Quincy, IL (Sunday, May 21, 2017) - With many, if not all, of the Midwest area tracks falling to rain on Friday and Saturday, the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, Illinois was able to get their Sunday night program completed. Despite close to 5 inches of rain falling on the grounds over the days prior, the crew worked all day Sunday to get the grounds ready for racing later that evening. There work would pay off with a very fast and demanding racing surface, which saw three drivers score back-to-back wins, two others picking up repeats wins, and one scoring his first of the season at the track.
The first feature to take to the track on the night was the 15 lap IMCA Sport Compacts, with brothers Casey and Brandon Lambert leading the field to green. Brandon Lambert would take advantage of his starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Barry Taft, who started 4th, and Daniel Fellows, who started 5th. Taft worked under Brandon Lambert coming off turn 2 to grab the top spot away on lap 2. But Brandon Lambert would return the pass by slipping under Taft in turn 2 to get the lead back on lap 3. While Brandon Lambert and Taft worked the bottom of the track, Fellows worked the middle groove to make it a three car battle for the top spot. Coming off turn 2 on lap 4, Fellows used the middle groove to get past Taft for second. Then going into turn 3 to complete lap 5, Fellows was able to get up beside Brandon Lambert. Fellows then used the momentum coming off turn 4 to grab the lead away from Brandon Lambert. That would leave Brandon Lambert and Taft to battle for the runner up spot.
Just as Fellows started to pull away from the battle behind him, the first and only caution of the race appeared on lap 8. Debris down the front stretch would bring out the yellow. On the restart Fellows moved back out front, with Taft over taking Brandon Lambert for second. Taft then tried to stay within striking distance of Fellows. But Fellows would pull away to pick up his second win of the season at the track. Taft was 2nd, Brandon Lambert was 3rd, Craig Bangert started 7th and finished 4th, with Kimberly Abbott rounding out the top 5.
Up next was the 20 lap UMP Modified feature, with Brian Wolfmeier and David Wietholder making up the front row. But it was third place starter Michael Long who quickly moved into the lead on lap 1 over Wolfmeier and Wietholder. After the completion of lap 1 disaster would strike Wietholder, as he went into turn 1 to hard and got sideways and killed the motor. As a result Frankie Wellman, who was running 5th, had no where to go and collided with Wietholder to bring out the first caution of the race. On the restart Long jumped back out front, with Allen Weiser, who started 5th, over taking Wolfmeier for the runner up spot. Disaster would strike Wolfmeier after the completion of lap 2, as he spun in turn 1 and collected Chris Spalding, who was running 4th, Spencer Havermale, who was running 5th, and Levi Meally to bring out the second caution.
Long once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Weiser and Wietholder, who charged back through the field after his spin on lap 1, close behind. Two laps later, lap 4, the final caution of the race appeared, as Meally spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Long moved back out front, with Weiser, Wellman, who also recovered from the lap 1 spin, and Wietholder battling for second. With the battle going on for the runner up spot, Long would pull away from the field over the final 16 laps to cruise to his second win in a row at the track. Weiser held on for 2nd, Wietholder was 3rd, Wellman was 4th, with Wolfmeier recovering from his spin on lap 2 to come back up to finish 5th.
McKay Wenger and Dustin Griffin led the field to green in the 25 lap UMP Late Model feature, with Griffin grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Wenger and Gordy Gundaker. Just after the completion of lap 1 the first caution slowed the action, as Denny Woodworth and Jason Frankel collided in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Griffin jumped back out front, with Gundaker slipping under Wenger for second. The trio then started to pull away from the field, when the second caution slowed the action on lap 5. This time debris down the front stretch brought out the yellow. Griffin once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Gundaker and Wenger close behind. Once again the lead trio started to pull away from the rest of the field, when the third caution appeared on lap 9. Alan Westling slowed in turn 1 with a left rear flat to bring out the yellow.
On the restart Griffin moved back out front, with Gundaker and Wenger still close behind. Griffin looked to have the car to beat on this night, until lap 12 that is. He would pull off on the backstretch with a broken gear to end his night. Gundaker would inherit the lead, with Wenger still looking for a way around for the lead. The final caution of the race slowed the action on lap 14, as Rusty Griffaw, who was running 3rd, slowed with a right front broken wheel to bring out the yellow. Gundaker jumped out front on the restart, with Jason Perry over taking Wenger for second. A couple of laps later Wenger used the top of the track to take second back from Perry, and then went to work on Gundaker for the lead. Coming off turn 2 on lap 20 Wenger was able to get under Gundaker. But the two made contact and had to regroup, which slowed their momentum and allowed Perry to join the battle up front. Gundaker was able to hold off all challenges over the final laps to score his second win in a row at Quincy Raceways. Wenger held on for 2nd, Perry was 3rd, Derek Fetter started 9th and finished 4th, with Griffaw recovering from his broken wheel on lap 14 to come back up to round out the top 5.
Up next was the 18 lap SportMod feature, with Austen Becerra and Vance Wilson drawing the front row for the event. Becerra took advantage of his draw to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Justin Ebbing and Brandon Dale. The lead for Becerra only lasted 1 lap, as Ebbing slipped under him coming off turn 4 to complete lap 2 to take over the top spot. Then 2 laps later, lap 4, the action was slowed for the first time, as Nathan Anders slowed to a stop in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Mike Goodwin, who was running 5th, spun in turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Brandon Lennox, who started 8th, go three wide to grab the lead over Becerra and Joey Gower.
Becerra stayed glued to Lennox's back bumper over the next 7 laps, before disaster struck him on lap 12. Going into turn 3 Becerra tried to work under Lennox, but hit a hole and got up on two wheels and almost rolled. He would came back down on all four tires to come to a stop in turn 4 and brought out the yellow. Lennox jumped back out front on the restart, with Tanner Klingele, who started 6th, and Ebbing close behind. A couple more laps, lap 14, scored complete brought out the final caution of the race, as Dalton McKenney slowed to a stop in turn 2 with a right rear flat tire to bring out the yellow. Once again Lennox grabbed the lead on the restart, with Klingele and Ebbing following. Klingele tried to keep pace with Lennox over the final laps, but Lennox would pull away to pick up his first win of the season at the track. Klingele was 2nd, Ebbing was 3rd, Wilson was 4th, with Gower finishing in 5th.
Allen Weiser and Tommy Elston made up the front row for the 18 lap UMP Pro Late Model feature, with Elston taking advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Weiser and Brandon Savage. While Elston set a fast pace out front, Denny Woodworth, who suffered a flat tire in the heat race and had to start 7th in the feature, was working his way towards the front. On lap 8 Woodworth worked past Weiser to move into second, but was a full straight-away behind Elston for the lead. When Elston had to come off the bottom of the track on lap 12 to lap some cars, Woodworth was able to quickly close to his back bumper by lap 14. Despite a few challenges over the final laps from Woodworth, Elston was able to hold on to claim his second win of the season at the track. Woodworth was 2nd, Weiser was 3rd, Savage was 4th, with Charles VanZandt coming home in 5th.
The final feature to take to the track was the 18 lap IMCA Stock Cars, with Jerry Jansen and Abe Huls on the front row. But it was third place starter Dean Kratzer who jumped out into the lead on lap 1 over Huls and Jansen. While Kratzer set the pace out front, Brian Hoener worked past Huls into second on lap 7 and then set his sights on Kratzer for the top spot. Coming off turn 4 to complete lap 11, Hoener was able to work under Kratzer to grab the lead away. Kratzer tried to battle back over the final laps. But Hoener was able to hold him off to score his second win in a row at Quincy Raceways. Kratzer was 2nd, Huls was 3rd, Beau Taylor was 4th, with Jansen rounding out the top 5.
Notes from Quincy: Russ Coultas started the Modified feature in 10th and finished 6th....Shawn Deering had troubles in time trials and missed his heat. So he started 14th in the feature and drove up to finish 7th....Spencer Havermale recovered from his involvement in the lap 2 crash to come back up to finish in 9th....Kevin Blackburn, who was suppose to start the feature in 11th, slowed to a stop in turn 3 on the parade lap. He was pushed back to the trailer, as the field went green. Then after the completion of lap 1, and under the caution period, Blackurn returned to the track with power. But he was sent back to the pits, as he went to his trailer to work on the car instead of the hot pits....Todd Bates had motor troubles during time trials that forced him to scratch for the night......Bill Kettering Jr. started the Late Model feature in 10th and finished 6th......Jace Gay finished 6th in the SportMod feature after starting in 10th....Mike Goodwin recovered from his spin on the lap 4 restart to come back up to finish in 7th....Dalton McKenney came back up to finish 8th after pitting on lap 14 with a flat tire....Austen Howes and Bobby Anders had troubles in there heats that forced them to scratch from the feature.
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