Owens Wins, Harrison Repeats at Tri City

 Friday night found us back at Tri City Speedway in Granite City,Ill. for night number two of the Lucas Oil late model and AMS modified double header. With Thursday being the rescheduled rain out from April, the Friday event was the NAPA 50 for the late models paying $12,000 to win. Modifieds were slated for thirty laps, and the UMP Pro Crate late models were also on the card for a twenty lap feature.
  Following late model hot laps, all three divisions ran time trials. Rick Conoyer paced the  twenty six mods with a lap of 17.092 seconds, Scott Bloomquist in his second night back in the #0 machine topped the Lucas Oil cars at 15.193, and young Devin McLean was best of thirteen crates with a lap of 16.471 ticks, as the track was decidedly slower than the previous night.
  The late models lost three drivers from Thursday, but picked up four new ones for a total of thirty two. Newcomer Reid Millard smacked the turn two wall in hot laps, ending his night. Daryn Klein had mechanical issues and did not time, and another newcomer, Jeremy Conaway suffered a flat on the way to the track, arriving after qualifying.
  A pair of crate heats saw Trevor Gundaker and Aaron Heck pick up wins from the outside pole.
  The late model ten lappers definitely produced more action this night. Jimmy Owens topped heat one after starting third. Front row starters Gordy Gundaker and Billy Moyer Jr. followed, while Tim McCreadie passed Rick Eckert in the final turn to claim the final transfer spot. The second heat saw Earl Pearson Jr. spin on the opening circuit, with Kyle Bronson ducking to the infield work area with a flat. He returned to the track off the backstretch as the green flag waved, but he then rolled to a stop, bringing out another yellow flag. He then drove back to the infield, his run over. Shannon Babb took control of the race from the pole, out pacing Josh Richards. Thursday feature winner Tyler Erb was running a strong third when he suffered a flat tire as the white flag waved, dropping him to fifth. Michael Kloos came from row four to claim third, while Pearson Jr. rebounded to fourth. Devin Moran had engine issues in qualifying, and he pulled off the track as heat three prepared to take the green. Jonathon Davenport came from inside row two to edge Bloomquist for the win, while Hudson Oneal and Mike Marlar earned transfers. Stormy Scott turned a pole start into a heat four win ahead of Michael Norris, Shannon Buckingham, and Tony Jackson Jr., who gave up the fourth position to Chris Simpson before recovering.
  Modified heats went to Michael Long, Danny Schwartz, Tyler Nicely, and Dave Weitholder. Bobby Regot was challenging Weitholder for the heat four win when he looped his ride and was hit hard by third running Trent Young, eliminating both cars.
  Again it was an extremely long first intermission, as the sixteen qualified late model drivers came to the commons area for an autograph session in front of the television cameras.
  A pair of twelve lap late model B mains, each taking the top three to the feature saw Erb, Eckert, and Billy Moyer transfer from the opener, which featured six cars, while the eight car finale sent Austin Retting, Simpson, and Conaway on to the big show. Bronson, Moran, and Klein would be awarded provisional starting spots for the feature.
  Steve Meyer topped the modified B main, with Kenny Wallace among the four teams not moving on to the big dance.
  Following another extended bout of down time, which most of the large crowd seemed to take in stride, the Lucas Oil cars lined up for fifty laps. Owens and Davenport sat on row one, with Babb and Scott in the next row. Kloos fell off the pace on the parade lap, soon becoming the first car to drop out. Owens assumed the early lead, running the inside line around the 3/8 mile oval in front of a dueling Davenport and Babb. Babb, with some right rear body damage, moved to the cushion and charged to second as Owens caught slower traffic on lap ten. But one lap later, the first caution came for a slowing Buckingham. After the Delaware restart, Babb again jumped to the cushion, grabbing the lead on lap thirteen. Owens stayed glued to the low line, and the pair swapped the lead, first one, then the other on laps fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen. With Owens finally gaining some separation, the yellow waved again on lap twenty. Josh Richards cleared Davenport for third as racing resumed, and Babb regained the top spot on lap twenty four. But coming to the stripe for lap twenty six, he bobbled on the turn four cushion, again turning the lead over to Owens. As Owens again opened a lead, Richards zeroed in on the second running Babb. With eighteen circuits to go, Babb rolled to a stop at the end of the back straight, bringing out the yellow and ending his great run. Richards elected the outside for the restart, with Davenport down low and after the start was called back for debris below the flag stand, J.D. began to slow, falling back to fifth and turning third over to Scott. He continued to fade, with obvious issues, and now Pearson Jr. was the man on the move. After starting in row eight, and rolling around the bottom, he jumped to the cushion and powered to third on lap forty eight. As the white flag flew, he blew around Richards, but could go no further with Owens having too big a lead. At the line, it was Owens taking the win, his second top four in two nights, Pearson Jr. in second, followed by Richards, Scott, and twenty third starting Moran. McCreadie was scored sixth in front of Norris, Gundaker, Bloomquist, and Oneal.
  With post race interviews done and the T.V. folks signing off, we were determined to hopefully take in the modifieds before packing up. Weitholder jumped to the lead from outside row one ahead of pole sitter Schwartz, Long, Nicely, and Thursday winner Mike Harrison. Long was working the cushion hard, and he contacted the turn two concrete on lap seven, losing four spots to seventh. Weitholder opened up several car lengths over Schwartz as Harrison charged to third on lap six. He emerged out front of an entertaining three car battle for second on lap eight. What turned out to be the only caution of the race came at the lap eight mark, and we apparently missed the explanation of why he and Weitholder were lined up side by side for the restart.
 At any rate, Harrison took command as action resumed, pulling away as Nicely cleared Schwartz for second on the eleventh trip around. Soon he was closing the gap on the leader as Kyle Steffens joined Weitholder and Schwartz in a dog fight for third. Nicely managed to stay close to Harrison, and for a brief moment on the final lap it looked like slower traffic might play a role in the outcome, but Harrison had enough of a margin to hold on for his second win in two nights. Nicely scored another strong finish in the runner up spot, followed by Steffens, Will Krup, and Schwartz.
  With the clock now on the wrong side of 11:30 and a three hour drive ahead, we headed for the car, missing an Aaron Heck crate late model win.
  The Lucas Oil late models now move to the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. for back to back nights of $15,000 to win shows, with the added night a sort of consolation for the tornado damage cancelled Show Me 100.
  Regular Sunday night racing at Quincy Raceways is next up for me, then  a Wednesday visit to Columbus Junction, Iowa for the IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series late models. See you soon at the races!