Reed Goes Topless, Tops Quincy

Sunday night at Quincy Raceways was the culmination of a three night swing of " topless" racing for UMP late models and modifieds. Friday night, Tri City Speedway in Granite City,Il, and Saturday night I-55 Raceway in Pevely,Mo. hosted the first two nights. Sunday night, Quincy Raceways offered a $100.00 bonus to the feature winners in those divisions if they ran with the roof removed from their ride.
 The night began a bit late, as track crews tried to pump plenty of water on the track on a scorching hot day, and it took all the cars and some extra time to get the track in racing shape. When action began, Michael Kloos of Trenton,Il set quick time for the late models at 13.760 seconds. It was the first laps ever turned at the Bullring by Kloos, who is quickly climbing the in the UMP national points race. It was more of the same in UMP modified time trials, with Michael Long toping the 15 entrants with a lap of 15.161 seconds. Kloos also picked up the heat one win, but rolled a " six " for the feature invert. Long picked up his heat win, and rolled a " three."
 The first feature of the night was the IMCA sport mod 18 lapper, with 18 cars taking the green flag. Wes Mayfield led lap one, with the first yellow waving as the lap was completed. Another caution waved on the restart, but when racing resumed, point leader Tanner Klingele grabbed the lead, with Tony Dunker following him in second. The final yellow came on lap four, and back to racing, Klingele and Dunker crossed the line side by side completing lap six, with Dunker to the lead on lap seven. 12 circuits in, Joey Gower, who got shuffled back on the start, passed Patrick Phillips to grab third. Two laps later, Gower cleared Klingele for second, and began closing on Dunker as Phillips advanced to third. As the white flag waved, the leaders encountered a slower car, and Gower found the quicker way around, snatching the win from Dunker in much the same fashion as Dunker did to Klingele the week before, leading only one lap. Dunker, Phillips, and Klingele completed the top four.
 The IMCA stock car 18 lap finale saw 11 cars come to the track, as heat winner Troy Brierton could not get his Dodge to fire in staging. Last weeks winner Brandon Savage, and John Oliver Jr in the Kratzer Brothers # 4K sat on row one. Savage paced the opening circuit, with Oliver leading lap two. Those two raced side by side for the lead, while Jake Powers and Abe Huls did the same behind them, dueling for third. Savage took command on lap seven, and lap eight saw a breakaway with Savage, Oliver, and Huls before the caution waved. On the restart, Oliver led lap nine, with Savage back on top one lap later. The final caution came on lap 11, and following this restart, it was Savage and Huls side by side for the lead. The two ran this way lap after lap, with Huls taking his first lead on lap 16. As the white flag flew, it was Savage on top, and everyone was on their feet as Savage made it two in a row by a fender at the checkers. Oliver also edged Powers for third by the slimmest of margins in front of the sizable crowd.
  18 UMP late models checked in, but last weeks winner Jason Perry saw his night end in hot laps with a puff of smoke from his # 27. Jim Moon still did not have repairs complete on his # 1 machine, so he came to town with his # 124 car normally driven by John Hahler. Moon dropped some fluid in his heat, and did not start the 25 lap feature. The six car invert had point leader Mark Burgtorf and Dustin Griffin, two of the ten or so topless late models, on the front row. A caution debris on lap one slowed the action, but back to racing it was Burgtorf to the lead, taking third starting Jamie Wilson along in second. The caution waved on lap three, and on the restart heat two winner Justin Reed moved to second. The yellow came out on lap six as third running Jamie Wilson went over the top off turn two. Back under green, Green charged to second, then took the lead, with Burgtorf heading pitside with mechanical issues. On lap seven, Kloos worked his way to the runnerup spot, and a three car tussle developed with Griffin, Kloos and Reed. By the half way mark, Brian Dively was hooked up and closing on the top three. Reed moved to second on lap 16, and used a nifty slide job to take the lead one lap later, with Griffin and Kloos making contact, but holding their positions. Kloos and Griffin raced side by side for second with Dively looking for racing room when the caution came out for a slowing Mark Voigt on lap 21. Dively took third on the restart as the three challengers continued to mix it up behind Reed. at the checkers, it was Reed, Kloos, Griffin, and Dively, with Chuck Mitchell having a strong run in fifth. Alan Westling ran a season best sixth, followed by Denny Woodworth, Keith Pratt, Vance Wilson, and Trace Westling.
  Rickey Frankel and Dave Weitholder sat on row one of what quickly developed into an ugly UMP modified feature. Weitholder took the early lead, with third starting Long chasing. Weitholder held the preferred high line, as Long used the whole track to try and find a way around the leader. Following the first yellow on lap six, Long took the top spot. For the next 18 laps, it was a yellow fest, with a total of nine stoppages marring the action. The final seven or so laps clicked off caution free, with Long picking up another win and regaining the points lead. Rickey Frankel ran in the top five throughout, eventually staging a mild challenge for the lead, bringing the Mike Begley # B4 home in second. Steven Delonjay started seventh and finished third, with Weitholder fourth.
 The IMCA sport compact class boasted 11 cars, but their feature was stopped short after a red flag period early on. A collision found one of the competitors shaken up and it took some time to get him from his ride, and as it was now about 10:00, it was decided there would be double features next week.
  Next Sunday, August 23, the late models will take the night off to make way for the Sprint Invaders. Then on Sunday, August 30, the make up feature from the rain shortened UMP Summernationals $5,000 to win late model show will be held along with a full program of action. Prior to that Sunday night, there will be $5,000 to win late model specials at Macon,Il Speedway, Granite City and Pevely, so indications are that many of the Summernational competitors will be in the area for the full weekend of racing.
 Wherever you are, support your local tracks, and say " Hi" if you see me there!