Weekly points racing is starting to wind down, so having been rained out in two of my three planned visits to Davenport Speedway this season, Friday seemed like a good time to make a trip north to the quick quarter mile. Five IMCA classes plus the Outlaw Street Stocks would be in action at the SR Promotions facility before racing would stop for two weeks during the Mississippi Valley Fair. A trip to Davenport is usually a very enjoyable one, knowing that racing will move along at a brisk pace due in large part to the city enforced curfew, allowing us to get back home at a reasonable time. On this night the track crew outdid themselves! Hot laps began right at 6:30 and even though exactly one hundred cars signed in, the process took less than thirty minutes. Perhaps I sound like a broken record, but it is not only possible but reasonable to hot lap as many as fifteen cars (or more) at a time on the quarter mile with no issues. The first heat race rolled out promptly at 7:00 and those twelve events were completed in about fifty minutes, one after the other as the previous qualifiers rolled across the infield scales. With only eight cars signed in, it was announced that the Street Stocks would run a feature only, and after exactly fifteen minutes of intermission, they hit the track first.
Chevy Andreatta was the early leader in the fifteen lapper ahead of a lap three caution. As lap five was scored, Tony Von Dresky took command, holding serve until Cary Brown took over just ahead of a second and final yellow flag with ten in the books. Brown would race home with the win in front of Von Dresky, Scotty Pratt, Austin Riggs, and Jesse Owen.
IMCA Northern Sport Mods would be up next, twenty starters going fifteen laps. Keith Wiersema shot from the pole to lead the opening two laps before yellow fever set in. It was mostly the cars running near the back of the pack that seemed to have a great deal of trouble finding traction, as the caution would come four times in the first three laps. Meanwhile ninth starting Ben Chapman was working forward on each restart, moving quickly to second then grabbing the lead after the mid point. Along with Nick Hixson, the front pair would put some distance on the pack, but three more late cautions scrambled the running order. Chapman would drive off to a convincing win, while twelfth starting Trevor Noonan from Dorchester, Ne. made a late charge to second. Oconto Falls, Wi. racer Owen Wilcox advanced eleven spots to third, followed by Yuma, Az. driver Hudson Morris, and Hixson. What a diverse field!
Caution flags also plagued an otherwise entertaining IMCA Late Model headliner. Outside row two starter Jesse Bodin shot to the front on lap one, joined one lap later by his ageless row two mate, Gary Webb. Three times the yellow flag would wave during a lap three slow down. Finally back under green, tenth starting Travis Denning and twelfth starting surprise visitor Tommy Elston entered the top five, even as Bodin opened a sizable lead. Lap eight saw Elston blast to second, followed one lap later by Denning in third. The caution came again with ten scored, and back to racing Denning took over the lead with Elston close behind. They would then put on a show with Denning pounding the cushion while Elston hugged the inside tire barriers. Lap fourteen saw Elston ease ahead, and the next time around the caution waved as the third running Bodin spun in turns one and two, retiring to the pits. Blaise Lewis inherited the third position, then used the Delaware restart to outrun Denning to the first corner. Once more the race would be stopped with eight laps to go, but Elston was locked in, picking up another win in his quest for national points. Lewis held the runner up spot in front of Denning, while Logan Veloz ran fourth. Cruz Birkhofer made an impressive run late, advancing ten spots to fifth. Mitch Morris, Curtis Glover, Dalton Simonsen, and the Johnsons, Jayden and Carter filled out the top ten. Apparent first heat winner Dustin Smith was disqualified for an engine violation and was the only one of the twenty two signed in to not start the feature.
Sixteen IMCA Hobby Stocks took the green flag and promptly put an end to the yellow fever outbreak. They would run fifteen laps green to checkers. Karter Miles moved quickly from row three to the front, soon joined by eighth starting Randy LaMar. That pair would pull ahead of the field, soon to be joined by Carson Butt. With no stoppages, heavy lapped traffic became a challenge, but Miles was not to be denied as he moved seemingly effortlessly through the back markers for a flag to flag win. LaMar and Butt followed, with double duty Josh Starr and Christian Jordon rounding out the first five.
All but one, Donavon Lodge, of the eighteen IMCA Modifieds lined up for twenty laps. Eric Barnes charged ahead from the outside pole with fourth starting Shane Paris in pursuit. With nine laps in the books, sixth starting Matt Werner was able to power to second, but once more around and it was track points leader Spencer Diercks climbing to the runner up spot, with Paris also clearing Werner for third. Diercks would continue to apply heavy pressure, and as the leaders came to the line to complete lap twelve, Diercks was ahead by a nose. He then opened a more comfortable lead, and with again no yellow flags, he cruised to the win. Barnes would settle for the second spot while Werner got back around Paris for third. Brandon Durbin completed the top five.
IMCA Stock Cars would round out the night as we headed for the car. MY Race Pass tells me that Ben Chapman became a two time winner on the night, besting Kodey Miles, Jacob Ellithorpe, David Brandies, and Jeremy Gustaf.
It was a quickly run yet very entertaining show, thanks to Jeff Struck and his team for a fun Friday night.
Tonight we will head to 34 Raceway in West Burlington for Fan Appreciation Night as part of the 60th year celebration of the beloved speedway. No rain in sight, $5.00 to get in, so get off the couch and come to the races!
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