JONES AND SMITH CAPTURE FIRST FEATURE WINS AT SHELBY COUNTY SPEEDWAY
by Bonnie Errett

HARLAN, Iowa (May 13, 2006) – Four-wide racing and close finishes helped alleviate the chilly night air Saturday night as two new drivers entered victory lane for the 2006 season. Jeff Jones got his first win in the Modified feature and David Smith became the sixth new Stock Car feature winner of the year.

Gliding along the bottom of the track, Rob Toland swept up the lead of the I.M.C.A. Late Model feature at the drop of the green flag. Phil Miller filled in second with Barry Sorensen in third. Four laps into the race Sorensen moved up to second as Todd Cooney snatched fourth. Cooney took hold of third two laps later as Toland lengthened his lead. Halfway through the race Toland caught up with the back of the pack and worked on maneuvering through the cars. Sorensen caught up to the leader and snuck by into first with three laps to go when Toland got held up by a lapped car. First to receive the checkered flags, Sorensen picked up his second win of the season ahead of Toland and Cooney.

Jeff Jones quickly took control of the I.M.C.A. Modified feature in front of Mike Albertsen and Jeff Stephens. Two laps in, Stephens captured second and set his sights on the leader. Chad Preul traveled up to third as Stephens got around the outside of Jones to take first. Craig Reetz moved into third before a caution came out halfway through the race. Jones went back and forth with Stephens for the front position throughout the final laps of the feature. Holding off Stephens during the last two laps, Jones crossed the finish line for his first win of the 2006 season.

Matt Smith was the first leader of the ProAm feature as Charles Grabill grabbed second right behind him. Mike Brown quickly traveled to the front and claimed the lead five laps into the race. Holding second was Smith as Luke LeRette challenged Grabill for third. LeRette crept forward to take the spot as Matt McAtee joined the top four. McAtee took second with four laps to go and came up alongside Brown on the next lap of the race. McAtee seized the lead with one lap left and Kerry Kierscht picked up third. With his fourth win this year, McAtee drove to victory lane.

After a wreck on the second lap of the race, Tim Bengard became the leader of the I.M.C.A. Stock Car feature. Steve Curtis was quick to pick up second with Ryan Webb on his trail. Coming from a tenth starting position, Brain Blessington shot forward into fourth just three laps into the race. David Smith was the next threat moving to the front and before long was chasing down the leader. With five laps remaining, Smith stole the front spot and Blessington moved up to compete with Bengard for second. Bengard went up in smoke at three to go, and Smith smoothly sailed to his first win of the season ahead of Blessington, Webb, and Curtis.

The I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock feature took off with Joe Wollenhaupt in the front position, and Brian Snell grasped second by the end of the first lap. Blain Petersen moved up to third on the second lap of the race as Donovan Smith was rapidly moving forward after starting eleventh. Petersen and Smith soon found themselves battling for second, and Smith took the outside route all the way to the lead. Petersen trailed him in second as Chuck Madden Jr. took third. Smith stretched out his lead over Petersen, and on the last lap of the race, Tyler Griffen grabbed third and Tim Wilcox fourth. Smith was first to the checkered flags for his third win of the year at Shelby County Speedway.

Andrew Hicks came from the outside pole to take the lead at the start of the JnJ Fabrication Hornets feature. Joseph Mefferd followed into second with Shannon Mahlberg right behind. On the inside of turn three of the second lap of the race, Matt Steffens stole third from Mahlberg. Unchallenged, Hicks crossed the finish line with 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 05/13/06

I.M.C.A. Late Models

A-Feature: 1. 45 Barry Sorensen, Avoca; 2. 39 Rob Toland, Bettendorf; 3. 30 Todd Cooney, Des Moines; 4. 17M Phil Miller, Mo. Valley; 5. 1 Dave Jorgensen, Omaha; 6. 10 Jay Stewart, Blair, NE; 7. 11F Randy Faux, Earlham; 8. 33 Don Beckstrom, Carroll; 9. 11 Todd Mason, Omaha; 10. 1T Vance Tonack, Omaha; 11. 15 Jason O'Brien; 12. 30C Robert See, Altoona; 13. 5S Jeff Segebart, Westside; 14. 9 Mark Plowman, Elkhorn

1st Heat: Segebart, Miller, Tonack, Cooney

2nd Heat: Stewart, Toland, Sorensen, Jorgensen

I.M.C.A. Modifieds

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

1st Heat: Madsen, Preul, Hulsebus, Reetz

2nd Heat: Jones, Cox, Plowman, Showers

3rd Heat: Stephens, McKeighan, Albertsen, Meents

ProAms

A-Feature: 1. 6M Matt McAtee, Crescent; 2. 2 Mike Brown, Glenwood; 3. 11K Kerry Kierscht, Denison; 4. 6 Denny Berghahn, Jr., Omaha; 5. 96 Matt Smith; 6. 4L Luke LeRette, C.B.; 7. 40 Charles Grabill, Harlan; 8. 4 Galen Grabill, Harlan; 9. 9 Chris Wredt, C.B.; 10. 6X Denny Berghahn, Omaha; 11. 7 Jim Kruse, Omaha; 13. 81 Dwain Pelzer, Malvern; 14. 71 Bill Hargens, Omaha; 12. 10 Ryan Brans

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

2nd Heat: Brown, Kierscht, Smith, Charles Grabill

I.M.C.A. Stock Cars

A-Feature: 1. 8 David Smith, Lake City; 2. 92B Brian Blessington, Breda; 3. ZR1 Ryan Webb, Denison; 4. 1 Steve Curtis, Grimes; 5. 63 Mike Nichols, Harlan; 6. 76 Trent Partridge, Elk Horn; 7. 23A Jeremy Gettler, Adair; 8. 90 Andy Miller, Carson; 9. 01U Chirs Ullrich, Kiron; 10. 37X Rick Christensen, Audubon; 11. 29 Tanner Partridge, Walnut; 12. 19B Tim Bengard, Exira; 13. 99 James Buwalda, Harlan; 14. 10X Keith Knop, Avoca; 15. P42 Dave Plowman, Gretna; 16. 26 Bill Reetz, Carroll; 17. 23 Scott Sturm, Templeton; 18. 3 Matt Scharn, Newell; 19. 25C ,

1st Heat: Curtis, Smith, Blessington, Reetz

2nd Heat: Bengard, Knop, Partridge, Plowman

3rd Heat: Christensen, Nichols, Webb, Miller

I.M.C.A. Hobby Stocks

A-Feature: 1. 35 Donovan Smith, Lake City; 2. 68+1 Blaine Petersen, Essex; 3. 5G Tyler Griffen; 4. 17W Tim Wilcox, Ida Grove; 5. 15 Dale Towne, Avoca; 6. 1F Marcus Fagan, Casey; 7. 74N Jason Nielsen, Underwood; 8. 2X Chuck Madden Jr., Avoca; 9. 1A Steve Anderson, Winterset; 10. 98 Derrick Rohe; 11. 121 Robert Tippery, C.B.; 12. 12 Andrew Kinser; 13. 7W Willie Ransom, Irwin; 14. 82B David Archibald, Harlan; 15. 25 Bob Lee, Griswold; 16. 3S Brian Snell, Coon Rapids; 17. 77J Jerry Chapman, Avoca; 18. 4W Joe Wollenhaupt; 19. 60 Tanner Powers, Exira; 20. 16X Charlie Bird; 21. 55 Jason Fusselman, Shelby; 22. 75 Kurt Hansen

1st Heat: Smith, Wollenhaupt, Towne, Rohe

2nd Heat: Snell, Fusselman, Griffen, Powers

3rd Heat: Madden Jr., Wilcox, Petersen, Tippery

Hornets

A-Feature: 1. 26 Andrew Hicks, Dunlap; 2. 3 Joseph Mefferd, Dunlap; 3. 63x Matt Stephens, Atlantic; 4. 22 Shannon Mahlberg, Dunlap; 5. 68 Daniel Mefferd, Dunlap; 6. 00 Bayley Nicholl, Audubon; 7. 66 Jay Mefferd, Dunlap

Heat: Hicks, Mefferd, Mahlberg, Stephens