Friday was points racing at Lee County Speedway. The regular five IMCA classes plus Mini Haulers filled out the card. It was to put it mildly a scorchingly hot evening which no doubt had a negative effect on car count, fan attendance, and track conditions. The only saving grace was a somewhat cool(?) breeze that popped up as the evening wore on. Looking at comments on line it would seem that LCS was not the only track affected by the challenging conditions, and I see that 34 Raceway has decided to scrap races for tonight at least partly due to those same elements.
But on to the show! Heat races clicked off in less than one hour, and after a short break, it was feature time, where amazingly three of the six money races went flag to flag, with only four yellow flags in the Modifieds and one for the Late Models and Mini Haulers slowing the action!
Sport Compacts would roll out first, racing for twelve laps. Kimberly Abbott would lead heat winner Luke Fraise through a tight battle before Fraise eased into the top spot on lap five. Fifth starting Tim Schnathorst would move to second two laps later, but by then Fraise had checked out. With no cautions to bunch the field, Luke cruised to the win. Schnathorst held off Brandon Reu for second while Abbott and Bill Bennett completed the top five.
Stock Cars came next, racing for twenty laps. A lap one skirmish eliminated heat winner Austin O'Donnell, with outside pole sitter Jathan Fuller leading the way early. John Oliver Jr. suffered a broken rear end while leading the heat, forcing him to the tail of the main event after a quick replacement. He then began to work his way through the pack, and soon it was Fuller, Chad Krogmeier, Oliver Jr., and Cason Keller running nose to tail NASCAR style at the front of the field. As they continued around the inside line, Oliver Jr. moved up a line, charging to second on lap nine, then using a dandy crossover move to grab the lead at the halfway mark, even as Keller saw his night come to an end. Oliver began to pull away as Fuller and Krogmeier battled for the runner up position. Once again, with no stoppages, Oliver Jr. cruised to another victory. Fuller won the duel for second, while Kevin Koontz came home fourth. Jerry Jansen claimed fifth by a tight margin over Scott Jordon, and his #06 began to spew smoke as the checkers waved.
Modifieds would be the "bad boys," with most of the problems coming at the back of the pack on the somewhat tricky surface. Fisher Reese paced the opening circuit before Jace Whitt and heat two winner Mark Burgtorf drove to the front using the high line on lap two. Austen Becerra lined up in row four, but charged to third the next trip around the three eighths mile oval. As the top three pulled away from the field, Becerra moved to second just ahead of the first caution with six laps scored. Back to racing Austen powered to the front, then began to drive away, leaving Whitt and Burgtorf to fight for second. Becerra was on cruise control before the yellow flag waved three times in the final four of the twenty laps, during which time third running Whitt retired to the pits. The final rundown saw Becerra pick up the win and Burgtorf hold off a late charge by Adam Shelman for second. First heat winner Bill Roberts was fourth while Brian Reed would record a fifth place finish.
Ron Boyse saw his night end on the first lap of his heat race, and he would be the only one of the dozen Late Models absent from the feature lineup. When Nick Leary elected to start at the tail it would be Jason Oenning and heat two winner Jay Johnson bringing the field to green for twenty five laps. Johnson quickly opened a sizable lead ahead of the only caution with nine in the books. Denny Woodworth had been running in second, but he was shuffled back to fifth on the Delaware Style restart, with eighth starting Spencer Havermale taking up the chase. After once again building a commanding lead, Johnson soon had Havermale closing fast as the laps wound down. With just four circuits remaining, the leaders would come upon a slower car, and while Johnson was able to maneuver around, Havermale suddenly fell off the pace after clipping one of the tractor tires and folding under the nose of his #7H. While Jay then drove off to the win, Havermale would fall to fourth behind the hard charging duo of row five starters, Jake Griffin and Tommy Elston. Woodworth would round out the top five. First heat winner Darin Weisinger Jr. would come next after a tight battle with Curtis Glover. Oenning, Jeremy Pundt, and Leary would round out the finishers.
For all intents, the Sport Mod fifteen lapper was over when the green flag waved. Tanner Klingele was a rocket from outside row one, charging ahead of Brandon Lambert. Cole Gillenwater drove to second on lap two, but by then Klingele was well out front. Jim Gillenwater moved to third on lap three. Klingele completed the heat and feature sweep ahead of Cole Gillenwater. Lambert would get back around Jim Gillenwater for third while Grady Jones claimed fifth in the non stop event.
Ten laps for the ten Mini Haulers would put a cap on the night. Nick Wilkerson and Tate Kronfieldt would pick up heat wins, but it would be Austin Poage and Jim Hooper pacing the feature field to green. Following a first lap caution and an original restart, Poage would lead Colton Meeker for a pair of laps. Then Meeker would take command on lap three, and two circuits later Wilkerson would move to second. Those two would drive off from the pack in a tight nose to tail formation. Wilkerson waited for the mistake that never came as Meeker picked up his first ever feature win. Three Missouri drivers would chase the Iowa Boys, as Poage would race home third ahead of Cody Webster and Derek Hooper.
The final checkered flag waved by Darin Weisinger would come just minutes past 9:30, a very welcome outcome. Thanks as always to Darin and his crew for their gracious hospitality. Just a reminder, Lee County will take next week off before returning to action on July 31. Yours truly will next be at Quincy Raceways tomorrow, Sunday before a return trip Tuesday to Lincoln, Il. Speedway for the completion of the May 7 Flo Racing Night in America rainout.
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