Despite less than ideal weather conditions (what's new?) Adams County, Illinois Speedway hosted their second night of racing in the Jim and Tammy Lieurance era on Sunday. Although the morning was cloudy and cool, the sun shone brightly and the winds calmed as the pits and stands began to fill. As the sun went down, however, we were reminded that springtime 2022 is still fleeting, as winter coats, gloves, and stocking caps quickly came out en masse.
Fortunately track personnel were on their game, and hot laps started right at the advertised time of 5:30. While everyone involved seemed pleased with the opening night car count, night number two saw the pit count grow by twenty to a more than solid eighty five entrants.
The first green flag for heat race action came at 6:00, and we moved briskly through the preliminary races with only the twelfth and final heat a bit of a challenge. Still it was 7:08 when track workers took a bit of time to fine tune the surface.
It was announced this week that the late models would be sanctioned going forward as part of the UMP Pro Crate division in an attempt to grow the count in the premier division, but it was three IMCA travelers from the state of Iowa on hand Sunday giving us a seven car field for the first feature of the night. That field of seven had inexplicably been divided into a pair of heat races, captured by outside front row starters Denny Woodworth and Sam Halstead, and the two veteran drivers lined up in row one for the eighteen lapper. Woodworth would lead from flag to flag in the non stop event, opening a full straightaway lead early and cruising to his first win of the season. Halstead followed his opening night victory with a solid runner up finish. Donnellson, Iowa driver Jeremy Pundt, who has just a handful of starts in a late model, was running strong in third before jumping the turn two cushion and falling to fifth just before the halfway point. Danville, Iowa racer Ray Raker then worked his way to third, holding off Darin Weisinger Jr. and Pundt to complete the first five. Rookie late model pilot Spencer Coats ran sixth, while Ed Hollenbeck, from Burlington, Iowa returned to racing after many years on the sidelines to round out the running order.
The street stocks again turned out ten cars, and all but one lined up for fifteen laps. Week one winner Robert Cottom lined up outside row two, but quickly grabbed the lead with seventh starting Rudy Zaragoza in tow. A cluster of three caution periods came just before the crossed flags to signal the mid point of the race, and following the final one for a false start with eight to go, the field realigned single file. None of this mattered to Cottom, as the Galesburg ace powered to another checkered flag. Zaragoza hung on for second, while Robert Thompson held off Pete Stodgel and Leremy Jackson in a tight battle for third.
For as long as 4 cylinder racing has been a part of the action in Quincy, car count has been an issue, but so far in 2022 that problem has been solved. First time UMP sanctioning, early season cancellations elsewhere, and the influence of 4 cylinder racer turned race director Blake Dotson perhaps all have played a part, but a whopping twenty eight drivers signed in on Sunday! After four heat races set the starting grid, all of those machines came to the track for what it would have been fair to guess would be twelve laps of mayhem! But... front row starters Michael Grossman, and week one winner Jeffery Delonjay battled side by side for the lead as the laps clicked off. With just four laps to go showing on the newly repaired scoreboard, a mixup off turn two brought out the only stoppage of the race, a red flag as Dyllan Bonk became airborne, flipping his sharp looking #2 several times. The second year pilot emerged from the car apparently unhurt. During the cleanup, the roll back also hooked up the car of Jaden Delonjay, which had slowed noticeably, perhaps contributing to the melee. Back under green, Delonjay hugged the low line while Grossman looked for a bite in the middle groove. Eventually Jeffery opened a bit of daylight in claiming his second win of the season. After Lieurence asked the young driver in his victory lane interview if it was bounty time yet, someone in the crowd added a $100 bounty for next week to the already solid purse. Grossman crossed the line in second, trailed by Cyle Hawkins, Blue Grass, Iowa, Decatur hot shoe Jeremy Reed, and Rick Deford, from Canton, Illinois.
The UMP modified count doubled to sixteen on this night, and they all came to the track for twenty laps of racing. Following a yellow flag on the start for Levi Long, heat race winners and front row starters Dave Wietholder and former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace battled side by side. Wallace paced the first lap, with Wietholder leading the next time past the flag stand. Although the lap appeared complete, a yellow flag saw the scorers revert back to lap one, putting Wallace back out front. This turned out to be key, as three more yellows and a red flag for Burlington veteran Bill Roberts, Jr. rolling his #5R in turn one only slowed Wallace, who held the lead the rest of the way. The incident with Roberts, who was uninjured, also eliminated top contender Brandon Bollinger, who made the long tow from Kewanee, Illinois. Chasing Wallace and Wietholder to the checkers was Austen Becerra, Mike Vanderiet, Jr., Centralia, Mo., and Chris Spalding in his first trip to the track in 2022. Becerra received a mulligan early in the race when he spun in turn two, but was restored to his third position as the caution had come for a spinning Reid Sammons on the front stretch.
The IMCA sport mods were moved to the final race of the night, and wouldn't you know it, after a twelve lap, ten caution debacle on opening night, twenty four cars clicked off eighteen laps with only one caution with five laps to go! A J Tournear paced the first circuit from outside row one, before third starting Logan Cumby took over the top spot. Adam Birck charged from row three to second on lap four, but now all eyes were on defending All Iowa points champion Logan Anderson, Eddyville, Iowa. The IMCA line up system saw Anderson line up his "Herbie, the Love Bug" #53 in row six, but he entered the top five by lap six. Cumby caught the back of the pack on lap eight. One lap later, Anderson jumped to fourth. Cumby was cruising with a sizable lead when that lone caution came, and on the Delaware style restart, Anderson drove to third. One more circuit, and he was in second and ready to pounce. However Cumby was fast and in control, as he picked up the win. Anderson settled for runner up honors, besting week one winner Shane Paris, Birck, and Nicholas Profetta. It was a strong run for the Keokuk, Iowa driver, who was third before getting shuffled back two spots following the caution.
As I started the Equinox, the clock read 9:04, another quick and entertaining night of racing before another large crowd at the revived .29 mile speed plant. For more Positively Racing coverage of this night, check out Jeffs' Backstretch, and One Fan's Travels, as Ed joined us once again from Wisconsin! Thanks to the ACS crew for their hospitality. D2 midgets will be on the card next Sunday, while street stocks get the week off.
Weather permitting, we hope to take in the Dale Defrance Memorial SLMR late model special this Thursday at the Marshalltown Speedway and finally get in a full weekend of racing!
Edit: Street stocks have been added back to the card on Sunday, May 8.
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