Griffin gets IMCA Late Model Feature win, Sunoco bonus at Lee County

Results

Quincy, Ill., driver Dustin Griffin returned to the track to win the IMCA Sunoco Late Model main event Friday at Pepsi Lee County Speedway, earning the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels bonus for his efforts. (IMCA Photo)

By Brian Neal

DONNELLSON, Iowa (July 24) – Dustin Griffin took the checkers and $250 Sunoco Race Fuels bonus in the Friday feature for IMCA Sunoco Late Models at Pepsi Lee County Speedway.

Griffin and Matt Strassheim made up the front row for the 20-lap event. Griffin took advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap one over Nick Marolf and Mark Burgtorf. 

Marolf tried to keep pace with Griffin over the entire race but without a caution there was no catching the leader, as he pulled away to claim his first win of the season at the track. 

It was also Griffin’s first win in three years, as he has been temporarily retired from the sport. The win was worth $850 thanks to the Sunoco Racing Fuel bonus. 

Marolf settled for second, Burgtorf was third, Tommy Elston was fourth, with Denny Woodworth rounding out the top five. 

Other winners were Michael Long in the IMCA Modifieds, John Oliver Jr. in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Austen Becerra in the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Jason Ashn in the Mach-1 Sport Compacts. 

Pepsi Lee County Speedway will be off Friday and back in action Saturday, Aug. 1 with the fourth qualifying night for the Shottenkirk Parts Express Drive For 5, presented by Ideal Ready Mix, Floyd’s Waste Systems, J.J. Nichting Company Case IH, Woodworth Attorney at Law, Triple Seven Trucking, Triple R Performance Engines, KQ92, and Big Country 103.1, for the IMCA Sunoco Late Models. Also on the card will be sanctioned Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods and Sport Compacts.

All divisions will be draw/redraw, with IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and KMJ Performance State points but no track points awarded.

Gates open at 4:30 p.m. with hot laps at 6 p.m. and racing to follow.

Related Articles

Results

Mother Nature wins at Lee County Speedway

By Brian Neal  DONNELLSON, Iowa – For the first time in 2019, Mother Nature has taken the checkered flag at the Pepsi Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. Heavy rains all week long has given the track crew no chance of getting on the race track to get it ready for Friday, May 3. Therefore, Brian and Marcie Gaylord have been forced to cancel the action, which was suppose to be presented by Buford Dozing and Excavating.  Friday night’s action was scheduled to kick off the 2019 point season for the I-Smile Silver IMCA Late Models. But now that will have to wait until next Friday, May 10, as Darkside Tint & Graphix, Driftwood 13, and Buford Dozing and Excavating help to bring the action.  Also on the card for Friday, May 10th will be the Budweiser IMCA Modifieds, Donnellson Tire & Service IMCA Stock Cars, Roberts Tire Center IMCA Northern SportMods and Discount Tire & Service IMCA Sport Compacts, all racing for track points.  Racing starts at 7:30 p.m. 

Feature

Callahan, Carter collect Drive For Five qualifier wins at Lee County

By Brian Neal  DONNELLSON, Iowa (April 30) – Joel Callahan and Cayden Carter took home $1,000 checks from Lee County Speedway’s first Drive For Five qualifier of the season Friday night.  Callahan and Ben Seemann drew front row starts for the IMCA Sunoco Late Model 25-lapper and it was Callahan jumping into the lead on lap one over Seemann and Matt Strassheim. While Seemann tried to stay in Callahan’s tire tracks, the rest of the field was racing all over for positions behind them. Callahan’s fast pace put him into lapped traffic on lap 14 and this allowed Seemann to close in.  Callahan was able to maneuver the lapped traffic without any problems however and pulled away over the later part of the caution-free race to score the top prize. Seemann finished second, Logan Duffy was third and Tommy Elston was fourth, with Strassheim fifth. Already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, Carter and Jeff Waterman drew the front row for the IMCA Modified main with Carter leading Ethan Braaksma and Waterman early on.  A [Read More]

Late Model

Oenning drives to first IMCA Late Model win at Donnellson

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (June 2, 2023) – A busy night of IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing took place at the Lee County Speedway on Friday with Darkside Tint & Graphix helping to bring all the action. When the final checkered flag waved at 10:10 p.m., one driver had claimed his first career win, two drivers earned their first of the season at Donnellson and two more were repeat winners. The 25-lap IMCA Sunoco Late Model feature saw Ed Hollenbeck and Blaire Barton lead the field to green. Hollenback led on lap one over Ray Raker and Sam Halstead. As Hollenbeck worked the bottom, Raker went to the top to try and get by. On lap eight, Raker used the momentum off the top of turn four to grab the top spot away from Hollenbeck. Action was slowed on lap 15 when CJ Horn spun to bring out the yellow. On the restart, Raker jumped back out front, with Jason Oenning and Jeremy Pundt close behind. Just after the lap was scored complete, Frank Mason [Read More]