Veteran Pinegar claims first Invader victory at Lee County Fair
By Jake Croxton

DONNELLSON, Iowa (July 6) – A first-time series feature winner found Ideal Ready Mix Sprint Invaders for the fourth time in 2007. This time, it was veteran Larry Pinegar, II, as he overtook Californian Adam Main in a wild series of events on lap 20 of the First Community Bank of Keokuk 25.

“I really have to thank Chad Fegley from Lincoln, NE,” said the driver of the Brownells.com / Wright Welding Supply / Joe’s Tire / Ostrich / J&J. “This is his car [a Spanell / Mirage] and motor and even his trailer. Larry’s [Weeks] motor broke last time here and we really scrambled to try and get something back together so we could stay in the points deal. Chad said we could use his car and we went and got it and here we are.”

Grass Valley, California driver Adam Main took command on the slick surface from his pole starting position and opened up a sizable advantage over the 20-car field. The field was slowed three times, including two red flag periods. The first red flew on lap one, as Brian Hetrick got turned around in front of heavy traffic. Ryan Jamison’s car ended up on top of Hetrick’s sprinter and also collected no-luck Kaley Gharst. Only Gharst was able to refire.

Once officials removed the carnage, the field settled in for a 9-lap run before Lance Gullo triggered the caution with his 360 in turn two. B-Main winner Jerrod Hull was on the move prior to the caution and was making a familiar charge toward the front of the pack.

“We were going really good in the heat race and the shaft off the power steering pump broke and put us in the B-Main for the fifth night,” said the driver of the third-place finishing Lighthouse Christian Center / Red Brick Transportation / Midland Performance / Automotive Machine / Avenger. “ We were fast in the feature and passed a lot of cars. We just came up a little short. We passed for second and then the red came out. After that, everybody pretty much found the rubber. We’ll be [happy with third] and move on this weekend.”

As Main moved away from the pack on the restart, the cushion was as far up the Lee County black dirt as in recent memory. When the Californian entered lapped traffic, Pinegar stayed upstairs and quickly erased a straightaway advantage. Coming to the completion of lap 21, the veteran Pinegar dove underneath Main’s H.A.M. Construction / Ostrich / JEI and wrestled the lead away. Unfortunately, for Main, he banged off the cushion, which pulled his mount back to the right and he ended up on his head.

“Actually, I don’t know who he’s mad at, because I never hit him,” said Pinegar of Main’s reaction. “I left him enough room and then I saw the yellow come out. I thought, well, it was either him or I next. It was just kind of a bad racing deal…he’d been bumping [the cushion] every lap.”

Matt Sutton earned his sixth top five in eight starts after sliding into second after the Main flip.

“Olsons had the motor dialed in and Chris [McGraw] had the car dialed in,” said the current series points leader. “Track position was key tonight…I think we’re on a pretty good track.”

Nick Eastin followed Hull through the field from his sixteenth starting position to finish in fourth. Gharst charged back to fifth after his involvement in the opening lap red. Wednesday winner John Schulz, twentieth starter Bobby Mincer, Josh Schneiderman, Matt Rogerson, and Korey Weyant rounded out the top ten.

In support action, Dan Wenig led an ultra competitive Donnellson Tire Hobby Stock feature from lap 2 on. Wenig overtook son Jake and put his Gaylord Construction / Family Motors / Century 21 / Nova into the winner’s circle. Only one caution slowed the 15-lapper, which saw two and three-wide racing all the way through the 21-car field. Rodger Dresden worked around Jake Wenig near the race’s midpoint, but was never able to challenge for the win. Jake Wenig, Jim Oliver, Jr., and Rob Wilsey rounded out the top five.

After a six-car pile-up on the start of the 20-lap Discount Tire IMCA Modified finale, three different leaders swapped the top spot four different times. Bill Parks worked the cushion, while Mitch Higdon rolled around the bottom in the side-by-side battle for the lead. Then, Kevin Cale joined the fray and split the lead duo on lap 6. Cale led the caution-filled rest of the way in his IMI Equipment /Auctions by Smith / Donnellson Tire / Raider / Chevy. The yellow silk unfurled on laps 9, 11, 12, 13, and 15 before the final five laps ran off without incident. Rich Smith followed Cale across the stripe ahead of Dean McGee, Phillip Cossel, and Andy Krieger.

The Lee County Speedway will be dark during the July 13 weekend. The next event is scheduled for July 20 for Discount Tire & Borders Heating & Air night. The night will include Figure 8 Races after the weekly racing action.

Results
Staats Awards Heat Race #1 (Top 4 advance) -- 1. 29 Matt Rogerson, Burlington; 2. 2 John Schulz, W. Burlington; 3. 53H Matt Harms, Chillicothe, IL; 4. 18A Dan Avery, Burlington; 5. 12 Jerrod Hull, Sikeston, MO; 6. 10T Tim Moore, Moline, IL; 7. 15 Bobby Mincer, Burlington

Storm Steel / Abrasive Jet Technologies Heat Race #2
(Top 4 advance) -- 1. 9X Bart Andrews, Muscatine; 2. Manny Rockhold, Pekin, IL; 3. Kaley Gharst, Decatur, IL; 4. Josh Schneiderman, W. Burlington; 5. 22 Bret Tripplett, Middletown, IL; 6. 0 Nick Guernsey, Burlington; 7. 14P Rager Phillips, Pleasantville

Budweiser Heat Race #3 (Top 4 advance) -- 1. 51J Ryan Jamison, Mediapolis; 2. 3 Matt Sutton, Macomb, IL; 3. 35 Brian Hetrick, Stronghurst, IL; 4. 29X Russ Hall, Des Moines; 5. 7H John Hall, Marion; 6. 99W Korey Weyant, Springfield, IL; 7. 4M Mark Tischer, Hannibal, MO

Ideal Ready Mix Heat Race #4 (Top 4 advance) – 1. 35A Adam Main, Grass Valley, CA; 2. 00 Larry Pinegar, II, Pleasant Hill, IA; 3. 3G Lance Gullo, Springfield, IL; 4. 22X Nick Eastin, Burlington; 5. 14 Sean Walden, Bentonville, AR; 6. 36 Justin Newberry, Burlington; 7. 31P Travis Porter, Rock Island, IL

Holtkamp Trailer Repair Shake-up Dash – 1. Jamison; 2. Main; 3. Pinegar; 4. Schulz; 5. Sutton; 6. Rockhold; 7. Rogerson; 8. Andrews

B-Main (Top 4 advance) -- 1. Hull; 2. Weyant; 3. Phillips; 4. Mincer; 5. Tripplett; 6. J. Hall; 7. Porter; 8. Newberry; 9. Tischer; 10. Walden; 11. Guernsey; 12. Moore DNS: 13.

First Community Bank of Keokuk 25 -- 1. Pinegar (2); 2. Sutton (4); 3. Hull (17); 4. Eastin (16); 5. Gharst (10); 6. Schulz (3); 7. Mincer (20); 8. Schneiderman (14); 9. Rogerson (7); 10. Weyant (18); 11. R. Hall (15); 12. Gullo (12); 13. Phillips (19); 14. Harms (9); 15. Andrews (8); 16. Main (1); 17. Rockhold (5); 18. Avery (13); 19. Jamison (6); 20. Hetrick (11)


Hobby Stocks
A-Main 01 -- 1. Dan Wenig, Burlington; 2. Rodger Dresden, Keokuk; 3. Jake Wenig, Burlington; 4. Jim Oliver, Jr., Beardstown, Ill.; 5. Rob Wilsey, Keokuk; 6. Jim Lynch, Donnellson; 7. Matt Tucker, Lomax, Ill.; 8. Beau Taylor, Canton, Mo.; 9. Doug Fenton, Burlington; 10. Dean Kratzer,Montrose; 11. Justin Hamelton, Hamilton, Ill.; 12.Keith Reed, Fowler, Ill.; 13. Robert Kephart, Donnellson; 14. Jacob Smith, Argyle; 15. Jason Billings, Keokuk; 16. Derek St. Clair, Donnellson; 17. Kevin Cheney, Quincy, Ill.; 18. Chuck Fullenkamp, Fort Madison; 19. Roger Krieger, Bulington; 20. Ray Raker, Danville; 21. Jon Rooney, Donnellson.


Heat 01 -- 1. Jim Oliver, Jr., Beardstown, Ill.; 2. Kevin Cheney, Quincy, Ill.; 3. Beau Taylor, Canton, Mo.; 4. Jason Billings, Keokuk; 5. Jon Rooney, Donnellson; 6. Keith Reed, Fowler, Ill.; 7. Dean Kratzer, Montrose.

Heat 02 -- 1. Dan Wenig, Burlington; 2. Matt Tucker, Lomax, Ill.; 3. Doug Fenton, Burlington; 4. Jim Lynch, Donnellson; 5. Justin Hamelton, Hamilton, Ill.; 6. Jacob Smith, Argyle; 7. Chuck Fullenkamp, Fort Madison.

Heat 03 -- 1. Rodger Dresden, Keokuk; 2. Jake Wenig, Burlington; 3. Ray Raker, Danville; 4. Rob Wilsey, Keokuk; 5. Robert Kephart, Donnellson; 6. Roger Krieger, Bulington; 7. Derek St. Clair, Donnellson.



IMCA Modifieds
A-Main 01 -- 1. Kevin Cale, Donnellson; 2. Rich Smith, Davenport; 3. Dean McGee, Sr., Galesburg, Ill.; 4. Phillip Cossel, Montrose; 5. Andy Krieger, West Burlington; 6. Mitch Higdon, Fort Madison; 7. Scott Boles, New London; 8. Brandon Savage, Keokuk; 9. Bill Parks, Colchester, Ill.; 10. Mike Weikert Jr., Muscatine; 11. Shawn Lee, Spickard, Mo.; 12. Bill Roberts, Burlington; 13. Tyler Cale, Donnellson; 14. Kevin Londrie, Keokuk; 15. Josh Foster, Montrose; 16.
Rob Kirchner, Donnellson; 17. Mike Hill, New London.


Heat 01 -- 1. Brandon Savage, Keokuk; 2. Kevin Cale, Donnellson; 3. Rich Smith, Davenport; 4. Kevin Londrie, Keokuk; 5. Rob Kirchner, Donnellson.


Heat 02 -- 1. Bill Roberts, Burlington; 2. Andy Krieger, West Burlington; 3. Bill Parks, Colchester, Ill.; 4. Mike Weikert Jr., Muscatine; 5. Phillip Cossel, Montrose; 6. Scott Boles, New London.


Heat 03 -- 1. Tyler Cale, Donnellson; 2. Josh Foster, Montrose; 3. Dean McGee, Sr., Galesburg, Ill.; 4. Mitch Higdon, Fort Madison; 5. Mike Hill, New London; 6. Shawn Lee,
Spickard, Mo..