Holiday Recap

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