Quincy, IL (Sunday, July 8, 2018) - I wasn't really sure on where to, or even how to, begin this write up. So I decided to just start from the time arrived. After driving home Sunday after staying over night Saturday in New Hampton, Iowa, from making my first ever trip up to Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minnesota. I decided to make the two hour drive down to Quincy Raceways in Quincy, Illinois, as they played host to "The Hell Tour" featuring the UMP Late Models and UMP Modifieds, along with the IMCA SportMods joining the program.
I arrived about an hour earlier than the advertised 6:15 PM hot lap time, so that I could walk thru the pits to see who was there and to stop and chat with some people I haven't seen all season. I was met by the pit entrance by fellow Positively Racing columnist Danny Rosencrans. We talked about a wide variety things, all racing related, for about 30 minutes, before Danny headed to the grandstand to find him a seat. While I headed to the pits to see what kind of a turned there was. After completing my pit walk, I was kind of disappointed in the 21 Late Models, well actually 22 with a very late arrival, 19 Modifieds and 16 SportMods.
With a quick check of the time on my cell phone, I then grabbed something to drink and headed towards the infield of the track to get my camera ready for hot laps. As I approach the top edge of the track, I could see about a half of a dozen packing vehicles out packing in the track. A quick look around the track, I knew right away that hot laps would not begin at the scheduled 6:15 time. Only about a groove and a half of the topside of the track was packed in, while the remaining three quarters of the track still needed some work. About 45 minutes went by, and several calls on the PA system in the pits to try and get cars to come out to help put the final touches on the track so the night could get started. But only about 6 of the 56 cars in the pits would come out to show support of the tracks effort to get things ready.
Some might blame the track for over watering the track. But with the sun, humidity and a breeze blowing, I believe the track wanted to provide the driver's and the big crowd on hand a fast and dust free racing experience. Some of the blame could be put on the UMP DIRTcar series officials, by not going around and forcing their driver's to get out there and help. If all the cars in the pits came out and made a couple of trips around the track, things could have gotten started faster.
Finally at about 7:20 PM hot laps were called for the SportMods, even though the bottom quarter of the track still needed some packing. About a dozen of the 16 SportMods signed in came to the track to hot lap, and the driver's were given some extra laps to try and blow off the track. Next up was scheduled to be Late Model hot laps. But not 1 car was sitting in staging to come onto the track. About ten minutes went by, and again several calls on the PA system in the pits to get them to come to the track. One last threat to fore go there hot laps, they finally decided to come to the track. Late Model hot laps was followed up by Modified hot laps / qualifying. Which was then followed by Late Model qualifying.
Opening ceremonies were completed, and now it was time to go racing to help determine the starting line-ups for the feature events. Three Modified heats, three Late Model heats and two SportMod heats were completed in a timely manner. Then about a twenty minute intermission took place.
It was around 9:20 PM and the 25 lap UMP Modified feature took to the track, with Dave Wietholder and Mike McKinney leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Wietholder used his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over McKinney and Mike Harrison, who started 4th. The action was slowed for the first time of the race on lap 4, when Charles Baker, Russ Coultas and Rusty Griffaw collided in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Wietholder jumped back out front, with McKinney and Harrison glued to his back bumper. One lap later, lap 6, the second caution of the event appeared, as Gary Bentley spun in turn 4 and collected Joey Gower to bring out the yellow. Wietholder once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with McKinney and Harrison battling it out for the runner up spot. Harrison slipped past McKinney for second on lap 20, when McKinney got to high off turn 2. Two laps later, lap 22, Harrison went from the bottom of the track in turn 3 and slid up in front of Wietholder off turn 4 to take over the top spot.
Disaster would strike the second place runner of Wietholder, third place runner of McKinney, and fourth place runner of Michael Long on lap 23. Coming off turn 4 McKinney got into Wietholder's driver's door, which resulted in Wietholder getting turned towards the infield. Wietholder's front would clip Long's right rear, which turned Long head onto the wall under the flagstand to bring out the yellow. Long would climb from his car okay. Despite damage to Wietholder's front end and McKinney's right front, to the surprise of me, both driver's were given their spots back for the restart. On that restart Harrison moved back out front, with Rick Stevenson, who started 9th, taking advantage of Wietholder's and McKinney's damaged cars to take over the runner up spot. But there was no catching Harrison, who held on for his fifth win of the season on the Summit Modified Nationals Tour. Stevenson was 2nd, McKinney held on for 3rd, Phil Dixon came from 7th to finish in 4th, with Kevin Blackburn finishing 5th after starting in 10th.
Rusty Schlenk and Frank Heckenast Jr. drew the front row for the 40 lap UMP Late Model feature, with Heckenast Jr. taking advantage of his starting spot to move out front on lap 1 over Schlenk and Shannon Babb. With the track still tacky, the front runners would catch the back of the field on lap 3. The fast pace was slowed for the first time of the race on lap 12, when Mark Burgtorf, who was running 8th, slowed with troubles down the backstretch to bring out the yellow. On the restart Heckenast Jr. jumped back out front, with Babb and Brian Shirley now glued to his back bumper. Shirley would slip past Babb for second on lap 15 and then went to work on Heckenast Jr. for the top spot.
The action up front was slowed for the second time of the event on lap 18, as Gordy Gundaker slowed to a stop on the bottom of turn 4 with engine troubles to bring out the yellow. Once again Heckenast jr. jumped back out front on the restart, with Shirley and Babb close behind. Shirley, who found something on the bottom, was able to slip past Heckenast Jr. on lap 21 to grab the lead. One lap later, lap 22, David Jaeger slowed in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Shirley jumped back out front on the restart, with Heckenast Jr. working to hold back Babb for second. Just when Shirley started to pull away from the battle for second behind him, another caution appeared to slow the action. This time debris in turn 1 on lap 30 would bring out the yellow. Shirley once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Heckenast Jr. and Babb continuing their battle for second. On lap 35 Babb used the momentum off the top of the track to finally clear Heckenast Jr for the runner up spot. But two laps later, lap 37, it appeared as something in the right front of Bab's car broke. Which handed second back to Heckenast Jr. But without another caution there would be no way of catching Shirley.
That caution would appear on lap 39, as Derek Fetter, who arrived to the track at intermission and started the feature in 22nd and was running 9th, slowed to a stop in turn 1 with troubles to bring out the yellow. Under caution second place runner Heckenast Jr. pulled into the infield with troubles. The one lap dash to the win saw Shirley grab the win and then held on to claim his third "Hell Tour" win of the season. Steven Roberts started 6th and finished 2nd, Schlenk was 3rd, Jason Feger was 4th, with Brian Diveley coming from 12th to finish 5th.
Even though it was approaching the 11 o'clock hour, and knowing I had a two hour drive home and also knowing I had to get up at about 5:15 AM to go to work. I decided to stick around to take in the 30 lap IMCA SportMod, which paid $2,000 to win thanks to many sponsors. Just like the Late Model feature, the SportMod feature was caution plagued. Daniel Fellows and surprise visitor Brayton Carter, out of Oskaloosa, Iowa, led the field to green, with Fellows edging out Carter and Nathan Bringer to lead lap 1. The first caution of the race appeared on lap 6, when Justin Bartz stopped off the top side of turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Fellows moved back out front, with Bringer edging out Carter at the line by inches to take second. One lap later, lap 8, another caution came out, as Adam Birck and Brandon Lennox got together in turn 1 battling for fourth and collected Austin Howes to bring out the yellow.
Fellows would move back out front on the restart, with Carter getting back by Bringer for second. Another caution came out on lap 11, as Darin Peters spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Once again Fellows grabbed the lead on the restart, with Carter and Bringer continuing the battle for the runner up spot. The action was slowed for the fourth time on lap 15, when Brandyn Ryan spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Fellows grabbed the lead on the restart, with Austen Becerra, who started 7th, over taking Carter and Bringer to move into second. One lap later, lap 17, Peters spun in turn 1 to bring out his second caution. But apparently there is no two spin rule, as he was left on the track for the restart.
On the restart Fellows moved back out front, with Becerra and Bringer following him closely. Just as Fellows started to pit some distance on the battle behind him, another caution slowed him down on lap 25. This time Ryan spun in turn 3 to bring out his second caution. But just like Peters, he was left on the track for the restart. On that restart Becerra entered low in turn 1 and slid up in front of Fellows coming off turn 2. But Fellows would turn back under Becerra coming off the corner to keep the lead. Just after the lap was scored complete, another caution came out to slow the action. Tanner Klingele, who was battling in the top 5, spun in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. Fellows moved back out front on the restart, with Becerra and Bringer looking for a way around Fellows for the top spot. It then looked like Fellows was headed for the biggest win of his career in the SportMod division, when a caution on the white flag set up a one lap dash to the finish. Peters, who had spun twice earlier in the feature and should have been sent pit side, spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the final restart Fellows was able to jump back out front and held on to claim his biggest win. I was in such a hurry to get to the car, that I forgot to write down the finish. But I think Bringer held on for 2nd, Becerra was 3rd, Lennox came back up to finish 4th, with Carter rounding out the top 5.
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