Schlenk On Top at Quincy

 Quincy Raceways enjoyed a near perfect night weather wise on Sunday, the next to final night of weekly racing. A solid field of 65 race teams signed in, led by 21 UMP modifieds and 15 UMP late models, with both classes seeing some out of town drivers in search of national points. Noticeably absent was modified national point leader Michael Long, who suffered extensive damage to his # 18L on Saturday night in Peoria,Il.
 Modified qualifying was paced by Kevin Blackburn with a lap of 15.235 seconds, while Rickey Frankel topped the late models at 14.365 ticks of the clock.
  Following heat race action, the first feature was for the ten IMCA stock cars. Rudy Zaragoza jumped out to a big lead before a lap eight caution. On the restart, point leader Abe Huls grabbed the lead ahead of a lap nine yellow for heat one winner and fourth running Jerry Jansen. On the restart, Huls was deemed to have tried to decoy the field with a " jack rabbit " start, and he was penalized one position, putting Zaragoza back out front. Back to racing, Michael Larsen used the high line to move to third. Five laps from the end of the 18 lapper, Zaragoza pushed just a bit up from his low line, and Huls was able to regain the lead. It was now a four car battle, with Abe and Brian Hoener running the bottom, Zaragoza and Larsen up top. Rudy switched lines, looking to find a way by Huls, but to no avail. At the checkers, it was Huls, Zaragoza, Larsen, and Hoener.
  The late model 25 lapper was up next. The four car invert put point leader Denny Woodworth and Justin Reed on row one, with heat winners Rusty Schlenk and Frankel in row two. Reed jumped to the lead, followed by Woodworth, Frankel, Schlenk, and Mark Burgtorf. On lap eleven, Schlenk cleared Frankel for third, now Reed and Schlenk ran the high line, with Woodworth hugging the bottom groove. Denny then found his way to the lead in traffic on lap 19, and the first yellow waved one lap later for Jamie Wilson. By now, McKay Wenger, who failed to qualify when he broke a break caliper  and started in row seven, had charged to fifth. At the same time, Dewayne Kiefer, who cracked an oil cooler in hot laps and also started last, had advanced to seventh. On the Delaware restart, Reed elected the outside line , forcing Schlenk to the inside. However the caution waved for Terry Wilson before a lap was scored, and this time, Reed took the inside line. Still Schlenk grabbed the second spot on the restart, and on lap 21 the Jackson, Michigan traveler grabbed the lead. At the same time, Reed headed to the trailer, and Wenger moved to third. Schlenk kept his # 91 out front for his first QR win of the season, with Woodworth in second. Frankel got back around Wenger for third. and Kiefer finished off his strong run in fifth. Clint Kirkham wowed everyone by running sixth with the Lee County rules crate engine Vanzandt # 21V, ahead of Burgtorf, Jamie Wilson, Trace Westling, and Terry Wilson.
  The IMCA sport compact class turned out only six cars. Darin Weisinger Jr paced lap one, giving way to Brandon Lambert. along with point leader Kimberly Abbott, and Craig Bangert, a four car battle soon developed. Abbott moved to second on lap four, and grabbed the top spot one lap later. As the sixth lap was scored, Bangert was second, and the front two pulled away, running side by side. At the checkers, Kimberly prevailed for the win over Bangert. Lambert edged Weisinger by a bumper for third.
  Robards, Kentucky pilot David Mitchell was unable to make the feature call, leaving 20 UMP modifieds to take the green. Wentzville,Mo. ace Rick Conoyer jumped to the front from his pole position start, with Dave Weitholder in second. The first yellow came on lap two. Back to racing, the front two were joined by Blackburn in a three car battle, with Weitholder putting pressure on the leader on lap six. Conoyer was riding the middle and high lines, while Weitholder moved between the low and middle lines looking for a way to the front. Traffic came into play by lap ten, when the caution waved. Back to racing, action on the backstretch saw Weitholder spinning and Blackburn into his rear quarter. I cannot say for sure what happened, but both cars were sent to the tail. Ray Bollinger also stopped to avoid Weitholder, but he was able to keep his spot, and he was now fourth, with Shaun Deering and Crofton,Kentucky hot dog Trent Young restarting behind Conoyer. It was now a three wide battle for second behind Conoyer, with two more cautions on laps 13 and 14. Following the lap 14 restart, a pile up slowed the action, with Blackburn heading to the trailer. Back under green, Deering secured the runnerup spot, as Conoyer opened up a lead. As  the checkers flew, Conoyer had his second QR win of the season, followed by Deering, Bollinger, and Young. Weitholder recovered to take fifth, and unofficially took over the point lead with one night of racing remaining.
  It was now time to head to the car, and I had to miss Tony Dunker grabbing a win in the 18 lap IMCA sport mod finale, over Austin Howes, Kevin Tomlinson, and Brandon Lennox.
  There is still plenty of racing ahead as the season winds down, so get to the track somewhere and maybe the Positively Racing crew will see you there!