7/9/04
Lee County Speedway
Donnellson, IA
Sprint Invaders
30 cars
Heat one (started): 1. Manny Rockhold 50 (1) 2. Larry Ball Jr. 7x (2) / 3. Matt Rogerson 45 (6) 4. Nick Eastin 25 (4) / 5. Jayson Ditzworth 1 (3) 6. John Hall 7H (5) DNS - Jamie Needham 93, Scott Boles 4B
As in all Sprint Invaders shows, the top two finishers in the heat race earn spots in the Shake-up Dash, and the top four earn spots in the A. Rockhold led the distance in a mostly single-file affair over Ball, who was in his second night out in a new Eagle. Look for Ball to compete with this car in the 360 class at Knoxville after parting with Lenard McCarl.
Heat two (started): 1. Bobby Mincer 15 (3) 2. Bobby Hawks 5H (5) / 3. John Schulz 2 (2) 4. Ryan Jamison 51J (7) / 5. Josh Schneiderman 49 (1) 6. Dean Adams Jr. 3c (6) 7. Justin Parrish 4G (4) DNS - Matt Harms 53H
Mincer inherited a front row starting spot when Schneiderman spun on the initial try at a start. He led flag to flag, while the real race was for second and the final transfer spot. Hawks and Schulz battled for the eight lap distance, before Hawks grabbed the spot using the bottom part of the racy Lee County oval with two laps to go.
Heat three (started): 1. Dustin Whiting 97x (2) 2. Donnie Steward 16s (3) / 3. Matt Sutton 3 (7) 4. Brian Hetrick 35 (4) / 5. Justin Newberry 36 (5) 6. Bart Andrews 9x (6) 7. Jeff Mitrisin 10x (1)
Mitrisin was flying and in control when he twisted a torque tube, taking care of his driveline. He would return for the B. Whiting inherited the lead after the lap three incident. Sutton did well to move up four spots, but couldn't close on Steward.
Heat four (started): 1. Jesse Giannetto D1 (2) 2. Terry McCarl 1m (3) / 3. Stevie Walsh 20 (4) 4. Jarod Smith 77J (1) / 5. Brent Antill 10 (5) 6. Jimmy Davies 99 (7) 7. Jeff Nehring 9 (6)
Giannetto left the rest behind, while Walsh and McCarl dueled for the runner-up spot. McCarl gained in on the final circuit, performing a slide job in three and four. Walsh ran a steady race, but couldn't hold off the veteran.
Shake-up Dash (started): 1. Rockhold (1) 2. Ball (5) 3. Mincer (2) 4. Hawks (6) 5. McCarl (8) 6. Giannetto (4) 7. Whiting (3) 8. Steward (7)
Rockhold led the distance, but there was plenty of action in this one. Ball was on a mission and moved in a hurry in the five lapper. He grabbed second from Mincer in teh corner. McCarl moved around Giannetto on the last lap and came just yards from getting by Hawks for fourth. Rockhold drew a five, putting him inside row three for the feature.
B main (started): 1. Mitrisin (10) 2. Davies (8) 3. Adams (6) 4. Antill (4) / 5. Parrish (9) 6. Needham (12) 7. Newberry (3) 8. Ditzworth (1) 9. Schneiderman (2) 10. Andrews (7) 11. Harms (13) 12. Hall (5) 13. Nehring (11) DNS - Boles
While Ditzworth took the advantage on lap one, the predicted climb of Mitrisin was already in motion. After one lap was complete, Nehring contacted another car and got into the turn four wall bringing a caution. Ditzworth led Newberry, Schneiderman, a surging Mitrisin and Adams back to green. Only two more laps could be put in the books when Newberry performed a 360 spin bringing out another caution while running third. After Harms spun at another try at green, Ditzworth led Schneiderman, Mitrisin, Antill and Adams. This time Mitrisin used the tacky low side to pass the two leaders and take the point. Lap seven saw the last stoppage when Schneiderman, who had gotten up on the turn four wall and dropped to fifth, came to rest on the backstretch. Both he and Ditzworth, who was running third retired to the pit area at this time. Mitrisin now led Antill, Davies, who had really made a surge using his patented low line, Adams and Parrish. On lap eight of ten, Antill lost control and went into the pits. He was able to keep it going at the tail of the field and passed the three cars in front of him in the final lap and a half to gain the last transfer.
A main (started): 1. Giannetto (4) 2. McCarl (3) 3. Ball (6) 4. Rogerson (9) 5. Mincer (1) 6. Schulz (10) 7. Rockhold (5) 8. Hawks (2) 9. Whiting (7) 10. Jamison (14) 11. Davies (18) 12. Antill (20) 13. Steward (8) 14. Sutton (11) 15. Smith (16) 16. Walsh (12) 17. Mitrisin (17) 18. Hetrick (15) 19. Adams (19) 20. Eastin (13)
The point leader coming into the night, Mincer, shot out to an early lead. McCarl overtook Hawks and then zeroed in on Mincer, passing him on lap four. Ball pressured Giannetto, and both got by Mincer. Ball passed Giannetto for second, but Giannetto battled back around the halfway point of the 25 lapper. Mitrisin had surged into the top ten by that point as well. On lap 17, the first caution came out for Mincer who spun in turn four while running a strong fourth. He restarted at the tail and would surge back to fifth when the checkered flag fell. On the restart, McCarl had four lapped cars between himself and Giannetto, who was still ahead of Ball, Hawks, Rockhold, Schulz and Mitrisin. On lap 22, Eastin stopped in turn four with problems and went pitside. Adams and Hetrick also retired at this time, as well as Mitrisin who had suffered a flat. Now three laps remained and only one lapped machine separated McCarl from Giannetto. Ball was running third, followed by Rogerson and Schulz. While McCarl rode the rim on a track he has dominated, Giannetto set his sights on the low side and began to gain on the leader. Entering turn three on the final go-around McCarl appeared to enter low to block, but slid up to the cushion. Giannetto saw the door open and went for it, beating McCarl to the line by a car length to take the trophy home.