Gustin, Murty, Gower, and Barnes Victorious on Thursday Night Racing at the Lee County Speedway

by Brian Neal
Donnellson, IA (Thursday, June 18, 2015) – A rare Thursday night of racing took place at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa, as it was Budweiser Night at the speedway. This weeks action would feature a visit by the Hawkeye Dirt Tour for the Budweiser IMCA Modifieds.

The first feature to take to the track was the 20 lap Shottenkirk of Ft. Madison IMCA SportMods, with Nathan Bringer and Joey Gower drawing the front row for the event. Gower would take advantage of his starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Bringer and Tony Dunker. The action up front was slowed for the first and only time on lap 2, as Travis Hartman, Jon Lear, and Dakota Anderson collided in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Gower moved back out front, with Brandon Dale slipping past Dunker and Bringer to take over the runner up spot. While Dale and Dunker battled side-by-side for the second spot, Gower started to pull away. Dunker would final secure the runner up spot on lap 15, but by then Gower had built up a straightaway lead. Slowly Dunker would cut into that lead, as by lap 13 he pulled up to Gower’s back bumper. The two raced off turn 2 side-by-side coming to the white flag. Gower would use the momentum off of the top of the track to hold off Dunker on the final lap to pick up his second win in a row and third of the season at the track. Dunker was 2nd, Dale was 3rd, Brandon Lennox drove Wesley Mayfield’s #21M from 11th to 4th, with Jim Gillenwater coming from 9th to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 15 lap Armstrong Tractor IMCA Sport Compact feature, with Darin Weisinger Jr. and Mike Reu leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Reu used his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Josh Barnes and Brandon Lambert. Reu and Barnes then started to pull away from the battle behind them, with Barnes looking under Reu for the lead over the next 9 laps. Finally coming off turn 2 Barnes was able to slip under Reu to take over the top spot on lap 10. Barnes then held on over the final 5 laps of a caution free race to claim his second win in a row and fourth of the season at the track. Mike Reu settled for 2nd, Michael Grossman came from 9th to edge out 3rd at the line, Lambert was 4th, with Brandon Reu coming home 5th after starting in 13th.

Andrew Hustead and Damon Murty drew the front row for the 20 lap Donnellson Tire and Service IMCA Stock Car feature, with Murty grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Nathan Wood and Hustead. Wood used the bottom of the track coming off turn 4 to edge Murty at the line to lead lap 2 by inches. But Murty would use the momentum off turn 2 to grab the top spot back on lap 3. Murty then held off Wood over the final 17 laps of a caution free race to pick up his first win of the season at the track. Wood settled for 2nd, Hustead was 3rd, Jeremy Pundt was 4th, with Corey Strothman rounding out the top 5.

After four heat races, in which the top 3 from each, and two B Mains, in which the top 5 from each, along with two points provisionals, the 30 cars that signed in for the Hawkeye Dirt Tour for the Budweiser IMCA Modifieds was cut to the 24 car field for the 30 lap feature. Bill Roberts Jr. and Richie Gustin would draw the front row, with Gustin taking advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Roberts Jr. and Kyle Brown. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 3, as Patrick Flannagan came to a stop in turn 2 after loosing a motor down the front stretch. On the restart Gustin moved back out front, with Brown and Kurt Kile slipping past Roberts Jr. for the second and third spots. Just as Gustin started to pull away from the field, the second caution of the race appeared on lap 7. This time Ronn Lauritzen spun in turn 4 and collected Nick Roberts and Lonnie Heap to bring out the yellow. Gustin once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Brown and Kile close behind. After lap 8 was scored complete, another caution waved. Brandon Rothzen would get into the back of Tyler Groenendyk in turn 4, which caused Groenendyk to spin and end up on top of the tire in turn four to bring out the yellow.

On the restart Gustin jumped back out front, with Brown and Kile following. The top three started to pull away from the two and three wide racing behind them, when another caution on lap 11 slowed the action. Debris in turn 4 would bring out the yellow. Gustin again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Brown and Kile still close behind. Once again Gustin moved out front on the restart, with Brown and Kile following. This time Gustin and Brown started to pull away, with Kile slipping back into the clutches of Troy Cordes, who started 10th, for the battle for third. Cordes would over take Kile for that spot on lap 15, but was a full straightaway behind the two leaders. A red flag on lap 16 would help to bring the top two back to Cordes’ front bumper. Scott Hogan, who was running 5th, spun in turn 4 and collected Mitch Morris, Tyler Cale, Lauritzen, Jerad Fuller, Ed Thomas, and Rothzen to block the track in turn 4. The final restart saw Gustin grab the lead over Brown and Cordes. Gustin would lead the final 14 laps to claim his first Hawkeye Dirt Tour win of 2015 and taking home the $1,000 top prize to go with it. Brown settled for 2nd, Cordes was 3rd, Todd Shute came from 9th to finish in 4th, with Andrew Schroeder charging from 18th to round out the top 5.

The Lee County Speedway will take the next two weeks off, before returning to action on Friday, July 10th during the Lee County Fair. The Budweiser IMCA Modifieds, Donnellson Tire and Service IMCA Stock Cars, Shottenkirk of Ft. Madison IMCA SportMods, Coors Light IMCA Hobby Stocks, and Armstrong Tractor IMCA Sport Compacts will all be back in action. Also joining the card on that night will be the 305 Sprint Cars.

Gates 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.

For more information you can call Mike Van Genderen at 641-521-0330.

For complete results and up to date point standings just click on the tabs at the top of the page.

 

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