If a race track goes one groove and becomes a "bottom feeder," there is one driver that excels on that kind of racing surface more than any one else. Dennis Erb Jr, the ultimate "catfish", would be extremely pleased the way the racing surface would turn out on Wednesday at the Davenport Speedway and the Illinois veteran, who has made a career out of never leaving the low groove at any dirt track, would dominate the FLPRACING Night in America visit on Wednesday night, May 17th to the Davenport Speedway in Davenport Iowa, taking home $23,023 for his fifty lap main event win. The companion IMCA Modified main event would go to Tim Ward and would earn him a grand for his efforts.
The stars of the FLORACING Series, after a successful run on Tuesday night in Marshalltown, would move East to the state line for another fifty lap event at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds quarter mile in Davenport. The top fifteen in series points to date would head the field along with many other dirt track stars and a fine field of forty drivers would take time trials on Wednesday. Among that group were a total of eleven drivers that had not participated in the Marshalltown event on Tuesday including such stars as Kyle Bronson, Mason Zegler, Ross Robinson and Brent Larson. It would be a very good field of drivers set to perform in another of the quick shows that FLORACING specializes in and tracks like Marshalltown and Davenport are eager to provide.
It was a comfortable if hazy May night for racing with the wildfires burning in Canada providing an unusual looking sky and horizon at sunset. A note on one of the new arrivals on Wednesday night. Mason Zeigler was debuting a new Rocket chassis which for its first night provided a positive experience for the Pennsylvania driver as he led some laps of the feature before fading. However, his graphics package would lead much to desire. He did have on some specially designed graphics that while they don't show during the day, are supposed to pick up the night light and the light from cameras flashing to provide and unusual look. However, they were a total flop as not once during the night were they even visible and for most people that hadn't gotten the opportunity to see the car up close in the pits before the races, they probably believed that there were no sponsors or numbers on the car. This is one idea that needs to be revisited as his sponsors must have been just thrilled to see his car on tv while leading the race yet none of the hard earned money was being made available for viewing because of his donkey graphics.
Another interesting thing I noted tonight as the program started. This is one of the very few race tracks in the entire country that has a flag stand on both the inside and outside of the track and both are used during the season. The last time I was here for a Late Model show earlier this Spring, the starter utilized the outside flag stand but tonight the starter was on the inside of the track. I'm wondering if this was a promoter decision, a series decision or the choice of the starter or perhaps none of the above. In any event, it is a unique thing.
Well, we might as well admit it up front. The racing on Wednesday was disappointing. For one of the few times that I have been at Davenport, Ricky Kay and "Dr. Al", just missed on their set up for the track. Race drivers miss the setup from time to time and so do the track prep guys. Granted, the guys here at Davenport seldom do so and that is why Davenport is such a favorite place for both drivers and fans but on this night, a rare one indeed, the track dried out early and went one groove and despite their best efforts to resuscitate it, after a few laps it went back to a low side dominate track and the feature cars pretty much lined up and putted around the bottom. Everyone is entitled to an off night, and Wednesday would be that night here at Davenport. It should also be noted that I miss the setup on these reports more often than not too.
To be fair, the track was blinding fast as qualifying started, with Mike Marlar setting a new track record at 13.321 seconds as the fourth driver out to qualify. But very quickly, the track dried out and the qualifying attempts fell by over a second. The track crew really went at the surface following qualifying and it would widen out some for the heats but it went back to a bottom track for the B Features and despite another lengthy session before the feature, less than twenty laps into it everyone went to the bottom and Erb licked his chops as the tack came to him as it left most everyone else.
The format would be unchanged for the Late Models with the field split for qualifying, followed by four heats and a pair of B Features with two provisional starters added to set the field at twenty two for fifty laps. The racing was incredibly caution free on this night as in one hundred and two green flag laps for the Late Models, there was a total of just one yellow flag! I've noticed this to be the case at many of these Late Model events as when you get the best drivers together, they race hard but often without incident and such was the case on Wednesday.
The Late Models ran their events first tonight, a curtesy to the fans that traveled to be here as well as the tv audience. Zeigler would start on the outside pole and take the early lead as the rejuvenated surface would hold moisture for a few laps. Marlar was right there to challenge him along with Bobby Pierce while Erb had already planted his flag in the ditch and was starting to polish up that lane.
Ziegler was losing just a bit of speed and Marlar was all over him for the lead. However, just as Marlar moved to the top side down the front stretch, Zeigler decided he wanted that same piece of real estate, running Marlar up and over the banking. Mike tried to fight his way back on the track and would have done so and only lost about four positions but the starter got over anxious and threw the yellow and with apparently no "blend rule", Marlar had to go to the back. What a disaster the last two days have been for the Tennessee driver. Coming into this week with the points lead, first he it the dirt bank last night at Marshalltown and dropped to sixth in points and not tonight's bad luck has cost him any chance at being the points champion.
Between last sixteen and the halfway point, the race heated up as Erb pressured on the bottom while Zeigler tried to fight him off using the top line but there was no berm to race off of and that lane had dried out and Zeigler slid back in the field as Erb raced around the bottom. Hudson O'Neal would move into the runner up spot and he would try a multitude of grooves to try and catch Erb but nothing seemed to work and with no lapped traffic or yellows to bother Erb, he was left to roam free as he plowed the ditch line. He would drive on for an unchallenged win with O'Neal settling for second and Pierce third with everyone pretty much lining up on the inside and not much passing taking place in the last twenty laps.
Fifteen cars would be on the lead lap at the end with one more a laps down and six that would not finish including Marlar.
The Modifieds would finish up the evening with a twenty lap main event with everyone on hand starting. There would be three different leaders in the first half of the race with Brian Harris taking the lead from the start as he hugged the inside line. However, Jeff Aikey would step to the middle groove and make that work as he built up some momentum and would gradually drive by Harris to take over the lead on lap six. Two laps later the lone yellow would fly for a two car spin in turn one with Aikey challenged on the green by Harris and Mitch Morris.
However, after starting seventh, Tim Ward was on the move as the lone visitor was taking the track regulars to task. He moved into the runner up slot with some bold inside lane driving and when Aikey chose to run the middle line just a bit too long, Ward would drive under him and take over the lead. Shortly after this Aikey would slow with problems and drop out and that left Dylan Thornton, in one of the Current cars, to take over the second spot. And despite a constant smoking condition, the Thornton car would continue to run just fine.
However, there would be no stopping Ward who pulled away to a comfortable lead and again, with no lapped traffic that might cause him to have to leave the bottom, Ward was home free for a very impressive win. Thornton would get second and Eric Barnes would round out the top five.
With just the two classes racing and a smoothly run off show, all racing was done at a very early hour which likely was appreciated by everyone that had to get to work on Thursday morning. This is the kind of race management that encourages folks to come again to a midweek event, knowing that they won't have to have breakfast at the track before driving directly to work and makes the possibility of a successful midweek show possible.
Thanks to everyone from Kay Promotions for their help and also to all the folks from FLORACING who are among the most approachable of all the major racing series. It may not have been the most scintillating night of racing ever, but I will certainly be back to Davenport whenever possible.
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