Wednesday night, June 19, the UMP Summernationals "Hell Tour" made its' yearly stop at Adams County, Il. Speedway east of Quincy. Once again, the Summit Modifieds joined the Late Models as a touring mini series. IMCA Sport Mods and the just started Crown Vic division filled out the card on a scorching evening. As seems to often be the case, rain claimed two of the first five series events last week, with Tyler Erb the victor in the three races run. Tyler, of course grabbed the win when the MLRA Late Models made a stop in Quincy exactly one month prior and added to his historic streak by picking up the win Tuesday night in Davenport, Iowa. His four wins in a row is the most to start the tour since Billy Moyer began the 1996 series by capturing the first six events. Amazingly, the ageless wonder Moyer is back on the tour in 2024.
And it was Moyer who posted the fastest overall lap in time trial qualifying at 13.264 seconds in his Todd Cooney Motorsports ride. With the thirty two Late Model entries split into two divisions, the group B fast timer was Erb at 13.471 and at that point I imagine UMP officials had that "here we go again" feeling. In fact, when I arrived at the track, I was told that the group providing special prizes for the spectator drawings had used part of their money to put a bounty on Erb (was it $150?) and in the drivers meeting, UMP head honcho Sam Driggers announced a $900 bounty on the young man from New Waverly, Texas. As it turned out, all of those dollars would be paid out on top of the $5,000 winners share.
The boiling summer sun was bearing down on the .29 mile oval, and Steve Grotz and his crew were doing all they could to keep moisture in the racing surface. Although an interesting combination of a bit slimy yet dusty early, eventually it became hard, slick and smooth as most drivers prefer, and by the end of the night resembled asphalt more than dirt! In most cases, the "time 'em and start the fast ones up front" format gives you follow the leader heat races, but that was not the case on Wednesday. Heat one saw Mooresville, North Carolina driver Max McLaughlin come from row two to take the win, more on the twenty four year old later. A favorite at the Quincy track, Jason Feger claimed heat two from the pole position. Things got interesting in the third eight lapper. Erb and his row one mate Tyler Clem were battling for the lead with two laps to go when contact between them resulted in Erb stopping on the track to bring out the yellow flag. Officials then ruled that both drivers would restart from the tail of the remaining five car field. Georgia driver Garrett Smith would inherit the lead and go on to the win, while Erb picked up the fourth and final transfer position over Clem. Earlier in the event Memphis, Missouri driver and former Quincy Modified ace Austin Howes was running in a feature qualifying spot when he suddenly slowed in turn four with a still undiagnosed issue with his #17A. St. Louis area racer Daryn Klein would go the distance to claim the final heat.
This would leave sixteen cars eligible for the ten lap Last Chance race, with only two of the thirteen who took the green flag moving on. It was a quick ending for Doug Tye, who rolled his #4D in turn one on the start as a result of a multi car mix up. Fortunately, he was uninjured. Quincy driver Rickey Frankel came from inside row two to claim the win over outside row one starter Clem. Three UMP and one promoters pick would make up the remaining four provisional starter for the main event, with Darin Weisinger Jr. getting the track selection after bringing his "outlaw" #11 car to the event.
The Summit Modified $1,500 to win twenty five lapper turned out twenty two of the best Modifieds in the mid west. Kentuckian Tyler Nicely had the overall quick time at 13.990 seconds. Three heat races would set the feature line up, with Nicely, Adams County part time competitor Trevor Neville, and popular former NASCAR racer Kenny Wallace all taking wins from the front row.
Two heats for the IMCA Sport Mods and one for the Crown Vics, a brief intermission for the huge crowd, and it was soon feature time.
The Modifieds would roll off first with all but two making the call. Neville and Wallace would redraw the front row, and Wallace would shoot to the lap one lead. Quincy native Michael Long would line up in position four and power to second on the next trip around. By about lap six, Long, who has become one of the best Mod drivers in the nation, was side by side for the lead, and he would drive past Wallace followed by Neville one lap later. Nicely would rebound and join the front duo on lap eight, then slip around Neville on lap ten and begin to run down the leader. With Long running in the remaining moisture low on the track, Nicely was poised to take over the lead from the high line when the yellow flag would fly with eleven laps in the books for local hot shoe Dave Weitholder. It was a disappointing end to the night for the multi time track champion, whose car would seemingly not go into gear at the start of his heat race relegating him to the final starting spot in the money race. During the caution he would drive to the trailer, his night over early. The yellow would come again on the restart, but then we would stay green to the checkers. Long was able to build a bit of a lead now as Nicely and Neville battled side by side for second. With six laps remaining, Nicely finally took control of the position, and by now slower traffic ahead was becoming an issue. With just a pair of laps to go Long was able to use an inside move to put a car between himself and Nicely, and that would be all he needed to secure the win. Neville would finish in third ahead of Hunt Gossum and Wallace. Austen Becerra gained two spots to sixth followed by Rick Conoyer, track regular Jacob Rexing, Lucas Lee, and Steve Meyer Jr.
It was now Late Model time, thirty laps for twenty two cars and the $5,000 payday. A pair of #10s, Smith and Klein would fill out the front row from the heat winner redraw with Feger and McLaughlin behind in row two. Klein would grab the lead on the start with McLaughlin close behind. Klein was hugging the still moist inside groove while McLaughlin searched one lane higher. Starting on lap six, the pair ran side by side before Max was able to secure the lead on lap eight. He would then pull well ahead and as the race neared the halfway mark Feger charged to the runner up position. With the race staying green, slower traffic came into play about lap eighteen, and McLaughlin got into the marbles at the top of turn four allowing Feger to close . Still in command, McLaughlin again got too high in turn two with just seven circuits left and again Feger was able to close. As the laps wound down, Jason was right on the bumper of the #22*, getting close enough to show his front bumper on occasion, but McLaughlin was up to the challenge. He would claim the surprise win in his final night on the tour before heading back south with his G.R. Smith owned Late Model. As he admitted in victory lane, he has limited experience in a dirt Late Model, and is best known as a Modified ace, while also garnering national attention competing in several NASCAR divisions. Feger would settle for second in the non stop event, while young Clayton Stuckey would gain five spots to finish third. Klein and Will Roland completed the top five. Spencer Diercks would be the last car through the pit gates, and he would turn in a six place run, topping fourteenth starting Erb, Moyer, rising star Dillon McCowan, and Allen Weisser.
With the crowd still buzzing, all thirteen IMCA Sport Mods lined up for eighteen laps. Keokuk, Iowa youngster Nicholas Profeta sat on the pole, and he drove off into the early lead. Track regular Reed Wolfmeyer started outside row two and quickly tucked in behind Profeta. On lap eight, Wolfmeyer was able to pull alongside the front runner, although it took four more circuits before Wolfmeyer was able to make the winning pass. The only caution flag came with four laps to go, and the field was restarted single file. This posed only a minor inconvenience for Reed, who drove off into the Illinois night for the win. His only regret was that it was not a "points night!" Profeta held on for second in front of Logan Cumby, Dakota Girard, and Tanner Klingele.
Rather surprisingly, much of the large gathering stayed around to watch the six car, twelve lap Crown Vic finale. On this special night, Sport Compact champion and Late Model rookie Jeffrey Delonjay climbed in the #32 and took the win over Steve Meyer and Jake Etter.
It was great to see such a turnout of cars and fans on a night when air conditioning and a recliner would have been a solid alternative. Thanks as always to Jim, Tammy and their crew for their hospitality and to the UMP folks for bringing their game to town! The Summernational parade moves on to Spoon River Speedway on Thursday before heading south to the St. Louis area for a pair of events. While we will not be at those races, we are busy planning our "first days of summer" events. So stay tuned!
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