Racin' Down the Road

After two weeks off due to wet conditions, Quincy Raceways was able to get back to racing on Sunday night, May 9. 74 cars in four classes signed in, including a healthy count of 21 IMCA late models. Dustin Griffin, who also competes in a crate late model made his IMCA season debut, as did Dustin Neese. Modified veteran Tony Dunker has added a late model to his stable, and he was busy moving from car to car. 14 time track champion Mark Burgtorf has indicated that he will not be a regular in 2010, but Mark was on hand for the first points night, which was a draw, redraw show. The driver of the 7B pulled the lowest pill to start on the poll of the first heat. While Joey Gower captured the 10 lapper from the outside poll, Marks runner up finish was good enough to land him on the front row of the dash, which he led from flag to flag. Burgtorf then drew the number two starting spot for the 30 lap feature, and given the slick track condition, which made the top side the place to be, it looked like a runaway in the making. Pole sitter Jason Perry had other plans, however, and he slid up the track coming out of turn two, grabbing the lead and leaving Burgtorf in fourth. It proved to be a temporary set back for Mark, who drove past Nick Ingalls, then outdueled Matt Bailey for second on a Delaware style restart. As the leaders approached lapped traffic on about lap 18, Burgtorf slid under Perry to take the top spot. Bailey also got around Perry until the final lap, when Jason took back the second spot. Robbie Warner came from ninth to grab fourth, with Griffin completing the top five. Jason Frankel badly damaged his # 0F ride at the last Summer Series race, so his car owner, Genenbacher Racing, rolled out a used GRT to get Jason back on track. Not knowing what he had, Jason started 18th on the grid, and charged to a seventh place finish. Justin Jennings, the youngster who is racing the asphalt at Hawkeye Downs on Fridays, and the dirt at Quincy on Sundays, was running mid pack in only his second dirt race before he jumped the cushion in turn one. Justin may give the Lee County Speedway a try on any Friday that the Cedar Rapids track does not race.
25 UMP modifieds signed in, including 11 year old Jake Griffin. Jake is cutting his dirt track teeth with a crate late model, even as he plans to compete regularly at QR in the modified class. While still working to get to the front, he stays remarkably smooth and straight, and it will be fascinating to watch his development. In a rare miscue, Michael Long smacked the front stretch wall coming to the checkers in his heat race while running third. There was more damage to the rear end of the # 18L, and the car was loaded before feature time, leaving a wide open 25 lap finale. Jared Schlipman, son of late model veteran Terry,grabbed the early lead, only to lose it on lap two. The first of many caution flags gave the point back to Jared, and he ran mistake free until the time limit ended the event with just a handful of laps remaining. Veterans Steve Grotz and Dave Weitholder waged a great battle for the runner up spot, until Grotz brought out the race ending caution when he dropped a drive shaft, sending him from second to a disappointing 12th. Shawn Deering captured third, Wyatt Lantz followed a Saturday win at Macomb, Il by taking fourth, and Grotz son Troy rolled home in fifth.
An even dozen IMCA stock cars signed in, and it was an unusually wild night for what is normally a smooth running class. Lots of bumping and banging brought out several caution flags, and the race ended with Iowa hot shoes Jeff Mueller and John Oliver Jr. already pitside. Andrew Griffin took the checkered flag first, then the announcement came that he and fourth place Steve Steinkuhler had failed the post race inspection. Not entirely confident in the rule book, a call to IMCA on Monday morning reversed the DQ and reminded me why I usually wait to put results in print. The final decision gave Griffin the win ahead of Terry Houston, Abe Huls, Steinkuhler, and Jerry Jansen.
Travis Booher was not so fortunate following the 16 car hobby stock finale, as he was disqualified out of a second place finish after a post race protest was lodged. Ironically, it was young Tanner Klingele, and veteran Jim Powell, both victims of the DQ at the last race night, who captured the top two spots. Mike Wiley, defending track champion Steve Carlin, and Jake Powers rounded out the top five.
Quincy Raceways will be back in action next Sunday with an advertised starting time of hot laps at 5:00 with racing at 5:30. See you there, or somewhere down the road.