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!
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