Friday we made one more trip north to the Davenport Speedway for the opening night of a two race weekend dubbed this night as the Davenport Dirt Stars. Seven classes came to race on the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds quarter mile featuring the Pro Late Models battling for $1,500 to win. Once again it was a beautiful early autumn evening in sharp contrast to the less than comfortable spring weather we have experienced these last few seasons.
A surprisingly (to me) total count of one hundred and thirty race cars rolled through the pit gate, led by twenty seven Pro Late Models.
Hot laps kicked off just a couple minutes after 6:30, and it was about thirty minutes later when the Midwest Jalopy heat race kicked off the racing action. It took eighteen heats to set the feature fields, as after a couple of scratches the Late Model B main was scrubbed.
A bit of track work in turn one was addressed during the fifteen minute intermission, and soon it was time for the money races. But soon the " wheels would come off," so to speak.
All eight Jalopies lined up for a dozen laps, with Michael Hulsing pacing lap one, giving way to Austin Honts one lap later. Hulsing then brought out the lone yellow flag six laps in. Back under green, heat winner Matt Fulton Sr. began to pressure the leader, and he moved to the front on lap ten. Honts would fight back, but Fulton held on by less than a car length to claim the win. Jayson then Jeff Blunt came next, with Pat Bailey completing the top five.
While the Jalopies had little trouble negotiating the fast rack, unfortunately the same could not be said for the Street Stocks. All but one of the seventeen on hand came to the track for fifteen laps. Three times the caution flag came before one lap was scored, the third a grinding crash in turn two that left us with ten cars for the restart. On the next attempt, the leader spun in turn three causing all to take evasive action, and perhaps in desperation, lap one finally went in the books. Now new leader Bob Barker would briefly lose the handle on his ride in the same corner as the green waved, with Jason Robbins scored out front for lap two. Restarting after a fifth caution, Robert Cottum, who went to the tail after yellow number one now found his way to the runner up position. The sixth and final caution came with four circuits recorded, and back to racing the front pair drove away from the field. Cottum made an unsuccessful attempt at the lead about lap eleven, but Robbins then pulled away for a convincing win. Rob Henry, Jordon Miles and Joe Bonney also tallied top five finishes.
This was perhaps not the night for victory lane festivities as all but one of the twenty two IMCA Sport Mods lined up for twenty laps. A yellow on the initial green spoiled a front row start for Josh Starr, then it was pole sitter Austin Kemp leading lap one. Third starting Levi Heath took over the next time around, and Tony Olson soon followed in second. After a lap seven caution, Kemp, Olson and Kevin Goben locked in a tight battle behind the leader. Seemingly from nowhere, twelfth starting Hunter Longnecker joined the leaders, moving to third on lap eleven, then charging to the front one lap later. He quickly stretched his lead as Heath, Olson and Goben now fought for second. Longnecker avoided tragedy as a pair of slower cars spun in turn one as he lapped them with three left on the scoreboard. A final stoppage came on the restart, but Longnecker drove off into the Scott County night for the win. Olson won the battle for second, chased by Heath and Goben. Kemp recovered to slip around Dakota Cole for fifth.
The time was ticking by quickly as twenty five Pro Late Models came to the track for twenty laps. The four heat winners filled out the front two rows, with Nick Marolf, Clay Simpson and finally Matt Ryan leading a portion of lap one while Dylan Thornton fell back a bit. Marolf cleared Simpson for second on lap two, with fifth starting C. J. Horn following in third. Slower traffic came into play by lap six, and Horn eased around Marolf for second. Ryan and his closest pursuers lined up high on the track negotiating the back of the pack and now the race to watch was for fourth through sixth between Simpson, Thornton and Andy Eckrich. Racing caution free, Ryan built a nice lead by the half way mark while Thornton climbed to third at lap fourteen. Now Horn was on his horse, moving to the back bumper of Ryan. What quickly became a three car scrum saw Thornton clear Horn for second as lap seventeen went in the books. Then as the front two came through turns three and four to take the white flag, Thornton loaded up a major league slider. Both drivers briefly lost momentum, opening the door for Horn, who drove by on the inside for the lead. The third generation racer then held on for the thrilling victory. Thornton crossed the line in second followed by Marolf, Ryan and Simpson. Bakersfield, California driver Troy Morris III made a surprise start, finishing sixth ahead of Logan Duffy, J.D.Auringer, twenty second starting Ben Seeman and Brennen Chipp. The event went non stop for twenty exciting laps.
The clock was now ticking close to 10:00 with three features still to go and facing an early Saturday call, as the IMCA Mod Lites came to the track we headed for the parking lot. We were both surprised and pleased to see that all three features were able to beat the curfew! Congrats to Dillon Raffurty (Mod Lites), Matt Werner (IMCA Modifieds) and Bradly Graham ( IMCA Hobby Stocks) on their wins!
Racing resumes tonight, Saturday, highlighted by the IMCA Modified Greg Durbin Memorial paying over $3,000 to win, along with the Pro Late Models battling for $2,500. Hot laps for the six division program are scheduled one half hour earlier, at 6:00.
With family activities on tap, this will put a wrap on my racing for the weekend. Next up on the Racin' Down the Road schedule will be next Friday night at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, where 410 Sprint cars and Pro Crate Late Models will headline the show. But there are several excellent choices out there tonight and tomorrow, the weather is great, so grab a jacket and head to a track near you!
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