Fully recovered from our Speed Weeks adventure, we were more than ready to get back to racing. And what better place to kick off our "regular" season than the Brenda and Ricky Kay promoted Davenport Speedway. Along with MARS owner Tony Izzo Jr., the historic quarter mile was to play host to a double header weekend featuring the 11th annual Thaw Brawl. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other ideas. After several days of pesky rain showers and a forecast of chilly temps and strong winds, all racing was cancelled. The MARS series will now kick off their season in mid May with a double dip at Farmer City and Fairbury, while Davenport will try regular racing again on April 14 as the Lucas Oil MLRA late models come to town.
Last weekend we caught up on "bench racing," as the newly christened Adams County, Illinois Speedway invaded the Quincy Town Center with nearly thirty race teams showing off their 2022 rides. After two seasons of sitting idle, Jimmy and Tammy Lieurance have leased the former Quincy Raceways and will present weekly Sunday night racing and special events beginning with practice nights on April 3 and April 6 followed by an April 10 lid lifter. Weekly classes will be crate late models, A modifieds, sport mods, street stocks, and 4 cylinders.
Although car counts were strong in Florida, it will be interesting (scary?) to see what affect the current pace of inflation, especially the cost of fuel and tires will have on both weekly racing and the traveling series. The relatively solid turnout of cars at the Quincy mall show hopefully bodes well for the reborn .29 mile bullring. Perhaps we will see car counts remain steady or even increase at the "local" tracks, as drivers elect to race closer to home.
Although the long range forecast for next weekend is not looking great, perhaps it will improve enough to let the area tracks get things going. In the mean time, Hy Vee Foods in Keokuk will also host a car show next Saturday, April 2 from 10 AM to 2 PM featuring cars that will be competing at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. There should also be cars that will be in competition at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, as well as Adams County Speedway.
34 Raceway is scheduled to kick off their season next weekend with a Friday/Saturday IRA 410 Sprint Car doubleheader with sport mods also on the card. Saturday, April 9 will see action resume at Scotland County with A mods headlining the five division program. Lee County will open the gates with a Friday/Saturday twin bill April 22 and 23 featuring their five weekly classes, as well as midgets and the A.I.R.S. on Saturday as part of their Spring Hooray weekend.
2022 may well be a challenging racing season for all involved, so I will encourage everyone to put down the TV remote and take in as many shows as possible at your local track, wherever that may be. And maybe we will see you there!
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