Flo Racing Night in America made a now annual trip through the mid west with four Super Late Model week night races last week and this, wrapping up Wednesday at the famed Davenport Speedway. The made for TV events this season pay $23,023 and $1,000 to start for the fifty lap features. Only one support class was added on this night, the popular IMCA Modifieds. A quality field of forty Super Late Models along with twenty two IMCA Mods signed in to do battle in front of a sizable throng of spectators.
Hot laps kicked off right at the advertised time of 6:30 and with ten and eleven cars out at a time, it took only fifteen minutes before we were ready for Late Model time trials. With two cars on the clock at once,Winfield, Tennessee driver Mike Marlar was the fourth car out and he not only turned the fastest lap of the forty, but broke the quarter mile track record with a time of 13.321 seconds. As qualifying continued and the cushion was pushed higher and higher, times slowed, with the Group B leader Jimmy Owens eight tenths off the record pace at 14.124 seconds.
The two groups were divided into four eight lap heat races, lined up straight up by qualifying times, and predictably, only one driver, Chad Simpson, was able to crack the top four starters and move directly into the main event. Pole sitter Marlar topped heat one and outside row one starter Bobby Pierce captured heat two. Pennsylvania driver Mason Ziegler in an unnumbered black machine and Dennis Erb Jr. topped the final two heats after lining up third on the grid.
Next up it was three Modified heats, with all cars transferring to the feature. Only one yellow flag slowed action in the seven heat races, then came a pair of ten lap Late Model B mains, with only the top two in each moving to the money race.
Chris Simpson scored a popular victory in the first consy after lining up fourth, digging in the low groove to edge Tim McCreadie as the pair exited turn four on the final lap. Brandon, Florida hot shoe Kyle Bronson also started fourth, and used a low side charged to drive from third to the lead on lap one of the second B, pulling away for the win as Frank Heckenast Jr. edged Daulton Wilson in a tight battle for second. Two provisional starters, Devin Moran and Tanner English were added to the back of the twenty two car starting field for the main event.
Late Models would run the first feature, with Marlar and Ziegler perched on row one. Running high on the speedway, Zeigler shot to the lead with Marlar, Pierce, and Erb Jr. trailing. Erb jumped ahead of Pierce on lap thirteen as those four separated from the pack. One lap later, Marlar slipped over the top of turn one, and although he would seemingly have been able to ease back onto the track, the yellow flag waved and he was relegated to the tail for the restart. Erb now took up the chase, catfishing past Zeigler on lap nineteen. Zeigler would fight back to lead the next trip around, but Erb would take over for good as lap twenty one was scored. As Dennis stayed true to the inside line , pulling away by the halfway mark, Zeigler began to fade back through the pack. Pierce moved to second and Hudson Oneal soon followed in third. With the low groove the fast way around, Oneal took the runner up spot on lap twenty nine. The race stayed green, and Erb caught the back of the field with a dozen laps of racing to go. Unwilling to give up his preferred line, and with cars racing for position in front of him, Erbs' lead began to shrink. Perhaps making his final charge to the higher line a few laps to soon, Oneal was unable to mount a serious challenge, and Erb drove on to his second Flo Racing win of the mini tour. Oneal took runner up honors and Pierce filled out the podium in third. Brandon Overton started ninth and finished fourth while Ricky Thornton Jr. gained six spots to complete the top five. Bronson would be the hard charger, advancing twelve positions to sixth, followed by Jonathon Davenport, Zeigler, Brandon Sheppard, and Ryan Gustin.
With all Late Model post race television commitments complete, Modifieds lined up, twenty one strong for twenty laps. Hired gun Brian Harris captured the first Mod heat, then took off from the feature pole to pace the first five circuits. Lap three saw veteran Jeff Aikey climb to second, then fly past Harris on the high side to lead lap six, while Mitch Morris shadowed the front pair. As Aikey opened a sizable lead, a five car battle for second was interrupted by the only yellow of the race eight laps in. Back under green, it was heat two winner Tim Ward joining Harris and Morris in a three wide scrum for second. One lap ahead of the mid point, Ward completed his charge from row four to the lead, while Orcutt, California pilot Dylan Thornton raced into third, using two more laps to move to second. With both Harris and Aikey going pitside Ward stretched his margin, cruising to the win and the $1,000 payday. Thornton held on for second over heat three winner Eric Barnes. Chris Zogg started in row six and came home fourth and Morris rounded out the top five.
If not the among the breathtaking finishes we have witnessed at Davenport the last couple of seasons, the racing was never the less entertaining, the track smooth and fast, and it was another "plus" show, a great way to spend a Wednesday night!
Thanks again to Ricky and Brenda Kay and their staff for their hospitality, and you can expect several more reports from this track during the 2023 season. In the meantime, we have a full weekend on the horizon, including Poweri 410 Bandit Outlaw Sprints leading a four class program Friday night at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Lucas Oil Late Models headlining Saturday action at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, wrapping up with MARS Late Models, MARS Modifieds, and Hart Series B Modifieds Sunday at Adams County, Il. Speedway in Quincy. Pick one out or better yet, join us for all three! See you at the races!
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