leecountyspeedway Archives

Becerra scores seventh win of season at Pepsi Lee County

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (Aug. 14) – Austen Becerra raced to Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod win number seven of the season at Pepsi Lee County Speedway Friday night. The evening’s finale saw Brandon Dale grab the early lead over Adam Birck and Becerra. The top three battled over the next three laps before Becerra emerged with the lead. Just as Becerra started to enter traffic on lap eight, the second caution of the race appeared. On the restart, Becerra jumped back out front with Dale, Birck, Brayton Carter, Sean Wyett, Dylan Van Wyk and Jim Gillenwater battling two and three-wide for positions behind him. Just when it looked like Becerra would pull away, the final caution slowed him on lap 15 as Carter and Van Wyk got together. Once again, Becerra grabbed the lead on the restart, with Birck and Dale close behind. Becerra held off a last-lap challenge from Birck to score his seventh win in 11 starts this season at the track. Michael Long was the IMCA Modified winner and John Oliver Jr. [Read More]

Strassheim, Boles earn first Lee County wins of season

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (Aug. 7) – Matt Strassheim and Mitch Boles both raced to their first feature wins of the season Friday at Pepsi Lee County Speedway. Strassheim and Ron Boyse made up the front row for the IMCA Sunoco Late Model main. Strassheim took advantage of his starting spot by jumping out into the lead over Mark Burgtorf and Boyse. Burgtorf overtook Boyse for the runner-up spot and went to work on Strassheim. Burgtorf followed in Strassheim’s tire tracks but wasn’t able to mount a challenge for the lead. Tommy Elston was third, Denny Woodworth was fourth with Boyse rounding out the top five. Boles and Levi Smith led the IMCA Modified field to green with Boles taking the initial lead. On lap four, Daniel Fellows moved into the runner-up spot, and one lap later Michael Long, who started ninth, took over third. [Read More]

Burgtorf becomes first Drive For 5 repeat winner

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (Aug. 1) – Mark Burgtorf became the first two-time Shottenkirk Parts Express Drive For 5 IMCA Sunoco Late Model winner on a rare Saturday night of racing at Pepsi Lee County Speedway. Nick Marolf and Andy Eckrich drew front row starts for the $1,000 to win main event and Marolf grabbing the early lead over Burgtorf and the youngster C.J Horn. Burgtorf tried to work under Marolf over the next three laps, but Marolf was able to hold him off at the line each lap. Coming off turn four to complete lap five, Burgtorf was able to get under Marolf and edge him at the line by inches to take over the top spot. Just after the lap was scored complete, the first and only caution of the race slowed action. On the restart, Burgtorf jumped back out front with Marolf and Horn close behind. Burgtorf started to put some distance between himself and the battles going on behind him when he entered the back of the field on lap 20. [Read More]

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

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 [Read More]

$250 Sunoco bonus moves to Pepsi Lee County Speedway this Friday night

VINTON, Iowa – The payday gets even better this week for the IMCA Sunoco Late Model feature winner at Pepsi Lee County Speedway. As part of a regular points night of racing, the IMCA Late Model winner pockets an extra $250 courtesy of Sunoco Race Fuels. Sunoco bonuses are being presented at IMCA Late Model sanctioned weekly tracks this year. Drivers are eligible for only one bonus during the 2020 racing season. If the feature winner is a previous Sunoco winner, the bonus moves to the next eligible position. 2020 winners have been Jeff Aikey at Independence Motor Speedway, Matt Ryan at 34 Raceway, Joel Callahan at Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway, Eric Pollard at 300 Raceway, Justin Kay at Davenport Speedway and Dalton Simonsen at Marshalltown Speedway. Last weekend Ben Sukup, Cory Dumpert and Jim Johnson claimed the bonus money with wins at US 30 Speedway, Boone County Raceway and Off Road Speedway respectively. IMCA will announce mid-week before the dates bonuses are to be awarded at each track.

Eckrich becomes third Drive For 5 feature winner

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (July 17) – The third installment of the Shottenkirk Parts Express Drive For 5 resulted in a third different $1,000 IMCA Sunoco Late Model feature winner Friday at Pepsi Lee County Speedway. Andy Eckrich saw his drive to the checkers slowed by just a single caution, topping the 25-lapper ahead of Denny Woodworth and Dustin Griffin. Eckrich and Woodworth drew front row starts, with Eckrich taking the early lead over Woodworth and Griffin. The team cars of Woodworth and Griffin tried to keep pace with Eckrich over the first half of the race but the leader steadily began to pull away from both. The only thing to slow Eckrich down was the only caution of the race, on lap 15. Eckrich jumped back out front following the restart, with Woodworth and Griffin glued to his back bumper. He went on to lead the final 10 laps to score his first win of the season at Donnellson. Second night Drive For 5 winner Nick Marolf was fourth while Mark Burgtorf, winner of the first Drive [Read More]

Marolf masters IMCA Late Model field at Drive For 5

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (June 26) – Round two of Pepsi Lee County Speedway’s Shottenkirk Parts Express Drive For 5 ended with Nick Marolf taking home $1,000. Marolf and Andy Nezworski drew the front row for the 25-lap IMCA Sunoco Late Model feature, and Marolf used the draw to his advantage by leading lap one over Dustin Griffin and Nezworski. While Marolf paced the field out front, Griffin and Nezworski battled side-by-side on numerous occasions for the runner-up spot. On lap 13, Nezworski got by Griffin for the spot and went to work on Marolf for the lead. Late lapped traffic, however, allowed Marolf to pull away for his first win of the season at Donnellson. Nezworski was second, Griffin was third, Tommy Elston was fourth with Sam Halstead coming home fifth. Round three of 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, will be July 17. Feature results – 1. Nick Marolf; 2. Andy Nezworski; 3. Dustin [Read More]

Burgtorf tops first Drive For 5 at Donnellson

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (June 12) – Round one of Pepsi Lee County Speedway’s Shottenkirk Parts Express IMCA Sunoco Late Model Drive For 5 went to a driver well acquainted with the fast way around the oval at Donnellson. Mark Burgtorf pocketed the $1,000 Friday night victory in the Lynn Richards no. 15R ride. Burgtorf and Matt Strassheim drew the front row for the 22-lap feature. While Burgtorf set a fast pace out front, Strassheim, Tommy Elston, Darin Duffy, Denny Woodworth and Dustin Griffin battled for position behind him. The first caution appeared on lap 11 following a multi-car tangle. Burgtorf moved back out front on the restart, with Elston, Duffy and Woodworth close behind. The final caution of the race came on lap 16. Again, Burgtorf rocketed back out front on the restart with Duffy overtaking Elston for the runner-up spot. Duffy tried to keep pace with the leader but Burgtorf was too strong and picked up his first win of the season. Duffy was second, Woodworth got by Elston on the final lap to get [Read More]

Long stays hot at Pepsi Lee County Speedway

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (June 5) – Michael Long was back in Pepsi Lee County Speedway’s victory lane after holding off Mark Burgtorf in the Friday night feature for IMCA Modifieds. Long and Jardin Fuller led the field to the green flag, Long jumping into the lead over Fuller and Mark Burgtorf. Burgtorf and Denny Eckrich both got by Fuller and went to work on chasing down Long. However, Long pulled away before the first caution appeared on lap 13. On the restart, Long stayed out front with Burgtorf and Eckrich taking chase. The action was slowed for the second and final time for a yellow on lap 17. Long then held off Burgtorf for the win. Austin Howes was third. Austen Becerra went three-wide for the lead, then outran Jim Gillenwater for the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod victory. Coming up Friday, June 12 will be the first of five Drive For 5 qualifying nights for the IMCA Sunoco Late Models. Sponsored locally by Shottenkirk Parts Express, the IMCA Late Models will be racing for a top [Read More]

Lee County Drive For 5 schedule adjusted

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that took all of April’s and most of May’s scheduled race events at Pepsi Lee County Speedway, promoters Brian and Marcie Gaylord have announced several schedule changes to the Drive For 5 program for IMCA Sunoco Late Models. There will still be five $1,000 to win feature qualifying nights to help set the stage for a potential $5,000 IMCA Sunoco Late Model Drive For 5 payday in mid September at the track. Four of the qualifying nights will take place on weekly Friday night events, on June 12, June 26, July 17 and Aug. 21, with one qualifying night on Saturday, Aug. 1. Drivers who compete in at least four of those events will be eligible to run for a top prize of $5,000 in the Saturday, Sept. 12 finale. Shottenkirk Parts Express, local sponsor of the division, is the title sponsor of Drive For 5 as well. Other sponsors include Ideal Ready Mix, J.J. Nichting Company Case IH, Floyd’s Waste Systems, Triple Seven Trucking, and Triple R Performance Engines. IMCA [Read More]