Cool Temps, Hot Action at Quincy

After a week off, Quincy Raceways returned to action Sunday night with six classes of cars. The UMP late models were competing for A $2,000 top prize, although the UMP Big Ten sanction was dropped after the previous weeks cancellation. Unfortunately, the car count was light, with the UMP Summernationals series likely a factor. With heat races setting the feature lineups, the IMCA stock cars were up first. Dean Kratzer had the sharp new wrap on his #4k, and he jumped to the lead, although it was point leader Brian Hoener on top as the first lap was scored. Abe Huls made the long haul back from a weekend of racing in Wisconsin, arriving after the heats and tagging the tail of the feature. Abe quickly moved up to challenge Michael Larsen for second, taking the spot on lap eight.. He was closing the big lead Hoener had fashioned when the first caution came on lap twelve. With four laps remaining, Hoener slid up a bit from the low groove, and Huls nosed inside to take the lead. Larsen was pounding the cushion in third. The final yellow came with two laps remaining, but it only delayed Huls trip to victory lane. Hoener held second, while Jake Powers passed Larsen for third. Jerry Jansen edged Troy Breierton at the line to complete the top five. Ray Bollinger had set quick time for the UMP modifieds at 14.912 seconds, and he started the main event outside of Shaun Deering in row one. Bollinger jumped to the first lap lead with row two starter Dave Weitholder in tow. But fellow row two starter Michael Long jumped to the high line, taking second on lap two. Bollinger was racing a wide line, and Long was trying crossover moves to try to take the lead. On the sixth circuit, Michael found an opening on the inside line, charging to the lead. A lone caution came on lap twelve, but Long was in command, and he opened a big advantage over the final eight laps. Bollinger ran in the runner up slot ahead of point leader Weitholder, Frankie Wellman, and Deering. The $2,000 to win UMP late model headliner was next. Heat winner Rickey Frankel took off from the pole position to lead lap one. Fast Qualifier Jamie Wilson - 13.853 seconds - hooked his ride to hard in turns one and two on the second lap, bringing out the only caution of the 25 lapper. Back under green, Frankel hugged the inside line, with Denny Woodworth on his bumper while Jason Perry ran up top. Wilson quickly joined the front four, and an entertaining three car battle developed for fifth between Matt Shannon, Derek Fetter, and Jeff Riddell,#09, who made the four hour pull to Quincy. Woodworth and Perry swapped the runner up spot on laps 13 and 15, then Denny took the spot again on lap 18. On the 20th trip around, he made slight contact with the leader, and it caused the #45DW to fall to fourth. Wilson eased past Perry with three laps to go and closed on Frankel, but at the checkers it was Rickey with a flag to flag win. Wilson took second, with Woodworth getting back around Perry for third. Shannon scored a top five, with Riddell sixth and Fetter was credited with seventh from the pits. A dozen IMCA sport mods ran next. Vance Wilson paced lap one, with a caution coming at the end of the circuit. On lap three, Wilson contacted the tractor tire in turn four and was clipped by Austen Becerra. Back to racing it was now Tanner Klingele out front followed by Brandon Lennox, Justin Bartz, and Tony Dunker. Dunker took third on lap five, but by now Klingele and Lennox had put some distance on the field. Lennox moved to first on lap six, by the next lap Becerra was back in the top five. Justin Ebbing took third on the eighth circuit, even as Lennox opened a commanding lead running the inside line. The rest of the front pack fell in line, with Lennox cruising to the win. Klingele finished with runner up honors, while Ebbing edged Dunker for third. Becerra completed the first five. Woodworth and Tommy Elston paced the UMP Pro Crate late model 20 lapper. Woodworth was the first lap leader, but Elston made a low side pass the next trip around the .29 mile oval. Elston stretched his advantage while Woodworth put distance over third running Brandon Savage. The caution waved on lap seven, and back under green, the leaders elected the low groove. Just past halfway, Todd Frank powered around Savage to take third, and Mark Burgtorf followed him to fourth. Burgtorf was wheeling the # 73R Lynn Richard machine, with the #3 taped off to give us...#7! One more caution brought Elston back to the pack, and Woodworth took one last shot up high on lap 13, to no avail. Burgtorf used the restart to grab the third spot from Frank. Elston picked up the win ahead of Woodworth, Burgtorf, Frank, and Savage. Laine Vanzandt grabbed sixth ahead of Gunner Frank, Charles Vanzandt, and Derek Sammons. IMCA sport compacts closed out the program, with Brandon Lambert the early leader from a row two start. Darin Weisinger Jr kept the pressure on the leader, but with the top three running the bottom, Craig Bangert moved up the track on lap six, taking third on lap nine, then second two laps later. The only caution came with a pair of laps left, and Bangert grab the lead on the restart. But Lambert fought back, taking the lead back coming out of turn four to the checkers. Bangert, Weisinger Jr., Kimberly Abbott and David Primm turned in top five runs. The final checkers came just after 9:00. Quincy Raceways will be quiet this coming Sunday, July 2, before the much anticipated visit by the UMP Summernationals on Monday July 3. As of yesterday, UMP modifieds and IMCA sport mods were also on the card, check the Quincy Raceways website for updates. Meanwhile I will be watching the forecast before making a decision on when and where to go ahead of the Monday $5,000 to win extravaganza. Maybe I will see you, Racin' Down the Road.