Dale Steals the Show at Donnellson

 Friday night I made my fourth visit of the season to the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa. The readout in Freds truck read 97 degrees when we arrived at the 3/8 mile fairgrounds facility. Even though the heat was not nearly as oppressive as that might indicate, it was no doubt a major factor as relates to the somewhat sparse crowd and smaller than hoped for car count. I do know that graduation ceremonies at Quincy,Il. high school also kept some cars and fans from the track.
  I was surprised when LCS added the hobby stocks to the race lineup in 2018 after the small car counts in previous years, and unfortunately the turnout last night did nothing to make me change my opinion. After two weeks off being replaced with traveling classes, the hobbys had three cars sign in. When they ran first on the card, I was hoping there were no first time fans on hand. Aaron Martin was the final car running when the checkers fell to start off the main event lineup.
  David Prim was done for the night after issues in hot laps, but the remaining 13 IMCA sport compacts lined up for their feature. Josh Barnes easily won his heat race, and seemed to have run off the gremlins that had plagued his #13B the week before. However when the green flag waved, he seemed to lose power and coasted to the infield. Kenny Smith paced the opening lap, but it was row four starter Kimberly Abbott charging to the top spot on lap two. Her fellow row four starter, Brandon Reu moved to second one lap later. The only caution of the race came on lap five, and the restart was also waved off. Mike Reu powered to second following the restart, with Barry Taft jumping to third. Taft dogged Reu until finally taking the runner up spot as the pair came to the white flag. By then Abbott had a nice lead, and she cruised to her second victory in as many weeks. Taft held off Reu for second, followed by Jake Dietrich and Brandon Reu.
  The race of the night was the 18 lap feature for the IMCA sport mods. All but one of the 17 cars signed in took the green flag. Three cars had scratched from the pair of heat races, including Brandon Dale, who lined up at the back of the pack. Rookie Adam Niekamp held the top spot as lap one was scored, with Ron Kibbe ahead for lap two. Daniel Fellows was first at the end of the third circuit as row four starter Brandon Lennox moved to second. With Lennox edging past Fellows at the completion of lap four, the caution came out. Lennox pulled away on the restart, with a five car battle behind him catching everyones attention. Dale was tenth for the restart, but quickly moved to seventh as racing resumed. On the sixth lap, Adam Birck and Fellows were locked in a side by side duel for second, with another caution one lap later. Back to racing, Lennox again pulled away and Austen Becerra joined to battle for second. Suddenly Birck spun in turn two, staying on the throttle, but losing several spots back to eighth. As the lap was completed, Becerra suddenly slowed, again bringing out the yellow flag. As the cars realligned, Birck indicated his displeasure with Fellows concerning his spin. Five laps remained, with Austin Howes now in the runnerup slot, and one more lap saw Dale charge past Fellows for third. Again the caution waved, and back to racing, Dale took second from Howes. Through all this Lennox had been dominate. One more time the caution came out, setting up a green, white, checkers finish. The field was lined up single file, and with no one along side, Dale went to work on the leader. As the white flag was displayed, Dale used the high side off turn four to overtake the leader, then held on for the thrilling victory. Lennox settled for second. Howes, Fellows, and Brett Lowry completed the top five, with Birck rebounding to finish sixth.
  Jeremy Pundt came from row two to pace the opening lap of the nine car IMCA stock car 20 lap feature. Fifth starting Abe Huls grabbed second and began to pressure the leader on lap two. Huls charged to the lead on lap three. John Oliver Jr. joined the fray, but contact with an infield tire appeared to hurt his set up somewhat even though he took second from Pundt on lap five.  The first caution of the race came on lap six, with  Pundt retaking second on the restart. With Huls in command, Jason See moved around Oliver for third just before the halfway mark, but as lap 13 was scored, See slowed on the front stretch, dropping oil on the racing surface, as his engine apparently expired. In the closing laps, with Huls holding a sizable lead as he and Pundt ran low on the track, Oliver tried the top side, without success. The checkers waved for Huls, Pundt, Oliver, Jason Cook, and Chad Krogmeier, in that order.    
  Dakota Simmons scratched from the IMCA modified action after hot laps, but the other nine competitors took the feature green. Outside pole sitter Jeff Waterman took the early lead, with the previous weeks winner, Bill Roberts Jr. in hot pursuit. Waterman slowly stretched his advantage, in the non stop event. When the checkers waved, Waterman held nearly a straightaway lead. Roberts crossed the stripe in second over Larry Herring, Mitch Boles, and Levi Smith. Dirt Knights competitor Cody Bauman made the trip to LCS from Eureka,Il. to test out his #4, heading to the pits on lap nine while running in fourth.
 The crate late models wrapped up the action, racing for 20 laps. Heat winner Gunner Frank took the lead from his pole position, with outside row one starter Jeff Guengerich glued to his bumper. Veteran Ron Boyse stayed close in third before Tommy Elston went to the high side of the oval to charge to third on the fourth circuit. The race stayed green from start to finish, and Frank negotiated the slickening track to perfection. He became the first repeat winner in six nights of late model action at the speedway in 2018, as he and his father Todd have captured the last three main events. Guengerich ran a steady race in second ahead of Elston, Boyse, and Sam Halstead. Todd Frank fell out of the heat race in a cloud of smoke, but returned to run sixth in the feature ahead of Darin Weisinger Jr. Chase Frank was the only driver not finishing the 20 laps.
  Thanks to Mike Van Genderen and Dave Sapp for another smooth, fast, dust free track after such a hot midwestern day, and to the entire LCS crew for an enjoyable night of racing that concluded about 9:30!
  It looks as though this will conclude my racing for this weekend, as other activities await, but if you can dodge the raindrops, find a track close by today and Sunday and enjoy some racing!