SORENSEN, STEPHENS, BLESSINGTON, AND WILCOX PICK UP FIRST FEATURE WINS AT SHELBY COUNTY SPEEDWAY
by Bonnie Errett

HARLAN, Iowa (May 6, 2006) – With the season in full swing, it was KNOD 105.3FM night at Shelby County Speedway with some familiar names filling the winner’s circle for season first wins.

Don Beckstrom was the first leader of the I.M.C.A. Late Model feature with Barry Sorensen coming on strong in second. By the end of the first lap, Sorensen had captured the front spot. Two laps into the race, Phil Miller picked up second as Todd Cooney was making his way forward. Cooney grabbed third five laps into the race as Sorensen stretched out into a straight-a-way lead. With six laps remaining, Cooney pulled ahead of Miller for second. Miller made a final attempt to take back the position on the last lap, but Cooney held him off and finished second behind an unstoppable Sorensen with his first feature win of the 2006 season.

Starting on the pole, Travis Mewhirter took the I.M.C.A. Modifieds into their feature main event. In turn three of the first lap of the race, Bill Osbahr astoundingly powered himself into first after starting seventh. Jeff Stephens wasted no time filling in second as Craig Reetz progressed up to third. Following a caution just four laps into the race, Stephens snatched up the front position and was untouchable. Two laps later it was Jeff Anderson making his move as he took the outside route around several to advance up to fourth. Halfway through the race, Reetz got around the outside of Osbahr to grab hold of second. At the five to go mark Anderson seized third and three laps later Jeff Jones joined the top four. For his first win of the season, Stephens received the checkered flags ahead of Reetz.

Charles Grabill took the low side into the lead at the start of the ProAm feature ahead of Denny Berghahn Jr. in second. Pelzer took control of third from Mike Brown, but more competition was closing in as Luke LeRette and Matt McAtee took him three wide for the spot just four laps into the race. LeRette jumped forward all the way to second with McAtee on his tail. Halfway through the race, LeRette claimed the lead and McAtee was right there to take second. Grabill and Berghahn fought back and Berghahn grabbed third down the backstretch of the last lap. LeRette held strong to pick up his first win of the season as McAtee, Berghahn, and Kerry Kierscht rounded out the top four.

The I.M.C.A. Stock Car feature got off to a rocky start when Jeremy Gettler flipped over while coming down the front stretch on the third lap of the race. In the front spot, Ryan Webb set the race back into motion ahead of Keith Knop and Josh Filmer. It did not take long for Brian Blessington, who started eleventh, to make his way to the front, claiming third five laps into the race and second just before the halfway marker. In the outside of turn two with six laps to go, Blessington moved into first. Blessington lengthened his lead through the rest of the race and picked up his season’s first win at Shelby County Speedway.

Coming from a sixth starting position, Blain Petersen dashed around the top of the track to take his car into the lead on the first lap of the I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock feature. Marcus Fagan followed in second, but Tim Wilcox stole the position just four laps into the race. Jason Neilsen and Dale Towne moved up to take on Fagan for third with Neilsen coming out with the spot. With just five laps to go, Petersen and Wilcox were side by side competing for first. Wilcox pulled ahead on the next lap and led the pack to the finish line in front of Petersen, Towne, and Neilsen for his first win of the season.

After starting second, Joseph Mefferd darted into the front position of the JnJ Fabrication Hornets feature at the drop of the green flag. Andrew Hicks came around the outside of Bayley Nicholl in turn two of the first lap to take over second. Hicks worked hard to catch Mefferd, but Mefferd held him off to claim his second win of the season.

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

Results for 05/06/06

I.M.C.A. Late Models

A-Feature: 1. 45 Barry Sorensen, Avoca; 2. 30 Todd Cooney, Des Moines; 3. 17M Phil Miller, Mo. Valley; 4. 11 Todd Mason, Omaha; 5. 10 Jay Stewart, Blair, NE; 6. 5S Jeff Segebart, Westside; 7. 15 Jason O'Brien; 8. 33 Don Beckstrom, Carroll; 9. 1 Dave Jorgensen, Omaha; 10. 1T Vance Tonack, Omaha; 11. 9 Mark Plowman, Elkhorn; 12. 2V Vic Lovejoy, Harlan

1st Heat: Sorensen, Stewart, Mason, Lovejoy

2nd Heat: Cooney, O'Brien, Tonack, Miller

I.M.C.A. Modifieds

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

1st Heat: Reetz, Bruck, Plowman, Mewhirter

2nd Heat: Stephens, Preul, Dills, Cox

3rd Heat: Jones, Anderson, Osbahr, Hulsebus

ProAms

A-Feature: 1. 4L Luke LeRette, Council Bluffs; 2. 6M Matt McAtee, Crescent; 3. 6 Denny Berghahn, Jr., Omaha; 4. 11K Kerry Kierscht, Denison; 5. 40 Charles Grabill, Harlan; 6. 81 Dwain Pelzer, Malvern; 7. 4 Galen Grabill, Harlan; 8. 96 Matt Smith; 9. 9 Chris Wredt, C.B.; 10. 6X Denny Berghahn, Omaha; 11. 10 Ryan Brans; 12. 71 Bill Hargens, Omaha; 13. 2 Mike Brown, Glenwood

1st Heat: Pelzer, McAtee, Charles Grabill, Galen Grabill

2nd Heat: Brown, Kierscht, Smith, Berghahn, Jr.

I.M.C.A. Stock Cars

A-Feature: 1. 92B Brian Blessington, Breda; 2. ZR1 Ryan Webb, Denison; 3. 10X Keith Knop, Avoca; 4. 63 Mike Nichols, Harlan; 5. 66 Jeff Joldersma, McClelland; 6. 1 Steve Curtis, Grimes; 7. 8 David Smith, Lake City; 8. 23 Scott Sturm, Templeton; 9. 76 Trent Partridge, Elk Horn; 10. P42 Dave Plowman, Gretna; 11. 90 Andy Miller, Carson; 12. 29 Tanner Partridge, Walnut; 13. 26 Bill Reetz, Carroll; 14. 14K Nick Kindred; 15. 38 Josh Filmer, Lake City; 16. 04J Jay Brannen; 17. 37X Rick Christensen, Audubon; 18. 23A Jeremy Gettler, Adair; 19. 25X Richard Devereaux, McClelland; 20. 19B Tim Bengard, Exira

1st Heat: Webb, Bengard, Nichols, Joldersma

2nd Heat: Filmer, Smith, Kindred, Reetz

3rd Heat: Knop, Blessington, Plowman, Partridge

I.M.C.A. Hobby Stocks

A-Feature: 1. 17W Tim Wilcox, Ida Grove; 2. 68+1 Blaine Petersen, Essex; 3. 15 Dale Towne, Avoca; 4. 74N Jason Nielsen, Underwood; 5. 5G Tyler Griffen; 6. 35 Donovan Smith, Lake City; 7. 1F Marcus Fagan, Casey; 8. 12 Andrew Kinser; 9. 4W Joe Wollenhaupt; 10. 121 Robert Tippery, C.B.; 11. 75 Kurt Hansen; 12. 14K Kenny Hansen; 13. 2X Chuck Madden Jr., Avoca; 14. 14 Jay Hansen, Audubon; 15. 82B David Archibald, Harlan; 16. 16X Charlie Bird; 17. 98 Derrick Rohe; 18. 55 Jason Fusselman, Shelby; 19. 3S Brian Snell, Coon Rapids; 20. 25 Bob Lee, Griswold; 21. 58 Jason Smith, Carter Lake; 22. 7W Willie Ransom, Irwin; 23. 60 Tanner Powers, Exira

1st Heat: Snell, Fusselman, Wilcox, Tippery

2nd Heat: Nielsen, Petersen, Griffen, Jay Hansen

3rd Heat: Smith, Towne, Madden Jr., Fagan

Hornets

A-Feature: 1. 3 Joseph Mefferd, Dunlap; 2. 26 Andrew Hicks, Dunlap; 3. 00 Bayley Nicholl, Audubon

Heat: Mefferd, Hicks, Nicholl