By Jake Croxton – jakecroxton@yahoo.com

Donnellson, Iowa (September 22, 2007) – Kaley Gharst’s 2007 Ideal Ready Mix Sprint Invaders ended just as it started five months ago. The 19-year old Decatur, Ill. driver found victory lane at the Lee County Speedway to earn his seventh victory of the season. The win broke Jerrod Hull’s single-season record of six wins, set in 2005.

“It was a little relieving,” said Gharst of winning his first championship in a Sprint Car. “We were close coming into tonight, with Matt [Sutton] coming off a win last weekend. We went out and drew a bad number and came through to second in our Heat Race. Then we drew a good number for the feature and got to start front row outside.”

Gharst was content to ride behind pole-starter Russ Hall in the early stages of the 25-lapper. Hall was able to lengthen his lead to a straightaway at times on the black-slick 3/8-mile.

A pair of cautions flew on lap 6 – the first for an innocent 360 by Dustin Selvage, and the second for a wild tangle in turn two involving Jarod Smith and Jeff Mitrisin. Only Selvage was able to restart.

The race went green for the next thirteen circuits as some of the deeper-starting cars began to work forward. Bobby Mincer, Nick Eastin, and Jordan Goldesberry were the show behind the lead duo as they battled for positions three through five.

On the eighteenth lap, Gharst dove underneath Hall as they raced with lapped traffic. It was all Gharst needed to slip into the top spot. Mincer was also able to sneak through.

“We followed the 29 car [Hall] for quite awhile there in the feature, and got by him in lapped traffic,” said Gharst. “ I started taking it easy, and then I saw [Potter] coming around me on the outside and he gave me a run for my money there. I had to get on the gas a little harder and risk blowing that right-rear, but luckily it held up. There wasn’t much left of it.”

Tire issues sidelined Rager Phillips on Lap 19, triggering the caution. On the ensuing restart, Eastin and Goldesberry got together, sending the 2007 Rookie of the Year spinning in turn two.

Three laps later, both Eastin and Matt Harms suffered flat right rear tires, necessitating the final yellow of the event.

Seemingly out of nowhere, O’Reilly WOW drop-in Rusty Potter was ready to steal Gharst’s thunder on the restart. The Boonville, Missouri, resident put his Potter Trucking / Roy Cary Livestock Machinery / Isle of Capri Casino / Ostrich / Maxim a lane above both Gharst and Mincer and nearly drove to the lead, but a big push in turn two ended his hopes.

“Earlier in the race, we were so darn tight, it was hard to keep it out of the wall,” said Potter of the run. “But on the restarts, it was good for a couple laps. The tires were cool enough, I was able to drive by those guys on the bottom. The last lap, I was either going to win or end up somewhere. It just didn’t stick.”

Mincer equaled his best finish of the season as he followed Gharst to the checkers.

“I was actually surprised after we moved into second that we were gaining on Kaley a little,” admitted Mincer, the 2004 SIA Driving Champion. “Catching him might have been one thing, but passing him was definitely going to be another. We started fifth and ran second, so it wasn’t a bad night – especially for how quick the track rubbered down.”

“I’d heard him [Potter] the lap before working it a little bit,” Mincer said of Potter’s late-race charge. “I didn’t know whether it was good, bad, or what, but I knew if I stayed where I was at, I would be alright. I wish we could’ve had a win this year, but ever since the first race after the Nationals, we brought this car out and we’ve been really good. It was a good way to end the year.”

Hall held on for second, while eleventh-starter Korey Weyant rounded out the top five. KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Matt Sutton’s championship bid ended up in sixth, while John Schulz, Joe Beaver, Josh Schneiderman, and Ryan Jamison completed the top ten.

Support class action saw healthy car counts. The Discount Tire Modifieds saw 38 entries, but it was a familiar face in victory lane. Rich Smith held off Wyatt Lantz in his JC Dubil Race Car Parts / Weikert Iron & Metal / Harris / Chevy. Lantz briefly took command in the first half of the 20-lapper, but Smith worked back by on lap 11 and drove away. Brandon Banks, Dennis LaVeine, and Mike Weikert, Jr. finished in the top five.

Dean Kratzer ended an entire summer of frustration in his Lawson Racing Engines / Truck Repair / Jean Kratzer Avon / Buick. The veteran had victory slip away on Aug. 29, but finally got the job done after holding off Brandon Symmonds. Jon Richardson, Rodger Dresden, and Jimmy Hayes ended the Donnellson Tire Hobby Stock 15-lapper in the top five.

The Budweiser Stock Car 15-lapper saw another familiar face in victory lane. 2007 Track Champion Jeff Mueller took the lead mid-race in his Total Connections Electric / Hawkeye Pizza / Quality Equipment / Buick. Mueller held off early leader Chris Webb and Ryan and Jason Cook to seal the deal. Jake Wenig finished fifth.

The next event for the Lee County Speedway will take place on Saturday, October 6. Modifieds, Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks, and Wild Things are on the card. Race time is 7 pm.

Results

Car Count – 30
Cautions – 5 – L6, 6, 19, 19, 22
Leaders – Russ Hall 1-18, Gharst 19-25
Laps Led – Hall 18, Gharst 7
Highest Finishing Rookie – Jordan Goldesberry (11th)

***Newberry flipped in the B-Main – he was uninjured

Contingency:
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger – Matt Sutton
(Started 15th, Finished 6th)
Rod End Supply – Joe Beaver
Rod End Supply – Tyler Thompson
Saldana Racing Product – Nick Eastin
Ultra Shield – John Schulz
Diversified Machine – Matt Harms
Hepfner Racing Products – Matt Sutton
The Brake Man – Jeff Mitrisin
M&W Aluminum Products – Bart Andrews
MPD – Jordan Goldesberry

Staats Awards Heat Race #1 (Top 4 advance) -- 1. 3P
Rusty Potter, Boonville, MO; 2. 53 Joe Beaver,
Knoxville; 3. 24 Jarod Smith, Altoona; 4. 48 Tyler
Thompson, Des Moines; 5. 53H Matt Harms, Chillicothe,
IL; 6. 9G Charlie Gilpin, Jr., Dallas City, IL; 7. 4M
Mark Tischer, Hannibal, MO; 8. 18A Dan Avery,
Burlington

Budweiser Heat Race #2 (Top 4 advance) -- 1. 14P Rager
Phillips, Pleasantville; 2. 3* Kaley Gharst, Decatur,
IL; 3. 22X Nick Eastin, Burlington; 4. 2 John Schulz,
W. Burlington; 5. 49 Josh Schneiderman, W. Burlington;
6. 10T Tim Moore, Moline, IL; 7. 70 Brian Stansberry,
Moulton; 8. 7A Johnny Anderson, Indianola

Storm Steel / Abrasive Jet Technologies Heat Race #3
(Top 4 advance) -- 1. 7 Dustin Selvage, Indianola; 2.
29X Russ Hall, Des Moines; 3. 99W Korey Weyant,
Springfield, IL; 4. 3 Matt Sutton, Macomb, IL; 5. 10
Jeff Mitrisin, Oskaloosa; 6. 3G Lance Gullo,
Springfield, IL; 7. 4B Scott Boles, New London

Ideal Ready Mix Heat Race #4 (Top 4 advance) – 1. 65
Jordan Goldesberry, Springfield, IL; 2. 15 Bobby
Mincer, Burlington; 3. 9X Bart Andrews, Muscatine; 4.
16S Donnie Steward; 5. 51J Ryan Jamison, Mediapolis;
6. 36 Justin Newberry, Burlington; 7. 99 Jimmy Davies,
Oquawka, IL

Storm Steel Shake-up Challenge ($1,000 to win) – 1.
Phillips; 2. Schulz; 3. Mincer; 4. Weyant; 5. Sutton;
6. Schneiderman; 7. Jamison; 8. Gharst

B-Main (Top 4 advance) – 1. Schneiderman; 2. Mitrisin;
3. Jamison; 4. Harms; 5. Gullo; 6. Boles; 7. Davies;
8. Tischer; 9. Gilpin, Jr.; 10. Avery; 11. Moore; 12.
Stansberry; 13. Newberry; 14. Anderson DNS

Mt. Hamill Lumber & Elevator / Donnellson Elevator /
Mt. Pleasant Lumber 25 -- 1. Gharst (2); 2. Mincer
(5); 3. Potter (6); 4. Hall (1); 5. Weyant (11); 6.
Sutton (15); 7. Schulz (14); 8. Beaver (8); 9.
Schneiderman (17); 10. Jamison (19); 11. Goldesberry
(3); 12. Andrews (12); 13. Selvage (7); 14. Steward
(16); 15. Thompson (13); 16. Eastin (10); 17. Harms
(20); 18. Phillips (4); 19. Smith (9); 20. Mitrisin
(18)

Hobby Stocks
A-Main 01 -- 1. Dean Kratzer, Montrose; 2. Brandon
Symmonds, Keokuk; 3. John Richardson, Morning Sun; 4.
Rodger
Dresden, Keokuk; 5. Jimmy Hayes, Moravia; 6. Jeff
Soper, Kahoka, Mo.; 7. Cody Henbes, Postville; 8.
Keith Reed, Fowler,
Ill.; 9. Rich Uppinghouse, Hannibal, Mo.; 10. Derek
Deltmann, Monona; 11. Jim Oliver, Jr., Beardstown,
Ill.; 12. Chad
Krogmeier, Burlington; 13. Derek St. Clair,
Donnellson; 14. Randy Reed, Quincy, Ill.; 15. Bob
Lynch, Ottumwa; 16. Tanner
Thomann, Middletown; 17. Russell Passmore, Burlington;
18. Rob Wilsey, Keokuk; 19. Rick Barlow, Jr., Keokuk;
20. Bobby
Six;; 21. Luke McLaughlin, Mediapolis; 22. Jake
Wenig, Burlington; 23. Jim Lynch, Donnellson; 24. Jon
Rooney,
Donnellson.
B-Main 01 -- 1. Cody Henbes, Postville; 2. Bob Lynch,
Ottumwa; 3. Derek Deltmann, Monona; 4. Randy Reed,
Quincy, Ill.;
5. Jason Billings, Keokuk; 6. Eric Rowley, Bulrington;
7. Josh McKasson, Wever; 8. Robert Kephart,
Donnellson; 9. Chuck
Fullenkamp, Fort Madison; 10. Cale Samberg,
Burlington; 11. Doug Fenton, Burlington; 12. Roger
Krieger, Bulington.
Heat 01 -- 1. Dean Kratzer, Montrose; 2. Jeff Soper,
Kahoka, Mo.; 3. Jim Oliver, Jr., Beardstown, Ill.; 4.
Rich
Uppinghouse, Hannibal, Mo.; 5. Russell Passmore,
Burlington; 6. Josh McKasson, Wever; 7. Chuck
Fullenkamp, Fort
Madison; 8. Cale Samberg, Burlington.
Heat 02 -- 1. John Richardson, Morning Sun; 2. Luke
McLaughlin, Mediapolis; 3. Derek St. Clair,
Donnellson; 4. Rob
Wilsey, Keokuk; 5. Jimmy Hayes, Moravia; 6. Robert
Kephart, Donnellson; 7. Derek Deltmann, Monona; 8.
Randy Reed,
Quincy, Ill..
Heat 03 -- 1. Brandon Symmonds, Keokuk; 2. Rodger
Dresden, Keokuk; 3. Jim Lynch, Donnellson; 4. Bobby
Six;; 5. Rick
Barlow, Jr., Keokuk; 6. Eric Rowley, Bulrington; 7.
Cody Henbes, Postville; 8. Roger Krieger, Bulington.
Heat 04 -- 1. Jake Wenig, Burlington; 2. Tanner
Thomann, Middletown; 3. Keith Reed, Fowler, Ill.; 4.
Chad Krogmeier,
Burlington; 5. Jon Rooney, Donnellson; 6. Bob Lynch,
Ottumwa; 7. Jason Billings, Keokuk; 8. Doug Fenton,
Burlington.
IMCA Modifieds
A-Main 01 -- 1. Rich Smith, Davenport; 2. Wyatt
Lantz, Bowen, Ill.; 3. Brandon Banks, Washington; 4.
Dennis LaVeine,
Burlington; 5. Mike Weikert Jr., Muscatine; 6. Kevin
Cale, Donnellson; 7. Dean McGee, Sr., Galesburg, Ill.;
8. Mitch Higdon,
Fort Madison; 9. Jason Snyder, Dunkerton; 10. Jim
Gillenwater, Keokuk; 11. Chris Larson, Keokuk; 12.
Josh Foster,
Montrose; 13. Bill Parks, Colchester, Ill.; 14.
Michael Bliven, Quincy, Ill.; 15. Rob Kirchner,
Donnellson; 16. Jason Riegel,
Memphis, Mo.; 17. Mike Schump, Iowa City; 18. Tyler
Cale, Donnellson; 19. Levi Smith, Donnellson; 20. Bill
Seyb,
Donnellson; 21. Dan Wenig, Burlington; 22. Jim Redman,
Mt. Pleasant; 23. Andy Krieger, West Burlington; 24.
Mike Dains,
Mechanicsville; 25. Bill Roberts, Burlington.
B-Main 01 -- 1. Rob Kirchner, Donnellson; 2. Michael
Bliven, Quincy, Ill.; 3. Levi Smith, Donnellson; 4.
Bill Seyb,
Donnellson; 5. Mike Schump, Iowa City; 6. Adam Carson,
Colchester, Ill.; 7. Derek Goble, Burlington; 8. Ryan
Gildan,
Quincy, Ill.; 9. Dave Cloke, Burlington; 10. Don
Wharton, Central Point; 11. Phillip Cossel, Montrose.
B-Main 02 -- 1. Dean McGee, Sr., Galesburg, Ill.; 2.
Andy Krieger, West Burlington; 3. Kevin Cale,
Donnellson; 4. Jim
Redman, Mt. Pleasant; 5. Dan Wenig, Burlington; 6.
Brad Carson, Colchester, Ill.; 7. Frankie Wellman,
Quincy, Ill.; 8. Kelly
Pestka, Marion; 9. Tom Pestka, Robins; 10. Charles
Baker, Labelle, Mo.; 11. Bob Jennings, Mt. Pleasant.
Heat 01 -- 1. Wyatt Lantz, Bowen, Ill.; 2. Josh
Foster, Montrose; 3. Mitch Higdon, Fort Madison; 4.
Bill Seyb, Donnellson;
5. Brad Carson, Colchester, Ill.; 6. Mike Schump, Iowa
City; 7. Frankie Wellman, Quincy, Ill.; 8. Don
Wharton, Central Point.
Heat 02 -- 1. Tyler Cale, Donnellson; 2. Dennis
LaVeine, Burlington; 3. Jim Gillenwater, Keokuk; 4.
Dean McGee, Sr.,
Galesburg, Ill.; 5. Rob Kirchner, Donnellson; 6.
Charles Baker, Labelle, Mo.; 7. Derek Goble,
Burlington; 8. Dan Wenig,
Burlington.
Heat 03 -- 1. Rich Smith, Davenport; 2. Bill Roberts,
Burlington; 3. Jason Snyder, Dunkerton; 4. Michael
Bliven, Quincy, Ill.;
5. Jim Redman, Mt. Pleasant; 6. Phillip Cossel,
Montrose; 7. Kevin Cale, Donnellson.
Heat 04 -- 1. Mike Weikert Jr., Muscatine; 2. Bill
Parks, Colchester, Ill.; 3. Mike Dains,
Mechanicsville; 4. Tom Pestka,
Robins; 5. Levi Smith, Donnellson; 6. Bob Jennings,
Mt. Pleasant; 7. Ryan Gildan, Quincy, Ill..
Heat 05 -- 1. Jason Riegel, Memphis, Mo.; 2. Brandon
Banks, Washington; 3. Chris Larson, Keokuk; 4. Dave
Cloke,
Burlington; 5. Andy Krieger, West Burlington; 6. Adam
Carson, Colchester, Ill.; 7. Kelly Pestka, Marion.
IMCA Stock Cars
A-Main 01 -- 1. Jeff Mueller, New London; 2. Chris
Webb, Biggsville, Ill.; 3. Ryan Cook, Mt. Pleasant; 4.
Jason Cook, Mt.
Pleasant; 5. Jake Wenig, Burlington; 6. Dave Hemsted,
Lone Tree; 7. Greg Johnson, Burlington; 8. Bert
McDaniel, Eldon; 9.
Kirk Kinsley, Wapello; 10. Patty Fosaaen, Waukon; 11.
Patrick Mincer, Columbus Junction; 12. Mark Holt,
Memphis, Mo.; 13.
Eric Flander, Barnes City; 14. Brandon Rothzen,
Media, Ill.; 15. Rod Staats, Columbus Junction; 16.
Doug Huls, Carthage,
Ill.; 17. Ray Raker, Danville; 18. Corey Strothman,
New London; 19. Dennis Harwood, West Point; 20. Abe
Huls, Carthage,
Ill.; 21. Chris Wibbell, Dallas City, Ill.; 22. Kale
Foster, Quincy, Ill.; 23. Nick Fenton, Mt. Pleasant;
24. Derek Obelle, Evasdale.
Heat 01 -- 1. Bert McDaniel, Eldon; 2. Jason Cook,
Mt. Pleasant; 3. Jake Wenig, Burlington; 4. Chris
Webb, Biggsville, Ill.; 5.
Eric Flander, Barnes City; 6. Mark Holt, Memphis,
Mo.; 7. Greg Johnson, Burlington; 8. Corey Strothman,
New London.
Heat 02 -- 1. Chris Wibbell, Dallas City, Ill.; 2.
Abe Huls, Carthage, Ill.; 3. Kirk Kinsley, Wapello; 4.
Jeff Mueller, New
London; 5. Nick Fenton, Mt. Pleasant; 6. Brandon
Rothzen, Media, Ill.; 7. Patty Fosaaen, Waukon; 8. Rod
Staats, Columbus
Junction.
Heat 03 -- 1. Ryan Cook, Mt. Pleasant; 2. Dave
Hemsted, Lone Tree; 3. Patrick Mincer, Columbus
Junction; 4. Kale Foster,
Quincy, Ill.; 5. Derek Obelle, Evasdale; 6. Ray Raker,
Danville; 7. Dennis Harwood, West Point; 8. Doug Huls,
Carthage, Ill..