Friday night we made our way to the Pepsi Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa for night number three of the IMCA late model " Drive for Five " event. Any late model competitor participating in at least four of the five scheduled preliminary nights will be eligible to race for a $5,000 winners share on Saturday, September 12. Of course, the September 12 race will be open to all IMCA drivers, however those not attending at least four of the $1,000 to win " Drive for Five " nights would instead be battling for a $2,000 top prize.
Four other regular IMCA classes were also in action on Friday, including modifieds, sport mods, stock cars, and sport compacts. Outside sponsors had donated extra money to the stock car class, with $600 now on the line for the winner.
By my count, seventy seven drivers signed in on a warm, muggy evening at the southeast Iowa fairgrounds speed plant. Heavy rains on Wednesday did the track no favors, and it was a rough and choppy surface during qualifying events. The track crew spent the forty minute plus intermission grading and smoothing the 3/8 mile, and it resulted in much improved conditions for the five feature events.
The order of events for the features was then altered, with IMCA modifieds up first for twenty laps. Mark Burgtorf, in the Bill Baker #03B charged from outside row two to lead the opening circuit in front of outside pole sitter Levi Smith. While the veteran racer worked up front, pole sitter Daniel Fellows took over second on lap three. As Burgtorf continued to stretch his lead, Fellows also opened a margin over a third place battle between Jeff Waterman and Dennis Laveine. Slower traffic about lap thirteen did little to slow the pace of the leader, and with no yellow flags, Burgtorf parked in victory lane for his first modified win of 2020. Fellows cruised home in second followed by Laveine, Waterman, and Bill Roberts Jr.
IMCA sport mods topped the entry list with twenty four cars, and they were up next for eighteen laps. A massive stack up on the backstretch of the first lap brought out the red flag, with contender Blaine Webster #7 among the casualties. Another caution on the restart sent row two starter Bobby Six to the trailer. Finally a lap was scored, with the #26J of Jadin Fuller setting the pace. He stayed out front until experiencing mechanical issues on lap five, turning the lead over to Logan Cumby just ahead of a yellow for Tanner Klingele, who stopped in turn four. In the meantime, Adam Birck, who had lined up in row eleven had used the cautions and some slick moves to advance to fifth for the restart. Veteran Jim Powell charged to the top spot as the green flag again waved, but as he worked lap eleven, contact from Cumby sent him for a spin, bringing the yellow out again. Powell would restart in the back, Cumby would head to the trailer, and Birck, who was also stopped would retain his spot. Brandon Dale was now out front, with Birck and row four starter Austen Becerra lined up side beside behind him. With five circuits to go, Dale appeared to lose a spring, slowing in turn one to bring out the fifth caution. The final restart was single file, with Becerra now on point. Austen led to the checkers, as Birck fought off a strong challenge from Sean Wyett for second. A J Tournear came from row eight to claim fourth, with Barry Taft completing the top five. Twelve of the two dozen starters were running at the end.
Even with added money for the top three finishers, the IMCA stock cars drew only a disappointing seven cars. I can only guess that the strong level of competition at LCS keeps some drivers away. Abe Huls paced lap one before John Oliver Jr. took command as the pair exited turn two on lap two. From there, the top spot was never in doubt. By the halfway mark of the eighteen laps, Oliver had a straightaway lead which he maintained as the race went caution free. Huls rolled home in the runner up spot followed by Chad Krogmeier, Jeremy Pundt, and Jerry Jansen.
Fourteen IMCA late models checked in for a shot at the $1,000 prize. Andy Eckrich and Denny Woodworth lined up in row one, and they held the top two spots as lap one was scored. The youngest of the racing Eckrich brothers opened about a five car length lead as the crossed flags of starter Rodney Bleisner marked a dozen laps complete. With the leader beginning to negotiate slower traffic at lap fifteen, Sam Halstead rolled to a stop in turn one, bringing out the only yellow flag of the race. The restart proved no problem for Eckrich, as he cruised to a flag to flag win in his yellow #56. Woodworth took runner up honors over teammate Dustin Griffin. Nick Marolf captured fourth over the hard charger of the race, double duty Burgtorf, who started in row seven and finished on the bumper of Marolf. Tommy Elston came home sixth in front of Jay Johnson and Matt Strassheim, while Darin Weisinger Jr. slipped past Ray Raker on the final lap.
With the clock flirting with 11:00, all but one of the twenty one IMCA sport compacts came to the track. When it took several tries to get the first lap in the books, we headed for the exit. I see this morning that Brandon Reu picked up the win, congratulations to the #27 team.
Considering the predicted heat, we will take Saturday off, and get ready for what will now be our first UMP Summernationals event of 2020, Sunday at the Randolph County Raceway in Moberly, Mo. Hot laps are set to kick off at 6:00, hope to see you there!
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