Following a cancellation due to rain overnight and early Friday morning, the annual Harvest Hustle at Lee County Speedway was condensed to a one-night event on Saturday. Saturday brought no weather issues, with unseasonably warm temperatures and a strong breeze welcoming us in the late afternoon. A total of 104 racing teams registered to compete in six classes on the fast 3/8-mile D-shaped oval. Fifteen heat races ran smoothly, with only the hybrid Sport Mod/B Mod division requiring a B Main to narrow down their thirty competitors to twenty-four for the feature race. After a brief intermission and the distribution of Junior Fan Club prizes, a small group of seven hobby stocks lined up for a 15-lap race. Dustin Griffiths, starting from the outside of row two, took the lead right from the start and maintained it for all 15 caution-free laps, extending his unbeaten streak at the speedway in 2024. Shane Richardson gained second place from James Pilkington on lap three but couldn’t catch Griffiths, who finished with a half-lap lead. Harley Hill, returning from a long break, finished fourth after a thrilling battle within the top five alongside Aaron Martin. The limited mod main event was also 15 laps long. Cody Agee and Logan Anderson led the pack to the green flag, with Agee maintaining the lead until a caution on lap three. After a Delaware Style restart, Dylan VanWyk surged from fourth to second position, with another yellow flag coming out just a lap later.
Once racing resumed, the leaders went three wide, with Van Wyk taking the lead. Agee hit a tricky cushion in turn four, allowing Anderson and Parker Smith from Mexico, Missouri, to pass him. The race continued without further interruptions, and VanWyk built a healthy lead. He encountered lapped traffic with just two laps to go but navigated it effectively to secure the victory. Anderson, Smith, Brandon Lennox, and Agee rounded out the top five. Sixteen stock cars took to the track for a 20-lap race. Derrick Agee initially shot ahead of Todd Reitzler as the green flag waved, but a caution prompted a restart. On the original restart, Reitzler capitalized from the outside pole position. He raced along the top of the track and established a lead until he, too, went over the cushion in turn four, giving Agee the chance to close the gap.
As the race reached its halfway point, Johnny Spaw began to close in on the top two drivers. The caution flag was displayed twice more, firstly with six laps remaining and then again with four. On the final restart, Reitzler seemed to pick up speed, ultimately securing a flag-to-flag victory. Agee and Spaw were followed closely by a competitive battle between Abe Huls and Jason See, who rounded out the top five positions. In the 4-cylinder compact division, rules were relaxed, allowing 18 cars to register. Jaden Delonjay, starting from outside row one, and fourth-place starter Travis Demint led the opening lap before a red flag was thrown due to an accident on the front stretch. Harrison Horn hit the guardrail and flipped his No. 58 car but was unharmed, allowing the race to resume shortly after. Delonjay opened a lead while the next five cars fought side by side behind him. A final stoppage occurred on lap five when Joey Laws and Kimberly Abbott collided, taking both cars out of the race.
Brandon Reu joined the leaders in third as racing resumed, now pursuing Jeffery Delonjay in second. While Jaden Delonjay extended his lead, Jeffery darted to the infield on lap ten of the fifteen-lap race. Jaden ultimately cruised to victory, while Reu and Demint battled closely for second place. Cincinnati visitors Jack and Joe Pflum finished just behind fifth-place Barry Taft at the checkered flag. A strong field of 18 late models lined up for a 25-lap race. Dustin Smith, driving the Leroy Brenner No. 53, and Freeport, Illinois, driver Mike Fryer led the group. Smith took the lead on the first lap, staying ahead of track regular Darin Weisinger Jr. However, fifth-starting Evan Miller began his charge from lap two. By lap five, Miller moved to the front out of turn four, and one lap later, Austen Becerra claimed third while Jackson Frankel pushed his new car into fourth. The three gained a significant lead over the rest of the field, with Becerra overtaking Smith for second on lap 11. Miller ran the inside line while Becerra utilized the cushion. The first caution occurred midway through the race when Weisinger Jr.’s No. 11 car began to smoke. Back under green, the top three again pulled ahead, with Becerra relentlessly pursuing Miller lap after lap. With five laps to go, Becerra attempted a slide job exiting turn two, making contact with Miller’s left rear tire, but both managed to stay in control. A final yellow flag was waved the following lap. When green flag racing resumed, Becerra surged ahead to win, while Miller secured the runner-up position in front of Frankel.
Sport mod standout Logan Anderson made his debut in the late model category, driving the Travis Denning No. 56D. He delivered a remarkable performance, racing from row six to finish fourth. Denny Woodworth moved up four positions to round out the top five. C.J. Horn made a significant jump, gaining seven spots to secure sixth place, finishing ahead of Tommy Elston, Jeffery Delonjay, Gary Webb, and first-time visitor Fryer. The modifieds capped off the evening with a robust field of 15 cars racing for 20 laps. Becerra drew the outside pole position, and as the saying goes, “that was game over.” He quickly established a substantial lead over pole sitter Dakota Simmons and former track promoter Mike Van Genderen before the first caution came out with three laps completed. When the green flag re-emerged, Becerra surged ahead while seventh-starting Kurt Kile climbed to second place. By the halfway mark, Becerra had to navigate slower traffic but maintained a full straightaway lead. He increased his advantage to a half-lap before the caution was issued again as Van Genderen hit the turn one guardrail, flattening a tire during a close fight with Robbie Reed for third. This caution replaced the white flag, setting up a green, white, checkered finish. Becerra faced no challenges and secured his second win of the night. In the final laps, Reed overtook Kile for second, while Simmons outran Jesse Belez for fourth. The final checkered flag waved shortly after 10:00 PM, wrapping up a well-organized show. Attention now turns to the last event of the 2024 season, the eagerly awaited Shiverfest on Saturday, October 26. This legendary program, attracting cars from various states, will feature trick-or-treating and hay rack rides for kids.
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