Erb Watches as Bronson Wins

 Tuesday night we were able to rejoin the UMP Summernationals tour at Kevin and Tammy Gundakers' Tri City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Illinois. The annual event was scheduled for last Friday, and Darryl, Fred, and I made it about twenty miles down the road in a light rain before the plugged was pulled and the Gundakers were given a quick reschedule date. Unfortunately, the inclement weather also washed out the remainder of our weekend options, so we were more than ready for yet another week night race. The winners' purse was trimmed from $10,000 to $7,500 and the UMP Pro Crate late models were dropped from the card which also featured Summit modifieds and B mods both competing for $1,000 to win. The ticket price was also lowered by a couple of Washingtons, all due to the switch to the work night program. Tri City typically draw above average car counts, particularly for specials while also having a reputation for late night shows. To help combat this, they often advertise that they will run the late model feature first, and for this night stated that they will " make every effort " to have the late models on the track by 9:30.
  119 cars signed in, including 37 late models, 39 modifieds, and 43 B mods, a whopping total for a week night race.
  Billy Moyer Jr. set quick time with a lap of 15.246 seconds to top the late models, while Rick Stevenson topped the mods at 16.118 on a track that developed a treacherous ridge in turn one while becoming slick at the opposite end. Track officials attempted to correct the turn one issue following heat race action, but it was soon back as the late model and B mains were contested.
  With the fields set for the late models and mods, the late models lined up for forty laps. All four heat races had been won from the pole, and Chris Simpson and Moyer Jr. lined up in row one with Tyler Erb and Kyle Bronson in row two. Moyer was followed in heat one by Tanner English, Dennis Erb, Jr., and Rusty Schlenk. Simpson led Bobby Pierce, Shannon Babb, and Rodney Melvin. Bronson bested Billy Moyer Sr., Ryan Unzicker, and Jason Feger, while Erb topped Brandon Sheppard, Frank Heckenast Jr., and Tim Manville in the Rick Salter #1S. Chase Junghans had made the cut with the B main win over Cade Dillard. Point leader Brian Shirley was in as a point provisional along with Allen Weisser, and Mike Hammerle, Michael Kloos, and Gordy Gundaker were announced as track provisionals. However Hammerle failed to make the feature call, replaced by Rusty Griffaw. Meanwhile, a loud " pop " from the Junghans #18 at the end of his B main win proved to be terminal, ending his night, as well. Weisser ducked to the infield during parade laps, his night over. Simpson shot to the lead as the green flag waved. He suddenly slowed going down the back chute on lap three, bringing out the caution. He limped to the infield work area, but after a quick look by his crew, his night was also done. Erb charged to the lead, passing Bronson on the Delaware restart as the field headed down the back stretch. Soon Erb, Bronson, and Moyer Jr. gained separation from the field. To try and circumvent the turn one issue, all three were doing a diamond move in turns one and two. Erb and Bronson ran the top line in three and four, while Moyer Jr. tried to gain ground using the middle line. Seventh starting Pierce joined the party in fourth on lap seventeen, and two laps later Bronson retook the lead coming through turn four. On lap twenty two, Pierce took advantage of a brief bobble by Moyer Jr. to power to third. The second caution came for debris on lap twenty five. By now, row nine starter Shirley was up to eighth, picking off cars in a steady fashion. Back to green, Erb elected the high line behind Bronson, won the battle to turn one with Pierce, then used a crossover move in turn one to regain the lead as Bronson hit the ridge wrong, bouncing his #40B. Three more circuits and English saw his top five run dissolve as he came spinning out of turn four, bringing out the third caution. On the next restart, Pierce charged around Bronson for second, and the now fifth running Shirley jumped up one more spot to fourth. As the laps clicked off, Erb was moving around the track searching for the best line, and the cushion pounding Pierce closed in on his bumper with ten to go. Erb then found his sweet spot, and began to pull away, seemingly in command as lap thirty five was scored. Two more trips past the flag stand, and Bronson found a burst of speed, clearing Pierce and moving to the rear bumper of the leader. The white flag waved, and Bronson pulled alongside the rear quarter of Erb out of turn two. As everyone came to their feet, Bronson pulled a slider coming through the final set of turns, failing to completely clear the #1, and suddenly Erb was climbing the concrete, coming to a stop after nearly rolling his ride. The yellow came out as the wrecker hooked to the Erb machine, dragging him to the infield as the field reset for a green and white one lap single file finish. From the outside row behind the now leading Bronson, Pierce tried to use momentum off the top to move to the front, but the restart was called back. On the next attempt, he tucked in behind the leader, and the final lap proved uneventful. Bronson picked up the hard fought win, with Pierce in second. Shirley turned his provisional start into a third place finish, followed by Sheppard and Schlenk. Babb gained five spots to sixth, ahead of Moyer Jr., Erb Jr., and Griffaw. T. Erb was credited with tenth, with the lapped car of Feger the final car running at the checkers.
  There would be a final qualifying race for the B mods as well as features for the mods and B mods still to be contested as we headed for the parking lot, with plenty of fodder for conversation on the ride home.
  I am now watching the weather as I hope to finally catch my first IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series event of 2019 at the Benton County Speedway in Vinton, Iowa on Thursday (yay, no time trials!).
 Oh, in case you were wondering, the late model feature hit the track at 10:20.
 Thanks for reading!