While persistent heavy rains continued to plague tracks in our immediate area, a Facebook post with pictures from Davenport Speedway let us know that Friday night racing was on at the fairgrounds quarter mile. So we made a last minute decision to head that way for their weekly five division card plus the IMCA mod lites.
An outstanding field of one hundred and thirty five cars piled into the pit area - amazingly all but a couple made it ahead of the 6:30 start time, even on a Friday night, and hot laps began right on schedule. In fact, the first heat race rolled out minutes ahead of the 7:00 hour!
I'm sure the local curfew has some bearing, but Davenport does a good job of filling up the heat races as much as possible. Forty sport mods ran four qualifiers, plus a pair of B mains, twenty nine modifieds contested three heats with all cars eligible for their feature, and eighteen street stocks ran two, not three, heats. In addition, the feature races run fewer laps than most other tracks and the result is a quick moving show with a crisp feel.
While perhaps not as much as some places, Davenport obviously has had plenty of precipitation, and the track showed early indications that it may "rut up." So promoter Ricky Kay spent much of his evening working the track during the short time it took to get cars on and off the racing surface. As a result, the track did indeed have some "character," but was plenty racy with at least three workable lines.
Feature racing began soon after 8:00, with the IMCA sport compacts up first for a dozen laps. Josh Riley led the first couple circuits before Cyle Hawkins took control after starting in sixth. Aaron Hitt lined up behind Hawkins, quickly moved to second, and by the halfway mark, the front trio had built a half lap on the field, running nose to tail. With just a pair of laps remaining and the leaders battling lapped traffic, a multi car tangle saw Hitt turned backwards, his #813 dancing on two wheels and nearly rolling over. With Hitt done for the night, Hawkins held off Riley for the win. Cody Proehl led the Sibleys, Tim, and Todd to the complete the top five. The race ran caution free.
Street stocks lined up next for fifteen laps. Donnie Louck and Joe Bonney raced side by side with Louck taking over on lap two. Jesse Owen came from row three to second by lap six running the inside line while Louck explored the high side. The first caution came with eight in the books, and on the Delaware style restart, Nick Hixson charged from sixth to third. Following a second and final yellow with five to go, Owen snatched the lead, but Hixson and Louck continued to swap positions with Owen until the white flag waved. On the final trip through turns three and four, Louck went over the top of the track, creating a scramble at the line. Owen held on for the win, while Brandon Setser sneaked into second ahead of Hixson. Jeff struck Jr. and Tony Von Dresky filled out the first five.
With the forty car field whittled down to twenty four, the IMCA sport mods lined up for fifteen laps. The yellow flag waved twice in the first lap as pole sitter Adam Birck led his row one partner Rance Powell and Logan Veloz. Another lap scored, and a jam up coming off turn two saw Tyler Soppe crossed up and he was then pinballed by several cars. His #3T suffered heavy damage and the delay was a long one as multiple cars needed towing assistance. Back to racing, Birck was working the low groove while Powell did business up top. Veloz took over the runner up spot ahead of a final caution for debris around the halfway point. Birck and Veloz ran side by side sharing the lead until Ryan Walker jumped in, taking second with four laps to go. Birck moved slightly off the bottom of the track, and coming through turn four to the checkers, Walker slipped to the inside to take the win. Birck settled for second in front of Veloz, row eight starter Brandon Jewell, and Ben Chapman.
A dozen mod lites battled for a dozen laps, and Mike Zemo Jr. appeared to destroy the field, ahead at the checkers by more than one half lap. Although I do not know what the infraction was, he failed post race tech, turning the win over to Blake Gonzales in what had been a nip and tuck battle with Jon Padilla for second. Michael Dominguez, Californian Kaden Cochrun, and Rob Guss also recorded top five finishes.
Twenty laps would be the distance for the IMCA modifieds, with all but two of the twenty nine drivers taking the green flag. Matt Stein shot from the pole to lead lap one, trailed by sixth starting Mitch Morris and Jake Morris. Brandon Durbin nabbed third on lap two. Mitch Morris took over the lead and began to stretch his advantage even as Matt Werner and twelfth starting Travis Denning began to pressure Durbin for third. Heavy traffic came into play by lap eight, but Morris did a good job of maintaining his lead. Meanwhile, Denning won the battle behind him, moving to second. In the closing laps of the non stop event, he began to close on the leader, and he was within a couple car lengths of Morris as the checkers waved. Spencer Diercks started tenth and finished third, easing past Werner in fourth, while Charlie Mohr gained eight spots to come home fifth.
IMCA late models for twenty five laps would close out the night, with Mike Haines and Kelly Pestka scratched, leaving a twenty one car starting grid. Nick Marolf lined up outside row one, leading Brian Harris, Gary Webb, and a hard charging Matt Ryan to complete lap one. A caution flag at lap two saw the night end for veteran Leroy Brenner. Young Logan Duffy had dropped out of his heat race and started twenty first, but he powered to eighth by lap four. However Ryan was also on the move, third at lap eight and then to second as Marolf hit slower traffic. Ryan and Harris had caught the leader by lap twelve, and Ryan took over at lap fourteen, even as eleventh starting Justin Kay entered the top five. Harris grabbed second with sixteen in the books, and three more trips around saw the caution flag out for debris, erasing a big lead for Ryan. Duffy headed to the pits at this time, giving up I believe fourth position. On the restart. Kay powered from fourth to second, setting his sights on the front runner. Three more laps and Kay used the inside groove to take over the lead. Ryan was not done yet, however, and as the top two came to the white flag, he muscled the lead away from Kay. But as they worked to turn one, the caution waved a final time for debris, and with the lap not complete, Kay lined up back in front. Ryan now had his hands full with Harris on the Delaware restart, and Kay was able to secure the victory. Ryan dropped briefly to third, but rebounded for runner up honors, Harris brought the Doug Curless #99 home in third, topping twelfth starting Andy Eckrich and tenth starting Andy Nezworski. Jacob Waterman ran sixth in front of Gary Webb, Fred Remley, and Chuck Hanna, with Todd Van Tassel completing the top ten.
The final checkers waved just past the 10:00 hour, concluding yet another night of excellent racing at the famed fairgrounds. Thanks as always to Ricky and Brenda Kay and their staff for their hospitality and for going the extra mile to present a quality program under less than ideal conditions.
We will take tonight off, then head south on Sunday to the Randolph County Raceway just outside Moberly, Missouri for the Weiner Nationals, featuring the infamous Weiner mobile. The activities, featuring a $10,000 to win late model headliner with $1,500 to win for B modifieds is a benefit for the family of Ryan Brewer, a tow truck driver at the track who lost his life this spring in a work related accident along I-70. Along with a healthy payout for both classes, there will be a hot dog eating contest paying $1,000 to win, food trucks, and other activities for young and old alike! Hopefully we will see some of you there!
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