Two Outta Three Ain't Bad

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