Checkers AND Wreckers Highlight Quincy Action

    Hat tip to my buddy Keith Reed for that headline. More on that later, but first...

   Quincy Raceways switched things up a bit on Sunday night. For the first time this year, 305 Sprints paid a visit to the Bullring. Not to be relegated to a "support class," track owner/promoter Jeff Delonjay issued a challenge to the IMCA Late Models - turn out at least twenty cars and the feature would pay $1,000 to win. Outside parties then came on board, raising the winners' share to a cool $1,750, plus an extra 50 bucks for spots nineteen and twenty. Dirtcar Modifieds, open B Mods, Dirtcar 4 Cylinders, and a Vintage class were set to fill out the card, however Crown Vics were also added late as a non points feature only event, making for a busy night of racing.

   Unfortunately, as is most often the case, adding money to the top of the purse does not necessarily increase car count, so even though a quality field of fourteen Late Models turned out I have no idea if any of the extra money was collected. But on to the racing.

   Despite the early heat from the clear, sunny skies, a very nice crowd filed in, likely boosted by the appearance of the winged warriors.  Things got off to a dramatic start in the first Late Model heat when second running top contender Curtis Glover saw his #30 go up in such a heavy cloud of smoke that the cars behind him stopped on the track, unable to see while disappearing completely from the grandstand side. Spencer Havermale would lead that same race for seven and a quarter laps before drifting high in turn four coming to the checkers allowing Austen Becerra to drive past for the win.

   Ten Vintage cars signed in, all from Missouri representing everything from Sprint/Midget bodies to Model A's to an immaculate Oldsmobile Cutlass kicked off feature racing. All but one took the green flag for twelve laps of non stop racing, led from start to finish by a fifty nine year racing veteran, seventy one year old Kevin Buckley, from Bonne Terre. To the delight of many,  Quincy Raceways Hall of Famer Terry Gallaher was also in the field, but retired early.

   A solid group of seventeen 305 Sprinters were on hand, all but two lining up for twenty laps. Paul Haley charged to the lead from outside row one, taking along fourth starting Braxton Flatt. The yellow flag waved with one lap scored for a Deke Brooks spin. One more lap went in the books before a red flag went Cole Helmerson flipped multiple times in turns one and two. The driver appeared to be okay, his #52H not so much. By the time Cody Wehrle climbed to second on lap five, Haley had checked out to a big lead. Running high on the cushion, he would catch the back of the pack by lap eight but the slower cars stayed low, giving him plenty of room. With no more delays, Haley would cruise to the win, lapping all the way up to the fifth running car. But... as he entered turn one on the cool down lap, he somehow got sideways and toppled upside down! The wrecker then towed the winning car and driver to victory lane, where he never the less celebrated his first Sprint Car win after thirty seven years of racing! I hope he earned enough money to pay for repairs! Wehrle would come home second followed by Flatt, Austin Motley and hometown hero Riley Scott, whose family built, owned, and operated Quincy Raceways for many years. 

   Judging from the now very black track, it seemed the remainder of the races might be of the follow the leader variety, but not so. Twelve IMCA Late Models remained for twenty five laps. Frankie Wellman and Havermale led the field to green. Wellman paced lap one before Havermale nosed ahead on lap two. As he ran the treacherous cushion, Jamie Wilson and ninth starting Becerra began to move forward. Havermale had a commanding lead before the yellow waved at lap ten. following another quick yellow as the field brake checked coming to the green, Becerra used the Delaware restart to grab second while tenth starting Tommy Elston charged to fourth. There would be one more quick caution, then the final fourteen laps would stay green. Quickly Wilson and Becerra moved to the front, soon joined by Elston in a three car breakaway. With just a pair of laps remaining, Becerra crossed over Wilson for the lead exiting turn four only to have Wilson return the favor off turn two. They would take the white flag side by side before Becerra pulled slightly ahead, picking up his second consecutive QR win. Wilson would settle for second in front of Elston, Jake Griffin, and Havermale. Darin Weisinger Jr. ran sixth ahead of Denny Woodworth, Jason Oenning, Wellman, and Logan Cumby. The only traveler in the field was Brady Parmeley, who made the three hour plus haul from Cadet, Missouri.

   Chris Spalding and winner the past two weeks, Rick Conoyer would lead the eleven UMP Dirtcar Modifieds to green for twenty laps. They would pace the early laps as quick qualifier Dave Weitholder inched closer in third. Back to racing after a lap six caution, Weitholder took over the runner up position. As the race stayed green, those three remained at the front with some distance separating each from the other. In the closing laps both Weitholder and Conoyer moved within striking distance of the leader. but never close enough to make a serious challenge. Spalding, known locally as "Spidey", led from flag to flag for his first QR win. Weitholder took the runner up spot over Conoyer, Justin Reed, and Jacob Rexing. 

   B Mods would be next, racing for eighteen laps. The caution flag would wave for an original restart, with Cruz Griffaw backed up a row. Drake Stevenson would assume the pole and the lead, with his row one mate, double duty Weitholder in second. The only other caution would come with four laps scored, and back under green Adam Birck would power to third. But it would be the front pair racing nose to tail as the veteran Weitholder waited for the mistake that Stevenson never made. Drake would score the win while Weitholder took bridesmaid honors two races in a row. Birck held third over Griffaw and Josh Dietrich. 

   Dirtcar 4 Cylinders lined up for fifteen trips around the .29 mile oval. Dyllan Bonk and Landon Neisen filled out row one, and they wowed the crowd racing side by side for the first six laps, Neisen scored the leader each time. As they passed under the flag stand completing lap six Neisen got sideways, smacking the concrete wall, ending his night. Bonk then drove away into the Adams County night. Kimberly Abbott charged to second, but was overtaken on lap seven by Gage Elston in a Bonk team car. With no more stoppages, Bonk opened a straightaway plus lead, cruising to the win. Elston, Abbott, Ethan Zumwalt, and Bryce Baker would follow. 

   There were still many in the stands enjoying the much cooler breeze as the Crown Vics lined up, eleven strong for fifteen laps. After a couple early yellows, double duty Jeffrey Delonjay led the opening lap before Jake Etter took over on lap two. That duo gained separation from the pack with a final caution four laps in. Back to racing Etter, who also races a B Mod, gradually pulled away, cruising to the win. Delonjay was runnerup chased by Jacob Jones, Carter Goodwin, and Skipp Dunker.

   It was a long night of racing but with plenty of action. Quincy Raceways will be back at it next Sunday before taking a night off for the Adams County Fair on August 2. Thanks as always to the hard working crew at QR for their generous hospitality. We will now be making the journey on Tuesday to Lincoln, Il. Speedway for the completion of the rain interrupted Flo Racing Night in America event from May. 

   

Johnson, Becerra, Oliver Jr., Klingele, Fraise, and Meeker Grab Donnellson Checkers

    Friday was points racing at Lee County Speedway. The regular five IMCA classes plus Mini Haulers filled out the card. It was to put it mildly a scorchingly hot evening which no doubt had a negative effect on car count, fan attendance, and track conditions. The only saving grace was a somewhat cool(?) breeze that popped up as the evening wore on. Looking at comments on line it would seem that LCS was not the only track affected by the challenging conditions, and I see that 34 Raceway has decided to scrap races for tonight at least partly due to those same elements. 

   But on to the show! Heat races clicked off in less than one hour, and after a short break, it was feature time, where amazingly three of the six money races went flag to flag, with only four yellow flags in the Modifieds and one for the Late Models and Mini Haulers slowing the action!

   Sport Compacts would roll out first, racing for twelve laps. Kimberly Abbott would lead heat winner Luke Fraise through a tight battle before Fraise eased into the top spot on lap five. Fifth starting Tim Schnathorst would move to second two laps later, but by then Fraise had checked out. With no cautions to bunch the field, Luke cruised to the win. Schnathorst held off Brandon Reu for second while Abbott and Bill Bennett completed the top five. 

   Stock Cars came next, racing for twenty laps. A lap one skirmish eliminated heat winner Austin O'Donnell, with outside pole sitter Jathan Fuller leading the way early. John Oliver Jr. suffered a broken rear end while leading the heat, forcing him to the tail of the main event after a quick replacement. He then began to work his way through the pack, and soon it was Fuller, Chad Krogmeier, Oliver Jr., and Cason Keller running nose to tail NASCAR style at the front of the field. As they continued around the inside line, Oliver Jr. moved up a line, charging to second on lap nine, then using a dandy crossover move to grab the lead at the halfway mark, even as Keller saw his night come to an end. Oliver began to pull away as Fuller and Krogmeier battled for the runner up position. Once again, with no stoppages, Oliver Jr. cruised to another victory. Fuller won the duel for second, while Kevin Koontz came home fourth. Jerry Jansen claimed fifth by a tight margin over Scott Jordon, and his #06 began to spew smoke  as the checkers waved. 

 Modifieds would be the "bad boys," with most of the problems coming at the back of the pack on the somewhat tricky surface. Fisher Reese paced the opening circuit before Jace Whitt and heat two winner Mark Burgtorf drove to the front using the high line on lap two. Austen Becerra lined up in row four, but charged to third the next trip around the three eighths mile oval. As the top three pulled away from the field, Becerra moved to second just ahead of the first caution with six laps scored. Back to racing Austen powered to the front, then began to drive away, leaving Whitt and Burgtorf to fight for second. Becerra was on cruise control before the yellow flag waved three times in the final four of the twenty laps, during which time third running Whitt retired to the pits. The final rundown saw Becerra pick up the win and Burgtorf hold off a late charge by Adam Shelman for second. First heat winner Bill Roberts was fourth while Brian Reed would record a fifth place finish. 

   Ron Boyse saw his night end on the first lap of his heat race, and he would be the only one of the dozen Late Models absent from the feature lineup. When Nick Leary elected to start at the tail it would be Jason Oenning and heat two winner Jay Johnson bringing the field to green for twenty five laps. Johnson quickly opened a sizable lead ahead of the only caution with nine in the books. Denny Woodworth had been running in second, but he was shuffled back to fifth on the Delaware Style restart, with eighth starting Spencer Havermale taking up the chase. After once again building a commanding lead, Johnson soon had Havermale closing fast as the laps wound down. With just four circuits remaining, the leaders would come upon a slower car, and while Johnson was able to maneuver around, Havermale suddenly fell off the pace after clipping one of the tractor tires and folding under the nose of his #7H. While Jay then drove off to the win, Havermale would fall to fourth behind the hard charging duo of row five starters, Jake Griffin and Tommy Elston. Woodworth would round out the top five. First heat winner Darin Weisinger Jr. would come next after a tight battle with Curtis Glover. Oenning, Jeremy Pundt, and Leary would round out the finishers. 

   For all intents, the Sport Mod fifteen lapper was over when the green flag waved. Tanner Klingele was a rocket from outside row one, charging ahead of Brandon Lambert. Cole Gillenwater drove to second on lap two, but by then Klingele was well out front. Jim Gillenwater moved to third on lap three. Klingele completed the heat and feature sweep ahead of Cole Gillenwater. Lambert would get back around Jim Gillenwater for third while Grady Jones claimed fifth in the non stop event. 

   Ten laps for the ten Mini Haulers would put a cap on the night. Nick Wilkerson and Tate Kronfieldt would pick up heat wins, but it would be Austin Poage and Jim Hooper pacing the feature field to green. Following a first lap caution and an original restart, Poage would lead Colton Meeker for a pair of laps. Then Meeker would take command on lap three, and two circuits later Wilkerson would move to second. Those two would drive off from the pack in a tight nose to tail formation. Wilkerson waited for the mistake that never came as Meeker picked up his first ever feature win. Three Missouri drivers would chase the Iowa Boys, as Poage would race home third ahead of Cody Webster and Derek Hooper.

   The final checkered flag waved by Darin Weisinger would come just minutes past 9:30, a very welcome outcome. Thanks as always to Darin and his crew for their gracious hospitality. Just a reminder, Lee County will take next week off before returning to action on July 31. Yours truly will next be at Quincy Raceways tomorrow, Sunday before a return trip Tuesday to Lincoln, Il. Speedway for the completion of the May 7 Flo Racing Night in America rainout. 

Tight Battles, Late Passes Highlight Quincy Action

    Quincy Raceways was back in action on Sunday, six regular classes in competition. It was Quincy Auto Supply Night with discounted tickets available which helped swell the large gathering. Sixty seven cars checked in on a warm, humid night. The green, white, checkers format for hot laps got things off to a fine start, with heat race action firing off near 6:30 and clicking off in a timely fashion. 

   A bit of track work came during intermission, and it was quickly time for feature racing. 

   Dirtcar Street Stocks were up first and even with a couple of first timers on hand this class continues to struggle with car count. Nick Proehl made the trip from Colona, Il. and paced lap one before giving way to Jacob Rexing. With the race staying green throughout the fifteen laps, Rexing opened about a half lap lead. Proehl held second until slowing dramatically on the final circuit with a flat tire. He would then drop to fourth, with Brandon Boden and Richie Wagy filling out the podium while Don Hoffstadt brought his sharp looking Dodge home in fifth. 

   All but one of the dozen IMCA Northern Sport Mods lined up for eighteen laps. Todd Wolfmeyer and Olivia Hoffman led the opening circuit. A.J. Tournear powered to second on lap two, then to the front two laps later. Meanwhile seventh starting Tanner Klingele was on the move, climbing to second on lap five. Reed Wolfmeyer and Adam Birck charged from rows four and five to join the hunt, and as the race approached the half way mark, Klingeke snagged the lead followed in second by Reed Wolfmeyer. The first caution came with six laps to go, and back to racing Birck moved to third. The yellow flag came again two laps later and as racing resumed a turn four mix up brought out the red flag as Jordan Zumwalt got upside down. The final restart was single file and Klingele raced home to the win. Reed Wolfmeyer . Birck, Tournear, and Coal Valley, Il. driver T.J. Patz completed the top five. 

   Dyllan Bonk won the drag race to turn one over Landon Neisen as the Dirtcar 4 Cylinders came to the track for fifteen laps. They would race nose to tail in the early laps ahead of an entertaining battle between Austin Harris, Kenny Butterfield, and Devin Harrell. As the laps clicked off in the non stop event, Bonk began to pull away, even as Harris and Butterfield closed the gap to Neisen. The final two laps saw both Harris and Butterfield move to second and third, but there would be no catching Bonk. Neisen crossed the line in fourth while Harrell rounded out the top five. 

   The IMCA Late Model class continues to turn out strong numbers, with seventeen competitors checked in. Missing from the starting grid was Logan Cumby, who saw his #8C erupt in a cloud of smoke in his heat race. Heat winners Frankie Wellman and Jason Oenning would pace lap one, with Jeffrey Delonjay moving to second on lap two. Disaster was averted on lap three when Spencer Havermale stalled at the entrance of turn one, as somehow everyone managed to avoid contact. Jake Griffin lined up in row four but now used the Delaware Style restart to jump to third. Delonjay would drive to the front on lap six with Griffin taking the runner up spot one lap later. With eight laps remaining twelfth starting Austen Becerra had entered the picture in third. Griffin took over the lead one lap later and with just five laps to go Becerra cleared Delonjay for second. He then moved up to challenge for the lead and the front duo ran side by side before Becerra nosed ahead two laps from the checkers. He would then hold on for the hard fought win. Griffin, Delonjay, Jackson Frankel, and Oenning would complete the first five. Travis Denning would claim sixth in front of Tommy Elston, Jamie Wilson, Curtis Glover, and Darin Weisinger Jr. Becerra advanced eleven positions while Frankel and Denning moved up seven and Griffin six in the wild and wooly event. 

   Justin Reed was a scratch in the Dirtcar Modified twenty lapper. Chris Spalding shot to the lead over Dave Weitholder, only to see Weitholder drive to the front on lap two. Rick Conoyer eased around Spalding on lap four as the three front runners pulled away from the pack. The yellow came with five laps scored, but it would take four more circuits before Conoyer nosed ahead of Weitholder at the line. Rick began to increase his lead and now double duty Rexing moved up to challenge Spalding for third. Twice more the yellow flag would fly, creating an open track for the leader. On the final restart with four laps to go, Spading used the Delaware lineup to clear Weitholder for second. Chasing those three would be Rexing in fourth and Shawn Deering close behind. The win would be the second in a row for Conoyer. 

   Double duty Jeffrey Delonjay would come from row four to grab the Crown Vic feature win. Braxton Dieker ran second followed by Alex Hatfield, Skipp Dunker, and Carter Goodwin. 

   Thanks again to the Delonjays' and their crew for their hospitality and a fun place to spend Sunday nights!

   Quincy Raceways will mix it up a bit next Sunday as the lineup will include 305 Sprints, IMCA Late Models, Dirtcar Modifieds, B Mods, Dirtcar 4 Cylinders, and Vintage cars. Hope to see you there!

Sheppard Corrals Slocum Honors, Burgtorf and Becerra Also Winners

    After the 18th annual Slocum 50 was rained out in April, the event was moved to become a part of the yearly visit by the Lucas Oil Late Model series on Thursday, July 9. This would be the second consecutive Thursday for racing at 34 Raceway, west of West Burlington, Iowa. The highlight of the traveling series would be the $15, 000 to win main event. IMCA Late Models and IMCA Modifieds, weekly staples at the 3/8 mile high banked facility would also be in action with $1,000 to win features. 

   Although hard rains prior to race time fell throughout the area, the race grounds remained dry with a beautiful rainbow and in fact the sun shone brightly before setting off turn two. Although a bit late arriving, likely due to the weather, a great and enthusiastic crowd would eventually file in.

  Twenty nine Super Late Models came through the pit gate backed up by twenty two IMCA Late Models and a rather disappointing eleven IMCA Modifieds. The evening began with Lucas Oil time trials, and it would be the first car out, Brandon Overton, who would set overall quick time at 14.796 seconds, about three tenths off the track record for Late Models. Brandon Sheppard would pace group B at 15.015.

   Heat race drama in IMCA heat three saw a two car spin in turn four coming to the white flag. Running in a top four redraw position, Sam Halstead had nowhere to go, and the hard contact eliminated him from competition for the night. Lucas Oil heat two saw Shannon Babb spin in that same corner on the opening lap taking out himself as well as two other cars. Babb also was done for the night. Further issues would whittle the field to just two cars as the checkers waved. 

   Overton, Carson Ferguson, Sheppard, and Rickey Thornton Jr. would capture heat wins while Clay Stuckey grabbed B main honors. The Smith brothers, Brenden and Brody would grab the two provisional starting spots for the fifty lap money race. 

   Pole sitter Overton would beat Sheppard to turn one as those two soon separated themselves from the field. Soon Thornton Jr. would join the leaders, and with the race staying green they would catch slower traffic about lap fourteen. Overton would gain a bit of separation moving through the lapped cars as Sheppard now had a battle on his hands for second. The first yellow flag would come after thirty one laps as fifth running Josh Rice ducked to the work area. Back under green Overton would again pull away from the battle for second. Soon Sheppard would close in on the leader as Devin Moran moved in to challenge for third. With just thirteen laps to go Sheppard, running the inside line around the high banks eased past the leader while Moran powered to third. Even as Overton stayed close on the high side, Moran made it a three car scrum for the lead. Devin would charge to second about lap forty two and one lap later the second and final caution would come for Hudson Oneal. This would set up a single file seven lap dash to the checkers. Despite pressure from Moran and Overton, B Shepp would hang on for his first Slocum victory, unofficially jumping to the series points lead in the process. Moran, Overton, Max Blair, and Thornton Jr. would record top fives, trailed by Brian Shirley, Ferguson, Kyle Bronson, and the Simpson brothers, Chad and Chris, who would be the hard charger, gaining eight spots. 

   With all the post race television hoopla finally complete, the IMCA Late Models would lineup twenty strong for twenty five laps. Jeremy Pundt and Mark Burgtorf would redraw the front row and take off in that order before a first lap caution ended the night for Cody Washburne. Pundt would again lead the original restart with C.J. Horn slipping around Burgtorf on lap two. Travis Denning would also clear Burgtorf on lap five, but Mark would retake the position one lap later. As Pundt opened a comfortable lead, Burgtorf moved up to challenge Horn for second. around lap ten. As the race stayed green, the wily veteran Burgtorf cleared Horn with just four laps to go and set off after the leader. When the front duo came through turns three and four to the "two to go" signal, Burgtorf charged to his first lead of the race. He then held on for an emotional win. Pundt settled for runner up honors over Horn. Mitch Boles won a late battle with eleventh starting Tommy Elston for fourth. Denning, Jay Johnson, Andy Nezworski, Dustin Smith, and row nine starter Cruz Birkhofer would round out the top ten. 

   IMCA Modifieds would close out the action. A first lap four car pile up in turn three would end the night early for Andrew Hamburg and Bill Roberts Jr. Dennis Laveine would rocket to the lead as racing resumed with Austen Becerra on his heels. Running the top line, Becerra powered to the lead on lap three while Jace Eckrich entered the conversation in third. Following a quick yellow flag Eckrich would use the Delaware Style restart to move to second. After a lap five caution Becerra would open a sizable advantage while Eckrich also gained clearance ahead of a great three car battle between Laveine, Kolton Osborn, and Logan Anderson for third. One final time the caution would come at the halfway mark and the field would now go single file. But there would be no catching Becerra, who cruised to the win. Eckrich held the runner up spot while Anderson claimed third. Osborn nipped Laveine at the line in a tight scrum for fourth. Tom Bowling Jr., Blaine Bryant, and Matthew Lundry would follow in that order.  

   It was a solid night of racing on a well prepared track. Special thanks to Brad, Jessi, and all the crew for a memorable night honoring a great friend. 

   We will take a couple night s off then be back at Quincy Raceways for weekly racing on Sunday. 

Quincy Raceways Gets Back in Action

    After going zero for the month of June, Quincy Raceways officials, fans, and drivers were eager to get back to action. July 5 was an off day on the original schedule, but an unfortunate stretch of weather related cancellations resulted in a change of plans. All six regular divisions were in action with extra money coming in from outside sources for the Crown Vics. Start times were backed up one hour in reaction to the anticipated heat. 

   Heat race action rolled off in a timely fashion, and following the late model dash and intermission it was feature time. 

   Crown Vics kicked off the main events, thirteen strong for a dozen laps. Following a pair of early cautions, Carter Goodwin pulled out to a commanding lead. But with four laps to go, Goodwin came in contact with a slower car, ending his run. Alex Hatfield inherited the lead for the restart, then held off Jaden Delonjay to pick up the win. A multi car mix up on the final lap scrambled the finish but Brian Kaylor held on for third in front of Skipp Dunker and Richie Berghager.

   Sixteen IMCA Late Models checked in with all making the twenty five lap feature call. Jackson Frankel and Denny Woodworth brought the field to green. Frankel paced the opening circuit before Woodworth slipped around him to lead lap two. Austen Becerra (4th) and Tommy Elston (3rd) powered to second and third ahead of a lap ten caution for a Ryan Aden Jr. spin. Elston would clear Becerra for second at the half way mark. The yellow flag would fly again at lap fourteen and as the cars worked to realign the red flag came out for a medical issue in the pits. When racing resumed, Woodworth and Elston gained separation from the pack, Woodworth running a middle line while Elston worked low on the .29 mile oval. As those two battled Becerra began to gain ground, and with just two laps remaining he cleared Elston for second. But there would be no catching the Late Model Lawyer, as Woodworth picked up his first feature win of the season. Following Becerra and Elston it was visiting Travis Denning in fourth and Frankel in fifth. Jamie Wilson started and finished sixth while Jason Perry did the same in seventh. Jake Griffin, Curtis Glover, and Jeffrey Delonjay completed the top ten. 

   "Yellow Fever" then became the dominating theme as the two Modified classes were next. Twenty laps of UMP Dirtcar Modified racing produced five yellows, one of which eventually turned red. Wentzville, Missouri driver Rick Conoyer sat on the pole of the thirteen entries and made his visit pay off, leading from start to finish. The first stoppage came with just two laps scored and on the restart third running Justin Reed got sideways in turn four stacking up the field, necessitating the yellow to red to clear the track. Three more quick cautions resulted in a single file restart, with Conoyer and double duty Jacob Rexing driving away from the pack. Only six cars remained at the end. Visiting Ken Schrader topped a battle with Shawn Deering for third while Dave Weitholder came back from a hot pit visit to claim fifth. 

   Seven was the number of cautions in the eleven car twenty lap IMCA Northern Sport Mod money race. Once again it was a flag to flag win through the carnage for Reed Wolfmeyer. Alec Cain and Tanner Klingele waged an entertaining battle for the runner up spot before Cain went too hot into turns three and four, smacking the concrete, ending his run twelve laps in. Finally with five laps to go the realignment went single file, staying green to the finish. Klingele applied heavy pressure to the leader, but Wolfmeyer held on for the victory. Josh Dietrich and Todd Wolfmeyer were the remaining survivors of the calamity.

   The struggling Street Stock class produced only four entries. Jacob Rexing ran away in the ten lap non stop event, winning by about a half lap. Brandon Boden drove past George Wilson for second with James Stanton rounding out the field. 

   Dirtcar 4 Cylinders wrapped up the on track action. Spencer Coats and Dyllan Bonk brought the remaining nine of the ten car field to green for fifteen laps. Bonk charged ahead while Landon Neisen eased around Coats for second. Contact between those two ended the night for both top contenders in the only stoppage of the race. Bonk would fly away to a half track lead, picking up the win. Kimberly Abbott was steady in second, topping visitors Tim Westenhaver Jr. and Bryan Gregg as attrition took the rest of the field.

   Much of the large gathering stayed around for the fireworks show after the races. 

   Thanks as always to Jeff, Renee and their staff for their hospitality. QR will be back in action next Sunday for regular six class racing with discount tickets offered at Quincy Auto Supply. 

   Next up for yours truly is the rescheduled Slocum 50 at 34 Raceway, the April rainout making it a part of the annual visit by the Lucas Oil Late Model series. IMCA Late Models and IMCA Modifieds will fill out the spectacular card. This is a Thursday, July 9 event, with no other close by racing. The Thursday night special last week at 34 drew a field of thirty two IMCA Late Models and twenty five IMCA Mods. Pair that with the stars and cars of the Lucas Oil series and the Slocum 50 tradition and you have got a "can't miss" event! See you there!

Lee County Beats the Storms on Friday

    Friday was Midwest Auto Collision Night at Lee County Speedway, with free admission for military, past and present. The regular six classes were in action while K.A.R.A., the Keokuk Auto Racers Association was once again on hand to stage their second Australian Pursuit, this time for the Mini Hauler division. Also at intermission there was a candy/quarter dash and bicycles giveaway for the kids and fireworks to wrap up the night. It was indeed a full night of action!

   Once again conditions were far from comfortable, at least at the beginning of the evening, but for those who stuck around until fireworks time, the nearby storms dropped the temperature to a very pleasant level.

   The swampy conditions I know did affect the car count a bit, but still there were enough hearty souls to give us a pair of heat races in all except the Mini Hauler class. Once again the crowd was treated to a special visit by former NASCAR star Kenny Schrader wheeling his #9 Modified.

   Heat races rolled off quickly and Nick Wilkerson picked up the Australian Pursuit as we headed to intermission.

   IMCA Stock Cars would roll out first in the feature lineup. Chad Krogmeier would lead Casen Keller as lap one of twenty was scored. John Oliver Jr. was on the move, charging from row four in the draw redraw thirteen car lineup to third on lap two. The lone caution came at lap four as a spin by Jathan Fuller collected Jake Powers and Corey Strothman, eliminating all three contenders. Oliver Jr. grabbed the runner up spot on the Delaware Style restart, then overtook the leader coming to the flag stand one lap later. The #05 then pulled away in front of a battle between Krogmeier and Keller. Oliver Jr. cruised to the win while Krogmeier nipped Keller at the line for second. David McCalla and Leremy Jackson rounded out the top five. 

   IMCA Modifieds would be up next, eleven strong for twenty laps. After starter Kevin Eggleston called back the original start, the race remained clean and green to the checkers. Bill Roberts Jr. paced the opening circuit in front of Jace Eckrich while seventh starting Austen Becerra powered to third. Eckrich would move to the lead on lap two and Becerra would take second one lap later. The frontrunners would pull away from the pack with Becerra changing lines looking for the opening he needed. As the white flag waved a slower car running in his preferred lane temporarily boxed Eckrich giving Becerra one last shot at the lead. As the duo exited turn four Jace would hold on for the hard fought win. Mark Burgtorf was steady all race long in third chased by Roberts Jr. Dakota Simmons held off Schrader for fifth. 

   Fourteen IMCA Late Models lined up for twenty five laps. The move of the race came in the infield when Tommy Elston redrew the pole position. The Keokuk veteran would lead all twenty five laps. Twice the yellow flag would bring him back to the pack, but on each occasion he would drive away to a commanding lead. Sam Halstead and Rickey Frankel III would battle back and forth early for the runner up position. Two time winner Jake Griffin drew the number seven pill, advancing to third on lap nine. Meanwhile a gaggle of cars raced closely for position behind the top three of Elston, Frankel III and Griffin. The final caution came at lap sixteen as Frankel III slowed with steam rolling from his #33. His cousin Jackson Frankel would inherit the third spot, then use the Delaware restart to move to second as eighth starting Curtis Glover charged from seventh to fourth. Once more Elston pulled away for by my count his third LCS win of the season followed by Jackson Frankel, Griffin, Glover, and C.J. Horn. Mitch Boles, Darin Weisinger Jr., Ron Boyse, Carter Johnson, and Kruze Miles would complete the top ten. 

   Twenty laps would decide the eleven car IMCA Northern Sport Mod winner. Before lap one was complete the yellow flag would fly as Olivia Hoffman and Grady Jones would come together in turn three, eliminating both cars. Pole sitter Cole Gillenwater would lead fourth starting Brandon Dale ahead of a second and final caution with one lap scored as rookie Kindel Droege had issues on the backstretch. Gillenwater would begin to stretch his lead as Bryson Eckrich moved up to challenge Dale for second, three second generation hot shoes setting the pace. Besides close racing we were now being treated(?) to some intense lightning strikes seemingly not too far north of the speedway as well as a welcome cool breeze and a noticeable drop in temperatures. As it turned out the track racing fifty plus miles to the northeast saw their program washed out mid race, so we were the lucky ones! In any event, Gillenwater would open a straightaway advantage to cruise to victory. Eckrich won the battle for second over Dale, while Brandon Lambert and Chevy Barnes also collected top five finishes.  

   Track officials now went into a much appreciated hurry up mode, dispensing with post race activities, parade laps, etc. as the Mini Haulers came to the track for ten laps of racing. One caution with two laps in the books would slow the action, but it was merely a small distraction for pole sitter and eventual winner Nick Wilkerson, who missed a clean sweep with a second place heat race finish. Nick would drive away to the feature win over heat winner Dawson Tipps, Hayden Delzell, Larry Hooper, and Jason Delzell, the only survivors of the seven truck field. 

   IMCA Sport Compacts would wrap up racing, eleven cars cut to a ten lap main event. Tim Schnathorst would redraw the front row pole and lead all laps as the race went non stop green to checkers. Kimberly Abbott would challenge the leader before rare mechanical issues ended her pursuit in the early laps. Brandon Reu would work from row three to the runner up spot by lap three, soon applying pressure to Schnathorst. Several car lengths would separate the two leaders even as Reu worked hard to close the gap. As the final checkers of the night waved, it was Schnathorst with the win over Reu and Luke Fraise. Ethan Prim had a solid run in fourth while visiting Paige Sanders, Montezuma, Iowa rounded out the first five.

   Thanks once again to the Weisinger family and their capable team for a fun Friday night!

    Regular racing will at LCS will take a pause next week as the Mohrfield Sprint Invaders take center stage during Iowas' oldest county fair. 

   We will enjoy family activities and celebrate our nations' birthday today along with the big block party and legendary fireworks display in our former hometown of Lagrange, Missouri, then be back in our regular seats Sunday as Quincy Raceways recovers from a complete washout in June. Race times have been backed up one hour on Sunday, check the track Facebook page for details. Hope to see you there!

    

Laveine Sanitation Night a Big Success at 34 Raceway

      Thursday was a special night at 34 Raceway, West Burlington, Iowa. The now apparent annual event was sponsored by Laveine Sanitation, the business of longtime racer Dennis Laveine. The veteran competitor along with track owners/promoters Brad Stevens and Jessi Mynatt rolled out the red carpet for race teams and fans alike. All fans and drivers received free admission! In addition there were many prizes and contingencies for the racers as well as prize drawings for fans. To top things off, all five divisions in action saw their feature race pay $1,500 to win and $150 to start! In "old school" fashion, sponsors were lined up to award payouts for heat race finishes, a custom seldom seen since the 1980's! And as racing wrapped up in the wee hours, a fireworks display entertained the many hearty souls still around, as even with the extremely warm conditions, a large and enthusiastic crowd turned out.

   One hundred and thirty eight race teams was the official tally in the five featured divisions, with IMCA Sport Mods leading the way with thirty seven drivers. They along with the thirty two IMCA Late Models needed B mains to whittle feature fields down to twenty four. Only 305 Sprints, eighteen strong turned out less than a "full field." It was a very interesting mix of drivers from various areas, many of whom were likely not familiar with the track.

   With the high humidity, the track stayed in excellent condition throughout the twenty three race program, with just a slight amount of tickling of the three eighths mile high banks during intermission. 

   Of course there is always a downside to an affair of this magnitude, and on this night it would be a possible case of carpal tunnel for the lone flagman, who was forced to wave the yellow flag somewhere north of three dozen times! Many drivers unfortunately struggled finding a grip on the smooth, fast, and somewhat slippery corners of the oval. 

   With all preliminaries in the books, IMCA Northern Sport Mods kicked off feature racing, two dozen strong for twenty laps. Following a yellow flag on the first attempt at a start, pole sitter Cole Stichter led third starting Dylan VanWyk. Sport Mod standout Brayton Carter would enter the mix on lap three, moving to third after lining up in row five. Two more cautions came before Carter took command using the high line, taking VanWyk along in second. As Carter stretched his advantage, Cole Gillenwater would climb to third before a turn two spin ended his run just seven laps from the checkers. The field would now realign single file with only one more caution slowing the action. VanWyk would get close enough to the leader to attempt a slide job in turn three, but Carter was able to cross back over for the lead. Dylan would stay close but could not mount another serious challenge as "Speedy Bray" drove on to his sixteenth feature win of 2026. After dropping out of his heat race, double duty John Oliver Jr. lined up in row eleven but methodically worked his way to third at the finish. Stichter came home fourth while Bryson Eckrich won an entertaining back and forth battle with Quinton Shelton for fifth. 

   All but one of the eighteen 305 Winged Sprints made the twenty lap feature call. Cody Wehrle, subbing for Tanner Gebhardt in the #27I sat on the pole position, jumped to the lead and was never headed as the yellow flag would wave just a single time. However that one stoppage was nearly a disaster for second running John Barnard. As the front duo attempted to put car a lap down in turns three and four, the slower car got crossed up causing Bernard to get sideways and stop. Fortunately track officials allowed him to retain his position, which he held the rest of the way to the checkers. But there would be no catching Wehrle, although Barnard was able to draw closer in traffic on the final laps. Kyle Steffens started and finished third while Riley Scott moved up eight positions to fourth. Jeff Wilke also came from deep in the field to round out the first five. 

   The IMCA Stock Car field was down to twenty one for their twenty lap finale. The usually well behaved class would see four cautions in the first half of the event, finally going single file and settling down with just one more caution two laps from the finish. Outside row one starter Kenny O'Donnell led fourth starting Chad Krogmeier through three yellow flags as the opening lap was scored. Cayden Carter would power to second as the laps began to click off and Oliver Jr. charged from row five to third on lap three. Two mores trip past the flag stand and Carter grabbed the top spot followed by Oliver in second one lap later. As the two veterans and most of the field hugged the inside line, eleventh starting Maguire DeJong moved to the top side and began quickly picking off cars, charging to third by a lap twelve caution. An early yellow flag had sent David Brandies to the tail for the restart, but back to racing he mirrored DeJong, climbing to the high line and advancing quickly to fifth. With Carter still locked on the bottom, Oliver now moved up a lane to challenge, and along with DeJong they now locked in an entertaining three car battle. But coming out of turn two on the way to the white flag, Oliver began to slow, dropping fluid through turns three and four, ending his bold pursuit. On the final restart Carter moved higher on the track to protect his lead, holding on to pick up the hard fought win. It would be DeJong in second followed by Brandies, O'Donnell, and Krogmeier with top five finishes. 

   Pole sitter Mark Burgtorf led fourth starting Jesse Bodin as the twenty four car IMCA Late Models began their twenty five lap event. The first of only two cautions came with one lap scored as Jake Griffin and Rickey Frankel III got together in turn four. Back under green fifth starting Travis Denning drove to second followed by third starting Tommy Elston. Denning would use the high line to ease around the bottom hugging Burgtorf on lap five. The second and final caution came with seven laps scored, and Elston used the Delaware Style restart to power to second. It took three more trips around the oval before Elston was able to slip past Denning for the lead. Now it was Denning and Burgtorf in a side by side, back and forth battle for second all while still staying close to the leader. As the laps clicked off, third generation driver Cruz Birkhofer began a charge forward after lining up in row seven. Elston drove off to the win as Denning finally topped the fight for second over Burgtorf. Bodin finished where he started in fourth while Birkhofer gained eight spots to fifth. Buried in the starting field, Andy Nezworski came on strong late, advancing ten positions to finish sixth. C.J. Horn, Sam Halstead, Jamie Wilson, and Dustin Smith would round out the top ten. 

   IMCA Modifieds would complete the racing action, twenty five strong for twenty laps. The finale was a marathon marred by nine (ten?) yellow flags. Spencer Diercks would fire off ahead of the start zone and be penalized one row as the first stoppage came. But it would take him just three circuits to overtake early leader Jace Eckrich for the position. Single file restarts would begin with just four laps in the books. While Diercks built a commanding lead, Eckrich and seventh starting Austen Becerra raced hot and heavy for second. On each of the numerous restarts, Diercks would pull away while Eckrich and Becerra continued their duel. The final six laps would mercifully stay green, with Diercks cruising to the win. Becerra would score the runner up spot over Eckrich, double duty Cayden Carter would add a fourth to his Stock Car win, and Logan Anderson would ease around Chris Zogg on the final lap for fifth. 

   While it was for sure a bit warm and muggy, there was a nice breeze early as we watched that oh so familiar 34 Raceway sunset, somehow it wouldn't seem right any other way! Special thanks to Dennis Laveine, Brad and Jessi, and their hard working crew for a such a special night of non stop action. The track will be idle this Saturday as they plan for their next big event, the rescheduled Slocum 50, held next Thursday, July 9 in conjunction with the yearly visit by the high powered Lucas Oil Late Models. The three division program will also feature, IMCA Late Models, and IMCA Modifieds in what is a "can't miss" show for yours truly and hopefully you as well! 

   Check back tomorrow, as we will hopefully have a run down of more holiday weekend racing from tonight at Lee County Speedway. Hope to see you there!