Extra Cash Creates Extra Excitement at Donnellson

The Lucas Oil owned Midwest Late Model Racing Association made their first of two stops at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa on Thursday night, featuring a $3,000 to win 40 lap main event. And always the showman, promoter Mike Van Genderen also had added money in the four " support " classes, with a cool $1,000 to win in the IMCA classes of modifieds, sport mods, and stock cars, with the IMCA sport compacts slugging it out for A $300 top prize. Even with this race being run on a work night/school night, a large crowd was still on hand for the 6:45 hot laps, which started right on time. 124 race teams piled into the pit area, with group qualifying for the 33 late models up first, four cars at a time on the 3/8 mile oval. I will echo the sentiments of the " boss, " Jeff Broeg when I say I much prefer the passing points format used by the MLRA before this season, but at least time trialing gives us a good look at the cars in small groups. Overall fast time went to series star Terry Phillips from Springfield,Mo. with a lap of 15.358 seconds. With the straight up start in the heats, the fastest qualifier in each ten lapper picked up the win - Iowa drivers Chris and Chad Simpson, Dave Eckrich, and Phillips, as 16 cars were locked in to the feature. One B-main, with 15 of 17 eligible cars taking the green, with Paton Looney leading the six cars qualifying for the main event. Two series provisionals would complete the 24 starters. The track was hammer down fast as the first feature came to the track, 24 IMCA stock cars for 20 laps. The stock car heats had been epic, and the feature lived up to the challenge. Third generation driver John Oliver Jr. came from row two to grab the early lead, and he stretched out a comfortable advantage as the field sliced and diced behind him. As the laps clicked off, sixth row starters Damon Murty, a stock car standout from northern Iowa, and former track champ Jeff Mueller worked their way forward, with Mueller finally winning the battle for second. Olivers # 05 appeared to be getting " tight," and he seemed to be slowing considerably in the corners as he fought to hold onto the preferred low line. On the White flag lap his lead had evaporated, and entering turn three Mueller poked the nose of his # 77M inside of Oliver, setting up a drag race to the checkers. From my vantage point towards turn one, I thought Mueller may have nudged ahead, but the official scorers confirmed it was Oliver prevailing at the line. These two southeast Iowa veterans have had many a close battle, but none closer than this one! Murty had the best seat in the house in third, followed by Mike Hughes, and local favorite Jeremy Pundt. Oliver remembered to congratulate grandpa Jim Oliver Sr on his 85th birthday in his post race interview, and yes, the family patriarch knew his way around the speedway in his familiar # 41. Besides being a promoter and a race driver, Van Genderen is also surely a race fan, and understands that the bulk of his crowd came to see the high powered super late models, with many coming from a good distance away on a work night. So the 40 lap highlighter came to the track next. Slocum 50 winner Chris Simpson would start from the pole, with Phillips alongside. A first lap pileup in turn one reset the field, and it would prove to be the only stoppage in the race. Back under green, Simpson rocketed to the lead, with brother Chad coming from row two to second. Along with Phillips and Tony Jackson Jr., the front four put some distance on the pack. Phillips, who has one Donnellson win to his credit, tried to build a groove on the high side of the track, but found himself drifting back from the leaders. Jackson moved past on lap five, as seventh starting Jimmy Mars closed on the lead pack. Mars cleared Phillips on the 12th circuit, and Jackson slipped by Chad Simpson on lap 16. Mars also moved around Chad on lap 22, as Chads car appeared to be a bit too " tight." With lapped cars a factor, Jackson was poised to strike around lap 30, but a dandy move by Chris around the cars of Looney and Brent Larson gave him the breathing room he needed, and he cruised to his second Donnellson MLRA win in a row. Jackson Jr. was strong in second, while Mars seemed to have one of the faster cars at the end. Chad held on for fourth, while dirt hall of famer Billy Moyer came from eleventh to fifth. Although I was struck with the thought, it still seemed strange that it was the Iowa natives first time ever to race at Donnellson. Phillips led the second five ahead of Iowans J C Wyman,Tyler Bruening, Eckrich, and Oklahoma rookie of the year contender, Raymond Merrill. Son Brent and I decided we had probably not seen Merrill race since the 2000 season at Kentucky Lake! With a vacation day on Friday, I settled in for the remaining three features. The upcoming $50,000 to win modified feature at Farley Speedway likely brought out some extra mods for R and D, and I would have expected the same for the sport mods, with the Farley prize of $20,000 for the class, but only 18 signed in even though this is often the larf=gest weekly class at LCS. No complaints here, though, as the action was intense. Cater Vandenberg outran fellow front row starter Tony Dunker to the early lead. Following a caution about lap six, Dunker pounded the cushion, using his momentum off turn two to grab the lead. Logan Anderson moved to second as the laps wound down. With fours trips around to go,the third running Vandenburg slowed, bringing out the caution, ending his night. Back under green, Brandon Lennox challenged Anderson, briefly taking second. But the race belonged to Dunker, who says he is in his farewell season. Anderson claimed second ahead of Lennox and Jim Gillenwater. The 29 car modified field was whittled down to 24 starts for their 25 lap finale. Veteran Kelly Shryock sat on row one with Jacob Murray, but to say that Shryock led the distance would not do this race justice. The # 3 opened a nice lead, but as lapped traffic came into play, Murray closed the gap. Meanwhile, Hunter Marriot, a more than occasional visitor to LCS came from mid pack to take over second with seven laps remaining. As the race stayed gren from start to finish, Marriot pulled even with the leader with four laps to go. Hunter nosed his # 62 ahead on lap 23, but Kelly was equal to the task. It was yet another edge of your seat finish, with Shryock collecting the big check. Marriot settled for second ahead of Murray and Richie Gustin. Much of the large crowd was on the way home as the 20 sport compacts came to the track. Josh Barnes shot to the early lead from his row tow starting spot, but lap three saw polesitter Kimberly Abbott nose her way to the lead. Behind the lady racer, the action was intense. Jake Dietrich took over second on lap four, and Barry Taft entered the top three one lap later. It then became a three car scrum, with Taft taking second on lap ten. Two circuits later Taft edged ahead, and for the rest of the non stop 15 lapper, Abbott and Taft raced door to door. At the checkers, it was Kimberly taking the win and the $300 check. Taft led Dietrich and Barnes across the line. Kimberly was jubilant in victory lane, as she appears to have conquered some recent health issues, as well. The entire qualifying and 22 race program was done by 10:45! The MLRA late models move on to the Davenport, Iowa Speedway on Friday and Independence, Iowa on Saturday, but my next race will be Sunday at Quincy,Il Raceways, as the UMP Big Ten super late models will headline the Scottie 43, racing for a $2,000 top prize. I am also looking forward to Saturday, May 20, when the estate auction for Hall of Fame racer Don White,a legend from my hometown of Keokuk, Iowa will beheld starting at 9:00. There is an incredible collection of tools, equipment and memorabilia to be sold at his race shop just outside of Keokuk. Anyone interested can go to www.yourauctionpage.com/sargent for details.