Friday night we made the short trek to the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson for season championship night. Thanks to an effort by IMCA sport mod champion Austen Becerra to collect sponsor money, a "Rookie Rally" was added for those in that class who had never won a feature event in sport mod, "A" mod, or late model competition, who held an IMCA sport mod license, and had raced at least once this season at LCS. It was estimated that twenty seven drivers would be eligible for the race, which at last count would have a winners check similar to the regular feature, with at least the top five taking home money. The American Iron Racing Series were special guest for the evening as well, with a full program of heats and a feature. The track had dozens of "high dollar" prizes as well as a also a candy dash all for the youngsters on what began as a scorching hot August evening.
There was plenty of moisture in the track surface, and it was "hammer down" and smooth as glass for most of the night. In fact there were only two cautions during the thirteen heat races, with one of those for a false start.
Following the lengthy intermission, the Rookie Rally race was up first. A dozen cars lined up for a dozen laps. While it was certainly an admirable experiment, it did showcase the fact that there are drivers in this class in need of extra laps, funds or knowledge to run up front. One of the up and comers in the sport mod division, Logan Cumby had to be considered a favorite to win even though he started in the fifth row. Indeed, he picked up the win while passing few if any cars, as he was able to simply wait out the spinners. Five yellow flags marred the first three laps, with the race then staying green the rest of the way to beat the time limit. Nicholas Profeta did a nice job, starting sixth and taking the runner up spot after battling with Josh Holtman. Brandon Lambert ran fourth, and Reed Wolfmeyer lost his third place finish as he spun in turn three coming to the checkers, recovering to take fifth.
Ten IMCA stock cars lined up for eighteen laps. Outside pole sitter, Jason See, an infrequent visitor to the track, jumped to the early lead. See had opened a sizable advantage by the time ninth starting Abe Huls worked his way to second with a dozen laps to go, fighting an intense battle with Chris Wibbell and John Oliver Jr. for the position. As the race ran caution free, Abe gradually closed the gap on the leader, and was on the rear bumper of See as the laps wound down. Jason had been running the top in turns three and four, and entering high in one before diamonding to the bottom out of turn two. As the white flag waved, he moved to the bottom where Huls was operating to try and cut off the inside line. It was a successful move, as See took the flag to flag win. Huls settled for the runner up spot in front of Oliver Jr., Wibbell, and Jerry Jansen. Jason Cook came in with a ten point leader over Oliver and drove a conservative race to finish ninth and claim the class championship.
The IMCA modifieds were fifteen strong, lining up for eighteen laps. Chad Giberson led the opening laps, as Michael Long, driving the Daniel Fellows #11, started eighth and moved towards the front. Long pulled a dandy move to split two cars and jump to third on lap four, but a caution flag negated the move. Following the Delaware style restart, he powered to second, then quickly to the lead. He was checked out on the field when the yellow flag waved with eleven laps to go. Row five starter Mark Burgtorf charged to second on the restart, holding off Austin Howes, Jeff Waterman and a fast closing Dennis Laveine. Long again ran away from the pack, while Burgtorf also pulled away in second. As Laveine took third, Howes pulled to the infield with four circuits remaining. With no further stops, Long cruised to the win, while Burgtorf continued his string of second place finishes. Laveine, Waterman, and Brandon Dale followed. Dale entered the race with a one point lead over Long, but the victory gave Michael the title.
Thirteen of the A.I.R.S. competitors checked in, with Scott Van Buskirk in his 1958 Studebaker, and Jeff Hollenbeck not making the twelve lap feature call. This event went non stop as well, with former late model and modified standout Steve Johnson coming from row four to the win in may have been a mid 70's Oldsmobile. Bart Miller took second in his 1961 Ford.
The IMCA sport compact point championship already belonged to Brandon Reu as twelve cars came to the track for fifteen laps of action. Adam Christy came from row two to top the opening circuit. With fifth starting Josh Barnes soon taking up the chase, the front duo pulled away from the pack. As the leaders crossed the line for lap four, Barnes was a bumper in front, but a caution before the lap was complete gave the point back to Christy. From there he gradually increased his lead to take the win. Barnes followed, leading Chuck Fullenkamp, Chevy Barnes, and Kimberly Abbott in the top five. Reu came home seventh behind Dyllan Bonk.
Tommy Elston had asix point lead over Burgtorf as the fifteen IMCA late models lined up for twenty laps. Hard luck driver Nick Marolf sat outside row one, and quickly overpowered Ray Raker to lead lap one. Jay Johnson lined up in fourth, and took second four laps in. Marolf headed for another zip code as a dramatic five car scrum developed for positions fourth through eighth. At the back of that group, tenth starting Elston was able to somehow worm his way through three cars as all five exited turn four, trying to keep Burgtorf at bay. Elston and Burgtorf were able to eventually clear a stubborn Denny Woodworth, but by then Marolf, Johnson, and C J Horn had a lock on the top three positions. The fourth place run secured the track title for Elston over fifth finishing Burgtorf. Woodworth checked in sixth ahead of his team mate Dustin Griffin, Raker, National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Gary Webb, and Matt Strassheim. This race also went caution free.
IMCA sport mods would round out the action, with all but one of the twenty two cars taking the green. A spinner on lap one looked ominous but remarkably that would be the only caution of the eighteen lap race. Tom Bowling Jr. had heat race issues and was allowed a few hot laps at intermission, but now he quickly took the top spot aided by a pole start, taking along Barry Taft in the #55. By lap two, fifth starting Brandon Savage had pounded the cushion to the runner up position. Two more laps found Bowling Jr., Savage, Tanner Klingele, and ninth starting Austen Becerra nose to tail and side by side for the lead. Just after the halfway mark, Bowling was forced to check up ever so slightly for a slower car, and Savage charged around both cars for the lead. Two more circuits and Becerra had made his way to second. With fourteen in the books, Austen used a low side pass exiting turn two to move to the front. That was the move of the race, as Becerra claimed the win and the track championship. Savage continued his string of top finishes in second, followed by Bowling Jr., Klingele, and Adam Birck.
With all the extra hoopla, the night wrapped up shortly after 10:30. LCS will now take a week off before coming back on SATURDAY September 11 for the late model Drive for Five finale. They will follow that up with a two night show in early October, and of course Shiverfest on All Hallows Eve.
Darryl and I will catch up with Fred tonight at the Davenport Speedway for the conclusion of the Quad Cities 150, as the World of Outlaw late models race seventy laps for a $30,000 top prize. The joint will be rockin', so come early and enjoy the food trucks, vendor booths, and of course, the racing!
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