The third installment of the UMP King of the Bullring series at Adams County, Il. Speedway east of Quincy was the featured attraction for Quincy Auto Supply Night on Sunday. $1,000 would be on the line for the Modified winner. The other four regular classes, Pro Crate Late Models, IMCA Sport Mods, Street Stocks, and 4 Cylinders filled out the program.
Seventy five race teams checked in on a hot, muggy afternoon that gave way to threatening skies as the evening wore on. Despite a few flashes of lightning and sprinkles, nothing of consequence came of it, as our little corner of the world remains frightfully dry.
Hot laps were pushed back thirty minutes due to the heat, and we welcomed back announcer Doug Mealy after medical issues had kept him on the sidelines for about three weeks. Finally under way, Austen Becerra topped qualifying for the UMP Modifieds at 14.240 seconds. This would be the high point of the night for the defending track champion, who pulled out of his heat race after a pole start, began the feature in sixteenth, but managed to advance to fifth at the checkers.
Heat race action was plagued with a slew of yellow flags , but after intermission, it was finally feature time.
Late Models were first in the running order, with all thirteen cars lining up for twenty laps. Yellow flags continued to be in abundance, with an unusual number of five slowing the event. Jason Perry used his pole position to grab the early lead, and on lap two points leader Denny Woodworth brought out the caution with apparent steering issues, ending his second place run. I could not tell if there was any contact involved. Now it was third starting Tommy Elston in pursuit of the leader, but on lap four, Mark Burgtorf brought out the caution as he looped the Lynn Richard #15R in turns three and four. Back to racing, Elston cleared Perry for the top spot as those two drove off from the field. Lapped traffic came into play on lap twelve, but two laps later the yellow flew again. On this restart, Perry held to the inside line while Elston worked the middle and top, and on about lap fifteen, Jason retook the lead. Following a final caution, Elston was shuffled back several positions, allowing Perry to cruise to his first win after several seasons on the sidelines. Elston recovered to take second ahead of Braden Bilger. Burgtorf rebounded to run fourth, while thirteenth starting Darin Weisinger Jr., another heat race casualty, clawed his way to fifth. Cody Maguire, came home sixth in front of Friday Lee County winner Jason Oenning, Derek Hollenstine, Austin Poage, and James Dickerson.
UMP Modifieds were next, seventeen strong for eighteen laps. Damien Kiefer and Dave Weitholder sat on row one, with Kiefer getting the jump. Weitholder took over on lap three ahead of a hair trigger yellow. By the halfway point, Dave was well ahead when Rick Conoyer moved to the runner up spot. About lap sixteen (no working scoreboard tonight) a lapped car got out of shape in front of the leader in turn four. Weitholder appeared to stop to avoid hard contact, but in a controversial move, he was allowed to restart at the front of the field. On the Delaware restart, Rick Stevenson pulled alongside Weitholder, and the two put on the show of the night. As the checkers waved, they were side by side, and only the transponders could decide this, with Weitholder the winner by 0.10 seconds! In fact, both drivers stopped in victory lane! Conoyer was third, chased by Mike Vanderiet Jr. and Becerra.
During post race festivities, the lights went out in turn one, and while we were assured they would be back up soon, the track crew instead moved some portable lights to the infield so that racing could resume. During this delay, track promoter Jim Lieurence became ill, and after being checked over by the EMS crew, he went to the local hospital by private vehicle to be checked out. As of this writing, I have seen no update, our prayers are with Jim and his family.
But the show must go on, so now it was IMCA Sport Mods. Eighteen took the green flag, with front row starter Michael Goodwin leading the charge. Last weeks' winner Reed Wolfmeyer came from row three to lead lap two, and we were able to see seven caution free laps ahead of a spate of four yellows. During the restarts, Dakota Girard took up the chase after starting in seventh, but Wolfmeyer checked out in the last nine caution free laps to score the win. Following Girard was defending champion Adam Birck, Goodwin, and Kyler Girard, younger sibling to Dakota.
Only nine Street Stocks signed in, and they would run fifteen laps with only one caution to slow things down. Robert Cottom would lead flag to flag in front of a great battle for second between Sage Martin, visiting Terry Reed, and Jake Powers. Cottom walked off with the win, while Powers won the race for second followed by Reed, Martin, and Troy Grotz.
4 Cylinders would wrap the action, eighteen strong for a dozen laps. Following an original restart for the only caution, Travis Demint took the lead chased by Jimmy Dutlinger. Soon secind starting Jeffery Delonjay rebounded to join the hunt, taking over on lap three. He would then check out on the field to collect the win. Dutlinger rolled home second ahead of sixth starting Kimberly Abbott, Demint, and the younger Delonjay, Jaden.
The marathon night of action came to a close shortly after 10 P.M.
Thanks to the gang at Adams County, and again best wishes to Jimmy on a speedy recovery.
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