The night would start off with Dave Eckrich setting the fast time in qualifying, with a lap of 14.979 around the 1/4 mile track. Andy Eckrich, Justin Kay, Charlie McKenna, and Curt Schroeder would then pick up the four heat race wins. While Nick Marolf scored the win in the semi event. After ten heat races and two semis in support competition, it was time to go feature racing.
Up first was the 15 lap Street Stock feature, with Jeff Struck Jr. and Jesse Owen drawing the front row. Struck Jr. took advantage of his draw to lead lap 1 over Owen and Joe Bonney. The action was slowed on lap 5, when Jacob Beal spun in turn 2 and collected Nick Proehl to bring out the yellow. On the restart Struck Jr. jumped back out front, with Bonney and Rob Henry close behind. While Struck Jr. stayed glued to the bottom of the track, Bonney decided to try the middle to the top of the track to get by Struck Jr. But when he would loose ground he decided to go back to the bottom to try and work under Struck Jr. The second and final caution of the race appeared on lap 11, when Austin Riggs spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Nick Hixson, who was up top, Stuck Jr., who was on the bottom, and Bonney, who was in the middle, raced three wide for the lead, with Hixson grabbing the top spot by inches. Hixson, who was the only driver to get the top to work in his advantage, would hold off Struck Jr. over the final laps to pick up his fourth win of the season at the track. Bonney was 3rd, Owen was 4th, with Henry completing the top 5.
Lane Wise and Thomas Adams led the field to green in the 12 lap Sport Compact feature, with Adams jumping out into the lead on lap 1 over Dustin Begyn and Wise. While Adams set the pace out front, Shane Kelly, who started 10th, and Jimmy Dutlinger, who started 11th, were working their way towards the front. But without a caution there was no catching Adams, as he went on to claim his first win of the season at the Davenport Speedway. Kelly was 2nd, Dutlinger was 3rd, Cody Staley came from 8th to finish in 4th, with Shawn McDermott rounding out the top 5.
Up next was the 40 lap Malvern Bank Super Late Model East Series feature, with Spencer Dierks and Bill Leighton Jr. on the front row. Dierks took advantage of his starting spot to grab the top spot on lap 1 over Charlie McKenna and Matt Ryan. Coming off turn 4 to complete lap 7, Ryan, who was on the bottom, Leighton Jr., who was in the middle, and Dierks, who was up top, raced three wide off the corner, with Ryan edging out front to lead the lap. Ryan then had to work to hold off Leighton Jr. over the next three laps, as the two raced side-by-side. Leighton Jr. would use the middle groove to edge Ryan out at the line to grab the top spot on lap 11. Seven laps later, lap 18, Leighton Jr. would start to enter lap traffic.
Jeff Aikey, who started 7th, worked himself into the runner up spot on lap 22, but by then Leighton Jr. had built up a 5.2 second lead. One of two things were obvious, either Leighton Jr. slowed his pace down or the lap traffic was holding him up. Because on lap 30 Aikey had trimmed 3 seconds off the lead, which was down to 2.2. It got even closer on lap 35, as Aikey looked under Leighton Jr. coming off turn 4, with Leighton Jr. holding the lead by .17 seconds. After that close call Leighton Jr. either got the signals from his crew or he decided to pick up his pace, as he pulled away in the caution free race to win by 2.8 seconds. Aikey settled for 2nd, Richie Gustin came from 9th to finish 3rd, Ryan was 4th, with Justin Kay finishing 5th after starting in 11th. Jason Hahne was 6th after starting 10th, Dierks was 7th, McKenna was 8th, Dave Eckrich was 9th, with Tad Pospisil completing the top 10.
Logan Veloz and Bryan Moreland drew the front row for the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature. Just as the green flag waved the yellow light would come on, as Andrew Francis spun in turn 1 to bring out the caution. On the original restart Veloz jumped out front to lead lap 1 over Moreland and Shane Paris. Moreland's run up front came to an end on lap 6, when he spun down the backstretch to bring out the yellow. On the restart Veloz moved back out front, with Paris and Jeremy Gustaf, who started 7th, glued to his back bumper. One more lap scored complete, lap 8, Francis spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow, which ended his night with two solo cautions. On the restart Brad Salisberry spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. This would bring out the yellow and checkered flags, as the time limit was up on this race. Veloz would score his first win of the season at the Davenport Speedway. Paris was 2nd, Gustaf was 3rd, Logan Anderson started 8th and finished 4th, with Ryan Walker completing the top 5.
The final feature to take to the track was the 20 lap IMCA Modifieds, with Dustin Smith and Jason Bahrs making up the front row. But it was third place starter, and the current IMCA national points leader, Tom Berry Jr. who shot to the front to lead lap 1 over Smith and Bahrs. The fast pace that Berry Jr. was setting would put him into lap traffic on lap 7. An unfortunately it was lap traffic that cost Berry Jr. the win on this night, as he got into Matt Stein on lap 15. With both spinning in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Chris Simpson, who started 7th and was running 2nd, inherited the lead on the restart, with Eric Barnes, who started 9th, and Ryan Duhme, who started 11th, following. Coming off turn 4 to complete lap 18 Bryce Garnhart, who started 10th in Travis Denning's #56D machine, was looking under Duhme. And his right front got stuck under the left rear of Duhme's car, causing both to spin to bring out the yellow. And with the 10:30 PM curfew only a minute away, and the amount of time it was taking to get the cars unhooked the yellow checkered was thrown on this race. Simpson picked up the win, Barnes was 2nd, Kollin Hibdon came from 12th to finish 2nd, Chris Zogg finished 4th after starting in 14th, with Dennis LaVeine coming home in 5th after starting in 8th.
I know some people were upset that the last two features were called before all laps were scored complete. But what people don't know is the Davenport Speedway in under a strict curfew of 10:30 PM by the city. If they race past that time, then they will receive a fine. Could there have been things done to maybe prevent them from reaching the curfew. Perhaps they could have started one hour earlier then the previous night. Or maybe run a semi in the SportMods and only start 20 cars. And driver's it's very helpful to you to make sure you have a working raceceiver every time you pull out onto the race track. It really helps to get you realigned under cautions. And another thing that will help to get you in the correct running order, is to get single file as soon as the caution flies. No matter if you feel you are ahead of the car you are side by side with, it is important to get single file. You will get moved into your correct position before going back to green. But that is just my observations on this night.
A THANK YOU goes out to Ricky and Brenda Kay, and all the crew at the Davenport Speedway for the hospitality once again. I believe K-Promotions only has two races left on the 2020 season at the Davenport Speedway, so I encourage you to get out their over the next two Friday nights to take in the action.
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