hobby Stocks) and Nick Wilkerson (Wild Things) took home feature wins.

The first feature to take to the speedway was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods, with Michael Bliven and Derek Coleman drawing the front row. Coleman would take advantage of his start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Mike Shelton, who started 6th. On the completion of lap 1, Bill Seyb spun in turn four and collected the cars of Jacob Smith and Jim Kuhlmeier to bring out the first caution of the event. On the restart Shelton jumped under Coleman to grab the top spot away on lap 2. Shelton then started to pull away from the battle for second, when the final caution came out on lap 12 to bring the field back to his back bumper. Brandon Symmonds would spin to a stop in turn 1 to bring out the final caution. Shelton again moved out front for the restart, with Cayden Carter and Bliven battling for second. Shelton would lead the final 3 laps to claim his first win of the season at the track. Carter won the battle for 2nd, Bliven settled for 3rd, Carter VanDenBerg came home in 4th, with Coleman rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature with Matt Gavin and Jake Wenig leading the field to the drop of the green. Wenig would grab the lead on lap 1 over Gavin and then worked to hold Gavin off, when the first caution came out on the completion of lap 2. A tire was clipped and pushed out onto the racing surface to bring out the yellow. On the restart Wenig again jumped out into the lead, with Gavin putting pressure on him. Gavin's run up front would end on lap 4 when he slowed with a flat right rear tire. At the same time Dean Kratzer got into Rob Wilsey, with Wilsey spinning in turn four to bring out the caution. That allowed Gavin to pull into the pits and get his tire changed, he returned to the back of the field for the restart. Mean while Wilsey drove into the side of Kratzer's car to show displeasure, so both drivers were given the black flag to end there nights. Wenig again grab the lead on the restart and then started to pull away from the field. With Wenig out front, Jim Lynch, who started 16th, was making a charge to the front. Lynch was up to third and battling Dane Fenton on the lap 4 restart. But in the mean time Wenig would pull away from the field to claim his 6th win of the season at the track. Lynch would slip under Fenton on the final lap to claim 2nd, Fenton settled for 3rd, Jim Oliver Jr. charged from 12th to finish in 4th, with Gavin coming back to finish in 5th. But Gavin was later disqualified in tech for an illegal transmission, giving 5th to Dan Wenig, who started 11th.

Jeff Mueller was suppose to start from the pole of the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, but motor troubles after the heat scratched him from the event. So Andrew Griffin and Abe Huls made up the front row for the event, with Huls jumping out into the lead on lap 1 over Griffin. Aaron Brocksieck and Les Blakley would collide in turn 4 on the completion of lap 1 to bring out the first caution of the race. On the restart Huls moved back out into the lead, with Phil Holtz moving into second. The second yellow of the event would come out on lap 4, as Griffin spun in turn 1 and collected Brocksieck and Brian Holmes. Huls again moved out front on the restart and then started to pull away from the field, leaving Holtz to battle Cale Samberg, who started 6th, Matt Greiner, who started 5th, and Jason Cook, who started 7th, for 2nd. Huls lead would be erased on lap 12, when Derek St. Clair came to a stop in turn 2 on lap 12 with a right front flat. On the restart Greiner would slip under Huls to grab the top spot away on lap 13 and then held off Cook over the final 2 laps to claim his second win of the season at the track. Samberg held on for 3rd, Holtz was 4th, with Griffin recovering from his lap 4 spin to come back to finish in 5th.

Drake Fenton and Nick Wilkerson drew the front row for the 12 lap Wild Thing feature. On the start William Michel would slow to a stop on the backstretch with troubles to bring out the caution. Wilkerson jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Chuck Fullenkamp battling him for the lead. But a caution after the completion of lap 2 would slow the battle up front. Mike Horning Jr. came to a stop on the backstretch to bring out the yellow. Once again Wilkerson moved out into the lead for the restart, with Wayne Noble over taking Fullenkamp for 2nd. Noble would work to get by Wilkerson for the lead over the next 7 laps, when the final caution came out on lap 9. Richard Bank and Horning Jr. would collide in turn four to bring out the yellow. Wilkerson again grabbed the lead on the restart and then held on over the final 3 laps to claim his second win of the season at the speedway. Noble held on for 2nd, Fullenkamp was 3rd, Darin Smith came from 11th to finish in 4th, with Michel recovering from his troubles on the start to come back to finish in 5th.

The final feature of the night was the 35 lap IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series Late Model, with Tyler Bruening and TJ Criss drawing the front row. But it was third place starter Jason Perry coming around to grab the lead on lap 1. Perry then started to put some distance on the battle for second, when the first caution came out on lap 4. Ray Guss Jr., who was running 12th, came to a stop in turn 4 with a left rear flat. On the restart Perry again grabbed the lead, with Criss and Bruening battling for second. The caution would appear on the speedway on lap 6, when Josh Most stopped in turn 2. Perry again grabbed the lead on the restart, leaving Criss and Bruening battling for 2nd. While Perry pulled away from the battle for 2nd, Mark Burgtorf, who started 8th, jumped to the top of the speedway to start making his way towards the front. Burgtorf was up to 4th on lap 12, but would slow to a stop in turn 4 after the completion of lap 12 with a right rear flat. Once again Perry rocketed into the lead on the restart, with Criss working to hold off Rob Toland, who started 10th. Toland would work past Criss on lap 15 and then set his sights on Perry for the lead. With Perry out front and Toland trying to close, Jeff Aikey, who started 12th and Lonnie Bailey, who started 19th, where quickly moving there way towards the front. Aikey would over take Criss for 3rd on lap 19, with Bailey moving into to 5th. But Bailey's run to the front would come to an end on lap 20, as he lost a motor and slowed to a stop in turn 2 to bring out the caution. Perry jumped back out front on the restart, with Toland and Aikey battling it out for 2nd. The final caution of the event would come out on lap 22, when Burgtorf slowed to a stop in turn 2 with troubles. Once again Perry grabbed the lead on the restart, with Toland and Aikey still battling for 2nd. But the man on the move was Most, who came from the back after his lap 6 caution. Most was working the very top of the speedway and worked his way past Aikey for 3rd on lap 25. Most then battled Toland, who was running the bottom, for second. Toland and Most would run laps 25-30 side-by-side, before Most took 2 on lap 31. Most then went to work to reel in Perry for the lead. Most would catch Perry with 2 laps to go, as Perry was working the very bottom of the speedway. Most would pull even with Perry coming out of turn 2 on the white flag lap, as the 2 drivers entered turn 3 side-by-side. Most would get the advantage coming off the top of the speedway in turn 4 and then edged out Perry by a nose to claim his first series win of the season. Perry settled for 2nd, Toland was 3rd, Justin Reed came home in 4th, with Aikey holding on for 5th.

Notes from LCS: 34 Late Models, 20 Wild Things, 18 Hobby Stocks, 15 Stock Cars and 11 SportMods made up the 98 cars signed in for battle......Ray Raker started the Hobby Stock feature in 13th and passed 6 cars to finish in 7th....Shawn Genkinger came from 14th to finish in 9th....Bobby Files passed 8 cars from his 18th place starting spot to finish in 10th....Adam Scott started 17th and finished in 11th......Abe Huls led the Stock Car feature until lap 13 when he started to slow with troubles. Huls would pull into the pits on lap 14 to end his night in 8th......Kimberly Abbott started the Wild Things feature in 14th and then passed 5 cars to finish in 9th....Richard Bank recovered from the lap 9 crash to come back to finish in 10th....Joe Laue started 16th and passed 5 cars to finish in 11th....Josh Most amazing run from last to first in the Late Model feature put the crowd on there feet for the final lap. Most who thought he had a flat, slowed to a stop in turn 2 on lap 6 to bring out the yellow. He would go to the pits to be told everything looked good and returned to start 23rd for the restart. Most worked the top of the speedway to get around Perry on the final lap to win by inches....Terry Neal started 18th and passed 12 cars to come home in 6th....Tom Darbyshire passed 13 cars from his 20th place start to come home in 7th....Ray Guss Jr. came from the rear after a lap 4 flat to finish in 10th. Guss would also lock up the Deery Brothers Summer Series title with his finish. Early in the week Guss was named the 2010 IMCA Late Model National Champion to go along with the Deery title and 3 track championships, becoming the first driver to accomplish this all in the same year....Charlie McKenna took a provisional to get into the feature and started 22nd. He would pass 10 cars to come home in 12th....Nate Beuseling also got a provisional, thanks to Darrel DeFrance who declinded to use his final provisional of the year, and started 24th. Nate then passed 8 cars to take home a 16th place finish....At one time during the 35 lap feature 4 out of the top 5 cars were eligible for the $3,000 bonus, which went to any driver who competed in all or missed 1 night in weekly action at the Lee County Speedway and then won the Deery race. But Most's great run to the front and Perry's 2nd place finish would end Toland, Reed and Aikey's hopes of claiming the bonus money.

Burgtorf, Smith, Greiner, Cook, Thomann and Michel Were Crowned Season Champions at the Lee County Speedway

2010-08-28T18:48:00.001-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Friday, August 27, 2010) - After two straight weeks of getting rained out, it was a beautiful night for racing on a Friday night at the Lee County Speedway. This night was all about crowning the 2010 Track Champions, as it was Season Championship Night at the speedway. Ending the night with the titles were Mark Burgtorf (IMCA Late Models), Rich Smith (IMCA Modifieds), Matt Greiner (IMCA Stock Cars), Jason Cook (IMCA SportMods), Tanner Thomann (Hobby Stocks) and William Michel (Wild Things). Mark Burgtorf (IMCA Late Models), Michael Long (IMCA Modifieds), Jason Cook (IMCA Sport Mods), Jeff Mueller (IMCA Stock Cars), Matt Tucker (Hobby Stocks) and Michael Grossman (Wild Things) took home feature wins on the evening.

The first feature on the night was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Rich Smith and Adam Birck on the front row. Smith grabbed the lead on the drop of the green flag over Birck and then held it until lap 5, when he pulled into the pits on the backstretch with troubles. Brandon Rothzen inherited the top spot as a result, with the first caution coming out on that lap for a spin in turn 4 by Derek Hamm. On the restart Rothzen jumped back out into the lead, with Jeff Waterman and Wyatt Lantz left to battle for second. While Rothzen was working out front to hold back Waterman and Lantz, Michael Long, who started 15th, was quickly moving towards the front. The great battle up front was slowed once again on completion of lap 9, when Kirk Hopkins came to a stop in turn 2. Rothzen again grabbed the top spot on the restart, with Lantz moving into second and leaving Waterman to battle Long for 3rd. The final caution of the event would appear on lap 11 when Hamm and Brian Clark collided in turn 2. On the restart Rothzen moved back out into the lead over Lantz, while Long got passed Waterman for 3rd. Long then worked past Lantz on lap 13 into the second spot and then went to work on Rothzen for the top spot. Rothzen tried to hold back Long, but Long would slip under him on lap 16 to grab the lead away. Long then pulled away over the final 4 laps to claim his 6th win of the season at the track. Rothzen settled for 2nd, Waterman was 3rd, Birck held on for 4th, with Rob Kirchner coming from 11th to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with Jason Cook and Phillip Cossel leading the field to green. The caution would come out before the completion of lap 1 for debris in turn 4. On the restart Cook moved out front on lap 1 over Bliven and then held it until lap 2, when another caution appeared on the speedway. Dylan Book would come to a stop in turn 2 with troubles, just as Dean Kratzer stopped in turn 4. Cook again jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Bliven trying to hold off Rick Barlow Jr., who started 5th, for 2nd. Cook started to pull away from the field, when he was slowed once again on lap 6 for Tenny Sammons, who slowed to a stop. Again Cook moved out front on the restart, with Bliven now working to hold off Jim Gillenwater, who started 13th, for second. The battle up front was slowed on lap 8 when Rodger Dresden, who was running 9th, spun in turn 2 and collected Mitch Higdon, who was in 10th. Again Cook grabbed the lead on the restart, but now had Gillenwater close behind in second. Gillenwater tried to get under Cook over the next 5 laps, when the final caution of the event came out on lap 13. Rod Staats, who was running 5th, spun in turn 2 and collected Mike Shelton, who was running 7th. Cook then held on over the final 2 laps to claim his third win of the season at the track. Barlow Jr. came home in 2nd, Cossel held on for 3rd, Bliven was 4th, with Gillenwater bobbling on the restart to fall back to finish in 5th.

Matt Greiner and Jeff Mueller made up the front row for the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Mueller moving out front on the drop of the green. Greiner would reel Mueller in with 2 laps to go to set up a great battle for the top spot. But Mueller was able to hold off Greiner in a caution free race to claim his third win of the season at the speedway. Jason Cook came from 6th to finish in 3rd, Corey Strothman was 4th, with Cale Samberg coming home in fifth.

The 12 lap Wild Things feature was next, with William Michel and Gabe Harrison on the front row. But it was third place started Chuck Fullenkamp grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Harrison. Fullenkamp would hold off Harrison until lap 4, when he slipped by for the top spot. The first of 2 cautions would appear on lap 5, when Derek Randall spun in turn 4. On the restart Harrison's car wouldn't come up to speed, which allowed Jerry Ostby, who started 7th, to get by for the lead. But Ostby couldn't hold off Michael Grossman, who charged from 13th, to grab the lead away on lap 7. But Ostby would come back on the next lap to grab the top spot back, only to give it back to Grossman on lap 8. The battle for the lead was slowed for the final time on the completion of lap 9, when Fullenkamp, who was running 4th, slowed to a stop in turn 2 with right front end troubles. Wayne Noble, who started 11th, made a move around Grossman on the restart to grab the lead and then crossed the finish line in first. But his car was protested in the inspection area and found to have an illegal roll cage. Giving the win to Grossman, his first on the season at the track. Ostby was moved to 2nd, Harrison was 3rd, Michel came home in 4th, with Jerrod Nichols coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

Mark Burgtorf and Jeff Aikey started the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature on the front row, with Burgtorf moving out front on the drop of the green. Burgtorf would pull away from the field and led all 25 laps in a caution free event to pick up his second win of the season. Denny Woodworth would come home in 2nd, Aikey slipped back to 3rd, Justin Reed came from 7th to finish in 4th, with Gary Russell coming home in 5th.

The 15 lap Hobby Stock feature was the final feature of the night, with only 1 point seperating first and second in points. Tanner Thomann and Jeremy Pundt would lead the field to the green, with the yellow coming out on the start for a bumper on the front stretch. On the restart Pundt would slow to a stop in turn 2 with a right rear flat tire to bring the caution back out, giving him a slim chance at the points crown. On the second restart Thomann jumped out front to lead lap 1 over Jake Wenig, who came into the night just 4 points back in third. Once again the event was slowed with another caution, this time Dave Cloke spun in turn 1. Wenig would slip under Thomann on the restart to grab the lead on lap 2. But another caution after the completion of lap 2, would slow the event down. Dan Wenig, who was running 3rd, spun in turn 3 and collected the cars of Bob Cowman and Larry McConnell. The event then went red on the backstretch, as turn 3 was blocked with the three cars tangled. Dan was able to get to the pits to make repairs and return to the back for the restart, but Cowman and McConnell were both done for the night. Jake Wenig would jump back out into the lead on the restart, with Matt Tucker coming from 9th to battle Thomann for second. The three car battle for the lead was slowed after the completion of lap 12, as Dan Wenig, who made it back up to 5th, spun in turn 4 to end his night. On the restart Jake Wenig had to work to hold back Tucker, when the final caution came out on the completion of lap 14 to set up overtime. Jamie Bevill, who made the pull up from Bethel, MO, would spin in turn 4 to bring out the final yellow. On the restart Jake Wenig again grabbed the lead, but Tucker was pressuring him for the lead. Tucker would slip under Wenig going into turn 1 on the last lap and moved Wenig out of the grove to get the lead going down the back stretch. Wenig would then try the same move on Tucker going into four, but he would spin to allow Tucker to go on for his first win of the season at the track. Thomann was 2nd, Rob Wilsey came from 12th to finish in 3rd, Clayton Crump made the pull up from Centralia, MO and started 19th. He would pass 15 cars to finish in 4th, with Dane Fenton coming home in 5th.

Notes from LCS: 20 SportMods, 20 Wild Things, 19 Modifieds, 19 Hobby Stocks, 18 Late Models and 12 Stock Cars made up the 108 cars signed in on the final night for points......Rich Smith came into the night with a 47 point lead in the Modified class, which was enough for him to lock the crown up before the night even started....Daniel Hilsabeck started the Modified feature in 19th and passed 8 cars to finish in 11th....Levi Smith had troubles in hot laps and scratched from the feature......Jason Cook came into the night with a 1 point lead over Phillip Cossel for the SportMod track title. Cook would lead all 15 laps of the feature to seal his first SportMod track championship....L.Z. Coleman started 16th and passed 8 cars to finish in 8th....Dean Kratzer recovered from his lap 2 caution to come back to finish in 9th....Rod Staats came back from his lap 13 spin to finish in 10th....Jeremiah Fry started 20th and passed 7 cars to come home in 13th......Matt Greiner came into the night with a 19 point advantage over Jeff Mueller in his quest for his first IMCA Stock Car track championship. So all he had to do was take the green to clinch the title, but he would battle Mueller to the checkered to claim the title....William Michel held a 5 point lead over Gabe Harrison in the Wild Thing track title. Harrison looked to be heading for the title, when he took the lead on lap 4 and Michel was back to 6th. But Harrison's car wouldn't come up to speed on the lap 6 restart, knocking him back to 6th. Harrison would recover to finish in 3rd, but Michel was 4th giving the title to Michel by 4 points....Richard Bank started 18th and passed 12 cars to come home in 6th....C.J. Loring came from 15th to finish in 9th....Derek Randall recovered from his lap 5 spin to come back up to finish in 10th....Andrew Putnam started 19th and passed 8 cars to finish in 11th......Mark Burgtorf came into the night with a 15 point advantage over Jeff Aikey for his second track championship in a row at the speedway. Burgtorf would jump into the lead on the start of the Late Model feature and then pulled away to pick up the win and the title....TJ Criss came from 11th to finish in 7th....Rob Toland came from 13th to finish in 8th....Andy Eckrich started 14th and came home in 9th....Jay Johnson came from 15th to finish in 11th....Tom Goble had motor troubles after his heat and was suppose to take the green in 8th. But chose to watch from the trailer......The closiest points battle was in the Hobby Stock class and it turned out to be the wildest race on the night. Tanner Thomann had a 3 point lead over Jeremy Pundt and 4 points over Jake Wenig in his quest for his first track championship. Pundt's hopes would be hurt on the lap 1 restart, when he cut a right rear tire to bring the yellow back out. He would come back out to start last. But in the mean time Thomann grabbed the lead on lap 1, with Wenig working under him on lap 2 for the lead. Wenig then held the lead until the final lap, when he and Matt Tucker tangled. Wenig would spin in four on the final lap and collected Pundt. Allowing Thomann to finish in second to clinch the title....Justin Bevill was another driver to make the pull up from Bethel, MO. He would take the green in 18th and passed 12 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Jim Oliver Jr. came from 13th to finish in 7th....Jamie Bevill recovered from his lap 14 spin to come back up to finish in 8th....TJ Henderson had a flat on the lap 1 caution while running 6th. He would return to come back up to 9th.

Gharst and Sutton Shine on Sprint Invaders "Night Of The Twins" at 34 Raceway

2010-08-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

Burlington, IA (Saturday, August 21, 2010) - 34 Raceway in Burlington played host to the Sprint Invaders with the "Night Of The Twins", giving tribute to the late 2008 305 Sprint Champion Brian Hetrick. At the end of the night Kaley Gharst (1st Sprint feature), Matt Sutton (2nd Sprint feature), Jeff Morris (IMCA Modifieds) and Mike Morrill (Mod Lites) would put there machines in victory lane.

The first feature on the night was the 12 lap Mod Lites, with Andrew Smith and Joe Huggins drawing the front row for the event. Huggins would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Mike Morrill. Huggins run in the lead would come to an end on lap 4, as he spun to a stop in turn 2 to bring out the first caution. On the restart Morrill inherited the lead, with the second caution coming out for Todd Thornburg, Josh Woodruff and Alex Headly colliding in turn 1. Jim Neal spun off turn 2 with a flat left rear tire on the next restart to bring the yellow light back on. Morrill once again jumped out front on the restart, with Greg Rossell following him close behind in second. The final caution of the race would come out on lap 9, as Blake Woodruff spun to a stop in turn 2. On the restart Morrill moved back out into the lead and then held off Rossell over the final 3 laps to pick up the win. Justin Buchholz came home in 3rd, Shon Sanders was 4th, with Huggins recovering from his lap 4 spin to finish in 5th.

Kaley Gharst and Ben Wagoner led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 1st Sprint Invaders 20 lap feature, with Wagoner taking the lead on lap 1 over Gharst. But his lead would only last for 1 lap, as Gharst jumped to his outside on lap 2 to take over the top spot. The first caution would come out on lap 4 to slow Gharst's pace down. Debris in turn 1 off of Jimmy Davies car would be the cause of the caution. On the restart Gharst again moved out into the lead and was starting to pull away from the field when the red flag came out on lap 9 to slow the race down. Donnie Steward, who was running 6th, took a light roll on to his side in turn 4 to bring out the red. Gharst again jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Russ Hall moving in to challenge him. The battle for the lead was slowed for the final time on lap 13, as Joey Moughan, who was running 3rd, spun off of turn 2. On the restart Gharst jumped back out front and once again had Hall close behind him in second. Gharst would hold off all challenges from Hall over the final 7 laps to claim the win. Dave Hall came from 10th to finish in 3rd, Wagoner held on for 4th, with Jarrod Schneiderman coming from his 13th place starting spot to round out the top 5.

Jeff Morris and Darin Thye made up the front row for the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Morris jumping out into the lead on lap 1. The first caution of the event would appear on lap 4, as Derek Hamm slowed to a stop in turn 1 with front end troubles. On the restart the hood of Thye's car, who was running 5th, would fly up to block his view to cause him to slow to a stop in turn 1. Morris grabbed the lead on the restart and was pulling away from the battle for second, as Scott Hogan, who started 12th, was working his way to the front. Jamie Smith would spin in turn 2 on lap 14 to bring out the final caution of the race. Once again Morris moved out into the lead on the restart, but now had Hogan chasing him in second. Morris would hold off Hogan on the final lap to pick up his first win of the season at the speedway. Dusty Kraklio came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Brandon Rothzen came home in 4th, with Dennis LaVeine coming home in fifth.

The invert for the 2nd Sprint Invaders 20 lap feature would put Jake Blackhurst and John Schulz on the front row, with Schulz taking advantage of his starting spot to lead lap 1. Schulz then held the lead until lap 5, when Joey Moughan jumped to his outside to take over the top spot. Moughan was pulling away from second and was looking to be heading for the win until he approached lapped traffic on lap 14. The traffic would hold up Moughan enough to allow Matt Sutton to quickly catch him. Sutton would work the lapped traffic to perfection on lap 17 to grab the lead away from Moughan, who got held up. The final caution of the event would appear on lap 18 to set up a green-white-checkered finish. Joe Beavers, who was running 8th, would spin to a stop in turn 3 to bring out the final caution. On the restart Moughan would go to work on Sutton for the lead, as the two drivers took the white flag lap side-by-side. Moughan would drive it hard into turn 1 on the bottom to slid up in front of Sutton for the lead. But Sutton would jump to the bottom coming out of turn 2 to take the lead back. Moughan would try the same thing in 4, but Sutton was ready for the move. Sutton would edge out Moughan at the line to pick up the win. Moughan settled for 2nd, Ryan Jamison came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Kaley Gharst charged from 15th to come home in 4th, with Schulz holding on for fifth.

Notes from 34: Evan Epperson started the Mod Lite feature in 11th and passed 5 cars to finish in 6th....Jim Neal recovered from his lap 4 flat to finish in 9th....Michael Dominquez came from 14th to finish in 10th....Todd Thornburg started 19th and was invloved in the lap 4 crash, but recovered nicely to take home a 12th place finish....Blake Woodruff came back from his lap 9 spin to finish in 13th....Ron Conklin, who was running 10th, spun on the final lap in turn 2 and was credited with 15th....Daniel Guss pulling into the pits on lap 11 with troubles after running in 8th and was credited with 16th......The first Sprint feature saw Ryan Jamison start 14th and work his way up to finish in 8th....Joe Beavers came from 17th and passed 8 cars to take home 9th....Joey Moughan, who was running 3rd, and spun in turn 2 on lap 13 recovered to take home 11th....Adam Birck came from his 17th place starting spot in the Modified feature and passed 9 cars to finish 8th....Dean McGee, who was running 8th, pitted on the lap 4 caution and rejoined the field in 18th. He would come back to finish in 9th....Kevin Goben passed 8 cars after starting in 18th to take home a 10th place finish....Brandon Savage came from 16th to finish in 11th....Norm Brakeville started 20th and and came home in 15th....Rich Smith, who was running 9th, pulled off on lap 11 with troubles to end his night in 18th......Dave Hall passed 7 cars from his 13th place start in the 2nd Sprint feature to finish in 6th....Ben Wagoner came from 12th to finish in 7th....Russ Hall started 14th and came home in 9th....Joe Beavers recovered from his lap 18 spin to take home a 11th place finish....Jimmy Davies passed 7 cars from his 19th place starting spot to finish in 12th.

Greiner and Horning Jr. Get First Wins of the Season at Lee County; While Aikey, Long and Wenig Pick Up Repeat Wins

2010-08-25T17:49:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Friday, August 6, 2010) - Friday night started the last month for points racing at the Lee County Speedway, with the Late Models making there seventh appearance of the season. At the end of the night two drivers picked up there first wins of the season at the speedway, while four others made it into the victory lane for multiple times. Matt Greiner (IMCA Stock Cars) and Mike Horning Jr. (Wild Things) claimed there first victories of the season, while Jeff Aikey (IMCA Late Models), Michael Long (IMCA Modifieds), Jim Gillenwater (IMCA SportMods) and Dan Wenig (Hobby Stocks) returned to the victory circle.

The first feature of the night was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods, with Rodger Dresden and Jacob Smith on the front row. Dresden would take advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Rick Barlow Jr. While Dresden was working to hold off Barlow Jr. for the lead, Jim Gillenwater, who started 6th, and Phillip Cossel, who started 7th, were working there way towards the front. Cossel would slip past Barlow Jr. for second on lap 5 and then went to work on Dresden for the lead. Dresden would give Cossel the bottom on lap 6 to allow him to slip by for the top spot. The first caution of the event would come out at the completion of lap 6, when AJ Johnson spun to a stop in turn 4. On the restart Jason Cook, who was running 9th, jumped the restart to bring the yellow light back on. Cook was docked 2 spots on the restart. Cossel moved back out into the lead on the restart, with Gillenwater quickly moving up to second. Gillenwater then slipped past Cossel for the lead on lap 8 and held it until the final caution came out on lap 13. A tire was pushed out onto the track in turn 2. On the restart Dylan Book, who was running 8th, jumped the start and brought the yellow light back on. He was docked 2 spots for the restart. Gillenwater jumped out into the lead on the restart and then held on over the final 2 laps to claim his second win of the season at the track. Cossell held on for 2nd, Mike Shelton started 10th and passed 7 cars to finish in 3rd, Dresden held on for 4th, with Cook recovering from his lap 6 penalty to come back to finish in 5th.

The 15 lap Hobby Stock feature was up next, with Roger Krieger and Bob Cowman leading the field to the drop of the green flag. But it was 4th place starter TJ Henderson jumping out front on lap 1 over Cowman. Henderson then held the top spot until lap 3, when Dan Wenig, who started 6th, slipped past him for the lead. But disaster would strike Wenig in turn 2 on that lap, as he slowed with troubles. Henderson would inherit the lead on the restart, with Tanner Thomann, who started 9th, following in second. But Henderson would suffer a flat tire on the restart and gave the lead over to Thomann. Thomann then had to work to hold off Jim Lynch, when the final caution of the event came out on lap 5. Dugan Thye, who started 12th and was up to 5th, spun in turn four. On the restart Thomann grabbed the lead, with Lynch close behind in second. Lynch would work the bottom of the speedway to take the lead away from Thomann on lap 10. While Lynch and Thomann battled for the lead, Wenig was charging his way back to the front after his lap 3 troubles. Wenig would over take Thomann for second on lap 12 and then set his sites on Lynch for the lead. Wenig would try Lynch for the lead on the bottom coming off of four for the white flag, as the two went into one side-by-side. Wenig would come out with the lead on the back stretch and then held off Lynch coming off of four for his second win of the season at the track. Thomann held on for 3rd, Matt Tucker came from 7th to finish in 4th, with Jeremy Pundt coming from 8th to round out the top 5.

Mike Horning Jr. and CJ Loring made up the front row for the 12 lap Wild Things feature, with Horning Jr. grabbing the lead on lap 1. The one and only caution of the event would come out after the completion of lap 1, as William Michel stopped in turn 2 with troubles. On the restart Horning Jr. moved back out into the lead, with Loring close behind in second. Horning Jr. would pull away over the final 11 laps to claim his first win of the season at the speedway. Loring held on for 2nd, Chuck Fullenkamp came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Michael Grossman was 4th, with Gabe Harrison coming from 8th to finish in 5th.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Kevin Tomlinson and Jim Redman leading the field to green. Redman would take advantage of his front row start to grabbed the lead on the drop of the green flag, followed by Tomlinson in second. As Redman worked to hold off the field over the next 10 laps, Jason Cook, who started 9th, was working his way to the front. Cook would over take Cale Samberg for second on lap 11 and then went to work on Redman for the top spot. Cook would try to get under Redman coming off of turn 4 on lap 14. But Redman would pinch him off going into turn one, with Cook spinning to a stop to bring out the caution. On the restart Redman moved out into the lead, with Matt Greiner, who started 10th, now battling him for the top spot. Redman would take the white flag with the lead, but Greiner would jump to his outside coming off of turn 2 to set up a battle into turn 3. Greiner would come out of turn four with the advantage to edge out Redman for his first win of the season at the speedway. Chris Webb came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Derek St. Clair came home in 4th, with Corey Strothman rounding out the top 5.

Beau Taylor and Brandon Savage led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Taylor grabbing the lead on lap 1. But Savage would come back to take the lead from Taylor on lap 2. Taylor wouldn't give up easy, as he took the top spot back on lap 3. Once again Savage wouldn't lay down easy, as he got back by Taylor to take the lead back on lap 4. As Savage and Taylor battled for the lead, Brandon Rothzen, who started 9th, and Michael Long, who started 11th, were quickly moving towards the front. Rothzen grabbed the lead away from Savage on lap 6, with Long following him into second. On the next lap Long would slip past Rothzen to take over the top spot. Long then pulled away over the final 13 laps to pick up his fifth win of the season at the track. Rothzen settled for 2nd, Wyatt Lantz came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Savage held on for 4th, with Rich Smith coming home fifth after starting in 10th.

The final feature on the night was the 25 lap IMCA Late Models, with Ray Guss Jr. and T.J. Criss drawing the front row for the event. Guss Jr. would take advantage of his draw to jump out into the lead on lap 1. The first and only caution of the race came out on lap 5, as Jay Johnson and Tom Darbyshire collided in turn one and collected the car of Tom Goble. On the restart Guss Jr. moved back out into the lead, with Jeff Aikey now following him in second. Guss Jr. would work the bottom of the speedway, while Aikey jumped to the top of the track. Aikey would over take Guss Jr. on lap 8 and then held on over the final 17 laps to claim his second win in a row and third overall at the track. Guss Jr. came home in 2nd, Mark Burgtorf came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Lonnie Bailey was 4th, with Denny Woodworth coming from 12th to round out the top 5.

Notes from LCS: 22 Late Models, 20 SportMods, 19 Modifieds, 17 Wild Things, 14 Stock Cars and 14 Hobby Stocks made up the 106 cars signed in on the night......AJ Johnson started 18th but spun in turn 4 on lap 6 to bring out the caution in the SportMod feature. He would tag the back of the field and then came back up to finish in 11th....Mitch Higdon started 9th and was up to 4th, when he pulled off on lap 14 with troubles to end his run in 18th......Dane Fenton started the Hobby Stock feature in 14th and passed 8 cars to finish in 6th....Dugan Thye recovered from his lap 5 spin to come back to finish in 7th......Mike Horning Jr. became the 11th different winner in 13 races in the Wild Things feature....Jerrod Nichols started 13th and passed 6 cars to finish in 7th......John Oliver Jr. came from 12th in the Stock Car feature and passed 5 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Jason Cook would cross the line in 7th, but was disqualifed for driving his car into the side of Redman's after the checkered flag was thrown......The Modified feature went 20 laps CAUTION FREE!!!!......Justin Reed took the green in the 19th place in the Late Model feature. He would pass 10 cars to take home a 9th place finish....Rob Toland came from 15th to finish in 10th....Colby Springsteen missed his heat race and had to start 21st. He would pass 8 cars to come home in 13th....Gary Russell started 20th and came home in 15th.

Gharst, Fike and Rossell Top Knox County Fair Features

2010-08-24T18:14:00.000-07:00

Knoxville, IL (Thursday, August 5, 2010) - The oldest fair in the state of Illinois hosted its annual fair race, with the Sprint Cars returning to the track for the first time in 19 years. Kaley Gharst would cross the finish line in first for the Sprint Invaders, while A.J. Fike topped the Modified feature and Greg Rossell took home the Mod Lite win.

Up first was the 12 lap Mod Lite feature, with Justin Buchholz and Rob Guss drawing the front row for the event. Buchholz would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Mike Morrill, who started 6th. Morrill would jump to the outside of Buchholz on lap 1 to take over the top spot. The first caution of the event appeared on the completion of lap 2, as Brad Graflund spun in 2. On the restart Morrill moved back out into the lead, but Greg Rossell would grab the second spot. Rossell slipped under Morrill on lap 5 to take over the lead and then worked to hold Morrill off when the second caution of the event came out on lap 7. Graflund would spin in turn 4 to end his night with a second solo spin. On the restart Rossell grabbed the lead, with Morrill and Joe Huggins battling for second. Huggins great run up front would end on lap 9, as he spun to a stop in turn 4 to bring out the caution. Rossell again moved out into the lead on the restart and then held on over the final 3 laps to pick up the win. Bill Holden would get past Morrill on the final lap to claim 2nd, Morrill was 3rd, Buchholz held on for 4th, with Guss coming home in 5th.

A.J. Fike and Kevin Peters led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 20 lap Modified feature, with Fike jumping out front on lap 1. The first caution of the race would come out on the completion of lap 2, as Norm Brakeville and Charles Baker collided in turn 4. On the restart Bob Dominacki and Brandon Durbin would tangle on the backstretch to bring the yellow light back on. Fike would jump back out front on the restart, with Dean McGee and Darin Thye battling for second. The event was slowed for the final time, when Bruce Hanford, who was running 8th, spun to a stop in turn 2. On the restart McGee would get under Fike going into turn 1 and came out on the backstretch with the lead on lap 6. But Fike would inherit the lead back on lap 7, as McGee slowed out of four and made the left turn into the pits. Fike then pulled away over the final 13 laps to claim his first Modified win of the season. Thye came home in 2nd, Peters was 3rd, Donovan Lodge came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Hanford coming from the rear after his lap 5 spin to round out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 20 lap Sprint Invaders, with Jimmy Davies and Donnie Steward, suppose to start on the front row. But Steward had motors troubles at the finish of his heat and decided to tag the back of the field. That would put Davies and Matt Sutton on the front row for the wave of the green. Sutton would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. The one and only caution of the event would come out on lap 2, as Jesse Wagler came to a stop in turn 3. On the restart Sutton again jumped out into the lead, with Davies working to hold of Kaley Gharst for second. While Sutton started to pull away from the battle for second, Gharst would over take Davies on lap 12 and then set his sites on Sutton for the lead. Sutton would come up on lap traffic on lap 13 and was slowed enough to allow Gharst to reel him in. Sutton would choose the bottom to get by the lapped cars, while Gharst jumped to the outside. Gharst would come out of turn 2 on lap 14 with the lead and then pulled away over the final 5 laps to claim the win. Sutton held on for 2nd, Davies came home in 3rd, Ryan Jamison was 4th, with Justin Parrish rounding out the top 5.

Notes from Knoxville: The Knox County fair board decided to make a change for the 2010 fair, as the United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) was the main event for the last 10 years. This year they decided to try and bring back the Sprint cars, with 15 cars showing up to compete......Andrew Smith started the Mod Lite feature in 13th and passed 6 cars to finish in 7th....Craig Morris and Ryan Booton had troubles in hot laps and scratched for the night......Bob Helm drove the second car owned by Donovan Lodge and came home 6th in the Modified feature....Bob Dominacki recovered from the lap 2 tangle to come back and finish 9th....Dean McGee had motor troubles on lap 7 of the feature, just as he took the lead, to end his night in 14th......Korey Weyant came from 13th in the Sprint feature and passed 5 cars to finish in 8th....Tim Moore started 15th and came home in 10th....Daniel Berquist drove the second car owned by Andy Huston to an 11th place finish.

RESULTS

Sprint Invaders Feature: 1. 14P-Randy Plath; 2. 3-Matt Sutton; 3. 99-Jimmy Davies; 4. 51J-Ryan Jamison; 5. 4J-Justin Parrish; 6. 84-Ben Wagoner; 6. 53H-Matt Harms; 7. 99w-Korey Weyant; 8. 40-Andy Huston; 9. 10T-Tim Moore; 11. 40x-Daniel Berquist; 12. 38-Seth Wilke; 13. 1M-Jim Moughan; 14. 6-Jesse Wagler; 15. 16HD-Donnie Steward

Modified Feature: 1. 10-A.J. Fike; 2. 50-Darin Thye; 3. M50-Kevin Peters; 4. 32-Donovan Lodge; 5. 61-Bruce Hanford; 6. 32x-Bob Helm; 7. 77-Ray Bollinger; 8. 44x-Shaun Lewis; 9. 5D-Bob Dominacki; 10. 83-Nathan Balensiefen; 11. 76-Norm Brakeville; 12. 15-Brandon Durbin; 13. 38-Dave Imming; 14. H7-Dean McGee; 15. 9-Charles Baker

Mod Lites Feature: 1. 77-Greg Rossell; 2. 79-Bill Holden; 3. 6-Mike Morrill; 4. 69B-Justin Buchholz; 5. 91-Rob Guss; 6. 8G-Dan Guss; 7. 7-Andrew Smith; 8. 88-James Chesmore; 9. 77x-Jim Neal; 10. 20-Kevin Lane; 11. 87-Blake Woodruff; 12. 67-Ron Conklin; 13. z50-Joe Huggins; 14. 23-Brad Graflund; 15. 32-Craig Morris (DNS); 16. 13-Ryan Booton (DNS)

Sherbon Takes Steve Kirchner Memorial Trophy Back to Cedar Falls

2010-08-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Friday, July 30, 2010) - Friday night was the Steve Kirchner Memorial Race for the IMCA SportMods at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. At the end of the night it was Josh Sherbon from Cedar Falls taking home the trophy and money. Also claiming wins on the night were Jim Lynch (IMCA Modifieds), Jason Cook (IMCA Stock Cars), Jake Wenig (Hobby Stocks) and Jerry Ostby (Wild Things).

Up first was the 12 lap Wild Things feature, with C.J. Loring and Mike Horning Jr. making up the front row. But a caution for a non start would slow the field down for a complete restart. On the restart Loring would grab the lead on lap 1, with the caution coming out after the completion of the lap. Debris in turn one would be the cause for the caution to reappear. Loring again jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Jerry Ostby coming from 6th to following him in second. Another caution on lap 5 for Tony Shankle who stopped in turn four, would slow the battle for the lead. On the restart Horning Jr. would jump the start to bring the yellow light back on. He would be moved back 2 spots from his third place running spot for the restart. Loring once again moved out front on the restart and then tried to hold off Ostby for the lead. Ostby would slip by Loring on lap 9 to take over the top spot and then pulled away over the final 3 laps to claim his second win in a row and third overall at the track. Loring held on for 2nd, Nick Wilkerson came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Gabe Harrison started 8th and finished 4th, with William Michel coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

The 15 lap Hobby Stock feature took to the track next, with Roger Krieger and Larry McConnell leading them to the drop of the green flag. Krieger took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over McConnell. The first caution of the event would come out on lap 3, as TJ Henderson, Victor Hastings, Jeremy Pundt and Dane Fenton collided in turn 2. On the restart Krieger jumped back out into the lead, with McConnell working to hold off Jake Wenig, who started 12th, for second. Wenig got by McConnell for second on lap 6 and then on the next lap he would slip by Krieger for the lead. The yellow light would come back on, on lap 9 for Hastings who slowed with a right rear flat. On the restart Wenig grabbed the lead and now had to work to hold off Matt Tucker, who started 9th. Wenig and Tucker had a great battle going for the lead, when the final caution of the event came out on lap 11. Jim Lynch, who was running 8th, would come to a stop on the backstretch with troubles. Once again Wenig moved out into the lead on the restart, with Tucker close behind in second. Wenig would hold off a last lap challenge from Tucker to pick up his fifth win of the season at the speedway. Dan Wenig came from 8th to finish in 3rd, McConnell held on for a season best 4th, with Tanner Thomann passing 8 cars from his 13th place starting spot to come home in 5th.

Dylan Book and Josh Sherbon drew the front row for the 20 lap Steve Kirchner Memorial for the IMCA SportMods, with Book grabbing the lead on the drop of the green. The first caution of the race would come out after the completion of lap 1, as Rick Barlow Jr. spun and collected Tim Zeman and Jim Kuhlmeier. On the restart Book jumped back out into the lead, with Sherbon following him close behind in second. The battle up front was slowed on lap 3, as Jacob Smith spun in turn 2 and AJ Johnson came to a stop in turn 4. Book again moved out into the lead on the restart, with Sherbon still locked on to his back bumper. Just as the battle up front was heating up another caution would come out, as Rodger Dresden, who was running 7th, slowed to a stop with troubles on lap 6. Sherbon would time the restart perfectly, as he slipped under Book coming off of turn four to grab the top spot away. Just as Book tried to get Sherbon back, the caution would appear again. This time Dakota Fenton would come to a stop on the backstretch on the completion of lap 7. On the restart Sherbon held off Book to grab the lead and then worked to hold him back when another caution came out on lap 12. Dresden and Tim Zeman would collide in turn 2 to end both there nights. Sherbon again moved out into the lead on the restart, with Book close behind in second. The two drivers continued there battle up front, when the final caution of the event came out on lap 18 to set up a green-white-checkered finish. Rod Staats, who was running 9th, would spin in turn 2 to bring out the final caution. Book timed the restart perfectly, as he returned Sherbon's charge on the lap 7 restart, to grab the top spot away. But Sherbon didn't give up, as he and Book ran the final lap side-by-side. Sherbon would edge out Book at the line to pick up the win. Mike Shelton came home in 3rd, Derek Coleman came from 9th to finish in 4th, with Mitch Higdon rounding out the top 5.

Dustan Fenton and Kirk Hopkins made up the front row for the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, but it was third place starter Brandon Savage getting the lead on lap 1. Rob Kirchner would slip under Savage on lap 2 to take over the top spot and then worked to hold him off. The first caution of the event would come out on lap 4, as Hopkins spun in turn 4. On the restart Kirchner moved back out into the lead, with Savage close behind in second. Again Kirchner was working to hold off Savage, when another caution came out on the completion of lap 6. This time Daniel Hilsabeck, Fenton, Wyatt Lantz and Andy Krieger collided in turn 4. Kirchner once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Savage battling him in second. While Kirchner and Savage battled for the lead, Brandon Rothzen, who started 10th, Rich Smith, who started 9th, and Jim Lynch, who started 11th, were working there way to the front. Savage would slip under Kirchner on lap 10 to take over the lead, with Rothzen following him into second. Rothzen's great run to the front ended on lap 12, as he spun in turn 4 to bring out the caution. On the restart Savage moved out front, with Smith and Lynch battling close behind for second. Lynch would take to the top of the race track on lap 15 to over take Savage for the top spot. Lynch then started to pull away from the battle for second, when the final caution of the event came out on lap 18. Hopkins would spin in turn 2 to set up a green-white-checkered finish. On the restart Lynch moved out front, with Smith challenging him for the top spot. Smith would try Lynch on the bottom over the final 2 laps, but Lynch was able to hold him off to pick up his second win of the season at the track. Bill Roberts passed 15 cars from his 18th place starting spot to finish in 3rd, Dean McGee came home in 4th, with Kirchner holding on for fifth.

The final feature of the night was the 15 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Rich Vogt and Jim Redman leading the field to the drop of the green. Vogt would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1. The first yellow of the race would come out after the completion of lap 1, as Corey Strothman, who was running 5th, Jeff Mueller and Damon Aplara collided in turn 3. On the restart Redman, who was running 2nd, and Derek St. Clair, who was running 3rd, would collide going down the front stretch to bring the caution back out. The yellow light would come back on on the next restart, as Mueller spun off of turn 2 after clipping a tire in turn 1 to end his night. On the restart Nathan Wood would slip past Vogt to grab the top spot away and then worked to hold off Jason Cook, who started 7th. Cook tried several times to get under Wood over the next 3 laps, when Wood slipped enough on lap 6 to allow Cook to get by for the lead. Cook, Wood and Matt Greiner, who started 8th, had a great battle going for the lead, when the final caution came out on lap 10 for Vogt who stopped on the front stretch with front end troubles. On the restart Cook moved out front and then held on over the final 5 laps to pick up his 4th win of the season at the speedway. Wood held on for 2nd, Greiner was 3rd, Cale Samberg started 11th and finished in 4th, with Strothman coming back from his lap 1 crash to round out the top 5.

Notes from LCS: 27 SportMods, 23 Wild Things, 20 Modifieds, 20 Hobby Stocks and 13 Stock Cars made up the 103 cars signed in to do battle on the night......Kimberly Abbott started the Wild Things feature in 16th and passed 7 cars to finish in 9th....David Probasco passed 10 cars from his 23rd place starting spot to finish in 13th......Jeremy Pundt recovered from the lap 3 crash to come back to finish in 6th in the Hobby Stock feature....Dave Cloke came from 19th to finish in 9th....Dane Fenton recovered from the lap 3 crash to come back to finish in 10th....Michael Wenke started 20th and passed 8 cars to finish in 12th....After the checkered flag flew on the Hobby Stock feature Fenton would claim Jake Wenig, with the two swapping motors.......Jacob Smith recovered from his lap 3 spin to come back up to finish 7th in the SportMod feature....Phillip Cossel charged from 26th and passed 16 cars to finish in 8th....Drew Fish started 20th and passed 11 cars to finish in 9th....Rick Barlow Jr. recovered from his lap 1 crash to come back to finish in 11th....Rod Staats came back to finish in 12th, after his lap 18 spin....Justin Alderton came from 23rd to finish in 13th....Dakota Fenton came from 25th to finish 14th....Jeremiah Fry started 26th and finished in 15th....Jim Gillenwater was running 10th when he pulled off with troubles on the lap 18 caution to end his night in 17th....Adam Birck started the Modified feature in 15th and passed 8 cars to finish in 7th....Brandon Rothzen recovered from his lap 12 spin to come back to finish in 8th....Andy Krieger started 20th and was invloved in the lap 6 crash to come back up to finish in 10th....Jim Redman recovered from his lap 1 crash in the Stock Car feature to come back to finish in 7th.

Aikey, Long, Strothman, Higdon, Kratzer and Ostby Repeat Winners at the Lee County Speedway

2010-08-19T18:26:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Friday, July 23, 2010) - Mother nature tried her best to spoil another Friday night action at the Lee County Speedway, but it wasn't to be. As rain showers moved in north and south of the speedway, with just a brief shower over the track wasn't enough to spoil the night. Taking home the feature wins on the night were Jeff Aikey (IMCA Late Models), Michael Long (IMCA Modifieds), Corey Strothman (IMCA Stock Cars), Mitch Higdon (IMCA SportMods), Dean Kratzer (Hobby Stocks) and Jerry Ostby (Wild Things).

The first feature to take to the speedway was the 15 lap SportMods, with Jacob Smith and Rodger Dresden on the front row. Dresden would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Smith. The first caution of the event would come out after the completion of lap 1, as AJ Johnson stopped in turn 2 with a left rear flat. On the restart Dresden jumped back out into the lead, only to be slowed after the completion of lap 2. This time Derek Coleman spun to a stop in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. Dresden again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Michael Bliven behind in 2nd. The man on the move was Mitch Higdon, who started 10th. He would jump under Dresden on lap 7 to take over the top spot. The final caution of the race would come out on lap 9, as L.Z. Coleman spun off of turn 4 and collected Justin Alderton. Higdon grabbed the lead on the restart and then pulled away over the final 6 laps to claim his second win of the season at the speedway. Phillip Cossel came from 9th to finish in 2nd, Bliven held on for 3rd, Jason Cook started 12th and passed 8 cars to finish in 4th, with Dresden holding on to finish in 5th.

Up next was the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Dean Kratzer and TJ Henderson leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Kratzer moved out into the lead on lap 1 over Henderson. The first caution would come out on lap 5, when Bob Cowman spun in turn 4. On the restart Kratzer jumped back out into the lead, with Matt Tucker close behind in second. Kratzer was working to hold off Tucker for the lead, when another caution came out on lap 10. Alex Buffington would spin in turn 4 to bring the yellow back onto the speedway. Once again Kratzer moved out into the lead on the restart, with Tucker working him for the top spot. Just as the battle for the lead started to heat up, another caution would come out on lap 13. Dan Wenig, who was running 6th, spun coming off of turn 4. Kratzer again jumped out into the lead on the restart and then held off Tucker over the final 2 laps to pick up his second win of the season at the track. Jeremy Pundt came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Dane Fenton was 4th, with Tanner Thomann coming home in 5th.

Jay Chenoweth and Sam Halstead made up the front row for the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Chenoweth grabbing the lead on lap 1. T.J. Criss would slip under Chenoweth on lap 3 to take over the top spot. With the first caution coming out on lap 5, as Justin Reed, Darin Weisinger and Robby Warner collided in turn 2. On the restart Rob Toland, who was running 4th, spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. The yellow would come back on on the second restart, when Justin Jennings spun coming off of turn 4. Criss would move out front on the restart, with Jeff Aikey coming from 7th to 2nd. Aikey would slip under Criss on lap 11 to grab the top spot away. Another caution would come out after the completion of lap 11, as Gary Russell, who was running 4th, spun in turn 4. On the restart Jennings spun in turn 4 and collected Weisinger to bring the yellow back out. Aikey again would grab the lead on the restart and was slowly pulling away when the final caution came out on lap 17. Criss, who was running 5th, spun to a stop in turn 2. On the restart Aikey again jumped out into the lead and then held on over the final 8 laps to claim his second win of the season at the speedway. Mark Burgtorf came from 11th to finish in 2nd, Denny Woodworth started 9th and finish in 3rd, Boone McLaughlin came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Jeff Guengerich rounding out the top 5.

The 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature was up next, with Damon Aplara and Corey Strothman on the front row. Strothman took advantage of his front row start to move out into the lead on lap 1. Strothman would go on to lead all 15 laps in a caution free event to pick up his second win of the season at the track. Jeff Mueller started 10th and passed 8 cars to finish in 2nd, Matt Greiner came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Cale Samberg came home in 4th, with Chris Webb coming home in 5th.

Rob Kirchner and Mike Weikert Jr. led the field to the green in the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Kirchner grabbing the lead on lap 1. Weikert Jr. would come back on the top to take the lead on lap 2. But Kirchner wouldn't give up as he came back on the bottom to take the top spot back on lap 3, only to loose it back to Weikert Jr. on lap 4. As Weikert Jr. came back on the top to grab the lead away. Weikert Jr. would hold on to the top spot until lap 9, when Michael Long, who started 9th, went by on the bottom for the lead. Long was pulling away from the field when the first and only caution of the race came out on lap 18, when Adam Birck, who was running 6th, spun in turn 3. On the restart Long jumped back out into the lead and then led the final 2 laps to pick up his 4th win of the season at the track. Rich Smith came from 8th to finish in 2nd, Kirchner held on for 3rd, Weikert Jr. was 4th, with Dean McGee rounding out the top 5.

The final feature on the night was the 12 lap Wild Things, with Seith Woodruff and Rex Smart leading the field to green. The caution would come out on the start, as Kyle Savage would spin in turn 2. On the restart Woodruff moved out front on lap 1, with Jerry Ostby slipping under him on lap 2 to take over the top spot. After the completion of lap 2, the caution would come out. Smart would spin in turn 4 and collected Kimberly Abbott, William Michel, Drake Fenton and Mike Horning Jr. On the restart Wayne Noble would jump the restart, so he was moved from 3rd to 5th for the restart. Ostby grabbed the lead on the restart and started to pull away, when the final caution came out on lap 4. Noble would get Gabe Harrison on the front stretch, with Harrison coming to a stop. Once again Ostby moved out front on the restart and then held on over the final 7 laps to claim his second win of the season at the speedway. Darin Smith started 10th and passed 8 cars to finish in 2nd, Chuck Fullenkamp was 3rd, Nick Wilkerson was 4th, with Horning Jr. recovering from the lap 2 crash to round out the top 5.

Notes from LCS: Drew Fish started 11th in the SportMod feature and passed 4 cars to finish in 7th....Derek Coleman recovered from his lap 2 spin to come back up to finish in 9th....AJ Johnson, who had a left rear tire flat on lap 1, came back out to tag the back of the field for the restart. He would make his way back up to 10th, when he had a right rear tire go down on lap 11 to end his night in 16th......Tanner Thomann got sideways on the drop of the green in the Hobby Stock feature and fell all the way back to 15th. He would work his way back up to finish 5th at the checkers....Alex Buffington came back from his lap 4 spin to finish in 6th....Jake Wenig, who was running 3rd, pitted on the lap 13 caution for a right rear flat tire. He would come back in 2 laps to finish in 7th....TJ Henderson came back from his lap 4 spin to finish in 8th....Jim Lynch would claim the engine of Dane Fenton's at the completion of the Hobby Stock feature. Fenton would sell the engine to keep his 4th place finish......Sam Halstead, who was running 4th in the Late Model feature, would get sideways off of turn 4 and collected Jeff Guengerich, who was running 4th. Both drivers would continue without bringing out the caution, but Guengerich fell back to 9th and Halstead 14th. Guengerich recovered to finish in 5th and Halstead was 8th....Matt Bailey took the green in the 16th place, but passed 9 cars to finish in 7th....Andy Eckrich was running 9th, when he pulled in the pits on the lap 11 caution. He would take the back of the field for the restart and then came back up to finish in 9th....Keith Pratt started 18th and passed 8 cars to finish in 10th......Andrew Thompson took the green in 16th in the Wild Things feature and passed 10 cars to finish in 6th....Brian Derericks came from 15th to finish in 7th....Drake Fenton recovered from the lap 2 crash to finish in 9th....Rex Smart also recovered from the lap 2 wreck to finish in 10th.

Perry, Hogan, Warth, Raker and Strassheim Claim 34 Raceway Wins

2010-08-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

Burlington, IA (Saturday, July 17, 2010) - Despite the extreme heat index warnings, the racing action at 34 Raceway in Burlington, Iowa went on. The action was moved back 30 minutes to try and give the drivers, crews and fans some what of a relief. At the end of the night Jason Perry (IMCA Late Models), Scott Hogan (IMCA Modifieds), Dave Warth (IMCA Stock Cars), Ray Raker (Hobby Stocks) and Matt Strassheim (4 Cylinders) took home the feature wins.

The first feature on the night was the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Lonnie Heap and Darin Thye on the front row of the event. Heap would grab the lead on the drop of the green, over Thye and Mike Weikert Jr. With Heap out front, Dennis LaVeine, who started 8th, was quickly working his way to the front. LaVeine would jump to the outside of Heap on lap 10 to take over the top spot. The first caution of the event would come out on lap 11, when Norm Brakeville spun into the turn three wall. On the restart LaVeine moved back out front, with Dean McGee following in second. Two other drivers on the move on the restart were Scott Hogan, who started 11th, and Rich Smith, who started 12th. LaVeine was working to try and hold off the Hogan, Smith and McGee, when disaster struck him on lap 18. LaVeine would come to a stop in turn 3 with something breaking in the right front. As a result Hogan would inherit the lead on the restart and then held off Smith over the final 2 laps to claim the win. Tyler VandeKamp came home in 3rd, McGee was 4th, with Jeff Waterman coming from 9th to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature. Les Blakley and Bo Hunter led the field to the drop of the green. But Abe Huls would spin in turn four and collected Luke McLaughlin, Corey Strothman, Tim Breuer, Shane Watts and Chris Webb to bring out the first caution. On the restart Blakley would spin in four and collected Hunter, Jim Redmann, Greg Johnson, Watts and McLaughlin to bring the caution out once again. The front row for the restart was now Derek St. Clair and Dave Warth, with St. Clair taking advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. But the caution would come out again after the completion of lap 1, as Brett Timmerman spun down the backstretch. On the restart St. Clair again jumped out front, but was slowed one lap later. As Rod Staats and Watts got together in turn 3 to bring the yellow light back on. St. Clair grabbed the lead on the restart, with Warth close behind. Just as the battle for the lead started to heat up, the yellow light again came back on. This time Devon Timmerman spun in turn 4 on lap 5. Again St. Clair moved out front on the restart, with Warth close behind in 2nd. Warth, who was working the bottom of the speedway, and St. Clair, who was working the middle, ran laps 7-9 side-by-side, with Warth coming out on top on lap 10. The final caution of the event would come out on lap 12, when Brett Timmerman and Redmann spun in turn 2. On the restart Warth moved back out into the lead, with Jeff Mueller, who started 12th, moving into second. Mueller would try to get around Warth over the final 8 laps, but Warth would hold on to pick up the win. St. Clair held on for a great 3rd place finish, Travis Finke charged from 19th to finish in 4th, with John Brockway coming from 15th to round out the top 5.

Jay Chenoweth and Tom Bowling Jr. made up the front row for the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Chenoweth grabbing the lead on lap 1. Chenoweth was working to hold off Boone McLaughlin and Bowling Jr., when the first caution came out on lap 6. Nate Beuseling would spin in turn 2 and collected Justin Reed. On the restart McLaughlin, who was running 2nd, got sideways and spun in turn 2. Lonnie Bailey, who was running 5th, would spin and came to a stop in the pit entrance on the restart to bring the caution back out. The final caution of the event would come out on the third attempt of a restart, when debris was left in turn 2 from Reed's car. Chenoweth jumped back out into the lead on the restart, with Jason Perry close behind in second. Perry would slip under Chenoweth on lap 8 to take over the top spot and then looked to be heading for the win. But Rob Toland, who started 10th, had different ideas. He would run down Perry on lap 22, as the 2 ran side-by-side. But Perry was able to hold Toland off over the final 3 laps to claim the win. Joey Gower came from 12th to finish in 3rd, Tom Goble was 4th, with Jeff Guengerich coming home in 5th.

Josh Tripp and Ray Raker led the field to green in the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Raker leading lap 1. Raker started to pull away from the field, when the first and only caution came out on lap 12. Victor Hastings would spin in turn 2, at the same time David Cloke would go over turns 1 and 2. On the restart Raker jumped back out into the lead and then held on over the final 3 laps to pick up the win. Tanner Thomann came from 9th to finish in 2nd, Jake Wenig started 12th and came home in 3rd, Alex Buffington was 4th, with Randy Wachter coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 12 lap 4 Cylinders, with Cory Sheetz and Matt Strassheim drawing the front row. Strassheim would take advantage of his draw to jump out front on the drop of the green. But the red would come out after the completion of lap 1, as Rex Smart rolled in turn 2. Smart would come out of the car ok and then climbed back into it to drive it back to the pits. On the restart Strassheim again grabbed the lead, with Gabe Harrison holding on for second. The event was slowed once again on lap 5, when Jordan Tipps, Jerrod Nichols and Troy Wonders spun in turn 3. On the restart Travis DeMint, Brad Chandler and Geoffrey Theobald hit the front stretch wall hard to bring out the red. All drivers would climb out ok. Strassheim again moved out front on the restart and then pulled away over the final 7 laps to claim the win. Nathan Chandler came from 7th to finish in 2nd, Wayne Noble started 10th and finished in 3rd, Harrison held on for 4th, with Darin Smith coming from 11th to round out the top 5.

Notes from 34: 23 4 Cylinders, 20 Stock Cars, 19 Late Models and 18 Modifieds made up the 101 cars signed in on the very hot night......Kevin Goben started the Modified feature in 13th and made his was to 6th....Mike Weikert Jr. was running 2nd on lap 3, when he pulled off with troubles....Darin Thye pulled his car into the pits on lap 2 with troubles. He was running 2nd at the time....Dustin Crear had troubles in hot laps and loaded up and left......Tim Breuer recovered from his lap 1 wreck to come back to finish 6th in the Stock Car feature....Cory Strothman also recovered from the lap 1 wreck to finish in 7th....Brett Timmerman finished 8th and Jim Redmann 9th, after there lap 12 spin in turn 2....Abe Huls came from the rear after his lap 1 crash and worked his way to 6th. But he would pull into the pits on lap 15 with overheating. He would come back out to make it back up to finish in 10th....Devon Timmerman finished 11th after his lap 5 spin......Gary Russell started 17th in the Late Model feature and then passed 9 cars to finish in 8th....Jay Johnson came from 14th to finish in 9th....Sam Halstead started 19th and passed 8 cars to finish in 11th....Keith Pratt had motor troubles in his heat race and would scratch from the feature......David Cloke came from the rear after his lap 12 spin off of turn 2 to finish 7th in the Hobby Stock feature....Dane Fenton came from 16th to finish in 9th....Victor Hastings recovered from his lap 12 spin to finish in 10th....Travis Lair started 18th and passed 7 cars to finish in 11th....Dugan Thye came from 19th to finish in 12th....Matt Gavin started 17th and had worked his way up to 3rd by the lap 12 caution. A flat right rear tire on the final lap would cause Gavin to spin in turn three giving him a 13th place finish......Matt Strassheim would climb into a 4 Cylinder owned by Randy Foor and then would lead all 12 laps to claim the win....Bill Whalen Jr. started 15th and passed 8 cars to finish in 7th....John Whalen charged from 19th to take home a 8th place finish....Bryce Bailey took the green in the 23rd place. He would pass 13 cars in 12 laps to take home a 10th place finish....Kimberly Abbott charged from 21st to finish in 11th....Troy Wonders recovered from his lap 5 spin to come back to finish in 12th....Amanda Tipps came from 20th to finish in 13th....Kevin Mortimer started 22nd and passed 8 cars to finish in 14th....Drake Fenton was running 4th when he pulled in on the lap 1 restart with troubles to give him a 21st place finish.

Samberg and Wilkerson Get First Wins of the Season; While Smith, Cossel and Kratzer Claim Another Victory

2010-08-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Friday, July 16, 2010) - The temperatures outside were hot and humid, as was the racing action on Friday night at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa. When the nights action came to an end Cale Samberg and Nick Wilkerson picked up there first feature wins of the season at the speedway. While Rich Smith, Phillip Cossel and Dean Kratzer claimed repeat victories.

The first feature on the night was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Rob Kirchner and Brandon Savage on the front row. Kirchner would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. But Levi Smith would spin in turn 3 after the completion of lap 2 to bring out the first caution. On the restart Wyatt Lantz spun coming off of turn four with a right front flat. He would get it changed and returned to restart 15th. Kirchner would jumped out into the lead on the second restart, with Savage still following him in second. Kirchner started to pull away from the field when disaster struck in on lap 11. He would slow to a stop in turn two with motor troubles. Rich Smith, who started 9th, inherited the lead on the restart, with Jeff Waterman, who started 6th, and Josh Foster, who started 10th, battling it out for second. Smith held the top spot until the final caution of the event came out on lap 15, for Dustan Fenton who spun in turn 2 with a right rear flat. On the restart Smith again jumped back out front, with Foster now close behind in second. Smith would work the bottom of the speedway, while Foster worked the top over the next 2 laps. Foster would show his nose to Smith on lap 18, so Smith moved up to the top of the speedway for the final 2 laps to hold off Foster for his second win of the season at the speedway. Waterman held on for 3rd, Jeff Gerhardt had a great run in 4th, with Lantz recovering from his lap 2 flat to finish in 5th.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Jim Redman and Cale Samberg leading the field to the drop of the green. Redman took advantage of his front row start to move out front on lap 1. But his lead would only last for 2 laps, as he pulled in on lap 3 with motor troubles. Samberg would inherit the lead and then pulled away over the final 12 laps to claim his first win of the season at the track. Matt Greiner came from 7th to finish in 2nd, Derek St. Clair continued his late season good runs by finishing in 3rd, Jeff Mueller came from 9th to finish in 4th, with Corey Strothman coming home in 5th.

Larry McConnell and Dean Kratzer led the field to the green in the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Kratzer moving out front on lap 1. While Kratzer worked to hold off Matt Tucker for the lead, Jake Wenig, who started 10th, was working his way to the front. Wenig would get by Tucker for second on lap 13 and then went to work on Kratzer for the lead. Wenig would try get by Kratzer on the final lap, but Kratzer would hold him off to pick up his second win of the season at the speedway. Tucker held on for 3rd, Tanner Thomann came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Dan Wenig rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with Sarah Tweedy and Rodger Dresden making up the front row for the event. But it was fifth place starter Phillip Cossel who made a great move on the start to grab the lead on lap 1. The first caution of the race would come out on lap 4, when Nathan Murders spun in turn three. On the restart Cossel moved back out front, with Rod Staats close behind in second. Cossel would start to pull away from the field, when another caution came out on lap 7. Michael Bliven would spin in turn 2. Cossel again jumped back out into the top spot on the restart, with Staats trying to hold off Dresden for second. Just as Cossel was building up another lead, the caution would come out again. Brandon Dale would spin in turn 2 on lap 14. On the restart Cossel would pull away to claim his second win of the season. Jason Cook charged from 11th to finish in 2nd, Staats held on for 3rd, Dresden was 4th, with Mitch Hidgon coming from 9th to round out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 12 lap Wild Things, with Drake Fenton and Brandon Lambert on the front row. But it was third place starter Jerry Ostby who grabbed the lead on lap 1. The caution would come out after the completion of lap 1, as Mike Horning Jr. came to a stop on the front stretch. On the restart Ostby jumped back out into the lead, with Nick Wilkerson close behind in second. The caution would appear for the final time on lap 5, when Darin Lambert spun in turn 1 and collected Chuck Fullenkamp, who was running 5th. Ostby again grabbed the top spot on the restart, with Wilkerson putting pressure on him for the lead. Ostby and Wilkerson came up on some lapped traffic on the final lap coming out of two. Ostby would jumped to the bottom, while Wilkerson jumped to the top. The lapped cars would hold up Ostby enough to allow Wilkerson to get by coming out of four to claim his first win of the season at the track. Gabe Harrison came from 10th to finish in 3rd, Rex Smart was 4th, with William Michel coming from 11th to take home fifth.

Notes from LCS: Adam Birck was running 5th on lap 19 of the Modified feature, but got sideways in turn 3 and fell back to 8th....Bill Seyb started the feature in 14th and passed five cars to finish in 9th....Brandon Savage was running 4th in the feature, when he got sideways in turn 2 on lap and fell back to 10th.......The Stock Car feature went all 15 laps without a caution!!!......The Hobby Stock feature followed that up by going all 15 laps without a caution!!!....Victor Hastings started the Hobby Stock feature in 16th and passed 7 cars to finish in 9th......Drew Fish took the green in the SportMod feature in 12th. He would pass 6 cars to take home a 6th place finish....AJ Johnson started 15th and passed 5 cars to come home in 10th....Michael Bliven recovered from his lap 7 spin to come back to finish in 11th......Drake Fenton was running 2nd in the Wild Thing feature when he pulled off on lap 1 with troubles. He would return to restart 21st and then worked his way back up to finish 10th....Chuck Fullenkamp recovered from his lap 5 wreck to come back to finish in 11th.

Six Features, Six Different Winners at 34 Raceway

2010-07-04T16:31:00.000-07:00

Burlington, IA (Saturday, July 3, 2010) - 34 Raceway hosted the "Firecracker 50" featuring the IMCA Late Models racing for $1,000. Also on the card was double 305 Sprint features, one rained out from back on May 15th, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks.

The first event on the night was the rained out 305 Sprint feature from back on May 15th. Kevin Hetrick and Justin Newberry drew the front row for the event, with Hetrick jumping out front on the drop of the green flag. The first caution would come out on lap 2, as Shawn Whiting lost a drive shaft in turn 2. On the restart Hetrick moved back out into the lead, only to be slowed on lap 4. Newberry, who was running 3rd, slowed to a stop on the front stretch. Hetrick again grabbed the lead on the restart and then pulled away over the final 16 laps to claim the win. Tony Davis came home in 2nd, Dave Anderson charged from his 20th place starting spot to finish in 3rd, John Draper passed 8 cars from his 12th place starting spot to finish in 4th, with Jessie Wagler coming from 16th to round out the top five.

After all the heats to set the feature line ups for the regular nights features, the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature was up first. Lonnie Heap and Dustin Crear led the field to the green, but it was 3rd place starter Brandon Rothzen jumping out front on lap 1. Rothzen would pull away from the field in a caution free event to pick up the win. Scott Hogan came from 7th to finish in 2nd, Bill Roberts was 3rd after starting in 6th, Jeff Waterman came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Dusty Kraklio coming from 9th to come home in fifth.

Corey Strothman and Rod Staats made up the front row for the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature. On the start Derek St. Clair got into the left rear of Abe Huls and spun him out in turn 2 to bring the caution out. On the restart fourth place starter Chris Webb made the move to grab the lead on lap 1. While Webb started to pull away from the field Brett Timmerman, who started 6th, and Jeff Mueller, who started 9th, made there way towards the front. Mueller would move into the second spot, with Timmerman following on lap 11. The two then tried to real in Webb for the lead. But Webb would hold on to claim the win. Mueller was 2nd, Timmerman 3rd, Tim Breuer was 4th, with Strothman holding on for fifth.

Up next was the 50 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Rob Toland and Tom Darbyshire drawing the front row. On the parade lap fireworks were set on in the infield and then the MUSCO lights went out. After a delay to bring the lights back on the race was set for green. Toland would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on the drop of the green flag. The first of two cautions would come out on lap 10, as Colby Springsteen, who was running 3rd, slowed to a stop in turn 2 with front end suspension troubles. On the restart Toland moved back out front, with Darbyshire and Justin Reed battling for second. While Toland pulled away, Darbyshire and Reed got together in turn four on lap 20 and almost looped there machines. But they were both able to regroup and continue without loosing any spots. Toland would entire lapped traffic for the first time on lap 33, allowing the battle for second to close in on him some. The man on the move was Denny Woodworth, who started 15th. On lap 40 Woodworth over took the 4th place spot and 5 laps later he got by both Darbyshire and Joey Gower, who started 8th, for the 2nd spot. Woodworth then went to work on Toland for the lead, as Toland had built up a straight-away lead over him. Toland was able to hold off the charge from Woodworth over the final lap to pick up the win. Darbyshire held on for 3rd, Gary Russell charged from his 14th place starting spot to finish in 4th, with Gower holding on for fifth.

Matt Krieger and Patrick Moore were on the front row for the 20 lap 305 Sprint feature, with Krieger moving out front on lap 1. Krieger was starting to pull away from the field, when he was slowed on lap 5 for a spin in turn 2 by Mark Johnson, who was running 9th. On the restart Jayson Ditsworth, who was running 2nd, spun in turn 2. Brandyn Martin would clip Ditsworth, as a result he would end up with a right rear tire. While Ditsworth got a right front flat from the contact to end both their nights. Krieger again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Kevin Hetrick, who started 10th, now battling him in second. Krieger would pull away from Hetrick over the final 15 laps to claim the win. Hetrick came home 2nd, John Draper came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Dustin Whiting started 13th and passed 9 cars to finish in 4th, with Moore holding on to come home in fifth.

The final feature of the night was the 15 lap Hobby Stocks, with Randy Wachter and Tanner Thomann drawing the front row for the event. A caution before the lap was complete would set up a restart. Jake Wenig and Matt Gavin would get together in turn four. On the restart Thomann would take advantage of his front row start to jump into the lead on lap 1. John Oliver Jr. would spin in turn 4 after the completion of lap 1 to bring caution back out on the speedway. On the restart Josh Tripp spun in turn 2 and collected the car of Jake Wenig. Thomann again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Dean Kratzer, Dane Fenton and Alex Buffington battling it out for second. Another caution would slow the action down on lap 10, as Travis Plummer spun in turn 4. On the restart Thomann jumped to the top of the track, while Dan Wenig, who started 12th, took to the bottom. The two would run the next 2 laps side-by-side, with Wenig edging out into the lead on lap 13. The final caution of the race would come out on lap 14, when Chuck Underwood got into the front stretch wall. This would set up a white-checkered finish, with Weing holding on to pick up the win. Kratzer started 5th and was 2nd, Buffington came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Fenton started 7th and was 4th, with Oliver Jr. coming from 20th after his lap 1 spin to round out the top 5.

Notes from 34: Nick Guernsey came from 13th in the make-up 305 Sprint to finish in 7th....Jim Hetrick started 14th and finsihed 9th....Jayson Ditsworth started 19th and worked his way to 3rd, when he pulled in on lap 13 with troubles. He still was credited with 10th, as only 9 cars finished....Dustin Whiting was battling for the second spot on lap 11, but heavy smoke from under the hood would get him the black flag. He was credited with 11th....Matt Krieger started 15th and was up to 2nd by lap 11, but he also pulled in with troubles to get 12th....Patrick Moore was running 7th, when he pulled in on lap 10 with troubles. He was credited with 14th......Dennis LeVeine won his Modified heat race early in the night, but was disqualified in tech for a mud plug violation. He would start 18th in the feature and passed 12 cars to finish in 6th....Rich Smith came from 12th to finish in 7th....Dean McGee came from 13th to finish in 9th....Darin Thye started 14th and finished in 10th......Derek St. Clair recovered from his lap 1 crash with Abe Huls to come back to finish in 7th....Shane Watts came from 11th to finish in 8th....John Brockway started 13th and finished in 9th....Kirk Kinsley was running 4th when he pulled in on lap 6 with a right rear flat. He was credited with 12th....Abe Huls, who won the last 2 Stock Car features at 34, had to much rear end damage after the lap 1 crash to end his night in 15th......Keith Pratt started the Late Model feature in 16th and passed 8 cars to finish in 8th....Sam Halstead came from 20th and finished in 12th....Tommy Elston came from 24th and passed 8 cars to finish in 16th......Greg Rossell, who usually drives a Mod Lite, jumped behind the wheel of Kenneth Bragg's 305 Sprint and started 11th in the feature. He would pass 2 cars to finish in 9th....Mark Johnson recovered from his lap 5 spin to come back to finish in 10th....John Dimmitt was behind the wheel of Alexsha Alexander's car. He would started the feature in 15th and came home in 11th....Destini Clark, Jami Lusher, Jessie Wagler, Cale Hutchings, Shawn Whiting and Tim Rose all scratched from the second 305 Sprint feature, as a result from troubles from the first feature or their heat races......Matt Gavin recovered from the lap 1 crash to come back to finish in 6th in the Hobby Stock feature....Jake Wenig came from the back twice, as he was involved in the lap 1 crash and the lap 4 crash to finish in 7th...Chad Krogmeier started 18th and passed 10 cars to finish in 8th....Randy Wachter, who won the only 2 Hobby Stock feature so far in 2010 at 34 Raceway, started the feature on the pole. But he would have a right rear tire go flat on the drop of the green. He would make the turn into the pits, looking to end his night. But the caution would come out before the lap was completed, allowing him to get the tire changed and return to the back of the field. He would recover from the flat to come home in 9th....Tanner Thomann, who was running 2nd on the white flag, suddenly slowed down the backstretch and would cross the line in 11th.

Beuseling, Huston, Staats and Fullenkamp Claim First Wins at the Lee County Speedway

2010-07-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Friday, July 2, 2010) - After the Liberty Cup the night before, the Lee County Speedway was back in action on Friday. With Friday night being a night of first time winners in all four classes.

The first feature on the night was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods, with L.Z. Coleman and Rod Staats on the front row for the event. Coleman would take advantage of his front row start to edge out Staats for the lead on lap 1. But Staats would jump to the outside of Coleman coming out of turn 2 on lap 3 to grab the top spot. A caution for Rodger Dresden, who was running 3rd, as he spun in turn four and collected the car of AJ Johnson before the lap was complete giving the lead back to Coleman. On the restart Coleman moved back out front, but had Staats and Rick Barlow Jr. battling him for the lead. Staats again made the move around Coleman to take over the top spot on lap 3. Another caution would appear on the speedway after the completion of the lap, as Jim Gillenwater, who started 11th and was up to 8th, spun in turn 3. Staats grabbed the lead on the restart only to be slowed 1 lap later for another caution. This time Phillip Cossel, who was running 4th, spun in turn 4 and collected the car of Nathan Murders. Once again Staats moved out front on the restart, with Barlow Jr. close behind in second. Barlow Jr. would grab the top spot away from Staats on lap 5. But Staats didn't give up, as the two battled for the lead. Another caution came out on lap 7 as Thad Gaylord spun in turn 2 and collected Dean Kratzer, who started 17th and had worked his way to 8th. On the restart Barlow Jr. jumped back out into the lead, with Staats again giving chase. Staats would slip past Barlow Jr. on lap 9 to grab the top spot back. The caution would come back out after the completion of the lap for a tire in turn 4. With that caution the time limit had expired on the race, which meant the next next caution would put an end to the race or the checkered flag. On the restart Staats moved back out into the lead, with Barlow Jr. close behind in second. The final caution, which brought the checkered flag out, came out on lap 10. This time Rich Uppinghouse spun in four and at the same time Kratzer hit the turn one guardrail hard collecting Michael Blivens. Both drivers climbed out ok. In the mean time Staats was celebrating his first career SportMod feature. Barlow Jr. held on for 2nd, Jason Cook came from 10th to finish in 3rd, Coleman held on for 4th, with Drew Fish making pull down from Vinton and started the event in 14th and passing 9 cars to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 20 lap 305 Sprint feature, with Andy Huston and Dustin Clark drawing the front row for the event. But it was 5th place starter Kevin Hetrick quickly moving to the front to grab the lead on lap 1. Hetrick would hold the top spot until lap 7, when he got caught behind the lapped car of Alexsha Alexander. Huston took advantage of Hetrick's bobble to grab the top spot away on lap 8. After the completion of the lap, Bobby Mincer would spin his machine in turn four to avoid hitting the lapped car of Alexander to bring caution to the speedway. On the restart Huston jumped back out into the lead, with Dustin Whiting close behind in second. Huston slowly pulled away from the field until the final caution came out on lap 18 to set up a green-white-checkered finish. The caution was for Corey Timmerman who slowed in turn 2 with a right rear flat. Huston grabbed the lead on the restart and then held on for the final 2 laps to claim his first career feature win. Whiting held on for 2nd, Chad Huston passed 8 cars from his 11th place starting spot to finish in 3rd, Hetrick recovered to finish in 4th, with John Draper coming home in fifth.

Nate Beuseling and Tommy Elston led the field to the green flag in the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Beuseling grabbing the lead on lap 1. Beuseling slowly started to pull away from Elston, when the only caution of the event came out on lap 18. Tony Fraise would slow in turn 2 with motor troubles. On the restart Beuseling moved back out front, with Elston on his back bumper. But Beuseling would pull away over the final 7 laps to pick up his first win of the season at the speedway. Elston held on for 2nd, Robby Warner was 3rd, Jeff Aikey was 4th, with Gary Russell coming from 8th to finish in 5th.

The final feature of the night was the 12 lap Wild Things, with Mike Horning Jr. and Jerry Ostby on the front row. Ostby would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1. The first of 2 cautions would come out on lap 4, as Horning Jr. stopped in turn 2. On the restart Jerrod Nichols, who was running 6th, lost a right rear tire to bring the final caution out. Ostby jumped back out front on the restart, with Chuck Fullenkamp, who started 6th, Gabe Harrison, who started 7th, and Michael Grossman, who started 9th, battling three wide for second. Fullenkamp would jump to the outside of Ostby on lap 6 to take over the top spot. He then held on over the final 6 laps to claim his first win. Ostby was 2nd, Harrison was 3rd, Grossman 4th, with Kimberly Abbott coming home in 5th.

Notes from LCS: 23 Late Models, 21 SportMods, 19 305 Sprints and 18 Wild Things made up the 81 cars in the four classes......Jim Gillenwater recovered from his lap 3 spin in the SportMod feature to finish in 6th....Jacob Smith came from 15th to finish in 8th....Jim Kuhlmeier started 18th and passed 9 cars to finish in 9th....Nathan Murders came from 20th and passed 10 cars to finish in 10th....Justin Alderton returned after his week one head on crash to start the feature in 21st. He would pass 10 cars to take tome an 11th place finish....Dakota Fenton moved up from the Wild Things class to the SportMods this week. He would start the feature in 16th and took home a 12th place finish....Sarah Tweedy started 19th and came home in 13th......Tony Davis started the 305 Sprint feature in 10th and came home in 6th....Bobby Mincer recovered from his lap 8 spin to finish in 8th, after restarting 18th....Brandyn Martin started 13th and came home in 9th....Mark Johnson came from 16th and passed 6 cars to finish in 10th....Dustin Clark was running 9th when he spun in turn 2 on the final lap to be credited with 14th....Jayson Ditsworth clipped a tire in his heat race and had front end damage. He would start the feature in 18th and worked his way to 10th. But he would spin to avoid Clark on the final lap to be credited with 15th......Keith Pratt started the Late Model feature in 15th and took home an 11th place finish....Billy Genebacher took home the hard charger award, as he started 20th and passed 7 cars to finish in 13th....T.J. Criss came from 21st to finish 15th....Colby Springsteen passed 5 cars from his 22nd starting spot to finish in 17th.

Foster, Webb and Buffington Claim Liberty Cup Prizes at the Lee County Speedway

2010-07-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Thursday, July 1, 2010) - The 3rd Annual Liberty Cup featuring the Hawkeye Dirt Tour, Great American Stock Car Challenge and Hobby Stocks was on tap on Thursday at the Lee County Speedway. At the end of the nights activities Josh Foster (IMCA Modifieds), Chris Webb (IMCA Stock Cars) and Alex Buffington (Hobby Stocks) took home the big prizes.

Up first was the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Chuck Fullenkamp and Dean Kratzer drawing the front row for the event. It was third place starter Alex Buffington who edged out Kratzer at the line to lead lap 1. The first caution of the event would come out on lap 3, as Dane Fenton spun in turn 2. On the restart Buffington moved back out into the lead, with Kratzer close behind in second and Matt Tucker 3rd. Another caution would come out for Fenton on lap 4, as he spun in turn 2 again to end his night with a second yellow. Fullenkamp would spin in turn 2 on the restart and collected Robert Kephart and Jim Lynch. Buffington again jumped back out into the lead on the restart, with Kratzer and Tucker battling it out for 2nd. With Buffington working to hold off Kratzer and Tucker, Jake Wenig, who started 10th, was working his way to the front to make it a four car battle for the top spot. As the top four raced two and three wide, the final caution would come out on lap 13 to set up a green-white-checkered shootout. Tanner Thomann, who was running 4th, spun in turn 2 and collected the fifth place car of Dan Wenig. On the restart Buffington grabbed the lead. Jake Wenig would grab the second spot and then on the white flag lap went to work on Buffington for the win. The two came out of turn two side-by-side, with Wenig grabbing a slight advantage going into turn three. Buffington, who was working the bottom, and Wenig, the top, came off of turn four side-by-side, with Buffington edging out Wenig for the $500 top prize. Kratzer held on for 3rd, Tucker was 4th, with Lynch recovering from the lap 2 crash to round out the top 5.

Kenneth Hansen and Matt Greiner led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 30 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Hansen moving out front on lap 1. Hansen started to put some distance over the battle for second, when the first caution came out on lap 5 for a tire. On the restart Hansen jumped back out front, with Damon Murty now close behind in second. Les Blakley would spin in turn 2 on lap 5 to slow the event down. Hansen again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Chris Webb and Greiner close behind in second and third. Hansen would hold the lead until lap 11, when he left enough room on the bottom of the speedway to allow Webb to get by for the top spot. Webb worked to try to hod off Hansen for the lead, when another caution came out on lap 15 for tires in turn 4. On the restart Webb again moved back out into the lead. Webb was working the bottom of the speedway to perfection, as he tried to hold off Hansen for the lead. The next caution for tires in turn 2 would appear on lap 20 to slow the event down. On the restart Webb again moved out into the lead, with Hansen working to hold off Kyle Frederick, who started 16th. The final caution of the race came out on lap 24, when Jeff Joldersma, who started 18th and was running 5th, got into John Oliver Jr., who was running 4th, in turns one and two. Oliver Jr. didn't like the move and would driver over Joldersma in turn 4. Both drivers would spin to bring out the caution. On again Webb grabbed the lead on the restart, with Hansen working to hold off Frederick and Jason Cook, who started 8th. Cook would get under Hansen on lap 17 and then started to work on Webb for the lead. Webb would hold off Cook on the final lap to claim the $1,000 top prize. Hansen held on for 3rd, Frederick ended in 4th, with Jim Redmann coming home in fifth.

The final feature on the night was the 30 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Rich Smith and Jacob Waterman drawing the front row for the event. Smith would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. After the completion of the lap, Bill Roberts would spin in turn 2 and collected the cars of Todd Shute, Greg Cox, Adam Birck and Dennis Betzer. On the restart Smith again grabbed the lead, with Richie Gustin and Vern Jackson going at it for second. Wyatt Lantz, who was running 4th, spun in turn 4 on the restart to bring the field back under yellow. Smith again moved out front on the restart, with Gustin and Jackson still battling for second. The final caution of the event would come out on lap 5 for a tire in turn 4. On the restart Smith again grabbed the lead, with Gustin working to hold off Josh Foster, who started 9th. Foster quickly jumped to the top of the speedway and then worked passed Smith on lap 6 to grab the top spot. Foster then pulled away over the final 24 laps to pick up the $1,000 top prize. Smith held on for 2nd, Gustin was 3rd, Jackson 4th, with Mark Elliott charging from 16th to round out the top 5.

Notes from LCS: 47 Modifieds, 25 Stock Cars, 19 Hobby Stocks made up the 91 cars in the three divisions......Chuck Fullenkamp would recover from his lap 2 spin in the Hobby Stock feature to finish in 6th....Chad Sovern came from 14th to finish in 7th, Roger Kreiger passed 8 cars from his 16th place starting spot to finish in 8th....Jeremy Pundt was running 7th when he cut a right rear tire on lap 6 to end his night in 12th.......Abe Huls started 13th and had worked his way to 2nd at one point when he and Jeff Joldersma, who started 18th, got tied together on a lap 7 restart. Both drivers would loose several spots, but didn't bring out the caution. Huls would recover to finish in 6th....Luke McLaughlin started 12th to finish in 7th....Heath Tenkley came from 15th to finish in 8th....Joldersma recovered from the lap 24 wreck to finish in 12th....Jeff Mueller was suppose to start the event in 9th, but wouldn't appear on the speedway until just before the green flag, so he had to start 24th. Mueller had worked his way to 15th by the lap 5 caution, but he would pull into the pits with troubles to end his run to the front......Brett Ladenoff started 12th in the Modified feature and came home in 7th....Adam Birck recover from the lap 1 crash to finish in 10th....Todd Shute also recovered from the lap 1 crash to finish in 12th....Randy Havlik passed 8 cars from his 22nd place starting spot to finish in 14th....Michael Long was leading heat one easy when the motor let go to end his night and hopes of a win in front of the home crowd.

USAC Sprints and Midgets Make First Ever Trip to 34 Raceway

2010-06-29T16:36:00.000-07:00

Burlington, IA (Saturday, June 26, 2010) - 34 Raceway hosted the USAC Sprints and Midgets for the first time in the 37 year history, with some great racing for the fans to enjoy.

The first feature to take to the track was the 30 lap USAC Midgets, with Danny Stratton and Zach Daum leading the field to the green flag. Stratton, Daum and fourth place starter Levi Jones would go three wide through three and four on lap 1, but it was Stratton who was credited with leading the lap. But Jones would get by on the next lap to take over the top spot. The three drivers would put on a show for the lead, with Bryan Clausen, who started 6th, moving in on lap 4 to make it a four car battle for the top spot. But Clausen would almost loop his car in turns one and two on lap 5, as he caught the hole in the turn to cause him to drift high. He would make a nice recovery, but fell back several car lengths from the lead. Jones mean time started to stretch his lead out front. As Jones was pulling away, Clausen had regrouped and make his way into second on lap 15 and started his chase on Jones. Clausen would catch Jones on lap 20, as Jones' car seemed to be slowing every lap. Going into turn two Jones' left rear tire went down and he came to a stop on the backstretch. Clausen inherited the lead on the restart and then pulled away over the final 9 laps to pick up the win. Daum would hold on to finish in 2nd, Brad Kuhn came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Tracy Hines charged from 12th to finish in 4th, with Henry Clarke rounding out the top 5.

Bo Hunter and David Schrier made up the front row for the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature. Schrier, Sky Griffith and Abe Huls, who started 8th, would go three wide for the lead, with Schrier leading lap 1. Huls would slip under Schrier on lap 3 to take over the top spot and then started to pull away from the field. But the only caution of the event came out on lap 10, as John Brockway and Brett Timmerman got together, with Timmerman slowing with a flat tire. On the restart Huls moved back out into the lead, with Jeff Mueller, who started 9th, grabbing the second spot. Mueller would close in on Huls back bumper on lap 16, but something broke on the left front suspension the next lap. Huls would pull away over the final 3 laps to claim his second win in a row at 34 Raceway. Mueller nursed his car to a 2nd place finish, Kirk Kinsley was moved to 3rd, Chris Webb came from 11th to be giving 4th, with Greg Johnson coming from 14th to get the fifth place finish.

The final feature of the night was the 30 lap USAC Sprints, with Ricky Williams and Dave Darland on the front row. The red would come out on lap 1, as Casey Riggs would roll in turns one and two. At the same time Tracy Hines would get upside down on the backstretch. Both drivers climbed out ok. Riggs crew went to work on his car and made repairs before the restart, he would join the back of the field. On the restart Darland would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. While Darland continued to lead, Levi Jones, who started 5th, started to close in on Darland. Darland and Jones would battle side-by-side for the top spot through lapped traffic on laps 15-20. With Jones finally grabbing the lead on lap 21. Jones then cruised over the final 9 laps to pick up the win. Chris Windom charged from 9th to get 2nd, Shane Hmiel was able to get by Damion Gardner for 3rd on the final lap, with Terry Babb coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

Notes from 34: 20 Sprints, 18 Midgets and 16 Stock Cars showed up for action on the night......Dave Darland slowed on the final lap of the Midget feature while running 3rd and was credited with 8th....Levi Jones was credited with 10 after leading until the lap 20 flat tire ended his run up front....Kyle Robbins would start Bryan Clausen's back-up car on the tail of the field, but only made 1 lap and pulled in to get 17th....Kurt Mayhew had troubles all night long and was forced to scratch from the feature......John Oliver Jr. started the Stock Car feature in 13th and passed 7 cars to finish in 6th....Shane Watts came from 15th to finish in 7th....Brockway recovered from the lap 10 tangle to finish in 8th....Rookie Stock Car driver Derek St. Clair came from 16th to finish in 9th....Sky Griffith, another rookie Stock Car driver, crossed the finish line in 3rd. But was found to have no mufflers and was disqualified from the event......Justin Grant came from 11th to finish in 6th in the Sprint feature....Henry Clarke passed 6 cars to finish in 6th....Bryan Clausen came from 14th to finish in 9th....Dave Darland, who was battling for the lead early on, had mechanical troubles late and fell back to finish in 10th....Casey Riggs who brought out the red on the start would come back to finish 14th....Local driver Ryan Jamison started 19th and finished 15th....Blake Nimee (only 16 years old) rolled his Sprint during the third heat race to end his night.

Another Eight Features and Eight Different Winners on the Night at Lee County

2010-06-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Friday, June 25, 2010) - Once again the fans at the Lee County Speedway were treated to eight features in six classes, with eight different winners on the night.

The rained out Wild Things 12 lap feature was the first to take to the speedway, with Rex Smart and Kimberly Abbott on the front row. But it was third place starter Gabe Harrison who grabbed the lead on the drop of the green flag. The first and only caution of the event would come out after the completion of the lap, as Chuck Fullenkamp spun on the backstretch from contact from Abbott and Wayne Noble. On the restart Harrison moved back out into the lead, but had Bryan Rodefer, who started 8th, close behind in second. Rodefer would slip past Harrison on lap 2 to take over the top spot and then went on to lead the final 10 laps to claim the win. Harrison held on for 2nd, William Michel came from 15th to finish in 3rd, Don DeMint was 4th, with Smart holding on for 5th.

Up next was the 15 lap make-up Hobby Stock feature, with TJ Henderson and Dan Wenig leading the field to the green flag. But it was third place starter Dane Fenton who jumped out into the lead on lap 1. The first of three cautions would come out on lap 3, as Tanner Thomann slowed to a stop in turn 3 with troubles. On the restart Dan Wenig would slow in turn 2, while Jake Wenig got into the back stretch wall to bring the caution back out. Fenton moved back out into the lead on the restart, with Dean Kratzer, who started 9th, close behind in second. Kratzer would slip past Fenton coming off of turn 2 on lap 9 to grab the lead. But a caution before the lap was completed gave the lead back to Fenton. The caution would come out for Alex Buffington, who was running 3rd after starting 10th, when he slowed with troubles in turn 2. Once again Fenton would grab the lead on the restart, and again Kratzer would battle him in second. Kratzer would slip under Fenton on lap 12 to take over the top spot and then held on for the final 3 laps to pick up the win. Fenton held on for 2nd, Jeremy Pundt came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Victor Hastings was 4th, with Henderson holding on for fifth.

The first regular feature on the night was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods with Mitch Higdon and Rick Barlow Jr. making up the front row for the event. Barlow Jr. would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. But Hidgon would slip under him on lap 2 to take over the top spot. The first of two cautions would come out on lap 2, when Jacob Smith, who was running 5th, spun into the backstretch guardrail. On the restart Higdon moved back out into the lead, but was slowed on lap 3 for the final caution. Rodger Dresden spun in turn 2 and collected Dale Marriott. Higdon again moved back out front on the restart, with Barlow Jr. working to hold off Michael Bliven, Phillip Cossel and Jim Gillenwater for second. Higdon would pull away from the field over the final 12 laps to pick up his first win. Bliven won the battle for 2nd, Cossel was 3rd, Gillenwater was 4th, with Jason Cook coming from 9th to round out the top 5.

Terry Gallaher and Robby Warner led the field to the drop of the green in the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Warner grabbing the lead on lap 1. Warner would only lead that lap, as Tom Goble slipped under him on the next lap to take over the top spot. Goble then started to pull away from the field, when the first and only caution came out on lap 19. Jay Chenoweth would spin in front of the field in turn 2. On the restart Goble jumped back out into the lead, but had Justin Reed, who started 8th, close behind him. Reed would jump to the outside of Goble on lap 21 to take over the top spot and then held on for the final 4 laps to claim the win. Goble was 2nd, Warner held on for 3rd, Keith Pratt was 4th, with Tony Fraise coming home in fifth.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Nathan Wood and Luke McLaughlin on the front row. Wood would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1. He then pulled away to lead all 15 laps in a caution free event to pick up his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Jeff Mueller came from 8th to finish in 2nd, Derek St. Clair in his rookie season in the Stock Cars had a career best 3rd, Chris Webb was 4th, with McLaughlin holding on for 5th.

Dennis Krieger and Dean McGee led the field to the drop of the green in the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with McGee moving out front on lap 1. Krieger wouldn't give up, as he came back on the bottom to lead lap 2. But McGee would come back up top to grab the top spot back on lap 3. With McGee and Krieger battling for the lead, Josh Foster, who started 8th, quickly worked the top of the speedway to get up to battle for the lead. Foster would slip by the top of McGee on lap 4 to take over the lead. The first of 2 cautions would come out on lap 5, as Hunter Marriott spun coming out of turn 4. On the restart Foster moved back out into the lead and was pulling away from the field. Foster's lead was erased on lap 16, when Levi Smith slowed with troubled. Foster again jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Michael Long, who started 11th, and Brandon Rothzen, who started 9th, battling it out for second. Long put pressure on Foster for the lead on lap 18, but bobbled in turn 2 to lose some ground which allowed Foster to hold on for his 4th win of the season at the track. Long was 2nd, Rothzen was 3rd, Jeff Waterman fresh off his HDT win the night before at Cresco was 4th, with Rich Smith coming home in 5th.

Matt Tucker and Alex Buffington led the field to the green in the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, but the caution would come out on the start for debris on the front stretch. On the original restart Buffington jumped out front on lap 1 over Tucker. The next caution would appear on the completion of lap 1, as Dean Kratzer spun off of turn 4 with a right front flat. Buffington once again moved back out into the lead on the restart, with Tucker close behind in second. Buffington would go on to lead all 15 laps to claim his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Tucker held on for 2nd, Tanner Thomann was 3rd, Victor Hastings came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Jake Wenig rounding out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 12 lap Wild Things, with Jerrod Nichols and Todd Cloke on the front row. Cloke would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. The first of four cautions would come out on the completion of the lap when Derek Randall spun in turn 4. On the restart Cloke moved back out into the lead, with Wayne Noble, who started 8th, close behind in second. Cloke would hold off Noble until the next caution came out on lap 5 when Randall spun in 2 for his second solo to end his night. On the restart Noble would jump to the outside of Cloke to grab the top spot. But another caution on lap 8 for Don DeMint who spun in turn 2 and collected Dakota Fenton and Nick Wilkerson. On the restart Brandon Lambert would jump to bring out the yellow, he was docked two spots on the restart. Noble again grabbed the lead on the restart and then held off Gabe Harrison, who started 9th, on the final lap to pick up his first win of 2010 at the track. Kimberly Abbott was 3rd, William Michel came from 12th to finish in 4th, with Nichols holding on for 5th.

Notes from LCS: 24 Late Models, 23 Wild Things, 22 Hobby Stock, 20 Modifieds, 19 SportMods and 16 Stock Cars made up the 124 cars signed in for competition.....Wayne Noble recovered from the lap 1 contact in the make up Wild Thing feature to come back to finish in 8th....Chuck Fullenkamp also recovered from the lap 1 crash to come back to finish 10th....Cory Sheetz came from 18th to finish in 11th......Ray Raker came from 13th to finish in 6th in the make up Hobby Stock feature....Dan Wenig recovered from his lap 3 caution to come back to finish in 9th....Travis Lair started 15th and finished in 10th......A.J. Johnson came from 11th to finish 6th in the SportMod feature....Rod Staats passed 9 cars from his 19th place starting spot to finish in 10th....Jacob Smith recovered from his lap 2 spin to finish in 12th....Dale Marriott made the pull up from Brookfield, MO to compete in the SportMod feature. He would get caught up in Rodger Dresden's spin on lap 3 to end his night......Boone McLaughlin started 11th and came home 7th in the Late Model feature....Mark Burgtorf came from 15th to finish in 10th....Colby Springsteen started 22nd and came home in 17th....Rob Toland started 24th and finished in 19th....Jeff Aikey was running 13th on the lap 19 caution, when he pulled into the pits with troubles to end his night in 22nd.....Cale Samberg started the Stock Car feature in 16th and would come home in 10th......Mike Weikert Jr. came from 20th in the Modified feature to finish in 12th....Hunter Marriott pulled up from Brookfield, MO to compete in the Modified feature. But mechanical troubles early in the feature would give him a 17th place finish....Jame Leffew took a nasty roll in turn 2 of the second Modified heat and collected the cars of Mike Weikert Jr. and Jeff Gerhardt. Leffew would climb from the heavily damaged car ok......Bobby Anders started 22nd in the Hobby Stock feature and passed 15 cars to take home a 7th place finish....Lane Kauffman came from 18th to finish in 14th....Travis Lair finished 15th after starting 21st....Jeremy Pundt was running 9th when he pulled off the track on lap 13 with a left rear flat......John Whalen came from 13th to finish in 6th in the Wild Things feature....Jason Barnes started 16th and finished in 9th....Bill Whalen Jr. came from 19th to finish in 12th....Daytona Fenton passed 9 cars from his 22nd starting spot to finish in 13th....Nick Wilkerson recovered from the lap 8 crash to finish in 14th....Matt Marshall came from 21st to finish in 15th....Jerry Ostby was running 3rd when he pulled off on lap 4 with front end troubles to end his night in 22nd.

34 Raceway Fans Were Treated to Six Features in Five Classes

2010-06-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

Burlington, IA (Saturday, June 19, 2010) - What a beautiful night it finally turned out to be on Saturday, as 34 Raceway was able to get in a race after three straight weeks of rain. The fans were treated to an extra feature on the night, as the rained out 4 Cylinder feature from May 15th was run before the regular night got started.

Up first on the night was the 12 lap 4 Cylinder make-up feature from May 15th. Bryce Bailey and Brad Chandler drew the front row for the event, with Bailey grabbing the lead on the drop of the green flag. Bailey would lead all 12 laps to claim the win. Chandler held on to finish in 2nd, Gabe Harrison came from 9th to finish in 3rd, William Michel was 4th, with Nick Wilkerson passing 11 cars from his 16th place starting spot to round out the top 5.

After 3 IMCA Modified heats, 3 IMCA Stock Car heats, 3 4 Cylinder heats, 3 Late Model heats, 3 Hobby Stock heats and 1 4 Cylinder B-Main the regular night features were set to begin.

Up first was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Darin Thye and Dustin Crear leading the field to the drop of the green flag. But the red would come out on the start as Brandon Rothzen, who started 6th, didn't come up to speed and caused a six car pile up behind him. Mike Weikert Jr., Adam Birck, Scott Boles, Jamie Smith, Scott Hogan and Norm Brakeville would all be involved. On the restart Thye would grab the lead on lap 1, but would only lead that lap as Crear jumped to the outside of him to grab the top spot away on lap 2. Crear then had to work to hold off Bill Roberts, until the next caution came out on lap 5. Adam Birck would spin in turn 3 to slow the event down. On the restart Matt Gavin, who started 21st and had worked his way to 11th, would spin off of turn 1 to bring the caution back out. Once again Crear jumped back out into the lead on the restart, with Roberts and Tyler VandeKamp battling it out for second. VandeKamp would work the bottom of the speedway to get under Crear on lap 9 to take over the top spot. But Crear didn't give up as he worked the top of the speedway for the next 2 laps to take the lead back on lap 11. Crear then held the top spot until lap 15, when VandeKamp again worked the bottom of the speedway to grab the lead back. VandeKamp then held off Rich Smith, who started 11th, over the final 5 laps to pick up his first career Modified feature win. Dusty Kraklio came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Jeff Waterman passed 12 cars from his 16th place starting spot to finish in 4th, with Dennis LaVeine coming from 13th to round out the top 5.

Next up was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Kirk Kinsley and Sky Griffith, rookie Stock Car driver, making up the front row for the event. Kinsley moved out front on lap 1 and then held it until the caution came out on lap 2. Greg Johnson, David Schrier and Bo Hunter collided in turn 1. On the restart Kinsley jumped back out into the lead, with Abe Huls close behind in second. Huls would work under Kinsley on lap 4 to take over the top spot, but a caution for Chris Webb who spun in turn 4 would give the lead back to Kinsley. Huls jumped back under Kinsley on restart to grab the lead on lap 4, with Jeff Mueller, who started 9th, following him into second. Huls was slowed on lap 5 when Rod Staats and Brian Holmes spun in turn 4 to bring caution out once again. Once again Huls moved out into the lead on the restart, with Mueller close behind in second. The battle for the lead was slowed for the final time on lap 6 for debris on the front stretch. Huls grabbed the lead on the restart and then held off Dave Warth on the final lap to pick up the win. Mueller held on for 3rd, Kinsley was 4th, with John Oliver Jr. coming home in 5th.

Brett Vanous and Merv Chandler drew the front row for the 12 lap 4 Cylinder feature. But it was third place started Geoffrey Theobald jumping out into the lead on lap 1. The first caution of the race would come out on lap 4 for debris. On the restart Theobald moved back out into the lead and then started to pull away slightly when another caution came out on lap 6. Jerrod Nichols would spin in turn 2. Theobald once again grabbed the lead on the restart and now had to work to hold off Bryce Bailey, who started 11th. The caution would appear again on lap 9 for Nick Wilkerson who stopped on the front stretch. But at the same time William Michel, who was running 4th, suddenly rolled in turn 4 to turn the caution into a red flag. He would climb out ok. On the restart Theobald jumped back out into the lead, with Bailey pressuring him for the top spot. But the battle would be slowed for the final time on lap 10, when Troy Wanders and Chandler spun in turn 2. Theobald again grabbed the lead on the restart and held off Bailey over the final 2 laps to claim the win. Wayne Noble was 3rd, Bryan Rodefer was 4th, with Chuck Fullenkamp rounding out the top 5.

Tom Goble and Shawn Mulvany drew the front row for the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Mulvany grabbing the lead on lap 1. Goble would jump to the outside of Mulvany on lap 2 to take over the top spot, with Justin Reed following him into second. Reed would then work under Goble on lap 5 to take over the lead. The first caution of the event would come out on lap 7, when Goble slowed with a left rear flat to end his run up front. On the restart Reed moved back out into the lead, with Rob Toland, who started 6th, close behind in second. Reed worked to hold off Toland until the next caution came out on lap 10, when Tom Bowling Jr. spun down the backstretch. On the restart Mick Wiele would spin off of turn 2 to bring the caution back out. Reed again moved back out into the lead on the restart, with Denny Woodworth close behind in second. Reed started to pull away from Woodworth and Joey Gower, who started 10th, when the final caution of the event brought the field back to his bumper. Duane Christisen would come to a stop in turn 2. Once again Reed would grab the lead on the restart and then held on for the final 5 laps to pick up the win. Woodworth held on for 2nd, Gary Russell passed 12 cars from his 15th starting spot to finish in 3rd, Gower held on for 4th, with Keith Pratt coming from 13th to round out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 15 lap Hobby Stocks, with Rob Wilsey and Roger Krieger drawing the front row for the event. Wilsey would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1, but disaster would strike him one lap later as he spun in turn 4. He would collected the cars of Victor Hastings, who was running 4th, and Dean Kratzer, who was running 5th. On the restart Dane Fenton and Chad Krogmeier would get into the backstretch wall to bring the caution back out. Caution would appear one more time on the second restart, when Josh Tripp spun in turn 4. Randy Wachter would inherit the lead on the restart and then held it until another caution came out on lap 4. Travis Hartman would spin in 4. Once again Wachter jumped out into the lead on the restart, with Tanner Thomann, who started 9th, close behind in second. The caution would come out for the final time on lap 6, when Wilsey spun down the front stretch. This would set up a green-white-checkered finish as the time limit was up on the event. On the restart Wachter moved out into the lead and then held on for the final 2 laps to pick up his second win in a row. Thomann held off Jake Wenig, who started 18th, for 2nd, Hastings recovered from the lap 1 crash to finish in 4th, with Krieger holding on to finish in fifth.

Notes from 34: 31 4 Cylinders, 27 Late Models, 26 Modifieds, 21 Hobby Stocks and 19 Stock Cars made up the 124 cars signed in to due battle on the night.....In the make-up 4 Cylinder feature Chuck Fullenkamp came from 13th to finish in 6th....Kimberly Abbot passed 11 cars from her 20th place start to finish in 9th....Jerrod Nichols came from 17th to finish in 12th....Corey Sheetz started 19th and finished in 13th....Justin Mosser passed 10 cars from his 24th starting spot to finish in 14th......A.J. Fike started the Modified feature in 23rd and passed 11 cars to take home a 12th place finish....Matt Gavin started in 21st and had worked his way to 11th when he spun off turn 1 on lap 5 to bring out the caution. He would work his way back up to finish in 13th....Mike Weikert Jr. recovered from the wreck on the start to come back to finish in 14th....Norm Brakeville was another driver involved in the wreck on the start. He would recover to finish in 15th....Josh Foster got disqualified after his heat race for no stickers on the wheels. He would choose to load up and go home, rather then tag the back of the feature......Gabe Harrison came from 12th to finish 6th in the regular 4 Cylinder feature....Rex Smart started 13th and came home home in 7th....Bill Whalen Jr. passed 10 cars from his 18th starting spot to finish in 8th....Darin Smith came from 15th to finish in 9th....Amanda Tipps came from 21st to finish in 14th....Troy Wanders recovered from the lap 10 spin to finish in 17th....Seth Woodruff was running 6th when he started to loose some fluids on the speedway on lap 5. He would retire to the pits on the lap 6 caution to finish in 22nd.....Nate Beuseling started the Late Model feature in 14th and passed 5 cars to finish in 9th....Robby Warner started 20th and passed 10 cars to finish in 10th....Matt Ryan would passed 13 cars from his 25th starting spot to finish in 12th....Lonnie Bailey came from 24th to finish in 15th....Jeff Guengerich passed 11 cars from his 27th place start to finish in 16th....Brett Diercks started 8th and had worked his way to 2nd by lap 10. He would get a little out of shape on the lap 11 restart, which resulted in some contact between he and Denny Woodworth. On the second restart of the same lap Diercks would pull into the pits with a left rear flat, a result of the contact the restart before....Rob Toland came from 6th and had worked his way into 2nd on lap 8. He was going for the lead on the next lap, when he slowed and pulled into the pit with a broken gear......Alex Buffington started the Hobby Stock feature in 13th and passed 6 cars to finish in 7th....Dan Wenig had to come from the rear of the field, as he got a flat from contact in the lap 1 wreck. He would come back up to finish in 9th....Aric Webb came from 21st to finish in 13th.

Lee County Speedway Almost Escapes Mother Nature

2010-06-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Friday, June 18, 2010) - Mother nature has really played a big roll in the 2010 season when it comes to dirt track racing. Despite all the rain in the area on Friday afternoon the Lee County Speedway was able to escape them and was able to get there regular night started.

The first feature of the night was the 15 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Jim Redmann and Corey Strothman leading the field to the green flag. Strothman jumped out into the lead on lap 1, with Redmann close behind in second. The first of 3 cautions would come out on lap 2, when Jeff Mueller spun in turn 2. On the restart Strothman moved back out into the lead, with Redmann working to hold off Abe Huls for second. Strothman started to pull away from the battle for second, when the second caution came out on lap 11. Josh Robinson would spin in turn 4. Strothman again grabbed the lead on the restart, but was slowed on lap 12 when Devon Timmerman slowed in turn four with a right front flat. Once again Strothman jumped out into the lead on the restart, but now had Jason Cook, who started 8th, on his back bumper. Strothman, was working the top of the speedway, and Cook, was on the bottom, came off turn 2 on the last lap side-by-side. Cook drove hard into turn three on the bottom and drifted up in front of Strothman to come off four for the win. Redmann settled for 3rd, John Oliver Jr. came from 7th to finish in 4th, with Huls rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with Rick Barlow Jr. and Rod Staats on the front row. Barlow Jr. took advantage of his front row start to jump into the lead on lap 1. He would only lead that lap, as Jim Gillenwater, who started 5th, slipped under Barlow Jr. on lap 2 to grab the top spot. Gillenwater then started to pull away from the rest of the field when the first of 2 cautions came out on lap 8. Sarah Tweedy was getting lapped and came off of turn 4 sideways and collected the cars of Michael Bliven and Phillip Cossel. On the restart Gillenwater moved back out into the lead, but now had Jason Cook, who started 10th, close behind in second. The final caution of the event came out on lap 9, when Cossel spun in turn 3. Once again Gillenwater grabbed the lead on the restart and then held off Cook over the final 6 laps to claim the win. Barlow Jr. held on for 3rd, Thad Gaylord was 4th, with AJ Johnson coming from 11th to round out the top 5.

Andy Krieger and James Leffew led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Leffew jumping out front on lap 1. Leffew slowly started to pull away from the rest of the field, when he was slowed on lap 3. Dustin Crear, who was running 8th, spun in turn 4 to bring the first caution out. On the restart Leffew moved back out into the lead and again was slowly pulling away from the field. But he would get sideways coming off turn 2 on lap 7 and had to go through the infield grass. He would come back out on the backstretch with the lead, but had Josh Foster, who started 9th, right behind him. Foster would slip under Leffew on lap 8 to take over the top spot, with the caution coming out after the completion of the lap. Dean McGee would spin in turn 4. Foster grabbed the lead on the restart and then pulled away for his second win in a row at the track. Leffew held on for a season best 2nd at the speedway, Rich Smith came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Brandon Rothzen started 10th and passed 6 cars to come home in 4th, with Adam Birck coming home in 5th.

The 12 lap Wild Things feature took to the track next, with Rex Smart and Kimberly Abbott on the front row after Ethan Thompson, who was suppose to start on the pole but scratched from the event. On the drop of the green flag Don DeMint would spin in turn 2 to bring the caution out. Mother nature then moved in, with strong winds and then heavy rains to cancel the Wild Things and Hobby Stock features.

Notes from LCS: Kimberly Abbott won the Wild Thing Rookie Rally after all the heat races were completed. The Rookie Rally was for any driver who hasn't won a feature in 2010 at the speedway and wasn't in the top 5 in points. She would beat 14 other drivers to take the win......Jeff Mueller had some smoke come out from under the hood in his Stock Car heat. The crew changed motors for the feature, where he started 13th. Mueller would spin in turn 2 on lap 2 to bring the first caution out, but later retired to the pits with mechanical troubles to finish in 15th....Nathan Wood made the pull to LCS when CJ Raceway got rained out. He would have to start the heat in 8th, with no point average and got up to finish 5th. Wood then started the feature in 10th, where he finished in his first trip of 2010 to LCS......L.Z. Coleman started the SportMod feature in 14th and passed 5 cars to finish in 9th....Jason Doyle made the pull down from Cedar Rapids to run in the SportMod class. He would have to start 6th in the heat, with no points average, but managed to get up to 4th. Doyle then started the feature in 12th and passed 2 cars finish in 10th.....Rod Staats was running in the second spot, when he pitted on lap 9 with troubles. He would return to the back of the field and managed to get back up to finish in 12th....Cody Layman came down from Ainsworth and started 18th in the feature. He would pass 5 cars to take home a 13th place finish.......Dustin Crear spun on lap 3 while running 8th in the Modified feature. He would recover from the back of the field to finish in 9th....Jerry Pratt made the pull down from Bennett, after Davenport wasn't racing due to Sturgis By The River. He would start the feature in 18th and passed 7 cars to finish in 11th....Andrew Burk from Eldridge was another driver making the pull down after Davenport wasn't racing. He started the feature in 12th, where he finished....Jacob Waterman came down from Milan, IL after Davenport took a week off. He had the worst luck of the 3 drivers. He started 19th in the feature and had rear end troubles early in the race to give him a 18th place finish....A make-up date for the rained out Wild Things and Hobby Stock features haven't been set yet as of this writing.

Lee County Speedway Fans Saw Eight Features and Eight Different Winners

2010-06-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Friday, June 11, 2010) - The fans in attendance Friday night at the Lee County Speedway were treated to 8 features, as the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and Wild Things features rained out from last Friday were run first. In the 8 features run on the night, there were 8 different winners.

The first feature on the night was the make-up 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Andy Krieger and Rob Kirchner on the front row. Kirchner grabbed the lead on the drop of the green flag and then held it until the caution came out on lap 3. Krieger, who was running second, slowed to a stop in turn four to bring out the caution. On the restart Rich Smith would jump to the outside of the track to get around Kirchner for the top spot. After the completion of the lap Mike Weikert Jr. and Dustan Fenton got stuck together in turn two to bring caution back out. Smith moved back out front on the restart and started to pull away from the field. With Smith out to a straight-away lead, Wyatt Lantz, who started 8th, and Brandon Rothzen, who started 11th, were battling it out for second. A caution on lap 12 for Adam Birck who spun in turn 4 brought the field back to Smith's back bumper. On the restart Jeff Waterman, who was running 3rd, got sideways and collected Brandon Savage, Josh Foster and Dean McGee to bring the caution back out. Waterman, Foster and Savage pitted and were done for the event, while McGee tagging the back. Once again Smith grabbed the lead on the restart, with Lantz and Rothzen continuing there battle for second. The field was slowed one last time on lap 18, as Birck spun off 4 for his second solo. Smith would go on to lead the final 2 laps to claim his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Lantz held off Rothzen by inches in the battle for second, Bill Roberts would come from 12th to finish in 4th, with McGee coming back to finish in 5th.

Up next was the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car make-up feature, with Corey Strothman and Damon Aplara leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Strothman would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap l. The only caution of the event would come out on lap 4, as Jason Cook spun in turn 4. On the restart Strothman again grabbed the top spot, with Chris Webb working to hold off Jeff Mueller, who started 10th. Mueller would work the bottom of the speedway to get around Webb and then Strothman on lap 8 to take over the lead. But Strothman wouldn't give up easy, as he followed Mueller in his tracks for the next 6 laps. Strothman would get under Mueller going into turn three on the last lap and then came out of four with the lead to pick up his first win of 2010 at the track. Mueller held on for 2nd, Matt Greiner came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Webb was 4th, with John Oliver Jr. coming home in 5th.

Jerrod Nichols and Roscoe Mosser led the field to green in the 12 lap Wild Things make-up feature, but it was 10th place starter Bryan Rodefer quickly moving through the field to grab the lead on lap 1. The only caution of the event would come out on lap 3, as Mosser spun into the front stretch wall. On the restart Rodefer jumped back out into the lead, with C.J. Loring and William Michel, who started 12th, close behind in second. The top three cars would enter lapped traffic on the final lap, with Rodefer and Michel choosing the top to get around the lapped car. But the lapped car would push up in front of them, allowing Loring to shoot to the bottom to get by them coming out of turn 2. Loring then held on through 3 and 4 to get his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Rodefer recovered to finish in 2nd, Michel was 3rd, Gabe Harrison was 4th, with Chuck Fullenkamp coming home in 5th.

The first feature on the regular program was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods, with Tim Zeman and Mitch Higdon on the front row. Zeman grabbed the lead on the drop of the green flag and would hold it until the first of three cautions came out on lap 2. Dean Kratzer would spin hard into the front stretch wall to bring the caution out. He would drive away with heavy damage, but was done for the night. On the restart Zeman jumped back out front, but now had Jason Cook battling him for the lead. Cook would jumped to the outside of Zeman on lap 8 to take over the top spot and then held it until the next caution came out on lap 11. Rodger Dresden would spin in turn 2. On the restart Zeman, who was running 3rd, slowed to a stop in turn 2 with mechanical troubles. Cook would move back out front on the restart and then held on over the final 4 laps to pick up his second win of the season at the track. Michael Bliven would come home in 2nd, AJ Johnson came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Derek Coleman started 8th and finished in 4th, with Jacob Smith coming from 13th to round out the top 5.

Travis Lair and Bob Cowman led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Lair grabbing the lead on lap 1. TJ Henderson would slip under Lair on lap 2 to grab the top spot and looked to be heading for his first win of the season at the speedway. But something would break on Henderson's car going into turn 3 which caused him to roll and bring out the red flag. He would cimb out ok. Tanner Thomann would inherit the lead on the restart, with Jake Wenig close behind in 2nd. Jake Wenig would jump to the outside of Thomann coming off of turn 2 on lap 8 to grab the lead away. But a caution before the lap was completed for Ronald Kibbe who spun in turn 4, would give the lead back to Thomann. On the restart Thomann again had to work to hold off Jake Wenig, when another caution would come out on lap 11. Dane Fenton, who started 13th and had worked his way to 5th, spun into the turn 2 guardrail to bring the caution out. Once again Thomann had to work to hold off Jake Wenig on the restart. But Jake would work around Thomann on lap 13 to take over the top spot and then held on to pick up his 3rd win of the season at the track. Thomann held on for 2nd, Dan Wenig was 3rd, Jeremy Pundt came from 9th to finish in 4th, with Jim Lynch rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Dustan Fenton and Dean McGee on the front row for the event. Fenton would jump out into the lead on the drop of the green flag, with the caution coming out after the completion of the lap. Rich Smith would come to a stop on the front stretch. On the restart Fenton moved back out into the lead, with McGee and Bill Roberts battling for second. Fenton was slowed one more time on lap 5, as Mike Weikert Jr., who was running 7th, spun on the front stretch to bring the caution out. Fenton again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Roberts working to hold off Josh Foster, who started 8th, for second. Wyatt Lantz, who started 10th had worked his was to 4th, when he spun coming off of turn 4 on lap 7 and collected Brandon Rothzen, who started 11th. Lantz would pull in, with Rothzen having to go to the back. On the restart Foster would jump to the top of the track to grab the top spot away from Fenton and then started to pull away. But another caution would come out on lap 14, when Levi Smith spun to a stop in turn 3. Fenton's great run up front came to a stop on lap 16, as he spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out. Foster would jump out into the lead on the restart and then pulled away over the final 4 laps to claim his 2nd win of the season at the track. Roberts held on for 2nd, Jeff Waterman would come home in 3rd, Dustin Crear started 13th and passed 9 cars to finish in 4th, with Rothzen recovering the the lap 7 troubles to finish in 5th.

Dave Warth and Corey Strothman led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 15 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Strothman grabbing the lead on lap 1. Strothman would hold the lead until the first caution came out on lap 4. John Oliver Jr. tried to get under Luke McLaughlin for second going into turn four, but would push up into McLaughlin causing him to spin and bring out the caution. On the restart Strothman again grabbed the lead, but had Warth, Matt Greiner, who started 10th, and Jeff Mueller who started 13th, close behind. Greiner would slip under Strothman on lap 10 to grab the lead away, with Mueller following him into second. Mueller then pulled the same move as Greiner on lap 12 to take the top spot away. The final two cautions came out on lap 12, as a tire was pushed out onto the track both times. On both restarts Mueller grabbed the lead and then held off Greiner to claim his second win of the season at the speedway. Jason Cook would come from 9th to finish in 3rd, Warth held on for 4th, with Strothman coming home in 5th.

The final feature on the night was the 12 lap Wild Things, with Rex Smart and Jerry Ostby on the front row. But it was 6th place starter CJ Loring quickly coming to the front to grab the lead on lap 1. The first of 2 cautions would come out after the completion of lap 1 for debris. On the restart Loring moved back out into the lead, but was again slowed on lap 6 for the final caution. Daytona Fenton would spin into the turn four guardrail to bring the caution out. Loring again moved out front on the restart and would hold on over the final 6 laps to claim his second win of the night. But he was claimed by Dakota Fenton and refused, which gave Fenton his first win of the season. William Michel came from 9th to finish in 2nd, Ostby held on for 3rd, Chuck Fullenkamp was 4th, with Don DeMint coming home in 5th.

Notes from LCS: The make-up Modified feature saw Mike Weikert Jr. recover from his tangle on lap 5 to come back to finish 6th......Jason Cook came back from his lap 4 spin in the make-up Stock Car feature to finish in 6th....Michael Grossman came from 15th in the make-up Wild Thing feature and passed 6 cars to finish in 9th......Jim Gillenwater started 9th in the SportMod feature and had worked his way up to 5th by lap 4. But he would pull in on that lap with mechanical troubles to end his run to the front......Rich Smith slowed to a stop on lap 1 of the Modified feature to bring out the caution. He would dart to the pits to make repairs and rejoined the field at the back for the restart. Smith then passed 9 cars to come back to finish in 6th....Mike Weikert Jr. recovered from his lap 5 spin to finish in 7th....Dean McGee was running 4th when he slowed on lap 17 with troubles and pulled in to end his run up front......Jeff Mueller discovered he dropped a valve after the first Stock Car feature, so they went to work and changed motors. He was forced to scratch from the heat, which put him 13th in the feature. Mueller would work the bottom of the speedway to quickly move to 3rd by the lap 4 caution. He then followed Greiner pass Strothman on lap 10 and then used the same pass on lap 12 to get by Greiner for the lead. Mueller then led the final 3 laps to claim the win....Abe Huls had motor troubles in the first Stock Car feature and was forced to scratch from the second feature....Chuck Fullenkamp had to pit on lap 1 of the Wild Thing feature to remove the back bumper which was hanging from his car. He would charge back through the field to finish in 4th....Gabe Harrison blew his motor on the final lap of the first Wild Thing feature. He would jump into the car driven by Michael Grossman in the second feature and had to start last on the field. He would pass 12 cars to take home a 8th place finish.

Gharst, Lynch and Pundt Top Wednesday Night Special at the Lee County Speedway

2010-06-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Wednesday, June 9, 2010) - The Sprint Invaders returned to the Lee County Speedway on Wednesday, along with the Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. Picking up wins on the night were Kaley Gharst (Sprints), Jim Lynch (Modifieds) and Jeremy Pundt (Hobby Stocks).

The 20 lap Modified feature was up first, with Brandon Rothzen and Lonnie Heap drawing the front row. Rothzen would take advantage of his front row draw to grab the lead on the drop of the green flag. Rothzen only held the top spot for one lap, as Jim Lynch jumped to the top of the speedway to grab the lead away on lap 2. The first caution would come out on lap 5, when Michael Long spun in turn turn. On the restart Lynch moved back out into the lead, with Rothzen working to hold off Josh Foster. With Lynch pulling away, Rothzen and Foster would swap second several times before the next caution came out on lap 8. Levi Smith would come to a stop in turn 4. On the restart Rob Kirchner would get into the back of Brandon Savage, with the 2 getting tangled together. Once again Lynch would grab the lead on the restart, with Rothzen and Foster going at it for second. Lynch started to pull away from the battle for second, when another caution came out on lap 16. Lonnie Heap, who was running 5th, spun into the wall on the backstretch going into turn 3. The field was slowed again on lap 17 when Brandon Savage got into Andy Krieger in turn 2. The final caution of the event would come out on lap 19, as Kirk Hopkins spun to a stop in turn 4 after contact with Kirchner. This would set up a green-white-checkered overtime finish. On the restart Lynch moved out into the lead, but now had to work to hold off Rothzen and Michael Long, who came from the rear. Long would get past Rothzen on the restart, but couldn't get past Lynch who went on to pick up his first win of the season at the speedway. Long held on for 2nd, Wyatt Lantz came from 12th and was moved to 3rd, Adam Birck started 16th and would get 4th, with Foster coming home in 5th.

Jake Wenig and Jeremy Pundt drew the front row for the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Pundt grabbing the lead on lap 1. Wenig would come back on the bottom to grab the lead away on lap 2, but Pundt wouldn't give up as he came back on the top to grab the top spot back on lap 3. The battle for the lead was slowed on lap 4, when Michael Wenke spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. On the restart Pundt moved back out into the lead, but Wenig would keep working on him for the top spot. The field was slowed again on lap 6 when Josh Tripp spun in turn 1. Again Pundt would jump out into the lead on the restart, with Wenig having to battle Dane Fenton, who started 7th, for second. Pundt would hold off a last lap challenge from Fenton to claim his first career win in the Hobby Stock division. Wenig held on for 3rd, Ray Raker was 4th, with Tanner Thomann coming from 11th to round out the top 5.

The final feature on the night was the 25 lap Sprint Invaders, with Kaley Gharst and Josh Higday on the front row. Gharst would power out into the lead on the drop of the green flag and quickly pulled away until lap 8. Ben Wagoner would slow to a stop in turn 3 on lap 8 to bring the first caution out. On the restart Gharst again pulled out to a big lead, with Tasker Phillips and Jim Moughan battling for second. The second caution of the event would come out on lap 11, as Travis Porter spun in turn 4. Gharst again moved out into the lead on the restart, with Phillips close behind in second. Gharst again started to pull away from the field when he was slowed on lap 22. Jon Agan, who was battling for 8th, would clip a tire coming off turn four and rolled to bring out the red. He would climb from the machine ok. On the restart Gharst pulled away over the final 3 laps to pick up the win. Phillips had a career best 2nd with the Invaders, Moughan held on for 3rd, Mark Shirshekan came from 12th to finish in 4th, with Russ Hall coming home in 5th.

Notes from LCS: 30 Sprints, 23 Hobby Stocks and 18 Modifieds made up the 71 cars in the 3 classes......Brandon Rothzen would cross the finish in 3rd in the Modified feature. But he would run into the back of Long's car after the checkered flag. He was then disqualified for the actions after the checkered....Michael Long was leading his heat race, but pulled off with mechanical troubles forcing him to start the feature in 18th. He would spin in turn 2 on lap 5 to move back to the back. Long would jump to the top of the track to pick cars off, and by lap 17 he was up to 4th. He would then get into 2nd with 2 laps to go, but came up short for the win....Josh Foster was battling Rothzen for second until lap 17. Foster would get sideways on the restart and fell back to 7th. But he would recover over the final laps to finish in 5th....Andy Krieger recovered from the lap 17 tangle to finish in 6th....Dustin Crear came from 15th and passed 7 cars to finish in 8th....Rich Smith dropped a valve in his heat race and was forced to scratch from the feature......Jim Lynch came from 19th in the Hobby Stock feature and passed 12 cars to finish in 7th....Chuck Underwood came from 20th to finish in 9th....Rob Wilsey came from 21st and passed 11 cars to finish in 10th....Dean Kratzer came from 10th and had worked his way to second by lap 9. But he would pull off on lap 9 with a flat to end his great run to the front.......Bobby Mincer came from 16th to finish 7th in the Sprint feature....Ryan Jamison came from 13th to finish in 8th....Donnie Steward started 14th to finish in 9th....Jarrod Schneiderman came from 18th and passed 7 cars to finish in 11th....Matt Harms came from 20th to finish in 14th.

Reed, Long, Tomlinson and Anders Visit Quincy Raceways Victory Lane

2010-06-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

Quincy, IL (Sunday, June 6, 2010) - Despite the rains that moved through the area on Saturday night, the Quincy Raceways was able to get there Sunday night events in. Justin Reed (IMCA Late Models), Michael Long (UMP Modifieds), Kevin Tomlinson (IMCA Stock Cars) and Bobby Anders (Hobby Stocks) took home the feature wins in there respectable classes.

The first feature on the night was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Kevin Tomlinson and Wesley Mayfield on the front row. Tomlinson took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. But a caution after the completion of the lap would slow him down, as Jerry Jansen and Andrew Griffin got together on the front stretch to bring out the caution. On the restart Tomlinson moved back out into the lead, with Steve Steinkuhler and Abe Huls battling for second. Tomlinson started to pull away from the field when the final caution of the race came out on lap 8 to bring the field back to his bumper. Aaron Brocksieck, who was running 4th, dropped a drive shaft on the front stretch to bring out the final caution. Tomlinson again grabbed the top spot on the restart, but now had Huls close behind in second. Tomlinson would pull away over the final 12 laps to pick up his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Huls held on for 2nd, Steinkuhler was 3rd, Terry Houston was 4th, with Jim Redmann coming home in 5th.

Up next was the 20 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Nathan Anders and Larry Powell making up the front row. Nathan Anders would grab the lead on lap 1 from his front row starting spot and then held it until the caution came out on lap 10. Jim Powell would spin down the front stretch with a left front flat tire to bring out the only caution of the event. On the restart Nathan Anders moved back out front, but now had Steve Carlin, who started 10th, close behind in second. Carlin would slip under Nathan Anders on lap 12 to take over the top spot, bringing Bobby Anders, who started 7th, with him into second. Carlin then held the lead until lap 15, when Bobby Anders got under him to take over the top spot. Bobby Anders would go on to the final 5 laps to claim his third win of the season at the track. Carlin held on for 2nd, Nathan Anders was 3rd, Jake Powers came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Larry Powell holding on for 5th.

Justin Jennings was suppose to be on the pole of the 30 lap IMCA Late Model feature, but he choose to start tail. That would put Ron Elbe and Nick Ingalls on the front row for the event. Ingalls would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1, with Elbe and Lonnie Bailey battling it out for second. The first of 2 cautions in the event would come out on lap 7, as Vance Wilson, who was running 5th, slowed with a left rear flat tire. On the restart Dustin Neese would loose a right front tire to bring the caution back out. Ingalls would jump back out into the lead on the restart, with Bailey, Denny Woodworth, who started 9th, and Justin Reed, who started 11th, putting on a show for second. Reed would jump to the top of the track to get by Woodworth and Bailey on lap 13 and then went to work on Ingalls for the lead. Ingalls held off Reed until lap 15, when Reed got by for the top spot. Reed then held off Bailey over the final laps to claim his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Woodworth came home in 3rd, Ingalls held on for 4th, with Jason Perry coming from 12th to round out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 25 lap UMP Modifieds, with Michael Long and Jared Schlipman making up the front row. On the start of the race Steve DeLonjay, who started 3rd, and Wyatt Lantz, who started 4th, made contact on the front stretch, with Lantz pounding the outside wall. Lantz then slowed to a stop in turn three with rear end damage to end his night, DeLonjay was put to the back for being a part of the caution. On the restart Jerry Lierly would spin in turn 3 to bring the caution back out. Long would grab the lead on the restart, but was slowed after the completion of the lap for a red flag. Lierly and Joe Kindhart got together down the front stretch, with Kindhart taking a roll just past the flag stand. He would climb out ok, but done for the night. On the restart Long again moved out into the lead, with Schlipman giving chase in second. Another caution would come out on lap 3, as Bill Parks, who was running 7th, came to a stop on the backstretch. Once again Long would move out into the lead on the restart, with Schlipman trying to get around him. Long started to pull away from the field, when another caution would appear on lap 16. Jake Griffin would come to a stop on the backstretch to bring caution back out. On the restart Tony Dunker, who was running 5th, slowed to a stop on the back stretch with rear end troubles to bring the caution back out. Long jumped back out front on the restart and then pulled away over the final 9 laps to pick up his third win of 2010 at the speedway. Schlipman held on for 2nd, David Wietholder came from 7th to finish in 3rd, Justin Reed charged from 19th to take home a 4th place finish, with Terry Cox coming home in fifth.

Notes from Quincy: Rookie Late Model drive Justin Jennings came off turn 4 on the last lap of his heat sideways, with Dustin Griffin under him. Jennings would try to correct after contact with Griffin and would hit the wall just past the flag stand. He would cross the line in second, but had heavy front end damage. Jennings was scheduled to start the Late Model feature on the pole, but decided to fall to the rear with all the damage. He would make a few laps in the feature before pulling in....Tony Dunker came from 18th and passed 10 cars to finish in 8th....Robbie Warner started 17th and would come home in 9th......Robbie Reed started the Modified feature in 22nd and passed 16 cars to finish in 6th....James Leffew came from 21st and passed 14 cars to finish in 7th....Les Harding passed 9 cars from his 18th starting spot to finish in 9th....Ben Huff started 16th and finished in 10th....Troy Grotz started 23rd and passed 11 cars to take home a 12th place finish....Ryan Porter came from 24th and passed 10 cars to finish in 14th....Steven DeLonjay had worked his way back to 7th when smoke came from under the hood on lap 8 to end his night....Ryan Meyer was running 4th when he went to the pits on the lap 2 red, giving him a 21st place finish.

Guengerich, Johnson, Wenig and Rain Top Night Five of the Lee County Speedway

2010-06-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

Donnellson, IA (Friday, June 4, 2010) - Just when everybody thought mother nature was going to be kind to the Lee County Speedway for the second week in a row, well it almost came true. The sun was out all day long, which looked to be a beautiful Friday night for racing. But just about 5:30, the time to open the pits, the skies darkened and about a 20 minute shower moved over the track. Shortly after the blue skies appeared along with the sun, so things went on as scheduled.

The first feature on the night was the 15 lap IMCA SportMods, with Rich Uppinghouse and Rick Barlow Jr. on the front row. Barlow Jr. would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. But his lead only lasted 1 lap, as AJ Johnson slipped by to take over the top spot. Barlow Jr. didn't give up that easy, as he came back on the next lap to grab the lead back. Just like Barlow Jr., Johnson didn't lay down that easy, as he returned the move on Barlow Jr. to take the top spot back on lap 4. Once Johnson got out front he then started to pull away, until the one and only caution came out on lap 10 when Sarah Tweedy spun off turn 4. On the restart Johnson jumped back out into the lead and then held on over the final 5 laps to claim his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Dean Kratzer would come home in 2nd, Jim Gillenwater started 11th to finish in 3rd, Barlow Jr. held on for 4th, with Uppinghouse rounding out the top five.

Up next was the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Travis Hartman and Dane Fenton leading the field to the drop of the green flag. But the caution would come out before lap 1 could be completed, as Dave Cloke spun in turn 2. At the same time Hartman would head to the pits with mechanical troubles. This would move Jake Wenig to the pole for the restart, in which he would take advantage of to grab the lead on lap 1. The second of three cautions would appear on lap 4, when Josh Tripp spun in turn 4. Wenig again moved out front on the restart and started to pull away from the field, when the final caution came out on lap 6. Dan Wenig, who was running 8th, spun in turn 2 with a right rear flat. Once again Wenig moved out into the lead on the restart. Wenig would lead the final 9 laps to pick up his second win of the season at the track. Tanner Thomann came from 5th to finish in 2nd, Rob Wilsey started 7th to come home in 3rd, Fenton held on for 4th, with Victor Hastings coming home in 5th.

Tom Goble and Gary Russell made up the front row for the 25 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Russell moving out front on lap 1. With Russell out front, Jeff Guengerich, who started 5th, was working his way to the front. Russell had built up a good lead with Guengerich trying to close in on him, when the only caution of the event came out on lap 15. Robby Warner would spin coming off of turn 4. On the restart Guengerich would jump to the bottom of the speedway to try and work by Russell going into turn one. Russell and Guengerich would go into turn three side-by-side, when Russell jumped the cushion in four to fall back to sixth. Guengerich would take advantage of Russell's mistake to take over the top spot. Guengerich then pulled away over the final 9 laps to claim his first win of the season in the Team 15 car. Goble held on for 2nd, Tony Fraise was 3rd, Colby Springsteen came from 9th to finish in 4th, with T.J. Criss rounding out the top 5.

Just as the Late Model feature took the checkered flag, mother nature opened up the skies and down poured. The IMCA Modified, IMCA Stock Car and Wild Things features were forced to be canceled and will be made up on Friday, June 11th.

Notes from LCS: Jeff Guengerich's win in the Late Model feature made it 3 different winners in the 3 nights that the Late Models have raced at the speedway....Mark Burgtorf would take home the hard charger award on the night, as he started 15th and came home in 8th....Current IMCA Late Model National Points Leader Ray Guss Jr. and the Roberts Racing Team number 58 made the pull to Donnellson when there weekly track in Davenport was rained out. Guss Jr. would start the feature in 16th and only managed to get up to 14th....Justin Reed came from 22nd and would finish in 15th.......AJ Johnson would become the 5th different winner in 5 nights of racing for the SportMods.... Thad Gaylord started the feature in 14th and passed 6 cars to come home in 8th.

Schlipman and Klingele Go Back-to-Back; While Perry and Huls Get There First Wins at Quincy Raceways

2010-06-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

Quincy, IL (Sunday, May 30, 2010) - The Quincy Raceways was back in action on Sunday, with two drivers claiming there second wins in a row and two others getting there first.

The first feature of the night was the 20 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Aaron Brocksieck and Jerry Jansen leading the field to the green. Brocksieck would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1, with Abe Huls close behind in second. The first and only caution of the event came out on lap 2, as Steve Steinkuhler spun in turn two and collected Andrew Griffin. On the restart Brocksieck moved back out into the lead and then held it until lap 6, when Huls got by for the top spot. Huls would go on to lead the final 14 laps and held off Terry Houston at the line to pick up his first win of 2010 at Quincy. Steinkuhler recovered to finish in 3rd, Jansen held on for 4th, with Brocksieck slipping to 5th.

Up next was the 30 lap Sprint feature, with Jimmy Davies and Jimmy Hurley making up the front row. Davies took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. Jerrod Hull and Jim Moughan collided in turn 2 on lap 2 to bring the first caution out. On the restart Hurley would slip past Davies to grab the top spot away on lap 3. As Hurley started to pull away, the next caution would come out on lap 13. Terry Babb would spin in turn 2. Once again Hurley jumped out into the lead on the restart and started pulling away again. But the final caution would come out on lap 28 to set up a green-white-checkered finish. This time Kody Kinser would go over turns 1 & 2 with a left rear flat tire. Hurley again moved out front on the restart and held on to pick up the win. Aaron Bruns came home in 2nd, Hull came back to finish in 3rd, Moughan recovered to finish in 4th, with Jeremy Standridge coming home in 5th.

Nathan Hayes and Brian Hoener led the field to the green in the 20 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Hoener leading lap 1. The first of five cautions would come out on lap 3, as Nathan Anders came to a stop in turn 2. On the restart Hoener moved back out into the lead with Adam Scott close behind in second. The second caution would appear on lap 6, as Larry Powell got into the back of Bobby Anders. Anders would spin in front of Steve Carlin to end both drivers nights, with heavy damage done to both cars. On the restart Mike Wiley would get past Hoener to take over the top spot on lap 7. Wiley then held on until the caution came out on lap 17, when Jim Brown blew a tire on the front stretch. On the restart Jake Powers would get into the back of Wiley, spinning him in turn 4 to bring the caution back out. Tanner Klingele would inherit the lead and held on to pick up his second win in a row. Jim Powell came from 12th to finish in 2nd, Hoener held on for 3rd, Scott was 4th, with Justin Bartz coming from 14th to round out the top 5.

Ron Elbe and Lonnie Bailey drew the front row for the 30 lap IMCA Late Model feature, with Elbe grabbing the lead on the drop of the green. Elbe would hold the top spot until lap 3, when Bailey slipped under him for the lead. The first of two cautions would come out on lap 12, when a tire was pushed out into the racing groove. On the restart Bailey jumped back out into the lead and then held it until lap 14, when Jason Perry jumped to his outside to grab the top spot. Perry, Bailey and Denny Woodworth, who started 9th, waged a battle up front until the final caution came out on lap 26. Justin Jennings would go over turn 3 to bring out the caution. Perry would get the jump on the restart to hold on to pick up his first win of 2010 at the speedway. Woodworth won the battle for 2nd, Bailey was 3rd, Keith Pratt was 4th, with Justin Reed coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 25 lap UMP Modifieds, with Tony Dunker and Jared Schlipman on the front row. The Modifieds had troubles getting the first lap in, as three cautions would wave before lap 1 could be completed. The first caution was for Les Harding who spun in turn 2. On the next restart Justin Reed got into Gary Wilson in turn three and collected Bill Parks, Robbie Reed and Shawn Deering. Todd Reed, Steve Grotz, Jason Daggs, Ryan Morrison and Ben Huff would pile up in turn three on the next restart to put the field in single file formation. Dunker would grab the lead on lap 1 and then held on until another caution came out on lap 7. Joe Kindhart would spin in turn 4. Once again Dunker would moved out front on the restart, but was slowed on lap 12 for another caution. Robbie Reed would spin in turn 2. The final caution of the event would come out on the restart, when Deering spun in turn 4. Dunker grabbed the lead on the restart, but had to work to hold off Schlipman. Schlipman would jump to the outside of Dunker on lap 19 to take over the top spot and then went on to claim his second win in a row at the track. Dunker held on for 2nd, Steven DeLonjay was 3rd, Reed recovered to finish in 4th, with Ryan Meyer coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

Cook Survives to Claim the "Show-Me 100"

2010-06-07T14:59:00.000-07:00

Wheatland, MO (Saturday, May 29, 2010) - Saturday was night two of the 18th Annual DART "Show-Me 100" at the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO. This event was co-sanctioned by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and the Lucas Oil MLRA.

After the manufacturing race and three B-Mains the field was set for the 100 lap event in front of a standing room only crowd. Jimmy Owens and Earl Pearson Jr. would lead the field to the drop of the green flag, with Owens grabbing the lead on lap 1. Owens set a fast pace, as he entered lapped traffic by lap 6. The big advantage Owens had built up over the first 9 laps came to an abrupt end on lap 10. Brian Birkhofer got sideways in turn 4 and collected Chris Wall, who took a light roll to bring out the red. Owens who was getting ready to put them a lap down had nowhere to go and was collected up in the wreck, sending him to the rear of the field.

Don O'Neal would inherit the lead on the restart, but was slowed on lap 11 when Owens came to a stop with a flat. Once again O'Neal moved out into the lead on the restart only to be slowed 1 lap later, as Shannon Babb came to a stop with a flat. Steve Casebolt also took advantage of the caution to head into the pits for fresh rubber. O'Neal again grabbed the lead on the restart and started to pull away from the field when another caution came out on lap 21. Dale McDowell, who was running 5th, slowed with a flat to bring the caution back out.

On the restart O'Neal jumped back out into the lead for a couple of green flag laps, as another caution came out on lap 23. Brad Neat would come to a stop with a flat tire. Chris Wall would return to the feature after his lap 10 roll. A few more green flag laps would be run, before the caution came back out on lap 27. This time it was 6th place runner Scott Bloomquist who slowed to a stop with a flat tire. On the next lap Eric Jacobsen would spin in turn 2 to bring the caution back out. Billy Moyer would give up his 5th place spot to head to the pits.

O'Neal continued to lead the field on the restarts, with Terry Phillips and Ray Cook, who started 11th, moving pass Earl Pearson Jr. to battle for the second spot. O'Neal had built up an eight car advantage over the battle for second, when the caution came back out on lap 38. Chris Simpson rolled to a stop on the backstretch.

Once again O'Neal grabbed the top spot on the restart, with Phillips trying to hold off Cook and Billy Moyer Jr., who started 12th. O'Neal again built up a good lead, only to be slowed on lap 50 when Jacobsen spun in turn 2. Again O'Neal moved out front on the restart, but now had Cook stalking him in his tracks. As the battle for the lead heated up, Pearson Jr., who was running 4th, slowed to a stop on lap 52 with a flat to bring the caution back out.

On the next lap, lap 53, Jared Landers would spin in turn 4 to bring the caution out again. O'Neal would survive another restart on lap 56, when Owens got into the turn 4 wall hard to end his night. But another caution would appear on lap 58, as Will Vaught spun in turn 3. On the restart O'Neal jumped out front, with Cook close behind in second. O'Neal, was working the bottom of the speedway, as Cook, was running the top. Cook would work the top to perfection as he slipped past O'Neal on lap 62 to take over the top spot.

Just as Cook and O'Neal waged a battle for the lead, the caution would come back out on lap 65. Jesse Stovall would spin in turn 4. On the restart Cook moved out into the lead, with O'Neal and Casebolt, who pitted on lap 12, battling it out for second. Casebolt would jump to the outside of O'Neal on lap 70 to grab the second spot, and then set his sights on Cook for the lead. As Cook worked the high groove, Casebolt would work the bottom. On lap 73, Casebolt would slip under Cook to grab the top spot and then started to pull away from the field.

A caution on lap 82 would bring the field back to Casebolt's back bumper. This time John Blankenship, who started 29th and was up to 6th, came to a stop with a flat. On the restart Casebolt jumped out into the lead and was starting to pull away again. But disaster would strike Casebolt on lap 89, as he lost the drive shaft going down the front stretch to end his great run.

Cook would inherit the lead on the restart, with O'Neal battling him for the lead. Jimmy Mars would spin in turn 4 on lap 91 to bring the caution out again. On the restart Cook again worked to hold off O'Neal, but the final caution would appear on lap 92. Landers would come to a stop in turn 4.

On the final restart Cook moved back out into the lead and then fended off O'Neal to claim the $30,000 "Show-Me 100". Phillips came home in 3rd, Eric Wells started 27th and passed 23 cars to finish in 4th, Dennis Erb Jr. passed 19 cars after starting in 24th to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 20 lap Modified feature, with Jesse Stovall and Steve Martin on the front row. Martin would get the jump on the drop of the green flag to lead lap 1, with Stovall and Tim Setzer battling for second. Martin held the top spot until lap 10, when he pulled in with a flat tire. Stovall would inherit the lead and then pulled away from the field to pick up his 6th straight win at the track. Setzer came home 2nd, Johnny Fennewald was 3rd, Terry Kirk was 4th, with Chance Bishop coming from 17th to round out the top 5.

Lucas Notes: 73 Late Models and 31 Modifieds took part in the two-day show......Billy Moyer Jr. showed everybody that he was ready to battle with the top drivers in the country. He started the 100 lap event in 12th and had battled his way into the top 3 by the midway portion. But he would slip on the final restarts to finish in 6th....Bloomquist recovered from his flat on lap 27 to work his way back to 7th....Dan Schlieper started 14th and finished in 8th....Brad Neat came back to finish 9th after his lap 23 flat....Mike Marlar started 19th and passed 9 cars to finish in 10th....Blankenship came back from his lap 82 flat to finish in 11th....Al Purkey took an MLRA provisional and started 26th. He would pass 12 cars to take home a 14th place finish....Wall returned to the feature on lap 24, after his lap 10 roll. He would survive to take home a 19th place finish......Jon Sheets started the Modified feature in 13th and passed 7 cars to finish in 6th....Jody Tillman came from 12th to finish in 7th....Josh Greggs started 20th and passed 10 cars to finish in 10th....Kyle Covert came from 18th to finish in 11th....Justin Rexwinkle started 19th and finished in 12th....Jerry Lankton came from 21st to finish in 15th.