Right or wrong, I have long subscribed to the adage "don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see." Well, Saturday night proved it to be correct. We watched Dustin Smith lead the Davenport Dirt Stars feature event at Davenport Speedway the full twenty five laps, then celebrate victory on the podium. "Trust but verify," we checked My Race Pass during the two hour plus drive home for complete results. But when I awoke this Sunday morning, I was greeted with a post questioning why Smith was DQ'd at some point following the race. I do not know what the infraction was, only that I am glad I waited until this morning to file this report.
Smith had apparently survived four caution periods, including two in the final five laps which wiped out commanding leads followed by single file restarts. With just eight laps to go the #53 had encountered a slower car racing for position in his lane allowing second running Brandon Hamburg to close the gap before a well timed yellow flag left the leader with a clear track ahead. C.J. Horn used the Delaware restart to move into second which turned out to be the winning move of the race. The final stoppage was followed by a bit of a dust up between Matt Ryan and Joe Beal, sending both to the tail. Those final three laps saw Smith pull away as Horn and ninth starting Nick Marolf battled side by side for what would turn out to be the victory in the final Karl Chevrolet Premier Late Model event of the season. The revised order would have Horn the winner followed by Marolf, tenth starting Jeff Aikey, Andy Nezworski, and Hamburg. Dustin Schram led the second five in front of Dave Eckrich, Nathan Balensiefen, Ryan, and Gary Webb. Twenty cars started the race, with Justin Heuer unable to make the call.
Feature racing started innocently enough as eighteen Sport Mods battled for fifteen caution free laps. Ben Chapman lined up outside row one, shot to the lead ahead of pole sitter Finn Oppenheimer, then led the distance for the win. Jarrett Franzen was wheeling a #75 machine, and he charged from row five to the runner up spot. In the final five laps Franzen narrowed the gap considerably, but could never quite get close enough to challenge for the lead. Bryson Eckrich started in row four, fell out of the top ten, then came charging back late to complete the podium finishers. Oppenheimer and Levi Laymon rounded out the top five.
The caution free racing continued as all fifteen Stock Cars came to the track for fifteen laps around the quarter mile. Pole sitter Braden Richards led Jordon Miles and David Brandies in a three car breakaway in the opening laps. Brandies powered to second on lap ten, but by then Richards had checked out. With zero yellow flags, Richards cruised to the victory. Brandies held second over Jordon Miles, Kodey Miles, and co hard charger John Oliver Jr., who started ninth.
Modifieds would follow the Late Models, all twenty one entrants going at it for twenty laps. The yellow flag came on the start as Logan Veloz and Mike Garland got together coming to the green flag. On the restart, third starting Jace Eckrich paced the first lap. Jason Schueller was out front the next time around, holding the position ahead of a red flag on lap three as Charlie Mohr rolled his #99 on the backstretch. Back under green, Eckrich retook the lead as ninth starting Matt Werner moved in to battle Schueller for second. As Eckrich drove off ahead of Werner, a tight four car scrum developed for third through sixth. Jace Whitt would soon emerge from that tussle to take command of third while tenth starting Brandon Durbin moved to fourth. Whittg would power to second about lap thirteen and two laps later Durbin would clear Werner for third. But by now Eckrich was moving smoothly through lapped traffic while maintaining a comfortable lead. At the checkers it was Eckrich, Whitt, Durbin, and Werner, while Shane Paris finished where he started in fifth. Although not visible from our vantage point, there was apparently an incident on the backstretch of the final lap which left Veloz with a heavily damaged race car. As track crews worked to clean that up and nearing the 10:00 hour, we decided to head for home.
Congratulations to feature winners Carson Butt who lined up seventh in the Hobby Stock main event and bested thirteenth starting Matt Bennett, and Street Stock winner Scotty Pratt who topped Jesse Owen for the victory.
Kudos to the track crew! The quarter mile was in excellent condition as witnessed by just three caution flags during the fifteen qualifying heats. And a tip of the cap also to the race director, as hot laps began right at 6;30 with heat races beginning just a tick past 7:00 for the 102 cars in competition.
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