2020: What a Year!

    I am never happy to see racing season come to an end, but if there was ever a time to say " Good Riddance!" 2020 would be it. When inclement weather wiped out a couple of events on my schedule in March, I had no idea that all of April and the first half of May would also be race free thanks to the still lingering virus.

    Finally on May 15 I was able to kick off  the 2020 season with the help of this blog and catch opening night at the Davenport Speedway. The next week it was pitside only for the Lee County Speedway opener, then Memorial Day weekend Keagan and I paid our first visit to Central Missouri Speedway in Warrensburg, Missouri for an SLMR west division special. But just as things were picking up I found myself in the hospital for the first time in nearly fifty years! Two weeks later against my better judgement, I climbed in the back of Freds' van and headed south to the Randolph County Raceway in Moberly, Missouri for MLRA action. 

     The combination of my recovery and our attempts to dodge the covid hot spots for sure put a crimp in our adventures, but all things considered it was still a pretty good season.

      My final tally is thirty eight nights, a drop of about fifteen or so, at fourteen tracks in three states. Staying close to home much of the time, Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa topped the chart with twelve visits. Davenport Speedway was next with six nights, with all but one being "special" events. Randolph County was our destination four times, followed by West Liberty, Iowa for three shows. 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, CJ Speedway in Columbus Junction, Iowa each hosted a pair of visits, as did Tri City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois, with those two coming late in the year when the virus had calmed somewhat. One time each we visited the Bullring at RICO in East Moline, Illinois, Dubuque, Iowa Speedway, 300 Raceway in Farley, Iowa, Marshalltown, Iowa Speedway, Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa, and we concluded our season last weekend at the Springfield, Missouri Speedway. The only new track on the slate was the one visit to Central Missouri Speedway. 

    There are a handful of tracks that have been staples in recent years that we did not get to in 2020, with scheduling and attendance restrictions often the culprit along with a few untimely rainouts. Of course most notable of those is Quincy Raceways which did not open all year, citing covid restrictions, and that accounted for several of the fifteen less races we attended. 

    As the new schedules continue to be posted, I have already identified fifty plus attractive options for 2021, but of course we likely will still be dealing with some restrictions, so...We will again look to get things started sometime in March with the SLMR late model visit to the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri high on the list. Of course, five nights of mid March action on the dirt at Bristol promoted by Scotland County front man Mike VanGenderen is mighty tempting, as well!

    In the meantime, everyone stay safe and have a Merry Christmas!

Turkey Bowl Racing Puts a Wrap on 2020

    Saturday night, Fred and I wrapped up our 2020 season with a trip to the Springfield, Missouri Raceway for night number two of the 14th annual Turkey Bowl. This was the first time the event was contested over two nights, and it was probably a good thing. In 2019 what was deemed a record field of 201 cars checked in. But even though the race was postponed one week this year due to weather, the two nights saw roughly 280 cars in competition! The Midwest B mods hosted a complete show on Friday with thirty six cars in action, while the Midwest B mods, mini late models, legend cars, and USRA B mods ran heat races. Those four classes ran B mains and features on Saturday, joined by sixty two IMCA modifieds and thirty late models. ( We were pretty certain that Larry Adams did not have a #711 late model to go along with his #711 modified!)  

   The quarter mile semi banked bullring saw something over fifty races over the two nights, yet the track held up extremely well. It was dust free on Saturday, and only a small ripple at the entrance of turn one gave the drivers any reason to get off the loud pedal. The first green flag from a very animated flagman waved just after 3:00 following a handful of hot laps for the first Midwest A mod B main cars. We headed for the gate and the warmth of the van six hours later with a pair of features still to hit the track. 

   Interspersed among the qualifying events, the legend car feature saw a host of lead changes before Joplin, Missouri driver Dave Comer took the win ahead of Drew Papke who hauled his #43 all the way from Bismarck, North Dakota!

   Another Joplin racer, Jerad McIntire took home the unique turkey trophy in the Midwest A's over double duty Steven Bowers Jr. from Topeka, Kansas.

   Bowers Jr. would later come back to capture the IMCA mod twenty five lap $2,000 to win event over another Kansas competitor, Darron Fuqua, from Mayetta. Newton, Iowa hot shoe Ethan Braaksma had to fight through the sixty two car field. After falling out of his heat race, Braaksma started in row six of his B main, racing to a second place finish. He then lined up fourteenth in the feature and came home third. William Gould, from Calera, Oklahoma, started just in front of Braaksma and brought his white and gold #60 home in fourth followed by Shawn Knuckles, from across the state in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. 

   It was now time for the headliner, with  $4,000 on the line for the  late models. If you had told me at the start of the night that previous two time Turkey Bowl winner Logan Martin would land in victory lane, I would not have been surprised, as he drew the pole start for heat number one. But it was the route he took to the podium that made for great racing. Martin was the first car to fall from his eight car heat, landing him at the back of B main number two. From there he gained six spots to follow Sterling, Illinois standout Travis Denning to the checkers, giving him a row seven start in the feature. Heat two winner Cole Wells redrew the number four spot on the grid among the ten passing points qualifiers and shot to the early lead, building an advantage as a four car duel erupted behind him. Ninth  starting Jesse Stovall was on the move, entering the top five on lap two, then jumping to fourth one lap later. But Martin, who calls West Plains, Missouri home, was up to fifth by lap five and running down the leaders. Meanwhile Stovall was in the runner up spot by lap nine and closing the gap to Wells with Martin in the hunt also. Logan then used slower traffic to grab the lead just ahead of the first caution flag. Back under green, Stovall and Wells were in a battle for second as Martin stretched his lead. A second caution came just after the halfway mark, and on the restart there was contact between the #91 of Chris Jones and Stovall, sending the fifth running Jones for a spin. This would also ultimately prove to be Jesse's undoing, as he now had sheet metal rubbing on a rear tire. From that point, the race would stay green following a single file restart. The leaders were now mostly locked in the bottom groove except for Stovall, who was searching the high line in hopes of improving his third place standing. Row four starter Kaeden Cornell found something in the closing laps, clearing Wells for second. As the laps wound down, the smoking tire on the Stovall #00 gave up, dropping him just outside the top ten. Martin cruised to the victory, while Cornell grabbed the $1,500 runner up check. Wells took home a solid third followed by another two time Turkey champ, Scott Crigler. Denning gained seven spots to record a top five. Dewayne Kiefer recovered from a heat race incident to advance ten spots to sixth in front of Mike Collins, who now calls New Orleans, Louisiana home. Jason Wagner made the long tow from Deer Creek, Illinois to run eighth, besting front row starters Jace Parmley and Doug Tye. 

   Although we started the four hour plus journey home at that point, we apparently missed a heck of a good B mod feature, as Ryan Gilmore recovered from early problems to nose out Kris Jackson. And I see this morning that Scott Busch made the long haul from Cuba City, Wisconsin pay off with a win in the mini late models.

  Jerry Hoffman and his crew again put on a quality show at this rustic facility just outside Springfield, it is an event I would not hesitate to recommend, especially for twenty bucks to watch late November racing. It has become a staple of our racing calendar. 

  Again, this will conclude a most trying and unusual racing season, so let us all stay safe and hope for something close to normal - whatever that is - in 2021. Check back soon for my 2020 summary, and as always, thanks for reading!

A Sneak Peek at 2021 And More

    As I sit here (im)patiently waiting to see if I can squeeze in one more race this season, those eager to put 2020 in the rear view mirror have begun offering teasers for what lies ahead. 

    Perhaps the most dramatic news thus far, at least for those of us in the Iowa, Illinois, Missouri Tri State area is the announcement that Jim Lieurance, the former race director at Quincy Raceways and in 2020 at the Randolph County Raceway has, along with his wife Tammy, signed a two year lease to promote the high banked track near Moberly, Missouri from owners David and Janelle Claypoole. The Lieurance family are familiar figures to racers and fans around the area, as Jimmy has worn many hats at QR over the years while Tammy and their daughter Michelle operated the pit shack at both facilities. Jim was often seen cruising the pit and parking area on his 4 wheeler with a grandkid or two in tow, visiting with drivers and fans alike. The family will be hosting an informational meeting on Sunday, November 29 after which details for 2021 will be announced. One major change, however, will see the track move back to Friday night racing after a season of Sunday action. As of now, there has been no word on the status of Quincy Raceways for next season with Illinois currently in heavy lockdown mode.

   Meanwhile, 34 Raceway owners Brad Stevens and Jessi Mynatt shared big news as well, with the announcement that the Slocum 50 will expand to a two race weekend. Racing under the MLRA sanction, the late models will run two separate shows, with $5,000 up for grabs on Friday, April 16 followed by the fifty lap $10,555 headliner on Saturday. These races are scheduled to be part of a four night series swing through the state of Iowa. Although they are waiting to firm up some other dates before releasing a full schedule, it looks like the Lucas Oil late models will hit the high banks on Saturday, May 22, with the MLRA making another appearance on Saturday July 3. And as always, we can expect multiple visits by the sprint cars to the legendary 3/8 mile. In addition, Brad and Jessi are in the process of extensive track work while also reworking the infield alignment.

   Not to be outdone, Brian and Marcie Gaylord have released a tentative schedule for the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, with a kick off date of  Friday, April 2. They will hit the ground running, with the Sprint Invaders featured along with the first of seven Drive for Five events. After a successful first season for the IMCA late model Drive for Five, IMCA modifieds will also be participating in the special mini series in 2021. As of press time, sponsors were being sought to add to the modified purse. The modified finale is set for August 20 with the late model showdown on September 11. The LCS season finale will once again be the highly anticipated Shiverfest on October 30.

   As things stand now, the first racing of 2021in the Tri State area  will take place the final weekend in March when Mike VanGenderen brings his expertise to the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo. So keep an eye peeled for more info.

   One other note of interest is the scheduling of the NASCAR truck series at the Knoxville Raceway on Friday July 9. While the heavier trucks will fall well short of the sprint cars or even the late models in speed and handling, this event will no doubt capture the attention of the dirt and pavement crowd alike. 

   As mentioned, I still have hopes of adding one more race to the book this season, and that would be the now rescheduled Turkey Bowl at the Springfield, Missouri quarter mile. Weather permitting, what is now a two night show will host partial qualifying events this Friday, November 27, and I hope to join the action on Saturday, with a $4,000 to win late model shootout topping the bill. We shall see...

  

  

   

   

   

Benischek Wins Two, Kile, Spaw, VanWyk Tops at Columbus Junction

    After a late start our 2020 racing season continued into November with our second visit of the year to the C.J. Speedway in Columbus Junction on Saturday evening.  We were hoping to not bring along our apparent hex on the 4/10 mile fairgrounds track as our last three attempts to catch a show here have been interrupted by or completely wiped out by inclement weather. The occasion this time would be the Turkey Dash, which rolled off in fine fashion in 2017, but was wiped out by the weatherman the last two years. There would be no such issues this time, with sunny skies and temps topping 70 degrees! The four classes of cars that run weekly at the track would be in competition, including modifieds, sport mods, stock cars, and compacts as well as hobby stocks. In addition to the advertised purse, bonus money was on the line for the feature winners courtesy of LR Trucking and the head guru here at Positively Racing, Jeff Broeg. The potential extra cash is based on a drivers standing in the All Iowa Points, a bragging rights competition developed and promoted by Jeff "since Heck was a pup." Also a couple of local sponsors stepped up to sweeten the hobby stock payout. 

   One hundred and forty six cars overwhelmed the pit area, but track officials planned ahead and used some of the outside pit parking area to avoid having any race cars or haulers in the infield. In addition, while there were empty seats to be found, there was an excellent crowd on hand on what could not have been a better night, weather wise. Add that to a multi groove fast and smooth racing surface, a show that started close to the advertised time while wrapping up just after 8:30, and we had one fine night of racing! To top things off, once I settled in my seat after a quick tour of the pits, I noticed what appears to be the beginnings of a scoreboard that would be a welcome addition to the fairgrounds facility.

   It took eighteen heat races and three B mains, all in the sport mod class, to set the grid for feature racing. The hobby stocks were up first, battling for a dozen trips around the 4/10 mile oval. All but one of the twenty one cars took the green flag, with Randy LaMar pacing the opening circuit. Fifth starting Jake Benischek took over on lap two, LaMar fought back on lap three, but it was again Benischek out front on lap four. By lap seven Daniel Wauters had moved to the runner up spot, and by lap nine he was side by side with the leader. Following the only caution of the race with three laps remaining, ninth starting Dustin Griffiths joined the battle up front. Kaeden Reynolds made it a four car scrum as the laps wound down, but it was the top two side by side coming to the checkers. Wauters appeared to have the edge at the line, but much to the disbelief of many in attendance, scoring gave the win to Benischek. Wauters was credited with second, followed by Griffiths, Reynolds, and Slater, Iowa driver Eric Knutson.

   The fifty one car sport mod field was whittled down to twenty four starters racing for twenty laps. Polesitter Jared Boumeester, from Waseca, Mn. jumped to the lead, with Tyler Soppe in tow. As Boumeester stretched his margin, Dylan VanWyk rebounded from his outside row one starting spot to move to second. The first of two cautions came just before halfway, and back to racing Soppe regained the runner up spot. We now had a three car breakaway, with VanWyk powering to the lead on lap twelve. Meanwhile, Brayton Carter had redrawn the eleventh starting slot, lined up seventh after the caution and climbed to fourth as the yellow waved with eight laps to go. Following the restart, Carter charged to second with Boumeester third and Soppe dropping to fourth. Van Wyk began to open his lead even as Carter put distance on the third place car. At the checkers it was VanWyk, Carter, Soppe, Boumeester, and Ryan Walker. 

   Twelve laps would be the distance for the sport compacts. Double duty Jake Benischek would line up on the pole, take the early lead, and hold it to the checkers. Cody Staley came from row two to second on lap two, and appeared poised to make a move to the front on lap six when a slower car caused him to momentarily check up. From there, Benischek remained in control, expertly negotiating lapped traffic to pick up win number two for the night. Chuck Fullenkamp joined the party just past the halfway mark, crossing the stripe in third. Mitchell Bunch and Quincy, Il. driver Jeffrey Delonjay completed the top five. 

   Jason Cook sat on the pole for the twenty lap stock car main event, grabbing the early lead while another double duty driver, Dustin Griffiths took up the chase. A multi car mix up in turn four brought out starter Doug Haacks yellow flag on lap five. While Cook continued to lead, a pair of veteran hot shoes were now on the move. John Oliver Jr. started in row six, was seventh when the caution came, and now moved to third. Johnny Spaw followed him through, jumping from eighth to fourth. As Cook hugged the inside groove, Griffiths was working the top of the track, as was Spaw, who took over third about the ten lap mark. The front four separated from the pack, with Spaw claiming second with eleven laps down, Now it was Cook running the bottom, Griffiths up high, Spaw in the middle, and Oliver looking for racing room. While Griffiths led for a moment, Cook regained the spot when Dustin went a bit too high, and the #3D was stretching his lead when the yellow flew for a final time four laps from the finish. As the field came to the two to go sign, Spaw used his higher line momentum to grab the top spot, edging Cook at the checkers. Griffiths took third in front of Oliver Jr. and a fast closing Blaine Doplar. 

   The final event on the card was twenty laps of modified action. Kurt Kile flanked Derek Walker on row one, and quickly charged to the lead. Jeff Aikey, who has been on fire in both his modified and his late model, started eighth, and was in second by lap three. By this time, Kile had a sizable lead, but as the race reached midway, slower traffic came into play. The many laps turned to this point had left the corners a bit treacherous, and as Aikey was poised to challenge for the lead, he slipped in turn two, giving the leader some breathing room. However on the next lap it was Kile who bobbled in the same spot. With seven circuits left, Aikey was again breathing down the neck of the leader, but the next time through turns three and four he lost the handle, with only a brilliant save keeping him going in the right direction while still holding the runner up spot. It was four more times around before the two #77s were again nose to tail, but Kile was strong, leading flag to flag in the non stop finale. Aikey settled for second. Another pair of late model pilots came next, with Chris Simpson bringing home Timmy Currents #7 in third followed by Spencer Diercks. Derrick Stewart rounded out the top five. 

    This was the final curtain for Iowa Racing in 2020, as far as I can tell. We are not yet ready to call it a season, however, and have identified a couple more possibilities down for the next two weekends. Weather permitting, of course! So keep checking back, and if things work out, there may be a bit more reporting from Racin' Down the Road!

  

Aikey, Long, Murty, Paul, and Ash Top Shiverfest

    After a weekend of no racing due to uncomfortable temps, we got back to the track on Saturday for Shiverfest at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. This would be year twenty two for the often aptly named season ending event or its predecessor, and while it seems as if we are either blessed with warm conditions or the weather lives up to its name, this year we experienced some of both. Clear skies and temps in the 60's eventually gave way to a stiff northwesterly breeze as the evening wound down. But we will take it to log one more night of outstanding racing!

    Some of the usual festivities, like hay rack rides and box car races fell victim to virus concerns, but on track trick for treating for the youngsters went on as normal, getting off to a bit of a late start as track officials were busy checking in the 140 plus drivers, many of whom were still lining pit road as the clock ticked past 4:00. Following hot laps, the national anthem recorded by the talented Lee Ann ( Weisinger ) Lambert played as the local 6:00 whistle blew, and four hours and twenty eight races later, another five Shiverfest champions had been crowned.

    Both  modified divisions turned out nearly forty cars each, requiring a pair of B mains, so the stock cars were the first to hit the track for their final feature of 2020. All but one of the twenty three cars on hand lined up for twenty laps of action. Erick Knutsen and Jason Cook sat on row one, but it was Todd Reitzler coming from row two to lead lap one. While he paced the early laps hugging the rail in his #22R, Dustin Griffith, John Oliver Jr., and Dallon Murty all lined up on the high side of the 3/8 mile oval in hot pursuit. Griffith was scored the leader by a nose on lap four, with Oliver and Murty soon following him into the top three spots. Reitzler then joined the front pack up top to retake fourth. As the race hit the halfway mark, Murty moved down the track and grabbed the lead as lapped traffic came into play. Oliver Jr. soon followed in second and began to put pressure on the leader. With just four laps left on the Avis scoreboard, Murty was forced to momentarily check up for a slower car in turn two. Oliver also backed out of the throttle, with Griffith getting into the back of the #05, sending him for a spin. Oliver was clearly not pleased , and waited for the #10G to come around, giving him a shot to the rear before driving to the pits. Griffith elected to follow and a crowd quickly gathered around the two veteran drivers. With the situation soon diffused, it was back to racing. A second and final caution came on the restart before the final four laps clicked off. Murty now went unchallenged to pick up the win, with Reitzler coming home second. Eric Arneson made the tow from Oconto Falls, Wisconsin pay off with a third place run, followed by Cook and the Cedar Rapids driver, Knutsen. 

   All twenty six sport compacts lined up for what turned out to be a marathon fifteen laps of action. Jason Ash came from outside row two to nose ahead of Darin Smith on the opening lap. The first three circuits clicked off in fine fashion before yellow fever took over. Following six caution periods, the final two of which saw the field reset in single file order, and a warning that caution number seven would bring out the checkers, the final six or so laps went caution free. Through it all, Ash maintained his advantage, holding off a late charge from row six starter Chuck Fullenkamp. Cody Staley started right behind Fullenkamp and also came on strong in the closing laps to take third. Craig Bangert advanced from row five to fourth, while Jeffrey Delonjay came from twenty third to edge out Kimberly Abbott for fifth at the line. 

   The twenty four car modified field saw pole sitter Daniel Fellows and row two starter Ethan Braaksma cross the stripe side by side as lap one was scored before Ethan gained the advantage on lap two. He began to stretch his lead while Michael Long was working from row four to the runner up spot on lap six. Sixth starting Jeff Aikey joined the fray one lap later, even as Long began to narrow the gap to the #111. Eleven circuits into the twenty lap affair, Long caught Braaksma as slower traffic became a factor. With seven to go, Long attempted a slide job in turns three and four, but Braaksma executed the crossover move to hang onto the lead. However he left the high side door open as the pair entered turn one, and Michael shot to the lead, quickly pulling away. He continued to increase his margin, leaning hard on the cushion and even making contact with the guardrail. The lone yellow flag came with five laps left as Josh Most and Travis Denning, wheeling a #27 car, made contact as they contested positions in the top five. Greetings were exchanged between the two before racing resumed. On the restart, Aikey powered to second, but Long pulled away to a convincing win. Braaksma raced home in third in front of twelfth starting Kelly Shryock. Mark Burgtorf started in row four, fell back, then rebounded to round out the top five. 

   Tyler Soppe and Austin Schrage paced the sport mod twenty lapper, crossing the lap one stripe in that order. Austin Paul lined up in fourth, moving to second on lap five. With Soppe riding the cushion, Paul searched the low line, pulling even with Tyler on lap seven before driving to the point. As the race stayed green, Brayton Carter joined the party in third. Austen Becerra came from row five to the top five as starter Jake Croxton displayed the crossed flags to signal ten down, ten to go. Slower traffic came into play, and Paul opened a sizable lead. Sean Wyett powered past Carter for third with just six circuits remaining, and now Soppe began to make up ground as the leaders suddenly had clear track ahead. Traffic again became a factor in the final two laps, and Paul appeared to have a tire going flat at the same time. But he was able to close out the non stop win, beating Soppe to the line. Wyett was strong in third, topping Carter and Schrage. Had there been a longest tow award, it would have easily went to the sport mod #9 of Torey Fischer. The young lady made the 600 plus mile haul from West Fargo, North Dakota. Unfortunately she brought bad luck along. She lost a drive shaft while running in a top four transfer spot in her heat race, then came home one spot out of a B main transfer. She did however, line up for the feature ( provisional?), and was credited with eighteenth position.

   Most of the folks stuck around for the final green flag of the season, the twenty five lap, $1,000 to win late model shootout. All nineteen cars made the call, with former track regular Gunner Frank and the " Ironman " Darrel Defrance drawing the front row. Darrel was quick on the throttle, and the first attempt was called back. Gunner shot to the lead on the second try, with double duty Aikey following in second ahead of Defrance and track champion Tommy Elston. The caution was displayed for a Frank Mason spin on lap two. Aikey was now in command, with Defrance and Elston in pursuit. Matt Strassheim started eighth and jumped to fourth on lap eight, even as Aikey enjoyed a big lead. The second and final yellow came with fourteen laps left as Jill George shredded a tire, leaving debris in her trail. Elston cleared Defrance on the restart, but Aikey was well out front even as Tommy opened a sizable lead over Defrance for second. Elston found something in the final pair of laps, closing the margin, but not enough to make a serious challenge for the lead. Aikey picked up the win, with Elston, Defrance, Strassheim, and Gunner Frank scoring top fives. Ninth starting Burgtorf, also doing double duty, shot to sixth on the final restart, besting Chuck Hanna, Donnie Pataska, Kelly Pestka, and Joel Bennett in a third Frank Racing entry to complete the top ten. 

   As we are accustomed to, the 3/8 mile D shaped track was smooth and fast all night long. Thanks go out to Brian and Marcie Gaylord, Brian Neal, and the entire LCS staff for their hospitality throughout the 2020 season. As the calendar turns to November, we still have a couple of races in sight starting with the Turkey Dash next Saturday at C. J. Speedway in Columbus Junction, Iowa. The four class program is set to kick off at 2:00 P.M., promoter Larry Richardson always runs a quick show, and hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate this time around! Hope to see you there!

Oberkramer and Pierce Top Tri City Action

  The MLRA series kicked off a three race championship weekend on Friday with a $5,000 to win show at Kevin and Tammy Gundakers' Tri City Speedway near Granite City, Illinois. UMP modifieds were also on the card, battling for a $2,000 top prize. The series would be right back at Tri City on Saturday with $7,000 on the line, backed by both mods and B mods. The 2020 season would then wrap up on Sunday at the Randolph County Raceway in Moberly, Missouri, making their third stop of the season at the high banks, supported by B mods and hornets. Dubuque, Iowa veteran racer Jeremiah Hurst made the decision last off season to run for rookie of the year honors, but after strong finishes in a pair of races the weekend prior at the Lucas Oil Speedway, he found himself not only leading the rookie points, but also with a ten point lead over Payton Looney in the championship standings. Former series champion Chad Simpson entered the weekend in third place, thirty points behind with fourth place Tony Jackson Jr. still in the running trailing by one hundred and ten points. So with two hundred points awarded for a feature win, plus points earned in qualifying, all four still had a legitimate shot at the prestigious title. 

   Even with a stiff breeze and chilly temps, we were hoping for a solid field of cars, but we were pleased and surprised when a whopping forty seven late models checked in representing by my count thirteen different states! Twenty nine modifieds also came through the pit gate, with many of the top drivers in the area on hand.

      The action kicked off with late model hot laps followed by hot laps combined with  time trial qualifying for the modifieds. Kyle Steffens paced the mods, eclipsing the seventeen second mark by nearly a half second. With the track starting to come around, the late models were next to qualify. First Chris Simpson, then Mason Oberkramer sat atop the leader board before Ryan Gustin broke through the fifteen second barrier with a lap of 14.961 seconds around the 3/8 mile oval.

   Each class was split into four heat races, with the top four from each moving to their main event. One B main for the mods taking the top six, and a pair of B's for the late models taking the top three were next. A pair of point provisionals were added to the late model lineup while Brennon Willard used an emergency provisional to swell the field to twenty five.

    Following a brief intermission, the late models lined up for thirty laps. The four heat winners occupied the first two rows, with Oberkramer and Tim Manville in row one, and Simpson and Jason Papich in row two. Things got off to a rocky start, as the first two attempts were called back when the front duo alternated getting the jump on each other. Finally they came to the green side by side, and we were racing! Oberkramer paced the early laps hugging the inside line while Manville went to work up top. Finding a bite on the cushion, Manville put his #33 out front on lap four, but three laps later Oberkramer regained the point. Simpson began to close in and he took the runner up spot from Manville on lap eleven. Two more trips past the flag stand and Oberkramer had caught the back of the pack. Simpson was now poised to make a move for the lead, but Oberkramer was able to clear Willard and put some distance between himself and Simpson. By lap twenty, Simpson was back in the hunt and we now had a two car race in heavy traffic. While Chris rode the bumper of the #93, the caution waved with just five laps left. As he was being lapped, Hurst tried to duck into the pits and slammed the concrete barrier at the pit exit entering turn three. As the field was reset, surprisingly Hurst was able to restart at the tail of the field and still chase some valuable points. The clear track ahead proved to be all Oberkramer needed, as the excited young man stretched his lead and captured his second MLRA feature of the season. Simpson crossed the line in second, trailed by Manville, Shannon Babb, and Bobby Pierce. Pierce had started in the tenth position and spent a good deal of the race running around tenth before a late charge vaulted him to fifth. Billy Moyer led the next five in front of Papich, Frank Heckenast Jr., Jackson Jr. wheeling a #21 car, and Rusty Schlenk. Gustin lost a top five finish when he appeared to have a tire go down at the end, dropping him to twenty first in the order. Looney skipped his B main, took a provisional and raced his way from row twelve to fifteenth. With Hurst credited with twentieth, Payton regained the point lead heading into Saturday night. 

   With post race festivities complete, twenty two modifieds lined up for twenty five laps.  Heat winners Rick Stevenson and Steffens sat on row one, with Will Krup and Rick Conoyer in the #9W in row two. Steffens drove his #8S to the high side of the smooth, slick track, leaving the low line for Stevenson. Krup powered to second just ahead of a lap five caution. Steffens and Krup drove away from the pack as racing resumed while seventh starting Mike McKinney moved to third on lap eight. Krup was using the inside groove to challenge for the lead as the caution came again with eleven laps in the books. During the caution, top contenders Mike Harrison and Dean Hoffman went to the infield, their night over. As the Delaware realignment formed, double duty Bobby Pierce, who had started fifteenth, now lined up in seventh. He won his race to turn one as the green flag waved, then split the cars of Stevenson and Jeff Leka on the backstretch to climb to fourth. As the race passed the halfway point, Krup pulled alongside the leader and drove to the front. With seven circuits remaining, Pierce used a crossover move to clear McKinney for third, and began searching high and low for some grip on the black slick surface. He found a bite on the low line, clearing Steffens for second with five laps left on the scoreboard. Stalking the #19 of Krup, he was able to pull a slide job coming off turn four to the white flag and take over the lead. He then held on for the checkers and the $2,000 win. Krup took runner up honors, while Steffens, McKinney, and Stevenson also scored top fives. Leka ran sixth ahead of Michael Long who picked up the B main win, then started in row nine of the feature. Steve Meyer, Josh Harris, and Conoyer filled out the top ten.

    The final checkers waved just after 10:30 in front of a decent sized crowd considering the chilly and breezy conditions. The MLRA stars will finish up their championship drive tonight at Tri City with a $7,000 top prize on the line, while the mods will again race for $2,000 and the B mods join the card competing for $1,000. It had been our plan to catch the MLRA finale on Sunday at the Randolph County Raceway in Moberly, Mo., but the forecast of rain and chilly conditions has persuaded promoter Jason Goble to pull the plug on the show. 

   As of now, we have our sights set on next Saturday for night number two of the Calvin Meyer Memorial at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo. Late models have been added to the Saturday card with modifieds, sport mods, stock cars, hobby stocks, and sport compacts in action on both Friday and Saturday. The season is winding down, so grab your sweatshirt and head to the track!

Benischek Tops Donnellson Headliner ; " Speedy Bray " Doubles Up

   Saturday it was back to the Pepsi Lee County Speedway for night number two of the Fall Extravaganza. Action was scheduled to begin one hour earlier, with the $3,000 to win sport compact feature front and center. 

   I can't help but think how far the class has come at LCS since then owner/promoter Terry Hoenig introduced the 4 cylinders as " Wild Things, " with the rules stating that a driver could not lead consecutive laps until the white flag had been displayed. Another class of cars that started out with simple rules and turned into a spending contest! Eight states were represented in the forty four car field of compacts on Saturday.

   Before handing out the big check, twenty heat races and seven B mains were needed to whittle the one hundred and sixty seven car field into five feature line ups. 

    Stock cars kicked off the main event action, with all twenty seven cars eligible for the twenty laps of racing. With John Oliver Jr. drawing the pole position, the smart bet would have been on a flag to flag win, but this would not be the track champs night. The usually well behaved stock cars had a rash of early cautions, including five in the first four laps. By this time, third starting Jeff Mueller, who lasted only four laps on Friday, was out front, strong challenger Abe Huls was in the pits, and Oliver Jr. was at the tail of the field after a mishap with Huls. Meanwhile, Friday winner Michael Jaenette had lined up outside row six and was now restarting in third. One more caution at lap four and the field went single file. Two more laps were scored and Jaenette was now in second, and we had a two car battle, with Mueller hugging the low groove and Jaenette working up top. With Jaenette closing in, Jeff temporarily changed lines to move in front of the #93 in turns three and four. The Avis scoreboard read seven to go when Mueller caught the back of the pack, and he was able to pull away in traffic to take the win. Jaenette capped off a strong weekend in second, followed by Dustin Griffiths, who scored his second consecutive third place finish. Oliver Jr. fought his way back to fourth with a late pass of Beau Taylor.

   Modifieds were up next, the thirty seven car field reduced to twenty four starters for twenty two laps. Spencer Diercks, with a  Davey Allison throwback wrap on his #29, took off from the pole position with fourth starting Kurt Stewart matching his early pace. The yellow came quickly for Troy Cordes, and back under green it was seventh starting Jeff Aikey taking up the chase. As the race reached the halfway mark the leaders caught slower traffic, and row five starter Cayden Carter entered the top four. With fifteen laps in the books Carter climbed to third, and with heavy traffic for the leaders, Aikey and Cater were knocking on the door of the leader Diercks. When the white flag signaled one to go, Aikey was side by side with Diercks, and he used high side momentum to cross the finish line in first. Diercks had led the distance until the final corner, but settled for runner up honors. Aikey collected the win to go along with a second to Michael Long on Friday. Carter matched his third place finish from the night before, and Mark Burgtorf did the same in fourth. Long came from outside row eight to squeeze into fifth.

   A dozen sport mods stayed at the trailer as twenty four lined up for twenty laps. Clint Morehouse brought out a first lap yellow, with polesitter Kyle Olson leading fourth starting Tyler Soppe by inches as lap one was scored. The next stop came for a Matt Tucker spin at lap five, with Olson continuing to lead as we went back to green. Eight circuits in and tenth starting Austin Paul and twelfth starting Brayton Carter were able to get by Soppe for second and third. One lap later Carter jumped to second and began to run down Olson. With seven laps to go, the caution again came out for a spinning Tucker, and that was the break Carter needed. He rode the cushion to the lead, then pulled away to make it a clean sweep for the weekend. Olson came home the runner up to Carter for the second consecutive night, with Logan Anderson steady in third. Paul took fourth, while the drive of the night may have been Sean Wyett, who started in row eleven after qualifying through a B main, then charged all the way to fifth. 

   All twenty three late models lined up for twenty five laps with Mark Burgtorf and first heat winner Don Pataska in row one. Burgtorf shot to the early lead followed by Pataska and row two starters Darin Duffy and Friday winner Jay Johnson. One lap in, sixth starting Gary Webb cleared Johnson for fourth. With the race staying green, the leader was in slower traffic by lap eight. For the savvy veteran Burgtorf, this worked out well, and he was able to increase his lead as the laps clicked off. A battle developed for the runner up spot between Pataska and Duffy, with Darin finally taking the position on the final lap of the non stop event, beating his third place run the night prior. Burgtorf followed up his Friday runner up finish with the win. Webb ran a low line to fourth while Dustin Griffin completed the top five. Aikey advanced seven spots to sixth followed by Tommy Elston, Sam Halstead, Johnson, and Ray Raker.

   With much of the nice sized crowd hanging around, Twenty four qualifiers plus two provisional starters lined up for forty laps of sport compact racing and a $3,000 payday at the end.A first lap yellow saw two of the top contenders, third heat winner Brad Chandler, and the hot shoe from Cincinnati, Ohio, Jack Pflum retire to the pits. Kentucky driver Blaine Ellis and Chuck Fullenkamp from just up the road in West Point, paced the field for lap one. Track champion and Friday winner Brandon Reu and seventh starting Durant, Iowa standout Jake Benischek battled for third. Lap four saw Benischek claim the spot, and following a caution, he jumped to the lead. The yellow flew again at lap seven for debris, and Fullenkamp used the Delaware restart to move to second. Hard running Jason Ash had to qualify with a win in the third B main, started eighteenth, and was up to sixth by lap ten. Two laps later he was fifth , then fourth on the eighteenth circuit. Lapped traffic came into play just past the halfway point, as Ash took third with sixteen laps to go. The next caution came with thirty in the books, as provisional starter Josh Barnes, in a back up car, slowed while running about sixth. Benischek powered away on the restart, while Fullenkamp and Ash dueled side by side, wheel to wheel, lap after lap for second. A caution came with only four laps remaining as Adam Gates and Alex Hayes got together. Ash took the inside line on the restart, and was mounting a challenge for the lead when Kaycee McGregor and Chance Bailey got together, creating a final stoppage with three to go. With an excited supporter urging him on from the stands, Benischek held on for the win and the big check. Ash took runner up honors, followed by Fullenkamp and Ellis. Another Cincinnati driver, Joe Pflum camd from row eight to take fifth, matching his Friday finish. The rest of the top ten in order was Reu, Barry Taft, Indiana driver Shannon Welp, Trent Orwig, and Michael Grossman.

  Stats and stuff: By my very unofficial count, there were 309 entries over the two nights, with 58 races being run for a total of 619 laps, plus hot laps both nights. The racing surface started out wet both nights, but came around beautifully, smooth, fast, and free of holes. The Friday program eclipsed the midnight hour while Saturday came in just a few minutes before the date changed. There were drivers entered from nine states on hand, with six represented in the compact headliner. The unofficial longest tow went to Trever Cornick, from Vulcan, Michigan, at over nine hours! There is one more race night on the schedule at LCS, Shiverfest, which will run on Halloween, October 31. Watch the track website or Facebook for more details.

Johnson, Long, Jaenette, Carter, and Reu Score Opening Night Wins

   Friday would be the opening night of the 9th annual Fall Extravaganza at the Pepsi Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa. The two night show would feature the five regular weekly classes with expansion of the rules to accommodate cars outside of the IMCA rules package, including UMP, USRA, and others. All classes would be running for extra money each night, with bonuses available for drivers racing both nights. The Saturday headliner will be a $3,000 to win feature event for the 4 cylinder cars.

   Led by thirty seven sport mods, a total of one hundred and forty two cars signed in to race on a beautiful evening which felt like an August day and a cool but pleasant September night. As might be expected, things got off to a bit of a late start, with cars coming from far and wide on a "work" day. Extra hot laps were also ran, as many of those in the pits had not previously tackled the 3/8 mile D shaped oval. Soon, however, we were racing, and it took eighteen qualifying heats and three B mains, to set the feature fields. Those preliminary events ran off in quick time, as the well prepared surface yielded only a couple of caution periods until the always challenging sport mod B mains.

   Stock cars lined up first for a twenty lap feature. Three of the twenty five cars signed in did not make the call. Jeff Mueller and Beau Taylor, with his recently minted #122 sat on row one, and it was Taylor leading lap one, with fourth starting track champion John Oliver Jr. in tow. That pair swapped positions on the next circuit, with Abe Huls in third. Huntsville, Missouri hot shoe Derrick Agee started eighth and jumped to third on lap three. Mueller, who had issues from the start, fell out on the next lap, and the first caution came at lap five for a spinning Brock Haines. It was Agee now restarting in  second, having grabbed the spot just ahead of the caution, and as lap six registered on the new infield scoreboard, he was on top. Oliver Jr. charged back to lead lap seven as the duo raced side by side. A final yellow flag came at lap eight as a tractor tire was kicked out on the racing surface. Michael Jaenette had fired off from row five, and he now made it a three car race for the lead. Dustin Griffiths was late to the party, but was running with the leaders by lap twelve. Jaenette nosed ahead one lap later, as he ran the inside line around the track, while Oliver Jr. pounded the cushion, trying to regain the top spot. Jaenette continued to hit his marks, becoming the first feature winner of the weekend, collecting a cool $1,000. Oliver Jr. settled for second. Agee jumped the cushion as the pack came through the final set of turns, turning third place over to Griffiths, and Jason Cook rounded out the top five.

   Sport compacts would be racing fifteen laps on this night in preparation for the big prize on Saturday. Twenty four of the thirty car field made the show, with Josh Barnes and Brandon Crawley pacing the field. Barnes pulled out to a big lead, with the first caution at lap five involving row nine starter Shannon Welp, who made the long trip from North Vernon, Indiana to LCS. Back to racing, there was a tight three car battle for second between Chuck Fullenkamp, track champion Brandon Reu, and co winner of the long haul award, Jack Pflum, all the way from Cincinnati, Ohio. But Barnes had the field covered until five laps to go when the all too familiar mechanical gremlins struck the #13B, ending his run and bringing out the caution. Fullenkamp was now in front, but he ducked to the infield on the restart with an apparent flat tire. Kimberly Abbott had started ninth and was challenging in third when the engine let go in her #71, exploding in a ball of flames. The fire was out quickly, as Kimberly exited the car with the red flag displayed. Meanwhile, it was Reu out front, and he was able to withstand a strong challenge from Pflum, who came from row eight to finish second and put himself in the conversation for the big check on Saturday. Just as remarkable, Welp, recovered from the early spin to claim third. Billy Cain rolled off in row ten and finished fourth, and the second Cincinnati entry, Joe Pflum came from seventeenth to fifth at the checkers. The stage is set for a classic barnburner on night two!

  All twenty three late models made the call for twenty five laps and a chance at a $1,000 prize. Wisconsin driver Darren Mish and track runner up Denny Woodworth redrew the front row, with Mish jumping out to lead lap one. Third starting Darin Duffy took over on the next circuit, dragging along fifth starting Joel Callahan. The yellow waved as Sam Halstead was forced to the infield, then stopped at the turn one apron. Back under green, Duffy and Callahan battled up front before Duffy began to pull away. A classic five car scrum developed behind the top two, as Jay Johnson, Mish, Mark Burgtorf, Jeff Aikey, and track champ Tommy Elston ran side by side and nose to tail. The next stop came just before halfway, as Ron Klein sat facing the wrong way on the backstretch. As the green flag waved, it was Johnson on the move, pounding the cushion, taking over the second spot with ten laps to go. Meanwhile Burgtorf used the inside line to grab the third slot. Johnson continued to power around the high line, and with just five circuits left, he charged around Duffy for the lead. The veteran rolled his #93 into victory lane for the first time this season at LCS. Burgtorf took the bridesmaid spot and Duffy held off Callahan and Woodworth for third. Elston had challenged mid race, but was forced to a hard brake, finally rebounding to sixth. Aikey, Gary Webb, Dustin Griffin, and Chuck Hanna completed the top ten.

   Some folks headed to the exits as the sport mods had a tough time getting going. The caution flag waved three times before a lap was scored, then Blaine Webster paced the first completed lap. Brayton Carter had drawn the number ten pill, but by the time racing started he was lined up fourth. He was in the runner up spot by lap three, then charged to the point one lap later. Immediately he began to stretch his advantage. The only other yellow came at lap eight for a mishap involving Sean Wyett. Again Carter pulled away as eleventh starting Kyle Olson and Webster fought for the runner up position. Olson won that battle, and track champion Adam Birck soon took over third. Carter spent the second half of the race in heavy traffic, where he was flawless, cruising to the $1,000 payday. Olson and Birck followed, while Tyler Soppe edged Webster for fourth on the final half lap.

   Before the modified twenty two lapper was finished, the clock struck midnight, but at this point, what is a few more minutes? The caution waved at the start as row seven starter Kory Meyer was slow on the gas. Pole sitter Burgtorf put his Bill Baker #03B out front at the green, with row one mate Jarrett Brown in second. Burgtorf missed his mark on lap four, with Brown grabbing the lead. However the yellow flag came out putting Burgtorf  back out front. Brown regained the point on lap seven with another double duty driver, Aikey moving to the runner up spot. Aikey then snagged the lead at lap nine while Burgtorf, Brown, and seventh starting Michael Long battled hard for second. Cayden Carter joined the festivities up front as Brown faded back a bit. Derrick Stewart clipped a tire barrier at lap ten, bringing out the caution. On the restart, Carter used the high line to take second, and Long followed in third two laps later. The yellow waved at this point for a slowing Mitch Boles. Long went back to his preferred high line on the restart, powering to the lead with six laps to go, while Carter followed along. A final stoppage came with only four laps left when Daniel Fellows gave up a hard fought fifth place run, his night over. Aikey had seemed to be out of contention, but as the green waved a final time, he used the bottom of the track to move back to second. But there would be no catching Long, who held on for the early morning win. Aikey, Carter, Burgtorf, and Ryan Maitland in a #71C made up the top five.

  The track prep was top notch, giving us smooth, fast action all night long. If you missed Friday, don't make that mistake again, as it is a great chance to see cars from all over the mid west in side by side battles. Hope to see you tonight, with hot laps kicking off one hour earlier, at 6:00 PM.

  

Rain Spoils Moberly Features

   The Randolph County Raceway in Moberly, Missouri was scheduled to host the final race of the Malvern Bank Hoker Trucking SLMR east division in this, their inaugural season.  Non sanctioned B mods and 4 cylinders, two of the weekly classes promoter Jason Goble featured in 2020 would also be in competition backing up the super late models. With the entire Quincy Raceways schedule moved to the high banked facility just outside Moberly, this would be the only Saturday night circle track race on the RCR schedule. The race would also be the final one to decide the series champion.

  After watching dreary skies mixed with intermittent rain showers throughout the morning and early afternoon, we headed for the speedway hoping for the best. Although the radar showed most of the rain had exited the area, a light mist began to fall soon after our arrival. The threatening weather as well as very cool temperatures did nothing to aid the car or fan count, but the show must go on!

   Hot laps began just before the advertised time of 6:00, with late model qualifying immediately following. The B mods then lined up for a pair of heat races, with Cale Turner and Dalton Keith picking up wins. Keith had made the two plus hour tow from Lebanon, Missouri. Next up it was four cylinders for a pair of six lap heats. Jeremy Bell and Isaiah Penton took the wins.

   The late models then came to the track for a pair of eight lap qualifiers. Andy Eckrich sat on the pole of heat one, got the jump on his row one mate Charlie McKenna, and raced to the win. Jeff Tharp and Tad Pospisil came next ahead of Jason Hahne, Zach Zeitner, Brandon Queen, and Curt Schroeder. Polesitter Darrel Defrance led the distance in heat two, winning by a large margin. Joel Callahan held off the persistent challenge of Cory Dumpert for third, while Dave Eckrich cleared Justin Kay late for fourth. Matt Ryan and track regular Chase Breid completed the running order. 

   During the intermission, the mist turned to drizzle, then to a steady shower. The B mods had been called to staging for their feature, but they were soon sent back to their trailers. While track officials and the heartiest of fans waited, the rain refused to let up, and the haulers began to file through the back gate. With the track likely lost, the plug was pulled on the show, a disappointing end to a fine first season for the SLMR eastern division.  

   Randolph County Raceway has two more events on their 2020 schedule. Next Saturday night they will host a Demolition Derby. Then on Sunday, October 18, the MLRA super late models will wrap up their season as well as that of RCR. This will cap a three race weekend for the series, following two nights of action at Tri City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Illinois. This will be the third stop at Moberly for the MLRA this season, with Shannon Babb victorious in June and Ryan Gustin picking up a win in September.

   Looking ahead to next weekend, our plans are to attend both Friday and Saturday nights of the Fall Extravaganza at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa where the 4 cylinder sport compacts will be featured in a $3,000 to win showdown on Saturday. The clock is ticking on 2020 racing, don't miss out!

 

Six Winners Open the 2020 Fall Bash at Tipton

   Thursday we made what has become an annual trip to the Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa for night number one of the three night Hoker Trucking Darkside Promotions Fall Bash. Six classes of cars made up the lineup, with this being the only night for the late models, and they were racing for $2,800 to win a twenty eight lap feature in honor of long time racer, race supporter Brad Coin. Brad and another former late model hot shoe, Chuck Mayerhofer were honored in pre race ceremonies. Both have passed away in recent weeks. Terry Neal had redrawn the front row of the main event in the familiar Coin #28C, while Kelly Meyer was behind the wheel of a Mayerhofer  #8 machine. In addition, modifieds, sport mods, stock cars, 4 stocks and the rarely seen 2 person cruisers were on the card this night. 

  It was no surprise to see the pit area well stocked when we arrived, and the car count eventually swelled to 212. The only difference from previous years was the dry conditions, as Mother Nature held off on the race day precipitation that often seems to complicate things for this much anticipated weekend. She did. however replace the rain with a brisk wind and temps in the low 50's. Thanks to Bob Litton for saving us seats complete with a windbreaker tarp in the portable aluminum bleachers which were brought in to replace the covered wooden grandstands that met their Waterloo in the derecho a few weeks ago.

   But on to the racing. Hot laps fired up close to the advertised 6:00 start and were completed as quickly as possible with a green, white checkers format, and a healthy dose of cars in each session. In fact, I counted twenty nine 4 stocks hot lapping in a group on the high banked quarter mile. Good job to the race directors! Highlighted by fifty four IMCA sport mods and fifty two IMCA modifieds, it took a total of thirty two preliminary events to set the feature fields, including twenty four heat races and eight B mains. Utilizing the "spin and your in" rule kept the yellow flags to a minimum, which kept the program moving along at a steady pace.

  Two person cruisers were up first in the feature order. Sixteen cars signed in, what I would consider a healthy turnout for a nearly extinct class, with all but three taking the feature green. It took eight laps and a handful of cautions for the team of Wayne Hora and Keith Keltner to work their way from a row five starting spot to claim the checkers in the ten lap event, much to the delight of the group of fans seated near us. I was struck by both the speed and skill of the two person cars, remembering the total lack of coordination between the drivers and their gas person when the class first started back in the 1990's.

   The late models were up next, with all but one, Ryan Claeys,  of the twenty five cars on hand lining up. Andy Eckrich, who gave up the lead to Justin Kay on the final lap of heat two, shared the front row with Neal. Andy shot to the lead in front of Neal and Kay as lap one was scored. The trio of veterans ran three wide through turns three and four on lap two with Kay emerging as the new leader. He immediately began to open a comfortable lead, encountering his first slower car on lap seven. Two more circuits found him in heavy traffic, but he worked effortlessly through the drivers as they fought each other for position. By the halfway mark he had built more than a straightaway lead over Eckrich. The first yellow flag came at lap nineteen as rookie Preston Stoecker spun his #26. Back under green, third running Joe Zrostlik took advantage of the Delaware restart to clear Eckrich for second, then began to run down the leader. Dave Wada brought out a caution as he rolled to a stop on lap twenty four, and one more lap was scored before a final yellow for a spin by Jacob Waterman. As the final three laps began, it was tenth starting youngster Logan Duffy, and his row five mate Jeff Aikey who turned up the heat. Duffy charged to the second spot, while Aikey, who spent the middle part of the race rolling around in seventh, jumped to fifth, then third on the final restart. At the checkers, it was Kay leading all but the opening lap, followed by Duffy, Aikey, Zrostlik, and Eckrich. Neal held on for sixth, topping Matt Ryan, Chuck Hanna, Eric Pollard, and Kelly Pestka. Corey Dripps made a rare late model start in a sharp looking #31 and lost a sixth place finish at the end when he went off the top of the backstretch. For the second week in a row, Hall of Famer Ray Guss Jr. was behind the wheel of the Lynn Richard #15R. Ray moved up six spots to twelfth before getting shuffled back two spots following the last restart. Ryan, Kay, and Zrostlik were heat race winners.

   Kay mentioned in his victory lane interview that the inside groove around the quarter mile oval was fast, and when Jeff Mueller lined up on the pole for the twenty lap IMCA stock car feature, he became an immediate favorite to win over the twenty four car field. Ironically, we had to wait just a bit for Kay, who now has a #15K stock car, to join Jeff for a front row start. Mueller wasted no time putting his #77M on that low line, scoring the lap one lead ahead of the row two starters, Dallon and Damon Murty, and Kay. By the end of the next lap, Mueller was "catfishing" to perfection, already well out front. First heat winner Johnny Spaw had started from the five spot, and soon cleared Damon for third. Much like the late models, the stock cars stayed green in the early laps, and it was Mueller catching the back of the pack at lap eight before entering a maze of traffic three laps later. The only caution came for Matt Picray with twelve laps in the books. Dallon Murty, the heat two winner, elected to take the high side for the restart, with Spaw then lining up on the bottom. As the duo battled side by side behind the leader, the younger Murty missed his mark and drove off the top of turn one, ending his run. With the race staying green, Mueller cruised to a flag to flag victory. Spaw claimed runner up honors, with Jay Schmidt capping a strong run in third. Third heat winner Damon Murty, and Kay completed the top five. The night would not be over for Kay, who also piloted a #8 modified on the night in place of his normal #15K. 

    The time was now approaching 11:00, so as the 4 stock feature lineup was announced we decided to pack up and head out for the two and a half hour drive home. I can report this morning that double duty Zrostlik capped his night with a win in the 4 stock main. Also Brayton Carter came from row two to top the sport mods, while Joel Rust did the same in the modified finale. Rust was wheeling one of several cars with NASCAR " throwback " wraps as part of a judging contest that will be held as the weekend show progresses. 

   Action will continue tonight,and Saturday as well, with hobby stocks and mod lites replacing the late models and two person cars tonight, then hobbys, outlaw street stocks and A.I.R.S. cars joining mods, sport mods, and stock cars for the finale on Saturday. Thanks to Timmy Current, Ryan Duhme, and the ladies at the pit gate for their help and hospitality. This awesome race night has become a fixture on our events calendar. 

  As of this time, our plan is to head for the Randolph County Raceway in Moberly, Missouri Saturday night for the Kenny Pratt Memorial, Hoker Trucking SLMR late model east division series finale. B mods and 4 cylinders will fill out the card at RCR. If Mother Nature intervenes, there are several other options available, so check the schedules, bundle up and maybe we will see you at the races!

Aikey Takes the Iowa Governors Cup

   Saturday night we made the trip to Davenport Speedway for the Iowa Governors Cup event. The featured class was the Hoker Trucking SLMR east series late models battling for $5,000 to win on the quarter mile oval. Modifieds were contesting a $1,000 prize, joined by sport mods, street stocks, and 4 stocks. In addition, the A.I.R.S. vintage cars filled out the card. 

  A whopping 153 race teams, including thirty three SLMR late models signed in for the nights' action. Unusually warm temps and a stiff breeze resulted in plenty of water being put on the track, and it took some extra time and packing to get it rolled in and ready. Once things kicked off, however, late model qualifying, the eighteen heat races and five B mains clicked off in good time, thanks in part to a " spin and your in " rule for qualifying races.

  The SLMR series uses a combination of points accumulated through time trials and heat race passing points -with a six car invert- to set the first eight rows of the feature. Dave Eckrich posted the fastest lap at 14.772 seconds, which combined with a sixth place run in his heat race locked him into the main event. Many times the front runners in the heats are among those top sixteen, but on this night that was not always the case. Darrel Defrance crossed the line fourth in heat one, but wound up in B main number two, which he won to earn a ninth row spot in the feature. Dave Wada ( second ), Chuck Hanna ( third ), and Travis Denning ( third ) in their respective heats were relegated to one of the B's, all failing to transfer to the main event. Heat race wins went to Andy Eckrich, series points leader Tad Pospisil, Jeff Tharp, and Ray Guss Jr., who was wheeling the Lynn Richard #15R. Nick Marolf was victorious in the first B main. Yankee Dirt Track Classic winner Jason Rauen and Jill George were awarded provisional starting spots, with George climbing in the Ryan Claeys #35C, as her #22 had issues throughout the evening.

   Feature racing began with nineteen of the twenty three street stocks struggling to complete their twelve lap feature. Five yellow flags put them at the time limit, but amazingly after that point, the final four laps went caution free. Jeff Struck Jr. started outside row one and rode the high line around the track to collect the win. He was pushed hard by ninth starting Tony Von Dresky who hugged the inside groove to finish in second. Struck would power ahead off turn two, while the #31 would pull even out of four. Struck nearly avoided  trouble when he narrowly missed a spun and stalled car in turn four on lap eight. 

   Fifteen of the American Iron Racing Series cars signed in, with Bruce Yoerger pulling away in the second half of the ten lap feature to take the win in his 1966 Chevrolet Impala.

   Forty laps was the distance for the SLMR late models. Richie Gustin and Jonathon Brauns led the field to green. Gustin paced the early laps followed closely by Brauns, Matt Ryan, Jeff Aikey, and Pospisil. By the third circuit, a three car race had developed, with Gustin riding the rim, Aikey in the middle, and Pospisil hugging the bottom of the multi groove track. Ryan closed the gap on the leaders about lap nine, and Brauns was hanging around in fifth. Aikey found the bite he needed to snag the lead on lap fourteen, and Pospisil followed him in second. Jumping to the cushion, Aikey began to stretch his margin, finally hitting slower traffic about lap seventeen. By now the track had taken lots of rubber, and Aikey was able to move around on the black slick surface to weave his way through the lapped cars. Forty laps clicked off caution free, as the veteran Aikey cruised to the win. Pospisil held off Gustin for third. Brauns was able to clear Ryan, but was DQ'd in post race tech. This moved Ryan to fourth, with Tharp scored fifth. Chad Simpson was piloting the Jay Johnson #93 for the night, and he came home sixth, chased across the line by Andy Eckrich, Justin Kay, Andrew Kosiski, and Spencer Diercks.

  Kyle Olson bested thirty eight sport mods for a $500 payday, while double duty Spencer Diercks topped a stellar field of twenty eight modifieds. We were on the road before the sixteen car sport compact finale, and I regret that I have not seen a report on the outcome.

  Thanks to Bob Wagener, Carrie Rouse, and the Drt Trak folks for their hospitality all throughout 2020, as we were able to attend several of their top notch events. 

  We next set our sites on the opening program of the three night Darkside Promotions Fall Bash at Tipton, Iowa this coming Thursday, then the Hoker Trucking SLMR east series finale next Saturday at Randolph County Raceway in Moberly, Missouri for the second annual Kenny Pratt Memorial. Again, for you RCR faithful, note that this race will be held on Saturday, a change from the regular Moberly race night.

Krup and Simpson Kick Off Mod Mania Weekend

   Thursday night I hitched a ride to the opening night of Mod Mania at Tammy and Kevin Gundakers' Tri City Speedway in Pontoon Beach   (Granite City), Il. This would be the 16th annual edition of the event which features UMP modifieds along with UMP late models as a companion class. There is an escalating purse each night, and on Thursday the mods would be battling for a $3,000 top prize, while the late models competed for $2,000 to win. Forty eight modifieds and twenty three late models, a bit lighter than normal, field of cars checked in.

  Time trial qualifying started things off, with two or three cars at a time running two laps. Josh Harris paced the mods with a lap of 15.942 seconds while Daryn Klein topped the late models at 14.341. Six modified heats and a pair of B mains for the mods and three heats for the late models set the feature fields. Before the B mains, the six modified heat winners were brought to the front stretch for a redraw. Adding a twist to this format was that the drivers could not keep the number they drew, but had to hand it off to another of the six. This made for both an interesting and entertaining aspect to the procedure.

   The thirty lap main for the mods was up first following the thirty minute intermission, with Jeff Leka in an A One Towing #3L and Rick Stevenson in his #77 lining up in row one. Stevenson paced the early laps with Leka and fifth starting Will Krup in tow in what became a three car battle. Leka was out front as lap ten was scored, but Stevenson jumped back out front on the next go around. On the same lap, Krup charged to second, then to the lead. As the race stayed green, heavy traffic came into play. Both the announcer and the other heat winners had made mention of the dominance of Nick Hoffman in the class, and he was handed the number six starting spot, but with a dozen laps remaining still with slower traffic in play, the North Carolina driver jumped to second. One lap later, Leka clipped a tire barrier, spinning in turn two to bring out the first caution. By this point, B main one winner Mike Harrison had moved from a row seven start to sixth for the Delaware restart. Two more laps and the caution flag waved again for debris. One more lap was scored ahead of a final caution as Timmy Hill stopped in turn four. Again the green flag waved, as Hoffman alternated between the high and low restart position behind the leader. With a clear track in front, Krup opened a sizable lead as he kept his #19 glued to the inside line. At the checkers it was Krup with the win, followed by Hoffman, Harris, and Stevenson. Harrison slipped around Mike McKinney on the final circuit to complete the top five. Zach Schantz ran seventh ahead of Pennsylvania driver Michael Altobelli. Jacob Rexing and Rick Conoyer completed the top ten.

   Kaeden Cornell had crossed the line third in the first late model heat and was scheduled to line up inside row four for the thirty lap finale. However a trail of oil from his #50 at the checkered flag ended his night, leaving us with twenty two starters for thirty laps. Heat winners Klein, Jason Feger, and Chris Simpson held the top three starting spots, but it was Michael Kloos in third behind Feger and Klein as lap one was scored. With nine laps in the books, Jeremy Conaway went for a spin in turn two causing Feger to check up as he was working lapped traffic. Until now Simpson had been treading water in fourth, but on the restart he found traction in the low groove, jumped to third at the green, then cleared Klein for second two laps later. At the same time, eighth starting Gordy Gundaker powered to third. Feger had committed to the top groove around the 3/8 mile, living up to his " Highside Hustler " nickname, but Simpson was cutting into his lead each lap until he took over the top spot on lap nineteen. Working his way through slower traffic, Simpson was maintaining a lead that varied from comfortable to three car lengths. With three laps left, Klein had moved back to third, but clipped the turn four wall turning his car sideways into the front stretch concrete with his #10 taking a hard tumble. He climbed from the badly damaged car thankfully uninjured. The final restart was only a slight delay for Simpson on his trip to victory lane. Feger held second, besting Gordy Gundaker, Kloos, and Rusty Schlenk. Track regular Billy Laycock topped the second five in front of Rickey Frankel and Trevor Gundaker. Tim Manville had smacked the turn one wall in time trials, missed his heat and lined up last on the feature grid, but climbed to ninth at the checkers. Michigan racer Cody Bauer rounded out the top ten, with the final checkers waving just before 11:00. 

   Next up, a final 2020 visit to Davenport Speedway on Saturday as the Hoker Trucking SLMR late models come to call headlined by a $5,000 to win event on the 1/4 mile. The weather is fantastic, for racing this weekend, so pick one out and head to the track!

 

Kay Takes Drive For Five Dollars at Donnellson

 Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa was the setting for the once postponed Drive for Five late model finale on Saturday night. In addition, the Sprint Invaders made their second stop of 2020, with sport mods and sport compacts filling out the card. The pit area was brimming with 89 cars on a cool, fall like evening. The late model event was the culmination of a season long quest. Throughout the abbreviated schedule there were five $1,000 to win qualifying races held. Any driver competing in at least four of the five would be eligible for a $5,000 winners share on this final night. All others would be racing for  $2,000 payday. As it turned out, there were twelve drivers who had fulfilled the requirement, of those ten checked in on Saturday night. Veteran racers Ron Boyse and Jay Johnson were no shows. Eleven others filled out the twenty one car field. Drivers drew for their starting position for a first set of ten lap heat races with passing points accumulated. Then the lineups were reversed for a second set of heats. The total passing points earned in both heats would be used to set the feature lineup. That main event would be run in a pair of twenty five lap segments, with a ten minute break between. During this time the cars were parked on the front straightaway with drivers and crews allowed to make any desired changes to the cars. The only stipulation was that if any tires were changed, that driver would have to restart at the tail. Only Jill George, who had ducked to the infield early elected to change rubber.                                                                                               Matt Ryan and Andy Eckrich sat on row one as racing began, neither bonus qualified. Matt shot to the lead, with first Eckrich, then fourth starting and bonus eligible Andy Nezworski in pursuit. It took only three laps for seventh starting Justin Kay to enter the top five, and by the time lap four was scored he had charged to third. Row five starter Tommy Elston also headed for the front, snagging the fourth spot on lap seven. Ryan hit slower traffic on lap nine, but one more trip around and the yellow waved for a spinning Chris Horn. A second caution came on the Delaware restart as the front of the field stacked up, causing a mixup at the rear with Ray Raker, George, and Horn. Again the yellow flew on the restart as Chris Richard and Darren Mish got together in turn two. On the first try, Nezworski had elected to restart on the inside row, and on the following two he took the high side. But each time Kay powered into the runner up spot, with Elston soon following in third. Ryan was again approaching heavy traffic as the yellow flag ended segment one.                                 With work completed, Elston drove to the front on the restart using the middle line around the track while Ryan and Kay committed to the bottom. The front trio gained separation from the pack with Ryan retaking the point with fifteen laps to go. One circuit later, Kay also cleared Elston for second, and at the crossed flags signaling the halfway mark, traffic again came into play. As Elston faded a bit, we now had a two car battle going on. Forty two laps in and Ryan found the back of the pack racing for position in front of his #07. Mish in particular was running the preferred low line, and Ryan followed him for a couple laps before deciding to move up a lane to make the pass. As the cars entered turn one, a small opening appeared down low, and Kay shot through to the lead before Ryan could complete his pass. Justin was then able to put some distance on the second running Ryan, and with zero cautions the rest of the way, he cruised to a $2,000 payday. Ryan held on to second ahead of three qualified drivers, Elston, Nezworski, and Mark Burgtorf. Eckrich topped the second five over Nick Marolf, Gary Webb, Denny Woodworth, and Joel Callahan.                                                                                   Before the late model finale, the Sprint Invaders had contested a twenty five lap main event. All but one of the twenty three entrants lined up to race, with outside pole sitter Josh Schneiderman putting the #88 machine out front. Chris Martin, Kaley Gharst, and Shake Up Dash winner and sixth starting Paul Nienhiser quickly took up the chase. A deluge of early cautions, five in the first six laps, slowed the action. Then on lap eight the red flag was displayed as Wyatt Wilkerson tried to thread the needle at the very top of turns one and two, ran out of room, and flipped his #29W over the guardrail into the Iowa night. Fortunately he was uninjured, but it took some time before racing resumed. Back under green in single file fashion, Nienhiser grabbed the second spot, but by the time he did Schneiderman had opened a nearly straightaway lead. As heavy traffic became a factor at the halfway point, Nienhiser began to close the gap. With just ten laps remaining, the #50 was poised to challenge for the lead. However Schneiderman expertly negotiated the lapped cars and was pulling away as the checkers flew. He lapped up through fifth place, with only Nienhiser, Martin, and Gharst still on the lead lap. Christian Bowman was scored in fifth.                   Track officials are only just beginning to leak word out that there will be a $3,000 to win sport compact race during the next event on the schedule, the Fall Extravaganva weekend October 9 and 10. As a result, a handful of  " out of town " drivers made the pull to LCS on Saturday, increasing the field to twenty cars. Chevy Barnes and Brandon Crawley sat on row one for the feature race. Jumping to second behind Crawley as lap one was scored, Jared Heule took over the lead on lap two, taking David Prim and twelfth starting Jason Ash along in second and third. Ash continued his charge, gaining second on lap four. Meanwhile Josh Barnes was now the car to watch. After mechanical failure while leading forced him from his heat race, he lined up last for the main event but was in the top five by lap five. Heule and Ash were now battling well ahead of the field, and Ash moved to the front with seven laps to go. Four more trips past the flag stand brought out the lone caution of the race. Tenth starting Brandon Reu, the 2020 track champion used the Delaware double file restart to take over the second position. He would however have nothing for Ash, who cruised to the win. Huele came home in third, followed by Barnes and William Michel.                 The clock was now ticking close to 11:00, and following the first sport mod feature caution, my ride for the night decided it was time to head for the parking lot. Checking the results this morning, I see that track champion Adam Birck topped the twenty five car field. Pole sitter Austen Becerra was second, followed by visiting hot shoe Tim Plummer, Sean Wyett, and Ron Kibbe.                                      Thanks to Brian and Marcie Gaylord and Brian Neal for a program that was both unique and entertaining for the large gathering. Our next scheduled adventure will be at the Davenport Speedway Saturday September 26 as the SLMR east series late models battle it out for a $5,000 winners share on the quarter mile oval. There are many specials around the area in the coming weeks, including the aforementioned Fall Extravaganza at Donnellson, so dig out the sweaters and gloves and say " Hi " when you see us at the track!

Defrance Family Honored at Summer Series Finale

 After multiple postponements over the past two seasons, the 500th and final IMCA late model Summer Series race was held at the Marshalltown Speedway, the home track of the " Iron Man. " Darrell Defrance checked in at the inaugural event at 34 Raceway in West Burlington April 11,1987 and each and every one that followed. Between the 2019  and 2020 seasons, IMCA "sold " the series to Joe Kosiski and his SLMR organization. With 499 Summer Series races having been run, it was decided there would be one last hurrah, in part to honor the man who had run them all. It was originally set for last season, but Mother Nature had other ideas, as three attempts at as many tracks were all washed out. Covid issues and inclement weather again resulted in multiple reschedules earlier this year when it would be part of the Dale Defrance Memorial, so it was piggybacked onto the 14th annual World Nationals weekend. Four other IMCA classes, modifieds, sport mods, stock cars, and hobby stocks as well as mod lites would fill out the card for the Thursday night special.                                                                                    One hundred and seventy eight cars overflowed the pit area, and a large week night crowd braved the rapidly cooling temperatures to watch the historic event at the famed high banked quarter mile. Hot laps began at 6:55, and pre race ceremonies honoring Darrell and his family followed, with green flag racing kicking off at about 7:50. Nineteen heat races were in the books by 9:15, and immediately the mod lite feature came to the track. Dillon Raffurty made the long tow from Kansas City, Mo. pay off as he charged from row four, cruising to the win in the fifteen lap event over ninth starting Cory Sonner.    A half dozen B mains then set the starting grids for the rest of the classes, and with no breaks, the sport mods lined up. Forty cars had been whittled down to twenty four, and with Brayton Carter pulling a " two " for the redraw, this one looked like an easy call. But IMCA Super Nationals champion Johnathon Logue was lurking in row three, and within a few circuits he was on the heels of the #01. While he made things interesting, he ultimately settled for runner up honors, as it was Carter in victory lane.                                             Eighteen laps of hobby stock racing was next, and it did not take long for Nathan Ballard to come from row three to put the heat on polesitter Luke Schluetter. Ballard then grabbed the lead, and posted the win, with Schluetter in second.                                                    Over the years no one in the IMCA stock car class has better at "catfishing" around the bottom of the local bullrings than Jeff  Mueller. If there is a low groove with some moisture to be found, Jeff will take up residence there, and Thursday was no exception. He charged to the front mid race from row five, and cruised to the win. Dallon Murty started one row ahead of Mueller and followed him to the front, but could do no better than second. Dad Damon Murty spent most of the twenty laps picking his way forward from the eleventh spot to third at the checkers.                                                With two separate World Finals shows starting tonight, a whopping forty four IMCA modifieds checked in for Thursday action. Five heat races and a pair of B mains left two dozen standing for the twenty lap feature. To say it was a " who's who " of modified racing would be an understatement. Amazingly, the race went caution free, green to checkers.  Local favorites Jimmy and Richie Gustin lined up in row one, and Richie already had a heat race win on the books. But it was the driver from Torrance, California, racing through the midwest this summer, who would be the star of this show. Fresh off a runner up finish in Boone, Cody came from the sixth starting position to the front, then drove non stop to victory lane. Arizona pilot Tim Ward took second, while hotter than a firecracker Tom Berry Jr. came all the way from fourteenth to third. Jeff Aikey also charged through heavy traffic from row six to fourth and Richie Gustin completed the top five.                                                          Now it was late model time, twenty four starters out of the thirty one entrants, racing forty four laps in honor of the senior Defrance, who raced #44. The modifieds had proven that despite all the laps put on the track there were still multiple grooves, as the cool temps helped keep plenty of moisture at the surface. A host of veteran Summer Series drivers had made the trip to Marshalltown for this marqee event, and Dirt Hall of Famer Gary Webb made the most of it, as the seventy one year old legend pulled the number one to start on the pole. But it was his row one mate Dave Wada who led the opening circuits. The first caution came at lap two, as Kyle Krampe stopped on the track after contact. Nick Marolf, Krampe, Richie Gustin, and Shawn Cooney all retired at this point, leaving us with nineteen cars, as Andy Eckrich was already on the way home with engine woes. Another of the double duty drivers, Jeff aikey started third and moved around Webb for second as the field restarted Delaware double file behind Wada. Aikey then took the lead as lap three was scored. He than checked out on the field before a second caution for a spin by Eric Pollard at lap eight. Webb charged back to second on the restart, and fifth starting Matt Ryan followed in third. Again Aikey built a big advantage. The driver on the move now was Justin Kay, who had lined up in row nine. He entered the top five at lap twenty as he pounded the cushion, and soon found himself locked in a battle for fourth with Curt Martin. Aikey had built a straightaway lead, and by the halfway mark he was in slower traffic. He had lapped up thru tenth place when a final caution came with just six laps remaining for a slowing Martin. By then his lead was more than eight seconds. The late restart did nothing to slow his pace, and the all time Summer Series win leader put one final notch on his belt as the checkers waved. Ryan and Kay took advantage of the late yellow to move to second and third, while Webb completed his strong run in fourth. The man of the hour, Defrance charged to a top five finish after starting in tenth. Wada led the second five in front of row eight starters Andy Nezworski and Ben Seeman, youngster Logan Duffy and B main winner Curtis Glover.                                                    The clock on the dash read 11:58 as we started the car for the long trip home, with plenty of top notch racing to discuss. Thanks to Toby and his group for exciting non stop action, promoters please take note, 178 cars and thirty one races in four hours! Also thanks to Jeff for the ride and hanging in there until the end.                                  While Marshalltown hosts their World Finals this weekend, we will take tonight off, then plant ourselves at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, tomorrow, Saturday, for the IMCA late model Drive for Five Finale, along with Sprint Invaders, sport mods, and sport compacts. LCS fans, please note the earlier start times, hot laps at 6:00 PM.

Gustin Claims Moberly Dollars

 Sunday night it was off to the Randolph County Raceway near Moberly, Missouri as the MLRA late model series stopped by for the second time in 2020. This event would be the Scottie 46, a tribute to the late Albert Scott, the original owner of Quincy, Illinois Raceway and would feature a $5,000 first prize. With Illinois race tracks shuttered early in the season, owner/promoter Jason Goble moved his operation to the high banks of Moberly, mostly keeping in tact his Quincy schedule, including this memorial race. A pair of regular Sunday night classes, B mods and 4 cylinder cars would also be in action. When the MLRA stars visited back in June, Shannon Babb topped a thirty seven car field of late models. A nice group of twenty four super late models checked in this night, supported by twenty three B mods and nineteen four cylinders making for a solid Sunday night gathering. The warm holiday eve also brought a nice sized crowd, and fortunately the stiff southwesterly breeze carried any dust raised away from the  grandstands.                                                                                                      Following hot laps, late model qualifying kicked off, three cars at a time for two laps. Series point leader Payton Looney set quick time with a lap of 16.811 seconds around the high banked oval. Reid Millard put his crew to work after he dropped his driveshaft during his run. Three heat races were run in each division, with each late model ten lapper won from the front row. Outside pole sitter Chad Simpson topped heat one over Looney, Tony Jackson Jr., and Jeremy Grady.  California driver Jason Papich, a two time weekly winner at RCR duplicated the feat, beating Aaron Marrant, Garrett Alberson, and his teammate Tont Toste. Ryan Gustin took off from the pole in heat three, besting Scott Crigler, Justin Duty, and Daniel Hilsabeck. 

A fifteen minute intermission allowed the B mods to line up for their eighteen lap feature, with all but two taking the green flag. Chris Spalding grabbed the early lead from the pole position, while fifth starting Terry Wilson powered to second. Spalding opened a comfortable lead as row two starter Jamie Aleshire moved in to challenge Wilson for second. Following a lap two caution, Preston Dawson joined the leaders in third. Spalding hit slower traffic on lap eight just ahead of a caution for a mix up between Derek Goble and Cody Henderson. Back under green, Dawson moved to second as Spalding again stretched his lead. After another caution about lap twelve, Spalding stumbled on the restart, with Wilson grabbing the lead, trailed by Dawson. Spalding retired to the pits on lap fifteen and Michael Goodwin moved in to the runner up spot one lap later. As the white flag waved, the yellow light came on, setting up a one lap dash for the cash. The field was set single file, and after the first start was called back, Wilson held on for his first win of 2020. Goodwin was a close second. Aleshire, who was involved in an early caution, came from the back to run third, with Dawson and Hunter Cuno completing the top five. Wilson, Spalding, and Dawson also picked up heat race wins.   

 All nineteen 4 cylinders came to the track for a twelve lap feature. Third heat winner Landon Neisen sat on the front row along with Isaiah Penton. The caution waved on lap one as track point champion Alvin Cooney smacked the front stretch wall, ending his night. Penton lined up out front for the restart with Neisen and heat two winner Kyle Burton battling for second. The race stayed clean and green, even though Burton made hard contact with that same front stretch concrete as he fought for position. Neisen saw his strong run end as he slowed on the final lap. Penton remained in control to pick up the win. Anthony Kysar came from row five to claim the runner up spot, while first heat winner Adam Melloway took third. Burton hung around in fourth in front of Jeremy Bell.   

It was now late model time, and all two dozen entries made it to the starting grid. The straight up start from the heats put Simpson and Papich on row one, with Chad jumping to the lead. He set a fast pace as the leaders powered around the high line of the quickly blackening oval. Slower traffic came into play on lap six, and one lap later Gustin cleared Papich for second. It took about three more laps for Ryan to run down the leader, as a two car battle developed at the front. The first caution came at lap thirteen as Kayden Clatt spun in turn two and Justin Duty and Brennon Willard ducked to the pits for flat tires. Again Simpson and Gustin put distance on the field, with Papich rejoining the hunt on lap twenty. Gustin used a lapped car to move to the lead in turn three one lap later, but Simpson executed the crossover move to retake the spot. As the lead pack came upon slower cars racing for position, a spate of flat tires began on lap twenty nine, as the caution came out for Mason Oberkramer. During the shutdown, fourth running Looney stopped on the track, smoke trailing his #15, and he then drove to his pit stall, his night over. The field was then restarted single file, with Simpson, Gustin, and Papich pulling away. Two more cautions came at laps thirty one and thirty three, and as Derek Wiss and Jeremy Conaway changed flats, fourth running Crigler, sixth place Marrant, and seventh position Hilsabeck all retired to the trailer. Simpson pulled away on the open track as racing resumed, but with thirty eight laps scored , everything changed dramatically. The caution waved as Papich slowed with a flat, and Jeff Herzog headed to the trailer with a shredded tire, as well. On the restart, it was now Jackson Jr. bringing out the yellow with a flat, and under green one more time Simpson gave up the lead with his own flat tire. Gustin was now out front, and although pushed by Alberson, he was up to the challenge. He picked up his second career win at the Moberly high banks. Alberson and teammate Jeremiah Hurst ran in the next two spots, while Duty and Toste also recorded top fives. Oberkramer rebounded to take sixth, and Papich came back to seventh. Jackson Jr., Simpson, and Conaway completed the top ten.  

                                                                                                           Despite the spate of cautions, the final checkers waved just before 9:30. Thanks to Jason, Jimmy, and the gang for their hospitality, and a tip of the cap to announcer Doug Mealy for the shout out. The MLRA will make one more visit to RCR this season, and it will be their season championship event on Sunday, October 16. Next up for Racin' Down the Road will be this coming Saturday at the Lee County Speedway, as the IMCA late model Drive for Five finale along with Sprint Invaders top the bill. Enjoy the rest of the Labor Day holiday, and we will see you at the races!