Even with most of their hands in gloves or mittens, the cheers were easily heard over the roaring motors as National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame member Billy Moyer took the checkers as the Lucas Oil MLRA Late Models made their way to the Davenport Speedway Thursday night. A nice sized crowd given the chilly temperatures was on hand as the Drt Trak Racing team headed up by Bob Wagener presented an efficient four division program highlighted by a stellar field of forty Late Models.
If you have not been to the Davenport Speedway for awhile, let's just say that the racing surface of the quarter-mile has widened out at the same rate as my waistline over the past few years. And for those of you who used to go to the Kentucky Lake Speedway, remember how they liked to do a six-wide parade lap to show just how wide the track was? I am guessing that Davenport could do them one better with a seven-wide salute because I swear that on the opening lap of the Sport Mod main event they were RACING seven-wide through turn four.
Of course to do that they have extended the exit of turn four and the entrance to turn one out by several feet virtually guaranteeing that the half-mile will not be used again, at least not without moving a lot of dirt again. That's okay though, as while I loved the big half-mile here back in my younger years, ever since I saw Ken Schrader put the #90 Red Baron's Pizza Late Model four-wide through turns one and two with three other IMCA Late Models during a Summer Series event here long ago, I have preferred the quarter and Thursday night was continued proof of that.
Jason Papich and Billy Moyer would earn the front row for the forty lap Late Model feature and through the first thirty laps this one would be a testament to the track prep goal of having at least two equal lines around the speedway. Papich, the Californian who bases his two car team with Tony Toste out of Camdenton, Missouri, would go digging around the low line while Moyer showed his ever present skills riding the thin ridge around the top where one tiny mistake would send a driver over the banking.
The high line was quicker through turns one and two as Moyer would get out by two to three car lengths going down the back stretch, but that low line through three and four was tight and Papich would claw back enough to lead by inches at the stripe for the first seven laps. Well let's just say that I think he did as I was sitting about ten yards to the right of what I believed to be the stripe.
I had Moyer holding the lead on laps eight through fourteen and then thought Papich was again getting to the line first on laps fifteen and sixteen, but when the caution waved for Bobby Pierce who had slowed with a right rear tire down it would be Moyer that would be placed out front for the restart. Believe me, it was just that close each time the top two drivers crossed the stripe for those first sixteen laps and with the two lines between them at least seven car-widths apart even on the straightaway only the scorer would have a true perspective of just who had the lead,
By the way, Pierce had been running fourth at the time and instead of scrambling to come back out and rejoin the twenty-six car field from the back he decided to call it a night and get ready for two nights at 34 Raceway, a track that he absolutely loves given his recent success there.
Soon after the restart the cars of Mason Oberkramer and Shannon Babb got hooked together in turn one and Oberkramer was able to break free and return to the race while Babb stayed in the infield as the green light stayed on. The final caution of the event would fly on lap twenty-two when Jordan Yaggy spun in turn two and following the restart Moyer was now making it clear just exactly who was leading each lap as he started to inch away from Papich.
As the laps wound day Moyer's lead was nearly a full straightaway and with just four laps to go Papich's "stick man" frantically motioned for him to go to the top. He did so just in time as a hard charging Brian Shirley had to get on the binders to keep from spinning Papich at the top of turn two and the final four laps would fall away with Moyer taking the popular victory. I believe that I heard announcer Billy Rock state the the runner-up showing by Papich was the best of his career with the MLRA while Shirley finished where he started in third. Ashton Winger had another solid performance coming from tenth to fourth and he will now go to Burlington as the series point leader. Another Hall of Famer Terry Phillips finished in fifth.
 |
| Billy Moyer in action at Davenport - Photo courtesy of Dennis Krieger |
Tuesday's winner at I-80 Tony Jackson Jr. had another tough night of qualifying events as he had to use a provisional for the second night in a row, but the Lebanon, Missouri, driver made the most of it as he raced his way from the twelfth row up to eighth. Now Jackson will go for the ultimate redemption this weekend at 34 Raceway where he appeared to have the 2020 Slocum 50 well in hand before mechanical issues took him out.
Wednesday's winner at Stuart Jesse Stovall started sixteenth and finished seventeenth while Ryan Gustin who was DQ'ed from a win at Stuart for an illegal suspension part qualified well, but then slipped off the top of the track early in his heat race and later pulled off choosing to put the car in the trailer for the rest of the night.
Thankfully on this night the three support divisions behaved nicely with the only caution during the three features coming when one of the American Iron Racing Series (AIRS) cars tired to get to the infield with a broken left front, but just couldn't make the turn quick enough. Brian Gade and everybody associated with the AIRS cars should take pride in what they have developed as these are some beautiful old race cars that are obviously not just doing this for show. They race, and on this night it would be R. J. Lank taking the win in a beautiful 1959 Edsel Ranger. He was followed by Tim Arp, Bart Miller, Ron Cook and Dan Kessler in the field of seventeen.
Lining up fifth in the fifteen lap Sport Mod feature Tyler Soppe apparently had 'em right where he wanted 'em as he charged to the lead going down the back stretch on the opening lap and then held off some early race challenges from Tony Olson to take the flag to flag win. Olson was the runner-up after starting third and wishing that he had not left the bottom open going into turn one the first time. Shane Paris recovered nicely from a disappointing DNF in Stuart the night before to run a strong third tonight. He had started ninth. Ben Chapman came from tenth to fourth and Justin Veloz moved from twelfth to fifth.
Spencer Diercks went to the top at the drop of the green flag and was never challenged in winning the non-stop twenty lap Modified feature. He also won the quickly organized Darkside promoted event here on April 3rd. Gilbert, Arizona, native Tim Ward made a rare appearance in the Quad Cities and moved from fifth to finish second, Jeff "Bone" Larson was third, Eric Barnes looked like he was driving a Show Car putting the pristine black and orange #1 sponsored by The Body Shop in fourth at the checkers while pole-sitter Brandt Cole faded to fifth.
A big thanks to Bob Wagener, Carrie Rouse and the entire Drt Trak team for putting on a quick show in less than ideal conditions. You can bet that it will be warmer for their next event to be held on Friday May14th when they bring back the MLRA Late Models to Davenport.
No comments:
Post a Comment