
Dave Wietholder
Dave Wietholder insists there is no magic modified elixir involved. Nor has he sold his soul to some sort of racing devil.
More than anything else, Wietholder feels, the best start of his career since his days in a bomber is due to some sort of intangible combination of experience and maturity.
Wietholder’s impressive early season run continued
Sunday night at Quincy Raceways when he won his second feature and took command of the points race. The 38-year-old veteran from Liberty, Ill., has either won or finished second in the past four shows at 8000 Broadway and shows no signs of slowing down.
“It’s all just coming together,” he said. “I’ve learned a little every year, and (two-time track champ) Michael Long has helped me a lot with things like set-ups. I appreciate his help. We’re not really doing anything differently. I’ve just had a lot of luck on my side so far this year.”
Wietholder is seeking his first track title in a modified, having moved up from the bombers (now hobby stocks) following the 2002 season. He won the 2001 bomber championship.
Wietholder says he tries to keep racing simple and not get caught up — at least too much — in the constant worry over points positions.
“I just do what I can,” he said.
Wietholder has won five total features this spring, having also collected three checkered flags in Fulton, Mo. His latest conquest at Quincy saw him lead the final 14 laps of the 25-lap main event. Long had led the first 11.

Dustin Griffin
Wietholder wound up beating runner-up Steven DeLonjay, the 2011 track champ, across the finish line by 0.551 of a second. Jared Schlipman, the 2010 champion, finished third ahead of Shawn Deering and Robbie Reed.
Wietholder unofficially owns a 31-point advantage (328-297) over DeLonjay in the title chase. Schlipman (285), Deering (264) and Reed (260) are also knocking at the door.
GRIFFIN DOMINATES LATE MODELS — AGAIN
Other feature winners Sunday evening were Dustin Griffin in the Super Late Models, Tony Dunker in the sport mods, Abe Huls in stocks cars, Jake Powers in hobby stocks and Nick Wilkerson in the sport compacts.
Griffin won his second straight late model feature, and again in convincing fashion. He has led 73 of the 90 main-event laps he has run this season. Griffin missed two weeks with motor issues, but now finds himself in the thick of the series’ points race. Justin Reed (261), Matt Bailey (246), Jason Perry (238), Denny Woodworth (234), Long (233) and Griffin (225) are bunched together atop the points standings.
“If it happens, it happens,” Griffin said of his title chances. “I’m not going to worry myself about it. I’m racing to win, not for points.”
Griffin, who leads all drivers at the track with seven overall wins, held off Long and Mark Burgtorf in a tightly bunched field that was bottled up with lapped cars. Ricky Frankel in fourth and Jerry Lierly completed the top five.
Griffin, who normally lives down low, was forced to go high in running down Burgtorf — and then holding him off.
“I didn’t want the top line, but I found my car actually was better up top and in the middle,” he said.
DUNKER LEAVING REST OF SPORT MODS IN REAR-VIEW MIRROR

Tony Dunker
Dunker continued to dominate the sport mods, winning his third feature to go with two runner-up finishes. He now has a 22-point (198-176) advantage over Bobby Anders. Rick Barlow Jr. and Joe Bliven.are next with 173.
“Things have been going great — in the (sport mod),” said Dunker, who also has a modified that he has yet to get a feel for this season. “Just being able to finish races is a big key (to our success). We’re trying to be patient.”
Dunker won back-to-back track titles in the old “B” modified series in 2003-04, but has been denied a third big iron for the past seven seasons. He’s hardly been in a slouch in that time, finishing second in points twice and third on two other occasions, but he’s in no mood right now to engage in any sort of track championship talk.
“I’m just enjoying not leaving the race track upset,” he said. “It’s a lot more fun than it has been the last few years.”
If Dunker can pull out a third track title he will join a select club at the Bullring. Only 10 other drivers since the track opened in 1975 have won three or more championships. Dunker is also one of just four drivers since 1999 (when statistics started being kept at the track) to win 100 or more races. Dunker has 107 victories to his credit, trailing only Burgtorf (196), Long (187) and Hank DeLonjay (138).
HULLS, POWERS, WILKERSON ALSO COLLECT CHECKERS
– Huls won his second straight stock car feature and for the second consecutive week led flag to flag. Aaron Brocksieck was runner-up.
– Powers dominated the hobby stocks for the third time in five shows and regained the division points lead over ninth-place feature finisher Jeremy Buss 194-191. Brandon Symmonds, who was second in the feature, sits in third with 186.
– First-time sport compact feature winner Wilkerson came from the 12th starting spot. The 11-position improvement was a record for the 2-year-old series.
Defending sport compact champ Seth Woodruff was fourth in the feature and holds a three-point (192-189) lead over Andrew Davis. Feature runner-up Kim Abbott is third in points (186).
WIETHOLDER’S CLOSE CALL STARTED HOT STREAK
Wietholder’s hot streak at the Bullring began on April 8 when he edged Michael Long by 0.056 of a second for the feature victory. That was the fourth-closes finish in the electronic timing era at the track. Since then, Wietholder has added two second-place finishes and another checkered flag.
The closest margins of victory at the start-finish line since the electronic timing and scoring system was put in place late in 2007:
Winner (Runner-up), Margin of Victory, Date
1. Steven DeLonjay (Dave Wietholder), 0.010, July 11, 2010 (modifieds)
2. Steven DeLonjay (Mark Burgtorf), 0.024, Sept. 25, 2011 (modifieds)
3. Tony Dunker (Joe Bliven), 0.031, Aug. 28, 2011 (sport mods)
4. Dave Wietholder (Michael Long), 0.056, April 8, 2012 (modifieds)
5. Justin Reed (Steven DeLonjay), 0.087, May 31, 2009. (modifieds)
6. Jake Wenig (John Oliver Jr.), 0.096, May 18, 2008. (stock cars)
7. Tom Goble (Justin Reed), 0.116, June 14, 2009. (late models)
8. Michael Long (Mark Burgtorf), 0.126, Sept. 5, 2011 (modifieds)
9. Vance Wilson (Jason Perry), 0.155, Oct. 3, 2010. (late models)
10. Andrew Griffin (Kevin Tomlinson), 0.164, May 10, 2009. (stock cars)
FEATURE WINNERS
Late models: Dustin Griffin, 2nd. (Last week’s winner: Dustin Griffin)
Modifieds: Dave Wietholder, 2nd. (Last week’s winner: Michael Long.)
Sport mods: Tony Dunker, 3rd. (Last week’s winner: Jim Gillenwater.)
Stock cars: Abe Huls, 3rd. (Last week’s winner: Abe Huls)
Hobby stocks: Jake Powers, 3rd. (Last week’s winner: Tanner Klingele.)
Sport compacts: Nick Wilkerson, 1st. (Last week’s winner:Seth Woodruff.)
Fast feature laps
Late models: Dustin Griffin, 64.990. (Last week’s fast lap: Dustin Griffin, 66.088 mph) UMP track record: Jeep Van Wormer, 78.284 mpg, July 3, 2009; IMCA track rec0rd: Justin Reed, 74.295 mph, Aug. 30, 2009.)
Modifieds: Dave Wietholder, 64.026 mph. (Last week’s fast lap: Michael Long, 64.385) Track record: Michael Long, 73.763 mph, Aug. 22, 2010.
HEAT WINNERS
Late models: Dustin Griffin (3rd), Michael Long (1st).
Modifieds: Danny Lake (1st), Shawn Deering (1st), Michael Long (3rd).
Sport mods: Bobby Anders (1st).
Stock cars: Michael Larsen (2nd).
Hobby stocks: Brandon Symmonds (1st), Brian Hoener (2nd).
Sport compacts: Chuck Fullenkamp (2nd), Kim Abbott (3rd).
LATE MODEL DASH WINNER: Mark Burgtorf (1st).
SUNDAY NIGHT STARS
10 stars: Dave Wietholder, whose Sunday night feature win officially established him as the man to beat in the modifieds.
9 stars: Dustin Griffin, who looks so strong in the No. 20 Super Late Model it’s almost scary. His 2012 resume to date: Three features, two victories, 73 laps led out of a possible 90.
8 stars: Tony Dunker, who at his current pace will be the first to clinch a track championship — by about July. He has three sport mod feature wins, his most in a season since winning six in 2005.
7 stars: Jake Powers, who was simply overpowering in the hobby stocks.
6 stars: Nick Wilkerson, who staretd in 12th but won the sport compact feature
5 stars: Abe Huls, who is making it look easy in the stock cars. He has led the last 30 feature laps and now has a series-best three main event wins. Huls, Aaron Brocksieck and Terry Houston each have 12 career feature victories in the class that started in 2008.
4 stars: Michael Long, who had his best feature finish to date in a late model (second) and won his first heat race in a big rig.
3 stars: Vance Wilson, who in his first night in a sport mod finished second to Dunker in the feature. Wilson sold his late model and will be driving a sport mod the rest of the season.
2 stars: Jerry Lierly, who ran a strong sixth in the late model feature for his best showing of the season.
1 star: Jamie Bevill, who finished third in the hobby stock feature, his top performance of the season. The rookie has improved his finishing position in each of the past three weeks.
UNOFFICIAL TRACK POINTS
Late models: Justin Reed 261, Matt Bailey 246, Jason Perry 238.
Modifieds: Dave Wietholder 328, Steven DeLonjay 297, Jared Schlipman 284.
Sport mods: Tony Dunker 198, Bobby Anders 176, Rick Barlow Jr. 175, Joe Bliven 175.
Stock cars: Terry Houston 184, Aaron Brocksieck 183, Abe Huls 182, Jerry Jansen 180.
Hobby stocks: Jake Powers 194, Jeremy buss 191, Brandon Symmonds 186.
Sport compacts: Seth Woodruff 192, Andrew Davis 189, Kim Abbott 186.
CAR COUNTS
Late models: 19 (season average 19.6)
Modifieds: 20 (season average 20.2)
Sport mods: 10 (season average 13.0)
Stock cars: 7 (season average 9.0)
Hobby stocks: 13 (season average 13.8)
Sport compacts: 16 (season average 15.6)
Total: 83 (season average 90.8)
Season Highs
Late models: 23, May 6.
Modifieds: 23, May 13.
Sport mods: 18, May 13.
Stock cars: 12, April 1.
Hobby stocks: 16, May 13.
Sport compacts: 17, April 8 and May 6.
CAUTIONS
Late models: 4 (season average 3.0)
Modifieds: 9 (season average 6.8)
Sport mods: 5 (season average 6.8)
Stock cars: 2 (season average 1.4)
Hobby stocks: 6 (season average 3.4)
Sport compacts: 1 (season average 1.6)