Birky Takes A Squeaker Over Mr Smooth

 Saturday night, Fred and I decided to thumb or noses at the forecast of rain and head south to the I-55 Raceway in Pevely,Mo for another installment of the UMP late model Summernationals. The traveling series had suffered yet another rainout the night before in Paducah - it seems rain or the forecast of- is a part of every event this season. Driving through a downpour around Troy,Mo, partly sunny skies but a negative forecast greeted us as we reached the 1/3 mile high banked speedplant co owned by Ken Schrader and Ray Marlar.
  A solid if typical field of 38 super late models checked in to do battle for the $10,000 top prize - we never found out why the #56 of Mars star Tony Jackson,Jr, who picked up a Friday night win at Tri City Speedway across the river in Pontoon Beach,Il rolled into the pit area but did not sign in to race. 32 UMP modifieds also checked in for the $1,000 winners check, with 19 AARA sportsman cars racing for $400 to win filled out the three class card.
 It was announced in the drivers meeting that rain was on the way and the show would be moving quickly, and the statement was followed through. Hot laps began at 6:30, with the mods qualifying by heat race group, eight cars at a time!
 The late models then qualified in  two groups, three cars at a time, with group " A " filling heats one and two, and group " B " forming heats three and four. Track regular Scott Weber set overall quick time at 12.938 seconds, with Billy Moyer pacing group " B " at 12.940, as the track stayed consistently fast.
 The first of four mod heats saw Quincy Raceways regulars Dave Weitholder and Michael Long start up front, and the two veterans raced side by side for eight laps, Weitholder in the preferred high groove and Long on the bottom side, with narry a touch between them. Michael finally gained the advantage on the final circuit for the win. Ken Schrader cruised the the second heat win, and heat three saw Mike Harrison take the win. Donavan Lodge was leading Ray Walsh in the final heat when contact sent Lodge hard into the turn one concrete wall, badly damaging his # 32. Walsh was sent to the back, and Jim Black held on for the win, with Walsh moving back to third before the checkers flew.
  Late model heats were next, and the first ten lapper was as good a race as we have witnessed all season. Jesse Stovall and Brian Shirley traded slide jobs and the lead multiple times in the non stop event, with Shirley on top at the checkers. Randy Korte, in his farewell tour, and Dennis Erb, Jr. then ran side by side in heat two, Korte low and Erb high,  until a lap seven yellow. Erb faded following the restart, with "King Kong" taking the popular win. Moyer led flag to flag in heat three, with one caution slowing the pace. The ten car field freight trained around the bottom groove, with Brady Smith chasing Moyer to the checkers. The final heat rolled after a false start, with Brian Birkhofer leading from the outside pole. Two caution periods did nothing to deter the # 15B, with Bobby Pierce rolling home second. It seems there is always at least one " loaded " heat race at these type of shows, and on this night it was heat four. While pole sitter Jason Feger held third, Brandon Sheppard and Shannon Babb had a back and forth duel for the final transfer spot, with B- Shepp sending Babb to the B-main.
  Following two sportsman heats captured by Chuck Goodman and Trey Harris, the late model C-main came to the track. Eight of the ten eligible cars entered the ten lap race, which transferred three to the B-main. Paul Roider was leading the charge until spinning on lap three. One lap later Steve Lach looped his ride, and on the restart, second running Mike Vanderiet spun.. Vanderiet recovered to challenge for third but again lost the handle coming to the flag. Austin Rettig, Alan Westling, and Butch Kruckeberg moved on. The three transfers were allowed to add fuel if needed as the BN-main came to the track immediately. With only two cars qualifying for the 40 lap finale, Michael Kloos grabbed the lead from row two, leading all twelve laps, although pushed by Babb to the checkers. Four provisionals, including a surprised Mark Burgtorf were added to complete the 22 car field.
 As the B-main and provisional transfers made hasty changes, the mod B-main clicked off a quick race, with Tyler Rataczyk besting Tim Hancock.
 The announced intermission was scrapped, as the 22 late model starters came to the track quickly. Following a false start, the caution waved on lap one, as Burgtorf found himself turned around in turn three, ending his run. Gary Christian, in the CJ Rayburn house car may have also been involved, as he retired at the same point. When racing resumed,Moyer, who had drawn the pole in the heat winners redraw, jumped out front, with outside polesitter Birkhofer and row two starter Korte in tow. Those three began to put distance on the field, and Moyer had lapped Ryan Unzicker when the red flag waved for Rickey Frankel, who climbed the turn two wall and rolled slowly onto his top on lap 20. Birkhofer had begun to pressure Moyer as the red came out. While the track was cleared, fourth running Stovall went to the trailer with a flat tire. When racing resumed, Birky again took up the charge, hugging the low line. Moyer preferred the top side in turns one and two, and the middle line in three and four. With the two leaders running in their own zip code and sprinkles coming down, Birkhofer was able to slip past Moyer on lap 38. It was the second time in a month that he had eased past Moyer for a $10,000 pay day at Pevely. Bobby Pierce dueled first with Stover, then  Korte and Erb, finally advancing five spots for a third place finish. Korte came home fourth, with Smith completing the top five. Erb, Shirley, Kloos, Jack Sullivan, and Feger completed the top ten. With the sprinkles turning to a light rain, we quickly headed for the car, thinking the night of racing was over, Arriving home three hours later, I was surprised to see that the final two features were run, with Harrison besting Schrader and Long in the mod finale, while another # 15B, Matt Brucato grabbed the sportsman win.
 I have rarely witnessed a bad night of racing at I-55, and Saturday was no exception. Our neighbors in the grandstands, a couple who traveled from Alabama to scratch the track from their bucket list, seemed to enjoy the action as well, even as the changing breeze blanketed us with crumbs from the track in the late going.
  Family plans will dominate next weekend until Sunday, when, hopefully, I will be in my regular spot at Quincy Raceways. We are about to the unofficial half way mark of the 2014 season, so get out and support our sport as much as you can!