In the covid crazy year of 2020, it was this date, May 15 before I was able to attend a dirt race. Davenport Speedway was the location, and it was a surreal event viewed from the infield stage in front of an empty grandstand as a representative of Positively Racing.com. 364 days later I returned to the historic fairgrounds speedway under far more normal circumstances, as the MLRA series made their and my second visit of the season, and it would be my fourteenth race night of 2021.
Thirty three high powered late models highlighted a 106 car field in the four divisions in action, including modifieds, sport mods, and the A.I.R.S. vintage car group.
Things got off to a bit of a rocky beginning, as the timing loop would not be able to score the three cars per group for time trial qualifying, forcing a one car at a time format reminiscent of the 1970s. Ricky Thornton Jr. turned the fastest overall lap at 14.90 seconds, more than one second slower than the 13.77 recorded by Jason Papich when the series came to town in April.
With qualifying out of the way, we moved quickly through thirteen heat races, and kudos to the promoters for making those races hotly contested, particularly in the sport mods, with the thirty one cars bunched into three heats on the wide quarter mile. A pair of B mains each for the sport mods and late models followed, and without a break we moved into feature racing.
Twenty four sport mods lined up for fifteen laps of stop and go racing. Dakota Cole charged to the lead from row one, followed closely by Shane Paris ahead of a lap four caution. Tyler Soppe stated in row three and moved to third on the restart, which lasted two laps before caution number two. Back under green, Soppe used the Delaware restart to power to the lead as Cole started slowly and was shuffled back through the pack. Soppe and Paris were joined by Jarrett Franzen in a breakaway before the next yellow flag at lap nine. This restart was called off, then three more laps were scored before yet another stoppage. Racing resumed, with only one more circuit counted before a sixth and final caution at lap thirteen also mercifully brought out the checkers. Soppe claimed the win ahead of Paris, Franzen, Ben Chapman, and Anthony Franklin.
All twenty five modifieds came to the grid for a twenty lap feature. Arizona transplant Tim Ward shot to the pole ahead of his row one mate Matt Werner and the duo held their positions through a pair of cautions on laps four and six. Heading down the backstretch for lap seven, Werner slipped off the top of the track, losing several positions as the final yellow flag waved with seven in the books. Ward pulled away on this the final restart, opened a commanding lead, and cruised to the win. Jake Waterman, piloting a #77 car was able to close a bit as the leader caught slower traffic, but Ward was able to build a cushion of lapped cars to secure the victory. Waterman took runner up honors in front of Mitch Morris, Eric Barnes, and double duty Spencer Diercks.
With rain in the area, we applauded as twenty four late models rolled off turn four for thirty laps of racing. By now, the track was black and slick, with passing at a premium. Tony Jackson Jr. and Ricky Thornton sat on row one, with Thornton getting the jump into turn one despite the best efforts of Jackson Jr. to take the preferred middle line. Chris Simpson, Diercks, and Mason Oberkramer settled in behind the dominating leaders, who caught slower traffic on lap four. Thornton was fast in the middle groove, so Jackson Jr. looked to the inside, pulling even in turns one and two, but falling back as Thornton had the momentum down the backstretch. As the race neared the halfway mark, Thornton was able to gain some breathing room in lapped traffic. When the first caution came at lap eighteen for a slowing Jake Timm, the pack was running in single file fashion around that middle line. The single file restart saw no change, with the caution coming again in two laps as flat tires became an issue. In the fourth late model heat race, Garrett Alberson, fresh off a big win in LaSalle, Illinois, was running second with two laps to go when he jumped the cushion in turns three and four, sending him to a B main. From there he took the third an final transfer spot, putting him in row eleven for the main event. He was languishing well outside the top ten when the green flag flew with ten laps left. He made the decision to move one line up the track, and now began passing cars in a quick and easy (?) fashion. Two more laps, and Diercks lost his fifth place standing as he had a tire go down, bringing out another caution. Alberson resumed his charge as we went back under green. Five laps from the checkers, Chris Simpson saw his third place run end as he went off the backstretch and headed to the pits with what looked like a tire issue. A final caution came at lap twenty eight as the now third running Oberkramer came to a stop. Thornton remained in control through the green, white, checkers finish to score his first MLRA win. Tony Toste started sixth and cleared Jackson Jr. on the final lap as the #56 also appeared to have a tire go down. Alberson came all the way to fourth, passing teammate Jeremiah Hurst in those final laps. Oregonian Justin Duty drove a steady race, coming from tenth to sixth, folowed by row ten starter Daniel Hilsabeck, Blair Nothdurft, Jordon Yaggy, and twentieth starting Justin Reed.
We made our way to the parking lot during post race interviews with the A.I.R.S. cars waiting patiently in staging. Reports this morning indicate that Bart Miller claimed the final checkers of the night.
Thanks go out to Robert Wagener, Carrie Rouse, and the staff of Drt Trak Promotions for their on going hospitality. We are hoping to rejoin them and the MLRA crowd tonight at the West Liberty Raceway, and hopefully the weather will permit us to do so. Thanks for reading!
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