Quincy, IL (Thursday, July 28, 2016) - After watching the radar all day, and despite the radar showing a cell moving towards Quincy, I jumped into the car to head to the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, Illinois for the "2nd Annual Workforce 40" featuring the Craftsman World of Outlaws Late Models and the Neal Tire and Auto Service MOWA Sprint Car Series presented by Casey's General Stores.
Thirty miles south into my trip I was beginning to second guess my decision, as the pavement was wet from the front that just moved through the area. But the sun never disappeared from the skies, as I continued down to Quincy. Once I started to drop down the hill and seen the big haulers lined halfway up the hill on the median to get into the pits, I knew I had made the right call.
The night started off with Paul Nienhiser setting fast time in the MOWA Sprint cars, with a time around the 1/4 mile bullring of 12.118. That was followed up with Brian Shirley setting fast time in the WoO Late Models, with a lap of 13.562.
Up next was the three 10 lap heat races for the MOWA Sprint Cars, with all cars going to the feature later in the night. Heat race one saw outside front row starter Brady Bacon jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Paul Nienhiser and AJ Bruns. Bacon would go on to lead all 10 laps to pick up the win. He was followed across the line by Nienhiser, Bruns, Chris Urish, Chris Windom, Logan Faucon, Steven Russell, and Levi Curry.... Heat race two was similar to heat one, as Zach Daum used his outside front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Joey Moughan and Joe B. Miller. Daum would hold off Moughan to claim the win. While Moughan had to work to hold off Miller, who was working the bottom, for second. Jacob Wilson, Robbie Standridge, Jeremy Standridge, Bobby Mincer, and Cory Bruns followed them across the line in 4th - 8th.... Parker Price-Miller used his pole position to grab the lead on lap 1 of heat three, with Jake Blackhurst and Jerrod Hull close behind. While Price-Miller worked the top of the track, Blackhurst would work the bottom to take the top spot away from Price-Miller on lap 3. Blackhurst then held on to pick up the win over Price-Miller and Hull. They were followed across the line by Kris Spitz, Spencer Bayston, Kameron Key, Mitchell Wormall, and John Schulz.
Following the MOWA Sprint heats were the three 10 lap WoO Late Model heats races, with the top 6 going to the feature and the remainder going to the last chance showdown. Heat race one saw outside front row starter Josh Richards grab the lead on lap 1 over Brian Shirley and Joey Coulter. Richards held off several challenges from Shirley to score the win. They were followed by Coulter, Jason Perry, Tyler Erb, and Brandon Overton in the final transfer spot.... Bobby Pierce took advantage of his pole position start in heat race two to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Shane Clanton and Frank Heckenast Jr. Despite Clanton trying to work under Pierce over the 10 lap race, Pierce would hold him off to pick up the win. Heckenast Jr., Eric Wells, Chase Junghans, and Denny Woodworth, who was involved in a three car battle for the transfer spot, rounded out the top 6 to transfer into the feature.... Rick Eckert shot out into the lead from his outside front row starting spot in heat race three, with Chub Frank and Steve Casebolt close behind. Both Frank and Casebolt would work the bottom of the track to try and work past Eckert for the top spot. But Eckert would use the top of the track to hold them off for the win. Broom Briggs, Michael Kloos and Mark Burgtorf, who edged out Morgan Bagley at the line by inches, rounded out the top 6 to transfer into the feature.... The final event to set the 24 car field for the WoO Late Models was the 10 lap last chance showdown, with the top 4 going to the feature. Billy Moyer Jr. took advantage of his pole position to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Dustin Griffin, Morgan Bagley and Clint Kirkham. While Moyer Jr. pulled away, the battle to watch was for second. With Griffin and Bagley working the bottom of the track, Kirkham decided to work the middle, as they raced two wide. Moyer Jr. would go on to score the win, while Kirkham winning the battle for second, Griffin was third, with Bagley rounding out the top four. Since all of the WoO Late Models who have earned points in 2016 made it into the feature, Justin Reed, who was fifth, and Vance Wilson, who was sixth, were giving the final two spots in the feature.
The first feature to take to the track was the 25 lap MOWA Sprint Cars, with Parker Price-Miller and Joey Moughan leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Price-Miller would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Moughan and Jake Blackhurst. The action up front was slowed just after the completion of lap 1, as fourth place runner Brady Bacon spun in turn 1 and collected Logan Faucon to bring out the yellow. On the restart Price-Miller jumped back out front, with Moughan and Paul Nienhiser close behind. Price-Miller would start to pull away from the battle behind him, until lap 15 when he started to entire lapped traffic. This would allow Moughan to close to his back bumper, that was until he jumped the cushion in turn 2 on lap 16. Which allowed Nienhiser to slip by into the runner up spot. Two laps later, lap 18, disaster would strike Moughan, as he got tangled with a lapped car going into turn 3. The lapped car of Steven Russell would get upside down to bring out the red, with Moughan leaving the track on the wrecker with a broken front end. Once again Price-Miller moved back out front on the restart, with Nienhiser and Blackhurst now glued to his back bumper. Going into turn 3 to complete lap 20 Nienhiser used a slid job to grab the slight lead, as Price-Miller turned back under him coming off turn 4 to keep the lead at the line. Nienhiser would try the same move going into turn 3 on the final lap, but Price-Miller would use the momentum off the top of the track to pick up the win. Nienhiser would settle for 2nd, Blackhurst was 3rd, Joe B. Miller started 8th and finished 4th, with AJ Bruns rounding out the top 5.
Shane Clanton and Brian Shirley drew the front row for the 40 lap WoO Late Model feature, with Shirley grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Clanton and Josh Richards. The action up front was slowed on lap 2, as Michael Kloos spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Shirley jumped back out front, with Clanton and Richard close behind. Shirley, who was working the top, started to catch the back of the field on lap 9, which allowed Clanton, who was working the bottom, to get up beside Shirley. Clanton would edge out Shirley at the line to lead lap 10, as they sliced their way through heavy lapped traffic. The second caution of the race appeared on lap 18, as Eric Wells slowed to a stop in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. Clanton moved back out front on the restart, with Richards over taking Shirley for the runner up spot. A third caution of the event on lap 20 would slow the action, as Vance Wilson slowed with rear end troubles to bring out the yellow. On the restart Clanton jumped back out front, with Richards and Shirley battling for second. Disaster would strike Richards on lap 21, as he spun in turn 1 after trying to clear Shirley to bring out the yellow. Once again Clanton grabbed the lead on the restart, with Rick Eckert, who started 5th, over taking Shirley for the runner up spot. Just as it looked like Clanton would cruise to an easy win, his momentum was slowed on lap 32, as he tried to lap cars. This would allow Eckert to cut into Clanton's 1.5 second lead. But Eckert would run out of time, as Clanton, who lost last years event to Billy Moyer in lapped traffic, held on to score his sixth WoO Late Model win of the season. Eckert was 2nd, Shirley was 3rd, Bobby Pierce was 4th, with Steve Casebolt coming from 9th to round out the top 5.
Notes from Quincy: More notes and photos coming up.
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