Neal rebounds for Lee County checkers
By Jake Croxton

DONNELLSON, Ia (Aug. 3, 2007) – One week after an expensive half-roll at the Lee County Speedway, Ely’s Terry Neal collected the feature winner’s payday in a caution-free Ideal Ready Mix IMCA Late Model 25-lapper.

Adam Helmick paced the 18-car field but Jay Johnson took command and led for five circuits. Neal took his Schurbon Engine & Machine / Hawkeye Auto / B&D Pit
Stop / Mastersbilt by Coin / Monte Carlo to the point and was never challenged for the remainder of the event. Behind Neal, a fierce battle ensued for positions two through six. Johnson was able to hold onto the runner-up spot but had to deal with twelfth-starter Mark Burgtorf, Sam Halstead, and current Deery Series points leader Jeremy Grady. That is where the quartet would finish as they closed on the leader, Neal, in traffic but were unable to mount a challenge.

In Donnellson Tire Hobby Stock action, young Derek St. Clair again led the majority of the 15-lapper and looked to have his first career feature in hand. A late restart allowed Jake Wenig a shot at the TA Auto & Tire / Nova. As the duo entered the final set of corners, St. Clair switched to the bottom line to block Wenig but Jake moved upstairs and stole the victory by a car length. Doug Fenton, Rodger Dresden, and Rob Wilsey followed in the top five.

Tyler Cale and Brandon Savage paced the early laps of the Discount Tire IMCA Modified 20-lapper, but contact ruined both drivers’ evenings. Savage ended up pointed at the turn two guardrail and Cale ended up at the tail with Savage. From there, Josh Foster piloted his Five Star Drywall / Northfeld Electric / Farmington
Tax Service / Raider / Chevy to his second points-paying win of 2007. Billy Roberts worked around Kevin Cale near halfway and earned the runner-up spot
while Rich Smith and Savage rounded out the top five.

Another driver on the verge of victory was shunned in the Budweiser IMCA Stock Car 15-lapper. Rookie driver Nick Fenton led for eleven of those laps before giving way to points leader Jeff Mueller on a late restart. The win was Mueller’s third of 2007 in his Total Connections Electric / Hawkeye Pizza / Rick’s Auto
Sales / Quality Equipment / Regal. Fenton, Doug Huls, Steve Steinkuhler, and Derek Goble finished in the top five.

Rob Hammel earned his second GM Giant Wild Thing checkered flag of 2007 after a late-race pass of rookie driver Hamza Smajlovic. Hammel’s Heartland
Carpet / Cryotech / Honda CRX led the final three laps en route to the win. Chris Loring, Jr., Michael Grossman, Travis DeMint, and Brent Hartley followed
Hammel while Smajlovic retired from the event.

Wyatt Lantz started sixteenth after heat race trouble, but that didn’t stop the Keokuk Collision Center / McDowell Crane Service / Raider. The Bowen, Ill.
driver passed Jim Gillenwater and held him off over a pair of green-white-checkered restarts. Scott Boles, Jeff Waterman, and Brandon Symmonds finished in the
top five.

Next week, the Lee County Speedway will be dark. The IMCA Late Model Season Championship will take place on August 17. Race time is 7:30.

                       

B Modifieds
A-Main 01 -- 1. Wyatt Lantz, Bowen, Ill.; 2. Jim Gillenwater, Keokuk; 3. Scott Boles, New London; 4. Jeff Waterman, Quincy, Ill.; 5. Brandon Symmonds, Keokuk; 6. Bill Seyb, Donnellson; 7. Jim Kuhlmeier, Ft. Madison; 8. Ron Kibbe, Mount Pleasant; 9. Jerad Fuller, Memphis, Mo.; 10. Bob Jennings, Mt. Pleasant; 11. Chad Sovern, West Burlington; 12. Levi Smith, Donnellson; 13. Mike Hill, New London; 14. Thad Gaylord, Fort Madison; 15. Joe Hooper, Mendon, Ill.;
16. Travis Jordan, Donnellson.

Heat 01 -- 1. Chad Sovern, West Burlington; 2. JoeHooper, Mendon, Ill.; 3. Jim Gillenwater, Keokuk; 4.Scott Boles, New London; 5. Jim Kuhlmeier, Ft. Madison; 6. BrandonSymmonds, Keokuk; 7. Levi Smith, Donnellson; 8. RonKibbe, Mount
Pleasant.

Heat 02 -- 1. Thad Gaylord, Fort Madison; 2. MikeHill, New London; 3. Jeff Waterman, Quincy, Ill.; 4.Bob Jennings, Mt. Pleasant; 5. Jerad Fuller, Memphis, Mo.; 6. Bill Seyb, Donnellson; 7. Travis Jordan, Donnellson; 8. Wyatt Lantz, Bowen, Ill..

Hobby Stocks

A-Main 01 -- 1. Jake Wenig, Burlington; 2. Derek St. Clair, Donnellson; 3. Doug Fenton, Burlington; 4. Rodger Dresden, Keokuk; 5. Rob Wilsey, Keokuk; 6. Matt Tucker, Lomax,Ill.; 7. Dan Wenig, Burlington; 8. Jim Lynch,Donnellson; 9. Keith Reed, Fowler, Ill.; 10. Jon Rooney, Donnellson; 11.Patrick Phillips, Macomb, Ill.; 12. Randy Reed,Quincy, Ill.; 13. Dean Kratzer, Montrose; 14. Jacob Smith, Argyle; 15. Ray Raker,Danville.

Heat 01 -- 1. Dan Wenig, Burlington; 2. Doug Fenton, Burlington; 3. Rodger Dresden, Keokuk; 4. Jacob Smith, Argyle; 5. Keith Reed, Fowler, Ill.; 6. Ray Raker, Danville; 7.Jon Rooney, Donnellson; 8. Randy Reed, Quincy, Ill..

Heat 02 -- 1. Jake Wenig, Burlington; 2. Derek St.Clair, Donnellson; 3. Matt Tucker, Lomax, Ill.; 4. RobWilsey, Keokuk; 5. Dean Kratzer, Montrose; 6. Jim Lynch, Donnellson; 7.Patrick Phillips, Macomb, Ill.


IMCA Late Models
A-Main 01 -- 1. Terry Neal, Ely; 2. Jay Johnson, W. Burlington; 3. Mark Burgtorf, Quincy, Ill.; 4. Sam Halstead, New London; 5. Jeremy Grady, Story City; 6. Lonnie Bailey,Quincy, Ill.; 7. David Warth, Danville; 8. DarrellDeFrance, Marshalltown; 9. Matt Strassheim, Burlington; 10.Justin Reed, Quincy, Ill.; 11. Tom Darbyshire, MorningSun; 12. Matt Bailey, Quincy, Ill.; 13. T. Criss, Oskaloosa; 14.Leroy Brenner, Aledo, Ill.; 15. Adam Helmick, Ft.Madison; 16. Tom Goble,
Burlington; 17. Wyatt Lantz, Bowen, Ill.; 18. JohnnyJohnson, W. Burlington; 19. Colby Springsteen, MorningSun.

Heat 01 -- 1. Adam Helmick, Ft. Madison; 2. TomGoble, Burlington; 3. Matt Bailey, Quincy, Ill.; 4.Sam Halstead, New
London; 5. Justin Reed, Quincy, Ill.; 6. LeroyBrenner, Aledo, Ill.; 7. Wyatt Lantz, Bowen, Ill..

Heat 02 -- 1. Jay Johnson, W. Burlington; 2. JeremyGrady, Story City; 3. T. Criss, Oskaloosa; 4. TomDarbyshire, Morning Sun; 5. Darrell DeFrance, Marshalltown.

Heat 03 -- 1. Terry Neal, Ely; 2. Mark Burgtorf,Quincy, Ill.; 3. Matt Strassheim, Burlington; 4.Lonnie Bailey, Quincy, Ill.; 5. David Warth, Danville; 6. Johnny Johnson, W.Burlington.


IMCA Modifieds
A-Main 01 -- 1. Josh Foster, Montrose; 2. BillRoberts, Burlington; 3. Kevin Cale, Donnellson; 4.Rich Smith, Davenport; 5. Brandon Savage, Keokuk; 6. Mitch Higdon, Fort Madison;7. Dean McGee, Sr., Galesburg, Ill.; 8. Jim Redmann,Lockodge; 9. Tyler Cale, Donnellson; 10. Rob Kirchner,Donnellson; 11. Phillip Cossel, Montrose; 12. DaveCloke, Burlington; 13. Mike Weikert Jr., Muscatine; 14. Chris Larson, Keokuk.

Heat 01 -- 1. Brandon Savage, Keokuk; 2. BillRoberts, Burlington; 3. Tyler Cale, Donnellson; 4.Kevin Cale, Donnellson; 5. Chris Larson, Keokuk; 6. Dean McGee, Sr., Galesburg,Ill.; 7. Rob Kirchner, Donnellson.

Heat 02 -- 1. Rich Smith, Davenport; 2. Mitch Higdon,Fort Madison; 3. Mike Weikert Jr., Muscatine; 4. DaveCloke, Burlington; 5. Josh Foster, Montrose; 6. Jim Redmann,Lockodge; 7. Phillip Cossel, Montrose.


IMCA Stock Cars
A-Main 01 -- 1. Jeff Mueller, New London; 2. NickFenton, Mt. Pleasant; 3. Doug Huls, Carthage, Ill.; 4.Steve Steinkuhrer, Camp Point, Ill.; 5. Derek Goble, Burlington; 6. KirkKinsley, Wapello; 7. Chris Wibbell, Dallas City, Ill.;8. John Oliver, Jr., Danville; 9. Corey Strothman, New London; 10.Christina Cook, Mt. Pleasant; 11. Jason Cook, Mt.Pleasant.

Heat 01 -- 1. Doug Huls, Carthage, Ill.; 2. NickFenton, Mt. Pleasant; 3. Jason Cook, Mt. Pleasant; 4.John Oliver, Jr., Danville; 5. Jeff Mueller, New London; 6. CoreyStrothman, New London.

Heat 02 -- 1. Steve Steinkuhrer, Camp Point, Ill.; 2.Chris Wibbell, Dallas City, Ill.; 3. Kirk Kinsley,Wapello; 4. Christina Cook, Mt. Pleasant; 5. Derek Goble, Burlington.



4 Cyl. Wild Things
A-Main 01 -- 1. Rob Hammel, Hamilton, Ill.; 2. ChrisLoring, Jr., Keokuk; 3. Michael Grossman, Keokuk; 4.Travis DeMint, Basco, Ill.; 5. Brent Hartley, Niota, Ill.; 6. JamesOliver III, Hamilton, Ill.; 7. Gabe Harrison, Warsaw,Ill.; 8. David Helenthal, Fort Madision; 9. Brock Sammons, Rome; 10. ChuckFullenkamp, Fort Madison; 11. Tyler Westercamp, Rome;12. Jeremy Pundt, Donnellson; 13. Eric Palmer, Burlington; 14.Ryan Atkinson, Mt. Pleasant; 15. Kevin Harter, Fort
Madison; 16. Bryan Rodefer, Fort Madison; 17. Dane Fenton, Burlington;18. Joe Steele;; 19. Hamza Smajlovic, Hamilton, Ill.;20. Jeremy
Corson, West Point; 21. Ryan Anderson, Donnellson; 22.Philip Palmer, Mount Pleasant.

Heat 01 -- 1. Chris Loring, Jr., Keokuk; 2. MichaelGrossman, Keokuk; 3. Ryan Anderson, Donnellson; 4.Hamza
Smajlovic, Hamilton, Ill.; 5. Tyler Westercamp, Rome;6. Eric Palmer, Burlington; 7. Bryan Rodefer, FortMadison; 8. Dane Fenton, Burlington.

Heat 02 -- 1. Rob Hammel, Hamilton, Ill.; 2. DavidHelenthal, Fort Madision; 3. Travis DeMint, Basco,Ill.; 4. Gabe Harrison, Warsaw, Ill.; 5. Joe Steele;; 6. Chuck Fullenkamp,Fort Madison; 7. Jeremy Corson, West Point.

Heat 03 -- 1. James Oliver III, Hamilton, Ill.; 2.Kevin Harter, Fort Madison; 3. Brent Hartley, Niota,Ill.; 4. Brock Sammons, Rome; 5. Jeremy Pundt, Donnellson; 6. Ryan Atkinson,Mt. Pleasant; 7. Philip Palmer, Mount Pleasant.