The last two times that I have watched Chris Simpson win MLRA features he did not have to pass a single car for position the entire night. Why you might ask? Because both of those events used the "time trial and then start the fast guys in front format". But on Friday night, on the historic half-mile at the Davenport Speedway with the passing points format in play, Chris Simpson earned his front row starting position for the 30-lap main event with a thrilling run in his heat race that generated more of a crowd reaction than either of the two previous victories that I had witnessed.
A stout field of thirty-five Lucas Oil MLRA Late Models signed in on an evening that would normally be considered on the cool side, but by comparison it was balmy as several race fans showed up in shorts and were carrying no coats. It wasn't that warm though, trust me. With the passing points format drivers drew for their starting position in one of four heat races and Simpson drew the seventh starting spot in heat two, a race that was stacked with competition including his brother Chad. Rob Toland jumped out to a big early lead in the eight lap race as the Simpsons quickly worked their way toward the front. With four laps remaining Chris moved to second with Chad chasing in third, but they had a lot of ground to make up on Toland. That gap closed quickly and with two to go both drivers were within striking distance. Toland hugged his low line and despite a bit of a push in turns one and two he was able to maintain the lead to the white flag. Through turns one and two Toland was again able to hold back the challenge, but when that push happened again between turns three and four he left the door open and the crowd went nuts as both Chris and Chad slipped by in the final turn to take the win.
Note to the MLRA, you don't get that kind of a crowd reaction using the Start Me In Front, I'm Fast format.
Rightfully so the run from seventh to first earned the pole position for the main event and while Chris got a nice jump at the start it would be Brian Shirley who would lead the field off turn two and all the way back around for what appeared to be lap one, but with Jesse Stovall stopping against the wall at the exit of turn four the caution waved and it was determined that the lap was not scored. With an original restart this time Chris Simpson would lead the field from the drop of the green with Shirley in hot pursuit.
As the leaders approached traffic for the first time Simpson found the car of Mason Oberkramer in his low line and it looked like Shirley might have an opportunity on the high side exiting turn four on lap eight only to have the caution wave when Frank Heckenast Jr. spun in turn four. On the restart Chad Simpson dropped Shirley back to third and while they could keep Chris in their sights they could not mount a challenge. At this time the race was for second and on lap twenty-two it looked like something broke on Chad's car as he entered turn one and drove straight into the outside wall for the final caution of the race.
Again Shirley would stay close to Chris over the final eight laps, but there would be no challenge as Chris captured the $5,000 winner's check in flag-to-flag fashion. Shirley would finish second ahead of Tyler Bruening who used the cushion to run up from twelfth to third. Tony Jackson Jr. was steady in fourth, Payton Looney came from the ninth row to pass Jason Feger in the closing laps for fifth. Feger had a big run as well getting as high as fourth after starting nineteenth before finishing sixth ahead of B-Main winner Jordan Yaggy. Rich Bell came from 21st to eighth, J.C. Wyman from 22nd to ninth and Heckenast recovered from his spin to complete the top ten.
Some attrition did assist those big advancements, the most noteworthy being Will Vaught who was on the move in fifth before he dropped from the race at lap fifteen. Vaught had started eleventh.
The support class counts showed how the Davenport Speedway drivers feel about racing on the half-mile as usually they are double this on Friday nights. Just seven Street Stocks signed in with six starting the feature, but you only need to two to have a good race and that was the case as Jesse Owen and Jeff Struck Jr. went at it. Owen was the pole-sitter and paced the field from the start until Struck moved from sixth to second. Struck would nose into the lead on lap eight only to have Owen battle back to score the lead again on lap nine. Struck would strike again though on the following lap driving under Owen down the back stretch and the defending track champion would lead the final three laps for the win. Owen was second followed by heat race winner Jeremy Gustaf in third with Jeffrey Peterson and Donnie Louck next in line.
Fourteen IMCA Modifieds including Brekken Kleinschmidt who had escaped the frozen tundra of Shawano, Wisconsin, for the night took the green flag for twenty laps of feature racing with Eric Barnes leading the first half of the race. Jeff Larson and Justin Kay were now up to challenge and when both Barnes and Larson left the bottom open exiting turn four Kay moved from third to first on lap eleven. There would be no catching Justin from there as he would take the win after starting the race from the ninth position. Barnes would hold on for second with Rob Toland coming from the back to finish third. Toland actually started the race from fourth, but he stopped in turn two on the first try at a start and had to restart from the rear. Freeport, Illinois, drivers Larson and Kenny Kostenbader completed the top five.
The Northern Sport Mods would close out the evening with a twelve lap main event that featured three of the best in the Midwest. All Iowa Points champions Tony Olson and Tyler Soppe as well the Illinois Points champion in the division Dustin Schram were all in the field with Olson passing Chance Huston on lap two to take the lead. A caution on lap five for Andrew Burk and then a red flag for a fire under the hood of Brandon Setser's car slowed the race and in the final laps it would be Keith Blum who applied the pressure on Olson. Tony would fight him off though and take the win with Blum, Schram, Soppe and Randy Lamer completing the top five.
The night's racing action ran off in tight fashion with the final checkered flag flying just before 9:30. In fact I was able to catch some laps of the Modified feature at the CJ Raceway on my way home! A big thanks to promoter Bob Wagener for the hospitality and as always it was good to visit with officials Ken Reimers, Mike McGuire and Bret Sievertsen. Looks like I need to step up my game a bit as when Carrie Rouse greeted me at the pit gate I saw that she had been given flowers by ace photographers Dennis Krieger and John Vass. Then again I will never be able to top those two when it comes to a touch of class.
Racing returns to the quarter-mile for the regular season opener at the Davenport Speedway next Friday night and the MLRA Late Models return on Friday May 4th, with competition that night on the short track.
The MLRA now moves to 34 Raceway tonight for the tenth running of the Slocum 50 and it will the first time that I will miss that event as I have a wedding to attend. Hopefully you will be there in my place!
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