Wednesday was race night at West Liberty Raceway as a highlight of the Muscatine County Fair. For the past couple of years the legendary high speed half mile has been silent except for this once a year event. The 2025 edition was under the direction of the Davenport Speedway team of SR Promotions, headed by Jeff Struck. The Karl Chevrolet Pro Late Model Tour topped the bill with a $1,500 to win contest. IMCA Modifieds battled for a $1,000 top prize while IMCA Sport Mods raced for $500 to win. A non sanctioned Street Stocks/Stock Cars feature paid $600 thanks to an extra donation. Finally the Nostalgia Stock Car Series and Midwest Jalopies filled out the busy card.
An ominous forecast once again turned into a pleasant evening for racing, with just a bit too much humidity to call conditions perfect. As a result, the midway was bustling with people, and come race time the grandstands were packed from turn four all the way to turn one!
Seventy five teams signed in to do battle, a nice turnout for a week night event, especially considering that there is no weekly racing at the facility.
It took a while to get the surface rolled in, but heat race action rolled off in fine fashion. Seventeen Late Models were divided into three qualifiers, and although Luke Pestka crossed the line first in heat one driving a Nick Marolf team car, he was scored last in the running order with no explanation given. Veteran Denny Eckrich captured the first of two Modified heats for the seventeen competitors, but he slowed dramatically as he took the checkers, with a puff of smoke behind his #50. He then scratched from the main event.
Intermission proved to be a lengthy one as track crews worked to widen the racing surface.
Midwest Jalopies staged the opening feature, with Matt Fulton Sr. overtaking Austin Honts for the win in the ten lap affair. Tom Honts came home in third.
A dozen IMCA Sport Mods lined up for fifteen laps. Tim Plummer has dominated this class my last several visits to West Liberty, so when he redrew the outside pole position I was expecting to see the blue #66 in victory lane. Indeed, he shot to the front, pulling away quickly before the yellow flag waved with one lap scored. Nick Aupperle was sitting facing the wrong way in turn two, and as the field shuffled to avoid his stalled car, Jason Bear drove over his #5, getting upside down. After a delay. Bears' #?4U was finally towed away while Aupperle was able to make enough repairs to rejoin the pack. Once again Plummer pulled out to a nearly straightaway advantage while a great battle raged behind him for positions two through five. A final caution came with four laps to go, but Plummer again drove off to a convincing win. Trey Rock used this Delaware Style restart to grab second from Matt Fulton Jr., who then held off Jason Roth by inches for third. Shaun Slaughter completed the first five. In victory lane, Plummer stated how he prefers running the "big" tracks, saying this was his first race of 2025!
Only nine of the twelve Street Stock/Stock Cars survived to race for fifteen circuits. Donnie Louck charged ahead from outside row one chased by Cary Brown and Johnny Spaw. About three laps in (the scoreboard was not operational), the lone yellow flag came out, and on the restart Brown took the inside, leaving the high line for Spaw. The veteran powered his #600 to the front as he and Louck pulled away in a two car duel. Behind those two, Brown, Matt Picray, Casey Shelliam and Keegan Wells battled for position. With five laps remaining, Shelliam saw his run end with a flat tire. In the closing laps, Spaw was able to increase his lead while Brown also gained separation in third. Spaw cruised to a popular win, with Louck second and Brown in third. Picray narrowly topped Wells for fourth.
The Late Model headliner was shortened by five laps to twenty, with all seventeen cars taking the green flag. Division rookie Dallon Murty rocketed from outside row two to take the lead down the long back stretch, with J.D. Auringer in pursuit. Six laps in the caution flag would fly as Scott Strauss slowed in front of the grandstands, turning into the pit area with fire showing in the engine compartment of his #34. Andy Eckrich was the fair race winner one year ago, started sixth on the grid, and lined up Delaware Style with seventh starting Nick Marolf behind the leader. Marolf was able to ease past Eckrich for second, but Murty had already opened a commanding lead. Marolf was only making small gains when Murty finally caught the tail of the field, with a gaggle of cars racing for position. Just as Marolf appeared ready to make his move, Murty was able to split a pair of slower cars and open a bit of breathing room. But Marolf surely had the faster car on this night, and running up close to the turns one and two barrier on the final lap, he used his momentum to charge to the front down the back straightaway. The thrilling finish found a very excited Marolf in victory lane. Murty held on for runner up honors while Eckrich raced home in third. Auringer and pole sitter C.J. Horn rounded out the top five. Brandon Hamburg was steady in sixth followed by Matt Ryan, National Dirt Hall of Famer Jeff Aikey in a #1X machine, Chase Brunscheen and Jess Bodin.
With post race festivities complete, just six of the seven Nostalgia Late Models came to the track for ten laps. As the yellow flag waved, the clock passed 10:30, and with early calls for the three of us, we regretfully began the long distance walk to our parking place. Long time racer Bert McDaniel was leading the pack in the Curt Hansen #9 tribute Camaro as we made our way to the car, and a check of the results showed Bert picking up the win over Terry Matty in the Benny Hofer replica #50 and Dan Kessler in his #00.
Results for the IMCA Modified twenty lap finale show Spencer Diercks with the win from P2 over Kurt Kile, Chris Zogg, Eric Barnes and Mitch Way.
We have heard the rumblings before about the possibility of the big half mile track being shortened, and always take such talk with a grain of salt. But either way, the West Liberty RACEWAY holds a lot of memories, and I look forward to the next race there, whenever that may be.
Plans for the upcoming weekend are to get back to Lee County Speedway on Saturday for another UMP Pro Late Model Drive for Five, and then Quincy Raceways on Sunday as the MARS Series comes to town featuring $5,000 to win for the Late Models and $2.000 for Modifieds. Don't forget to stop by and say "Hi!."
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