Roberts and Oliver, Jr. steal Mid-Season Thunder at Donnellson
By Jake Croxton

Donnellson, Iowa (June 16, 2006) – Billy Roberts earned his third Discount Tire IMCA Modified victory of 2006 in his Roberts Tire Center / Roderrer’s Pit Stop / Raider after leading all 20 laps of the Pilot Grove Savings Bank Mid-Season Championship feature. Josh Foster started on pole, but quickly found the racing surface not to his liking as he looped his car in front of the field on the initial start. Kevin Cale used two mid-race restarts to pressure Roberts, and even led lap 9, but had to settle for second. Dave Wietholder moved from seventh to third ahead of Tyler Cale and Jim Fuller.

John Oliver, Jr. trailed Dan Wenig by a point going into the Donnellson Tire Hobby Stock 15-lapper before getting the jump at the feature green. Oliver, Jr. was unchallenged over the final two-thirds of the event to score his fifth win of the season in the Oliver Tri-County Heating & Air / Cutlass. Chris Webb broke through a five-car skirmish for second to pick up his best finish of 2006. Matt Gavin, Wenig, and Rodger Dresden ended the event in the top five.

Oliver, Jr. made the night complete after a race-long battle with points leader Ryan Meyer in the Budweiser IMCA Stock Car Main. Meyer led 14 of the 15 laps, but Oliver, Jr. slipped past coming to the checkers and pulled off the double for the second time in 2006. Jeff Mueller crossed the line in third, while Dave Hemsted and Abe Huls completed the top five.

Wyatt Lantz was never challenged in the 15-lap Arrowhead Bowl B-Modified feature. Lantz had his Keokuk Collision Center / McDowell Crane Service / Raider ahead of a fierce battle for positions two through five. A wild finish saw third-place runner Joe Hooper and former race-runner-up Scott Boles both exit on the white-flag lap with various mechanical woes. Jack Evans, Jr. ended up in second, with Phillip Beard, Jeff Waterman, and Chad Sovern in tow at the checkers.

After starting tenth, Gordon Blankenship, Jr. worked past Dennis and Tyler Schulte’s race-long battle for the lead in the GM Giant Wild Thing 12-lapper. The Schulte duo followed Blankenship, Jr. across the line with Dennis winning the battle. Ron Kibbe and Jim Oliver, III rounded out the top five.

Next week, KILJ Radio presents weekly racing at the Lee County Speedway. The following Wednesday, June 28th, marks the first Wild Winged Wednesday edition of 2006 with the Ideal Ready Mix Sprint Invaders. Race time is 7:30 on both nights.

Results



Discount Tire IMCA Modifieds

Heat Race #1 – 1. Billy Roberts, Burlington; 2. Darin Thye, Burlington; 3. Brandon Rothzen, Media, IL; 4. Andy Krieger, Burlington; 5. Brad Carson, Colchester, IL; 6. Adam Carson, Colchester, IL; 7. Bryan Fett, Donnellson; 8. Tyler Cale, Donnellson; 9. Josh Foster, Montrose

Heat Race #2 – 1. Kevin Cale, Donnellson; 2. Phillip Cossel, Montrose; 3. Lonnie Heap, Media, IL; 4. Dave Wietholder, Liberty, IL; 5. Jim Fuller, Memphis, MO; 6. Bill Parks, Colchester, IL; 7. Dennis LaVeine, Burlington; 8. Sean Wyett, Danville

Pilot Grove Savings Bank 20 – 1. Roberts; 2. K. Cale; 3. Wietholder; 4. T. Cale; 5. Fuller; 6. Heap; 7. Parks; 8. Thye; 9. Rothzen; 10. Foster; 11. Krieger; 12. Cossel; 13. B. Carson; 14. A. Carson; 15. LaVeine; 16. Wyett; 17. Fett DNS


Donnellson Tire Hobby Stocks

Heat Race #1 – 1. Rodger Dresden, Keokuk; 2. Matt Gavin, Monmouth, IL; 3. Keith Reed, Fowler, IL; 4. Stacey Jennings, Mt. Pleasant; 5. Ray Milligan, Keokuk; 6. Jessie Little, LaHarpe, IL; 7. Robert Kephart, Donnellson

Heat Race #2 – 1. Jim Oliver, Jr., Beardstown, IL; 2. Chris Webb, Biggsville, IL; 3. Jim Lynch, Donnellson; 4. John Oliver, Jr., Danville; 5. Ricky Hutcherson, Keokuk; 6. Austin Schulte, Keokuk; 7. Bobby Anders, Hull, IL

Heat Race #3 – 1. Dan Wenig, Middletown; 2. Brad Weber, Donnellson; 3. Jake Wenig, Middletown; 4. Patrick Profeta, Keokuk; 5. Roger Krieger, Burlington; 6. Eric Rowley, Burlington

Pilot Grove Savings Bank 15 – 1. Jo. Oliver, Jr.; 2. Webb; 3. Gavin; 4. D. Wenig; 5. Dresden; 6. Ji. Oliver, Jr.; 7. Kephart; 8. Krieger; 9. Lynch; 10. Reed; 11. Profeta; 12. Rowley; 13. Milligan; 14. Schulte; 15. Weber; 16. Little; 17. Jennings; 18. J. Wenig; 19. Hutcherson DNS; 20. Anders DNS



Budweiser IMCA Stock Cars

Heat Race #1 – 1. John Oliver, Jr., Danville; 2. Ryan Meyer, Wayland; 3. Boe McLaughlin, Mediapolis; 4. Dave Hemsted, Lone Tree; 5. Abe Huls, Carthage, IL; 6. Brett Swyter, Donnellson

Heat Race #2 – 1. Jeff Mueller, Mt. Pleasant; 2. Kirk Kinsley, Wapello; 3. Dennis Harwood, Denmark; 4. Steve Steinkuhler, Camp Point, IL; 5. Tony Becerra, Carthage, IL; 6. Dianna Chamberlin-Johnston

Pilot Grove Savings Bank 15 – 1. Oliver, Jr.; 2. Meyer; 3. Mueller; 4. Hemsted; 5. Huls; 6. McLaughlin; 7. Becerra; 8. Chamberlin-Johnston; 9. Kinsley; 10. Harwood; 11. Steinkuhler; 12. Swyter DNS



Arrowhead Bowl B-Modifieds


Heat Race #1 – 1. Jack Evans, Jr., Keokuk; 2. Joe Hooper, Mendon, IL; 3. Bob Jennings, Mt. Pleasant; 4. Jarrod Fuller, Memphis, MO; 5. Brandon Savage, Keokuk; 6. Kevin Londrie, Keokuk; 7. Jeff Waterman, Quincy, IL; 8. Jim Gillenwater, Keokuk

Heat Race #2 – 1. Scott Boles, New London; 2. Wyatt Lantz, Bowen, IL; 3. Phillip Beard, Crawfordsville; 4. Chad Sovern, W. Burlington; 5. Thad Gaylord, Ft. Madison; 6. Mitch Higdon, Denmark; 7. Jim Kuhlmeier, Ft. Madison

Pilot Grove Savings Bank 15 – 1. Lantz; 2. Evans, Jr.; 3. Beard; 4. Waterman; 5. Sovern; 6. Savage; 7. Jennings; 8. Gillenwater; 9. Higdon; 10. Kuhlmeier; 11. Boles; 12. Gaylord; 13. Londrie; 14. Hooper; 15. Fuller


GM Giant Wild Things

Heat Race #1 – 1. Tyler Schulte, Montrose; 2. Rob Hammel, Hamilton, IL; 3. Stevie Shull, Rome; 4. Luke Davidson, Argyle; 5. Jim Hamelton, Keokuk; 6. Ron Kibbe, Mt. Pleasant

Heat Race #2 – 1. Gordon Blankenship, Jr., Keokuk; 2. David Helenthal, Ft. Madison; 3. Tyler Westercamp, Rome; 4. John Haltmeyer, Burlington; 5. Jim Oliver, III, Hamilton, IL; 6. Jayson Barnes, Alexandria, MO

Heat Race #3 – 1. Dennis Schulte, Keokuk; 2. Travis DeMint, Basco, IL; 3. Jake Oglesby, Ft. Madison; 4. Chuck Fullenkamp, Ft. Madison; 5. Chris Wrage, Ft. Madison; 6. Robert Anderson, Payson, IL

Pilot Grove Savings Bank 12 – 1. Blankenship, Jr.; 2. D. Schulte; 3. T. Schulte; 4. Kibbe; 5. Oliver, III; 6. DeMint; 7. Helenthal; 8. Hammel; 9. Davidson; 10. Shull; 11. Fullenkamp; 12. Anderson; 13. Westercamp; 14. Haltmeyer; 15. Wrage; 16. Oglesby; 17. Barnes DNS; 18. Hamelton DNS