Woodworth lays down the law at Donnellson
By Jake Croxton

DONNELLSON, IA (Aug. 29) – With a diverse field of heavy hitters from the regional Dirt Late Model scene and IMCA competition, it was a local driver that stole the show and picked up $2,000 in the 5th running of the Miller Lite / Pepsi American Short track Nationals at the Lee County Speedway.

Denny Woodworth hooked his Dennis L. Woodworth Attorney at Law / Raceworks / Fastenal of Keokuk / Mastersbilt to the hub of the tacky 3/8-mile and
dispatched of early leader Jason Utter on lap 14 of the caution-free 35-lapper. From there, Woodworth built a seemingly insurmountable advantage as the
leaders worked traffic. Through the race’s middle stage, both five-time LCS track champion Tommy Elston and two-time and defending race winner Brian Harris
established themselves as the cars on the move. Harris pulled to within five car lengths of Woodworth with five laps remaining, but was unable to make up the
remaining ground before the checkers.

“There were a lot of good cars here, there was no doubt about that,” stated Woodworth. “[My car] was good on the bottom. The car turned and I didn’t have
to fight it. It rolled good in both corners and you weren’t going to move me off the bottom.”

While Woodworth’s win may come as a surprise to some, the attorney from Mendon, Ill. had a runner-up finish on his resume in MLRA competition at the Lakeside
Speedway in late-April and a top-10 in World of Outlaws action at Knoxville Raceway before stepping out of the racecar for some time due to illness.

“We went to a lot of races around the country: Lucas Oil races, MLRA, MARS, World of Outlaws races. We made every one of those shows and had some good luck and some good runs with them, too.”

Harris, who charged from tenth starting position, led Elston and Utter to the line in the battle for second. Mark Burgtorf came from the seventh row to crack the
top five. Jay Johnson held on for sixth ahead of Iowa City’s Matt Furman, veteran Gary Webb, who was making just his second start of 2007 for Leroy Brenner, Kevin Kile, and Chris Smyser.

2007 Donnellson Tire Hobby Stock champion Doug Fenton redrew the pole and led all 15-laps of the caution-plagued feature. Three separate incidents before the completion of one lap forced officials to put the 24-car field in single-file order. After another trio of cautions, the field sorted itself out and ran the final 12 circuits without slowdown. Fenton was never seriously challenged in his Fenton Sales & Pawn Shop / Kole King Flat Track Racing / Nova. Jake Wenig, Jeff Soper, Kevin Cheney, and Bruce Summers rounded out the top five.

A train of Schulte’s railroaded the 12-lap GM Giant Wild Thing feature. 2006 track champion Dennis Schulte was the engineer in his Ed’s Auto Repair / Midwest
Exhaust / Celica as he held off Tyler Schulte for the victory. Jim Oliver, III, Gordon Blankenship, Jr., and Michael Grossman completed the top five.

Next up for Lee County Speedway will be a Saturday night show on September 22. The event features the season championship event for the Ideal Ready Mix
Sprint Invaders along with Modifieds, Stock Cars, and Hobby Stocks. The support events pay $500, $400, and $300 to win respectively.

August 29, 2007 Results American Short Track Nationals

Late Models

A-Main 01 -- 1. Denny Woodworth, Mendon, Ill.; 2. Brian Harris, Davenport; 3. Tommy Elston, Keokuk; 4. Jason Utter, Columbus Junction; 5. Mark Burgtorf, Quincy, Ill.; 6. Jay Johnson, W. Burlington; 7. Matt Furman, Iowa City; 8. Gary Webb, Blue Grass; 9. Kevin Kile, West Liberty; 10. Chris Smyser, Lancaster, Mo.; 11. Kurt Kile, Nichols; 12. Dave Eckrich, Oxford; 13. Darrell DeFrance, Marshalltown; 14. Tom Darbyshire, Morning Sun; 15. Jeremy Grady, Story City; 16. Rickey Frankel, Quincy, Ill.; 17. Jamie Wilson;; 18. Chris Fontana, Pella; 19. Jeff Guengerich, Washington; 20. Sam Halstead, New London; 21. Johnny Johnson, W. Burlington; 22. Gary Russell, Biggsville, Ill.; 23. Lynn Monroe, Memphis, Mo.; 24. Boone McLaughlin, Mediapolis; 25. Denny Echrich, Tiffin.

Heat 01 -- 1. Matt Furman, Iowa City; 2. Sam Halstead, New London; 3. Dave Eckrich, Oxford; 4. Jeff Guengerich, Washington; 5. Boone McLaughlin, Mediapolis; 6. Tom Darbyshire, Morning Sun; 7. Kevin Kile, West Liberty; 8. Chris Smyser, Lancaster, Mo.; 9. Gary Russell, Biggsville, Ill..

Heat 02 -- 1. Denny Woodworth, Mendon, Ill.; 2. Jason Utter, Columbus Junction; 3. Darrell DeFrance, Marshalltown; 4.
Brian Harris, Davenport; 5. Mark Burgtorf, Quincy, Ill.; 6. Jamie Wilson;; 7. Rickey Frankel, Quincy, Ill.; 8. Lynn Monroe, Memphis, Mo..

Heat 03 -- 1. Jay Johnson, W. Burlington; 2. Johnny Johnson, W. Burlington; 3. Kurt Kile, Nichols; 4. Tommy Elston, Keokuk; 5. Jeremy Grady, Story City; 6. Gary Webb, Blue Grass; 7. Chris Fontana, Pella; 8. Denny Echrich, Tiffin.



Hobby Stocks

A-Main 01 -- 1. Doug Fenton, Burlington; 2. Jake Wenig, Burlington; 3. Jeff Soper, Kahoka, Mo.; 4. Kevin Cheney, Quincy, Ill.; 5. Bruce Summers, Hamilton, Ill.; 6. Matt Gavin, Monmouth, Ill.; 7. Rob Wilsey, Keokuk; 8. Jim Lynch, Donnellson; 9. Jason Gerdes, Lomax, Ill.; 10. Dan Wenig, Burlington; 11. Justin Hamelton, Hamilton, Ill.; 12. Cale Samberg, Burlington; 13. Jeremy Pundt, Donnellson; 14. Derek St. Clair, Donnellson; 15. Tanner Thomann, Middletown; 16. Dean Kratzer, Montrose; 17. Austin Schulte, Keokuk; 18. Brandon Peitz, Burlington; 19. Rod Grother, Cedar Rapids; 20. Brian Holmes, Wapello; 21. Jacob Smith, Argyle; 22. Bradley Weber, Donnellson; 23. Randy Wachter, Burlington; 24. Bobby Six;.



B-Main 01 -- 1. Brian Holmes, Wapello; 2. Jacob Smith, Argyle; 3. Randy Wachter, Burlington; 4. Austin Schulte, Keokuk; 5. Bobby Six;; 6. Brandon Peitz, Burlington; 7. Tanner Thomann, Middletown; 8. Jeremy Pundt, Donnellson; 9. Roger Krieger, Bulington; 10. Eric Rowley;; 11. Keith Reed, Fowler, Ill.; 12. Brian Howerton, Hurdland, Mo.; 13. Todd Lange, Stonghurst, Ill.; 14. Rich Uppinghouse, Hannibal, Mo.; 15. Jeff Hamlin, Edina, Mo..



Heat 01 -- 1. Doug Fenton, Burlington; 2. Jim Lynch, Donnellson; 3. Kevin Cheney, Quincy, Ill.; 4. Matt Gavin, Monmouth, Ill.; 5. Tanner Thomann, Middletown; 6. Randy Wachter, Burlington; 7. Bobby Six;; 8. Jacob Smith, Argyle.

Heat 02 -- 1. Cale Samberg, Burlington; 2. Bruce Summers, Hamilton, Ill.; 3. Jason Gerdes, Lomax, Ill.; 4. Justin Hamelton, Hamilton, Ill.; 5. Eric Rowley;; 6. Todd Lange, Stonghurst, Ill.; 7. Jeremy Pundt, Donnellson; 8. Rich Uppinghouse, Hannibal, Mo..

Heat 03 -- 1. Dan Wenig, Burlington; 2. Dean Kratzer, Montrose; 3. Bradley Weber, Donnellson; 4. Rod Grother, Cedar Rapids; 5. Brian Holmes, Wapello; 6. Brian Howerton, Hurdland, Mo.; 7. Jeff Hamlin, Edina, Mo.; 8. Austin Schulte, Keokuk.

Heat 04 -- 1. Jake Wenig, Burlington; 2. Derek St. Clair, Donnellson; 3. Jeff Soper, Kahoka, Mo.; 4. Rob Wilsey, Keokuk; 5. Keith Reed, Fowler, Ill.; 6. Brandon Peitz, Burlington; 7. Roger Krieger, Bulington.



4 Cyl. Wild Things

A-Main 01 -- 1. Dennis Schulte, Keokuk; 2. Tyler Schulte, Montrose; 3. James Oliver III, Hamilton, Ill.; 4. Gordon Blankenship, Jr., Keokuk; 5. Michael Grossman, Keokuk; 6. Travis DeMint, Basco, Ill.; 7. Tyler Westercamp, Rome; 8. Rob Hammel, Hamilton, Ill.; 9. Brent Hartley, Niota, Ill.; 10. Bill Whalen, Jr., Riverside; 11. Jena Barthelmes, Marion; 12. Hamza Smajlovic, Hamilton, Ill.; 13. Bryan Rodefer, Fort Madison; 14. Brock Sammons, Rome; 15. John Haltmeyer;; 16. Chuck
Fullenkamp, Fort Madison; 17. R Noble, Wapello; 18. Zack Bruenger, Quincy, Ill.; 19. Stevie Shull, Rome; 20. Randy Foor, Morning Sun; 21. Cory Sheetz, Keota; 22. Kenny Foor;; 23. Dan Keltner, Wapello; 24. Chris Steele, Keokuk.

B-Main 01 -- 1. Zack Bruenger, Quincy, Ill.; 2. Randy Foor, Morning Sun; 3. Stevie Shull, Rome; 4. Kenny Foor;; 5. Cory
Sheetz, Keota; 6. Brock Sammons, Rome; 7. John Haltmeyer;; 8. Jerry Taft, Donnellson; 9. R Noble, Wapello.

Heat 01 -- 1. Tyler Schulte, Montrose; 2. Dennis Schulte, Keokuk; 3. Bill Whalen, Jr., Riverside; 4. Bryan Rodefer, Fort Madison; 5. Zack Bruenger, Quincy, Ill.; 6. Jerry Taft, Donnellson; 7. Brock Sammons, Rome.

Heat 02 -- 1. Gordon Blankenship, Jr., Keokuk; 2. Rob Hammel, Hamilton, Ill.; 3. Tyler Westercamp, Rome; 4. Brent Hartley, Niota, Ill.; 5. Stevie Shull, Rome; 6. Kenny Foor;; 7. Gabe Harrison, Warsaw, Ill..

Heat 03 -- 1. James Oliver III, Hamilton, Ill.; 2. Michael Grossman, Keokuk; 3. Dan Keltner, Wapello; 4. Chuck Fullenkamp, Fort Madison; 5. Randy Foor, Morning Sun; 6. Cory Sheetz, Keota; 7. Ryan Anderson, Donnellson.

Heat 04 -- 1. Jena Barthelmes, Marion; 2. Travis DeMint, Basco, Ill.; 3. Chris Steele, Keokuk; 4. Hamza Smajlovic, Hamilton, Ill.; 5. R Noble, Wapello; 6. John Haltmeyer;; 7. Don Fenton;.