Sunday night found us high above turn one at Adams County, Il. Speedway for the King of the Crates Finale paying $1,000 to win to the Late Model feature. In addition, a special twelve lap event was ran for the eight drivers qualified through the King of the Crates season long series. All five regular divisions would be in action with the Sport Mods once again IMCA sanctioned after two weeks of "open" competition.
The night started with time trial qualifying for Late Models and UMP Mods. Tommy Elston rolled out late in the order and topped the Crates at 13.726 seconds and Kenny Wallace paced the Mods at 14.056.
Following ten heat races - two per class - for the sixty six cars signed in, and intermission, the Late Model special event rolled to the track. Elston and Jason Oenning, still wheeling the Derek Hollenstine #21, sat on row one. Elston shot to the lead and held on for the win to go with his heat race victory. Third starting Braden Bilger ran second, but could not get close enough to attempt a pass. Jamie Wilson, Jason Perry, and Oenning completed the first five followed by Darin Weisinger Jr., Denny Woodworth, and Sam Halstead who exited the track early. Woodworth is now piloting the car driven most of the year by Oenning after Denny was involved in a grinding crash at Lee County Speedway.
Street Stocks kicked off feature action. The growing class had fifteen cars come to the track for fifteen laps. Heat winners Jacob Rexing and Robert Cottom paced the field and those two pulled away from the pack racing side by side ahead of a lap four caution. Four more yellow flags slowed the action, and after the final one with three laps to go the field went single file. Cottom gained control and raced to the win. Points leader Jake Powers recovered from a 360 degree spin to avoid an out of shape Rudy Zaragoza six laps in. When it was determined that neither driver actually stopped on the track, both were given their spots back and Powers eventually cleared Rexing for runner up honors. Zaragoza and Steve Grotz completed the first five.
The IMCA Northern Sport Mod class was unusually light, with just ten cars going for fifteen circuits. Patrick Phillips lined up in row two, charged to the lap one lead and cruised to a flag to flag win in the non stop race. It was the first main event win of the season for Phillips, who fell victim to a last lap pass a couple of weeks ago. Tanner Klingele was able to win a tight battle with Reed Wolfmeyer for second, but could not run down the leader. Logan Cumby edged A. J. Tournear for fourth. Cumby and Wolfmeyer picked up heat race wins.
Eleven Dirtcar 4 Cylinders took to the .29 mile oval for fifteen laps and also went non stop to the checkers. First heat winner Jeffery Delonjay and Kimberly Abbott sat on row one, but it was heat two winner Jimmy Dutlinger challenging Delonjay early on. Jeffery pounded the tall cushion while Jimmy worked around the tire barrier on the low line. By the mid point Delonjay had opened a commanding lead and he took the checkers about a half lap in front of the soon to be crowned national champion Dutlinger. Spencer Coats was strong in third trailed by Jaden Delonjay. Dyllan Bonk lost his number five spot when he slowed on the backstretch on the final lap, turning the spot over to Landon Neisen.
It was now Late Model time, with Elston and Weisinger Jr. leading the sixteen car field. The race was slow getting started as first timer Marty Hull Jr. rolled to a stop in turn four ahead of the green flag. A lap one yellow set up an original restart, but the twenty lapper stayed green the rest of the way. Heat two winner Vance Wilson was shuffled back from his row two spot as the field mixed it up out of turn two on lap one. But it was Elston again leading the charge, making it forty two laps led for the night! Woodworth and Perry battled for the runner up spot with Perry finally taking control. Bilger stayed close in fourth while Jamie Wilson completed the top five. With transponder issues in qualifying, Jamie started the night behind the eight ball, coming from the back to fourth in his heat, then gaining three positions in the feature. Weisinger Jr. led the second five ahead of Oenning, first time visitor Braden Johnson, Vance Wilson, and Christian Miles.
UMP Modifieds would round out the action, fifteen cars for eighteen laps. Heat winners Austen Becerra and Trevor Neville brought the field to green, with Kenny Wallace tucking in behind Becerra for second. Neville then rebounded to grab the lead on lap three. The only yellow flags came with seven laps scored and a strong slide job by Becerra followed by a slick crossover by Neville was called back due to a crash on the backstretch. Back to racing Neville twice jumped the cushion in turns three and four allowing Becerra to sail past. Along with Wallace, those three checked out over the closing laps. With just two laps remaining they raced nearly three wide into turn one. When the checkers flew, it was Becerra with the win followed closely by Wallace and Neville. Kevin Blackburn recovered from an early stumble to outgun Mark Burgtorf to round out the top five.
The action wrapped up just minutes after 9:00 P.M.
Thanks as always to Jim, Tammy, and the crew for a fun Sunday night of racing.
I am scheduled for a few days off to have a minor medical procedure and hopefully spend some time with the great grandsons, hopefully returning to Adams County, Il. Speedway for season championship night next Sunday. In any event these fall races are quickly becoming my favorite, so I shan't be away for long. In the meantime, watch the specials calendar at Positively Racing, there is lots of good stuff still coming!
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