Saturday night we paid a visit to 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa. It would be season championship night for six classes of cars, with a draw/redraw format for lineups. Additionally, the late models would have a $1,000 payday for the winner thanks to Denny Woodworth, Attorney at Law, and adult admission was only $5.00. Eighty two race teams signed in to do battle on the high banked 3/8 mile oval. Following a medical call to the parking lot, the action began at 7:05, and the thirteen heat races clicked off in about sixty five minutes. There was a quick fifteen minute intermission and we were feature racing. IMCA sport mods turned out nineteen cars, and they kicked off the main event action. A pair of caution flags were displayed before lap one was scored, with a crash on the second attempt taking out the #24 of Ryan Moore. Joe Roller was out front when the first lap finally went in the books, but eighth starting Austen Becerra was challenging for the spot one lap later. Becerra took over and row six starter Adam Birck moved to second. On lap six, Birck spun his #112 in turn two and took a hit, ending the night for both himself and Roller. Back to racing, Barry Taft and Adam Shelman staged a side by side battle for the runner up spot, Ron Kibbe and Sean Wyett jockeyed for fourth while Becerra went on cruise control. The field realigned single file after a final caution at lap ten, but there was no catching Becerra. He captured the main event, with Taft in second. Wyett slipped past Shelman at the line for third while Kibbe completed the top five. Thirteen IMCA late models then lined up for twenty laps. Darin Weisinger Jr. and Matt Ryan drew the front row, with Weisinger leading laps one and two. Ryan then pulled off a slider to take the lead for good, with Denny Woodworth soon moving into second. Ryan opened about a five car length lead as the front pair separated from the pack. Ray Raker spun with eight laps to go, bringing out the lone caution. Row four starter Justin Kay charged from sixth to third on the Delaware restart while Weisinger got caught in a traffic jam and was shuffled back to sixth. Ryan quickly reestablished his lead, cruising to the checkers. Woodworth was runner up, leading Kay, Andy Nezworski, and Jay Johnson in the top five. Weisinger Jr. completed a strong weekend in sixth, topping Mark Burgtorf, Dustin Griffin, Gary Webb, and Matt Strassheim. The IMCA sport compacts went green to checkers for a dozen laps. Jason Ash grabbed the top spot on lap two, then held off Larry Miller and Jared Heule for the win. Chris Cousan and David Prim also recorded top five finishes. Travis Pence gave way to Noah Samuel on lap two of the 305 sprint feature ahead of a lap four caution. On the restart, Pence tried to make a low side pass for the lead, tangled with Samuel and flipped his #01 on the front stretch, ending his run and sending Samuel to the tail. Daniel Bergquist inherited the lead, with first Devon Rouse, then Cody Wehrle in pursuit. Wehrle snagged the point on lap eight, while Dan Keltner powered to third two circuits later. Slower traffic came into play on lap thirteen, but the caution came out as that lap was scored. Keltner then jumped to second as the caution again waved when Joey Laue smacked the tire barriers on the backstretch. As the white flag flew, Keltner pulled alongside Wehrle in a last ditch attempt at the win and the track title, but he appeared to run out of room as they raced out of turn two and made hard contact with that backstretch wall. His run ended on the back of the wrecker. Wehrle then led the final lap to pick up the win, besting Nathan Murders. Dugan Thye had restarted at the tail after an early caution, but charged back to third, while Samuel also bounced back from his altercation to take fourth. Jeff Wilke completed the top five. With the cushion now up against the turns three and four wall, the IMCA mods came to the track. The first of two yellows came on the start, as Apple Valley, California driver Joe Haresky spun in turn four. Dennis Laveine then took off from outside row one in what would be a flag to flag win. There were epic battles behind him as Jeff Waterman, Dalton Simonsen, Darin Duffy, and Michael Long ran in a pack lap after lap vying for second through fifth. A final caution for Jardin Fuller on lap eight wiped out what was a big lead for Laveine. Back to racing however, he again stretched his advantage as Long found enough bite at the top of turn three to move to third on lap twelve and second three laps later. At the finish, it was Laveine out front, followed by Long, Duffy, Simonsen, and Waterman. After a lap one caution, Les Blakley paced the IMCA stock cars until Jason Cook pushed ahead by the slimmest of margins on lap three. John Oliver Jr. lined up in row four and worked the high groove to take third on lap four. Blakley was hugging the low line, as he retook the lead on lap six, Cook was running one lane higher, and Oliver was sailing around the top. Cook was scored first on the seventh time around, but Oliver nosed ahead in a three wide battle on lap eight. Slower traffic kept Cook in contention before the last caution with three laps to go. There would be no catching Oliver, however, as Cook settled for second over Blakley and Shane Richardson. Chad Krogmeier lost his bid for a top five when he slowed on the final lap, and Jake Powers was there to take the fifth position. Notes from 34: The discounted admission resulted in a nice sized gathering, and there appeared to be a large contingent of families, with the many children benefiting from numerous giveaways. There was a disconnect between the announcer and the flag stand as the number of laps announced for at least two of the features did not match what was actually run. The added laps had an impact on the final running order in the modified class. While the track champion was not to my knowledge announced for the sport mods, research this morning indicates that it went to Sean Wyett. Heule hung on in the compacts, Ryan stayed atop the late models, and Oliver Jr. did the same in the stock car class. Wehrle jumped ahead of Keltner for the sprint title, and Laveine overtook Waterman in the mods. I consider myself fortunate to have made many friends in the racing community and am able to find enjoyment in watching just about anyone celebrate a sucessful run. I must admit however, to a special feeling when it comes to the accomplishments of John Oliver Jr. My writing career began in the early 1970s in Keokuk and Donnellson, and at the time I was covering three members of the Oliver family. Two others have come along since, and although John Jr. is the only one still active, I hope I can be forgiven for this attachment to the past. Hopefully we will be able to make more visits to 34 in 2021, as we certainly enjoyed the nineteen race program which saw the final checkers fly about 10:15. Thanks as always to Brad, Jessi, and the gang for their hospitality. We now enter the " postseason " of specials events and there are lots of choices to be made. Our next destination is unclear due to some outside forces, although plans are in place for a visit to Randolph County Raceway near Moberly, missouri next Sunday, September 6 as the MLRA makes their second visit of the season for the " Scottie 46 " paying a cool $5,000 to win. Enjoy the Labor Day holiday, and make a visit to a race track near you!
Sunday, August 30, 2020
34 Raceway Crowns Season Champs
Saturday, August 29, 2020
Lee County Crowns Champions
Although it seems as though it just started, the 2020 points season is winding down as we prepare for the end of year specials. Friday night it was season championship night at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. In addition, it was Fan Appreciation night, with adult admission at $3.00! The five regular IMCA classes were on the card, with late models featuring the closest points race, Tommy Elston a scant four markers in front of Denny Woodworth. Also, the Inex Legends cars, in support of the C.O.P.S. program were added to the program. IMCA sport compacts ran the first feature, with ten cars lining up for fifteen laps. Kimberly Abbott was late to staging and tagged the tail of the field as they rolled down the backstretch. After the initial start was called back, Kaycee McGregor paced the opening circuit while Brandon Reu and Jared Heule battled side by side for second, with Reu claiming the spot on lap two. By lap five, Abbott was in the mix, but a friendly tap sent her into the turn three guardrail, bringing out the yellow flag. Back under green, the top three were side by side by side on lap seven, with Reu and Heule clearing McGregor while Reu on the bottom and Heule up high remained locked in a scrum until Reu took over on lap ten. One lap later, Heule spun in turn one and was hit hard by McGregor, ending the night for both drivers. Abbott was now on the move once again, and on the final lap she used a high side move to grab the lead and the victory. Reu settled for second followed by David Prim, Chevy Barnes, and Cody Bowman. The runner up finish was more than enough for Reu to take the track title. Michael Weber used a last lap pass to capture an entertaining fifteen car main event for the Legends cars. IMCA late models were next, and after Denny Woodworth won his heat race , Elstons' lead was down to one point. Denny would line up in row four while Tommy would start behind him. Front row starters Ray Raker and Darin Weisinger Jr. crossed the line neck and neck as lap one was scored, with Weisinger charging ahead on lap two. As the field battled behind him, Weisinger held the top spot until lap fifteen. Jay Johnson and Sam Halstead kept the leader in their sites as they fought for the runner up spot, and Elston joined the fray on the twelfth circuit of the non stop event. On that fifteenth lap, Weisinger, Johnson, and Halstead raced three wide, with Darin riding the narrowing cushion. Johnson led lap fifteen by inches, and Halstead nosed out front one lap later. With three to go in the twenty lap race Elston powered to second, but could not close on Halstead, who picked up his first win in a shortened 2020 campaign. Elston secured another championship with a second place run, followed by Mark Burgtorf, Johnson, and Weisinger. Woodworth ran sixth ahead of teammate Dustin Griffin, Ron Boyse, and Raker. Matt Strassheim did not start after a heat race mishap. Chad Krogmeier took the low line from row one to pace a six car pack as the stock cars ran eighteen non stop laps. Abe Huls came from row three to chase Krogmeier, running one lane higher than the leader. On lap ten he made his move to the point, and seventh starting John Oliver Jr. came to second two laps later. Oliver followd Huls down low in turns one and two, then pounded the treacherous cushion in turns three and four, but could not close the gap. Abe took the win, while John took the track title. Jason Cook ran third in a tight pack over Jeremy Pundt, Mike Harward, and Krogmeier. The IMCA sport mods were up next and it was another yellow flag marathon. Nicholas Profeta was a no show and Josh Holtman elected to start from the rear in his new ride, turning the front row over to Bobby Six and Dakota Anderson. Six took the early lead and following a caution after lap one was scored, sixth starting Brandon Dale claimed the second spot. Austen Becerra had heat race woes, started near the back of the scheduled nineteen cars, and entered the top five on lap eight. He then suffered more damage, bringing out the yellow and ending his run and any chance of overtaking Adam Birck for the track championship. That was a lucky break for Adam, as he got together with Blaine Webster during another caution flag slow down at the halfway mark, with both cars too damaged to continue. Yellow number four came on the restart, then a three car battle for the lead developed between Six, Dale, and Sean Wyett. On lap fourteen, Wyett hooked the rear quarter panel of the Six machine in turn three, sending him for a spin. Six exited the track and Wyett was sent to the tail for the restart. By now, Ron Kibbe had moved from the ninth row all the way to second, and following another caution, he set sail in search of Dale. A seventh and final yellow saw the remaining cars go single file, with Dale cruising to the win. Kibbe took second, besting Joe Roller, Anderson, and Holtman. As mentioned, Birck took championship honors. Most of the large crowd stayed around for at least the start of the IMCA modified finale. Daniel Fellows started fourth in the ten car field and was in front for lap one. Row three starter Jeff Waterman took up the chase on the next circuit, but was replaced by Dennis Laveine on lap three. Meanwhile, ninth starting Michael Long was making short work of the pack, using the high line to power to second on lap four. Although Fellows had a sizable lead, it took Michael only three more trips around to move to the front and send the fans heading for home. Fellows made contact with the guardrail in turn three on lap eight as he tried to follow Long on the disappearing cushion, and although he kept going, on lap twelve he slowed, dropping a trail of fluid on the track, his night over. After this lone caution, Long was not challenged as he walked to the win. Laveine ran second, with track champion Waterman in third. Mark Burgtorf turned up the wick in the second half of the race, to take fourth, while Lance Schlicher came out ahead in a three car battle for fifth. While this was the final regular season event at Lee County, there are still several nights of racing to look forward to at the 3/8 mile D shaped fairgrounds track. Next up will be the late model Drive for Five finale on Saturday, September 12. Qualified drivers will race for a $5,000 payday, while those not eligible would take home $2,000 for the win. Sprint Invaders will also be on the card, so watch the track website or Facebook for more details. Thanks to the Gaylords, Brian Neal, and the gang for their continued hospitality at one of my " home tracks." Tonight our plans are to visit another of my favorite venues, 34 Raceway in West Burlington as they contest season championship races in six classes. Hope to see you there!
Sunday, August 23, 2020
Pospisil Tops West Liberty SLMR Action
Saturday night we made our third trip of 2020 to the West Liberty Raceway. Drt Trak Promotions was the host as Joe Kosiski brought his SLMR super late model racing eastern division series to town for a $3,000 to win event. The under card featured modifieds battling for a $1,000 check along with sport mods and 4 stocks. The A.I.R.S. and Midwest Jalopies completed the slate. Five states were represented in the ninety nine car field, with thirty two late models leading the way. With a hot sun baring down, the track crew gave the racing surface a heavy dose of water, however it was quickly blended into the dirt, and action kicked off shortly after the 6:30 advertised time. The SLMR series uses a combined total of points awarded for time trial finishes along with passing points in the heat races to qualify the top sixteen for the main event. In addition, the top six in each heat race are inverted, based on their qualifying time. This can create some odd scenarios as evidenced on Saturday. Chad Holladay was overall fast timer with a lap of 19.107 seconds around the big half mile. He then started sixth and finished fifth in heat one, but still earned enough points to line up eighth in the thirty lap feature. Jeff Aikey started outside row one and captured that first heat, with Brian Harris, Richmond, Missouri driver Aaron Marrant and Dave Wada joining Holladay as transfers. Dave Eckrich led the distance from the pole in heat two. Nick Marolf, series points leader Tad Pospisil and fifth place Jason Hahne also transfered, while fourth finishing J C Wyman went to one of the two B mains. Chris Simpson came from fourth to grab heat three. Second place Jon Brauns was forced to a B main along with fourth and fifth place finishers Chad Simpson and Gabe Umbarger, while Jeff Tharp in third and Matt Ryan in sixth made the cut. The top four in heat four all survived, as sixth starting Andy Eckrich earned a front row start in the main event with the win. Jay Johnson finished in second, Charlie McKenna started fifth, came home third and earned the feature pole, and Darrell Defrance qualified after a fourth place run. The top two from each of two B mains would line up in rows nine and ten, with Brauns and Wyman topping the first B , and Chad Simpson and Justin Kay moving up from the second. Andrew Kosiski and Kyle Krampe took provisional starting spots. With only the late models needing B mains, the feature races kicked off with the American Iron Racing Series battle, fifteen cars for ten laps. Ray Guss Jr. lined up about row six, then worked his way to the front mid race to record the win. Thirteen sport mods were up next for sixteen laps. Logan Anderson used his pole start to build a half straightaway lead ahead of a lap seven caution for debris. Tim Plummer had started in row five, was fourth when the yellow flag waved, then powered to second following the Delaware restart. Shawn Slaughter brought out the caution at lap eleven, and back to racing the front duo separated from the pack. Plummer was working the inside line while Anderson was happy in the middle groove. A final caution came with three laps to go, and back under green Plummer made a last push, drawing within a half car length as the white flag was displayed. A mishap on the final lap brought a yellow-checkers finish, with Anderson completing the flag to flag win. Plummer was second, followed by Matt Fulton, Dustin Schram and Scott Brau. Twenty one strong, the modifieds were up next. Jeff Aikey was doing double duty on the night, and he outgunned his row one mate Cayden Carter to pace lap one. The yellow quickly waved as Mark Burgtorf rolled to a stop under the flagstand, his night over. Carter took over as lap two was scored,, and the yellow came again at lap four when Chris Zogg slowed. One more lap was in the books before a caution for Kyle Montgomery brought things to a halt. Carter then began to pull away as Aikey, Denny Eckrich, and Spencer Diercks battled for second. Catching slower traffic at the halfway mark of ten laps, Carter was cruising, but again the caution slowed his pace. Now it was Diercks diving low to grab the lead in turn one, while Carter returned the favor with a successful slide job at the other end of the track. Diercks once again took the point in turn one, and while Carter stayed close, he could not mount a serious challenge. Slower traffic came into play in the final pair of laps, but Diercks was flawless, holding on for the win. It was a bittersweet victory, however, as he had crashed his late model on the opening lap of heat one as he tried to miss a spinning car. Carter took runner up honors, besting Aikey, Darin Duffy, and Eckrich. A small group of eight sport compacts signed in to race for ten laps. The first of two cautions came on the start, with Adam Gates then pacing the field. Lap five saw Cody Staley grab the lead, and he held on through a lap six yellow to grab the win. Gates stayed close in second, with Cody VanDusen in third, followed by Tim Long and Jared McMichael. Scott VanBuskirk chargd through the ten car field of Midwest Jalopies to capture their ten lap main event. It was now showtime for the SLMR late models. Andy Eckrich shot to the lead with McKenna and Pospisil chasing. Andy had built a commanding lead by lap five when a car slowed on the front stretch preparing to head for the infield. Eckrich appeared to get out of the gas, possibly anticipating a caution flag that did not come, and McKenna and Pospisil flew around him before he could get back up to speed. Slower traffic came into play at lap eleven, and three circuits later Pospisil found his way to the top spot. Stretching his lead, he had little trouble with lapped cars. The laps clicked off with the only position battles from fifth on back until the final pair of laps. McKenna fell out of competition, to be honest I did not see him exit the track, and as I looked for him on the white flag lap, fifth running Marolf appeared to contact the turn two wall, creating a mad scramble behind the leaders. Pospisil held serve for the win, with Eckrich now in the runner up spot. Tharp drove a steady race to take third, with Harris on his heels in fourth. Aikey moved up a few spots at the end to grab fifth, while Holladay, Dave Eckrich, Chris then Chad Simpson also benefitted in the chaos. Marrant remained where he had been running in tenth. It was proudly annouced that the thirty caution free laps gave the series three consecutive flag to flag features! The action wrapped up as the clock struck 11:00. Thanks once again to Bob Wagener, Carrie Rouse and their team for their hospitality and most of all for bringing high speed racing back to the legendary West Liberty Raceway.
Saturday, August 22, 2020
Martin, Woodworth, Oliver Jr., Birck, and Barnes Take LCS Checkers
Friday night it was back to the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. On this night, the Sprint Invaders would join the IMCA late models atop the card. For the late models, it would be the fifth and final qualifying night in the Drive For Five mini series. IMCA stock cars and IMCA sport mods would also be in action. Completing the lineup, the IMCA sport compacts would be vying for extra money thanks to some generous sponsors, with $200 to the winner, and a hard charger bonus of $100. The IMCA modifieds would not be racing this night. The late model feature would pay $1,000 to win, and drivers competing in at least four of the qualifiers would be racing for a $5,000 top prize in the September 12 series finale. If the winner on that night had not raced in enough of the previous events, he would still collect a $2,000 check. Sprint Invaders led the way with twenty five entries, but it was the sport compacts coming to the track for the first feature. All but one of the nineteen cars made the call for fifteen laps of action. Following a false start, outside pole sitter Josh Barnes grabbed the lead in front of Kaycee McGregor. Jared Heule took up the chase on lap three, but Barnes was soon pulling away. Heule managed to close the gap a bit as Barnes seemed to develop a push coming off the corners. As Brandon Reu began to run down the front duo, the caution came out with twelve laps scored for a spin by Alyssa Dietrich. Reu moved to second on the Delaware restart, but Barnes was not to be denied, posting a flag to flag win. As icing on the cake, Barnes' fourteen year old son, Chevy, in only his second race, passed several cars in the closing laps, advancing from the eighteenth starting spot to ninth to pick up the hard charger bonus. Kevin Koontz was unable to join the other dozen stock cars that lined up for eighteen laps of feature racing. Jerry Jansen put his Ford powered machine out front, with Chad Krogmeier slipping around him on lap four. John Oliver Jr. and Jeremy Pundt made it a three wide battle for the lead one lap later. By the time lap six was in the books, Krogmeier and Oliver were neck and neck. With Krogmeier dropping back a bit, Pundt now had his hands full of visiting Jason See in the battle for second.The first yellow came at lap eleven as Neal Kohlmorgan and Dean Kratzer got together in turn two. Back to racing, Oliver began to put distance on the pack as Abe Huls jumped from seventh to the runner spot by lap fourteen, even as See began to fade. A final caution for debris came with three laps to go, and as Oliver cruised to the win, Huls and Pundt staged a duel for second. At the checkers, it was Oliver Jr., Huls, Pundt, Jim Redmann, and Jason Cook. The large contingent of sprint car fans on hand were now eager for twenty five laps of action. Four early scratches had resulted in the B main being scrapped, and twenty one cars came to the track. Things got off to a slow start, with a 360 degree spin by Paul Neinhauser bringing out the caution on the start sending him from a row four start to the tail. Then John Schulz went for a tumble in turn three, bringing out the red flag. Kaley Gharst and Josh Higday paced the field ahead of another caution on lap three. Following another single file restart the laps began to click off, with the leaders running a quickly narrowing cushion, especially in turns thre and four. Slower traffic came into play on lap ten, and Higday used it to his advantage as he grabbed the lead. Chris Martin now joined the leaders, and he powered to second as the crossed flags signaled thirteen laps down. Martin then pulled a textbook slider to take the top spot as the leaders exited turn four. He was building his advantage when a final caution came just five laps from the checkers as Austin Miller drilled the guardrail entering the front stretch. During the down time it was discovered that fifth running Gharst had lost his wheel nuts, and he was pushed to the infield, ending his run. With a clear track in front, Chris Martin pulled away to victory. Higday settled for second, followed by Riley Goodno, row ten starter Lynton Jeffrey, and Dustin Selvage. Nienhauser also worked his way back to sixth from the tail. Thirteen late models would now attempt to negotiate the black slick racing surface for twenty five laps. Denny Woodworth drew the outside pole start, and he would waste no time building a lead. Sam Halstead came from row two to take up the chase, but he had his hands full with a persistant Tommy Elston. With zero cautions to bring the pack back to the leaders, Woodworth encountered slower traffic just before the half way mark. He was able to move around the track to put several cars a lap down, maintaining a healthy lead. The leaders stayed in the low to middle grooves throughout, with the best battle being for fourth position. Andy Nezworski was reluctant to give up his inside line, and when he had trouble with a lapped car, Mark Burgtorf took advantage, grabbing the spot on the final circuit. Woodworth claimed the win with Halstead in a season best second and Elston, Burgtorf and Nezworski following. Nick Marolf led the second five, ahead of Dustin Griffin, Ron Boyse, Matt Strassheim, and Darin Weisinger Jr. Visiting Jill George and Ray Raker completed the field, with Jay Johnson the only car to not finish. Sport mods were twenty one strong , and they closed out the action racing for eighteen laps. With Nick Profeta giving up his pole start, Austen Becerra was moved up to row four, and he came all the way to the front to lead lap one in front of Jim Gillenwater. Adam Birck started directly behind Becerra and grabbed the runner up spot on lap two ahead of a caution for a spinning Brian Berghager. Back to green, Becerra was pounding the cushion as well as the guardrail while Birck catfished around the very bottom of the track in what swiftly became a two car scrum between the two good friends. Birck was on top as lap five was scored. Following a lap seven caution Sean Wyett used the Delaware restart to take over second place following in Bircks tracks. Becerra reclaimed the spot on lap eight, and pulled even with the leader one lap later. Anothe caution came at lap eleven, and again Wyett moved to second, moving to the high line to try and get a run on Birck. One last caution came with five circuits remaining, and when a three car battle for second developed, Birck was able to pull away for the win. Wyett was strong in second, while Bobby Six, who had trouble in his heat race and started in row nine, charged all the way to third. Becerra and his crumpled fender faded to fourth, with Brandon Dale rounding out the top five. The final checkers waved about 11:00, putting a cap on a full night of multi groove racing. It was announced that next week, season championship night at the speedway will also be Fan Appreciation night, with $3.00 adult admissions! Tonight we will be heading to the West Liberty Raceway as Drt Trak Promotions will host the SLMR late models in a $3,000 to win show supported by modifieds, sport nods, compacts, and the A.I.R.S/ Midwest Jalopies. Meanwhile the Sprint Invaders will lead the card at 34 Raceways in West Burlington.
Sunday, August 16, 2020
Leighton Jr. a Quick Learner at Davenport
Bill Leighton Jr., from La Vista, Nebraska entered the weekend third in SLMR west division points. But he decided to make the four and a half hour drive to Davenport, Iowa for the opening nights of the Quad City trifecta. Leighton had never raced on the fairgrounds 1/4 mile, having only watched videos, so his fourteenth place finish on Friday night would serve as a learning experience. By Saturday he was ready for his " final. " He would line up outside row one for the forty lap feature, and when the checkered flag waved he would be holding the $5,000 " big check " in victory lane.
The car count was down only slightly on Saturday, with 119 drivers across five divisions, topped by thirty one super late model entries.
The timing device was back up and working , and veteran Dave Eckrich celebrated the birthday we share by posting the fastest lap of 14.979 seconds, the only driver to crack the fifteen second barrier.
While heat race action went off without a hitch on Friday, there were multiple caution periods this night, particularly in the four late model qualifiers as the track stayed somewhat slick during preliminary events. A six car invert from time trials with the top sixteen in passing points qualifying for the forty lap finale and all others to one B main made for some itchy trigger fingers. Friday feature winner Andy Eckrich topped heat one, while his runner up Justin Kay claimed heat two. " Chargin' Charlie Mckenna and Curt Schroder also picked up heat wins. Nick Marolf topped the six B main qualifiers with Gabe Umbarger and Gary Webb added as provisionals to fill out the twenty four car starting field.
Changing things up a bit from Friday, the street stocks would be first on the feature grid, fourteen starters racing for fifteen laps. Pole sitter Jeff Struck Jr. paced the opening circuit with his row one mate Jesse Owen in second. Joe Bonney moved up to challenge on lap two. With the track still a bit slick for the smaller tires on the street stocks, the leaders lined up running the inside line ahead of a lap six caution. On the restart, Bonney decided to try a middle groove around the oval while seventh starting Nick Hixson went one lane higher yet. Following a second and final yellow on lap twelve, Hixson began to apply pressure to the leader, again from the top side of the track. When the checkers waved, it was the second generation racer Hixson with the win. Struck held on for runner up honors in front of Bonney, Owen, Rob Henry, and Friday night winner Donnie Louck.
Twelve laps would be the distance for the fourteen IMCA sport compacts signed in. Thomas Adams put his #47 out front at the drop of the green and drove off to a commanding lead and win in the non stop event. Shane Kelly gave chase in second, with Jimmy Dutlinger, Cody Staley, and Shawn McDermott also recording top five runs.
Late models again ran third on the grid with forty laps the distance and $5,000 the top prize bookended by $400 to start. Spencer Diercks powered to the front from the pole, taking third starting McKenna along in second. Weekly racing track champion Matt Ryan came from row three to the runner up spot on lap three running his usual low line while Diercks alternated between the narrow cushion, the middle groove and the inside line. Outside row one starter Leighton Jr. fell back a bit, but soon rejoined the leaders in a three car tussle. Ryan took over the top spot on lap seven, and one lap later Leighton cleared Diercks for second. With Ryan on the bottom and Leighton up top the duo pulled away with Leighton grabbing the lead on lap eleven. One more circuit and slower traffic became a factor. Leighton had little trouble negotiating the lapped cars and now running a middle groove he had a nearly straightaway lead by the mid point of the race. From the fifth row, Richie Gustin was now applying heat to Ryan for second, but it was Jeff Aikey who found some magic, passing both cars to slide into second on lap twenty two. Gustin followed in third three circuits later, but Leighton was nearly flawless in heavy traffic as he maintained his advantage. Eventually Aikey was able to close in as traffic continued to be a factor, and as lap thirty five was scored he was on the back bumper of Leightons' #24. In fact, he pulled alongside the leader briefly, but Leighton was able to use a lapped car as a pick to gain separation once again entering turn three. After that Aikey was not able to mount another serious challenge, and Leighton rode to victory in another caution free race. By my count, all but three of the starters were still on the track at the end, making the lack of yellows quite astounding. Aikey took runner up honors while " G Money " Gustin was third. Ryan came home fourth, and Kay took over the east division points lead from Tad Pospisil with his fifth place finish. Jaason Hahne paced the next five, besting Diercks, McKenna, Dave Eckrich, and Pospisil.
It was nearing 10:00 PM as the sport mod feature took the green, and we made the decision to begin the journey home, quite pleased with what we had seen in our two nights at the storied fairgrounds track. Reports this moring show pole sitter Logan Veloz with the win over heat three winner Shane Paris, Jeremy Gustaf, heat two victor Logan Anderson, and Ryan Walker. The IMCA modified finale went to seventh starting Chris Simpson who redeemed a pair of frustrating nights in his late model with the $1,000 win. Eric Barnes lined up behind Chris and rolled home second, trailed by row six starter Kollin Hibdon, Chris Zogg, and Dennis Laveine.
Thanks to Ricky and Brenda Kay and the gang at Davenport for two nights of hospitality and great racing. The SLMR mini tour wraps up tonight at the Bullring at RICO in East Moline, Ilinois. We will need to recuperate, with an eye towards next weekend. Friday night will be the final Drive for Five IMCA late model qualifier at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, where the Sprint Invaders will also be on the card. Then on Saturday the SLMR east division will invade the West Liberty Raceway for a $3,000 to win show. And finally on Sunday, it will be ASCS sprint cars at the Randolph County Raceway near Moberly, Missouri. Get out and support these events or another close to you while this awesome weather lasts!
Saturday, August 15, 2020
Andy Eckrich Tops Night One at Davenport SLMR
Friday night found us at the Davenport, Iowa Speedway as the eastern division of the Malvern Bank SLMR - super late model racing series sponsored by Hoker Trucking was finally able to get their season back in action. The series, the brainchild of I-80 Speedway owners Joe and Steve Kosiski began a successful run at eastern Nebraska and western Iowa tracks in 2019. During the past winter, the Kosiski group purchased the Deery Brothers sponsored IMCA Summer Series and split the series into eastern and western divisions. Unfortunately, a combination of the Covid restrictions and inclement weather postponed several series races ahead of a mid August triple header with Friday and Saturday racing in Davenport followed by action this Sunday at the Bullring at RICO in East Moline, Illinois. A whopping 139 cars signed in across five divisions, with late models at 36, mods at 30, and sport mods at 38 all hitting or surpassing the thirty mark! Third in the running order, the late models were set to time trial, then collect passing points in their four heat races, but in a repeat of the MARS series event in June, the timing loop decided not to cooperate, and the cars were lined up by numbers drawn. As it turned out, this probably was a good thing, as the large number of races had the program bumping up against the 10:30 curfew. It took twenty one heat races and six B mains to finally set the starting grid for the five features. Twenty laps of IMCA modified action came first. The first attempt at a green flag was called back, and during the reset, top contender Jason Bahrs became the first of the twenty four car field to retire to the pit area. Brunson Behning, back after about a three year absence lined up on the pole, and shot to the early lead, with veteran Ken Schrader and Chris Simpson in pursuit. By the time the leaders moved in on slower traffic on lap ten, the second running Simpson was closing in on Behning. The caution flag would wave with thirteen laps in the books, and only one more circuit would be scored before a final yellow, as Ryan Duhme, who was now in a battle for second, would spin in turn one. On the restart, it was now IMCA national point leader Tom Berry Jr. lined up in second. However he was no match for Behning who led every lap en route to the win. Berry would come home second in front of a pair of double duty drivers in Simpson and Spencer Diercks, while Schrader completed the top five. The thirty eight car IMCA sport mod field was whittled down to twenty four lined up for fifteen laps. Ben Chapman paced the first three laps running the high line, with Doug Burkhead catfishing the inside groove in second. Lap four saw Burkhead atop the leader board, and after seventh starting Maguire Dejong used that same low line to grab second, Chapman switched to the bottom as the crossed flags signaled the halfway mark of the race. The front five were now all hugging the bottom, as the race went caution free to the checkers! Burkhead said it had been a while since he saw victory lane, but on this night he topped Maguire, Chapman,Logan Veloz, and Dustin Schram. Forty laps was the distance for the late models, with Andy Eckrich and Jason Hahne sitting in row one. Eckrich led lap one, chased by row two starters Matt Ryan and Jason Rauen. The first yellow came on lap two as provisional starter J. C. Wyman spun in turn one. Davenport track champion Ryan elected the high line on the restart, but soon it was seventh starting Justin Kay making noise, charging from eighth on the restart to fifth three laps later. While Eckrich continued in the low groove, Ryan also dropped down on the eighth trip around the 1/4 mile. Spencer Diercks now took up the high side chase, and just ahead of a lap ten caution for a slowing Jeff Aikey, he moved to second. He was applying heavy pressure to the leader when he slipped over the narrow cushion in turns three and four on lap sixteen, but instead of bringing out the caution, he drove to the pit area. As the crossed flags indicated the race was at the mid point, it was Eckrich, Hahne, Ryan, and Kay. Opening a nice lead, Andy was beginning to deal with slower traffic when the yellow waved at lap twenty five. Andy Nezworski had started in row seven wheeling a Jeff Tharp team car, and he now found himself lining up in third, ahead of Ryan and Kay. While the leaders stayed away from the treacherous cushion, Kay decided to take the plunge, vaulting to third at lap twenty nine, and the runner up spot four laps later. He appeared to be running down the leader, but the caution came with four laps to go. Back under green, one more lap was scored before a three car pile up in turns one and two. The scoring loop now seemed to rear its ugly head, as it took seemingly forever to realign the still sizable field for what would be a final restart. Even as the scorers struggled to get it right, Richie Gustin did not appear to agree, first stopping on the front stretch, then driving to the infield and strolling to the stage for an explanation. With the red light now turned off, it was finally time to go back to racing. Kay again drove to the cushion while Eckrich was careful to avoid the fluid that had been dropped in the low line as the cars sat idle waiting to be lined up. While Kay made a valiant effort, it was a jubilant Eckrich who would claim the $5,000 top prize. Hahne ran third, chased by Nezworski and Nebraska ace Tad Pospisil. Ryan hung around in sixth, and Rauen, Travis Denning, Tharp, and eighteenth starting Brian Harris in the Lynn Richard #15R filled out the top ten. With time now a factor, the post race celebration took place elsewhere as the street stock main came to the track. One early caution slowed the action, but from the drop of the green, it was Donnie Louck in command. He picked up the win, besting Jesse Owen, Jeff srtuck, Zachary Zuberbier, and Jeffrey Peterson. IMCA sport compacts closed out the action. Although we had made the decision to beat the heavy traffic and head home, this finale apparently ended with a bit of controversy. The final rundown has Brandon Dahl the winner, with apparent winner Jimmy Dutlinger scored as a DQ. Shawn McDermott, Tim and Todd Sibley, and Jack Fitzgibbon completed the top five. With one eye towards the sky, we are planning to make the long drive back today for a repeat of the five class program, with another $5,000 on the line for the late models, so check back tomorrow for a recap of the action. I realize the script is a bit jumbled, as my computer apparenty does not like the new format for this blog program. I will keep trying! Thanks for reading!
Sunday, August 9, 2020
Mid-Summer Madness Comes to West Liberty
Saturday night we made our second visit of 2020 to the storied West Liberty Raceway on the Muscatine County Fairgrounds for the third edition of Mid-Summer Madness hosted by the Drt Trak Racing group.With points racing still in full force ,the car count was a bit lower than the strong purse offered would indicate, but the racing was top notch in front of a large but socially distanced crowd. Also, the big half mile was well prepared, permitting the high speed competition that loyal West Liberty fans crave. Five classes of cars were in competition, including the nostalgic stock car group, and they ran the first main event. Ten cars lined up, and while most of these are replicas of well known race cars of days gone by, the outside pole machine was a restored 1968 Mercury Cougar #81 raced forty plus years ago by legendary Jim Gerber. Jeff Walker was behind the wheel, and he led lap one ahead of the only caution flag of the twelve lapper. On the restart, it was Ray Guss Jr. in the Keith Simmons #38 John Connelly tribute car powering to the front. Guss had no trouble keeping his 454 cubic inch hot rod out front for a popular victory. Sport mods were up next, with twenty cars signed in to challenge for the $1,000 top prize. Sixteen laps would be the distance, and outside row one driver Tim Plummer would vault to the lead as the green flag waved. With Curtis Vanderwall in pursuit, the front duo began to distance themselves from the pack. Keeping with a familiar theme, the first caution came at lap five. Back to racing, sixth starting Brayton Carter charged into contention in third ahead of a lap ten yellow for a Shaun Slaughter spin, pausing an entertaining battle for fourth between Matt Fulton, Logan Anderson, and Jason Roth. Two times more the caution waved before another lap was scored, with Vanderwall suffering a flat tire after the field was stacked up on the Delaware restart. Anderson then took over the runner up spot ahead of a red flag situation on lap thirteen when Ryan Walker rolled in turn two. He was uninjured, and after a lengthy delay it was back to action. Carter now took up the chase, but Plummer was not to be denied as he posted a flag to flag win. Meanwhile Carter nosed out Anderson for third, followed by Fulton and Roth. Modifieds were next, with twenty laps the distance. Front row starters Terry Rentfro and Chris Zogg quickly broke away from the pack. Derrick Stewart and Spencer Diercks came from rows three and four to take up the challenge, and a four car scrum developed as Zogg grabbed the lead on lap seven. Two circuits later Stewart moved to second, then snatched the top spot at the halfway mark. Diercks followed him in second on lap eleven, and now those two broke loose from the field. Diercks took over the point with a perfect slider in turn one on lap sixteen, but Stewart executed the crossover move to lead once again coming out of turn two. He then held the point to the checkers in the non stop event. The win was worth a $1,000 to Stewart, who was followed by Diercks, Zogg, Dakota Simmons, and Denny Eckrich . Outlaw street stocks raced fifteen laps for a $500 check. Veteran Johnny Spaw and his front row mate Nick Hixson paced the field in another two car breakaway before Spaw began to stretch his advantage. Meanwhile, Jeff Struck and Rob Henry were locked in a tight battle for third. This was another non stop feature race, with Spaw cruising to the win. Hixson held on for second, besting Struck, Henry, and Jake Lund for top five honors. The headliner of the night featured the late models racing twenty five laps for $2,000 to win. The draw, redraw format put Brian Harris in a Lynn Richard #15R, and Jonathon Brauns in the Claeys Racing #35C on row one. But it was Harris and fourth starting Andy Eckrich pulling away at the drop of the green. By the time row five starter Tyler Bruening entered the top five on lap five, Harris and Eckrich were out front by a sizable margin. Bruening continued to move forward, fourth on lap eight and third one circuit later, still a full straightaway behind the front pair. As the crossed flags signaled thirteen laps down, Eckrich was applying pressure to the leader and Bruening was closing quickly. But this would be the third feature of the night with zero cautions, and Harris made no mistakes as he picked up the win. In the closing laps Eckrich was forced to hold off Bruening, giving Harris a bit of breathing room. Dave Eckrich was announced as the pole sitter, but he lined up in tenth, then advanced to fourth at the checkers. Brauns completed the top five. Gary Webb led the second five, topping Nick Marolf, Dave Wada, Ron Boyse, and Kyle Krampe. Random notes on the night: It was a big night for Lynn Richard Racing, as he sent his other #15R to 34 Raceway in Burlington, where Mark Burgtorf posted a third place finish. Marolf hauled a pair of #33's to the track, electing to do R&D on the car with fewer laps on it. The cars on this night raced under " Davenport Speedway rules, " which meant non sanctioned IMCA legal for the late models, mods, and sport mods. Harris raced with an IMCA spec engine, while Webb, for one, was using a crate power plant. Thanks go out to Robert, Carrie, and the Drt Trak team for their hospitality, and to announcer Shane Davis for keeping me informed on more than a few drivers with whom I was unfamiliar. We hope to return to West Liberty in two weeks as Joe Kosiskis' SLMR series invades the big half mile. In the meantime, another trip to Davenport Speedway is on our schedule to kick off next weekend as those same SLMR late models will hit the quarter mile fairgrounds oval for back to back shows, followed by a Sunday night foray at the Bullring at RICO in East Moline, Illinois. If you see me along the way, stop by and say " Hi" like Warren Busse did on Saturday!
Saturday, August 8, 2020
Strassheim, Boles Grab First Wins at LCS
Friday night found us back at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa for a " regular " night of points racing. Five IMCA classes would be in action, including late models, modifieds, sport mods, stock cars, and sport compacts as the points season winds down in anticipation of a healthy schedule of year end specials culminating with Shiverfest on October 31. The car count was a bit light, but there was plenty of close racing, particularly in the stock car division. With qualifying races out of the way, the sport compacts lined of for fifteen laps of action. Jared Heule came from row two to lead the opening lap, pacing the field for seven circuits before encountering the back of the field. Trapped behind a slower car, he was overtaken by Jason Ash, but the caution flag came out, putting Heule back out front for the restart. After the restart was called back, Heule again held the top spot until lap twelve, when Ash again nosed ahead. He then held on for the win. Heule took the runner up spot, with point leader Brandon Reu in third. A pair of lady racers, Kimberly Abbott and Kaycee McGregor battled for the next two spots, finishing in that order. The late models were up next , with heat winner Matt Strassheim lining up on the pole position. He charged to the early lead, with third starting Mark Burgtorf in tow. Top contender Nick Marolf pulled to the infield on lap two, his night over. By the fourth lap Burgtorf was applying pressure to Stassheim, pulling along side, but unable to complete the pass. From that point, Strassheim began to stretch his advantage in the non stop event. Matt picked up his first win of the season in the Barton #7B machine. Burgtorf took second in front of point leader Tommy Elston, Denny Woodworth, and Ron Boyse. Ray Raker made a late pass of Patrick Shumaker for sixth, with Marolf credited with eighth. Seventeen sport mods lined up for eighteen laps. After a lap one caution for Bob Cowman, the next ten laps clicked off quickly. Fifth starting Austen Becerra had led the distance, while Sean Wyett slipped past Nick Profetta for second on lap three. Following the lap eleven caution for debris, things turned sour. A called back start was followed by five more yellows in the final seven laps, with the field finally going single file. When the checkers waved, it was Becerra with the flag to flag win. Wyett ran second, while point leader Adam Birck won a battle with Brandon Dale for third. Barry Taft completed the top five. Veteran Mike Benjamin advanced seven spots to sixth to take the $100 hard charger bonus. Stock cars put on the race of the night. Beau Taylor powered to the lead from the pole with his row one mate Abe Huls in second. John Oliver Jr., wheeling a new car with an old body attached charged from row three to second one circuit later. He then began a dogged pursuit of Taylor while attempting to hold off a determined Huls. Taylor was catfishing the low line around the 3/8 mile and Oliver followed him through the low line in turns one and two, then jumped to the cushion at the other end, coming up just short of the lead at the line lap after lap. Lap fifteen saw the three cars racing side by side, as Oliver finally made what turned out to be the winning pass. Huls was able to clear Taylor with one lap to go, crossing the line inches behind Oliver as the checkers flew. Taylor settled for third, besting Jeremy Pundt and Jason Cook. Oliver Jr. was able to stretch his points lead with the win. Modifieds were last on the card, racing for eighteen laps. Mitch Boles and Levi Smith held row one, and Boles took the lead as the green flag waved. Heat winner Micheal Long lined up ninth, entering the top five on lap three, as fourth starting Daniel Fellows took second and began to work on the leader. By the fifth trip past the flagstand, Long was third and gaining on the front duo. Boles began to pull away as he negotiated the low line in the first set of turns and worked the cushion in three and four. Coming to the white flag, Long was able to clear Fellows for second, but Boles was not to be denied as he picked up his first win of 2020. Fellows was strong in third followed by Dennis Laveine and Mark Burgtorf in the non stop race. The fast paced program had us on the road just after 9:30. Even with the early hour, several fans missed the exciting stock car main as well as Boles first win. Although the caution waved only nine times in the five features, as mentioned seven of those came during the sport mod feature, an all too frequent happening. As those yellows mounted, more than a few folks headed for the exits. While the sport mods can produce quality racing, especially up front, the excessive stoppages prove too much for many of the casual fans. I wonder if the program would be better served if they were last on the card? At any rate, thanks to the LCS staff for a fun night of racing! As it is raining this morning here in Canton,we are now watching the forecast before deciding on where and when to next go racing.
