ANDERSON RECOVERS FROM ACCIDENT AND TAKES MODIFIED FEATURE AT SHELBY COUNTY SPEEDWAY
by Vickie Errett

HARLAN, IA (July 15, 2006) - There was extra entertainment for the race fans at Shelby County Speedway Saturday night as it was fair night as well as the Dwight Wrich Memorial Race for the Late Models. Jeff Anderson appeared to be fully recovered from his serious work accident, winning the Modifed A-Feature after starting 10th. Todd Cooney took the prestigious Dwight Wrich Memorial and the Smith brothers found their way to the winners circle yet again.

Late Model action began with heat winner, Vic Lovejoy, taking the early lead through one and two. But down the backstretch, Lovejoy found Jeff Segebart cutting under him to pull in front. Three-wide racing went on behind the leaders with Phil Miller, Dave Jorgensen, and Robert See all vying for the same spot. Jeff Segebart dominated the lead for the first half of the race, but Todd Cooney found a way around the smooth-driving Segebart and left him behind in second. Cooney led the last half of the race with Phil Miller moving into second after Segebart and Robert See tangled. Vic Lovejoy finished third and Dave Jorgensen fourth. It was announced at the pit meeting that this was the last night for Late Model racing at Shelby County Speedway.

IMCA Modified action began with B.J. Bruck taking the early lead, only to have a caution come out for a total restart. Bruck repeated his solid start with Travis Mewhirter on the high side and Dale Ransom running low right behind Bruck. By lap three, Bruck still had the lead, Ransom dominated second, Chad Preul took over the third position, and Mewhirter pushed back to fourth. Lap five found Jeff Anderson take Mewhirter on the outside to close in on the leaders. The chase was on. Jeff Anderson chose the low side to pass his next three victims; Ransom on lap seven, and Pruel and Bruck on lap nine. It appeared that Anderson would go to the finish unchallenged, but Ricky Stephans had also been working his way up. By lap 18, Stephans was up to the second position but ran out of laps. Stephans pulled up to Anderson’s rear bumper in turn four of the last lap, but Anderson pulled away down the front stretch for a win.

Ryan Branz, of Blair, NE, flew to the front at the start of the Pro-Am A-Feature. As Bill Hargens and Jim Kruse battled for the second position, Charles Grabill took the high road to go around them both as his father, Galen Grabill, followed. By the caution on lap three, Charles had taken first, Galen second, Kruse was in third, and Branz fourth. The caution was for ten-time feature winner Matt McAtee who got pushed into the front wall. After the restart, it was the Grabill father and son show as they fought back and fourth, trading positions with close, clean driving. As everyone intensely watched the battle, Denny Berghahn Sr. snuck into the picture making it three-wide racing. Berghahn came out of two on the last lap and took a large enough lead to hold off the Grabill duo to the checkered flag.

Tanner Partridge aggressively took the lead for the IMCA Stock Car main event. Steve Curtis and Kevin Godwin followed his lead. Hard charging Tim Bengard fought his way into second behind Partridge by lap three, and as Bengard tried to take Partridge on lap six, the two got crossed up and Bengard went rolling. The restart left Brian Blessington in first, Curtis in second, David Smith third, and Chris Ullrich fourth. Smith took Curtis on the next lap, and Blessington on lap nine, to take the lead and hold it to the finish. Keith Knop had been battling to the front and made it to second before the checkers flew.

Michael Murphy was the first leader of the IMCA Hobby Stock A-Feature, with Mike Harris close behind. Jason Nielsen was racing hard in the third spot until some banging started throughout the pack that sent Nielsen out along with Brent Daringer. Murphy hung onto the lead for most of the race, but Donavon Smith picked off eleven cars to take the win as Luke Wanninger, Brian Snell, and Murphy filled out the top four.

Shelby county Fair Queen Liz Larson adorned the flag stand to drop the green flag and start the Hornet race off. Daniel Mefferd made it first to turn one, but Willy Muhr came from the third row to take the lead by the time they reached the flag stand. Mefferd ran into problems and brought out the caution flag, putting him to the back of the pack and establishing the top four line up of Muhr, Corey Madden, Bayley Nicholl and Jacob Clarkan. Two more laps went by and Mefferd was back up to third with Muhr still holding first and Madden second. Again Mefferd struck problems, this time leaving the track for good. The win went to Muhr, as Madden took second, Steffens third, and Joseph Mefferd fourth.

Results for 07/15/06

I.M.C.A. Late Models

A-Feature: 1. 30 Todd Cooney, Des Moines; 2. 17M Phil Miller, Mo. Valley; 3. 2V Vic Lovejoy, Harlan; 4. 1 Dave Jorgensen, Omaha; 5. 1C John Bagby, Johnston; 6. 30C Robert See, Altoona; 7. 10 Jay Stewart, Blair, NE; 8. 11F Randy Faux, Earlham; 9. 1T Vance Tonack, Omaha; 10. 11 Todd Mason, Omaha; 11. 33 Don Beckstrom, Carroll; 12. 5S Jeff Segebart, Westside; 13. 45 Barry Sorensen, Avoca

1st Heat: Segebart, Cooney, See, Beckstrom
2nd Heat: Lovejoy, Miller, Sorensen, Bagby

I.M.C.A. Modifieds

A-Feature: 1. 78 Jeff Anderson, Atlantic; 2. 25 Ricky Stephan, S. Sioux City, NE; 3. 91B B.J. Bruck, Westphalia; 4. 92 Jeff Stephens, Arion; 5. 2L Adam Larson, Ames; 6. 2K Chad Preul, Westside; 7. 62 Greg Cox, Altoona; 8. 2R Dale Ransom, Denison; 9. 17P Tim Plowman, Woodbine; 10. Z62 Dan McKeighan, Carter Lake; 11. 19J Jeff Jones, C.B.; 12. 1R Craig Reetz, Dunlap; 13. 28 Chase Mewhirter, Atlantic; 14. 11 Chad Dills, Shelby; 15. 6C Eric Meents, Denison; 16. 1 Dave Hulsebus, Tennant; 17. 3 Mike Albertsen, Audubon; 18. 52S Jeremia Sillman, Murdock, NE; 19. 12 Bill Osbahr, Avoca; 20. 73 Travis Mewhirter, Atlantic; 21. 3L Bub LeRette, C.B.; 22. 54 Brad Madsen, Kimballton

1st Heat: Anderson, Jones, Madsen, Larson
2nd Heat: Bruck, Stephens, Stephan, Osbahr
3rd Heat: LeRette, Preul, Mewhirter, Ransom

ProAms

A-Feature: 1. 6X Denny Berghahn, Omaha; 2. 40 Charles Grabill, Harlan; 3. 4 Galen Grabill, Harlan; 4. 2 Mike Brown, Glenwood; 5. 10 Ryan Brans; 6. 71 Bill Hargens, Omaha; 7. 6 Denny Berghahn, Jr., Omaha; 8. 7 Jim Kruse, Omaha; 9. 96 Matt Smith; 10. 4L Luke LeRette, C.B.; 11. 6M Matt McAtee, Crescent

1st Heat: LeRette, Charles Grabill, Hargens, Galen Grabill
2nd Heat: Brown, McAtee, Kruse, Brans

I.M.C.A. Stock Cars

A-Feature: 1. 8 David Smith, Lake City; 2. 10X Keith Knop, Avoca; 3. 01U Chirs Ullrich, Kiron; 4. 92B Brian Blessington, Breda; 5. 26 Bill Reetz, Carroll; 6. 4K Mick King, C.B.; 7. P42 Dave Plowman, Gretna; 8. 38 Josh Filmer, Lake City; 9. 29 Tanner Partridge, Walnut; 10. 63 Mike Nichols, Harlan; 11. 56G Kevin Godwin, Earlham; 12. 90 Andy Miller, Carson; 13. 37X Rick Christensen, Audubon; 14. 1 Steve Curtis, Grimes; 15. 19B Tim Bengard, Exira; 16. 25C ,; 17. 76 Trent Partridge, Elk Horn

1st Heat: Bengard, Godwin, Blessington, Miller
2nd Heat: Smith, Curtis, Reetz, Plowman

I.M.C.A. Hobby Stocks

A-Feature: 1. 35 Donovan Smith, Lake City; 2. 20 Luke Wanninger, Jefferson; 3. 3S Brian Snell, Coon Rapids; 4. 25M Michael Murphy, Jefferson; 5. 12X Doug Smith, Lake City; 6. 5G Tyler Griffen; 7. 83 Mike Harris, Avoca; 8. 121 Robert Tippery, C.B.; 9. 25X Trent Murphy, Jefferson; 10. 55 Jason Fusselman, Shelby; 11. 98 Derrick Rohe; 12. 74N Jason Nielsen, Underwood; 13. 2X Chuck Madden Jr., Avoca; 14. 7W Willie Ransom, Irwin; 15. 16X Charlie Bird; 16. 14X Jared Hansen, Audubon; 17. 74 Heath Anderson, Griswold; 18. 60 Tanner Powers, Exira; 19. 14C Joseph Cartier, Ida Grove; 20. 5D Brent Daringer, Persia; 21. 32 Tyler Hunter, Jefferson; 22. 77JX Shawn Chapman, Harlan; 23. 25 Bob Lee, Griswold; 24. 68+1 Blaine Petersen, Essex; 25. 14K Kenny Hansen

1st Heat: Nielsen, Trent Murphy, Griffen, Daringer
2nd Heat: Wanninger, Michael Murphy, Madden Jr., Harris
3rd Heat: Donovan Smith, Snell, Tippery, Hansen

Hornets

A-Feature: 9. 26 Andrew Hicks, Dunlap; 10. 22 Shannon Mahlberg, Dunlap; 1. 84 Willy Muhr, Exira; 2. 2 Corey Madden, Avoca; 3. 63x Matt Steffens, Atlantic; 4. 3 Joseph Mefferd, Dunlap; 5. 01X Jacob Clarkan, Atlantic; 6. 00 Bayley Nicholl, Audubon; 7. 38S Chris Shanno, Council Bluffs; 8. 68 Daniel Mefferd, Dunlap

1st Heat: Daniel Mefferd, Mahlberg, Hicks, Steffens
2nd Heat: Muhr, Madden, Joseph Mefferd, Clarkan