Lee County Crowns Champs

  Friday night it was season championship night at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. In addition, track promoters Brian and Marcie Gaylord decided to get creative and offer $3.00 adult admission. With the weather close to perfect, there was a county fair sized crowd filling the stands, including a record 105 youngsters signed in to the Jr. Fan Club! Also, the 3/8 mile racing surface was in tip top condition. If there was a down side, the overall car count could have been better, but some excellent side by side racing more than made up for some smaller fields.
  With heat race action wrapped up, it was feature time for the six principal classes that rotate through the LCS weekly program.
  Up first was the IMCA sport compact event, fifteen cars for fifteen laps. Jason Ash powered from his fifth starting spot to lead the opening circuit, with his row three mate Trent Orwig moving to second one lap later. Orwig took over the top spot on lap five, and stayed in command until the yellow flag waved as Brandon Reu lost an engine with three laps to go, spilling oil in turn four. Back to racing, another caution came on lap fourteen, and at the same time Josh Barnes left the track, giving up his fourth position. Barnes was forced to park his primary car in his heat race, and now had issues with his backup after commandeering it from Brandon Ruffcorn for the feature. The first attempt at a green, white, checkers finish was unsuccessful, so the field was lined up single file. Orwig was not to be denied, picking up the win, followed by Ash, Kimberly Abbott, Cody Bowman, and Ashley Reuman. Surprise visitor Devin Jones towed in from Mason City, Iowa, running in the top five before having mechanical issues. Despite his troubles, Reu claimed the points title.
  The 305 sprint car field was a bit short, with ten cars signed in. Tanner Gebhardt was behind the wheel of the #27 machine on Friday, and he shot to the lead from the pole position ahead of Mason Campbell, Harold Pohren and Brayden Gaylord. With Gebhardt well out front, the red flag was displayed eight laps into the eighteen lapper when Jeff Wilke made hard contact with the front stretch concrete wall. Although apparently uninjured, it took some time for Wilke to exit his #41, as the top wing collapsed on the roll cage. It was obvious the car suffered heavy damage. The restart was single file, and we stayed green for the final ten laps. Gebhardt cruised to the checkers, with Campbell in second. Gaylord used a last lap charge to edge Pohren for third, with Daniel Berquist completing the first five. Gebhardt also claimed the track championship.
  Things took a turn for the worse as the seventeen IMCA sport mods lined up for eighteen laps. At least six ( did I miss any? ) caution periods interrupted what was the closest racing thus far on the night. Jim Powell paced the first lap, but following a lap two caution, row four starter Blaine Webster jumped to the lead, chased by Adam Birck. Birck grabbed the lead on lap five, but Webster refused to go away, and the two staged an exciting side by side battle before and after four more cautions in the next couple of laps. Meanwhile, veteran Jim Gillenwater, out for the first time in 2019 was working his way forward after starting tenth, taking over the third spot just past the halfway point. A final caution came with six laps remaining, and the field was now reset in single file formation. Webster now had his hands full with Gillenwater, and Birck cruised to the long awaited victory. Gillenwater took runner up honors, with Webster, Austen Becerra, and points champion Daniel Fellows rounding out the first five slots.
   The IMCA late model championship points actually ended at the end of July per series rules, with Tommy Elston winning the title. However there was still a race to be run, twenty laps for the fifteen entrants. Nick Marolf and Gunner Frank made up row one, with Marolf charging to the lead. The redraw was not kind to Elston, who lined up tenth on the grid. With most of the leaders running a low line around the boundary tires, Tommy jumped to the high line and began to pick off cars. He entered the top five on lap four, advancing to fourth one lap later. With Marolf well out front, Elston cleared Frank for third at the half way mark. But just as quickly, he stopped at the top of turn three, a rare mechanical issue ending his run. Frank retook the runner up spot from Jay Johnson on the Delaware double file restart. but the two continued to battle as Marolf again opened a sizable lead. With no other cautions, Marolf cruised to his second LCS win of the season. Frank claimed second in his return, followed by Johnson, Matt Strassheim, and Sam Halstead. Ron Boyse rolled home sixth, with Ray Raker nosing past Jason Cook in the Lynn Richard #15R for seventh. Darin Weisinger Jr. and Brandon Queen also turned in top ten runs.
  Those fans who wandered out the gates missed the closest racing of the night in the final two features. Only eight IMCA stock cars signed in, but their eighteen lap event was a classic! Brandon Savage paced the first pair of laps, with Jeremy Pundt taking over on lap three. With Savage married to the high line, Abe Huls sneaked to second on lap four, with Savage then ducking to the infield, his run over. From that point, Pundt and Huls staged an epic battle. Jeremy stayed glued to the low line, while Abe used his bag of tricks one lane higher. On at least two occasions, Pundt moved off the bottom far enough for Huls to pull alongside on the inside, but he could not complete the winning pass high or low. As the white flag waved, the duo were side by side, but it was Pundt claiming the win and the track title as well. Huls was second, followed by Chad Krogmeier, Kyle Boyd, and Louis Lynch.
  IMCA modifieds rounded out the regular season card, with all but one of the nine cars signed in lining up for eighteen circuits. With Dean McGee giving up the pole, Jeff Waterman powered to the early lead. Bill Roberts Jr., John Oliver Jr. , and Dennis Laveine gained separation in a four car battle. Lap five saw Oliver Jr. take over the second spot, and he and Waterman set off on another epic duel. At lap eleven, Johnny used his high side momentum off turn two to move alongside the leader, but Jeff came up the track and the #05 tangled briefly with the guard rail, losing some momentum. Regaining his footing, Oliver Jr. began to make up the lost ground, and the front pair ran side by side to the while flag. The final circuit belonged to Oliver Jr., who took a thrilling win, a track title, and moved into the lead in the IMCA modified rookie points chase all in one lap! Waterman led Roberts, Laveine, and McGee in completing the top five.
  With the final checkers waving just before 11:00, it was a fun night of racing. Thanks to the Gaylords and the LCS staff for another night of close racing on a well prepared track!
  LCS will host several fall specials, be sure to check their website for the upcoming events, culminating with the ever popular Shiverfest the last Saturday in October. You should find me next at Quincy Raceways on Sunday. Hope to see you there!