Sheppard Corrals Slocum Honors, Burgtorf and Becerra Also Winners

    After the 18th annual Slocum 50 was rained out in April, the event was moved to become a part of the yearly visit by the Lucas Oil Late Model series on Thursday, July 9. This would be the second consecutive Thursday for racing at 34 Raceway, west of West Burlington, Iowa. The highlight of the traveling series would be the $15, 000 to win main event. IMCA Late Models and IMCA Modifieds, weekly staples at the 3/8 mile high banked facility would also be in action with $1,000 to win features. 

   Although hard rains prior to race time fell throughout the area, the race grounds remained dry with a beautiful rainbow and in fact the sun shone brightly before setting off turn two. Although a bit late arriving, likely due to the weather, a great and enthusiastic crowd would eventually file in.

  Twenty nine Super Late Models came through the pit gate backed up by twenty two IMCA Late Models and a rather disappointing eleven IMCA Modifieds. The evening began with Lucas Oil time trials, and it would be the first car out, Brandon Overton, who would set overall quick time at 14.796 seconds, about three tenths off the track record for Late Models. Brandon Sheppard would pace group B at 15.015.

   Heat race drama in IMCA heat three saw a two car spin in turn four coming to the white flag. Running in a top four redraw position, Sam Halstead had nowhere to go, and the hard contact eliminated him from competition for the night. Lucas Oil heat two saw Shannon Babb spin in that same corner on the opening lap taking out himself as well as two other cars. Babb also was done for the night. Further issues would whittle the field to just two cars as the checkers waved. 

   Overton, Carson Ferguson, Sheppard, and Rickey Thornton Jr. would capture heat wins while Clay Stuckey grabbed B main honors. The Smith brothers, Brenden and Brody would grab the two provisional starting spots for the fifty lap money race. 

   Pole sitter Overton would beat Sheppard to turn one as those two soon separated themselves from the field. Soon Thornton Jr. would join the leaders, and with the race staying green they would catch slower traffic about lap fourteen. Overton would gain a bit of separation moving through the lapped cars as Sheppard now had a battle on his hands for second. The first yellow flag would come after thirty one laps as fifth running Josh Rice ducked to the work area. Back under green Overton would again pull away from the battle for second. Soon Sheppard would close in on the leader as Devin Moran moved in to challenge for third. With just thirteen laps to go Sheppard, running the inside line around the high banks eased past the leader while Moran powered to third. Even as Overton stayed close on the high side, Moran made it a three car scrum for the lead. Devin would charge to second about lap forty two and one lap later the second and final caution would come for Hudson Oneal. This would set up a single file seven lap dash to the checkers. Despite pressure from Moran and Overton, B Shepp would hang on for his first Slocum victory, unofficially jumping to the series points lead in the process. Moran, Overton, Max Blair, and Thornton Jr. would record top fives, trailed by Brian Shirley, Ferguson, Kyle Bronson, and the Simpson brothers, Chad and Chris, who would be the hard charger, gaining eight spots. 

   With all the post race television hoopla finally complete, the IMCA Late Models would lineup twenty strong for twenty five laps. Jeremy Pundt and Mark Burgtorf would redraw the front row and take off in that order before a first lap caution ended the night for Cody Washburne. Pundt would again lead the original restart with C.J. Horn slipping around Burgtorf on lap two. Travis Denning would also clear Burgtorf on lap five, but Mark would retake the position one lap later. As Pundt opened a comfortable lead, Burgtorf moved up to challenge Horn for second. around lap ten. As the race stayed green, the wily veteran Burgtorf cleared Horn with just four laps to go and set off after the leader. When the front duo came through turns three and four to the "two to go" signal, Burgtorf charged to his first lead of the race. He then held on for an emotional win. Pundt settled for runner up honors over Horn. Mitch Boles won a late battle with eleventh starting Tommy Elston for fourth. Denning, Jay Johnson, Andy Nezworski, Dustin Smith, and row nine starter Cruz Birkhofer would round out the top ten. 

   IMCA Modifieds would close out the action. A first lap four car pile up in turn three would end the night early for Andrew Hamburg and Bill Roberts Jr. Dennis Laveine would rocket to the lead as racing resumed with Austen Becerra on his heels. Running the top line, Becerra powered to the lead on lap three while Jace Eckrich entered the conversation in third. Following a quick yellow flag Eckrich would use the Delaware Style restart to move to second. After a lap five caution Becerra would open a sizable advantage while Eckrich also gained clearance ahead of a great three car battle between Laveine, Kolton Osborn, and Logan Anderson for third. One final time the caution would come at the halfway mark and the field would now go single file. But there would be no catching Becerra, who cruised to the win. Eckrich held the runner up spot while Anderson claimed third. Osborn nipped Laveine at the line in a tight scrum for fourth. Tom Bowling Jr., Blaine Bryant, and Matthew Lundry would follow in that order.  

   It was a solid night of racing on a well prepared track. Special thanks to Brad, Jessi, and all the crew for a memorable night honoring a great friend. 

   We will take a couple night s off then be back at Quincy Raceways for weekly racing on Sunday. 

Quincy Raceways Gets Back in Action

    After going zero for the month of June, Quincy Raceways officials, fans, and drivers were eager to get back to action. July 5 was an off day on the original schedule, but an unfortunate stretch of weather related cancellations resulted in a change of plans. All six regular divisions were in action with extra money coming in from outside sources for the Crown Vics. Start times were backed up one hour in reaction to the anticipated heat. 

   Heat race action rolled off in a timely fashion, and following the late model dash and intermission it was feature time. 

   Crown Vics kicked off the main events, thirteen strong for a dozen laps. Following a pair of early cautions, Carter Goodwin pulled out to a commanding lead. But with four laps to go, Goodwin came in contact with a slower car, ending his run. Alex Hatfield inherited the lead for the restart, then held off Jaden Delonjay to pick up the win. A multi car mix up on the final lap scrambled the finish but Brian Kaylor held on for third in front of Skipp Dunker and Richie Berghager.

   Sixteen IMCA Late Models checked in with all making the twenty five lap feature call. Jackson Frankel and Denny Woodworth brought the field to green. Frankel paced the opening circuit before Woodworth slipped around him to lead lap two. Austen Becerra (4th) and Tommy Elston (3rd) powered to second and third ahead of a lap ten caution for a Ryan Aden Jr. spin. Elston would clear Becerra for second at the half way mark. The yellow flag would fly again at lap fourteen and as the cars worked to realign the red flag came out for a medical issue in the pits. When racing resumed, Woodworth and Elston gained separation from the pack, Woodworth running a middle line while Elston worked low on the .29 mile oval. As those two battled Becerra began to gain ground, and with just two laps remaining he cleared Elston for second. But there would be no catching the Late Model Lawyer, as Woodworth picked up his first feature win of the season. Following Becerra and Elston it was visiting Travis Denning in fourth and Frankel in fifth. Jamie Wilson started and finished sixth while Jason Perry did the same in seventh. Jake Griffin, Curtis Glover, and Jeffrey Delonjay completed the top ten. 

   "Yellow Fever" then became the dominating theme as the two Modified classes were next. Twenty laps of UMP Dirtcar Modified racing produced five yellows, one of which eventually turned red. Wentzville, Missouri driver Rick Conoyer sat on the pole of the thirteen entries and made his visit pay off, leading from start to finish. The first stoppage came with just two laps scored and on the restart third running Justin Reed got sideways in turn four stacking up the field, necessitating the yellow to red to clear the track. Three more quick cautions resulted in a single file restart, with Conoyer and double duty Jacob Rexing driving away from the pack. Only six cars remained at the end. Visiting Ken Schrader topped a battle with Shawn Deering for third while Dave Weitholder came back from a hot pit visit to claim fifth. 

   Seven was the number of cautions in the eleven car twenty lap IMCA Northern Sport Mod money race. Once again it was a flag to flag win through the carnage for Reed Wolfmeyer. Alec Cain and Tanner Klingele waged an entertaining battle for the runner up spot before Cain went too hot into turns three and four, smacking the concrete, ending his run twelve laps in. Finally with five laps to go the realignment went single file, staying green to the finish. Klingele applied heavy pressure to the leader, but Wolfmeyer held on for the victory. Josh Dietrich and Todd Wolfmeyer were the remaining survivors of the calamity.

   The struggling Street Stock class produced only four entries. Jacob Rexing ran away in the ten lap non stop event, winning by about a half lap. Brandon Boden drove past George Wilson for second with James Stanton rounding out the field. 

   Dirtcar 4 Cylinders wrapped up the on track action. Spencer Coats and Dyllan Bonk brought the remaining nine of the ten car field to green for fifteen laps. Bonk charged ahead while Landon Neisen eased around Coats for second. Contact between those two ended the night for both top contenders in the only stoppage of the race. Bonk would fly away to a half track lead, picking up the win. Kimberly Abbott was steady in second, topping visitors Tim Westenhaver Jr. and Bryan Gregg as attrition took the rest of the field.

   Much of the large gathering stayed around for the fireworks show after the races. 

   Thanks as always to Jeff, Renee and their staff for their hospitality. QR will be back in action next Sunday for regular six class racing with discount tickets offered at Quincy Auto Supply. 

   Next up for yours truly is the rescheduled Slocum 50 at 34 Raceway, the April rainout making it a part of the annual visit by the Lucas Oil Late Model series. IMCA Late Models and IMCA Modifieds will fill out the spectacular card. This is a Thursday, July 9 event, with no other close by racing. The Thursday night special last week at 34 drew a field of thirty two IMCA Late Models and twenty five IMCA Mods. Pair that with the stars and cars of the Lucas Oil series and the Slocum 50 tradition and you have got a "can't miss" event! See you there!

Lee County Beats the Storms on Friday

    Friday was Midwest Auto Collision Night at Lee County Speedway, with free admission for military, past and present. The regular six classes were in action while K.A.R.A., the Keokuk Auto Racers Association was once again on hand to stage their second Australian Pursuit, this time for the Mini Hauler division. Also at intermission there was a candy/quarter dash and bicycles giveaway for the kids and fireworks to wrap up the night. It was indeed a full night of action!

   Once again conditions were far from comfortable, at least at the beginning of the evening, but for those who stuck around until fireworks time, the nearby storms dropped the temperature to a very pleasant level.

   The swampy conditions I know did affect the car count a bit, but still there were enough hearty souls to give us a pair of heat races in all except the Mini Hauler class. Once again the crowd was treated to a special visit by former NASCAR star Kenny Schrader wheeling his #9 Modified.

   Heat races rolled off quickly and Nick Wilkerson picked up the Australian Pursuit as we headed to intermission.

   IMCA Stock Cars would roll out first in the feature lineup. Chad Krogmeier would lead Casen Keller as lap one of twenty was scored. John Oliver Jr. was on the move, charging from row four in the draw redraw thirteen car lineup to third on lap two. The lone caution came at lap four as a spin by Jathan Fuller collected Jake Powers and Corey Strothman, eliminating all three contenders. Oliver Jr. grabbed the runner up spot on the Delaware Style restart, then overtook the leader coming to the flag stand one lap later. The #05 then pulled away in front of a battle between Krogmeier and Keller. Oliver Jr. cruised to the win while Krogmeier nipped Keller at the line for second. David McCalla and Leremy Jackson rounded out the top five. 

   IMCA Modifieds would be up next, eleven strong for twenty laps. After starter Kevin Eggleston called back the original start, the race remained clean and green to the checkers. Bill Roberts Jr. paced the opening circuit in front of Jace Eckrich while seventh starting Austen Becerra powered to third. Eckrich would move to the lead on lap two and Becerra would take second one lap later. The frontrunners would pull away from the pack with Becerra changing lines looking for the opening he needed. As the white flag waved a slower car running in his preferred lane temporarily boxed Eckrich giving Becerra one last shot at the lead. As the duo exited turn four Jace would hold on for the hard fought win. Mark Burgtorf was steady all race long in third chased by Roberts Jr. Dakota Simmons held off Schrader for fifth. 

   Fourteen IMCA Late Models lined up for twenty five laps. The move of the race came in the infield when Tommy Elston redrew the pole position. The Keokuk veteran would lead all twenty five laps. Twice the yellow flag would bring him back to the pack, but on each occasion he would drive away to a commanding lead. Sam Halstead and Rickey Frankel III would battle back and forth early for the runner up position. Two time winner Jake Griffin drew the number seven pill, advancing to third on lap nine. Meanwhile a gaggle of cars raced closely for position behind the top three of Elston, Frankel III and Griffin. The final caution came at lap sixteen as Frankel III slowed with steam rolling from his #33. His cousin Jackson Frankel would inherit the third spot, then use the Delaware restart to move to second as eighth starting Curtis Glover charged from seventh to fourth. Once more Elston pulled away for by my count his third LCS win of the season followed by Jackson Frankel, Griffin, Glover, and C.J. Horn. Mitch Boles, Darin Weisinger Jr., Ron Boyse, Carter Johnson, and Kruze Miles would complete the top ten. 

   Twenty laps would decide the eleven car IMCA Northern Sport Mod winner. Before lap one was complete the yellow flag would fly as Olivia Hoffman and Grady Jones would come together in turn three, eliminating both cars. Pole sitter Cole Gillenwater would lead fourth starting Brandon Dale ahead of a second and final caution with one lap scored as rookie Kindel Droege had issues on the backstretch. Gillenwater would begin to stretch his lead as Bryson Eckrich moved up to challenge Dale for second, three second generation hot shoes setting the pace. Besides close racing we were now being treated(?) to some intense lightning strikes seemingly not too far north of the speedway as well as a welcome cool breeze and a noticeable drop in temperatures. As it turned out the track racing fifty plus miles to the northeast saw their program washed out mid race, so we were the lucky ones! In any event, Gillenwater would open a straightaway advantage to cruise to victory. Eckrich won the battle for second over Dale, while Brandon Lambert and Chevy Barnes also collected top five finishes.  

   Track officials now went into a much appreciated hurry up mode, dispensing with post race activities, parade laps, etc. as the Mini Haulers came to the track for ten laps of racing. One caution with two laps in the books would slow the action, but it was merely a small distraction for pole sitter and eventual winner Nick Wilkerson, who missed a clean sweep with a second place heat race finish. Nick would drive away to the feature win over heat winner Dawson Tipps, Hayden Delzell, Larry Hooper, and Jason Delzell, the only survivors of the seven truck field. 

   IMCA Sport Compacts would wrap up racing, eleven cars cut to a ten lap main event. Tim Schnathorst would redraw the front row pole and lead all laps as the race went non stop green to checkers. Kimberly Abbott would challenge the leader before rare mechanical issues ended her pursuit in the early laps. Brandon Reu would work from row three to the runner up spot by lap three, soon applying pressure to Schnathorst. Several car lengths would separate the two leaders even as Reu worked hard to close the gap. As the final checkers of the night waved, it was Schnathorst with the win over Reu and Luke Fraise. Ethan Prim had a solid run in fourth while visiting Paige Sanders, Montezuma, Iowa rounded out the first five.

   Thanks once again to the Weisinger family and their capable team for a fun Friday night!

    Regular racing will at LCS will take a pause next week as the Mohrfield Sprint Invaders take center stage during Iowas' oldest county fair. 

   We will enjoy family activities and celebrate our nations' birthday today along with the big block party and legendary fireworks display in our former hometown of Lagrange, Missouri, then be back in our regular seats Sunday as Quincy Raceways recovers from a complete washout in June. Race times have been backed up one hour on Sunday, check the track Facebook page for details. Hope to see you there!

    

Laveine Sanitation Night a Big Success at 34 Raceway

      Thursday was a special night at 34 Raceway, West Burlington, Iowa. The now apparent annual event was sponsored by Laveine Sanitation, the business of longtime racer Dennis Laveine. The veteran competitor along with track owners/promoters Brad Stevens and Jessi Mynatt rolled out the red carpet for race teams and fans alike. All fans and drivers received free admission! In addition there were many prizes and contingencies for the racers as well as prize drawings for fans. To top things off, all five divisions in action saw their feature race pay $1,500 to win and $150 to start! In "old school" fashion, sponsors were lined up to award payouts for heat race finishes, a custom seldom seen since the 1980's! And as racing wrapped up in the wee hours, a fireworks display entertained the many hearty souls still around, as even with the extremely warm conditions, a large and enthusiastic crowd turned out.

   One hundred and thirty eight race teams was the official tally in the five featured divisions, with IMCA Sport Mods leading the way with thirty seven drivers. They along with the thirty two IMCA Late Models needed B mains to whittle feature fields down to twenty four. Only 305 Sprints, eighteen strong turned out less than a "full field." It was a very interesting mix of drivers from various areas, many of whom were likely not familiar with the track.

   With the high humidity, the track stayed in excellent condition throughout the twenty three race program, with just a slight amount of tickling of the three eighths mile high banks during intermission. 

   Of course there is always a downside to an affair of this magnitude, and on this night it would be a possible case of carpal tunnel for the lone flagman, who was forced to wave the yellow flag somewhere north of three dozen times! Many drivers unfortunately struggled finding a grip on the smooth, fast, and somewhat slippery corners of the oval. 

   With all preliminaries in the books, IMCA Northern Sport Mods kicked off feature racing, two dozen strong for twenty laps. Following a yellow flag on the first attempt at a start, pole sitter Cole Stichter led third starting Dylan VanWyk. Sport Mod standout Brayton Carter would enter the mix on lap three, moving to third after lining up in row five. Two more cautions came before Carter took command using the high line, taking VanWyk along in second. As Carter stretched his advantage, Cole Gillenwater would climb to third before a turn two spin ended his run just seven laps from the checkers. The field would now realign single file with only one more caution slowing the action. VanWyk would get close enough to the leader to attempt a slide job in turn three, but Carter was able to cross back over for the lead. Dylan would stay close but could not mount another serious challenge as "Speedy Bray" drove on to his sixteenth feature win of 2026. After dropping out of his heat race, double duty John Oliver Jr. lined up in row eleven but methodically worked his way to third at the finish. Stichter came home fourth while Bryson Eckrich won an entertaining back and forth battle with Quinton Shelton for fifth. 

   All but one of the eighteen 305 Winged Sprints made the twenty lap feature call. Cody Wehrle, subbing for Tanner Gebhardt in the #27I sat on the pole position, jumped to the lead and was never headed as the yellow flag would wave just a single time. However that one stoppage was nearly a disaster for second running John Barnard. As the front duo attempted to put car a lap down in turns three and four, the slower car got crossed up causing Bernard to get sideways and stop. Fortunately track officials allowed him to retain his position, which he held the rest of the way to the checkers. But there would be no catching Wehrle, although Barnard was able to draw closer in traffic on the final laps. Kyle Steffens started and finished third while Riley Scott moved up eight positions to fourth. Jeff Wilke also came from deep in the field to round out the first five. 

   The IMCA Stock Car field was down to twenty one for their twenty lap finale. The usually well behaved class would see four cautions in the first half of the event, finally going single file and settling down with just one more caution two laps from the finish. Outside row one starter Kenny O'Donnell led fourth starting Chad Krogmeier through three yellow flags as the opening lap was scored. Cayden Carter would power to second as the laps began to click off and Oliver Jr. charged from row five to third on lap three. Two mores trip past the flag stand and Carter grabbed the top spot followed by Oliver in second one lap later. As the two veterans and most of the field hugged the inside line, eleventh starting Maguire DeJong moved to the top side and began quickly picking off cars, charging to third by a lap twelve caution. An early yellow flag had sent David Brandies to the tail for the restart, but back to racing he mirrored DeJong, climbing to the high line and advancing quickly to fifth. With Carter still locked on the bottom, Oliver now moved up a lane to challenge, and along with DeJong they now locked in an entertaining three car battle. But coming out of turn two on the way to the white flag, Oliver began to slow, dropping fluid through turns three and four, ending his bold pursuit. On the final restart Carter moved higher on the track to protect his lead, holding on to pick up the hard fought win. It would be DeJong in second followed by Brandies, O'Donnell, and Krogmeier with top five finishes. 

   Pole sitter Mark Burgtorf led fourth starting Jesse Bodin as the twenty four car IMCA Late Models began their twenty five lap event. The first of only two cautions came with one lap scored as Jake Griffin and Rickey Frankel III got together in turn four. Back under green fifth starting Travis Denning drove to second followed by third starting Tommy Elston. Denning would use the high line to ease around the bottom hugging Burgtorf on lap five. The second and final caution came with seven laps scored, and Elston used the Delaware Style restart to power to second. It took three more trips around the oval before Elston was able to slip past Denning for the lead. Now it was Denning and Burgtorf in a side by side, back and forth battle for second all while still staying close to the leader. As the laps clicked off, third generation driver Cruz Birkhofer began a charge forward after lining up in row seven. Elston drove off to the win as Denning finally topped the fight for second over Burgtorf. Bodin finished where he started in fourth while Birkhofer gained eight spots to fifth. Buried in the starting field, Andy Nezworski came on strong late, advancing ten positions to finish sixth. C.J. Horn, Sam Halstead, Jamie Wilson, and Dustin Smith would round out the top ten. 

   IMCA Modifieds would complete the racing action, twenty five strong for twenty laps. The finale was a marathon marred by nine (ten?) yellow flags. Spencer Diercks would fire off ahead of the start zone and be penalized one row as the first stoppage came. But it would take him just three circuits to overtake early leader Jace Eckrich for the position. Single file restarts would begin with just four laps in the books. While Diercks built a commanding lead, Eckrich and seventh starting Austen Becerra raced hot and heavy for second. On each of the numerous restarts, Diercks would pull away while Eckrich and Becerra continued their duel. The final six laps would mercifully stay green, with Diercks cruising to the win. Becerra would score the runner up spot over Eckrich, double duty Cayden Carter would add a fourth to his Stock Car win, and Logan Anderson would ease around Chris Zogg on the final lap for fifth. 

   While it was for sure a bit warm and muggy, there was a nice breeze early as we watched that oh so familiar 34 Raceway sunset, somehow it wouldn't seem right any other way! Special thanks to Dennis Laveine, Brad and Jessi, and their hard working crew for a such a special night of non stop action. The track will be idle this Saturday as they plan for their next big event, the rescheduled Slocum 50, held next Thursday, July 9 in conjunction with the yearly visit by the high powered Lucas Oil Late Models. The three division program will also feature, IMCA Late Models, and IMCA Modifieds in what is a "can't miss" show for yours truly and hopefully you as well! 

   Check back tomorrow, as we will hopefully have a run down of more holiday weekend racing from tonight at Lee County Speedway. Hope to see you there!

   

Memphis Main Event Goes to Chargin' Charlie

   Saturday the high powered Malvern Bank SLMR Late Models rolled into Scotland County Speedway, the fairgrounds three eighths mile oval on the west edge of Memphis, Missouri. The Nebraska based Super Late Model Racing Series - the brainchild of National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Joe Kosiski - boasts both east and west division events plus several multi division races. While some drivers may focus on "points racing" in one or the other division, there is much cross over among the competitors. This east division race would pay a cool $3,000 to win the feature winner. Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and B Modifieds racing for a strong purse would fill out the Saturday night card. 

   Like everywhere in the mid west, Memphis has experienced more than their share of rainfall, but through the hard work of promoter Mike Van Genderen and many volunteers, the race track and pit area were transformed in to race shape. The huge berm of mud surrounding the inside of the racing surface was a testimony as to how much work was needed. And although the track had a bit of "character" early, it was  hammer down all night and relatively smooth and multi groove by feature time. 

   South Dakota driver Blair Nothdurft topped time trial efforts with a fast lap of 17.019 seconds, breaking a three race fast qualifier string by Jason Hahne. SLMR uses a somewhat complicated qualifying procedure involving descending points for time trials with a six car heat race invert where passing points are accumulated. This combination ( along with a top car redraw?) sets the starting order for the feature which also offers a challenge to the top point man to drop to the sixth starting spot for a shot at bonus money. On this night it was number two points earner Tad Pospisil who accepted the Skyline Materials challenge after Jake Neal passed. As it turned out Tad was "only" able to move up to third at the checkers, increasing the bonus money for the next event.

   Heat two winner Jacob Hobscheidt and Charlie McKenna sat on row one for the twenty five lap main event. "Chargin" Charlie powered to the early lead followed by Hobscheidt and Neal. A quick yellow came as Ron Boyse came up lame with both right side tires down. Neal took second on the Delaware Style restart before the caution flag waved again on lap two for a four car mix up in turn four. From there the race would stay clean and green. McKenna and Neal gradually pulled away from the pack, running nose to tail, building a nearly straightaway advantage. Around the mid point of the race, the leaders began to catch slower traffic, with several pulling to the infield before going a lap down. Eventually McKenna closed in on a car running in his preferred lane, and Neal took advantage to close up what little margin the leader had. After a few laps, McKenna was able to make a dandy move in turns one and two to put a pair of cars between himself and his challenger. He then built what looked like an insurmountable lead of more than three seconds. But Neal finally cleared the lapped cars and with two laps remaining he was once again at the back bumper of the #22. However McKenna continued to hit his marks, and came away with a flag to flag win of less than one second! Neal was runner up with Pospisil in third ahead of Hobscheidt and Nothdurft. Jesse Sobbing would top the second five in front of Dylan Silman, Jeff Tharp, Hahne, and Andrew Kosiski. Fourteen of the eighteen starters were around at the finish, while Troy Morris III was well down the road after heat race woes put him in the toter.  

   Feature racing began with all twenty four B Mods lining up for sixteen laps. As the green flag waved, Austen Becerra made hard contact with the turn two fence, putting him and his Bobby Six #6 out of contention early. Pole sitter Brandon Lambert charged to the lead with the yellow coming again on lap two as possible contact sent ninth starting Daniel Fellows in the Jim Gillenwater #10 for a spin. Another top contender, Brandon Dale drove to the infield at this time, ending his run. Back to racing, Lambert pulled away along with second running Cole Gillenwater as they opened about a five car length advantage before encountering heavy traffic at about the mid point. With just five laps remaining, the caution flag bunched the field as Dylan Heidenwith took a ride off turn three. Twelfth starting Dylan VanWyk had been steadily advancing through the pack, and he now jumped from fifth to third in a battle with Cody Agee. Just as the white flag flew, it was replaced by a final yellow and as the cars waited to realign, VanWyk had his night end with an engine fire in the #117. It would be a green, white, checkers to determine the finish, and Lambert would hold on for a popular victory. Agee jumped to second on the final restart as Gillenwater fell back to eighth with obvious issues. Lucas Eddy was the hard charger, moving up twelve spots to third chased by Jordon Jones and Chris Leathers. 

   Thirteen Stock Cars signed in, with all taking the green for fifteen laps. As has been a trend lately, the class was not particularly well behaved, as four yellow flags marred the action. Thor Anderson sat on the pole and he powered to the front ahead of Randy Rindom, Derrick Agee, and Leremy Jackson. As Anderson stretched his lead Rindom and Jackson survived contact, but the yellow would come soon after for more contact between Jackson and Jason See. See was awarded his spot back with Jackson charged with the caution. However when another quick caution came for debris, See retired to the infield with a flat tire. Another quick caution followed the restart and now Jackson flew off turn three before reentering the track off turn four! Soon he would head to the infield along with Kevin Koontz while track workers removed the hood from the #14 of Agee who had already given up his front nose piece. A final yellow came for a Jathan Fuller spin with six laps to go. Finally, Thor Anderson would drive away to a convincing flag to flag win. Agee held on for second while Rindom and Fuller recovered to take third and fourth. Only six cars completed the fifteen laps. 

   Hobby Stocks would wrap up the night, racing for a dozen circuits. Pole sitter Mason Rush would lead the first half of the event  followed by a four car scramble for second, finally taken by Spenscer Hopwood. Rush stayed in control before the caution came at the lap six mark. Hopwood would then grab the top spot and go on to collect the win. Rush settled for runner up honors ahead of Garrett Porter, and the Wenigs, Tristan and Dan. 

   Thanks as always to MVG and his cracker jack crew for a much needed night of racing action. Scotland County will host a few more events throughout the season, check the website for more info.

   Our next planned event is the rescheduled and highly anticipated Laveine Sanitation extravaganza this coming Thursday, July 2 at 34 Raceway in West Burlington. There are lots of giveaways for fans and drivers, serious extra money for the racers including $1,500 to win in all classes, and to top things off, all DRIVERS AND FANS GET IN FREE! No excuses on this one, so we will see you there!

Close Finishes Highlight Lee County Action

    Lee County Speedway was one a handful of tracks spared by Mother Nature on Friday night. In fact, the cloudy skies made for a very pleasant racing evening. The pits were already filling with a larger than average turnout when a late shower forced cancellation during check in fifty plus miles up the road in Columbus Junction, and brought a steady stream of competitors rolling through the Donnellson pit gate even as race time approached. In fact, a handful of cars would miss the heat races. In the end, the final car count wound up in the low nineties, including surprise visitor Kenny Schrader with his IMCA Modified making for a long and full night of action. The regular six divisions saw the addition of the Crown Vics, the first time the fledgling class has appeared at Lee County. They would bring nine competitors who regularly race at Quincy Raceways for a test run on the three eighths mile oval. 

   The action still kicked off in time, and a dozen heat races clicked off quickly, followed by a brief intermission. 

   IMCA Modifieds would be up first in the feature lineup, with fourteen cars racing for twenty laps. Dennis Laveine would lead his row one mate Jace Whitt ahead of the first yellow flag with one lap scored. Bill Roberts Jr. would clear Whitt for second on the restart, and as the laps clicked off those two would swap the position in a hard fought battle behind Laveine. Austen Becerra had lined up in row four, and with eight circuits remaining on the lightning fast surface, he would power to third. Laveine had built a nice lead, but a second and final caution came as a tire was kicked onto the racing surface with just three laps remaining. As the green flag waved, fifth running Mark Burgtorf moved to the high line and charged all the way to the runner up spot while second running Whitt was shuffled back through the field. Becerra was now also on the gas, and he cleared Burgtorf for second, then closed quickly on the leader. That duo exited turn four to the checkers side by side, with Laveine holding on by 0.2 seconds for the thrilling victory. Burgtorf, Roberts Jr., and Whitt completed the top five. 

   An excellent field of twenty one IMCA Late Models signed in, with all making the twenty five lap feature call. Jason Oenning and Dalton Simonsen brought the field to green with Simonsen jumping out ahead of fourth starting Denny Woodworth. Lap two saw the Late Model lawyer power to the lead while sixth starting Jake Griffin advanced to third. The next time around it was Griffin in second and Rickey Frankel III following in third. Woodworth opened a sizable lead until the lone caution came with six laps scored. Back under green, Griffin executed a "bad" slider in turn four, making contact with Woodworth while taking over the lead. Now it was Woodworth, Frankel III, and ninth starting Tommy Elston battling three wide for second, a position Elston would secure about lap ten. By this time Griffin was well out front but beginning to catch the back of the pack. Elston methodically cut into the gap, and with three laps to go he was within striking distance. But at that point Griffin was able to clear a slower car, giving him enough cushion to race home with his second win of the season, both coming at LCS. Elston crossed the line in second, as those two reversed their finish from the night before at Eldon Raceway. Frankel III had a strong run in third while Curtis Glover and twelfth starting C. J. Horn rounded out the front five. Visiting third generation driver Cruz Birkhofer ran sixth ahead of Blaise Lewis, Darin Weisinger Jr., Mitch Boles, and Spencer Havermale. 

   Eighteen cars would line up for the twenty lap IMCA Northern Sport Mod money race. Brandon Lambert got the jump on his front row partner Tanner Klingele ahead of a lap two caution, Back to racing Cole Gillenwater powered to the lead with Klingele still in second. One lap later Klingele took his first lead while fifth starting John Oliver Jr. drove to third. Row four starter Adam Birck was on the move, and he secured the third spot on lap six. Klingele had a sizable lead, but a lap eight yellow flag brought him back to the pack, and on the restart Birck rode the top side to the front. With Klingele staying in the low line, the two veterans raced side by side before Tanner reclaimed the top spot near the halfway mark. Again Klingele would open a nice lead ahead of a caution with just two laps remaining. That is when the wheels came off of an otherwise entertaining race. Caution after caution flag flew as the field was unable to complete even one more lap, including a turn three melee that eliminated several top contenders. Mercifully the time limit was invoked with a final single file run to the checkers. Klingele held on for the win trailed by Birck and Brandon Dale. A. J. Tournear was involved in an early caution, restarted deep in the field then rebounded to fourth at the checkers while Lambert came home fifth. Only eight cars were still on track at the end.

   The Mini Hauler division continues to be a mostly failed experience, as only Five trucks showed up. Nick Wilkerson is established as a dominant force in the division as he took over the lead on lap three of twelve, then drove away to a full straightaway win. Sheldon Brockett and Larry Hooper filled out the final spots still racing at the checkers. 

   The lineup showed nine, but including Gordon Blankenship Jr. there were ten IMCA Sport Compacts taking the green flag. Luke Fraise grabbed the early lead with fourth starting Brandon Reu close behind. That duo raced side by side with Reu nosing ahead on the fifth circuit. Fraise would stay close, battling side by side and nose to tail with Reu, lap after lap. The white flag was replaced with a lone yellow as Drew Stanek would lose a wheel while fighting for a top five spot. The green, white, checkers finish was no problem for Reu as he picked up another win. Fraise held second while three cars crossed the line side by side by side for third! Kimberly Abbott took the podium finish trailed closely by David Prim and Deep River, Iowa driver Ryan Cheney. 

   After witnessing two frustrating Stock Car features this week, this fourteen car IMCA group staged an entertaining twenty lapper. Beau Taylor was the early leader from outside row one chased by fourth starting double duty John Oliver Jr. Oliver would grab the lead on lap two while Nathan Wood moved one lap later to second. Oliver Jr. drove away to a straightaway lead, moving effortlessly through slower traffic before the yellow flag flew six laps from the checkers for a spinner.  As racing resumed, the red flag came quickly as the #15RS of Reid Sammons gave up in a heavy cloud of smoke. With a clear track ahead, Oliver Jr. again drove away into the Lee County night to claim victory. Wood hung around in the runner up position while Bernard, Iowa driver Jordon Miles made a late charge to slip around Taylor for third. Austin O'Donnell made the quick drive to Donnellson to take home fifth. Among the surprise entrants on this night were a pair of racers from Oklahoma presumably making their way north for some upcoming specials. Brandon Gritz from Edmond and Hesston Shaw from Hennessey, apparent teammates with similar looking #42 and 42S machines would cross the line seventh and eighth in the main event. 

   The clock ticked near 11:00 as we slipped out ahead of the Crown Vic twelve lap finale. Lewistown, Missouri racer Brian Kaylor will be the answer to a trivia question as the first driver to capture a feature win in the division at LCS. With a decent first night turnout, I suspect we may see the Vics again in 2026.

   Thanks as always to the Weisinger family and their crew for their hospitality and hard work turning an early week swamp into a very raceable surface on a fun Friday night. And we even got to here a couple of interviews from one of the best, Dustin Jarrett!

   With other commitments, this will put a wrap on weekend racing for me, next stop will be the UMP Summer Nationals stop at Quincy Raceways on Wednesday. The touring Super Late Models and Modifieds will be joined by B Modifieds and Crown Vics, you won't want to miss this one! 

Elston Cashes in at Eldon

    Thursday we made our way to the Wapello County Fairgrounds in Eldon, Iowa. It is county fair time, with a pair of race nights scheduled on the fast half mile where many fun nights were spent by yours truly a half century ago. On this special night, IMCA Late Models topped the card, racing for a $1,200 payday backed by $300 to start the main event. Stock Cars, Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks, 4 Cylinders, and Crown Vics were also on the card. 

   Hot laps kicked off about thirty minutes late, but after that the show moved along at a reasonable pace. A couple quick spritzes of water solved an early dust issue, and by race time a nice sized crowd filled in to both the rustic covered grandstands and the open air concrete seating closer to turn four. 

   Car counts are not the best at Eldon, and this night was no different, with only Stock Cars and Late Models able to register double digit counts. Tony Paris was doing his usual fine job on the mic, however there were some issues with the PA throughout the evening in the main grandstands, and I must confess to missing more than a couple names of drivers with whom I am unfamiliar. So I apologize in advance for any I may misidentify. Rumor has it that the track is working on collaborating with My Race Pass, which would be a positive development to the many race fans and reporters who rely on it. 

   Compacts would run the first feature of the night, contesting ten laps on the big half mile. Katelynn Watts shot to the early lead, and stayed out front for the distance despite heavy pressure from Seth Meinders. Cole Hughes, competing in two classes this night would race home in third followed by James Haring. 

   Sport Mods would also go ten circuits. with Colton Livezey jumping out front of Chase Johnson and Brandon Dale early on. As lap two was completed, Dale powered to second and began to stalk the leader in what shaped up to be a two car scrum. Eventually Livezey was able to put some distance on his challenger. For the second feature in a row, the race stayed green to the end, with Colton picking up his second win in three nights. Dale ran second, followed by VanZandt and Johnson.

   Crown Vics brought our first feature caution. Cole Hughes grabbed the lead after the front runner spun exiting turn four on the opening lap. The lone caution came on lap five, but Hughes stayed out front. Folkerts worked to cut into his lead, and crossed the finish line a scant half car length behind. Carter Stutsman would come home third.

   Next up it was Hobby Stocks. Keaton Gordon grabbed the lead over Rick VanDusseldorp. Top contender Dustin Griffiths, who was an early exit in the heat race, was out on the opening lap. VanDusseldorp was ahead by a nose as lap two went in the books only to see Gordon regain the spot two laps later. Once back in the lead, Gordon pulled away to a convincing win while VanDusseldorp held on for the runner up honors. Dan Honderd was strong in third.

  For our second straight night, the usually reliable Stock Cars had issues completing their twelve lap main event. Five yellow flags marred the action. Jason McDaniel powered to the lead as the green flag waved with Dustin Griffiths on his tail. Andrew Schroeder joined the fray ahead of the first stoppage,  Three more cautions came rapid fire, and on the final one of the three Griffiths headed to the work area with a flat tire following on track contact. Schroeder, who found himself at the tail early after triggering one of the cautions soon found himself back in second as the race passed the mid point. The final restart came at lap nine, and back under green Schroeder completed his come back, roaring to the front. He then drove away from the pack for a popular win. McDaniel held second ahead of Aaron Martin, Leremy Jackson, and Griffiths.

   A dozen IMCA Late Models put a wrap on the action. Dalton Simonsen and Gary Webb brought the field to green with Simonsen out front, but a complete restart followed the lone caution of the race. On the next attempt Dalton again took the lead with third starting Jake Griffin now in second. Griffin began to apply pressure to the leader while fourth starting Tommy Elston found his footing, moving to third on lap six and quickly closing on the leaders. Both Jake and Tommy drove around the front runner on lap seven, quickly putting distance on the pack in an entertaining two car duel. Lap eleven saw Elston make the move of the race as he grabbed the top spot. From there he would hold off Griffin for the $1,200 payday. Simonsen grabbed a podium spot in third, followed by "Superman" Sam Halstead, and C.J.Horn (I vividly recall watching his grandfather Fred win a feature here opening night in 1975!) A pair of wily veterans, Webb and Ron Boyse came next, chased by Jay Johnson, Mitch Boles, and Denny Woodworth.

   Racing wrapped up ahead of the 11:00 hour and there were fireworks in the distance as we headed out on Highway 16. 

   Tonight we will be back at Lee County Speedway where seven classes will be on the card. Maybe we will see you there!