B Shepp and Superman on Top at Donnellson

 Leaving work in Quincy at 5:12, I hustled to the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson to encounter what was already a full parking lot and a large crowd in the grandstands. I t was obvious looking across the track that the pit area was filled with tow rigs and race cars, and as I had passed the Tony Dunker crew on the road, I knew there were more on the way. My racing companions and I always like to speculate on car counts for the touring series shows, and the general consensus was that a field of 25- 30 MLRA late models and 15 Lee County late models would make us happy. So the count of 37 open engine cars and 21 combination crate and spec engine entries in the Lee County late model class left everyone thrilled. Equally pleasing were the car counts in the other four classes, with a perfectly acceptable 14 IMCA sport compacts the smallest turnout in the 129 car total.
 The above average number of laps on the 3/8 mile oval seemed to take its toll early on the track surface as the opening features for the IMCA stock cars and IMCA modifieds saw most of the cars hugging the low line. However the track crew under the direction of promoter Mike VanGenderen, himself a successful racer, worked the surface throughout the night, and the MLRA 26 car feature was nothing short of excellent, with lots of passing throughout the field. Of course the passing point format used to set the lineup for the 40 lap finale had more than a little to do with that, and also resulted in plenty of action in the four qualifying heat races. In my humble opinion, passing points is the fairest and most entertaining way of qualifying, and kudos to the MLRA for resisting the complaints of many drivers who prefer an " easier " way of locking down prime starting spots. After all, it is called " racing " for a reason.
 The IMCA stock car feature ran first, and it was, as usual, a classic, even as the leaders fought for the inside groove. Jeremy Pundt set the early pace, but as he got shuffled back, he continued to work the higher line, which never came in during the 18 lapper. An early three wide battle for the lead following a lap three caution saw John Oliver Jr. grab the lead, but when he left a slight opening for Jeff Mueller, the # 77M pilot took the top spot on lap seven. When he gets out front, Mueller rarely makes a mistake, and he cruised to his third win in a row at LCS. Nathan Wood also slipped past Oliver for second, but Johnny came back late to reclaim the spot. Greg Gill recovered from an early spin to take fourth.
 Jared Fuller led lap one of the IMCA modified feature, with Kyle Brown taking over on lap three. But the night belonged to Cayden Carter, who left the late model at home, but took the lead from Tyler Groenendyk after staring in row six. Richie Gustin, who wheeled his IMCA late model at LCS earlier this season challenged Carter late, but settled for second. Groenendyk and Brown followed.
  The MLRA headliner ran next. Back from a one year hiatus, Brian Birkhofer has already expanded his " part time " schedule in a Kay Racing ride, and he used a heat race win to earn the pole position next to veteran Dave Eckrich. The passing points format produces some interesting results, with the top 16 from the heats making of the first eight rows. The top four from heat one all qualified, although third place Brandon Sheppard earned more points than runnerup Justin Kay. Five cars qualified from heat two, but only three made the cut from heat three. Four qualified from heat four, with fifth running Jason Rauen besting fourth place Ryan Gustin. Three cars from each of two B-mains were joined by four provisional starters.
 The smart money would have bet on Birky, and he shot out to a big lead. The only caution on lap five brought him back to the pack. Following the restart, it was sixth starting Sheppard on the move. He restarted sixth in the Delaware style restart, but moved to third in two laps. He was one of the few drivers making the high line work, and on lap eleven he powered around Eckrich for second. He then began to chase down Birkhofer, and on lap 21 the third generation driver used a dandy low side move to nab the top spot. From there he opened up a commanding lead. As the laps wound down, fourth starting Florida standout Earl Pearson Jr., a surprise entrant in the Moring Motorsports # 1 drove past Birkhofer. Brian the exited the speedway on lap 47, ending a solid run. Row seven starter Chris Simpson came home third ahead of Tony Jackson Jr. and Jesse Stovall. Eckrich led the second five ahead of Chad Simpson, row twelve starter Jason Papich, Kay, and heat one winner JC Wyman.
  The IMCA sport mods the came to the by now rubbered down track. The late arriving Dunker, added to his long list of checkered flags at the fairgrounds oval, enduring two late green, white checkers restarts, running a high line to the lead and the win. Low groove ace Jim Gillenwater came from back in the 18 car pack to finish second. Early leader Brett Lowry came home third ahead of Joey Gower.
  The Lee County late model $1,000 to win 25 lapper was up next. Several West Liberty IMCA late models came to try their luck with the restrictor plates, as well as visitors Chad Jensen from Nebraska, and 13 year old crate racer Tegan Evans from Clinton,Iowa. Outside polesitter Tommy Elston, who picked up the last checkers at LCA, shot to the early lead. Soon it was seventh starting
" Superman " Sam Halstead closing the gap. It soon became a two car breakaway. The front pair raced side by side in lapped traffic on lap nine, and on the eleventh circuit, Halstead grabbed the lead.
 A caution on lap 13 brought the leaders back to the pack. As  the laps wound down, week one winner Colby Springsteen took the second spot, and as the checkers waved, it was the first three weeks winners taking the top three slot. Halstead became the first two time winner, and my first repeat winner in ten late model features in 2016. The Nebraska driver Jensen came from eighth to fourth, row six starter Jeff Guengerich completed the top five. In his first night out, Jim Lynch finished sixth, leading 21st  starting Tyler Cale, who had been light at the scales in heat one. Veteran Terry Gallaher outdueled heat two winner Todd Frank and heat one victor Kevin Kile to round out the first ten. Although the spec engine cars have had previous success at LCS, Kile was the only of the cars to score a top ten finish.
 With Friday a work day, I headed for the car before what was apparently a wild sport compact finale, with Ron Kibbe besting Kimberly Abbott and Josh Barnes for the win. We want to offer condolences
to Josh and his family on the passing of his grandfather, racing legend Don White, another of the racing heroes of my youth.
 The MLRA moves to Davenport, Iowa Speedway on Friday night, while the MARS and ALMS series stages an event at Farmer City,Il. On Saturday, we plan to join the MLRA at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis,Mo, while MARS and ALMS head north to Fairbury,Il.  Sunday, it will be weekly racing at Quincy Raceways. The rain postponed $2,000 to win UMP late model Scotty 42 will be contested on Sunday, May 15 at QR. The MLRA will be back in Donnellson on Friday, June 3, sandwiched by visits to Oskaloosa, Iowa, and Moberly,Mo. Racing season is now full throttle, see you Racin' Down the Road!