Racin' Down The Road

I Shoulda Waited

2012-01-10T16:58:00.000-08:00

Looks like I jumped the gun just a bit on the Quincy Raceways schedule. After discussions held at the UMP banquet last weekend, the dates for the two Northern All Stars $2,000 to win events at the speedway have changed. Both Sunday visits have tentatively been moved up one week, with the first visit on April 15, and the second on May 20. This second date make moew sense, as Tri City Speedway in Pontoon Beach,Il - the track commonly known as
" Granite City" - has a $10,000 to win UMP late model special on Sunday,
May 27. From the sounds of things, the AllStars may be making another stop in the area in 2012, but we will wait for further word on this. In the meantime, the countdown to the 2012 season continues!

Quincy Raceways Releases Schedule

2012-01-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

Quincy Raceways released their preliminary 2012 schedule today, Friday January 6. After the banquet on Jan.21, the next event will be the Quincy Mall car show on Saturday and Sunday, March 10 and 11. Three practice nights will be held for all six classes on March 25,27, and 29. The season and points opener is set for Sunday April 1, with racing every Sunday night through September 23. With the switch to UMP late models for 2012, the two Deery Brothers Summer Series races have been replaced by two visits of the Northern All Stars Series. Both events pay $2,000 to win, and are scheduled for April 22 and May 27. In addition the MOWA 410 sprint car series, which enjoyed a successful first season in 2011, will make a stop on July 1. This will be the only night the late models will have off in 2012. Mid season championships will be June 10, season championships on Sept. 16, and a King of the Hill/Front Row Challenge will close things out on Sept. 23. QR has made a wise decision to start racing action one hour earlier during the cooler months/school nights, with hot laps at 4:45 and racing at 5:30 during April, May, and September, while June, July, and August racing will see the action start one hour later. Six classes will compete on regular nights, including UMP late models and modifieds, IMCA stock cars, sport mods, and sport compacts, along with track rules hobby stocks. Stock cars and sport mods will be off on the Northern All Stars nights, while late models and stock cars will sit out when the sprints come to town.
The Positively Racing crew will keep you up to date as more schedules are released, and be sure and check out the special events calender on the home page. " Only " 85 days until my first planned road trip!

Year End Review

2011-12-29T17:59:00.000-08:00

While my 2011 racing season ended just over two months ago, I like to hold out just in case that one last race comes along. Unfortunately, that last chance turned out to be the Thanksgiving weekend event at the Springfield, Mo. Raceway, which was cancelled by less than favorable weather. Not sure if we could have made the trip, but we were sure looking at it, as it would have made the off season a lot shorter than the 161 days from our last race to a projected March 31 opener.
The cancellation should have been no surprise, as the weatherman was not very cooperative for a large part of the 2011 season. For the second year in a row, I finished with 45 race nights, including three that were rained out before a green flag waved. My travels this season included visits to 13 tracks in four states. Two of those tracks I attended for the first time, I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb., and Callaway Raceway in Fulton,Mo. The August visit to Fulton was my 50th track all time, leaving me well behind several of my fellow Positively Racing cohorts. I confess to being a bit of a creature of habit, and over the years, I tended to frequent tracks I enjoyed. I have also spent several years as a track reporter at a couple of different tracks, and served as my son Brents sidekick for several years of Saturday night reporting at Lee County Speedway. In fact, quite a few of those 50 tracks have been added since the turn of the century! Jeff Broeg referred to me as a late model fan in one of his columns, and I confess that the full bodied machines are my first love. In fact, I attended only one event in 2011 that did not include late models, that being the season ender at Scotland County Speedway 60 miles up the road in Memphis,Mo. I was rained out of my only visit to a World of Outlaws show this season, at Independence, Iowa, but I did get to witness shows by the Lucas Oil series, MLRA, ULMA, IMCA weekly and Summer Series, UMP weekly and Summernationals, as well as several non sanctioned high dollar shows, MOWA sprints and Sprint Invaders, and an outstanding USMTS modified show at I-80. In addition to the venues already mentioned, my travels this year also took me to Knoxville, Davenport, West Liberty, West Burlington, and Donnellson, Iowa, Pevely, Mo., Pontoon Beach and Alexander,Illinois, as well as my home base in Quincy,Illinois, where weather held them to only 18 full nights. There were several memorable shows, and I am sure I will leave out some dandies, but Shannon Babbs' late race charge at the May Day Classic at West Liberty, Brian Harris doing the same at the first IMCA Derry Brothers show in more than 25 years at West Liberty, and Don Oneal dominating the last part of the $25,000 to win 80 lapper at I-80, then using late race dramatics to capture the $40,000 top prize at the Knoxville Nationals remain vivid memories.
As we look ahead to 2012, there are a lot of changes afoot, as we might have expected given the economic struggles of the past year. Quincy Raceways got things started by ending their 14 year late model affiliation with IMCA by announcing a switch to ULMA sanction, then a change in the ownership group followed by another change to UMP late models, all within a span of a few days. At this time, I am cautiously optimistic that car counts in the premier division will increase, especially after track officials announced that the late model feature will now pay $1,000 to win. It looks as though a small number of QR regulars may opt to race away from home with IMCA, but there appears to be at least an equal number of area drivers " coming home. " Plus there are 12-15 UMP cars within 100 miles of Quincy, and with Shepps Speedway in Alexander switching to a Friday night program, hopefully we will see the weekly travelers that we have not seen the last few seasons with IMCA. QR will also host UMP modifieds, IMCA stock cars and sport mods, as well as track rules hobby stocks and 4 cylinder Wild Things. QR track photographer Dewaine Hulett has been named race director at the Lee County Speedway under new owners Dave and Yvonne Sapp, and they are going to kick off 2012 with a 4 cylinder show on Saturday Feb. 11. Check the website for details. It also sounds as though LCS and 34 Raceway in West Burlington are looking to work together in 2012, which should be good for the tracks and fans alike. At this time, there appears to be nothing shaking at Memphis, Mo, or 24 Raceway in Moberly, Mo, as well as Jacksonville,Il., Bloomfield, and Eldon, Ia.All these venues are within 100 miles of my home, and there has also been nothing announced for Columbus Junction, Iowa, which sets about 104 miles away. So that is eleven tracks - including Fulton - within a two hour drive, six of which are not scheduled to open at this time. It would sure be nice to see at least a couple of these tracks running, as I have certainly seen some great racing at all of them over the years!
As the schedules are being released we are trying to put together a working schedule for 2012. With the time it takes to travel to and from many tracks, most of the weekday races require two vacation days, so most of our traveling will again occur on the weekends, and we will have to pick and choose those week night races carefully. But for now, we are focused on Saturday, March 31, with the second night of the World of Outlaws Illini 100 to the east at Farmer City,Il, the UMP opening night to the south in Pevely, Mo., and the IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series opener to the north in Farley, Iowa. I have a feeling the weatherman will have a lot to say about our choice. Quincy Raceways is scheduled to open the UMP late model era the following night, Sunday, April 1. The QR banquet is three weeks away, on Saturday January 21, so I will hopefully have some gossip and maybe some real news to report at that time! Until then, Happy New Year, and heres to a successful racing season in 2012!

Here We Go Again

2011-11-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Quincy Raceways issued a press release stating their intention to switch their late model sanction to the Missouri based ULMA . United Late Model Association. The ULMA began as a steel block engine based group designed for the lower budget late model competitor. In the last couple of seasons, they have modified their rules to allow for the crate late models as well as the IMCA type spec engine cars to also compete. With Callaway Raceway in Fulton,Mo. a sanctioned track, and 24 Raceway in Moberly,Mo. set to come on board in 2012, it seemed like a decent fit for QR if they were indeed going to switch from IMCA. Still, I decided to hold off commenting on the switch, as some close to the situation seemed to be hedging their bets as it were as to the final outcome. On this past Tuesday, co owner Paul Holtschlag held a drivers only meeting at his riverfront Quincy restaurant to discuss the move. He also used the occasion to announce an ownership change at the .29 mile 37 year old oval. Tony Rhinberger, a member of the ownership group since the Scott family sold the track five years ago is no longer involved as an owner, with the facility now jointly owned by his father Bob Rhinberger and Holtschlag .
Bob has been a vital part of the tracks management team for the last five years, and was a long time employee during the Scott years, and has purchased his sons interest.
The actual subject of the meeting was which way to go with the late model sanction for 2012, and after some discussion, it was decided to go with the UMP option. UMP - United Midwest Promoters - is headedquartered in North Carolina, but enjoys its strongest presence in the midwest, with Illinois featuring numerous late model venues. The open engine sanction was apparently the choice of more than 80 percent of those in attendance at the meeting. It is my understanding that those who hang onto their IMCA spec engines would still be able to compete under the UMP rules package. Indeed, under the right track conditions, the lower horsepowered machines could be competitive on the QR oval. Still, I would expect that most of the locals who make the switch will be looking to upgrade their power plants, especially if the are looking to perhaps travel to other larger UMP tracks such as Pontoon Beach, Il. and Pevely,Mo. With Stve Shepards Shepps Speedway in Alexander,Il switching to Friday nights in 2012 - no word yet on whether or not they will run the super late models - QR looks to be the only Sunday night sanctioned track in the region, and it is hoped that will help to draw out of town cars. Unlike IMCA, the UMP points formula allows drivers to count points earned at any sanctioned track to be added towards their national total, much like the old NASCAR weekly racing series of which QR was a long time member. While QR may lose a couple of local late models due to the switch, there are also a couple of locals who have been doing the UMP thing in recent seasons, so at worst the weekly car count should increase slightly - at best, an infusion of new drivers will increase the weekly " wow " factor. The track has enjoyed a 14 year run with IMCA, and I am sure I will not be the only one who will miss the Deery Brothers Summer Series events during the season. Whether QR will look to rejoin the UMP Summernationals tour remains to be seen.
Whether more changes are coming it is hard to say - as of now, the lineup is UMP late models and modifieds, IMCA stock cars and sport mods, and non sanctioned hobby stocks and 4 cylinders, although there has been talk of a possible 4 cylinder sanction.
Since QR late model drivers have been strong supporters of the 34 Raceway late model program in recent seasons, the owners of the West Burlington, Iowa facility took the opportunity to assure everyone that they will continue to sanction IMCA late models in 2012.
What is often a slow news cycle for Tri State racing has been anything but thus far, starting with the sale of the racing operation at Lee County Speedway. In addition, rumors abound at tracks in Independence and Maquoketa, Iowa just to name a couple. Keep checking back at Positively Racing.com and we will try to keep you up to speed on what figures to be a busy off season.
Thanks for reading!

More Change A Comin'

2011-11-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

We call this the silly season of racing, a time when rumors and tall tales abound. However in some cases, the proper expression may be " where there's smoke, there's fire." A meeting was held Tuesday night in Quincy for the late model racers concerning the 2012 season. Nothing will be official until later this week, but it sounds as though big changes may be coming, despite the press release issued last week. When the final plans are made, I will update on this site, so check back at the end of the week. Thanks for reading.

One For The Road

2011-10-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, Darryl, Fred and I took off for what is likely our last race night of 2011. The occasion was night number two of the Fall Nationals at Memphis, Mo. With season long promoter Rick Girard and the Scotland County fairboard parting ways, IMCA modified racer Brandon Savage stepped up to try his hand at promoting. Brandon is a third generation racer, with his uncles, Lance and Corrie Stott, and his Hall of Fame grandfather, the legendary Ramo Stott having circled the tracks before him. In fact, Ramo, who promoted a race or two along the way, was on present for the weekend to help out however he could. Although I am not privy to the books, I would guess that the weekend was successful one for Brandon, and his " significant other, " Nikki, as the Saturday night crowd was a good one, and the car count came in at 103 after 90 teams raced on Friday. In addition, the weather man was most kind, even holding back the few raindrops that fell after the show concluded just prior to 10:30. Five classes of cars competed on the smooth, fast track, which still had plenty of moisture at the end of the night. The only hiccup in the program was a 37 minute late start to hot laps as it took a bit longer than planned to run in the track. But the wait proved worth the time it took.
The top six cars in each division were locked into the first three rows of the Saturday features based on Fridays main events. Everyone else ran hear races, and in the case of the stock cars, a B- main, to fill out the field. Only the stocks had drivers fail to qualify, as the 103 cars were spread pretty evenly throughout the five classes. Of course, there were a few that could not make the call come feature time in the other classes. The heat races ran off without incident except for Sport Mod heat two, when Rusty Sands lost nearly the entire drive train from under his # 5s as he came down the front chute. It took the track crew several minutes to try and collect all the small parts the were scattered all the way to turn two.
The SportMod 18 lap feature ran first, with Friday winner Chris Larson in a car purchased very recently by his team on the pole. But it was Scott Vanbuskirk grabbing the early lead. The race was red flagged for a scary crash coming out of turn two Rick Paulsen. His # 28P rode the backstretch guard rail, rolling several times. While Paulsen was uninjured, his race car was a total mess. In fact it took his crew and a very good wrecker driver what seemed like forever to wedge it into his enclosed trailer. Hopefully the driver who towed down from Tripoli, Iowa will be back on the track in 2012.
By this time, Jim Gillenwater, who had started in row five, had moved to third, but the veteran driver spun on the restart, winding up deep in the pack. As Van buskirk continued to lead, Gillenwater quickly recovered to move back inside the top five, but he again bobbled at the white flag.
" Local " favorite, Brandon Dale shadowed the leader the second half of the race to take runner up honors to the delight of the crowd. Larson drove a steady race to capture third ahead of Curtis Vanderwall and Gillenwater.
The 4 cylinder cars ran next, with 14 cars taking the green. It was Friday winner Nick Wilkerson of Yarmouth, Iowa setting the pace, with the first yellow on lap eight. As the laps wound down, Adam Gates, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa was making a charge in his # 007. Coming to the white flag, he appeared to break a fuel line, as his ride erupted in flames, ending his third place run. Wilkerson took a flag to flag win over Micheal Grossman, Craig Bangert, Kimberly Abbott and William Michel.
The 24 car stock car feature had a little trouble getting rolling with a lap two caution followed by two false starts. Matt Greiner led lap one before Grinnell, Iowa hotshoe Todd Reitzler took over. From then on, it was a two car battle as the # 22 and # 29 swapped the lead, but mostly ran side by side, low on the oval, not touching. As they came to the white, Greiner had the edge, and the Washington, Iowa racer held on for a photo finish win. Terry Houston had worked his way through the pack and caught the top two, but had nowhere to make a move with the front pair side by side. Beau Taylor rolled home fourth ahead of Mike Harward. The 15 lap hobby stock main endured a couple of early yellows with Clayton Crump jumping out front. On lap eight, Bobby Anders took over in the Mayfield - Anders # 21. From there the Quincy Raceways regular was in charge. with Crump, Brandon Symmonds, Andrew Hustead, and Council Bluffs, Iowas David Orr completing the first five. Anders and Mayfield have already announced plans to field a Sport Mod for 2012.
The final event of the night, and our final race of the season was the 25 lap A modified main event, paying $1200.00 to win. In addition, sponsor money had been raced to the point that the highest finishing IMCA legal car would receive a $550.00 bonus and the second highest IMCA would pocket an extra $250.00. Sixteen cars took the green, with second row qualifier Donovan Lodge and two class driver Beau Taylor on the trailer. Friday winner JD Auringer from Waterloo, Iowa, an IMCA car, took the early lead. Quincy Raceways track champion Steven Delonjay took up the chase, while fellow Quincian Michael Long began his charge from row six. When the caution flew on lap six, Long had moved to fourth. By lap nine, Delonjay had slowed, as he had a tire quickly going flat, and Long moved to second. As Michael tried to work the top side of the track where he normally makes his living, Delonjay adjusted to the flat and moved back to second on the bottom of the track as the top side " went away. " When the caution waved on lap 17, Steven went to the infield to change the tire, and Long was back in second. With two laps to go and the leaders fighting lapped cars, Long tried to move under Auringer in turn three. Apparently misjudging just a bit, Michael got into the back of the # 00, winding up in the infield. From there JD was in charge, taking the win and the top bonus for a $1750.00 payday. Davenport, Iowa veteran Bruce Hanford styaed close to the front and nabbed second, Dave Weitholder started 16th and finished third. Steve Stewart was fourth, and Jeff Waterman snared the other IMCA bonus with a fifth place showing. Delonjay charged all the way back to sixth.
It was a good finish to what was a frustrating season in many ways, but we will save that for a later blog.
I was able to offer congratulations to Keokuk, Iowa resident Dave Sapp, the new owner of the Lee County Speedway racing operation. Dave was on hand as car owner of the # 105 Sport Mod driven by John Oliver Jr. Dave has already retained Dwaine Hulett as his 2012 race director. The y also indicated the will be featuring IMCA sanctioning in all five regular classes. No word yet if there will be any late model shows at the fairgrounds facility in 2012.
Several days ago, I received what I thought was the determination on next seasons plans for the late model class at Quincy Raceways. Now it seems there has been some rethinking, so I will pass along information when a final decision is made.
Leading the way, the Lucas Oil late model series has released their 2012 schedule, and although we know there may be some tweaking, it looks as though we Tri Staters will have to do some traveling to see the Lucas stars next season. At least before September, when the series will again sanction the Late Model Nationals.
If you can squeeze in another race, wherever you are, do so for me, as my next race is ONLY 23 weeks away!

Chad and Andy Share the Twins

2011-10-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

Saturday night Darryl, Fred,and I made our annual trip to the West Liberty Raceway for the finals of the Liberty 100. This race has always been a favorite of mine, but since they split the format last season, running 50 laps each for open late models and IMCA late models, it has moved near the top of the list. Saturday night was made even better by absolutely perfect weather. And whether it was the warm evening, the race format, or both, it was the largest crowd I have seen at Liberty in several seasons., and that was good to see!
As with most places we have journeyed in 2011, the car count was down a bit from last season, but there was still 18 open lates and 23 IMCA lates back for the finals. The only real downer was the fact that the program was about one hour late getting started as the track crew over watered the big 1/2 mile. but even then, things got going at the regular Saturday night start time.
In addition to the late models, both regular track modified classes were on the card, as well as IMCA Sport Compacts and the mod lites.
After the feature fields were set with assorted heats, last chance races and fast dashes, the 4 cylinder 12 lap finale ran first.
After 50 plus years of racing, it is not often I see something I have not seen before, but on lap seven, Brad Chandler lost a left rear wheel while leading the race. What was different was the fact that not only did Chandler continue to run, but he held his lead. Then, with two to go, second running Ryan Walker also threw a shoe, bringing out the caution. At that point Chandler was sent pitside in accordance with track policy. On the restart, 74 year old Wayne Noble grabbed the lead and took the checkers. Although I have yet to see official results, sources say Wayne was DQ'd in tech and Jordon Walker was awarded the win. If this info is incorrect, I apologize.
Next out was the seven car mod lite main. Rob Guss took an easy win in the 15 lapper, with Jonathon Houston blowing up one of the 1000 cc power plants while running second.
The IMCA modified 20 lapper turned in to a caution plagued affair, and after early leader Larry Herring dropped out with engine woes, second generation driver Chris Horn, from Marion took his first dirt modified feature win. Many of you will remember his father, Fred, a late model ace in the 1970s and 1980s.
The open late models rolled out next for their 50 lap, $3500 to win extravaganza. Outside pole sitter Chad Simpson snatched the lead from polesitter Brian Harris coming out of turn two on the first lap, and never looked back. Simpson began lapping slower cars by lap seven before the first caution on lap eight. At this point Jill George, who received the loudest applause in pre race introductions, became the first casualty of the event. The race then went clean and green until lap 285, when Wayne Brau slowed in turn four. Even though the side by side restart method was employed on restarts, Simpson retained the lead each time. By lap 42, Harris seemed to be closing, but he jumped the cushion a bit, ending his challenge. Chad picked up the flag to flag win, with Harris second all the way. Chris Simpson shared in the family success by running third, and the Eckrich brothers took the next three spots, with Denny, Andy, and Dave crossing the stripe in that order. Rounding out the lead lap cars were Joel Callahan and Kurt Kile, while Rich Bell and Todd Hormel completed the top ten.

The open modified 25 lapper came next, with polesitter Todd Hansen leading the first lap before veteran Bruce Hanford took over from a row two start, taking outside polesitter Scott Dickey with him. Brad Dubil had motor issues early in the night, and started 24th on the grid. Ten laps later, he had moved up ten spots , only to retire to the pits. The first caution came on lap 13 for Hansen, who appeared to blow his engine. On the restart, Johnny Spaw, who had dropped back several spots, charged to second. Two laps later the yellow waved again, and on the third try at a restart, Spaw grabbed the lead. On lap 18, double duty Kurt Kile took the runnerup spot, and he mounted a challenge on Spaw, but came up short. A jubilant Spaw noted that it was his first mod win at Liberty, ending a long dry spell after many pro stock wins in the late 1980s.
The finale of the evening and the season was the IMCA 50 lap $3500 to win feature race. Dash winner Ray Guss Jr., a newly named member of the dirt racing Hall of Fame, and Denny Eckrich sat on the front row. The first yellow came on lap four for Tyler Breuning, and Guss held the top spot over Andy Eckrich. Meanwhile, 18th starting Mike Murphy Jr. had advanced six spots. Two laps after the restart, third running Denny Eckrich stopped on the track, and by now, Murphy was up to fifth, while Tommy Elston took over third, and 15 starting Justin Kay in the # 21H normally driven by Brian Harris moved to eighth. The race stayed green until lap 18, and by now Murphy was fourth, and Nick Marolf had moved from 13th to sixth. On the restart, Marolf shot to fourth, while Murphy fell to seventh. When the caution came out on lap 20, Mike Klinkhammer, the 16th starter, moved to sixth. Six laps later, double duty driver Joel Callahan slipped past Andy Eckrich for second. On lap 31 the caution came again, and Murphy was back to fourth. If you are wondering about my point, we often hear that there is nor enough passing with IMCA late models. Well this race sure debunked that myth! Following this last restart, Eckrich and Callahan waged a fierce battle for second, with Andy taking the spot back on lap 38. Two laps later, the youngest of the Eckrich brothers charged past Guss to take a lead he would not give up. Guss held on for second ahead of Callahan, Marolf, and Murphy, while colby Springsteen took sixth. The rest of the top ten included Kinkhammer, Elston, Gary Webb, and Kay.
This was for sure one of our best nights of 2011, and makes me wish the season was not coming down to the final night. Still there are some opportunities to see good racing, so make some plans this weekend as I hope to!

The Real Deal Pulls an Ace

2011-10-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

The weatherman finally cooperated Saturday, and we headed out just after 8:00 AM for a three hour trip to Knoxville, Iowa for a full day at the late model nationals. With excellent internet updates, plus several update phone calls from on site friends, we had a good idea of who and what to expect when we arrived. The opening night field featured 64 cars, followed by 62 on friday and 60 on the final night. This was easily the highest return rate in the eight years this race has run. Chances are it would have been even higher, but Georgia ace Dale McDowell left after night one due to the passing of his mother. Jason Utter stayed around as a spectator after crashing his # 31 on Thursday night. Steve Casebolt and Jeremiah Hurst, who had starting spots in C-main rows one and two respectively, also were no shows. The 15 lap event transferred four cars to the B-main, and Kevin Sather outlasted Matt Furman in an entertaining duel to the checkers. Illinois hot shoe Tim Lance and Jay Johnson also moved on to the next race. It was my first chance this season to watch Sather and Lance in action.
Up and coming Tyler Breuning just missed the top four, as Johnson made the late race pass. The 20 lap B-main saw 24 cars take the green flag. West Virginia driver John Blankenship led flag to flag for the win. Wisconsin ace Brady Smith has cut back on his traveling this season, but the former nationals winner was dialed in on Saturday. He started 15th on the grid and charged to a runnerup finish. A total of six drivers transferred to the 100 lap finale, with pole sitter Eric Wells, ninth starting Brian Harris in the Diercks Motorsports # 27H, Denny Eckrich and Frank Heckenast Jr. also moving along. Because the race was sanctioned forthe first time ever by Lucas Oil - which has been the title sponsor since year two - three series provisionals were allowed. I will admit that I am not a huge fan of provisionals, but at Knoxville they are added to the field rather than taking " earned " spots, so in this case I say the more the merrier. A total of 33 cars were set to start the 100 lap A -main!
Before the grand finale, the IMCA modifieds had some business to take car of. Some 40 plus invitations were sent out to modified drivers who had " qualified " by their participation and success in various IMCA races and series throughout the season, along with some past champion spots. 37 cars came through the gate, with the four heat wins going to Jon Snyder, Josh Gilman, Quincy, Il pilot Michael Long, and Luke Wanninger. Chris Abelson captured the B-Main. There has been a lot of back and forth internet chatter about the addition of a second class on Saturday night. While there are good arguments on both sides, there should be no arguing about the quality of the mod racing. The feature event ran with only two cautions, and had lots of side by side action with some " slam, bang " tossed in for good measure. At the checkers, it was Snyder topping Eric Dailey for the $2500 top prize. JD Auringer finished third ahead of Richie Gustin and Jacob Murray. After running away and hiding to win his heat, Long was the first car out of the A when he rolled to a stop in turn one of lap two.
When the green waved to start the 100 lapper, 19 year old Austin Hubbard took off from the outside pole. By lap nine, the leaders were catching the back of the pack, and as Hubbard worked the traffic, polesitter Brian Birkhofer and third starting Scott Bloomquist closed in. On lap 16, eighth starting Don Oneal, making his first visit to Knoxville since 2004, slipped past Bloomquist for third. Three laps late, Oneal moved to second, and on lap 24 he took the top spot with Birkhofer in tow. The first yellow then came out, and the restart had Oneal, Hubbard, Birkhofer and Jimmy Owens leading the pack, while Billy Moyer had advanced six spots to eighth. The real mover at this point was Jimmy Mars, who started 22nd and was now running fifth! By lap 28 Mars had moved to third, but two laps later a spate of caution periods slowed the action for the next 30 laps. Most of these yellows were caused by cars simply slowing on the speedway to get a chance to duck into the pits for tires or suspension work. Like many in attendance, I noted that it seemed to take an unusually long time to reset and restart the field. Was this a direct result of the race now being sanctioned? That seemed to be a question on some minds. On lap 54, Owens moved to the second spot, and six laps later, the " Newport Nightmare " took over the lead. With Bloomquist going a lap down, the running order had Owens in position to take over the series points lead. A long green flag run ended with twelve laps to go when the fourth running Mars stopped in turn two with suspension issues. On the restart, Moyer jumped from seventh to fourth after nearly being lapped before the caution. At the same time, third running Hubbard began to fade as only eight cars remained on the lead lap. The cushion, especially in turn four had become very treacherous, and the front runners seemed to be on the ragged edge every lap, with Oneal really fighting it. With eight to go, Harris, who had come from 28th to seventh fell out of the running. One lap later, Oneal retook the lead from Owens, who had been cruising, but a caution put the Owens back out front. With five to go, Owens hit that turn four cushion wrong, and got sideways out of turn four. Oneal pounced to take the spot, and those last five laps were as good as you could hope to see. 15 year old Tyler Reddick, had been hanging in the lead group all night, and suddenly found the line he wanted . He charged from seventh to fourth, and tried to move around Birkhofer on the high side out of two. Steve Francis took advantage of this battle to slip into second, the highest he had run all race. Birkhofer held on to third, with Reddick fourth. Owens faded to fifth followed by Moyer and Hubbard on the lead lap. Smith advanced 18 spots to finish eighth, with 23rd starting Bub McCool ninth and Bloomquist tenth. The win was worth $40,000 to Oneal, who was behind the wheel of the Moring Motorsports ride. Don also piloted the Moring car to the $25,000 win at the Silver Dollar Nationals in July. At that race, the car was sporting a # 1, while it had Oneals' familiar # 71 at Knoxville.
While some saw disadvantages to the race being sanctioned, it probably resulted in the stoutest field of competitors since the field was limited to 66 entries after the 2005 event. I can be counted among those who wish the entries would be opened up, but I can certainly see the advantage for the track and especially the racers to keep the limit in place. I short, they must be doing something right, as I have not missed a Saturday night finale yet. And Keagan has made this one of two " can't miss " races on his schedule.
We dropped in on the Saturday afternoon auction in time to hear Lynn Richard make the announcement that Mark Burgtorf would be wheeling his # 15 late model in 2012. While Lynn offered no specifics about when and where the new team would be racing, he did say they would be at the nationals next season. Burgtorf had been looking for a motor deal to run the Knoxville show this year, but did not find the right deal. Mark had raced the Richard car earlier this season on at least one occasion. It will be interesting to see how this works out, as Mark has concentrated more on UMP racing in Illnois the last couple seasons, while the Richard car is semi regular on The IMCA Summer Series circuit and at weekly IMCA shows. Of course, Mark is a past champion in these venues, also. So the " silly season " has started before the racing season ends! A rumor making the rounds at Knoxville has the date of the nationals being changed, but we shall see. One fact, not rumor has Toby Kruse taking over as race director at Knoxville, as Ralph " Cappy " Capitani steps down. Congratulations to both men!
It looks as though the weather man may give us another good weekend upcoming, and our choices are night two of the Liberty 100 at West Liberty, i\Iowa, or night two Of the Fall Nationals originally scheduled at Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo., but since moved to 24 Raceway in Moberly, Mo. In a related move, modified racer Brandon Savage will be promoting a two night special at Scotland County on October 21 and 22. And in between, is the final Shiverfest extravaganza promoted by Terry and Jenni Hoenig at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa. Hope to see you at some of these races!

Catching Up

2011-09-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have been a bit hectic, and it seems typical of this season that when I can head for the race track it is raining, and when the weather is good, something else demands attention. We did get in our final night at Quincy Raceways this past Sunday, with an unprecedented seven classes on the card, making for a long night. A particular highlight of the evening came at intermission when we inducted our first six members in the newly formed Quincy Raceways Hall of Fame. As a member of the five person selection committee, I was pleased to be able to present the first award to the founding family of the track, the Scotts. Albert Scott constructed the facility in time to open midway through the 1975 season, and three generations of Scotts took a turn promoting the facility through the 2006 season. Alberts son Bob, Bobs' wife Jan and their son Jeff were on hand to receive their plaque. The Quincy Pepsi Cola Bottling Co. received the sponsor award, and long time track employee Don Hummell was also honored. In the driver category, three drivers who have dominated at different times through the years were the first to be inducted. Nine time late model champion Steve Fraise, who was a force during QRs' NASCAR years before retiring in 1992 made the trip down from Montrose, Iowa to the delight of the fans who still talk of his exploits. Henry Delonjay who captured three sportsman titles as well as ten in the modified division before hanging up his helmet to mentor son Steven was also a popular selection. Finally, 14 time late model champ Mark Burgtorf, who was competing in two classes, climbed from his # 7B modified to receive his award. There could be no questioning the inclusion of all these folks in the first of what we hope will be many classes of those who have given QR its rich history.
In racing action, Steven Delonjay made the night doubly special for his father by picking up the UMP modified feature win, thereby clinching the track championship, his first in the mod after two earlier 4 cylinder crowns.
Although the late model title was decided a month earlier, a dozen cars contested the 30 lap finale, with Joey Gower making it two wins in a row to end the season. Interestingly, Burgtorf finished a close second in both features. Terry Houston topped the IMCA stocks, but lost the point title by one point to first half sensation Aaron Brocksieck. Second half hot shoe Jake Powers picked up the hobby main, with Steve Carlin scoring a fifth track title. Kimberly Abbott scored another Wild Thing win, with Seth Woodruff claiming the championship. Joe Bliven took the four race sport mod crown, with Jim Gillenwater taking the main event. Logan Mitchell grabbed the KIDZ MODZ finale.
Promoter Tony Rhinberger announced that sport mods will be added to the weekly card for 2012, with more information forthcoming.
This weeks plans are to head to Knoxville, Iowa Saturday for the final night of the Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals. While the season is winding down, apparently I may be able to add one more race to the schedule with the preliminary announcement that the Memphis, Mo. Fall Nationals will be moved to the weekend of October 21-22. Again, details to follow.
See you at the races!

Shower Power

2011-09-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

In the two seasons that I have penned this column, i have tried to stay close to the intent of the site - to emphasize the positives in racing. So i will go ahead and apologize in advance for this missive, which unfortunately will not follow along those lines. I was part of a large crowd on hand Friday night at the Davenport Fairgrounds to witness the once postponed IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series show. The fact that the race had been rescheduled on the seldom used 1/2 mile, and set during both the World 100 and the Boone Supernationals was very interesting to me - a gutsy move, to say the least.
So I deemed it worth taking a vacation day at work, and with a local racers wife watching the weather, buddy Fred and I headed out on the three hour trek north.
I must say I was a bit nervous as I always am at Davenport, given the track curfew and with the number of advertised laps to be run on the big 1/2 mile, and when no cars hit the track until 6:40, I was clock watching. And then it happened. A ten minute rain shower, moderate though it was, put the entire night in jeopardy. Still, there seemed to be hope when the rain stopped and the track packing vehicles came out quickly. When announcer Phil Roberts made the request for the 80 plus race cars in the pits to please come out and help with packing, we figured we had maybe a 30 minute window at best to roll in the track and go racing. Now I have spent enough time in the pits to know that no one wants to be the first car out on a rain slick track, but it was not long before a dozen or so cars made their way out, followed shortly by another dozen or so. And that was where it stopped. As those hardy souls did what they could to help, another 60 or so drivers stayed in the pits, either convinced the effort was futile, or simply not willing to help. I must say, I have rarely been so disappointed by or disgusted with a group of drivers. Was it a lost cause? Probably. Would it have been a terrible imposition for the drivers to make a half dozen laps, then offer an opinion to track officials that the track would not be raceable? I have seen and heard many excuses last night and today, the cost of fuel, the cost at the car wash, it is not the racers job to work the track, etc. While I tend to agree that it is not the racers job to prepare the track, it was hardly the promoters fault that the rain came at hot lap time. And I am sure the cost of towing home, anywhere outside the Quad Cities, and towing back on Sunday will far exceed the cost of fuel and wash expense involved. Although this was obviously a much smaller deal, I was reminded of the flood of 1993, when the folks in my little river town, which has no levee, worked in extremely hot weather to fill sand bags in a futile attempt to hold back the water from the homes and businesses at the rivers edge. And I still remember those who sat and watched and decided it was a lost cause and was not their job, anyway. Well the water came anyway, some tried to help, and some just watched...
I do not know the Davenport promoter personally, but I do remember going to a race on the 1/4 mile last season when it had rained most of the day. The track was rough, and during hot laps we thought there must be no cars as very few came out. The crowd was understandably small, and I am sure he turned little or no profit this night. But come race time, he had a decent field of cars, and the race went off as planned. In short, he fulfilled his obligation to his drivers and fans even though it would have been difficult to blame him for pulling the plug. The payback he got last night was disappointing. I hope the cars and fans can come back on Sunday night for the re reschedule - I am sure neither group will be as large, and I know we cannot, and now he is under fire for going up against another race to the north. I have been rained out many times before, and this will not keep me away from Davenport Speedway, or Summer Series shows. But then I am not an " average " fan, and I think we can all agree that we need more of those. And last night did nothing to make those folks want to attend more races. And my wife was quick to mention when I repeated the new popular slogan, " it is what it is," the rest of that saying is " but it will be what you make it."
See you at the races.

If It's Monday, This Must Be...

2011-09-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

When the vacation schedule goes up at my workplace, I make sure to be first in line so i make sure I have the Friday of the 34 Raceway Pepsi USA late model nationals off. In the 20 years of the nationals, I have missed a total of three nights - all due to work - and so I guess this is truly my " can't miss " event. With the Sprint Invaders joining the regular classes Sunday night at Quincy Raceways, I was looking at a three race weekend. Good thing Monday was an R and R day - or so I thought! Friday went pretty much as planned, good, though hot weather, and a nice field of IMCA late models looking to qualify for a shot at the $10,000 top prize on Saturday. The car count was down a bit this year, but that seems to be a common thread with the late model specials of all sanctions. Still 45 cars signed in, and someone wisely asked who was not there that had a chance to win!?!
Ray Guss Jr. continued his amazing two year run by setting quick time, then coming out of the four car invert to grab his 12 lap heat race to earn the pole for the 99 lap finale. Yes, this is normally a 100 lap race, but it was shortened to 99 this season to honor the former owner of 34, ole # 99, Johnny Johnson. Up and coming Tyler Bruening, track regular Tom Goble, and the father and son team of Lonnie and Matt Bailey also grabbed heat wins. The 14 car Iron Man Feature for those with perfect attendance to this point in the Summer Series season ran as the finale of the night, with Oskaloosa driver TJ Criss taking the checkers in the 20 lap $750 to win race for the second consecutive year. Mike Garland nabbed second ahead of Jay Johnson, Matt Strassheim, and Terry Neal. We headed home knowing there was a chance of rain Saturday, but things looked good at the time, and still looked that way Saturday morning. Fred and Darryl were on their way to pick up Keagan and I when I got an ominous text picture showing an ugly grey cloud hovering over the track. Minutes later word came that the finals were postponed to Sunday night, in direct competition with Quincy Raceways. But first things first, I had three race fans in my living room expecting me to make a plan. Well a couple of internet clicks told us that I-55 raceway in Pevely,Mo. was still racing their UMP weekly show. With about 45 minutes to spare, we jumped in Freds van and headed south. A couple of showers as we neared St Louis caused us to call the track, but we were assured all was well. Arriving at the track, we found a solid field of 94 cars in four classes, including 22 UMP late models and 22 UMP modifieds. The street stocks had been added to the card for a special, but only three showed up, so they were given the option to run with the AARA sportsmen.
It just happened to be 1/2 price fan appreciation night, and the place was rocking! I-55 does a great job of running the premier classes first, a good thing for weary travelers like us. It also helps traffic control, as there it but one way in and out of the track co owned by Ken Schrader. The absolute only downer on the night was the 45 minute intermission to stage a nickel dash for the kids - where is Lynn Richard when you need him? When the cars got back on the track, the late models ran first, 25 laps of ground pounding action on the 1/3 mile banked track. " King Kong " Randy Korte started outside row two, followed Dave Jumper for one lap, then checked out on the field. Several cautions bunched things up, but each time the
# 00was equal to the task. Michael Kloos found his way around Jumper late in the race and tried to close the gap on Korte, but it was not to be. Korte sat out all of 2010 after back surgery, but looks to be as strong as ever. He also picked up the win Friday night at Tri City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Il. Quincy driver Rickey Frankel came home fourth, followed by Mark Miner and late model rookie Bobby Bittle.
The UMP mods ran their 20 lapper next, and with Quincian Michael Long in the house, we had a rooting interest. Michael had also won the night previous at Tri City, and was working on an eight straight feature win streak, vaulting him to second in national points. Now however, it was Mark Miner, doing double duty, who took off from row one to lead the pack. " Big Block " Tim Hancock soon moved to the second spot, and Long flew to third in a couple of laps. Once again, a spate of cautions kept the front runners from getting their momentum going, but when it was clean and green, Hancock on top and Long on the bottom put on a shoe behind Miner. As the laps wound down, Miner faded a bit, and on the final set of turns Hancock made his move. Miner led for 19 and 7/8 laps, but it was Hancock when it counted. Long settled for third. With two features still to run, with headed for the parking lot at 10:30, with a 2 hour 45 minute drive home ahead of us.
During the intermission, Michael Long talked to Darryl and advised him that Quincy Raceways had moved their race to Monday night. Good news that I could go back to 34, bad news that I had non racing plans for Monday.
But first things first, and Sunday afternoon, we were back on the road for West Burlington, and Keagans first ever three race weekend. With the day off in between and Sunday night late model races in East Moline and Dubuque, only 18 of the 30 non qualified cars came back. Still we would have two B-mains taking the top three from each, and five provisionals, filling out the 26 car starting grid. B- main number one went to Jeff Guengerich over Nate Beuseling and Criss, with Darin Duffy suffering a heartbreaking engine failure three laps from a win. Duffy was pilorting Brian Harris # 21H, as Harris had wheeled the # 27H on Friday, then went modified racing on Sunday. The second 20 lapper saw a similar fate for Tom Bowling Jr., as he lost a transfer spot in the # 3D normally driven by Jason Cook. Terry Neal captured B-main two over Jay Chenoweth and Darrell Defrance. Boone McLaughlin came up short as he jumped the berm going for third. Three time race winner Mark Burgtorf had mechanical issues on Friday, finishing eighth in his heat. Mark finished fourth in the first consy, and that was good enough to give him the hard charger provisional.
Guss Jr. and Bruening took off from the front row of the 99 lapper, and Bruening set the pace for most of the first 22 laps. As the two frontrunners entered traffic, there was what appeared to be inadvertent contact that sent Bruening in to a spin. On the restart, Guss took off, and the race was his for 30 green flag laps. A handful of cautions bunched to field, but Guss was in charge. By lap 64, Burgtorf had moved for 23rd to seventh, but a broken body brace caused a tire to go down, and after one trip to the pits, he eventually went to the trailer. By lap 74, Andy Eckrich was making his move, and he and Guss raced side by side for a few laps. On lap 92, traffic again came into play, and this time it was Guss in the wrong place. The # 58 was forced to check up slightly, and that was all Eckrich needed to make the winning pass. Five laps later contact between third running 34 track champion Denny Woodworth and Quincy track champion fourth running Justin Reed sent Denny spinning, bringing out the final caution. Andy held on for the $10,000 win, with Guss settling for second. Reed finished third, with Johnson, Goble, and Colby Springsteen next in line. The final checkers waved before 10:00.
Thanks to Amy, Jeff and their crew for keeping this tradition going strong!
As I said, Monday was family time, but when we arrived back home at 5:00 with the sun shining, I could hear Quincy Raceways calling. Arriving later than usual, I caught up to speed quickly. A good field of 19 Sprint Invaders checked in, and the UMP mod count was a healthy 18. Unfortunately, the late model experiment of adding crate cars to the IMCA machines and allowing tire modifications seemed to backfire, with only seven total cars, and veteran Terry Gallaher having the only crate on hand.
Still, we witnessed three outstanding feature finishes. After Tanner Klingele grabbed his third feature win in the hobby stocks, the sprinters came to the track. Ryan Jamison jumped to the lead before breaking a gear on a lap two restart. Jimmy Davies then took over, with Joey Moughan moving to the top spot about mid way through the 25 lapper. Joey looked to be in control before Ben Waggoner made an unbelievable last lap charge, closing a nearly one second gap to take the win over Moughan. Korey Weyant, Jim Moughan, and Bobby Mincer completed the first five.
The late models ran next, and us " old timers " enjoyed a special treat, as Terry Schlipman dug out his fire suit and wheeled Keith Pratts # 33 for the night While Schlip ran a strong third, the race was ahead of him, as Denny Woodworth charged past Jason Perry on a lap two restart. The two ran side by side nearly the entire 24 remaining laps. with DW high and Perry low. Jason had the spot at the white flag, but Denny powered back, and crossed the line less than a quarter second ahead of Jason. Jake Griffin ran fourth, with Sam Halstead, Lonnie Bailey, and Gallaher rounding things out.
Kimberly Abbott used a late race pass to nab her second Wild Thing feature in the 12 lap finale.
Last on the card came the UMP modifieds. Michael Long was looking to make it five in a row at QR, but he suffered a set back in his heat race. After leading six laps, He gave up the lead to Mark Burgtorf, the also lost second to Steven Delonjay, knocking him out of the top six redraw. When Burgtorfs car owner drew a two, we knew we would have race. Mark checked out on the field before Michael could get through traffic. One thing about mods, especially at QR, patience is a virtue, because there are usually enough cautions to allow you to advance through the pack, and the side by side restarts helps even more. As the race wore on, both point leader Delonjay and runner up Jared Schlipman retired to the trailer with damage, and it quickly became a two car race. Burgtorf ran the low side, Long the top. Michael had the advantage out of turn two, Mark down the front stretch. A couple of late cations seemed to break Burgtorfs momentum just a bit, and Long grabbed his first lead at the end of lap 23. Burgtorf took the white flag first, but Longs final lap charge gave him win number five in a row by .026 seconds - thank goodness for transponders! Shawn Deering eased past Donavon Lodge late for third, with Jim Roach and Dave Weitholder completing the top six.
I don't know when I last did four nights of racing in a row, and I'm feeling it now, but what an awesome racing weekend. This weekend looks like a double, weather permitting, with my first trip of 2011 to Davenport Speedway for the Summer Series race on the big half mile as the opening act. If you see me there, stop by and visit!

A New Track and A New Champion

2011-08-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

Well after considerable time covering this past weekends races, I have discovered that my blog is lost in cyber space. as there is not time tonight to attempt to recreate, I will just recap quickly. Darryl, Fred and I made our first ever visit on Friday to Callaway Raceway in Fulton,Mo. for the ULMA late model, and Don Trammell Pro Mod Memorial races. Visiting racer Jason Bodenhammer rolled in with his # 88 late model to try and take a win away from track and ULMA association points leader Jake Griffin, the 12 year old from Quincy,Il. Griffin managed a second place finish ahead of Terry Gallaher, Alan Westling and Travis Coffman. The Pro Mod 30 lapper was a runaway for Jason Russell, with Danny Crane and Richard Foster staging an epic battle for the runner up spot, finishing in that order ahead of Gary Blackburn Jr and Robbie Reed.
On Sunday, Quincy Raceways crowned an IMCA late model champion, and Justin Reed led all 30 laps to capture the feature race. He had come into the night tied for the top spot with Lonnie Bailey. Bailey entered the feature with a two point lead after a second place heat race run. A runner up spot in the main event would have given Lonnie the crown, but a lap 20 pass by 34 Raceway points champion Denny Woodworth sealed the deal for Reed, who held the feature wins tie breaker over the veteran Bailey.
The 360 CI Sprint Invaders will be on the card this Sunday at QR along with the five regular classes, while 34 Raceway hosts the annual Pepsi USA late model Nationals. See you at both these big events!

A Road Trip, and then Back Home

2011-08-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

As the 2011 race season quickly winds down, it has become all too apparent that even though we thought 2010 was a " down " year in terms of number of race nights, this season is shaping up to be even worse. While we could really use some rain around these parts, the timing of the few showers we get has really interfered with the race season. Between bad forecasts, gas prices, and outside commitments, the total number of tracks visited looks a bit week this season as well. One night in particular really stuck in my craw, that being the rained out World of Outlaw show at the Independence, Iowa Speedway in early July. Grandson Keagan and buddy Fred joined me on the three hour trip north, but the closer we got, the rainier it became, and as we waited on pit road, the plug was pulled. In addition, it was Freds first visit to the track, and I was anxious for him to see racing there. So after checking out fellow Positively Racing blogger Ryan Clarks' summary of the August 14 show, featuring 23 late models for a weekly show, I decided one more trip to the 3/8 mile oval sounded like a good idea for this past Saturday night. Once again, Keagan was on board, and buddy Darryl was able to make the weekend trip. Unfortunately, Fred had to miss this adventure. After several back and forth e- mails with Ryan, we set out from a rainy looking LaGrange, and drove into sunny Iowa skies. The closer we got to Indy, the more the clouds built up, and the first sprinkles hit just after we pulled into the fairgrounds. As Yogi said, it seemed like deja vu all over again! But after the lady at the front gate said the radar looked pretty good, we bought our tickets and staked out our seats, well ahead of the late arriving crowd. Sure enough, here came the persistent sprinkles that would cause a 37 minute delay before the program could get started. When they subsided, the track was rolled in, and hot laps began. As the late models came to the track, the showers came back, and another 26 minutes of down time resulted. When Darryl recalled a similar night in Jacksonville,Il. where we endured three such circumstances before the skies really opened up, I was not feeling any love. Still, Ryan kept assuring us on the mic that it would soon clear up, and the rare double rainbow lifted our spirits. It was 6:52 when the first heat came to the track, and what followed was nothing but racing as it should be! 13 heat races featuring 101 and race cars, run off in one hour and 11 minutes! No extra parade laps for the flagman to show drivers the furled green flag! Roll 'em out and turn 'em loose! When a disabled car dropped off the speedway in turn one, but kept rolling towards the pit entrance, the green stayed out. I may have a new favorite flagman, sorry I didn't catch his name! At 8:03, with no intermission, the first feature hit the track. Ryan has a detailed rundown of the action and results in his blog, so I will just offer up congratulations to the winners - young Tyler Droste in the sport mods, Sean Johnson in stocks, Troy Cordes in mods - after Todd Conrad spun while leading - and Quinton Miller in the time shortened hobby stocks. More kudos to the way this time limit race was handled. First of all, a 15 minute time limit really meant 15 minutes. It was then announced that the first stoppage after half way - 8 laps - would be the end of the race, no green, white, checkers. and that is exactly how it went. Anyone who spends much time around me at the race track knows that the late models are my first love, and I must say we were all excited that the field was once again 23 strong. And being a ' veteran " fan, having the likes of Curt Martin, Greg Kastli, Rick Wendling, Jeff Aikey, and Dean Wagner alltogether in a weekly show was something of a thrill. While we attempted to relate some of these legendary drivers exploits to Keagan, he had his eye on one of the up and coming stars of late model racing, Tyler Bruening. In the end, i guess we all had something to cheer, as the veteran Wagner grabbed the lead on lap one from his row two perch and held on for all 25 laps, surviving the only two caution periods on lap 13 for his first Indy win in over seven years. On the second of those restarts, 11th starting Bruening charged into the runner up spot, and shadowed Wagner to the checkers.
Ryan had told me in an e-mail that the races were usually over by 9:30, and I even with the rain, he was proven right, as my watch read 9:32 as we headed to the car for a three hour and five minute drive back to LaGrange. It would be an understatement to say a good time was had by all, with Darryl saying we should go back this week. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until 2012 for a return visit. Special thanks to Ryan Clark for all his help, and for not one, but two plugs for my attempts to entertain here at Positively Racing.
After early church and a much needed nap, it was off to Quincy Raceways for Fan Appreciation night on Sunday. A crowd reportedly numbering around 3000 turned out for the nights races, with IMCA Northern Sport Mods added to the card for the second time this season. The open wheel class will be featured two more times, with a track an Illinois state champion determined in mid September. The total car count was down a bit, but the racing was hotly contested. Abe Huls rolled through the pit gate as the heat races were winding down, started last in the IMCA stock car feature, and clawed his way to the front and the win in the caution free 15 lapper. Only eight sprt mods towed in for the $500.00 top prize, but again the action was intense. Jim Gillenwater grabbed the early lead and was cruising until a lap ten caution brought him back to the pack. On the restart, QR veteran mod driver Tony Dunker slipped past for the lead. three laps later, Gillenwater retook the point,leading the final two circuits for the win. Gillenwater is himself no stranger to QR, having won championships in the old bomber class as well as competing in A-mods, and late models.
Bobby Anders led 15 laps of the hobby stock feature before suddenly heading for the trailer. From there it was a battle to the checkers, with Brandon Symmonds holding off Jake Powers for his second win of the year.
After heat winner Mike Hornung Jr., making his first visit of the year, was sent to the tail of the Wild Thing feature for getting on the gas before the starting line Craig Bangert grabbed the lead and picked up his second win in two weeks. A special shout out to the 17 car UMP modifield field, as they completed 25 laps of caution free action. Michael Long ran away from the field, picking up his third feature win of the weekend, following victories at Pontoon Beach,Il and Memphis, Mo. Points leader Steven Delonjay ran second, while Mark Burgtorf, back in a modified after several seasons, ran third. Mark spent several campaigns racing the " Goob " Gordy # 69, and just recently agreed to pilot the # 7B of Craig Brooks, from Thompson - think Mexico - ,Missouri. Mark picked up the modified win Friday in Fulton, Mo.
The IMCA late models are having their tightest points battle in track history. Five drivers entered the next to last night of the late model points season with a shot at the title. Justin Reed came in with a one point lead over Keith Pratt, two over Lonnie Bailey, four ahead of Joey Gower, and nine up on Denny Woodworth. Only Bailey and Woodworth have late model championships on their resume. Bailey took over the lead with a heat race win, while Reed and Pratt were shut out. Come feature time, Matt Bailey jumped to the point, building a sizable advantage. Jason Perry soon broke loose from the pack and began to close the gap. Perry grabbed the lead on lap 12 , as Woodworth moved to third and tenth starting Burgtorf rocketed to fourth. After languishing mid pack, Reed began to move, and came to fifth, as M Bailey, Woodworth, and Burgtorf duked it out for second. With no cautions to bring the field to Perry, he picked up his second win in a row, ahead of M Bailey, Woodworth, Burgtorf, Reed, and Lonnie Bailey. So entering the final points night, Reed and L Bailey are tied, with Reed holding the feature wins tie breaker.
Before I sign off, I'm sure you have read the news that 14 year Lee County Speedway promoters Terry and Jenni Hoenig are backing away from promoting as Terry will apparently join the rest of us " regular " working smucks. All I can say, is good for them if this be the best for their family, and bad for the rest of us. There is no doubt that they experienced some growing pains in the early years at LCS, but to this day, they have one of the best run, and most entertaining dirt track shows in the midwest. Should Terry ever want to return to promoting, he should have no trouble finding a gig. I only hope that the Lee County fairboard can find someone with that sort of a knack for dirt track racing to take over the reins. Donnellson is a top notch facility with genuine race fans, so lets hope things work out for everyone involved.
Not sure where this weekend will take us, but hopefully there will be good racin' when we get there!

Pratt Back, Perry Back on Top

2011-08-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

After devoting the first part of the weekend to family activities, Sunday was the day to saddle back up and head for the race track. It was regular racing at Quincy Raceways, with 64 cars checking in to compete in the five featured classes. We had a couple of visitors in the IMCA stock car class, including Joe Gerdes, who brought out his # 76 for the first time in 2011, and Ty Hill, who calls Dallas Center, Iowa home. Ty has visited the speedway on occasion in the past. Although Hill posted a top five run, neither the out of towners nor the locals had anything for points leader Aaron Brocksieck. Aaron blasted to the lead on lap six, survived a couple of yellows, then stretched out to a big lead, picking up his fourth points feature win of the season. Abe Huls muscled his way to a runner up finish ahead of Terry Houston, Jerry Jansen, and Hill.
The 13 car IMCA late model field rolled out second for their 30 lap finale.
Many eyes were on Keith Pratt, who ended last weeks feature upside down with a fourth place finish and a destroyed race car. Last Sunday night, things looked bleak for the # 33 team, with their shot at a points championship at both QR and 34 Raceway headed down the tubes. With a huge hand from family and friends, however, Pratt had a deal worked out with Joe Garrison of GRT for an almost new race car. While Keiths father and a buddy headed to Arkansas to pick up the car, Garrison bolted on a body, as the 33 team looked to save every step possible. With help from the Woodworth and Schlipman race teams, as well as many others, the " Kool Kat " was back on the track Saturday at 34, and QR on Sunday. Come feature time, however, It was Jason Perry grabbing the lead from Clint Kirkham on lap one, and shooting out to a big advantage. As the leader moved through traffic and the laps clicked off, eighth starting Lonnie Bailey began to close the gap on Perry. Jason was glued to the bottom of the track, while Lonnie was bumping the cushion at both ends of the .29 mile oval. The first caution flag waved on lap 25, and even though the NASCAR style restart put Bailey alongside Perry, the slow down seemed to hurt, perhaps due to Baileys tires cooling . A couple laps later, Bailey was on the move again, but again the yellow waved for a spinning Justin Reed. On the final restart, Perry got a good jump, and Bailey found himself challenged by Joey Gower. For Perry, it was his first points feature win of the year, although he picked up the opening night victory on April 3. Bailey held off Gower for second, Pratt scooted home fourth, and Matt Bailey completed the first five. The late model points race is the closest in the history of QR, with Justin Reed holding the top spot, with Bailey, Gower, Pratt, and Woodworth all within nine points of the top, with two points nights remaining.
After a four week suspension from the track during which time he sold his car, Bobby Anders has picked up right where he left off. Now behind the wheel of Wes Mayfields #21, Bobby powered his way to a flag to flag win in the 20 lap feature. Second generation pilot Tanner Klingele challenged Anders, but could not get by.
The 4 cylinder Wild Things saw nine of the ten entrants start the main event, after Kevin Baze rolled his # 7 in his heat race. Craig Bangert picked up the win over points leader Seth Woodruff.
The 20 car strong UMP modifieds were last on the card, with all but Chris Spalding making the call. As often happens, the open wheelers were plagued by caution flags early on until the field is pared down a bit, then things seem to heat up. Shawn Deering took the early lead, with Jared Schlipman taking over on lap four. Following another restart, Michael Long moved to the front, and held off all challengers to collect his second consecutive main event win. Point leader Steven Delonjay wrestled second away from Schlipman, with Deering sticking around in fourth. Dave Weitholder broke something in the front end of his #05 on about lap six, but managed to keep the car under him to finish fifth.
If you have never been to QR, this coming Sunday night would be a good opportunity to do so. It is fan appreciation night, with $5.00 adult admission, and the IMCA sport mods added to the regular five class card.
As for me, plans for this weekend are up in the air for Saturday, then back to QR on Sunday. See you at the races!

Beck &Burgtorf Bring Home the Bacon

2011-08-08T17:15:00.000-07:00

After Friday nights unexpected rain out, we were not in the mood for more disappointment. So when Keagan and I rolled in to Freds' house in Quincy, I told him the radar did not look too good to the east. But we had made our plans, and with Fred behind the wheel, we picked up Darryl and headed out to make our first visit if 2011 - and Freds first ever - to Shepps Speedway, just outside Alexander,Il. Alexander is a small town just off I-72 about 90 miles from Quincy. Unfortunately, there regular race night is Sunday, in direct conflict with Quincy Raceways. This week, however, with I-55 Raceway in Pevely,Mo. running World of Outlaw sprint cars, the Sheppard family scheduled a special Saturday night show featuring UMP late models. Although the late models are no longer featured weekly at the track, 17 cars showed up for a shot at the $1,000 top prize. In addition, UMP modifieds, street stocks, Hornets, mini sprints and Kidz Modz were a part of the 76 car field on the tight 1/4 mile speedway. The UMP mods and UMP late models were last in the running order, and both had some problems with the caution flag come feature time. Former late model driver Guy Taylor led the first lap of the mod main before breaking the front end of his #77. From there, Curt Rhodes took over the top spot in his #10. A total of six cautions slowed the action, with most coming early in the race. Meanwhile, Ryan Blakeman, fresh off a Friday night win in just down the road in Jacksonville,Il. had encountered problems in his heat race, and started last in the 17 car field. By lap seven, he was up to fourth, and coming fast. Surprisingly, that was as far as he could advance, and he settled in there, as the battle raged up front. Brian Dively, doing double duty in the mods and late models, worked all three lanes of the track to try and overtake Rhodes, but came up short, settling for runner up honors, Another double duty pilot, Ethan Schnapp, finished third, with Blakeman fourth.
All 17 late models took the green for the finale of the evening. John Beck took off from the pole to lead lap one, but Farmer City Raceway co promoter Kyle Logue took over on lap two. At the same time, Ryan Little eased his # 38L into second, but smoke began to pour out of the back of Littles ride during a lap eight caution, ending his good run. Four laps later, Jake Little in the 38J - not sure what the family connection is - brought out another yellow. On the restart, Logue smacked the turn two wall, lost a wheel, and was done for the night. This turned the lead back over to Beck, with Roger Brickler in second. At this time, Dively, who started fifth was setting in the sixth spot. When the green waved, he took to the top of the track, and four laps later he was third and closing fast. On lap 17 the caution waved again, and on the restart, Dively jumped the turn three cushion, and climbed the concrete wall, ending the run of the night. One more yellow waved on lap 21, but Beck remained in control, picking up only his second ever super late model win. Veteran Rick Standridge ran second,, second generation racer Matt Taylor in one of father Dicks # 24 cars was third, Greg Kimmons took fourth, and Brickler faded to fifth. 14th starting Mike Hammerle rolled home sixth, and Adam Mefford in the Sheppard family owned # 5s advanced five spots to seventh. Although there was some delay between checkered flags and the next racing pulling on the track, the curtain came down about 10:20 after a 17 race program. The racing was very close throuout the night, including possibly the best 4 cylinder battle I have ever witnessed. Part time Quincy competitor Todd Nelson finished second, but unfortunately, I was not able to get the winners name! If you get a chance, I can recommend a visit to this unique facility.
Night number 30 of the 2011 season found me back at the familiar ground of Quincy Raceways. With the weather somewhat cooler although accompanied by a threat of rain, the car count was up a bit with 67 race teams in the five classes, led by 22 UMP modifieds.
The IMCA stock cars ran feature number one, and the story remained the same - short on cars, long on action! Three different drivers spent time in the top spot, with the team cars of Kevin Tomlinson and Kelly Bartz knocking at the doors, of first Andrew Griffin, then Terry Houston, and finally Aaron Brocksieck. In the end, Brocksieck cruised to the " W " ahead of Tomlinson.
The 14 car IMCA late model feature rolled out next, for their 30 laps of action. Amazingly, the race went green to checkers with no stoppages - sort of. Lonnie Bailey held the lead for a dozen laps before Joey Gower took the spot away.On lap 19, Keith Pratt took over the second spot, while seventh starting Mark Burgtorf - the late models ran a draw, redraw show - began to move on the top side of the oval. In lapped traffic on lap 24, Pratt moved alonside Gower, and two laps later took over the lead. It was then we noticed that Pratt had broken something in the left front of his # 33. We later learned he also lost his brakes. One lap later, Burgtorf took third, and as the white flag flew, Mark moved to second. Coming out of turn four to the checkers, I will not speculate on exactly what happened at the far end of the track, but there was some contact between Mark and Keith, and Pratt got airborne, flipping his mount across the finish line, landing upside down under the flag stand. Burgtorf scooted by for his first win of the season, Gower grabbed second, Bailey third, and Pratts wild finish was good for fourth and a bent up race car. Justin reed held on to the point lead by coming home fifth. As for Pratt, he is sore, but otherwise uninjured despite the wild ride.
Tanner Klingele topped a twelve car hobby stock field, while Nelson picked up a win to go with Saturday nights runner up finish in the 4 cylinder class. Obviously a true racer, Nelson loaded up Friday in Donnellson after the cancellation and headed for Jacksonville,Il Raceway hoping to tag the back of the Hornet feature. He came up just short, as the feature was rolling to the track as he came to the gate. As he calls Springfield,Il home, at least it was on the way!
The UMP mod feature ran last on the card, but there was plenty of drama attached. Steven Delonjay was looking to set a track record, as he was going for his seventh straight feature win. Besides the locals trying to prevent that, UMP national point runner up Ray Bollinger from Kewanee, Il made the trip south in search of UMP points. Bollinger has been a dominant car at Peoria,Il in 2011 , but had not yet been to Quincy. 20 of the 22 entrants took the green to start the 25 lap finale, and once again, the caution periods slowed the pace, especially early on until the field was pared down a bit. Defending track champion Jared Schlipman took the initial lead, before Michael Long took advantage of a restart to claim the top spot. Schlipman stayed close until a lapped car opened the door for Delonjay to take second on lap 13. A final caution flew on lap 20 as Jim Roach lost a rearend while running fourth, and as everyone settled in for the final shootout, Chris Spalding suddenly found something on the top of the track, and moved up to grab third and challenge for second. At the flag, it was Long breaking the streak, Delonjay second, Spalding third, followed by Schlipman and Bollinger.
I would have to say that the two nights combined provided some of the most exciting racing I have seen in 2011.
This weekend, plans are wide open, other than Quincy on Sunday. Maybe I will see you at the races!

A Quick and Disappointing Friday

2011-08-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

After keeping one eye on the sky all day at work, I hopped in the car at 5:00 and made one more to call to Lee County Speedway to make sure the races were still on. Darryl and Fred picked up Keagan and I at my house and we headed north in anticipation of the IMCA late model special. Along the way we saw Tommy Elston heading to the track which only added to the mood. About 4 miles south of Donnellson, the pavement was damp, and soon a light shower began. Things still seemed okay until we approached the Donnellson exit, when we met modified driver Adam Birck headed south. Although we were pretty sure of the outcome, we drove the last couple of miles to the track, meeting more haulers along the way. As we drove to pit road, Mark Burgtorf was preparing to leave, and said it had just begun to rain minutes earlier. Just another reason to chalk up 2011 as something of a lost season. Still, racers and race fans are incurable optimists, and tomorrow we will try it again with an eye on the sky. Wish us luck!

High Temps and Hot Cars

2011-08-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

It did not look like a good racing weekend when I rolled out of bed Saturday morning, as the rain was coming down pretty good here in northeast Missouri. A quick look at the maps on line offered some hope, so I made a call to Bob Litton in Iowa City, who told me it was sunny and hot there. As the missus and I headed out to snag some groceries, I phoned Fred and Darryl to assure them that our planned trip to West Liberty Raceway was still a go. As Keagan had other things going on, I also phoned old friend Gary Lupardus, and he filled the open spot in the Sonata as we headed north. With 34 Raceway and Jackson County Speedway not running late models, we were hoping a few extra might wander in to " Lib." Still we were surprised to see Mendon, Il hotshoe Keith Pratt roll through the gate. Keith is a regular at 34 as well as Quincy Raceways, and had never even been to the big fairgrounds half mile. He was sitting home Saturday with an urge to race, and so he did! He struggled a bit in his heat race, started 16th in the main event, but moved up to a respectable eighth place finish. He told me later he loved the track, but wished he had put on new tires for the feature. He said he stayed with old ones because of his starting spot, not expecting to advance through the tough field. We had plenty of time to watch Keith, because all the racing was in the middle of the pack. That's because former Liberty standout Ray Guss Jr. qualified for the pole position in the 25 lapper, and turned the race for first into a rout. Outside pole sitter Jeff Guengerich stayed close until a lap eleven caution for Sam Halstead who stopped in turn four. On the restart, ninth starting Kevin Kile bolted from fifth to the runner up slot. One lap later, Fred Remley spun in turn two, bringing out the only other caution of the race. From that point, Guss took off, cruising to the win. The younger Kile held off twelfth starting Andy Eckrich for second, with Mike Klinkhammer and Guengerich completing the top five. Sixteen cars took the green flag, with Jay Chenoweth and visiting Dave Schitker unable to make the call. Both drivers saw there mounts go up in smoke in heat race action.
The IMCA modifieds had started off the feature action, with 13 cars taking the green. Bub Irwin led lap one before Larry Herring charged to the front. Herring paced the field until Todd Hansen made a last lap pass for the win. Visiting Bob Dominacki took third. Hansen had been racing a late model throughout the week for the Kile Motorsports team in the Corn Belt Clash series.
Tyler Whalen, Mike Morrow and Nate Chandler staged an entertaining battle in the Sport Compact feature, with Chandler getting the win Whalen second, and Morrow third.
Although short on cars, the stock car feature was a real shootout. Cody Harris was the early leader, but by lap six, Harris, David Brandies, and visiting Andrew Burk were running three wide. Coming to the white flag, Burk looped his # 20B, bringing out the yellow. On the restart, as the field again took the white, Burk made contact with Marcus Ostofi, sending the # 17m into the inside wall. the race was called complete, with Brandies getting the win over Rod Statts and Harris.
The open modified feature may have been the pick race of the night, with 14 of the 16 cars taking the green. Larry Herring, one of several double duty mod racers, blew his engine in his heat, and Nick Hixson was loaded and gone by feature time. Scott dickey jumped to the early lead before a lap three yellow. Double duty Hansen retired then with lost oil pressure. By lap nine, Noah Coppes was challenging for the lead, but one lap later, tenth starting Ryan Dolan moved to second. The next ten laps were edge of your seat ones, as Dickey ran the middle groove, and Dolan tried both the top and bottom lines. Dolan finally found the high side in one and two and the low line in three and four to his liking, and the two second generation racers came to the white flag side by side. Ryan led his only lap at the end, Mike Schulte trailed Dickey in third, with Coppes fourth.
Although the heat races were slowed by several cautions, the show ended before 10:00, a real bonus for us weary travelers.
Sunday night found us back at Quincy Raceways for weekly racing, with Jeff Broeg joining us in the grandstands.
The PCRA crate late models were added to the Sunday card, racing for $1,000 to win, as they wrapped up a four night mini tour. Though short on cars, the crates were plenty long on talent. Bobby Dauderman led throughout, but not without a stiff challenge from Nick Lyons in the black # 8 ball sometimes driven by Scott Weber. The top two were chased across the line by Mark Oller, Tim Rataczyk, and Dustin Griffin. The crate lates have another date in Quincy in September.
The 16 car UMP modified field started the features off, but once again the yellow flag was the featured attraction. Nine times, the caution flew, eliminating half the field, including defending track champion Jared Schlipman and top contenders Dave Weitholder and Shawn Deering. Shawn was wheeling the # 00 of Ben Huff, as his # 16 is in the repair shop, but he could not take advantage of a front row start. Meanwhile, IMCA driver Brandon Savage continued to set the opace early, until losing a wheel on one of several lap eight restarts. At the same time, Steven Delonjay ducked to the hot pit area to change a flat tire, rejoining the tail of the field after challenging Savage. This turned the lead over to newlywed Vance Wilson. Wilsons ride was beat and battered, and he soon gave up the top spot to Robbie Reed. Meanwhile, Delonjay worked his way back to the front, taking over the lead on lap 18, and going on to his sixth straight win, tying Michael Longs track record in the mods. Reed took second, with Jake Griffin, Wilson, Ryan Meyer in tow.
Nine IMCA stock cars took the green flag, with Andrew Griffin and Abe Huls dueling for the lead. Abe picked up the win, with Terry Houston getting around Griffin for second. Beau Taylor and Jerry Jansen also had top five runs.
Thirteen IMCA late models checked in, although Justin Jennings lost his drive shaft in his heat race, ending his night. Darin Weisinger took off from the pole in search of his first win as the field jockeyed behind him. Denny Woodworth worked both the top and bottom grooves to move to the front, but Justin Reed got his # 1st hooked up on the high side, grabbing the lead and the win after a lap 21 caution. Woodworth took second ahead of Matt Bailey, Joey Gower, and Weisinger.
The hobby stock saw the return of early season sensation Bobby Anders, now wheeling Wes Mayfields # 21. Bobby was back in his familiar top spot, when he went pitside on lap eight, turning the lead over to steady Brandon Symmonds. The Keokuk, Iowa driver held off allcomers, collecting his first win over Tanner Klingele, point leader Steve Carlin, and Nathan Anders.
The 4 cylinder Wild Things brought the curtain down with a 12 lap finale. Seth Woodruff overtook point leader Casey Kendrick on lap nine for his first feature win. Craig Bangert, Kimberly Abbott and Robert Thompson rounded out the first five.
A couple of weeks back, I congratulated Kimberly Abbott on being the first lady racer to pick up a QR win since 1993. Inexplicably, I overlooked the colorful career of high schooler Sarah Woodhurst, who was a standout racer during the 4 cylinder Hornet days at QR. Not only did Sarah pick up five feature wins in that class, she also picked up a hobby stock checkers before ' retiring " to attend college at Mizzou. My apologies to a talented and young lady!
It is already August - the season is slippim=ng away, so get out to the races this weekend. See you there!

The " Real Deal " Hits the Jackpot

2011-07-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

Every now and then, you just feel like taking a chance, and Saturday was one of those days. The weather has stood in the way of a fair portion of the 2011 racing season, but the nearly 400 mile rainout 11 days earlier was not going to influence our next road trip. So Keagan, Darryl, Fred and I loaded up early Saturday morning and headed to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, where we met up with Bill Brown and headed off on yet another adventure. If the rain stayed away, it would be the first visit for all but Bill to the I-80 Speedway near Greenwood - think Omaha - Nebraska for the final night of the inaugural Silver Dollar Nationals. The Saturday lineup included a complete USMTS modified show for the second consecutive night, plus last chance races and the 80 lap feature for the MLRA late models. As none of us has the weather app on our cell phones, we made several calls along our journey across Iowa, as the rain began north of Oskaloosa and stayed with us off and on all the way to our destination. Thinking positively, we stopped in Omaha to get motel rooms, then headed to the speedway. Even with the clouds hanging over us, we bought tickets so that we could go to the pits before the 3:00 PM cut off. The late model count of 51 was a bit less than might have been expected, but that has been a recurring theme this season, but we knew what we had going in, and there were more than enough quality cars and stars to fill the 34 car starting field. Our first look at the Kosiski family owned 4/10 mile high banked facility confirmed what we had heard - that this was a top notch speed plant, wide and smooth with plenty of good seating, complete with backs for added comfort.
20 cars were already prequalified for the $25,000 to win finale, seven drivers would earn provisionals from various methods, the 34 th spot would be auctioned off, leaving slots 21 thru 26 to come from the two last chance events. Although we were not on hand on Friday, everyone we talked to - fan wise - thought the qualifying format of each car running two heat races, with the second heat lineups inverted against different cars and passing point totals used to line up the top 20 was a success. Apparently some of the drivers who had pre entered but did not show did so because of the format., preferring the time honored two lap time trials instead even thought he ten heat races each had a total purse of $500 split among the top three finishers. Another unique idea was to have the heats and last chance races total two more laps than the number of cars in the field, making the last chance races 17 laps each. The combination of six open spots, the provisionals from the MLRA, SLMR, and three previous I-80 late model specials, plus the auction spot kept 48 of the 51 cars on hand. In addition, Dave Conkright rolled in for night two only to try and make the field.
The first last chance event saw Kelly Boen, driving # 33x advance from a row three slot to lead pole sitter Al Humphrey and RC Whitwell for starting spots. The second 17 lapper rolled to the track with pole sitter Mike Collins missing. This moved UMP regular Jason McBride to the outside front row. Collins rolled out at the back of the field, starting in the 14th position. As McBride pulled out to a big lead, Dan Schleiper moved for row four to the runner up spot. Meanwhile, Collins worked his way all the way to third, only to lose the transfer spot to Denny Eckrich after a late caution.
With the modified field pared down to 24 from the 34 cars that signed in and the late model grid set except for one spot, intermission time came. In another unique move, the qualified drivers from both classes came to the grandstand side and mingled with the fans as they were introduced. It was at this time that the announcers called for any late model drivers that wanted to bid on the final late model starting spot to come to the flag stand. Three drivers made the call, including Collins, Mike Wallace, and Bill Koons. The auction rules, were as follows - it would take a minimum bid of $1,500 to buy in to the $1,000 to start race. All money bid over the $1,000 start money would be split amongst to last twenty finishing spots. The bidding started slowly until the announcer auctioneer invited the large crowd to offer up extra cash for the driver of their preference. The bidding came down to Collins and Koons, before Koons, the restauranteur sealed the deal with a bid of $2,700. When asked what had just happened, he replied, " I just did something really stupid! "
With all the hoopla dying down, the USMTS cars rolled out for 35 laps of action. Springfield, Missouri pilot Jeremy Payne left his late model at home and concentrated on his # 74 modified, earning an outside row one starting spot. Payne paced the field for thirty non stop green flag laps before Friday nights winner, Kelly Shryock was able to close a straightaway lead and make the pass to the front. Less than two laps later, as the leaders negotiated lapped traffic, there was a three car tussle in turns three and four that collected Shryock, and left Payne with minor damage. Kelly went pitside and changed a tire, came back out, but retired to the trailer before the green waved again. Jeremy inherited the lead back, and held on the final four circuits, as his teammate and mentor Terry Phillips came home second. Iowa ace Ryan Gustin had blown an engine on Friday night, stuck in a new one, and finished a strong third. Jason Hughes needed a B- main win to make the show from row seven, and had advanced to fourth on the restart, but faded back in the pack in the closing laps.
Phillips, Kyle Berck, and Chris Speiker all did double duty for the weekend, with Phillips driving the # 80 late model of Scott Koskovich. Of the three, only Speiker did not qualify in the late model finale, so Berck and Phillips would be running more than 100 laps on a muggy night - did I mention that the clouds almost magically drifted away after 5:30, prompting a somewhat nervous Ed Kosiski to jump back in the water truck!?!
Iowa driver Chris Simpson and Indiana hot shoe Don Oneal in the Freeport, Il based Moring Motorsports # 1 made up the front row for the finale. Simpson took off like a shot, with the first caution on lap eleven. On the restart, third starting Austin Hubbard, the young driver from Delaware, moved around Oneal for second. after a lap 20 stoppage, Billy Moyer the elder, who had been locked in a three wide duel with Oneal and Mars, took the fourth spot, with Oneal in third and Mars fifth. Oneal then took second from Hubbard, and after a lap 33 restart, he put a major league slide job on Simpson in turn two, clearing him with no problem for his first lead of the night. About this time, 20th starting Brian Birkhofer began to move after spending the first 30 laps outside the top ten. Brian moved to eighth on a lap 40 restart. Another yellow three laps later saw Hubbard take second, and fifth starting Dale McDowell renentered the top group in fourth. Throught the race, Moyer had been working the high side, where the cushion was nearly to the wall, and the footing was tricky. On lap 56, Moyer slowed in turn two, dropping about three spots, and one lap later he retired to the pits with apparent rear end or transmission issues. Birkhofer used Moyers misfortune to move to sixth as the field retook the green and Oneal continued to lead by a wide margin. On this, the final stoppage, McDowell moved to third/ Three laps later,Birky took fourth from Mars, and on lap 67 McDowell grabbed second from Hubbard. Two laps later, Birkhofer made the pass for third, but from the The Muscatine ace and the Georgia hot shoe could only watch Oneal, the " Real Deal " cruise to the $25,000 big check waiting in victory lane. McDowell was smooth and steady, taking the $12,000 runner up check, and Birky took home $7,000 for third. The rest of the top ten included Hubbard, Mars, Chris Simpson, New York standout Tim McCreadie, 18th starting Chad Simpson, Jesse Stovall, and 21 st starting Boen in tenth.
Even with a bit of a late start due in part to track prep, and all the festivities, the final checkers waved about 11:30, and no one seemed to mind. I would have to say that my long overdue first trip to this impressive speedplant will not be my last, and a big thank you to Ed and the entire Kosiski family for a well run show and a perfectly prepared track despite the weather. The field of late model drivers on hand was a fascinating mix, of World of Outlaw, Lucas Oil, MLRA, Mars, UMP,SLMR,CBC and independent racers, including some I had not had the pleasure of seeing race in several seasons, and some I had only read about and never seen. In addition, I finally got to see in action a late model # 62, the only
" regular " number I had never seen on a late model. In fact, " Lightning "
Leon Zeitner had possibly the best looking car in the pit area.
Ed Kosiski stated after the checkers flew, that he would have an announcement this week concerning the possibility of the Silver Dollar Nationals returning in 2012. If they do, I would certainly recommend attending!
We were able to make it back home in plenty of time to switch cars and head to Quincy,Il Raceways for weekly Sunday night racing. Helping up along was a starting time pushed back one hour to beat the heat. Despite several calls to the track and assurances that racing would go on as planned, we arrived to find a pit road and area so muddy that none of the
big rigs were allowed in, instead being directed to the east parking area. Track personnel, with help from the drivers attempted to make the racing surface rolled in, but the decision finally was made about 8:00 that the top side would not come in, and it would be too dangerous and too hard on equipment to race on. With that, the stands along with the regular and makeshift pits emptied out. There will be no midweek make up, with action resuming next Sunday night.
Check your calenders, the last weekend in July is upon us, lets go racing!

The Heat Is On

2011-07-19T17:47:00.000-07:00

As old as I am getting, you would think I would be used to contrary weather, but 2011 has been just flat irritating. One week ago tonight, Keagan, Fred and I decided to ignore the clouds and the so-so forecast and make the three hour drive to Independence, Iowa for the World Of Outlaw late model special. After all, Fred and I were burning vacation days, so nothing to do but go, right? the closer we got, the rainier it looked, and we arrived at the fairgrounds with intermittent showers falling. When the rain quit, we made our way to pit road to sneak a peek at who was already there and who was rolling in. As we stood under the big tree, the rain picked up, and as Chris Simpson rolled through the gate, a track official walked up to tell him that the race had been postponed to August 8. as much as i would like to support this big event, I will not be able to make it back, but best of luck to Cam Granger and Rick Hartzell in this ambitious venture.
Friday and Saturday nights were filled with family time, and Sunday, Keagan and I - with Keagan behind the wheel - headed for my weekly stop at Quincy Raceways. Once again, heat was the dominant word, and QR is obviously not alone in in seeing both fan and car count down a bit in the oppressive conditions. Still, the track was good, and so was the racing. The UMP modifieds were not on their best behavior, staging something of a marathon main event. When the checkers flew, second generation racer Steven Delonjay showed why he is a threat to assault some of his Dads impressive stats. Steven captured his fifth straight QR feature win, besting an 18 car field. Two more second generation drivers were in the top four. Jared Schlipman took second , and following Tony Dunker in third was the beat and battered # B1 of Vance Wilson in fourth. Before the races, Tonya Weitholder, wife of Dave told me not to get too close to their # 05 without a tetanus shot. She then said Dave told her the would hang a new body on the car after 50 races. When I asked how close they were, Dave said Sunday was night # 46, so it should happen in the next week. They are true racers, to say the least!
Abe Huls grabbed an entertaing IMCA stock car feature ahead of the pink # 40 of Aaron Brocksieck, while Jake Powers grabbed his first ever feature win in the hobby stocks in front of early leader Nathan Anders and point leader Steve Carlin.
Denny Woodworth assaulted the top side of the .29 mile oval to blast into the lead, looking like he would run away with the 30 lap IMCA late model finale. Soon, however, Justin Reed began closing the gap on the very bottom of the track as the cushion disappeared. Woodworth then moved down the track, but His # 45DW would not hold the bottom groove, and Reed slipped by for the lead. From there, Justin stretched it out over the late model lawyer, grabbing his second win of 2011 at QR. Joey Gower, Keith Pratt, son Matt and father Lonnie Bailey - all previous feature winners this season, completed the first six. The last car to check in for the late models was Justin Jennings, # 56J. Justin still had a big smile after a sucessful Saturday at Iowa Speedway. The 18 year old had put together a last minute deal to enter the ARCA 200 at Iowa Speedway, a natural progression of his budding asphalt ( as well as dirt ) career. Justin entered the race with two goals - finish the race, and do so in the top 20. Despite the intense heat, the diminutive teenager realized both goals when he took the checkered flag in 19th position. He hopes to perhaps make a couple more ARCA starts before he enrolls in NASCAR school this fall.
The final race of the night saw a bit of QR history. Like many tracks these days, QR has had a steady flow of " lady " racers. Unfortunately, none had seen victory lane before or since A modified driver Mary Kay Allen took a feature checkered flag at the age of 22 in 1993. Mary Kay finally gained some company on Sunday when " veteran " teenage racer Kimberly Abbott snagged a win in the 4 cylinder Wild Thing feature. Kimberly, who lives just a short distance from the speedway has been a regular for several seasons at Lee County Speedway, and started racing her # 71 at QR this season when the Wild Things were added to the card. A further bit of trivia, Mary Kay " retired " a couple seasons after her win to start a family, handing the driving chores to husband Ted. They now burn up the highways watching her " little " brother, Michael long, win races around the midwest.
As it stands now, this weekends plans are a Saturday visit to I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Nebraska, for the final night of the $ 25,000 to win late model Silver Dollar Nationals along with the USMTS modifieds. Then it will be back to QR on Sunday - if Mother Nature will cut us some slack! Wherever you are, Dog Days are here early, so take in a race while the heat is on!

Back in the Saddle

2011-07-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

The good news is, the rains finally have eased up. The bad news is, between racing working, and other obligations, this blog has taken a bit of a back seat the last 10 days or so. since my last installment, I have been able to attend five races in a span of eight days. As some of those results are a bit old by now, i won't go into detail, but, but i will say i have seen some excellent racing. The run started with the second and final visit of the IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series to Quincy Raceways on Sunday, July 3. A stout if somewhat short field of 27 cars signed in, and the 42 minute 40 lap main event was part marathon, and part odyssey. Several early cautions - six in the first six laps - scrambled the field, and saw 14 time track champion Mark Burgtorf suffer front end damage that rendered him a non factor, and sent defending series champ Ray Guss Jr. pitside for a tire change. Mike Murphy Jr. paced the field until he broke a ball joint on one of the restarts. Things finally settled down, with Terry Neal pacing the field. Denny Woodworth was flying to the front before making contact with a lapped car. As the laps clicked off, Guss made a charge through the field. While Neal ran multiple lanes around the two groove track, Guss worked the bottom to perfection. At the checkers, he was on the heels of the 28c, but it was Neal picking up second QR series win, with the first coming in 2005. Series points leader Andy Eckrich rolled home third.
The following night Darryl and I bit the bullet and headed for the UMP Summernationals show at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, full well knowing that the alarm would go off early on Tuesday morning. Thankfully, track owners Amy and Jeff Laue seemed to be aware of this very dilemma, and had the enthusiastic crowd on the road well before 10:00. Some folks seemed surprised at the car count for the $5,000 to win show, but history tells us that the Summernationals drivers seem to have an aversion to crossing the Mississippi river, with Pevely, Mo. the lone exception. Still the 26 car field was more than enough to fill a 23 car starting grid, and there were plenty of big names on hand. Much to the delight of the crowd, " homegrown " favorite Brian Birkhofer brought his " A " game, sweeping time trials - 15.502 - his heat race, and the 40 lap feature. Arkansas driver Jack Sullivan, in the GRT house car made a couple of runs at Brian, but could not nmake a serious challenge. Dennis Erb Jr. had been in a bit of a slump, but came home third ahead of Michigans Jeep Van Wormer, and the " Highside Hustler, " Jason Feger, who started 13th. Central Illnois hotshoe Ryan Unzicker was scheduled to start fifth, but could not get his 24 ready in time. after the green flag flew, Ryan rolled out of the pits in Sullivans back up car, made a couple of laps, and pulled back in, I assume to secure his points and start money. In contrast to the previous night, the finale went caution free, taking just over 13 minutes to complete!
By now the time had come to pay some bills, so it was back to work on Tuesday. I had already promised to take my wife, daughter and two oldest grandsons to the St Louis Zoo on Friday, and had scheduled a vacation day to do so. When Simmons Promotions and IMCA made the decision to move the Deery Brothers Summer Series race at West Liberty, Iowa to Thursday, away from The World of Outlaw date at Independence, Iowa, I was able to beg out of the office a couple hours early. I had been waiting 21 years for another Summer Series race at " Lib, " and was thrilled I did not have to choose which race to attend. Grandson Keagan had been planning to join me in west Liberty, but the Justin Moore country music concert at the Lee County Fair in Donnellson, Iowa was too much of a lure. So Grandma stepped up and went to the concert, and I headed north by myself for some 1/2 mile racin'. Before I had driven 10 miles from home, the rain was coming down in buckets, so i made a call to buddy Bob Litton in Iowa City who assured me things looked good up his way. Sure enough, the closer I got, the more the skies cleared, and while Mary and Keagan waited out intermittent showers in Donnellson, I was high and dry in West Liberty.
A solid field of 38 cars signed in, and after four heats and two B-mains, we waited as the top 12 drew for their starting spots on the front stretch. When series points leader Andy Eckrich drew the outside pole position everyone knew he would be difficult to beat on his home track. Still, long time Liberty hotshoe Ray Guss Jr. drew the number three, so... From the start, Andy looked unstoppable. Just as the leaders encountered lapped traffic, a caution flag gave Eckrich an open track. Meanwhile, Guss was dealing with a challenge from Brian Harris. Brian was racing for the first time in a ride from the Diercks Motorsports stable, a black machine with a # 27H on the side. Although Guss regained the second spot on a lap 24 caution, Harris soon took the spot, but still Eckrich was in charge. In the closing laps, Harris cut in to Andys lead, and on the final lap, made a low side move in turn two, easing ahead and breaking the momentum of the # 56 just a bit. Still Eckrich led entering the final turns, but he took the high groove. Brian took the low side, and with the crowd on their feet, he took the win by half a car length stunning those in attendance. Guss took third, with Tyler Bruening fourth. Kevin Kile entered his first series race, at least in the spec motor era, and came from 17th to fifth. Mike Klinkhammer recovered from a lap 24 spin while running sixth to finish tenth.
The 19 car modified win went to Gus Hughes, who had quite a night. Hughes showed up well after the draw, started tenth in the second heat, and came through the field in both his heat and the feature. The win was not an easy one, as he and Bruce Hanford had a great duel for the top spot.
Six hours sleep, and off to a day at the zoo, where a nice breeze made the 90 degree temps mostly bearable, although the bears sure looked hot!
Saturday started with a stop back at the Donnellson fair, then Keagan and I convinced Grandma to visit the race track for the first time in 2011, with the Jake McVey concert at 34 Raceway in west Burlington the attraction.
The car count was down in the late models, with only eleven on hand, and with only four classes in competition again the races ended well before 10:00. The sport mods were an addition to the card, and Keokuk, Iowa Jim Gillenwater demolished the 16 car field. Jim Mueller was again the class of the IMCA stock cars. the race of the night was in the IMCA modifields with Dusty Kraklio, slipping past Darin Thye on the final lap for the win. Darin had led 19 laps in the # m50 machine.
" Superman " Sam Halstead has been enduring a challenging season, but finally put it all together Saturday, leading all 25 laps for his first feature win of the season. Tom Goble threatened early, but settled for second, while Joey Gower, Matt Bailey, and Jeff Guenferich in the Lynn Richard
# 15 rounded out the first five.
Thanks to the Laues for coming up with something to entice my wife to the track!
Another short night, and the weekend wrapped up with a weekly show at Quincy, Il. Raceways. Oppressive heat was a challenge for drivers and spectators alike, and track officials waited as long as they could before starting hot laps, then rolling them off quickly, with heats beginning about 10 minutes after the advertised start time. With a $2,000 to win UMP modified special 80 miles away in Moberly, Mo., the car count was down a bit, but track officials did a splendid job of offering up a two groove track, and the racing was quite good come feature time. The UMP mod feature turned in to a three car scrum, with Steven Delonjay picking up his fifth win of the nine race season. It was especially rewarding for the second generation driver, as his # 35 sustained heavy damage the night before at Macomb, Il. Another second generation ace, Jared Schlipman took second, with Dave Weitholder third. The IMCA stock cars staged the best race of the night, another three car battle. Kevin Tomlinson, Terry Houston, and Andrew Griffin raced three wide before Griffin spun on the final lap. Tomlinson took the win over Houston and Aaron Brocksieck. The 11 car IMCA feature ran next, with Denny Woodworth overtaking early leader Dustin Neese on lap seven, becoming the first repeat winner in nine nights at QR in 2011. Joey Gower, Justin Reed, point leader Lonnie Bailey, and Keith Pratt trailed Denny to the flag. Another second generation racer, Tanner Klingele took the hobby stock win over Brandon Symmonds, and Todd Nelson made it two in a row in the 4 cylinder Wild Things.
Late model driver Justin Jennings has secured sponsorship and will enter the ARCA race at Iowa Speedway next Saturday. The 2011 high school graduate is in his second season of racing both a dirt and asphalt late model, and just last week picked up a second place finish on the dirt at Memphis, Mo. on Thursday, and a second to Tony Jackson, Jr. on the Lebanon, Mo asphalt on Saturday. He finished off the week with an eighth place run on the dirt at QR. He will be in the LG Seeds # 23 in the ARCA event.
As I finish these ramblings, I have one eye on the 10:00 weather, as tomorrow is another vacation day, and Keagan and buddy Fred are set to join me as we head to the World of Outlaw late model/IMCA modified extravaganza at Independence, Iowa Speedway. There has been a lot of chatter on the message boards about this race, especially about the $30 ticket price. I can't help but think about how many seasons I perused the racing papers looking at results for series like Hav-A-Tampa, and later WoO and Lucas Oil, wishing these series would come close enough to the area that I could take in a show and sleep in my own bed. Well, people like the Laues at 34 Raceway have taken the leap to bring us the Lucas series, and now Cam Granger and Rick Hartzell are taking the gamble to bring in the outlaws. Will I pay the $30? You bet, I will, happily so. Weekly racing is very important to our area, but when the big dogs come around, we need to show up then, as well. If you see me at Indy, say " Hi! " Lets go racin'.

And We're Off!

2011-07-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

The holiday weekend got off to an early start Wednesday evening, as Quincy Raceways staged their mid season championship races, rescheduled from Sunday night. With severe storm damage throughout the Quincy area early Monday morning - many area folks still had no electricity - the car and crowd count was somewhat less than average, but the racing was top notch. Although IMCA had granted QR the option of awarding points to the late model and stock car classes on Tuesday night makeup nights, the decision was made to use Wednesday as the make up night when needed. So it was an unusual event with only three of the five classes racing for points on mid season night. To date QR has staged seven shows, but the late models and stock cars have raced for points only twice.
The week night show started several minutes early, with two heat races in the books by the 7:30 advertised time. Even better, there were no caution periods, save a false start or two until the final heat race, UMP modified heat number two, which saw the yellow wave three times, and the heats were complete by about 8:15.
The first feature of the night was the stock cars, with outside pole sitter and heat winner Beau Taylor taking the lead just ahead of Kevin Tomlinson. Kevin ran the bottom groove with Beau in the middle until Aaron Brocksieck moved under Tomlinson for second. He then crossed the line slightly ahead of Taylor on lap six, but the two ran side by side foe several laps before Brocksieck managed to open even a car length advantage. Aaron held on to pick up his fifth win of 2011, with Taylor a season best second and Tomlinson third. And the race went caution free.
The 20 lap hobby stock main event was next, with veteran Wes Mayfield shaking the monkey off his back after a disastrous first half that found him on his third engine. Wes was challenged early by Jake Powers before pulling away to his first win since 2007. And again, the race was caution free. Third on the card was the 30 lapper for late models. Because it was a non points event, veteran Gary Wilson, who brought his ULMA rules car out in hopes of getting some hot laps, was allowed to put IMCA tires on his # 55 and compete in the nights races. Gary moved up to third in his heat, but dropped out of the main event mid way through. Heat two winner Keith Pratt drew the pole position, with Joey Gower to his outside. Pratt won the drag race to turn one at the green, ducked to the now faster bottom groove, and drove a mistake free race. The driver known as " Kool Kat " became the seventh different winner of 2011, besting Gower and point leader Lonnie Bailey. And there were no cautions.
The six car 12 lap Wild Thing feature ran next, with Bill Michel making the long tow from Farmington, Iowa look good as he stretched out a big lead. As the white flag waved, a tire went down on the # 69, as Michel went backwards. Second running Kimberly Abbott slowed behind the leader, and first time visitor Robert Thompson from McComb charged from third to the top spot and the win. Abbott recovered for the runner up slot. Oh yeah, no cautions.
The final race of the night was the 25 lapper for the 14 car UMP modified field. And on lap two, you guessed it, the caution waved. A total of five stoppages marred the race, including a small fire in the Ryan Morrison ride. Through it all, front row starter Steven Delonjay, the second generation hot shoe hugged the lower groove, taking the win. Shawn Deering grabbed his fourth second place finish of the year, while visitor Danny Crane found some traction in the high groove to move to third. Crane is locked in a tight UMP regional points battle with QR regular Dave Weitholder, and made the trip from Columbia, Mo. for some head to head action. Crane got the better of Weitholder on this night, although Dave used a fifth place finish to take the track points lead from Jared Schlipman, who was out of town. The final checkers waved at 9:10.
As I write this on Saturday afternoon, things still look good for the second visit of the IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series late models to QR Sunday July 3. In addition to the regular classes, the IMCA sport mods have been added to the card - a possible audition for 2012 - with their feature paying $500.00 to win. Hot laps start at 5:45 on Sunday.
Last night Keagan and buddy Fred joined me for a visit to the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. Friday racing is always a challenge, as my workday ends at 5:00 PM only if things go well, and fortunately that was the case this week. Lee County was racing for the second consecutive night, having staged their annual Liberty Cup race on Thursday, so the IMCA stock cars and sport Mods were not on the Friday card, replaced by IMCA late models and 305 sprints. the sprints lead the way with 20 cars of the total 80 entries in five classes. 16 Wild Things were signed in, with 15 starting the 12 lap feature. David Helenthal led the distance in his sharp looking # 79.
The hobby stocks were next up, with 11 of 12 taking the green. Jim Lynch moved through the pack, catching race leader Dane Fenton on the final lap. Fenton was looking for his second win in a row, but left the inside line open for Lynch as the pair came out of turn four. The finish was so close that all eyes were on the scoreboard awaiting word from the tower as to who won. The victory went to a very excited Lynch, and he led the race for only the last couple of feet.
All 16 IMCA modifieds made the feature call, with Dustin Crear looking like the man to beat. But Wyatt Lantz had other ideas. Lantz had finished third the night before in the Liberty Cup, and had unfinished business to take care of. He took the lead in the caution free event, cruising to the win.
Tyler Cale, who finished second on Thursday slipped past Crear at the checkers to take the runner up spot again, with points leader Josh Foster being the first to drop out of the 20 lap finale.
The 16 car IMCA late models rolled out next, with a front row of Justin Reed and Jeff Aikey. Two nights earlier, Aikey had picked up the win in the 84 lap $5,004.00 to win Red Dralle Memorial Summer Series race at Independence, Iowa. And second place had went to Reed! This time it was Justin, who now calls Collinsville, Il home, taking the early lead, with the Waterloo, Ia veteran hot on his tail. On lap four, Camp Point, Il driver and Quincy Raceways regular Bill Genenbacher flipped his # 72 machine between turns one and two, landing on his wheels on top of the guardrail with most of the car outside the track. It took sometime to remove the uninjured veteran racer and his ride from the guardrail. When racing resumed, third starting Mark Burgtorf moved around Aikey and started to dog Reed. Burgtorf was able to get under Justin on one occasion, but Reed kept his momentum, eventually opening up a lead of several car lengths. Mark had one more shot as the leaders moved into lapped traffic with five to go, but Reed worked the slower cars flawlessly, cruising to the win. Burgtorf nabbed second, while Lonnie Bailey, driving a different # 25 than he competes at Quincy Raceways got by Aikey for third. Denny Woodworth the night late model sponsor finished fifth.
The final race of the evening was the 305 sprints, with the 20 lapper starting at 10:00 straight up.18 cars took the green, with Mark Widmar jumping to the lead. Several cautions slowed the proceedings, and at we agreed on a 10:30 curfew for ourselves after a long Friday. But things were heating up as Bobby Mincer had closed the gap on Widmar with three laps to go, and it looked like another shootout was coming. But entering turn three, Mincer tangled with a lapped car, ending his run. With a wreck to clean up, the clock reading 10:32 and only three laps remaining, we headed for the parking lot. Checking results, I see Widmar held on for a well deserved win. Fred commented that the 305 really get around the 3/8 mile LCS oval. As always, it was a top notch show in Donnellson, and even though things got started about 20 minutes late - a very unusual happening - time was made up, with no intermission between heats and features.
Tonight, I am off to enjoy some Whiteys ice cream and fireworks - legal to shoot'em here in Missouri, you know! Tomorrow it is back to racing, with Quincy Raceways on the docket. After that, we will see. Summer is here for sure, so wherever you are , take in some holiday racing. Maybe we'll meet up down the road.

If Patience Is A Virtue...

2011-06-26T14:54:00.000-07:00

I mentioned at the end of May that I had a lot of non racing activities scheduled for the month of June. Still, that left seven nights that were available for racing, plus any mid week make up nights Quincy Raceways might need. Well, after two inches of rain yesterday not only wiped out all the tracks within 175 miles of home for Saturday racing, it also ended any chance that Quincy Raceways would be able to get a show in tonight, the 26th. So pending a scheduled make up date on Wednesday this week, I am currently setting at two races in the entire month of June, with both of those coming within five days of each other - a Tuesday make up at QR on the 7th, and a regular show on the 12th! Although I do not have complete record, I am certain that I have not had a month of June with Three or fewer races since at least 1978, and possibly ten years earlier than that!
Perhaps this is my test to see if I can continue to espouse the " Positively Racing " mantra. For Quincy Raceways, tonights cancellation is the ninth of the season. As mentioned, QR has been able to run a couple of make up nights, as they have six shows in the books. Promoter Rick Girard, in his first full season at the helm of Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo. has had even worse luck. By my unofficial count, SCS has also tallied nine rainouts of their Saturday night programs, including five in a row, with their last race being May 21. Rick has had only slightly better luck at 24 Raceway in Moberly, Mo., where he is promoting Sunday night shows. As of 5:00 PM today, 24 is still on for tonight, and NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace, who was scheduled to be at Quincy Raceways tonight to compete in his UMP modified, is now headed to Moberly. Unfortunately, Monday morning comes too early for me to make the trip to the high banked speed plant. The UMP Summernationals tour has had their share of weather woes as well, with five of the first ten shows being postponed or canceled. Local legend Mark Burgtorf joined the tour this week, making the show all three nights of the first swing through his home state of Illinois. Marks best run to date was a runner up finish to Scott James at Highland Speedway on Wednesday.
Hopefully this weeks weather forecast will hold, as I am more than ready to get back to some dirt trackin'. Although Quincy Raceways was given approval from IMCA for Tuesday night make up points racing, this weeks make up will be on Wednesday so points will be awarded only in the UMP modifieds, and QR hobby stock and Wild Thing classes. Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa is scheduled to be in action Thursday for the Liberty Cup, and then again Friday with the IMCA late models on the card. Saturday looks like family night, the Sunday, July 3 will be the second visit of 2011 of the IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series late models to QR. With the holiday, QR is adding a sixth class, as the IMCA type Sportmods will get a shot at the .29 mile oval. The Monday holiday visit of the UMP Summernationals to 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Ia. looks like a " can't miss " event. An big time kudos to Simmons Promotions, Inc. and IMCA for moving the Summer Series race at West Liberty Raceway from Tuesday, July 12 to Thursday, July 7. With vacation time scheduled each week, I hope to now be able to attend both this event as well as the World of Outlaw late model visit on the 12th at the Independence,Iowa Speedway. In all, seventeen events in the next six weeks will hopefully help fill the notebook with lots of news, notes, and memories. So c'mon weather man, enough, already! See you at the races.

Waiting Out the Rain

2011-06-13T17:19:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned last time, the month of June has filled up with non racing activities. However, Saturday found me in the Quad Cities, and while it was cool and cloudy, the rain was holding off, so Keagan and I made plans to visit the Jackson County Speedway in Maquoketa, Iowa, a track he had never been to. Five minutes before time to leave, Keagan decided he was not feeling well enough to go, so as much as I wanted to make the 50 mile trip, I changed plans as well. Apparently I would have run into the " blogger boss " there, so if you would like a rundown of the action, check out Jeff Broegs latest submission.
Sunday found us back home, and I made my weekly trip to Quincy Raceways. As I made the half hour drive, I noticed the clouds building up behind me to the west...surely not again! With hot laps going quickly, the heat races started before the 6:30 start time, and after two quick modified heats, the IMCA late models took to the track as the raindrops began to fall.
A steady shower of 20 minutes or so left us with a greasy mess, but track crews and drivers worked hard, and shortly after 8:00, we were racing again. As is often the case, when the track came back in, it was lightning fast, stayed smooth and produced some great side by side racing.
The five classes of cars totaled 58 strong with 15 UMP modifieds leading the way. Steven Delonjay picked up his second win off the 2011 season in
dominant fashion, taking the lead on lap four after 12 year old Jake Griffin paced the field for the first three laps. Dave Weitholder and Jared Schlipman waged an entertaining battle for second, in a 25 lap main event slowed by only one caution.
The 12 car 20 lap hobby stock finale ran next, and Bobby Anders, who was undefeated on the season with six heat and five feature wins, looked like he would make it six and six, after a nifty pass of Steve Carlin following a lap 15 restart. One more yellow with two laps to go gave Carlin another chance, and he was able to get under Anders and make the winning pass, with Anders spinning in turns one ans two. Anders took exception to the move,
and after the checkers had flown, he drove his # 20 into the drivers side of Carlins car. The result was a DQ for the night, and a four week suspension, effectively ending his chances at a track title.
As that drama continued to unfold, 13 late models took to the track for 30 laps of action. Again, only one caution period slowed the event, and veteran Lonnie Bailey charged from row three to grab the lead from Bill Genenbacher following the lap two yellow. The elder Bailey then checked out on the field, for his first win of 2011. Joey Gower appeared the break something in the front end of his # 31G, but still muscled his mount to a runner up finish ahead of Keith Pratt, Matt Bailey , and Genenbacher.
The final two features of the night went caution free, with Casey Kendrick running away with the 4 cylinder Wild Thing feature, and Gabe Harrison leading from start to finish to nab his first IMCA stock car feature ahead of points leader Aaron Brocksieck, who started last on the grid, moved to third by lap five, and finally wrestled the second spot from Kevin Tomlinson on the white flag lap. Even with the delay, racing ended around 10:00 PM.
It was only the second points night for IMCA late models at QR, and midseason championship night is only two weeks away! Track officials have asked IMCA to allow points racing on the Tuesday rain date for the remainder of 2011. As of Sunday, thet had not recieved an answer. The win by Bailey gave me my 15th different late model winner in 15 nights of racing this season. If the weather patterns continue, I could have my fewest number of races since i began keeping count in the mid 1990s!
Congratulations to " the Real Deal " Don Oneal on his $100,000.00 win at this years Dream at Eldora Speedway. Some love him, some don't, but he is a showman, for sure!
Wednesday, June 15, we will celebrate grandson Keagans 15 birthday. With a drivers permit likely coming, my " Grumpy Old Men " posse could use a young driver! And Saturday marks the 41st wedding anniversary for Mary, and I. So no racing this week until Sunday, weather permitting. But there are plenty of good options before then, so take in some dirt track racin' this weekend.

Beating Mother Nature

2011-06-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

After Quincy Raceways endured their seventh Sunday night rain out in ten weeks, the promoters followed through on an earlier promise to use Tuesday night as a make up date once school was out. As I had not done any racing this past weekend, it seemed like a welcome turn of events. Working against the track, besides being a week night, was 95 degree heat, a late model Summer Series race in Iowa, and the fact that no points could be awarded in the IMCA late model or stock car classes. So what happened? An average or better car count in four of the five classes, with only the UMP modifieds - who were racing for points - being down. The crowd was a bit smaller than a typical Sunday night, but that was certainly expected, and as the numbers came in, track officials indicated that the experiment will continue, should it be needed. Having just watched the Sunday forecast, it looks like next week could be more of the same. Incredibly, the track has only had one late model points night, and mid season championship is coming up in two plus weeks! A total of 56 cars signed in Tuesday, and the racing was as good as it has been all season. The 15 car late model feature saw numerous lead changes, with Denny Woodworth leading after restarts and looking like he would pull away. The late model lawyers car seemed to " go away " on long runs, and outside polesitter Joey Gower slipped by on lap 24, leading the final six circuits for his first QR win in some time. On a personal note, Gowers win gave me 14 different late model feature winners in 14 nights of racing so far in 2011! Woodworth held second ahead of Keith Pratt, early leader Lonnie Bailey, and Darin Weisinger. Visiting Tom Goble nabbed sixth. A three car pile up in the first late model heat saw Dustin Neese get upside down on top of Weisingers mount. Although the damage looked extensive, Dustin was able to run the entire 30 lap feature.
Festus, Missouri modified ace Rusty Griffaw made the trip north in search of UMP points. The # 16 started front row outside of QR's # 16, Shawn Deering. Rusty set up his ride for the high side, and with the mods running last, the top groove was pretty much gone. Deering paced the field as defending track champ Jared Schlipman worked his way past Griffaw, the eased by Deering on lap 19, surviving a restart one lap later and picking up the win. Deering held off Griffaw for second.
Aaron Brocksieck led from flag to flag in the caution free stock car feature, his fourth win in five nights, with the only other winner, Kevin Tomlinson coming home second. Bobby Anders made it five straight in the hobby stock class, although his consecutive laps led streak was stopped at 76 when he failed to lead lap one. He took over on lap two, starting a new streak, as he paced the final 19 circuits, outdueling Steve Carlin.
Casey Kendrick led flag to flag in the 12 lap Wild Thing finale, finishing ahead of Todd Nelson of Springfield, Il. Todd had some pretty good help in the pits, as Mark Burgtorf was helping the guy who normally helps him. Mark is on the sidelines at the present time as the rear end is out of his late model.
The week night program started at 7:00 sharp, with the final checkers waving about 9:40.
This weekend is again up in the air for yours truly, as the month of June is filled with non racing activities. Still, I hope to do some racin' down the road!

Scoring a Hat Trick

2011-05-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

With apologies to the stick and puck crowd, I quite unexpectedly enjoyed my first three race weekend of this very wet season. Things started off on Saturday, when Darryl, Fred and I made a last minute decision to venture north to the West Liberty, Iowa Raceway, a gamble considering it was the closest track that had not canceled by afternoon. The skies looked threatening as we headed out, but as we ventured north, the clouds began to scatter, and gave way to a pleasant if cool evening. We arrived just as hot laps were beginning. 81 cars in five classes checked in to do battle on the big 1/2 mile, with 23 open modifieds the largest class. The heat races were caution plagued, but the action picked up come feature time. The IMCA type modifieds ran the first main event, and they had a bit of a struggle with four early cautions before going caution free the rest of the way. Todd Hansen was the early leader before breaking a steering box. Veteran Larry Herring is doing double duty in the mods 2011, and he picked up the win over Mark Schulte. During this race, announcer Jerry Mackey mentioned that the Simmons Promotions tracks of Farley, West Liberty, and Dubuque have rule this season that each caution after the fourth results in the race being shortened by one lap. This is an interesting variation on the time limit concept. Fortunately, the rule did not come in to play on Saturday.
Nate Chandler topped the 16 car IMCA Sport Compact feature, which provided unneeded drama. Steve Miedke was attempting a pass for the lead entering turn one when he broke a wheel. The car dug in, and began a series of five or so violent flips, as he was a good 15 feet or so in the air. One report said Steve suffered a broken hand in the wreck.
David Brandies was the early leader in the 12 car stock car feature, with Matt Greiner in close pursuit. Following a lap eight caution, Blaine Doplar shot from third to first, and held off Greiner and Brandies for the win. Incredibly, the youngster said it was his first ever visit to West Liberty as a driver or fan!
20 cars started the open mod 20 lap finale, with Noah Coppes the man to beat. By the time the yellow flew on lap seven, Steve Stewart had charged from 12th to second, but Coppes was hooked up and took the win.
All 15 IMCA late models started the 25 lapper, with Tommy Elston taking the early lead. Lap five saw Andy Eckrich overtake Elston, and five laps later Brian Harris took the second spot. Harris then got by Eckrich following a lpa 15 yellow, and kept his # 21H out front to the checkers. Eckrich stayed close to nab second, with Colby Springsteen getting past Elston for third. A pair of 34 Raceway visitors, Tom Goble and Sam Halstead took the next two spots. Dale Stolte also made his first appearance of the season at the track, and had stock car ace Wayne Hora in another car from his stable.
We left the fairgrounds about 10:45 not sure there would be any more weekend racing given the forecast.
Sunday morning looked good until I walked out of church to dark skies. Although Quincy Raceways crew spent several hours trying to get the pits dried out, it was not to be, and the decision was made to postpone the holiday show featuring the Sprint Invaders to Monday evening. As things turned out, racing became an unexpected possibility on Sunday, and grandson Keagan and I tagged along with Fred and Darryl for a quick trip to Kevin Gundakers Tri City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Il. The program featured UMP late models racing for a $10,000 top prize, along with $1,000 to win UMP modifieds ans UMP crates for $750 to win. With several cars venturing north from the Show Me 100, 47 late models signed in, along with 60 modifieds and 27 crates. Late model group qualifying saw Brian Shirley set quick overall time at 15.536 seconds on the 3/8 mile. Like most midwest tracks, Tri City has had lots of rain this spring, and a stubborn hole developed in turn one. Track crews worked hard to keep the track smooth, and along with the huge car count, the evening ran a bit long. Late model heat wins went to Shirley, Billy Moyer, Eric Jacobsen, Scott James, and Mark Burgtorf. Defending track champion Craig Smith nabbed the C-main, and Kevin Cole outran Billy Moyer Jr, in the B-main. To keep the show moving, the dash was canceled, and the 50 lap feature would start straight up. Although the crate heats ran first, the late model main was moved up to the first of the finales, and Shirley jumped to a big early lead. As the field duked it out behind, the " Highside Hustler " Jason Feger found the sweet spot on the oval, and began a charge from his ninth starting spot. Once the popular Feger grabbed the lead, he was in command, although James stayed close as the two negotiated lapped traffic. Moyer was never a threat to win, but held on for third, while Dale McDowell charged from 18th to fourth. Jacobsen rebounded late to take fifth from Shirley, and the rest of the top ten included defending UMP national champ Rusty Schlenk, Shannon Babb, Burgtorf, the final car on the lead lap, and Dan Schleiper.
As it was past 11:30, we took our leave before the final features. NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader grabbed the mod win after Quincy ace Michael Long had some bad luck, while leading, and Quincian Dustin Griffin topped the crates. The Gundaker family has went to considerable expense building new rest room and concession areas behind the grandstands, as they turn this popular venue into a top notch facility in the St Louis metro east area.
Arriving home at 2:30, Monday morning came early, as I had agreed to a Monday barbeque, thinking I would not be going racing. So I was a bit late to Quincy Raceways, and I was immediately pleased as I entered the pit area. Moving the show to the holiday on short notice - added to the fact that IMCA points could not be given to late models and stock cars on the off night - left me not knowing what to expect, car count wise. In fact, the count was up in most classes, led by the 23 360 sprint cars. a season high 12 stock cars signed in, and for the first time, the feature went to someone other than Aaron Brocksieck. Aaron had an early flat tire, and things went down hill from there. Kevin Tomlinson finally got his #49 on track, taking a hard fought win over Abe Huls. Abe also paid an early visit to the hot pit, then worked his way back to second, but could not overcome Tomlinson.
The Sprint Invaders ran feature number two, and after a couple of mid race cautions, Jim Moughan dialed up the heat with his # 1M, leading Kaley Gharst to the checkers.
Bobby Anders picked up his fourth hobby stock win in four tries, topping a 14 car field.
The late models were up next, and as it was not a points night, 12 year old Jake Griffin was allowed to strap some IMCA tires on his crate late model and join the fray, making him the only two class racer for the night. Lonnie Bailey took the early lead from his pole start on a track that had become rather slick after the sprint feature. Third starting Denny Woodworth began to work on Bailey, taking the lead before lap ten, and running mistake free for the win. Lonnie held off Joey Gower for third, and Griffin came from eighth to fourth in the 15 car event.
Visiting Bill Michel from Farmington, Iowa took top honors over 12
4 cylinder Wild Things.
All but one of the 18 UMP modifieds took the green flag, and they had some trouble early on the slick track, losing six cars in one crash, before ripping off 15 or so green flag laps. Then Vance Wilson, fresh off a fourth place run the previous night at Tri City, smacked the front stretch wall, ans was hit hard by Travis Griffith. Travis was momentarily dazed, and when he finally exited his car, it was obvious both cars had heavy damage. Throughout, early leader Shawn Deering, and hard charging Steven Delonjay waged a good battle, finishing in that order.
It was a late night at QR, but the action was good and the racing fast, a solid finish to a long holiday weekend. I was able spend some time at QR visiting with 34 Raceway owners Amy and Jeff Laue. Unfortunately, 34 lost two nights of racing plus a post race concert over the weekend, as over four inches of rain pounded the speedway during the week. The West Burlington track has been fortunate to get in several nights in 2011, and they have a full calender over the next four months. Quincy Raceway has announced that popular NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace will be in action with his modified on mid season championship night, June 26.
As for me, a lot of weekend activities are on the June schedule that do not involve racing, so that made this "3 fer " all the more fun! See you at the races.

Sizzle in the Drizzle

2011-05-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

After last nights Lucas Oil late model show at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, I think maybe Amy and Jeff Laue should join a co ed softball team, because they just keep hitting home runs! Somehow they took a lousy weather day with an ominous forecast and turned it into a show that will be talked about all season. As Keagan and I were driving north, I told him we would probably sit in the car as long as possible before purchasing our tickets because it looked like the rain was getting close. When we turned east on highway 34, however, it seemed obvious it would be a while, so we found our seats just after 5:30 and headed for the concession stand as the tractors continued to pack the track. Hot laps started on time at 6:30 and 37 quality late models were joined by 17 305 sprints and 21 mod lites.
Again, late model time trials began promptly at 7:00, and the cars were timed three at a time, moving things along quickly and creating activity all around the 3/8 mile. as it turned out, the first car out, the " Kentucky Colonel " Steve Francis set overall fast time in a brand new Mastersbilt machine. Unfortunately, we never did hear the exact time, but as Brad Neat had quick time in the second qualifying group at 15.111 seconds, Steve was somewhere around 15.00, which translates to about 90 MPH. As the final few cars took their qualifying laps, the drizzle started and as Francis was being interviewed on track the showers picked up. It was obvious we would have at least a delay, so we headed to the car for warmer coats. While sitting in the parking lot, we heard the 305 engines on the track, and came back in to the facility just as the # 50P of Harold Pohren crashed and caught into flames in turns 3 and 4. With the wreck cleaned up and the driver OK, the two sprint heats were run. During this time, the mod lites were pulled from staging, and the late models clicked off four caution free heats. Even though they were lined up straight up by times, there was still plenty of action for the four qualifying slots. Heat winners would make up the first two rows of the 50 lap finale, with heat one winner Francis and heat three winner Neat on row one, and defending series champion Scott
Bloomquist and local favorite Brian Birkhofer on row two. The mod lites did their part with three caution free 6 lap heats , and as the mist continued to start, stop, lighten up, and come harder, the late model drivers lined up for two 12 lap B-mains. With only the top three in each B moving to the feature, the action was intense. Dale McDowell took the first consy, while Jared Landers powered his # 777 to the checkers in the second 12 lapper. The finish of the night was in this race, as another area favorite, Darren Miller, was crusing in third position when his Diercks owned # 32D began to slow on the track. Steve Casebolt and alligator farmer Chris Wall began to reel him in. At the checkers it looked as though Wall made have had the spot, but the transponder scoring showed Darren in third. This was huge for Miller, as Wall was able to use one of two " emergency "provisionals offered to series regulars as a chance to pick up points, while Miller had no such chance. Rookie of the year and second generation driver Frank Heckenast Jr. also used an emergency, while Dennis Erb Jr. and 15 year old Tyler Reddick received regular point provisionals, making a 26 car starting field. I will admit to groaning when the flagmen started down the ladder, but when the announcement came that it would be a ten minute break and the late models would run the first feature, I knew that was a good call. Knowing the situation, the touring drivers, who sometimes can be a bit casual about coming to staging, quickly lined up and hit the track. There were no driver introductions, thank goodness, and after one of the worst four wide parade laps ever, the green flag waved at 9:02! Neat led lap one before Francis took over for the nest five circuits. Birkhofer was on the charge, and ran down Francis, taking the lead on lap six. Francis then took the spot back before Billy Moyer got bottled up and spun in turn two one lap later, bringing out the first caution. The Delaware style restart put Francis out front, and he opened up a lead he held until lap 22, when Birkhofer again took the point. One lap later Reddick spun with a low tire, bringing out the second and final caution. On the restart, Birky was on a rail, stretching out a straightaway lead, as Francis, Jimmy Owens, and Bloomquist, winner of the last four series race, dueled behind him. By the time Bloomer took possession of the second spot, Brian was flying through lapped traffic, and looked uncatchable. Still, the # 0 was eating away at the lead, and while Birkhofer still had a healthy lead at the checkers, Scott was clearly the man on the move. The win was a popular one for the Muscatine driver, who offered kudos to not only the Laues, but also former track owner and sponsor, the late Johnny Johnson. It was the first win of 2011 for Brian, who said it was only his fifth night out this season. Francis hung around to take third, followed by Owens and John Blankenship. The second five was led by Iowan Chris Simpson, then a fast moving Shannon Babb, Neat, Mike Marlar in #36 , and Scott James in the Riggs Racing # 81. The checkers waved just before 9:30. With the drizzle still falling along with the temperature, Keagan and I headed for the car as the sprints awaited their chance at the lightening fast and smooth as glass racing surface. As we rolled west, we moved in and out of rain showers, and upon arriving home, we learned that the sprints were only able to complete 11 laps before the track became unraceable. I understand that the running order may have been a bit different and the pace a bit more leisurely had the weather been favorable, but I cannot say enough about the promoters, Lucas officials and the drivers for doing all they could to reward the hearty group in attendance. I know there are a bunch of folks who regret staying home last night, as we simply do not get this type of quality show this close to home for those of us in the Tri State area. I will take that show for a $30.00 ticket any chance I get!
As I prepared to type this blog, I received an e mail from Quincy Raceways stating that USMTS promoter Todd Staley has postponed the USMTS tour races tonight at Spoon River Speedway and tomorrow night at Quincy Raceways. He is working with both tracks on a reschedule date. As of 3:30 on Saturday, Quincy Raceways is still hoping to run a regular race night tomorrow, with IMCA late models and stock cars, UMP modifieds, hobby stocks and Wild Things. A decision based on the weather will be made yet today or early Sunday.
The spring weather has not been kind to midwest race tracks, so get out and support your local track whenever you can. See you at the races!

Home Cookin' This Weekend

2011-05-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

For the last three seasons, we have been trying to take in a race at Paducah International Raceway in Paducah, Kentucky. On one of our last trips to Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway before it closed, buddy Darryl and I stopped in for a look at the 3/8 mile track co owned by Ken Schrader, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bob Sargent. Bob had promoted several races at Quincy Raceways and happened to be there on that day, so he invited us to look around. Right then we determined to come back for a race. The problem is that they are a Friday night track, a problem for both of us. But every March, they schedule a Saturday night Lucas Oil late model show. So for three seasons, the show has been on our schedule, and the first two seasons fell to rain. Rain or not, 2011 was not to be, as the nearby Clarks River overflowed its banks in a big way, leaving several feet of water covering the track and grounds. Oh well, as the Cubs fans like to say, " Wait till next year!"
With the absolutely great weather Saturday, staying home was not an option, so Darryl, Keagan and I loaded up for the 90 minute trip to 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Ia. 90 race team signed in, including 19 IMCA late models. The 14 heat races clicked off quickly, and after a short intermission, the features started around 8:30. 20 modifieds started things off, and ran a fast paced 13 laps before the cautions took hold. It seems like cautions breed more cautions, and I know the " boss " Jeff Broeg would say the double file restarts is one of the main causes. He may be right ( but i still prefer them! ) Dean McGee kept his # H7 out front as the field mixed it up behind him, but the final restart became his downfall, as defending track champion Scott Hogan powered to the front and the checkers. Rich Smith, who had led very briefly, grabbed third. Next up came the 305 sprints, who also had some caution issues, covering 20 laps in 30 minutes or so. Chad Huston made the long trip from Jamesport,Mo. pay off with a big win. He was closely followed by Justin Parrish, Brandyn Martin, who brought along a big cheering section from Eldon, Ia., and Jayson Ditsworth, who made a great late charge before running out of laps. Things got back on track as the 18 car IMCA stock car field went flag to flag in right at eight minutes! Chris Webb led the entire distance for the win over Shane Wells. Jeff Mueller failed to qualify through his heat race, started 14th and moved up nine spots to claim fifth. All 19 late models took the green, with Jeff Guengerich and Keith Pratt on the front row. Pratt has been a loyal 34 supporter for years, but has been snake bit by the high banked 3/8 mile. So when he grabbed the lead and began to stretch it out, you had to wonder what might go wrong. And when the caution came out to bunch the field, it was " uh
oh " time. In the closing laps, eight starting Justin Reed moved up on KP's bumper, and pulled alongside at the checkers, but it was to be Pratts night.
Reed came to victory lane to congratulate Keith after a good, clean race. Rob Toland challenged early and settled for third, while Jason Frankel advanced seven spots from 11th to fourth. Matt Strassheim started along side Jason and took fifth. With the clock barely past 10:00, we hung around for the flag to flag hobby stock feature. Dean Kratzer held the lead throughout, although Ray Raker was closing fast at the checkers. Kudos to the 34 crew for a smooth race surface and a fast paced program. This was my third trip to 34 already this season and I have been impressed each time.
Sunday night was more " home cookin' " for the first time in three weeks, as Quincy Raceways was finally able to get back to racing. Both the car and crowd numbers were down a bit, not unexpected on Mothers Day. As has been the case all three race nights, the track surface was smooth and fast, with the top groove the preferred way around in the heats, while to bottom and middle were the place to be in the features. QR officials did a good job of listening to the drivers and fans, and both hot laps and the heat races actually started a few minutes before the advertised time. Good for them!
The heat races took only about 45 minutes, and again a short intermission saw the feature start about 7:30. The IMCA stock cars were out first and they offer up such good close racing at QR, if only a few more would come to race. Aaron Brocksieck in his pink and white # 40A had won the previous two nights, but he brought out a first lap caution with a flat tire. He changed it quickly and tagged the tail, as defending champion Terry Houston grabbed the lead. Brocksieck was aided by only one more caution in the 15 lapper, but was still able to find a way to the front, pulling away for win number three. Houston and Andrew Griffin crossed the stripe side by side, and only the automatic scoring chips could give Houston the edge.
The 20 lap hobby stock feature was next up, and with two time winner Bobby Anders and defending champ Steve Carlin up front, the race was decided by turn one. Keokuk,Ia driver Brandon Symmonds shadowed Carlin for third, his best finish of the young season.
15 IMCA late models took the green flag with Saturday nights one , two combo of Pratt and Reed on the front row. This was to be Justins night, and he was a flag to flag winner. Sixth starting Jason Frankel jumped the turn one cushion, collecting the cars of Joey Gower, and Robbie Warner, who was out for the first time in 2011. 2010 track champ Denny Woodworth advanced from seventh to the runner up spot ahead of Lonnie Bailey and Pratt. Jason Krigbaum purchased the Terry Gallaher late model this past week, and ran sixth in his season debut.
Only eight 4 cylinder Wild Things took the green for the 12 lap feature, but the competition was intense behind runaway winner Craig Bangert. Seith Woodruff outdueld Casey Kendrick for second.
Perhaps wisely, track officials saved the UMP modified class for the final feature. All 22 cars started the scheduled 25 lap main event. The first eight laps clicked off quickly, and by then secind row starter Michael Long had taken over the top spot. After a caution on lap nine, a nine car pile up at the start finish line stopped the action - i guess Jeff is right! - There were a couple more cautions before a lap 19 restart saw second running Rickey Frankel and third place Vance Wilson getting together in turn one, resulting in both cars spinning. Some extra-curricular activities resulted in both drivers being sent pitside. With the time limit met, a yellow at lap 20 ended the fray. Long cruised to the win ahead of Jared Schlipman and IMCA racer Adam Birck in his first visit of the season. As I fired up the Impala, the dash clock read exactly 9:00.
This coming weekend has the potential to be one of the really great racing weekends. Friday night will be the Lucas Oil late model extravaganza at 34 Raceway, and especially after missing out last weekend, I am anxious to get my first look at the traveling stars in 2011. On Sunday night, the USMTS traveling modified series is back at Quincy Raceways after a several year absence. It will be exciting to see the top national mods challenge to QR hot shoes. The IMCA late models will also be in action. What ever your taste, be sure and take in some racing this weekend!

Two Outta Three Ain't Bad

2011-05-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

My first attempt at a three race weekend began Friday when I was able to get away from work close to on time. I hustled to pick up grandson Keagan and took off on the 45 minute drive to Lee county Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa for their season opener. With Davenport, Iowa Speedway not racing and IMCA late models added to the regular five class program, the pits appeared full, and the final count of 131 cars attested to that. Still, the program began only about 20 minutes late, a rarity for LCS, but certainly understandable. Unfortunately, this was not the only setback, as the sunshine and strong winds all day long contributed to surprisingly dusty conditions, and a track that was slicker than usual. It seemed likely that the moisture would eventually come to the surface, but when this did not happen, promoter Terry Hoenig wisely took a few trips around the top of the track with the water truck a few times during the night. Even that did not help the IMCA Sport Mods, who simply could not manage to put together green flag laps as the first feature of the evening. Mercifully, the time limit was reached with eight laps in the books, with newcomer Dylan Book from Adel, Iowa, driving the b00k car to the first feature win of the season. New daddy Jeff Mueller will be doing double duty this year, wheeling the # 3D sport mod driven to the track title last year by Jason Cook, as well as his own IMCA stock car. Jeff grabbed the runner up spot in his first night in the car.
Next out was the hobby stocks, and they did a nice job for their 15 lapper, with veteran Dan Wenig nabbing the win over Dane Fenton. Jim Lynch, an early favorite for best looking car with his # 66, took third.
The IMCA late models rolled out next, with only Darin Weisinger failing to make the call, leaving 23 starters. With heat race qualifiers Ray Guss Jr., and Mark Burgtorf drawing the front row, it seemed like this race could indeed be won on the first lap. When the green flag waved, Guss out raced Burgtorf to turn one, and never gave up that advantage as the field clicked off 25 caution free laps. Mark closed in on more than one occasion, but the defending national champion worked lapped traffic to perfection to keep the # 7B at bay. Two Quincy Raceways regulars, Justin Reed and Jason Perry waged a thrilling duel for third, with Perry finnaly grabbing the spot late in the race. Jeff Aikey advance three spots to overtake long distance traveler Charie McKenna for fifth. In victory lane, Guss informed the crowd that team patriarch Hershel Roberts was in the hospital, and the # 58 team lead by son Ken Roberts made the last minute decision to come race. The surprise entry in the late model field was long time open motor racer Nick Marolf. With his home track of West Liberty, Iowa switching to IMCA type rules in 2011, Nick was taking laps with the spec engine cars.
Although there were still three features to run, Keagan and I were working on long days and decided to head back to Missouri. Congratulations to Josh Foster in the modifieds, Jeff Mueller in stock cars, and Darin Smith in the wild things on opening night wins. It was good to see the grandstands full on a chilly night at the fairgrounds.
After a Saturday morning trip to the grocery stores and a well deserved(?) nap, Keagan and I, along with buddy Fred Peters loaded the car and headed for the West Liberty, Iowa for the second leg of the May Daze Classic. The annual event is a two day, two race weekend at Farley Speedway on Friday and West Liberty on Saturday, with the 50 lap open late model features paying $10,000 to win. On Saturday, the open modifieds, and IMCA sport compacts - 4 cylinder cars - served as backing classes. While the late model count was down a bit this season - Farley had 30 late models sign in, while Liberty had 29, the quality of the field was top notch. As we have seen often during a wet April, the fairgrounds half mile was a bit rough, but it was also " bad fast. " The 28 car modified field was whittled down to 24 for the 20 lap feature event, although only 21 took the green. Things started slowly, with two yellow flags before a lap was complete, but once things got rolling, only one other caution slowed the action, a lap ten caution for a slowing Bruce Hanford. Visitor Colt Mather started up front, and held the lead from start to finish. Steve Stewart trailed Mather throughout, taking the runner up spot. Ryan Dolan finished last in a loaded first heat race, came through one of the two B-mains, and charged from a row seven start to take third. Veteran dirt and pavement racer Johnny Spaw brought out the first lap one caution, then went pitside with a flat tire. Spaw barely made it back out in time, then powered from 21st to cross the line in seventh.
The sport compact ten lap finale turned in to a family affair, with Merv Chandler holding off son Nate by no more than a bumper at the finish. And son Brad took third, sliding his car to a stop after the checkers entering turn one with a fire in his engine compartment.
By now, the large crowd was ready for the main event. Three heat races, a B-main and a fast six dash based on passing points had set the 24 car field, with crowd favorite Brian Birkhofer and central Illinois UMP ace Brian Shirley on the front row. Row two starters were Friday night winner Billy Moyer, and another local favorite Denny Eckrich, and the final two dash qualifiers were the # 28x of Justin Mitchell, and hotshoe Shannon Babb.
To the delight of the crowd,Birky jumped out to the early lead, with Babb taking the runner up spot from Moyer. A caution on lap 11 saw Moyer take back second, but Babb was the man on the move, taking the second spot about lap 23, and the point about lap 25, with a dandy low side charge in turns one and two. Just when it looked like Babb had it wrapped up, the yellow waved on lap 38 for former track regular Matt Furman. On the restart, Birkhofer blasted by Babb , as Moyer had on the earlier caution, as it seemed like once Babbs tires cooled , he could not hold his momentum. When Shannon moved up the track with about six laps to go, I started to scribble down the running order in anticipation of the finish. But Babb seemed determined to make one last charge, once again blasting through the bottom groove. As lap 49 began,
the # 18 slid to the inside, and as the cars came out of turn four to the white flag, Babb edged ahead. With much of the crowd standing in disbelief, Babb took the checkers ahead of Birky, but the smattering of boos was disappointing, as Babb truly drove an outstanding race. Moyer hung around in third, with Shirley and Mitchell the only other cars on the lead lap. Lovcal favorite Chad Simpson led a group of four cars one lap down, including Dan Schleiper, Jeremiah Hurst in a # 15 ride, and Todd Frank. Furman was credited with tenth, after his lap 38 exit. Although attrition was high, it was not necessarily because of track conditions, as many of the starters went pitside after being lapped. The late model feature was truly a memorable one from start to finish, one of those races that will draw you back next year and evoke those " remember last year?" conversations!
It was the first time I had the chance to see the # 21 of Frank, from Green Bay,Wisconsin race, as well as Jim Rychtik in the #0. Quincy,Il driver Rickey Frankel, a regular at the UMP tracks in Illinois and Missouri, made the trip north. Rickey made the show Friday, but missed transferring out of the B-main on Saturday, as Tyler Bruening made a last lap pass for the spot.
Frankel is a regular at I-55 Raceway in Pevely,Mo., but the St Louis area facility was closed this week due to flooding.
Our good fortune ran out on Sunday afternoon, as rain and chilly temperatures moved in to the Quincy area, forcing Tony and Paul to cancel racing at the .29 mile " Broadway Bullring " for the third straight week. QR has yet to get in a points race for the IMCA late models, and has run one week of points for the four companion classes.Quincy driver Lonnie Bailey took the win Saturday night in the IMCA late model class at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, besting a 22 car field.
Hopefully April showers will give way to warmer, drier temps in May - five rainouts already is enough for an entire season!

And We Don't Have Sense Enough...

2011-04-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

I believe that is how the line starts, followed by " to come in out of the rain."
Well at least I had plenty of company Saturday night at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa. Despite a persistent rain that was often more than a drizzle, an amazingly large crowd braved the precipitation and cool temps to witness an outstanding racing program. We can all say we saw the first ever program of the Midwest Open Wheel Association, and if the first one proves to be typical, this sprint car series could be around for a while. A combination of 39 410 and 360 sprint cars signed in for the inagural event, and there were some big names in the pits thanks to a World of Outlaws rainout Saturday morning in Oklahoma. Danny " the Dude " Lasoski from Dover,Mo. probably was about the fourth or fifth fastest car come feature time, but he can wheel a sprinter as well as anyone, and he used a combination of talent and good fortune to take home the $2500.00 top prize. Popular Decatur,Il. ace Kaley Gharst made the run of the night, starting 18th, and moving up to challenge the Dude on the 30th and final circuit, settling for second.
As exciting as the sprint cars were, I was keeping my fingers crossed that the rain would not increase until the IMCA late models completed their 25 lap finale. With 26 cars on hand, the late model main was sure to be action packed, and it did not disappoint. Matt Bailey and Keith Pratt dueled for the top spot early before sixth starting Rob Toland charged to the front. Meanwhile, Tom Darbyshire found his way into second, and took the top spot after some inadvertent contact with Toland in turn one. Rob seemed to take offense, giving Darb something more than a nudge on the backstretch. The # 42 was able to keep going, while Toland slid to a stop, bringing out the caution. Darbyshire was out front on the restart, and Denny Woodworth, who had been strong from his row four starting slot never could muster enough juice to overtake Darbyshire. Tom Goble made a late run himself to capture third, while Jason Frankel, who did not make the redraw, suddenly found his line around the top of the track, advancing from 13th to finish fourth. Jason Perry started and finished fifth, one spot ahead of Matt Strassheim in the Darbyshire team car.
The 26 car IMCA stock car field ran the first feature of the night, and even on the rain slick track, the put on a top notch show. Jeff Mueller picked up where he left off in 2010, overtaking John Oliver Jr. to open the 2011 points season with a win.
I must say I have rarely seen the type of yeoman effort the 34 crew put forth to not only get the track and grounds ready for this type of show, but the continuing work throughout the off and on showers to keep the track rolled in and race ready. I was amazed Saturday morning when the text came that the show was on, and I honestly wondered what condition the track would be in. I would have to think that everyone who took in this show left more than satisfied.
While exploring the internet late last week looking for racing options, I discovered that Lee County Speedway in Donnellson,Iowa has added a pair of IMCA late model shows to their schedule for 2011, with the first being this Friday night, April 29. The feature event will pay $1,000.00 to win, and will hopefully kick off the first three race weekend of the season for this blogger. Saturday night offers up many options, and Sunday evening Quincy Raceways will try to get back to weekly racing after two straight cancellations due to wet grounds. Come on sunshine and warm temps!

What To Do Now

2011-04-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

Sun. April,17

Just received the e -mail from Quincy Raceways that tonights races have been canceled. Track officials determined that the pit area was just too wet, and although it may have been possible to work the track into racing shape, it would likely break down and negate all the good work that has been done early in the season. I can certainly understand, as we have had quite a bit of rain since Friday in the area, but with the sun shining and temps in the 60s, it is tough to take. The temptation is there to head for East Moline,Il., as the Deery Brothers race is still on, but Monday morning comes too early. So the weekend has been a complete washout race wise, as all of our Saturday night options fell victim to the inclement weather. Plan B will be to keep the NASCAR race on, grab the cell phone and start going over next weekends schedule. With Easter being next Sunday, we will probably be staying as close to home as possible, but a quick look at the calender offers up several attractive events. IMCA late model points start next week, and the Quincy Raceways - 34 Raceways combo point fund begins as well, with 34 showcasing 410 sprints along with the late models and IMCA stock cars on Saturday, while QR will have a regular 5 class program on Sunday. Many midwest tracks will be open by next weekend, so plan to support a track of your choice. If you see us racin' down the road, say " Hi!"

Remembering a Good Friend and...Part 2

2011-04-11T17:03:00.000-07:00

There are probably more " can't miss " events on my yearly racing schedule than my wife would like to see, but there has never been any discussion about the second weekend in April. The combined IMCA Deery Brothers shows at 34 Raceway in West Burlington and my " home " track in Quincy top the long list of races I would leave a hospital bed to attend if need be. Added to that is the fact that thanks to the hard work of Brad Stevens and his considerable posse and with the cooperation of Amy and Jeff Laue, the Saturday show has become an amazing tribute to the young man so many of us called "friend," the late Brent Slocum. Brent was not only the best man at my sons wedding, and the life of the party as well, but someone I was fortunate to watch grow and mature both in and out of the race car. I am proud to call his parents friends, especially his father Steve, as we often shook our heads in wonder at our sons' exploits. I can tell you that the Slocum 50 means a lot to Brents family. Thanks, Brad and Amy. With that as a backdrop, it seemed only fitting that two drivers who were close to Brent crossed the finish line less than a car length apart after 50 grueling laps of racing on a tacky albeit rough April track. Second generation driver Matt Ryan from Davenport took over the top spot after another close Slocum friend Denny Woodworth was forced to relinquish a big lead when he broke a shock mount on his # 45DW with ten laps remaining in the $3,000 to win race. Matt then built a healthy lead before Boone found a fast line, closing quickly on Ryan, falling just a few feet short at the line. Matt was proud to show off the somewhat tattered Slocum race shirt he was wearing under his fire suit! Last years winner Mark Burgtorf recovered from a fuel line issue in his heat to come from 12th to fourth in his B-main, falling just short of a transfer spot, but earning the hard charger provisional. From that 22 nd starting slot, Mark moved up to finish third ahead of Terry Neal. The team cars of Tom Darbyshire and Matt Strassheim, two more drivers who were close to Slocum advanced to run fifth and sixth. Darbyshire started 23rd after using a points provisional, and Strassheim earned the last B-main transfer after a DQ of third place Joey Gower. The crew had to scramble, as Matt came off the track after that second consy on the hook with rearend troubles. Only ten cars finished the 50 laps. 47 cars checked in for the three class program, which included 17 305 sprint cars and 29 4 cylinders. Grandson Keagan enjoyed his first real pit experience, as he got to witness the behind the scenes drama often not evident from the bleachers.
Part 2 - the boys are Back in Town!
Despite a downright miserable weather forecast which no doubt held the crowd down somewhat, 33 of the late models headed south from 34 Raceway to Quincy Raceways for Sunday nights third installment of the series. Two QR regulars joined the group, giving us a solid 35 car field. After a successful first week on the newly configured .29 mile oval, workers, fans, and drivers alike were anxious to see what the extra laps would bring. The results were more than positive, with three groove racing early in the night. Come feature time, the bottom groove was the place to be, and the outcome was as surprising as Saturday nights had been. When 14 time track champion Mark Burgtorf pulled the number one spoon to give him the pole position, most in attendance figured the race would be for second. Still, hard charging Andy Eckrich was on his outside, and although Andy seems to prefer the longer tracks, he is always a force to be reckoned with. And lurking in row two was up and coming star Tyler Bruening, who had passed defending series champ Ray Guss Jr. to win the second heat. And starting right behind Tyler was Guss himself. So who guessed the star of the show woudl be fourth starting Matt Bailey. After all, the 23 year old second generation driver missed most of 2010 at his home track due to work, and only managed an eighth place finish on opening night. But after the only caution of the night on the 11th circuit, Matt nudged his # 52 inside of Burgtorf and won the drag race out of turn two. Until the leaders encountered lapped traffic, Mark was able to challenge Matt in the corners, but could not win the race down the chutes. I had a feeling the lapped cars might hold the key, but Bailey the younger made a dandy move to clear two side by side cars, and picked up the biggest win of his career, Once again, Terry Neal crossed the stripe behind Burgtorf, as he eased by QR regular Justin Reed in the closing laps. Bruening held off Guss Jr. for fifth.
Among those MIA on Sunday was the winners of the first two series races, Brian Harris, who had not committed to run the full schedule, and Ryan. Two drivers who had never missed a QR series race were noticeably absent. Rob Toland apparently hurt his engine on Saturday, and there was no word on Jeff Aikeys absence. Among the locals, Bill Genenbacher sat out the show as had engine issues, as well. Track officials took a gamble by placing the late model 40 lapper third on the feature card, and everyone was getting nervous as what could have been an outstanding UMP modified feature came up against the time limit. With the hobby stocks in staging and the radar looking rough, it was decided to dispense with prerace festivities and go quickly to green flag racing. As it turned out, all five features were completed with no rain, and the show ended about 9:30.
More and more tracks around the area are opening their doors for 2011, and hopefully the forecast improves for the coming weekend as Keagan and I are trying to make some plans for Saturday night racing. Maybe we will see you while we are racin' down the road!

Off and Running

2011-04-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

The 2011 racing season officially got under way for yours truly this weekend with two nights of action. On Saturday night, four of us piled into my wifes Sonata and headed south for the opening night action at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo. 27 UMP late models, 27 UMP modifieds, 27 UMP sportsmen, and 24 Pro 4s filled out a remarkably balanced card. As the track co owned by Ken Schrader is prone to do on a cool evening, the 7:00 show actually started a few minutes early, and the 12 heat races and late model B-main went off quickly. With several scratches in the mod and sportsman classes, their consys were canceled, and the 4 cylinders took the track for the nights first feature. As we normally make only three or four trips to I-55 each season, we are not familiar with the Pro-4 drivers, and usually just watch with no particular rooting interest. On this night, however, I found myself quietly rooting for two of the front runners. One of those was Justin Reando, who caught my eye with a 1977 Mustang ride. Needless to say, that machine took this old timer back to a different time in auto racing. The other favorite was the eventual race winner, and it was his name that made me a fan. The 6R car is driven by Dave Racer. If Hollywood tried to use that name, I wouldn't watch the movie! Racer took the win, with Aaron Faulkner second, and Reando third.
Next up was the UMP late model 25 lap 24 car finale. Although the track was smooth, the strong winds dried the track out, and there was just no rubber laid down. As a result, the surface was fast with no grip, and resulted in an large number of cautions. Through it all, youngster Nick Lyons, who just last season moved up from crate late models, held the lead he grabbed from his outside row one starting slot. UMP veteran Jason McBride stayed close, but could not muster a pass. One of the few drivers who seemed able to move was third generation driver Brandon Sheppard, however his charged ended mid race with suspension problems. Dewayne Kiefer brought his # 13 home in third, while Brandon Thirlby made his trip home to Traverse City, Michigan a bit shorter by claiming fourth. Quincy, Il. driver Rickey Frankel finished fifth, while another of my " local " drivers, Denny Woodworth, from Mendon,Il., finished 13th.
With Quincy Raceways regular Dave Weitholder starting mid pack in The UMP modified 20 lap feature, we decided the stay for the 22 car finale. While Dave exited early with a flat tire due to contact, we had already seen enough to have us hooked. The mods also produced an unusal number of cautions, but unlike the late models, the mods were able to do some passing. Mark Miner, who was doing double duty in the # 78 late model and # 7 mod, and whose daughter sang the national anthem, was the man to beat early. Still, Ray Walsh and " Big Block " Tim Hancock were on Mark like an ugly sweater, and tried everything to make the pass. Soon, UMP defending national champion Mike Harrison charged through to join the chase, with defending track champ Rusty Griffaw in tow. Follwing a lap 14 restart, Walsh and Hancock both found a way around, although Tim had to go back to third after another yellow. At the checkers, it was Walsh on top, followed by Hancock, Harrison, Miner, and Griffaw. The six place finisher was Ryan Thomas, from Martinsville, Indiana. Making his first visit to Pevely, Thomas nabbed the second heat as well. Counting late model youngster Dillin White from Kentucky, five states were represented for a weekly show! With the clock reading 10:17,and 165 miles to reach home, we decided to hit the road as the Sportsman feature rolled out. An internet check showed hot shoe Troy Naeger picked up the win.
Pevely is just an excellent facility with a super fast surface, certainly a track worth the long drive. On April 16, they will host the World of Outlaw Sprints.
As we parted company in the wee hours of Sunday, the thought was that the weatherman would keep us away from our Sunday evening gathering at Quincy Raceways for the 2011 opener. However, not only did the rain hold off, but the 87 degree temps were a stark contrast to Saturday nights 55 degrees.
Fans, drivers, and bloggers alike were very interested to see what the result of the extensive dirt work at the " Broadway Bullring " would be. The new surface drew positive reviews, and the only blemish was a slow developing hole at the entrance of turn one. More importantly, there was lots of passing, and side by side racing, with races won from both the top and bottom lanes. As was expected with the various weekend specials and this being a non points event, the car count was a bit thin, but the action made up for the shortage of cars. For the first time, there were five classes in action at QR with the addition of the 4 cylinder Wild Things. Although only a dozen strong, they certainly lived up to their name, with both of the top two runners falling out on the final lap, giving Chuck Fullenkamp the first feature win in Wild Thing history at QR.
2010 hobby stock runner up Bobby Anders quickly took the top spot, and ran off with the 20 lap feature after capturing his heat as well.
The IMCA stock car feature was a flag to flag event, with defending track champion Terry Houston leading the first half of the 12 lapper before Aaron Brocksieck slipped by for the win.
Only ten cars were left to start the UMP modified feature, as 2010 ULMA late model champion Vance Wilson, who moved back to the mods this season, broke a water pump in his heat race, scattering parts on the racing surface, and the # 33 of Kindhart had engine woes all night. Although there was plenty of back and forth action in the 25 lapper, polesitter Michael Long checked out on the field. Only Shaun Deering was able to stay anywhere close to Long, as the mods clicked off 19 green flag laps before the first of two cautions. even though QR has instituted the NASCAR style side by side restarts for the mods, Long again checked out for the win. Following Deering to the line was Dave Weitholder, Rickey Frankel in the Mike Begley # B4, and second generation ace Steven Delonjay.
14 IMCA late models took the green in the 30 lap finale on opening night. Outside polesitter Keith Pratt led lap one, with polesitter Lonnie Bailey coming back to lead the next two circuits. 2010 point runner up Jason Perry grabbed the top spot on lap four,one lap after the only caution of the event, and built a sizable lead as the field battled behind him. Eventually Mark Burgtorf was able to use the high line to move to the second spot, but Perry ran the bottom and middle grooves skillfully, and Mark was not able to gain much ground. Defending track champ Denny Woodworth captured third ahead of Bailey and Pratt.
Much to the delight of many, the show started promptly at 6:30, and the final checkers waved just before 8:30!
Track points for all classes except IMCA late models will start this Sunday, and the late model Deery Brothers Summer Series will make their first visit of 2011 to the track, so car counts will be expected to increase in all classes.
If the weatherman allows, it will be a double header Summer Series weekend for yours truly, with the Saturday running of the Slocum 50 honoring the late Brent Slocum at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa.
What ever your preference, take in a race this weekend. See you at the races!

One More Week Of Waiting

2011-03-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

After a winter of waiting, I was more than ready to start the 2011 racing season this week at the UMP DirtCar Roundup at I-55 Raceway in Pevely,Mo.
However Mother Nature had a different plan, and promoter Ray Marlar wisely pulled the plug on the three day event on Wednesday. So for the first time in a half dozen or so seasons, my first race will not come until the calender turns to April. Unfortunately, the early forecasts don't look all that good for next weekend, so exactly when and where I see that first green flag is still in doubt. There are several options next weekend which you can check out on the events calender at PositivelyRacing.com. One possibility close to home went by the boards when Scotland County Speedway in Memphis,Mo. pushed their scheduled opener back to Saturday April 9. Promoter Rick Girard will be hosting a meet and greet combined with a practice day next Saturday, April 2. 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa will also follow up their mall car show this Saturday, March 26 with an afternoon practice session on April 2, as well. Quincy Raceway has pulled the plug on practice sessions tonight, Friday the 25th, and tomorrow the 26th. As of this writing, they have not yet canceled the Sunday night warmup, although that event may not happen, so promoters Tony and Paul have set evening practices for next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday ahead of the scheduled opening night on Sunday April 3. Although all five classes will be in action on opening night, no track points will be given. If the weather man cooperates, the plan will be for two nights of action next weekend, and another race season will be off and rolling!

Car Show and Go!

2011-03-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend, the 12th and 13th is the annual Quincy Raceways car show at the Quincy, Il.Mall. After a big buffet breakfast on Saturday morning, my wife Mary, grandson Keagan and buddy Darryl, headed to the Mall. While Mary did some shopping, we three guys began taking in the sights, with plenty of bench racing along the way. As Darryl noted, there were more changed looks - and numbers - than we had seen in recent seasons. Somewhere close to 30 late models, modifieds, stock cars, and hobby stocks were on display, with many of the drivers and crew already on hand to visit and answer questions. Eleven late models were present, with several having decidedly new looks. Most dramatic was Nick Ingalls. Nick has a brand new car after totaling his ride in a midseason flip at Quincy last midseason. while retaining his familiar #5, Nick has switched to a red color scheme with white numbers. Elsewhere, white seems to have become a popular dominant color, with Justin Reed, Mark Burgtorf, and Clint Kirkham offering up various schemes against a white backdrop. While Reed, who now calls Belleville, Il. home, has indicated he intends to be a weekly regular at QR and 34 Raceways in west Burlington, Iowa, as well as a Summer Series regular, at least in the early going, Burgtorf plans on once again following a more varied schedule. While planning to run " about
half " of the Summer series, Mark will open his season at the Illini 100 World of Outlaw show at LaSalle Speedway April 1 and 2. He also mentioned that he will be basically taking six weeks off midsummer while son Cale plays baseball. Leading up to this, he will be active on the UMP Summernationals tour. So it is safe to say that points racing is not in the 14 time QR track champions future. 2010 rookie of the year Justin Jennings had his IMCA ride at the show, with a " J " added to his # 56. Justin will once again be campaigning an asphalt late model at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapid, Ia. on Friday nights, as well. Saturday plans will include a mix of dirt racing at 34 and asphalt competition at I-44 Speedway in Lebanon, Mo., where he claimed the biggest win of his fledgling career last season. Justin has plans to attend school in North Carolina in the fall, so plans after 2011 are up in the air. Two members of the " Mendon Mafia, " defending champion Denny Woodworth, and veteran Keith Pratt, had new 2011 GRT cars in the show. Woodworth stayed with his familiar look, and KP, chose a yellow with red look on his # 33. After an abbreviated 2010, Jason Frankel is back with a new ride, ready to tackle the local tracks and the Summer Series. Faithful QR teammates Bill Genenbacher and Jason Perry were both on hand, with " Wild Willy " sporting a multicolored # 72, and Jason with a Moyeresque # 27. Preteen Jake Griffin displayed both his # 08 crate late model that he will race at Fulton and Memphis, Mo., as well as the UMP modified he will be running at QR in 2011. As always, there was a good contingent of mods on hand, including Dave Weitholder, who already has several nights of 2011 racing under his belt thanks to a week or so in Florida last month. Dave had a brand new body on his # 05 for the mall show. 2010 IMCA competitor and ULMA late model champion Vance Wilson has returned to the the mod ranks with a 2008 Pierce chassis. As with many we talked to, Vance indicated fuel prices will at least partly determine his 2011 schedule. Second generation shoe Trent Grotz was the only driver showing off both a new race car and a new baby! With Trent for a father, former go karter Teri Sue for a mother, and grandfathers Steve Grotz and Terry Gallaher, this young man could be a future star! While there were plenty of good looking rides, Shaun Deering had a real eye catching look with his # 16 modified.
IMCA stock car champion Terry Houston has switched to a bright red Ford from his familiar silver scheme while holding on to # 97. Aaron Brocksieck has teamed up with the local hospital to fight breast cancer in 2011, and as a result has pink as his dominant color. Aaron has changed his # 04A to
#40A. As a fundraiser for the cause, Aaron and wife Kenzie are selling ribbons to be placed on the car, so Keagan is now " sponsoring " his first car!
The hobby stock class also has some new looks, with the Anders cousins, Bobby and Nathan, and veteran Jim Powell all featuring new looks.
According to co owner Tony Rhinberger, while there is still a lot of moisture in the ground, the track should be ready for the first of four practice nights on March 25, and opening night on April 3.
Also on hand at the show was Brad Stevens, from Burlington, Ia. Brad is a former crewman for the late Brent Slocum, and the point man for the Slocum 50 Summer Series race at 34 Raceway. Brad was getting the word out about the event, and selling raffle tickets to benefit the scholarship fund as well as a charity for our troops. Brad has been a tireless worker in the promoting of this can't miss event, scheduled for April 9. He also mentioned that the lap money from the canceled Pepsi Nationals at 34 will be paid at this race.
With the season drawing near, there is still a lot of activity going on in the area racing world. Fledgling Scotland Co. Speedway promoter Rick Girard has apparently added 24 Raceway in Moberly, Mo. to his list of projects. Rick will be featuring a Sunday night program at the high banked oval, with a five class program topped by UMP modifieds, although the lineup is still in flux. A track I was able to visit for the first time in 2010, Lake Ozark Speedway near Eldon, Mo. suddenly pulled the plug on the upcoming season one month after releasing a schedule. Word is that owners Kevin and Tammy Gundaker, who also own Tri City Speedway near Granite City,Il. are looking to sell or lease the facility. There has also been a late change in promoters at Quad City Speedway in East Moline,Il., and there have been some schedule changes as a result. With Lee County Speedway only running late models one time in 2011, CJ Speedway in Columbus Junction, Iowa has added the premier class to their Friday night lineup on a part time basis. As previously mentioned, this has surely been the most active off season in recent memory.
With just 13 days to go, I am still holding out hope that the weatherman cooperates, and my season can begin with the final night of the UMP Dirtcar Roundup at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo. on March 26. I don't know about anyone else, but I am ready to go racin'!

6 Weeks and Counting

2011-02-13T13:33:00.000-08:00

Saturday night, February 12 marked the beginning of the final countdown to the 2011 racing season with the running of the Bud Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. That little bit of TV racing that I would likely ignore in mid summer is a treasured event at this time of year. Combined with daily reports via Facebook from the Florida dirt tracks and weekend temperatures in the 40's, and I find myself getting revved up even more. Congratulations to "local " drivers Michael Long and Dave Weitholder on making several of the UMP modified shows at Volusia Speedway, where Iowa hotshoe Ryan Gustin has picked up a win and a runnerup finish in the past week. Looks like the mods have been drawing between 60 and 80 cars per night! Long, who is wheeling a car owned by Jim Gillenwater had a third place run foiled on opening night by a broken J-bar in the closing laps.
Back here in the heartland, most of the traveling series as well as the local tracks have their schedules complete and out, or at least in the final stages.
Quincy Raceway held their banquet on Saturday January 22, and confirmed a healthy number of special events for 2011. As usual, the track will see an early opening, with April 3 the intended target, one week ahead of the first of two IMCA Deery Brothers visits on April 10, one night after the Slocum 50 series race at 34 Raceway in West Burlington. QR will welcome the USMTS modifieds on May 15, the Sprint Invaders on May 29 and September 4, and a second Summer Series event on July 3. Additionally, they are working on a July Crate late model event and other specials. The track known locally as the " Broadway Bullring " is planning to race through the end of September, continuing points for UMP mods, IMCA stock cars, and hobby stocks until seasons end.
The Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo. will once again offer weekly Saturday night racing beginning April 2 under the direction of former racer Rick Girard. Girard will be offering a unique mix of late models, featuring ULMA rules, which include crate and steel block late models, with adjustments to allow IMCA cars to compete as well. To the delight of some and dismay of others, the A- mods will be running under the UMP rules and sanction. SCS will be running seven classes, so hopefully they will be able to get the early season bugs out quickly and run a quick, efficient show. With both 24 Raceway in Moberly, Mo., and Bloomfield, Ia. Speedway apparently not racing in 2011, and Eldon, Ia. Raceway running a limited schedule, Girard has a rare opportunity to dominate racing in that area.
Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, and 34 Raceway have both released aggressive schedules, although from a personal standpoint I am disappointed the LCS could not find a way to continue their late model program, which has been the best in the area the last two seasons. Still, the fairgrounds 3/8 mile is a favorite of mine, and is offering up some interesting specials, including a July 1 late model special, and the always entertaining Shiverfest, albeit a week earlier in 2011. 34 will follow up the previously mentioned Slocum 50 with by far the most exciting schedule the current owners have ever attempted, including the Lucas Oil late models again in May, the return of the UMP Summernational late models on July 4, and a new date for the Pepsi Nationals Labor Day weekend. In addition, the 410 sprints will wow the Burlington faithful with a couple of shows.
All of this could not have come at a better time for TriState area race fans, with fuel prices hovering around $3.00 per gallon, and even higher prices likely by opening night. While my traveling companions and I have some adventures planned down the road, 2011 will probably find us making an even higher number of visits to our local venues. Stay tuned!
Congratulations go out to the Quincy Raceways track champions. Steve Carlin of Hannibal, Mo. collected his fourth title in the bomber/hobby stock class, while the other three classes had first time champions. Mt Sterling,Il. driver Terry Houston captured the IMCA stock car crown, while second generation pilot Jared Schlipman was the UMP mod champ. Veteran Denny Woodworth stayed closer to home in 2010 and nabbed his second ever and first QR late model title. Woodworth had won the mod crown some 15 years earlier while in college! Jared and Denny are charter members of the self named " Mendon (Il.) Mafia.
Congratulations also are in order for modified driver Trent and Teri Sue Grotz on the birth of a new baby. Proud gradparents include racing veterans Steve Grotz and Terry Gallaher. On an unrelated note, Gallaher has his late model operation for sale.
Mediapolis, Ia. pilot, Boone McLaughlin is marking 2011 as his 25th season behind the wheel. The " Hound Dog " will have two #14 machines, one black and one silver, and is looking at following the Deery Series, where he was the 2009 champion.
The unofficial first event on my 2011 season will be the Quincy Raceways car show at the Quincy Mall on March 12 and 13. this is always a fine show with 40 or so entries. Weather permitting, the track will likely begin a series of practice nights soon after, featuring free grandstand admission.
We are still looking at March 26 as our first green flag racing on the scheduled final night of the UMP Dirtcar Round Up at I-55 Raceway in Pevely,Mo.
Until then maybe we will see you down the road.

A last Look Back

2010-12-05T17:15:00.000-08:00

With the 2010 race season here in the midwest officially in the books, it is time to take one final look at what turned out to be anything but a typical year. My final tally of 45 race nights was the lowest in more than a decade, due exclusively to an incredibly wet summer, with the timing of the inclement weather almost as big a factor as the amount of rain. Still, with some extra travel, and with the help of some double feature nights, I was able to make up for a couple of rained out features and still scored 45 late model main events. In doing so, I visited 16 different tracks, likely a single season high, in three states. Four of these facilities I visited for the first time, including Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Mo., Shepps Speedway in Alexander, Il., Highland, Il. Speedway, and incredibly, Farley Speedway in Farley, Ia. My " home " track of Quincy Raceways, where I do a weekly recap, led the way with 15 nights, and Lee County Speedway in Donnellson was a destination nine times. Out of 334 different late model competitors, well off my personal record of 413, I witnessed 28 different main event winners, lead by local drivers Mark Burgtorf with six, Denny Woodworth with five, and Justin Reed with four. The season began on March 27 at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., with Mark Voigt taking the win in a 27 car field, and ended on October 16, with the rescheduled final night of the Liberty 100 at West Liberty, Iowa, with Darren Miller taking both the open and IMCA late model features. We had plans for one more night of racing at Shiverfest, in Donnellson, but in a fitting end to a tough year, the only rainy days of October washed it out. The largest car count of the year was 64 at the Slocum 50 Deery Brothers show at 34 Raceway in April. One benefit to the cranky weather was the variety of series we were able to enjoy as we tried to out run the rain. There was a World of Outlaw show, a couple Lucas Oil Late Model Series events, an MLRA show, one MARS race, three UMP Summernationals, one Northern All Stars, 5 and a half IMCA Deery Brothers shows ( Pepsi Nationals at 34 Raceway ), one Corn Belt series race, IMCA weekly, UMP weekly, and several high dollar non sanctioned events in places like Knoxville and West Liberty, Iowa, and Pontoon Beach, Il. Of all the rainouts, the biggest disappointment was
May 1, which wiped out a planned first race night visit to Paducah, Kentucky International Raceway for the Lucas Oil Series. A few years back buddy Darryl and I stopped at the 3/8 mile venue when promoter Bob Sargent happened to be there, and he let us do a walk around. At that time, we decided a race night there needed to happen, and twice now those plans have been thwarted. We will try again in 2011. Fortunately, the cancellation came in time for us to take in a very good open show in West Liberty, where Brian Birkhofer picked up the checkers. There is no way I could enjoy such a varied schedule without my traveling buddies Darryl and Fred, and this was a special season as grandson Keagan joined me 17 times. Keagan will be 15 next summer, and us " old guys " are hoping he sticks around to share the driving chores when he hits that magic 16 mark. When I think back to those days, many years ago, I remember young ladies by my side on trips to the local tracks, not a group of " Grumpy Old Men, " so we shall see! Also thanks to Jeff Broeg for letting me tag along on a rainy trip to Quad City Speedway in May.
The schedules are starting to trickle in for 2011, and we are already making some plans, starting with the UMP Dirt Car Round Up in Pevely the last weekend in March, but we will wait a while to see how the schedules match up.
Until next time, stay warm and enjoy the holidays, and check back for news and rumors until it gets to be time to go Racin' Down the Road!

Goings On at Quincy Raceways

2010-11-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

After hearing about extensive dirt work going on at Quincy Raceways, I paid a visit to the speedway over the weekend and enjoyed a nice visit with co owner Paul Holtschlag. Although bust on the grader, Paul took time to give my wife and I a tour of the improvements made so far. Recognizing that the track had become a mostly one groove, high side venue, he began by taking about three feet of clay from the top of turns three and four. Some of that dirt was moved to the bottom of the track, as it was determined that the infield was actually higher than the track, resulting in water sometimes finding its way on to the track. The immediate benefit will be the ability to move the barrier tires closer to the infield. The top groove has also been cut down on the straightaways, as the cars coming off turn four were actually higher than the retaining wall. On Saturday, work had begun to cut down turns one and two. All this should get things back to a two and three groove surface. The next project will be to improve drainage in the pit area, a persistent problem in 2010.
Meanwhile, the regular Sunday night starting time has been moved to 6:30, as the earlier start often resulted in a dusty track. With that in mind, efforts will be made to start promptly at the advertised time. While the regular classes of IMCA late models and stock cars, UMP modifields, and track rules hobby stocks will return, a fifth class of Lee County Speedway rules 4 cylinder Wild Things will be added. In addition , the payout will be increased for the mods, $500.00 to win, and hobby stocks, $200.00 to win. The Wild Things will pay $100.00 to win. Payouts for the IMCA classes will stay the same. Grandstand admission will stay the same, while pit passes will be $25.00. Former announcer Doug Mealy will be back behind the mic in 2011 after a stint as chief steward.
While some scheduling plans were discussed, I will wait for official word before commenting on that, but things are shaping up nicely.
I came away most encouraged that Quincy Raceways will be able to put a less than stellar season in the rear view mirror and move forward in 2011.
Meanwhile, the spring calender is already becoming dotted with early season specials. April 1 and April 2 is rumored to be the dates for the Illini 100, a previosly World of Outlaw sanctioned $20,000 to win race apparently moving from Farmer City Raceway to Lasalle Speedway. This follows by one week, the 8 class UMP DirtCar Roundup at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo. Easter weekend, April 22 and 23 Tri City Speedway in Granite City,Il. hosts a non sanctioned $ 20,000 to win super late model show. With the Lucas Oil schedule already out, we are already making plans for a May 6 and 7 show at Paducah, Ky International Raceway and a May 13 and 14 weekend at 34 Raceway in West Burlington on Friday the 13th! followed by a Saturday night visit to Lasalle. Memorial Day weekend will feature the Lucas stars at Wheatland, Mo. for the Show Me 100. While I will not be able to make all these shows and still remain A) financially solvent, and B) married, it certainly offers some attractive options as the midwest season gets going. Before that happens, I will try to put the wraps on 2010 with a personal season recap in the near future. Thanks for reading!

West Liberty Correction

2010-10-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

I promise I was sober as could be when I watched the Saturday night features at West Liberty Raceways Liberty 100, and was in the same condition when I penned my recap, but unfortunately I mixed up my notes. After rereading my post, I realized I incorrectly credited Darren Miller with a flag to flag win in the open late models. While Darren did indeed pick up an impressive win, lapping up to sixth place, it was about lap 30 when he took the lead from second place finisher Brian Birkhofer.
With that said, lets cross our fingers that the weather forecasts improve enough that Shiverfest at the Lee County Speedway helps put a cap on the 2010 season. Hope to see everyone there!

Seeing Double

2010-10-19T16:48:00.000-07:00

With the sun shining brightly, Darryl and Fred picked me up Saturday afternoon, and after a mid afternoon meal at the new Dennys at the Fly'n J in Wayland, Mo., we headed north to the West Liberty Raceway for the rescheduled night two of the Liberty 100. This race always gets penciled in as soon as the schedules come out, but the anticipation level was even higher this season with the show split into two late model divisions. Thanks to a detailed internet posting by Kevin Feller - thanks, Kevin, I had the lineups for the evening in hand even though we had not attended night one. On the way north we met the # 44L of Aaron Luke headed towards the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo., but we were hoping that there would be a few " buy ins " to make up for the " no shows. " As it turned out, there were two new cars in the open late model class, with Dave Eckrich, who missed night one while chasing MLRA points, and Paul Parker, from Wisconsin taking a shot from the back of the last chance race. Dave made the show on a track he has raced many times, while Parker failed to transfer to the 50 lap finale. The first night show had 29 entries in each late model class, and on Saturday, there were 27 open cars and 26 IMCA competitors. With one qualified car missing in each class, Chad Simpson in the opens and Ron Brokus in the IMCAs, seven cars were promoted to the feature from each last chance 10 lap event. Jason Utter outdueled Jay Johnson in the opens, while Jay Chenoweth took the IMCA race ahead of Jon Merfeld. Joel Callahan was forced to start both races, and managed to qualify in both, surviving a flat tire in the IMCA version to come all the way back to third. The top six in passing points from night one ran a six lap dash for starting positions, with Darren Miller holding off Brian Birkhofer in the opens, and Ray Guss Jr. besting Miller in IMCA. With the show moving along quickly, Tyler Kelly captured the Flyer feature, while Zach Less topped the B-mods. Scott Walker piloted Matt Greiners # 29 to the stock car win, even as Greiner wheeled his IMCA car to the stock car win in Memphis! The A-mod feature turned in to a runaway win for Ryan Dolan, who had struggled in the dash earlier. Noah Coppess picked his way through the pack for an impressive runner up finish ahead of Jason Schueller. The open lates then took to the track for their 50 lap $3500 to win finale, with national stars Miller - who came out of " retirement " only weeks earlier - and Birkhofer setting on the front row. Brian took the lead at the green, but Darren pulled ahead in his Diercks # 32D out of turn two, and was never headed. A major crash in turn one on lap three took out five cars near the back of the starting order, with Jay Johnson perhaps getting the worst of it. From that point on, the race went green all the way, and Miller lapped all the way up to the sixth place car. Birky held on for second, while Utter made an unbelievable charge from 18th to finish third. Nick Marolf and Chris Simpson completed the top five. Brian Harris, Eckrich brothers Andy and Denny, and Kile brothers Kurt and Kevin rounded out the top ten. The final race of the night was the 50 lap, $3500 to win IMCA main event. The pole position went to three track, Summer Series, and national IMCA champion Guss, with Miller to his right. Although it was a different car on different tires, Miller picked up where he left off. After a scary crash on the front stretch as the filed tried to complete lap one, in which Nate Beuseling landed atop the # 84 of Sam Halstead, this race also went green all the way. If Darren Miller was impressive in the first feature, he was awesome in the finale. Dicing his way through traffic, Miller lapped all but second place Andy Eckrich, and put everyone from seventh on back two laps down! Guss finished third, with Jeff Aikey fourth. Tommy Elston made a second half charge to run fifth, while Mike Garland slipped past Boone Mclaughlin at the end for sixth. Colby Springsteen, Jeremiah Hurst, and Darrell Defrance finished out the first ten.
Several drivers competed in both late model classes. In addition to Miller , Andy Eckrich, and Callahan, Hurst, Mclaughlin, Johnson, and Jonathon Brauns did double duty, although Brauns in his # 22B was turning practice laps only with the IMCA cars. Rob Toland ran the IMCA portion in a backup car borrowed from open driver Rich Bell. A couple of night one cars had substitute drivers, with Andy Nezworski filling in for Matt Ryan in # 07, while Gary Webb took a turn in Rick Dralles'# 4D. Both made the big show.
Miller collected a $1,000 bonus for winning both main events. With an equal turnout of cars in both classes, it will be interesting to see what Simmons Promotions has in store for West Liberty in 2011. With over 140 cars on hand, we were pleasantly surprised to be leaving the grounds by 10:45, although the good feeling was tempered by the notion that we may have seen our last race of 2010. We had already made plans to attend Shiverfest this coming Saturday at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, but we also knew that the likelihood of yet another dry weekend was a long shot, and as I write this, the forecast does not look too favorable. Hopefully, the rain will hold off, and there will be one more night of racin' down the road in 2011. Hope to see you there!

The Last Double Header Weekend?

2010-10-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning Keagan and I along with Rick Coats and his son Spencer loaded a mountain of warm clothes in the Impala and headed for Knoxville, Iowa for the final night of the Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals. After the Saturday night rainout last year that sent us home without seeing the 100 lap finale, we were happy to take the cold temps as long as clear skies were part of the deal. We arrived at the track before noon, but seemed to keep busy until the grandstands opened at 5:00. Keagan correctly pointed out that you can have a great time at this show before an engine ever fires. Wandering the pits, checking out all the collectables, attending the autograph session, taking in the auction all only feeds the anticipation of the big show. Keagan cut loose with some of his " hard earned " money to purchase a Brian Birkhofer diecast car, which Brian was gracious enough to autograph. When race time arrived 52 cars prepared to do battle for the
$40,000 top prize, while a couple of other competitors remained on the trailer. Quincy racer Rickey Frankel was dominating the 15 lap C-main when the engine began to go sour in his # 33F. Rickey held on for second to Oregon driver John Duty, but he was not able to take his spot in the B- main. Another Quincy driver, Mark Burgtorf had the fifth starting slot in the 20 lap 24 car B-main, which would see six cars transfer to the big dance. Mark ran in a transfer spot for most of the race, holding off Iowa hotshoes Chris Simpson and Andy Eckrich. As the laps wound down, Simpson found his way around Burgtorf, who finished one spot away from a transfer. Jimmy Mars took the win over a field that would have made for a great A- Main on another day. The bad luck for Quincy drivers continued in the IMCA modified main event. We had hoped things were looking up when Michael Long started on the front row in the Jim Gillenwater owned # 18L. Michael jumped out to an early lead, but soon found himself going backwards, eventually retiring from the race, which was captured by former late model pilot Darin Duffy. The late model 100 lapper was historic in the fact that unarguably the two most successful late model drivers of this era lined up side by side on the front row. Predictably, Scott Bloomquist powered to the early lead, bit before long it was Billy Moyer in the drivers seat. While several drivers made runs at the top spot during the caution marred race, it seemed like any time Billy was challenged, he could reach down for a little extra speed. In the end, the Iowa native lapped up to the 12th place car, winning the biggest race in his native state for the first time.
" Kid Rocket " Josh Richards was the last to make a run, and for the second time in three years, he filled the bridesmaid spot. Darrell Lanigan drove a consistent race to take third, while Steve Francis nabbed fourth. Will Vaught started 22nd and made a late charge to capture fifth ahead of shannon Babb, who had climbed as high as second mid race. Jimmy Mars came from the B-main to finish seventh,and 2008 winner Tim McCreadie was eighth. Another former winner, Brady Smith slipped past 18 year old Austin Hubbard to complete the top ten. While it was not the most exciting of the national finals, there is always something special about the race that keeps everyone talking for days after. With a cup of coffee and a splash of fuel, we headed home to get some sleep before the late afternoon scheduled show at Quincy Raceways.
There had been a buzz in the pits at Knoxville that Quincy might well see a big influx of UMP modifieds, as Sunday would be the final night for UMP points, with QR the only track racing. In addition, a combination rules package that would allow crate and steel block late models to compete with the local IMCA cars for a $1,000 top prize for 15 or more cars, a similar gimmick for stock cars and hobby stocks, and a visit from the Ill-Mo winged sprints offered the possibility of a full pit area. But as is so often the case late in the season, the cars did not show, at least not in the numbers hoped for.
Three crate late models and one steel block were part of an 11 car field that also included the season debut of veteran IMCA racer Fred Remley. Vance Wilson had been a QR regular the first half of the season before joining the
United Late Model Association mid season, and winding up as their champion. With the title in the bag, Vance came back and took a flag to flag win for his first late model win at the track were he has won a modified championship. Season points runnerup Jason Perry was alongside Wilson at the checkers. Evan Fink wheeled his crate car to a third place run in a car Jason Frankel piloted earlier this season. Track champion Denny Woodworth finished fourth ahead of Robbie Warner, and 11 year old Jake Griffin, who did double duty in his crate late model and UMP modified.
Only ten modifieds checked inm but one of the two travelers, Jim Black, from Bonne Terre, Mo. took the win. National point contender Devin Gilpin made the trip from Columbus, Indiana, and was running in the front pack before jumping the cushion and retiring early. Although the hobby stocks from QR and Lee county Speedway out up a challenge, it was the IMCA stock cars in the top three spots in the combo class, with track champ Terry Houston nabbing the win. Phil Heavelow made the trip from Buckner, Mo. to take a flag to flag win in the Lightning Sprints. With the early start, the final checkers flew about 7:15. With a small pit and grandstand turnout, QR owners canceled next weeks scheduled finale to begin plans for what will hopefully be a drier 2011 season.
With family activities this weekend, it does not look like I will be able to attend scheduled events at Lee County Speedway or Quad City Speedway,
but hopefully I will be able to get in a couple more shows after that. the forecast looks great for this weekend, so don't waste a chance to take in some racing.

If at First You Don't Suceed...

2010-09-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning began with me working as I must do on the occasional Saturday, and buddy Fred staying close to the weather channel. Leaving work about 10:30, I made a call to the Littons in Iowa City, who let me know that the rain appeared to be on the way to the West Liberty area. Heading home, I took up the watch, and soon after a return call from Bob Litton, word came down that Donnellson, West Burlington, and West Liberty had all called off their races. Although the forecast was far from reassuring, Fred and I met up and headed south to Kevin and Tammy Gundakers Tri City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Il. for the final night of the three night Modified Mania combined with the Monster Midwest late models. 64 UMP type mods checked in for the third $3,000 to win purse, while 31 late models showed up for a $2,000 top prize. 28 UMP Pro Crate late models and 22 street stocks filled out the stout field. An interesting format had the two premier classes putting four or five cars on the track at a time, running a couple of hot laps followed by two time trial laps. Frank Heckenast Jr. recorded the fastest lap in his late model at 14.780 around the 3/8 mile oval, while Brent Mullins paced the mods. Mullins needed that fast lap to earn a prvisional start in the main event. Eight modified heat races, two C-mains, two B-mains and a top eight dash sert the field for the 30 lap finale, while the late models ran four heat races, captured by Heckenast, Brian Shirley, Ryan Unzicker, and Jason Feger,and a B-main won by Tim Rataczyk. A track provisional for the " Salty Dog " Rick Salter set the 21 car field. At one point it seemed unlikely that we would see any feature racing, as a light but persistent rain fell for more than 30 minutes. The track officials kept wheels going around the speedway throughout, and when the rain let up, we went back to racing.
With more rain on the horizon, the modified feature was moved to first in the running order, with Quincy, Il. standout Michael Long sharing the front row with southern Ill. star Chad Kinder. When Kinder jumped the start, the front row was moved back to row two, and row two assumed the front. It took just 12 laps until Long and Kinder were battling up front, and Michael soon began to open up a sizable lead in his # 18L. Although Kinder closed in a bit in traffic, Long was never seriously challenged, taking the win to go along with a runnerup finish on Thursday. Mike Harrison made the run of the night, starting 15th and charging to third, Jeff Leka took fourth, and Kevin Weaver, who led in the early going, brought the # 128 home in fifth. Next up was the the 30 lap late model main event. after a short delay while weaver climbed in his # B12, Dennis Erb Jr. and Shirley brought the field to the green. A light rain began to fall again, but the Super late models raced on, with Shirley assuming the top spot. Unzicker kept pace early as Erb fell back to fifth. As the laps wound down, Erb moved back to the second spot, but could not overtake Shirley. Feger started eight and crossed the stripe in third, Unzicker claimed fourth, and UMP national point leader Rusty Schlenk took fifth in his # 91. Chad Zobrist started and finished sixth, Heckenast took seventh, Scott Weber ran eighth in Randy Kortes #00, while young Bobby Pierce and Weaver completed the top ten.
Quincy drivers Mark Burgtorf, Dustin Griffin, and Rickey Frankel also made the show, while Jason Frankel, out with a new ride he purchashed from Clint Kirkham, grazed the while while running in a transfer spot in the B- main. With the weather threatening and the time nearing 11:30, we headed to the car as the crates came to the track.
I hesitate to offer up this weeks plans, as I seem to be jinxing myself, but Saturday night in Knoxville,Iowa is on the agenda.
On Saturday I learned that midwest dirt track racing lost a true friend, as Gary Storey passed away in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Before his illness, Gary, often in the company of Bob Litton, could be seen at tracks all over the middle of the country. My last visit with him was at Independence, Iowa in the summer of 2009, and although in failing health, he was talking racing as always. RIP, my friend.

Pepsi Nationals Times Two

2010-09-20T17:17:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was pretty much representative of the entire 2010 racing season, as rain played a major role in the festivities. With a vacation day on Friday, I was able to get to 34 Raceway plenty early to wander the pit area and catch up with some old friends while getting a good roster of the 51 late models that showed up to attempt to qualify for the $10,000 to win Saturday Pepsi Nationals IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series finale. The car count was down a bit from the past few seasons, but that is a trend I have been seeing most places I go, surely a bi product of a tight economy. Still, the best of the best in IMCA late model racing was on hand, and anticipation was high for the weekend. Despite my prediction, the track stayed pretty consistent throughout qualifying, and although most of the top times came during the first half, Quincy Raceways point champion Denny Woodworth set quick time with a lap of 16.575 late in the time trial round, locking him in to a starting spot for Saturday. Things got a little strange when I went back to the pits to record the heat race lineups. Tommy Elston was checking out his starting spot and mentioned to me that he did not see Mark Burgtorf on the lineups. After some conversation it was determined that Marks # 7B had been listed instead as 70. Although officials corrected the board apparently no one from the track contacted Mark, and his team had thought he was in the second heat instead of the opening one. As a result, he was late to staging, and would be relegated to a Saturday night B-main. Meanwhile, last years winner, Jason Frankel, driving Bill Genenbachers # 72 took the first qualifier to earn the pole for the money race. Nate Beuseling, Lonnie Bailey, Boone McLaughlin and Summer Series rookie of the year Andy Eckrich also captured the 12 lap preliminary events in which 15 cars qualified. While I missed the 305 Sprint event, I was back in the grandstands to see Jeff Mueller capture the IMCA stock car 20 lapper, leaving only the late model Ironman 20 lap feature to be contested. This race is a special event for the drivers who attend each Summer Series race throughout the season, and pays $750 to win. Former rookie of the year TJ Criss from Oskaloosa parlayed a front row start into a flag to flag win. While TJ had the field covered, there was plenty of action behind him, with Terry Neal advancing from ninth to take second in the 12 car field. Mark Preston, Eckrich, and series champion Ray Guss Jr. completed the top five.
Jeff Aikey finished sixth in another Guss car. Jeff broke his engine in hot laps, and the Roberts - Guss team loaned him their new # 58 car, which they brought along as a back up, electing to use the red # 58 as their primary car for the weekend. We left the track knowing that rain was a possibility for Saturday, and made some backup plans on the ride home.
Saturday morning was spent close to the phone and computer, and it was a bit after noon that the official word came that Saturdays racing was posponed until Sunday. At the same time, Quincy Raceways cancelled their Sunday races to avoid any conflict with 34. With the radar looking good to the south, Keagan and I met up with buddies Darryl and Fred and we headed south to I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo. for the Pepsi Nationals World of Outlaws late model $10,000 to win 55 lap one day event. 124 cars signed in for the four class program, including 31 World of Outlaw late models. It was grandson Keagan first WoO show, and he was filled with anticipation. Happily, he was not disappointed. Steve Francis set quick time around the 1/3 mile oval with a lap of 12.768 seconds. Heat race wins went to Francis, point leader Josh Richards, and Billy Moyer, while Chub Frank captured the B-main. The two ladies in the field, April Farmer and Jill George collected provisionals to fill out a 24 car field. The announcement was then made that rain - what else? - was headed our way, and the late model feature would be run first. Why can't more tracks make such good decisions? As the field rolled out, with Darrell Lanigan and Tim McCreadie on the front row, we all made our picks - I picked last and took T-Mac. The first 29 laps went non stop, with McCreadie, then Lanigan holding the top spot. The yellow came only because the ambulance was needed in the outside pit area. On the restart, T- Mac, who was second, spun in turn four. When racing resumed, ninth starting Shannon Babb charged to third, and began to work on second running Moyer, who had been swapping the lead with Lanigan. By lap 39, Babb had the runnerup spot, and after one last caution, 13th starting Brady Smith powered in to third. Babb worked the low line to take the lead and the win, with his mentor Moyer in second and Smith third. Lanigan took fourth over 11th starting Clint Smith. The second fiver included Richards, Francis, McCreadie, Frank, and 18 year old Austin Hubbard. Lanigans finish gave him the series points lead over Richards. With lightening flashing around us, we headed for the car, and barely made it to the interstate before the rains came. They were able to get the UMP modified feature in, with Mike Harrison taking the $1,000 win, but the sportsman and Pro 4 feature were apparently washed out. The late model feature may have been the best we have seen in 2010, with an excellent track and plenty of passing.
It was Sunday morning when we learned what we suspected on the trip home, that 34 Raceway would be unable to race on Sunday. It was a surprise however to learn the event would not be rescheduled.
Plans for this weekend include a Saturday night visit to the West Liberty Raceway for the Liberty 100 50 lap features for open and IMCA late models. Then on Sunday Quincy Raceways will try again to kick off their fall series featuring $1,000 to win late models with rules allowing the ULMA steel block late models and the UMP crate lates to compete with the IMCA cars. also racing are the UMP modifieds, IMCA stock cars and hobby stocks, with hot laps scheduled for 4:00 PM. Hope to see you at the races!

"O" For The Weekend

2010-09-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

The past weekend was a grim reminder of things to come, as I did not get in any racing for the first weekend since early June. Saturday night was taken up with our annual hog roast at church, and although I was plenty busy, I was also wondering what I was missing at the Cedar County Raceway in Tipton,Ia. Last season was my first ever visit there for the Dhouly - Devore race, and I definitely hated to miss it this year. An inch and a half of rain rolled through our area Friday night, so I was only mildly surprised when Quincy Raceways pulled the plug on Sunday night racing even though Saturday and Sunday were sunny and breezy. Unfortunately, there were some new cars arriving at the speedway , not thinking to call ahead.
With that in mind, I am eagerly anticipating the upcoming weekend, easily the busiest of the " postseason. " It would be a disservice to try and list all the special events slated for this Saturday and Sunday, as I counted at least ten shows within a couple hundred miles worthy of any race fans hard earned money. I will say that my plans are to attend the Pepsi USA late model Nationals at 34 Raceway in West Burlington. As long as this race has been held, and this will be year 19, I have missed only the 1997 edition due to work commitments. Should the weatherman interfere, there is a non sanctioned open late model show paying $7,000 to win at Pontoon Beach, Il on Friday, and a now one day only World of Outlaw late model show at I-55 Raceway in Pevely,Mo. on Saturday. So much good racing on the same weekend!
Quincy Raceways will try again on Sunday, with the Sprint Invaders, late models for $1,000 to win, UMP modifieds and hobby stocks. Start times have been moved up, with hot laps scheduled for 4:00 P.M.
The season is winding down way too fast, so take in some action this weekend wherever you are!

The Boys Are Back In Town

2010-09-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

The pop song lyric that titles this article was the theme of the IMCA late model Deery Brothers Summer Series a few seasons back, and seemed to me to be the perfect anthem for the traveling show. There is something special for late model fans to see the big out of town rigs rolling through town and down pit road at the local track. On Friday, that track was Quincy Raceways, and 29 competitors made the trip to the Broadway Bullring. The sun was out and the breeze was blowing on a beautiful Friday evening, as we anticipated the make up of the $3,000 to win Titan Wheel Classic which had been postponed during a rainy June. Unfortunately, there had been some heavy rain move through the Quincy area on Thursday evening, and the track was left a sloppy, muddy surface. Track personnel worked feverishly before the races, and again following heat race action, but the best they could do was a smooth and fast top groove around the .29 mile oval, while the lower grooves were choppy and treacherous. This is not to say that there was no passing, as heat one proved. 14 time track champion Mark Burgtorf drew the # 100 pill for heat race action, putting him last on the eight car starting grid. Mark caught a break when both Rob Toland and Kevin Blum were late to staging, moving him up to the third row. From there, Burgtorf used his knowledge of his hometown track to pick up the third and final transfer spot for the scheduled 50 lap finale. His luck continued to improve as he drew the number two slot for the money race. Jeff Aikey, Joey Gower, Terry Neal, and Jay Johnson captured heat race wins, while Bill Genenbacher and Andy Eckrich nabbed the two B- mains.Four
provisionals filled the field, including former track regular Nick Ingalls in Terry Gallahers # 0. Nick destroyed his car in a late June rollover. An announcement was made before the feature that the race would be cut to 40 laps, presumably due to track conditions. No one could have known what a dramatic effect this may have had on the final outcome. Burgtorf set sail from the outside pole and never looked back, leading all 40 laps. Ray Guss Jr. added to his storybook season by moving to the runner up slot at the checkers. As everyone surely knows by now, the " River City Hustler " has captured three track championships, the IMCA national title, and was now well on his way to the Summer Series title in his second season driving for Hershel roberts Motorsports. In fact, just before the drivers meeting, members of the team rolled in with a brand new Mastersbilt by Stuckey chassis they had just picked up in Mississippi. Track champion Denny Woodworth finished third, with Toland, Mark Peston, Gower, Charlie McKenna, Johnson, T.J. Criss and Jason Perry. rounding out the top ten. In talking to the top four after the races, all expressed doubts that they could have made the additional ten laps. Burgtorf had lost the belts off his engine and was overheating, Guss gad broken suspension, Woodworth had no brakes, and Toland had a broken radiator!
Support class action saw James Leffew capture a UMP modified win after the top two made contact on the final lap. Jason Cook made a trip south pay off with a flag to flag IMCA stock car win, while Bobby Anders paced the hobby stocks.
Saturday night, the " Boys " rolled into the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, 34 strong. Heat race winners included Tyler Bruening, Criss, Aikey, who had exited the feature early on Friday, and Tom Goble. Eckrich nabbed his second B-main in two nights, along with Guss. Interestingly, Ingalls in the Gallaher machine again took the hard charger provisional.Quincy Raceways points runner up, jason perry, who finished tenth on Friday, took off from row two and grabbed the top spot on the first lap. Through several early restarts he held on, including one for 15th starting Josh Most, who went pitside with what he thought was a flat tire. His crew waved him back out, and he tagged the tail of the field. While the action was going on up front, including Toland and Aikey dueling for second, Most began picking off cars on the high side of the speedway. Lonnie Bailey charged from 19th to fourth before his engine grenaded, ending his night. Lonnie says it was his first blown engine in 21 seasons! Mark Burgtorf was running the high side of the track before breaking the brace bars on the nose of his ride, hampering his steering and sending him to the trailer. Guss also fell victim to a flat tire, and had to restart at the back. Through all of this, Most traveled the high groove, until with a handful of laps to go he used an inside move to nudge Toland to the third spot. Back on the top at the while flag, he used a all or nothing move through the final turns to try and overtake Perry. a surprised Perry missed his mark ever so slightly, and Most won the drag race to the line to take his second ever Summer Series win and leave Jason still looking for his first. Toland , Aikey and Justin Reed were top five finishers, while Terry Neal, who qualified for but failed to start the feature on Friday claimed sixth over Tom Darbyshire, Jay Johnson, eighth for the second night in a row, Boone McLaughlin, and Guss. The five class program ended about 10:30, and although the corners developed some holes, the track was plenty racy all night long.
On Sunday night it was back to Quincy for a King of the Hill challenge format featuring time trials in all four regular classes and three lap elinination races involving between three and five cars per round. The time trial winner in each class received a $100 bonus, led by Denny Woodworth with a lap of 14.097. The King of the Hill runoff winner in each class had the option of giving up their feature pole position for a chance at a 50% bonus should they come through for the feature win. Late model ace Jason Perry accepted the challenge for a shot at a $1,500 payday, as did stock car driver Wes Mayfield for a possible $600. Before the feature races, the UMP modifieds staged the River City Rumble, a 35 lap event for the top 12 in points in attendance for a $1,000 top prize. Drawing for starting positions, second generation driver Steven Delonjay parlayed a front row spot in to a flag to flag win. The IMCA late models race a trophy dash each week all season to accumulate points for a 20 lap finale at years end paying $600 to win. The late model lawyer Woodworth came from row two to grab the lead on lap three and held on for his second check on the night.
With a much better track than Friday, the features looked to be top notch, and that was proven out as the four finales were run. Visiting Matt Greiner used a rare for QR low groove to outlast Mayfield for the stock car win, while Michael Long came back from a sixth in the Rumble to take the big hardware over Tony Dunker. Bobby Anders nabbed his second main of the weekend over point champion Steve Carlin.
Woodworth definitely had his # 45DW late model dialed in, as he led all 30 laps of the IMCA late model finale to take his fifth win of 2010. The $1,000 payoff left him with a sweep of the nights events and a $1,700 payday. Justin Reed, Perry, Burgtorf and Joey Gower trailed Denny at the checkers.
This week the Sprint Invaders will be in action at QR, and the stock cars will get a night off.
Congratulations to Ray Guss Jr. and Roberts Racing on their Summer Series victory at the Boone Supernationals and their fifth championship of 2010.
It may be September, but there are still a lot of choices for racing fans, so even if you are not going to Eldora, take in some racing this weekend!

Crowning Champions

2010-08-30T17:19:00.000-07:00

For those of us who reside in IMCA country, the last weekend in august means championship weekend, and with cooperation from the weatherrman, that is what we had. Friday night the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson was able to finish their points season after a couple weeks of late day rain outs. Something close to 100 cars in six classes checked in for the nights racing, which saw no heat races run in five of the six classes. Only the late models ran heats, as they are the only group that offers points for the preliminary events. The IMCA Sport Mods also ran a ten lap King of the Crate race for cars that ran at least half of the point shows and used a crate engine rather than a 9 to 1 power plant. What seemed like it should have been a quick program ran longer than usual, with driver introductions and multiple on track interviews in all classes. I cannot say if it is a good thing or not, but my personal preference is to " just race. " 18 late models started off the evening with three heat races, then it was feature time. The 18 car IMCA modified finale was an edge of your seat race, with 15th starting Michael Long picking off cars in bunches before he landed in fourth spot on a lap ten restart. The Quincy pilot then wrestled his way past Jeff Waterman and Wyatt Lantz, setting up a battle with leader Brandon Rothzen. Michael used a big time slide job to take the point on lap 15, then outpowered Brandon down the front chute to take the lead, and five laps later, the win. Davenport driver Rich Smith exited the track in the early laps, but had enough cushion to win the season title.
Multi class racer Jason Cook held only a one point lead over Phillip Cossel as the two took off from the front row in the Sport Mod 15 lapper. While Cossel got shuffled back, Jason shot to the front and stayed there the entire time, winning both the nights feature and the class championship.
Jason came back in the next event, the IMCA stock car finale, but he had some heavy hitters in front of him. Number two point man Jeff Mueller grabbed the lead as the green flag flew, claiming a lead he would not relinquish. While Jeff took the checkers in the caution free race, it will be Matt Greiner on the podium come banquet time.
The Sport Mod special event, with a purse of $1,000 courtesy of Shottenkirk, saw six cars qualified for the ten lap dash. Veteran Jim Gillenwater, who finished second to Cook in the title race, ran off with the win, collecting a first place check of $400. Ironically, this was $150 more than the feature win was worth!
The 4 cylinder Wild Thing feature was next, and the action was wid and wooly. When the checkers waved, it was longtime driver Wayne Noble in victory lane. However Waynes # 95x failed post race inspection, giving the hardware to Michael Grossman. Bill Michel captured the points title.
As 10:00 approached, the late models lined up, with Mark Burgtorf on the pole and three time winner Jeff Aikey on the outside. WQhile Jeff has made a living on the high side in recent weeks, the lower groove was the place to be on Friday, and Mark wasted no time in grabbing the lead and hugging the low groove. Just last weekend Burgtorf had picked up his freshened IMCA spec engine, and the change in power was pronounced. The 25 lap main event ran caution free, and Mark lapped up to the 12th place car to take the win and the track title. Denny Woodworth wheeled a car borrowed from the Warner race team out of Quincy, opting to save his IMCA car for championship night at Quincy on Sunday. Though racing the car for the first time, Denny powered around Aikey to take the runner up spot. Giving up on the high groove, Aikey settled for third, while Justin Reed came from seventh to fourth ahead of Gary Russell. The Woodworth car was one campaigned earlier this season by Tony Dunker.
After a long day at work, I headed for the car as the hobby stocks rolled out for introductions, however I want to also congratulate feature winner Matt Tucker, and track champ Tanner Thoman.
LCS notes: The only late model not starting the feature was Tom Goble, who was the feature winner Saturday night at 34 Raceway in west Burlington. Russell captured the point title at 34, overtaking Joey Gower on the final night. This Saturday night will be the yearly visit of the Derry Brothers Summer Series, with 15 drivers eligible for the $3,000 winners bonus. To qualify, a driver may have missed only one late model show at LCS all season. Last year, only about six drivers were eligible, but Burgtorf came fro deep in the field to grab the top prize. Check out the LCS website for the list of eligible drivers. Five classes will be in action, with only the IMCA mods getting the night off.
Saturday night found me away from the race track, but Sunday night it was back to Quincy Raceways for more championship action. The car count was down a bit, but the drama and action was intense. At QR, all classes ran heats, and following each divisions qualifiers, the respective point leader came to the front stretch and flipped a coin to determine if the feature would line up in the regular invert, or straight up with point leaders up front. The exception was the UMP modified class which had to follow UMP line up procedures.
The first feature out was for the IMCA stock cars, where point leader Terry Houston had flipped an invert. Kevin Tomlinson had come to the track having borrowed the # 14 of Jason Leaply, and Kevin took off like a rocket. During a mid race caution, Tomlinson suddenly went pitside, ending his night. Houston drove a patient race, taking over the top spot to claim both the race and the title, with Steve Steinkuhler and Jerry Jansen filling out the top three for the night.
Although Jared Schlipman had a bit of breathing room in the UMP modified division, the always dangerous Michael Long still had a shot. Steven Delonjay, who had to rebuild much of his # 35 after last weeks flip, took off along with Dave Weitholder. As the two duled up front, Long slipped past Schlipman for third. Just as quickly Long headed to the pits with something wrong with the rear end of his mount. Schlipman the decided to throw caution to the wind, inserting inself in the duel for the win. Delonjay held on for the feature victory, with Schlipman and Ryan Meyer picking up trophies as well. The track title for Jared came just days before father Terry celebrated a milestone birthday.
13 IMCA late models were on hand, and point leader Denny Woodworth wanted to take no chances. So " retired " driver Jerry Weisenberger dug out his suit and helmet and qualified the same # 79 Warner Racing ride that Denny raced on Friday, making sure the racing attorney would have a back up car for the feature if needed. Woodworth had flipped a straight up start, and he sat on the pole alongside number two man Jason Perry. As the green flag flew, Perry took off, and Woodworth settled into second. With a nine point lead, Woodworth played it cool, staying on the high side of the oval, counting cars and laps, as his first late model title at QR came ever closer. At the checkers, Perry had his third feature win of 2010, and Woodworth had the track title, as well as second in the 30 lapper. Number three point man Justin Reed chased Denny to the checkers, while Keith Pratt edged Joey Gower in an entertaining battle between the fourth and with place points cars. Woodworth has one other QR championship to his credit, in the " A " modified division way back in 1993.
While the other three classes were crowning first time champs, wily veteran Steve Carlin was looking for championship number four. He took a nine point lead over Bobby Anders into the action, and flipped an inverted start. Things got off to a rough start, with a collision sending Mike Wiley into a hard flip on the backstretch. Mike emerged unhurt after several minutes, but his # 26 suffered heavy damage. As the laps clicked off, Carlin came to the front with Anders trailing behind. the feature finish mirrored the points finish, with Carlin first and Anders second. Hard luck Jake Powers picked up a third for the night.
QR notes: The Deery Brother Summer Series late models visit QR for a rae Friday night show this week. The date is a rescheduled of the rained out Titan Classic from June. The feature event pays an inflated $3,000 to win, and $300 to start. Added to the Donnellson show on Saturday, one driver could pocket $8,000 for the two nights. QR will also be racing on Sunday, with a King of the Hill format in all four classes, featuring time trials, and a bracketed run off to determine feature qualifying. Late models will run for $1,000 to win, with a chance for the pole sitter to start in the back for an extra $500 to win. The there will be extra money and a challenge in all classes, plus the late model trophy dash finale paying something around $500 to win, and a modified River City Rumble for the top points cars.
QR has an aggressive fall schedule going into October, including Sprint Invaders on September 11. Check the website for more details.
Plans for this weekend include Quincy of Friday, Donnellson on Saturday, back to Quincy on Sunday, then???. Hope to see you down the road.

Someplace New, Then Back " Home "

2010-08-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

With the season ending weekend specials fast approaching, I took the opportunity on Saturday to visit a track I had never been to, and it was my 15th different track in 2010. Keagan and I joined buddy Fred as we traveled south and east to the Highland Speedway on the Madison County fairgrounds in Highland, Il. The top draw at this UMP weekly track was a visit from the Northern All Star late models in a 30 lap feature paying $2,000 to win. 30 late models made up the bulk of the 97 car turnout for five classes of racing. The track only offered hot laps to the top two classes, something we do not see closer to home, and qualifying started at 6:30, with only the late models receiving time trials, only one lap per car around the 1/4 mile paperclip shaped track. 13 total heat races and a B-main for the late models saw more than an average share of caution peiods, and combined with a break to do some grading of the track, it was about 9:30 when intermission time arrived. Things looked up for us weary travelers, however, when the call went out to bring the Northern All Star late models to the track. The extra track prep had created a smooth surface, and we anticipated a hard fought main event. Former UMP national champion Rodney Melvin drew the pole position after his second heat win, with heat three winner Ryan Unzicker to his outside. At the drop of the green, the two veterans took off in a side by side duel that had everyone on the edge of their seat. For more than half the race they ran this way, making contact only one time. Adding to the excitement was row two starters Jason Feger and Michael Kloos trying to build a high groove in an attempt to overtake the leaders. Highland is known as a bottom groove track, but Feger is known as the " Highside Hustler " for good reason, and he sent sparks flying off the turn four concrete more than once. Mid race Melvin began to open a lead over Unzicker, and Feger moved in to challenge. Just when he seemed poised to make a move, contact with the wall seemed to mess up his handling just a bit. The race was then for second, as he and Unzicker ran side by side. Coming to the checkers, the steering broke on Fegers # 25, but he stayed in the throttle, putting the ride side tires on the front stretch wall as the cars passed the flagstand. As Jason got out of the gas, the car came down on its top with the remainder of the field bearing down to the checkers. Fortunately, everyone missed the upside down car, and moments later he emerged from his ride to the roar of the big crowd. He had a bent race car and a third place finish behind Melvin and runnerup Unzicker. Kloos held off local driver Frankie Martin to complete the first five. The racing was fast and furious further back and Fred mentioned that he would like to see the race again to be able to watch the mid pack action! Steve Lance Jr. finished sixth, making a scorers nightmare as he was the third # 25 in the top six. Kevin Weaver came from 11th to seventh in the closing laps, followed by Bobby Dauderman, Paul Bailey and Adam Mefford. Kloos captured the first heat, while Mark Faust nabbed the consy. Martin turned the fastest lap at 13.600, well off the track record. Track point leader Chad Zobrist was involved in a heat race accident, was awarded a provisional start in the 21 car field, but retired early. With the clock ticking past 10:00 and a three hour drive home, we took our leave with four features yet to run. Highland is a unique facility, as you enter from high above the track and pit area, which set in a valley. Kudos to the concession workers for some of the best sandwiches and reasonable prices we have seen this season. On our trip south we ran back and forth with Quincy UMP driver Rickey Frankel, who competed at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., where he brought home a fourth place finish in a 32 car field.
Sunday night was back in the familiar digs of Quincy Raceways for the next to last point night of 2010. 13 IMCA late models checked in, and as hot laps wound down, Thad Trump from Kahoka, Mo. rolled through the pit gate as the 14th entry. Thad was making his season debut, as he has had a lot of " irons in the fire " this summer, deciding at 3:30 to load the # 46 and head south. The .29 mile oval offered up a combination of a little rough, a little tacky, and really fast, and the result was lots of action and some bent sheet metal. Clint Kirkham took off from the outside pole in the late model 30 lap finale, and looked like he might get win number one of the year. As the caution flew on lap 23, Clint suddenly pulled to the infield with something wrong under the hood, ending his fine run. Sixth starting Justin Reed had worked his way to the runnerup spot, and he inherited the lead, grabbing his third QR feature win of 2010. Bill Genenbacher ran a sloid second, with last weeks winner Keith Pratt third. Point leader Denny Woodworth gave up a point to second place Jason Perry in the heats, but climbed to fourth at the checkers, gaining two points back on sixth place Perry, with 34 Raceway point leader Joey Gower in fifth. Darin Weisinger and Trump were the only other two cars running at the end.
Last weeks UMP modified feature winner Steven Delonjay, who came in tied for second in points jumped the turn three cushion as the yellow came out for a spinning car at the start of the 25 lap feature. Delonjays # 35 launched off the berm, flipping wildly. Steven walked away from the crash, but his car was not as lucky,his pole position was wasted and his title hopes gone. Point leader Jared Schlipman jumped to the front, and built a lead, but before lap ten sixth row starter Michael Long had moved into second. The tough young drivers then raced side by side and nose to tail for a dozen laps before Long found an opening on the inside on lap 22, taking the lead down the backstretch. The win gave Michael nine wins and a second in ten starts in 2010. However the runnerup finish left Schlipman needing only a fifth place run next week to earn his first ever track championship.
Terry Houston used a second place finish behind winner Aaron Brocksieck to open a commanding lead over Abe Huls in the IMCA stock car chase, while Steve Carlin turned in a third place run in the hobby stocks behind Jim Brown and Nathan Anders to take control of that battle over Bobby Anders, who failed to finish the 20 lap finale.
Quincy Raceways promoters have announced an ambition schedule addition, with racing continuing every Sunday thru October 10. With some special events on the card, the IMCA rules late models are scheduled each week for a top prize of $1,000 to win in a draw redraw format. I will have more details as the time draws near.
This weekends plans are to stay close to home, beginning with season championship night Friday at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. Hope to see you there!

Racin' on the Home Tracks

2010-08-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

While a large part of the racing community spent last weekend at Knoxville watching sprint cars, Darryl, Fred and I stayed closer to home and took in some IMCA action. Saturday afternoon we loaded up and headed for 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa. It had been too long since I had visited one of my favorite tracks, and it was good to be back in familiar surroundings. We were fortunate to run into Dick Wood in the parking lot, and the Donnellson business man was gracious enough to offer us some free grandstand tickets. Dick is a diehard race fan, and the father of former late model and modified ace Jody Wood. Thanks, Dick!
Even though Jeff and Amy Laue were offering reduced grandstand admission, local racing was a tough sell up against the Knoxville finals, state fairs in all directions, and the very popular West Point, Iowa sweet corn festival. Still the bleachers filled up nicely, with most arriving a bit late probably due to the high heat. The pits were also a bit sparse, with I believe a total of 96 cars in the six competing classes, but the on track action made up for the smaller than normal fields.
After a dominating heat race win, Quad City area modified ace Jeff Morris took off from the front row in the 20 lap feature, and looked strong before going pitside quickly during a lap two caution. That incident saw Brandon Rothzen caught up in an accident in which he was facing backwards in turn two. Brandon was forced to restart at the back of the 19 car field, and it looked as though his night would not turn out well. However he had his black # 33 hooked up, and on the restart he began picking off cars in bunches. By lap 11 he was up to third, when a caution period allowed him to line up behind the leader with the Delaware restart. Moving to the runnerup spot on the restart, he swapped the lead with Dusty Kraklio before taking the top spot for good on lap 15. Kraklio then held off point leader Scott Hogan for second behind a very happy Rothzen.
The 17 car IMCA stock car feature ran second, and thet ran a high pressure non stop event. Brett Timmerman held the top spot until lap 16, when Jim Redman eased ahead. On the white flag lap, Timmerman was able to get under Redman and reclaim the lead for his first ever stock car win. Point leader Jeff Mueller dropped out on lap nine with a flat tire after advancing to the sixth position.
The KIDZ MODZ ran next, with a sparse six car field. Again the race went non stop,with Logan Moody claiming the win. There was a seven year old competitor in this beginner class!
As with the modifieds, only two caution periods marred the hobby stock 18 car finale. Matt Gavin took a convincing win in his # 45.
12 IMCA late models took the green flag, and while front row starters Matt Bailey and Tom Bowling,Jr. swapped the top spot back and forth, eighth starting Rob Toland moved forfard quickly. As the season has gone on, I was beginning to think I was a bad luck omen for " Rocket " Rob, as he has had no luck at all when I have seen him race, save for the opening weekend of Summer Series events. The hex was off on Saturday, however, as he powered his red # 39 to a win going away from the pack in another flag to flag feature. Bowling held on for second, while Keith Pratt made a second half charge to grab third. Bailey edged Tom Goble for third. Point lead Joey Gower, of Quincy finished two spots behind Gary Russell, who is now just one marker behind. With no late models this coming week at 34, the title will come down to championship night. Best of luck to these two fine drivers!
With the four cylinder feature heading to the track, we headed to the car, and the dash clock read 9:40 when I fired up the Impala. Thanks to the staff at 34 for an entertaing and efficent show that got us all back home before the midnight hour!
Sunday night offered up weekly racing at Quincy Raceways, with the UMP Pro Crate late models added to the four division card. Again, the car count was a bit less than one might like, it is obvious the " dog days " are upon us.
Abe Huls began the night with a slim lead in the IMCA stock cars, but overheating issues sent him pitside late in the 20 lapper. Meanwhile, his closest rival, Terry Houston, took advantage, claiming his second checkered flag of 2010, and moving within one point of the top spot.
The 18 car UMP modified field weathered several early cautions, before finding their rhythm. Steven Delonjay used a front row starting spot, courtesy of a win in the dash to lead all 25 laps for his second win of the year at QR. Michael Long came into the night undefeated in eight feature starts this season, and although he quickly moved to the second slot, he could not find a way past the second generation driver. Point leader Jared Schlipman turned in a third place run, even though his crew chief father Terry was away at the Sprint Cup race in Michigan.
Track semi regular IMCA late model pilot Dustin Griffin brought his crate late model to the track on Sunday and took top honors in the visiting class. Another second generation driver, Gordy Gundaker took the runner up spot in a class that boasted two 11 year old drivers.
Only ten IMCA late models signed in on Sunday, but the action was fast and furious. Keith Pratt, who made a late charge through the pack Saturday at 34 Raceway made his move earlier on Sunday, and overtook Dustin Neese for the top spot on lap six. While Keith checked out for his first win of 2010, the top two point contenders both found themselves spinning at some point in the 30 lapper. While Joey Gower took the runnerup slot, point leader Denny Woodworth recovered to nab third, and number two point man Jason Perry claimed fourth. The late model lawyer holds an eith point lead with two nights of points racing remaining.
Quincy Raceways will host the rescheduled Titan Wheel Shootout for the IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series paying $3,000 to win on Friday, September 3, with Lee County Speedway in Donnellson hosting the series the following night with a possible $5,000 top prize if the winning driver has been a Lee County regular in 2010.
Scotland County Speedway in Memphis,Mo. reopened this past Saturday night under the direction of new promoter Rick Girard. Talking to some racers who were there, it sounds like Rick had a successful opening night, with 75 cars in five classes and a nice crowd in the grandstand. Memphis will be racing again this weekend, off on August 28, then back in action on Saturdays in September.
This weekend, we are leaning towards the UMP Monster Midwest Series race at Highland, Il. Speedway, a track I have not visited before. Sunday night should find us back at Quincy Raceways. Be sure and take in some racing this weekend. The season is winding down fast!

More Vacation Racin'

2010-08-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

With careful planning and a run of good weather, I was able to put together a string of six nights of racing in 11 days, while enjoying some much needed vacation. The final three nights filled this past weekend, and started with the seventh appearance of the IMCA late models at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. Promoter Terry Hoenig used one of his draw, redraw nights in conjunction with no racing in Davenport, Iowa due to the county fair. 22 cars signed in, and although my buddies and I had thought there may be a few more travelers, it would have been impossible to be disappointed with the group of drivers that showed up. My thought was that every car there was Deery Series quality. 106 total cars took part in the six class program, and every race was competitive as we awaited the late model finale, which ran last on the card. Michael Long again put on a show in the IMCA modified feature, starting from the 11th spot and taking the lead on lap seven without benefit of a caution flag. Brandon Rothzen gave chase, but settled for the runnerup spot. Longs IMCA car owner, Jim Gillenwater nabbed the sportmod feature after a good battle with Phillip Cossell. Dan Wenig won a spirited match over Jim Lynch in the hobby stocks, and Matt Greiner used a late pass to edge Jim Redman in the stock car main. Mike Hornung Jr. picked up a big Wild Thing win.
The late model redraw found first heat winner Ray Guss Jr. on the pole for the 25 lapper, and as strong as the " River City Hustler " was in the preliminary it would be a tough row to hoe for the rest of the field. However it looked like the # 58 team set up to run the lower groove, and as of late the top side has been the fast side at Donnellson. It was only Guss second trip to LCS this season, so he was at a bit of a disadvantage in that area. Meanwhile, second row starter Jeff Aikey has been highly successful running the cushion in 2010, and he used that groove to overtake Guss. Although Ray stayed close, he was unable to reclaim the top spot, and he soon had his hands full with ninth starting Mark Burgtorf. Mark was trying to coax one more night out of a very tired IMCA spec engine, and in fact did not hot lap to try and save as much as he could. The powerplant did hold up, and Mark maintained his rather comfortable points lead over Denny Woodworth with a third place run. Lonnie Bailey, who has struggled mightily in 2010 went back to the drawing board with his set ups, found something that worked, and rolled to a fourth place run ahead of Woodworth. It was the third feature win for Aikey as he is the only repeat winner. The final checkers flew about 10:30, concluding a very good night of racing.
After a quick trip to the pits, we hustled home, and after a short nights sleep, I headed out along with my wife, daughter and two oldest grandsons for a trip to the Lake of the Ozarks. After an afternoon of shopping, grandson Keagan and I left the others around the hotel pool, and we headed
15 miles north to Kevin and Tammy Gundakers Lake Ozark Speedway. It was our first ever visit to the 3/8 mile facility, and my 14th different track of 2010. The featured class was the MARS late models running topless for $3000 to win, and the 30 car field exactly matched my prediction. The track does not run late models weekly, as 360 sprint cars are the weekly attraction. It was obvious by the large and enthusiastic crowd that the super late models are popular none the less. We were a bit concerned with six classes of cars scheduled, including $1,000 to win for the 4 cylinder class, but with several other tracks running within 100 miles, the car counts were in the teens and the show started in good time even though there were several late arrivals. The 9:00 intermission was also a concern, but the crate late model feature clicked off quickly, with track champion Brandon Imhoff holding off visitor Bobby Pierce for the win. The B-mod feature was up next, and as is so often the case, turned into a caution fest. Mercifully, the time limit was finally met, with Lonnie Wyman Jr. collecting the win. The running order was then switched, with the 22 car Mars feature coming to the track. First heat winner Terry Phillips was the pole sitter, and the very popular Springfield, Mo. driver was going to be the man to beat. His front row mate was heat four winner Dave Eckrich, with the first 15 spots set by passing points. Row two was Iowa City driver Matt Furman, and Quincy,Il ace Mark Burgtorf. Mark had headed home from Donnellson and replaced his IMCA engine with his aluminum powerplant before his head hit the pillow. He then brought both of his spec engines with him, while his Arkansas engine builder, Kuntz, met him to take them back to the shop. It was third row starter and Phillips teammate Jeremy Payne who charged to the second spot and began to run down the # 75. Soon however it was Burgtorf who hooked up his #7, and he took up the chase. He stayed on Phillips bumper through two mid race cautions, as the two ran through lapped traffic. Mark may well have had a faster car, but Terry was not giving up the preferred low groove, leading all 35 laps for the win. Brandon McCormick made a late race charge to capture third, with veteran Al Purkey holding off Payne for fourth. Dave Eckrich finished sixth, young Brandon Sheppard was seventh, while Frank Heckenast Jr. wheeled the Randy Korte # 00 to an eighth place run. Mark Voigt and Eric Turner completed the top ten. Denny Eckrich started 15th and finished 12th, with Quincian Rickey Frankel making the show and being credited with 17th. Series points leader 16 year old Gary Christian fell out of the main event early, while former IMCA national champion Justin Wells dropped out of his heat race and could not start the B-main. with the clock easing past 10:30, we headed for the car with three features remaining. The facility which sits along highway 54 is a top notch venue, and I am looking forward to another visit soon.
The weekend concluded with a Sunday night visit to Quincy Raceways for weekly racing. Heat, breakage and dwindling funds hurt the car counts somewhat, with only 11 IMCA late models signed in along with 20 UMP mods, 10 IMCA stock cars, and 13 hobby stocks. The KIDZ Mods also made a special appearance. The 30 lap late model feature was an entertaining one, with only two caution periods slowing the event. First heat winner Darin Weisinger led the first eight laps before Dustin Griffin took over. Point leader Denny Woodworth worked his way from the tenth starting slot, and took over at the halfway mark. From there he stayed in control for his fourth checkers of the season. Number two point man and last weeks winner Jason Perry moved to the second spot, and held off Keith Pratt for the spot. Griffin wound up fourth ahead of " Wild Willy " Genenbacher. Woodworth now leads Perry by six points with three points nights remaining. For 18 laps it looked as though Michael Longs victory streak would end, as he ran a somewhat distant third behind Steven Delonjay and visiting Rusty Griffaw from Festus, Mo. in the modified finale. When the caution flew with seven laps to go, everything changed. With the top two running the bottom groove, Long went up top and charged by both cars. Lapped cars came in to play on the final lap, and Long and Delonjay came to the stripe side by side. The electronic scoring device shows Michael with an edge of less than one second. It made the driver of the #18 eight for eight in feature starts at QR in 2010. Eleven year old Jake Griffin hit the front stretch wall hard in his heat race, badly damaging his UMP modifieds, minutes after being forced to scratch his KIDZ Mod due to mechanical issues. Steve Steinkuhler grabbed the stock car main, with point leader Steve Carlin holding off Bobby Anders in an edge of the seat hobby feature. Logan Moody of Catlin, Ilcaptured the Kidz Mod finale.
Life returned to normal today as I went back to work, and started thinking about the options for next weekend. See you at the track!

Dodging the Raindrops

2010-08-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

As vacation continues, the weatherman has so far been cooperating as what for me is an aggressive racing schedule has so far fallen into place. Weekend rain left the pit area at Quincy Raceways a bit tough to negotiate for the weekly Sunday night show, but with two weeks of rainouts, everyone was willing to overlook some mud. 14 IMCA late models signed in, along with 24 UMP modifieds, a sparse field of 9 IMCA stock cars, and 14 hobby stocks. Nebo, Il driver Dustin Neese rolled past rookie Justin Jennings on lap two of the late model main event and held the top spot through a non stop run until lap 19 when Jason Perry made a daring turn four move to blow past both second running Keith Pratt and Neese. Perry then stretched his lead until a lap 27 caution, the only one of the race, for a spinning Neese. On the restart, Jason took off, leading the final three laps, with Pratt grabbing second ahead of Joey Gower and Denny Woodworth. Bill Genenbacher edged Jennings at the checkers for fifth. The win was the second of the year at QR for Perry, who started eighth in the 14 car field. Woodworth and Justin Reed began the night ties for the point lead, but Reed appeared to miss the set up and was not a factor, pulling out early. His tenth place finish left him nine markers behind Woodworth in the championship chase, and in fact Perry moved into second, only four behind.
The UMP modified 25 lapper was another clinic put on by Michael Long. The Quincy resident races about half time at QR, and has taken the feature green flag seven times this season, winning all seven times. Only an early season DNS due to an accident has put a blemish on his amazing perfect record. On Sunday, Micheal came from a row six start to take the checkers ahead of point leader and second generation driver Jared Schlipman. Veteran Dave Weitholder held the top spot going into the night, but had engine woes all night long. Defending track champ Abe Huls took advantage of a mid race bobble by Kevin Tomlinson to grab the lead in the stock car main, then held off the Hannibal, Mo. driver for the win. Bobby Anders came through the pack for the hobby stock victory for his sixth win of 2009 over point leader Steve Carlin and veteran Jim Powell. Carlin and Powell were lucky to even be racing after flash flooding on Bear Creek in their hometown of Hannibal nearly destroyed their racing operations. In fact, Powell found his # 48j with flood water above the doors, and his tow vehicle under water. He and nephew Michael Larsen were taken from the race shop by boat when they could not get the race cars out. Jimbo showed me the moisture still visible in the gauges on his dash, even though it had been over a week since the flooding!
After one day back at work, we took off Tuesday for an overnight stay in the Quad Cities. From our home base there, grandson Keagan and I headed north and west to the Farley Speedway to take in the first appearance in seven years of the IMCA Derry Brothers Summer Series. The car count for the mid week show was a bit less than we had hoped, but the racing action made up for it. As has been reported, flat tires - and drivers stopping on the speedway because of them - were a problem in the early stages of the event, but the frequent bunching of the field and the Delaware restarts kept everyone in the middle of the action. All time series wins leader Jeff Aikey and hard charging Kevin Blum in the # 67 normally driven by Tony Von Dresky sat on the front row, but I had my eye on Andy Eckrich, who is a force on the Farley oval. For his part, Keagan zeroed in on series point leader Ray Guss, Jr. And as I have come to realize in the last few seasons, we kept our eyes on " Hammer Down " Jason Rauen. Jason was the first driver pitside for new rubber, restarting three laps into the event in 24th spot. Through at least six more cautions periods Rauen used the top side of the speedway to move forward, and on lap 18 he moved to the runner up spot after a great battle with Terry Neal. Soon after, however, Rauen retired for good with problems in the backend of his # 98. Meanwhile Eckrich had moved past Aikey on lap nine, a lead he would not relinquish. For his part, Guss carefully picked his way through the pack, eventually taking the runnerup spot from Neal, and gaining ground on Andy. Guss then faded in the closing laps, crossing the stripe in third. As he moved to his pit area. the reason for his slowing became apparent, as he was down to four pounds of air pressure in his right rear tire! Aikey came home in fourth, while Mark Preston edged Charley McKenna for fifth. " Chargin' " Charley was another driver in a " loaner " car, as veteran Gary Crawford supplied the hard luck Mc Kenna with a vehicle from his shop. TJ Criss also continued his perfect atteandance streak courtesy of a loaner # 30 ride from Todd Cooney. Rob Toland suffered engine problems in his heat, doing a start and park in both the B-main and 50 lap feature. Cory Goldbeck was a no show come feature time in his # 21G. We saw a black # 69 late model also enter the pit area. but it was never listed in the race program, thus the discrepancy in car count in some reports. The only major delay came in the final heat race when Luke Goedert and Josh Most became entangled on the backstretch. Both were able to finish the evening, with Most turning in a top ten run. Keagan and I wondered why the yellow flag was displayed on several occasions when slowing cars moved to turns three and four of the 1/2 mile track, clearly out of harms way.
We enjoyed seeing a couple of modifeds that compete regularly at Lee County Speedway and 34 Raceway, as Davenport ace Rich Smith and more surprisingly, western Il. hotshoe Brandon Rothzen made the tow to challenge for the $500 to win purse. Brandon had new plain skin on the
sides of his # 33, and we did not recognize the car until alerted by the track announcer! Although Rothzen was strong early, moving through the pack to third, the tire monster sent him pitside late in the 20 lapper. On this night, no one had anything for Waterloo, Ia pilot Vern Jackson, who dominated the 18 car field. Brannon Bechen was equally tough in taking the 4 cylinder Farley Flyer win over eight other competitors.
After a quick trip to the pits we were on the road by 10:35, more than reasonable for a weeknight show. Only a couple of questions remained unanswered, as the posted itinerary advertised hot laps at 6:30, while the radio ad we heard enroute listed 7:00. So thee races were either 20 minutes late or 10 minutes early! Also, the press packer Jeff Broeg shared with me stated that with the 25 car field, five cars would qualify out of three heats, with four to redraw. However, apparently only four were taken, as Todd Malmstrom, who ran fifth in heat one started on the pole and won the B-main. The other two fifth place cars, Criss and McKenna never came to the track for the B-main, and come feature time, McKenna attempted to line up in the seventh row. After a visit from the line up official, Charlie then went to the back of the field.I will try to check this procedure out when the series visits Quincy Raceways on Friday, September 3. While many folks are heading to Knoxville for the 360 sprint car nationals, my weekend plans include Friday night racing at Lee County for installment number seven of the IMCA late models, a first ever visit Saturday to Lake Ozark Speedway outside Eldon, Mo. for the MARS late models, and a Sunday night regular show at Quincy Raceways. Wherever you go, enjoy the races!

Back to Weeknight Racing!

2010-07-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

Last season, I was able to attend my first Corn Belt clash series race at the Independence, Iowa Speedway, and found it to be right up my alley, harkening back to the short lived Hawkeye late model tour back in the 80's. So when promoter Cam Granger released the 2010 schedule, I salted away some vacation time from work to catch the series at the CJ Speedway on the Louisa County Fairgrounds in Columbus Junction, Iowa, where the count fair would be going on. As race day approached, circumstances dictated that I would be traveling solo, but the 100 mile trip from home is a cake walk when compared the the days when Highway 218 was a challenging two lane highway. The trip north was 20 miles longer, but I was able to leave work in Quincy, Il early, and I arrived in time to take in some of the county fair atmosphere as well as stake out a spot on pit road to see who might show up to race. It was there that I ran into former late model racer Brian Hetzler, who my son nicknamed the " Fruitland Flash " in his days as a columnist. Brian and his parents, Curt and Pat were throwbacks to the days of racing out of the family garage, and although they were usually out spent, they competed with smiles on their faces, didn't complain, and always had time to chat about this and that. Brian is helping the Wood and Tipps families at the 4/10 mile oval, but said his folks have not been to a race since disbanding the # 47 team. I often find that former drivers, as Curt was, cannot sit and watch a race if they are not actively involved.
With this being by far the southernmost stop on the tour, the 18 car turnout was on par with what I expected. In addition, the points chase allows drivers to " throw out " two races, counting the best 13 finishes in the 15 race schedule. The neat thing about the series is the rules variations allowed to even the playing field between the spec motor IMCA late models and the " open " cars. Because of this, there is usually a surprise spec engine driver ot two in the field, and on Thursday it was Brian Harris in a black # 21H. The Davenport ace has been wheeling the famous # 75 out of Peoria, Il this summer, mostly at UMP and open competition events in Illinois, although back in May Keagan and I were in attendance at Davenport Speedway when he showed up and captured the IMCA late model feature. Brian, as well as spec engine pilots Justin Kay and Kevin Sather were utilizing the extra aerodynamic offerings designed to add downforce to the under horsepowered machines, while hometown driver Mick Wiele and Wapello pilot Jay Chenoweth kept their cars as is. It was my first time to see Sather, a regular on the tour in a late model. Indeed, spec cars picked up two of the three heat race wins, with Wiele and Kay taking checkers after series point leader Chad Simpson used a final corner pass to edge out veteran Ron Boyse in the first ten lapper. With hot laps and racing starting on time, and the ten heat races going off in good fashion, it looked like those less fortunate than myself - folks who had to show up for work on Friday - might be on the road early. And the promoters did the right thing by going straight to feature racing in the four divisions without an intermission. Unfortunately, things went somewhat downhill from there, with the usually well behaved IMCA stock cars running a marathon 15 lap main event. Between drivers spinning and stopping on the track, and more than a little grudge racing, the best thing to be said about the race is that it eventually ended. Through all the delays, Nathan Wood and Jim Redmon waged a good battle up front, with Wood getting by Redmon early, then holding on for a close win. The 4 cylinders drivers were much better behaved, the lead changed hands three times, and at the end, it was the veteran Wayne Noble standing in victory lane. Known to race fans as the driver who wheels his cars with his left hand while gripping the overhead roll bar with his right, Wayne mentioned that his career is now in its 51st year. It is not often I get to see a driver older than me get a checkered flag. Good job, Wayne! Paul Hallett was fast all night in his black # 26 mod lite, and when Troy Philpott spun in turn three and was collected by Illinois driver Justin Bucholtz who rolled his #69, there was no looking back for the driver who picked up his third straight checkers at CJ.
The thirty lap late model feature then rolled to the track, and with Chad Simpson redrawing the outside front row, it looked like the race would be for second. As it turned out, that was a mostly accurate guess, although early on it looked like there may have been a upset in the making. Harris started ninth on the grid, and was totally hooked up on the bottom of the track, especially in turns three and four. Brian moved quickly into the runner up slot, and began to reel in Simpson, who had built a big lead. Just as suddenly as he had closed the gap, his # 21h slowed in turn two on lap 15, and his night was over. With polesitter Justin Mitchell already pitside, Jason Rauen tried to stay with Simpson, but he could not mount a challenge, and after being involved in an accident that sidelined Wiele, Justin retired his # 98 with a flat tire. Attrition was high, with 11 of the 18 starters taking the checkered flag, all on the lead lap. Justin Kay drove a steady race, bringing his spec engine # 15K home in the second spot, ahead of hometown driver Jason Utter. Chris Simpson, Chads brother nabbed fourth ahead of Dave Eckrich, the top performer of the three Eckrich brothers in attendance. The Kile brothers filled the next two spots, with Kurt edging Kile. Sather ran eighth, Denny Eckrich ninth, with Chenoweth and Jake Meier in a # 5M car campaigned for several season by various drivers for Bill Moyer of Des Moines rounding out the finishers. Even with the delays, I was on my way back to Missouri by 11:00, happy I had made the trip to my 12th different venue of the season. It was good to be able to swap a few stories with Bob Litton and his wife, as well as Jeff Broeg.
With some more vacation time next week, I hope to make it to the Farley Speedway for the Deery Brothers Summer Series event on Tuesday. In the meantime, we will try to get in a weekly show Sunday at Quincy Raceways after two weeks off rain outs. If you see me out and about, say " Hi. "

Friday Night Thunder- Followed By Rain

2010-07-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

The weekend started off on a good note as Darryl, Fred and I made our way to the Lee County Speedway for Friday Night Thunder in the Heartland. With most of the tracks north of Donnellson rained out, we thought the pit area might be extra full, but the threatening weather may have kept some of the travelers at home. Still, 98 cars in six classes was more than enough to offer up a quality show in front of a nice crowd. We arrived at the track about 7:10, and the third division of cars was just getting ready to hot lap. In fact, by my watch it was 7:23, seven minutes early, when the first heat race came to the speedway. Terry Hoenig seems to be the one promoter who has figured out how to run a fast paced, on time program. In fact, 14 heat races were needed to set the feature fields, and it was 8:29 when those 14 heats were completed! With lightning flashing in the northern sky, no intermission was taken, and the 18 car sportmod feature came to the track. After a couple of lead changes, young Mitch Higdon put his black # 45 out front for the win. 14 of the 15 hobby stocks made the feature call, with veteran Dean Kratzer leading the distance for the victory. As is usually the case at Donnellson, the IMCA late models ran third in the order, with 21 entrants vying for the $ 1,000 top prize. Only 20 of those cars took the green, as Tommy Elston was loaded up and gone from the speedway before the heat races were run. Tommy Had been scheduled to be one of three # 45 cars in the seven car first heat along with the nights sponsor, Denny Woodworth, and visitor Curt Martin. Another regular sporting # 45, Tony Fraise, was absent on Friday. Polesitter Jay Chenoweth took the early lead, with fourth starting TJ Criss soon grabbing the top spot. The caution flag was displayed several times during the 25 lapper, twice for cars hitting a developing hole in turn one and shooting into the guard rail. Justin Reed was the first of those casualties, and his # 1st needed the wrecker to get him to the pit area. When fourth running Rob Toland met a similar fate, Hoenig st0pped the action long enough to bring out the tractor and make a few passes to smooth things out. In this season of rain, Lee County has had for the most part a superior racing surface excepting the troublesome turn one soft spot. Hoenig has stated he will probably need to tear up the track in the off season to correct the problem. Meanwhile, seventh starting Jeff Aikey took the lead on lap 11, as he made a bid to become the first repeat winner in the six nights of late model action. The veteran from Cedar Falls had stretched out to a comfortable lead until a caution with eight laps to go bunched the field and put point leader Mark Burgtorf on his back bumper. As Aikey stated in the post race interview, he knew Mark would go to the top side of the 3/8 mile, so on the restart, Jeff went to the cushion. Burgtorf matched him lap for lap, and took a couple of shots at the low side, but could not overtake the
# 77. Woodworth made a charge to third after the caution, holding the spot ahead of Boone McLaughlin. Former feature winner Jeff Guengerich slipped past Tom Goble coming to the checkers to nab fifth. Matt Bailey, Superman Sam Halstead, Andy Eckrich, and eighteenth starting Keith Pratt rounded out the top ten. Eckrich had actually pulled off the track, but was able to return to the track after the long caution without losing a lap. 13 of the 20 starters took the checkered flag. Dirt track rookie Justin Jennings, the 2009 rookie of the year on the asphalt at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids was rained out Friday, so he had his dirt car hauled to Donnellson where he turned his first laps at the fairgrounds track. The teenager is a regular this season at Quincy Raceways in his black # 56. The 13 car IMCA stock car feature followed, with Cory Strothman picking up his second win of 2010. the Michael Long destroyed the field in the 14 car IMCA modified main event. One of Michaels chief competitors, point leader Josh Foster is sidelined, apparently for several weeks, with a broken foot. Jerry Ostby took home honors in the 17 car Wild Thing finale although we headed for the car at 10:11 with the 4 cylinder machines were heading to the track, ending another entertaining evening in Donnellson.
Saturday was spent in oppressive heat at Six Flags in St Louis with wife, daughter and two grandsons, and we were about 60 miles from home when we began to notice the black clouds to the north. 20 miles from home, the rain was coming in sheets, and it was then that I began to suspect my racing might be done for the weekend. Sure enough, somewhere between two and four inches of rain fell between home and Quincy Raceways, and although promoter Tony Rhinberger took a shot at getting the grounds race ready today, it was a losing proposition from the start. By my very unofficial count, QR has hosted nine nights of racing in 2010 and endured eight cancellations. And don't look now, but August is nearly here!
If I can work it out, the Iowa River behaves, and the rain takes a break, I hope to take in the Corn Belt Clash Thursday at the Louisa County Fairgrounds in Columbus Junction. If you see me there, say " Hi. "

On the Road Again

2010-07-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Earlier than any non working person should be up on a Saturday, Keagan and I loaded up the car and made the short jaunt to the truck stop 10 miles south of town to meet up with buddy Fred, his wife Judy, Darryl and " Big " Al. From there we loaded Fred's van and headed south with the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. as our destination. As Keagan, Judy, and Al had never visited this midwest mecca of dirt track racing, we wanted to arrive early enough to be able to take them on a tour of the incredible pit area before they closed the gate to sell passes. As the Lucas Oil late models had been in action the previous night at Pontoon Beach, Il - see Jeffs blog for a recap - there were already a dozen or so cars in the pits when we arrived shortly after noon. After giving the unofficial tour and doing a bit of visiting, we headed out to find our motel and escape the already oppressive heat. We made the trip back to the 3/8 mile oval about 4:30 to ensure prime seats, then set about occupying ourselves for the three hour wait for hot laps. Fortunately, Wheatland is one of those venues where it is easy to fill the time, and the driver autograph session was one of the highlights of the evening. At 7:30 sharp, as advertised, 43 Lucas Oil and MLRA late models and 40 open modifieds began their warm up sessions. Time trials for the late models followed, and second timing Scott Bloomquist tripped the clock at 15.905 seconds. The time held until the fourth and final group, when Jimmy Owens, driving a Bloomquist chassis of his own, turned the oval at 15.812 for quick time on the night. They were the only drivers to breal the 16 second barrier. Four 10 lap heat races set the first two rows for the 50 lap $ 10,000 to win Diamond Nationals feature, with " Bloomer ", Owens, Don Oneal, and Eric Wells filling the top spots. The first heat race would have made a great mini feature, with Brian Birkhofer, Billy Moyer, and Jimmy Mars finishing behind Bloomquist, and Dale McDowell, John Anderson, Ray Cook, Jeremy Payne among those relegated to a B-main.
Cook and Terry Phillips captured the 12 lap B's which each transferred three cars, and Bub McCool made a thrilling charge after falling to ninth to come back and grab third without benefit of a caution in the final qualifier. Two provisionals from each series were added, and 14 year old Tyler Reddick used a Lucas Oil " emergency " start, setting up a 27 car starting field. Although outside polesitter Owens led every trip past the flag stand, he was challenged early and often. With Bloomquist uncharacteristically falling back, Oneal stayed glued to the # 20 early, then it was Earl Pearson Jr. taking up the charge. EPJ actually took the top spot in turn two on lap 15, but Owens regained the lead quickly. Oneal gave up his third spot and went to the trailer during a lap 16 caution. Owens had built a big lead when the caution flew for Dan Schleiper on lap 42. and one lap later Steve Casebolt lost a wheel in turn two and Al Purkey spun at the same time in turn four. After a debris caution with no laps in, the field went green. Now it seemed that Owens may have used up his tires, and Pearson went to the bottom of the track as he looked for a fourth straight Lucas win. With Jimmy trying to run the top in turns one and two and protecting the bottom in three and four, the " Intimigator, " Alligator farmer Chris Wall found something to his liking, and slipped past Pearson with four laps to go. He then closed on Owens, but could not make the pass. He trailed Owens to the flag, as EPJ held third ahead of Moyer. Brady Smith past Bloomquist late for sixth. Show Me 100 winner Ray Cook came from 17th to seventh, Mc Dowell started 19th and finished eighth. Birkhofer and Brad Neat completed the top ten.
With our hotel only a ten minute drive away, we stayed around for the modified finale, even after a multi car pileup on the start took several minutes to clean up. After the early delay, the mods clicked off the laps quickly, with area hot shoe Jesse Stovall celebrating his 30th birthday with a dominating win. Of particular interest to Keagan was the performance of Justin Boney, and Dan Charles, two of the featured drivers from the Heartland Thunder television show on Discovery Channel. With a full nigh of racing, we headed back to the room around midnight, tired but still buzzing about the best racing we have seen in our trips to the track. Wheatland, much like Knoxville and Eldora is one of those places that die hard dirt late model fans should find a way to visit at least once. From the concrete pits with the two bay car wash, a hot pit area with lights, air and water, two levels of suites, a full service bar, an air conditioned room for eating and relaxing, a reasonably priced and tasty varied menu, a jumbotron complete with 20 position scoreboard - which is always up to date - and probably some other amenities I have forgotten - of yes, if all this bores you, you can rent a go kart at the track off turn one - well, hopefully you get a picture of sorts. Now that the Show Me 100 has been moved to the track, there are a couple of good opportunities to make the trip, which from my perch near Quincy, Il is about a five hour ride with a meal break.
We were up early on Sunday, headed home as Al had to work Sunday evening, and the rest of us were hoping for a nap before heading to Quincy Raceways. We were barely on the road when the call came that a downpour had hit the Quincy area Sunday morning, and when we called the track for the noon update, we learned that once again there would be no racing. While some tracks have had pretty good seasons, QR has been bit a record number of times by Mother Nature. Oh well, the extra long nap felt pretty good!
This week plans are to stay close to home, with Friday night IMCA late model action at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, and we will try again Sunday at Quincy Raceways. See you at the races.

Lets Try This Again

2010-07-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

For anyone who takes the time to read my musings, I want to assure you that I have not yet lost my mind. I am not quite sure what happened last night, but a full 3/4 of my ramblings disappeared in to cyberspace. Of course, it could have been something I did. My computer is a lot like my wife. I don't understand either, but I sure would be lost without them! As the race program i was reporting on is now 48 hours past and was well covered by
Jeff, I will just offer some highlights and random thoughts.
With Jeep Van Wormer arriving after hot laps, he once again proved that these warm up sessions are over rated. The Michigan pilot had not been on the Quincy Raceways oval in more than a year, the track had again been somewhat reworked since, yet he set the third fastest lap behind Jason Feger, for whom the track should be perfect, and Mark Burgtorf, who has run more laps around the oval than the water truck! Despite a stellar group of drivers, including surprise visitor Doug Drown from Ohio, who brought along Australian ace Craig Vosbergen, the field of actual UMP cars was a bit short. However, ten of the IMCA late models drivers decided to pull double duty with the same car, and Justin Reed entered his # 1st IMCA car in that division, and Tony Dunkers # 4 IMCA ride in the UMP class. Denny Woodworth unloaded both his IMCA and his " outlaw " car, while Burgtorf has parked the chassis he was using for the " big motor " shows, and is now switching power plants in what was his IMCA ride. As a result, Mark ran only the UMP portion of the show. Those three QR drivers and Dustin Griffin were the only locals to make the $5,000 to win finale, while Quincian Rickey Frankel, and Russ Schoonover, originally from the Macomb area, but now residing in England were the only " travelers " to not make the field. " Schoony " comes back every summer or two, and always plans a trip to QR for an open show, his smoking # 59 in tow! Although a lot of folks dod not like the straight up starts the tour uses, i have mixed feelings about that. My main gripe is the 21 car starting field, which features three provisional spots. As with QR, the usual result, is a B-main that advances only two cars, a daunting task in a 16 car starting field. I have noticed that a few of the bigger tracks added three more cars, but of course that is an extra payout of nearly $1,500, minus what those three would have been paid for their B-main start.
Van Wormer was a rocket around the top of the QR .29 mile oval, and after avoiding an early race crash with a slowing Brian Shirley, who was leading at the time, he was not going to be denied. Shirley was once again piloting a team 48 car out of the Tim Lance trailer. Tim himself picked up a top ten run. Feger came in as the points leader, and his runner up finish kept him on top, as he tries to unseat defending champion Dennis Erb Jr. who finished seventh. Shannon Babb, who started 12th may have had something for the top two, but a collision with a lapped car as he was chasing third place Ryan Unzicker sent him to the back, and he could only come back to sixth, behind Drown and Burgtorf. Jack Sullivan, who has run the entire tour to date in the GRT house car, was smoking badly, but made a quick trip to the hot pit area under caution, came back and finished eighth ahead of Woodworth and T. Lance.
The IMCA late model feature looked like Dustin Neese might get his first win of the season, but row five starters Woodworth and Reed moved quickly through the field. Woodworh was then involved in a mishap and was sent to the back, clearing the way for Reed to take the win. Joey Gower also cleared Neese for second, while Woodworth charged back to fourth ahead of " Superman " Sam Halstead. The finish left Woodworth and Reed tied atop the points sheet.
While the late models loaded up, Reed was not done, as he was also racing in the UMP modified class. Three classes on a hot Sunday night, isn't youth a wonderful thing!?! Justin had one his modified heat, but a puff of smoke at the checkers signaled the end of the night for his Tony dunker owned # 4st. So a call went out, and soon the # 16j normally driven by Jason Daggs came down pit road. Reed had to start at the tail of the 17 car field, and he quickly retired. Points leader Dave Weitholder put his # 05 out front and looked to be cruising. However, second generation driver Steven delonjay patiently worked his way to second, and tried Weitholder every lap. As the two exited turn four on the final lap of a long night, Weitholder left the top groove open, and Delonjay made his move. the electronic scoring had Delonjay in front at the line by .01 of a second!
Veteran Hannibal, Mo. driver Jim Brown came out of retirement this season, and struggled for a few weeks, but put his # 83 in victory lane in the hobby stock class. The IMCA stock cars had the night off.
This weekends plans involve a visit to the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. for the Lucas Oil/MLRA Diamond Nationals - weather permitting, of course, and a quick trip home for more Sunday night racing at Quincy Raceways. See you at the track.

2010-07-13T17:51:00.001-07:00

Test

Just What We Needed!

2010-07-12T17:15:00.000-07:00

Finally! Sunday night was all set up to be the best or the worst night of a roller coaster season at Quincy Raceways. As with many tracks, the weatherman has been our enemy in 2010, and things did not look or sound real promising when we walked out of church Sunday morning. With the biggest race of the season on tap, the UMP Summernationals Hell Tour late models rolling into town for a $5,000 to win show, plus a full show of IMCA late models, UMP mods and hobby stocks, it would have been nothing short of tragic if the rain rolling across central Missouri had also made the trip to Quincy. Even as grandson Keagan and I eased down pit road, I was not convinced we would be racing. But Mother Nature finally gave us a break, and race we did! Apparently racers and fans alike shared my doubt as both were late arriving, but by hot lap time, the pits and the grandstands were well populated. When I checked in at the pit office, I got the word that top five point man Jeep Van Wormer had suffered a flat tire on his hauler around Lincoln, Il. and would arrive " sometime. "

Somethings Old, Something New

2010-06-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

Despite continuing rain in the area, I managed to take in three nights of racing over a long weekend that started on Thursday. Incredibly two special races were scheduled for the final Thursday in June within 1 1/2 hours of my home, albeit in opposite directions. The deciding factor for me came down to a chance to visit a track I had never been to, so I took off work early, picked up my grandson Keagan and buddy Darryl and we headed for Shepps Speedway, just outside Alexander, Il. The event was night number nine of the UMP Summernationals, and my first tour race of 2010. Although the 1/4 mile track has been around for I think three seasons now, their weekly UMP program runs on Sunday nights, the same as my " home " track, Quincy Raceways. I had viewed the track from the interstate, and heard plenty of positive reports, and we were certainly not disappointed. 42 late models made the trip to the track built and owned by veteran driver Steve Sheppard Jr. Three local support classes were also on the card, but as expected for a week night special with increased costs, the car count was a bit light, although there were 17 UMP modifieds checked in. Time trials were split into the group qualifying format with fours groups of cars. The fastest car in group one set the standard for the night, with Michigan ace Jeep Van Wormer tripping the clock at 11.888 seconds. Four heat races, a C main and a B main set the first nine rows for the 40 lap $5,000 to win fianle, with three provisionals filling the 21 car starting grid.
Jason Feger drew the pole position, with Brian Shirley in a car borrowed from Tim Lance to his outside. On the start Feger got out of shape, and although he recovered, he soon went to the infield to change a flat tire, ending his shot at the win. Shannon Babb took over the second spot, and soon raced around Shirley for a lead he would not relinquish. Keagan decided he would pick a dark horse to win, and chose seventh starting Billy Moyer, Jr. As the laps clicked off, he began to look pretty smart, as the third generation driver powered his way to the runner up spot. Van Wormer had been among the early leaders, but faded mid race, nearly falling out of the top ten. After a caution period on lap 25, with the leaders preferring the low groove, Jeep went to the top of the banked oval, and began to go forward. Several times he slapped the turn to concrete wall, rocketing from there down the back chute. He had moved into third and was closing on Moyer Jr. when he suddenly fell in line on the bottom of the track. He way have packed a wheel full of mud, or had a tire going down, but in the last few laps he seemed to be concentrating on holding off Rodney Melvin for third. On the final lap, Tim Lance drove his # 48 around Shirley for fifth. Tim had made an unlikely run from the ninth starting spot to second in heat race number two. Jack sullivan in the GRT house car, defending champion Dennis Erb Jr., hometown favorite Brandon Sheppard, and UMP hot shoe Ryan Unzicker completed the top ten.
Shepps notes: The fourth heat race, with Babb, B. Sheppard, Erb, and local standout Brian Dively taking the transfer spots, was as good a race as I have seen in 2010. Quincian Mark Burgtorf had a seventh and fifteenth place finish at Danville and Highland, Il. on Monday and Tueday. Mark then went home and swapped his " big " motor car for his IMCA ride. The lower horsepower ride worked Wednesday at Belleville, as he made the show, but he was underpowered on the tacky track on Thursday. Part time IMCA hot dog Brian Harris was headed for a transfer in heat two when a broken axle ended his run in the Neltner # 75 ride out of Peoria. Another Peoria driver, Gerry Reeder lost control in turn four and climbed the fence, ending up in a near vertical position. He appeared to suffer heavy damage to his #65. The track is efficiently tucked in a surprisingly small area between the highway and the railroad tracks. The show started about fifteen minutes late, not bad considering the amount of standing water to be dealt with, and even with intermission, still ended before 11:00 PM. I am looking forward to another visit to the track, which is about 15 miles west of Springfield.
Getting home a bit after 1:00 AM on Friday was not a problem, as I had scheduled a vacation day on Friday, and after running a few errands, I was ready to head for the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson for some IMCA racing. Keagan joined me again, along with his younger brother Parker, and racing buddy Fred crossed the river to hitch a ride as well. The incredible rains of last week had left the fairgrounds pretty soggy, but as usual, Terry Hoenig had put in the time to make the track as smooth and fast as possible. Another solid field of 24 IMCA late models headlined the card, which also featured make up main events from the week previous, when rain wiped out the hobby stocks and wild things finales. Dean Kratzer, and Bryan Rodefer picked up the early wins, and then it was time for the regualr show. I have to note here that no track I have visited of late does as good a job as Donnellson with the pace of the show. Hot laps started promptly at 7:00, the first race was lined up ready to go before 7:30, and the intermission could not have been five minutes long! Continuing an early night trend, Fort Madison driver Mitch Higdon picked up the sport mod feature, then the late models cam to the speedway. Hannibal, Mo. veteran Terry Gallaher and Quincy youngster Robby Warner shared the front row, but it was Burlingtons Tom Goble who quickly took the lead. " Spiderman " appeared to have things in hand, as the bottom and middle grooves of the track seemed to be the fast ways around. About mid race, eighth starting Justin Reed seemed to have his # 1st come around, and he jumped to the top side and began to pick off cars. By the time JR had rolled in to third, there were only six laps to go and Goble was a long ways ahead, but the caution was just what Reed wanted to see. On the restart, he dispatched both Warner and Goble, picking up his first win of 2010 at LCS. Justin had been on the march at the last late model event at LCS before driver error slowed his run, so this time he stayed cool and notched the win. Keith Pratt and Tony Fraise completed the top five, while points leader Mark Burgtorf, racing for the fifth consecutive night, started fifteenth and could only advance to tenth. Twenty cars finished the event, which was only slowed by the one caution. Visitor Nathan Wood ran off with the IMCA stock car feature, as Jeff Mueller worked his way to the runner up slot. With a sudden deluge of Mayflies occupying a lot of attention in the grandstands, we nontheless held on for an exciting modified finale. Josh Foster took command early and survived a late race caution with Michael Long and Brandon Rothzen nipping at the back bumper of the # 77. Quincy driver Jeff waterman, fresh off the biggest win of his career, the Hawkeye Dirt Tour event at Cresco, Iowa the night before again held off Rich Smith for the fourth slot. With the regular features for the hobby stocks and Wild Things still to go, we headed for the car before the clock struck 11:00.
LCS notes: It was a different sort of night, with two IMCA modifieds getting upside down during heat race action. Although Dustin Fenton was back by feature time, Quincy youngster James Leffew was not so fortunate. He flipped his # 25 hard several times, and the damage to his car appeared to be severe. Taking a break from farming, Tom Darbyshire made his first visit of the year to the speedway. Quad Cities drivers Rob Toland and Nate Beuseling made to trip south with Nate having a new plain black body on his # 46. Thanks to Jeff Guengerich, Derek St Clair, and Rick Barlow, Jr. for taking time to sign autographs before the races.
Although there were a couple of tempting options for Saturday night, I took the night off, and spent Sunday morning watching the radar ahead of the IMCA stock car shootout at Quincy Raceways. With drivers coming from some distance for the $1,000 to win show, track officials made the call before noon to go racing. As it turned out, the weather continued to be an enemy, as the threatening forecast no doubt contributed to a somewhat disappointing car count of 22. In fact, the count was also below average in the IMCA late models, and UMP mods as well. After getting off to a bit of a late start, a light but steady rain began to fall after the first stock car heat. After waiting out the shower, and reworking the track, we got back to racing nearly 1 1/2 hours later. The heats and dashes ran off in quick time, and the first feature out was the 30 lapper for the stock cars. All 22 cars made the call on a track that was smooth and fast. Unfortunately, the race became a marathon, with caution after caution interrupting the pace of the race. Former track champion Jeff Mueller started in the second row, worked quickly to the point, and won going away. Track regular and point leader Terry Houston put his Ford in the runner up spot, with Iowa drivers Sean Johnson and Jason Cook following. John Heinz made the tow from Green Bay,Wi. to finish fifth. The stock cars will be racing for $1,000 to win five straight nights throughout the area. Second up was the UMP modieds, with 14 cars taking the green. Michael Long moved from his fifth row starting spot to the top three, and wasted little time taking the top spot. Michael held on through several cautions, picking up feature win number five in as many visits to the speedway in 2010. Two time winner Jared Schlipman, and points leader Dave Weitholder followed Long. The 13 car IMCA late model 30 lap finale went to the hottest late model driver currently at the track, Denny Woodworth. Denny started in row five and flew to the second spot, then found his way by Dustin Neese after a lap 13 restart. The late model lawyer picked up his second in a row at QR, with Keith Pratt in second, Bill Genebacher third, and Justin Reed ahead of Neese in fourth. Woodworth assumed the point lead with the win. Bobby Anders picked up another hobby stock win to bring an end to a very long evening.
QR notes: After a full week of racing, and with Summernational and Derry Brothers races coming up, Mark Burgtorf took the night off. Vance Wilson picked up two features wins with his IMCA car in the ULMA series Friday and Saturday, and also took Sunday off. Darin Weisinger was a spectator as he puts the engine back together in his # 11 late model. The UMP Pro crate late models will be an addition to the racing lineup this Sunday.
There is lots of good racing all week long and for the upcoming weekend. The wether looks good, so lets go racing!

Finally, Some Racing!

2010-06-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

After a total washout weekend last week, this weekend did not hold the promise of a lot of racing. Friday was a late day at work, and just happened to be my 40th wedding anniversary, so no racing was planned, and as the storms rolled through, I was happy to be home. Saturday was the Racers Reunion in Keokuk, Iowa. Armed with a scrapbook full of memories from days gone by, my wife and I arrived about 9:30 and stayed until after the podium interviews concluded after 3:00. It was a great chance to visit with current and past racers, and take a close look at race cars past and present. Although the main focus was on the national stars who put my hometown on the racing map, there was also lots of memorabilia devoted to the local dirt track and the neighboring drag strip, as well as the Lee County Fairgrounds track in nearby Donnellson. I was fortunate enough to get a checkered flag autographed by yesterdays stars Don White, Ernie Derr, Ramo Stott, Lem and Gordon Blankenship, Russ Derr and others. Also in attendance was Davenport, Iowa standout Terry Ryan, who shared the front row of the 1976 Daytona 500 with Stott. The most popular attraction other than the drivers was Ramos' # 7 Plymouth Superbird that he drove to that pole position. This was the third edition of the Reunion, and, and a fourth is already in the planning stages, probably in three years or so. Thanks to former local racer Joe Shuman who works tirelessly to put this special event together.
Saturday night Mary and I enjoyed an anniversary dinner, and as we headed back south, we met my racing companions headed north towards 34 Raceway.
Sunday looked like it would be good for racing at Quincy Raceways, but about noon I got the e-mail that racing was on hold, as the pits looked like a quagmire. A final decision was to come at 2:00, and the extra couple hours of wind and sun gave promoter Tony Rhineberger the encouragement he needed to keep going. When I arrived at the track at 4:00, I wasn't sure we could get even 30 cars in the pits, but continued work by track crews made both the track and the pits accessible to the cars. A total of 60 cars in the fours classes signed in on a hot, muggy late Sunday afternoon, led by 17 IMCA late models and 21 UMP modifieds. In the late models, " Superman " Sam Halstead made his first weekly visit of 2010, while Missouri mod standout Rusty Griffaw made the 2 1/2 hour tow from Fenton to compete.
The late model part of the program got off to a bad start, as the first heat took the green, a mixup at the front of the pack resulted in Nick Ingalls getting his # 5 upside down, then rightside up just past the flag stand. Although uninjured, it took several minutes before Nick could exit his machine, and the news took a bad turn in the pit area, when Nick and crew determined that the car was probably not fixable. Hopefully things will change, but the initial decision was that Ingalls is done for 2010. Less serious damage was done to the # 20 of Dustin Griffin and the # 33 of Keith Pratt, although both took the feature green minus the right side sheet metal of there cars, and both retired after a couple of laps. Meanwhile, Denny Woodworth came from a seventh row starting spot, moved quickly into the top five, then ran down Dustin Neese, who led the first half of the 30 lapper. Denny took the lead for good on lap 17 and built a nice lead before the yellow flew with five laps to go. By then, twelfth starting Mark Burgtorf had moved to the runner up slot, but Woodworth was not to be denied, racing to his second win of 2010. Burgtorf held the runner up spot, followed by Bill Genenbacher, points leader Jason Perry, Saturday night winner at 34 Justin Reed, and Neese.
The UMP modified format has the top two from the three heats running a six lap dash to determine the first three rows of the 25 lap finale. The outcome of the preliminaries has Michael Long on the pole, with Griffaw outside. Rusty took the early lead, but a couple caution perods kept the field bunched. On a lap five restart, the front of the pack piled up, and although Griffaw was able to continue, he suffered heavy body damage. When the green waved again, Long took the lead, holding on through a couple more yellows. With time expired, the word came that the next yellow would bring out the checkers, but the cars ticked off the final 12 laps caution free. While Long held on for his fourth feature win of 2010 at the track, Griffaw, Steven Delonjay, Jared Schlipman, James Keffew, and point leader Dave Weitholder swapped positions in entertaining fashion, crossing the stripe in that order.
Only nine IMCA stock cars made the show, but Kevin Tomlinson and Abe Huls swapped the lead back and forth before Kevin took the checkers.
The final feature of the night was the 13 car hobby stock 20 lapper, with Bobby Anders and point leader Steve Carlin coming from deep in the pack to finish in the top two spots.
Next week the IMCA stock cars will compete for $1,000 to win and $175 to start in the annual shootout which last year drew more than 30 cars. The other 3 classes will be on the card as well. Before that, I hope to make my first visit to Shepps Speedway in Alexandria,Il. on Thursday for a UMP Summernationals late model show. It was a tough choice between this show and the MLRA late model event at 24 Raceway in Moberly,Mo. With a vacation day on Friday, I have an eye on the IMCA late model show at Donnellson. And Saturday is the USAC sprint and midget show at 34 Raceway in West Burlington. Something may have to go, although the way this year has been, Mother Nature may make that decision!

Odds and Ends

2010-06-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

Although the weatherman has kept me on the sidelines for the last ten days, there is still some news on the local racing scene. This Saturday marks the third Racers Reunion in my hometown of Keokuk, Iowa. The event this year promises to be the biggest yet, with vintage race cars driven by Keokuk legends such as Ramo Stott, Don White and Ernie Derr. Those drivers, as well as many others should be on hand as well. There will also be a Benny Parsons car , and the SuperBird club is scheduled to be on hand with many of the classic machines, including the # 7 hemi that Ramo wheeled at Daytona and Talladega. In addition, there will be cars that competed on the area short tracks over the years, some current cars and drivers, and a healthy display of racing memorabilia. The event begins at 9:00 Saturday June 19 at the River City Mall at 3rd and Main Streets in downtown Keokuk. If you are anywhere near the area, it is an event worth attending.
Quincy Raceways will try once again this Sunday night to get in a night of racing, but there is a host of special events coming up in the near future. Sunday, June 27 will be the third annual IMCA Stock Car Shootout, paying $1,000 to the winner of the main event. Last years show drew over 30 cars from five states, with local driver Aaron Brocksieck besting the strong field. The IMCA late models, UMP modifieds and hobby stocks will also be on the card for regular admission price of $10.
On Sunday, July 11 the UMP Summernationals make a stop at the .29 mile oval for a $6,000 to win show. The 2009 edition at QR was won by Shannon Babb over Billy Moyer.
And with the rain out of the IMCA Derry Brothers Summer Series Titan Wheel Shootout $3,000 to win show last Sunday, the track owners moved quickly to set a reschedule date. In doing so, they secured a coveted date, Friday, September 3. The date precedes by one day the Summer Series show at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa, and should result in a strong car count for both tracks. The series will then have Sunday off to regroup before the Labor Day show at the Boone Supernationals. The Quincy race combines what has been a midsummer points show with a Labor Day weekend Sunday show, and the combination will be a " can't miss " event. It will pay $300 to start, and hot lap time has been moved to 7:00 PM with racing at 7:30. UMP mods and hobby stocks will also be on the card.
So far the forecast for this weekend looks good, so I will start with the Racers Reunion and see where the weekend takes me. If you get the chance, stop and say " Hi, " but for sure, take in some weekend racing!

Where Does the Time Go?

2010-06-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

The weekend is almost here again, and I have yet to offer my thoughts on last weekends racing. As it has become somewhat old news, I will be brief.
Last Friday night, I drove through something between a steady rain and a downpour in hopes of seeing some racing at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. I was flying solo, coming straight from work in Quincy, and tow of my racing buddies were about 25 miles ahead of me offering updates via cell phone. They arrived at the track and reported wet grounds but no rain falling, so I forged on. It took the track crew about 30 extra minutes to roll in the heavy track, but it was well worth it when the action got started. The heat races in the six divisions went off quickly, and the features began without delay. Al Johnson captured an entertaining Sport Mod race which saw only one yellow flag, while Jake Wenig came out first in a caution marred hobby stock event. The skies were beginning to darken and some sprinkles fell before the IMCA late models rolled to the speedway, the third feature on the card. The track was still heavy, and the best guess was that the winner would come from the first couple of rows. Gary Russell jumped to the lead, and looked to be in control of the 23 car field in the early laps. However Jeff Guengerich had other ideas, and the veteran driver from Washington powered his way to the front and picked up his first main event win in the Lynn Richard # 15. Pole sitter Tom Goble ran a solid race to come home second, with Tony Fraise third. Colby Springsteen came from ninth to nab fourth ahead of TJ Criss. Points leader Mark Burgtorf started 15th and advanced to eighth. With Davenport rained out, hotshoes Ray Guss Jr. and Nate Beuseling made the trip south, but could not crack the top ten on the tacky track. Before Guengerich could exit his car in victory lane, the rain began in earnest, and the final three features were potponed until this Friday night.
Saturday was pretty much a washout racing wise, so sunny skies on sunday was a welcome sight. It took a tremendous amount of work for the track crew to get Quincy Raceways ready for racing, and the graders were still hard at work in the pits when i arrived. 66 cars in four classes signed in, including 18 IMCA late models and 24 UMP modifieds. Unfortunately, the wet conditions made for a rough racing surface for the heat races and dashes. The grader took to the track again at intermission, and the IMCA stock cars had the best racing conditions of the night, with former late model pilot Kevin Tomlinson grabbing his first main event win of 2010. The hobby stocks were up second, and the smaller tires undid much of the good work done at intermission. Still the trio of Nathan Anders, Bobby Anders, and Steve Carlin waged a good battle, with Bobby Anders taking the win. All 18 cars started the IMCA late model main, although pole sitter Justin Jennings went to the tail after his crew could not make full repairs to his # 56 after a heat race accident. Justin had been dueling with Dustin Griffin for the win coming to the checkers when contact sent Jennings into the concrete wall. Justin was coming off his first ever feature win on the Hawkeye Downs asphalt on Friday night, but his big weekend ended on a sour note. Although several drivers wrestled with track conditions, Justin Reed had little trouble, as he came from the sixth row and did a power move on the top side around second place Lonnie Bailey and leader Nick Ingalls as the field came to the crossed flags on lap 15. Reed then held off Bailey for his first win of the year. Denny Woodworth came on late to take third ahead of Ingalls and point leader Jason Perry. The UMP mods ran the final feature of the night, and after a couple of early cautions and a red flag for an upside down Joe Kindhart, they were able to click off some laps. Michael Long used a heat race and dash win to secure the pole position, and he cruised to the 25 lap win. Jared Schlipman, who was looking for a third straight feature win stayed close, but settled for second ahead of points leader Dave Weitholder, double duty Justin Reed, and visiting Terry Cox. The final checkers flew about 9:30.
This weekend is shaping up as a one race weekend for yours truly, with a homemade ice cream social at my church the top priority on Saturday night. Sunday night the Derry Brothers IMCA late model Summer Series makes stop number two of the year at Quincy Raceways as the feature attraction of the Titan Wheel classic. The main event has an inflated payoff of $ 3,000 to win and $300 to start. The April visit by the series drew a track record 50 cars, so expectations are high for Sunday. Although this race has been on the scheduled for several seasons, this is the first time it will be a Summer Series race. Also, no other IMCA late model tracks will be racing for points this Sunday, so the car count should be strong. The UMP mods, IMCA stock cars and hobby stocks will also be in action. Now if the sun will just shine...

Holiday Recap

2010-06-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

After all the lousy racing weather we have seen in the first two months of the season, we were past due for a pleasant weekend. Experience has taught me that Memorial Day weekend will usually produce plenty of rain, but I should have known that 2010 would be just the opposite - it is that kind of year! Even with a favorable forecast, I was taking no chances, and decided to start the
weekend with Friday night racing, even though Saturday was a work day. Going directly from work, I arrived at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson in plenty of time to do some bench racing before the nights racing began. As always, the first green flag flew at promptly 7:30, and the six classes of cars ran their heat races in quick time. After an intermission that must have been all of five minutes - thanks, Terry - the IMCA stock cars came to the track for their main event. It took Jeff Mueller a few laps to get to the front, but from there he made it look easy in taking the win. Next up the IMCA modifieds rolled to the speedway, and with the point invert in play the racing was fast and furious. On this night it was Michael Long charging to the lead. It was not a runaway, as Brandon Rothzen kept the pressure on, but Michael picked up the win in the 20 lapper, besting the 20 car field. The next race of the night was the 24 car IMCA late model 25 lap feature. As this was the second appearance for the late models, the draw, redraw was in effect. Boone Mc Laughlin pulled the number two pill from the hat, starting on the outside pole. The " Hound Dog ' jumped to the lead, and held it for the first 15 laps through one restart before veteran Jeff Aikey took over. Following the fifth starting Aikey was seventh starting Mark Burgtorf, who grabbed the second spot and set off to run down the Cedar Falls driver. Jeff had his #77 dialed in, and although Mark stayed on his bumper, this race belonged to Aikey. McLaughlin held on for third ahead of Denny Woodworth who made a run early in the race, and Lonnie Bailey who turned his bad luck around with a top five finish. Veteran Lynn Monroe from Memphis, Mo. made his season debut in a familiar yellow # 21, but smacked the turn one guardrail ending his night. Although there were three more features to run, the early start to Saturday made me decide to head for the car as the clock rolled over to 10:00 PM. At that point I was pretty sure I would not be racing on Saturday. But as I left work late Saturday morning, the phone rang...
So Saturday night, grandson Keagan and I joined up with a couple of racing buddies and headed for the " Free For All " at 34 Raceway in West Burlington. With only three classes in action, it reminded me of better times, no offense to the other classes too numerous to mention that make up the various programs around the midwest. Just a side note, if you follow my musings , you know that I am first and foremost a late model fan. After that, I find enjoyment in all classes of competition, I just wish we could keep it at three or four per night. With that said, the 21 IMCA late models, 22 IMCA modifieds, and 25 Sprint Invaders put on a show I would have gladly paid for, and the final checkers fell about 10:00 PM. Josh Foster was the man to beat in the modifieds in a feature that started with a couple of cautions, then ran off quickly, yet with lots of action. For the second night in a row, Brandon Rothzen took the bridesmaid spot, while Scott Hogan came from deep in the pack to claim third. The late model feature may have had the least amount of action, but the 25 laps ticked off caution free in just eight minutes! Veteran Gary Russell pulled the number two pill for the draw, redraw event, and jumped ahead of polesitter Justin Reed at the green. From there the Biggsville, Il. pilot made it look easy, as he built a comfortable lead, even as lapped traffic came in to play. Reed held on for second, while Jeff Guengerich had his best showing to date as the new driver of the Richard Realty and Auction # 15, starting sixth and taking the checkers in third. Colby springsteen and Rob Toland completed the top five. Quad City drivers Duane Christisen # 85 and the " old professor " Leroy Brenner made their first stops of 2010 at 34. The Sprint Invaders feature would have been worth the price of a ticket by itself, as the top three cars spent the closing laps swapping positions non stop. At the checkers, Knoxville, Iowa pilot Wayne Johnson in the Dale Oaks # 41 made a second half charge to claim the win with Jerrod Hull and Matt Sutton breathing his exhaust. Thanks to the owners and promoters of 34 for scheduling and finally staging the free admission night, and I hope the large crowd purchased enough concessions to help out the bottom line!
Sunday night is supposed to be reserved for Quincy Raceways, but the holiday weekend found me in the St Louis area. Although there was a quick passing shower, the skies cleared and I managed to find my way to Tri
City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Il. for the $10,000 to win non sanctioned late model Fed-Ex 50. This is the only track I know of that changed towns without moving, as the area was formerly part of Granite City. But that is an entirely different story. At any rate, it was my first visit since the storied half mile track and inside quarter mile was torn up and replaced with a banked 3/8 mile oval. The racing surface, lighting and sight lines are excellent, although the track slicked up on Sunday during time trials, slowing the speeds considerably on the night. Originally a Lucas Oil sanctioned event, the sanction was dropped in case the night was needed to complete the Show Me 100. Although this did not happen, several of the expected drivers headed home, but there was still a quality field of 41 late models, in addition to a 30 plus UMP modifieds, Pro crate late models and a handful of Kidz Modz for youngsters 12-18. Fast time for the evening went to the " Real Deal " Don Oneal is his yellow # 71. Don spent sparks flying off the turn four wall as he posted a lap of 15.264 seconds. Five heat races, a dash and two B-mains, which the annoncers called semi features, just like the old days, set up a 23 car field, with track regular Chad Zobrist getting a provisional starting spot. Billy Moyer is had started outside Oneal in heat number one, taking the 10 lap win. Rolling from the pole in the dash, the native Iowan captured that race as well, and come feature time, he went for the sweep. It may have not been an easy win, but Billy made it look that way, leading all 50 laps. Having a good run in second was Shannon Babb, and I am sure Moyer was just as happy for the third place finisher, his son, the real Billy Moyer, Jr. in his # 21JR machine. Defending UMP national champion Jason Feger garnered fourth ahead of the Bobby Labonte owned # 41 of Brad Neat. Oneal started sixth and finished there, with Dan Schleiper seventh. Jimmy Mars was a victim of a heat race mishap, finished third in his B main, started 21st on the grid and finished eighth. Dennis Erb Jr., and Billy Faust subbing for Randy Korte completed the top ten. Korte has yrt to race in 2010, suffering from back problems. Mark Burgtorf finished 13th in his open car, one lap down to the leader.
Both Jason and Rickey Frankel made the trip from Quincy as well, but encountered problems and did not make the show. With the late model feature running ahead of the modified B mains, and a busy Monday ahead, I made my way to the parking lot as Moyer received his trophy. Michael Long was on hand to compete for the top mod prize of $1,000, but although he has a couple of wins there, Sunday was not his night, as he was scored 19th at the finish. Quincy cousins Dustin and Jake Griffin both raced in the Pro Crate division, with Jake, who is still a ways from being a teenager winning a heat and coming home I believe seventh in the main event. He also ran up front in the Kidz Modz division. Keep that name in the back of your mind as someone to watch in the future.
Congratulations to Jason Perry in late models and Abe Huls in stock cars for their first wins of the season at Quincy Raceways, and to repeat winners Jared Schlipman in mods and Tanner Klingele in hobby stocks, both second generation drivers.
If the rain holds off, next up should be Friday night at Lee County, and Sunday night back at Quincy. See you at the races!

Updates From the Weekend

2010-05-26T17:02:00.000-07:00

Sunday night was going to finally be night number four at Quincy Raceways after two weeks of rainouts. Having not had the chance to visit with most of the local racers during that time, I arrived at the track shortly after 4:00 PM to catch up on the gossip. As I parked along pit road, I saw an ominous sight. Haulers were exiting the pit area. Making my way to the pit shack, I received official word that the water trucks were both down, and there would be no racing after all. After the initial surprise and disappointment, I quickly remembered that the Lucas Oil show postponed Friday night at 34 Raceway was scheduled to start in just under two hours. Calling my traveling buddies, we quickly arranged to meet and carpool the 80 or so miles to West Burlington. After a quick stop for some extra cash, we hit the road, arriving just as hot laps were concluding. Jeff has done a good job of recapping the race, so I will just add that it was easily worth the $25.00 ticket. There are lots of people to be congratulated, including the owners and promoters of 34, especially Jeff and Amy Laue for taking a chance and bringing a national series to our neck of the woods. Rescheduling for a Sunday night was taking another gamble, but the cancellation at Quincy probably added 350-400 people to the crowd. Kudos also go to the local drivers who attempted to run with the big boys, and a special shout out to two talented and personable veterans, Mark Burgtorf and Boone Mc Laughlin, who both made the coveted 25 car starting field. And lastly to race winner Earl Pearson Jr., who has twice visited 34 and twice walked off withe the big prize. It was interesting to hear EPJ mention that he ran the same line as the last time he was at the track, which was something like seven years ago. To say that these guys keep good records would be an understatement.
Meanwhile, back on the homefront, the debacle at Quincy Raceways touched off a bit of a firestorm. Track owners Tony and Paul have since issued a statement apologizing for the late cancellation and assuring all that the equipment is repaired and everything is a go for this Sunday, when 410 Sprint cars will join the regular four classes in a holiday special. this has certainly been an odd start to the racing season, fueled mostly by the miserable weather. Hopefully that is all behind us, and this weekend will allow all the area tracks to get back to regular racing. As I sit here, the forecast for the weekend looks pretty good, so lets all enjoy some holiday weekend racing!

Friday Night Fun

2010-05-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

Determination was the theme for the week, and it has paid off twice for me so far this week. Way back in January I scheduled two vacation days from work for Thursday and Friday to take in a St Louis Cardinals game on Thursday and the Lucas Oil race at 34 Raceway on Friday. Of course things began to " go south " last weekend with the ominous forecast for what else but rain. Still Thursday morning, my wife and I took off in the rain for the
2 1/2 hour drive to Busch Stadium, hoping to root my beloved Redbirds back in to first place. Despite a persistent drizzle throughout, the game came off as scheduled, and the Birds rewarded us with a win and a return to the top spot. One down, one to go. While my wife went to work on Friday, I parked in front of the computer and as happened on my last Friday off, I watched the cancellations come up on the websites, with 34 Raceway pulling the plug as I drank my first pot of coffee. But enough is enough, I was going to find a race for my grandson and myself, and so I began poking keys on the computer and the cell phone, and came up with three possibilities, one each in Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois. Considering my grandson did not get out of school until 3:15, Davenport,Iowa Speedway looked like our best bet, but it just did not look like the weather might cooperate. The lady at the office in Maquoketa let me know that they were going to race if at all possible, so that was good enough for me, and at 3:40 we rolled out of Canton, Mo. with just enough time to make 6:00 hot laps. Three more calls along the way made by us of little faith were answered in the affirmative, and we exited the car in the fairgrounds parking lot just as announcer Katie summoned the 4 stock cars for hot laps.
As expected, the track was very wet, and was a handful for the drivers in hot laps, which less than half the cars came out for, and the 13 heat races.
Track officials brought the grader to the oval during intermission, and the result was a somewhat smoother surface and a wider area for racing for the six features. One of the negative aspects of the speedway is the quality of the sound system, and while the announcing duo did a fair job of giving lineups, it is very difficult to make out what is being said. As this was my first visit since 2008, I was at a disadvantage trying to figure out who was who, particularly in the " local " classes. I do follow the weekly results from the track to a degree, so the names in victory circle were at least familiar ones, and it was Mike Morrow taking the 4 stock win. The Dwarf car winner was someone I have watched for many years, as late model veteran Ron Boyse climbed in the # 77 and came from the back of the pack to third at the white flag. When the top two cars came together on the final lap with the leader spinning, both were charged with the caution, and Boyse found himself in victory lane. The IMCA modifieds went flag to flag with Jacob Waterman taking the win. Matt Werner survived a couple of cautions to take the street stock main event. The Pro Mods stacked up quickly on the start, and when three cars entered turn three side by side, contact was made, and heat race winner Bob Dominacki found himself upside down. While the veteran was apparently uninjured, his # 5D machine showed signs of heavy damage. The 20 lapper became a test of endurance, as only seven cars were around at the checkers. Doug Crampton collected his second win of the young season, with John Bull in second. I was unsure what the curfew situation was, and as it was after 9:30 when the late models hit the track, I was relived that the portable microphone was not working and on track interviews of the feature winners were not done. Lets be serious, how many times can you hear what the driver says, anyway?
19 IMCA late models rolled to the track, with Ray Guss Jr. in a car borrowed for the night from Duane Christisen. Not sure if the Roberts Racing crew damage the # 58 at the track, or if it was home in the shop, as I never did see the familiar red machine. Bret Diercks was the opening night winner in his # 29, and he drew the pole on Friday. Lady Luck abandoned him though, as he went pitside while leading on a lap seven caution for Jeff Stevens # 11, who stopped up against the tires in turn three. The man on the move was sixth starting Brian Harris. I was surprised to see Brian, who has been racing an open late model out of Peoria,Il., back in a # 21H IMCA late model. While it has been a while since Harris was a regular at his hometown track, he showed that he still knows his way around the 1/4 mile. He held off the challenges of Cory Goldbeck, before Kevin Blum took over the second slot. The Wildman was a rocket after clearing traffic, and came to the checkers less than half a car length behind Harris, as everyone came to their feet. Goldbeck held on to third ahead of Guss and Mark Preston. Doug Nigh recovered from a last place heat finish to gain 11 spots and finish sixth, ahead of Matt Ryan. Jeremy Gustaf, Eric Sanders, and Mike Garland rounded out the top ten.
The cars counts were less than what one would expect at Davenport, with 19 late models the most of any class, leading a total of about 86 cars. I am sure the threatening weather and the prospect of less than ideal track and pit conditions kept some guys at home. Those who did show up definitely came to race, and I was happy I took the chance and made the 300 mile round trip. While I am a believer in supporting your local tracks, it is a special treat for me to visit different tracks and see cars and drivers I do not normally get to watch race. Thanks to track officials for holding off on the kids bicycle races until after the late model feature, avoiding the curfew and getting us on the road home just after 10:00.
I will not be attending the rescheduled Lucas Oil event at 34 Raceway, now set for Sunday night. I will be in my usual spot at Quincy Raceway for IMCA late models and stock cars, UMP modifieds and track rules hobby stocks, with hot laps scheduled for 5:00PM. Due to wet grounds, Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo. was once again forced to postpone their opening night from Saturday May 22, and they are going to try again on Sunday night, as well. There should be plenty of cars for all three venues, I just hope there are plenty of fans, as well. See you at the races!

Racin' Down the Road

2010-05-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

Despite an ongoing effort all day Sunday of everyone involved in track preparation at Quincy Raceways, promoter Tony Rhineberger had to no choice but to cancel the races for May 15. Rain throughout the week had created less than favorable conditions, and as of 3:00 PM there was more precipitation headed towards the Quincy area. This is the fourth cancellation out of seven scheduled nights of racing so far this year, possibly the most in the long history of the speedway, certainly the most in the last 15 or so years. For yours truly, it is night number nine of no planned racing in 2010, not counting my ill fated trip to the the Quad City Speedway two weeks ago. I commented to my racing companions on the trip home from Donnellson Friday night that I still don't have my " staying out late " legs under me yet, as we have only had a few nights out past the 10:00 hour so far. For race fans in May however, there is always next week, so hopefully I will have something to report from the Lucas Oil late model series at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, set to roll off on Friday night. Wherever you are, I hope the weather is better, guess I will wait for reports of hopefully some racing action up north tonight. See you at the races.!

Racin' Down the Road

2010-05-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

Friday night we were treated to two things that have been in short supply this spring, that being a beautiful sunset and some great racing. As did more than one of the P.R. bloggers, I made my way to the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson Friday night for the first night of IMCA late model action in the
" Drive for Five " series. I must admit that I was somewhat surprised when my wife called with the news that the E-mail had come Friday morning that the races were still on. Considering the seemingly continuous deluge of rain this week, I just did not think the pits or parking lot could be made race ready. After talking to promoter Terry Hoenig, it was pretty obvious that he had planned to go the extra mile and then some to put on a show, and fans and drivers alike appreciated the efforts of his employees and volunteers. You can find a recap of the races elsewhere here at P.R., so I will add dome random thoughts about the evening. Although I have lived in Missouri for over 30 years, a trip to Donnellson is still like " going home " , as the fairgrounds was one of the tracks of my childhood, teen , and early married years. There are many old friends whom I see all to seldom but for a trip through the concrete bleachers at Donnellson. Last night I got to spend time visiting with one of those good friends, former racer Larry Larson, who I spent several seasons helping in the pits. With Larry on this night was another former racer from Keokuk, Jack Evans, who I have also known for most of my life. Jack says he is in the long process of putting together a Sport Mod, so we will see where that goes. I also had a chance to visit with another former racer from my hometown Joe Shuman. Joe is the point man for the upcoming third edition of the Keokuk Racers Reunion to be held at the Keokuk Mall on Fathers Day weekend, Saturday, June 19. Joe tells me the Plymouth Superbird club will be on hand, including the " Bird " that local legend Ramo Stott raced from the pole position at Daytona in the mid seventies. Also on display will be a Dodge Charger raced by Ernie Derr, a USAC car campaigned by Don White, and some local race cars from the 1970s. Joe also said he had a Benny Parsons car scheduled to appear. In addition, several of the local drivers are planned to bring their current race cars to the show. Health permitting, the aforementioned drivers should be on hand, and their will be lots of memorabilia, as well. This event has been held twice in the last few years, and should be on the calender of any current or long time race fan withing driving distance of Keokuk.
I also did some bench racing with buddy Bob Litton and his wife, from Iowa City. Bob is a true super fan, and keeps me up to speed on the goings on around that part of the state. I was fortunate to bump into the daughter of Deo Loney, who passed away during the off season. Linda was employed at Lee County at the same time as my son, and it was good to catch up with her. She told me the Ottumwa newspaper had a tribute article to her father which I need to find a copy of. Before the races, Terry Hoenig asked for a moment of silence for three race friends we lost over the off season, Deo
his great friend Keith Allen, and Missouri racer Art Jeffries.
Bench racing aside, there was plenty of good on track action on a track which understandably got a bit rougher than the normal Donnellson track.
The finish to the IMCA modified feature, with Michael Long stalking Josh Foster, and Brandon Rothzen waiting in the wings was a classic made up for a few too many caution flags. As a Quincy Raceways regular, I expected Michael to find a way to the front, but Foster is one tough cookie, and took home a well deserved win. As for Brandon, he came from deep in the pack and picked off Long for a runner up finish. Along with fourth finishing Wyatt Lantz, these young guns represent the good in area modified racing
The same could be said on this night for the IMCA stock cars, as Jeff Mueller and Jason Cook ran an edge of your seat final couple of laps. Again,when Mueeler goes to the front At QR, he stays there, but on the LCS oval, Jason found an opening and snatched the win from the # 77m. Congratulations also to Jason and his wife, former racer Christina (Beggs ), and to grandpa Ned on the arrival of their new baby.
The racing universe returned to normal for me and my companions as the IMCA late models rolled out for what was scheduled to be a star studded 26 car feature field. Mark Burgtorf, who already has a handful of feature wins in 2010, including three in the Summer Series , was set to roll off from the sixth starting slot. However, Gary Russell pulled to the infield on the parade lap, moving # 7B to the second row. Following one false start, Burgtorf shot past the front row of Colby Springsteen and Denny Woodworth and was never headed. Denny made an early run for the top spot, but found himself just enough out of shape to allow surprise visitor Rob Toland to slide in to second from his seventh starting spot. " Rocket Rob looked to be on the move for a few laps, but Burgtorf had his Pierce chassis hooked up perfectly, and he eventually lapped up through ninth place, finishing in a different time zone than his nearest challengers, Toland, Woodworth, Springsteen, and Jay Johnson.
Pat of the fun of the trip to LCS with friends is debating who might show up for the late model shows, which run about ten nights during the season. Although Jeff aikey made our list, Andy Eckrich did not. Andy is splitting his season between IMCA racing and his more familiar time on the Simmons promoted tracks in Farley, West Liberty and Dubuque. I think this was the youngest of the racing Eckrich brothers first trip to Donnellson, and after not making the redraw, he went to work and climbed to seventh in the finishing order after starting fourteenth. Meanwhile Aikey managed to turn a bad heat race experience around, starting eighteenth and finishing eighth. Jeff Guengerich made his return to racing in the Richard Realty # 15, looking strong early before fading late in the 25 lapper, while at the same time, Tommy Elston was back on familiar turf in his Elston Automotive # 45. A total of eleven Quincy Raceways regulars made the trip north, including Vance Wilson, all the way from Frankford, Mo. in his # B1, and Keith Pratt, who has been making the weekly pull to the Davenport Speedway the last few seasons.
A former Quincy Raceways hot shoe, who hung up his helmet at his
" home " track to take a job there as an official, Joe Bliven was impressive in the Sport Mod main event, chasing second generation driver Derek Coleman to the checkers, with defending track champion Rodger Dresden lurking in third.
Although there were two features still to run, one of our group had to be to work bright and early, so we headed home as the hobby stocks rolled to the track. Our next planned trip to LCS comes in two weeks, when the late models make their next appearance. As I write this on Saturday afternoon, it is a cloudy, drizzly day, and I have my fingers crossed that I will have some news to report from night number four at Quincy Raceways on Sunday. See you down the road.

Racin' Down the Road

2010-05-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

After two weeks off due to wet conditions, Quincy Raceways was able to get back to racing on Sunday night, May 9. 74 cars in four classes signed in, including a healthy count of 21 IMCA late models. Dustin Griffin, who also competes in a crate late model made his IMCA season debut, as did Dustin Neese. Modified veteran Tony Dunker has added a late model to his stable, and he was busy moving from car to car. 14 time track champion Mark Burgtorf has indicated that he will not be a regular in 2010, but Mark was on hand for the first points night, which was a draw, redraw show. The driver of the 7B pulled the lowest pill to start on the poll of the first heat. While Joey Gower captured the 10 lapper from the outside poll, Marks runner up finish was good enough to land him on the front row of the dash, which he led from flag to flag. Burgtorf then drew the number two starting spot for the 30 lap feature, and given the slick track condition, which made the top side the place to be, it looked like a runaway in the making. Pole sitter Jason Perry had other plans, however, and he slid up the track coming out of turn two, grabbing the lead and leaving Burgtorf in fourth. It proved to be a temporary set back for Mark, who drove past Nick Ingalls, then outdueled Matt Bailey for second on a Delaware style restart. As the leaders approached lapped traffic on about lap 18, Burgtorf slid under Perry to take the top spot. Bailey also got around Perry until the final lap, when Jason took back the second spot. Robbie Warner came from ninth to grab fourth, with Griffin completing the top five. Jason Frankel badly damaged his # 0F ride at the last Summer Series race, so his car owner, Genenbacher Racing, rolled out a used GRT to get Jason back on track. Not knowing what he had, Jason started 18th on the grid, and charged to a seventh place finish. Justin Jennings, the youngster who is racing the asphalt at Hawkeye Downs on Fridays, and the dirt at Quincy on Sundays, was running mid pack in only his second dirt race before he jumped the cushion in turn one. Justin may give the Lee County Speedway a try on any Friday that the Cedar Rapids track does not race.
25 UMP modifieds signed in, including 11 year old Jake Griffin. Jake is cutting his dirt track teeth with a crate late model, even as he plans to compete regularly at QR in the modified class. While still working to get to the front, he stays remarkably smooth and straight, and it will be fascinating to watch his development. In a rare miscue, Michael Long smacked the front stretch wall coming to the checkers in his heat race while running third. There was more damage to the rear end of the # 18L, and the car was loaded before feature time, leaving a wide open 25 lap finale. Jared Schlipman, son of late model veteran Terry,grabbed the early lead, only to lose it on lap two. The first of many caution flags gave the point back to Jared, and he ran mistake free until the time limit ended the event with just a handful of laps remaining. Veterans Steve Grotz and Dave Weitholder waged a great battle for the runner up spot, until Grotz brought out the race ending caution when he dropped a drive shaft, sending him from second to a disappointing 12th. Shawn Deering captured third, Wyatt Lantz followed a Saturday win at Macomb, Il by taking fourth, and Grotz son Troy rolled home in fifth.
An even dozen IMCA stock cars signed in, and it was an unusually wild night for what is normally a smooth running class. Lots of bumping and banging brought out several caution flags, and the race ended with Iowa hot shoes Jeff Mueller and John Oliver Jr. already pitside. Andrew Griffin took the checkered flag first, then the announcement came that he and fourth place Steve Steinkuhler had failed the post race inspection. Not entirely confident in the rule book, a call to IMCA on Monday morning reversed the DQ and reminded me why I usually wait to put results in print. The final decision gave Griffin the win ahead of Terry Houston, Abe Huls, Steinkuhler, and Jerry Jansen.
Travis Booher was not so fortunate following the 16 car hobby stock finale, as he was disqualified out of a second place finish after a post race protest was lodged. Ironically, it was young Tanner Klingele, and veteran Jim Powell, both victims of the DQ at the last race night, who captured the top two spots. Mike Wiley, defending track champion Steve Carlin, and Jake Powers rounded out the top five.
Quincy Raceways will be back in action next Sunday with an advertised starting time of hot laps at 5:00 with racing at 5:30. See you there, or somewhere down the road.

Racin' Down the Road

2010-05-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

Finally! As I sit here on Sunday morning awaiting the Mothers Day lunch guests, the sun is shining in northeast Missouri. Although it is still quite cool, we did not have the huge rain totals Friday that plagued southeast Iowa, so I am hopeful that the Quincy Raceways crew will be able to get the soggy pit area ironed out and we can get back to racing this evening. IMCA late models and stock cars, UMP modifieds, and track rules hobby stocks with hot laps at 5:00 and racing at 5:30 is on the schedule. Considering the past two weeks have been washed out, I am looking for a healthy car count. So far this weekend I have been shut out again, as Friday night was a washout at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, and Saturday racing was also cancelled at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, and in West Liberty. Given the 40 degree temps, my racing' buddies and I decided not to venture any further from home, so it was another NASCAR race on tv. With only five full nights of racing in and a less than favorable forecast for next weekend, I spent part of the evening looking at alternate possibilities for next weekend. Due to my work schedule, Friday night racing is pretty much limited to Lee County, and promoters Terry and Jenni Hoenig have cooperated by adding IMCA late models to the card as they are zero for three attempting to get their first point night of 2010 in the books. Saturday night racing could be plentiful, but not so much for late model action. Wayne Messamaker will make his third attempt at kicking off weekly racing at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo. after the track sat mostly idle in 2009. A modifieds will be the featured class in a four class program. The same is true at the Eldon, Iowa speedplant, as they kick off a limited 2010 schedule. Hopefully both of these fast tracks can draw a solid group of cars and fans. 24 Raceway in Moberly, Mo. will present a special program featuring non winged sprint cars, and they are also bringing in non sanctioned crate and steel block late models. 34 Raceway has a scheduled night off for late models, adding 4 cylinders and mod lites to their card. And on Sunday, Quincy Raceways will present a regular night of racing.
The red circle on my calender marks Friday, May 21, as the touring Lucas Oil late models are set to invade 34 Raceway for a $10,000 to win show. A show of this magnitude is always a gamble for local promoters, especially with the weather we have had this spring, so hopefully a good night of racing is in the offing at 34. But with a vacation day on the books, I am looking at contingency plans already! Checking the various websites, I see that some tracks to the far north of me, and some to the south in the St Louis area have been able to get in a few more shows than my " local " tracks. Quincy racer Michael Long is working on another outstanding weekend, which began Friday night at Tri City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Il. Michael captured the make up UMP mod feature win, then ran second in the regular feature. Like Mark Burgtorf before him, Michael has been dominate at his home track, but you are never sure how good these guys are until they begin to travel and race against some of the best in the midwest. And like Mark, Michael is proving that he can race with and win against pretty stiff competition! Way to go, Michael. Until next time, come see us at QR, or check out your local track. See you at the track!

Racin' Down the Road

2010-05-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

With a couple of vacation days lined up, I was planning once again for my first
three race weekend of 2010. Things got of to an ominous start on Friday, however, as I stayed close to the computer and watched my Friday night options decrease quickly, as track after track canceled due to the weather. Finally my original first choice, Lee County Speedway, pulled the plug, and that meant a night at home watching the St. Louis Cardinals on tv. My traveling companions and I had already determined that our planned Saturday jaunt to Paducah, Ky. for the Lucas Oil event was off for the same reason, so it then became a choice between the " free " show at 34 Raceway, or the May Day classic at West Liberty Raceway, with the opener at Independence, Iowa as a fall back option. Heading north towards the Iowa border, the call came that 34 had canceled, and we continued to watch the sky as we headed towards West Liberty. For a change, Mother Nature eased up, and what followed was a fun night of racing. West Liberty has been one of my favorite venues since my first visit there in the early 70's, and I was not disappointed on Saturday. The track was well prepared, and the two class show reminded me of the " good old days. " 40 late models and 26 ( or 27? ) modifieds made for a full night of racing without burning up the track before feature time. Since we did not purchase pit passes, having a dozen or so late models pitted in the spectator parking lot was an added bonus, as we
were able to do some looking and visiting before the show started. the 40 car field was only three less than last years' total, and the quality was very good for a non sanctioned show. Kudos to Lucas Oil rookie of the year candidate Will Vaught, and GRT house car pilot Jack Sullivan for making the grueling drive all the way from Paducah after the rainout Saturday morning! One thing I really like about this non sanctioned race is that it brings together a mix of drivers that don't necessarily race together all that often, and while Birkhofer, Moyer, Babb, etc. help fill the seats, it is fun to see how the locals stack up against them on familiar ground. Certainly the Eckrichs and Simpsons more thanh held their own on this night. Having the " Real Deal " Don Oneal in the field was a bit of a last minute thing, as the Indiana driver who sits in the top five in Lucas Oil points had just taken over the Moring Motorsports ride, replacing Ohio ace Matt Miller, who picked up a full time ride just in the last few days. Normally whoever whelles the Moring car displays his own car number, but Oneal was sporting a # 1 instead of his trademark # 71. In the end, the race was what most had predicted, another notch in the belt for local legend Brian Birkhofer. It seems like Birky all but owns the track where he grew up. but certainly he has to work for every win he gets there. Also, it is not as if he cannot win anywhere else, as he is a contender anywhere he unloads his # 15B. Popular as he is around the country, he surely loves coming to West Liberty, where he receives a heroes welcome from the fans. Babb, Moyer, and Missouri legend Terry Phillips had just enough to keep Birkhofer on the gas, but none of them could mount a serious challenge once Brian wrestled the lead for Denny Eckrich early in the 50 lap finale. It was special to see another local legend, Steve Boley back wheeling a late model at the big 1/2 mile. Unfortunately Boley was a bit short on power, and could not make the cut to the A feature. Freeport, Il. driver Jeff Larson fell one spot short of making the finale as well, but then climbed in to his # B1 mod and covered the field from start to finish in a 25 lap race that had more action than a flag to flag win might indicate. Brad Diercks was flying towards the front from a row six start, but had to settle for the runner up spot. Two drivers from my immediate area were on hand, with Quincy,Il racer Rickey Frankel making the money race from the second B main, while Mendon, Il ace Denny Woodworth cam up short in the same qualifier. The usually strong Woodworth was off a bit in time trials, and simply has too muchy ground to make up from that point. With the final checkers waving just after 10:00 PM, I was home by 12:30, plenty of time to rest up for what was supposed to be a clear and dry Sunday.
The rain that was falling as we made our way home Saturday night was a clear warning sign, and it was before noon on Sunday when the e-mail came the my Sunday night home, Quincy Raceways was washed out for the third time in five tries. Even before that, Steve Shepard Jr. had postponed the Northern All Stars late model event at Shepps Speedway, the Sunday night venue 100 miles to the east that I have yet been able to visit. With another vacation day on monday, I was not ready to give up so easily, so after a couple of conversations with Jeff Broeg, I headed to Mt. Pleasnt, Iowa to hitch a ride to the opening night of the newly refurbished Quad City Speedway. Much like the day before, cloud watching became our preoccupation, and although neither the radar nor the sky looked good, we soldiered on. Word soon came that night two of the May Day classic at Farley Speedway was off, not surprising given the nasty looking radar. With probably a combined 90 plus years of race chasing experience between us and no idea when we could make a return trip to the East Moline speedplant, we decided to wait until race time to head to the grandstand. Soon the sprinkles began, followed by a stead drizzle, and as heat number one headed to the track, the rain began in earnest. With announcement that the show was off, we headed across the river in what was now a steady rain. So whats new about that?!? Having caught a glimpse of what looked to be a healthy field of cars, plus a couple of drivers I have yet to witness wheeling a late model, I am going to have to figure a way to get back to the fairgrounds oval this season. Thanks to Jeff for letting me tag along.
Despite another call for rain, I am planning to make the opening points night for late models this Friday at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. Saturday night may have to be reserved for some Mothers Day activity, and on Sunday we will try for the opening night of IMCA late model points racing at Quincy. Don't let the weather get ya down, and maybe I will see you all down the road!

Racin' Down the Road

2010-04-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

I am trying to stay positive about all things racing, but I have to say that NASCAR on television is a poor substitute for live dirt track racing. Unfortunately, the tv is all there is this weekend. This was supposed to be my first three race weekend of 2010, with late model points starting at Lee County Speedway, 34 Raceway, and Quincy Raceways. The forecast was a foreboding one all week, and although the promoters held out as long as possible, there was just no way there was going to be any racing within several hundred miles of my northeast Missouri home. The last hope ended shortly after church this morning, when Quincy Raceways officially pulled the plug after nearly 3 inches of rain fell in the last 48 hours. QR has managed to get in 2 nights of action of the 4 scheduled in this rainy April. Last Sunday night was a quickly run show, with the car count a bit light. 14 IMCA late models were on hand, while 4 of our " regulars " chased the Deery Brothers Summer Series 3 day weekend show. With the seemingly non stop April showers, it is amazing that the series was able to get in all 5 of their April events, and the 2 that I was able to attend at 34 and QR were ones to remember. Justin Reed followed the tour for the first four races, then came home on Sunday and turned in top five runs in both his late model and the modified he pilots for Tony Dunker. The 30 lap feature in the late models belonged to veteran Denny Woodworth, the racing attorney, with Reed overtaking Keith Pratt for second place honors on the final lap. Michael Long completed an amazing weekend, with his third modified victory in 3 nights, at 3 different tracks in 2 different cars. Michael sandwiched UMP mod victories in his own # 18 around the $2,000 to win IMCA special in Donnellson, Iowa on Saturday in the Jim Gillenwater owned machine. With QR going to a dash format for the mods, with the top 2 cars from the heats racing to determine the first 3 rows of the feature lineup, Michael looks almost unstoppable. Throughout its 35 year history, Quincy Raceways has been blessed - or cursed - with a steady stream of dominant drivers in the various divisions, from Steve Fraise and Henry Delonjay to Mark Burgtorf and Long. While neither Mark or Michael had planned to be regulars in 2010, Michael may be having second thoughts. Of course, lots can change before September, but right now, Long would have to be consider an odds on championship favorite if he chooses to make a run for it. In contrast, the IMCA stock car class appears to be a wide open shootout, with 8-10 cars that can win on any given night. The problem right now, is finding a way to draw a few more cars in this most competitive of divisions. In the hobby stock class, Bobby anders has been so dominant after 2 nights of racing, that there have already been rumblings about a possible engine claim. It seems like no matter where the track, there is always more fussing and feuding in the lower paying classes. Or am I just imagining that?
One interesting development to watch this season at QR will be the development of youngster Justin Jennings. After a successful career racing go karts, Justin campaigned an asphalt late model to rookie of the year honors last season at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Now he has moved to the IMCA late model division. In just one night of racing, improvement was obvious from the begining of the night until the end, and it will be fun to watch his progress.
While we have had many wet Aprils, I cannot remember when I had only 4 nights of racing in as the month comes to a close, a situation I hope to remedy this coming weekend. Lee County Speedway has rescheduled their IMCA late model " Drive for Five " opener for the final day of April, and that will hopefully be the start of a 3 race weekend as we turn the calender over to May. There are a lot of good options for Saturday, in fact there are no less than 3 events I would like to attend, so we will see if Mother Nature leaves the decision up to me. As for Sunday, Quincy Raceways tops the card. For anyone thinking about making the trip , the new starting time of 5:00 hot laps and 5:30 racing resulted in a final checkered flag at 8:20 last week, even though the first green came a bit late. Sure makes Monday morning easier to deal with! I will sign off now, and catch the end of the only racing there is this weekend - on the tv. See you at the track!

Racin' Down the Road

2010-03-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

There is no question that race fans - make that fanatics - will do things in the early spring and late fall that they likely would not consider in say, mid July. This past Saturday was a prime example. I spent the morning hours setting up and serving food for my church at a farm auction outside of town. As we were set up in an open shed, I was more than aware that temps were unable to get past 40 and the wind was howling. But when I left home at 7:30, I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo. had not yet canceled racing for the evening. So at 11:00, as my shift neared its end, I made the call and got the answer I was looking for - racing was still on. So even though the forecast showed a 70% chance of rain at race time, I called two of my faithful companions from Quincy, and at 2:15 we met up in Taylor,Mo. for the
2 1/2 hour trip to the super fast 1/3 mile south of St.Louis. A rain shower along the way generated one more phone call, but as we cruised on south, the rain stopped and the temperature eased a bit higher. Things got even better as we arrived at the track, and before the sun went down, it made a surprise appearance. We fully expected a soft, rough track - with all the moisture we have seen, how could it not be? Amazingly, however, the track was tacky and fast, and the racing was three wide much of the night. With a sparse crowd, a threatening forecast, and the river which often floods the only way in and out of the facility on the rise, Ray Marler and crew wasted no time. Indeed, the first late model heat rolled off ten minutes before scheduled race time, and the action went non stop from there. 27 UMP late models checked in, to go along with an unusually small count of 18 UMP modifieds, 30 AARA sportsmen, and 12 Pro 4's. The regular position dashes were eliminated, as a roll of the die determined the feature inverts after the heats were completed. The three late model heats went to Tim Rataczyk
( pronounced Rattacheck ), Craig Smith, and Mark Miner. Dewayne Kiefer nabbed the consy, and the 24 car field was set for the 25 lap feature. The Pro 4 feature complete, the late models rolled out second, much to our delight! With defending track champion Brian Collins on the pole, common opinion had the battle being for second. Collins seemed to have missed on his set up, and began falling back gradually. Meanwhile Rataczyk was on a rail, and looked like the man to beat in his # 112. Coming from the third row, however, Mark Voigt soon had his # 30 pointed to the front, and as lap 20 approached, the veteran racer starting his 30th season took the top spot. It was his second victory of the weekend, as he came out on top the night before in Belleville, Il. Rataczyk held on to second, followed by Tim Manville, Smith. and Michael Kloos fifth. The second five consisted of Miner, Dave Jumper, Jeff Beyers, Collins and Brandon Sheppard. The modifieds came quickly to the speedway, but with the temps dropping and the rain coming, we headed for the car after the second caution period. Reports had Bobby Bittle and Rusty Griffaw in a race long battle with Bittle grabbing the win, in a reverse of the finish at Belleville. We were happy to be in the car at 9:07 for the rainy drive home, and as we learned Sunday, the rains hit the track ten minutes after the conclusion of the Sportsman feature at 9:40. As I mentioned last time, Pevely is an outstanding facility, easily worth tackling the St Louis area traffic, and I hope to make two or three more visits in 2010. With some obligations this Saturday, my next scheduled race is the opener at Quincy Raceways this Sunday, April 4. IMCA late models, UMP modifieds, IMCA stock cars and hobby stocks are on the card, with hot laps at 5:00 and racing at 5:30. As of this writing, there are still some soft spots on the track and in the pits, so Tuesday nights practice has been postponed. Plans are now to have three consecutive nights of test and tune beginning on Wednesday. The following weekend. April 10 and 11 is set up as a great racing weekend in this part of the world, with IMCA late model Summer Series races at 34 Raceway in West Burlington and Quincy. Should the weather man interfere, the third annual Illini 100 at Farmer City, Il. will be an option. This has been a favorite of ours the first two years it has run, but will take a back seat to the Summer Series shows. Be sure and mark the opening weekend of IMCA late model points on your schedule. Lee County Speedway will begin their second year of " Drive for Five, " on Friday,April 23 and the following night 34 Raceway has announced it will be free admission for all! Then you can visit Quincy Raceways to cap off a racin' weekend. Wherever you are, take in some racing this weekend, spring is finally here!

Racin' Down the Road

2010-03-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

It's time to share a few thoughts as I wait for the first day of spring snow to leave the ground here in Northeast Missouri. The 2010 racing season began for me last weekend with the Quincy Raceway car show at the Quincy Mall.
Something close to 40 cars were on display, and the bench racing season was in full swing. There was a healthy total of 11 IMCA late models on hand, although the car drawing the most attention may have been the # 08 crate late model of 11 year old Jake Griffin. Amazingly, this will be Jakes second season in this class, as last year he competed at Tri City Speedway in Granite City,Il and Spoon River Speedway in Banner,Il., as well as the Monster Midwest show at his hometown track in Quincy. The word is that he may be competing in a UMP modified at Quincy Raceway this season, as well. Much of what was rumor at the January banquet was confirmed at the weekend event, including a scheduled opening night of Easter Sunday, April 4. Several practice nights, including next Saturday, March 27 have been set, but we will need to see a drastic change in the weather for track crews to be able to prepare the .29 mile oval. After listening to drivers and fans, track owners Tony and Paul have decided to bump up starting times to 5:00 PM hot laps and 5:30 PM race time. The hope is that this will increase out of town participation, especially in the late model and stock car classes, where Iowa travelers could help boost car counts. This could be of particular benefit early on, as the Deery Brothers Summer Series comes to town on Sunday, April 11.Genenbacher Racing had all three of their late models on display, as they have added former IMCA national champion Jason Frankel to the team, which also includes " Wild Willy " Bill Genenbacher, and up and coming Jason Perry. Defending points champion Lonnie Bailey showed off his familiar read # 25, but son Matt has opted for an entirely new color scheme on his # 52. 14 time track champion Mark Burgtorf confirmed that he is going after a fifth IMCA Deery Brothers championship, and also indicated his attendance at his home track may be sporadic in 2010. Mark will also be campaigning an open motor car ,with both cars being Pierce chassis, and also following son Cale in his sports schedule. Although Gower Racing did not have any cars at the show, I was able to visit with driver Joeys father Joe, who caught me up on their activities. They have purchased a Mastersbilt by Mars machine, and are looking for to working with both Jimmy Mars and Brian Birkhofer. In addition to racing at home, they hope to make some trips to West Liberty Raceway, and hookup with Mars for some " hands on " assistance. At this time, they have three late models in their stable, including two set up for QR.
Plans were all set for three of us to witness our first on track action of the season on Saturday at the 2nd UMP DirtCar Nationals at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri. Those plans were changed on Wednesday, when UMP and track officials decided the grounds were simply too soggy for the large number of race teams and campers expected for the eight class, three day event. Postponed from last October, it has now been reset for the third weekend in October. Having witnessed the inaugural running of the show, I have already penciled the October date on my racing calender - yes, I really do keep one! As things stand now, we are hoping to make the trip to Pevely next Saturday night, March 27 for their regular season opener. The weekly $10.00 show at the 1/3rd miles oval features UMP late models, UMP modifieds, AARA sportsmen and Pro 4's ( hornets. ) I have never left Ken Schrader and Ray Marlers hign banked oval disappointed, so if you get the chance, the trip is worth it!
An E-mail from promoter Terry Hoenig of the Lee County Speedway in donnellson, Iowastated that he will honor the $5.00 off rain checks from last seasons rain shortened Shiverfest event at either of the tracks opening two shows. Opening night was originally set for Friday, April 23, with the first installment of the Drive For Five IMCA late models, but a $ 2,000. to win IMCA modified show has been added on April 16.
Perhaps the most talked about race of the early season in this area is the 2nd annual Slocum 50 Memorial Deery Brothers race at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa on Saturday, April 10. Due to tremendous support, the 50 lap race will pay $3,000 to win and perhaps even more important, $500 to start. Brent and his team were always strong advocates of a payout that was more focused throughout the field, and he would be proud of the solid start money at a race in his honor. Hopefully by the time this big weekend rolls around, spring will be here to stay, and we will have a few races under our belt. See you at the track!

Racin' Down the Road

2010-02-07T15:56:00.000-08:00

Thanks for checking out my first column anf thanks to Jeff for the opportunity. First, a little background info. I was born and raised in Keokuk, Iowa, a child of the 50's and 60s. My first racing memories are of the 1/4 mile track in my hometown, when legendary locals Ramo Stott and Dick Hutcherson were cutting their racing teeth in jalopies, while yearly trips to Donnellson, Iowa exposed me to : big time " IMCA stars such as Ernie Derr. In my teens and early twenties, I discovered the thrill of places such as 34 Raceway Park, the MVSC tracks in West Liberty and Columbus Junction, and the super 1/2 mile in Eldon, as well as others. My first writing job came when the local 1/4 mile reopened for a few seasons in the mid 70's as I compiled results and composed stories for the local paper and the Hawkeye Racing News for the short track as well as the Donnellson late model events promoted by the late Ron Saar. After a couple of work related moves, I landed in my current hometown of Lagrange, Missouri. Sunday night racing at Quincy Raceways then became a family tradition, and after 30 plus years, it has become my " home " track. In 1993, Jeff Broeg was kind enough to give my son Brent, fresh out of high school, an opportunity to pen a column in his fledgling racing paper, which lead to his becoming the track reporter for the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. Soon after, in 1996, Brent added the title of track announcer at Quincy Raceways. When promoter Bob Scott needed a writer for his program news and notes the following season, I dusted off my notebook and went back to work. After Brent stepped down to start a family, I continued on, even when the Scott family sold the track they had opened in 1976 to current co owner Tony Rhinberger and former partner, veteran racer Mike Karhoff. Although the new owners discontinued the costly weekly programs, I was recruited to offer up a weekly results and gossip page on the track website, which I continue to do. Although Sunday nights are filled with Quincy Raceways action, as a racing fanatic, I am still left with 6 other nights to pursue my passion, and I appreciate Jeff giving me this chance to offer up my experiences and opinions on the 50 odd nights of ( mostly ) late model racing that I am able to fit in throughout the season. The tracks closest to my home and heart, Quincy, Donnellson, and West Burlington feature IMCA sanctioned late models, but I also try to mix in some UMP venues, while looking out for the travelling series.
My 2009 officially season wrapped up with the Quincy Raceways banquest on Saturday, January 30. Veteran Lonnie Bailey collected the big hardware in the IMCA late model division to go along with his track title at 34 Raceway. Curiosly, Lonnie captured both championships without winning a points feature at either track. This had happened only one before at QR, by Dick Crane when Quincy was a weekly NASCAR sanctioned track.
While the economy has been tough on all of racing, it sounds as though QR will be able to maintain there average car count in the mid teens in 2010. Former national champion Jason Frankel has sold his IMCA operation to Genebacher Racing, but will be racing under their banner, making for a 3 car team. Jason Perry will continue to drive for the team, and Bill Genenbacher will lead the team with a new GRT machine. 13 - or is it 14? - time track champ Mark Burgtorf is committing to add the Deery Brothers Summer Series to his program this season, and young Dustin Griffin is also planning to run the tour. Veteran Terry Gallaher purchased a Mastersbilt car from Jason Krigbaum, and sold his ride to modified racer Vance Wilson, and both will be forces in the late model class in 2010. After a frustrating season, Nick Ingalls will have a different ride this season, and Robbie Warner is hoping to add some open motor events to his weekly schedule. Clint Kirkham, who picked up his first feature win in 2009, has 2 cars ready for Quincy and wherever else his construction business and farming allow.
Denny Woodworth has a couple of new cars, and is headed to Alabama this month to jump start his season. Denny has been running with the MLRA, and comes " home " as often as possible. QR is hoping to begin the season with non points racing on Sunday, April 4, with the Summer Series the following Sunday. They also have a $3,000.00 to win series race scheduled for June 13, plus a UMP Summernationals race on Sunday, July 11.
As for me and my travelling companions, we are hoping to start our year on March 20 with the final night of the UMP Dirt Car Roundup at Ken Schrader and Ray Marlers I-55 Raceway in Pevely,Mo. This is an 8 class weekend show the was postpned last October, and I believe 6 classes will be running features on the final night, with a couple of last chance races mixed in. The first running of this race in October of 2008 brought together an unusual mix of UMP hot shoes on the bad fast 1/3 mile track just south of the St Louis area. Given the current state of the midwest weather and the frequency of flooding on the access road to the track, we can only hope that Mother Nature backs off the precipitation soon! We had only just added the recently announced WDRL race at Davenport to our plans, when word came that the series that produced such great racing and had such a good format was dissolving. Hopefully something will come along and fill the avoid. If you are in need of a racing fix before the engines fire, the always popular Quincy Raceways car show will be at The Quincy Mall the weekend of March 13 and 14.
Thanks for reading, hopefully it won't be too long before we can do do some racing down the road.

Coming Soon....

2010-01-18T13:53:00.000-08:00

News and Notes from Quincy Raceway and much more!