Sunday night was a busy one at the Adams County, Illinois Speedway, with a pair of make up features for late models and 4 cylinders added to the card.
The late model feature on May 29 was about six laps in when a power outage brought the action to a halt. Track officials decided to start over and run all twenty laps from the start. Although they did not offer a buy in for new drivers, top UMP Pro Late Model contender Chase Osterhoff had called ahead on that night to get checked in, but never made it to the track due to issues with his hauler. So he was now able to tag the tail of the make up event. Elston, however, was not to be denied. Charging ahead from his outside pole position, he quickly took command. Meanwhile, third starting Denny Woodworth rolled along in second. Osterhoff, who made the trip in from Kankakee, Illinois, began to pick off cars, eventually coming up to challenge Woodworth for second. As Elston cruised to the win in the non stop event, Woodworth held off Osterhoff for second. Darin Weisinger Jr., and Cody Maguire completed the top five. Eric Doran, Sam Halstead, Jason Oenning and Spencer Coats filled out the finishing order.
The 4 cylinder make up saw fourteen cars line up for fifteen laps. Kimberly Abbott led the first lap, but third starting Michael Grossman moved to the front one lap later. With the summer sun bearing down, the track had become pretty much one lane around the bottom with the dust flying. Grossman was able to drive away in another non stop race. Abbott followed in second, trailed by Nick Johnson, Jeffery Delonjay in his back up car, and Chance Bailey.
The track crew gave the surface multiple drinks of H2O throughout the night, and as the sun began to set and it came time for the regular features, we were left with a racy track with a cushion at both ends. The street stocks were up first, with nine of the ten cars starting for fifteen laps. Point leader Robert Cottom, on hand with a back up car, failed to make the call. Steve Grotz, who doubles as track prep leader, jumped to the early lead, followed by Steve Dieckmann. Lap two saw Rudy Zaragoza move to the runner up spot, quickly closing on the leader. Meanwhile, Beau Taylor in his new #13 machine, Dieckman, and Jake Powers battled hard for third. The first feature yellow flag with five laps to go was followed by Zaragoza slipping inside Grotz for the top spot and the win. One lap later Taylor powered to second. Grotz held third, with Powers and Dieckman next in line.
Kenny Wallace set quick time, captured the first heat win, and sat on the pole for the twenty lap, eleven car finale, as Brandyn Ryan could not make the call. Wallace, and heat two winner Mark Burgtorf, in the Baker Racing #03B raced side by side for the opening laps. The first caution came at lap five, as Dave Weitholder headed to the hot pit with a flat tire, just barely making repairs in time to rejoin the field. On the restart, point leader Austen Becerra powered to second, then to first on lap seven. A final caution came one lap later, and back to action Weitholder climbed back to fifth. Burgtorf was able to work around Wallace for second at about the halfway point, but Becerra was a runaway winner. Weitholder settled for fourth, with Mike Vanderiet Jr. completing the top five.
The late models were up next, twelve strong for twenty laps. It took three tries to get things going, with Braden Bilger the early leader before Osterhoff moved out front on lap three. One more lap, Elston took over the runner up spot. The lone caution period came with five laps down, and Denny Woodworth took third following the restart. By the mid point, Osterhoff held a comfortable lead, cruising to the win. Elston and Woodworth followed, with Derrick Carlson winning a battle with Bilger for fourth. Maguire, Doran, Weisinger Jr., Oenning, and late model first timer Robert Thompson rounded out the finishers.
The normally smooth running four cylinders had a spate of yellow fever, with four stoppages in fifteen laps. Most of the problems came at the start, with front row starter Bailey breaking, and Jeffery Delonjay loosing a wheel on his machine. Johnson took off from the pole before Jimmy Dutlinger charged from row three to the front on lap two. By the halfway mark, those two along with Jaden Delonjay and Derrick DeFord were locked in a four car tussle. With four laps to go, Delonjay tried to squeeze inside Dutlinger entering turn one, ran out of real estate, and spun his #3. Following the restart, Grossman, who had been a non factor early, drove to the runner up spot. The final laps featured a tight battle between Dutlinger and Grossman, with a charged up Dutlinger picking up the win. Following Grossman, it was DeFord, Abbott, and Landon Neisen, as Johnson was shuffled back in the tightly contested closing laps.
Conversely, the often cautioned plagued sport mods, thirteen strong for eighteen laps, ran a non stop finale! Michael Goodwin took off from outside row one to the lead. Dakota Girard mounted an early challenge, but lap four saw third starting A.J. Tournear charge to second. Those three ran in tight formation as row six starter Adam Birck worked his way to fourth, closing fast. Birck had exited the track at the start of his heat race with a possible broken axle. Adam then cleared Girard for third at lap eleven. Out front, Goodwin and Tournear ran side by side with A.J. taking the lead with five circuits remaining. He then held on for his first win of the season. Birck powered to second, but could not overtake Tournear. Goodwin was third, trailed by Shane Paris and Girard.
It will be a quick turnaround for the track, as the UMP Summernational late models roll in on Wednesday. The Summit modified series will also be on the card, as well as the 4 cylinders in a marquee event for the revitalized Quincy facility. Hope to see you there!
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