Lee County Speedway produces three new winners in Lynch, Wenig and Hammel

DONNELLSON, IA (May 18, 2012) – Health Source Night at the Lee County Speedway turned out to be a picture perfect night, with mother nature providing the great weather and the drivers producing some great racing action. At the end of the night’s action there was three new winners standing in victory lane, with two repeat winners.

The first feature of the night was the 15 lap Shottenkirk Parts Express IMCA SportMods, with Brandon Dale and Jacob Smith leading the field to the green. But it was fifth place starter John Oliver Jr. who jumped out into the lead on lap 1, followed by Dale and Chris Larson. Oliver Jr. started to pull away from the field, leaving Dale and Larson to battle it out for second. But the first caution of the event would come out on lap 7 to bring the field back to Oliver Jr.’s back bumper. Tony Dunker who spun his machine in turn 2, while running 6th, brought the first yellow out. Under that caution Oliver Jr. took his machine into the pits with oil pressure problems. Jim Gillenwater, who started 11th and worked his way into 2nd on lap 5, would inherit the lead for the restart. On the restart Kevin Cale would come to a stop in turn 2 to bring the caution back out. The next restart saw Gillenwater move out into the lead, while Dale and Larson continued their battle for second. Just like Oliver Jr., Gillenwater started to pull away from the field when he was slowed for the final time on lap 12. This time Jay Kirchner spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Once again Gillenwater grabbed the lead on the restart, while Larson worked to hold back Dunker, who came from the rear after his lap 7 spin. Gillenwater would hold on for the final 3 laps to pick up his second win in a row at the track. Larson crossed the line in 2nd but was disqualified for being light at the scales, Dunker was moved up to 2nd, Brandon Ruffcorn came from 9th to finish in 3rd, Rick Barlow Jr. was 4th, with Dale holding on for 5th.

Up next was the 15 lap Coor’s Light LCS Hobby Stock feature, with Victor Hastings and Nathan Anders drawing the front row for the event. Hastings would take advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Anders and Dan Wenig. Hastings then held the top spot until lap 4, when Wenig got under him to grab the lead away. Wenig would go on to lead the final 11 laps to pick up his first of the season at the speedway. Hastings settled for 2nd, Anders was 3rd, Kevin Cheney was 4th, with Michael Wenke rounding out the top 5.

Adam Birck and Derek Hamm led the field to green in the 20 lap Budweiser IMCA Modified feature, but Tyler Cale would spin in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Cale and Wyatt Lantz collided in turn 1 to bring the caution back out. Birck jumped out front on the following restart, with Hamm and Brandon Savage close behind in second and third. Birck then held the top spot until lap 3, when Hamm jumped to his outside to take the lead on lap 3. Hamm would start to pull away from the battle for second, when the final caution of the event came out on lap 7. This time Todd Hansen, who started 8th and had worked his way to 4th, spun in turn 2 and collected Bill Roberts Jr. and Ryan Cook. On the restart Hamm moved back out front, but now had Rich Smith and Josh Foster, who came 11th, on his back bumper. Smith would work under Hamm on lap 9 to take over the top spot, with Jeff Waterman, who came from 10th following into 2nd. Foster, who had fallen back to 4th on lap 9, drove his machine hard into turn 3 and would come out of four into 2nd and then went to work on Smith for the lead. Smith would hold back Foster until lap 12, when Foster got under him coming out of four to take over the top spot. Foster then led the final 8 laps to claim his second win in a row at the track. Smith settled for 2nd, Waterman was 3rd, Brandon Banks came from 9th to finish in 4th, with new comer Hunter Marriott coming from 13th to take home 5th.

Up next to take to the speedway was the 15 lap Donnellson Tire IMCA Stock Car feature event, with Cale Samberg and Corey Strothman leading the field to the drop of the green. Samberg would take advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Jim Lynch and Strothman. Samberg then held onto the top spot until lap 5, when Lynch slipped under him for the lead. While Lynch led the field, Jeff Mueller, Matt Greiner and Abe Huls battled behind him. Greiner would jump to the top of the track on lap 10 to take over second and then went to work on Lynch for the lead. Lynch and Greiner ran the final 4 laps side-by-side, while Mueller and Huls ran side-by-side for the battle for 3rd. Lynch was able to hold on by a half a car length in a caution free event to claim his first career Stock Car feature win at the track and second of the year. Greiner had to settle for 2nd, Mueller was 3rd, Huls was 4th, with Jason Cook coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

The final feature of the night was the 12 lap Sunline Auto Parts IMCA Sport Compacts, with C.J. Loring and Mike Hornung Jr. making up the front row. But it was third place starter Chuck Fullenkamp who grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Loring and Hornung Jr. As Fullenkamp continued to lead the field, Rob Hammel, who returned to racing after a few years off started 10th, was quickly working his way to the front. Hammel would try to get under Fullenkamp on laps 8-11, but Fullenkamp was able to hold him off each time. But coming out of turn four for the checkered flag Hammel was able to get under Fullenkamp to edge him out by inches to claim his first win of the season. Fullenkamp settled for 2nd, Darin Smith came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Kimberly Abbott was 4th, with Scott Smith coming home in 5th.

Coming up next week at the Lee County Speedway will be the re-scheduled “Together We Fight Hunger 25 for 35 in honor of Brian Hetrick” presented by Hy-Vee of Ft. Madison and Keokuk, Midwest Performance and Coor’s Light. Joining the 305 Sprint Cars will be points races for the Donnellson Tire IMCA Stock Cars, Shottenkirk Parts Express IMCA SportMods, Coor’s Light LCS Hobby Stocks and Sunline Auto Parts IMCA Sport Compacts.

To top the night off, the Mississippi Valley Vintage Race Car Association will also be in attendance to put a few extra races on for the fans.

And, last but not least, we will have our first Party in the Pits, which was rained out May 4th. Buffalo Wild Wings is scheduled to be there, along with musical entertainment and Dirt, Dust and Speed playing the night’s races on Buffalo Wild Wings’ big screens. There will be no charge for the Party in the Pits, everyone is welcome. Beverages, including the adult variety, will be available for normal concession prices, plus Buffalo Wild Wings will be selling their famous boneless wings!

Pit gates will open at 5 p.m., with grandstands opening at 5:30 p.m., hot laps are scheduled for 7 p.m. and racing will start at 7:30 p.m. Pit passes will be $25, while grandstand admission will be $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $7 for students 11-17 and children 10 and under are always FREE!

RESULTS

Lee County Speedway, Donnellson, IA

Friday, May 18, 2012 – Health Source Night

Budweiser IMCA Modifieds
Feature: 1. 77 Josh Foster, Ft. Madison, IA; 2. 8 Rich Smith, Davenport, IA; 3. 71w Jeff Waterman, Quincy, IL; 4. 22 Brandon Banks, Washington, IA; 5. 62 Hunter Marriott, Brookfield, MO; 6. 13 Michael Browning, Farmington, IA; 7. 12 Adam Birck, Canton, MO; 8. 90 Lonnie Heap, Media, IL; 9. 47s Brandon Savage, Keokuk, IA; 10. 18H Derek Hamm, Donnellson, IA; 11. 14B Kyle Hill, New London, IA; 12. 56 Jeff Marriott, Platte City, MO; 13. 27 Ryan Cook, New London, IA; 14. 21 Todd Hansen, Muscatine, IA; 15. 5R Bill Roberts Jr., Burlington, IA; 16. 22L Wyatt Lantz, Augusta, IL; 17. 14 Tyler Cale, Donnellson, IA; 18. 2AC Dustin Crear, Mediapolis, IA

Heat 1: 1. 27 Cook; 2. 8 Smith; 3. Banks; 4. 12 Birck; 5. 62 H. Marriott; 6. 14 Cale
Heat 2: 1. 5R Roberts Jr.; 2. 47s Savage; 3. 77 Foster; 4. 21 Hansen; 5. 22L Lantz; 6. 14B Hill

Heat 3: 1. 90 Heap; 2. 71w Waterman; 3. 18H Hamm; 4. 56 J. Marriott; 5. 13 Browning; 6. 2AC Crear

Donnellson Tire IMCA Stock Cars

Feature: 1. 566 Jim Lynch, Donnellson, IA; 2. 29 Matt Greiner, Washington, IA; 3. 77M Jeff Mueller, New London, IA; 4. 30c Abe Huls, Carthage, IL; 5. 27J Jason Cook, Mt. Pleasant, IA; 6. 05 John Oliver Jr., Danville, IA; 7. c4 Corey Strothman, Mt. Union, IA; 8. 101 Derek St. Clair, Donnellson, IA; 9. 75 Cale Samberg, Burlington, IA; 10. 52J Jeremy Pundt, Donnellson, IA

Heat 1: 1. 75 Samberg; 2. 566 Lynch; 3. 52J Pundt; 4. 29 Greiner; 5. 05

Oliver Jr.

Heat 2: 1. 30c Huls; 2. c4 Strothman; 3. 77M Mueller; 4. 101 St. Clair; 5. 27J Cook

Shottenkirk Parts Express IMCA SportMods
Feature: 1. 10 Jim Gillenwater, Keokuk, IA; 2. 3 Tony Dunker, Quincy, IL; 3. 11R Brandon Ruffcorn, Donnellson, IA; 4. 52 Rick Barlow Jr., Montrose, IA; 5. 12 Brandon Dale, Gorin, MO; 6. 20BA Bobby Anders, Quincy, IL; 7. 10B Bradley Holtmeyer, Quincy, IL; 8. 80v Charles VanZandt, Camp Point, IL; 9. 6c Bob Cowman, Quincy, IL; 10. 97J Jacob Smith, Donnellson, IA; 11. 5 Jay Kirchner, Donnellson, IA; 12. 26 Jim Kuhlmeier, Ft. Madison, IA; 13. 105 John Oliver Jr., Danville, IA; 14. 4k Kevin Cale, Donnellson, IA; 15. 19J Levi Smith, Donnellson, IA; 16. 20JB Michael Joe Bliven, Quincy, IL; 17. 15 Phillip Cossel, Montrose, IA; 18. 67 Chris Larson, Keokuk, IA (DQ)

Heat 1: 1. 10 Gillenwater; 2. 52 Barlow Jr.; 3. 11R Ruffcorn; 4. 19J L. Smith; 5. 80v VanZandt; 6. 5 Kirchner

Heat 2: 1. 67 Larson; 2. 4k Cale; 3. 20JB Bliven; 4. 12 Dale; 5. 10 Holtmeyer; 6. 15 Cossel

Heat 3: 1. 05 Oliver Jr.; 2. 20BA Anders; 3. 97J J. Smith; 4. 3 Dunker; 5. 6c Cowman; 6. 26 Kuhlmeier

Coor’s Light LCS Hobby Stocks
Feature: 1. 1F Dan Wenig; West Burlington, IA; 2. 8H Victor Hastings, Oquawka, IL; 3. 22 Nathan Anders, Quincy, IL; 4. 80c Kevin Cheney, Quincy, IL; 5. 79 Michael Wenke, Bonaparte, IA; 6. 11T Dugan Thye, Mediapolis, IA; 7. 4 Jake Wenig, Burlington, IA; 8. 2k Derek Kirkland, Centerville, IA

Heat: 1. 8H Hastings; 2. 1F D. Wenig; 3. 2k Kirkland; 4. 22 Anders; 5. 11T Thye; 6. 80c Cheney; 7. 79 Wenke; 8. 4 J. Wenig

Sunline Auto Parts IMCA Sport Compacts
Feature: 1. 75 Rob Hammel, Hamilton, IL; 2. 48 Chuck Fullenkamp, Ft. Madison, IA; 3. 27 Darin Smith, Wapello, IA; 4. 71 Kimberly Abboyy, Camp Point, IL; 5. 10s Scott Smith, Alexandria, MO; 6. 14L Brandon Lambert, Carthage, IL; 7. 36w Seith Woodruff, Carthage, IL; 8. 4T Travis DeMint, Basco, IL; 9. 55 Mike Hornung Jr., Keokuk, IA; 10. 10D Dakota Anderson, Revere, MO; 11. 21v Laine VanZandt, Camp Point, IL; 12. 22 Austen Becerra, Carthage, IL; 13. 17JR C.J. Loring, Keokuk, IA

Heat 1: 1. 48 Fullenkamp; 2. 17JR Loring; 3. 75 Hammel; 4. 71 Abbott; 5. 10s S. Smith; 6. 21v VanZandt; 7. 14L Lambert

Heat 2: 1. 55 Hornung Jr.; 2. 27 D. Smith; 3. 4T DeMint; 4. 36w Woodruff; 5. 10D Anderson; 6. 22 Becerra

 

Category: Iowa, Lee County Speedway, News