The night would get started with World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models qualifying, and with 29 cars signed in on the night the field was divided into two groups. Jimmy Owens set the overall quick time and also set a new track record in Group A, with a time of 13.979. While Brandon Sheppard clocked in at 14.039 to be quick time in Group B. Late Model group qualifying was followed up by 3 heats races in the IMCA SportMods, as 24 cars signed in for competition. Following those heat races were the four 10 lap Late Model heats, with the top 4 from each transfering into the 50 lap feature.
Heat race 1 had Jimmy Owens and Chris Simpson on the front row, with Owens jumping out front on 1. Simpson tried to keep pace with Owens throughout the 10 lap event, but Owens would pull away to win. Simpson was 2nd, Rich Bell was 3rd, with Dave Eckrich finishing in the final transfer spot. Matt Furman, Justin Kay, Allen Weisser, who pulled out early with mechanical troubles, and Mike Guldenpfenning, who was a scratch, rounded out heat 1....Chad Simpson and Chase Junghans led the field to green in heat race 2, with Chad Simpson grabbing the lead on lap 1. Chad Simpson would hold off Junghans at the line to pick up the win in heat 2. Bobby Pierce came from 6th to finish 3rd, with Garrett Alberson claiming the final transfer spot. Jason Rauen, Daniel Hilsabeck and Gary Webb rounded out heat 2.
Brandon Sheppard and Scott Bloomquist made up the front row for heat race 3, with Sheppard moving out front on lap 1. While Sheppard paced the field out front, Spencer Diercks was showing the fast way around the track was the high side. Midway thru the race Diercks was working to the outside of Bloomquist for the final transfer spot in turn 3, when Bloomquist drifted up the track and forced Diercks to spin off the top of turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Sheppard jumped back out front, with Darrell Lanigan, who started 5th and was working the top, close behind him. Sheppard would pull away in the final laps to pick up the win. Lanigan was 2nd, Ricky Weiss was 3rd, with Bloomquist holding on for the final transfer spot. Boom Briggs, Diercks, and Joel Callahan rounded out heat 3....Heat race number 4 had Cade Dillard and series rookie Ashton Winger on the front row, with Dillard grabbing the lead on lap 1. Dillard would go on to lead all 10 laps to claim the win. Winger was 2nd, Jimmy Mars was 3rd, with Dennis Erb Jr. coming from 7th to pick up the final transfer spot. Jeremiah Hurst, Brent Larson and Shane Clanton finished out heat 4.
After a brief break to do the feature redraw for the top four rows, the 10 lap Last Chance Showdown for the Late Models was up next. Matt Furman and Boom Briggs led the field to green, with Furman jumping out front on lap 1. Furman would lead all 10 laps to claim the win. Jason Rauen was 2nd, Briggs was 3rd, Justin Kay was 4th, Brent Larson was 5th, with Spencer Diercks taking the final transfer spot. But with all series regulars qualifying thru the heats and/or the last chance showdown, Jeremiah Hurst and Daniel Hilsabeck, who finished 7th and 8th, would be awarded the two provisionals. Shane Clanton, Gary Webb, Joel Callahan, Allen Weisser, and Mike Guldenpfenning completed the finish of the last chance showdown.
Jarett Franzen and Kevin Goben drew the front row for the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature. Just as the green flag waved the caution light would come on, as Kevin Rasdon spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the original restart Franzen jumped out front, with Matt Fulton and Goben following. While Franzen, who was working the bottom, set the pace out front, Fulton, who was also on the bottom, and Ryan Walker, another driver working the bottom, battled Ben Chapman, who started 6th and was working the top of the track, and Shane Paris, who started 8th and was also working the top. On lap 9 Walker clipped an infield tire and broke a left front tie rod, and despite the left front facing the infield he would continue to muscle the car to battle with Paris for the fourth spot. Just when it looked the rest of the event would go caution free, Terry Stevens spun in turn 3 on lap 11 to bring out the yellow. On the restart the field tried to race four wide off turn 4, which didn't work out. As Chance Huston got into the left rear of Paris, who ended up spinning down the front stretch and collected Paul Howard, Jared Waterman and Kyle Eller to bring the yellow light back on. Franzen jumped back out front on the restart, with Fulton and Chapman close behind. With the top 5 cars now all working the bottom of the track, Franzen would hit his marks over the final laps to score his second win in a row at the track. Fulton was 2nd, Chapman was 3rd, Walker muscled his left front broken car to a 4th place finish, with Dustin Schram coming from 13th to round out the top 5.
The 50 lap World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model feature was the final race to take to the track on the night, with Cade Dillard and Chad Simpson drawing the front row for the event. Chad Simpson took advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dillard and Chris Simpson. With Chad Simpson working the top of the track, Dillard would work the bottom to try and get the top spot away. Coming off turn 4 to complete lap 6, Dillard finally got the drive off the bottom to grab the lead away from Chad Simpson. Eight laps later, lap 14, Dillard starting entering the back of the field, which allowed Brandon Sheppard and Jimmy Owens to close to his back bumper.
Going into turn 3 to come around to complete lap 19, Dillard would go out of his realm and shifted to the top of the track to work thru some lapped traffic. This would open the bottom up for Sheppard, who come off turn 4 with the lead. After taking the lead Sheppard shifted back to the top of the track, while Dillard went back to the bottom. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 24, as Scott Bloomquist slowed with a left rear flat to bring out the yellow. On the restart Rich Bell, who was running 11th, spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on.
The following restart saw Sheppard move back out front, with Dillard and Owens glued to his back bumper. Three laps later, lap 28, the final caution of the race appeared, as debris in turn 2 brought out the yellow. Once again Sheppard jumped back out front on the restart, with Dillard and Owens still close behind. Sheppard, who was pounding what little cushion was left on the top of the track, and Dillard, who worked the bottom, raced side-by-side around the 1/4 mile track on laps thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three and thirty-four. With Sheppard edging out Dillard by inches at the line each lap to keep the lead.
Then on lap 35 Sheppard went to the bottom of the track to slow down Dillard's momentum. But Dillard would go to the top to counter Sheppard's move. The two would swap grooves on lap 36, with Dillard edging out Sheppard at the line to take over the top spot. But Sheppard would use the momentum off the top of the track coming out of turn 4 to take the lead back from Dillard on lap 38. Dillard would come back on the bottom to take the top spot back on lap 39.
From there Dillard started to build up the biggest lead of the race, that was until lap 45 when he got held up by lapped traffic. Coming off turn 2 to come around to complete lap 46 Sheppard used the top to get by Dillard, who was held up by Daniel Hilsabeck, for the lead. Going into turn 3 on the final lap Sheppard went to the bottom of the track to slow Dillard's momentum, which paid off with another win. Dillard held off Owens, who was coming off the top, to finish 2nd, Jimmy Mars came from 12th to finish 4th, with Chris Simpson holding on for 5th.
Jeremiah Hurst passed 17 cars from his 23rd place starting spot to come home in 6th, Bobby Pierce finished 7th after starting in 11th, Darrell Lanigan was 8th, Dennis Erb Jr. came from 16th to finish 9th, with Chase Junghans completing the top 10.
A big shout out to Ricky and Brenda Kay, along with the World of Outlaws crew, as the final checkered flag waved at 9:30 PM on a Tuesday night. I would also like to thank them for the great hospitality. I just hope I can get back to the Davenport Speedway one more time before the end of the 2020 season.
Friday, July 31st I will be off to the Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa, as the Darkside Promotions team of Ryan Duhme and Timmy Current present the 27th Annual Gary Reinhart Memorial. The highlight of the night will be the Modifieds racing for $1,500 to win. Also in action is the Street Stocks, SportMods, Mod Lites / Micros, 4 Stocks and A.I.R.S. Maybe I will see you there!!
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