At some point in time every race track has its "Biggest Show Ever", some even stick the label to whatever the next special event is on the schedule and in most cases once you sort through the pomp and circumstance you may or may not end up with a pretty good night of racing. For Thursday night's "Workforce 40" though at the Quincy Raceways everything came together to not only make it the track's "Biggest Show Ever", but perhaps the track's "The Best Show Ever" as well and after a season full of floods and rainouts it was exactly what Kenny Dobson and his CILTRAK promotional team needed and deserved.
From the moment that I pulled into the grounds at 5:30 I knew that this was going to be huge as I was directed to one of the few remaining parking spaces on the property, in the infield of the go kart track. There was already more people here than what I have seen in the past at major special events and it was still a full hour before hot laps would start for the 32 World of Outlaw Late Models and 24 MOWA Sprint Cars in the pit area. I have no idea where the rest of the overflow crowd that arrived after me had to park, but I can imagine that it was quite a hike!
The pairing of these two divisions was unique in the first place and the timing of the event was perfect with the WoO Late Models on their way to Fairbury for the Prairie Dirt Classic the next two nights and the MOWA series starting their four-night Illinois Sprint Speed Week. Steve Kinser had been advertised to compete with the MOWA series at Quincy on this night, but with his hard crash at Eldora last weekend "The King" had to cancel. And, while that was disappointing for all, in a way it might have benefited the bottom line as the event had already captured the promotional value of his scheduled appearance by getting fans interested and committed to the date on their race calendar while no longer having the expense of the appearance fee.
You already knew that there would be plenty of star power with the World of Outlaws Late Model roster, but then add in Illinois stars such as Brandon Sheppard, Shannon Babb and Bobby Pierce fresh off of his runner-up finish in Eldora's NASCAR Truck race, plus toss in perhaps the most popular dirt track racer in the business right now in Rico Abreu and you had yourself a racing program that would have the crowd buzzing even before the cars took to the track!
Qualifying action for both divisions had a "big show" level of intensity and I will give you some tidbits of that later in the "Notes" section, but let's get right to the two feature races on the evening.
The MOWA 410 Sprints were up first with Cory Bruns and Rico Abreu earning the front row through heat races and how they finished one-two in a very exciting Dash race. The Sprints had some issues getting into a flow with two cautions and two red flags in the first four laps of the twenty-five laps main event.
Abreu sprinted to the lead at the start only to have that first red flag wave on lap two when Brady Bacon went upside down and into the retaining wall on the front stretch exiting turn four. The USAC non-wing Sprint star climbed from the car unscathed ending a tough night for him as he had to change motors earlier after popping one in his heat race. On the restart Casey Shuman did not come up to speed in his JHR #77 ride and that created the first caution. Two laps later Jeremy Standridge spun in turn two and came to a halt with front end damage and at the same time in turn three Jimmy Hurley went for a tumble to bring out the red flag for a second time.
Joey Moughan spun off the top of turn two to cause another caution on the restart and the very tall die-hard Late Model fan sitting next me just shook his head in frustration pointing out that the Sprint Car feature had taken to the track at just after 9:30 and that it was now nearly ten o'clock with just four laps completed. Knowing that I was wearing a Sprint Car t-shirt (Andy Gregg) I felt that I should just nod my head and say something soothing in fear that with one more red flag he might take out his frustrations on me and thank goodness the remaining twenty-one laps were contested with just one more caution.
That came on lap fourteen when Hunter Schuerenberg, who had been making up some ground on the leader as Rico worked traffic, caught the cushion just a bit too hard turning him to the right and up and over the top of turn two while running in second. On the restart Jerrod Hull and Cory Bruns raced wheel-to-wheel for the second spot and that battle allowed Abreu to pull away to a convincing flag-to-flag victory. Bruns would fight off Hull to finish in the second position, Jake Blackhurst took fourth and Brad Loyet completed the top five.
The crowd loved it when Rico climbed atop his wing to celebrate in victory lane and he was then quite emotional as he stated that one of his crew members had just lost his father, so this win was dedicated to him.
My seat neighbor grumbled and checked his watch as both Bruns and Hull were also interviewed on the front stretch, but when the 24-car Late Model feature field pulled onto the track for the 40-lap headliner he mellowed quickly. Tonight's race track offered up at least three good grooves for racing enhanced by by some ripples and ridges that could not be avoided given the fact that this place was completely underwater less than two weeks ago.
Sixth-starting Brian Shirley spun in turn three on the opening lap collecting Eric Wells and sending Jordan Yaggy over the top, but since it was a multi-car mishap before one lap was scored all drivers, including Shirley, would restart in their original positions.
Pole-sitter Billy Moyer hugged the bottom and raced out to the lead in the early laps while Tim McCreadie chased him using the cushion and soon current WoO points leader Shane Clanton joined the battle. Clanton used that same low line to move to second and then patiently followed Moyer until lap nineteen when the leader first encountered lapped traffic. When Moyer paused for a split second behind the car of Boom Briggs, Clanton jumped to the middle groove and drove around the Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer to take the lead.
After clearing Briggs, Moyer quickly closed back in on Clanton and the two drivers raced side-by-side down the back stretch on lap twenty-four with four slower cars squarely in front of them racing two-by-two occupying both the high and low lines. When Moyer got pinned behind Jason Perry in his preferred low line, Clanton would thread the needle and open up a nice advantage with the lapped cars in between. It took five laps for Moyer to finally clear Perry, who was also passing cars for position, and once he did so Clanton had built up a full straightaway lead with just ten laps remaining.
Moyer had cut the advantage to just five car lengths with two laps to go as Clanton closed in on Eric Wells and Jimmy Mars. As those two raced in turn four Wells slowed suddenly before turning left into the infield causing first Mars, and then Clanton to check up to avoid making contact. Moyer pounced on this like a tiger on wounded prey as he dove to the inside of Clanton on the front stretch and then beat him into turn one. Clanton would fight back though making one last run for the win out of turn four, but he could not beat Moyer who would score the thrilling victory. Josh Richards would come home in the third spot, Brandon Sheppard would take fourth and McCreadie would complete the top five as my new friend said "See? That's how it's done, forty laps in less than twenty minutes. You should buy yourself a Late Model shirt and come to Fairbury."
I just politely responded, "Sounds good!"
Workforce 40 Notes.......The night got off to an inauspicious start when a wrecker truck ran over the right rear wheel of the Sprint Car of Chris Urish as it was attempting to push him off for hot laps, Thankfully Urish, a former winner here, and his crew were able to make repairs in time for him to start his heat race.......Parker Price-Miller was driving the #2 car tonight that we had seen A.J. Bruns in back in April and he was leading the third heat with just three laps to go before he tumbled off the top side of turn four. PPM was able to come back and start the feature......Abreu started fifth in the MOWA Dash and gave Cory Bruns everything he had in the six-lap race, but Bruns fought him off by a nose to earn the pole position for the main event......The MOWA Illinois Sprint Week moves to the Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach tonight, then to Macon on Saturday before closing out the weekend in Jacksonville on Sunday......For qualifying and then starting straight up the four Late Model heats still offered up plenty of action as drivers wanted to finish first or second to make the draw four the first four rows of the main event. Heat three was the best though as Tim McCreadie and Bobby Pierce swapped the lead back and forth on the final lap with Shannon Babb in hot pursuit. McCreadie would take the thrilling win.......After qualifying poorly Josh Richards raced from fifth to second in the fourth heat......Both of the Last Chance Showdowns kept the fans engaged as only the top three in each would advance. In the first one it appeared that Frank Hecekenast Jr. was just going to get in a few hot laps before taking a provisional for the feature, but instead he started eighth and stormed through the field to finish second behind Morgan Bagley. But the real excitement came on the final two turns when Quincy's own Late Model legend Mark Burgtorf made an all out charge on the cushion to sweep around Boom Briggs for the final transfer spot. Briggs would then have to burn a provisional.......In the second Last Chance race Justin Reed made a nice run up to second passing Jason Feger late and then Feger had to hold off Kolby Vandenbergh by inches to make the show...... In that same race local driver Clint Kirkham was on the charge coming from eighth to fourth in just four laps before a flat left rear tire sent him for a spin........Promoter Kenny Dobson was in the midst of thanking the huge crowd during intermission when he could see that smoke was pouring out of the top of the concession stand. He calmly wrapped up his "thank you" and then rushed up to see that a pretty scary grease fire was now in the process of being brought back under control. All the burgers after that though would have to be served "well done"......Just how big was the crowd? They were standing three or four deep behind the grandstands that were essentially full and, while granted I had been parked in just about the worst position possible, it took me forty-five minutes to get out of the parking lot! I would do it all again right now though if given the opportunity!
Congratulations to Kenny Dobson, Jake Croxton, Jack Walbring, Dwaine Hulett and the entire QR staff for absolutely delivering a "Big Show" and as always I appreciate the hospitality that has been shown to me for many years now at the Bullring on Broadway. I don't know how you are going to top this one guys, but I cannot wait to see you try!
One more race night for me this week and that comes on Saturday night when I fill in for regular track announcer Rich Adams at 34 Raceway in Burlington. Perhaps I will see you there!
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