Score one for the Locals: Harris Repeats at LCS ASTN
By Jake Croxton

DONNELLSON, IA (Aug. 30, 2006) – Davenport, Iowa native Brian Harris earned his second consecutive $2,000 payday by holding off Chris Simpson in the 4th Annual American Short Track Nationals, presented by Fleck Sales, Pepsi of Memphis, and Ideal Ready Mix. Harris, who currently sits second in the WDRL Polydome Late Model Series standings, drew the pole and topped a field of 39 at the Lee County Speedway.

Harris quickly assumed command of the 40-lap finale and opened up what was at times a full straightaway lead. After winning his heat race, Kenny Wallace jumped from eighth to fifth in the opening five laps and looked to be on his way to the front in Johnny Johnson’s J&J Steel-sponsored mount. Wallace faded late in the race to a ninth-place finish on the lead lap.

Ace Ihm slowed at the completion of the fifth lap, triggering the event’s first caution. On the ensuing restart, a six-car melee turned the lights red as Chad Simpson ended up on his head and on top of Jeff Aikey’s GRT. In all, five cars were eliminated with no injuries reported.

Eleventh starter Chris Simpson began his march to the front when racing resumed. Simpson, Gary Webb, Boone McLaughlin, and Terry Neal used every inch of the racing surface behind the leader, Harris. The straightaway lead slowly whittled down to five car lengths as the leaders encountered slower traffic. Then the caution flew for the final time when Tommy Elston and Jody Wood tangled on lap 21.

Harris would not be denied in his The Filling Station / Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation / Reynolds Motor Company / Rocket. Simpson was able to stay close for the first five laps following the restart, but backslid into the scrum between Webb and McLaughlin.

At the line, it was McLaughlin by a car length over Simpson for the runner-up spot. Webb and twenty-first starter Denny Woodworth rounded out the top five. Neal, Tom Darbyshire, Fred Remley, Wallace, and Wood filled out the top 10.

A poor draw set Ken Schrader behind for most of the night. After qualifying through the B-Main, the Red Baron Pizza / Rayburn could only muster an eleventh-place showing, the first car one lap down.

In a word, the Donnellson Tire Hobby Stock feature was “insane.” Through aborted starts, flips, bent sheet metal, fire, loose wheels, and flaring tempers, Matt Gavin emerged victorious in his Lawson Racing Engines / A-1 Performance Warehouse / Nova. Gavin, Doug Fenton, and Rodger Dresden entered the final lap with a shot at the victory. When is was over, Gavin was in victory lane, Fenton was sixth, and Dresden was a straightaway ahead of his right front tire, which detached in turn two. Brian Howerton rebounded from an early pit stop to second, while Jake Wenig, Beau Taylor, and Jim Lynch survived in the top five.

Gordon Blankenship, Jr. proved to have the strongest GM Giant Wild Thing in their 12-lap feature. Blankenship led all the way and beat 2006 champion Dennis Schulte to the line. Tyler Schulte, Travis DeMint, and Sarah Woodhurst completed the top five.

The next Lee County Speedway event will be held on Saturday, September 23, as the Ideal Ready Mix Sprint Invaders host their season finale. For more information, check out www.leecountyspeedway.com.



Results

Open Late Models

Heat Race #1 (Top 4 Advance) – 1. Boone McLaughlin, Mediapolis; 2. Andy Eckrich, Iowa City; 3. Dave Eckrich, Cosgrove; 4. Tom Darbyshire, Morning Sun; 5. Steve “Ace” Ihm, Hazel Green, WI; 6. Ken Schrader, Concord, NC; 7. Jay Johnson, W. Burlington; 8. Kurt Kile, Nichols; 9. Cam Granger, West Union; 10. Joey Gower, Quincy, IL

Heat Race #2 (Top 4 Advance) – 1. Kenny Wallace, St. Louis, MO; 2. Terry Neal, Ely; 3. Chad Simpson, Mt. Vernon; 4. Tommy Elston, Keokuk; 5. Denny Woodworth, Mendon, IL; 6. T.J. Criss, Oskaloosa; 7. Darrell DeFrance, Marshalltown; 8. Ned Palmer, Blandinsville, IL; 9. Dave Schrader, Monroe; 10. Jeff Gerhardt, Niota, IL

Heat Race #3 (Top 4 Advance) – 1. Jeremy Grady, Story City; 2. Brian Harris, Davenport; 3. Gary Webb, Blue Grass; 4. Sam Halstead, New London; 5. Fred Remley, Blue Grass; 6. Jay Chenoweth, Wapello; 7. Jason Perry, Payson, IL; 8. Rob Kirchner, Donnellson; 9. Todd Johnson, Mitchellville; 10. Adam Oppendike, E. Moline, IL

Heat Race #4 (Top 4 Advance) – 1. Kevin Kile, W. Liberty; 2. Chris Simpson, Marion; 3. Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls; 4. Mark Burgtorf, Quincy, IL; 5. Jody Wood, Donnellson; 6. Matt Strassheim, Burlington; 7. Jerry Lauber, Winfield; 8. Billy Genenbacher, Camp Point, IL; 9. Nick Ingalls, Quincy, IL

Ideal Ready Mix Dash – 1. Chr. Simpson; 2. Wallace; 3. McLaughlin; 4. A. Eckrich; 5. Ke. Kile; 6. Neal; 7. Grady; 8. Harris DNS

Consolation Race #1 (Top 4 Advance) – 1. Ihm; 2. K. Schrader; 3. Woodworth; 4. J. Johnson; 5. Granger; 6. DeFrance; 7. Ku. Kile; 8. Gower; 9. Criss; 10. Palmer; 11. D. Schrader; 12. Gerhardt

Consolation Race #2 (Top 4 Advance) – 1. Wood; 2. Remley; 3. Strassheim; 4. Chenoweth; 5. Perry; 6. Kirchner; 7. Genenbacher; 8. Lauber; 9. Ingalls; 10. T. Johnson; 11. Oppendike

American Short Track Nationals 40 – 1. Harris; 2. McLaughlin; 3. Chr. Simpson; 4. Webb; 5. Woodworth; 6. Neal; 7. Darbyshire; 8. Remley; 9. Wallace; 10. Wood; 11. K. Schrader; 12. J. Johnson; 13. Elston; 14. Chenoweth; 15. Halstead; 16. D. Eckrich; 17. Grady; 18. Strassheim; 19. Burgtorf; 20. Aikey; 21. Cha. Simpson; 22. A. Eckrich; 23. Ke. Kile; 24. Ihm



Donnellson Tire Hobby Stocks

Heat Race #1 (Top 5 Advance) – 1. Jim Oliver, Jr., Beardstown, IL; 2. Brian Howerton, Hurdland, MO; 3. Rob Wilsey, Keokuk; 4. Keith Reed, Fowler, IL; 5. Brian Holmes, Wapello; 6. Tony Schulte, Keokuk; 7. Jessie Little, LaHarpe, IL; 8. Eric Rowley, Burlington

Heat Race #2 (Top 5 Advance) – 1. Dan Wenig, Middletown; 2. John Oliver, Jr., Danville; 3. Matt Gavin, Monmouth, IL; 4. Rodger Dresden, Keokuk; 5. Jeff Hamlin, Edina, MO; 6. Tanner Thomann, Middletown; 7. Rich Uppinghouse, Hannibal, MO; 8. Darrin Ealey, Wapello

Heat Race #3 (Top 5 Advance) – 1. Jake Wenig, Middletown; 2. Brad Weber, Donnellson; 3. Beau Taylor, Canton, MO; 4. Jim Lynch, Donnellson; 5. Jason Gerdes, Lomax, IL; 6. Chris Wibbell, Dallas City, IL; 7. Jimmy Hayes, Moravia; 8. Robert Kephart, Donnellson

Heat Race #4 (Top 5 Advance) – 1. Doug Fenton, Burlington; 2. Randy Wachter, Burlington; 3. Joe Gerdes, Burlington; 4. Roger Krieger, Burlington; 5. Brian Clark, Kahoka, MO; 6. Rod Grother, Cedar Rapids; 7. Kelly Skelton, Ft. Madison; 8. Jason Fowler, Ft. Madison

Consolation Race (Top 4 Advance) – 1. Hayes; 2. Wibbell; 3. Kephart; 4. Thomann; 5. Grother; 6. Skelton; 7. Uppinghouse; 8. Schulte; 9. Little; 10. Rowley; 11. Ealey; 12. Fowler

American Short Track Nationals 15 – 1. Gavin; 2. Howerton; 3. J. Wenig; 4. Taylor; 5. Lynch; 6. Fenton; 7. Hayes; 8. Wachter; 9. Wilsey; 10. Jo. Gerdes; 11. Ja. Gerdes; 12. Kephart; 13. Krieger; 14. Dresden; 15. Clark; 16. Thomann; 17. D. Wenig; 18. Ji. Oliver, Jr.; 19. Holmes; 20. Wibbell; 21. Weber; 22. Reed; 23. Jo. Oliver, Jr.; 24. Hamlin



GM Giant Wild Things

Heat Race #1 (Top 6 Advance) – 1. Gordon Blankenship, Jr., Keokuk; 2. Joe Zrostlik, Eldridge; 3. Dan Keltner, Wapello; 4. Jena Barthelemes, Marion; 5. Stevie Shull, Rome; 6. Levi Evans, Stockport; 7. Ron Kibbe, Mt. Pleasant; 8. Randy Foor, Morning Sun; 9. Luke Davidson, Argyle; 10. John Haltmeyer, Burlington; 11. Chris Rees, Payson, IL

Heat Race #2 (Top 6 Advance) – 1. Tyler Schulte, Montrose; 2. Steven Delonjay, Quincy, IL; 3. Travis DeMint, Basco, IL; 4. Sarah Woodhurst, Perry, MO; 5. Rob Hammel, Hamilton, IL; 6. Dustin Kay, Wheatland; 7. Darin Smith, Wapello; 8. Jim Powell, Hannibal, MO; 9. Chris Wrage, Donnellson; 10. Jim Hamelton, Keokuk; 11. Roger Whitcomb, Letts

Heat Race #3 (Top 6 Advance) – 1. Dennis Schulte, Keokuk; 2. Geoffrey Theovale, Wapello; 3. David Helenthal, Ft. Madison; 4. Jim Oliver, III, Hamilton, IL; 5. Dave Burdette, Keokuk; 6. Chuck Fullenkamp, Ft. Madison; 7. Joel Kerr, Quincy, IL; 8. Ryan Anderson, Donnellson; 9. Wayne Noble, Wapello; 10. Levi Smith, Donnellson

Consolation Race (Top 6 Advance) – 1. Kibbe; 2. Foor; 3. Smith; 4. Davidson; 5. Wrage; 6. Kerr; 7. Noble; 8. Powell; 9. Anderson; 10. Hamelton; 11. Haltmeyer; 12. Whitcomb; 13. Smith; 14. Rees

American Short Track Nationals 12 – 1. Blankenship, Jr.; 2. D. Schulte; 3. T. Schulte; 4. DeMint; 5. Woodhurst; 6. Delonjay; 7. Theovale; 8. Barthelemes; 9. Keltner; 10. Zrostlik; 11. Oliver, III; 12. Kibbe; 13. Evans; 14. Smith; 15. Helenthal; 16. Davidson; 17. Wrage; 18. Shull; 19. Foor; 20. Kay; 21. Hammel; 22. Fullenkamp; 23. Kerr; 24. Burdette