Delonjays Dominate, Wilson, Deering, Klingele Top Quincy Action

    After being weathered out earlier this season, the MLRA Late Models planned to come back to Quincy Raceways Sunday for a late season $5,000 to win special. However as has happened so many times in 2026, Mother Nature had something to say about that plan. With a less than favorable forecast, the travelling series elected to cancel their trip. Quincy Raceways officials then decided to stay on the horse, adjusting plans to a more conventional weekly program. The new lineup would now feature IMCA Late Models for $1,000 to win, with national points available. This was particularly crucial for two top contenders, as Tommy Elston sits in second, just four markers behind leader Zach Zeitner while Jake Griffin holds sixth while also atop the Rookie of the Year race. IMCA Sport Mods would also race for national points. The track was also working to make sure UMP points would be awarded for 4 Cylinders and Crown Vics would also be in action. Modifieds were also a last minute addition.  

   Whether it was due to the questionable forecast or the late pivot, or perhaps a bit of each, both the car and fan count was somewhat less than hoped for. And that is too bad, as it turned out to be a beautiful evening for racing on a track that was in excellent condition that produced good racing.

   Modifieds kicked off feature racing, and with track points ended there was a handful of Sport Mod/B Mod drivers who took the opportunity to try their luck with the "A" Mods. Vance Wilson and Shawn Deering paced the field, with Deering leading lap one. Wilson took over the next time around, holding the top spot before bringing out the first of four yellow flags with eight laps scored, as he slowed, his night over. Deering would inherit the lead, with Dave Weitholder charging to second. Weitholder had missed his heat race, then started last in the feature. His gremlins continued as he suddenly slowed with seven laps to go, ending his charge. Tenth starting Lucas Schieferdecker and Kirk Cunningham then battled hard behind Deering before Cunningham looped his ride four laps from the checkers. One more yellow flag slowed the action before Deering picked up the checkered flag. Schieferdecker, Cunningham, Logan Cumby, and seventy nine year old Hall of Famer Dick Crane would round out the top five. 

   Unfortunately the Late Model count stood at eight, which I believe was not enough for full national points. Still it was a stacked field. A popular saying is that you cannot win the race on the first lap, but in this case the winning move came before a lap was scored. Curtis Glover and Griffin lined up in row one with the initial start called back with Glover deemed to have fired too early. He was then penalized one row, putting Jamie Wilson on the pole. Jamie would then drive a flawless race, running a middle line to lead all twenty five laps to claim his first victory of 2026. The race was stopped only one other time, as contact with one lap scored sent Elston for a spin. Griffin and Glover battled hard behind Wilson for most of the race before Jake took command of the position and briefly mounted a challenge to Wilson. At the end Wilson held a comfortable lead over Griffin, Glover, Austen Becerra, and Elston. 

   Jaden Delonjay and Kimberly Abbott paced the 4 Cylinder fifteen lapper. Along with Landon Neisen, the top three raced in tight formation before Delonjay gradually pulled away. Cole Reed soon joined the fun, taking third on lap three, then battling Niesen for second. As the race stayed clean and green, Reed took over the runner up spot about lap nine, but Delonjay was long gone. Delonjay would score the win, chased by Reed and Niesen. Abbott held off a late challenge by Jeremy Elmore to finish fourth. 

   Top contender Alec Cain lined up outside row one for the Sport Mod eighteen lapper, but pulled to the infield on the parade lap. Track champion Tanner Klingele powered to the lead by inches over first time visitor Chris Burke, who made the surprise trip from Altoona, Iowa. Klingele and Burke would race side by side, with Burke taking over the lead on lap four. Following back to back yellow flags Klingele grabbed the lead and one lap later the red flag was briefly displayed as rookie Hudson Hayes smacked the turn three concrete. Back to racing, Klingele cruised to the win ahead of Burke and Josh Dietrich. Spencer Coats was out for the first time in a Sport Mod after his 4 Cylinder career, and at the finish line he nipped out of retirement Jim Powell and his familiar #48 for fourth. 

   Crown Vics would complete the action, a dozen cars for fifteen circuits. Leaving his Late Model at home, Jeffrey Delonjay lined up fourth but grabbed the lap one lead over Kevin Horner. A pair of quick yellows eliminated Carter Goodwin and Brian Moore. As racing resumed, tenth starting Jacob Jones jumped to second. But his challenge would end as he rolled to a stop with five laps scored. Traveler Jeff Hall, in his first action at QR, then moved in to battle Horner for second. Delonjay saw his half lap lead evaporate when a ute tire was kicked to the track with just three laps to go. But Delonjay had no issues with the single file restart, picking up the win. Horner won the battle for second over Hall, Chance Bailey, and Chris Moore. 

   With tracks beginning to call it a season, Quincy Raceways still has three nights of scheduled racing. Sunday, September 27 will be "Topless" night, then plans are complete for a two day King of the Bullring Friday and Saturday, October 2-3. Open 4 Cylinders will battle for $4,000 to win while Crown Vics will race for s $2,000 payday. Late Models and B Mods will also be on the card for a $1,000 top prize each night. 

   

Glover and Raffurty are Super Nationals Champions

    On Monday, Labor Day, our motley crew made our way to Boone, Iowa Speedway for night one of the 44th IMCA Super Nationals. Late Models would be the featured class in their only competition of the week long extravaganza. A portion of the qualifying races for Sport Mods and Hobby Stocks would add to the long day and night of racing. 

   But first, the rains came. Pretty much all day Sunday, so they say. Much of the racing for that "preliminary" day was cancelled. But it was "Big Dance" day for the Mod Lites, so their Sunday 25 lap qualifier, 30 lap feature, and 12 lap Race of Champions would be folded into the already chock full Monday itinerary. 

   And then more rain came to the already saturated grounds on Monday morning, pushing things back by more than an hour. So after a very satisfying meal at Hickory Park in Ames, we arrived to : 437 individual cars in competition, plus approximately another 100 Stock Cars hot lapping only, 69 total races (we made it through 62 of them!), 7 "track farming sessions" (if you have never witnessed one, imagine 9 big John Deere tractors, one water truck, and a handful of pack vehicles doing a 10 minute total track rework followed by 5 minutes of hot lapping), 11 plus hours at the track, not to mention so much mud that we would be parking across the highway, a roughly 15 minute stroll from the ticket gate. Oh, and then there were a few DQ's thrown in, as well!

   Now none of this should be seen as a knock on the track or its' operations - this is simply Boone Super Nationals! Something over 1100 race teams would be in competition in what has unofficially become an eight day extravaganza plus the Saturday night "Prelude." Any time spent at the track during this time is really not for the casual fan, this is hard core stuff! Close racing, warm tempers, crashes leading to upside down race cars all packed into for us 11 plus hours of action, and we hit the go button with 2 plus hours still to go!

   Covering all the racing blow by blow would be a fools' errand, so I will attempt to hit some of the highlights. 

   Murfreesboro, Tn. driver Jaedon McDowell topped Kansas City, Mo. ace Dillon Raffurty to win the Mod Lite 25 lap qualifier, but from there on it was the Raffurty show. He would top Bryce Voman, Chaz Baca, Jon Padilla, and McDowell to capture the Big Dance trophy, then come back later to win the Race of Champions over Padilla, Bryan Zehm, Texas driver Scott Jordon, and Josh May in the race involving points champions from eleven represented IMCA sanctioned tracks. 

   Sprinkled throughout were 20 heat races each for the 181 entered IMCA Sport Mods, and 189 IMCA Hobby Stocks, as well as B Mains and Race of Champion qualifiers for each of those divisions. Both of those classes also raced a pair of Feature qualifiers for the Saturday Big Dance finale, only one of which hit the track before our departure. 

   That 25 lap Sport Mod event saw Iowa racers Mike Smith on top, chased by Brett Thomas, Hunter Longnecker and Minnesota driver Brayden Ahlers with those four locking into the Saturday finals.

   As mentioned earlier, the IMCA Late Models ran a complete program as this was their only night on the card. A solid field of 37 turned out, split into 4 heats, with the top 3 moving on to the 50 lap $3,000 to win Big Dance feature. Curtis Glover and Andy Nezworski were victorious from row three of their 8 lappers, while Jesse Sobbing and Beau Johnson picked up wins from row two. A pair of 12 lap B Mains added a dozen more to the feature field, with outside row one starters Tommy Elston and Logan Veloz claiming wins. The 50 lap feature got off to a rough start on the opening lap when Gregg Hamman spun in turn one and as the field slowed, Robbie Thome made contact with the back of Nezworski, apparently locking them together. As a result all three would restart at the tail. Glover had redrawn the pole position and he then shot to the lead ahead of his row one mate Zach Zeitner and third starting Darin Weisinger Jr. As that trio pulled away from the pack, Weisinger moved to second on lap two, then slipped around Glover the next time around. Glover would retake the top spot on lap four as he ran high on the one third mile track and Weisinger worked down low. Row seven starter Elston, who is locked in a tight battle with Zeitner for the national points title, quickly advanced to sixth before stalling out. About lap eight Zeitner cleared Weisinger Jr. for second while Beau Johnson joined the leaders in a four car breakaway. The leaders soon found themselves in heavy lapped traffic, and when Zeitner dove low to try and slide past Glover, Johnson charged to second. With just a dozen laps remaining, a second yellow flag came as Bobby Hansen and Kale Kosiski got together. Zeitner reclaimed second on the Delaware restart, and as he battled with Johnson Glover stretched his lead a bit. Just when it looked as though we would stay green to the checkers, a final caution came with two to go for Drew Baker. That would be only a temporary delay for Glover, who picked up the prestigious win. Zeitner would hold second over Johnson, Weisinger Jr., and Shane Demey. Veloz gained eight positions to run sixth, besting Sobbing, Elston, Kole Nordquist, and Cooper Tilley. 

   Announcers Ryan Clark and Jerry VanSickel had already invoked Patsy Clines' " After Midnight," so we began the journey home, where I arrived just shy of 4:30 A.M.! It was great catching up with friends I get to see often as well as those only once or twice a year, and we are already discussing the 2027 edition of this marathon event!

   

Fisher Sweeps Sprint Invaders at Quincy

    Sunday marked the annual visit by the 360 C.I. Mohrfeld Solar Sprint Invaders to Quincy Raceways. With the start of the IMCA Super Nationals in Boone, Ia. the remaining class lineup for Sunday was also adjusted. Open Crate Late Models, open B Modifieds, and Crown Vics were on the card along with two regular UMP Dirtcar divisions, Street Stocks and 4 Cylinders. Even so, several weekly competitors were absent, already in or on their way to the week long Super Nats. 

   Still sixty three race teams signed in, led by seventeen of the traveling sprinters. Things got off to a rousing start in hot laps when long time open wheel competitor Ryan Jamison had something break in his #51J sending him tumbling over the turn two wall. He was fortunately not injured, but his race machine was done for the night. Not to be outdone, Nate Parks also went for a hard ride when he flipped his #17 Sprint Car in turn one during heat race two. 2025 Invader champion Tasker Phillips and Mediapolis, Iowa hot shoe Colton Fisher picked up heat wins and Fisher then led the distance in the six car six lap dash to set the first three rows of the feature. 

   Street Stocks led off feature racing and the class continues to suffer low car counts. Only two cars came out for their main event, with Jake Powers topping Levi Long for the win. 

   Twenty laps was the distance for fifteen surviving Invaders. Fisher and Cody Wehrle brought the field to green, taking off in that order. Fisher opened a nice lead, catching slower traffic on lap seven, blasting the high line with little problem. One lap later the first caution came for a Sawyer Phillips spin. The single file restart lasted only one lap when McCain Richards looped his #31 in turn two followed by a final stoppage on the restart. Prior to these stops, Wehrle and Tasker Phillips had been battling hard for second, but back under green Wehrle opened a bit of breathing room even as Fisher once again pulled well ahead. Fisher again caught the back of the pack with about five circuits remaining and while Wehrle was able to close the gap, he could not get close enough to mount a challenge as Colton completed a sweep of the nights' action. Tasker Phillips held on to third followed by Tony Shilling and Alex Vande Voort. Jackson Gray topped the second five over Jaden Alexander, Sawyer Phillips, Joey Moughan, and Dustin Clark. 

   As anticipated, the Late Model count lagged a bit with nine entries. Jake Griffin and Jeffrey Delonjay brought the field to green for twenty five laps. Griffin and fast qualifier, third starting Sam Halstead quickly gained separation from the pack. Griffin slowly increased his lead as the race stayed green. Jake was ripping the cushion while his challengers worked the low groove. As the laps wound down in the non stop event Halstead elected to move to the high line as well, allowing third running Jason Oenning to quickly mount a challenge. At the checkers it was Griffin cruising to the win while Halstead held off Oenning for second. Logan Cumby was strong in fourth ahead of Jackson Frankel, Jamie Wilson, Frankie Wellman, Delonjay, and Russ Coultas. 

   Dirtcar 4 Cylinders raced for fifteen laps. Landon Neisen charged ahead from the outside pole with the first of two yellow flags coming with one lap scored. Jordon Ohaver chased the leader before giving way to Ethan Zumwalt on lap four. Neisen was at least a straightaway in front before a lap twelve caution brought him back to the field. However he once more pulled away to pick up his second consecutive win. Zumwalt came home the runner up chased by Justin Ohaver and Hunter Ohaver while Jeremy Elmore completed the first five. 

   Fourteen B Mods came next for eighteen laps. Matthew Edler and A.J. Cline filled out row one. Edler charged ahead, but a quick yellow sent us back to an original restart. This time it was Cline with the advantage, as he and Edler pulled away in a two car scrum. Edler used the high line to grab the lead on lap six, quickly catching the back of the pack before a second caution seven laps in. Twice more the yellow flag waved at lap ten before things settled down. With just five to go, Treb Jacoby moved to second after an entertaining battle with Cline and Kahne Groves. But there would be no catching Edler, who cruised to the victory. Jacoby, Groves, Cline, and Zack Huegen rounded out the top five. 

   Crown Vics put a cap on the night, a dozen cars contesting fifteen laps. Richie Berghager led Jaden Delonjay through numerous stoppages as that duo raced nose to tail and side by side. The outcome would be decided at the finish line, with Delonjay taking the win. Berghager would settle for second followed by Brian Moore, Jeff Adkison, and Kole Foster. 

   Thanks as always to the Delonjay family and their team for a fun Sunday night at the races. Quincy Raceways will take next Sunday off before returning in September 20 when the high powered MLRA Late Models come to town! As for yours truly, it will be a quick turnaround as we head for Boone Speedway Monday morning for the Late Model portion of the IMCA Super Nationals. Look for a recap on Tuesday. 

Hall of Fame Night Highlights Quincy Raceways Action

    Sunday was a happening night at Quincy Raceways. It was Hall of Fame induction night as well as the Heartland Towing Late Model Trophy Dash Finale paying $2,000 to the winner of the twenty five lapper. The HoF inductees included drivers who made their marks in the defunct Sportsman class as well as Late Models. Jim Swank, Lonnie Bailey, and Ron Monroe were on hand to receive their awards while two children of the late Larry Larson accepted for the former track champion. Long time race team sponsor and track supporter Rick Ingalls of Rick's Towing, and former track announcer Bob Gough were also a part of the 2026 class.

   The trophy Dash event, which was held following the heat races, was a doozy. The top eight in season long dash points lined up, with top earners Jake Griffin and Tommy Elston in row one. Elston shot to the lead while Griffin dueled with Jamie Wilson for second. Eventually Jake won that battle, then began to erase what seemed a comfortable lead for Elston. With about five laps remaining in the non stop event, Griffin had closed the gap. On both laps twenty one and twenty two, he executed slide jobs in turn three only to have Elston dive back under to maintain the lead. But with just a pair of trips around the oval left, Griffin put his #79 in front to stay down the backstretch, picking up a thrilling win. 

   While the Late Model turnout was a good one with late arriving Dylan Krigbaum the seventeenth to check in, the other four classes - Street Stocks had the night off - were a bit light. Often I have heard      "points don't matter to me" then the points season ends and where did everybody go?

   Eleven IMCA Northern Sport Mods checked in, and they would be first in the feature lineup, racing for eighteen laps. Kahne Groves would jump to the front from row two, soon giving up the lead to Josh Dietrich. The first two yellow flags came with three laps scored, the second of which saw Groves spin out of contention with a broken front suspension. From there Alec Cain would power to the lead. Three laps later a final caution came for a multi car pileup in turn one. Back to racing Tanner Klingele took up the chase, but for the second week in a row Cain held off the track champion for not only his second consecutive victory, but his second overall. Kinser Groves drove home third followed by Dietrich and A.J. Tournear. 

   With the MARS Modifieds trying out the brand new Belleville, Il. track, the count at QR was down, and only six cars lined up for twenty laps. Kirk Cunningham led the first two laps before spinning in turn one then being clipped by second running Vance Wilson to bring out the yellow flag. Back under green, Wilson drove off into the sunset while young Cruz Griffaw and visiting Levi Smith battled for second. As the white flag waved, Smith saw his strong run literally go up in smoke. There to claim third was 79 year old Dick Crane, out of retirement after twenty plus seasons, the first night out for the QR Hall of Famer.

   The quick turnaround had the IMCA Late Models back for twenty five laps. Austen Becerra was a no show after he exited his heat race when the Boles #4B machine went up in smoke. Jackson Frankel and Jeffrey Delonjay brought the field to green, and they would take off in that order. Frankel quickly put distance on the pack while Delonjay also gained separation in second, soon to be challenged by row two starters Curtis Glover and Jake Griffin. With zero stoppages, Frankel caught the tail of the field with just ten laps complete, and he soon found himself in heavy traffic. The second generation hot shoe was up to the challenge, and the final ten circuits found him on cruise control. In fact he would lap all the way up to the eighth place car. As he did in the dash, Griffin charged to second in the final laps, much too late to challenge Frankel. Delonjay held on for third in front of Glover and Spencer Havermale. Row six starters Jason Perry and Elston came next followed by Jamie Wilson, Jason Oenning, and first time 2026 visitor Jeremy Pundt. 

   The UMP Dirtcar 4 Cylinder fifteen lapper had a pair of yellow flags early, then Dyllan Bonk took off, gradually extending his lead over Jaden Delonjay. With six laps scored, Bonk quickly came up on a slower car, making contact which caused the Robert Brownell #58 to do a "tommy tip over" on to the drivers side at the end of the front straightaway. During the lengthy cleanup officials made the decision to DQ Bonk for the contact. This would turn the lead over to Delonjay, who was cruising before smacking the concrete barrier between turns one and two just five laps from the checkers. Landon Neisen would now be out front for the restart, and he would drive on for the victory. Kimberly Abbott would take runner up honors, while Brownell surprisingly continued on after his rollover to finish third. 

   Crown Vics would wrap up the action, with twelve of the fourteen cars taking the fifteen lap green flag. Brian Moore led the pack ahead of a lap three caution. As racing resumed Isaac Little charged to the front, leading a tight four car battle. A second and final caution came at lap ten following a spin by Chance Bailey who was then clobbered by Jeff Adkison. Little pulled away in the final five laps for the win. Brian Kaylor, who pushed for the lead early, would come home second chased by Moore, Matt Little, and Adkison. 

   Even with all the extra activity, the final checkers waved just after 9:00, capping a fun night at the Bullring! Thanks to everyone at Quincy Raceways for going the extra mile on this special evening. Next up at the track is the always popular visit by the 360 Sprint Invaders on Labor Day Sunday. Late Models, B Mods, Street Stocks, 4Cylinders, and Crown Vics will fill out the busy card. 

"Terbo" Tyler Erb Takes WoO Honors at Osky

    It had been way too long since I had visited the Mahaska County Monster half mile track in Oskaloosa, Ia. But the World of Outlaw Late Model Corn Belt Showdown presented by K Promotions and Hoker Promotions LLC seemed like the perfect time to rectify that situation. My memories of the fairgrounds track was flat out high speed racing and my recollections proved correct! The mid week program was expanded from two to three "support" classes, a challenging undertaking with school now in session. The thirty five lap headliner would pay $12,000 to the winner. 

   It was a picture perfect day, weather wise, and race fans responded accordingly with a great turnout. Seventy eight race teams rolled through the gate with a perhaps less than hoped for total of twenty three Super Late Models signed in. The Stock Car and Hobby Stock classes offered healthy counts of twenty three and nineteen, while the late added Modifieds drew just thirteen entries.

  A new track record was established in time trials. With a handful of drivers eclipsing the previous number, it was Tyler Erb establishing the new mark at 17.477 seconds. This was even more significant as "Terbo" was in his back up car, a #51 (Kyle Busch tribute?) after getting his #1 upside down over the weekend at Maquoketa. 

  All cars would transfer from the three heats to the feature with the top two from each eight lapper redrawing for the front three rows of the thirty five lap main event. Those transfers would be Ryan Gustin and to the delight of the crowd, Dallon Murty from heat one, Ethan Dotson and Bobby Pierce from heat two, and Dustin Sorensen and Daulton Wilson from heat. Outside row one driver Nick Hoffman was running second in heat two when the engine let go in his #9. He would then roll out a back up car for the feature, which he would then have to start from twenty third. 

   With the heat races complete, the Late Model headliner would be up first. Murty and Sorensen would bring the field to green. They took off in that order, catching the back of the pack on lap eight. Murty saw his comfortable lead begin to shrink before hitting a patch of open track on lap ten. But two laps later Sorensen charged to the lead, and one lap later Dotson also cleared Murty for second. The red flag would be displayed on the next circuit as Trey Mills got upside down in turn three after something appeared to break in his suspension. He had smacked the guardrail in his heat race, and speculation was that may have led to the parts failure. Sorensen was forced to lock up his breaks to avoid hitting the #14, but he was placed back in front following the lengthy clean up. As racing resumed Murty continued to fade through the pack while seventh starting Erb powered to third, then cleared Dotson as the race hit the half way point. Racing down the back chute of lap twenty, Erb drove to the inside of the leader to claim the top spot. He would then use the slower traffic to open a lead, even as Sorensen stayed within striking distance. In the closing laps Dotson mounted a charge to take the runner up position. At the checkers it was Erb with the win, followed by Dotson, Sorensen, Wilson, and Pierce. Chris Simpson led the second five ahead of Tim McCreadie, Murty, Gustin, and the hard charger Hoffman, who officially gained ten spots. 

   Television time would come next and finally it was Stock Car feature time, twenty one cars for sixteen laps. Pole sitter Derrick Agee would lead third starting Mike Van Utrecht ahead of a lap two caution for Norman Bean. Back to racing it was fifth starting Cayden Carter on the move, crossing the line inches behind the leader as a turn four mix up brought a second yellow flag. Eighth starting Maguire DeJong would join the fray, leading lap four, but dropping to third behind Agee and Carter one lap later. As those three ran in a tight pack, possible contact entering turn three sent an unhappy Agee for a spin, bringing out the yellow flag once again. He was able to rejoin the field at the tail, but unfortunately Dustin Griffiths, who unavoidably smacked the stalled Agee #14 saw his night end on the hook. As racing resumed, it was row six starter Tripp Gaylord charging to the front. He began to stretch his advantage as DeJong and Carter battled for second. Once more the caution came with four laps to go, but Gaylord again drove away for the win. Carter, DeJong, Damon Murty, and Jason See completed the first five, while Agee was able to rebound to finish in sixth. 

   Unfortunately the clock had now clicked to the wrong side of 10:30, so we decided to start the trek home. Dustin Griffiths had much better luck coming from row four to pick up the Hobby Stock win, while Cayden Carter capped off a successful night by winning the Modified feature. 

   The Outlaws now move on to Corning then Harlan, Iowa this weekend to complete their Iowa swing.

   We will now take a couple days off before Hall of Fame and Trophy Dash finale night Sunday at Quincy Raceways. Hope to see you there!

   

Champions Crowned but More Racing Ahead at Quincy Raceways

    Season Championships for six classes were on the line Sunday at Quincy Raceways. There was also a meet and greet for QR Hall of Famers Terry Gallaher and Dick Crane ahead of the induction of the 2027 class on August 30. It was an absolutely gorgeous evening, and a nice sized crowd turned out even though school has started in the tri state area. Drivers also responded, with seventy four cars signed in, including a handful of "first timers." Most notable of those was the IMCA Late Model national points leader, Zach Zeitner, from Bellevue, Nebraska, who came to race head to head against his closest challenger, Tommy Elston. Coming off track championships at Lee County Speedway and 34 Raceway, Elston entered the night less than five markers behind the second generation racer Zeitner. 

   Despite the continuing downpours off late, the track was racy, multi grooved, and dust free, and we were rewarded with quick, mostly caution free qualifying events.

   Feature racing was led off by the struggling Street Stock class. Despite opening up the rules, only six drivers turned out, and they would line up for fifteen laps. Already locked in to the track championship, Jacob Rexing would lead all fifteen circuits. In what I believe was his first visit to QR this season, former track regular Robert Cottum challenged Rexing early, before settling in to the runner up position. Following a yellow flag with one lap scored, the race stayed green until the checkers. Jake Powers raced home third, the only other car on the lead lap. 

   The highly anticipated Late Model twenty five lapper came next, with all eighteen cars taking the green flag. Front row starters Logan Cumby and Spencer Havermale raced out to the early lead, with Jason Perry climbing to second on lap five. Starting outside row four, Elston charged to third on lap six, and fourteenth starting Austen Becerra entered the top five one lap later. The first caution came with eight laps in, and both drivers used the Delaware restart to their advantage, Elston moving to second and Becerra to fourth. Just before the half way mark, Elston cleared Cumby for the lead and Becerra moved to third. Zeitner, meanwhile had started twelfth, got caught in heavy traffic, but now entered the top five. Just as Becerra drove around Cumby for second, the red flag came for an incident on the front stretch which took out Dylan Krigbaum and Ryan Aden Jr. Although I did not see what happened, apparently Krigbaum did a complete roll of his #11D. Thankfully both drivers appeared uninjured. On the restart Becerra once again cleared Cumby for second. Elston soon opened a lead while Becerra also gained separation from the field. The final nine laps ran clean and green with Elston picking up his first QR checkers of the season. Becerra cemented his track title with his runner up finish ahead of Cumby, Zeitner, and Perry. Currently in the top spot for IMCA Rookie of the Year, Jake Griffin ran sixth in front of Curtis Glover, Jamie Wilson, Darin Weisinger Jr., and Denny Woodworth. 

   The Sport Mod eighteen lapper was a stunted affair, with six yellow flags interrupting the action. The last time out Alec Cain was leading the feature when he bobbled in the final set of turns coming to the checkers, costing him his first win. Despite intense pressure down low from track champion Tanner Klingele in the second half of the race, Cain continued to maintain momentum racing the high line, leading every lap for the victory. As might be expected with all the restarts, there was much shuffling of positions behind the leader. A. J. Tournear ran second early, battling with Kahne Groves. The final single file restart with three laps remaining set up some close racing, but this time Cain was up to the challenge. Following Klingele in second it was Adam Birck wheeling the Reed Wolfmeyer #2W for the night. Groves and Tournear rounded out the top five. 

   The Crown Vic division continues to turn out good numbers, with all but one of the fifteen signed in lining up for fifteen laps. Jaden Delonjay shot from the outside pole to the lead before slowing on the backstretch of lap two to bring out the caution flag. Jake Etter would lead the field back to green, with the yellow waving two more times early in the race. Alex Hatfield drove to the front after the lap three restart, holding serve the remaining dozen green flag laps. Etter and Jacob Jones staged an intense battle behind Hatfield for second, crossing the line in that order. Jeffrey Delonjay finished fourth while Carter Goodwin used a late race move to join the top five. Hatfield also claimed the points title. 

   The UMP Dirtcar Modified turnout was light at nine cars, but they all came to the track for twenty laps. Track champion Dave Weitholder and Justin Reed filled out row one, With Weitholder grabbing the top spot. Following a lap six stoppage, Chris Spalding moved up to challenge Reed for second. Disaster struck the leader on lap eight, as a flat tire sent Weitholder to the work area for a quick change. While the now first place Reed and Spalding continued to battle, Weitholder quickly moved back to third. With four laps remaining Spalding took his best shot at the leader as he attempted a slide job in turns one and two. Somehow Reed was able to squeeze through the narrow opening to hold the lead. He then maintained a few car lengths advantage, but as he drove through the final set of turns coming to the checkers, the engine in his #B4 gave out in dramatic fashion, bellowing a huge cloud of smoke. Foot to the floor, he nursed the disabled car across the line barely in front of Spalding. Weitholder held third in front of Drake Stevenson and Vance Wilson. 

   Fifteen laps of  UMP Dirtcar 4 Cylinder action put a wrap on the night. Points champion Dyllan Bonk drove from outside row one to the lead over fourth starting Jaden Delonjay in what soon became a two car scrum. As the leaders caught slower traffic with about six laps to go, Delonjay was able to power to the front. The lone yellow flag came with three laps left, and when racing resumed Bonk and Delonjay raced side by side in thrilling fashion. With two to go, Bonk crossed the line less than a car length in front, then drove on to victory. Visiting Josh Barnes finished third while Kimberly Abbott got the best of a battle with Ethan Zumwalt for fourth. 

   While area tracks begin to count down the season, QR still has an aggressive schedule ahead, including Hall of Fame night, visits by Sprint Invaders and MLRA Late Models, as well as a huge two day show in October headlined by 4 Cylinders and Crown Vics. Keep an eye on the track website and Facebook page for details. 

   Thanks as always to the team at Quincy Raceways for their hospitality. 

Season Championships Decided at Lee County Speedway

  Friday night was Season Championship night at Lee County Speedway on the Lee County Fairgrounds in Donnellson, Iowa. Six regular classes were in action, five IMCA plus Mini Hauler Trucks. It was also the final night of the Weisinger family promotion of the fairgrounds three eighths mile track.

   With several other tracks off for the night or the season, the car count swelled to eighty eight, led by Sport Mods with twenty two, and all but the Mini Haulers hitting double digits. 

   Racing actually began a few ticks early, and things were rolling along fine until those eight Trucks came out for their heat race. Going through turns one and two racing hard for position, the #P40 of Austin Poage went for a wild series of flips, eventually landing on its wheels. Unfortunately fire broke out underneath his ride, and with fuel apparently continuing to pump, the fire crew was unable to knock it down, with flames continuing for several minutes. Emerging under his own power, Poage was apparently uninjured, however the Truck was not so lucky, and when the fire was finally out the track was covered in foam, which then took considerable time to clean up. Between that event and a few delays due to only one wrecker on site, it was after 11:00 before the final checkers, a rarity at the speedway.

   However, there was plenty of close racing, so let's get to it!

   Late Models were up first in the feature order. All but Jason Oenning, who broke a radiator in his heat, came to the track, fifteen strong for twenty five laps. The draw redraw format used all night saw Curtis Glover on the pole, and he shot to the lead ahead of a major scrum exiting turn two which led to the first yellow flag with one lap scored. Outside pole sitter Jackson Frankel was the first casualty, a flat tire ending his run. Meanwhile sixth starting Tommy Elston, having secured the points championship, was shuffled back to tenth for the restart. Another bottle neck ocurred on lap three as Spencer Havermale saw his night end early. Stringing together seven green flag laps, Glover opened a big lead, while Darin Weisinger Jr. also gained separation in second. Austen Becerra, subbing for the injured Mitch Boles in the #4B had climbed from ninth to third before suddenly exiting the track just before halfway. The final caution came with ten to go as someone - Carter Johnson? - dropped a driveshaft on the front stretch. Back to racing, Jayden Johnson fell from third to fifth, trading places with a charging Elston. While Glover again sped away, Elston tried to run down Weisinger Jr. The last ten laps clicked off quickly, with Glover scoring the win. Weisinger Jr. held second, followed by Elston. Jake Griffin ran fourth pretty much the entire race with Denny Woodworth completing the top five. Sam Halstead came next in front of Jayden Johnson, Jeremy Pundt, and Brian Curtis, with Ron Boyse credited with tenth.  

   All twenty two Sport Mods lined up for twenty laps. Kahne Groves took off from the inside front row followed by a multi car crash on the front stretch that eliminated four cars, including top contender Brandon Dale. Back racing it was Adam Birck ahead by a nose at the line, and he continued to open a bit of breathing room, while Cody Agee worked his way from row three to second.. Birck would catch slower traffic at the mid point, but one lap later the caution would come as Jarrett Franzen tried to duck under Will Wolf, clipping the tractor tire, launching in the air. Both cars were sent to the tail, with Wolf apparently not pleased with the attempt.  Kahne retook second on the restart as Birck, Kahne, and Agee pulled away from the pack. A final caution came for Austin Kemp, who slowed in turn one, and with that came the time limit. A two lap dash took us home, with Birck scoring the win. Kahne topped Agee while Chase Johnson started ninth and finished fourth. A. J. Tournear kept his nose clean and advanced eleven spots to round out the top five. Cole Gillenwater picked up his first track championship. 

   Six Trucks lined up for ten laps, and things went downhill from there. With just three laps in the books, we were down to two competitors. The final seven laps saw points champ Nick Wilkerson hold off Ethan Brown for the win. 

   Seventeen Modifieds would go at it for twenty circuits. Pole Sitter Jace Eckrich led Blaine Webster before Jarrett Brown, driving the #151 charged to second. Meanwhile eventual track champion Austen Becerra came from an eighth place start to fifth on lap two, fourth one lap later, then to the runner up spot on lap six. Eckrich would catch the back of the pack on lap seven, and three laps later Becerra would make contact with a lapped car, leaving his right side rear fender dangling precariously. The first caution came one lap later, and back under green, Austen was attempting his familiar diamond move through turns three and four when he spun to bring out another yellow. Brown took advantage of the restart to grab the lead, with tenth starting Mark Burgtorf following in second. Eckrich, with an apparent flat tire, took an ill advised sharp right hand turn from the inside line to the pits, collecting Mike Benjamin to bring a final stoppage with six to go. Coming to the flying green signifying two laps to go, Brown drifted a bit off turn four, opening the door for a charging Burgtorf to grab the lead. The veteran star, racing in his forty third season, drove off for yet another win. Brown recovered for second, chased by eleventh starting Brandon Banks, Bill Roberts, Jr., and Jace Whitt. By the way, Whitt deserves some sort of reward for making the three hour plus drive every week from Hamilton, Mo. to race at Lee County and 34 Raceway! 

   Sport Compacts restored some order to the chaos as ten of the dozen cars lined up for twelve laps. Luke Fraise sat on the pole and immediately pulled out to a commanding lead. It took three green flag laps for tenth starting Brandon Reu to move to the runner up spot. But with no cautions to bunch the field, Fraise drove on to a decisive win over the track champion. Michael Grossman debuted his Lem Blankenship tribute car to a third place finish ahead of Paige Sanders and Kimberly Abbott. 

   Quite a few of the nice sized crowd stuck around as all but Cody Staley of the bakers' dozen Stock Cars rolled out for twenty laps. Dustin Griffiths came from row two to pace the opening lap ahead of Beau Taylor before sixth starting track champ John Oliver Jr. moved to second on lap three. Oliver cleared Griffiths for the lead on lap four, then pulled out to a sizable lead. Griffiths was also well in front of an entertaining race long four car scrum involving Casen Keller, Chad Krogmeier, Derrick Agee, and Taylor, who would eventually cross the finish line in that order. With this being another caution free race, Oliver Jr. would work to a half track advantage as he completed a season long domination in the "Class Too Tough To Tame. " 

   As mentioned, this would put a wrap on the Weisinger family promotion efforts and I want to thank, Darin, Debbie, Lee Ann, Darin, and their team for their generous hospitality. It was confirmed last night that there will be one more race at the speedway in 2026 as former promoter Brian Gaylord will take the reigns to promote the very popular Shiverfest event on October 31. As for what happens in 2027, we shall see. The fairboard is actively seeking a promoter, hopefully something will be worked out. 

   Tonight we will step away for some family fun, but it is season championship night at 34 Raceway with a special low admission price. We will be back at the track on Sunday as the points chase will be decided at Quincy Raceways. QR Hall of Famers Terry Gallaher and Dick Crane will be doing a meet and greet before the races and we will be inducting the 2026 class one week later.

   See you at the races!