First Time Winners Beat the Heat at Quincy

 Three of the five weekly classes at Quincy Raceways saw new winners in victory lane, while the other two had drivers there for the second time in 2016. Once again the program was moved back one hour to try and deal with what was still hot and humid conditions.
  The fans at Quincy have been a hearty and loyal bunch, but both car counts and fan count were down a bit this week. Of course, with the World of Outlaw late models and MOWA 410 sprint cars rolling in to town on Thursday, some folks may have decided to save their pennies for the big mid week show.
  Justin Reed paced UMP late model qualifying at 13.371 seconds, and Michael Long once again topped the UMP modifieds with a lap of 14.626 ticks of the clock.
  Following heat race action, the IMCA stock cars started off the feature action. After a pair of false starts, the front row was moved back one row, but Chester Peek headed for the pits. Brian Hoener then grabbed the lap one lead with Beau Taylor in hot pursuit ahead of Abe Huls. When lap two was scored, it was Huls out front, and the point leader hugged the low line with second running Hoener in the middle groove and Taylor also on the bottom. The sixth time around, Hoener bobbled and fell to third, but two laps later things changed in a big way. Huls hooked the inside tire between turns three and four,getting sideways and rolling his # 30C two times, ending his night. Taylor assumed the lead on the restart, but Hoener muscled to the front on lap eleven, holding on for his first ever IMCA stock car win. Taylor held on for second ahead of Jake Powers, Rodolfo Zaragoza, and Michael Larsen.
  The UMP late models were moved to second on the card. Heat winner Dustin Griffin had pulled a zero draw, giving us a straight up start. Griffin jumped to the early lead, followed closely by Reed, Denny Woodworth, Mark Burgtorf, and Jason Perry. As Terry Wilson retired early, Perry and Burgto9rf swapped positions back and forth, and Woodworth pushed Reed for second. With everyone running a low line, Griffin began lapping slower cars by lap 13. Reed was able to get a lapped car between himself and Woodworth, but by lap 21, the late model lawyer was again glued to Reeds back bumper. As the 25 laps went caution free, Griffin cruised to his first win of 2016. Reed stretched his points lead with a runner up finish ahead of Woodworth, Burgtorf, Perry, and Cliff Powell.
  The IMCA sport compacts ran next. Allyssa Steele held the pole after winning her first ever heat race earlier in the evening, and she tucked into second in the 15 lap finale behind Craig Bangert. Defending champion Kimberly Abbott advanced to9 fourth on lap two, but Bangert opened a nice lead as Steele and Darin Weisinger Jr. dueled for second. Weisinger took the spot on lap four, and Bangert continued to stretch his lead as Abbott entered the top three on lap six. On the ninth circuit, Kimberly was shadowing Weisinger, and she used a high side pass to grab second three lap later. With no cautions, Bangert stayed in control for all 15 laps to score win number two. Abbott, Weisinger, and Steele followed in that order.
  Michael Long had captured the first UMP mod heat, and pulled a second row start for the 25 lap feature. That put Darin Weisinger and visiting Kelly Kovski in row one ahead of Dave Weitholder and Long. Kovski, in only his second ever visit to QR, took the early lead with Weitholder in tow. The caution waved on lap two for a spinning Kevin Tomlinson, and on the restart, Long moved to second using the middle line. The second a nd final yellow came out for a spinning Ronnie Yelton on lap five. Back to action, Kovski, from Springfield,Il., hugged the inside line along with third running Weitholder while Long tried a higher line. Michael changed his angle of pursuit several times, and the leaders hit slower traffic about lap 14. Long got close on the 19th lap, but Kovski, a former late model pilot, held his line, and picked up his first ever checkers at Quincy, becoming only the second driver to beat Long in 2016. Weitholder took third, with Weisinger and another visitor, Kenny Shaw from Brighton,Il. completing the top five.
  The IMCA sport compacts would round out the card. Nathan Anders was set to start on the pole, but elected to tag the tail of the 18 lapper. One false start for a spinout and we were under way. Mike Goodwin paced the opening lap ahead of Austen Becerra, Tanner Klingele, and Joey Gower. On lap four, Becerra mounted a challenge for the lead, taking over one lap later, taking Gower along in second. Following a lap six caution, Goodwin was shuffled back, and Justin Ebbing powered to third and point leader Nathan Bringer entered the top five. With lightning flashing in the east, Bringer took fourth at the half way mark. On the 15th circuit, a lapped car spun in front of second and third running Gower and Ebbing. Both cars were headed to the tail, and Gower had to visit the hot pit with a flat tire. Becerra led the restart, now trailed by Bringer, Klingele, and Brandon Lennox. Lennox was behind the wheel of the Wesley Mayfield # 21M after blowing an engine the night before at Moberly,Mo., aqnd he fell off the pace on the restart, rolling to a stop on the backstretch. One more restart saw Klingele and Bringer hook bumpers in turns one and two setting up a green, white, checkers finish. Becerra was unfazed, picking up his second win of 2016. Goodwin recovered for second, Ebbing charged back to third, and Spencer Coats stayed out of trouble to record a solid fourth.
  With the big special on Thursday, QR will be idle next Sunday. Even with some reserved seats presold, there will be plenty of good spots on Thursday, and Quincy fans will get one more chance to see Billy Moyer in action in what is supposed to be his final season. Hoping the weatherman cooperates for this big show!