For the 26th season, 27 if you count the "Grand Millennium Finale of 1999, it was Shiverfest time at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. For many of those years this event was indeed the final race program in the mid west. Now, of course racing continues sporadically into November, capped off with the three day Dome extravaganza in St. Louis sometime in December. In fact, there is now a similar event a few hours north on this very weekend. Still this Saturday family friendly program here in southeast Iowa has become a "can't miss" event for many, myself included. In addition it is the final race night for promoter Neal Kohlmorgan. Hay rack rides through the pits, on track trick or treating, and lots of racing make for a fun time for all. And part of being family friendly includes affordable pricing without the burden of big payoffs, giving drivers of all budgets the opportunity to be competitive.
A very solid field of one hundred and thirty cars came through the gate in the seven divisions on the card, led by thirty four Stock Cars and thirty one Sport Mods. Starting right at the advertised time of 6:00 for hot laps, the first of seventeen heat races rolled off at 6:33 and were completed in good time with minimal yellow flags. Things then got a bit confusing, at least from the spectator side. For those two largest classes, it was announced repeatedly that the top five from the four heat races would transfer to the feature with a top three redraw and one B main with the top four moving on. However there seemed to be mass confusion as the Stock Car B came to the track. Also, the fifth place finishers from the heats were in the lineup, which took quite a while to form up. Only seven lined up for the Sport Mod last chance and they were then pulled off the track with the announcement that all would move on to the feature?
Anyway, with all this finally put to bed, it was time for feature racing. Late Models came first, with only seven cars having been checked in for the night.
Ray Raker and heat winner Andy Nezworski sat on row one, but it was third starting Tommy Elston blasting through to lead the opening lap. Raker and Nezworski battled side by side for second before Andy took command of the position on lap three. By then Elston had driven well ahead and soon Nezworski also gained separation from the field. By the mid point Elston had a full straightaway advantage, and with no yellows to slow the action, Tommy charged to a dominating win. Nezworski cruised to the runner up finish followed by Jason Oenning, who waged a close early battle for third, Dustin Smith in the Boles #4B entry, Raker and Ron Boyse. Only Mark Burgtorf failed to complete the twenty laps.
Fifteen laps would be the distance for the eleven Hobby Stockers. A pair of yellow flags shuffled the field before lap one was scored. Tom Killen Jr. shot out front from the pole position chased by fifth starting Jake Wenig and row four starter Dustin Griffiths who was advanced one row before the first official lap. Griffiths cleared Wenig for second ahead of another caution with four in the books. Back to racing Griffiths charged to the front with a final yellow flag just prior to halfway. Wenig grabbed second on the Delaware Style restart. Wenig and Killen then dueled for second as Griffiths remained in control to score the victory. Wenig won the battle for second in front of Killen Jr., Cody Staley and tenth starting Jared Miller.
The American Iron Racing Series eighteen car fifteen lap event was an entertaining back and forth duel between Tracy Quigley and Bruce Yoerger, as they swapped the lead after lining up in row one. Quigley emerged with an emotional win over Yoerger, Wesley Jones, twelfth starting Bart Miller and Owen Hayes.
The normally well behaved Stock Cars had some trouble early, with a pair of cautions on the opening circuit, including a major pile up exiting turn four and a second scrum that eliminated Jason See and Scott Walker. This was in addition to top contender John Oliver Jr. who scratched from his row five starting slot. Back under green, it was front row starters Derrick Agee and Oshkosh, Wisconsin visitor Presley Harrington leading the way. Meanwhile sixth starting David Brandies was pounding the cushion even as Agee worked the inside line and Harrington searched low and in the middle groove. Agee would then move up the track before the top three settled on the bottom. With Agee and Harrington pulling ahead, Brandies soon had to contend with tenth starting double duty Dustin Griffiths. As the race passed the halfway point Griffiths climbed the ladder in an attempt to overtake the three front runners. Slower traffic came into play with about four laps remaining, Agee moved up from the bottom, and Griffiths sneaked to the inside to grab the lead. As the leaders sliced through the lapped cars, Agee looped his #14 in turns one and two to bring a caution flag. It was decided that he had "help" spinning out, so he was lined back up in the runner up position. A final yellow flag waved on the restart, and Harrington headed to the pits, his top three run ended with front suspension damage. Griffiths held on for his second feature checkers of the night. Agee settled for second ahead of a late charge by Nathan Ballard and Jason Cook, with Brandies falling to fifth.
All thirteen Modifieds came to the three eighths mile oval for twenty laps. With Austen Becerra sitting on the pole, this one looked like an easy pick 'em. Austen would indeed lead all twenty non stop laps to score the win. Vance Wilson, wheeling a blue #2 machine would take the green alongside Becerra and hold off double duty Mark Burgtorf in a battle of veteran hot shoes before Mark drove by in the Baker #03B on lap seven. Becerra had a half track lead by the time he caught the tail of the field at the mid point of the race. He would move quickly and efficiently around the slower cars, cruising to the win. Burgtorf would come home second while eighth starting Chris Spalding, another two class competitor, charged to third. Kurt Kile would ease past Wilson at the checkers for fourth.
In all too typical fashion, six caution flags would mar the B Mod/ Sport Mod twenty lapper. Sean Wyett would jump to the point from his pole start ahead of Chris Spalding, Brandon Dale and Tim Plummer. With a pair of yellows six laps in, Becerra, driving the Brandon Lambert #14L and starting tenth, moved to third. Wyett began to stretch his lead as the laps clicked past half way and Becerra closed in on Spalding for second. A caution at lap eleven spelled the end of the night for Plummer. Back under green Becerra faded a bit and Dale began to apply pressure to the leader. Lap after lap they raced with Dale pulling ahead high off turn two but Wyett finding a bite down low to regain the lead down the back stretch. Three times the yellow flag would wave with just two laps remaining, the final one ending a late charge by fourth running Tanner Klingele, who spun his #73K. Dale took one last shot on the restart, but it was Wyett scored out front all twenty laps for the win. Dale came next while Becerra rebounded in third. Dakota Girard claimed fourth, and rookie Bryson Eckrich drove a steady race to gain four spots and record a top five sporting the familiar #56.
With many of the well chilled faithful headed for the gates, all but two of the sixteen Sport Compacts came trackside for fifteen laps. Following a yellow flag on the start for a turn one scrum, the leaders raced four wide into that same corner, bumpin' and bangin' all the way! Chevy Barnes emerged out front as the first circuit was recorded. Dyllan Bonk, in a "borrowed" #32 moved from a row three start to second on lap two ahead of another stoppage. Back to racing, pole sitter Jeff Delonjay restarted in third but charged to the lead, with Bonk also clearing Barnes to hang on to second. As the front two pulled away, there was a tight four car tussle for third before Barnes smacked the turn four guardrail then rolled to a stop, losing a tire off the #13C. Although it looked as though Delonjay was out front when the yellow came out, Bonk was scored the surprise ( even to him!) leader. From there he increased his margin all the way to the final checkers. Delonjay took runner up honors while Kimberly Abbott had a strong run in third, besting Alex Hayes and Josh Barnes.
The final event of the LCS 2025 season ended about 11:30, as another Shiverfest went in the books. Thanks as always to Neal and his crew for their hospitality all year long, and as it seems this will be his final season of promoting, we wish him well, even as we eagerly anticipate what comes next at the storied fairgrounds oval. Meanwhile, we look forward hopefully to another race or two before we close out season number seventy of chasing cars going in circles!
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