Memphis Main Event Goes to Chargin' Charlie

   Saturday the high powered Malvern Bank SLMR Late Models rolled into Scotland County Speedway, the fairgrounds three eighths mile oval on the west edge of Memphis, Missouri. The Nebraska based Super Late Model Racing Series - the brainchild of National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Joe Kosiski - boasts both east and west division events plus several multi division races. While some drivers may focus on "points racing" in one or the other division, there is much cross over among the competitors. This east division race would pay a cool $3,000 to win the feature winner. Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and B Modifieds racing for a strong purse would fill out the Saturday night card. 

   Like everywhere in the mid west, Memphis has experienced more than their share of rainfall, but through the hard work of promoter Mike Van Genderen and many volunteers, the race track and pit area were transformed in to race shape. The huge berm of mud surrounding the inside of the racing surface was a testimony as to how much work was needed. And although the track had a bit of "character" early, it was  hammer down all night and relatively smooth and multi groove by feature time. 

   South Dakota driver Blair Nothdurft topped time trial efforts with a fast lap of 17.019 seconds, breaking a three race fast qualifier string by Jason Hahne. SLMR uses a somewhat complicated qualifying procedure involving descending points for time trials with a six car heat race invert where passing points are accumulated. This combination ( along with a top car redraw?) sets the starting order for the feature which also offers a challenge to the top point man to drop to the sixth starting spot for a shot at bonus money. On this night it was number two points earner Tad Pospisil who accepted the Skyline Materials challenge after Jake Neal passed. As it turned out Tad was "only" able to move up to third at the checkers, increasing the bonus money for the next event.

   Heat two winner Jacob Hobscheidt and Charlie McKenna sat on row one for the twenty five lap main event. "Chargin" Charlie powered to the early lead followed by Hobscheidt and Neal. A quick yellow came as Ron Boyse came up lame with both right side tires down. Neal took second on the Delaware Style restart before the caution flag waved again on lap two for a four car mix up in turn four. From there the race would stay clean and green. McKenna and Neal gradually pulled away from the pack, running nose to tail, building a nearly straightaway advantage. Around the mid point of the race, the leaders began to catch slower traffic, with several pulling to the infield before going a lap down. Eventually McKenna closed in on a car running in his preferred lane, and Neal took advantage to close up what little margin the leader had. After a few laps, McKenna was able to make a dandy move in turns one and two to put a pair of cars between himself and his challenger. He then built what looked like an insurmountable lead of more than three seconds. But Neal finally cleared the lapped cars and with two laps remaining he was once again at the back bumper of the #22. However McKenna continued to hit his marks, and came away with a flag to flag win of less than one second! Neal was runner up with Pospisil in third ahead of Hobscheidt and Nothdurft. Jesse Sobbing would top the second five in front of Dylan Silman, Jeff Tharp, Hahne, and Andrew Kosiski. Fourteen of the eighteen starters were around at the finish, while Troy Morris III was well down the road after heat race woes put him in the toter.  

   Feature racing began with all twenty four B Mods lining up for sixteen laps. As the green flag waved, Austen Becerra made hard contact with the turn two fence, putting him and his Bobby Six #6 out of contention early. Pole sitter Brandon Lambert charged to the lead with the yellow coming again on lap two as possible contact sent ninth starting Daniel Fellows in the Jim Gillenwater #10 for a spin. Another top contender, Brandon Dale drove to the infield at this time, ending his run. Back to racing, Lambert pulled away along with second running Cole Gillenwater as they opened about a five car length advantage before encountering heavy traffic at about the mid point. With just five laps remaining, the caution flag bunched the field as Dylan Heidenwith took a ride off turn three. Twelfth starting Dylan VanWyk had been steadily advancing through the pack, and he now jumped from fifth to third in a battle with Cody Agee. Just as the white flag flew, it was replaced by a final yellow and as the cars waited to realign, VanWyk had his night end with an engine fire in the #117. It would be a green, white, checkers to determine the finish, and Lambert would hold on for a popular victory. Agee jumped to second on the final restart as Gillenwater fell back to eighth with obvious issues. Lucas Eddy was the hard charger, moving up twelve spots to third chased by Jordon Jones and Chris Leathers. 

   Thirteen Stock Cars signed in, with all taking the green for fifteen laps. As has been a trend lately, the class was not particularly well behaved, as four yellow flags marred the action. Thor Anderson sat on the pole and he powered to the front ahead of Randy Rindom, Derrick Agee, and Leremy Jackson. As Anderson stretched his lead Rindom and Jackson survived contact, but the yellow would come soon after for more contact between Jackson and Jason See. See was awarded his spot back with Jackson charged with the caution. However when another quick caution came for debris, See retired to the infield with a flat tire. Another quick caution followed the restart and now Jackson flew off turn three before reentering the track off turn four! Soon he would head to the infield along with Kevin Koontz while track workers removed the hood from the #14 of Agee who had already given up his front nose piece. A final yellow came for a Jathan Fuller spin with six laps to go. Finally, Thor Anderson would drive away to a convincing flag to flag win. Agee held on for second while Rindom and Fuller recovered to take third and fourth. Only six cars completed the fifteen laps. 

   Hobby Stocks would wrap up the night, racing for a dozen circuits. Pole sitter Mason Rush would lead the first half of the event  followed by a four car scramble for second, finally taken by Spenscer Hopwood. Rush stayed in control before the caution came at the lap six mark. Hopwood would then grab the top spot and go on to collect the win. Rush settled for runner up honors ahead of Garrett Porter, and the Wenigs, Tristan and Dan. 

   Thanks as always to MVG and his cracker jack crew for a much needed night of racing action. Scotland County will host a few more events throughout the season, check the website for more info.

   Our next planned event is the rescheduled and highly anticipated Laveine Sanitation extravaganza this coming Thursday, July 2 at 34 Raceway in West Burlington. There are lots of giveaways for fans and drivers, serious extra money for the racers including $1,500 to win in all classes, and to top things off, all DRIVERS AND FANS GET IN FREE! No excuses on this one, so we will see you there!

Close Finishes Highlight Lee County Action

    Lee County Speedway was one a handful of tracks spared by Mother Nature on Friday night. In fact, the cloudy skies made for a very pleasant racing evening. The pits were already filling with a larger than average turnout when a late shower forced cancellation during check in fifty plus miles up the road in Columbus Junction, and brought a steady stream of competitors rolling through the Donnellson pit gate even as race time approached. In fact, a handful of cars would miss the heat races. In the end, the final car count wound up in the low nineties, including surprise visitor Kenny Schrader with his IMCA Modified making for a long and full night of action. The regular six divisions saw the addition of the Crown Vics, the first time the fledgling class has appeared at Lee County. They would bring nine competitors who regularly race at Quincy Raceways for a test run on the three eighths mile oval. 

   The action still kicked off in time, and a dozen heat races clicked off quickly, followed by a brief intermission. 

   IMCA Modifieds would be up first in the feature lineup, with fourteen cars racing for twenty laps. Dennis Laveine would lead his row one mate Jace Whitt ahead of the first yellow flag with one lap scored. Bill Roberts Jr. would clear Whitt for second on the restart, and as the laps clicked off those two would swap the position in a hard fought battle behind Laveine. Austen Becerra had lined up in row four, and with eight circuits remaining on the lightning fast surface, he would power to third. Laveine had built a nice lead, but a second and final caution came as a tire was kicked onto the racing surface with just three laps remaining. As the green flag waved, fifth running Mark Burgtorf moved to the high line and charged all the way to the runner up spot while second running Whitt was shuffled back through the field. Becerra was now also on the gas, and he cleared Burgtorf for second, then closed quickly on the leader. That duo exited turn four to the checkers side by side, with Laveine holding on by 0.2 seconds for the thrilling victory. Burgtorf, Roberts Jr., and Whitt completed the top five. 

   An excellent field of twenty one IMCA Late Models signed in, with all making the twenty five lap feature call. Jason Oenning and Dalton Simonsen brought the field to green with Simonsen jumping out ahead of fourth starting Denny Woodworth. Lap two saw the Late Model lawyer power to the lead while sixth starting Jake Griffin advanced to third. The next time around it was Griffin in second and Rickey Frankel III following in third. Woodworth opened a sizable lead until the lone caution came with six laps scored. Back under green, Griffin executed a "bad" slider in turn four, making contact with Woodworth while taking over the lead. Now it was Woodworth, Frankel III, and ninth starting Tommy Elston battling three wide for second, a position Elston would secure about lap ten. By this time Griffin was well out front but beginning to catch the back of the pack. Elston methodically cut into the gap, and with three laps to go he was within striking distance. But at that point Griffin was able to clear a slower car, giving him enough cushion to race home with his second win of the season, both coming at LCS. Elston crossed the line in second, as those two reversed their finish from the night before at Eldon Raceway. Frankel III had a strong run in third while Curtis Glover and twelfth starting C. J. Horn rounded out the front five. Visiting third generation driver Cruz Birkhofer ran sixth ahead of Blaise Lewis, Darin Weisinger Jr., Mitch Boles, and Spencer Havermale. 

   Eighteen cars would line up for the twenty lap IMCA Northern Sport Mod money race. Brandon Lambert got the jump on his front row partner Tanner Klingele ahead of a lap two caution, Back to racing Cole Gillenwater powered to the lead with Klingele still in second. One lap later Klingele took his first lead while fifth starting John Oliver Jr. drove to third. Row four starter Adam Birck was on the move, and he secured the third spot on lap six. Klingele had a sizable lead, but a lap eight yellow flag brought him back to the pack, and on the restart Birck rode the top side to the front. With Klingele staying in the low line, the two veterans raced side by side before Tanner reclaimed the top spot near the halfway mark. Again Klingele would open a nice lead ahead of a caution with just two laps remaining. That is when the wheels came off of an otherwise entertaining race. Caution after caution flag flew as the field was unable to complete even one more lap, including a turn three melee that eliminated several top contenders. Mercifully the time limit was invoked with a final single file run to the checkers. Klingele held on for the win trailed by Birck and Brandon Dale. A. J. Tournear was involved in an early caution, restarted deep in the field then rebounded to fourth at the checkers while Lambert came home fifth. Only eight cars were still on track at the end.

   The Mini Hauler division continues to be a mostly failed experience, as only Five trucks showed up. Nick Wilkerson is established as a dominant force in the division as he took over the lead on lap three of twelve, then drove away to a full straightaway win. Sheldon Brockett and Larry Hooper filled out the final spots still racing at the checkers. 

   The lineup showed nine, but including Gordon Blankenship Jr. there were ten IMCA Sport Compacts taking the green flag. Luke Fraise grabbed the early lead with fourth starting Brandon Reu close behind. That duo raced side by side with Reu nosing ahead on the fifth circuit. Fraise would stay close, battling side by side and nose to tail with Reu, lap after lap. The white flag was replaced with a lone yellow as Drew Stanek would lose a wheel while fighting for a top five spot. The green, white, checkers finish was no problem for Reu as he picked up another win. Fraise held second while three cars crossed the line side by side by side for third! Kimberly Abbott took the podium finish trailed closely by David Prim and Deep River, Iowa driver Ryan Cheney. 

   After witnessing two frustrating Stock Car features this week, this fourteen car IMCA group staged an entertaining twenty lapper. Beau Taylor was the early leader from outside row one chased by fourth starting double duty John Oliver Jr. Oliver would grab the lead on lap two while Nathan Wood moved one lap later to second. Oliver Jr. drove away to a straightaway lead, moving effortlessly through slower traffic before the yellow flag flew six laps from the checkers for a spinner.  As racing resumed, the red flag came quickly as the #15RS of Reid Sammons gave up in a heavy cloud of smoke. With a clear track ahead, Oliver Jr. again drove away into the Lee County night to claim victory. Wood hung around in the runner up position while Bernard, Iowa driver Jordon Miles made a late charge to slip around Taylor for third. Austin O'Donnell made the quick drive to Donnellson to take home fifth. Among the surprise entrants on this night were a pair of racers from Oklahoma presumably making their way north for some upcoming specials. Brandon Gritz from Edmond and Hesston Shaw from Hennessey, apparent teammates with similar looking #42 and 42S machines would cross the line seventh and eighth in the main event. 

   The clock ticked near 11:00 as we slipped out ahead of the Crown Vic twelve lap finale. Lewistown, Missouri racer Brian Kaylor will be the answer to a trivia question as the first driver to capture a feature win in the division at LCS. With a decent first night turnout, I suspect we may see the Vics again in 2026.

   Thanks as always to the Weisinger family and their crew for their hospitality and hard work turning an early week swamp into a very raceable surface on a fun Friday night. And we even got to here a couple of interviews from one of the best, Dustin Jarrett!

   With other commitments, this will put a wrap on weekend racing for me, next stop will be the UMP Summer Nationals stop at Quincy Raceways on Wednesday. The touring Super Late Models and Modifieds will be joined by B Modifieds and Crown Vics, you won't want to miss this one! 

Elston Cashes in at Eldon

    Thursday we made our way to the Wapello County Fairgrounds in Eldon, Iowa. It is county fair time, with a pair of race nights scheduled on the fast half mile where many fun nights were spent by yours truly a half century ago. On this special night, IMCA Late Models topped the card, racing for a $1,200 payday backed by $300 to start the main event. Stock Cars, Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks, 4 Cylinders, and Crown Vics were also on the card. 

   Hot laps kicked off about thirty minutes late, but after that the show moved along at a reasonable pace. A couple quick spritzes of water solved an early dust issue, and by race time a nice sized crowd filled in to both the rustic covered grandstands and the open air concrete seating closer to turn four. 

   Car counts are not the best at Eldon, and this night was no different, with only Stock Cars and Late Models able to register double digit counts. Tony Paris was doing his usual fine job on the mic, however there were some issues with the PA throughout the evening in the main grandstands, and I must confess to missing more than a couple names of drivers with whom I am unfamiliar. So I apologize in advance for any I may misidentify. Rumor has it that the track is working on collaborating with My Race Pass, which would be a positive development to the many race fans and reporters who rely on it. 

   Compacts would run the first feature of the night, contesting ten laps on the big half mile. Katelynn Watts shot to the early lead, and stayed out front for the distance despite heavy pressure from Seth Meinders. Cole Hughes, competing in two classes this night would race home in third followed by James Haring. 

   Sport Mods would also go ten circuits. with Colton Livezey jumping out front of Chase Johnson and Brandon Dale early on. As lap two was completed, Dale powered to second and began to stalk the leader in what shaped up to be a two car scrum. Eventually Livezey was able to put some distance on his challenger. For the second feature in a row, the race stayed green to the end, with Colton picking up his second win in three nights. Dale ran second, followed by VanZandt and Johnson.

   Crown Vics brought our first feature caution. Cole Hughes grabbed the lead after the front runner spun exiting turn four on the opening lap. The lone caution came on lap five, but Hughes stayed out front. Folkerts worked to cut into his lead, and crossed the finish line a scant half car length behind. Carter Stutsman would come home third.

   Next up it was Hobby Stocks. Keaton Gordon grabbed the lead over Rick VanDusseldorp. Top contender Dustin Griffiths, who was an early exit in the heat race, was out on the opening lap. VanDusseldorp was ahead by a nose as lap two went in the books only to see Gordon regain the spot two laps later. Once back in the lead, Gordon pulled away to a convincing win while VanDusseldorp held on for the runner up honors. Dan Honderd was strong in third.

  For our second straight night, the usually reliable Stock Cars had issues completing their twelve lap main event. Five yellow flags marred the action. Jason McDaniel powered to the lead as the green flag waved with Dustin Griffiths on his tail. Andrew Schroeder joined the fray ahead of the first stoppage,  Three more cautions came rapid fire, and on the final one of the three Griffiths headed to the work area with a flat tire following on track contact. Schroeder, who found himself at the tail early after triggering one of the cautions soon found himself back in second as the race passed the mid point. The final restart came at lap nine, and back under green Schroeder completed his come back, roaring to the front. He then drove away from the pack for a popular win. McDaniel held second ahead of Aaron Martin, Leremy Jackson, and Griffiths.

   A dozen IMCA Late Models put a wrap on the action. Dalton Simonsen and Gary Webb brought the field to green with Simonsen out front, but a complete restart followed the lone caution of the race. On the next attempt Dalton again took the lead with third starting Jake Griffin now in second. Griffin began to apply pressure to the leader while fourth starting Tommy Elston found his footing, moving to third on lap six and quickly closing on the leaders. Both Jake and Tommy drove around the front runner on lap seven, quickly putting distance on the pack in an entertaining two car duel. Lap eleven saw Elston make the move of the race as he grabbed the top spot. From there he would hold off Griffin for the $1,200 payday. Simonsen grabbed a podium spot in third, followed by "Superman" Sam Halstead, and C.J.Horn (I vividly recall watching his grandfather Fred win a feature here opening night in 1975!) A pair of wily veterans, Webb and Ron Boyse came next, chased by Jay Johnson, Mitch Boles, and Denny Woodworth.

   Racing wrapped up ahead of the 11:00 hour and there were fireworks in the distance as we headed out on Highway 16. 

   Tonight we will be back at Lee County Speedway where seven classes will be on the card. Maybe we will see you there!

   

   

Chris Simpson Leads an All Iowa Sweep at West Liberty

     Ill-timed rains continue to put a crimp in out 2026 racing plans, indeed I have quit counting the rain outs. So we were excited to see clear skies and pleasant temps on Tuesday as we made our first visit of the season to West Liberty Raceway. The evening would mark a rare appearance by the UMP Dirtcar Summernationals at the storied Muscatine County Fairgrounds track, the first since Rick Aukland drove to victory in 1995. It was also one of the few "Hell Tour" races contested on a half mile surface, as the bulk of the events are staged on the Illinois quarter mile bullrings. Jeff Struck,  SR Promotions are in charge of the limited schedule at West Liberty this season. Also racing on this night would be IMCA type Modifieds, Stock Cars and Sport Mods, plus a pair of vintage classes, a heavy load for week night racing. Seventy three race teams in the regular four divisions signed in, led by a solid twenty seven Late Models, with another nineteen of the vintage variety filling out the pit areas. Obviously hungry for racing at the big ole half mile, the grandstands were packed, end to end, with many late arriving fans traversing the main covered stands searching for a prime viewing area. 

   Time trial qualifying is a UMP staple, thankfully on the west side of the Mighty Mississippi it is only the headline class that does so. And it was the first car out, one of the local favorites, Chris Simpson, who would set quick time for the night. In fact, #32 would delight the crowd as he eclipsed the track record with time of 18.165 seconds! And as is frequently the case with time trial racing, this form of qualifying would set the tone for the evening. 

   Chris would motor on the capture the first of three Late Model heats from the pole, while brother Chad Simpson would take heat two from outside row one. Pole sitter Tanner English grabbed the early lead in heat three, but slowed suddenly on lap two with a flat tire. Late Model rookie Dallon Murty would take over and drive to the win, making it an Iowa sweep of heat race action. The "hometown" dominance would continue to be a theme, as Jonathon Brauns used an outside row one start to collect the B main win. With twenty cars qualified, four provisional starters were added, giving us a full field of two dozen for the forty lap, $5,000 to win headliner late in the program.

   Stock Cars would line up for the first money race, twenty strong for eighteen laps. Iowa race fans will tell you that this class is perhaps the most well balanced, well behaved, and entertaining group of racers night in and night out. However a visiting fan might be left scratching their head at that statement after Tuesday night. By my count, it was six yellow flags separated by a lengthy red flag period that would turn this race into a marathon. Greg Gill and David Brandies would battle early with Norman Bean and John Oliver Jr. joining the leaders following a trio of early cautions. Six laps had been scored when a grinding crash in turn one saw Rusty Zook take an ugly one and a half tumble in his #18Z.

    In fact, the racing up front was excellent around the frustrating cautions, as there were three different leaders from that point as the laps clicked off. Oliver Jr. would be out front for a lap before Brandies eased back in front. Another yellow saw Nathan Wood climb first to the runner up spot, then following the last interruption he would overtake Brandies, driving to victory. Brandies, Oliver Jr., Gill, and Bean would follow to complete the top five. 

   Surprisingly only ten Sport Mods would come to race this night, but all would make the feature call for fifteen laps. Young Bryson Eckrich, who could boast of a sizable fan club on this night took the early lead trailed closely by Trey Rock. Shaun Slaughter would take up the chase on lap two, pulling even with Eckrich on lap three, then moving to the front the next trip past the flag stand. Slaughter would gradually increase his advantage until he drove too high in turn one, turning the lead back over to Eckrich. The only stoppage of the race then came as Slaughter smacked the turn one wall just past the half way mark. Only six cars remained for the restart, and it was seventh starting Colten Livezey now lurking in the runner up spot. He would motor around Eckrich on lap ten, then drive off to a comfortable lead and the win. Eckrich and Rock would follow, while Justin Schroeder and Nick Aupperle completed the top five. 

   Late Model feature time saw Chris Simpson and Murty in row one, and they paced the field in that order as the green flag waved. The yellow flag waved for the first time five laps in as Tyler Millwood slowed on the front stretch, driving past the exit. Following the Delaware restart, Chad Simpson would take up the chase in second. As the race stayed green, Chris would catch the back of the pack at the mid point, and his considerable lead began to quickly disappear. Murty would find his way back to second and was bearing down on the #32 when an ill timed (for Murty!) final caution came with twenty laps scored. Clear track would now greet the leader, and although Murty stayed close for a bit, Chris Simpson was simply too strong as he drove on to a clean sweep of the night. Murty and Chad Simpson filled out the all Iowa podium, again to the obvious delight of the gathered throng. Robeline, Louisiana driver Cade Dillard interrupted the Iowa party in fourth after lining up ninth, while " part time" Iowan Dylan Thornton rounded out the top five. Former Iowan, Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Billy Moyer made a surprise visit to the track, finishing where he started in sixth. SummerNats overall point leader Jason Feger advanced four positions to seventh, Ainsworth, Iowa's Derrick Stewart was eighth. Frank Heckenast Jr came next and the Hard Charger of the race was English, who advanced eleven spots from his provisional position to round out the top ten. 

   With post race ceremonies complete, all sixteen Modifieds came to the track for eighteen laps. Unfortunately thirty laps of the big tires had taken its toll on the racing surface, and after the initial scramble the Modifieds pretty much lined up in the low groove and concentrated on holding their position. Spencer Diercks powered to the early lead for outside row one, eventually opening a full straightaway advantage over pole sitter Kurt Kile. The race stayed clean and green, with Diercks cruising unchallenged to the win. Behind Kile it was Jace Eckrich, Matt Fulton Jr., and Chris Zogg with top five runs. 

   The clock was now ticking to 11:00 as we took our leave ahead of the vintage finales. Thanks to My Race Pass, I can report that Michael Hulsing topped the Midwest Jalopies in his #09, while Bert McDaniel raced his Curt Hansen tribute #9 to the victory in the Midwest Vintage Late Models. 

   The SummerNats crew is headed to Davenport Speedway tonight before wrapping up their Iowa swing Thursday at Dubuque Speedway. We have an eye on the weather radar this morning before making a decision about tonight. Also on our personal "radar" is a potential visit to Eldon, Iowa on Thursday where IMCA Late Models headline a night of racing on the big half mile during the Wapello County Fair, then back to Lee County Speedway in Donnellson on Friday. Hope to see you somewhere as we go Racin' Down the Road!

  

Jackson Jr. Tops MLRA at 34 Raceway

    Pretty much everyone, including yours truly had been closely monitoring the weather apps this week, hoping sometimes against daunting odds that the three night MLRA Late Model swing along the Mighty Mississippi would be a "go." Previously scheduled events on Friday at Davenport and Saturday at 34 Raceway in West Burlington were combined with a rescheduled Sunday night date at Quincy Raceways, dubbed the "Triple Threat" weekend. Ernie Leftwich, owner/promoter of the southwest Missouri based Midwest Late Model Racing Association conceded that the rather ominous forecasts gave that title a double meaning. Unfortunately those weather models held true, and it was early Friday morning when the plug was pulled on the Davenport weekend opener. 

   The forecast for Saturday looked much better as all eyes turned south towards 34 Raceway in West Burlington. Brad Stevens and Jessi Mynatt had put together a tight lineup with the high powered Super Late Models backed up by IMCA Late Models, IMCA Hobby Stocks, and Mini Hauler Trucks. The MLRA headliner would pay a cool $5,000 to the feature winner, $800 just to start. Lebanon, Missouri veteran Tony Jackson Jr. in his car #56 rolled into town the current series points leader.

   Even as we approached the Burlington area, passing clouds gave us pause, especially with the now high humidity. But as things turned out, it was a beautiful evening for racing with just enough cloud cover but still an awesome sunset. While the car count for the headline division suffered a bit due to the weather related issues, there was still plenty of high powered machines in the pits, the track was in absolutely pristine condition and the on track action was intense!

   Following hot laps, the Super Late Models lined up for time trials. Dylan Thornton was the first of the twenty two cars out, and he turned the high banked three eighths mile oval in 15.030 seconds. It looked for a while that fast time would hold up until the final five cars hit the track. Whether the track gained speed or the best simply came last, three of those final five to time eclipsed the fifteen second mark, with Richmond, Missouri driver Aaron Marrant tripping the clock at 14.798 seconds followed by Caden McWhorter, and Jeff Herzog. 

   Seventeen IMCA Late Models would contest a pair of heat races won by Tommy Elston and Darin Weisinger Jr. Hobby Stock heats went to Randy LaMar and Jorden Patz while Nick Wilkerson topped the lone Mini Hauler heat. 

   MLRA ten lap qualifiers lined up straight up from time trials, and the first two were captured from the front row by pole sitter Marrant and outside starter Jackson Jr. Heat three was a barn burner, with Herzog leading most of the way from the pole despite heavy pressure from third starting Chad Simpson. On the final lap Chad was able to ease past for the lead and exiting turn four brother Chris Simpson also slipped around Herzog for second. But come feature time it was announced that Chad had apparently failed the "droop rule" in post race tech, which resulted in a four position penalty, dropping him from a row two feature start all the way back to row eight.

   Intermission was brief as all but two, Mitch Boles and Ed Hollenbeck,  IMCA Late Models lined up for twenty five laps. Pole sitter Denny Woodworth shot to the front ahead of third starting Mark Burgtorf. Fifth starting Dustin Smith, who was racing different #53 machines in both classes, was the man on the move, jumping to third on lap two, second on lap three, then running down the leader and grabbing the top spot the fifth time around the oval. Meanwhile Elston charged from row four to second on lap six and the lead duo quickly separated from the pack. Both cars were running the inside line, and as the race clicked past the halfway point Elston moved up a lane to try and gain extra momentum. With sixteen circuits scored, the only caution of the race came when Jesse Bodin was crossed up between turns three and four. As the field was lining back up, Smith suddenly stopped on the front stretch with mechanical woes which ended his run. Elston now assumed the top spot on the Delaware Style restart, and he drove well off into the Des Moines County night. Blaise Lewis had been running near the front after starting sixth and he now powered to second as Austen Becerra worked from row five to third. Woodworth and Burgtorf would complete the top five, chased by Weisinger Jr., Glover, Sam Halstead, Jay Johnson, and Jake Griffin. Griffin had required brief medical attention during his heat race, but came back to complete all twenty five laps in the feature. 

   Mason Rash made a first time haul from Shelbina, Missouri as one of the thirteen Hobby Stcks signed in, finished second in his heat but was unable to make the feature call. Luke Phillips jumped out front early with his row one mate Tucker Richardson close behind. Running nose to tail, they pulled a bit away as LaMar and Patz battled behind. As lap nine was scored, Richardson was ahead by a nose. Phillips refused to go away and now Patz was closing fast. The leaders took the white flag scoring lap fourteen, and were heading down the back stretch when the yellow light came on for a car sitting cross ways between turns three and four. With the field reset it would be a one lap dash to the checkers. Richardson held on for the win followed by Phillips, Patz, twelfth starting Kale Hemsley, and Garrett Porter. All twelve starters completed all fifteen laps and all were on the lead lap. 

   Mini Haulers would contest a dozen lap feature with Hayden Delzell and Austin Roose leading the pack to green. The pack ran four wide down the back chute with row two starters Dawson Tipps and Wilkerson pacing lap one. The yellow flag would fly on lap two for Jason Delzell and following the restart seventh starting Caleb Ealey powered to the runner up spot. He quickly moved in to challenge for the lead, taking over on lap five. It would be a three truck battle including Tipps and Wilkerson before Ealey began to pull away. A final caution came with eight laps scored and Wilkerson was out with a flat tire. As racing resumed Ealey again opened a commanding lead, driving to victory over Tipps, Roose, and the Delzells, Hayden and Jason. 

   Saving the best for last, all twenty two MLRA competitors lined up for thirty laps. Again the straight up start found Marrant and Jackson Jr. bringing the field to green. Jackson Jr. would jump out front and eventually lead all thirty non stop circuits! Marrant, Chris Simpson, and Thornton would follow in the early laps. The leader would catch the tail of the pack about lap nine, but the veteran ace would move smoothly through the slower traffic. Thornton would find another gear as the race passed the mid point, climbing to second. But his charge would stop there, as Jackson Jr. kept lapped cars between himself and second place, cruising to his third series win of the season to increase his points lead. With no yellow flags slowing the action he would by my count lap all the way to eighth position. Following the top two it was Chris Simpson, Marrant, and Herzog. Derrick Stewart came home sixth while Chad Simpson was the hard charger, gaining eight spots to run seventh. Daniel Hilsabeck, Caden McWhorter, and number two points man going into the night, Brennon Willard completed the top ten. 

   The final checkers waved just before 9:30, putting a cap on a tight, well run event. Thanks as always to Brad, Jessi, and their crew for a fun night!

   Tonight, Sunday, the MLRA  series is set to move ninety miles south to Quincy Raceways for another $5,000 to win headliner. IMCA Late Models will again be on the card along with Dirtcar Modifieds, IMCA Northern Sport Mods, Dirtcar 4 Cylinders, and Crown Vics. Hot laps kick off around 5:30. Hope to see you there! 

   Edit: Quincy Raceways canceled due to rain.

Past and Present Collide at Lee County Speedway

    Friday night was a great night for racing at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. A special attraction evoked memories of days gone by as the newly formed Keokuk Auto Racing Association, KARA presented the first Ramo Stott Australian Pursuit race. For those of newer generations, this was a staple of dirt tracks "back in the day." The format features six cars lined up in single file formation, usually for five or six laps. If at any point a car is passed, they are out of the race, making it a race for survival. These novelty events were extremely popular pre 1980s, both with fans and drivers alike. Bragging rights far outweighed what was generally a minimal payout. For those unfamiliar with KARA, it is the brainchild of the sons of legendary Ramo Stott, both offspring successful Late Model racers in their own right. The organization was formed to honor the accomplishments of the "Keokuk Comets" who put my hometown on the national map, with many of their greatest moments witnessed at this same dirt track. The hope of the group is to maintain a permanent place of honor for those drivers. 

   It was a beautiful evening in southeast Iowa, and sixty eight race teams checked in to compete, led by a season high eighteen IMCA Late Models. Heat race action clicked off quickly followed by the first of several preplanned Australian Pursuits. This first one saw five IMCA Sport Compacts race for five laps with Brandon Reu the victor after Luke Fraise saw his night end with mechanical woes.

   A brief tickle of the track and it was feature time. 

   Late Models were up first, with all but Ed Hollenbeck lining up for twenty five laps. This was easily the race of the night, with three different leaders and the winning pass coming following a caution period with three laps to go. Kruze Miles and Jason Oenning brought the field to green but it was Donnellson driver Jeremy Pundt coming from inside row two to grab the lead. Jackson Frankel, who along with Pundt has struggled in the early season before his win last Sunday in Quincy, shot from row three to second on lap two. As Pundt stretched his advantage, fourth starting Jake Griffin began to close on Frankel for second. At the same time, eleventh starting Darin Weisinger Jr. was suddenly on the move, passing cars as he headed for the top five. Pundt had a comfortable lead until the first yellow flag came with ten laps scored when a tractor tire was kicked onto the racing surface. Back under green Frankel drove around Pundt exiting turn four while fifth place Spencer Havermale powered to third. Now it was Frankel opening a commanding lead but a key moment came when Griffin slipped back around Havermale for third on lap twenty. Two laps later a final caution came as Christian Miles slowed off turn four. setting up a three lap dash. This time it was Griffin charging to the front, then pulling away for his first feature win in the Warner Racing #79. Frankel held the runner up spot with Pundt in third. After giving up the position, Havermale rebounded to fourth ahead of Weisinger Jr. Two time winner Tommy Elston gained six spots to sixth, Denny Woodworth started and finished seventh, trailed by Oenning, Curtis Glover, and Ron Boyse. 

   Twelve of thirteen IMCA Northern Sport Mods were up next for twenty laps. Brandon Lambert charged from outside row one to the lead, taking along fourth starting John Oliver Jr. Oliver took over first one lap later, pulling well ahead as row four starter Cole Gillenwater came roaring through the pack to second. As the race approached the mid point Gillenwater was closing fast, slipping around Oliver Jr. as the two battled side by side. Following a first caution period with seven to go, Gillenwater got crossed up off turn two, turning the lead back over to Oliver and bringing out a second yellow flag. As the green waved it was quickly replaced with a final yellow when contact sent an upset Olivia Hoffman into the front stretch fence along with Chevy Barnes, who had no place to go. After a very long delay to remove those two cars, racing resumed, with tenth starting Adam Birck now charging to the runner up position. With just a pair of circuits left, Birck powered to the front, holding on for the hard fought victory. Oliver crossed the line in second chased by Cody Agee, ninth starting Brandon Dale, and a rebounding Gillenwater. 

   With extra money on the line, only Eight Mini Hauler Trucks signed in, racing for a dozen laps. Nick Wilkerson paced the early portion of the event, with fourth starting Caleb Ealey moving to the lead on lap six. Those two would swap the lead back and forth before Ealey took over for good on lap eight. From there he cruised to the win ahead of Wilkerson, Dawson Tipps, and the Delzells, Hayden and Jason, as fourth running Tate Kronfieldt was apparently DQ'd in post race tech. Ealey might win the unofficial award for biggest fan club, as his feature winners' photo included about twenty people!

   With Fraise done for the night, only five IMCA Sport Compacts remained for twelve laps of non stop racing. Reu quickly assumed the lead, driving off into the Lee County sunset. Kimberly Abbott took runner up honors in front of David and Ethan Prim and Bill Bennett. 

   Randy Rindom scratched from the thirteen IMCA Stock Car lineup. Third starting Beau Taylor cleared pole sitter Rusty Zook for the lap one lead as the two veterans battled early. Following a yellow flag for a Jathan Fuller spin, Chad Krogmeier took up the chase in second. Oliver Jr. lined up in row five, but came roaring to the runner up spot on lap four. He then closed in on Taylor, finally moving to the lead on lap seven of twenty. As Oliver Jr. increased his lead, Taylor soon had his hands full of Derrick Agee. Exiting turn four on lap twelve, Agee pulled a big time slide job to charge to second, still well behind the leader. The race now seemed to be for third as Jason See moved up to challenge Taylor. But on the final lap, Oliver Jr. would slow for an unknown reason while Agee suddenly closed the gap, nipping the #05 at the line for the surprise win. Taylor would hold off See for third while Casen Keller completed the top five. 

   As many in the nice sized crowd stuck around, nine IMCA Modifieds - missing Jesse Belez - lined up for twenty laps. JaceWhitt, who makes the three hour trek each week from Hamilton, Missouri, raced to the early lead from the pole position ahead of Bill Roberts Jr. and fifth starting Austen Becerra. Back to racing after a lap four caution for Dennis Laveine, Becerra shot to the lead. From there the battles were for second on back as Austen slowly opened a full straightaway advantage on the field. Jared Eckrich began to stalk Whitt, and when the duo encountered a lapped car on the backstretch Eckrich was able to power to the spot with just two laps remaining. Mark Burgtorf advanced three positions to come home fourth while Roberts Jr. rounded out the top five. 

   It was a bit of a late night, but the racing was good, with plenty of room for passing as the track was on point! 

   Thanks as always to the Weisinger family for their hospitality. Plans for today are up in the air, possibly a trip to 34 Raceway. Remember, no racing this Sunday at Quincy. Thanks for reading!

Bloomfield Was The Place To Be On Monday

    Back in my younger days, holiday weekends meant an extra day off work, afternoons around the grill, then an extra day of racing! Some time between 1986 and 2026 habits changed and track promoters crunched the numbers and apparently decided that holiday Monday racing was not a profitable venture. I can't say if this Memorial Day was a "one off " or a trend, but a full grandstand at the Bloomfield Speedway certainly bucked the trend. 

   Mike Van Genderen typically schedules a handful of races each season at the fast dirt oval on the Davis County Fairgrounds, and he had planned to bring back Late Models this season with the Friday opener of a three day trek across Iowa for the east division of the SLMR series. However wet conditions made that a no go. But rather than cancel the show entirely, the decisions was made to move the race to Monday with an early start time, and what a good decision it was!

   It was not just the fans, but the racers turned out as well, with eighty five entrants across the five divisions checking in. With sponsor money coming in late, IMCA Modifieds were a late addition to the program, and unfortunately only seven cars were on hand, however the original four scheduled classes turned out a range between seventeen Late Models and twenty two IMCA Stock Cars. And those in the pits represented at least seven different states!

   A 6:00 start combined with unlimited sunshine, warm temps, and a steady breeze created less than favorable track conditions early, as the heat races were mostly a one lane follow the leader affair. But during intermission MVG reworked the (one third, three eighths? mile) oval, and feature racing was multi groove, back and forth action. 

   Racing began with time trial qualifying for the Late Models, and South Dakota driver Blair Nothdurft topped the field with a lap of 18.313 seconds. Top contender Tad Pospisil encountered issues during hot laps and was unable to take his qualifying laps, but made repairs by heat race time. To counter the "start the fastest cars up front," SLMR uses a six car invert for heat race action. However they do reward time trial with a points system to reward the quick qualifiers. Regular readers of this blog will know that I am a fan of  passing points and SLMR uses the process along with the time trial points to set feature lineups. However it seems like they must have used government mathematicians to come up with such a complicated system! 

   Anyway, feature racing kicked off with all twenty one IMCA Northern Sport Mods lining up for eighteen laps. Cole Gillenwater jumped to the lead before a multi car mess on the front stretch eliminated three cars and resulted in an otherwise original restart. Now it was Cody Agee powering to the front, opening a sizable lead over Gillenwater. Meanwhile it was Brayton Carter on the move from row three to third on lap five. Also on the move was Will Wolf, as Agee continued to set a fast pace. Further back in the pack cars raced three wide, fighting for position. Agee caught slower traffic as Carter moved to second at the halfway point followed by a second yellow flag. Back under green, Carter powered to the lead while Agee and Wolf now battled for second. Carter would pull well ahead until a final caution at lap fourteen brought him back to the field. Now it was Brandon Dale finding late speed, and he grabbed the runner up spot as the white flag flew. Carter breezed to his third victory of the weekend, while Dale held off Wolf, twelfth starting Dylan VanWyk, and Agee. Always the gambler, at his special events Van Genderen offers all drivers the opportunity to drop an extra thirty bucks at check in for a chance at a double payoff for a feature win. "Speedy Bray" was one of several who took the challenge, and he collected a cool $1,000 for his win. 

   The travelling SLMR series has a challenge of their own a Skyline Materials Lucky Six bonus to the top points earner who can elect to start and win from sixth, collecting the rolling bonus which sat at $2,750 on top of the $3,000 feature payday. On this night pole sitter Jesse Sobbing declined, passing the torch to outside row one starter Chad Simpson who accepted the challenge. 

   This would move Nothdurft to outside row one, and he would lead Sobbing early. Meanwhile Simpson and eighth starting Dylan Thornton were on the move, climbing to third and fourth by lap five. Soon Sobbing would begin to apply pressure, grabbing the lead on lap ten, and Simpson also cleared Nothdurft for second. The top four continued to battle closely, separated a bit from the pack. On lap fifteen Simpson jumped to the high line and shot past Sobbing off turn two for the lead. The race stayed green and Chad caught heavy traffic by lap nineteen, but he was patient and moved smoothly through the slower cars. He would eventually open a nearly straightaway advantage, cruising to the win and the big payday in the non stop twenty five lapper. Sobbing was second followed by Thornton, Nothdurft and Jason Hahne. Jacob Hobscheidt led the next five over Pospisil, Derrick Stewart, C. J. Horn, and Charlie McKenna. 

   All twenty two IMCA Stock Cars would contest eighteen laps. Front row starters Jason See and Wisconsin racer Tyler Wilson quickly pulled away from the pack before a single caution with five laps scored brought them back to the field. Now Derrick Agee and Dustin Griffiths joined the leaders in a four car scramble. Agee charged to the runner up spot on lap nine, then ran side by side with See, grabbing the top spot two laps later. As the laps would down, Wilson also cleared See for second, but Agee remained in control, also becoming a " double down" $1,000 winner. The final rundown would be Agee, Wilson, See, and Griffiths, with Corey Strothman holding off John Oliver Jr. for fifth.

   A solid eighteen car field of IMCA Hobby Stocks checked in, with only Billy Scott missing the fifteen lap feature call. Garrett Porter paced lap one before Tom Killen Jr. climbed to the front one lap later ahead of the only yellow flag. Back to racing Killen Jr. drove off from the pack as cars battled three wide behind him. The Des Moines driver was never seriously challenged in picking up the win. A pair of #55's came next with Brett Maasdam in the runner up slot chased by Corey VanDerwilt. Keaton Gordon and Porter would complete the top five. 

   Eighteen laps of IMCA Modified racing would put a wrap on the racing. Cory Sample, who calls Winnemucca, Nevada home charged from outside row one to pace the opening circuit over Colton Nelson. Jace Whitt moved to second on lap two just ahead of the lone stoppage of the event. Brandon Banks moved in to battle Whitt as racing resumed, taking over second briefly before Whitt retook the spot on lap five. Sample was not to be denied, however, as he led all eighteen laps to score the win. Whitt held off Banks and Dakota Simmons, with Nelson the last car running in fifth. 

   The final checkers came a bit after 9:30 and we headed for the exit ahead of what looked to be a quality fireworks show. 

   Thanks to MVG and his team for their hospitality and as usual a tight, well run show. 

   Next up for us will be a return to weekly racing Friday at Lee County Speedway. School is out, summer weather is here, let's go racing!

First Time Winners Dominate at Quincy

   Summer like weather finally arrived at Quincy Raceways for holiday weekend racing. Another large crowd turned out, the car count was up about ten, and the racing was intense on Sunday. Several drivers picked up their first wins of the 2026 season. With school out and the late afternoon sun bearing down, the start time was moved back by one half hour in an effort to help "save" the track. One negative that continues to baffle me about Quincy Raceways is the practice of only hot lapping six cars at a time for several laps, drawing out what might otherwise be a fifteen minute procedure. An exception did come last night when only one session was held for the twelve Dirtcar 4 Cylinders in attendance. But I suppose they have their reasons...

   Heat race action clicked off quickly and the track received some TLC during intermission, leaving us with a fast and racy surface for the six features. With the special event up the road at Spoon River Speedway, Dirtcar Modifieds were off the card for this night, while the more open style B Modifieds were added, bringing several cars from the St. Louis area to the track.

   Crown Vics were up first with all but one of the season high twelve cars lining up for a dozen laps. A first lap pile up eliminated top contender Jacob Jones. With an otherwise complete restart, outside pole sitter Jake Etter shot to the lead. By the mid point, Alex Hatfield was pushing hard for the top spot, and he was scored first at lap nine. The next time around it was Etter back in front, and he would hold on for the hard fought victory. Following the two front runners it was Braxton Dieker, Isaac Little, and Josh Little to round out the top five. Hopefully one of the benefits of a low budget class such as the Crown Vics is that it serves as a feeder class, and we are seeing this as Etter, the 2025 class champion now has a B Mod, as well. 

    Eleven 4 Cylinders came next for fifteen laps. Front row starters Jaden Delonjay and Spencer Coats paced the opening lap, with Dyllan Bonk clearing Coats for second on lap two. The first caution period came at the halfway mark, but when racing resumed, the red flag was displayed as Ethan Zumwalt rolled his #22S multiple times starting in turn one. He was quick to exit the car, then riding behind the wrecker in his heavily damaged machine while reacting to the cheering crowd! Delonjay would continue to hold serve, beating Bonk to the checkers. Landen Neisen slipped around Coats on the final lap for third while Cole Reed completed the first five. 

   The visiting B Mods turned out fourteen cars, again all but one took the green flag. Drake Stevenson would charge to the lead chased by Bret Eilerman. The yellow flag waved with one lap scored, and back under green, A. J. Cline used the Delaware restart to power to second. Stevenson would build a five or so car length advantage before catching the tail of the field around the halfway point of the eighteen laps. Cline would quickly erase the distance to the leader, however Stevenson was smooth in traffic, maintaining the top spot. A final caution came with four circuits to go. With a clear track ahead, Stevenson a former track regular, kept his #77D out front for his first win of the season. Cline stayed close in second followed by Eilerman. Reed Wolfmeyer would race his IMCA Northern Sport Mod in both open wheel classes, and he would come home fourth ahead of Gage Walker. 

   A solid group of fifteen IMCA Late Models checked in, with all coming to the track for twenty five laps of action. Front row starters Jackson Frankel and Jeffrey Delonjay raced side by side for the opening laps ahead of a yellow flag three laps in when Jamie Wilson made contact with the turn three wall. Back to racing it was Denny Woodworth using the Delaware lineup to move to the runner up position. While Frankel opened a sizable lead, seventh starting Austen Becerra and ninth starting Tommy Elston began a march forward. A final caution would come as Frankie Wellman got out of shape on lap eight. On the restart Becerra would move quickly to third, then second while Elston climbed to fourth. It was a near disaster around lap twelve when Frankel made contact with a slower car, but he was able to straighten back out while losing considerable ground to the oncoming Becerra. But at nearly the same time, Becerra suddenly slowed, ducking to the infield, his night over. Elston would then take up the chase in second. Frankel now held a commanding lead as Jake Griffin muscled his way around Woodworth for third before Denny pulled to the infield seven laps from the finish. At the checkers it was Frankel with his first win of 2026. Elston came home second followed by Griffin, Delonjay, and eleventh starting Spencer Havermale. Jason Perry started and finished sixth trailed by Curtis Glover, Logan Cumby, and Sam Halstead, while Woodworth was credited with tenth. 

   The Street Stocks continued to struggle, with only five cars signed in. First time visitor Justin Layne and defending champion Jacob Rexing raced side by side, swapping the lead before Layne finally nosed ahead. Only once did the caution flag wave, five laps from the finish. But Layne would again pull ahead, scoring a surprise win in his first ever visit to the speedway. Rexing would follow ahead of Levi Long, Brandon Boden and Cletus Coats. 

   IMCA Northern Sport Mods would put a wrap on the night, with nine of the ten cars racing eighteen laps. Austin McLean would lead early before Alec Cain took over on lap three, taking along Quinton Shelton in second. A pair of quick yellows came, then it was Tanner Klingele jumping from third to the lead. On lap six Reed Wolfmeyer would power to second after lining up in row five and the chase was on. Meanwhile Shelton, Kahne Groves, and Cain were locked in a tight scrum for third. Klingele was in charge before a final caution with just three laps remaining. The final restart was single file, and Tanner held on for the victory. Wolfmeyer completed a solid night in second over Groves, and Cain, while Shelton rebounded to nip Olivia Hoffman on the final lap for fifth. 

   Thanks as always to the crew at QR for an entertaining night of action. 

   We hope to round out our holiday weekend with a long overdue trip to Bloomfield Speedway for the rescheduled SLMR Late Model special event, which also features Modifieds, Sport Mods, Stock Cars, and Hobby Stocks. Hope to see you there!

Feger Cleans House at Davenport

    On paper it looked like a relatively easy night for Jason Feger as he swept the MARS Late Model action during the Corn State Nationals at Davenport Speedway to open the holiday weekend racing action. That would, however, be far from the truth. 

   But I digress a bit. My daughter and her husband recently moved across the mighty Mississippi to a new abode in Davenport, where we found ourselves spending the weekend with family time. And thankfully I received a "hall pass" to make the twenty minute journey from there to the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds for the Friday night special. 

    Thirty one Super Late Models signed in for a shot at the $5,000 top prize, with drivers from as far away as Alabama and Georgia wandering north for what I assume will be the full three day swing of MARS events. 

    As the twenty seventh car to time, Feger led the way  at 13.666 seconds, about three tenths of a second off the Late Model track record. In what I assume was a coordinated event, the first two cars out to time were the #8 of Jeffrey Ledford and #51 of J.T. Wasmund, representing numbers driven by Kyle Busch. The crowd stood during their two laps in tribute to the fallen legend.

     Three packed eight lap heat races qualified the top five in each with pole sitters Feger and series points leader Ryan Unzicker along with outside row one starter Dennis Erb Jr. first to the checkers. These three along with runners up Chad Simpson, Tanner English, and Shannon Babb would redraw for the top two rows of the forty lap finale, with Feger and Unzicker set to pace the field. A loaded group of fourteen starters contested a stacked B main also transferring five to the feature lineup. Jake Little raced from the pole to hold off Austin Howes in the final ten lap preliminary event. A pair of series points provisionals, Caden McWhorter and Jorden Bauer would round out the twenty two starters. 

    The qualifying races were not without some drama. Heat one saw surprise entrant Terry Casey come from row five to nip Little on the final lap for the last transfer spot. Ditto heat two where another Wisconsonite, Mitch McGrath worked around Myles Moos on the final circuit for fifth. The "no biscuit" run for Moos continued in the B main as he fell out of fifth just a couple laps from the checkers.  

    With a short intermission complete, eighteen of twenty IMCA Modifieds lined up for twenty laps. Oddly, the two drivers not making the call were heat one winner Shane Paris and veteran Bob Dominacki, would raced home third in heat three.  

    Pole sitter Charlie Mohr would lead Brandon Durbin and Chris Zogg as the green flag waved. Zogg would clear Durbin for second on lap three ahead of the first of two quick yellow flags. Durbin would retake the spot following the Delaware restart, moving up to battle with Mohr for the lead. Durbin would power to the front out of turn four on lap six, with Mohr then bringing out the caution flag in turn one. Zogg would also disappear from the field at the same time. Another yellow on the restart, then we would remain green the rest of the way. Jed Freiburger and eighteenth starting Brad Diercks took up the chase, with Freiburger stalking the leader. Just after the halfway mark Freiburger cleared Durbin for the lead. Durbin stayed close, but Freiburger was able to put a lapped car between himself and Durbin with four laps to go, and he then cruised to the win. At the checkers it was Freiburger, Durbin, Diercks, Matt Werner, and Eric Barnes. 

    English would get the jump from inside row two as the Late Models took the green flag. He and Feger raced side by side as lap two was scored. Racing out of turn two, Unzicker got out of shape while running third, but a yellow flag for Howes negated his mistake. Back to racing it was Feger out front ripping the cushion as English worked the inside line around the quarter mile oval. As the laps clicked towards half way, Erb Jr. found speed, moving to fourth with Simpson also in the mix in fifth. Unzicker slipped to second on lap twenty four, closing on Feger, and two laps later Ryan took the lead in traffic. Now it was Ryan Gustin entering the top five. Lap twenty eight saw Feger regain the lead as slower traffic continued to be a factor. Gustin charged to third, ahead of a final yellow for Derrick Stewart who may have been unhappy with another driver. On the restart Gustin took up the chase in second, but with a now clear track Feger stretched his lead. As the race stayed green, Gustin would fade a bit to fourth as Unzicker moved to the runner up spot taking along late charging Dylan Thornton in third. English completed the top five ahead of Babb, Erb Jr., twenty first starting McWhorter, Simpson, and Dallon Murty. 

    My promise was to head to the house after the Late Model feature even though there was till three main events to complete. Thanks to My Race Pass, I see that it was Karter Miles topping the eighteen Hobby Stocks, Derrick Dean pacing the Crown Vics, and Randy Christner first in the Midwest Vintage Late Models.  

    It will be family time tonight with a goal of making it back to Quincy Raceways on Sunday. Monday we have plans for the rescheduled SLMR Late Model special at Bloomfield Speedway. 

    A special "Thank You!" to all our veterans, everyone enjoy your weekend! 

MARS Invades Quincy Raceways, Bauer and Neville Lead the Way

    In a rare Friday night program, Quincy Raceways welcomed their annual visit of the cars and stars of the MARS Late Model and Modified touring series. In addition, open B Modifieds, Dirtcar 4 Cylinders and Crown Vics raced in a non points competition. The Late Model headliner would pay a cool $5,000 to win, while the open Mod winner would cash a $2,000 check. In addition, both classes benefit from lap money raised locally, $25 per lap for the leader in their respective features. Even more aggressive fundraising bumped the 4 Cylinder purse, highlighted by a whopping $1,000 to the feature winner as well as extra money throughout.

   Overnight rains threw a monkey wrench into event plans, and upon early arrival it was obvious track personnel had been working hard to get things into shape, particularly the pit area. The north pit where most of the "big rigs" are parked had some swampy areas, but hard work and strategic planning saved the day. As for the racing surface, it was in good condition, although it definitely developed some "character" as the night wore on. All in all, praise is deserved for a job well done!

   Last arriving Derek Fetter capped the Late Model count at twenty three, a number which meant everyone could start the main event. Likewise for the star studded field of nineteen Modifieds. The other three divisions produced just enough entrants for a pair of heat races in each class. 

   The program would kick off at the advertised time of 6:30 in front of a large crowd estimated just under 3,000. Following Late Model hot laps, the Mods did the now popular hot lap/qualifying, with Trevor Neville atop the leader board at 14.186 seconds. St. Jacob, Il. driver Jordon Bauer then began his memorable evening with a quick lap of 13.017 to top the Late Models. 

   Following heat racing for all divisions, the track crew went to work to smooth out a couple of rough spots, and soon it was time for feature racing. With no offense meant to the local classes, it is beneficial in many ways that the travelling series see to it that their features run early in the order, as it is helpful both for track conditions and "crowd control."

   All nineteen MARS Modifieds lined up first for twenty five laps around the roughly .38 mile oval. With fast time and a heat race win in his pocket, Neville would claim the pole position, with the other heat winner, Mike McKinney alongside. As the field exited turn four trying to complete lap one, a huge pile up stopped the action. Damaged cars, some heavily, some not as much, were scattered along the front stretch, with several top contenders including local favorite Michael Long, Tyler Nicely, Cole Falloway, and Jeff Curl done for the night. Another hot shoe with many laps at Quincy, Ray Bollinger, probably wishes he had called it quits as well. Left with a flat tire after the melee, he ducked to the hot pit for a quick change, then rejoined the shortened field. On the next attempt at a start, Bollinger clipped the concrete off turn four, turning his #77 sideways then upside down to bring out the red flag. Fortunately he was uninjured, but with even more damage to his ride. With one lap in the books, the next restart proved less eventful, with Neville rocketing to the lead. As the race stayed green, he would build a comfortable advantage until catching the back of the pack with ten laps to go. Two cars racing side by side for position would slow his momentum, allowing second running McKinney to close the gap. As the leaders sliced and diced through slower cars, a final caution came with five laps remaining. With clear track ahead, Neville now pulled away, cruising to the clean sweep victory. McKinney would roll home second chased by seventh starting Michael Ledford and three Quincy favorites, ninth starting Dave Weitholder, 2025 track champion Justin Reed and twelfth starting Shawn Deering. Zeke McKenzie, track regular John Dimmitt from Macomb, Matthew Baker, and Owen Steinkoenig would complete the top ten. 

   It was now Late Model time and all twenty three would take the green flag for thirty laps. Heat winners Bauer, Dylan Thornton, and former popular track regular Austin Howes would occupy the top three spots. Bauer led the way ahead of the first caution period two laps in for the disabled car of veteran racer Mark Voigt. Back under green, Bauer continued to lead as seventh starting Ryan Unzicker jumped to the top five. The leaders raced nose to tail at high speed, mostly around the top of the quickly blackening track. Bauer would catch the tail of the field about lap twelve, moving efficiently through the slower cars. Things would tighten up, however when a second and final yellow flag came with just six laps remaining. Following the Delaware Style restart it was Unzicker again on the gas, and when Caden McWhorter suffered a pronounced wheel hop off turn two, Ryan gained a pair of spots to third. On the final circuit, Thornton gave it "all she's got," out of turn four, bringing the gathered throng to their feet. But it was Bauer with a slight edge at the line, completing his own sweep in front of the cheering crowd. He collected the $5,000 prize, plus all thirty laps of extra cash. Thornton and Unzicker joined Bauer on the podium, while Daniel Adam was strong, finishing where he started in fourth ahead of sixth starting McWhorter. Jason Feger led the next five followed by Bob Gardner, Howes, Tanner English, and Jake Little. 

   That crowd control aspect now showed as many headed for the exits ahead of the three remaining features. 

   Open B Mods would see their ten car field down to seven by feature time as they raced for eighteen circuits. Visiting A. J. Cline took off from outside row one in what looked like a rout. Local Sport Mod favorite Reed Wolfmeyer advanced to second on lap four, but by then Cline was in another time zone, building a nearly straightaway lead by the mid point. But with zero stoppages, Cline caught a pair of cars racing side by side for position seven laps from the finish. As he looked for room to pass, Wolfmeyer was closing fast, and just three laps later, the #2W would charge to the lead. It would be a non stop eighteen laps, and it was an excited Wolfmeyer who claimed victory. Cline would hold on to second, while former track regular Drake Stevenson came home third ahead of Joshua Christian and weekly competitor Austin McClean. It was also good to see 2025 Crown Vic champion Jake Etter make his debut in this class. 

   I am sure the folks who worked hard to raise the awesome purse for the 4 Cylinders were disappointed in the dozen car turnout, but there were some hot shoes who did take notice. Iowa speedster Jake Benischek made the one hundred fifty plus mile haul from Durant, Iowa, and quickly showed why. Joining Kenny Butterfield as a heat race winner, they would fill out row one and shoot quickly to the front of the eighteen lapper. Dyllan Bonk, a popular local who does his own share of travelling, was racing with the leaders until his #2B suddenly gave up on lap three. The only caution came one lap later, and on the restart another Quincy favorite, Jaden Delonjay, cleared Butterfield for second. Benischek opened a sizable lead as attention turned to a tight race for third between Butterfield and Derrick DeFord, before DeFord dove to the infield two laps from the checkers. Benischek would hold off the charging Delonjay for the win, Butterfield came next in front of yet another local hot shoe, Spencer Coats, and Travis Demint. 

   There was still a large contingent of fans on hand as a dozen Crown Vics lined up for fifteen laps. Clean sweeps was the theme of the night, and it would be no different in this finale. Jacob Jones put his #32 out front on lap one, pulling well ahead of the pack. Late Model local Jeffrey Delonjay climbed in a Vic for the night and was closing on the leader in traffic ahead of a caution flag at the halfway mark. But with clear track ahead, Jones again drove away, surviving one more yellow flag two laps from the finish. The single file restart proved no issue as Jones picked up the win. Brian Kaylor worked his way to runner up honors followed by Isaac Little, Alex Hatfield, and Carter Goodwin. 

   Kudos to the track crew for overcoming challenging conditions, and to the fans who turned out in large numbers. There will be no racing this Sunday at Quincy Raceways, they will be back in action next Sunday, May 24. Meanwhile the MARS stars and cars move south to the Highland, Il. Speedway tonight, Saturday, before winding up the weekend at Coles County, Il Speedway on Sunday. 

Glover, Weitholder, Wolfmeyer, Hatfield, Bonk and Rexing All Winners at Quincy

    Sunday night it was regular racing at Quincy Raceways, with six divisions in action. The beautiful weather came as we concluded a stretch of four races in four days, dodging rain drops, fighting cool temps and enjoying sporadic sunshine and clear skies. Bright sunshine and a stubborn northerly breeze made track conditions less than perfect early in the evening. However track officials took some extra time during intermission and the result was a very fast surface for feature racing.

   The switch to IMCA Late Models has had a positive affect on car counts in that division, and a nice field of sixteen signed in on Sunday. Counts in the other five classes continue to be less than hoped for, but there is still plenty of good, hard racing. Following heat race action and the newly added Late Model dash, it was time for the main events. 

   Dirtcar Modifieds would roll off first, racing for twenty laps. Dave Weitholder would shoot to the front from outside row one with pole sitter Jacob Rexing close behind. Weitholder would drive off to a comfortable advantage before a lone caution flag at the mid point of the race. Defending track champion Justin Reed used the Delaware Style restart to grab the runner up spot, but could not overtake the leader. Following the top two it was Rexing in third chased by visiting Josh Reed and John Dimmitt. 

   The twenty five lap Late Model headliner had plenty of drama and plenty of action. Jamie Wilson and Frankie Wellman paced the field early with Austen Becerra in third. As Wilson pulled away, contact between Jake Griffin and Becerra found Griffin in third and Becerra shuffled back to sixth with some front end suspension damage. The high speed, high line action was halted on lap ten as the leader was about to catch the back of the pack when Jackson Frankel ran out of real estate and smacked the front stretch wall ending his run. Last weeks' winner Curtis Glover had been biding his time in fourth, but he charged to second on the restart while Tommy Elston also entered the fray, jumping from seventh to fourth. Just past the halfway mark, the yellow flag waved again for a Ryan Aden Jr. spin. Following this restart, Griffin executed a slide job to try and grab the lead, but in the ensuing chaos it was Glover taking over the first position while Griffin lost several spots. Once more the caution flag waved with just four laps remaining and now it was Wilson and Elston in a battle for second. As the field came to the white flag it was quickly replaced by the red as Becerra went tumbling one and a half times on the front stretch, his hot rod landing upside down. He was uninjured, but his #22 machine did not fare as well. A one lap shootout saw Glover repeat his win, adding to his victory Saturday at 34 Raceway. Wilson won the battle for second ahead of Elston. Spencer Havermale started tenth and came home fourth and Rickey Frankel III gained three spots to round out the top five. Griffin led the second five over Wellman, Jason Oenning, Logan Cumby and Jason Perry. 

   With the large crowd still buzzing, IMCA Northern Sport Mods lined up for eighteen laps. Alec Cain powered to the lead from his pole position with his row one mate Olivia Hoffman in second. Reed Wolfmeyer lined up outside row four, but he charged to the runner up slot on lap three. Three more times around and Wolfmeyer shot to the front with a power move off turn two. By the mid point he was well out front, but a single yellow flag brought him back to the pack with five laps to go. Ninth starting 2025 champion Tanner Klingele worked his way to second just a pair of laps from the checkers after an entertaining battle with Cain. As the field came through the final two corners to the checkers, Cain would spin, ending his solid run. Wolfmeyer would secure the win, with Klingele close behind in second. Mexico, Missouri driver Kahne Groves drove a steady race to take third, A.J. Tournear came on late to finish fourth and a quickly improving Hoffman completed the first five. 

   Ten Crown Vics would compete for a dozen laps. Front row starters Alex Hatfield and Braxton Dieker fired off in that order, leading a tight four car pack. The first caution came eight laps in as Brian Kaylor slowed with a flat tire while running fourth. Jacob Jones moved to second as racing resumed. Dieker began to fall back, bringing a final caution with just one lap to go when he tagged the turn three concrete. Hatfield would continue to hold serve, taking the flag to flag win over Jones, 2025 champ Jake Etter, tenth starting Jaden Delonjay and Isaac Little. 

   Dirtcar 4 Cylinders and Dirtcar Street Stocks continue to struggle with car counts. Seven of the compact machines signed in, lining up for fifteen laps. Fielding a pair of cars on this night, Dyllan Bonk sat on the pole alongside Spencer Coats. Bonk, who has had success while visiting other tracks, shot to the lead, pulling well ahead while Cris Courson came up to challenge for second, taking the spot on lap six. With Bonk well out front, a single yellow flag halted the action as Courson slowed with just five laps remaining. Back under green Bonk again drove off from the field as Landon Neisen in the second #2B won a tight battle with Coats for second. Kimberly Abbott and Ethan Zumwalt would round out the top five. 

 Street Stocks put a cap on the action, racing for fifteen laps. After a false start, the front row cars were moved back one row, putting Jacob Rexing on the pole. That turned out to be the move of the race, as Rexing drove off into the Adams County night. Chuck Mitchell and young second generation racer Cruz Griffaw traded the runner up spot before Cruz suddenly ducked to the infield with just two circuits remaining. The checkers waved for Rexing followed by Mitchell and Brandon Boden.

   The final checkers waved a few minutes before 9:30. Thanks as always to the staff at QR for their gracious hospitality. Just a reminder, the track will come back to life this week on Friday. It will be the annual visit by the stars and cars of the MARS Late Model and Modified series, backed by B Modifieds, 4 Cylinders and Crown Vics. Additionally there will be no racing at Quincy Raceways next Sunday. 

Triple Digit Cars Counts and Good Racing at 34

    Sunny skies and warm temps were too much to resist, so we made the decision to head north to 34 Raceway in West Burlington for Saturday night racing. Due to the cranky spring weather, this would be our first visit of 2026 to Brad Stevens and Jessi Mynatts' legendary three eighths mile high banked speed plant. Seven classes filled out the card, with extra money on the line for the 305 Sprint Cars. Other rule changes have been implemented in an attempt to increase car counts in this crowd favorite division. Late Models, Modifieds, Sport Mods, Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and Mini Haulers filled out the card. And even though the radar showed showers in the area, nothing developed at the track and it was a cool but pleasant spring evening.

   The racing family must have agreed with my opinion as a nice crowd filled in to watch a very solid one hundred and three race teams come through the pit gate. The track was in excellent condition and remained so throughout the night with three distinct fast lines around the oval, even as it slicked off late in the program.

   Heat race action kicked off just after 7:00, with fifteen qualifiers clicking off in quick fashion, with the "one and done" rule in evidence. Following a short intermission, it was time to go feature racing.

   The extra incentive sadly did not seem to impress the 305 community as only ten signed in to race. A first lap collision eliminated Riley Scott, but after that it was fifteen caution free laps. Daniel Berquist led early before Dugan Thye blasted to the front on lap seven, coming from a row three start. Dugan then pulled well ahead to score a popular victory. Ryan Jamison came on strong late, taking runner up honors after starting in eighth. Berquist was third followed by McCain Richards and Nick Guernsey.

   Eighteen Sport Mods came to race, with all but one lining up for fifteen circuits. Dylan VanWyk fired off from row two to the front as racing began and never gave up the top spot. Three caution periods slowed the action with close racing behind the leader. VanWyk cruised out to a comfortable lead as did seventh starting Sean Wyett in second. Rookie driver Bryson Eckrich also gained separation to finish third while Jarrett VanDenBerg and Joe Roller completed the top five. 

   Hobby Stocks were not a part of the original lineup at the track for 2026, but after an early successful trial, they have been included on a part time basis. Fifteen signed in on Saturday and all of them lined up for fifteen laps. Again a first lap yellow flag scrambled the line up and four times more cautions would interrupt the action. Daniel Wauters was wheeling the #17M car and he shot off from the pole to grab the early lead. While Wauters remained in control, an intense battle for second developed between John Richardson and Jorden Patz. Eventually the field was reset in single file order, and the plethora of solo spins spoiled some good racing among the top five drivers. Wauters would go unchallenged for the win, with Patz claiming runner up honors. Garrett Porter made a late charge to third ahead of Richardson and Billy Stanford.

   Calm was restored as the Late Models came to the track for twenty five circuits. Only Ed Hollenbeck, who was involved in a heat race crash with Jay Johnson, was absent from the seventeen car field. Mark Burgtorf and Jeremy Pundt paced the pack, but it was third starting Curtis Glover powering to the lap one lead over Burgtorf and fifth starting Andy Nezworski. Glovers' big lead was erased on lap ten as Cruz Birkhofer came to a stop above turn two, the only caution of the race. Nezworski charged to the runner up position following the Delaware restart, but he was unable to run down the flying #30 of Glover. As the quick twenty five circuits came to a close, it was Glover, Nezworski and Burgtorf with podium finishes. Tommy Elston finished where he started in fourth and Dustin Smith advanced six spots to round out the top five. Logan Veloz led Jake Griffin, Blaise Lewis, Ray Raker and Darin Weisinger Jr. sixth through tenth. 

   An increase in start money seemed to be an incentive for the Modifieds, as a late arrival pushed the count to eighteen. First lap issues eliminated pole sitter Dennis Laveine in one of only two caution periods. Jace Whitt is making the long tow from Hamilton, Missouri to race at Lee County and 34, and he shot to the early lead over Adam Shelman and Austen Becerra. Becerra climbed to second on lap three, taking along the Eckrich boys, Jace and Jared. The final caution came at that lap three mark, and back under green, Jace moved to the runner up position while tenth starting Chris Zogg advanced to fourth. On lap five Becerra regained the second spot and the chase was on. Whitt was running Becerras' preferred high line forcing Austen to operate in the middle groove. In what proved to be a mistake, Whitt dropped down on lap ten, opening the top side for Becerra, who rocketed to the lead. He then drove off into the Des Moines county night. Five laps later, Jace Eckrich was able to clear Whitt for second using an inside move. As the checkers flew it was Becerra, Jace Eckrich, Whitt and Zogg, while after lining up in row eight Eric Barnes slipped around Jared Eckrich in the closing laps to finish fifth. 

   Sixteen strong were the Stock Cars, with Austin Kemper leading lap one. The next time under the flag stand it was fourth starting John Oliver Jr. out front where he would stay for the remainder of the fifteen laps. Two times the yellow flag waved in the first three circuits, then it was green flag racing until the end. Oliver Jr. moved well out front while Greg Gill and Jordon Miles staged the race of the night, running side by side and nose to tail, swapping the runner up spot several times on the now black slick track. At the same time, Casen Keller and Chad Krogmeier waged a tight battle for fourth. The final running order saw Oliver Jr. with win number seven on the young season, followed by Gill, Miles, Keller and Krogmeier. 

   We had hit the 10:30 mark with an early Sunday call as the Mini Haulers headed to the track, so it was off to the parking lot for our band of three. Congrats to Caleb Ealey on his feature win. 

   Thanks to Brad, Jessi and their group for a fun Saturday night of racing. Despite several early season rain outs, there are still many special events on the 34 Raceway schedule in 2026, so check the website for more info.

   Tonight we will be back in our familiar spot at Quincy Raceways, hope to see you there!

Close Racing at Lee County Speedway

    Thankfully the rain stayed south of Lee County Speedway in Donnellson on Friday as sunny skies greeted us upon arrival. A beautiful sunset preceded another chilly evening full of close racing on a beautifully prepared racing surface. And even though the spring chill is still with us, a decent sized crowd turned out. With the addition of the American Iron Racing Series a solid total of eighty four racers signed in led by twenty IMCA Late Models. This being the second week for the new promoters, everything moved along smoothly and after a full plate of heat races and intermission, it was time to go feature racing.

   The visiting A.I.R.S. group of thirteen ran first with only one stoppage. For some unknown reason, there was no roster of drivers so I apologize in stating that car #8J one of the Jones clan, picked up the win.

   The Mini Hauler truck class again produced a small number of participants, with five competitors racing ten non stop laps. Nick Wilkerson destroyed the field by about a half lap. Tate Kronfieldt and Hayden Delzell also went the distance behind the winner. 

   IMCA Sport Compacts fared little better, with only six signed in and five still around at feature time. Brandon Reu took off from outside row one to lead the twelve lap distance, chased by Kimberly Abbott and opening night winner, Josh Barnes. 

   The IMCA Stock Car count was down a bit at ten, but as usual they rewarded us with outstanding racing. Matt Jones paced the opening lap ahead of Chad Krogmeier, but it was Jason See coming from outside row two to lead lap two. Soon it was Krogmeier, sixth starting John Oliver Jr. and Derrick Agee locked in a battle for second. Oliver Jr. managed to clear that group on lap six and the chase was on. Halfway through the twenty laps Oliver had caught See and they ran side by side on lap thirteen before Jason was able to pull slightly ahead. With two to go in another non stop event, See caught two cars running at the tail of the field and he was able to use maneuver his way through, creating a bit of separation to secure the win. Following runner up Oliver Jr. it was Agee and Krogmeier, while Kevin Koontz won a race long battle, passing Matt Picray late for fifth. 

   All but one of the thirteen IMCA Modifieds took the green flag for twenty laps in yet another non stop race. Matt Fulton Jr. led his row one mate Fisher Reese in the opening circuits before Jace Eckrich moved into second on lap three. Even as young Eckrich mounted a strong challenge seven laps in, week one winner Austen Becerra came roaring from his row four starting spot to third. Eckrich used a turn three move to grab the lead one lap later, and one more time around saw Becerra charge off turn four to move to the runner up spot. It quickly became a two car breakaway. With six laps remaining the duo raced side by side, and Becerra claimed the lead coming to the flag stand. Ripping around the very top of the three eighths mile oval, Austen then drove off for the win. Eckrich held on for second while Fulton Jr. nipped visiting Chris Zogg at the line for third. Mark Burgtorf started and finished fifth. 

   After a heat race altercation, Ed Hollenbeck and Jason Oenning scratched for the twenty five lap IMCA Late Model headliner, leaving eighteen cars to take the green flag from starter Kevin Eggleston. Darin Weisinger Jr. and Sam Halstead sat on row one, and they blasted ahead in that order. While Weisinger Jr. opened a sizable lead, fifth starting Tommy Elston began his march forward, slipping past Halstead for second on lap six. He then began to run down the leader, racing side by side before taking command just before halfway. Fourteen laps were scored when the caution flag waved as Spencer Havermale found himself facing the wrong way on the front stretch. Thankfully everyone managed to avoid his stopped #7H. On the restart Weisinger seemed a bit slow off the line, losing several positions. Now it was eighth starting Christian Miles showing speed as he pulled a successful slider exiting turn four to clear Halstead for second. Elston drove off into the Lee County night as Miles, Halstead and Late Model rookie Logan Cumby fought for the runner up spot. When the checkers flew, Elston had matched his opening night win, with a straightaway advantage over Miles, Halstead, Cumby and visiting Andy Nezworski. Curtis Glover led the second five over Weisinger Jr., Denny Woodworth, Jake Griffin and Ron Boyse. Miles, Woodworth and Griffin all advanced six positions, Glover five and Elston four on the smooth, racy track. 

   IMCA Northern Sport Mods would put a wrap on the evening, seventeen strong for twenty laps. After rolling his car last Friday, Dylan VanWyk started on the pole position, and from there that was basically " all she wrote." He blasted well ahead, while double duty John Oliver Jr. also gained separation in second. The first stoppage came with eight in the books. VanWyk again pulled away, and it was now seventh starting Brandon Dale on the gas, powering to fourth. Two more laps were scored before a second and final caution. Row three starter Charlie Rindom jumped to the runner up spot as racing resumed, and as VanWyk cruised around the oval, Rindom, Oliver Jr. and Dale wrestled behind the leader. At the final checkers it was VanWyk, Rindom, Dale, Oliver Jr. and week one winner Cole Gillenwater in fifth. 

   If you were counting that was a grand total of four caution periods in over one hundred thirty laps of feature racing, a testament to both excellent track prep and driver restraint. Hats off to all involved! All racing was complete around 10:30. Thanks again to the Weisinger family for their gracious hospitality. The sun is shining, it is warming up. Think I will check the schedule and see if I can squeeze in a bonus night of racing. See you at the track!

Rain is the Victor at Lincoln

    Thursday night Fred and I made the drive to Lincoln,Il Speedway for night two of the Flo Racing Night in America events, a part of Illinois Speedweeks. Originally a three race swing, the opener at LaSalle Speedway was weathered out on Tuesday, making the Spoon River Speedway Wednesday show the first of the limited Made for T.V. series. Following Lincoln, many of the cars and stars will move on to Farmer City, then Fairbury with the Lucas Oil Late Models to conclude what was scheduled as a five night mini tour across the Land of Lincoln. 

   The Super Late Model headliner at Lincoln would pay a cool $20,000 to win supported by only one division, open Modifieds chasing a $2,000 payday. As an added attraction, burgeoning NASCAR star Carson Hocevar would be in competition wheeling his #77 Late Model. 

  Lincoln Speedway is a quarter mile facility located on the Logan County Fairgrounds. The covered grandstands retains that old time fairgrounds feel while still offering a good view of the action, with a set of open air bleachers and a sizable area for lawn chair type viewing. 

   Brandon Sheppard led flag to flag to pick up the win at Spoon River on Wednesday, topping a thirty nine car field while Trevor Neville did the same over a group of twenty five open Mods.

   There was sight chance of showers in the forecast, normally not enough for concern. However, this is 2026.

   We arrived early enough to see several changes in the weather, from sprinkles to sunshine, to a drop in temps due to a very chilly breeze, even as a solid field of thirty seven (minus one who left early?) Super Late Models and twenty seven open Modifieds rolled through the gate. Noticeably absent in that latter group was Wednesdays' winner, Neville. 

   The advertised hot lap time of 6:00 came and went as the track crew worked diligently to repack the racing surface after one of the passing showers. Warm ups finally began just a few ticks after 7:00 followed by group time trials for both divisions. Michael Ledford was quickest of the Mods with a lap of 14.239 seconds. Late Models qualified four at a time in groups "A" and "B". Hudson Oneal was tops in the first group at 12.748 seconds while local favorite Brandon Sheppard paced the second flight just a tick slower at 12.750. 

   With opening ceremonies complete. the first Late Model eight lap heat race hit the track. Oneal bested Brandon Overton, Shannon Babb and seventh starting Jason Feger. Just as heat two took the green flag, another more persistent shower hit the grounds. As pack vehicles continued to circle the oval, the first announcement came that when action resumed, the Late Model show would run off completely ahead of any Modified action. However moments later, as rain continued to fall, came word that between the track conditions and the local curfew, all racing was postponed with hopes of resuming at an as yet undetermined future date. A disappointing ending for the large gathering of spectators.

   This year has not been kind thus far to racing in the midwest, and as I do this report on Friday morning, it continues to sprinkle here in Canton. As of 11:00 racing for tonight is still on at Lee County Speedway, so we shall see what happens!

Marolf Stays Hot as Late Models Invade Vinton

    Sunday we decided to switch things up and make our first visit since 2024 to the home of IMCA, the Benton County Speedway - "The Bullring" - in Vinton, Iowa. Five IMCA classes would be in action along with a visit by the Karl Chevrolet Premier Late Models. It was cloudy and cool in Canton, but by the time we pulled into the quarter mile fairgrounds facility, the sun was out and the temp hit the mid seventies. There was a breeze blowing as well, fortunately for those of us in the grandstands it was blowing from west to east - perhaps not so good for those watching from the pits. 

   One hundred and sixteen race teams checked in, and with the big rig Late Model haulers, both the regular and overflow pit area was bulging. As a side note, for those who have not had the opportunity, grab a pit pass and take in a drivers' meeting at the track. Corey Dripps definitely has a way with words and leaves no doubt about policies and procedures!

   Hot laps were due to kick off at 4:30 with racing to follow. Unfortunately, it felt more like mid summer than early May as the sun and wind did the racing surface no favors. The track crew worked hard and by feature time there were multiple grooves, as least in the early events. 

   Each class had two or three heat races except for the Hobby Stocks who turned out a whopping thirty two cars, requiring four heats plus a B main to whittle the starting grid to twenty four.

   With their consy tucked in ahead of the Stock Car heats, the Hobbys would be up first in the feature lineup. Leah Wroten blasted to the lead from outside row one in the fifteen lapper, taking along pole sitter Darin Bloomquist. Eighth starting Justin Wacha would take up the chase on lap two ahead of the first of six caution periods. The worst of those came when a trio of cars got together off the top of turn three. Cameron Graham would take the blunt of the damage as he flipped his #33 machine, ripping the body away from the frame. A Delaware restart just before the halfway mark saw row five starter Zach McNeese, who had been involved in a tight battle with Wacha for second, power around both Justin and Leah to grab the lead. Five circuits later it would be sixteenth starting Karter Miles charging to the runner up spot. Two more caution periods would come in the final three laps, and Wacha saw his strong run end as he slipped off the track on the backstretch. McNeese was able to hold serve through a final single file restart to pick up the win. Miles advance fourteen positions to take second followed by Jaice Tuttle, Wroten and Joren Fisher. 

   Twelve laps would be the distance for the twenty two Sport Compacts. As the green flag flew, nine cars would stack up at the exit of turn two! Aaron Swearingen would then pace lap one before seventh starting Cristian Grady took over the next trip around ahead of a second yellow flag. Back to racing, Grady built a nice lead even as runner up Lukas Rick also separated from the pack. The leaders were exiting turn four coming to the checkers when there was a hard flip in turn one. After a brief pause, the race was called complete. Grady took the win chased by Rick, Devin Coghlan, Jake Anderson and Robert Rundle. Only nine cars were still running at the conclusion of the dozen scored laps. 

   `All but one of the eighteen Northern Sport Mods lined up for fifteen laps. Outside row one starter Jacob Berry grabbed the initial lead ahead of Jackson Carey. Brady Hilmer climbed to second before a lap two caution. Berry could not hold on as racing resumed, gradually falling back in the field. It was sixth starting Will Wolf moving to the front, chased now by Hilmer and Ben Chapman. Following a caution four laps in, the three leaders pulled away from the pack, Wolf running a high line while Hilmer and Chapman worked around the tire barriers. With five laps to go, the caution flag waved again, and back under green Wolf dropped to the inside line in turns one and two, gaining a bit of separation from his challengers. A final stoppage set up a green, white, checkers finish, but there would be no catching the #7W. Hilmer and Chapman would follow, with Tony Olson coming home in fourth. Josh Banes was the mover of the race, picking up twelve spots to finish in fifth. 

   The Karl Chevrolet Pro Late Model  16 car twenty five lapper proved a bit anti climatic. Nick Marolf drew the pole position and he set sail in search of his third series win of the young season. Third starting Troy Morris III tagged along in second as the field mostly migrated to the inside line around the speedway. Morris kept the pressure on, staying close, looking inside and waiting for Marolf to make the mistake that never came. The race ran caution free with the leader catching the back of the pack just before halfway, then encountering heavy traffic about lap nineteen. But the driver from Moscow was up to the task, scoring the flag to flag victory. Morris III had to be content with a runner up finish. Jerry King would round out the podium while Jeff Aikey and C.J. Horn finished where they started to complete the top five. Luke Pestka ran sixth in front of Matt Ryan, J.D. Auringer, and the Duffys, Logan and Landon.

   Two features remained on the card, but I was staring at a full plate starting early on Monday (thus this somewhat late report,) so we regretfully headed for the exit. Thanks to MY Race Pass, the Modified win went to row one starter Ethan Krall over pole sitter Rayce Mullen, Patrick Flannagan, Jed Freiburger and hometown driver Jerry Dedrick. 

   Kyle Olson came from row four to top the Stock Car finale ahead of Brandon Tharp, Shawn Stinger, Kodey Miles and Dakoda Sellers.

   A big thank you to Rick, Corey and staff for their hospitality. It was fun to visit with some "racin'" folks we don't get to see often enough!

   Our next planned stop will be Thursday at Lincoln, Illinois Speedway as the Flo Racing Night in America tour makes their third stop of a five night swing, supported by open Modifieds. Stop and say "Hi!" if you see us there!