It was a short turn around for the folks from Adams County, Il. Speedway. After hosting what appeared to be a very successful UMP Summer Nationals Hell Tour event on Wednesday, the .29 mile "Broadway Bullring" was right back at it on Sunday for Mid Season Championship night. All six regular classes would be in action, with the program moved back one hour due to the heat. With a planned later start to the season plus a few rain outs, the track has only hosted a handful of points races to this point in the schedule.
The track crew gave the surface a complete soaking under the blistering sun, so a bit of extra track packing was necessary before hot laps could begin. Before heat race action there was a brief on track ceremony, and at the conclusion it was announced that the facility has been sold. With a potential new owners' plans uncertain, Quincian Jeff Delonjay stepped up and purchased the grounds and operation. Jeff is the owner of Be Dry Roofing and a former racer himself. He and wife Renee are the parents of current racers Jeffrey and Jaden, and the extensive family racing background includes Jeffs' Quincy Raceways Hall of Fame uncle, Henry ( Hank the Crank) Delonjay. The current plan is for the current promotions team to continue to lead the operation while Delonjay works to improve the racing experience for both competitors and fans. Delonjay is an innovator, as anyone who has seen his home made stacker race car hauler can attest, so it is potentially an exciting time for the nearly fifty year old speedway.
But in the meantime there was the business of racing to attend to. For likely several reasons, the car count was down a bit on this night, except in the Pro Late Model division, where a solid total of nineteen would sign in. The count was boosted by three entries from the state of Nebraska. For a couple of years the Jorgensen Racing Team, A.J. #47 and Robbie,#41 have made a yearly trek from the Omaha area to eastern Iowa with their IMCA Late Models, visiting different tracks. This week they were joined by Logan Cloudt and his #78 machine. Friday night we watched them compete in Davenport, Iowa, then their Saturday stop at Lee County Speedway was ruined by a late cancellation, and while spending the night in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, they decided to try out Quincy for the first time.
The Late Models would need three heat races to set their feature line up, while each of the other four classes had barely enough cars for two qualifiers. The new Crown Vic class was not scheduled on this night.
Feature racing began with the Late Models going at it for twenty five circuits. Sam Halstead and Christian Miles made up row one, with Sam jumping to the early lead. The lone caution period came just three laps in when rookie Jackson Frankel went slideways in turns one and two, causing several cars to take evasive action behind him. Back under green, both Denny Woodworth and points leader Jason Perry would drive around Miles, and on the fifth lap Woodworth cleared Halstead for the lead. Along with Tommy Elston, the front four began to distance themselves from the pack. Slower traffic became an issue about lap thirteen, and Perry was able to drive past Halstead for second. Traffic continued to be an issue, with Woodworth staying on the inside line while Perry searched for openings on the high side. As the white flag was displayed, the pair ran side by side with Woodworth holding a slight lead. But in the final set of turns, Perry was able to find a bit of daylight, and he sneaked by to lead only a matter of feet, but at the right time to take the win. Woodworth would be the unfortunate bridesmaid, followed by Halstead, Elston, and Miles well back in fifth. Darin Weisinger Jr. paced the second five in front of Spencer Havermale, Frankel, Vance Wilson, and Braden Bilger. Heat winners were Weisinger, Halstead, and Miles.
IMCA Sport Mods ran next, for eighteen laps. The yellow flag waved on the first attempt at a start, but from there on, the race stayed green. Logan Cumby started in row three and quickly charged to the lead ahead of Josh Holtman. A.J. Tournear would clear Holtman for the runner up spot with four laps scored. By the time seventh starting Tanner Klingele moved to third five laps in, Cumby had opened a commanding lead. Klingele slipped past Tournear on lap seven, but with clear track ahead, Cumby had a straightaway advantage by the halfway mark. Tournear battled with Reed Wolfmeyer for third, with Wolfmeyer claiming the position ten laps in. As the checkers waved, it was Cumby, Klingele, Wolfmeyer, Tournear, and Holtman. Tournear and Quinton Shelton were heat race winners.
Only nine UMP Modifieds signed in with Jacob Rexing scoring quick time at 14.56 seconds while also collecting a heat race win. But it would be defending track champion Austen Becerra leading Rexing as lap one of the twenty lap feature was scored. While Rexing operated on the low line, Becerra searched the track, racing down low in turns one and two while pounding the cushion at the other end. Dave Weitholder used the top side to drive to third on lap five, then began to run down Rexing. Meanwhile Becerra stretched his margin as the field began to get a bit strung out. By mid race Becerra had settled on riding the rim all the way around and had a big lead when the only caution came for a Matt Diaz spin four laps from the checkers. The restart would be single file, but Weitholder gained enough momentum to work past Rexing for second. Becerra cruised to the win to go along with a heat race checkers. Michael Vanderiet Jr. would race home fourth trailed by Chris Spalding.
Dirtcar 4 Cylinders would go fifteen caution free laps. Jaden Delonjay outraced brother Jeffrey to turn one, grabbing a lead he would never relinquish. Jeffrey settled into second, while heat winners Kimberly Abbott and Spencer Coats battled door to door for third. While Jaden cruised home to the win with Jeffrey in second, Abbott and Coats swapped positions, with Spencer taking over for good with eleven laps in the books. Rick Deford would hold off Landon Neisen to complete the top five.
Street Stocks would put a wrap on the festivities, going at it for eighteen laps. Double duty Rexing outran Rickey Frankel III to lead the opening circuit as heat winners Jake Powers and Rudy Zaragoza battled for third while closing on Frankel in a three car scrum. A pair of yellow flags slowed the action as the race hit halfway. When racing resumed, Robert Cottum used the Delaware Style restart to vault from fifth to second, trading places with Frankel. One more caution came with seven laps to go as Zaragoza and Powers continued an entertaining duel for third. Although Cottum was able to apply some pressure, Rexing stayed out from to the checkers.. Powers win the battle for third while Frankel held on for fifth.
Despite the late start, racing wrapped up just before 10:00. Thanks once more to J.T. Promotions for their hospitality. We now look forward to another exciting chapter at 8000 Broadway!
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