After a two year hiatus, initially due to Covid and then extended while waiting for a new promoter, it sure was good to be back at the track in Quincy Sunday night now known as the Adams County Illinois Speedway. This would be night number two of the rebirth under promoter Jimmy Lieurance and once again they would be one of the few tracks in the region able to put on a show due to the crummy Spring weather helping to swell the pit area with drivers making some long trips in just to have a chance to race.
A couple of fun facts for you. Knoxville Raceway was the only track in Iowa to be able to get a full show in over the past two weekends while both Stuart and Oskaloosa were able to race last Wednesday. And according to the meteorologist at KCRG last Thursday this was going to end up being either the fifth or sixth coldest month of April in Cedar Rapids since they started keeping records.
The weather for the week ahead does not look good either, but let's worry about that later and be thankful that we did see some good racing here at Quincy on Sunday night.
A seven car field of Crate Late Models that are now UMP sanctioned would be the first feature up after a twenty-three minute intermission with Denny Woodworth driving away from the field for a commanding victory in the non-stop eighteen lap race. Sam Halstead had nipped Woodworth at the line in last week's opener, but he would be more than a half lap behind at the checkers on this night with Ray Raker hot on his heels in third after starting seventh. Darin Weisinger Jr. finished fourth while Jeremy Pundt was fifth after a spirited battle with Spencer Coats. Ed Hollenbeck rounded out the field in his return to racing after a long absence.
The fifteen lap Street Stock feature would be up next with Davenport visitor Austin Riggs and Iowa's Leremy Jackson making up the front row. The first lap did not go well for that duo as by the time it was scored they were now at the back of the nine car field with fourth starting Robert Cottam out front. Cottam had sailed around the outside of turn two to take the lead down the back stretch and despite three restarts he would never be seriously challenged in his second straight victory here. Rudy Zaragoza chased him in for second, Robert Thompson slammed the door on a late challenge from Pete Stodgell to finish third while Jackson recovered for his second straight top five finish here.
A stout field of twenty-eight Sport Compacts would take to the track next for a very entertaining twelve lap feature with cars racing three and four wide around the well prepared quarter-mile. Michael Grossman was three-wheeling it four banger style, lifting the left rear high in the corners to lead the first two laps only to have Jeffrey DeLonjay power by on lap three. Despite the huge car count there would be just one incident and it was a big one on lap eight when the leader's brother, Jadon DeLonjay pushed up the track in turn two sending Dyllan Bonk up and over three times in a scary looking ride.
Thankfully both drivers were not injured and we were now ready for a four lap sprint to the finish. With a big run on the restart Grossman was able to drive around the outside to hold the lead on lap nine only to have DeLonjay come digging back on the bottom to take back the point with with two to go. A great battle was going on just behind them as well and it would be DeLonjay taking the win just ahead of Grossman with defending All Iowa Points champion Cyle Hawkins from Blue Grass, Iowa, edging out Decatur's Jeremy Reed for third. Canton's Rick Deford filled out the top five in a field that definitely had the best of the best four cylinder drivers from throughout the region in attendance.
A nice field of sixteen UMP Modifieds would be up next for twenty laps with Kenny Wallace being the first back to the flag on lap one. Dave Wietholder and Austen Becerra would make it a three-wide race for the lead on lap two with Wietholder having the advantage at the stripe and as the leaders continued to battle down the back stretch, a couple of cars mid-pack would spin in turn two bringing out the caution. That would be when the May Basket gifts would be handed out as first, for some reason, that second lap would not be counted and Wallace would be put back out front for the restart with just one lap scored and then on the restart when Becerra got sideways in front of the field in turn two he was bailed out by a back marker that had spun exiting turn four coming to the green.
Two more laps would be scored before an incident involving Bill Roberts Jr. and Brandon Bollinger would send Roberts up and over in turn one and then on lap twelve Jace Gay would spin in turn two to produce the final caution of the event.
The veteran Wallace definitely showed his racing knowledge as he would sense where Wietholder's challenge was coming from and then block that line to earn the feature win ahead of Wietholder and Becerra. Mike Vanderiet Jr. would take the fourth spot and Chris Spalding, coming off his fourth straight victory at the I-35 Speedway in Winston, Missouri, the night before finished fifth.
You have to hand it to promoter Jimmy Lieurance as after last week's ten caution marathon the IMCA Sport Mods were moved to last in the running order this week, something that we have advocated so many times in the past. It is so nice to see a promoter make this common sense move and the twenty-four Sport Mod drivers in attendance then promptly went out and put on a great race tonight that had just one caution for a spin by a lapped car with five laps remaining in the eighteen lap race.
One thing that the discerning race fan at Quincy will notice this year is that the Sport Mods, being the only class that is sanctioned by IMCA here, will be the only class to be lined up using an average point inversion so it will see the most movement through the field and that was evident on this night. A.J. Tournear would pace the opening lap before third starting Logan Cumby took over and as he opened up a big lead the show to watch involved last week's winner Shane Paris who had started ninth and defending All Iowa Points champion Logan Anderson who had lined up twelfth.
Looking for a place to race, Anderson had won his heat race from the eighth starting spot earlier in the night and after getting by Paris early in the feature, Shane kept pace and they both made their way to the front. They would line up fourth and fifth for the restart and while Anderson quickly moved to second he could not reel in Cumby who, by my records at least, would take his first career victory in the division. Anderson would be the runner-up while Paris would take third keeping them one-two with Shane ahead of Logan in the early All Iowa Points race. Adam Birck advanced from sixth to fourth and Nicholas Profeta posted a solid top-five finish.
It was just shy of 9:05 on a perfect night to be at the races in Quincy with the wind blowing from the north and I am already looking forward to my return to the Bullring on Broadway, perhaps on Sunday May 22nd when the MARS Super Late Models come to town.
Here's hoping that the weather cooperates soon so that we can get this 2022 racing season into full swing. We will see you at the track soon!
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