Friday night racing returned for night number three at the Lee County Speedway. This would mark the first 2023 appearance of the vintage cars in addition to the five regular classes. Seventy three cars filled out the five weekly divisions, led by a season high eighteen IMCA Late Models. Threatening skies early likely affected both car and crowd count, but no rain fell and it was a pleasant although cool evening. Once again the track was in perfect shape, producing lots of passing and the IMCA Modified main event was surely the race of the year to this point.
First in the feature lineup, however it was all but one of the seventeen IMCA Northern Sport Mods lining up for eighteen laps. Cody Agee shot from the pole to lead the first two laps before Nicholas Profeta charged to the lead on lap three. Profeta held the top spot through four yellow flags in the first ten circuits. Meanwhile Brayton Carter had worked his way forward after starting in row four, and with just six laps remaining he jumped to the cushion and drove to the lead, taking along Matt Tucker in second. With fours laps to go, Adam Birck powered to the runner up spot but the caution came one final time as Tucker made contact with the tractor tire in turn four. Restarting in third, Birck challenged Carter for the lead, but "Speedy Bray" would hold on for the win. Birck settled for second followed by a gaggle of cars slicing and dicing for positions. At the checkers it was John Oliver Jr. in third followed by Sean Wyett, with Brandon Dale nosing past Profeta for fifth.
Sport Compacts would race next, twelve strong for fifteen laps. Josh Barnes and Barry Taft filled out row one, with Taft taking the early lead. Barnes emerged from a three wide battle for second, joining Taft in a two car breakaway. Barry slowly stretched his lead, and with six laps left, Josh suddenly slowed, ducking to the infield, his run over. Cruising out front two laps later, Taft met the same fate, pulling off out of turn two. Chevy Barnes now headed a tight three car battle for the lead, and he held serve, scoring his first ever feature win. Another second generation Compact driver, Chandler Fullenkamp came home second, topping Brandon Reu, Justin Stevenson, and Luke Fraise.
All twelve IMCA Stock Cars came to the track for eighteen circuits. Row two starter Beau Taylor avoided a traffic jam out of turn two to grab the lead, with fifth starting Jeremy Pundt hot on his trail. Only one lap was in the books when the first yellow flag of the race slowed the action. Pundt grabbed the lead as racing resumed, but seventh starting Jason Cook was the man on the move, taking over on lap five, even as the front six cars ran in tight formation. With Cook hugging the inside line, Derrick Agee was working up top looking for a way around the leader. With six laps to go, John Oliver Jr. slipped under Agee for second, then moved to the high line in turns three and four while following Cook in one and two. A caution for debris came with three laps left, and back under green, Oliver Jr. ducked to the infield, his challenge ended. Cook held on for the win, with Agee strong in second. Taylor had dropped out of the top five, but came roaring back in the closing laps to claim third, while Chad Krogmeier nipped Pundt at the line for fourth.
Two starters were missing from the fourteen IMCA Modifieds, with eighteen laps the scheduled feature distance. Bill Roberts Jr. charged ahead, quickly putting distance on the pack. With three laps down, a spate of three yellow flags ground things to a halt. Finally back to racing, Mark Burgtorf took over second while Austen Becerra advanced to third. Roberts was hooked up on the cushion while Burgtorf would close in one lap only to lose ground the next trip around. With just four laps remaining, Mark moved in to challenge on the low side, and Becerra, who had lost considerable ground when he bobbled in turn two was lurking behind the front duo. Austen was able to clear Burgtorf for second, and coming to the white flag he laid a big time slide job on Roberts. But Bill was up to the challenge, crossing back over to lead at the flag stand. Going down the backstretch for the final time, those front runners raced three wide, and Becerra won the drag race out of turn four to pick up a thrilling win. He followed up with a dirt track "burnout," showing his excitement, drawing cheers from the crowd! Burgtorf edged Roberts by a nose for second, while Jadin Fuller and visiting Long Grove, Iowa driver Dustin Smith completed the top five. As stated earlier, it has my vote thus far for LCS race of the year!
IMCA Late Models would be next, with all eighteen cars making the call for twenty five laps. As exciting as the Modified race was, there would be little drama in this one. Pole sitter Dalton Simonsen paced the opening circuit before fourth starting C. J. Horn powered to the front on lap two. While Simonsen and Jeremy Pundt battled side by side for second, Horn drove off into the night, opening a straightaway lead by the halfway mark, even as he fought lapped traffic. The only thing that could slow his run was a yellow flag, and it came with twenty laps in the books. The team cars of Denny Woodworth and Jason Oenning had been running in fifth and sixth for several laps ahead of the caution, but Woodworth found extra speed on the restart, quickly moving to third. Pundt turned in his most impressive Late Model showing in second even as Horn again pulled away. Running a smooth line around the inside groove, the vastly improving Oenning used a last lap pass the clear Simonsen for fourth. Tommy Elston, ran sixth followed by Darin Weisinger Jr., visitor Sean Johnson, Ray Raker, and Sam Halstead.
A sparse field of vintage cars had a couple of races to run as we made our way to the car, the clock reading 10:08 to wrap up another night of entertaining racing at Lee County. Thanks as always to Brian and Marcie Gaylord, Brian Neal and the crew for their hospitality!
Tomorrow it will be a birthday celebration for great grandson number two, then hopefully Mother Nature will smile on Adams County, Illinois Speedway and we can get back to Sunday night racing.
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