Mueller Earns $500 IMCA Stock Car Payday at Donnellson
By Jake Croxton

DONNELLSON, IA. (July 14, 2006) - For the second week in a row, Jeff Mueller waltzed his Hot Toddie’s Bar & Grill / Hawkeye Pizza / PRC / Regal into victory lane in the Budweiser IMCA Stock Car feature at the Lee County Speedway. This time, the race win was worth $500 to the Mt. Pleasant, Iowa driver. L. Z. Coleman had his eye on the winner’s check after getting the jump on the start and led the opening five circuits. Then, it was John Oliver, Jr.’s turn at the front before seventh-starting Mueller took to the middle groove and set sail to claim the win. Oliver, Jr., Dave Hemsted, Coleman, and Ryan Meyer rounded out the top five.

Kevin Cale hunted down early leader Josh Foster and drove his IMI Equipment / Auctions by Smith / Raider / Chevy to the Discount Tire IMCA Modified feature win. Foster took command from Phillip Cossel on the second lap, but relinquished the lead on lap 17. Billy Roberts, Dennis LaVeine, and Dave Wietholder followed Cale and Foster across the stripe.

Joe Hooper broke the Lantz-Evans, Jr. stranglehold on Arrowhead Bowl B-Modified victory circle. The Mendon, Ill. driver worked his Raceworks / Laws Service / Skyrocket / Ford past Jim Gillenwater on the eighth lap and went on to win over Gillenwater, Jeff Waterman, Brandon Savage, and Chad Sovern.

John Oliver, Jr. took the lead from Jim Oliver, Jr. on lap 7 and visited the winner’s circle for the eighth time in Donnellson Tire Hobby Stock action. Rodger Dresden came up one spot shy in the runner-up position, while Doug Fenton, points leader Dan Wenig, and Brad Weber followed the Oliver Tri-County Heating & Air / Cutlass to the line.

David Helenthal looked to turn his Rookie Rally success into a feature win, but Gordon Blankenship, Jr. dashed all hopes of that at lap 3 and earned his fifth race win of 2006. Tyler Schulte was in striking distance in second, while Dennis Schulte, Travis DeMint, and Stevie Shull completed the top five.

Next week is Fan Appreciation Night sponsored by Borders Heating & Air and Discount Tire. Grandstand admission is half-price ($4) for Adult tickets. The class with the most cars will have their top two positions’ prize money doubled courtesy of Discount Tire in Keokuk. Race time is 7:30.



Results

Budweiser IMCA Stock Cars

Heat Race #1 – 1. L.Z. Coleman, New London; 2. Jeff Mueller, Mt. Pleasant; 3. Tony Becerra, Carthage, IL; 4. Ryan Meyer, Wayland; 5. Abe Huls, Carthage, IL; 6. Brett Swyter, Donnellson

Heat Race #2 – 1. John Oliver, Jr., Danville; 2. Kirk Kinsley, Wapello; 3. Dave Hemsted, Lone Tree; 4. Dennis Harwood, Denmark; 5. Dianna Chamberlain, Johnston, Montrose; 6. Adam Vantiger, Yarmouth

KRNQ 96.3 15 – 1. Mueller; 2. Oliver, Jr.; 3. Hemsted; 4. Coleman; 5. Meyer; 6. Kinsley; 7. Vantiger; 8. Harwood; 9. Chamberlain-Johnston; 10. Huls; 11. Becerra; 12. Swyter DNS



Discount Tire IMCA Modifieds

Heat Race #1 – 1. Kevin Cale, Donnellson; 2. Dennis LaVeine, Burlington; 3. Phillip Cossel, Montrose; 4. Billy Roberts, Burlington; 5. Josh Foster, Montrose

Heat Race #2 – 1. Chris Larson, Keokuk; 2. Dave Wietholder, Liberty, IL; 3. Darin Thye, Burlington; 4. Bryan Fett, Donnellson; 5. Tyler Cale, Donnellson

KRNQ 96.3 20 – 1. K. Cale; 2. Foster; 3. Roberts; 4. LaVeine; 5. Wietholder; 6. Thye; 7. Fett; 8. Cossel; 9. Larson; 10. T. Cale DNS



Arrowhead Bowl B-Modifieds


Heat Race #1 – 1. Wyatt Lantz, Bowen, IL; 2. Jared Fuller, Kahoka, MO; 3. Brandon Savage, Keokuk; 4. Jeff Waterman, Quincy, IL; 5. Jim Gillenwater, Keokuk; 6. Jim Kuhlmeier, Ft. Madison


Heat Race #2 – 1. Joe Hooper, Mendon, IL; 2. Mitch Higdon, Denmark; 3. Thad Gaylord, Ft. Madison; 4. Chad Sovern, W. Burlington; 5. Scott Boles, New London

KRNQ 96.3 15 – 1. Hooper; 2. Gillenwater; 3. Waterman; 4. Savage; 5. Sovern; 6. Lantz; 7. Gaylord; 8. Kuhlmeier; 9. Fuller; 10. Higdon; 11. Boles



Donnellson Tire Hobby Stocks

Heat Race #1 – 1. John Oliver, Jr., Danville; 2. Jim Oliver, Jr., Beardstown, IL; 3. Brad Weber, Donnellson; 4. Dan Wenig, Middletown; 5. Robert Kephart, Donnellson; 6. Eric Rowley, Burlington; 7. Ray Milligan, Keokuk

Heat Race #2 – 1. Doug Fenton, Burlington; 2. Patrick Profeta, Keokuk; 3. Jake Wenig, Middletown; 4. Rodger Dresden, Keokuk; 5. Matt Gavin, Monmouth, IL; 6. Austin Schulte, Keokuk; 7. Roger Krieger, Burlington

KRNQ 96.3 15 – 1. Jo. Oliver, Jr.; 2. Dresden; 3. Fenton; 4. D. Wenig; 5. Weber; 6. Ji. Oliver, Jr.; 7. J. Wenig; 8. Krieger; 9. Profeta; 10. Kephart; 11. Schulte; 12. Rowley; 13. Gavin; 14. Milligan


GM Giant Wild Things

Heat Race #1 – 1. Tyler Schulte, Montrose; 2. Chuck Fullenkamp, Ft. Madison; 3. Travis DeMint, Basco, IL; 4. Luke Davidson, Argyle; 5. Robert Anderson, Payson, IL; 6. Chris Wrage, Donnellson

Heat Race #2 – 1. Gordon Blankenship, Jr.; 2. Ryan Anderson, Donnellson; 3. Tyler Westercamp, Rome; 4. Rob Hammel, Hamilton, IL; 5. Adam Swanson, Burlington; 6. Ron Kibbe, Mt. Pleasant

Heat Race #3 – 1. David Helenthal, Ft. Madison; 2. Stevie Shull, Rome; 3. Dennis Schulte, Keokuk; 4. Jim Oliver, III, Hamilton, IL; 5. Scott Rogers, Danville; 6. Jayson Barnes, Alexandria, MO

Rookie Rally – 1. Helenthal; 2. Shull; 3. Westercamp; 4. Davidson; 5. Wrage; 6. Swanson; 7. Ro. Anderson

KRNQ 96.3 12 – 1. Blankenship, Jr.; 2. T. Schulte; 3. D. Schulte; 4. DeMint; 5. Shull; 6. Oliver, III; 7. Fullenkamp; 8. Davidson; 9. Westercamp; 10. Ry. Anderson; 11. Swanson; 12. Kibbe; 13. Ro. Anderson; 14. Helenthal; 15. Rogers; 16. Wrage; 17. Hammel DNS; 18. Barnes DNS