After a weekend of no racing due to uncomfortable temps, we got back to the track on Saturday for Shiverfest at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. This would be year twenty two for the often aptly named season ending event or its predecessor, and while it seems as if we are either blessed with warm conditions or the weather lives up to its name, this year we experienced some of both. Clear skies and temps in the 60's eventually gave way to a stiff northwesterly breeze as the evening wound down. But we will take it to log one more night of outstanding racing!
Some of the usual festivities, like hay rack rides and box car races fell victim to virus concerns, but on track trick for treating for the youngsters went on as normal, getting off to a bit of a late start as track officials were busy checking in the 140 plus drivers, many of whom were still lining pit road as the clock ticked past 4:00. Following hot laps, the national anthem recorded by the talented Lee Ann ( Weisinger ) Lambert played as the local 6:00 whistle blew, and four hours and twenty eight races later, another five Shiverfest champions had been crowned.
Both modified divisions turned out nearly forty cars each, requiring a pair of B mains, so the stock cars were the first to hit the track for their final feature of 2020. All but one of the twenty three cars on hand lined up for twenty laps of action. Erick Knutsen and Jason Cook sat on row one, but it was Todd Reitzler coming from row two to lead lap one. While he paced the early laps hugging the rail in his #22R, Dustin Griffith, John Oliver Jr., and Dallon Murty all lined up on the high side of the 3/8 mile oval in hot pursuit. Griffith was scored the leader by a nose on lap four, with Oliver and Murty soon following him into the top three spots. Reitzler then joined the front pack up top to retake fourth. As the race hit the halfway mark, Murty moved down the track and grabbed the lead as lapped traffic came into play. Oliver Jr. soon followed in second and began to put pressure on the leader. With just four laps left on the Avis scoreboard, Murty was forced to momentarily check up for a slower car in turn two. Oliver also backed out of the throttle, with Griffith getting into the back of the #05, sending him for a spin. Oliver was clearly not pleased , and waited for the #10G to come around, giving him a shot to the rear before driving to the pits. Griffith elected to follow and a crowd quickly gathered around the two veteran drivers. With the situation soon diffused, it was back to racing. A second and final caution came on the restart before the final four laps clicked off. Murty now went unchallenged to pick up the win, with Reitzler coming home second. Eric Arneson made the tow from Oconto Falls, Wisconsin pay off with a third place run, followed by Cook and the Cedar Rapids driver, Knutsen.
All twenty six sport compacts lined up for what turned out to be a marathon fifteen laps of action. Jason Ash came from outside row two to nose ahead of Darin Smith on the opening lap. The first three circuits clicked off in fine fashion before yellow fever took over. Following six caution periods, the final two of which saw the field reset in single file order, and a warning that caution number seven would bring out the checkers, the final six or so laps went caution free. Through it all, Ash maintained his advantage, holding off a late charge from row six starter Chuck Fullenkamp. Cody Staley started right behind Fullenkamp and also came on strong in the closing laps to take third. Craig Bangert advanced from row five to fourth, while Jeffrey Delonjay came from twenty third to edge out Kimberly Abbott for fifth at the line.
The twenty four car modified field saw pole sitter Daniel Fellows and row two starter Ethan Braaksma cross the stripe side by side as lap one was scored before Ethan gained the advantage on lap two. He began to stretch his lead while Michael Long was working from row four to the runner up spot on lap six. Sixth starting Jeff Aikey joined the fray one lap later, even as Long began to narrow the gap to the #111. Eleven circuits into the twenty lap affair, Long caught Braaksma as slower traffic became a factor. With seven to go, Long attempted a slide job in turns three and four, but Braaksma executed the crossover move to hang onto the lead. However he left the high side door open as the pair entered turn one, and Michael shot to the lead, quickly pulling away. He continued to increase his margin, leaning hard on the cushion and even making contact with the guardrail. The lone yellow flag came with five laps left as Josh Most and Travis Denning, wheeling a #27 car, made contact as they contested positions in the top five. Greetings were exchanged between the two before racing resumed. On the restart, Aikey powered to second, but Long pulled away to a convincing win. Braaksma raced home in third in front of twelfth starting Kelly Shryock. Mark Burgtorf started in row four, fell back, then rebounded to round out the top five.
Tyler Soppe and Austin Schrage paced the sport mod twenty lapper, crossing the lap one stripe in that order. Austin Paul lined up in fourth, moving to second on lap five. With Soppe riding the cushion, Paul searched the low line, pulling even with Tyler on lap seven before driving to the point. As the race stayed green, Brayton Carter joined the party in third. Austen Becerra came from row five to the top five as starter Jake Croxton displayed the crossed flags to signal ten down, ten to go. Slower traffic came into play, and Paul opened a sizable lead. Sean Wyett powered past Carter for third with just six circuits remaining, and now Soppe began to make up ground as the leaders suddenly had clear track ahead. Traffic again became a factor in the final two laps, and Paul appeared to have a tire going flat at the same time. But he was able to close out the non stop win, beating Soppe to the line. Wyett was strong in third, topping Carter and Schrage. Had there been a longest tow award, it would have easily went to the sport mod #9 of Torey Fischer. The young lady made the 600 plus mile haul from West Fargo, North Dakota. Unfortunately she brought bad luck along. She lost a drive shaft while running in a top four transfer spot in her heat race, then came home one spot out of a B main transfer. She did however, line up for the feature ( provisional?), and was credited with eighteenth position.
Most of the folks stuck around for the final green flag of the season, the twenty five lap, $1,000 to win late model shootout. All nineteen cars made the call, with former track regular Gunner Frank and the " Ironman " Darrel Defrance drawing the front row. Darrel was quick on the throttle, and the first attempt was called back. Gunner shot to the lead on the second try, with double duty Aikey following in second ahead of Defrance and track champion Tommy Elston. The caution was displayed for a Frank Mason spin on lap two. Aikey was now in command, with Defrance and Elston in pursuit. Matt Strassheim started eighth and jumped to fourth on lap eight, even as Aikey enjoyed a big lead. The second and final yellow came with fourteen laps left as Jill George shredded a tire, leaving debris in her trail. Elston cleared Defrance on the restart, but Aikey was well out front even as Tommy opened a sizable lead over Defrance for second. Elston found something in the final pair of laps, closing the margin, but not enough to make a serious challenge for the lead. Aikey picked up the win, with Elston, Defrance, Strassheim, and Gunner Frank scoring top fives. Ninth starting Burgtorf, also doing double duty, shot to sixth on the final restart, besting Chuck Hanna, Donnie Pataska, Kelly Pestka, and Joel Bennett in a third Frank Racing entry to complete the top ten.
As we are accustomed to, the 3/8 mile D shaped track was smooth and fast all night long. Thanks go out to Brian and Marcie Gaylord, Brian Neal, and the entire LCS staff for their hospitality throughout the 2020 season. As the calendar turns to November, we still have a couple of races in sight starting with the Turkey Dash next Saturday at C. J. Speedway in Columbus Junction, Iowa. The four class program is set to kick off at 2:00 P.M., promoter Larry Richardson always runs a quick show, and hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate this time around! Hope to see you there!
No comments:
Post a Comment