Friday night we stayed with the MARS late model mini tour with the next stop the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. Threatening skies dominated the evening, and the forecast was ominous. However with the late afternoon sun baking the 3/8 mile, the track crew used a heavy dose of water to hopefully keep the dust down and the track fast. So of course the clouds rolled in and suddenly the racing surface was something of a quagmire. Getting the moisture packed in set things back a half hour or so, but with lightning in the distance, hot laps for the four classes on hand got the show started.
Series officials worked the bugs out of the timing loop, so the seventeen super late models checked in rolled through time trial qualifying, two cars at a time for two laps each. Thursday winner Frank Heckenast Jr. was fastest in group one, and Brian Shirley paced group two with what I believe was the fastest overall lap, and the heat lineups were set for the MARS cars, while the IMCA late models, modifieds, and sport mods used a draw, redraw lineup format.
Not surprisingly, the top qualifiers both picked up heat race wins from the pole position, with Heckenast leading Ryan Unzicker, Chris Simpson and Daryn Klein in the first ten lapper while Shirley topped Bobby Pierce, Rich Bell and Steve Stultz in heat two.
With heat race action complete for the sixty seven cars signed in, and reports of torrential downpours twenty miles to the north, the decision was made to move the $5,000 to win headliner ahead of the previously scheduled modified feature. Also it was announced that the race would be cut from thirty to forty laps.
Shirley took command at the drop of the green from the outside pole with Heckenast, Unzicker, Pierce, and Simpson in tow. As the race stayed caution free, the leader caught the back of the pack about lap eleven, and Heckenast began to whittle away at Shirleys' big lead. But Pierce was the man on the move, and as lap fourteen was scored, he charged past Heckenast for second. A half dozen laps later, and he was racing alongside Shirley in turns one and two, but lap after lap Brian used his high side momentum to take command down the back stretch. With four circuits to go, the leaders came up on four cars racing side by side and nose to tail. With the skill of a veteran racer, Shirley was able to weave his way through, holding on to earn a flag to flag, caution free victory. But before I could put it in the book, the #3s was circling around for a second trip across the scales. And soon the announcement came that he was too light - by fifty pounds as it turns out. Already across the scales and back at his trailer, Pierce was then brought back to victory lane and declared the winner. While a bit subdued to win by default, Bobby still took time to offer a special thanks to former late model racer Sam Harroun, who had made a quick trip to Pierce headquarters near Danville, Il. to pick up an engine for the #32 team after they blew up their primary power plant in hot laps Thursday - they then competed in their " back up " car, - and to another former late model and mod pilot Steve Boley for offering up his shop to make necessary changes on Friday. Heckenast and Unzicker also recorded podium finishes, with Simpson and Klein completing the top five. Spencer Diercks ran sixth ahead of Tim Manville, Jason Feger, super late model rookie Brandon Queen, and Rich Bell.
Daniel Fellows charged to the front of the modified twenty lap main event, with Jeff Waterman in tow, while Dennis Laveine, Bill Roberts Jr., and Michael Long battled behind the front duo. Fellows and Long were pounding the cushion, as the two #71s, Waterman and Laveine drove the inside line, racing side by side at lap thirteen. One lap later, they made it a three car battle with Fellows as Long fell back in fourth. With three circuits remaining, Laveine powered to the front and began to put distance on his challengers. But as the white flag was displayed, steam or smoke erupted from the #18L of Long, and he spun high in turn three, ending his run and setting up a green, white, checkers shootout. It proved only a temporary delay for Laveine, who cruised to the win. Waterman came home second and Fellows crossed in third only to also fall victim to the scales. This moved John Oliver Jr. who was subbing for Mark Burgtorf in the Bill Baker # 03B to third, with Roberts and Levi Smith recording top five runs.
The eighteen lap IMCA sport mod feature was up next. Twenty one of the twenty five cars signed in came to the track. Heat race number two had seen Jim Powell, Jim Gillenwater, and Adam Birck racing hard into turn one with Gillenwater squezzed out of racing room on the bottom, spinning up the track where he was hit hard by Austen Beccera, who had no where to go. The grinding crash ended the night for the two top contenders. As the green flag waved for the main event, the pace of the evening nearly ground to a halt. A multi car pile up on lap one created a lengthy delay, only to be outdone two laps later when Powell rolled his #48 machine. Birck moved around early leader Barry Taft ahead of another major pile up on lap four, and apparently to fill the down time, an altercation broke out in the grandstands which eventually required the attention of several track officials. At that point I decided it would be best to quit counting caution periods, but to call the race a marathon would be charitable. Birck topped the nine cars still running at the end, besting Blaine Webster, Brandon Dale, Tanner Klingele, and Taft.
Nick Marolf redrew the pole position for the twenty five lap IMCA " Drive for Five " late model finale, jumping to the lead with third starting Dustin Griffin close behind. Outside row one starter Andy Nezworski, the heat one winner, charged to the runner up spot at lap six, just as the race was halted for a medical emergency in the grandstands. Following a short delay, Marolf again went to the top of the track while Nezworski was busy with challenges from heat two winner Griffin. Andy was finally able to complete the pass at the halfway mark, but Marolf remained in charge. Slower traffic became a factor with five laps to go, but the veteran Marolf was up to the challenge, holding on to collect the $1,000 top prize. Nezworski was second followed by Griffin, wheeling a Denny Woodworth entry. Tommy Elston finished fourth, and Sam Halstead, who suspended his " retirement " the night before in Davenport, notched a top five slot. Matt Ryan started ninth and rode the high line to sixth. Woodworth started last after missing his heat race and advanced to seventh at the checkers in front of Matt Strassheim in the Barton Racing #7B, Ron Boyse, and Jay Johnson.
Quite a few of the nice sized crowd stayed around for the final checkers, which waved about 11:00, and while folks headed north were cautioned about more heavy showers, our trip south remained dry.
The MARS series wraps up their three night swing tonight at the Peoria Speedway, but I will take the night off for R and R. Thanks go out to Tony Izzo and the MARS folks as well as Brian and Marcie Gaylord for their hospitality and for giving us late model fans a top quality show close to home!
We now set our sights on the rescheduled Slocum Fifty next Friday night at 34 Raceway, with the MLRA late model starts vying for top honors and a $10,555 payday. Don't miss it!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment