The Lee County Speedway dodged a couple rounds of thunderstorms mid-day Friday leaving it ready and welcome to host opening night under beautiful mid-April weather conditions and with other tracks in the area losing to rain there were a few extra visitors on hand.
Racing action was a bit late getting started, something that is not the norm at Lee County as a long line of drivers waiting to get registered was still to be seen when hot laps were getting started. That, along with several late arrivals due to the rainouts elsewhere put things behind schedule but once up and running the show clicked off in fine fashion as usual except on two occasions.
The Sport Compact feature would be the first of five on the card with Brandon Lambert and Mike Reu starting on the front row for the nineteen car field, but it would be the third-starting Daniel Fellows who would jump to the early lead. A name that is new to me at least, Fellows had come from the back of the pack to win the third heat race earlier and was now leading the field on lap one only to have his right rear wheel pop off entering turn one on the second lap requiring a caution. Needless to say though that an already stout field of Sport Compacts here at Lee County now has another potential winner in the weeks to come.
On the restart former track champion Travis DeMint would pick up the lead and he would pull away from the field as others raced hard for position behind him. Two and three-wide action could be found all the way to the backmarkers as DeMint took the win and Mike Reu held off a late charge from his son Brandon to finish second while Josh Barnes edged out Jake Dietrich by a nose to finish fourth.
DeMint would be the first of five winners to collect an extra $100 from Buford Dozing and Excavating on the night and in the Sport Mod feature there was another $50 on top from Discount Tire in Keokuk.
One of the visitors, Jonathan Logue would lead the opening lap of the Sport Mod feature, but he could not hold off a hard charging Brandon Lennox who would drive under him in turn three on the second trip around the 3/8th-mile oval. The only caution of the 18-lap distance would wave on lap seven when the track tire in turn two was punted onto the surface and that was only a minor inconvenience for Lennox who would dominate for the win. Logue would chase him in for second, Jim Gillenwater started tenth and finished third, Brandon Dale came from eighth to fourth and Tony Dunker completed the top five.
The track's Crate Late Model division is now UMP sanctioned in its second season with eleven drivers signing in on opening night. A newcomer to the division, Brandon Savage looked strong in winning his heat race and would then set a quick early pace in the 25-lap feature only to get too high exiting turn two on the sixth lap and tagging the guardrail. With debris from his car causing the caution, Savage would take his car to the pits leaving Todd Frank to bring the field back to green on the restart. Denny Woodworth lined up third, but he would win the race to turn one as the green flag returned and there would be no catching the racing attorney as Woodworth earned his first Crate win at Lee County. Tommy Elston started eighth and finished second, Todd Frank was third, Sam Halstead was fourth and Frank's sons, Gunnar and Chase were fifth an sixth.
Nineteen IMCA Stock Cars signed in and with the two Des Moines drivers, Steve Hill and Chris Palmer having mechanical issues, seventeen would line up for the twenty-lap headliner. Les Blakely would start from the pole, but as the field tried to shuffle by him entering turn one contact from another car turned Blakely sideways where he collected four more drivers and the caution waved for a complete restart with only Blakely headed for the back. This would move Jason Cook to the pole and he would lead until the caution flew for Dane Fenton who had spun in turn three, On the restart Scott Jordan would lose his left rear wheel that would cause a long and unexpected delay. Apparently earlier in the night while trying to pick up Vance Wilson's Late Model one of the tow trucks had issues so when Jordan's car needed a tow back to the pits, the rollback was the only option remaining and it took well over ten minutes just to get the car loaded. Judging by the number of officials gathered around during the process you can bet that there will be another tow truck or two on hand for next Friday night's races.
Once back to racing the action was intense as it usually is here with the Stock Cars as a four car battle for the lead developed between Cook, Dean Kratzer, Derrick Agee and John Oliver Jr. With five laps remaining they raced two by two and bumpers to bumpers into turn three as Agee slipped under Cook for the lead and, when Kratzer and Cook got tangled up briefly, that allowed Oliver to go to second. With four laps remaining it was now a two car battle as Oliver applied the pressure on Agee, but Derrick was able to hold him off to take the win. Jeff Mueller who now lives near Marshalltown returned to his former "home track" to finish third, Cook recovered to take fourth as Louis Lynch completed the top five.
Thirteen IMCA Modifieds would close out the evening for twenty laps with outside pole-sitter Jeff Waterman leading the way. The caution was needed on lap five when Bobby Six sent the infield track tire for a trip through turn two and once back to action Hunter Marriott continued his march to the front. Marriott had planned on racing somewhere else on this night, but a careful study of the radar during the day brought him to Donnellson and even though he drew the tenth starting spot he had to be considered the favorite. On lap ten Marriott slipped past Brandon Rothzen for second and it didn't take long for him to chase down the leader as he passed Waterman on lap thirteen. A flat right rear knocked Waterman out of second with three laps to go, but when Dennis LaVeine spun in turn four it allowed Waterman to make a quick change and return for the final restart. There would be no catching Marriott though as the young star collected the win over Bill Roberts Jr., Brandon Rothzen, Bobby Six and Jardin Fuller.
The late start and the tow truck issues made this an unusually late night at Lee County, but with the pleasant weather and the entertaining racing on a well prepared surface I didn't even notice how late it was until I got in the car to make the short drive home.
Tonight it is the 9th Annual Slocum 50 at 34 Raceway featuring the MARS West and Corn Belt Clash Super Late Models looking for a $10,555 winner's check, plus the 305 Winged Sprints and IMCA Stock Cars have a four figure payday waiting for them as well. Start times have been moved up an hour to beat the weather that is predicted to arrive later tonight so come on out early and be ready for a big night. Hot laps are scheduled for 4:55, Late Model qualifying at 5:35 with heat races to follow.
Hope to see you there!
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