Sunday we switched things up, heading up the road to the East Moline Speedway for the first time since Late Model racer turned promoter Chuck Hanna took the reins there. The occasion was a visit by the MARS Racing Series, with their Late Model division headlining the program capped by a $5,000 to win 40 lap feature event. Five of the regular classes that run weekly at the Rock Island County fairgrounds facility were also on the card along with the American Iron Racing Series. Since taking over prior to the 2023 season, Hanna and his team have made several improvements, most notably adding high quality black dirt to and somewhat reshaping the high banked quarter mile track to bring back multi groove racing, particularly in turns three and four, which had mostly become a follow the leader set of turns. It did seem to me as though the tire barrier was out a bit far in those turns, but then there is no work for bleacher - sitting "track experts!"
Hot laps kicked off right at the advertised time of 4:30, and clicked off quickly with basically one set of warm ups for all but the Late Models. So even with two car at a time two lap Late Model qualifying, heat race action began in less than an hour.
As might be expected for the final night of a three race swing (following Sycamore Speedway and 100 laps at Macon Speedway), the car count for the headline division was a bit short. Several of the top MARS contenders were absent, with both McKay Wenger and Mark Voigt sidelined with engine woes. Also, Allen Weisser, who was third in the points chase entering this event was a no show. Fortunately there was enough participation by "local" drivers to give us an acceptable field of eighteen competitors.
Number two points man Ryan Unzicker topped qualifying, turning a lap of 13.471 seconds around the high banked quarter mile. Late Model time trials had been sandwiched in during hot laps for the other divisions, so after a few idle minutes for television commercials (ugh!), opening ceremonies led us into a pair of eight lap MARS heat races. A heat one lap two caution for National Late Model Dirt Hall of Famer (and East Moline legend) Gary Webb forced him to restart at the tail and put him behind the eight ball all night. Pole sitter Unzicker would lead this one until the final set of turns, when third starting Garrett Alberson in the locally based Roberts Motorsports #58 came charging by to take the win. Series points leader Jason Feger and Daniel Adam would follow the front pair. Alberson, who calls Las Cruces, New Mexico home, and crew had made the 420 plus mile tow in from the North -South 100 Lucas Oil race in Florence, Kentucky the night before.
Heat two also saw a local favorite encounter issues, as contact between Matt Ryan and Bob Gardner left Matt with body damage on his #07. He would later be the first to drop out of the main event. Bunbury, West Australia driver Kye Blight would capture this race from the pole, topping his front row mate Jake Little, seventh starting Molalla, Oregon racer Justin Duty and Iowan Chris Simpson.
Even though temperatures were mild for an early August evening, the sunshine baring down made for somewhat slick track conditions, particularly in the previously mentioned turns three and four, with some of the smaller tired classes struggling a bit at that end of the oval. So with heat races for all ninety one cars complete, facility workers took about thirty minutes to manicure the surface, giving us a smooth, racy surface as the Late Models came track side for their main event.
The top two from the heats redrew for their starting positions, with Unzicker and Alberson sitting in row one followed by Little and Blight. The rest of the field lined straight up by heat race finish. Unzicker shot to the early lead with Alberson close behind. Slower traffic came into play about lap eleven( this place could use a scoreboard!) This would allow Alberson to briefly pull alongside the leader down the backstretch in what was at this point a two car battle. After this first encounter with lapped cars, Unzicker had clear track ahead, and he was able to stretch out to a more comfortable lead until he would again be in traffic around the twenty lap mark. Still the #24 pilot was patient and smooth as he negotiated his way through, and was aided by a few drivers pulling to the infield as they went a lap down. With Unzicker in command and the flag man reaching for the white, he instead had to grab the yellow cloth for the first and only time as seventh running Daniel Adam rolled to a stop on the backstretch. With the wrecker hooked to the rear of his #75, he would take a hit in the points chase, now being scored fourteenth in the final rundown. The final pair of laps would kick off single file, and although Alberson would now have one more shot, Unzicker would race home for his second victory of the weekend. Feger would take advantage of the restart after making a late move from fifth to fourth, he was now able to clear Little for a podium finish in third. Blight would complete the top five. Duty started and finished in sixth, while Rich Bell gained five positions in a second Adam car to run seventh. Simpson broke even in eighth, and row five starters Bob Gardner and Dale Markham filled out the top ten. With Camden Gardner returning to the track for the final two laps after spending much of the race in the infield, there were fourteen cars running as the checkers waved.
As post race interviews were under way, Fred and I made our way to the parking lot, pleased with our latest adventure. The MARS folks seemed happy as well, and judging by the very large crowd in attendance, I would expect a return visit to East Moline Speedway by the series in 2025.
Special thanks to MARS series director Jonathon Clayton as well as the staff at East Moline, including the very friendly young ladies at the pit shack!
Next up? Stay tuned, and we shall see!
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