Becerra, Carter cash in on finale night

Results

By Brian Neal

DONNELLSON, Iowa (Aug. 19, 2022) – A lot of money was up for grabs at the Lee County Speedway Friday night, in the Drive For 5 finale for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Drive For 3 finale for Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods.

Cayden Carter and Andy Eckrich earned the most passing points in their heat races to lead the field to green in the B & B Propane IMCA Modified Photo Daddy 50-lap feature. Carter grabbed the lead over Austen Becerra and Eckrich.

Becerra followed in Carter’s tire tracks. The duo entered lapped traffic on lap 14, which Becerra used to take the top spot away from Carter on lap 15. Action was slowed for the first time on lap 17 for debris and Carter slid past Becerra after the restart to gain the lead back. Becerra then chase Carter to the halfway break.

When the 10 minute time limit horn sounded, it was time to go back to green. Carter jumped back out front, with Becerra and Eckrich following. Carter looked like he was going to pull away as he entered traffic on lap 36.

As he struggled to get by those lapped cars, it allowed Becerra to close in quickly. On lap 39, Becerra slid past Carter to take over the top spot. Becerra then pulled away to pick up his sixth win of the season at Lee County Speedway. This win for Becerra, already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible, was worth $5,000.

Carter settled for second and Eckrich was third. 

Austen Becerra celebrates from the roof of his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified after claiming a $5,000 victory in the Drive For 5 finale feature Friday at Lee County Speedway. (Photo by MF Photography)

Austin Schrage and Dakota Girard gained the most passing points in their heat races to earn the front for the 40-lap Discount Tire & Services Northern SportMod Drive For 3 feature. Girard paced the field out front through four early cautions while Adam Birck, Logan Anderson and Brayton Carter, who started 11th, stayed close to his back bumper.

Anderson and Girard exchanged sliders from laps eight to 12 for the top spot, before Anderson finally took command of the lead on lap 13. Heavy lapped traffic on lap 15 set up a great battle for the top spot until the caution on lap 19 slowed the action. This would also be the halfway break.

After the 10 minute time limit to change anything on their cars except tires, the field was set to go back to green flag racing. Anderson moved back out front with Girard and Birck getting by Carter for second and third, respectively.

Carter gained the runner-up spot back on lap 23, and then went to work on Anderson for the lead. The duo entered traffic on lap 30 and two laps later Carter was able to clear Anderson for the top spot. Anderson tried to challenge Carter over the next four laps, when Carter made a bold move coming out of turn four to clear two lap cars on lap 37.

This allowed him to drive away for his sixth win of the season at the track. The win was worth $3,500 as Kohlmorgan Hauling put up an extra $500 to the winner. Anderson was second and Tyler Heckart battled back from the rear after losing his fuel cap on the start to finish third.

Brayton Carter scored a $3,500 win in the Drive For 3 Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod finale feature Friday at Lee County Speedway. He is pictured with promoter Brian Gaylord. (Photo by MF Photography)

Dennis Woodworth was the IMCA Sunoco Late Model winner, Nathan Ballard’s $1,000 IMCA Sunoco Stock Car victory made him B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible and Brandon Reu was the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact winner by the width of his front bumper.

Related Articles

Results

Marolf, Eckrich claim Drive For 5 victories at Lee County

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (June 24, 2022) – Nick Marolf and Denny Eckrich were both $1,000 feature winners in round four of Drive For 5 Friday night at Lee County Speedway. Ray Raker and Darin Weisinger Jr. led the field to green in the 25-lap IMCA Sunoco Late Model main, with Weisinger sliding past Raker on lap two to take over the top spot. Coming off turn two to complete lap eight, Marolf went three-wide off the top of the track to emerge with the lead, with Chuck Hanna moving into the runner-up spot one lap later. Hanna’s run up front came to an end on lap 16, as he slowed and pulled into the pits with mechanical troubles.  This handed the second spot to Dalton Simonsen. Without a caution to bunch the field there was no catching Marolf on this night, as he went on to score the $1,000 victory. Tommy Elston came from 10th to finish third. Dennis LaVeine paced the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified field early on while the fifth starting Eckrich [Read More]

Feature

Kay just in time to take Drive For Five checkers

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (May 14) – Justin Kay was just in time to the checkers to win Friday’s second install­ment of Drive For Five for IMCA Sunoco Late Models at Lee County Speedway. Dennis Woodworth and Justin Kay drew the front row for the 25-lap feature, with Woodworth grabbing the early lead over Kay and Matt Ryan. The action was slowed for the first time of the race on lap three, as Sam Halstead spun to bring out the yellow.  On the restart, Kay slipped past Woodworth to take over the top spot.  While Kay set the pace out front, Woodworth, Ryan and Mark Burgtorf battled for the runner-up spot. An­thony Haines spun in on lap 15 to bring the action to a slow pace. Kay jumped back out front on the restart, with Tommy Elston, who started 11th, overtaking Ryan for second.  Three laps later, a brief rain shower slowed the action, and after a few laps to pack the racing surface back in the green was waved for the final six laps. Kay [Read More]

Late Model

Halstead drives to first IMCA Late Model win of 2023 at Lee County

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (June 9, 2023) – Round four of the Iowa Corn Growers Association’s Drive For 5 at Lee County Speedway saw Sam Halstead race to his first IMCA Sunoco Late Model feature win of the season. Halstead and Mark Burgtorf drew the front row for the 25-lapper. Halstead led Nick Marolf and Burgtorf early, working the bottom of the track while Marolf went to the top to try and grab the top spot away. Marolf slipped by for the lead on lap 11 but coming off turn four to complete lap 14, Halstead drove back under Marolf to get the top spot back. Despite lapped traffic over the final laps, Halstead held on for his first win of the season at Donnellson, which happened to be worth $1,000. Jay Johnson came from seventh to finish third, Dennis Woodworth was fourth with Burgtorf completing the top five. Joining Halstead with first Lee County Speedway wins of the season were David Brandies, just ahead of John Oliver Jr. at the finish of the IMCA Sunoco Stock [Read More]