McATEE CLEANS UP AT SHELBY COUNTY SPEEDWAY; SEGEBART TAKES LATE MODEL FEATURE
by Bonnie Errett

HARLAN, Iowa (April 22) – Another tremendous night of racing took place at Shelby County Speedway Saturday night filled with warm weather and exhilarating close races. Matt McAtee received his third feature win of the year while each other class had a new winner for the 2006 season.

Jeff Segebart clutched onto the lead at the start of the I.M.C.A. Late Model feature with Todd Mason and Dave Stanton close behind. Five laps into the race, Mason darted into first, however Segebart swiftly regained the position that same lap. Mason tried again a few laps later, but Segebart took charge and began pulling away as Barry Sorensen joined the front runners. Sorensen moved up alongside Mason challenging for second, but Mason held on to the finish behind Segebart with his first season win. Sorensen and Vic Lovejoy rounded out the top four.

The I.M.C.A. Modified feature was set into motion by Travis Mewhirter and Mike Albertsen. On the second lap of the race, Bub LeRette shot into third but lost the position to Tim Plowman during the next lap. Four laps into the race the leader spun, bringing out the caution and moving Albertsen into the lead. Plowman quickly robbed Albertsen of the front spot and LeRette moved in behind him. With nine laps to go Dan McKeighan took control of third, and two laps later Craig Reetz joined him in the top four. Reetz continued forward with full force all the way to second ahead of McKeighan and Dave Hulsebus who were in competition for third. Plowman maintained a commanding lead throughout the race all the way to the checkered flags as Hulsebus shot up to second on the white flag lap. McKeighan grabbed third and Reetz took fourth as Plowman picked up his first feature win.

Coming from the outside pole, Ryan Brans was the first leader of the ProAm feature with Dwain Pelzer in second. Down the backstretch of the first lap, Luke LeRette moved into second, but Pelzer quickly snatched the position back. The second lap of the race found Pelzer in the lead with LeRette chasing him in second. Just three laps into the race, Matt McAtee, who started tenth, took over the third position ahead of Mike Brown. It was not long before McAtee grabbed second, and at nine laps to go, he captured the lead. Through three cautions McAtee held onto first, and the race resulted in a green-white-checkered finish. Winning his third ProAm feature of the 2006 season, McAtee crossed the finish line in front of LeRette and Brown.

Steve Curtis powerfully led the I.M.C.A. Stock Cars into their feature ahead of Ryan Webb. Shortly after the drop of the green, Bill Reetz stole second from Webb as Josh Filmer moved up to fourth. Through multiple cautions Curtis held onto first, with Tim Bengard and Mike Nichols moving up to third and fourth. Curtis was out of reach, but behind him there was a fierce battle for the next top positions. Directly following Reetz, Bengard worked the high side with Nichols down low, both fighting off Brian Blessington who was coming strong. A struggle to the finish, Reetz held second in front of Nichols and Blessington as Curtis claimed his first season win.

The I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock feature took off with Josh Bieret out front as Jay Hansen, Jason Neilsen, and Blaine Petersen went three wide contending for second. Petersen pulled through and one lap later took over the front position. Bieret held second with Brian Snell jumping up to third right behind him. Halfway through the race, both Snell and Bieret ran into trouble and had to leave the race, moving Neilsen into second and Jason Fusselman third. With three laps remaining in the race, Fusselman slid into second and followed Petersen to the finish line who picked up his first win of the season.

Joseph Mefferd dashed from fourth to first at the start of the JnJ Fabrication Hornets feature with Allan Schmidt, Bayley Nicholl, and Daniel Mefferd falling in behind. On the outside of turn three of the first lap, Daniel charged forward into third. Moving fast, Daniel picked up second on the following lap but could not catch Joseph who maintained a strong lead to the finish and collected his season’s first win.


Next Saturday gates open at 5:00 pm with hot laps at 6:30 pm and racing immediately following.

Race Results for 04/22/06

I.M.C.A. Late Models

A-Feature: 1. 5S Jeff Segebart, Westside; 2. 11 Todd Mason, Omaha; 3. 45 Barry Sorensen, Avoca; 4. 2V Vic Lovejoy, Harlan; 5. 10 Jay Stewart, Blair, NE; 6. 8 Al Johnson; 7. 87 Dave Stanton; 8. 15 Jason O'Brien; 9. 2M Tony Moro; 10. 1T Vance Tonack, Omaha; 11. 33 Don Beckstrom, Carroll; 12. 30 Todd Cooney, Des Moines; 13. 30C Robert See, Altoona; 14. 9 Mark Plowman, Elkhorn; 15. 11F Randy Faux, Earlham; 16. 43 Jeremy Grady, Story City; 17. 17M Phil Miller, Mo. Valley; 18. 1 Dave Jorgensen, Omaha

1st Heat: Segebart, Stanton, Mason, Johnson, Grady, Moro, Faux, Miller, Jorgensen

2nd Heat: O'Brien, Beckstrom, Stewart, Tonack, Sorensen, Cooney, Lovejoy, See, Plowman

I.M.C.A. Modifieds

A-Feature: 1. 17P Tim Plowman, Woodbine; 2. 1 Dave Hulsebus, Tennant; 3. Z62 Dan McKeighan, Carter Lake; 4. 1R Craig Reetz, Dunlap; 5. 78 Jeff Anderson, Atlantic; 6. 3 Mike Albertsen, Audubon; 7. 19J Jeff Jones, C.B.; 8. 62 Greg Cox, Altoona; 9. 12 Bill Osbahr, Avoca; 10. 21J Jeremy Leiting, Raymond, NE; 11. 2K Chad Preul, Westside; 12. 6C Eric Meents, Denison; 13. 91B B.J. Bruck, Westphalia; 14. 28 Chase Mewhirter, Atlantic; 15. 9R Edward Rech, Omaha; 16. 17X Eric Swanson, Denison; 17. 3L Bub LeRette, C.B.; 18. 73 Travis Mewhirter, Atlantic; 19. 2R Dale Ransom, Denison; 20. 34 James Showers, Mo. Valley; 21. 4T Sean Tyson, C.B.; 22. 11 Chad Dills, Shelby; 23. 54 Brad Madsen, Kimballton; 24. 92 Jeff Stephens, Arion

1st Heat: Hulsebus, LeRette, Ransom, Mewhirter, Bruck, Leiting, Swanson, Osbahr

2nd Heat: Preul, Anderson, McKeighan, Mewhirter, Dills, Madsen, Rech, Jones

3rd Heat: Plowman, Showers, Albertsen, Cox, Meents, Reetz, Stephens, Tyson

ProAms

A-Feature: 1. 6M Matt McAtee, Crescent; 2. 4L Luke LeRette; 3. 2 Mike Brown, Glenwood; 4. 6 Denny Berghahn, Jr., Omaha; 5. 81 Dwain Pelzer, Malvern; 6. 96 Matt Smith; 7. 6X Denny Berghahn, Omaha; 8. 9 Chris Wredt, C.B.; 9. 71 Bill Hargens, Omaha; 10. 10 Ryan Brans; 11. 4 Galen Grabill, Harlan; 12. 24 Steven Muhlecke, Omaha

1st Heat: McAtee, LeRette, Berghahn, Wredt, Muhlecke, Hargens

2nd Heat: Pelzer, Berghahn, Jr., Grabill, Brans, Brown, Smith

I.M.C.A. Stock Cars

A-Feature: 1. 1 Steve Curtis, Grimes; 2. 26 Bill Reetz, Carroll; 3. 63 Mike Nichols, Harlan; 4. 92B Brian Blessington, Breda; 5. 19B Tim Bengard, Exira; 6. 10X Keith Knop, Avoca; 7. 8 David Smith, Lake City; 8. ZR1 Ryan Webb, Denison; 9. 96 Jason Rold, Hancock; 10. 01U Chirs Ullrich, Kiron; 11. 76 Trent Partridge, Elk Horn; 12. 23A Jeremy Gettler, Adair; 13. 37X Rick Christensen, Audubon; 14. 66 Jeff Joldersma, McClelland; 15. 04J Jay Brannen; 16. 25 Chad Devereaux, C.B.; 17. 38 Josh Filmer, Lake City; 18. 25X Richard Devereaux, McClelland; 19. P42 Dave Plowman, Gretna; 20. 29 Tanner Partridge, Walnut; 21. 14K Nick Kindred

1st Heat: Blessington, Partridge, Bengard, Filmer, Devereaux, Brannen, Partridge

2nd Heat: Nichols, Reetz, Knop, Rold, Plowman, Ullrich, Smith

3rd Heat: Christensen, Curtis, Joldersma, Webb, Kindred, Devereaux, Gettler

I.M.C.A. Hobby Stocks

A-Feature: 1. 68+1 Blaine Petersen, Essex; 2. 55 Jason Fusselman, Shelby; 3. 74N Jason Nielsen, Underwood; 4. 35 Donovan Smith, Lake City; 5. 15 Dale Towne, Avoca; 6. 5G Tyler Griffen; 7. 1K Heath Kasperbaur; 8. 98 Derrick Rohe; 9. 2X Chuck Madden Jr., Avoca; 10. 17W Tim Wilcox, Ida Grove; 11. 1F Marcus Fagan, Casey; 12. 14 Jay Hansen, Audubon; 13. 12 Andrew Kinser; 14. 4W Joe Wollenhaupt; 15. 121 Robert Tippery, C.B.; 16. 14K Kenny Hansen; 17. 58 Jason Smith, Carter Lake; 18. 82B David Archibald, Harlan; 19. 75 Kurt Hansen; 20. 3S Brian Snell, Coon Rapids; 21. 21B Josh Bieret; 22. 7W Willie Ransom, Irwin; 23. 16X Charlie Bird

1st Heat: Hansen, Bieret, Smith, Petersen, Fagan, Rohe, Archibald, Smith

2nd Heat: Fusselman, Griffen, Towne, Wilcox, Bird, Kinser, Hansen, Ransom

3rd Heat: Nielsen, Snell, Madden Jr., Kasperbaur, Hansen, Wollenhaupt, Tippery

Hornets

A-Feature: 1. 3 Joseph Mefferd, Dunlap; 2. 68 Daniel Mefferd, Dunlap; 3. 27 Allan Schmidt, Holstein; 4. 00 Bayley Nicholl, Audubon

Heat: Mefferd, Mefferd, Schmidt, Nicholl