Sheppard Takes Mars Win, Weitholder Tops Cook Memorial

    Sunday afternoon we called an audible and took the two lane tour through small town America to the Spoon River Speedway near Banner, Illinois. The card for the holiday weekend race would feature the MARS late models vying for a $5,000 top prize and UMP modifieds racing for $2,564 in the annual Gary Cook Jr. Memorial.     D II midgets and hornets would round out the program, with over one hundred cars on hand to compete in front of two sets of packed grandstands.

   Following hot laps for the midgets and late models, the thirty eight modifieds hot lap/qualified four at a time, with veteran Kelly Kovski pacing the field with a lap of 15.221 seconds around the high banked 3/8 mile track. The super late models then ran a pair of group qualifying laps and Ryan Unzicker topped the board at 14.032 seconds.

   Heat races clicked off in a timely fashion, with Brian Shirley, Tanner English, and Dennis Erb Jr. recording late model wins. Only heat one saw the winner not start on the pole, as Shirley scooted past Unzicker in turn four on the final lap as lapped traffic held up the leader.

   The top five in each of the three late model heats moved on to the forty lap feature, and all but one of the remaining thirteen lined up for a ten lap B main which would qualify another five. Bob Gardner charged from the pole to take the checkers. One series and one track provisional would round out the twenty two car starting field. A pair of B's filled out the twenty four starters in the mods, and after about a twenty minute intermission, it was feature time. 

   As promised, the late models lined up first, with Shirley and English in row one. Joined by Unzicker, they made up the top three as lap one was scored. English moved to the front on lap two just ahead of a multi car scrum that saw Dewayne Kiefer and the track provisional, Logan Moody call it a night. Two laps after the Delaware restart, Unzicker powered around the top of the track to clear Shirley for second, and two more circuits found fifth starting Brandon Sheppard in third. The top three then gained separation from the pack and around lap ten Sheppard charged to the lead. As he began to put distance on the pack, Unzicker moved past English and took up the chase. Sheppard, driving his family owned #B5 was working in heavy lapped traffic when the caution came with seventeen laps in the books. With clear track ahead on the restart and Unzicker and English in a dog fight for second, Brandon opened a commanding lead. The race stayed green for the remaining laps, and Sheppard cruised to the win. Unzicker eventually took charge of the runner up spot and English filled out the podium. Erb Jr. hung around in fourth while Gordy Gundaker wrapped up a solid weekend in fifth. Kolby Vandenbergh was the hard charger, starting in seventeenth and climbing all the way to sixth. Shirley faded to seventh, with Saturday series winner Jason Feger in eighth. Gardner moved up seven positions to ninth while Jordon Bauer started and finished in tenth. 

   With post race interviews in the books, the mods pulled to the oval for thirty laps in honor of the man who successfully wheeled the #64 around central Illinois for many years. Third starting Dave Weitholder quickly moved up to lead lap one on what was now a very black, slick racing surface. By the time the second of five cautions came at lap nine, Weitholder had led the distance, chased by Mike McKinney, Kovski, and Brandon Bollinger. Allen Weisser had timed in third and was due to start on the pole of heat three when his #25W would not fire, sending him to a B main. He quickly came through the pack to get the win, started row nine in the feature, and was now up to fifth and coming fast. He was however the victim of contact with another car and finished the night as a spectator. Two more yellow flags came in the next nine circuits, but each time Weitholder and McKinney would pull away from the pack. Weitholder was hitting his marks each lap, diving low in turn one before sliding to the top at the exit of turn two. McKinney meanwhile was rolling through the middle line, keeping pace but trailing by a couple car lengths. A final caution came with just four laps remaining and the field now fired off single file. McKinney briefly changed his line looking for a way around the leader, but to no avail. Weitholder led all thirty laps to score the biggest of his many career victories. McKinney was second, followed by Josh Harris, and the Bollingers, Brandon and Ray.

   Although it was now just shy of 10:00 a mad dash ensued for the parking lot, with two features still to be run. I need to take this opportunity to compliment the staff at Spoon River , the MARS officials and all the drivers on hand for a well run program. Although I am not a big fan of time trials, they were run in an efficient manner, although I wish the electronic scoreboard could have been synced to the late models as well as the other classes. Heat races were condensed to offer full fields and thus were entertaining. Late models ran a ten and two nine car qualifiers, while mods ran two heats of ten and cars two of nine. Midgets contested two heats of eight, and most importantly, the twenty hornets qualified in two heats of ten cars each. The two headline features ran first offering travelers the chance for an earlier exit, which we took advantage of, plus the added bonus of helping with traffic congestion at a facility with one way in and one way out! One suggestion I would make is that the track could really use an upgrade on their menu offerings. Nitpicking? Maybe...Still a fun night of racing at the "Spoon!"

  

Eckrich, Laveine, Oliver Jr., VanWyk, and Keltner Take 34 Wins

   Saturday was Done Right T.V. night at 34 Raceway outside West Burlington with $1,000 to win and $100 to start offered up in the five classes on the card. In addition, the once a year late model bonus of $250 to the winner made for a solid payday in all divisions. Also, former racer Tony Dunker, from Quincy,Il. put up a $50 bonus to the hard charger in each feature race. The action would be taking place under a draw, redraw format, so it was no surprise when a total of one hundred and eleven cars came through the pit gate.

   The fourteen heat races clicked off in good fashion, with only a pair of yellow flags slowing the action. As the temperature cooled rapidly the moisture was coming to the surface of the high banked 3/8 mile, so track officials decided to do some grooming ahead of a pair of B mains needed to whittle the thirty six IMCA sport mods down to a twenty four car feature. As they were the only group needing extra qualifiers, the feature lineup was altered, with 305 sprint cars the first of five twenty lappers. 

   All fifteen cars took the green flag, and Ben Wagoner went for a 360 degree spin, however the yellow flag waved for a car off turn one, and Wagoner was able to restart in his original spot. Nick Guernsey took  the early lead and by lap five, Dan Keltner had made it a two car race with Wagoner closing in ahead of a caution at the halfway mark. Back under green, Keltner grabbed the lead and was cruising when Noah Samuels and Duggan Thye got together in turn two, with both cars turning over. Finally racing resumed, with Keltner powering to the win. Guernsey came home second ahead of Cody Wehrle, Wagoner, and Devon Rouse.

   IMCA late models were up next, with all but one of the fifteen cars coming to the grid. After a false start, pole sitter Tommy Elston grabbed the lead. with third starting Andy Eckrich in close pursuit and Nick Marolf hanging tough. On lap six, Elston drifted a bit coming out of turn two and Eckrich shot under him for the lead. Matt Starassheim and Don Pataska got together in turn four on lap eight to bring out the yellow. Marolf used the Delaware restart to grab second as the green flag waved, and one lap later Matt Ryan, who had started in row five and restarted sixth, powered to third. Justin Kay also picked up the chase in fourth just past the halfway mark, but with no further cautions, Eckrich cruised to the victory. Marolf, Ryan, Kay, and Elston enjoyed top five runs. Mark Burgtorf ran sixth ahead of Denny Woodworth, Jay Johnson, Kevin Peters, and North Carolina visitor, Carter Fischlein.

   Next up was the IMCA sport mod marathon. Seven yellow flags interrupted the action, sending several folks scurrying for the exits. Unfortunately, this is a scene that we see all too often, but I digress. Outside row one starter Austen Becerra grabbed the early lead, with first Brayton Carter, then Dylan VanWyk and Logan Anderson applying the pressure. After the fifth caution in the first seven laps and the field realigning single file, Becerra saw his night end with a puff of smoke from his "old" #22. Carter, who had started on the pole and fallen to fourth, also headed for his pit at the same time. VanWyk was now in charge, and he survived a final stoppage to take the win. Anderson was second, besting Sean Wyett, Barry Taft, and Gage Neal.

   All twenty entrants in the IMCA stock car class lined up for twenty laps. Outside row one starter Abe Huls got the jump on his row one mate Chris Wibbell and was leading when the first caution came at lap seven. A multi car scrum saw Matt Picray on the hook with front end damage, and John Oliver Jr. and Jeremy Pundt in the work area with flat tires. Both tagged the tail on the restart as Jason Cook moved in to challenge Huls, taking the top spot at lap eleven. One more trip past the flag stand and Oliver Jr. was back to third. A lap thirteen yellow was what Oliver Jr. needed to power to second, and with four circuits remaining he completed his worst to first journey. He then held on for the win, topping Cook, Dustin Griffiths, Huls, and Shane Richardson.

   The IMCA modified finale got off to a rocky start, with the red flag immediately following the green, as the field stacked up and it took considerable time to separate a pair of cars. Two more lap one cautions, then Ethan Braaksma led the opening laps. Dennis Laveine grabbed the spot two circuits ahead of a lap five caution. The field restarted single file, with row three starter Michael Long on the move. He charged to second on lap thirteen, and caught the leader who soon hit slower traffic. Long was out front as lap seventeen was scored, and the pair continued to race side by side, with Laveine running the low line and Long racing around the top. Long took the white flag first, then all heck broke loose. As the checkered flag was about to wave, a car spun in turn two, the yellow light was turned on and the checkers was displayed for the leaders. Long then drove to victory lane, but was waved off and Laveine declared the winner. With this turn of events, I am unsure of the finish behind those two, but I think it was some combination of Mark Burgtorf, Cayden Carter, and Braaksma scoring top fives. 

   The long night of racing wrapped up a bit after 11:00 with much of what had been a good crowd already on the road home. Thanks to Jessi, Brad, and the staff for their hospitality and for a  full night of action. There are at least a half dozen good choices for racing on this holiday weekend Sunday, so we will see where we wind up. Enjoy the rest of your long weekend, and don't forget to thank a veteran!

Pierce and Hoffman Take Tri City $

    Tuesday night found us back in the St. Louis area at Kevin and Tammy Gundakers' Tri City Speedway near Granite City, Illinois. The occasion would be the make up Castrol FloRacing Night in America event originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 31. Brand new for 2021, this is a midweek series focused on dirt super late models with up to ten races at different venues throughout the country, paying at least $10,000 to win. There will also be a hefty points fund payout at the end of the season. As has been the case for many tracks and series early this season, inclement weather has played havoc with the schedule, with several postponements thus far, including last weeks show at Marshalltown Speedway. Recognizing that many of their fans and racers would be coming from some distance on a Tuesday night, the card would feature only one other class, Dirt Car modifieds vying for  $1,500 to win. In addition, the late models were scheduled first in the feature order, with Tammy Gundaker stating the final checkers of the night would hopefully wave by 9:30!

   Although we left home amidst persistent rain showers, the skies looked much brighter as we arrived at our destination. However it did not take long for the precipitation to catch up to us, and although the skies never truly opened up, much of the evening was spent under a pesky drizzle. The upside of those sprinkles did however produce two positive results. The FloRacing crew and the Gundakers worked very hard to keep the show moving, not always the case when live television is involved, and the track surface would change multiple times throughout the night making a challenging situation for the drivers.

   Following late model hot laps, the twenty four modifieds ran a combined hot lap/time trial session, with Nick Hoffman setting quick time at 16.541 seconds. The twenty seven late models then qualified two and three at a time, with Bobby Pierce coming out early with a fast lap at nearly one second quicker at 15.576 seconds. Several of the early qualifiers, including Tanner English and Kyle Larson found themselves sucked into the concrete between turns three and four as they attempted to run the treacherous high line. As a result, times dropped off a bit before drivers qualifying late rebounded to also break the sixteen second barrier.

   A fairly quick turnaround and the three late model heats came to the track. With harder rain predicted, it was announced that the late model B main would be scrapped, with all cars eligible to start the feature based on their heat race finish. The plan, later changed, would have the mods run their first two heats, then give way for the late model feature before resuming their portion of the show. Although all three late model heats were won from the pole position by Pierce, defending track champion and second quick timer Billy Laycock, and Tony Jackson Jr., there was plenty of passing back in the pack. Part of this was likely due to the middling times posted by some of the "hot dogs" in the field, including Jonathon Davenport, who ran second in heat two after lining up in sixth.

   After the first two modified heats ran off quickly, and no late models were lined up, it was decided to give them a bit more time to prepare for the feature, so heat three was then called to staging.

   The sprinkles intensified as all twenty seven late models came to the track, and along with several pack vehicles, they continued to run the moisture in to the track, hoping for a break long enough to complete the event. Although I don't think it ever truly stopped, the drizzle slowed enough that the green flag could fly at 8:35 on what was still a smooth ( except for a small dip in turn three ), and fast track. 

   Pierce shot to the early lead from the pole position, with Jackson Jr., Laycock, Davenport, and Shannon Babb in tow. Davenport cleared Laycock for third and was up to challenge for second when the caution waved with four laps down as Kyle Bronson slowed on the backstretch, perhaps for a flat tire. On the restart, Chris Simpson, running mid pack, had his car break loose coming through turn two, spinning in the middle groove. While several cars were able to take evasive action, Paul Roider made hard contact, creating a delay getting them apart and ending the night for both drivers. Amazingly, these would be the only cautions of the forty lap event. On the first Delaware double file attempt at a restart, Jackson Jr. had chosen the inside line, quickly yielding the runner up spot to Davenport before the caution. Surprisingly, he did so on the next restart as well, and J.D. again used the opportunity to charge to second. Two circuits later, seventh starting Earl Pearson Jr. cleared Jackson Jr. for third, as the fast lane had now clearly switched from the inside line to the cushion. Pierce found himself in slower traffic about lap twelve, however Davenport was not able to make up much ground. After again contacting the wall early, Larson rebounded to take third on lap sixteen. Pierce continued to check out on the field, building a nearly straightaway lead by the mid point of the race. Intense battles were going behind the leaders as a group of about seven cars fought for spots inside the top ten. At the checkers, it was Pierce cruising to the win, while Davenport claimed second and Larson completed the podium finishers. Pearson Jr., ran fourth ahead of Babb. Jimmy Owens led the second five in front of Jackson Jr., Rick Eckert, English, and Brandon Sheppard. 

   Following rather lengthy made for TV post race interviews of the top three, the modifieds lined up for thirty laps. Outside pole sitter Nick Hoffman quickly took command, with his front row mate Will Krup in second. Hoffman was out front by three seconds when the only caution of the race came for a Cody Thornhill spin with a dozen laps in the books. Back under green, Hoffman again proved he was fastest on this night, pulling away to a comfortable lead. with about ten laps to go, Krup found himself in a battle to hold second as Tyler Nicely and Mike McKinney moved in to challenge. Meanwhile, Hoffmans car appeared to tighten up while Krup was able to separate from his challengers, and with five remaining on the scoreboard was able to show his nose to the leader in turn two. Hoffman was then able to pick up the pace enough to seal the deal on a flag to flag win. Krup settled for second while McKinney cleared Nicely for third. Lucas Lee filled out the top five. Six through ten was Mike Harrison, Dean Hoffman, Kenny Wallace, Dave Weitholder, and Treb Jacoby.

   The final checkers indeed waved several minutes before 9:30! As an "old timer" I found this to be a perfect show, a two class program with twenty plus cars in each class, almost felt like the 1970s'! Thanks to Kevin, Tammy, and the FloRacing folks for an entertaining mid week show.

   If the weather will behave itself there are lots of top notch shows on this first big holiday weekend of summer. Head to the track, and thank a veteran when you get there!

Chad Zobrist Conquers Bi State Battle at Highland

    With the early postponement of the Lucas Oil late model event at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, it was time to check forecasts, radar, and track websites in hopes of finding another Saturday night destination. The alternative that stuck out was the Bi State Battle for UMP late models featured this night at the Highland, Illinois Speedway. Over the last few seasons, late model counts had been going down at the St. Louis area tracks, especially the Saturday night venues in Highland and across the river at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri. So for 2021 the promoters of the two tracks put their heads together and came up with a plan to alternate the class between their facilities featuring a combined points fund. It seemed like in the past when either track had a cancellation, the late models would just stay home rather than cross the river to race at the other track. So I was a bit skeptical with regard to the potential success of this plan. Just goes to show what I know! Car counts in the first few weeks of 2021 have ranged from the mid to upper twenties to as high as thirty three for these weekly shows. So for the first time since the 2012 season, we were off to the Madison County fairgrounds facility that sits on a hillside in a residential area of the picturesque town of Highland. If you have never been to Highland, note that he location of the track on the grounds is quite a distance from the regular parking area.

   In addition to the late models,UMP modifieds, UMP Pro mods and street stocks would be in  action. Twenty seven of the high powered late models headed up a seventy five car field in front of a large if late arriving crowd.

   Following hot lap action, the program kicked off a bit after 7:00, a few minutes past the advertised time of 6:45. Four late model heats kicked things off, with a draw for position setting the lineups, then passing points determining the feature starting spots. Still all four of the ten lap victors came from the front row on this tight semi banked quarter mile track. Rusty Griffaw, point leader Mark Voigt, Daryn Klein, and Chad Zobrist picked up preliminary wins although Griffaw had to come from third after the front row was penalized for a bad start. Fourteen cars qualified through the passing points format, with the remaining thirteen moving to a ten lap B main. Paul Kuper was unable to make the call, leaving a dozen entrants vying for four spots. As the field jockeyed for position, a backup in turn four saw Doug Tye contact the utility tire and do a soft rollover, ending up on his top. Again the winner came from row one, as Brian Wolfmeier took the checkers first. The final two spots in the twenty five lap finale would be awarded to the top two in Bi State points not already qualified. Tye would be eligible for one of those spots, and he would borrow the #16W of Tony Wolf to start the feature.

   What started as a ten minute intermission with some watering and rolling in of the track turned in to a much longer break, as despite numerous pleas from the tower for the late models to come to staging, only a couple responded, even helping with packing in the added moisture. Finally the twenty two starters were lined up for twenty five laps, with Griffaw and Michael Kloos pacing the field. Chad Zobrist jumped to the front after lining up third when Griffaw slid high out of turn two and Kloos had to check up to stay out of the wall. With a pair of laps in the books, there was a rash of yellow flags. First Tye went for a spin, then on the restart Mark Oller looped his #67, collecting Tye. A five car pileup stopped the action on the next attempt, then one more lap was scored before Tye brought out another caution in the borrowed machine. Zobrist again took off as racing resumed, with Jordon Bauer and Kloos trying to keep pace. Kloos was able to grab second on lap eleven, and the leader caught slower traffic two laps later. Kloos was able to move to the back bumper of the #78 before disaster struck on lap fourteen. As the front pair worked traffic, both came in contact with a slower car and Kloos ended up in the backstretch wall, his strong run over. Voigt now powered to second following the Delaware restart, but he was unable to get close enough to challenge the leader. Chad Zobrist picked up the win, with Voigt in second. Bauer, Klein, and Griffaw scored top five finishes. Trevor Gundaker started eleventh and finished sixth in front of his row six mate Jason Suhre. Todd Rehg gained eight spots to run eighth. Jeff Herzog in his #11 crossed the line in ninth but was originally scored behind the #11 of Shannon Kuhn. However Herzog later stated that he was changed to ninth. 

    With a rather large number of yellow flags, only one wrecker on hand, and issues with realignments we headed for the car at 10:00 PM with three features still to be run. We were definitely appreciative of the late models being first in the feature lineup, as we had a three plus hour trip home. I am not sure if the area has had as much rain as we have locally, but the track was in good condition, and there was plenty of action, making for an entertaining evening. 

   The Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and there is no shortage of quality shows to choose from, warm weather may finally be with us, so no excuses, let's go racing!

Ricky Thornton Jr. Scores MLRA Win at Davenport

   In the covid crazy year of 2020, it was this date, May 15 before I was able to attend a dirt race. Davenport Speedway was the location, and it was a surreal event viewed from the infield stage in front of an empty grandstand as a representative of Positively Racing.com. 364 days later I returned to the historic fairgrounds speedway under far more normal circumstances, as the MLRA series made their and my second visit of the season, and it would be my fourteenth race night of 2021.

   Thirty three high powered late models highlighted a 106 car field in the four divisions in action, including modifieds, sport mods, and the A.I.R.S. vintage car group.

    Things got off to a bit of a rocky beginning, as the timing loop would not be able to score the three cars per group for time trial qualifying, forcing a one car at a time format reminiscent of the 1970s. Ricky Thornton Jr. turned the fastest overall lap at 14.90 seconds, more than one second slower than the 13.77 recorded by Jason Papich when the series came to town in April.

    With qualifying out of the way, we moved quickly through thirteen heat races, and kudos to the promoters for making those races hotly contested, particularly in the sport mods, with the thirty one cars bunched into three heats on the wide quarter mile. A pair of B mains each for the sport mods and late models followed, and without a break we moved into feature racing. 

   Twenty four sport mods lined up for fifteen laps of stop and go racing. Dakota Cole charged to the lead from row one, followed closely by Shane Paris ahead of a lap four caution. Tyler Soppe stated in row three and moved to third on the restart, which lasted two laps before caution number two. Back under green, Soppe used the Delaware restart to power to the lead as Cole started slowly and was shuffled back through the pack. Soppe and Paris were joined by Jarrett Franzen in a breakaway before the next yellow flag at lap nine. This restart was called off, then three more laps were scored before yet another stoppage. Racing resumed, with only one more circuit counted before a sixth and final caution at lap thirteen also mercifully brought out the checkers. Soppe claimed the win ahead of Paris, Franzen, Ben Chapman, and Anthony Franklin. 

   All twenty five modifieds came to the grid for a twenty lap feature. Arizona transplant Tim Ward shot to the pole ahead of his row one mate Matt Werner and the duo held their positions through a pair of cautions on laps four and six. Heading down the backstretch for lap seven, Werner slipped off the top of the track, losing several positions as the final yellow flag waved with seven in the books. Ward pulled away on this the final restart, opened a commanding lead, and cruised to the win. Jake Waterman, piloting a #77 car was able to close a bit as the leader caught slower traffic, but Ward was able to build a cushion of lapped cars to secure the victory. Waterman took runner up honors in front of Mitch Morris, Eric Barnes, and double duty Spencer Diercks.

   With rain in the area, we applauded as twenty four late models rolled off turn four for thirty laps of racing. By now, the track was black and slick, with passing at a premium. Tony Jackson Jr. and Ricky Thornton sat on row one, with Thornton getting the jump into turn one despite the best efforts of Jackson Jr. to take the preferred middle line. Chris Simpson, Diercks, and Mason Oberkramer settled in behind the dominating leaders, who caught slower traffic on lap four. Thornton was fast in the middle groove, so Jackson Jr. looked to the inside, pulling even in turns one and two, but falling back as Thornton had the momentum down the backstretch. As the race neared the halfway mark, Thornton was able to gain some breathing room in lapped traffic. When the first caution came at lap eighteen for a slowing Jake Timm, the pack was running in single file fashion around that middle line. The single file restart saw no change, with the caution coming again in two laps as flat tires became an issue. In the fourth late model heat race, Garrett Alberson, fresh off a big win in LaSalle, Illinois, was running second with two laps to go when he jumped the cushion in turns three and four, sending him to a B main. From there he took the third an final transfer spot, putting him in row eleven for the main event. He was languishing well outside the top ten when the green flag flew with ten laps left. He made the decision to move one line up the track, and now began passing cars in a quick and easy (?) fashion. Two more laps, and Diercks lost his fifth place standing as he had a tire go down, bringing out another caution. Alberson resumed his charge as we went back under green. Five laps from the checkers, Chris Simpson saw his third place run end as he went off the backstretch and headed to the pits with what looked like a tire issue. A final caution came at lap twenty eight as the now third running Oberkramer came to a stop. Thornton remained in control through the green, white, checkers finish to score his first MLRA win. Tony Toste started sixth and cleared Jackson Jr. on the final lap as the #56 also appeared to have a tire go down. Alberson came all the way to fourth, passing teammate Jeremiah Hurst in those final laps. Oregonian Justin Duty drove a steady race, coming from tenth to sixth, folowed by row ten starter Daniel Hilsabeck, Blair Nothdurft, Jordon Yaggy, and twentieth starting Justin Reed. 

   We made our way to the parking lot during post race interviews with the A.I.R.S. cars waiting patiently in staging. Reports this morning indicate that Bart Miller claimed the final checkers of the night. 

   Thanks go out to Robert Wagener, Carrie Rouse, and the staff of Drt Trak Promotions for their on going hospitality. We are hoping to rejoin them and the MLRA crowd tonight at the West Liberty Raceway, and hopefully the weather will permit us to do so. Thanks for reading!

   

Ryan, Larson, Spaw, Bauer Grab Farley Checkers

    Wednesday night I made my first visit of 2021 to the 300 Raceway in Farley, Iowa. We arrived just past the 7:00 hour as the sixty one cars in four divisions hot lapped around the wide and fast 3/8 mile oval. After a mid April rain out, this would be the season opener for the week night four division program. The first eight heat races clicked off caution free before a three car pile up in the second IMCA late model heat race pared the field a bit. Veteran Jeff Aikey was running mid pack early in the event when he appeared to lose power on the front stretch, creating a chain reaction crash. Both Ryan Hill and Bryan Moreland found themselves behind a wrecker, as a result. Hill was able to make repairs and start the feature, but it was the end of the night for both Aikey and Moreland.

   Following a brief intermission and some track grooming, it was time to go feature racing. IMCA stock cars kicked things off, fourteen cars battling for a dozen laps. Kyle Merkes lined up on the outside pole and held off Chase Zaruba and sixth starting Johnny Spaw as the front three separated from the pack in the early laps. At the halfway mark, Spaw had moved to the runner up spot and was challenging for the top spot. Once out front, he opened a commanding lead, cruising to the win in the non stop event. Merkes came home second ahead of Zaruba. Doing double duty, Justin Kay ran fourth, with Jason Doyle completing the top five.

   A stacked field of twenty two IMCA modifieds signed in for a shot at the $600 winners check, with all of them lining up for a twenty lap feature. It was pole sitter Tyler Madigan setting the pace early, and third starting Jeff "Bone" Larson stalking him in second. Troy Cordes came quickly from row three for the best view in the house, lurking in third. As Larson made his move to the front, the caution flag waved at lap nine, negating his pass. Back under green, he wasted no time moving to the front, with the yellow flying again one lap later. Following this Delaware style restart, Cordes powered to the runner up spot. The caution flag came one more time at the fifteen lap mark, but Larson went unchallenged for the win. Cordes claimed second while double duty Aikey made a late charge to third. Brandon Schmitt made the tow from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin to run fourth, with Kip Siems in fifth. In his victory lane interview, Larson said this weekend will be something of a three state challenge for him, as he will race Friday in Darlington, Wisconsin, Saturday in Maquoketa, Iowa, and Sunday in East Moline, Illinois!

   The IMCA sport mod field was surprisingly short at ten entrants, but they all came to the track for fifteen laps. Pole sitter T.J. Fortmann wasted no time opening a nice lead as Jason Roth came from row three to second. The first of four yellow flags came with three laps scored, and Tyler Soppe came from third to first on the restart. Following a lap five caution, Shaine Bennett smacked the turn one wall hard. He continued for another circuit before his #10S began to shed debris, bringing the yellow out again with six laps scored. Soppe now had his hands full as eighth starting Troy Bauer pulled alongside the #3T. Bauer was out front for lap eight when the final caution came as Fortmann rode the backstretch wall, bouncing along while making hard contact. Only five cars were around to take the checkers, with Bauer leading Soppe, Kaylin Lopez, who lists Chowchilla, California as home, Roth, and Michael Heister.

   Late models would wind up the evening, with the dozen cars still running lining up for twenty five laps and a chance at $600. Besides Aikey and Moreland, Travis Smock did not come to the grid. A light trail of smoke had been trailing his #98 in hot laps and his heat, perhaps suggesting engine problems. The draw, redraw format in effect for opening night found teenage Logan Duffy and veteran Joel Callahan on row one. Callahan jumped to the front ahead of a lap two caution, with a mix up finding Jim Cruise stopped in turn two. Eric Pollard grabbed second on the restart, but Duffy quickly rebounded to take the spot and Matt Ryan followed to nab third. One more lap was scored ahead of a second yellow, and back to racing Ryan claimed second. Continuing his charge, Matt powered to the front on lap five. At the halfway point, Ryan was comfortably out front, Callahan ran by himself in second, while Duffy, Justin Kay, and Ron Klein ran nose to tail and side by side for third. A final caution came with four laps remaining, as Colton Leal slowed, ending his run, and Pollard ducked to the infield under the yellow. Ryan showed his dominance by again pulling away in the closing laps, while Duffy cleared Callahan for runner up honors. Kay was steady in fourth, and Chuck Hanna edged Klein in an entertaining battle for fifth. Steve Hunter and Cruise filled the final running spots at the checkers.

    We were headed for the gates about 10:00 on what turned about to be another unusually chilly May evening. Still it was another night of quality racing, and thanks to the 300 Raceway crew for offering up an entertaining week night show through out the season. We will be watching the weather forecast as the weekend approaches, as there are several good options available. Bundle up and find a track, near or far!

Burgtorf, Long, Cook, Becerra, Blain Take Lee County Wins

    There was not a full moon over Lee County Speedway Friday night, but you could be forgiven for thinking so. Following hot laps, the track crew decided to put a generous dose of water on the 3/8 mile. By the time the extra moisture was worked in, we were about twenty five minutes getting to the first green flag, a rare occurrence at the fairgrounds facility. Thankfully, the twelve heat races ran off quickly with the only caution coming on a false start during late model heat one. 

   After a brief unscheduled intermission, all but two of the twenty five IMCA sport mods lined up for eighteen laps of action. Outside pole sitter Brandon Lambert shot to the early lead. Eighth starting Jim Gillenwater climbed to second on lap two, then grabbed the lead just ahead of a lap three caution. Two more quick yellow flags followed, and back under green, ninth starting Austen Becerra jumped to third as his row five mate Sean Wyett took the lead. Gillenwater regained the top spot ahead of a lap seven caution, but Becerra used the Delaware restart to move out front. As Becerra began to pull away, Gillenwater slowly distanced himself from a battle with Wyett for second. Becerra was about to put the #13A of Austin Poage a lap down, when Poage spun in turn two, causing Becerra to take evasive action and bringing out a final caution. Gillenwater and Wyett again battled for the second position as Becerra made it three for three in features this season at the track. Gillenwater came home second followed by Wyett, Ron Kibbe, and Jadin Fuller.

   A bakers dozen IMCA modifieds were up next, with Levi Smith pacing lap one. Kory Meyer took the top spot for the next few circuits as Michael Long worked his way forward from row five. Brandon Dale had a nose in front of Meyer as lap five was scored, with Long now in third. Two more laps, the yellow flag flew, and the second running Long blasted off the cushion to grab the lead. He quickly checked out on the field, but a second and final caution brought him back to the pack with eight laps remaining. On the restart, Dale was shuffled from second to fourth as Jeff Waterman took up the chase. Again Long built a commanding lead, scoring a decisive win. Waterman, Dale, Meyer, and Dennis Laveine completed the top five.

   It is not uncommon for the IMCA sport compacts to run a caution free feature, but not on this night! The strange turn of events began when defending track champion Brandon Reu was disqualified after his heat race win. He then lined up in row eight of the fifteen lapper in a backup (?) #27. The caution came out on lap one for debris, with David Prim then leading lap one. Following a second lap caution, Chevy Barnes took over. Prim stayed close, Kimberly Abbott joined the front duo, and Reu charged through the pack to fifth as lap five was scored. Abbott took the runner up spot on a restart just after the halfway mark, with Reu moving to fourth. With four laps left on the scoreboard, Abbott was battling with Barnes coming through turn four when both got sideways, collecting the third running Reu, ending the night for the three leaders. Prim was the new leader, the caution came again one lap later. When yet another caution came as the white flag was displayed, the race was called complete, and Prim had a win on his birthday. BUT... he was also disqualified in post race tech, turning the victory over to Ashton Blain. Kyle Hamilton moved to the runner up spot, while Jared Huele was third in the #7H normally driven by Michael Hornung Jr. Patrick McKasson and David Judd also scored top five finishes.

   All eleven IMCA stock cars took the feature green. Chris Wibbell paced the opening circuit, with Jason Cook taking control the next trip past the flag stand. As Cook stretched his advantage, Abe Huls powered from row five to second. Huls was able to close the gap a bit as the laps wound down, but it was Cook winning  the caution free event. Abe held off John Oliver Jr. for third while Wibbell nosed Beau Taylor for fifth.

   Eleven IMCA late models closed out the program in a twenty lap finale. Jay Johnson drove to the front to lead lap one, but he came to a stop just off turn two on the next circuit. He left the track behind the wrecker, ending his night early. Mark Burgtorf assumed the top spot, and he drove a masterful race, hugging the inside line in turns one and two while hitting the cushion at the other end of the track. Week one winner Denny Woodworth kept Mark in his sights, but settled for a runner up finish. Dustin Griffin and Tommy Elston staged an entertaining battle for third, with Elston taking the spot. Nick Marolf started fifth and finished there. Matt Strassheim out dueled Sam Halstead, out for the first time in 2021 in a new black machine with an "X" taped to the unadorned body. Ron Boyse was the last car on the track, as Darin Weisinger Jr. and Logan Duffy watched the final laps from the infield. 

   Although it was anything but a typical night at Lee County, there was still plenty of good racing and more than the usual amount of controversy! Thanks to Brian, Marcie, and the crew for another fun Friday night. 

   With rain in the forecast, be sure and check with your track of choice if you are planning on a Saturday night race. 34 Raceway, for one, has cancelled their racing for tonight, probably wisely so. Happy Mothers Day, and we will hopefully see you next week!

Kay is DeFrance Memorial Winner

    Thursday night we hit the road again, this time to the Marshalltown Speedway for the 4th annual Dale DeFrance Memorial. While this race has been bitten by the weather bug in the past, there would be no such issues in 2021, although we would be well chilled before the final checkers. 

     Late models are no longer a part of the weekly program, but they would be the highlighted attraction on this night along with the five regular classes that make up the Friday night card  at the storied high banked 1/4 mile facility. All six divisions would be competing under the IMCA banner for extra money and generous contingencies with the late model winners' share topping $1,900 as bonus money continued to pour in.

   Hot laps kicked off right on time at 6:50 for the 125 cars checked into the pits, and the seventeen qualifying heats clicked off in about one hour and fifteen minutes. With stock cars and sport mods leading the way with twenty four entries each, no B mains would be needed, and as an interesting side note every car in all six divisions took the feature green flag.

   There was no intermission, ( thanks, Toby!) as the eighteen mod lites came to the track for fifteen laps. Jason Kinderknecht made the long tow from Salina, Kansas a profitable one. Finishing second in his heat race, he drew the number one chip for the feature, then led flag to flag for the win, while surviving three caution periods. Josh May applied pressure in the early going, settling for a runner up finish.Cory Sonner won a tight battle for third over Ed Griggs, while Mike Kennedy completed the top five.

   Eighteen hobby stocks battled for eighteen laps with pole sitter Matt Wahl leading lap one. Luke Schluetter paced the next circuit and  sixth starting Kaden Reynolds charged to the front on lap three as Schluetter spun his #35. The race was red flagged with twelve laps to go as a car I could not identify took a tumble off turns one and two, and that was the final stoppage. Reynolds cruised to the win, negotiating slower traffic flawlessly on the final lap. Braden Richards chased the leader, crossing the line in second, however he was disqualified in post race inspection. The runner up slot then went to Eric Knutson, who emerged from a back and forth scrum with Kyle Parizek. Schluetter recovered to run fourth in front of Jeremiah Andrews. 

   The eighteen lap sport mod feature was pretty much decided during the redraw, as Brayton Carter pulled the number one chip. Three caution periods brought "Speedy Bray" back to the pack, but that only delayed the inevitable. He wheeled his #01 on the low side in turns one and two, then pounded the cushion at the other end, opening a commanding lead after each yellow flag. Izac Mallicoat was able to keep the leader in his sights before he was shuffled back to fifth following a restart with three laps remaining. Johnathon Logue gradually worked his way from row five to second at the checkers ahead of Jenae Gustin and Dylan VanWyk. The only scary moment for the leader came after the checkers waved, as a pair of cars spun in turn one in front of him.

   The stock cars came to the track for twenty laps. After a lap one caution, pole sitter Damon Murty paced lap one. Two more cautions came in the first three laps, slowing the momentum. But from there it was clean and green. The elder Murty and third running Chanse Hollatz drove hard around the cushion, while legendary cat fisher Jeff Mueller, driving an unfamiliar #81, worked the inside line. Dallon Murty had failed to earn a redraw spot in his heat, but he advanced from row nine to the top five by lap five. The leaders hit traffic just after the halfway mark, with Mueller getting caught behind a lapped car temporarily falling behind Hollatz. This would be a sign of things to come. Back to second, Mueller closed in on the leader a bit more each lap until another lapped car slowed his momentum ever so slightly in turn three with just a couple laps to go. Recovering quickly, he and Damon crossed the finish line side by side. From our angle it looked as though Mueller had eked out a win, but official scoring had Murty out front by something like three one thousands of a second! Hollatz claimed third followed by Steve Meyer and Dallon Murty.

   Pole Sitter Richie Gustin led the opening laps of the eighteen car twenty lap modified feature. Cayden Carter powered from row four to second by lap four and began to run down the leader. As Gustin drove the cushion, Carter used the inside line to take over the lead on the eighth circuit. While Gustin and ninth starting Joel Rust fought for second, Carter quickly pulled away from the pack. Following a lone restart with eight laps to go, Rust jumped to the runner up position. He was able to briefly challenge for the lead before Carter again drove away. Tim Ward drove through the field from the eighth row to take third at the checkers, while tenth starting Dylan Thornton edged Gustin for fourth.

   The late model finale was scheduled for forty four laps, a nod to the car number of the nights' honoree. Twenty three cars came to the grid, with a pair of veteran drivers, Joe Zrostlik and Greg Kastli setting on row one. Kastli, the heat one victor shot to the early lead before fourth running Joel Callahan spun in turn two on lap three. By this point, row four starter Justin Kay had entered the top five, and Matt Ryan, who finished out of a redraw position in his heat, had climbed from fourteenth to ninth. Two more circuits and Kay was fourth, even as Kastli built a nice lead. With six laps in the books, Kay was third, and Ryan up to sixth. Kay charged to second on lap ten, Kastli caught the back of the pack, and his lead began to evaporate. With fifteen scored, Kastli and Kay were nose to tail in heavy traffic. As Greg ran a low line, Justin used a strong move through the middle to take the lead out of turn four as lap nineteen was scored, followed by a quick yellow flag. The caution waved again on the restart, but back under green, Kay began to stretch his advantage, opening up a nearly straightaway lead before another caution with twenty five laps down. Zrostlik grabbed second on the Delaware restart, but Kay again put distance on his challengers. Hitting slower traffic with a dozen laps left, Kay remained in control, scoring his one hundredth IMCA late model feature win. Zrostlik claimed runner up honors, while Todd Cooney made a late charge to third. Kastli and Ryan completed the first five. Sean Johnson drove a steady race to finish sixth in front of Jeff Aikey, Logan Duffy, Gary Webb, and Darrel DeFrance.

    The final checkers waved shortly after 10:30, completing a top notch night of fast paced, non stop racing! It was good to visit with our central Iowa racing friends, and thanks to the Eiseles for saving us some prime seats. Tonight, Friday, we will return to the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson for weekly racing, with extra money added to the IMCA late model purse. Hope to see you there!

  

G Money Tops Vinton Late Models

   With the addition of SLMR rules late models, a solid field of ninety five race teams filled the pit area at the Benton County Speedway Bullring in Vinton, Iowa on a beautiful Sunday night. 

   Even with a short delay for minor grader work to repair a dip between turns one and two, the twelve heat races ran off in less than an hour and with a minimum of caution flags. A brief intermission and all twenty three IMCA sport mods lined up for fifteen laps around the fairgrounds 1/4 mile oval. 

   Joe Docekal shot from the pole position to the lead over Chowchilla, California driver Kaylin Lopez as lap one was scored. As the leader, now with a commanding lead, caught slower traffic at the halfway mark, the first yellow flag of the race was displayed. On the restart, Docekal drove off the top of turn three and the second running car of Brett Thomas spun,collecting Brandon Tharp and Ben Chapman, bringing out another yellow and sending all four front runners to the tail for the restart. With the leader now at the back, Lopez and Tony Olson lined up side by side, with Olson taking over the top spot. Two more times the caution came out, but Olson was not deterred, and he cruised to the win. With both coming from row six, Logan Anderson won a back and forth duel with Dylan Van Wyk for second. Brian Kauffman came from tenth to fourth, and Ryan King moved up ten spots to fifth.

   A dozen IMCA hobby stocks battled for fifteen laps. Kaden Reynolds had been victorious in every feature dating back to last summer, but he was out on lap one with a flat tire. Matt Brown grabbed the early lead, but the last driver other than Reynolds with a win, Nathan Ballard, took over ahead of a lap four yellow. With one more lap scored, the red flag was displayed as the ambulance was needed in the pit area which is off turns one and two. Racing resumed right away as Slater, Iowa driver Eric Knutson briefly challenged for the lead. With Ballard and Knutson settling into spots one and two, a three wide scrum developed for third. Following the front duo to the checkers it was Jacob Floyd, Joren Fisher, and Braden Richards. 

    Twenty five laps would be the distance for the late models, and all but one of the eighteen checked in, Andy Eckrich, came to the grid. Richie Gustin redrew the pole position, with John Emerson alongside in the car normally driven by Ben Seeman. Gustin soon opened a sizable lead as the front pack ran around the top of the slippery oval. The first caution came eight laps in as veteran Greg Kastli lost a top five run sliding off the backstretch. Charlie McKenna did a power move to second on the restart, and Emerson slipped over the top of turn three. Now it was Chad Holladay charging to second on the restart followed by Jason Hahne to third. Jeff Aikey had lined up in row five, and he climbed to fifth with ten laps complete. With eight circuits remaining, Gustin was preparing to put returning veteran driver Kevin Kirkpatrick a lap down when Kirkpatrick spun right in front of him. Fortunately Gustin was able to take avoid the spinning #33, keep moving, and retain his lead on the restart. As the pack came through turns three and four, McKenna did a slide job on Holladay in an attempt to grab the second spot, but Hahne took advantage of the inside line to pass both cars. With those three locked in a battle for second, Gustin pulled away for the win. Aikey charged to the runner up spot following a final caution with two laps to go, followed by Hahne and McKenna. Luke Pestka was able to outlast Holladay for fifth. Jeff Tharp, Darren Ackerman, Luke Goedert, and Dave Eckrich filled out the top ten.

   The IMCA stock car class had the smallest turn out with a late arrival bringing the count to ten. Nine of them lined up for fifteen laps of feature racing. Jason Doyle led the opening circuit, but it was fifth starting Dallon Murty leading lap two. The younger Murty, driving his fathers car on this night quickly checked out in the non stop event. Jay Schmidt soon worked to the runner up slot while Doyle held off Leah Wroten and Miciah Hidlebaugh in an intense battle for third.  

   All fifteen IMCA modifieds made the feature call, with eighteen laps the distance. Hometowner Jerry Dedrick paced the first three trips past the flag stand while a group of four ran side by side at times for second. Lap four saw Santa Maria, California pilot Dylan Thornton grab the top spot, quickly opening a sizable lead. Derrick Stewart took over the second spot at the halfway point but he had nothing for the leader, who had a straightaway advantage as he caught slower traffic with five laps to go. His five and a half second lead evaporated slowly, and he had to come back to the pack when the first caution came with two laps remaining. The yellow waved a second time as the white flag was displayed, and rather curiously the race was called complete at that point. Regardless, Thornton scored a dominant win in front of Stewart, Troy Cordes, Dedrick, and Jason Briese.

   The final race of the evening came as all seventeen IMCA sport compacts prepared for a dozen laps of action. Vinton driver Zeke Wheeler charged from outside row one to pace the early laps. Chuck Fullenkamp made the long tow from West Point, Iowa to take over at lap five from his row four start, as tenth starting Nathan Chandler powered to second. From there Chandler, making a return to racing while battling health issues, ran in Fullenkamps' tracks, appearing to occasionally letting the leader know he was there. At the waving green signaling only two laps remained, Chandler moved up the track one line and the pair took the white flag side by side. Chandler then edged ahead at the checkers with an apparent win. However word came to us on the drive home that he had been disqualified. I do not know what the infraction was, but the victory then went to Fullenkamp. Second through fifth was Logan Clausen, Travis Losenicky, Wheeler, and William Michel. 

   As we left the bleachers, we were greeted by a smiling Rick Dripps, who we  thank along with Kim Dripps for their hospitality. We were able to smile back considering we had witnessed a six division, ninety five car program that lasted three hours and fifteen minutes including hot laps, and had us in the car at 8:45! This track truly is an excellent Sunday evening destination, and we hope to make it so again this 2021 season.

    Our plans are to be back in that part of Iowa this Thursday for the Dale Defrance Memorial program at the Marshalltown Speedway. At this time on Monday morning, the weather forecast is sketchy, but a few days ago the same was true concerning our Sunday plans in Vinton, so we will cross our fingers and hope to see our Iowa friends again this week as we go Racin' Down the Road!

  

  

Callahan and Carter Top Drive For Five Openers

    Friday night was race night number two for the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson and the first installment of the "Drive For Five" for IMCA late models and IMCA modifieds. The two featured classes were both vying for a $1,000 top prize in this first of seven preliminary events. Drivers competing in at least five of the seven special races will be racing for a $5,000 winners' share in the championship event. Those entering less than five times will still be able to eligible to collect a $2,000 top prize in the finales. The three other regular IMCA classes, stock cars, sport mods, and sport compacts filled out the card on a beautiful spring evening. 

   A stacked field of nineteen late models and sixteen modifieds was topped only by twenty five sport mods, as the pits swelled to eighty three entrants.

    The track was once again in excellent condition, and the eleven qualifying heats ran off in timely fashion, setting the lineups for the main events. A longer than usual intermission saw the top point gatherers from 2020 honored on the main stage. The presentations were originally set for last Friday, but were pushed back one week I assume due to last weeks chilly temps. There were no such concerns on this night, however, as it was a beautiful evening and a large and very enthusiastic crowd turned out to enjoy the festivities.

   With the awards handed out, all but one of the fifteen sport compacts lined up for fifteen laps of feature racing. Pole sitter Chevy Barnes shot to the lap one lead, while fifth starting Luke Fraise took over on lap two. Meanwhile, defending class champion Brandon Reu advanced from row four to the second spot in those same two circuits. It took only one more trip around the 3/8 mile for Reu to assume the lead and quickly put distance on the field. As a gaggle of cars battled for second through ninth, tenth starting Chuck Fullenkamp powered to second about lap seven. The leader caught the back of the pack with three laps to go, but encountered no problems, scoring his second win in two tries at the fairgrounds facility. After a false start, the race ran non stop. Fullenkamp came home second, while Kimberly Abbott made a late move around Fraise for third. Dyllan Bonk completed the top five.

    Eighteen late models lined up for twenty five laps. Ray Raker was a scratch, as the steering appeared to break on his #07 in his heat race and he smacked the turn two guardrail ending his night. Second heat winner Joel Callahan from Dubuque and Ben Seeman from Waterloo were surprise visitors to the track, and they redrew the front row for the feature. At the green flag, they took off in that order. As  they began to pull away, row two starters Matt Strassheim and heat one victor Logan Duffy waged an intense back and forth battle for third. Callahan caught slower traffic just before the halfway mark, and although Seeman kept the leader in sight, he was not able to get close enough to mount a serious challenge. Duffy, the youngster from Independence, was able to clear Strassheim in traffic even as Tommy Elston joined the battle for third through fifth. Again it was a non stop event, with Callahan cruising to the win. Seeman ran all twenty five laps in second, crossing the line ahead of Duffy, Elston, and Strassheim. Dustin Griffin moved up four spots to finish sixth in front of Nick Marolf, heat three winner Dave Eckrich, Mark Burgtorf, and week one winner Denny Woodworth.

    The string of consecutive green flag laps came to an end on lap one of the twenty two car eighteen lap sport mod feature. Third starting Brandon Lambert took the early lead, as row five starter Austen Becerra charged through the field. His gains were negated by the caution, and he was shuffled back a bit as racing resumed. Again he powered towards the front, but a lap four caution slowed his momentum. Back under green, it was Nicholas Profeta taking the high line to the lead, with Becerra now in fourth. Two laps later, Becerra moved to third, then to second in another pair of circuits. With seven laps remaining on the scoreboard, he executed a slide job off turn two for the lead. A quick yellow came as Lambert spun out of the third position, rejoining the back of the pack. Tom Bowling Jr. grabbed the runner up slot as Becerra began to stretch his advantage. The final stoppage of the race was brutal, as a multi car pile up on the front straightaway resulted in John Renier braking for a slowing car and being hit hard while flipping his #113 machine. Renier walked away from the grinding crash, but his car suffered heavy damage. As the field realigned, Becerra had a right front wheel pointing at an odd angle, and it looked doubtful that his steering would survive the remaining six laps. Although he had obvious issues, particularly in turns three and four, the #22 held together for his second win in two weeks at LCS. Bowling Jr. got close, but settled for second while A J Tournear was strong in third. Josh Holtman held off Jim Gillenwater to round out the first five.

   It would be sixteen laps for the stock cars, but it only took two for John Oliver Jr. to grab the lead from Jeremy Pundt. The week one runner up traded places with week one winner Jason Cook. Oliver opened a nice sized lead, pounding the cushion in turns three and four while hugging the low line at the other end of the track. Cook changed lines searching for more speed, but settled for second in another non stop event. Birthday boy Beau Taylor also cat fished around the bottom of the track in third while Chris Wibbell operated one lane higher. Wibbell was able to take the spot on the final lap, while Pundt came home in fifth.

   All sixteen modifieds lined up for twenty two laps to complete the program. The "Gas Man" Cayden Carter redrew the pole position, led lap one and never relinquished the spot. Ethan Braaksma slipped around outside pole sitter Jeff Waterman for second ahead of the first of two yellow flags. Michael Long fell out of his heat race, putting him eleventh on the grid, but he charged to fourth on the restart, then to third on lap three. A lap five caution negated his move to second, but he put a slider on the leader in turn two before being crossed back over by Carter. The race was then red flagged for a medical emergency in the pits. On the restart, Long was shuffled back several spots. Meanwhile Carter was leading the pack on the high line around the D shaped oval. As Carter caught slower traffic, a three car battle developed for second. With six laps to go, third running Dennis Laveine slid high, with Long grabbing the spot on the slick track. Braaksma tried to close as the laps wound down, but Carter remained in command. for the win. Chris Zogg completed the top five.

   Lee County will be back in action next Friday, with the next installment of the Drive For Five on May 14. 

   Thanks to Brian, Marcie, and the staff for a fun Friday night. I apologize for this report being later than usual, but we are having provider issues with out internet service this weekend.