Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Burgtorf Pulls Off "Scottie 41" Win at Quincy Raceways

Quincy, IL (Sunday, May 17, 2015) - After rains that moved through Quincy, Illinois on Friday and Saturday racing on Sunday night at the Quincy Raceways was very much in doubt. The track crew arrived early Sunday morning to find a very wet grounds. But they didn't throw in the towel right away, even pushing back the start time by 1 hour in hopes of getting the place dried out. There persistence paid off with some very good racing.

The 18 lap IMCA SportMod feature was the first to take to the track, with Todd Reed and Jon Lear making up the front row. But it was third place starter Adam Birck who grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Reed and Nathan Bringer. While Birck led the field, Tanner Klingele, who started 5th, moved into second on lap 4 and then set his sights on Birck for the lead. Two laps later, lap 6, Klingele would slipped under Birck coming off turn 2 to take over the top spot on lap 7. By lap 10 Klingele would enter some lapped traffic, which allowed Birck to close back in on Klingele's back bumper. Coming to complete lap 14, Birck would choose the bottom of the track to get around the lapped cars, while Klingele went to the top. Kilngele was held up long enough to give the lead back to Birck. But Klingele wouldn't give up, as he used the momentum off the top of the track in turn 4 on lap 16 to grab the top spot back. Klingele then held off Birck over the final 2 laps of a caution free race to pick up his second win of the season at the track. Birck settled for 2nd, Bringer was 3rd, Joey Gower started 8th and finished 4th, with Tony Dunker finishing 5th after starting in 9th.

Up next was the 18 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Michael Larsen and Taylor Lear leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Just as the green flag waved the caution would come out, as Lear and Trevor Hagerbaumer got together in turn 3. The result was Hagerbaumer spinning in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Lear would have front end damaged that sent him to the hot pits, which moved Troy Brierton up to the outside of the front row for the restart. On the restart Larsen jumped out front to lead lap 1 over Brierton and Jake Powers. While Larsen, who was on the bottom, and Brierton, who was up top, raced side-by-side for the top spot Abe Huls, who started 10th, and Jim Lynch, who started 9th, moved in to make it a 4 car battle on lap 10. The action up front was slowed on lap 13, when debris in turn 3 brought out the yellow. On the restart Powers spun down the front stretch to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Larsen move back out front over Brierton and Huls. Coming to complete lap 14 Huls looked under Larsen in turn 4 and got sideways, which caused Lynch to spin to avoid hitting Huls to bring out the yellow. On the restart Jerry Jansen spun in turn 3 and collected Powers to bring the caution light back on. Larsen once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Huls glued to his back bumper. Huls would look under Larsen over the final 4 laps. But Larsen was able to hold him off at the line to claim is first win of the season, after moving back to the Stock Car class after  running a Late Model in 2014. Huls settled for 2nd, Beau Taylor started 6th and finished 3rd, Jeremy Buss finished 4th after starting in 7th, with Lynch recovering from his spin on lap 14 to come back up to 5th.

Clint Kirkham was suppose to start the UMP Late Model "Scottie 41" from the pole, but elected the rear after suffering mechanical troubles in the heat. This would move Brian Diveley to the pole next to Daryn Klein. Klein would take advantage of his front row starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Diveley and Mark Burgtorf. Klein, with Burgtorf in toe, started to pull away from the field. The two would enter lapped traffic by lap 6, which allowed Burtgorf to challenge Klein for the lead. Once clear of traffic, Klein put a little distance on Burgtorf. That was until lap 10, when he entered more lapped traffic. Again Burgtorf closed in on Klein. Coming off turn 4 on lap 16 Burgtorf was able to get under Klein, who drifted up into the wall down the front stretch. The contact with the wall ripped the right rear spoiler off Klein's car, which came to rest just past the flag stand to cause the one and only caution to appear. On the restart Klein moved back out front, with Burgtorf and Diveley close behind. Klein and Burgtorf once again started to pull away from the field. Klein worked the top of the track for the entire race, which forced Burgtorf to have to look under him for the lead over the next 16 laps. The two would enter lapped traffic on lap 27, which Klein cleared faster then Burgtorf to put a few cars lengths between the two. By lap 34 Burgtorf pulled back to Klein's back bumper. Then coming off turn 4 on lap 35 Klein bobbled a little, which allowed Burgtorf to scoot by for the top spot. Klein stayed glued to Burgtorf's back bumper over the final 6 laps. But Burgtorf would make no mistakes over those final laps to claim the "Scottie 41" and the $2,000 top prize to go with it. Klein settled for 2nd, Diveley was 3rd, Jim Moon passed 8 cars from his 12th place starting spot to finish 4th, with Jamie Wilson coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

Since the program got started late and I had to be up real early Monday morning for work, I had to depart after the Late Model feature. But I see that Michael Long, who started on the pole of the 25 lap UMP Modified feature went flag-to-flag to pick up his fourth win in four starts at the track this year. David Wietholder crossed the line in 2nd, Steven DeLonjay was 3rd, Robbie Reed was 4th, with Brandon Roberts completing the top 5.

Then I read that Michael Grossman, who started the 15 lap IMCA Sport Compact feature in 9th, quickly moved to the front to over take Brandon Lambert for the lead on lap 4. Grossman then pulled away to claim his first win of the season at the track, and broke Kimberly Abbot's three race winning streak. Abbott started 8th and finished 2nd, Lambert was 3rd, Jeffrey DeLonjay was 4th, with Trent Orwig holding on for 5th with rear end damage.

Notes from Quincy: Austin Howes started the SportMod feature in 11th and finished 9th....Nathan Hayes finished 10th after starting in 13th....Darin Munzlinger started 14th and finished 12th....Jared Wiemelt finished 13th after starting in 16th......Jake Powers recovered from his spin on lap 13 and the crash on lap 14 to come back up to finish 7th in the Stock Car feature....Trevor Hagerbaumer recovered from his spin on the start to come back up to finish in 8th......Chuck Mitchell started the Late Model feature in 13th and finished 8th....Greg Kimmons passed 9 cars from his 18th place starting spot to come home in 9th....Trace Westling started 15th and finished 10th....Justin Reed, who broke a transmission in hot laps and missed time trials, spun in his heat race and then pulled off. He the started the feature in 21st and had worked his way to 5th by lap 21. But on lap 31 he would pull off the track with more troubles to end his night in 12th....Alan Westling started 19th and was credited with a 14th place finish....Ron Elbe, was suppose to start 11th, but elected to start from the rear. He would only make a few laps before pulling out and credited with 19th....Matt Santel was suppose to start 6th, but mechanical troubles after his heat forced him to scratch from the feature....Vance Wilson also scratched from the feature with troubles after his heat race......Shawn Deering started the Modified feature in 10th and finished 6th....Russ Coultas finished 8th after starting in 11th......Anthony Grossman started the Sport Compact feature in 12th and finished 9th.

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