DONNELLSON, Iowa (June 20) – There was no catching Steve Stewart Thursday night at Lee County Speedway.
Stewart became the fourth different winner in as many Karl Performance Hawkeye Dirt Tour presented by XSAN events this season, leading start to finish in the 30-lapper for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds.
The win, his career first on the circuit, paid $1,000 and put some extra cash in Stewart’s pocket before leaving the next day on a Las Vegas vacation. Thirty-two Modifieds were in the pits for the 2013 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier at Donnellson.
Series point leader Richie Gustin qualified for the main event by winning his B” feature and made his way up to second from the 13th starting spot. Hunter Marriott, Scott Dickey and Ronn Lauritzen completed the top five.
NASCAR visitor Ken Schrader also came out of the “B” races and finished sixth. The only caution of the Budweiser Open Wheel Night headliner came after the first lap had been scored.
Once the race restarted, Stewart set sail and with no more cautions to bunch the field back up, drove to the win by a comfortable margin.
Gustin ran out of laps in his bid to reel in the leader. Marriott and Dickey stayed in the top five while Lauritzen made his way up from 11th starting.
Schrader was a plus nine on the night. Canadian long tow Aaron Turnbull started last in the field of 24 and finished 14th.
Jason Cook was the $500 IMCA Sunoco Stock Car winner. Tony Dunker won the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod feature and Adam Gates was first to the Mach-1 Sport Compact checkers.
Next up for the Hawkeye Dirt Tour is the Tuesday, June 25 show at Buena Vista Raceway in Alta.
Feature results – 1. Steve Stewart, Burlington; 2. Richie Gustin, Gilman; 3. Hunter Marriott, Brookfield, Mo.; 4. Scott Dickey, Packwood; 5. Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 6. Ken Schrader, Concord, N.C.; 7. Brandon Banks, Washington; 8. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa; 9. Kyle Brown, Kellogg; 10. Tyler Cale, Donnellson; 11. Josh Foster, Newton; 12. Colt Mather, Webster; 13. Scott Hogan, Vinton; 14. Aaron Turnbull, Estevan, Sask.; 15. Mark Schulte, Delhi; 16. Bill Roberts, Burlington; 17. Jeff Waterman, Quincy, Ill.; 18. Mark Elliott, Webster City; 19. Zach Less, Hopkinton; 20. Levi Smith, Donnellson; 21. Mike Van Genderen, Newton; 22. Ryan Cook, Monroe, N.C.; 23. A.J. Fike, Galesburg, Ill.; 24. Dan Chapman, Clarence.
1st heat (top three) – 1. Brown; 2. Cale; 3. Banks; 4. Waterman; 5. Dennis LaVeine, West Burlington; 6. Gustin; 7. Foster; 8. Elliott.
2nd heat – 1. Van Genderen; 2. Fike; 3. Hogan; 4. Turnbull; 5. Schrader; 6. Chapman; 7. Lonnie Heap, Monmouth, Ill.; 8. Andy Krieger, Burlington.
3rd heat – 1. Lauritzen; 2. Marriott; 3. Roberts; 4. Carter; 5. Jeff Mueller, New London; 6. Smith; 7. Brandon Rothzen, Raritan, Ill.; 8. Mather.
4th heat – 1. Dickey; 2. Stewart; 3. Schulte; 4. Cook; 5. Brandon Ruffcorn, Donnellson; 6. Less; 7. Dugan Thye, Burlington; 8. Ryan Dolan, Lisbon.
1st “B” feature (top five) – 1. Gustin; 2. Schrader; 3. Waterman; 4. Foster 5. Elliott; 6. Chapman; 7. Turnbull; 8. LaVeine; 9. Heap; 10. Krieger.
2nd “B” feature – 1. Carter; 2. Mather; 3. Less; 4. Cook; 5. Smith; 6. Thye; 7. Mueller; 8. Ruffcorn; 9. Rothzen; 10. Dolan.
Provisionals – Chapman and Turnbull.