Points Racing Resumes in Donnellson

  Friday night I was able to get back to the track with my first visit of the season to the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa. With the governor allowing fan participation starting June 1, this was hopefully the last " back gate " show for the storied fairgrounds facility. It was also the opening points night for the five IMCA classes in action.
  A large field of more than ninety cars signed in, led by twenty seven IMCA sport mods, with a B main needed to set their feature field.
  The IMCA sport compacts were first in the feature lineup, with four of the twenty two cars missing from the starting grid. Track regular Brandon Reu charged from his third row starting spot to lead the opening lap ahead of a multi car pile up on the second circuit. During the clean up, the red light came on with the ambulance needed in the pit area. Back under green, only a lap eleven caution slowed the pace set by the # 27, as Reu led flag to flag for the win. Chuck Fullenkamp won a back and forth battle with Adam Christy to come home second, as Jared Heule and Kimberly Abbott completed the top five.
   Austin Howes and Chris Zogg sat on row one for the IMCA modified main event. Those two raced side by side as lap one was scored, with Zogg nosing ahead on lap two. When the first of three cautions waved at lap four, row five starter Michael Long had cracked the top five, and he powered to third on the restart behind Zogg and Travis Denning. With the 9z of Zogg trailing smoke in the turns, Denning took over the lead on lap six. One lap later, veteran Mark Burgtorf put the Bill Baker  # 03B in the runner up spot. Running a near dead heat on lap eight, Burgtorf grabbed the lead ahead of a lap ten caution. At this point, Long had been shuffled back to sixth. Following a final yellow at lap fourteen, Michael charged to the second spot, and a duel developed between him and Burgtorf. With the white flag displayed, Mark bobbled slightly in turn two, and that was the break Long needed to grab the lead and the win. Burgtorf ran second in front of Denning, Ethan Braaksma, and Blaine Webster.
    The IMCA stock cars were up next, and a lap one scrum eliminated Beau Taylor and Kevin Koontz. Row two starter Jeremy Pundt took over as racing resumed. With Abe Huls working his way from a row five start, contact with another car left the #30c with a flat tire on lap five. He was able to return to the track, but retired one lap later. Meanwhile row four starter John Oliver Jr. took over the second slot as the green flag waved. Oliver was dedicated to the high line around the 3/8 mile as Pundt and Jason Cook worked the inside groove. Lap ten saw the three hot shoes racing three wide down the back stretch. With Pundt dropping back slightly, Oliver and Cook battled side by side lap after lap, with each driver leading by a nose or in a too close to call duel on laps twelve through sixteen. When the checkers waved, it was Cook by a car length for the win. Jason Hall came home third ahead of Pundt and Jake Powers.
    The IMCA late model twenty lapper was up next. Defending track champion Tommy Elston drew the number two starting spot, and he edged ahead of pole sitter Ron Boyse the first pass by the flag stand. Fifth starting Denny Woodworth jumped all the way to second on lap two, but by then, Elston had opened a sizable advantage. With the race going twenty laps caution free, the only worry for the leader was lapped traffic. But the Keokuk, Iowa veteran navigated that obstacle with no issues, cruising to his first win of 2020. Woodworth walked home in second, leading Nick Marolf, Jay Johnson, and second year late model pilot Dalton Simonson, who was doing double duty also wheeling a modified on the night. Illinois visitor Blaze Burwell ran sixth in front of Boyse, Burwell team car Devin McLean, Ray Raker, and Darin Weisinger Jr.
   IMCA sport mods closed out the nineteen race card. Jim Gillenwater sat on the pole, leading the twenty four starters through four caution periods in the first half of the race. The track continued to widen throughout the night, and by now there were three and perhaps four lanes available. Sixth row starter Tyler Soppe, a central Iowa top runner was working a line almost against the outside guardrail as he found moisture in the crumbs, even as Gillenwater and runner up Adam Birck claimed the inside groove. Also on the move was Austen Becerra, who dropped out of his heat race, coming back to win the B main. Becerra was in the top three before being shuffled back to sixth on a restart. A similar fate followed Gillenwater, and it was the high flying Soppe thrilling the onlookers as he grabbed the top spot. After a sixth and final caution, Becerra came charging back, but Soppe was not to be denied, as he held on for the win. Becerras' eventful night ended in second, followed by Birck, Gillenwater, and Blaine Webster.
   The final checkers waved a bit after 10:30, capping a full night of action on the lightning fast surface.
    With the current plan to have fans in the stands, next Friday night will see sprint cars invade the speedway. Thanks to Brian and Marcie Gaylord for their hospitality on this first of what I hope will be several trips to LCS in 2020.
    One of my goals for this season was to add at least two new to me tracks, and I hope to have a report from the first of those detailing Saturday night action. Where will it be? Check in later this weekend and find out! Until then...