Holladay, McDaniel, and Brown Tops at Eldon

    It is true that time gets away, especially as the years go by, so I was not surprised when a trip through my "results" books confirmed my last trip to the Eldon, Iowa Raceway was in September of 2004! For several years in the early 1970's Eldon was our Saturday night destination as many of my legendary hometown "Keokuk Komets" made the seventy mile trek to challenge the best late model drivers in the state of Iowa. Sadly, the big half mile later suffered through some lean years, as half mile racing fell out of favor with many of the high powered fender car pilots. The last few seasons have seen a resurgence of interest in the track, and finally things lined up for us to get back to the high speed facility. The occasion was a visit by the Hoker Trucking SLMR east series late models with the annual Wapello County Fair as the back drop. This would be the first of a three night swing for the Kosiski family owned series. Stock cars and hobby stocks would fill out the card for a warm Thursday night of racing.

   After harness racing filled the afternoon card, the track crew went to work and had the super half mile in racing shape soon after 7:00. Hot lap and heat race action clicked off quickly, with the yellow flag displayed only one time. Following a short intermission, the late models raced a B main which transferred six of eight cars to the main event and it was now time to go feature racing.

   Hobby stocks were first in the feature running order with all nine cars lining up for fourteen laps. Jared Miller paced the field for the early laps as Craig Brown worked his way into the runner up spot. As the leaders crossed the line to complete lap five, Brown was ahead by a bumper. The top five cars ran side by side and nose to tail as the laps clicked off. Dustin Griffiths eased past Miller at the stripe as lap eleven went in the books, but Miller quickly regained the spot. With no cautions to slow the action, Brown was able to stretch his lead and take the win in front of a cheering hometown crowd. Miller held on to the second spot, besting Griffiths, Rick Van Dusseldorp, and Aaron Martin.

   If I counted correctly, fifteen laps was the distance for the ten stock car main event. The second yellow flag of the night waved as the starter was not happy with a "jumper" coming to the green. On the second try, Jason McDaniel took off from the pole position, with double duty Griffiths in hot pursuit. The front duo quickly separated themselves from the pack as Griffith opened his bag of tricks to try and overtake McDaniel. He followed in the leaders' tracks down the straightaways, then threw his #10G into the corners, trying to slide by on the inside. McDaniel was strong in the middle groove, and was able to withstand the pressure. Coming to the line on lap eight, Griffiths suddenly slowed and drove into the infield, his challenge ended. From that point, McDaniel steadily increased his lead to a full straightaway, and with no yellow flags to slow his momentum, he cruised to the win. The racing behind him was tight, however, as Howard Gordon Jr. held off Brett Lowery in a #4M machine for second, and Corey Strothman edged Pat Rachels for fourth.

   The headliner on this night was thirty laps of late model action with a $3,000 check awaiting the victor. Twenty two cars took the green flag, with Matt Ryan and Chad Holladay the top performers in the passing points format. Holladay jumped to the lead, but the yellow came out as Spencer Diercks spun in turn four resulting in a complete restart. Holladay again assumed the lead, while Charlie McKenna jumped from fourth into the runner up slot. Ryan fought back to second on lap two, but again the caution waved for a multi car crash between turns three and four as Jay Johnson smacked the concrete wall.  The melee took considerable time to clean up and eliminated Johnson, Luke Pestka, and Kyle Krampe. McKenna again took second following the Delaware style restart, and this time it was Ryan spinning between three and four to again bring out the caution. He collected Luke Goedert and Joel Callahan, who suffered significant body damage. All three restarted at the tail of the field. Now it was Jason Hahne joining the leaders as he briefly took second from "Chargin' Charlie." As Hahne retired from the race, Holladay and McKenna continued to battle and Justin Kay began to work his way into the top five after lining up in twelfth. The race stayed green until three laps to go when Dave Eckrich rolled to a stop off turn two with a flat tire. As Eckrich changed rubber, McKenna came to a stop on the backstretch, then was pushed to the pits, his strong run over. Jeff Aikey would assume the second spot, but was soon overtaken by Kay. Holladay though would remain in control as he posted the flag to flag win. It was the first eastern series victory for the veteran Muscatine pilot, to go along with a western division win earlier this year in Warrensburg, Missouri. Kay continued his strong season with the runner up finish, topping Aikey, Todd Cooney, and Richie Gustin in the first five. Andy Eckrich was steady in sixth, while Goedert recovered from his early troubles for seventh. Gary Webb advanced from row nine to eighth followed by nineteenth starting Darrel Defrance. Dave Eckrich completed the top ten, with Curt Schroeder the last of the starters around at the checkers. 

   The clocked had ticked just past 10:00 PM as Holladay did his post race interview, wrapping up an entertaining night of racing in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd. Thanks go out to the Wapello County folks, especially to track announcer Jeff Kropf for the shout out for Positively Racing as well as for yours truly. And congratulations to the mother and sister of hobby stock feature winner Craig Brown who we enjoyed watching celebrate his victory on a special night at the fair!

   Happy anniversary to Mary, my wife of fifty one years, who is turning me loose tonight as we change things up and head to Tri City Speedway near Granite City, Illinois for the first of two stops for the UMP Summernational late models. There is a wealth of racing action around the area on what promises to be another toasty evening, so drink lots of water, and head to the track!

Eight Different Drivers Take Donnellson Checkers

    Friday night we were back at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson for the third  installment of the seven "Drive for Five" series races for IMCA late models and IMCA modifieds. In addition, make up features from May 14 were on the card for the modifieds, IMCA stock cars, and IMCA sport compacts. The modified make up would  be the second "Drive for Five" qualifier. 

   Taking into consideration the intense heat, track officials toyed with the idea of pushing back the starting time, but ultimately delayed it by only about fifteen minutes, noting the extra three features on the docket. With hot laps out of the way, racing action started just before 7:45. Those in charge did a fine job of keeping things moving, with only one feature event dragging down the program. Can you guess which class? The twenty race program wrapped up before 11:00!

   The make up features started with fifteen laps for the sport compacts. Chevy Barnes and Dylan Bonk battled side by side early as Josh Barnes worked his way forward from row four. Josh moved to second with six laps remaining, then powered past Bonk down the backstretch coming to the white flag, holding on for the win. Chevy rolled home third while Chance Bailey came from deep in the pack to claim fourth ahead of Kimberly Abbott. The race ran non stop. 

   Sixteen laps was the distance for the stock car make up. Outside pole sitter Chad Krogmeier was shadowed by fifth starting Chris Wibbell throughout the first half of the race. Chad ran a fast middle groove while Chris challenged one line lower. Meanwhile Abe Huls was moving through the pack. As the white flag waved for the leaders, contact in turn four between fourth place Jake Powers and David Brandies sent Jake for a spin, bringing out the caution flag. On the first attempt at a green, white, checkers, finish, the yellow waved again as a skirmish in turn two resulted in Brandies and Wibbell being sent to the back of the field. The final restart saw Huls grab the lead and the win followed by Krogmeier, Jason Cook, Jeremy Pundt, and Brandies.

   Twenty two cars lined up for twenty two laps in the modified make up, after Austin Howes had to be pushed to the infield when his sharp looking #17A would not stay running. Although I am not certain, it looks as though the track may have allowed cars that were not on hand for the May 14 event to "buy in" and start at the tail of the make up. Cayden Carter, who I believe already had one "Drive for Five" win under his belt, shot from row one to the early lead with Chris Zogg in tow. The "Gas Man" opened a big lead as tenth starting Michael Long began a charge through the field, entering the top five on lap six. The leader caught the back of the pack at about the halfway mark, fortunately for him, they were mostly racing single file. The only stoppage came with six laps remaining, as Bill Roberts Jr. spun out of his fifth place run. The caution wiped out Carters' big lead, and on the Delaware style restart, Long jumped from fourth to second. There would however be no catching Carter, as he took the $1,000 top prize. Long settled for runner up honors, with Dennis Laveine in third. Zogg was running fourth on the final lap when he suddenly slowed coming off turn two. Ethan Braaksma took the spot, and his row six mate Mark Burgtorf was fifth.

   With no delay we moved into heat race action for the regular portion of the program, and soon it was feature time!

   Unfortunately, although hardly unusual, this is when the show bogged down. Twenty sport mods lined up for what was scheduled to be eighteen laps on a smooth, lightning fast track. Logan Cumby and seventh starting Jim Gillenwater were in a high powered duel before the first caution flag came with five laps in the books. Four laps, seven yellow flags and two single file restarts later, officials mercifully invoked the time limit. Tanner Klingele had impressively  worked his way to the front from a row six start, and he picked up the win. Brandon Lambert drove a solid race to claim second followed by Gillenwater, Adam Birck, and Austen Becerra. I sure don't know what the answer is, but this class can sure be frustrating to watch on too many occasions...

   Getting things back on track, the late models clicked off twenty five caution free laps. Tommy Elston drew the pole position and jumped to the lead, soon finding himself hounded by sixth starting Nick Marolf. Slowly Tommy extended his advantage, as Mark Burgtorf, who would run two heat races and three features on this scorching night, moved to the rear bumper of Marolf for second. Nick survived the challenge, opening a gap between himself and Mark. Elston caught the tail of the field with three laps to go, but was having trouble putting cars a lap down, and Marolf and Burgtorf quickly closed the gap. Catching the leader and making a pass was two different propositions however, as Elston rolled to the win and the $1,000 payday. Marolf and Burgtorf followed, with Jay Johnson and Matt Strassheim, who had their own intense battle, completing the top five. Gary Webb came from a twelfth place start to sixth, and former "Drive for Five" winner Joel Callahan lined up last in fourteenth and finished seventh. Sam Halstead, Ron Boyse, and Ben Seemann rounded out the top ten.

   Fourteen of the sixteen sport compacts that checked in lined up for their regular fifteen lap feature. Tim Schnathorst started outside row one and took the early advantage. The only caution period came with two laps in the books. Kimberly Abbott grabbed the lead on the restart, and was cruising as her row four mate Brandon Reu had a more difficult time working through the field. Five laps in, Reu made his way to second and the two leaders pulled away from what was an entertaining back and forth for positions three through six. Brandon waited until the final lap to pull alongside Kimberly, hugging the inside line as she drifted too high coming off turn four. Reu won the drag race to the checkers by inches, the only time he led the race. Schnathorst survived the scrum to finish third, besting Luke Fraise, and Josh Barnes. Barnes had smacked the turn two guardrail in his heat, made quick repairs and came from the tail to the top five in this main event.

   Beau Taylor was forced to scratch out of a row one starting spot in the thirteen car stock car sixteen lap regular feature. Brandon Setzer passed up hometown racing in Davenport and earned the pole position. He put his #77X out front as the stock cars ran nose to tail around the tire boundary on the bottom of the 3/8 mile oval. Huls soon realized that moving ahead from row five was not working, so he moved up the track and began a march forward. With three laps to go, he had powered to second and was zeroing in on the leader. But Setzer was not to be denied, claiming a flag to flag win in the non stop feature. Huls fell just short of a double victory, settling for the runner up spot. Jerry Jansen was strong in third, leading Krogmeier and Cook with top five runs.

   Modifieds wrapped up the night with a second $1,000 to win twenty two lapper. All but one of the twenty four cars on hand took the green flag in what turned out to be the best race of the night! Drew Jansen shot to the front ahead of row one mate Steve Picou, who came all the way from High Ridge, Missouri to race at LCS. Sport mod graduate Brandon Dale charged to second, then took the top spot as lap two went in the books. The next circuit saw sixth starting Carter grab second. Long, who started on Carters' bumper, entered the top five. With five laps down, it was Dale, Carter, Burgtorf and Long up front, and one lap later Long was in third. The yellow waved at lap six as Chad Giberson pounded the front stretch guard rail, and back under green, the front three put distance on the field. As we neared the halfway point, Dale got too high in turns three and four, briefly climbing the guard rail, nearly collecting Carter who was running in his tire tracks. All cars kept moving, but it was now Long, who had been running down low, in second behind Carter. For the next several laps, Carter and Long put on a clinic, trading slide jobs in each set of turns, swapping the lead back and forth. Carter was working the high line, forcing Long to search for moisture and a bite down low. With five laps to go, Carter for some reason, went to the bottom groove, perhaps worried about blocking Long. Michael wasted no time moving to his preferred top side, charging to the lead. As he was scored the leader with three laps to go, the caution flag waved, setting up a Delaware restart. Carter took the outside line for the restart, but saw Dale outrun him to turn one. Fortunately for him, the yellow waved one more time before the lap was completed, and this time he chose to line up on the inside of the row. With a clear track ahead, Long quickly pulled away, and holding on to second was the best Carter could muster. Dale wrestled his damaged car home in third, ahead of Burgtorf and Braaksma. 

   The track was definitely a "motor track" with passing at a premium, but as I hope I was able to describe, there was still plenty of movement. With the one blemish, it was an excellent night of racing at a premier venue. Thanks to Marcie and both Brians for keeping things moving under sultry conditions, and thanks to Dan and Mel for a fun ride through the pits. (Happy birthday, Mel!)

   We will be taking the rest of the weekend off, and plan to make a long awaited visit to the Eldon Raceway on Thursday as the SLMR late models take on the big 1/2 mile. Maybe we will see you there!

  

Kay Tops SLMR Thriller at 34 Raceway

    Saturday night, the Hoker Trucking SLMR east series was finally able to complete a two race weekend. 34 Raceway near West Burlington, Iowa was the venue, and four IMCA classes were also in competition.

   Twenty three late models led a field of seventy six entries on a beautiful Saturday night at the southeast Iowa speed plant. The action kicked off with hot laps and late model time trials completed by 7:05! "Chargin'" Charlie McKenna topped the leader board with a quick lap of 16.061 seconds. Again, the SLMR utilizes two lap qualifying and a six car invert for the heat races, with passing points accumulated in the heats determining the feature line up. Richie "G Money" Gustin came from outside row two to claim the first eight lapper, while veteran hot shoes Mark Burgtorf and Gary Webb plucked the other two heat wins from the outside pole position. All heat race action was complete in just under an hour.

   Track workers then used what was about a twenty minute break to groom the racing surface as the sun finally disappeared in the western sky. 

   IMCA sport mods lined up for fifteen laps to kick off the feature action. Ron Kibbe took off from outside row one, with the first yellow flag coming with two laps in the books. By now, Barry Taft had climbed to second. Austen Becerra had needed a push to start the race, and during the caution he ducked to the pits for some attention. Row four starter Sean Wyett took the second spot on the Delaware style restart. Two more laps and he attempted a slide job on Kibbe for the lead, but he got crossed up in front of the pack and fell to sixth in the running order. Logan Anderson had started in the seventh position, and he charged to the front on lap five, quickly opening a sizable lead. Adam Birck lined up in row five, moving to second on the ninth lap, and two circuits later the caution flag waved for Wyett, bringing Anderson back to the field. With one more lap scored, the yellow flew one final time, but Anderson remained in control, taking the win. Birck, finished second, while A. J. Tournear came on strong late in third. Becerra and Kibbe completed the top five.

   All but one of the seventeen IMCA sport compacts took the green flag for a dozen laps. Justin Stevenson paced the opening circuit and Larry Miller took over on lap two. Row four starter Jason Ash was on the move, grabbing the runner up spot by lap three, but two laps later he lost power, slowly falling back through the field. Tim Schnathorst then took up the chase, but Miller was first to the checkers. Schnathorst, Noah Kayser, Robert Sturms, and Dylan Bonk followed in the caution free event.

   Late models racing for thirty laps and a $3,000 payday came next, and what a wild affair it turned out to be! Outside pole sitter Dave Eckrich led Gustin and McKenna early, while fourth starting Matt Ryan was shuffled back through the field. Gustin took the point on lap two as top contender Jeff Aikey headed to the trailer. Gustin built a commanding lead ahead of a caution flag ten laps in when Ryan went off the top of turn two. With the field now bunched, Todd Cooney powered to second on the restart. Gustin was committed to the inside line, while Cooney operated at the top of the high banked oval. At the halfway mark, Cooney also switched to the low line as row six starter Justin Kay caught fire pounding the cushion. Kay jumped to fourth at lap sixteen, third one lap later, and then to second with ten to go. Gustin was running on the inside tires in turns three and four then driving through the middle of turns one and two while Kay quickly closed the gap using his high line. With eight laps remaining, Luke Goedert brought out a yellow when he contacted a tire barrier in turn four, and on the Delaware restart Kay bobbled, loosing several spots and Cooney charged into second. Todd then used his momentum to slide job Gustin at each end of the track. Gustin held him off for a pair of circuits, but it was Cooney finally grabbing the lead with six left on the scoreboard. At the same time, Dave Eckrich emerged from the scramble in second as Gustin slid to the top of the track, fading to fifth. Recovering quickly, Kay cleared Eckrich for second with three laps to go and powered past Cooney for his first lead of the race. An out of breath Kay recounted his ordeal in victory lane, mentioning that he usually struggled at 34, this being his first late model win at the 3/8 mile track. Cooney had looked like a sure winner, but took runner up honors for the second night in a row. Dave Eckrich was third followed by brother Andy, the Friday night winner, in fourth, while Gustin finished in fifth. Webb started in eighth and completed a strong run in sixth ahead of McKenna, Jonathon Brauns, Jason Hahne, and Burgtorf.

   IMCA stock cars fielded thirteen cars for twenty laps of action. Ray Raker led his row one mate Jake Powers around the bottom of the track as tenth starting David Brandies drove his way to third by lap two using the cushion. John Oliver Jr. was also moving towards the front as Brandies became trapped behind a lapped car with contact resulting as he made the pass in turn two., bringing out the yellow flag. As racing resumed, Abe Huls moved to the lead ahead of two more caution periods, the second of which saw Brandies slowed with a flat tire. Oliver Jr. was now in the runner up spot, and with everyone running the inside line, he tried unsuccessfully to put the nose of the #05 inside of Huls machine. At the finish, it was Huls with the win, besting Oliver Jr., a persistent Brandon Setser, Jeremy Pundt, and Chad Krogmeier. 

   As eleven cars lined up for the twenty lap IMCA modified finale, the track was black and slick. Dalton Simonsen left his late model at home, choosing to enter his modified, and he shot to the early lead. By the time the second caution came with seven laps to go, ninth starting Dennis Laveine had advanced to second and was putting pressure on the leader as everyone raced the inside groove.  Mark Burgtorf, doing double duty in the Baker Racing #03B had been languishing well outside the top five, so on the restart he moved up to the middle line and began to pass cars at a steady clip, soon finding himself ready to challenge Laveine for second. But with just two more trips around the oval, Dennis also moved up the track, and now found himself beside the leader. In a too close to call finish, Laveine crossed the line out front by inches to take the win. Simonsen, who lead nineteen and 15/16 laps, settled for second. Burgtorf made it a pair of top tens in third, while Jason Pershy and Jeff Waterman also scored top fives.

   Action wrapped up several minutes ahead of the 10:00 hour, completing an outstanding night of racing!  Thanks as always to Jessi and Brad for their hospitality. 34 Raceway has several more special events coming up in the near future, including World of Outlaw sprint cars, MLRA late models and the rescheduled Lucas Oil late model series. Meanwhile next Saturday night will be Fan Appreciation night with $5.00 adult admission. Summer is finally here, if you haven't been to the races, now is the time!

Eckrich Noses Cooney for SLMR Checkers

    After being rained out more times than they or I care to count, the Hoker Trucking east division SLMR late model series came calling at the Davenport Speedway on Friday night. This would be only the second event for the east series, although the Malvern Bank west division has multiple nights in the books. 

   IMCA modifieds, IMCA sport mods, street stocks and compacts would fill out the card as the 1/4 mile came to life, with Rick and Brenda Kay at the helm on this night. 

   Leaving the pits to head to the massive covered grandstands, I had twenty two late models written down, but after talking to our friend and Darrel Defrance super fan Loren, he informed us that their were at least four more race teams, including Defrance, held up behind a wreck on interstate 80. They had called ahead to be placed in the position draw for time trials and eventually the count grew to twenty eight. So as a nod to those drivers, following hot laps, the fifteen street stocks came to the track for a pair of heat races ahead of late model qualifying. Although both eight lap heats went caution free, this allowed all but Defrance who was the last to arrive, the chance to line up for two lap qualifying. Track regular Matt Ryan posted the fastest time in Group A and overall at 14.858 seconds. Thankfully the bug that had plagued the timing mechanism on our two previous trip to the track had been fixed and the cars were able to qualifying in groups of up to four, which saved considerable time.

   Four heat races followed for the thirty seven IMCA sport mods, three for the twenty five IMCA modifieds, and one for the ten four cylinder compacts before the late models lined up to contest four eight lap events. A six car invert from time trials determined the starting lineups with the top sixteen in passing points moving on to the thirty five lap finale. The procedure is a bit confusing to some, but it does at least lend itself to more passing in the heat races. 

   Darin Duffy came from row two to capture the first heat, with Jeff Tharp, Ryan, Charlie McKenna, and Brian Harris in the Curless #99 also moving on. Luke Goedert was the quick timer in heat two, and he advanced to take the win, while Jon Brauns, Chad Holliday, and Richie Gustin also qualified. Justin Kay came from fourth to win heat three, taking along Jeff Aikey, Joel Callahan, and sixth running Dave Eckrich. Finally, Todd Cooney jumped from row three to win heat four with Jason Hahne and Andy Eckrich joining him in transfer spots. 

   A pair of B mains set the twenty four starters for the sport mods, before a quick turnaround for the late model consolation. To the delight of the large crowd, National Dirt Hall of Famer Gary Webb charged from row three to win the ten lap race, qualifying for the feature ahead of Fred Remley, Luke Pestka, Jay Johnson, Mark Burgtorf, and Bryan Moreland. Behind the eight ball all night after missing time trials, Defrance and Curt Schroeder picked up provisional starts to fill out the twenty four car grid.

   Aided by temps in the 80's and a steady breeze, the racing surface was now more like a skating rink, so the track crew went to work, quickly grooming the surface. The result was an overwhelming success, resulting in two distinct grooves - one high, one low, - for the features, and minimal caution periods.

   The street stocks lined up first, fourteen cars for fifteen laps. Rick Schriner charged from row two to lead the first two circuits before fifth starting Jesse Owen took over the top spot. The only yellow flag of the race came at lap five, and following the Delaware restart, seventh starting Tony Von Dresky powered to second. He then hounded the leader, and they crossed the stripe nearly side by side to complete lap nine. Von Dresky then pulled away while row five starter Nick Hixson began to reel in Owen. The veteran Von Dresky cruised to the win, while Owen held off Hixson for second. Jake Lund came home fourth and Von Dresky teammate Jeff Struck Jr. completed the top five.

   Next up it was IMCA sport mods going for fifteen laps. No one is more critical of this class than I, but Friday night was a reminder of how good they can be! Doug Burkhead shot from his pole position around the bottom of the track to lead the first nine laps. Brandon Jewell found the high line to his liking and hounded the leader lap after lap. Just after the halfway mark, ninth starting Ben Chapman joined the party in third, chasing Burkhead around the inside line. Jewwll finally rode his top side momentum to the lead with six circuits left to go, and three laps later Chapman was able to nose under Burkhead for second. The only yellow flag of the race came with two laps remaining for a spinner in turn three, but during the stoppage, Burkhead left the track with a flat tire, ending his strong run. The field was reset Delaware style, and Hixson found a bite around the bottom, driving to the win while Jewell settled for second. Kevin Goben drove a steady race in third, topping Perry Gellerstedt and Logan Veloz.

   Another quick turn around saw the late models up next, racing for thirty five laps and a winners' check of $3,000. Andy Eckrich and Cooney lined up in row one, and if you only saw the results showing they finished in that order, you would not realize what a great race this was! Track officials had pushed the boundary tires in closer to the infield before this race began, and Andy quickly found that to his liking. He put his #56 inches from the markers each lap as Cooney ventured to the high side. Third starting Ryan followed in Eckrichs' footsteps as seventh starting Kay and sixth starting Duffy reeled in the leaders. Soon it was Eckrich around the bottom, with Cooney, Ryan, and Duffy running nose to tail around the high side. Cooney was ahead by inches as lap ten was scored although there was never as much as a car length between the front duo. Eckrich was ahead at lap fourteen, and slower traffic became a factor one lap later. Cooney went back to the front as Eckrich searched for a way around Moreland who was also running around the tires. As traffic continued to be a factor, Kay and Aikey caught the front pack, and for a time the top six could have been covered by a circus tent. With Cooney now hung up by slower cars, Eckrich regained the lead as lap twenty two went in the books, and Kay charged to third. With five laps to go, it was Duffy with the hot hand, rolling to third on the high side. In doubt until the checkers, Eckrich scored the win in what was a caution free race. Cooney came up short in second, followed by Duffy, Kay, and Ryan. Aikey paced the second five, besting Gustin, Goedert, Holliday, and Dave Eckrich.

   Next all twenty five IMCA modifieds lined up for twenty laps. Ryan Duhme came all the way from row four to lead pole sitter Jason Pershy as lap one was scored. Ninth starting Travis Denning was also on the move, and he grabbed the runner up spot on lap two. It quickly became a two car race between Duhme and Denning and they caught the back of the pack just ahead of the crossed flags signalling the half way mark. With both drivers working the low line, Duhme was able to gain some separation before the only caution came with eleven laps down. Following the restart, Chris Zogg joined the party running around the top, and the those three pulled away from the pack. In the closing laps, Denning was able to narrow the margin, but could not get close enough for a serious challenge for the lead. Duhme took the win in front of Denning and Zogg. A pair of #1cars, Mike Goben and Eric Barnes completed the top five.

   With the compacts still in staging, we headed for the parking lot. Reports have Cyle Hawkins taking the twelve lap win over Josh Starr, Todd Sibley, Tim Sibley, and Brad McDermott. 

   Kudos to the staff for a truly excellent night of racing at the storied fairgrounds, and thanks to the Kays for their hospitality. Tonight we will stay on the SLMR train, as the series moves south to 34 Raceway in West Burlington for another $3,000 to win show. Four IMCA classes, mods, sport mods, stock cars, and sport compacts will fill out the card. If you see the old guy in the Positively Racing shirt, stop and say "Hi!"

  

Sheppard Takes Mars Win, Weitholder Tops Cook Memorial

    Sunday afternoon we called an audible and took the two lane tour through small town America to the Spoon River Speedway near Banner, Illinois. The card for the holiday weekend race would feature the MARS late models vying for a $5,000 top prize and UMP modifieds racing for $2,564 in the annual Gary Cook Jr. Memorial.     D II midgets and hornets would round out the program, with over one hundred cars on hand to compete in front of two sets of packed grandstands.

   Following hot laps for the midgets and late models, the thirty eight modifieds hot lap/qualified four at a time, with veteran Kelly Kovski pacing the field with a lap of 15.221 seconds around the high banked 3/8 mile track. The super late models then ran a pair of group qualifying laps and Ryan Unzicker topped the board at 14.032 seconds.

   Heat races clicked off in a timely fashion, with Brian Shirley, Tanner English, and Dennis Erb Jr. recording late model wins. Only heat one saw the winner not start on the pole, as Shirley scooted past Unzicker in turn four on the final lap as lapped traffic held up the leader.

   The top five in each of the three late model heats moved on to the forty lap feature, and all but one of the remaining thirteen lined up for a ten lap B main which would qualify another five. Bob Gardner charged from the pole to take the checkers. One series and one track provisional would round out the twenty two car starting field. A pair of B's filled out the twenty four starters in the mods, and after about a twenty minute intermission, it was feature time. 

   As promised, the late models lined up first, with Shirley and English in row one. Joined by Unzicker, they made up the top three as lap one was scored. English moved to the front on lap two just ahead of a multi car scrum that saw Dewayne Kiefer and the track provisional, Logan Moody call it a night. Two laps after the Delaware restart, Unzicker powered around the top of the track to clear Shirley for second, and two more circuits found fifth starting Brandon Sheppard in third. The top three then gained separation from the pack and around lap ten Sheppard charged to the lead. As he began to put distance on the pack, Unzicker moved past English and took up the chase. Sheppard, driving his family owned #B5 was working in heavy lapped traffic when the caution came with seventeen laps in the books. With clear track ahead on the restart and Unzicker and English in a dog fight for second, Brandon opened a commanding lead. The race stayed green for the remaining laps, and Sheppard cruised to the win. Unzicker eventually took charge of the runner up spot and English filled out the podium. Erb Jr. hung around in fourth while Gordy Gundaker wrapped up a solid weekend in fifth. Kolby Vandenbergh was the hard charger, starting in seventeenth and climbing all the way to sixth. Shirley faded to seventh, with Saturday series winner Jason Feger in eighth. Gardner moved up seven positions to ninth while Jordon Bauer started and finished in tenth. 

   With post race interviews in the books, the mods pulled to the oval for thirty laps in honor of the man who successfully wheeled the #64 around central Illinois for many years. Third starting Dave Weitholder quickly moved up to lead lap one on what was now a very black, slick racing surface. By the time the second of five cautions came at lap nine, Weitholder had led the distance, chased by Mike McKinney, Kovski, and Brandon Bollinger. Allen Weisser had timed in third and was due to start on the pole of heat three when his #25W would not fire, sending him to a B main. He quickly came through the pack to get the win, started row nine in the feature, and was now up to fifth and coming fast. He was however the victim of contact with another car and finished the night as a spectator. Two more yellow flags came in the next nine circuits, but each time Weitholder and McKinney would pull away from the pack. Weitholder was hitting his marks each lap, diving low in turn one before sliding to the top at the exit of turn two. McKinney meanwhile was rolling through the middle line, keeping pace but trailing by a couple car lengths. A final caution came with just four laps remaining and the field now fired off single file. McKinney briefly changed his line looking for a way around the leader, but to no avail. Weitholder led all thirty laps to score the biggest of his many career victories. McKinney was second, followed by Josh Harris, and the Bollingers, Brandon and Ray.

   Although it was now just shy of 10:00 a mad dash ensued for the parking lot, with two features still to be run. I need to take this opportunity to compliment the staff at Spoon River , the MARS officials and all the drivers on hand for a well run program. Although I am not a big fan of time trials, they were run in an efficient manner, although I wish the electronic scoreboard could have been synced to the late models as well as the other classes. Heat races were condensed to offer full fields and thus were entertaining. Late models ran a ten and two nine car qualifiers, while mods ran two heats of ten and cars two of nine. Midgets contested two heats of eight, and most importantly, the twenty hornets qualified in two heats of ten cars each. The two headline features ran first offering travelers the chance for an earlier exit, which we took advantage of, plus the added bonus of helping with traffic congestion at a facility with one way in and one way out! One suggestion I would make is that the track could really use an upgrade on their menu offerings. Nitpicking? Maybe...Still a fun night of racing at the "Spoon!"

  

Eckrich, Laveine, Oliver Jr., VanWyk, and Keltner Take 34 Wins

   Saturday was Done Right T.V. night at 34 Raceway outside West Burlington with $1,000 to win and $100 to start offered up in the five classes on the card. In addition, the once a year late model bonus of $250 to the winner made for a solid payday in all divisions. Also, former racer Tony Dunker, from Quincy,Il. put up a $50 bonus to the hard charger in each feature race. The action would be taking place under a draw, redraw format, so it was no surprise when a total of one hundred and eleven cars came through the pit gate.

   The fourteen heat races clicked off in good fashion, with only a pair of yellow flags slowing the action. As the temperature cooled rapidly the moisture was coming to the surface of the high banked 3/8 mile, so track officials decided to do some grooming ahead of a pair of B mains needed to whittle the thirty six IMCA sport mods down to a twenty four car feature. As they were the only group needing extra qualifiers, the feature lineup was altered, with 305 sprint cars the first of five twenty lappers. 

   All fifteen cars took the green flag, and Ben Wagoner went for a 360 degree spin, however the yellow flag waved for a car off turn one, and Wagoner was able to restart in his original spot. Nick Guernsey took  the early lead and by lap five, Dan Keltner had made it a two car race with Wagoner closing in ahead of a caution at the halfway mark. Back under green, Keltner grabbed the lead and was cruising when Noah Samuels and Duggan Thye got together in turn two, with both cars turning over. Finally racing resumed, with Keltner powering to the win. Guernsey came home second ahead of Cody Wehrle, Wagoner, and Devon Rouse.

   IMCA late models were up next, with all but one of the fifteen cars coming to the grid. After a false start, pole sitter Tommy Elston grabbed the lead. with third starting Andy Eckrich in close pursuit and Nick Marolf hanging tough. On lap six, Elston drifted a bit coming out of turn two and Eckrich shot under him for the lead. Matt Starassheim and Don Pataska got together in turn four on lap eight to bring out the yellow. Marolf used the Delaware restart to grab second as the green flag waved, and one lap later Matt Ryan, who had started in row five and restarted sixth, powered to third. Justin Kay also picked up the chase in fourth just past the halfway mark, but with no further cautions, Eckrich cruised to the victory. Marolf, Ryan, Kay, and Elston enjoyed top five runs. Mark Burgtorf ran sixth ahead of Denny Woodworth, Jay Johnson, Kevin Peters, and North Carolina visitor, Carter Fischlein.

   Next up was the IMCA sport mod marathon. Seven yellow flags interrupted the action, sending several folks scurrying for the exits. Unfortunately, this is a scene that we see all too often, but I digress. Outside row one starter Austen Becerra grabbed the early lead, with first Brayton Carter, then Dylan VanWyk and Logan Anderson applying the pressure. After the fifth caution in the first seven laps and the field realigning single file, Becerra saw his night end with a puff of smoke from his "old" #22. Carter, who had started on the pole and fallen to fourth, also headed for his pit at the same time. VanWyk was now in charge, and he survived a final stoppage to take the win. Anderson was second, besting Sean Wyett, Barry Taft, and Gage Neal.

   All twenty entrants in the IMCA stock car class lined up for twenty laps. Outside row one starter Abe Huls got the jump on his row one mate Chris Wibbell and was leading when the first caution came at lap seven. A multi car scrum saw Matt Picray on the hook with front end damage, and John Oliver Jr. and Jeremy Pundt in the work area with flat tires. Both tagged the tail on the restart as Jason Cook moved in to challenge Huls, taking the top spot at lap eleven. One more trip past the flag stand and Oliver Jr. was back to third. A lap thirteen yellow was what Oliver Jr. needed to power to second, and with four circuits remaining he completed his worst to first journey. He then held on for the win, topping Cook, Dustin Griffiths, Huls, and Shane Richardson.

   The IMCA modified finale got off to a rocky start, with the red flag immediately following the green, as the field stacked up and it took considerable time to separate a pair of cars. Two more lap one cautions, then Ethan Braaksma led the opening laps. Dennis Laveine grabbed the spot two circuits ahead of a lap five caution. The field restarted single file, with row three starter Michael Long on the move. He charged to second on lap thirteen, and caught the leader who soon hit slower traffic. Long was out front as lap seventeen was scored, and the pair continued to race side by side, with Laveine running the low line and Long racing around the top. Long took the white flag first, then all heck broke loose. As the checkered flag was about to wave, a car spun in turn two, the yellow light was turned on and the checkers was displayed for the leaders. Long then drove to victory lane, but was waved off and Laveine declared the winner. With this turn of events, I am unsure of the finish behind those two, but I think it was some combination of Mark Burgtorf, Cayden Carter, and Braaksma scoring top fives. 

   The long night of racing wrapped up a bit after 11:00 with much of what had been a good crowd already on the road home. Thanks to Jessi, Brad, and the staff for their hospitality and for a  full night of action. There are at least a half dozen good choices for racing on this holiday weekend Sunday, so we will see where we wind up. Enjoy the rest of your long weekend, and don't forget to thank a veteran!

Pierce and Hoffman Take Tri City $

    Tuesday night found us back in the St. Louis area at Kevin and Tammy Gundakers' Tri City Speedway near Granite City, Illinois. The occasion would be the make up Castrol FloRacing Night in America event originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 31. Brand new for 2021, this is a midweek series focused on dirt super late models with up to ten races at different venues throughout the country, paying at least $10,000 to win. There will also be a hefty points fund payout at the end of the season. As has been the case for many tracks and series early this season, inclement weather has played havoc with the schedule, with several postponements thus far, including last weeks show at Marshalltown Speedway. Recognizing that many of their fans and racers would be coming from some distance on a Tuesday night, the card would feature only one other class, Dirt Car modifieds vying for  $1,500 to win. In addition, the late models were scheduled first in the feature order, with Tammy Gundaker stating the final checkers of the night would hopefully wave by 9:30!

   Although we left home amidst persistent rain showers, the skies looked much brighter as we arrived at our destination. However it did not take long for the precipitation to catch up to us, and although the skies never truly opened up, much of the evening was spent under a pesky drizzle. The upside of those sprinkles did however produce two positive results. The FloRacing crew and the Gundakers worked very hard to keep the show moving, not always the case when live television is involved, and the track surface would change multiple times throughout the night making a challenging situation for the drivers.

   Following late model hot laps, the twenty four modifieds ran a combined hot lap/time trial session, with Nick Hoffman setting quick time at 16.541 seconds. The twenty seven late models then qualified two and three at a time, with Bobby Pierce coming out early with a fast lap at nearly one second quicker at 15.576 seconds. Several of the early qualifiers, including Tanner English and Kyle Larson found themselves sucked into the concrete between turns three and four as they attempted to run the treacherous high line. As a result, times dropped off a bit before drivers qualifying late rebounded to also break the sixteen second barrier.

   A fairly quick turnaround and the three late model heats came to the track. With harder rain predicted, it was announced that the late model B main would be scrapped, with all cars eligible to start the feature based on their heat race finish. The plan, later changed, would have the mods run their first two heats, then give way for the late model feature before resuming their portion of the show. Although all three late model heats were won from the pole position by Pierce, defending track champion and second quick timer Billy Laycock, and Tony Jackson Jr., there was plenty of passing back in the pack. Part of this was likely due to the middling times posted by some of the "hot dogs" in the field, including Jonathon Davenport, who ran second in heat two after lining up in sixth.

   After the first two modified heats ran off quickly, and no late models were lined up, it was decided to give them a bit more time to prepare for the feature, so heat three was then called to staging.

   The sprinkles intensified as all twenty seven late models came to the track, and along with several pack vehicles, they continued to run the moisture in to the track, hoping for a break long enough to complete the event. Although I don't think it ever truly stopped, the drizzle slowed enough that the green flag could fly at 8:35 on what was still a smooth ( except for a small dip in turn three ), and fast track. 

   Pierce shot to the early lead from the pole position, with Jackson Jr., Laycock, Davenport, and Shannon Babb in tow. Davenport cleared Laycock for third and was up to challenge for second when the caution waved with four laps down as Kyle Bronson slowed on the backstretch, perhaps for a flat tire. On the restart, Chris Simpson, running mid pack, had his car break loose coming through turn two, spinning in the middle groove. While several cars were able to take evasive action, Paul Roider made hard contact, creating a delay getting them apart and ending the night for both drivers. Amazingly, these would be the only cautions of the forty lap event. On the first Delaware double file attempt at a restart, Jackson Jr. had chosen the inside line, quickly yielding the runner up spot to Davenport before the caution. Surprisingly, he did so on the next restart as well, and J.D. again used the opportunity to charge to second. Two circuits later, seventh starting Earl Pearson Jr. cleared Jackson Jr. for third, as the fast lane had now clearly switched from the inside line to the cushion. Pierce found himself in slower traffic about lap twelve, however Davenport was not able to make up much ground. After again contacting the wall early, Larson rebounded to take third on lap sixteen. Pierce continued to check out on the field, building a nearly straightaway lead by the mid point of the race. Intense battles were going behind the leaders as a group of about seven cars fought for spots inside the top ten. At the checkers, it was Pierce cruising to the win, while Davenport claimed second and Larson completed the podium finishers. Pearson Jr., ran fourth ahead of Babb. Jimmy Owens led the second five in front of Jackson Jr., Rick Eckert, English, and Brandon Sheppard. 

   Following rather lengthy made for TV post race interviews of the top three, the modifieds lined up for thirty laps. Outside pole sitter Nick Hoffman quickly took command, with his front row mate Will Krup in second. Hoffman was out front by three seconds when the only caution of the race came for a Cody Thornhill spin with a dozen laps in the books. Back under green, Hoffman again proved he was fastest on this night, pulling away to a comfortable lead. with about ten laps to go, Krup found himself in a battle to hold second as Tyler Nicely and Mike McKinney moved in to challenge. Meanwhile, Hoffmans car appeared to tighten up while Krup was able to separate from his challengers, and with five remaining on the scoreboard was able to show his nose to the leader in turn two. Hoffman was then able to pick up the pace enough to seal the deal on a flag to flag win. Krup settled for second while McKinney cleared Nicely for third. Lucas Lee filled out the top five. Six through ten was Mike Harrison, Dean Hoffman, Kenny Wallace, Dave Weitholder, and Treb Jacoby.

   The final checkers indeed waved several minutes before 9:30! As an "old timer" I found this to be a perfect show, a two class program with twenty plus cars in each class, almost felt like the 1970s'! Thanks to Kevin, Tammy, and the FloRacing folks for an entertaining mid week show.

   If the weather will behave itself there are lots of top notch shows on this first big holiday weekend of summer. Head to the track, and thank a veteran when you get there!