Monday, June 1, 2015

Night of First Time Winners at Quincy Raceways

Quincy, IL (Sunday, May 31, 2015) - Mother nature continues to play havoc on the 2015 racing season, as Sunday's temps hoovered around the low 60's. With this kind of weather you would have thought it was late March instead of late May. But the crew at Quincy Raceways in Quincy, Illinois didn't let the cool temps and the brisk north winds stop them from racing on Sunday night. At the end of the night there were five new winners standing in victory lane for the first time in 2015 at the track.

The IMCA SportMod feature this week was highlighted by a draw / redraw format, with $500 going to the feature winner. An added bonus of $200 from Dunker Concrete, Patrick "Skipp" Dunker, was posted for any two drivers who redrew in the top 10 to go to the rear at the start of the race. Then if one of those drivers could drive through the field and pick up the win, they would earn a total of $700 for there efforts. Before the drop of the green flag the field was brought to a stop on the front stretch, then they started with the front row and asked them if they wanted to start in the rear. The first driver to accept the challenge was fifth place starter Wesley Mayfield. The next driver to accept the challenge was eighth place starter Brandon Lennox.

Darin Munzinger and Adam Birck would draw the front row for the 27 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with Birck jumping out into the lead on lap 1 over Munzlinger and Nathan Bringer. The first caution of the race appeared on lap 2, when Cody Henderson went over the track in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Todd Reed spun in turn 1 and collected Mike Goodwin to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Tony Dunker slip under Birck to grab the top spot away on lap 3. The third caution of the race appeared on lap 4, when Goodwin spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Dunker moved back out front on the restart, with Birck and Jim Gillenwater close behind. Gillenwater's run up front ended on lap 8, when he spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Once again Dunker jumped out front on the restart, with Birck and Tanner Klingele, who started 7th, close behind. Two more laps complete, lap 10, and another caution appeared, as Munzinger spun in turn 1 and collects Goodwin to bring out the yellow. On the restart Dunker moved back out front, with Birck and Klingele still close behind. While the battle up front continued, all eyes were on Brandon Lennox, who accepted the back row challenge and was quickly working his way towards the front. The action up front was slowed on lap 14, when Jared Wiemelt spun in turn 4 to bring out the caution. On the restart Lennox jumped to the top of the track to grabbed the lead away from Dunker to complete his run from last to first in 15 laps. Dunker would try to work under Lennox, until the action up front was slowed again on lap 20. Once again Wiemelt spun in turn 2 to bring out his second solo caution to end his night.

On the restart Wesley Mayfield spun in turn 1 to bring the yellow light back on. Debris in turn 2 on the next restart would bring the caution back out. The following restart saw Bringer, who was running 4th, get sideways in turn 1 and made contact with Austin Howes, who started 15th and was running 8th, as a result Howes would come to a stop in turn 3 with a right front flat to bring out the yellow. Once back to green Lennox moved back out front, with Dunker and Patrick Phillips, who started 11th, close behind. Two more laps complete, lap 22, and another caution, as debris in turn 3 brought out the yellow. Lennox once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Dunker and Phillips close behind. Phillips run up front came to an end on lap 23, when he spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Lennox moved back out front, with Dunker and Birck following. Coming to complete lap 26 Lennox would slip in turn 4, which allowed Dunker to slip under him to grab the lead away. But before the lap was scored complete Phillips spun in turn 4 and collected Dakota Anderson to bring out the caution. Lennox was giving the lead back for the restart. On the restart Birck, who was running 3rd, spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. The final restart saw Lennox grab the lead over Dunker and Bobby Six, who started 10th. Lennox would hold off Dunker over the final 2 laps to claim his first win of the season at the track. With the win Lennox would take home $1,100 ($500 from the track, $200 from Dunker Concrete for accepting the back row challenge and winning the race, plus another $400 from 5 fans in the stands who added to the back row challenge). Dunker settled for 2nd, Six was 3rd, Klingele was 4th, with Cody Henderson, who started 14th, recovering from his spin on lap 2 to come back up to finish 5th.

Up next was the 18 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Brandon Savage and Trevor Hagerbaumer leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Savage took advantage of his starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Hagerbaumer and Andrew Hustead. Jerry Jansen would go over the track in turn 1 and came to stop in turn 2 on lap 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Savage moved back out front, with Hagerbaumer and Hustead close behind. Two laps later, lap 4, Jim Lynch slowed to a stop in turn 2 with a right front flat to bring out the caution. Savage once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Hustead and Michael Larsen over taking Hagerbaumer for second and third. One more lap scored complete, lap 5, and another caution appeared, as Lynch spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Savage jumped back out front over Hustead and Larsen. Savage then held the lead until lap 6, when he pulled off the track in turn 3 with troubles. This would hand the lead over to Hustead. The final caution of the race appeared on lap 12, when Hagerbaumer stopped in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Hustead jumped out front, with Abe Huls, who started 10th, glued to his back bumper. Huls would look under Hustead over the final 6 laps, but Hustead would hold him off to pick up his first career Stock Car feature win. Huls settled for 2nd, Lynch recovered from his spin on lap 5 to come back up to finish in 3rd, Larsen was 4th, with Beau Taylor coming home in 5th.

Jim Moon and Jamie Wilson led the field to green in the 25 lap UMP Late Model feature. But just as the green flag was waved the caution light would come on, as Trace Westling stopped in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Keith Pratt spun in turn 4 and collected Alan Westling to bring the caution light back on. Debris in turn 4 on the following restart would bring the yellow back out. A fourth attempt of a start saw Wilson grab the lead on lap 1 over Moon and Denny Woodworth. Wilson, who was setting a fast pace out front, started to enter lapped traffic on lap 7. By the time Justin Reed, who started 6th, slipped into second on lap 10, Wilson had built up a half a track lead. Reed, who was trying to chase down Wilson for the lead, spun off the track in turn 4 on lap 15 to bring out the caution and end his run up front. This would also erase the 8 second lead that Wilson had built up. On the restart Wilson moved back out front, with Moon and Woodworth following. Wilson would pull away over the final 10 laps to claim his first win of the season and his first since winning a race 14 years ago at the track. Moon held on for 2nd, Mark Burgtorf started 7th and finished 3rd, Woodworth was 4th, with Matt Santel coming from 10th to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 25 lap UMP Modified feature, with Steven DeLonjay and Rusty Griffaw on the front row. Just after the green flag was waved the caution light came on, as the start was called back. At the same time Michael Long, who had won the first four features at the track, stopped in turn 1 with motor troubles to end his run. On the restart Griffaw jumped out front on lap 1 over David Wietholder and DeLonjay. The action up front was slowed on lap 2, when Frankie Wellman spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Griffaw once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Wietholder and DeLonjay close behind. While Griffaw started to pull away, Wietholder, Kelly Koviski and DeLonjay had a three car battle going for second. That was until lap 17, when DeLonjay slowed down the backstretch with rear end troubles to end his night and bringing out the caution. On the restart Griffaw moved back out front, with Koviski and Jared Schlipman over taking Wietholder for second and third.. Two laps later, lap 19, Spencer Havermale spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Griffaw grabbed the lead on the restart, with Koviski and Wietholder close behind. Another lap was scored complete, when Shawn Deering, who was running 5th, slowed down the front stretch with a right front flat to bring out the caution. Once again Griffaw jumped out front on the restart, with Wietholder and Schlipman close behind. Coming to complete lap 23 Wietholder was able to get up beside Griffaw for the top spot. But Griffaw was able to hold off Wietholder over the final 2 laps to pick up his first win of the season at the track. Wietholder settled for 2nd, Koviski was 3rd, Shane Lewis started 12th and finished 4th, with Russ Coultas coming from 10th to finish in 5th.

The final feature to take to the track was the 15 lap IMCA Sport Compacts, with Anthony Grossman and Cliff Spencer making up the front row. Grossman would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Brandon Lambert and Barry Taft. Lambert jumped to the top of the track coming off turn 4 to complete lap 4 to grab the top spot away from Grossman. Just after the completion of lap 4 the first caution of the race appeared, as Jerry Bown spun in 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Lambert moved back out front over Taft and Grossman. Taft's run up front came to an end on lap 5, when he rolled in turn 4 and collected Grossman and Bill Carter to bring out the red. Taft would climb from his car okay. Lambert grabbed the lead on the restart and then held on over the final 10 laps to claim his first win of the season at the track. Kimberly Abbott started 6th and finished 2nd, Jeffery DeLonjay was 3rd, Bown recovered from his spin on lap 4 to come back up to finish 4th, with Spencer Coats coming from 11th to round out the top 5.

Notes from Quincy: Mike Goodwin recovered from his involvement in the lap 10 caution of the SportMod feature to come back up to finish 6th. Darin Munzlinger also recovered from his spin on lap 10 to come back up to finish in 7th....Wesley Mayfield, who elected the rear challenge, recovered from his spin on lap 20 to come back up to finish in 8th....Adam Birck recovered from his spin on lap 25 to come back up to finish in 9th....Justin Bartz started 18th and finished 11th....Austen Howes recovered from his flat on lap 20 to come back up to finish 12th....Gene Kay passed 8 cars from his 21st place starting spot to come home in 13th....Jon Lear started 17th and finished 14th....Dakota Anderson, who started 22nd, finished 16th....Joey Gower, who started 9th and was up to 5th, pulled off under the lap 10 caution with front end troubles to end his night in 19th......Trevor Hagerbaumer recovered from the lap 12 caution in the Stock Car feature to come back up to finish 7th....Jerry Jansen recovered from his caution on lap 2 to come back up to finish 8th....John Oliver Jr. broke a power steering pump in hot laps and made one lap in the feature to be credited with 11th....Jake Powers had troubles in his heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature......Keith Pratt recovered from his spin on the start of the Late Model feature to come back up to finish 6th....Mike Hammerle started 13th and finished 7th....Charles VanZandt made his debut in the Late Model class after moving up from the SportMods. He started the feature in 19th and finished 15th....Chuck Mitchell and Ron Elbe had troubles after there heat races that forced them to scratch from the feature......Cory Brown started the UMP Modified feature in 11th and finished 6th....Spencer Havermale recovered from his spin on lap 19 to come back up to finish in 7th....Charles Baker started 13th and finished 8th....Jared Schlipman, who was running 4th, pulled off on lap 23 with a broken left front to end his night in 9th......Nick DeJaynes started the Sport Compact feature in 9th and finished 6th....Casey Lambert had troubles in his heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature.

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