leecountyspeedway Archives

Kay defends Lee County Drive For 5 finale title

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (Sept. 11) – The Iowa Corn Growers Association Drive For 5 finale for IMCA Sunoco Late Models took place Sept. 11 at Lee County Speedway. This is the second year for this mini-series to be held, with defending race winner Justin Kay claiming the checkered flag in the 50-lap feature. Kay and Darin Duffy earned front row starts. Kay took advantage of his starting spot and jumped out into the early lead over Duffy and Matt Ryan. While Kay paced the field out front, Duffy, Ryan and Tommy Elston, who started fifth, battled for the runner-up spot. Action was slowed on lap nine for back-to-back cautions. The second restart saw Kay back out front with Elston overtaking Duffy for second. Two more quick cautions followed, with Kay staying in the lead and Duffy getting second back from Elston. As the field battled for positions behind him, Kay started to pull away from the field before the halfway pit stop on lap 25. Drivers were given 10 minutes to change anything on their cars, except [Read More]

Carter banks $5K in Drive For 5 finale for IMCA Modifieds at Lee County Speedway

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (Aug. 20) – Cayden Carter drove to the $5,000 IMCA Modified win at Lee County Speedway’s Friday night Drive For 5 finale. After two rounds of passing point heat races, Steve Picou and Chris Zogg earned the most points to start the 50-lap Hinkle Auto Sales Drive For 5 main event from the front row. Zogg took advantage of his starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap one over Picou and Carter. On lap three, Carter overtook Picou to move into the runner-up spot and then went to work on Zogg for the lead. Action was slowed on laps four and five for spinning cars and Zogg shot to the front on the ensuing restarts with Carter and Picou close behind. Carter made the move into the top spot on lap eight as fifth-place starter Austin Howes moved in to challenge Zogg for second. The side-by-side battle between Zogg and Howes allowed Carter to begin to pull away. The next thing to slow down Carter was the caution after lap 25 was [Read More]

$5K possible for 16 different IMCA Modified drivers Friday at Lee County

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa – The inaugural Hinkle Auto Sales Drive For 5 finale for IMCA Modifieds is set for this Friday, Aug. 20 at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. A $5,000 payday is up for grabs for 16 drivers but $2,000 is guaranteed to any other driver who isn’t qualified. In 2020, promoters Brian and Marcie Gaylord decided to try a Drive For 5 mini-series for IMCA Sunoco Late Models. With the success it generated, they decided to do the same mini-series for IMCA Modifieds for the 2021 season. How it worked was there were seven qualifying nights scheduled and a driver had to race in all but two of those events to be eligible for a $5,000 payout in the finale. Mother Nature claimed one of the qualifying nights, leaving only six race events being run. Which meant any driver who ran at least four of those nights is still eligible for a shot at $5,000. Sixteen drivers emerged from the group that has a chance at 5K on Friday and those drivers are Michael Long, Cayden Carter, Dennis [Read More]

Andy Eckrich captures final Drive For 5 IMCA Late Model qualifier at Lee County

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (Aug. 6) – Andy Eckrich won for the first time this season at Lee County Speedway Friday night, on the final night of Iowa Corn Growers Association Drive For 5 qualifying for IMCA Sunoco Late Models. Dave Eckrich and Chris Horn drew front row starts for the 25-lapper and Eckrich used the favorable position to grab the lead on lap one over Dustin Griffin and brother Andy, who started eighth. One lap later, Andy Eckrich overtook Griffin for the runner-up spot and went to work on his brother Dave for the lead. Andy looked under the leader coming off the corners for the next 10 laps but Dave was able to hold him off at the line each trip around the 3/8th’s mile oval. Then, coming off turn four to complete lap 13, Andy Eckrich was finally able to get under Dave Eckrich to grab the top spot. Dave tried to keep pace over the final half of the race but even with lapped traffic, Andy was able to hold off all challenges in the [Read More]

$250 Sunoco bonus for Late Model winners in Iowa this weekend

VINTON, Iowa – Extra money is on the line for the winner of a pair of main events for IMCA Sunoco Late Models this weekend. The next two installments of the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels bonus will be paid to the July 30 Late Model winner at Marshalltown Speedway and the July 31 Late Model winner at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. Sunoco bonuses will be presented at IMCA Late Model sanctioned tracks in 2021. Drivers are eligible for one bonus during the racing season. Winners so far this year have been Matt Ryan at 300 Raceway in Farley, followed by Sean Johnson at Independence Motor Speedway, Andy Eckrich at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Ron Klein at Dubuque Speedway, and most recently in Nebraska to Kyle Prauner at U.S. 30 Speedway in Columbus, Chase Osborne at Boone County Raceway in Albion, and to Brock Carlson at Off Road Speedway in Norfolk. IMCA will announce mid-week before the dates bonuses are to be awarded at each track.

Halstead, Howes, Mather become new winners at Lee County

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (July 23) – After having a week off for the fair and another week off thanks to mother nature, Lee County Speedway was able to get back to racing action on Friday. Conn Communications provided all fans going into the grandstands a chance to take in the night’s racing action for only $3, with many fans taking advantage of the discounted prices. At the end of the night the great crowd on hand got to witness three drivers earn their first win of the season at the track, while two others continued their winning ways. Up first on the night was the Mach-1 Sport Compact feature, with Justin Stevenson and Patrick McKasson leading the field to green. Fourth place starter Kaycee McGregor grabbed the lead over Stevenson and Luke Fraise. The race was slowed for the first and only time by a yellow on lap three. On the restart, McGregor jumped back out front, but now had Kimberly Abbott, who started eighth, and Brandon Reu, who started ninth, following her. Reu [Read More]

Next Drive For Five qualifier is Friday at Lee County

DONNELLSON, Iowa – IMCA Sunoco Late Models and IMCA Modifieds both race for $1,000 to win in their next Drive For Five qualifier this Friday at Lee County Speedway. The June 25 feature is a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier for the Modifieds. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts are also on the card. Pit gates open at 5:30 p.m. and hot laps are at 7 p.m. with racing to follow. Grandstand admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors 60 and over, $5 for students ages 11-17 and veterans, and free for kids 10 and under. Pit passes are $30, or $20 for kids ages 7-13, $10 for kids ages 4-6 and $5 for three and under. The Friday show at Donnellson will be broadcast by DoneRight.TV. The track website is www.leecountyspeedway.com.

$250 Sunoco bonuses on tap at two venues this weekend

VINTON, Iowa – Extra money is on the line for the winner of Friday’s main event for IMCA Sunoco Late Models at Lee County Speedway and Sunday’s Gary Webb tribute at East Moline Speedway. Sunoco bonuses will be presented at Late Model sanctioned tracks again this year. Drivers are eligible for one bonus during the 2021 racing season. Winners so far this year are Matt Ryan at 300 Raceway in Farley, followed by Sean Johnson at Independence Motor Speedway, Andy Eckrich at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, and Ron Klein at Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway. IMCA will announce mid-week before the dates bonuses are to be awarded at each track. Racing is set to get underway following 7 p.m. hot laps in Donnellson and 5:30 hot laps in East Moline.

Lee Co. Drive For 5 IMCA Late Model win pays Elston $1K

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (June 11) – Tommy Elston drove to his first local IMCA Sunoco Late Model feature win of the season Friday, in the latest installment of Lee County Speedway’s Drive For 5. Elston caught up with the back of the field late in the contest but neither Nick Marolf or Mark Burgtorf could deny him the $1,000 checkers. Elston and Jay Johnson drew front row starts for the 25-lapper and Elston took advantage of his spot up front to lead lap one over Nick Marolf, who had started sixth and then quickly used the high side of the track to get to second. When Marolf got beside Elston five laps into the event, the leader moved up top to take the line away. Elston then started to pull away from Marolf and Burgtorf, who were battling for the runner up spot. On lap 22 Elston caught the back of the field, which allowed Marolf and Burgtorf to close on his back bumper. With only a couple of laps to go, however, neither driver could [Read More]

Wyett breaks Becerra’s streak at Lee County

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (June 4) – Sean Wyett ended another driver’s winning streak and started one of his own Friday at Lee County Speedway. The 18-lap Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod feature had Quinton Shelton and Bob Cowman scheduled to lead the field to green, but when Shelton didn’t make the call Joe Roller moved up to the pole position. Wyett, who originally started fifth, shot out into the lead over Barry Taft and Joe Bliven. Wyett had started to pull away from the field, when a caution on lap six bunched the field back up. On the restart, Wyett jumped back out front with Austen Becerra, who started 11th, Taft and 12th starting Adam Birck glued to his back bumper. While Wyett worked the bottom of the track in turns one and two and the top in three and four, Becerra work the top in turns one and two and the bottom in turns three and four to challenge for the lead. Wyett was able to hold him off each lap, however, and when Becerra [Read More]