Going
to a race on a Saturday night this season will be a rarity for me. Last season,
Knoxville came first, so this year it seems like every schedule-maker for
Little League, dance recitals, dinner clubs, etc., made it a point to book me
for at least one activity per Saturday night throughout the summer. So don’t be
surprised if, once in awhile, you see me showing up late for one of the many
fine Saturday night shows in our area. Such was the case this past Saturday.
After
my daughter Ashley put on a fine performance at her annual dance recital, son
Morgan and I slipped out during the applause like the two racing freaks that we
are and headed for 34 Raceway in Burlington. We were purchasing our tickets at
8:45 and, after locating some seats saved by the always-entertaining “Herb” and
“Frissell”, we were just in time for the first of three IMCA Late Model heat
races. Despite a good dosage of rain early in the day, the track was in perfect
shape and the action was fast and furious with multiple grooves available.
 |
| Darin Thye from his Pro Stock days in the early 1990's |
After
the Brockett team walked away with the win in the Thunder Car main, a large
field of twenty-six Modifieds took to the track for their feature. Bill Roberts
started from the pole and was never seriously challenged for the victory. The
action was just behind him though as Darin Thye challenged Dave Goble for the
second spot. Thye, who had started eighth, slipped around Goble with just over
a lap to go to finish second, with Dennis LaVeine who came from thirteenth to
fourth and Bruce Hanford next in line. Afterward Thye, who ran tenth the night
before at Davenport, was telling us that a young lady he knows told him that
his horoscope had predicted that he would finish tenth on Friday and second on
Saturday. SPOOKY! He was then attacked by a group of young fans who covered him
with silly string in honor of his birthday.
One
other note from the Modified class was the surprise appearance by Fulton,
Missouri, driver Gary Blackburn Jr. who finished eighth. After not hearing
anything about Blackburn for several years it was good to see him in action a
couple of weeks ago at Sedalia and again at Burlington Saturday night.
The
Sprint Car field at 34 is very solid these days with several new drivers
joining the core group that has supported the track for years, producing a
twenty-three car starting field. Pole-sitter Randy Wagler paced the first ten
laps of the main event before a high flying Kip Anderson sped by. As Anderson
worked traffic, Bobby Mincer and Todd Taeger closed in fast and on lap
seventeen Mincer tried to thread the needle three-wide on the high side into
turn three. There was just not enough room as the lapped car clipped his front
tire sending Mincer into the third turn wall resulting in a hard rollover. The
defending track champion escaped uninjured and walked dejectedly back to the
pits. On the restart Taeger slipped past Anderson on the inside to lead the
final three laps for the win. Ryan Jamison nipped Kip at the line for second
with Pat Moore and Wagler completing the top five. Taeger’s smile reached
ear-to-ear afterward in the pit area and he was already looking forward to this
week’s Illinois Sprint Speed Week. How tight knit is this group of sprint car
drivers at Burlington, consider that Taeger was wearing a Kip Anderson t-shirt
under his driving suit. IRONIC!
Jason
Buck looked like he had made a successful pass of Kirk Kinsley with two laps to
go in the Hobby Stock main event, but a red flag for a slow rollover by John
Oliver negated the lap and the pass by Buck. Jerry Bliesener slipped past Buck
for second on the restart, but could not stop Kinsley from picking up the win.
The
Late Model main event was a non-stop thriller with Leroy Brenner on top for the
first fourteen laps. Then it was time to go “bowling” at 34 as Tom Bowling Jr.
zipped by and held off a late challenge from Jeff Laue to take the win. Terry
Schlipman, Brenner and “Stone Cold” Brent Slocum rounded out the top five.
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