Back On Track at Quincy

After a two week hiatus, racing resumed Sunday at Quincy Raceways. Because it was originally a scheduled night off, no track points were awarded, although the UMP ProCrate late models and UMP modifieds competed for regional and national points. The sport mod and stock car rules were opened up to allow USRA B mods and UMP street stocks to join in, and 19 sport/B mods and ten stock car/street stocks signed in. The evening started with UMP modified qualifying, with Ray Bollinger setting quick time. The nine heat races clicked off in less than an hour, and after a brief intermission, the stock car feature came to the track. UMP driver Brian Gaines led the opening lap before track point leader Brian Hoener took over on lap two. A caution period on the next lap saw Jerry Jansen getting the worst of the deal, ending his night with front end damage. On the eighth circuit, third running Dean Kratzer made contact with second place Jake Powers, bringing out another yellow and ending Kratzers run. Back under green, Hoener held the lead, but Beau Taylor and Robert Cottom began to apply pressure. Taylor used the bottom groove to grab the lead on lap twelve, with Cottom following him into second. Cottom led lap 13, but Taylor fought back, and he took the lead for good on lap 15. Beau hung on for the win,his first of 2017. followed by Cottom, Hoener, Gaines, and Rudy Zaragoza. The late models were next in the running order. In his first visit to QR, Brad Denney picked up the heat race win, and redrew the pole for the 20 lap feature. But it was Denny Woodworth coming from row two to lead the opening circuit. Denney did no go away quietly, and the pair ran side by side, with Denney leading lap three using the high line, while Woodwrth tried the lower groove. Woodworth then switched lines, moving to the top side to chase the leader, but Denney made contact with the front stretch wall, slowing just enough for Woodworth to grab the top spot. Now able to run his preferred high line, Woodworth opened a straightaway advantage as the race went caution free. Denney brought his #11 home in second, while another first time visitor, Braden Johnson, rallied for third in his #14/ Joey gower and Clint Kirkham completed the top five while Peoria Speedway regular and newcomer Jim Hagedorn powered his #1 machine to sixth ahead of Laine Vanzandt. Heat race winners Bollinger and Michael Long sat on row one of the 20 lap modified maun event. Bollinger got the advantage at the green,and the race was on! He ran the lower line through turns one and two, then pounded the cushion in three and four. Lap after lap, Long stayed on his bumper, but could not find an opening. With the front pair well out front, Long began to try to slip under Bollinger down the backstretch on laps 14,15, and 16. The leaders were now in lapped traffic, and on the white flag lap, Michael made his move, leading the final two circuits of the non stop battle. Following the front duo was Chris Spalding, who missed his heat race and came from the back to third. Rickey Frankel climbed behind the wheel of brother Jasons modified ti run fourth, edging Frankie Wellman. The mod finale was definitely the race of the night! All but one of the 19 limited mods came to the track for 18 laps. Justin Ebbing jumped to the lead from the pole position, with the yellow waving on lap two. One lap later second running Brandon Lennox retired with suspension issues, and Vance Wilson took up the chase. As Ebbing opened a nice lead, Wilson and Austen Becerra battled for second, and Tanner Klingele and Bobby Anders fough behind them. The leader caught slower traffic with a pair of laps to go, but as the white flag was displayed, Becerra spun in turn two. Although he did not stop, the yellow was displayed setting up a two lap shootout to the end. The field was set single file, and Ebbing was up to the challenge, taking the flag to flag win. Wilson took runner up honors over Klingele, Anders, and visiting Cole Campbell. The sport compacts were last on the card, with Jeffrey Delonjay scoring the lap one lead. Craig Bangert took over the next trip around, while Kimberly Abbottm after falling out of the heat race, moved to second on lap three. When Kim also exited the track mon lap nine, Bangert had a sizable lead, but a lap ten caution period erased his advantage. With five trips around the .29 mile oval remaining, Bangert stayed in command, while a battle for second developed withn three laps to go between Delonjay and Darin Weisinger Jr. As the twom youngsters slugged it out, Brandon Lambert slipped past to take runner up honors. Weisinger won the battle for third over Delonjay, with David Primm rounding out the top five. Next Sunday at QRthe UMP super late models will be joined by UMP mods, IMCA sport mods, stock cars and sport compacts. Sunday August 13 has been added to the schedule with classes to be determined. This Thursday and Friday will be the Summer Extravaganza at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, with the UMP Pro Crate late models racing for $1,000 to win each night, and I hope to be on hand Friday, for sure. Hopefully the worst of the hot weather is behind us, so get out and enjoy some racing action!