Fuller Scores First Career Win at the Lee County Speedway
by Brian Neal
Donnellson, IA (Friday, July 24, 2015) – Friday night was another weekly race night at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa, with Conn Communications presenting the action. Thanks to Conn Communications all current U.S. Cellular customers got into the grandstands for FREE! The fans were treated to a driver picking up his first career feature win, while three other drivers claimed their first wins of the season and one other picked up his second win of the season at the track.
The first feature to take to the track was the 15 lap Armstrong Tractor IMCA Sport Compacts, with Kenny Smith and Billy Cain leading the field to the green. But it was fifth place starter Mike Reu who quickly moved to the front to grab the lead on lap 1 over Brandon Lambert and Cain. Travis DeMint, who started 7th, would slip under Reu coming off turn 4 on lap 3 to edge him out at the line by inches to grab the top spot away. The action up front was slowed for the first and only time on lap 6, as Trent Orwig lost a right front tire in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart DeMint jumped back out front, with Reu and Kimberly Abbott, who started 9th, close behind. DeMint would pull away over the final 9 laps to what seemed to be his third win of the season at the track. But after post race inspection DeMint was disqualified for an illegal engine, which gave Mike Reu his first win of the season at the track. Abbott was moved up to 2nd, Lambert was moved to 3rd, Brandon Reu was moved to 4th, with Bryan Shipley, who started 11th, moved up to complete the top 5.
Up next was the 20 lap Shottenkirk of Ft. Madison IMCA SportMod feature, with John Oliver Jr., subbing for Phillip Cossel in the #15, and Brandon Ruffcorn making up the front row. Oliver Jr. would take advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Ruffcorn and Austen Becerra. Just as Oliver Jr. started to pull away from the battle behind him, the first caution of the race appeared on lap 7. Debris in turn 1 would bring out the yellow. On the restart Adam Birck, Bob Cowman, Jim Walker, and Charles VanZandt collided in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Oliver Jr. moved back out front, while Jim Gillenwater, who started 9th, Tony Dunker, who started 6th, and Becerra raced three wide for the runner up spot. Gillenwater, who was using the bottom of the track, was able to get up beside Oliver Jr. on laps 13, 14 and 15, but Oliver Jr. was able to hold onto the lead on each lap at the line. Just after the completion of lap 15 Ruffcorn would spin in turn 4 and collected Wesley Mayfield to bring out the final caution and slow the battle up front. Oliver Jr. once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Gillenwater and Dunker close behind. Once again Gillenwater tried to get under Oliver Jr. over the final laps, but Oliver Jr. was able to hold him off to claim his first win of the season at the track in the SportMod division. Gillenwater settled for 2nd, Dunker was 3rd, Becerra was 4th, with Joey Gower coming from 8th to finish in 5th.
Sierra Wilsey and Brandon Symmonds led the field to green in the 14 lap Coors Light IMCA Hobby Stock feature, with Symmonds grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Nick Ulin and Brandon Potts, who started 6th. Just after the completion of lap 1 the first caution appeared for debris down the backstretch. On the restart Symmonds moved back out front, with Ulin and Potts close behind. Another lap scored complete, lap 2, produced another caution, as Dustin Griffiths and Wilsey got stuck together in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Ulin slipped under Symmonds to grab the top spot away, while Dane Blozovich, who started 5th, and Potts also got past Symmonds to take over the second and third spots. Blozovich would follow in Ulin’s tracks over the next 10 laps, when the final caution came out on lap 13 to set up a green-white-checkered overtime finish. Clayton Webster would spin in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Once again Ulin moved out front on the restart, with Blozovich and Potts glued to his back bumper. Coming to the white flag Blozovich would look under Ulin for the lead, as the two raced the final lap side-by-side. Ulin used the momentum off turn 4 coming to the checkered flag to edge Blozovich at the line by half a car to claim his second win of the season at the track. Blozovich settled for 2nd, Potts was 3rd, Griffiths recovered from the caution on lap 2 to come back up to 4th, with Dale Porter coming home in 5th.
Jake Wenig finally broke his season long bad luck streak at the Lee County Speedway, by picking up his first win of the season in the Donnellson Tire and Service IMCA Stock Car feature. Wenig and Corey Strothman led the field to green in the 20 lap feature, with Wenig jumping out front on lap 1 over Strothman and John Oliver Jr. While Wenig set the pace out front the battle for second heated up, as Oliver Jr., Derrick Agee, who started 10th, and Jeff Mueller, who started 8th, raced two and three wide for the runner up spot. Mueller was able to use the bottom to grab the second spot on lap 12 and then went to work on Wenig for the lead. Wenig, who was using the top of the track, had to work to hold off Mueller, who was running the bottom, as Mueller pulled up beside Wenig on laps 16 and 18. Then going into turn 3 on the final lap Mueller was able to get up beside Wenig. But Wenig would use the momentum off the top of the track to edge out Mueller at the line to pick up the win in a caution free race. Mueller settled for 2nd, Agee was 3rd, Oliver Jr. was 4th, with Strothman holding on for 5th.
The final feature to take to the track was the 20 lap Budweiser IMCA Modifieds, with Kelly Buckallew and Dean McGee making up the front row. McGee used his front row starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Jerad Fuller and Buckallew. Just after the completion of lap 1 the first caution appeared, as Eric Glass spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart McGee moved back out front, with Fuller and Bill Roberts Jr. close behind. The action up front was slowed for the second and final time on lap 4, as debris in turn 3 brought out the yellow. Fuller went to the bottom on the restart to slip under McGee for the top spot, as McGee defended off Roberts Jr. for the runner up spot. While Fuller set a fast pace out front, Carter VanDenBerg, who started 7th, worked his way into second on lap 14. VanDenBerg tried to chase down Fuller for the lead, but without a caution Fuller held on to claim his first career feature win. VanDenBerg was 2nd, McGee was 3rd, Jeff Waterman started 6th and finished 4th, with Scott Dickey coming from 10th to round out the top 5.
Coming up next Friday, July 31st will be Hy-Vee night, plus B&B Propane Customer Appreciation Night. Also TSS, Inc. will have the pit crew tire changing and the drunk driver simulators set up for the fans to try their luck at. Plus we can’t forget Darkside Tint & Graphix will be holding a candy dash.
The Budweiser IMCA Modifieds will be racing for $500 to win, while the Donnellson Tire and Service IMCA Stock Cars and Shottenkirk of Ft. Madison IMCA SportMods will be going for $400 to win. Also the Coors Light IMCA Hobby Stocks will be going for $250 to win, and the Armstrong Tractor IMCA Sport Compacts will be racing for $200 to win.
Gate will open at 5:30 pm, with hot laps at 7 pm, and racing at 7:30 pm. Grandstand admission will be adults $10, seniors (60+) $9, students 11-17 $5, and kids 10 & under FREE! Pit passes will be $25, ages 7-13 $15, and ages 6 & under $10.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Lee County Speedway, Donnellson, IA
Friday, July 24, 2014 – Conn Communications Night
Budweiser IMCA Modifieds
A-Main: 1. Jerad Fuller (Memphis, MO), 2. Carter VanDenBerg (Oskaloosa, IA), 3. Dean McGee (Galesburg, IL), 4. Jeff Waterman (Quincy, IL), 5. Scott Dickey (Packwood, IA), 6. Bill Roberts Jr. (Burlington, IA), 7. Scott Hogan (Vinton, IA), 8. Tyler Groenendyk (Oskaloosa, IA), 9. Blake Woodruff (Galesburg, IL), 10. Larry McConnell (Danville, IA), 11. Kelly Buckallew (Memphis, MO), 12. Eric Glass (Memphis, MO)
Heat 1: 1. Dean McGee (Galesburg, IL), 2. Jerad Fuller (Memphis, MO), 3. Tyler Groenendyk (Oskaloosa, IA), 4. Jeff Waterman (Quincy, IL), 5. Kelly Buckallew (Memphis, MO), 6. Eric Glass (Memphis, MO)
Heat 2: 1. Scott Dickey (Packwood, IA), 2. Carter VanDenBerg (Oskaloosa, IA), 3. Bill Roberts Jr. (Burlington, IA), 4. Scott Hogan (Vinton, IA), 5. Blake Woodruff (Galesburg, IL), 6. Larry McConnell (Danville, IA)
Donnellson Tire and Service IMCA Stock Cars
A-Main: 1. Jake Wenig (Burlington, IA), 2. Jeff Mueller (New London, IA), 3. Derrick Agee (Huntsville, MO), 4. John Oliver Jr. (Danville, IA), 5. Corey Strothman (Mt. Union, IA), 6. Andrew Hustead (Rutledge, MO), 7. Jeremy Pundt (Donnellson, IA), 8. Ashton Johnson (Bloomfield, IA), 9. Ryan Cook (Burlington, IA), 10. Jason Cook (Mt. Pleasant, IA)
Heat: 1. Jake Wenig (Burlington, IA), 2. Jason Cook (Mt. Pleasant, IA), 3. Corey Strothman (Mt. Union, IA), 4. Ashton Johnson (Bloomfield, IA), 5. John Oliver Jr. (Danville, IA), 6. Andrew Hustead (Rutledge, MO), 7. Ryan Cook (Burlington, IA), 8. Jeff Mueller (New London, IA), 9. Jeremy Pundt (Donnellson, IA), 10. Derrick Agee (Huntsville, MO)
Shottenkirk of Ft. Madison IMCA Sport Mods
A-Main: 1. John Oliver Jr. (Danville, IA), 2. Jim Gillenwater (Keokuk, IA), 3. Tony Dunker (Quincy, IL), 4. Austen Becerra (Camp Point, IL), 5. Joey Gower (Quincy, IL), 6. Brandon Dale (Memphis, MO), 7. Tanner Klingele (Quincy, IL), 8. Charles VanZandt (Camp Point, IL), 9. Brandon Ruffcorn (Donnellson, IA), 10. Wesley Mayfield (Hull, IL), 11. Robert Gould (Hillsboro, IA), 12. Dakota Anderson (Clayton, IL), 13. Jim Walker (Mystic, IA), 14. Adam Birck (Canton, MO), 15. Bob Cowman (Quincy, IL), 16. Tom Lathrop (Ottumwa, IA), 17. Jon Lear (Payson, IL)
Heat 1: 1. John Oliver Jr. (Danville, IA), 2. Austen Becerra (Camp Point, IL), 3. Joey Gower (Quincy, IL), 4. Tony Dunker (Quincy, IL), 5. Brandon Ruffcorn (Donnellson, IA), 6. Tanner Klingele (Quincy, IL), 7. Wesley Mayfield (Hull, IL), 8. Robert Gould (Hillsboro, IA), 9. Jon Lear (Payson, IL)
Heat 2: 1. Jim Gillenwater (Keokuk, IA), 2. Brandon Dale (Memphis, MO), 3. Adam Birck (Canton, MO), 4. Tom Lathrop (Ottumwa, IA), 5. Jim Walker (Mystic, IA), 6. Dakota Anderson (Clayton, IL), 7. Bob Cowman (Quincy, IL), 8. Charles VanZandt (Camp Point, IL)
Coors Light IMCA Hobby Stocks
A-Main: 1. Nick Ulin (Agency, IA), 2. Dane Blozovich (Exline, IA), 3. Brandon Potts (Eldon, IA), 4. Dustin Griffiths (Ottumwa, IA), 5. Dale Porter (Bloomfield, IA), 6. Sierra Wilsey (Keokuk, IA), 7. Clayton Webster (Ottumwa, IA), 8. Kevin Koontz (Memphis, MO), 9. Brandon Symmonds (Keokuk, IA)
Heat: 1. Brandon Symmonds (Keokuk, IA), 2. Dustin Griffiths (Ottumwa, IA), 3. Nick Ulin (Agency, IA), 4. Dane Blozovich (Exline, IA), 5. Sierra Wilsey (Keokuk, IA), 6. Brandon Potts (Eldon, IA), 7. Dale Porter (Bloomfield, IA), 8. Clayton Webster (Ottumwa, IA), 9. Kevin Koontz (Memphis, MO)
Armstrong Tractor IMCA Sport Compacts
A-Main: 1. Mike Reu (Donnellson, IA), 2. Kimberly Abbott (Camp Point, IL), 3. Brandon Lambert (Carthage, IL), 4. Brandon Reu (Donnellson, IA), 5. Bryan Shipley (Burlington, IA), 6. Billy Cain (Floris, IA), 7. Darin Weisinger Jr. (Mendon, IL), 8. John Girdley (Wayland, IA), 9. Kenny Smith (Donnellson, IA), 10. Trent Orwig (Blakesburg, IA), 11. Josh Barnes (Keokuk, IA), 12. Kyle Hamelton (Keokuk, IA), 13. Travis DeMint (Warsaw, IL) DQ
Heat 1: 1. Travis DeMint (Warsaw, IL), 2. Brandon Lambert (Carthage, IL), 3. Kimberly Abbott (Camp Point, IL), 4. Mike Reu (Donnellson, IA), 5. Kenny Smith (Donnellson, IA), 6. Bryan Shipley (Burlington, IA), 7. John Girdley (Wayland, IA)
Heat 2: 1. Josh Barnes (Keokuk, IA), 2. Brandon Reu (Donnellson, IA), 3. Trent Orwig (Blakesburg, IA), 4. Billy Cain (Floris, IA), 5. Darin Weisinger Jr. (Mendon, IL), 6. Kyle Hamelton (Keokuk, IA)
Category: Iowa, Lee County Speedway
