Nezworski Nabs Governors Cup

 A whopping 138 race teams, lead by a surprising 43 IMCA late models piled into the pits Friday night at Davenport Speedway for the running of the Governors Cup. The event was also the 2018 finale for the IMCA late model Deery Brothers Summer Series, with their points championship on the line, as well.
 Despite the late jam up at the pit gate as folks hustled to get off from work and make their way to the track, hot laps around the 1/4 mile oval started close to the 5:30 advertised time, concluding by 6:00.
  Fifteen heat races were contested first, with the 38 IMCA sport mods leading things off with four eight lap qualifiers. Tyler Soppe, Jacob Elithorpe, Keith Blum, and Tony Olson all picked up wins. Next it was 41 IMCA mods in four ten lap events. Tony VonDresky, Joel Callahan, Austin Moyer, and Justin Kay went to victory lane, with Callahan and Kay then preparing to do battle in their late models.
  Despite the announcement I am thought I heard that the top three in late model heats would go to the feature - or did I just assume since the top three went to the scales? - the top twelve in passing points from the five heats locked into the 40 lap headliner.
  Luke Goedert, Chuck Hanna, Andy Nezworski, Richie Gustin, and Chad Holladay took heat wins, with sixth starting Gustin the only qualifier out of heat four.
  A pair of heat races for the 16 street stocks went to Joe Bonney and Rob Nylin.
  The action then shifted immediately to B mains, with Justin Becker and Aaron Mitchell topping the sport mods, and Chris Zogg and veteran Steve Johnson topping the mods.
  The top five from each of the two twelve lap late model consys transferred to the main event. Tyler Bruening crossed the line second in heat five, started on the pole of the first B main and scored a flag to flag win. Andy Eckrich worked his way from fifth to capture the final qualifier. Todd Cooney did not make the call for the B after  running fourth in his heat, but was awarded a feature provisional along with Chad Coyne.
  With a curfew to contend with at the fairgrounds track, the sport mods lined up with no sign of an intermission , 24 cars for 15 laps. Gage Neal sat on the pole, leading as lap one was scored, then the caution flag waved. Incredibly, this would turn out to be the only caution of the race, aided, I am sure by the single file realignment. Soppe pulled alongside Neal at the line as lap two was complete, then put some distance on the #12N. Olson had started in row three, and he took over the runner up spot on lap nine. Austen Beccera made the long haul from Carthage,Illinois to Davenport, started in the sixth row and entered the top five four laps from the finish. The leader caught slower traffic at lap 13, but he expertly weaved his way through the back of the field over the final laps to grab the win. Olson settled for second, followed by Neal, Jared Frantzen, and Beccera.
  The top two dozen modifieds were next for twenty laps. Brandon Durbin charged to the lead from the pole position, with Moyer running the high line and Kelly Meyers hugging the bottom in hot pursuit. As the laps clicked off, Kay, Darin Duffy, and Callahan, who started seventh, sixth, and tenth respectively began to run down the leaders while battling among themselves. At the lap twelve mark, Duffy muscled his way to third, and Kay followed him to fourth. One lap later, Duffy put his #19D in second as Kay and Moyer dueled for third. Kay took the spot at lap 16, just as the only yellow of the race was shown for a stalled Bob Dominacki. Following the single file restart, Kay powered to second, pulling alongside Durbin with two circuits remaining, then taking command as the white flag was set to fly. Justin grabbed the hard fought win, while Duffy found his way to second at the end. Durbin came home third, Moyer and Meyer scored top five finishes.
  Kay was excused from a post race interview, as he along with Duffy and Callahan jumped from their mods into late models for the main event - Duffy in the #35 I believe normally driven by Ryan Claeys. Goedert and Nezworski lined up in row one, and they crossed the line side by side as the opening lap was scored. Nezworski assumed the top spot on the next lap, immediately opening up a significant lead on the wide, smooth, and slickening track. Gustin came from row two to second on lap four, and by now Andy held a nearly full straightaway lead. As the race stayed green, which it would do for all 40 laps, the leader caught slower traffic at lap eleven. Hanna began to work on Gustin for second, taking the spot at the halfway mark. It was now Kay on the move again, taking third on lap 24 after starting seventh. Gustin retook the spot on the next lap, but found lapped traffic blocking his low groove as Kay blew past again. As the laps wound down, Nezworski was tucked in behind Joe Zrostlik, with neither willing to move out of the preferred low line. This allowed first Hanna, then also Kay to erase the comfortable margin Nezworski had established. The leader finally eased around Zrostlik at lap 34. Hanna made a last lap attempt to overtake the leader, and it cost him two spots, as both Kay and tenth starting Ryan Dolan slipped around the #65. Bruening came from row seven to take fifth.
  As a jubilant Nezworski prepared for his post race interview and the street stock feature sat in staging, we made our way to the car, hoping to beat much of the nice sized crowd out of the parking lot. With the clock still minutes shy of 9:30, it looked like the curfew would not be a factor. Considering the huge car count and the 25 scheduled races, I cannot say enough about the performance of the officials, track crew, including the often under appreciated wrecker crews. Not to be overlooked in this also is the cooperation of the drivers and crews to be ready in staging and driving smart to keep caution periods to a minimum.
  Thanks to Carrie Rouse and the Davenport Speedway staff for their hospitality. There is one more race night on the speedway schedule, with a $2,000 to win street stock special the highlight of the season ending " Cheaters Night" and trailer races which will take place next Saturday, September 29.
  Although fall is officially here, there is still lots of racing to be had, so get to a track near - or far - and I might see you there!