Saturday was night number two of the Corn State Nationals at the Davenport Speedway on the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds. The cars and stars of the MARS Racing Series would be competing for double the winners' share from Friday, with check for $10,000 awaiting the top finisher. Two IMCA divisions, Modifieds and Sport Mods would also be in competition.
Once again, thirty two Super Late Models signed in, with the Modified classes well balanced at twenty six and twenty four. It was a blazing hot day, with the thermometer in our vehicle registering at an even one hundred during the drive north. This undoubtedly contributed to the difficulty preparing the track, and the program was about forty minutes late beginning, a situation that put track officials under the gun throughout the night. Track conditions were changed from Friday, and it was the fifteenth car out to time, Garrett Alberson who set the overall top speed at 13.891 seconds. The only other driver eclipsing the fourteen second bracket was Daniel Adam, and unfortunately that turned out to be the highlight of his night.
Indeed, Adam would start on the pole position for heat two, and he was running well within a top four transfer spot, second to Tony Jackson Jr. But as they entered the white flag lap, the #75 car suddenly slowed and headed for the pits, his heat race run over. As was the case on Friday, the heat victories all went to front row starters, typical of "time 'em and start the fast ones up front" racing. Alberson, Jackson Jr., Blair Nothdurft and Caden McWhorter picked up wins, while pole sitter Michael Leach and third starting Derrick Stewart claimed B main checkers. On the opening lap of the first of those B's, Adam charged from outside row three in pursuit of a top two qualifying position. But as the field exited turn two he climbed the right side of a spun car, nearly getting upside down, ending what had to have been a frustrating night. Once unstacked, he tried to restart the race, but quickly retired to the pits.
The late start left little time for additional track work, and the IMCA Modified twenty lap feature came quickly to the track. Chris Zogg and Shane Paris led the star studded field to green, and when Zogg nearly crossed up in turn four, Paris and fourth starting Spencer Diercks paced the opening circuit. Following a lap four caution, Diercks grabbed the lead ahead of a three car scrum for second among Paris and row three starters Matt Werner and Jeff "Bone" Larson. The red flag stopped the action six laps in when a mix up involving Andrew Hamburg and Bill Roberts Jr. on the backstretch ended with Hamburg upside down. The clean up was a lengthy one, with both cars out of the race. A third stoppage came twelve laps in, and back under green Larson powered to third. Two more yellow flags would mar the action. By this time the leaders were running a low line around the quarter mile, nose to tail except Larson and Zogg, who were trying to "build" a top side, but eventually they would give up and fall in line. Diercks would drive home with the win, chased by Paris. Werner would cross the line in third, but did not survive tech, moving Larson to third followed by Zogg and sixteenth starting Logan Veloz. Brandon Durbin was steady in sixth, while young Jace Eckrich gained eleven positions in seventh ahead of twentieth starting Tony Von Dresky. Jason Pershy started and finished ninth while Charlie Mohr got behind the eight ball early in the night, but gained thirteen spots to record a top ten.
A quick tickling of the surface came as twenty two Late Models lined up for forty laps and a shot at $10,000. Alberson shot from the pole while Nothdurft, McWhorter and fifth starting Ryan Unzicker raced three wide for second. As the field sorted out, Alberson was running the high line while Nothdurft cat fished around the bottom, easing past Alberson for the lead. The first of six yellow flags came at lap four as Stewart spun off turn four. Unzicker made the top side work briefly, charging to second, but soon gave way to both Alberson and ninth starting Chris Simpson, as the top side appeared to lose bite. Nothdurft increased his advantage as the leaders lined up in the bottom groove for several uninterrupted laps. Another caution came with a dozen laps scored, and the Delaware Style restart saw Simpson in second and closing on the leader. Things got dicey about lap thirty as Nothdurft, the surprise South Dakota entrant caught he tail of the field. As he moved from the low groove to attempt to pass a slower car, suddenly Simpson and Unzicker were alongside running lower lines. Unzicker emerged in front, but immediately slowed in turn three with an untimely flat tire. Back to racing it was now Nothdurft, Simpson and McWhorter pacing the field. Friday winner and Series points leader Jason Feger had just been hanging around in the second five, but restarting in fifth, he now lived up to his "Highside Hustler" nickname, pounding the mostly unused cushion to drive to third. With two more cautions in the next four laps, Simpson was able to nose ahead using the newly discovered high line. But with just six laps remaining, Chris dropped back to the bottom side, leaving the door open for Feger, who powered to second and then drove around Simpson for the lead. The final circuits saw those two go at it, but in the end it was Feger sweeping the two Corn State main events, adding $15,000 to his war chest. Simpson would settle for second while Frank Heckenast Jr. came on late for a second top five of the weekend. Nothdurft was fourth and Alberson added a fifth to his third place run on Friday. Jackson Jr. made it sixth two nights in a row, followed by McWhorter. Justin Duty bounced back from an early tire change to finish in eighth, while Leach was the hard charger, gaining eight spots to ninth. Unzicker powered back from his late flat to record a top ten finish.
All the usual post race pageantry became expendable as the clock ticked dangerously close to the 10:30 curfew with one feature still to go. But with that we headed to the parking lot for the journey home. My Race Pass results show veteran driver Kevin Goben as the winner of the fifteen lap IMCA Sport Mod finale. His row one mate Bob Silaggi, thirteenth starting Tyler Maschmann, Levi Laymon and Chris Burke would complete the top five.
Thanks again to SR Promotions, especially the very helpful and friendly lady at the pit gate, for their hospitality during our several 2025 season visits.
Tonight the MARS cars and stars will wrap up their weekend tour with their second stop of the season at Quincy Raceways. Family activities took me out of the area for their visit in May, so I look forward to this night of great racing. UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, open B Mods, DIRTcar 4 Cylinders and UMP DIRTcar Crate Late Models will fill out a busy card. Hot laps kick off around 5:30. Hope to see you there!
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