Stevie Dirt

Steven DeLonjay maintains his hold on the No. 1 spot in this week’s Dirty Thirty, but who will succeed him a week from now? Steve-O will not be on hand Sunday night, which will likely mean he’ll forfeit the No. 1 position. So who will step up to the throne? No. 2 Tony Dunker has a streak of 18 straight races, dating to mid-2012, of finishing first or second in the sport mod features. If he makes it 19 in a row, No. 1 is likely his property.

1. Steven DeLonjay: No. 35 is the leading money winner in points races at the track for all classes. That’s quite an accomplishment, even though it’s only late May. Remember, the modifieds run for half the purse of the late models. DeLonjay has cashed $2,115 worth of checks. For the record, the overall money leaders (counting all races) are Chad Simpson ($3,000), Brandon Sheppard ($2,420) and Jason Perry ($2,150).

Dave Wietholder

2. Tony Dunker: A bounty on The Villain could liven up Sunday night’s sport mod feature.
3. Dave Wietholder: Dave is my pick to be the new modified points leader after Sunday night. (How many times do you think Mr. DeLonjay will be checking the weather Sunday on his smartphone while on vacation?)
4. Denny Woodworth: The late model lawyer’s strong run Sunday night — he finished third — was overshadowed by that Justin Reed-Mark Burgtorf battle for first and second.
5. Michael Long: Michael, DeLonjay and Wietholder have qualified for all five Fast 6 mod dashes.
6. Robbie Reed: The man with the million dollar smile has finished fourth or higher in all but one mod feature.
7. Jason Perry: Justin Reed paid Jason a nice compliment last Sunday. He said Perry showed the rest of the late model field in 2012 how to win a championship by not necessarily having to win a lot of features. “Just avoid those DNFs,” Justincredible said.
8. Mark Burgtorf: Now that we are seeing the real Mark Burgtorf again on Sundays, I’d say we can officially add him to the contenders’ list.
9. Justin Reed: Justin’s new approach to facial hair is sort of a combination of Elvis meets Fu Manchu.
10. Robby Warner: I’ve been watching Robby race for most of the 15 years I have been in Quincy, and I think this current stretch might be the strongest and steadiest he has ever looked.

Ricky Frankel

11. Shawn Deering: We’re almost two months into the season, and Shawn has avoided The Big One — although last week was close when his right rear tire got run over.
12. Jake Griffin: Five straight top-10 feature finishes.
13. Clint Kirkham: He’s been in the top 10 four times, with a fifth place on opening night the best finish to date.
14. Terry Houston: Terry, your buddy Dave has been extremely quiet this spring. Did you fire him?
15. Pat Dunker: We hear Pat is doing evening seminars for the Hair Care Club for Men.
16. Bobby Anders: Bobby, I think I inadvertently omitted you last week. Sorry about that. It was Bliven’s fault.
17. Jared Schlipman: Jared, as a junior member of the Mendon Mafia, do you get stuck with all of the dirty work?
18. Joe Bliven: That flat tire Sunday night caused America’s favorite mechanic to endure his lowest (ninth place) feature finish of the season.
19. Ricky Frankel: I’m guessing the Frankel team will have a busy weekend. Better take Charlie along for moral support.
20. Craig Bangert: Craig will be our “best bet for a comeback” later this week.

Bobby Anders

21. Russ Coultas: He builds his streak of top 10s to four.
22. Abe Huls: Abe’s had kind of an up-and-down first five weeks, but he’s still only three points out of first place.
23. Jake Powers: Snake, this is only a guess, but I’m betting one of your favorite TV shows is “Duck Dynasty.”
24. Tanner Klingele: Tanner, where has your mom been? I miss watching her cover her eyes every time you come out of turn four.
25. Austen Becerra: Austen, is it just me or are you driving a different each week?
26. Laine Van Zandt: Note the “i” in the first name.
27. Steve Carlin: It’s nice to have the Cap’n back running full-time at 8000 Broadway.
28. Beau Taylor: Watch out, Terry and Abe. This guy is going to win at least one feature this season.
29. Jerry Jansen: Jerry’s one of four stock car drivers to have run every feature lap this season.
30. Kim Abbott: Shall we officially nickname our favorite female driver “Kardashian?”

Steven DeLonjay

Two-time defending UMP Modified track champion and current points leader Steven DeLonjay will miss Sunday night at the Bullring.

DeLonjay, who will be out of town on vacation, said it is the first night of points racing he will have missed since his career began in 2006.

“This trip has been planned for a long time, and as important as racing is, there are other things that are more important,” DeLonjay said. “But … I will be hoping it rains in Quincy on Sunday night.”

DeLonjay’s absence opens the door for a new points leader. There are four drivers who could mathematically move into the points lead Sunday night. Who do you think will be the new leader (barring a rainout, of course)?

Steven DeLonjay, 340 points
Dave Wietholder, 321
Robbie Reed, 297
Michael Long, 294
Shawn Deering, 276

UMP Modified feature points are awarded on a 75-70-65-60-55-50-48-46-44-42-40-39-38-etc. scale. You can play with the possibilities of which one of the drivers in red could pass DeLonjay Sunday night.

Justin Reed

Welcome back, Justin Reed.

To victory lane, that is.

Reed, who won the 2011 Quincy Raceways late model track title, has admittedly struggled with any sort of consistency since the start of last season. That’s when the track affiliated with UMP for its late model series. That meant a lot more horsepower and a lot more big-time competition at 8000 Broadway.

“This UMP stuff is no joke,” Reed says. “You better pack your lunch if you’re coming to race (in this division).”

Reed exorcised quite a bit of his year-plus frustration Sunday night when he rallied in spectacular fashion to get past 14-time track champ Mark Burgtorf and win his first feature of the season — and his first since July 8, 2012, a span of 13 main events.

While most of the field opted to go after the low line on the dry/slick track, Reed took his pursuit of Burgtorf upstairs and attacked from close to the cushion.

REED THINKS “EVERYONE PROBABLY THOUGHT I WAS NUTS”

“Everyone probably thought I was nuts at first, since everyone else was going low,” Reed said. “But I thought there was something up there.”

Reed feels too many drivers may psyche themselves out about the top groove, feeling the only way around the .29-mile oval is down low.

“Guys worry too much about that,” he said. “I think it can become their Achilles heel.”

Steven DeLonjay

Reed moved closer and closer to Burgtorf most of the first half of the 30-lap event, finally reeling him in on lap 20. Reed then opened up his lead over the closing 10 circuits to win by a comfortable 3.47 seconds, the widest late model margin of victory so far this season.

Reed also thrust himself back into title contention and now sits in second place in points, 13 behind (229-216) leader and 2010 track champ Denny Woodworth, who was a strong third in the feature. Defending track champion Jason Perry finished fourth and is third in points (210).

Robby Warner continued his strong early season run with a fifth place. Warner has not finished lower than sixth in the past three weeks.

DELONJAY, DUNKER KEEP ON ROLLING

Other feature winners were Steven DeLonjay in modifieds, Tony Dunker in sport mods, Terry Houston in stock cars and Lane Van Zant in sport compacts.

DeLonjay has won four of the five modified features as he goes after a third straight track title.

“When the car is great, you have a lot of confidence,” he said.

DeLonjay’s dad, Hank DeLonjay, a 13-time track champ himself, agrees the new car the team bought — a Pierce, for those who are interested in that kind of thing — has been magnificent, but says much of his son’s confidence (and success) stems from maturity.

DeLonjay, who despite being 21 just years old, is already a veteran of seven-plus seasons of full-time racing at the Bullring. With that comes a natural kind of maturity, Couple that with a fast car and the results can be what the No. 35 team is displaying. DeLonjay has won 97 career races, including 40 features, dating to his 2006 rookie season in the old hornet division.

“The car is awesome, but Steven has been doing an awesome job of driving it,” Hank said.  “He has also done a great job of giving us feedback about the car, which is also important.”

LONG, DELONJAY HAVE BEEN DOMINANT

Steven said it was at some point last season he felt like he was finally on even footing with Michael Long, the two-time track champ who is as well known regionally as he is at his home track.

Steven said he learned a lot in the early years of his modified career “following” Long. The two have completely dominated the modified series since 2009 when the track went to UMP affiliation for that series, too. In the 80 modified features run in the past four-plus years, Long (31) and DeLonjay (25) have won a combined 56.

DeLonjay led all 25 laps of the feature, finishing 1.33 seconds ahead of Dave Wietholder in a caution-free race that took only 7 minutes, 10 seconds. Wietholder has finished second three times in five main events.

Terry Houston

Robbie Reed, Long and Shawn Deering rounded out the top five. DeLonjay (340), Wietholder (321), Reed (297) and Long (274) lead the points.

Dunker emerged victorious in an entertaining sport mod battle with Jim Gillenwater, who made the haul for a second straight week from Keokuk, Iowa. Arguably the two finest sport mod drivers in the region, Dunker chased Gillenwater for the first 13 laps of their 20-lap shootout. Once Dunker worked both the high and low lines to eventually get around Gillenwater on lap 14, then pulled away for a 3.86-second win.

Dunker stretched his streak of consecutive features finishing first (14) or second (4) to 18 and boosted his series points lead to 12 (159-147) over Bobby Anders. Joe Bliven (146) is third.

Anders, Tanner Klingele and Brad Holtmeyer, who bounced back from an early race crash, filled out the top five.

HOUSTON BOUNCES BACK; SPORT COMPACTS ARE TIGHT

Houston, the defending stock car track champ, rebounded from a 14th-place feature finish the previous week to win Sunday’s main event over Steve Carlin, Brandon Savage, Abe Huls and Jake Powers.

The stock car points tightened considerably. Powers (149) holds the lead for a second straight week, but right behind him are Huls (146), Houston (143), Carlin (141) and Jerry Jansen (140).

Van Zant won his first-ever sport compact feature, leading flag to flag in the evening’s 12-lap finale. Austen Becerra, Pat Dunker, Brandon Lambert and Kim Abbott rounded out the top five.

The sport compacts boast the tightest points race of any of the five weekly series. Abbott (189), Dunker (188), Craig Bangert (185) and Becerra (182) are all bunched atop the standings.

SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP

FEATURE WINNERS
Late models: Justin Reed (1st)
Modifieds: Steven DeLonjay (4th).
Sport mods: Tony Dunker (3rd).
Stock cars: Terry Houston (2nd).
Sport compacts: Lane Van Zant (1st).

HEAT WINNERS
Late models: Robby Warner (1st).
Modifieds: Craig Spegal (1st).
Sport mods: Jim Gillenwater (1st), Bobby Anders (2nd).
Stock cars: Abe Huls (4th), Terry Houston (3rd).
Sport compacts: Lane Van Zant (1st), Kim Abbott (2nd).

FAST FEATURE LAPS
Late models: Mark Burgtorf, 63.643 mph.
Modifieds: Steven DeLonjay, 62.650 mph.
Sport mods: Jim Gillenwater, 61.3214 mph.

FAST QUALIFIERS
Late models: Mark Burgtorf, 72.409 mph.
Modifieds: Michael Long, 66.709 mph.

DASH WINNERS
Late models: Mark Burgtorf (1st).
Modifieds: Steven DeLonjay (3rd).

SUNDAY NIGHT STARS
10 stars: Justin Reed, who won his first late model feature since July 2012 after he shaved his beard off Sunday for the first time since “around Thanksgiving.”
9 stars: Steven DeLonjay, who has won four mod features in five weeks. The only week Steve-O didn’t win he was running for the lead with Michael Long when he encountered ignition-wire problems.
8 stars: Tony Dunker, whose patience was the key to his sport mod feature win over wily veteran Jim Gillenwater.
7 stars: Lane Van Zant, for winning his first first-ever sport compact feature, and doing so in flag to flag fashion.
6 stars: Terry Houston, whose stock car feature victory not only erased the memory of the week before but put him back into the points race.
5 stars: Mark Burgtorf, who looked like the No. 7 of old in the late model feature.
4 stars: Dave Wietholder, who was second in the modified main event and has yet to have a disappointing run on Sunday night.
3 stars: Denny Woodworth, whose comeback season continues. He was third in the late model feature and still owns the series points lead.
2 stars: Jim Gillenwater, who was second in the sport mod main event and runs the low line as good as anyone in the region. Many don’t know Jim won back-to-back bomber championships in 1996-97.
1 star: Steve Carlin, who as a rookie in the stock cars, has quietly become a contender. Carlin finished second in Sunday’s feature and is now just eight points away from series leader Jake Powers. The five-time hobby stock track champ is also closing in on 100 career wins at the Bullring. He currently sits at 96.

CAR COUNTS
Late models: 10 (19.0 season average)
Modifieds: 13 (15.6)
Sport mods: 14 (12.5)
Stock cars: 11 (12.0)
Sport compacts: 14 (13.0)

CAUTIONS
Late models: 2 (5.2 season average) Late models have not averaged 5 cautions a night since 2006 (6.4).
Modifieds: 0 (4.4) Lowest caution average for mods since we started tracking has been 6.3 in 2011.
Sport mods: 9 (8.0)
Stock cars: 5 (5.3) Series record is 4.1 in 2008.
Sport compacts: 4 (3.6)

2013 BLOG CONTRIBUTOR RANKINGS
(First of three rankings)

1. DRONE: The international man of mystery has taken the blog by storm. Can he hold this position all season?
2. TEAMFOURBOSS: Never at a loss for words, Tony “OMG” Dunker has never subscribed to the old axiom of “silence is golden.” TEAMFOURBOSS is the straw that stirs the drink.

Drone … is watching.

3. flyby: An early season slump? Don’t worry, flyby is always at his best once TEAMFOURBOSS finds himself in the midst of a controversy.
4. craig courty: Whenever he posts a thought, you can count on it being well thought out.
5. showstopper: He has shown a new sense of humor this season.
6. bullringfan: Like flyby, bullringfan heats up as the season progresses.
7. Charlie Bryson: Don’t be fooled by the snow on the mountaintop, ol’ Charlie can trade licks with any of the young whippersnappers on this list.
8. SKIPP: He’s obviously concentrating too much on driving this season. He doesn’t spend nearly enough time at the keyboard.
9. Joe BOOM: Some of his best lines are targeted at me.
10. just a fan: Have the blonde girls lost their touch?
Honorable mention: not35fan, Dave Moore, Ford racer 06, Quincy racing, Kenny Pratt, STEALTH.

PAST CHAMPIONS
2012: TEAMFOURBOSS (Tony Dunker)
2011: SKIPP (Pat Dunker)
2010: just a fan and GMF (Lori Klusman and Lisa Campen)

Gold medal: Big Slip

“i have been around race tracks a long time and raced many of tracks throughout the mid-west.What i have found out is a race track is a race track.Some drivers like them with lots of bite and others like them dry slick.My answer to all the skuddle of track prep is race the track keep an eye on the track see if it has moisture in it or watch after each heat and look at the change in conditions.Track conditions are the same for me you and every other racer that is at the track.#1 races are won at home in the garage so what i am telling you is do your home work.Get your racecar on the scales at home make changes to your car to see how that change effected it.#2 maintain your equipment lube himes grease ball joints make sure everything works free.Just because a set up works for Joe Blow doesnt mean it will work for you.Your car needs to be setup to the drivers liking not what Mikey is doing.So read the track make changes to your car throughout the night because if you dont make changes i will damn sure tell you the track will dial you out come feature time.”

Silver medal: Craig Courty

“just a couple thoughts: steve I think what you said about instant replay is pretty important anybody who tells you they know who did what and why without replay is at best guessing let me use an example last saturday watching the cup race I would have sworn that the 18 hit the 5 and so did 2 of the 3 announcers multiple replays later and there was no contact my point being unless you have several cameras at several different angles there is no way to know how and what happened during an incident out here. the officials here are just like officials in any other sport they have to make a judgement call not everyone is going to like and that call has to be made without “going under the hood” and checking out replays which would be nice but just not practical. Second thing I have no idea what the right way to go about the placement of tires in the infield is all I know is the drivers and car owners have 10s of thousands at risk and the fans have 10 bucks at risk gotta give more weight to the guys who can have a great sum of money turned into the value of scrap metal at any particular race in one lap their vote should probably determine this issue not so a guy doesnt get any dirt in his beer.”

Bronze medal: showstopper

“Lets look at this Lierly-Sheppard deal. Lierly is big supporter of Dennis Erb Jr. and his operation. JL Scrap on side of Erb’s car. Brandon Sheppard’s dad Steve and Erb have quite a history. Couple years ago in Highland, IL at a summernationals event, Steve Sheppard and Erb had quite a confrontation. On you tube under Steve Sheppard late model fight. Even made speedcenter. Maybe a trickle down effect?”

What to look for Sunday night at our home away from home:

LATE MODELS

Pick to click: In his first Sunday night of the season at the Bullring, Dustin Griffin finished second. This week, the Black Car Superstar takes the checkered flag.
Best bet for a comeback: Racin’ Jason Perry, who had to bow out after three laps.
That’s a fact, Jack: Fifteen different drivers have won a UMP Super Late Model feature since the inception of the class in 2012 — but only four have won two or more. Dustin Griffin (5) has the most checkered flags in that span.

MODIFIEDS

Pick to click: Steven DeLonjay. He’s obviously on one his patented rolls.
Best bet for a comeback: Robbie Reed, who after three straight weeks in the top four, slipped to 10th.
That’s a fact, Jack: Sunday night will be the 80th UMP Modified feature at 8000 Broadway — 55 of them have won by Michael Long (31) and Steven DeLonjay (24).

SPORT MODS

Pick to click: Umm … let’s see …. hmmm …. I know — Tony Dunker!
Best bet for a comeback: Tanner Klingele. If he didn’t have bad luck, he’d have no luck at all.
That’s a fact, Jack: Joe Bliven (who is to me as Wil Wheaton is to Dr. Sheldon Cooper) has finished third in three straight sport mod features.

STOCK CARS

Pick to click: Call me a gambler, but I’m going with Beau Taylor, who two features ago finished third, then last week was second.
Best bet for a comeback: Take your pick — Terry Houston or Abe Huls — who both finished outside the top 10. Last time that happened? Try never.
That’s a fact, Jack: The stock cars have had six feature lead changes this season. That’s the most of any of the five weekly series.

SPORT COMPACTS

Pick to click: Pat Dunker
Best bet for a comeback: Most of the class. These guys have trouble getting more than five cars to cross the finish line.
That’s a fact, Jack: Pat Dunker has led 31 of a possible 48 feature laps — and remember, he dropped out after four laps of the opening main event of the season.

I’ve had a couple of interesting conversations in the past week or so, and it seems we can expect to see at least two more stock cars and two more sport mods in the pits at some point in the not-too-distant future.

Jeremy Buss and Nathan Hayes appear to be nearing the completion process on their new stock cars. Both Buss and Hayes, two of the fine young talents from the now-defunct hobby class series, should bolster the developing stock-car division.

In case you missed it, there were 15 stock cars on hand last Sunday. That painstaking patience track officials have shown with that class appears to finally be paying off. Fifteen stock cars were the most that have been at the Bullring in more than three years. (Remember last season, when any number above six seemed like a lot?)

In the sport mods, Todd Reed and Greg Uppinghouse are working on sport mods and should further strengthen that series before too long. Reed is switching from the UMP Modifieds and Uppinghouse is coming out of more than a decade’s worth of retirement.

Todd Reed is the brother of 2006 modified track champ Robbie Reed. Robbie Reed was the first one-class modified track champ after the old “B” mods were scrapped at the end of the 2005 campaign. Todd Reed has put up some respectable numbers in recent years in the UMP mods, finishing sixth in points in 2011 and ninth in 2008. He entered the season 10th in career track points in the UMP Modified era (since 2009).

It will be exciting to see Uppinghouse back behind the wheel. He won “B” modified track championships in 1999 and 1997 and is one of just 25 drivers in the track’s 39 years to win two or more titles. Given the sport mods’ similarities to the former “B” mod class, Uppinghouse could be a force to be reckoned with more sooner than later.

Steven DeLonjay’s third modified feature victory of the season powered the driver of the No. 35 car to the top of this week’s Dirty Thirty rankings at the Bullring. Tony Dunker and his 17-race streak of not finishing any lower than second are sitting in the No. 2 spot.

1. Steven DeLonjay: Since the modifieds at the Bullring switched to the UMP banner in 2009, Michael Long has posted 62 victories and DeLonjay 57. If you’re talking strictly feature wins, Long leads 31-24. No other driver in the series has more than five, and only 11 different drivers have won a feature in that period.
2. Tony Dunker: More on The Villain’s 17-race feature streak of never finishing below second place: Thirteen of those finishes have been victories.
3. Michael Long: When Michael won Sunday’s Fast 6 dash that represented his 200th modified victory at Quincy Raceways.
4. Dave Wietholder: His average feature finish this season is 3.8. That’s the best in the series. (DeLonjay has three victories, but his one DNF knocked the heck out of his average finish.)
5. Denny Woodworth: D.W. matched his best feature finish this season at the Bullring with Sunday’s fourth place.

Denny Woodworth eyes his No. 45 UMP Super Late Model.

6. Robbie Reed: We hear brother Todd will soon be back at 8000 Broadway.
7. Shawn Deering: Shawn has not finished below eighth in any of his four main event runs.
8. Jake Griffin: Do you realize Jake is not that much older than some of the kids who took part in Sunday night’s candy dash?
9. Jason Perry: An uncharacteristic early exit Sunday night likely cost him the late model points lead.
10. Joe Bliven: If you care about Cardinals or Cubs baseball, this is not the guy you want to start a conversation with — “I’m not a stick and ball guy,” Joe says.

11. Clint Kirkham: His first-week qualifying time (74.748 mph) remains the hottest lap of the season.
12. Robby Warner: Back-to-back sixth-lace feature finishes keep him climbing toward the top 10.
13. Craig Bangert: The early leader for comeback driver of the year.
14. Mark Burgtorf: Bring back the blonde 7?
15. Pat Dunker: The “other” Dunker needs a new nickname. Any ideas?
16. Jared Schlipman: Raise your hand if you think young Schlip is getting that late model deal figured out.
17. Jake Powers: Sunday was a perfect example of survive and move on.
18. Justin Reed: Despite the up-and-down start to the year, Mr. Ameren is still among the early season points leaders.
19. Ricky Frankel: We missed the Urban Meyer car on Sunday night.
20. Abe Huls: How crazy was it that both Abe and Terry Houston dropped out of the same race?

Jeff DeLonjay works on his sport mod.

21. Russ Coultas: His last three mod feature finishes: 6, 9, 7.
22. Brandon Sheppard: What makes me think Brandon and Jerry Lierly will not be exchanging Christmas cards this year?
23. Jerry Jansen: The blue oval starts the climb back up the rankings.
24. Kim Abbott: Unofficially, she’s just two points off the sport compact series lead.
25. Terry Houston: I can’t remember the last time I saw Terry pull off that early in a feature.
26. Dustin Griffin: How many of those bacon cheddar burgers from the Butcher Block does young Mr. Griffin put away during an average week?
27. Jim Moon: The new Mr. Soft Shoes?
28. Jerry Lierly: I’ll say one thing, the No. 7 car has certainly been entertaining this spring.
29-tie. Austen Becerra: Still looking for that consistent mojo.
29-tie. Jeff DeLonjay: Jeff proving to be a quick study in that new sport mod.
29-tie. Bill Genenbacher: Wild Willy’s solid seventh in the feature Sunday night was a season best.

If pressed, Tony Dunker will eventually cave.

Dunker will grudgingly admit  — albeit with a smile — that he and his No. 3 sport mod team probably have a distinct advantage over the competition at Quincy Raceways.

Much of that advantage is psychological, which stems from Dunker’s complete and thorough domination of the sport mod series since early last season.

Dunker, who won Sunday night’s feature, has finished no worse than second in 17 consecutive main events, dating to early June 2012. Thirteen of those features during that stretch have been victories. Factor in all of last year and the first month of this season and the math says Dunker has won 17 of 24 possible checkered flags.

Tony Dunker

It’s no wonder his nickname is OMG — as in One Man Gang.

“Our team spends a lot of time in the shop,” he said. “The importance of preparation and pre-race set-up can never (be overrated). Knock on wood, we haven’t had a breakdown yet.

“To finish first, first you have to finish.”

HELPING OTHER TEAMS

Dunker makes a point to emphasize his organization also tries to reach out to other teams in an effort to help strengthen the still-evolving sport mod division. The sport mods did not debut at the track until late 2011.

Dunker said his operation is an open book.

“We offer everything we have to the other teams,” he said. “We try to help everyone.”

Dunker’s team keeps meticulous books on track conditions and car preparation, much like a NASCAR conglomerate. Having Brandon Brown involved is a major plus, an intangible Dunker cannot say enough about. Brown owns Pentagram Engineering and is a former driver at the Bullring. Brown was one of the top “B” modified hotshoes in the early 2000s.

Make no mistake about it, the No. 3 team is a well-honed operation that leaves no stone unturned during the week. By the time the weekend rolls around, the car is more than ready for Friday nights at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa, Saturday evenings at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, and Sunday nights at 8000 Broadway.

“Once the car gets on the track, it’s my deal,” Dunker said. “I judge the track, because I’m the one who drives the car. I know my car, I know what it can do.”

Dunker will report findings to the rest of the team, and between all of its members a game plan will emerge.

TO GO FASTER, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GO SLOWER

The 40-year-old Dunker also works with some of the younger drivers at the track. He says he is able to use the knowledge of his team, coupled with what he has learned himself over the years. He says one of the most difficult thought processes to instill in a younger driver is that, at times, it is necessary to go a little slower to go a little faster.

“I think 90 percent of the drivers think you have to go as fast as you can, then slam on the brakes in the corner,” he said.

There’s much more to driving a race car than that, he tries to emphasize. Judging by his record, it’s tough to dispute his claims. He’s one of only 11 drivers in the 39-year history of the track to win three or more track titles, and one of just eight to win 30 or more features in the last 15 years.

The bottom line?

“I come to win,” he said. “I come to win for my guys.”

Brandon Sheppard

Sunday night saw Dunker lead the final 12 laps of a 16-lap feature that was cut short by time restraints. Jeff DeLonjay finished second — 5.7 seconds behind Dunker — followed by Joe Bliven, Chandler Owens and Bucky Gallaher.

Dunker unofficially leads Bliven by five points (119-114) in the driver standings.

SUNDAY NIGHT ROUNDUP

Other feature winners were Brandon Sheppard in the late models, Steven DeLonjay in the modifieds, Jim Lynch in the stock cars and Pat Dunker in the sport compacts.

– Sheppard led the closing eight laps of the late model feature to hold off Dustin Griffin by 1.6 seconds. Jim Moon, Denny Woodworth and Jared Schlipman completed the top five. Woodworth (164), Jason Perry (150) and Clint Kirkham (147) lead the points.

– DeLonjay overtook Dave Wietholder with 13 laps remaining and then pulled away for a 3.7-second victory, his third win in four shows. Jake Griffin, Wietholder, Kenny Wallace and Michael Long rounded out the top five. DeLonjay (265), Wietholder (251) and Long (234) are atop the points list.

– Lynch got past Beau Taylor late in the final lap to register his first-ever win at Quincy. Jerry Jansen, Darin Lambert and Jake Powers were the rest of the top five. Powers (113) is the new points leader over Abe Huls (108), Jansen (106) and Lambert (105).

– Pat Dunker’s second victory was a flag-to-flag effort that saw Craig Bangert finish second. Kim Abbott, Lane Van Zandt and Matt Pepmeyer were the rest of the top five. Bangert (155), Abbott (15t3) and Dunker (150) are bunched atop the points standings.

SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP

FEATURE WINNERS
Late models: Brandon Sheppard (1st)
May 5: Rained out
April 28: Ricky Frankel
April 21: Chad Simpson
April 14: Jerry Lierly
Modifieds: Steven DeLonjay (3rd)
May 5: Rained out
April 28: Steven DeLonjay
April 21: Michael Long
April 14: Steven DeLonjay
Sport mods: Tony Dunker (2nd)
May 5: Rained out
April 28: Bobby Anders
April 21: Did not race
April 14: Tony Dunker
Stock cars: Jim Lynch (1st)
May 5: Rained out
April 28: Abe Huls
April 21: Did not race
April 14: Terry Houston
Sport compacts: Pat Dunker (2nd)
May 5: Rained out
April 28: Austen Becerra
April 21: Pat Dunker
April 14: Craig Bangert

FAST FEATURE LAPS
Late models: Brandon Sheppard 70.881 mph
April 28: Ricky Frankel, 64.754 mph
April 21: Chad Simpson, 65.426 mph
April 14: Jerry Lierly, 67.095 mph
Modifieds: Michael Long 67.377 mph
April 28: Steven DeLonjay, 62.941 mph
April 21: Michael Long, 63.678 mph
April 14: Steven DeLonjay, 63.396 mph
Sport mods: Tony Dunker 64.901 mph
April 28: Tanner Klingele, 60.846 mph
April 21: Did not race
April 14: Bobby Anders, 63.884 mph

HEAT WINNERS
Late models: Jim Moon (1st), Michael Long (1st).
Modifieds: Jake Griffin (1st), RFobbie Reed (1st).
Sport mods: Joe Bliven (2nd), Tony Dunker (3rd).
Stock cars: Michael Larsen (1st), Abe Huls (3rd).
Sport compacts: Austen Becerra (2nd), Pat Dunker (3rd).

QUALIFYING
Late model top qualifier: Brandon Sheppard (time not available)
April 28: Dewayne Kiefer, 70.727 mph
April 21: Chad Simpson, 71.326 mph
April 14: Clint Kirkham, 74.748 mph
Modified top qualifier: Kenny Wallace (time not available)
April 28: Steven DeLonjay, 64.881 mph
April 21: Steven DeLonjay, 65.838 mph
April 14: Michael Long, 68.626 mph

Late model dash winner for pole position: Jerry Lierly (2nd).
Previous 2013 winners
April 28: Ricky Frankel
April 21: No dash.
April 14: Jerry Lierly

Modified dash winner for pole position: Michael Long (2nd).
Previous 2013 winners
April 28: Steven DeLonjay
April 21: Steven DeLonjay
April 14: Michael Long

Jake Powers

SUNDAY NIGHT STARS
10 stars: Steven DeLonjay, the two-time defending modified track champ who became the first driver to win three features this season. DeLonjay has run 82 feature laps this year and led 48 of them.
9 stars: Tony Dunker, who continues to overwhelm the sport mod series. He also had the fastest (sport mod) feature lap of the season.
8 stars: Pat Dunker, the “other” Dunker, who blew away the sport compact field Sunday night.
7 stars: Brandon Sheppard, whose late model feature victory was his first at 8000 Broadway.
6 stars: Jim Lynch, whose stock car feature win was also his first in Quincy.
5 stars: Jake Griffin, who finished second in the modified feature and won a heat race. Not bad for a 14-year-old, eh?
4 stars: Jeff DeLonjay, who ran a strong second in the sport mod main event. Not too shabby for only his third night in the series.
3 stars: Dustin Griffin, who led the track in late model wins and money earned in 2012, made his debut Sunday night and ran an impressive second to Sheppard in the feature.
2 stars: Jake Powers, who survived a couple of stock-car feature mishaps to wind up fifth — and take over the points lead when drivers like Abe Huls and Terry Houston bowed out early with mechanical issues.
1 star: Craig Bangert, whose runner-up position in the sport mod feature gave him four straight finishes of third or higher.

CAR COUNTS
Late models: 18 (22.0 season average; last time track averaged 20 late models was 2008.)
Modifieds: 17 (16.3)
Sport mods: 12 (12.0)
Stock cars: 15 (12.3)
Sport compacts: 14 (12.8)

CAUTIONS
Late models: 7 (6.0 season average)
Modifieds: 7 (5.5)
Sport mods: 8 (7.7)
Stock cars: 8 (5.3)
Sport compacts: 3 (3.5)

Gold medal: ZONE

HOW FUNNY IS THAT BACK IN THE DAY EVERYONE WAS BITCHING BECAUSE THE TRACK WAS ONE LANE AROUND THE TOP NO PASSING WAAA WAAA SO THEY BLADED OFF SOME OF THE BANKING AND NOW ITS ONE LANE ON THE BOTTOM AND MORE WAAAA WAAAAAA

Silver medal: Charlie Bryson

Let’s see didn’t the Moon Man just admit that he cheats every week, just hasn’t got caught, maybe the guys that finish behind him should make a point of that at the races sunday night and see what happens.

Bronze medal: just a fan

Ya think they’ll let Mr Huls have a chicken dinner for this win??