THREE NEW WINNERS AT SHELBY COUNTY SPEEDWAY: SEE, GRABILL, AND MADDEN
by Jessica Errett

HARLAN, Iowa (June 10, 2006) – An intense night of racing was held at the Shelby County Speedway featuring six classes of cars. The evening’s highlights included three new drivers seeing victory lane for the first time this season.

The I.M.C.A. Late Model A-feature began with Robert See out front, as Don Beckstrom and Vance Tonack trailed behind. Tonack passed Beckstrom on lap two, but Todd Cooney would blast by both cars the next lap. On lap four, Jay Stewart shifted up to break into the top four. By lap ten, Cooney caught See which began a side by side race for the top spot. See was determined and did not give up the front position, leading every lap of the race. See took home his first feature win at the Shelby County Speedway, followed by Cooney, Tonak, and Barry Sorensen.

Brad "Blacky" Madsen jumped out to a huge lead at the start of the I.M.C.A. Modified A-feature, leaving Jeff Stephens, Mike Albertsen, and Dale Ransom in a three-way fight for second. As Madsen tore up the track out front, Stephens and Craig Reetz fell in line. Bill Osbahr, taking the low lane, moved into fourth on lap eight. The caution flag on lap ten brought the field together, which allowed Osbahr to glide into third. Madsen, flying around the high side of the track, continued to dominate until another caution with three to go would end it. Stephens quickly slipped underneath Madsen to take first in the first corner and Osbahr later followed into second. Stephens held on to take the checkered flags in an exciting finish.

Ryan Branz lead the Pro-Am feature out of the gate, as Matt Smith grabbed second and Charles Grabill third. While Denny Berghahn Sr. slid into fourth on the second lap, Grabill dominated the second position and stole first the following lap. During the fourth lap, Berghahn climbed into second in front of Branz and Dwain Pelzer. Mike Brown moved up the ranks seven laps in to gain fourth and then third soon after. Point Leader Matt McAtee dodged his way to fourth place and moved into third, passing Brown with three to go. No one could catch local favorite Grabill, as he went on to win his first feature win this season.

The I.M.C.A. Stock Car A-Main began with a side by side battle for first between Dave Plowman and Steve Curtis. On lap two, Curtis drove into first, followed closely by Bill Reetz, Plowman, and Ryan Webb. Taking the high line, Webb maneuvered passed Plowman into third and took charge of second place on the next lap. Brian Blessington, who had been running in fourth, moved up to third with only a few laps remaining. Blessington officially beat out Webb for second at the finishline, but it was Steve Curtis who got the feature win.

The I.M.C.A. Hobby Stock feature got off to a rough start with three complete restarts. Once things got underway, Dale Towne was the leader. Two laps into the race, Trent Murphy, Mike Harris, and Donovan Smith went three-wide for second place, but Smith would take it for himself. On the next lap, Smith used the outside lane of turn four to steal first and did not let go. Point leader Smith took the checkered flags, followed by Towne, who beat out Murphy for second by inches at the line.

Corey Madden quickly jumped out to the top spot in the Hornet A-Feature with Joseph Mefford in second, and Andrew Hicks and Willy Muhr in a close race for third. On lap three, Muhr moved into the second position, and the next lap Hicks took third. But no one could close in on Madden’s commanding lead, which brought him his first feature win at the Shelby County Speedway.

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

Results for 06/10/06

I.M.C.A. Late Models

A-Feature: 1. 30C Robert See, Altoona; 2. 30 Todd Cooney, Des Moines; 3. 1T Vance Tonack, Omaha; 4. 45 Barry Sorensen, Avoca; 5. 10 Jay Stewart, Blair, NE; 6. 17M Phil Miller, Mo. Valley; 7. 11 Todd Mason, Omaha; 8. 33 Don Beckstrom, Carroll; 9. 43 Jeremy Grady, Story City; 10. 1 Dave Jorgensen, Omaha; 11. 1L John Bagby, Johnston; 12. 11F Randy Faux, Earlham; 13. 9 Mark Plowman, Elkhorn; 14. 37 Mike Smith, Jewell; 15. 5S Jeff Segebart, Westside

1st Heat: Cooney, Tonack, See, Stewart

2nd Heat: Sorensen, Miller, Mason, Smith

I.M.C.A. Modifieds

A-Feature: 1. 92 Jeff Stephens, Arion; 2. 12 Bill Osbahr, Avoca; 3. 54 Brad Madsen, Kimballton; 4. 1R Craig Reetz, Dunlap; 5. 19J Jeff Jones, C.B.; 6. 62 Greg Cox, Altoona; 7. 2K Chad Preul, Westside; 8. Z62 Dan McKeighan, Carter Lake; 9. 2R Dale Ransom, Denison; 10. 6C Eric Meents, Denison; 11. 23 Jim Thies; 12. 1 Dave Hulsebus, Tennant; 13. 17 Justin Sackett, Schaller; 14. 28 Chase Mewhirter, Atlantic; 15. 17P Tim Plowman, Woodbine; 16. 73 Travis Mewhirter, Atlantic; 17. 77 Dustin Jarillo; 18. 21N Dave Newton JR, Omaha; 19. 3 Mike Albertsen, Audubon; 20. 17X Eric Swanson, Denison

1st Heat: Plowman, Sackett, McKeighan, Thies

2nd Heat: Madsen, Reetz, Albertsen, Jones

3rd Heat: Stephens, Preul, Cox, Ransom

ProAms

A-Feature: 1. 40 Charles Grabill, Harlan; 2. 6X Denny Berghahn, Omaha; 3. 6M Matt McAtee, Crescent; 4. 2 Mike Brown, Glenwood; 5. 81 Dwain Pelzer, Malvern; 6. 6 Denny Berghahn, Jr., Omaha; 7. 10 Ryan Brans; 8. 7 Jim Kruse, Omaha; 9. 96 Matt Smith; 10. 71 Bill Hargens, Omaha; 11. 4 Galen Grabill, Harlan

1st Heat: Kruse, Smith, Charles Grabill, Brans

2nd Heat: McAtee, Berghahn, Pelzer, Hargens

I.M.C.A. Stock Cars

A-Feature: 1. 1 Steve Curtis, Grimes; 2. 92B Brian Blessington, Breda; 3. ZR1 Ryan Webb, Denison; 4. 8 David Smith, Lake City; 5. 63 Mike Nichols, Harlan; 6. 10X Keith Knop, Avoca; 7. 19B Tim Bengard, Exira; 8. 38 Josh Filmer, Lake City; 9. P42 Dave Plowman, Gretna; 10. 23A Jeremy Gettler, Adair; 11. 23 Scott Sturm, Templeton; 12. B1 Russ Byriel, Ankeny; 13. 56G Kevin Godwin, Earlham; 14. 29 Tanner Partridge, Walnut; 15. 20 Jeff Segebart, Westside; 16. 96 Jason Rold, Hancock; 17. 76 Trent Partridge, Elk Horn; 18. 37X Rick Christensen, Audubon

1st Heat: Bengard, Filmer, Blessington, Rold

2nd Heat: Reetz, Webb, Nichols, Plowman

3rd Heat: Smith, Knop, Curtis, Sturm

I.M.C.A. Hobby Stocks

A-Feature: 1. 35 Donovan Smith, Lake City; 2. 15 Dale Towne, Avoca; 3. 25X Trent Murphy, Jefferson; 4. 5G Tyler Griffen; 5. 1F Marcus Fagan, Casey; 6. 3S Brian Snell, Coon Rapids; 7. 1K Heath Kasperbaur; 8. 98 Derrick Rohe; 9. 2X Chuck Madden Jr., Avoca; 10. 55 Jason Fusselman, Shelby; 11. 68+1 Blaine Petersen, Essex; 12. 121 Robert Tippery, C.B.; 13. 60 Tanner Powers, Exira; 14. 7W Willie Ransom, Irwin; 15. 14 Jay Hansen, Audubon; 16. 4W Joe Wollenhaupt; 17. 77JX Shawn Chapman, Harlan; 18. 83 Mike Harris, Avoca; 19. 74N Jason Nielsen, Underwood; 20. 22 Jim Lampe, Carroll; 21. 14K Kenny Hansen; 22. 56 Jamie Schirm, Dexter; 23. 25M Michael Murphy, Jefferson; 24. 12X Doug Smith, Lake City; 25. 12 Andrew Kinser; 26. 16X Charlie Bird; 27. 97 Steve Clair, Des Moines

1st Heat: Towne, Petersen, Schirm, Madden Jr.

2nd Heat: Trent Murphy, Harris, Fagan, Michael Murphy

3rd Heat: Doug Smith, Wollenhaupt, Powers, Lampe

4th Heat: Rohe, Snell, Donovan Smith, Nielsen

Hornets

A-Feature: 1. 2 Corey Madden, Avoca; 2. 84 Willy Muhr, Exira; 3. 26 Andrew Hicks, Dunlap; 4. 63x Matt Steffens, Atlantic; 5. 38S Chris Shanno, Council Bluffs; 6. 68 Daniel Mefferd, Dunlap; 7. 3 Joseph Mefferd, Dunlap; 8. 66 Jay Mefferd, Dunlap; 9. 3C Cody Klein, Harlan; 10. 00 Bayley Nicholl, Audubon

1st Heat: Muhr, Steffens, Daniel Mefferd, Nicholl

2nd Heat: Joseph Mefferd, Jay Mefferd, Shanno, Hicks