Going into the holiday weekend, it looked like Friday would be the pick day for racing. But with my regular work schedule, making a Friday night race is problematic at best. Saturday was already set aside for family activities, so there would have been no racing then, even if everything within 200 miles had not been rained out! Sunday presented several possibilities, but a possible trip north did not pan out, so Keagan and I were set for a night at Quincy Raceways to enjoy the MOWA 410 sprint cars. Sunday morning did not look promising, and sure enough, when track workers arrived at the speedway, they quickly saw that the pit area was too wet to support the big haulers, and they pulled the plug about 10:30. Keagan then headed out on vacation, and left to my own devices, I was soon on the phone " just checking " to see if Darryl and Fred might want to take a chance on Mother Nature smiling on Tri City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Il. Promoters Kevin and Tammy Gundaker would be hosting the UMP super late models in a $ 10,000 to win 50 lap event on the 3/8 mile, joined by the UMP modifieds, and UMP Pro Crate late models. With the Show Me 100 being run off on schedule, it was likely some of the heavy hitters would head for Tri City to finish off the weekend. So we shrugged off the 40% rain chances and headed south. The skies improved as we neared the St Louis metro area, and after doing a bit of " tailgating " on pit road, we decided to buy our tickets and find a seat inside.
Tri City always produces good car counts, especially for special events, and Sunday was no exception. The pits were packed with 34 supers, 46 mods, and 35 crates, 115 total cars for the three class program.
Up first was group qualifying for the supers. Brian Birkhofer set the pace early, as he ran in group one, but Shannon Babb soon broke his mark with a lap of 14.730. As qualifying moved along the times moved higher, and Babb topped the field with his mark. Still the track stayed unusually tacky, and the crates ran three heat races with minimal cautions. The late models ran next, with Babb checking out from the pole to capture heat one over Randy Korte. Heat two had a tough time getting started, with three first lap yellows. The third was for third starting Rickey Frankel, and after three attempts, the field was set in single file formation, with Rickey having to start ninth. Scott Bloomquist also had issues, making comtact with the wall, sending him to the infield and the B-main. Dennis Erb Jr. came from sixth to take the win over polesitter Mike Marlar. Brandon Sheppard shot from the pole to take heat three over third starting Bobby Pierce. As the final heat got going, Dewayne Kiefer contacted the back of Billy Moyer in turn four, turning him around and sending both front row starters to the back. Tyler Reddick then took over to outgun Brady Smith for the win. Moyer managed to come back to fourth behind Billy Faust to transfer to the main, with Kiefer was headed for the consy. The UMP ran five heat races, with The " Showstopper " Ray Walsh, and NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader both coming from eighth starting slot to finish in the runner up slots in their respective heats.
In a bit of a complicated formula, the four late model heat winners then came to the track and drew for starting positions in the six lap dash. Drawing first, Babb pulled the number one, and he used the start to lead all six laps, holding off Reddick, earning the pole for the 50 lap finale. One late model B-main was set to transfer seven cars to the " A, and all 18 entrants took the green in the 12 lapper. Springfield, Il driver Brian Dively checked out for an easy win, with Randy Weaver wheeling his # 116 to the runner up spot.
The crates had a bit of trouble getting started in their B-main, but the clicked off ten laps, and the mods followed with two efficiently run B's. In the second of those, Joe Walsh rolled off from row six to take the third and final transfer spot. We had the feeling he could have moved higher, but when he moved into the transfer spot, he wisely tucked his # 98 in the low groove and protected his position.
At this point, only a couple of early renegade sprinkles had landed on the facility, but with darkness came some heavier cloud cover. Perhaps with this in mind, a very short intermission was taken, and the late model headliner was called to the track. Two time track feature winner Craig Smith was added to the 23 qualifiers as a track provisional, and Bloomquist was the 25th starter as the fast in time that had not qualified. Smith never came to staging, so 24 cars lined up for 50 laps and a $ 10,000 top prize on the multiple grooved smooth and tacky track. Babb again took off from the pole, but as the filed passed under the flagstand to complete lap one, a melee ensued, collecting a half dozen or so cars. Michael Kloos appeared to get the worst of things, collecting the front stretch wall. Kloos, Marlar, Kiefer, Moyer and Scott Weber were all unable to continue, while Mark Burgtorf, who did a broadslide into Kiefer rejoined the back of the pack.
As racing resumed, Babb again checked out, but on lap four, Brian Shirley pounded the turn three wall, sliding back into the groove. Again Burgtorf had nowhere to go, and slid into Shirley. Even so, Mark suffered no serious damage, continuing on, with Shirley leaving on the hook. The remaining 18 cars restarted with 47 laps to go, and never again did the caution wave. Although Babb led the distance, the racing was intense behind him. Reddick applied pressure early, but Brady Smith was the man on the move. Starting Eighth, the Wisconsin ace eventually worked his way around Sheppard, Erb, Pierce, and finally Reddick to claim the runner up finish. Pierce was able to get by Reddick late to finish third, with Erb running a stead race to take fifth. That may have felt like a win for Erb, who has had a spate of blown engines of late. Sheppard and Weaver had a spirited duel in the middle stages of the race for sixth before Sheppard took the spot, and Ryan Unzicker and Bloomquist ran side by side lap after lap, swapping the eighth spot, with Unzicker ahead at the checkers. Korte held off Burgtorf for tenth, with Babb the remaining cars.
As the post race interview of the top three was conducted, a few more sprinkles dotted the landscape. There were still two features to run and it was just coming up on 10:30, but we elected to try to beat the weather and head for home. As it was, we did get an hour or so up the road before yet another monsoon made for an adventurous trip home. Checking the results, I see that for super late model ace Matt Taylor took the crate win, and not surprisingly Ray Walsh took home the $1,000 top modified prize. Quincy regular Dave Weitholder was forced to make an early exit from the mod finale, while Tri City point leader and QR regular Michael Long was a spectator on Sunday, unable to repair an engine that gave out on him on the final lap Friday night at Tri City, costing him a win.
Thanks to the Gundakers for an efficient, well run show before a large crowd and threatening skies.
The long range forecast does not sound good for next weekend, but hopefully we will be able to do some
" Racin' Down the Road."
Monday, May 27, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Reed Keeps Streak Alive at Quincy
Justin Reed used a lap 20 pass of Mark Burgtorf to capture the win in the 30 lap UMP late model feature Sunday night at Quincy Raceways. Justin also kept a fun streak going as there has now been five different late model winners in five nights of racing.
A strange combination of strong storms to the north, dry, windy conditions at the track and a lot of as yet unplanted fields combined to hold down both the car and fan count at the Broadway Bullring. A season low 62 cars signed in, and amazingly the late model count was the lowest of all at ten. Still the 30 lap finale was probably the best race of the night. Burgtorf, now reportedly in a Victory Circle chassis, set quick time at 14.418 seconds, then rolled a " one " to put himself on the pole of the ten lap fast car dash. Mark picked up the win, earning the pole for the feature, and a shot at a sweep. When the green flag waved, he won the drag race to turn one over outside polesitter Jason Perry, and quickly moved to the low groove, which has been the quick way around the .29 mile oval all season. The third starting Reed moved into second, but soon realized Mark was not likely to make a mistake . Justin has been trying to work the top side in the last couple of features, and he soon headed to the high groove. As he ran up top basically by himself, he soon found some bite out of turn two. He was able to pull alongside Burgtorf several times, but would lose momentum in the super slick turn four. But 20 laps in, he was able to clear the #7B on the backstretch to grab the lead.
Perry also tried to move up the track, but could not overtake Burgtorf, and in the closing laps, point leader Denny Woodworth muscled his way around to nab third. Heat race winner Robby Warner completed the first five.
The UMP modifieds have enjoyed no such parity, as Steven Delonjay picked up his fourth main event win in five nights of action. He outgunned fast qualifier Michael Long at the start, and withstood a challenge from Dave Weitholder to pick up the win. Robbie Reed, Long, and Shawn Deering turned in top five runs.
The IMCA stock cars had more than there usual number of cautions, and the action was slam, bam, entertaining action. Terry Houston found the top spot and stayed ahead of the back and forth action. Five time hobby stock champion Steve Carlin enjoyed his best stock car finish in the runner up slot, with Brandon Savage fighting overheating issues to come home third.
The IMCA Sport Mods were on good behavior on Sunday, but the outcome was the same. Jim Gillenwater snagged the early lead and held on until lap 12, when Tony Dunker moved past for the lead and the win. Bobby Anders trailed Gillenwater in third.
The IMCA Sport Compacts finished up the evenings events, with 13 of 14 cars taking the green. Much improved Laine VanZandt followed up a heat race win with his first feature win of the season. Austen Becerra fough through a smoking car to finish second. Kimberly Abbott was running third with two laps to go when a mixup with a lapped car sent her spinning. However, she continued on without stopping, and her fifth place finish was good enough to put her atop the points. Pat Dunker completed the top three.
Racing action was completed before darkness set in!
This coming Sunday, the UMP late models will have the night off, as the MOWA 410 sprint cars will headline the five division holiday program.
A strange combination of strong storms to the north, dry, windy conditions at the track and a lot of as yet unplanted fields combined to hold down both the car and fan count at the Broadway Bullring. A season low 62 cars signed in, and amazingly the late model count was the lowest of all at ten. Still the 30 lap finale was probably the best race of the night. Burgtorf, now reportedly in a Victory Circle chassis, set quick time at 14.418 seconds, then rolled a " one " to put himself on the pole of the ten lap fast car dash. Mark picked up the win, earning the pole for the feature, and a shot at a sweep. When the green flag waved, he won the drag race to turn one over outside polesitter Jason Perry, and quickly moved to the low groove, which has been the quick way around the .29 mile oval all season. The third starting Reed moved into second, but soon realized Mark was not likely to make a mistake . Justin has been trying to work the top side in the last couple of features, and he soon headed to the high groove. As he ran up top basically by himself, he soon found some bite out of turn two. He was able to pull alongside Burgtorf several times, but would lose momentum in the super slick turn four. But 20 laps in, he was able to clear the #7B on the backstretch to grab the lead.
Perry also tried to move up the track, but could not overtake Burgtorf, and in the closing laps, point leader Denny Woodworth muscled his way around to nab third. Heat race winner Robby Warner completed the first five.
The UMP modifieds have enjoyed no such parity, as Steven Delonjay picked up his fourth main event win in five nights of action. He outgunned fast qualifier Michael Long at the start, and withstood a challenge from Dave Weitholder to pick up the win. Robbie Reed, Long, and Shawn Deering turned in top five runs.
The IMCA stock cars had more than there usual number of cautions, and the action was slam, bam, entertaining action. Terry Houston found the top spot and stayed ahead of the back and forth action. Five time hobby stock champion Steve Carlin enjoyed his best stock car finish in the runner up slot, with Brandon Savage fighting overheating issues to come home third.
The IMCA Sport Mods were on good behavior on Sunday, but the outcome was the same. Jim Gillenwater snagged the early lead and held on until lap 12, when Tony Dunker moved past for the lead and the win. Bobby Anders trailed Gillenwater in third.
The IMCA Sport Compacts finished up the evenings events, with 13 of 14 cars taking the green. Much improved Laine VanZandt followed up a heat race win with his first feature win of the season. Austen Becerra fough through a smoking car to finish second. Kimberly Abbott was running third with two laps to go when a mixup with a lapped car sent her spinning. However, she continued on without stopping, and her fifth place finish was good enough to put her atop the points. Pat Dunker completed the top three.
Racing action was completed before darkness set in!
This coming Sunday, the UMP late models will have the night off, as the MOWA 410 sprint cars will headline the five division holiday program.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
T Darb and the Highside Hustler top Davenport
Friday afternoon, I had a rare opportunity to get out of work early. Knowing this a few weeks in advance, I had been trolling the track schedules looking for a good Friday night race to take in. I had not updated my schedules when the Cornbelt clash was rescheduled at Davenport, but an internet posting jogged my memory. But is was only when I checked the track website that I realized the IMCA late models would also be running on the big half mile. So I talked buddy Fred into driving provided I actually did get off early. Luckily, Fred, Darryl and I were on the road for the three hour drive from Quincy about 3:20. The skies looked somewhat threatening until we passed the Burlington area, then it lightened up, and so did our mood. Along the way, we debated what the late model car count would be, settling for somewhere between 18-20 in each class. As it turned out, 22 open lates and 16 IMCA were signed in, headlinging the five division program, all running on the half mile track.
Defending Corn Belt champion and current point leader Chad Simpson, who I had already seen capture two events in 2013 smacked the wall in turns one and two in hot laps, but even so, when he was announced as lining up outside row one in heat two, I looked at the guys and said " Uh oh." Before we got that far, Brian Harris was a no show for heat one, as the # 15R would not go into gear. Skip Frey outdueled Justin Kay to top that ten lapper, and when the green waved in heat two Simpson smacked the wall in the same spot, ending his night. Andy Eckrich picked up the win, with Feger coming from the last starting spot to second, making him the passing points leader. Rich Bell nabbed heat three - all three heats were won from the pole - with Matt Furman matching Feger by coming from seventh to second. Feger rolled a " five " for the dash invert, giving Bell and Andy Eckrich the front row. Bell led the first five circuits before slowing coming out of turn two on the final lap. Eckrich took the checkers, setting up a shot at a sweep.
In IMCA action, Andy Nezworski took off from the outside pole and led 9 1/2 laps of heat one before polesitter Stephan Kammerer slipped past for the win. Ray Guss Jr and Mike Garland made early exits, setting up a long run to the front come feature time. A fist lap melee in heat two sent Mike Zemo Jr pitside with damage. When racing resumed, Justin Kay continued the trend, taking the win from the pole, with fourth starting Tom Darbyshire in the runnerup slot.
Late model and 4 cylinder veteran Joe Zrostlik used a borrowed ride to pick up the 4 stock feature win, besting an eight car field. Joe said he will have his late model race ready soon. Jeremy Marquez easily topped the five car street stock main.
The IMCA late models were up next,with Nezworski and Spencer Diercks setting up front. Nezworski put his # 47 out front at the green, with Darbyshire charging from row two to the second spot. Tom stayed close, making numerous attempts at the pass in turns one and two. On lap 14 of the 20 lapper, he made the pass stick, then cruised to the win in the non stop event. Nezworski held off Nate Beuseling for third, while Mike Murphy moved up five spots to fourth. Justin Kay rounded out the top five. Guss Jr came from the back to sixth, with Diercks,Kammerer,Gary Webb in the Jeff Stevens # 11, and Joe Ross completing the top ten. In his post race interview, Darbyshire professed his fondness for the big half mile.
The IMCA modified field was 16 strong, and Rich Smith paced the field early in the AJ Fike # 10, with Brandon Rothzen in close pursuit, while Steve Stewart held third. Hotshoe Bob Dominacki pulled out on lap five running mid pack, and three laps later, Rothzen went to the infield. On the following lap, Smith slowed in turn two, ending his night and bringing out the caution. With the leader out, a side by side restart allowed Kelly Meyer to get the jump on Stewart. Two laps from the finish, Meyer contacted the turn two wall, ending his run, and setting up a side by side two lap dash for the checkers. This time, Stewart snagged the lead and the win.
The 40 lap Cornbelt clash feature rounded out the card, with Andy Eckrich taking the early lead. By lap three, Feger had moved to second, and the caution waved two laps later for Frey.It would be the only stoppage in the race. On the restart, seventh starting Guss Jr cracked the top five, two laps later he moved to fourth. By lap 15, the leaders were running side by side, and with a little help from lapped traffic, Feger secured the lead. Meanwhile, eighth starting Denny Eckrich was on the move, taking fourth away from Guss Jr. On lap 25, Denny took the third spot, but he could not run down baby brother Andy in second. Guss Jr, overtook Kay for fourth on lap 33, and the top five was now set. Jake Meier and Rick Wendling had a great duel for sixth, with Jake taking the spot. Feger managed to lap all the cars up to those two. Mike Fryer, Dave Eckrich, and Diercks completed the top ten. It was a popular win for the personable driver from Bloomington,Il driver, who is currently under suspension from UMP due to tire issues.
Although more than a half dozen of the drivers in attendance have both open and IMCA cars, only Guss Jr. Kay, and Diercks elected to run both class. Kay and Diercks logged 80 laps on the big track, Ray over 70!
It was my first visit to Davenport in a couple of years, and was a fun night of racing. The temps stayed warm, the stiff breeze was no problem, and we were on the road home by 10:30. Hopefully I can make another visit in 2013.
Meanwhile the forecast is a bit ominous as Keagan and I prepare to head to Quincy Raceways tonight, Sunday, for weekly UMP and IMCA action. Hope to see you as we are Racin' Down the Road!
Defending Corn Belt champion and current point leader Chad Simpson, who I had already seen capture two events in 2013 smacked the wall in turns one and two in hot laps, but even so, when he was announced as lining up outside row one in heat two, I looked at the guys and said " Uh oh." Before we got that far, Brian Harris was a no show for heat one, as the # 15R would not go into gear. Skip Frey outdueled Justin Kay to top that ten lapper, and when the green waved in heat two Simpson smacked the wall in the same spot, ending his night. Andy Eckrich picked up the win, with Feger coming from the last starting spot to second, making him the passing points leader. Rich Bell nabbed heat three - all three heats were won from the pole - with Matt Furman matching Feger by coming from seventh to second. Feger rolled a " five " for the dash invert, giving Bell and Andy Eckrich the front row. Bell led the first five circuits before slowing coming out of turn two on the final lap. Eckrich took the checkers, setting up a shot at a sweep.
In IMCA action, Andy Nezworski took off from the outside pole and led 9 1/2 laps of heat one before polesitter Stephan Kammerer slipped past for the win. Ray Guss Jr and Mike Garland made early exits, setting up a long run to the front come feature time. A fist lap melee in heat two sent Mike Zemo Jr pitside with damage. When racing resumed, Justin Kay continued the trend, taking the win from the pole, with fourth starting Tom Darbyshire in the runnerup slot.
Late model and 4 cylinder veteran Joe Zrostlik used a borrowed ride to pick up the 4 stock feature win, besting an eight car field. Joe said he will have his late model race ready soon. Jeremy Marquez easily topped the five car street stock main.
The IMCA late models were up next,with Nezworski and Spencer Diercks setting up front. Nezworski put his # 47 out front at the green, with Darbyshire charging from row two to the second spot. Tom stayed close, making numerous attempts at the pass in turns one and two. On lap 14 of the 20 lapper, he made the pass stick, then cruised to the win in the non stop event. Nezworski held off Nate Beuseling for third, while Mike Murphy moved up five spots to fourth. Justin Kay rounded out the top five. Guss Jr came from the back to sixth, with Diercks,Kammerer,Gary Webb in the Jeff Stevens # 11, and Joe Ross completing the top ten. In his post race interview, Darbyshire professed his fondness for the big half mile.
The IMCA modified field was 16 strong, and Rich Smith paced the field early in the AJ Fike # 10, with Brandon Rothzen in close pursuit, while Steve Stewart held third. Hotshoe Bob Dominacki pulled out on lap five running mid pack, and three laps later, Rothzen went to the infield. On the following lap, Smith slowed in turn two, ending his night and bringing out the caution. With the leader out, a side by side restart allowed Kelly Meyer to get the jump on Stewart. Two laps from the finish, Meyer contacted the turn two wall, ending his run, and setting up a side by side two lap dash for the checkers. This time, Stewart snagged the lead and the win.
The 40 lap Cornbelt clash feature rounded out the card, with Andy Eckrich taking the early lead. By lap three, Feger had moved to second, and the caution waved two laps later for Frey.It would be the only stoppage in the race. On the restart, seventh starting Guss Jr cracked the top five, two laps later he moved to fourth. By lap 15, the leaders were running side by side, and with a little help from lapped traffic, Feger secured the lead. Meanwhile, eighth starting Denny Eckrich was on the move, taking fourth away from Guss Jr. On lap 25, Denny took the third spot, but he could not run down baby brother Andy in second. Guss Jr, overtook Kay for fourth on lap 33, and the top five was now set. Jake Meier and Rick Wendling had a great duel for sixth, with Jake taking the spot. Feger managed to lap all the cars up to those two. Mike Fryer, Dave Eckrich, and Diercks completed the top ten. It was a popular win for the personable driver from Bloomington,Il driver, who is currently under suspension from UMP due to tire issues.
Although more than a half dozen of the drivers in attendance have both open and IMCA cars, only Guss Jr. Kay, and Diercks elected to run both class. Kay and Diercks logged 80 laps on the big track, Ray over 70!
It was my first visit to Davenport in a couple of years, and was a fun night of racing. The temps stayed warm, the stiff breeze was no problem, and we were on the road home by 10:30. Hopefully I can make another visit in 2013.
Meanwhile the forecast is a bit ominous as Keagan and I prepare to head to Quincy Raceways tonight, Sunday, for weekly UMP and IMCA action. Hope to see you as we are Racin' Down the Road!
Monday, May 13, 2013
" Rocket Shep " On Top at Quincy
After being rained out three times last week and taking this Saturday off for family time, it was good to get back in the saddle Sunday at Quincy Raceways. A nice total of 76 cars in five classes checked in, led by 18 UMP late models. Brandon Sheppard checking in was something of a surprise, although the third generation racer visited the Bullring several times in 2012 before being hired on the drive the Rocket house car. After a foray into NASCAR, Josh Richards is back in the # 1 ride, and Brandon and his # B5 stopped by for some Sunday action. The youngster started things off by setting quick time of 13.89 seconds, but then rolled a six, putting himself outside row three in the fast dash. Opening night feature winner Jerry Lierly charged from row two to capture that ten lap event, earning the pole for the 30 lap finale with Dustin Griffin alongside. Jim Moon, who had everyone talking about his controversial tire cheating commentary on the internet, and Michael Long picked up the heat race wins. The feature began with a restart, as Moon spun in turn four, spoiling a row four start and collecting Clint Kirkham in the process. When the green flew, Lierly easily outpowered Griffin, making his first visit to his " home " track this season. Sheppard followed Lierly through, and the chase was on. By the time the caution waved for Long on lap five, the front two were locked in a battle, and Moon was already up to seventh. For whatever reason, attrition was high on a track that was not particularly dry or rough, and the leaders did not have much traffic to negotiate. Coming out of turn four on lap 22, things turned dramatic. Some say Lierly bobbled a bit and appeared to slow ever so slightly, some say Sheppard honked the chrome horn. Perhaps fortunately, I was jotting down a note and did not see the alleged contact, so I can honestly defer judgement - when I looked up, Jerry was sideways off the front stretch. On the restart, Sheppard led the Delaware start with Griffin in second. A disgruntled Lierly came back up to speed, then after not moving up, appeared to slow and wait for the oncoming leader. He failed to make contact, but Griffin spun as a result. Officials gace Dustin his runnerup spot back, and Jerry headed for the trailer. Brandon cruised to the finish, with Griffin second. For the second week in a row, Moon came from the back to finish third. Denny Woodworth took over the track point lead with a fourth place run, and rookie Jared Schlipman started and finished fifth.
The first feature of the night was probably the best, as we had a nice total of 15 IMCA stock cars on hand. The caution waved several times early, with Michael Larsen leading early. Veteran Jim Powell went pitside while running second, and defending track champ Terry Houston pulled off on lap four. Abe Huls was in the second slot and coming fast when he went first to the hot pit and then the trailer on lap six. On the restart, Brandon Savage left the track while sitting fourth. Beau Taylor then powered his # 2T to the lead and began to stretch things out. As he did, Donnellson, Iowa driver Jim Lynch began his charge, and when Jake Powers spun while running third on lap 18, it set up a two lap dash. Taylor held on until the final turn when he drifted up to the middle groove, and Lynch slipped past by a nose at the checkers.
The IMCA Sport Mods class was only 12 strong, but still fell victim to the time limit. In fact, the had to click off about ten laps after time expired to get to the 16 lap mark. Tony Dunker took over the top spot on lap three and cruised to the win over Jeff Delonjay and Joe Bliven.
Skip Dunker, Tonys brother also visited victory lane in the IMCA Sport Compacts cruising to the 12 lap win after second running Austen Becerra fell out on lap four. Craig Bangert and Kimberly Abbott chased Dunker to the flag.
Only 15 of the 17 entrants in the UMP modified class took the feature green, and after a false start, Dave Weitholder shot to the lead in pursuit of his first win of 2013. Michael Long was pressuring Dave when he appeared to go a bit too hard into turn one, looping his # 18L. With Michael out of the picture, two time winner Steven Delonjay took up the chase, and the front two staged a great side by side duel for a half dozen circuits. Steven took over on lap 14, holding on for his third win in four tries. Jake Griffin, who raced the asphalt in Lebanon, Mo on Saturday night made a great, late charge to second. Weitholder held off fast qualifier Kenny Wallace to take third, and Long came back to fifth. Wallace, who is becoming a semi regular at QR, told us the he will be competing in the NASCAR Nationwide race this coming weekend.
The weatherman is not sounding like our friend again this coming weekend, so we will see if there will be any Racin' Down the Road.
The first feature of the night was probably the best, as we had a nice total of 15 IMCA stock cars on hand. The caution waved several times early, with Michael Larsen leading early. Veteran Jim Powell went pitside while running second, and defending track champ Terry Houston pulled off on lap four. Abe Huls was in the second slot and coming fast when he went first to the hot pit and then the trailer on lap six. On the restart, Brandon Savage left the track while sitting fourth. Beau Taylor then powered his # 2T to the lead and began to stretch things out. As he did, Donnellson, Iowa driver Jim Lynch began his charge, and when Jake Powers spun while running third on lap 18, it set up a two lap dash. Taylor held on until the final turn when he drifted up to the middle groove, and Lynch slipped past by a nose at the checkers.
The IMCA Sport Mods class was only 12 strong, but still fell victim to the time limit. In fact, the had to click off about ten laps after time expired to get to the 16 lap mark. Tony Dunker took over the top spot on lap three and cruised to the win over Jeff Delonjay and Joe Bliven.
Skip Dunker, Tonys brother also visited victory lane in the IMCA Sport Compacts cruising to the 12 lap win after second running Austen Becerra fell out on lap four. Craig Bangert and Kimberly Abbott chased Dunker to the flag.
Only 15 of the 17 entrants in the UMP modified class took the feature green, and after a false start, Dave Weitholder shot to the lead in pursuit of his first win of 2013. Michael Long was pressuring Dave when he appeared to go a bit too hard into turn one, looping his # 18L. With Michael out of the picture, two time winner Steven Delonjay took up the chase, and the front two staged a great side by side duel for a half dozen circuits. Steven took over on lap 14, holding on for his third win in four tries. Jake Griffin, who raced the asphalt in Lebanon, Mo on Saturday night made a great, late charge to second. Weitholder held off fast qualifier Kenny Wallace to take third, and Long came back to fifth. Wallace, who is becoming a semi regular at QR, told us the he will be competing in the NASCAR Nationwide race this coming weekend.
The weatherman is not sounding like our friend again this coming weekend, so we will see if there will be any Racin' Down the Road.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Frankel Keeps Streak Alive at Quincy
Rickey Frankel picked up his first UMP super late model feature win of 2013 at Quincy Raceways on Sunday, and in doing so he kept an unusual streak going. After three nights of racing, there have been three checkered flags going to drivers who had never won a late model feature at the Broadway Bullring, following Jerry Lierly and Chad Simpson. A solid field of 20 late models signed in, with visitor Dewayne Kiefer, making the long haul from St. Genevieve,Mo setting quick time at 14.761 seconds. Kiefer rolled a " two " for the dash invert, setting up a front row with Lierly on the pole beside him. It was third starting Frankel, however, who powered through to take the win, putting him on the pole for the 30 lap finale. For the second straight week, the .29 mile oval was smooth, but lacking a cushion, and Rickey took off at the green and quickly moved to the low groove following two false starts. The first yellow before racing started saw Jim Moon from Mt Auburn,Il., a 2012 track regular,stopping on the track, dropping him from 12th to the back of the 20 car grid. After first time visitor Donnie Cisco III took a trip to the back, racing began. The caution flew again on lap three for Vance Wilson, and Lierly headed for the trailer. The action continued, but just as Frankel caught slower traffic on lap 17, the caution waved for Alan Westling. From there it was 13 green flag laps, and although Kiefer stuck the nose of his # 0 inside a few times, Rickey held on for the win. For his part, Kiefer has three regular season trips to QR, and has taken away one first and a pair of seconds. Mark Burgtorf started fourth and ran third much of the event, until Moon, the only car doing much passing, nipped him at the checkers for third. Justin Reed fell back early, but recovered to run fifth at the checkers.
Steven Delonjay continued his hot streak in the UMP modified class, setting fast time, capturing the dash, and the 25 lap finale. Michael Long chased the second generation champion to the checkers, with Shawn Deering climbing to third. Top contender Dave Weitholder ran several laps with a flat tire, pitted on a yellow and came back to run eighth.
The IMCA stock car class was 12 strong, and had an unusually wild and wooly feature with an unusual amount of bumping and banging. Abe Huls picked up the win over Jake Powers, Beau Taylor and Brandon Savage. Things got started off in interesting fashion when Steve Carlin had his steering wheel come off on the start.
Bobbby Anders topped a field of 13 IMCA Sport Mods, although Tony Dunker used a bag of tricks to try and slide by. Bobby was up to the task in in entertaing 20 lapper.
For the second consecutive week, the IMCA Sport Compact pole sitter failed to make the feature call, as Laine VanZandt was a scratch. Only nine of the 11cars took the green. Skip Dunker was on his way to a second straight win when the yellow waved on lap tenm setting up a green, white , checkers finish. On the restart, Austen Becerra charged past for the win, with Craig Bangert in third. Fourth place went to Kimberly Abbott, the only other car running at the end.
Sunday was my only race of the weekend, as a family wedding filled Saturday night.
It was only after last weeks posting that I learned that Jimmy Owens had the NDRL win at I-55 Raceway in Pevely,Mo. taken away after his tires were sent off for inspection. This gave the big check to Brian Birkhofer, and was the second such occurrence in the midwest already in 2013. Certainly makes good internet message board fodder!
Although it is warm and dry as I type this, the upcoming weekend does not sound promising. Hopefully we will be able to find some action somewhere Down the Road!
Steven Delonjay continued his hot streak in the UMP modified class, setting fast time, capturing the dash, and the 25 lap finale. Michael Long chased the second generation champion to the checkers, with Shawn Deering climbing to third. Top contender Dave Weitholder ran several laps with a flat tire, pitted on a yellow and came back to run eighth.
The IMCA stock car class was 12 strong, and had an unusually wild and wooly feature with an unusual amount of bumping and banging. Abe Huls picked up the win over Jake Powers, Beau Taylor and Brandon Savage. Things got started off in interesting fashion when Steve Carlin had his steering wheel come off on the start.
Bobbby Anders topped a field of 13 IMCA Sport Mods, although Tony Dunker used a bag of tricks to try and slide by. Bobby was up to the task in in entertaing 20 lapper.
For the second consecutive week, the IMCA Sport Compact pole sitter failed to make the feature call, as Laine VanZandt was a scratch. Only nine of the 11cars took the green. Skip Dunker was on his way to a second straight win when the yellow waved on lap tenm setting up a green, white , checkers finish. On the restart, Austen Becerra charged past for the win, with Craig Bangert in third. Fourth place went to Kimberly Abbott, the only other car running at the end.
Sunday was my only race of the weekend, as a family wedding filled Saturday night.
It was only after last weeks posting that I learned that Jimmy Owens had the NDRL win at I-55 Raceway in Pevely,Mo. taken away after his tires were sent off for inspection. This gave the big check to Brian Birkhofer, and was the second such occurrence in the midwest already in 2013. Certainly makes good internet message board fodder!
Although it is warm and dry as I type this, the upcoming weekend does not sound promising. Hopefully we will be able to find some action somewhere Down the Road!
Monday, April 22, 2013
Chad Simpson Shows the Way While Bad Luck Bites Brother Chris
Once again Mother Nature offered up an overwhelming challenge, but the hard working folks at 34 Raceway and Quincy Raceways were up to the task at hand. A betting man would have needed long odds on Thursday to bet on the ALMS/MARS Cornbelt Clash late model shows taking place at the two Tri State area venues this weekend, as both towns received more than three inches of rain on Wednesday and Wednesday night. But we were assured that both tracks would do whatever it took, and a peek of sun and a strong breeze aided the drying, with tracks, pits, and even parking lots were in good shape. The race drivers responded well, with 44 super late models checking in at 34, and a solid field of 33 at Quincy. One reason I was so looking forward to these shows was the chance to see drivers compete against drivers they normally don't run with, at least on a regular basis. The 3/8 mile West Burlington oval was super fast, especially around the top side, and with my personal favorite, passing points, used for feature qualifying, the five heat races were outstanding. even so, passing points does create some oddities, especially with only the top 16 making the show. For example, the top four moved on in heats four and five, while only the top two advanced for heat two. Locals Jay Johnson and Mark Burgtorf, as well as defending MARS champion Jesse Stovall made the top six dash although they each finished third in their heat race. Two B-mains qualified four more entrants, and the only downer was the seven provisionals awarded to round out the 20 car starting field. Each sanction handed out two provisionals, and the track filled the final spot with race sponsor Denny Woodworth. Second generation ace Terry Phillips and central Illinois veteran Kevin Weaver sat on the front row of the 40 lap finale, and after a false start, Weaver took off. He held on through two caution periods before Iowan Chris Simpson took over on lap13. Two laps later, Burgtorf slowed with a blown engine, and the yellow waved again on lap 18. By now, 16 year old touring star Tyler Reddick, a native Californian now calling DuQuoin,Il home, had moved for the 26th starting spot to tenth. As the green waved, 15th starting Chad Simpson, the defending Cornbelt champ, powered to third, and then quickly took the runnerup spot. As the race stayed green, Chad was unable to close the gap on brother Chris, but as the # 32 moved down the backstretch on lap 38, Chris suddenly drove to the infield with a broken axle. Chad the walked home to collect the $4,000 top prize. Stovall filled the second spot, while UMP national and Summernational champion Brian Shirley barely held off a hard charging Reddick for third. Polesitter Phillips held on for fifth.
The 305 sprints ran a marathon companion feature, with Donnie Steward prevailing over the 15 car field, while Michael Grossman collected the 4 cylinder win, as 29 of 30 entrants took the feature green.
Kudos to the team at 34 for giving us a place to race on a clod Saturday night.
Not everyone followed the tour south to Quincy Raceways for the Sunday show, but Nick and Doug Herrick continued the trip from Minnesota, and Pevely, Missouri regular Ron McQuerry was on hand as well. A half dozen cars that were not at 34 added to the mix, led by Shannon Babb, who has had a great deal of success in recent years at Quincy. Group time trial qualifying was used at QR, with overall fast time going to Chad Simpson with a lap of 14.637. While the racing surface developed a couple holes at 34, the .29 mile Quincy oval stayed smooth, although the lower groove was the fast way around for much of the evening. Four ten lap heat races set the first two rows for the 40 lap $3,000 to win finale, with Simpson and Brandon Sheppard on row one, and Babb and Reddick on row two. Sheppard had completed just a handful of laps on Saturday before losing a radiator, and in marked the third time I had watched the young standout this season fail to have a top ten run. I did not mention that to him, I don't need the " bad luck " handle!
As the green flag waved, a three car scrum ended the night for Brunson Behning, as he went pitside, came back out a failed to complete a lap. As racing got underway, it was Simpson to the lead, with Babb and Sheppard side by side for second. Jake Meier got the worst of a lap five mixup in front of him, and on the restart, Sheppard took command of the runner up spot. What followed was 35 laps of green flag racing, with Simpson encountering lapped traffic by lap 18. Unlike the week before at QR, the leader was able to negotiate the slowe cars, and took a flag to flag win to sweep the weekend. Sheppard held off Babb for second, Shirley turned in another good run in fourth, and defending QR point champ Jason Perry grabbed fifth. Stovall was challenging for that spot when he exited the track on lap 26. Again, each sanction handed out two provisionals, although the track did not give any. With 24 starters, this meant only 18 qualified on the track, but this is a by product of the multi sanctioning that makes shows like this possible. Woodworth was the only one of 33 not taking the track, as he had issues before qualifying began. Mindful of the travel time on a Sunday night, QR ran the late models first on the card, with the checkers waving before 8:30! The two support classes did not turn out good numbers on Sunday, but the 12 UMP modifieds still running ran a very entertaining feature. Fast qualifier Steven Delonjay and Michael Long sat on the front row, and Delonjay took the early lead before exiting to the infield on lap eight. From there, Long held off charges by first Robbie Reed and then Dave Weitholder for a had fought win. All but one of the 12 IMCA sport Compacts took the green in the 12 lap finale of the night. Defending champion Seith Woodruff had the pole start, but could not make the call. Gary Stephenson rolled his # 24 on lap one, but was uninjured. When things sorted out, Pat Dunker cruised to the win over Kimberly Abbott. " Skippy " as he is known, has three feature wins on the young season, one each at QR, 34, and Lee County Speedway!
One driver expected for the weekend who did not appear was Bloomington, Il hot shoe Jason Feger. The reason became more apparent today, as we learned Feger has been suspended from UMP events pending an appeal for alleged tire doctoring in a heat race at the Illini 100 a few weeks back. Pending the appeal, Jason has been stripped of his $20,000 win, and faces other penalties. I am sure we will be hearing more on this in the coming weeks, especially since the suspension, if upheld, may dip into the Summernationals schedule.
Former weekly late model racer Justin Jennings was in the pits Sunday, fresh off an 18th place finish in the Saturday NASCAR Craftsman Series truck race at Kansas Speedway. The # 56J the youngster wheeled at QR is now driven by Michael Long, although repairs to the late model could not be made in time for Sunday action, after Michael lost brakes on Saturday night.
Despite more wind and cool temps, it was another fun night at Quincy Raceways.
The 305 sprints ran a marathon companion feature, with Donnie Steward prevailing over the 15 car field, while Michael Grossman collected the 4 cylinder win, as 29 of 30 entrants took the feature green.
Kudos to the team at 34 for giving us a place to race on a clod Saturday night.
Not everyone followed the tour south to Quincy Raceways for the Sunday show, but Nick and Doug Herrick continued the trip from Minnesota, and Pevely, Missouri regular Ron McQuerry was on hand as well. A half dozen cars that were not at 34 added to the mix, led by Shannon Babb, who has had a great deal of success in recent years at Quincy. Group time trial qualifying was used at QR, with overall fast time going to Chad Simpson with a lap of 14.637. While the racing surface developed a couple holes at 34, the .29 mile Quincy oval stayed smooth, although the lower groove was the fast way around for much of the evening. Four ten lap heat races set the first two rows for the 40 lap $3,000 to win finale, with Simpson and Brandon Sheppard on row one, and Babb and Reddick on row two. Sheppard had completed just a handful of laps on Saturday before losing a radiator, and in marked the third time I had watched the young standout this season fail to have a top ten run. I did not mention that to him, I don't need the " bad luck " handle!
As the green flag waved, a three car scrum ended the night for Brunson Behning, as he went pitside, came back out a failed to complete a lap. As racing got underway, it was Simpson to the lead, with Babb and Sheppard side by side for second. Jake Meier got the worst of a lap five mixup in front of him, and on the restart, Sheppard took command of the runner up spot. What followed was 35 laps of green flag racing, with Simpson encountering lapped traffic by lap 18. Unlike the week before at QR, the leader was able to negotiate the slowe cars, and took a flag to flag win to sweep the weekend. Sheppard held off Babb for second, Shirley turned in another good run in fourth, and defending QR point champ Jason Perry grabbed fifth. Stovall was challenging for that spot when he exited the track on lap 26. Again, each sanction handed out two provisionals, although the track did not give any. With 24 starters, this meant only 18 qualified on the track, but this is a by product of the multi sanctioning that makes shows like this possible. Woodworth was the only one of 33 not taking the track, as he had issues before qualifying began. Mindful of the travel time on a Sunday night, QR ran the late models first on the card, with the checkers waving before 8:30! The two support classes did not turn out good numbers on Sunday, but the 12 UMP modifieds still running ran a very entertaining feature. Fast qualifier Steven Delonjay and Michael Long sat on the front row, and Delonjay took the early lead before exiting to the infield on lap eight. From there, Long held off charges by first Robbie Reed and then Dave Weitholder for a had fought win. All but one of the 12 IMCA sport Compacts took the green in the 12 lap finale of the night. Defending champion Seith Woodruff had the pole start, but could not make the call. Gary Stephenson rolled his # 24 on lap one, but was uninjured. When things sorted out, Pat Dunker cruised to the win over Kimberly Abbott. " Skippy " as he is known, has three feature wins on the young season, one each at QR, 34, and Lee County Speedway!
One driver expected for the weekend who did not appear was Bloomington, Il hot shoe Jason Feger. The reason became more apparent today, as we learned Feger has been suspended from UMP events pending an appeal for alleged tire doctoring in a heat race at the Illini 100 a few weeks back. Pending the appeal, Jason has been stripped of his $20,000 win, and faces other penalties. I am sure we will be hearing more on this in the coming weeks, especially since the suspension, if upheld, may dip into the Summernationals schedule.
Former weekly late model racer Justin Jennings was in the pits Sunday, fresh off an 18th place finish in the Saturday NASCAR Craftsman Series truck race at Kansas Speedway. The # 56J the youngster wheeled at QR is now driven by Michael Long, although repairs to the late model could not be made in time for Sunday action, after Michael lost brakes on Saturday night.
Despite more wind and cool temps, it was another fun night at Quincy Raceways.
Monday, April 15, 2013
My First Double Header of 2013
Despite a contrary weatherman, we somehow managed to get in back to back nights of racing for the first time in this young season. After rain spoiled the opening weekend of the new National Dirt Racing League and caused us to make the long drive to I-55 Raceway in Pevely,Mo., coming away with only a bit of bench racing, there was no way we were not going back for the reschedule. By the time I got off work and Keagan wrapped up his ACT test, Fred, Darryl, and our buddy Bill, back from the state of Washington were loaded up and ready. The sun was shining with 70 degree temps, and we were not sure how large the crowd would be, so we arrived at 3:00 to assure a good seat. As it turned out, the $35.00 ticket held the crowd down a bit, but there was still a nice gathering for the $20,000 to win, $1500 to start one day super late model show. 50 late models signed in , with a solid field of 40 plus open modifieds competing for a $2,000 top prize as the companion class. The series had kicked off the night before in Paducah,Ky., with former World of Outlaw late model champ Josh Richards besting defending Lucas Oil champ Jimmy Owens for the big prize. " Kid Rocket "
picked up where he left off by turning the 1/3 mile high banked oval at 13.457 seconds for quick time on the night. He stayed hot by taking the first heat over former teammate " Rocket Shepp " Brandon Sheppard. Eddie Carrier outran Austin Hubbard in Chad Stapletons # 32 in heat two, while Jimmy Mars topped local ace Tim Manville in heat three. Jason Feger held off Brian Birkhofer in heat four, and Dennis Erb Jr,took the checkers ahead of Bobby Pierce in heat five. The final ten lapper went to Billy Moyer over Owens. Jared Landers and Don Neal in the Moring Motorsports # 1 picked up B-main wins, and with a pair of provisionals, the 24 car field was set to go 75 laps. Mindful of the fact that only ten cars finished the race in Paducah, partly due to a rough track caused again by plenty of rain, track officials at Pevely " farmed the track several times during the night, including between the feature events. No one complained however, as the 24 car mod field laid down a lot of rubber. Modified track champion Mark Miner, a former late model ace in his own right, led the distance to take the top prize, although national standout Jason Krohn pushed him all the way, followed by Matt Mevert, Michael Long, and Rusty Griffaw.
With much fanfare and fireworks, the late model headliner was ready to go.
Billy Moyer has a long history of success at I-55, so when he drew the outside pole, it was no surprise that he shot to an early lead. The first caution came on lap nine, when Scott Bloomquist suffered rearend damage, ending his night. As the green waved, Moyer again set the pace, until Richards claimed the top spot on lap 23.Two laps late, Mars moved to second as Moyer began to fade. The caution waved for Brian Shirley at the half way mark, as Birkhofer joined the party in third. As the race resumed, 12th starting Owens found his groove on the bottom of the track. He climbed to third on lap 41, second two laps later, and he slipped by Richards on lap46. Three circuits later, Richards brought out the yellow for the final time with a flat tire. When action resumed, Owens began to stretch his lead, and he stayed in command to the checkers. Birkhofer drove by his MB Customs partner Mars, then held on as the two crossed behind Owens. Moyer had slipped to fifth, but rolled past Sheppard late to nab fourth. The second five included Erb,Pierce, 23rd starting Tim Fuller, who climbed as high as fourth before slipping back, Shane Clanton, and O'Neal.
I hope the fledgling sanction turned a profit, because this show was worth the ticket price, and I would love to see it back in 2014.
It was a quick turnaround, with Quincy Raceways on their school time schedule of 4:45 hot laps and 5:30 racing. Opening night saw 17 UMP late models and an equal number of UMP mods headline the Sunday show. It was the first night out for many of the competitors, and the new rides looked impressive indeed. Jeff has a solid recap on the Backstretch as Positively Racing was well represented at the opener. Among the surprise drivers on hand was veteran late model ace Rick Standridge who had not been to QR in many moons, and young Derek Fetter making his first visit. Also, the Richard Realty race team made the trip south with new driver Brian Harris. And holding court before - and after - the races was popular Kenny Wallace, who brought his # 36 modified to town. The NASCAR hot shoe has raced numerous times at QR, but he still draws a crowd to here his never ending stories and commentary!
The first feature out was the IMCA stock cars, and although the car count was a bit low, the racing was superb. When Abe Huls jumped out front, I thought it was over, but Terry Houston had other ideas, and he slipped around Abe with a couple laps to go to take the win. Fresh off a fourth place run at the B[mod nationals at West Plains, Mo., Tony Dunker resumed his dominance in the IMCA sport mod class with an impressive win.
After two false starts, the UMP late model 30 lap headliner went green to checkered. Harris took off from the outside pole and looked like a winner. But Jerry Lierly in his Bloomquist chassis stayed on Brians bumper, stuck his nose underneath a few times, and when Harris became trapped in traffic with two laps to go, Jerry powered around the top for his first ever super late model win. Defending champion Jason Perry, Denny Woodworth, and fast qualifier Clint Kirkham turned in top five runs.
Michael Long paced the UMP mod finale for four laps before developing a miss in his engine and going pitside. Dave Weitholder led the middle part of the 25 lapper before Steven Delonjay took over for the win. Robbie Reed challenged early, then held off Wallace for third.
The IMCA sport compact feature had plenty of action, starting with defending champion Seith Woodruff losing his right rear for the second time on the night. Contact between the top three cars coming to the white flag caused some flaring tempers, but the checkers finally flew for Craig Bangert who survived the altercation to come from third to win. Kimberly Abbott took second, and Austen Becerra came for sixth after the accident to third at the checkers.
The weatherman is continuing to be stubborn, but next Sunday night is the triple sanction - MARS, ALMS, Cornbelt Clash - $3,000 to win late model extravaganza at QR, so lets hope for two things we haven't seen much, warm and dry!
picked up where he left off by turning the 1/3 mile high banked oval at 13.457 seconds for quick time on the night. He stayed hot by taking the first heat over former teammate " Rocket Shepp " Brandon Sheppard. Eddie Carrier outran Austin Hubbard in Chad Stapletons # 32 in heat two, while Jimmy Mars topped local ace Tim Manville in heat three. Jason Feger held off Brian Birkhofer in heat four, and Dennis Erb Jr,took the checkers ahead of Bobby Pierce in heat five. The final ten lapper went to Billy Moyer over Owens. Jared Landers and Don Neal in the Moring Motorsports # 1 picked up B-main wins, and with a pair of provisionals, the 24 car field was set to go 75 laps. Mindful of the fact that only ten cars finished the race in Paducah, partly due to a rough track caused again by plenty of rain, track officials at Pevely " farmed the track several times during the night, including between the feature events. No one complained however, as the 24 car mod field laid down a lot of rubber. Modified track champion Mark Miner, a former late model ace in his own right, led the distance to take the top prize, although national standout Jason Krohn pushed him all the way, followed by Matt Mevert, Michael Long, and Rusty Griffaw.
With much fanfare and fireworks, the late model headliner was ready to go.
Billy Moyer has a long history of success at I-55, so when he drew the outside pole, it was no surprise that he shot to an early lead. The first caution came on lap nine, when Scott Bloomquist suffered rearend damage, ending his night. As the green waved, Moyer again set the pace, until Richards claimed the top spot on lap 23.Two laps late, Mars moved to second as Moyer began to fade. The caution waved for Brian Shirley at the half way mark, as Birkhofer joined the party in third. As the race resumed, 12th starting Owens found his groove on the bottom of the track. He climbed to third on lap 41, second two laps later, and he slipped by Richards on lap46. Three circuits later, Richards brought out the yellow for the final time with a flat tire. When action resumed, Owens began to stretch his lead, and he stayed in command to the checkers. Birkhofer drove by his MB Customs partner Mars, then held on as the two crossed behind Owens. Moyer had slipped to fifth, but rolled past Sheppard late to nab fourth. The second five included Erb,Pierce, 23rd starting Tim Fuller, who climbed as high as fourth before slipping back, Shane Clanton, and O'Neal.
I hope the fledgling sanction turned a profit, because this show was worth the ticket price, and I would love to see it back in 2014.
It was a quick turnaround, with Quincy Raceways on their school time schedule of 4:45 hot laps and 5:30 racing. Opening night saw 17 UMP late models and an equal number of UMP mods headline the Sunday show. It was the first night out for many of the competitors, and the new rides looked impressive indeed. Jeff has a solid recap on the Backstretch as Positively Racing was well represented at the opener. Among the surprise drivers on hand was veteran late model ace Rick Standridge who had not been to QR in many moons, and young Derek Fetter making his first visit. Also, the Richard Realty race team made the trip south with new driver Brian Harris. And holding court before - and after - the races was popular Kenny Wallace, who brought his # 36 modified to town. The NASCAR hot shoe has raced numerous times at QR, but he still draws a crowd to here his never ending stories and commentary!
The first feature out was the IMCA stock cars, and although the car count was a bit low, the racing was superb. When Abe Huls jumped out front, I thought it was over, but Terry Houston had other ideas, and he slipped around Abe with a couple laps to go to take the win. Fresh off a fourth place run at the B[mod nationals at West Plains, Mo., Tony Dunker resumed his dominance in the IMCA sport mod class with an impressive win.
After two false starts, the UMP late model 30 lap headliner went green to checkered. Harris took off from the outside pole and looked like a winner. But Jerry Lierly in his Bloomquist chassis stayed on Brians bumper, stuck his nose underneath a few times, and when Harris became trapped in traffic with two laps to go, Jerry powered around the top for his first ever super late model win. Defending champion Jason Perry, Denny Woodworth, and fast qualifier Clint Kirkham turned in top five runs.
Michael Long paced the UMP mod finale for four laps before developing a miss in his engine and going pitside. Dave Weitholder led the middle part of the 25 lapper before Steven Delonjay took over for the win. Robbie Reed challenged early, then held off Wallace for third.
The IMCA sport compact feature had plenty of action, starting with defending champion Seith Woodruff losing his right rear for the second time on the night. Contact between the top three cars coming to the white flag caused some flaring tempers, but the checkers finally flew for Craig Bangert who survived the altercation to come from third to win. Kimberly Abbott took second, and Austen Becerra came for sixth after the accident to third at the checkers.
The weatherman is continuing to be stubborn, but next Sunday night is the triple sanction - MARS, ALMS, Cornbelt Clash - $3,000 to win late model extravaganza at QR, so lets hope for two things we haven't seen much, warm and dry!
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