Friday night found us back at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson for another installment of the Drive for Five mini series for IMCA late models and IMCA modifieds, as well as a Drive for Three for IMCA sport mods. Once again the late models and mods would be racing for $1,000 to win while the sport mod victor would take home $600. As usual, IMCA stock cars and IMCA sport compacts would also be on the card.
The "fly in the ointment" was the light but persistent sprinkles, not enough to keep track personnel from adding water to the track, but enough near race time to hold up the show for an announced (thanks for keeping us informed!) fifteen minutes. The delay may have had its advantages, as the decent sized crowd was slow to filter in, with folks obviously concerned about the possibility of a rain out. There were also a couple of late arrivals in the pits, although that may or may not have been weather related.
The eighty four cars signed in was a pleasant surprise on this night, and with twenty seven in the sport mod division, a rare B main was added to the schedule. A dozen heat races clicked off quickly, and with sport mods fourth in the running order, the decision was made to run their B main after the stock car feature. As the stock cars were lining up, a steady rain began to fall, and the end of racing loomed as a real possibility. The call went out for the stock cars to come to the track to try and keep the surface raceable, and just as soon as it began, the rain subsided. This delay was perhaps another fifteen or so minutes, and we were back to racing!
All but one of the fifteen stock cars took the green flag for eighteen laps. Chris Wibbell took off from his pole position with fourth starting Josh Foster in tow. On the second circuit, Foster moved to the lead, while Jeremy Pundt powered to second. Two more laps around the lightning fast three eighths mile saw David Brandies climb to second and he and Foster soon put distance on the field. One lap prior to the halfway mark a caution period saw Wibbell retire to the pits, and again Foster and Brandies pulled away running the high line around the speedway. A final caution for a spin by visiting Dustin Griffiths bunched the field with four laps to go, but Foster was up to the challenge. A long time track regular before moving away from the area, Foster pleased his contingent of fans with the win. Brandies held onto the runner up spot followed by Pundt and Chad Krogmeier. Andrew Schroeder won a tight battle with Abe Huls for fifth.
When only four of the seven B main cars came to staging, the race was scrapped and all four added to the feature lineup, so we now experienced a radar watching delay waiting for the modifieds to get buckled in. A dozen mods had competed in a pair of heat races, and now late arriving Austen Becerra tagged the tail of the pack, racing for twenty two laps. Front row starters Dennis Laveine and Bill Roberts Jr. ran in tight formation, with Laveine taking command on lap two. Denny Eckrich lined up fifth and moved to second on lap six, and two laps later he was neck and neck with Laveine for the lead. Lap nine saw Becerra enter the top five, and one more trip around saw Eckrich out front. From there the former late model standout opened a nearly straightaway lead as Becerra continued to pick his way forward, taking third with two laps left. With zero yellow flags slowing the action, Eckrich cruised to the win. Laveine held off Becerra for second, while Chris Zogg came home fourth. Roberts nosed out Mark Burgtorf to round out the top five.
A nice field of fifteen competitive late models checked in, and despite a heat race pile up that took out three cars, all fifteen were able to start the twenty five lap feature. Ray Raker and Darin Weisinger Jr. took off from row one, with Weisinger taking the top spot on lap two. Chuck Hanna cleared Raker for second on lap five, while Nick Marolf joined the party in third one lap later. Those three then staged an entertaining battle before Marolf performed an awesome dive bomb move in turn four on lap eight, using the bottom groove to go from third to first. Hanna jumped to second on the next lap, Dalton Simonsen grab third and tenth starting Tommy Elston came to fifth just before the halfway point. Marolf continued to stretch his lead as Hanna suddenly slowed on the front stretch with nine to go. Hanna continued to roll slowly around the high side of the track, substitute flagman Allen Motley held onto his yellow flag, and Chuck was able to pull into the pits as we stayed green. Marolf lapped up to the sixth place car of C. J. Horn in a dominating win. Simonsen finished a Lee County best second in front of Elston, Andy Nezworski, and Weisinger Jr. in another non stop event.
With twenty four sport mods racing for twenty laps, we braced ourselves for a bout of yellow fever, and that is what we got. Seven times the caution flag waved, no doubt frustrating row two starter Logan Anderson, who secured the top spot on the opening lap and held it throughout the marathon. Following the first yellow flag, Brayton Carter shot to the runner up position, and after each restart he would try to work inside the rim riding Anderson with no success. The final pair of cautions saw the field reset single file, but nothing would get in the way of the #53 going to victory lane. Carter worked hard in finishing second, while Sean Wyatt came on strong mid race to gain nine spots and finish third. He won a good battle with Dakota Girard and John Oliver Jr. in the #557 to complete the top five.
Jason Ash arrived late enough he did not show in the heat two lineup, but he tagged the tail and raced to the win. He then lined up near the back of the feature field, although only twelve of the fourteen cars took the green for the fifteen lap finale. For the first time in my fading memory, top competitor Kimberly Abbott was on the trailer come feature time with engine woes. Tim Schnathorst led lap one by a nose over Chevy Barnes, with Chevy pacing lap two. Dad Josh Barnes joined the front duo one lap later, Schnathorst faded a bit and sixth starting Barry Taft came up to play. The two Barnes and Taft raced side by side by side, and nose to tail lap after lap in what turned out to be the race of the night. With two laps to go in the caution free race, Ash and Brandon Reu caught the leaders, and going into turn one a large blanket might have covered all five! On the final circuit, Taft, Chevy Barnes, and Ash ran three wide, and Taft won the battle out of turn four to take the win. Ash squeaked by in second, followed by Chevy, Reu, and Josh.
Even with the weather related delays, the final checkers waved just before 10:30, concluding a fun night of racing!
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