by Brian Neal
Donnellson, IA (Friday, August 18, 2023) – After taking a week off for the Sweet Corn Festival the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa returned to action on Friday, August 18Barry Taft was 3rdth. Highlighting the night’s action was the Super Late Model Racing (SLMR) Series, presented by HALO Thermal Protection and Lomont Molding. Not only were the Modifieds, Stock Cars, SportMods and Sport Compacts in action as well, but the SportMods and Sport Compacts had rained out features from August 4th to make-up.

The make-up 18 lap Roberts Tire Center IMCA Northern SportMod feature took to the track first, with Tom Bowling Jr. and Matt Thomas leading the field to green. Bowling Jr. would lead the first 3 laps, before fifth place starter Sean Wyett took command on lap 4. Wyett would lead the final laps to score his second win of the season at the track. Dakota Girard was 2nd, Adam Birck came from 9th to finish 3rd, Brandon Dale was 4th, with Nicholas Profeta rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 15 lap Sonny’s Super Market Sport Compact make-up feature, with Ethan Prim and Chandler Fullenkamp making up the front row. But it was fourth place starter Brandon Reu who quickly shot to the front to grab the lead on lap 1. In a caution free race, this allowed Reu to pull away for his fourth win of the season at the Lee County Speedway. Barry Taft was 2nd, Luke Fraise was 3rd, Chevy Barnes finished 4th after starting in 9th, with Fullenkamp coming home in 5th.

Dustin Vis and Jeremy Pundt led the field to green in the 18 lap Donnellson Tire & Service IMCA Stock Car regular feature. Pundt would edge out Vis at the line to jump out into the lead on lap 1. Despite several challenges from Vis over the entire 18 laps, Pundt would hold on for his first win of the season at the track. Jason Cook was 3rd, Chad Krogmeier was 4th, with Derrick Agee coming home in 5th.

The 18 lap J&J AG Auto and Truck IMCA Modified feature went caution free, but that didn’t stop the action from being hot and heavy. Denny Eckrich would grab the lead on the drop of the green flag, with Mark Burgtorf and Chris Simpson racing him three wide several times over the next 11 laps. Then on lap 12 Simpson got sideways in turn 4 and fell back to seventh. This left Eckrich to hold off Burgtorf over the final 5 laps to pick up his second win of the season at the Lee County Speedway. Austen Becerra came from 10th to finish 3rd, Dakota Simmons was 4th, with Jarrett Brown coming home in 5th.

Chad Holladay and Jeff Tharp led the field to green in the 30 lap SLMR Late Model feature, with Holladay jumping out into the lead on lap 1 over Tharp and Andy Eckrich. While Holladay worked the bottom of the track, Tharp was working the top. On lap 13 Tharp used the momentum off the top and a lap car to grab the top spot. Holladay would edge back out front on lap 15, and then 3 laps later Eckrich would slip past to take over the lead. Just after lap 18 was scored complete a couple of cautions would slow the action. On the restart Eckrich moved back out front, with Chad Simpson overtaking Holladay for the runner up spot. Simpson, who worked the top of the track, grabbed the lead away from Eckrich on lap 26, only to have Eckrich take it back on lap 27. The two would come off turn 4 to get the white flag side-by-side, and when Eckrich had to change his line in turn1 for a lap car this allowed Simpson to come off turn 2 with a car length lead. Eckrich tried to get back under Simspon off turn 4, only to have Simpson hold him off for the win. Brian Harris came from 7th to finish 3rd, Holladay was 4th, with CJ Horn completing the top 5.

Up next was the 18 lap Roberts Tire Center IMCA Northern SportMod feature, with Tom Bowling Jr. and John Oliver Jr. making up the front row. The driver’s struggled to get the first few laps in the books, but once they got going Oliver Jr. held off challenges from Dylan Van Wyk. That was until a late race restart, when Van Wyk used the momentum off the top of turn 4 to take over the top spot on lap 17. Van Wyk then held off Oliver Jr. on the final lap to claim his second win of the season at the Lee County Speedway. Adam Birck recovered from an early race caution to come back up to finish 3rd, Dakota Girard came from 13th to finish 4th, with Sean Wyett completing the top 5.