Chris Simpson Leads an All Iowa Sweep at West Liberty

     Ill-timed rains continue to put a crimp in out 2026 racing plans, indeed I have quit counting the rain outs. So we were excited to see clear skies and pleasant temps on Tuesday as we made our first visit of the season to West Liberty Raceway. The evening would mark a rare appearance by the UMP Dirtcar Summernationals at the storied Muscatine County Fairgrounds track, the first since Rick Aukland drove to victory in 1995. It was also one of the few "Hell Tour" races contested on a half mile surface, as the bulk of the events are staged on the Illinois quarter mile bullrings. Jeff Struck,  SR Promotions are in charge of the limited schedule at West Liberty this season. Also racing on this night would be IMCA type Modifieds, Stock Cars and Sport Mods, plus a pair of vintage classes, a heavy load for week night racing. Seventy three race teams in the regular four divisions signed in, led by a solid twenty seven Late Models, with another nineteen of the vintage variety filling out the pit areas. Obviously hungry for racing at the big ole half mile, the grandstands were packed, end to end, with many late arriving fans traversing the main covered stands searching for a prime viewing area. 

   Time trial qualifying is a UMP staple, thankfully on the west side of the Mighty Mississippi it is only the headline class that does so. And it was the first car out, one of the local favorites, Chris Simpson, who would set quick time for the night. In fact, #32 would delight the crowd as he eclipsed the track record with time of 18.165 seconds! And as is frequently the case with time trial racing, this form of qualifying would set the tone for the evening. 

   Chris would motor on the capture the first of three Late Model heats from the pole, while brother Chad Simpson would take heat two from outside row one. Pole sitter Tanner English grabbed the early lead in heat three, but slowed suddenly on lap two with a flat tire. Late Model rookie Dallon Murty would take over and drive to the win, making it an Iowa sweep of heat race action. The "hometown" dominance would continue to be a theme, as Jonathon Brauns used an outside row one start to collect the B main win. With twenty cars qualified, four provisional starters were added, giving us a full field of two dozen for the forty lap, $5,000 to win headliner late in the program.

   Stock Cars would line up for the first money race, twenty strong for eighteen laps. Iowa race fans will tell you that this class is perhaps the most well balanced, well behaved, and entertaining group of racers night in and night out. However a visiting fan might be left scratching their head at that statement after Tuesday night. By my count, it was six yellow flags separated by a lengthy red flag period that would turn this race into a marathon. Greg Gill and David Brandies would battle early with Norman Bean and John Oliver Jr. joining the leaders following a trio of early cautions. Six laps had been scored when a grinding crash in turn one saw Rusty Zook take an ugly one and a half tumble in his #18Z.

    In fact, the racing up front was excellent around the frustrating cautions, as there were three different leaders from that point as the laps clicked off. Oliver Jr. would be out front for a lap before Brandies eased back in front. Another yellow saw Nathan Wood climb first to the runner up spot, then following the last interruption he would overtake Brandies, driving to victory. Brandies, Oliver Jr., Gill, and Bean would follow to complete the top five. 

   Surprisingly only ten Sport Mods would come to race this night, but all would make the feature call for fifteen laps. Young Bryson Eckrich, who could boast of a sizable fan club on this night took the early lead trailed closely by Trey Rock. Shaun Slaughter would take up the chase on lap two, pulling even with Eckrich on lap three, then moving to the front the next trip past the flag stand. Slaughter would gradually increase his advantage until he drove too high in turn one, turning the lead back over to Eckrich. The only stoppage of the race then came as Slaughter smacked the turn one wall just past the half way mark. Only six cars remained for the restart, and it was seventh starting Colten Livezey now lurking in the runner up spot. He would motor around Eckrich on lap ten, then drive off to a comfortable lead and the win. Eckrich and Rock would follow, while Justin Schroeder and Nick Aupperle completed the top five. 

   Late Model feature time saw Chris Simpson and Murty in row one, and they paced the field in that order as the green flag waved. The yellow flag waved for the first time five laps in as Tyler Millwood slowed on the front stretch, driving past the exit. Following the Delaware restart, Chad Simpson would take up the chase in second. As the race stayed green, Chris would catch the back of the pack at the mid point, and his considerable lead began to quickly disappear. Murty would find his way back to second and was bearing down on the #32 when an ill timed (for Murty!) final caution came with twenty laps scored. Clear track would now greet the leader, and although Murty stayed close for a bit, Chris Simpson was simply too strong as he drove on to a clean sweep of the night. Murty and Chad Simpson filled out the all Iowa podium, again to the obvious delight of the gathered throng. Robeline, Louisiana driver Cade Dillard interrupted the Iowa party in fourth after lining up ninth, while " part time" Iowan Dylan Thornton rounded out the top five. Former Iowan, Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Billy Moyer made a surprise visit to the track, finishing where he started in sixth. SummerNats overall point leader Jason Feger advanced four positions to seventh, Ainsworth, Iowa's Derrick Stewart was eighth. Frank Heckenast Jr came next and the Hard Charger of the race was English, who advanced eleven spots from his provisional position to round out the top ten. 

   With post race ceremonies complete, all sixteen Modifieds came to the track for eighteen laps. Unfortunately thirty laps of the big tires had taken its toll on the racing surface, and after the initial scramble the Modifieds pretty much lined up in the low groove and concentrated on holding their position. Spencer Diercks powered to the early lead for outside row one, eventually opening a full straightaway advantage over pole sitter Kurt Kile. The race stayed clean and green, with Diercks cruising unchallenged to the win. Behind Kile it was Jace Eckrich, Matt Fulton Jr., and Chris Zogg with top five runs. 

   The clock was now ticking to 11:00 as we took our leave ahead of the vintage finales. Thanks to My Race Pass, I can report that Michael Hulsing topped the Midwest Jalopies in his #09, while Bert McDaniel raced his Curt Hansen tribute #9 to the victory in the Midwest Vintage Late Models. 

   The SummerNats crew is headed to Davenport Speedway tonight before wrapping up their Iowa swing Thursday at Dubuque Speedway. We have an eye on the weather radar this morning before making a decision about tonight. Also on our personal "radar" is a potential visit to Eldon, Iowa on Thursday where IMCA Late Models headline a night of racing on the big half mile during the Wapello County Fair, then back to Lee County Speedway in Donnellson on Friday. Hope to see you somewhere as we go Racin' Down the Road!

  

Jackson Jr. Tops MLRA at 34 Raceway

    Pretty much everyone, including yours truly had been closely monitoring the weather apps this week, hoping sometimes against daunting odds that the three night MLRA Late Model swing along the Mighty Mississippi would be a "go." Previously scheduled events on Friday at Davenport and Saturday at 34 Raceway in West Burlington were combined with a rescheduled Sunday night date at Quincy Raceways, dubbed the "Triple Threat" weekend. Ernie Leftwich, owner/promoter of the southwest Missouri based Midwest Late Model Racing Association conceded that the rather ominous forecasts gave that title a double meaning. Unfortunately those weather models held true, and it was early Friday morning when the plug was pulled on the Davenport weekend opener. 

   The forecast for Saturday looked much better as all eyes turned south towards 34 Raceway in West Burlington. Brad Stevens and Jessi Mynatt had put together a tight lineup with the high powered Super Late Models backed up by IMCA Late Models, IMCA Hobby Stocks, and Mini Hauler Trucks. The MLRA headliner would pay a cool $5,000 to the feature winner, $800 just to start. Lebanon, Missouri veteran Tony Jackson Jr. in his car #56 rolled into town the current series points leader.

   Even as we approached the Burlington area, passing clouds gave us pause, especially with the now high humidity. But as things turned out, it was a beautiful evening for racing with just enough cloud cover but still an awesome sunset. While the car count for the headline division suffered a bit due to the weather related issues, there was still plenty of high powered machines in the pits, the track was in absolutely pristine condition and the on track action was intense!

   Following hot laps, the Super Late Models lined up for time trials. Dylan Thornton was the first of the twenty two cars out, and he turned the high banked three eighths mile oval in 15.030 seconds. It looked for a while that fast time would hold up until the final five cars hit the track. Whether the track gained speed or the best simply came last, three of those final five to time eclipsed the fifteen second mark, with Richmond, Missouri driver Aaron Marrant tripping the clock at 14.798 seconds followed by Caden McWhorter, and Jeff Herzog. 

   Seventeen IMCA Late Models would contest a pair of heat races won by Tommy Elston and Darin Weisinger Jr. Hobby Stock heats went to Randy LaMar and Jorden Patz while Nick Wilkerson topped the lone Mini Hauler heat. 

   MLRA ten lap qualifiers lined up straight up from time trials, and the first two were captured from the front row by pole sitter Marrant and outside starter Jackson Jr. Heat three was a barn burner, with Herzog leading most of the way from the pole despite heavy pressure from third starting Chad Simpson. On the final lap Chad was able to ease past for the lead and exiting turn four brother Chris Simpson also slipped around Herzog for second. But come feature time it was announced that Chad had apparently failed the "droop rule" in post race tech, which resulted in a four position penalty, dropping him from a row two feature start all the way back to row eight.

   Intermission was brief as all but two, Mitch Boles and Ed Hollenbeck,  IMCA Late Models lined up for twenty five laps. Pole sitter Denny Woodworth shot to the front ahead of third starting Mark Burgtorf. Fifth starting Dustin Smith, who was racing different #53 machines in both classes, was the man on the move, jumping to third on lap two, second on lap three, then running down the leader and grabbing the top spot the fifth time around the oval. Meanwhile Elston charged from row four to second on lap six and the lead duo quickly separated from the pack. Both cars were running the inside line, and as the race clicked past the halfway point Elston moved up a lane to try and gain extra momentum. With sixteen circuits scored, the only caution of the race came when Jesse Bodin was crossed up between turns three and four. As the field was lining back up, Smith suddenly stopped on the front stretch with mechanical woes which ended his run. Elston now assumed the top spot on the Delaware Style restart, and he drove well off into the Des Moines County night. Blaise Lewis had been running near the front after starting sixth and he now powered to second as Austen Becerra worked from row five to third. Woodworth and Burgtorf would complete the top five, chased by Weisinger Jr., Glover, Sam Halstead, Jay Johnson, and Jake Griffin. Griffin had required brief medical attention during his heat race, but came back to complete all twenty five laps in the feature. 

   Mason Rash made a first time haul from Shelbina, Missouri as one of the thirteen Hobby Stcks signed in, finished second in his heat but was unable to make the feature call. Luke Phillips jumped out front early with his row one mate Tucker Richardson close behind. Running nose to tail, they pulled a bit away as LaMar and Patz battled behind. As lap nine was scored, Richardson was ahead by a nose. Phillips refused to go away and now Patz was closing fast. The leaders took the white flag scoring lap fourteen, and were heading down the back stretch when the yellow light came on for a car sitting cross ways between turns three and four. With the field reset it would be a one lap dash to the checkers. Richardson held on for the win followed by Phillips, Patz, twelfth starting Kale Hemsley, and Garrett Porter. All twelve starters completed all fifteen laps and all were on the lead lap. 

   Mini Haulers would contest a dozen lap feature with Hayden Delzell and Austin Roose leading the pack to green. The pack ran four wide down the back chute with row two starters Dawson Tipps and Wilkerson pacing lap one. The yellow flag would fly on lap two for Jason Delzell and following the restart seventh starting Caleb Ealey powered to the runner up spot. He quickly moved in to challenge for the lead, taking over on lap five. It would be a three truck battle including Tipps and Wilkerson before Ealey began to pull away. A final caution came with eight laps scored and Wilkerson was out with a flat tire. As racing resumed Ealey again opened a commanding lead, driving to victory over Tipps, Roose, and the Delzells, Hayden and Jason. 

   Saving the best for last, all twenty two MLRA competitors lined up for thirty laps. Again the straight up start found Marrant and Jackson Jr. bringing the field to green. Jackson Jr. would jump out front and eventually lead all thirty non stop circuits! Marrant, Chris Simpson, and Thornton would follow in the early laps. The leader would catch the tail of the pack about lap nine, but the veteran ace would move smoothly through the slower traffic. Thornton would find another gear as the race passed the mid point, climbing to second. But his charge would stop there, as Jackson Jr. kept lapped cars between himself and second place, cruising to his third series win of the season to increase his points lead. With no yellow flags slowing the action he would by my count lap all the way to eighth position. Following the top two it was Chris Simpson, Marrant, and Herzog. Derrick Stewart came home sixth while Chad Simpson was the hard charger, gaining eight spots to run seventh. Daniel Hilsabeck, Caden McWhorter, and number two points man going into the night, Brennon Willard completed the top ten. 

   The final checkers waved just before 9:30, putting a cap on a tight, well run event. Thanks as always to Brad, Jessi, and their crew for a fun night!

   Tonight, Sunday, the MLRA  series is set to move ninety miles south to Quincy Raceways for another $5,000 to win headliner. IMCA Late Models will again be on the card along with Dirtcar Modifieds, IMCA Northern Sport Mods, Dirtcar 4 Cylinders, and Crown Vics. Hot laps kick off around 5:30. Hope to see you there! 

   Edit: Quincy Raceways canceled due to rain.

Past and Present Collide at Lee County Speedway

    Friday night was a great night for racing at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. A special attraction evoked memories of days gone by as the newly formed Keokuk Auto Racing Association, KARA presented the first Ramo Stott Australian Pursuit race. For those of newer generations, this was a staple of dirt tracks "back in the day." The format features six cars lined up in single file formation, usually for five or six laps. If at any point a car is passed, they are out of the race, making it a race for survival. These novelty events were extremely popular pre 1980s, both with fans and drivers alike. Bragging rights far outweighed what was generally a minimal payout. For those unfamiliar with KARA, it is the brainchild of the sons of legendary Ramo Stott, both offspring successful Late Model racers in their own right. The organization was formed to honor the accomplishments of the "Keokuk Comets" who put my hometown on the national map, with many of their greatest moments witnessed at this same dirt track. The hope of the group is to maintain a permanent place of honor for those drivers. 

   It was a beautiful evening in southeast Iowa, and sixty eight race teams checked in to compete, led by a season high eighteen IMCA Late Models. Heat race action clicked off quickly followed by the first of several preplanned Australian Pursuits. This first one saw five IMCA Sport Compacts race for five laps with Brandon Reu the victor after Luke Fraise saw his night end with mechanical woes.

   A brief tickle of the track and it was feature time. 

   Late Models were up first, with all but Ed Hollenbeck lining up for twenty five laps. This was easily the race of the night, with three different leaders and the winning pass coming following a caution period with three laps to go. Kruze Miles and Jason Oenning brought the field to green but it was Donnellson driver Jeremy Pundt coming from inside row two to grab the lead. Jackson Frankel, who along with Pundt has struggled in the early season before his win last Sunday in Quincy, shot from row three to second on lap two. As Pundt stretched his advantage, fourth starting Jake Griffin began to close on Frankel for second. At the same time, eleventh starting Darin Weisinger Jr. was suddenly on the move, passing cars as he headed for the top five. Pundt had a comfortable lead until the first yellow flag came with ten laps scored when a tractor tire was kicked onto the racing surface. Back under green Frankel drove around Pundt exiting turn four while fifth place Spencer Havermale powered to third. Now it was Frankel opening a commanding lead but a key moment came when Griffin slipped back around Havermale for third on lap twenty. Two laps later a final caution came as Christian Miles slowed off turn four. setting up a three lap dash. This time it was Griffin charging to the front, then pulling away for his first feature win in the Warner Racing #79. Frankel held the runner up spot with Pundt in third. After giving up the position, Havermale rebounded to fourth ahead of Weisinger Jr. Two time winner Tommy Elston gained six spots to sixth, Denny Woodworth started and finished seventh, trailed by Oenning, Curtis Glover, and Ron Boyse. 

   Twelve of thirteen IMCA Northern Sport Mods were up next for twenty laps. Brandon Lambert charged from outside row one to the lead, taking along fourth starting John Oliver Jr. Oliver took over first one lap later, pulling well ahead as row four starter Cole Gillenwater came roaring through the pack to second. As the race approached the mid point Gillenwater was closing fast, slipping around Oliver Jr. as the two battled side by side. Following a first caution period with seven to go, Gillenwater got crossed up off turn two, turning the lead back over to Oliver and bringing out a second yellow flag. As the green waved it was quickly replaced with a final yellow when contact sent an upset Olivia Hoffman into the front stretch fence along with Chevy Barnes, who had no place to go. After a very long delay to remove those two cars, racing resumed, with tenth starting Adam Birck now charging to the runner up position. With just a pair of circuits left, Birck powered to the front, holding on for the hard fought victory. Oliver crossed the line in second chased by Cody Agee, ninth starting Brandon Dale, and a rebounding Gillenwater. 

   With extra money on the line, only Eight Mini Hauler Trucks signed in, racing for a dozen laps. Nick Wilkerson paced the early portion of the event, with fourth starting Caleb Ealey moving to the lead on lap six. Those two would swap the lead back and forth before Ealey took over for good on lap eight. From there he cruised to the win ahead of Wilkerson, Dawson Tipps, and the Delzells, Hayden and Jason, as fourth running Tate Kronfieldt was apparently DQ'd in post race tech. Ealey might win the unofficial award for biggest fan club, as his feature winners' photo included about twenty people!

   With Fraise done for the night, only five IMCA Sport Compacts remained for twelve laps of non stop racing. Reu quickly assumed the lead, driving off into the Lee County sunset. Kimberly Abbott took runner up honors in front of David and Ethan Prim and Bill Bennett. 

   Randy Rindom scratched from the thirteen IMCA Stock Car lineup. Third starting Beau Taylor cleared pole sitter Rusty Zook for the lap one lead as the two veterans battled early. Following a yellow flag for a Jathan Fuller spin, Chad Krogmeier took up the chase in second. Oliver Jr. lined up in row five, but came roaring to the runner up spot on lap four. He then closed in on Taylor, finally moving to the lead on lap seven of twenty. As Oliver Jr. increased his lead, Taylor soon had his hands full of Derrick Agee. Exiting turn four on lap twelve, Agee pulled a big time slide job to charge to second, still well behind the leader. The race now seemed to be for third as Jason See moved up to challenge Taylor. But on the final lap, Oliver Jr. would slow for an unknown reason while Agee suddenly closed the gap, nipping the #05 at the line for the surprise win. Taylor would hold off See for third while Casen Keller completed the top five. 

   As many in the nice sized crowd stuck around, nine IMCA Modifieds - missing Jesse Belez - lined up for twenty laps. JaceWhitt, who makes the three hour trek each week from Hamilton, Missouri, raced to the early lead from the pole position ahead of Bill Roberts Jr. and fifth starting Austen Becerra. Back to racing after a lap four caution for Dennis Laveine, Becerra shot to the lead. From there the battles were for second on back as Austen slowly opened a full straightaway advantage on the field. Jared Eckrich began to stalk Whitt, and when the duo encountered a lapped car on the backstretch Eckrich was able to power to the spot with just two laps remaining. Mark Burgtorf advanced three positions to come home fourth while Roberts Jr. rounded out the top five. 

   It was a bit of a late night, but the racing was good, with plenty of room for passing as the track was on point! 

   Thanks as always to the Weisinger family for their hospitality. Plans for today are up in the air, possibly a trip to 34 Raceway. Remember, no racing this Sunday at Quincy. Thanks for reading!

Bloomfield Was The Place To Be On Monday

    Back in my younger days, holiday weekends meant an extra day off work, afternoons around the grill, then an extra day of racing! Some time between 1986 and 2026 habits changed and track promoters crunched the numbers and apparently decided that holiday Monday racing was not a profitable venture. I can't say if this Memorial Day was a "one off " or a trend, but a full grandstand at the Bloomfield Speedway certainly bucked the trend. 

   Mike Van Genderen typically schedules a handful of races each season at the fast dirt oval on the Davis County Fairgrounds, and he had planned to bring back Late Models this season with the Friday opener of a three day trek across Iowa for the east division of the SLMR series. However wet conditions made that a no go. But rather than cancel the show entirely, the decisions was made to move the race to Monday with an early start time, and what a good decision it was!

   It was not just the fans, but the racers turned out as well, with eighty five entrants across the five divisions checking in. With sponsor money coming in late, IMCA Modifieds were a late addition to the program, and unfortunately only seven cars were on hand, however the original four scheduled classes turned out a range between seventeen Late Models and twenty two IMCA Stock Cars. And those in the pits represented at least seven different states!

   A 6:00 start combined with unlimited sunshine, warm temps, and a steady breeze created less than favorable track conditions early, as the heat races were mostly a one lane follow the leader affair. But during intermission MVG reworked the (one third, three eighths? mile) oval, and feature racing was multi groove, back and forth action. 

   Racing began with time trial qualifying for the Late Models, and South Dakota driver Blair Nothdurft topped the field with a lap of 18.313 seconds. Top contender Tad Pospisil encountered issues during hot laps and was unable to take his qualifying laps, but made repairs by heat race time. To counter the "start the fastest cars up front," SLMR uses a six car invert for heat race action. However they do reward time trial with a points system to reward the quick qualifiers. Regular readers of this blog will know that I am a fan of  passing points and SLMR uses the process along with the time trial points to set feature lineups. However it seems like they must have used government mathematicians to come up with such a complicated system! 

   Anyway, feature racing kicked off with all twenty one IMCA Northern Sport Mods lining up for eighteen laps. Cole Gillenwater jumped to the lead before a multi car mess on the front stretch eliminated three cars and resulted in an otherwise original restart. Now it was Cody Agee powering to the front, opening a sizable lead over Gillenwater. Meanwhile it was Brayton Carter on the move from row three to third on lap five. Also on the move was Will Wolf, as Agee continued to set a fast pace. Further back in the pack cars raced three wide, fighting for position. Agee caught slower traffic as Carter moved to second at the halfway point followed by a second yellow flag. Back under green, Carter powered to the lead while Agee and Wolf now battled for second. Carter would pull well ahead until a final caution at lap fourteen brought him back to the field. Now it was Brandon Dale finding late speed, and he grabbed the runner up spot as the white flag flew. Carter breezed to his third victory of the weekend, while Dale held off Wolf, twelfth starting Dylan VanWyk, and Agee. Always the gambler, at his special events Van Genderen offers all drivers the opportunity to drop an extra thirty bucks at check in for a chance at a double payoff for a feature win. "Speedy Bray" was one of several who took the challenge, and he collected a cool $1,000 for his win. 

   The travelling SLMR series has a challenge of their own a Skyline Materials Lucky Six bonus to the top points earner who can elect to start and win from sixth, collecting the rolling bonus which sat at $2,750 on top of the $3,000 feature payday. On this night pole sitter Jesse Sobbing declined, passing the torch to outside row one starter Chad Simpson who accepted the challenge. 

   This would move Nothdurft to outside row one, and he would lead Sobbing early. Meanwhile Simpson and eighth starting Dylan Thornton were on the move, climbing to third and fourth by lap five. Soon Sobbing would begin to apply pressure, grabbing the lead on lap ten, and Simpson also cleared Nothdurft for second. The top four continued to battle closely, separated a bit from the pack. On lap fifteen Simpson jumped to the high line and shot past Sobbing off turn two for the lead. The race stayed green and Chad caught heavy traffic by lap nineteen, but he was patient and moved smoothly through the slower cars. He would eventually open a nearly straightaway advantage, cruising to the win and the big payday in the non stop twenty five lapper. Sobbing was second followed by Thornton, Nothdurft and Jason Hahne. Jacob Hobscheidt led the next five over Pospisil, Derrick Stewart, C. J. Horn, and Charlie McKenna. 

   All twenty two IMCA Stock Cars would contest eighteen laps. Front row starters Jason See and Wisconsin racer Tyler Wilson quickly pulled away from the pack before a single caution with five laps scored brought them back to the field. Now Derrick Agee and Dustin Griffiths joined the leaders in a four car scramble. Agee charged to the runner up spot on lap nine, then ran side by side with See, grabbing the top spot two laps later. As the laps would down, Wilson also cleared See for second, but Agee remained in control, also becoming a " double down" $1,000 winner. The final rundown would be Agee, Wilson, See, and Griffiths, with Corey Strothman holding off John Oliver Jr. for fifth.

   A solid eighteen car field of IMCA Hobby Stocks checked in, with only Billy Scott missing the fifteen lap feature call. Garrett Porter paced lap one before Tom Killen Jr. climbed to the front one lap later ahead of the only yellow flag. Back to racing Killen Jr. drove off from the pack as cars battled three wide behind him. The Des Moines driver was never seriously challenged in picking up the win. A pair of #55's came next with Brett Maasdam in the runner up slot chased by Corey VanDerwilt. Keaton Gordon and Porter would complete the top five. 

   Eighteen laps of IMCA Modified racing would put a wrap on the racing. Cory Sample, who calls Winnemucca, Nevada home charged from outside row one to pace the opening circuit over Colton Nelson. Jace Whitt moved to second on lap two just ahead of the lone stoppage of the event. Brandon Banks moved in to battle Whitt as racing resumed, taking over second briefly before Whitt retook the spot on lap five. Sample was not to be denied, however, as he led all eighteen laps to score the win. Whitt held off Banks and Dakota Simmons, with Nelson the last car running in fifth. 

   The final checkers came a bit after 9:30 and we headed for the exit ahead of what looked to be a quality fireworks show. 

   Thanks to MVG and his team for their hospitality and as usual a tight, well run show. 

   Next up for us will be a return to weekly racing Friday at Lee County Speedway. School is out, summer weather is here, let's go racing!

First Time Winners Dominate at Quincy

   Summer like weather finally arrived at Quincy Raceways for holiday weekend racing. Another large crowd turned out, the car count was up about ten, and the racing was intense on Sunday. Several drivers picked up their first wins of the 2026 season. With school out and the late afternoon sun bearing down, the start time was moved back by one half hour in an effort to help "save" the track. One negative that continues to baffle me about Quincy Raceways is the practice of only hot lapping six cars at a time for several laps, drawing out what might otherwise be a fifteen minute procedure. An exception did come last night when only one session was held for the twelve Dirtcar 4 Cylinders in attendance. But I suppose they have their reasons...

   Heat race action clicked off quickly and the track received some TLC during intermission, leaving us with a fast and racy surface for the six features. With the special event up the road at Spoon River Speedway, Dirtcar Modifieds were off the card for this night, while the more open style B Modifieds were added, bringing several cars from the St. Louis area to the track.

   Crown Vics were up first with all but one of the season high twelve cars lining up for a dozen laps. A first lap pile up eliminated top contender Jacob Jones. With an otherwise complete restart, outside pole sitter Jake Etter shot to the lead. By the mid point, Alex Hatfield was pushing hard for the top spot, and he was scored first at lap nine. The next time around it was Etter back in front, and he would hold on for the hard fought victory. Following the two front runners it was Braxton Dieker, Isaac Little, and Josh Little to round out the top five. Hopefully one of the benefits of a low budget class such as the Crown Vics is that it serves as a feeder class, and we are seeing this as Etter, the 2025 class champion now has a B Mod, as well. 

    Eleven 4 Cylinders came next for fifteen laps. Front row starters Jaden Delonjay and Spencer Coats paced the opening lap, with Dyllan Bonk clearing Coats for second on lap two. The first caution period came at the halfway mark, but when racing resumed, the red flag was displayed as Ethan Zumwalt rolled his #22S multiple times starting in turn one. He was quick to exit the car, then riding behind the wrecker in his heavily damaged machine while reacting to the cheering crowd! Delonjay would continue to hold serve, beating Bonk to the checkers. Landen Neisen slipped around Coats on the final lap for third while Cole Reed completed the first five. 

   The visiting B Mods turned out fourteen cars, again all but one took the green flag. Drake Stevenson would charge to the lead chased by Bret Eilerman. The yellow flag waved with one lap scored, and back under green, A. J. Cline used the Delaware restart to power to second. Stevenson would build a five or so car length advantage before catching the tail of the field around the halfway point of the eighteen laps. Cline would quickly erase the distance to the leader, however Stevenson was smooth in traffic, maintaining the top spot. A final caution came with four circuits to go. With a clear track ahead, Stevenson a former track regular, kept his #77D out front for his first win of the season. Cline stayed close in second followed by Eilerman. Reed Wolfmeyer would race his IMCA Northern Sport Mod in both open wheel classes, and he would come home fourth ahead of Gage Walker. 

   A solid group of fifteen IMCA Late Models checked in, with all coming to the track for twenty five laps of action. Front row starters Jackson Frankel and Jeffrey Delonjay raced side by side for the opening laps ahead of a yellow flag three laps in when Jamie Wilson made contact with the turn three wall. Back to racing it was Denny Woodworth using the Delaware lineup to move to the runner up position. While Frankel opened a sizable lead, seventh starting Austen Becerra and ninth starting Tommy Elston began a march forward. A final caution would come as Frankie Wellman got out of shape on lap eight. On the restart Becerra would move quickly to third, then second while Elston climbed to fourth. It was a near disaster around lap twelve when Frankel made contact with a slower car, but he was able to straighten back out while losing considerable ground to the oncoming Becerra. But at nearly the same time, Becerra suddenly slowed, ducking to the infield, his night over. Elston would then take up the chase in second. Frankel now held a commanding lead as Jake Griffin muscled his way around Woodworth for third before Denny pulled to the infield seven laps from the finish. At the checkers it was Frankel with his first win of 2026. Elston came home second followed by Griffin, Delonjay, and eleventh starting Spencer Havermale. Jason Perry started and finished sixth trailed by Curtis Glover, Logan Cumby, and Sam Halstead, while Woodworth was credited with tenth. 

   The Street Stocks continued to struggle, with only five cars signed in. First time visitor Justin Layne and defending champion Jacob Rexing raced side by side, swapping the lead before Layne finally nosed ahead. Only once did the caution flag wave, five laps from the finish. But Layne would again pull ahead, scoring a surprise win in his first ever visit to the speedway. Rexing would follow ahead of Levi Long, Brandon Boden and Cletus Coats. 

   IMCA Northern Sport Mods would put a wrap on the night, with nine of the ten cars racing eighteen laps. Austin McLean would lead early before Alec Cain took over on lap three, taking along Quinton Shelton in second. A pair of quick yellows came, then it was Tanner Klingele jumping from third to the lead. On lap six Reed Wolfmeyer would power to second after lining up in row five and the chase was on. Meanwhile Shelton, Kahne Groves, and Cain were locked in a tight scrum for third. Klingele was in charge before a final caution with just three laps remaining. The final restart was single file, and Tanner held on for the victory. Wolfmeyer completed a solid night in second over Groves, and Cain, while Shelton rebounded to nip Olivia Hoffman on the final lap for fifth. 

   Thanks as always to the crew at QR for an entertaining night of action. 

   We hope to round out our holiday weekend with a long overdue trip to Bloomfield Speedway for the rescheduled SLMR Late Model special event, which also features Modifieds, Sport Mods, Stock Cars, and Hobby Stocks. Hope to see you there!

Feger Cleans House at Davenport

    On paper it looked like a relatively easy night for Jason Feger as he swept the MARS Late Model action during the Corn State Nationals at Davenport Speedway to open the holiday weekend racing action. That would, however, be far from the truth. 

   But I digress a bit. My daughter and her husband recently moved across the mighty Mississippi to a new abode in Davenport, where we found ourselves spending the weekend with family time. And thankfully I received a "hall pass" to make the twenty minute journey from there to the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds for the Friday night special. 

    Thirty one Super Late Models signed in for a shot at the $5,000 top prize, with drivers from as far away as Alabama and Georgia wandering north for what I assume will be the full three day swing of MARS events. 

    As the twenty seventh car to time, Feger led the way  at 13.666 seconds, about three tenths of a second off the Late Model track record. In what I assume was a coordinated event, the first two cars out to time were the #8 of Jeffrey Ledford and #51 of J.T. Wasmund, representing numbers driven by Kyle Busch. The crowd stood during their two laps in tribute to the fallen legend.

     Three packed eight lap heat races qualified the top five in each with pole sitters Feger and series points leader Ryan Unzicker along with outside row one starter Dennis Erb Jr. first to the checkers. These three along with runners up Chad Simpson, Tanner English, and Shannon Babb would redraw for the top two rows of the forty lap finale, with Feger and Unzicker set to pace the field. A loaded group of fourteen starters contested a stacked B main also transferring five to the feature lineup. Jake Little raced from the pole to hold off Austin Howes in the final ten lap preliminary event. A pair of series points provisionals, Caden McWhorter and Jorden Bauer would round out the twenty two starters. 

    The qualifying races were not without some drama. Heat one saw surprise entrant Terry Casey come from row five to nip Little on the final lap for the last transfer spot. Ditto heat two where another Wisconsonite, Mitch McGrath worked around Myles Moos on the final circuit for fifth. The "no biscuit" run for Moos continued in the B main as he fell out of fifth just a couple laps from the checkers.  

    With a short intermission complete, eighteen of twenty IMCA Modifieds lined up for twenty laps. Oddly, the two drivers not making the call were heat one winner Shane Paris and veteran Bob Dominacki, would raced home third in heat three.  

    Pole sitter Charlie Mohr would lead Brandon Durbin and Chris Zogg as the green flag waved. Zogg would clear Durbin for second on lap three ahead of the first of two quick yellow flags. Durbin would retake the spot following the Delaware restart, moving up to battle with Mohr for the lead. Durbin would power to the front out of turn four on lap six, with Mohr then bringing out the caution flag in turn one. Zogg would also disappear from the field at the same time. Another yellow on the restart, then we would remain green the rest of the way. Jed Freiburger and eighteenth starting Brad Diercks took up the chase, with Freiburger stalking the leader. Just after the halfway mark Freiburger cleared Durbin for the lead. Durbin stayed close, but Freiburger was able to put a lapped car between himself and Durbin with four laps to go, and he then cruised to the win. At the checkers it was Freiburger, Durbin, Diercks, Matt Werner, and Eric Barnes. 

    English would get the jump from inside row two as the Late Models took the green flag. He and Feger raced side by side as lap two was scored. Racing out of turn two, Unzicker got out of shape while running third, but a yellow flag for Howes negated his mistake. Back to racing it was Feger out front ripping the cushion as English worked the inside line around the quarter mile oval. As the laps clicked towards half way, Erb Jr. found speed, moving to fourth with Simpson also in the mix in fifth. Unzicker slipped to second on lap twenty four, closing on Feger, and two laps later Ryan took the lead in traffic. Now it was Ryan Gustin entering the top five. Lap twenty eight saw Feger regain the lead as slower traffic continued to be a factor. Gustin charged to third, ahead of a final yellow for Derrick Stewart who may have been unhappy with another driver. On the restart Gustin took up the chase in second, but with a now clear track Feger stretched his lead. As the race stayed green, Gustin would fade a bit to fourth as Unzicker moved to the runner up spot taking along late charging Dylan Thornton in third. English completed the top five ahead of Babb, Erb Jr., twenty first starting McWhorter, Simpson, and Dallon Murty. 

    My promise was to head to the house after the Late Model feature even though there was till three main events to complete. Thanks to My Race Pass, I see that it was Karter Miles topping the eighteen Hobby Stocks, Derrick Dean pacing the Crown Vics, and Randy Christner first in the Midwest Vintage Late Models.  

    It will be family time tonight with a goal of making it back to Quincy Raceways on Sunday. Monday we have plans for the rescheduled SLMR Late Model special at Bloomfield Speedway. 

    A special "Thank You!" to all our veterans, everyone enjoy your weekend! 

MARS Invades Quincy Raceways, Bauer and Neville Lead the Way

    In a rare Friday night program, Quincy Raceways welcomed their annual visit of the cars and stars of the MARS Late Model and Modified touring series. In addition, open B Modifieds, Dirtcar 4 Cylinders and Crown Vics raced in a non points competition. The Late Model headliner would pay a cool $5,000 to win, while the open Mod winner would cash a $2,000 check. In addition, both classes benefit from lap money raised locally, $25 per lap for the leader in their respective features. Even more aggressive fundraising bumped the 4 Cylinder purse, highlighted by a whopping $1,000 to the feature winner as well as extra money throughout.

   Overnight rains threw a monkey wrench into event plans, and upon early arrival it was obvious track personnel had been working hard to get things into shape, particularly the pit area. The north pit where most of the "big rigs" are parked had some swampy areas, but hard work and strategic planning saved the day. As for the racing surface, it was in good condition, although it definitely developed some "character" as the night wore on. All in all, praise is deserved for a job well done!

   Last arriving Derek Fetter capped the Late Model count at twenty three, a number which meant everyone could start the main event. Likewise for the star studded field of nineteen Modifieds. The other three divisions produced just enough entrants for a pair of heat races in each class. 

   The program would kick off at the advertised time of 6:30 in front of a large crowd estimated just under 3,000. Following Late Model hot laps, the Mods did the now popular hot lap/qualifying, with Trevor Neville atop the leader board at 14.186 seconds. St. Jacob, Il. driver Jordon Bauer then began his memorable evening with a quick lap of 13.017 to top the Late Models. 

   Following heat racing for all divisions, the track crew went to work to smooth out a couple of rough spots, and soon it was time for feature racing. With no offense meant to the local classes, it is beneficial in many ways that the travelling series see to it that their features run early in the order, as it is helpful both for track conditions and "crowd control."

   All nineteen MARS Modifieds lined up first for twenty five laps around the roughly .38 mile oval. With fast time and a heat race win in his pocket, Neville would claim the pole position, with the other heat winner, Mike McKinney alongside. As the field exited turn four trying to complete lap one, a huge pile up stopped the action. Damaged cars, some heavily, some not as much, were scattered along the front stretch, with several top contenders including local favorite Michael Long, Tyler Nicely, Cole Falloway, and Jeff Curl done for the night. Another hot shoe with many laps at Quincy, Ray Bollinger, probably wishes he had called it quits as well. Left with a flat tire after the melee, he ducked to the hot pit for a quick change, then rejoined the shortened field. On the next attempt at a start, Bollinger clipped the concrete off turn four, turning his #77 sideways then upside down to bring out the red flag. Fortunately he was uninjured, but with even more damage to his ride. With one lap in the books, the next restart proved less eventful, with Neville rocketing to the lead. As the race stayed green, he would build a comfortable advantage until catching the back of the pack with ten laps to go. Two cars racing side by side for position would slow his momentum, allowing second running McKinney to close the gap. As the leaders sliced and diced through slower cars, a final caution came with five laps remaining. With clear track ahead, Neville now pulled away, cruising to the clean sweep victory. McKinney would roll home second chased by seventh starting Michael Ledford and three Quincy favorites, ninth starting Dave Weitholder, 2025 track champion Justin Reed and twelfth starting Shawn Deering. Zeke McKenzie, track regular John Dimmitt from Macomb, Matthew Baker, and Owen Steinkoenig would complete the top ten. 

   It was now Late Model time and all twenty three would take the green flag for thirty laps. Heat winners Bauer, Dylan Thornton, and former popular track regular Austin Howes would occupy the top three spots. Bauer led the way ahead of the first caution period two laps in for the disabled car of veteran racer Mark Voigt. Back under green, Bauer continued to lead as seventh starting Ryan Unzicker jumped to the top five. The leaders raced nose to tail at high speed, mostly around the top of the quickly blackening track. Bauer would catch the tail of the field about lap twelve, moving efficiently through the slower cars. Things would tighten up, however when a second and final yellow flag came with just six laps remaining. Following the Delaware Style restart it was Unzicker again on the gas, and when Caden McWhorter suffered a pronounced wheel hop off turn two, Ryan gained a pair of spots to third. On the final circuit, Thornton gave it "all she's got," out of turn four, bringing the gathered throng to their feet. But it was Bauer with a slight edge at the line, completing his own sweep in front of the cheering crowd. He collected the $5,000 prize, plus all thirty laps of extra cash. Thornton and Unzicker joined Bauer on the podium, while Daniel Adam was strong, finishing where he started in fourth ahead of sixth starting McWhorter. Jason Feger led the next five followed by Bob Gardner, Howes, Tanner English, and Jake Little. 

   That crowd control aspect now showed as many headed for the exits ahead of the three remaining features. 

   Open B Mods would see their ten car field down to seven by feature time as they raced for eighteen circuits. Visiting A. J. Cline took off from outside row one in what looked like a rout. Local Sport Mod favorite Reed Wolfmeyer advanced to second on lap four, but by then Cline was in another time zone, building a nearly straightaway lead by the mid point. But with zero stoppages, Cline caught a pair of cars racing side by side for position seven laps from the finish. As he looked for room to pass, Wolfmeyer was closing fast, and just three laps later, the #2W would charge to the lead. It would be a non stop eighteen laps, and it was an excited Wolfmeyer who claimed victory. Cline would hold on to second, while former track regular Drake Stevenson came home third ahead of Joshua Christian and weekly competitor Austin McClean. It was also good to see 2025 Crown Vic champion Jake Etter make his debut in this class. 

   I am sure the folks who worked hard to raise the awesome purse for the 4 Cylinders were disappointed in the dozen car turnout, but there were some hot shoes who did take notice. Iowa speedster Jake Benischek made the one hundred fifty plus mile haul from Durant, Iowa, and quickly showed why. Joining Kenny Butterfield as a heat race winner, they would fill out row one and shoot quickly to the front of the eighteen lapper. Dyllan Bonk, a popular local who does his own share of travelling, was racing with the leaders until his #2B suddenly gave up on lap three. The only caution came one lap later, and on the restart another Quincy favorite, Jaden Delonjay, cleared Butterfield for second. Benischek opened a sizable lead as attention turned to a tight race for third between Butterfield and Derrick DeFord, before DeFord dove to the infield two laps from the checkers. Benischek would hold off the charging Delonjay for the win, Butterfield came next in front of yet another local hot shoe, Spencer Coats, and Travis Demint. 

   There was still a large contingent of fans on hand as a dozen Crown Vics lined up for fifteen laps. Clean sweeps was the theme of the night, and it would be no different in this finale. Jacob Jones put his #32 out front on lap one, pulling well ahead of the pack. Late Model local Jeffrey Delonjay climbed in a Vic for the night and was closing on the leader in traffic ahead of a caution flag at the halfway mark. But with clear track ahead, Jones again drove away, surviving one more yellow flag two laps from the finish. The single file restart proved no issue as Jones picked up the win. Brian Kaylor worked his way to runner up honors followed by Isaac Little, Alex Hatfield, and Carter Goodwin. 

   Kudos to the track crew for overcoming challenging conditions, and to the fans who turned out in large numbers. There will be no racing this Sunday at Quincy Raceways, they will be back in action next Sunday, May 24. Meanwhile the MARS stars and cars move south to the Highland, Il. Speedway tonight, Saturday, before winding up the weekend at Coles County, Il Speedway on Sunday.