Saturday was night number two of the tenth annual Harvest Hustle at the Lee County Speedway on the fairgrounds in Donnellson, Iowa. After a Friday turnout of one hundred and thirty three race teams, one hundred forty six signed in for the finale. Outstanding payouts were on the line, with late models, modifieds, and sport compacts all vying for a $3,000 top prize, while the stock cars and sport mods competed for $2,000 winners' checks.
Racing kicked off one hour earlier with cloudy, but warm conditions. It took twenty three qualifying events to get ready for feature racing, with the twenty five lap stock car finale rolling off first, fifteen of the seventeen on hand taking the green flag. This race turned into an unusually caution filled, drawn out affair. The red flag came on the opening circuit, when Pete Stodgel rolled his #82 in turn four. A fluid spill, possibly fuel, created a long clean up procedure. That was just the beginning, as six more caution periods marred some great racing. Scooter Dulin paced lap one, with Kirk Kinsley taking over from there. Following a lap two restart, Johnny Spaw split the leaders, and by lap six he had Abe Huls and Friday winner Dallon Murty on his heels. About lap ten, Murty used another restart to grab the lead, but Spaw fought back to the front. At the halfway mark, the pair swapped slide jobs and crossover moves before Murty finally claimed the position. Meanwhile Huls, Jeff Mueller, and David Brandies staged an epic battle for third before getting into a tangle six laps from the checkers that sent Huls to the pits. Murty pulled away to the $2,000 winners' share in the closing laps, while Spaw held off Mueller for second. La Mesa, Texas driver Michael Sheen ran fourth. Last lap contact between Brandies and Kinsley saw Brandies cross the line in fifth, but he was penalized for the altercation, turning fifth over to Shane Richardson. Murty and Huls claimed heat race wins.
The late models turned out a disappointing fifteen entries for $3,000 to win. Season point champion Tommy Elston and Darrel Defrance lined up in row one for the thirty five lap feature. Elston set the pace early, with fourth starting Jeff Aikey moving to second on lap two. The pair of veterans quickly broke from the pack as Jeff Larson moved to third and Mark Burgtorf used a power move to come from sixth to fourth about lap ten. Andy Nezworski soon joined the battle for third, and on lap fifteen Elston suddenly slowed out of turn two, his run over. Aikey was now in command and two laps later Burgtorf cleared Larson for second, taking Nezworski along in third. The duo swapped the runner up spot before Andy took it for good with five laps remaining. At the checkers, it was Aikey, the newest member of the Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame taking the win. Nezworski, Burgtorf, Larson, and Defrance filled out the first five. Chuck Hanna, Gary Webb, Jay Johnson, Friday winner Darin Duffy, and third generation driver C.J. Horn completed the top ten. The race went caution free. Nezworski and Burgtorf topped the qualifiers.
Sport mods were up next with the thirty two car field trimmed to twenty four. Following a first lap caution, outside pole sitter Logan Anderson led his front row mate, Jim Gillenwater, pulling well out front before a lap four yellow. Tanner Klingele took over the second spot on the restart, with seventh starting Brayton Carter jumping to third, then clearing Klingele for second. As the race neared the halfway mark, heavy traffic became a factor, and with ten laps left on the scoreboard, Anderson and Carter were neck and neck for the lead. One more trip around and again the yellow flag waved. The restart saw another yellow, then on the next attempt Carter got shuffled well back in the pack. Twelfth starting Tony Olson was now in the runner up spot with an intense four car battle for third behind him. One more caution came with five laps to go, and back to racing Anderson stretched his advantage, cruising to the win. Olson held second, topping Klingele, who survived a challenge from young Dylan VanWyk. Carter worked his way back to round out the top five. Heat wins went to Tyler Titus, Gillenwater, Tyler Soppe, and Anderson, with Austin Poage and A.J. Tournear claiming the B mains.
$3,000 would be on the line for the modifieds, with twenty four of the thirty seven on hand scheduled to take the green. However, Denny Eckrich was unable to make the call. Burgtorf, doing double duty in the Baker Racing #03B charged to the front from outside row one ahead of Kyle Brown and pole sitter Dave Weitholder. As Mark stretched his margin, Austen Becerra came roaring to third behind Brown. Burgtorf sat a torrid pace on the now smooth, black slick three eighths mile track, with nearly a straightaway lead as the mid point of the thirty lapper approached. Heavy slower traffic became a factor at the twenty lap mark, and with six laps to go, Burgtorf and Brown raced side by side. Kyle led briefly on lap twenty seven, but Burgtorf recovered to be scored the leader as the lap was complete. Brown made one final charge coming to the checkers, but it was Burgtorf by a car length at the flag stand. Two more double duty drivers, Larson and Aikey trailed, with Cayden Carter advancing fourteen positions to run fifth. It was another caution free event. Heat winners were Friday victor Dustin Smith, Burgtorf, Larson, and Becerra. B mains went to Travis Denning and Dakota Simmons.
The grand finale of the weekend was the forty lap $3,000 to win battle for the sport compacts. Forty five race teams from as far away as Ohio battled through five heats and two B mains, with twenty six qualifying for the big dance. Ironically, Friday winner Jake Benischek, scheduled to start in row five, failed to make the feature call. Following a lap one caution and a complete restart, it was Jason Ash blasting off from the outside pole while Chuck Fullenkamp came all the way from eighth to second by lap two. Fullenkamp drove to the front on lap five, even as three and four wide battles continued behind his #48. The next caution came at lap nine when track champion Brandon Reu, with a little help, spun and was hit in turn four, ending his night. On the restart, Ash had issues and was shuffled to nearly the back of the field. Nathan Chandler and Derrick DeFord now dueled side by side for second. Following a pair of yellows, row six starter Jeff Delonjay took over third, then second seventeen laps in, taking along Brady Reed in third. One lap before the half way mark, contact on the front stretch sent Josh Barnes into the guardrail and into a hard flip. With the red flag displayed, Josh emerged apparently uninjured, but with a badly damaged race car. The field was now down to eleven cars, as Fullenkamp and Delonjay pulled away from the pack in a furious two car scrum. As the laps wound down, however, Chuck began to increase his lead. He took the checkers with a several car length advantage over Delonjay in second. Jay Mariuzza, and Jimmy Dutlinger traveled from Pekin and Peorisa, Illinois respectively to finish third and fourth, with Jacob Houston taking fifth. Dutlinger, DeFord, Chandler, Erik Vanapeldoorn, and Fullenkamp captured heat wins, with Dry Ridge , Kentucky driver Chevy Gibson and Jarrett Hellweg topping B mains.
Again racing concluded just after 11:00 P.M. Thanks as always to the LCS staff for their hospitality and a full weekend of racing action on a beautifully groomed track. Lee County Speedway has one more event on the 2021 racing calendar, the ever popular Shiverfest on October 30.
There is still plenty of racing to be had throughout the three state area not only this month, but November, and even the first weekend in December. So dig out the warm clothes, and do like we will be doing, find a race and head to the track!
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