4/27/07
Lee County Speedway
Donnellson, IA
Sprint Invaders
27 cars
The sprinters were welcomed with a very rough, very heavy surface after heavy rainfall in the days prior. Despite the conditions all participants ended shiny side up for the night. Matt Sutton saw his left front fly over turn three in hot laps. He stayed upright. Rogerson burnt a motor in hot laps.
Heat one (started): 1. Jesse Giannetto 4B (2) 2. Kaley Gharst 3 (3) 3. John Hall 7H (8) 4. Jerrod Hull 12 (9) 5. Justin Newberry 36 (6) / 6. Brian Hetrick 35 (7) 7. Bart Andrews 9x (5) 8. Brian Stansberry 70 (1) 9. Rager Phillips 14P (4)
Phillips took the early and built a sizable margin before losing a driveline on lap six in the 10 lapper. Giannetto assumed the lead ahead of Gharst, Newberry, Hall and Hull. Giannetto was able to hold off Gharst at line to win. Hall did a nice job getting to the show position from an eighth starting spot.
Heat two (started): 1. Matt Sutton 3 (4) 2. Josh Schneiderman 49 (6) 3. Jimmy Davies 99 (1) 4. Korey Weyant 99w (3) 5. Larry Pinegar II 00 (7) / 6. Jordan Goldesberry 65 (8) 7. Mark Tascher 4m (5) 8. Jayson Ditsworth 1 (2) DNS – Matt Rogerson 29’
Ditsworth took the early lead, but the jinx of the leader struck him when he went up in smoke on lap five. Sutton inherited the point ahead of Davies, Weyant, Schneiderman and Pinegar. Schneiderman outbattled Weyant for third before a lap seven caution for Tascher, and then completed a nice run by grabbing second from Davies with two to go.
Heat three (started): 1. Ryan Jamison 51J (1) 2. Bobby Mincer 15 (2) 3. Lance Gullo 3G (4) 4. John Schulz 2 (5) 5. Matt Harms 53H (7) / 6. Travis Porter 31P (6) 7. Nick Guernsey 0 (8) 8. Seth Wilke 38 (3) DNS – Daniel Avery 18A
Harms spun before a lap could be completed and restarted at the rear. Jamison led the distance with cautions on lap one for a spun Wilke, and on lap five for a spun Guernsey. Gullo and Schulz battled throughout with Gullo gaining third with two to go.
Dash (started): 1. Jamison (2) 2. Gharst (3) 3. Schneiderman (4) 4. Giannetto (1) 5. Mincer (6) 6. Sutton (5)
Sutton slammed a rut in turn one on the very heavy surface, flattening his left rear. He retired. Jamison led all six laps. He drew a five, putting him inside row three for the feature.
B main (started): 1. Porter (2) 2. Hetrick (1) 3. Phillips (8) 4. Andrews (3) 5. Goldesberry (7) / 6. Stansberry (6) 7. Tascher (4) 8. Wilke (5) 9. Avery (9) DNS – Guernsey, Rogerson, Ditsworth
Porter led flag to flag in the 10 lapper. Phillips moved up nicely with patience on a touchy surface.
A main (started): 1. Gharst (6) 2. Sutton (4) 3. Mincer (3) 4. Jamison (5) 5. Schneiderman (1) … 18. Hull (10) 19. Giannetto (2) 20. Davies (8)
Giannetto led early, but was quickly under pressure from Sutton and Gharst. The trio battled until lap three when Gharst took the lead for good in the 25 lapper. Davies exited on lap four. Giannetto bowed out of second on lap five. Goldesberry spun on lap eight, bringing the first of two cautions in the event. At the time, Gharst led Sutton, Mincer, Schneiderman and Jamison. Hull had enough and pulled in pitside. Schulz would bring the final slowdown on lap 11 with a spin of his own. The top five remained the same for that restart. The last 14 laps went non-stop, with Gharst cruising without peer, and lapping up to fifth place. He made the car work high, low and in between, while others struggled with tight set-ups that seemed to find ruts routinely.