Joe Bliven

Thanks to a conversation this week with Joe Bliven — as in Clean Livin’ Joe Bliven — we’re going to undertake putting together a new set of modified records.

Joe suggested resurrecting the numbers from the old “B” mods, which were discontinued after the 2005 season, and incorporating them into the sport mods — since they are basically the same series. Makes sense.

When the “B” mods were discontinued I simply grouped all of the mods together, the main reason being to to keep the accomplishments of those “B” mod drivers from being forgotten or simply tossed out.

So what I’m going to do is create separate sets of records for the UMP modifieds (which morphed from the old “A” mods) and the sport mods (including the old “B” mods). I’ll also keep a combined set of modified records going.

It will take a while, but that’s what the offseason is for. I’ll update everyone here as this project comes together.

Good idea, Joe. It must be all of that clean livin’.

Mark Burgtorf

The first thing that struck me in putting together a top five for the late models in the era since 1999 is how much this class will be changing name-wise in the coming years.

Even before the track opted to switch to UMP from IMCA affiliation we were on the edge of generational switch of drivers, with a new wave of hotshoes like Justin Reed firmly establishing themselves as the drivers of the future. Add the UMP name change to the mix and we have another surge of drivers, led by Dustin Griffin, beginning to lay claim to the Bullring.

It’s an exciting time to be a late model fan in Quincy. It will take several years to sort out what will be a new cast of weekly regulars, but it will be fun to watch evolve.

The following top five more or less represents the IMCA era at the track, and make no mistake about it — that was a great time. But times change, and a few of the IMCA policies had simply outlived their usefulness and it began to show in the car counts.

We’re still in the early stages of a completely new era at 8000 Broadway, and if 2013 is half as entertaining as 2012 was it should be quite a ride. But for a few minutes, let’s look back, instead of ahead. The top five late model drivers since 1999:

Lonnie Bailey

1. Mark Burgtorf: Mark was one of the first drivers to become upset with the IMCA and that was the main reason he took that familiar No. 7 to other tracks in recent years. But now he’s back and ready to add to those 14 Quincy titles. (See, I told you this new era would be exciting.)

2. Lonnie Bailey: What many tend to overlook is not the two track championships No. 25 has won, but the six times he finished second in the points race. Add that to the following numbers and it’s easy to see that only Mark earned more bragging rights in this particular period.

3. Denny Woodworth:The late model lawyer is the other member of the era’a big three. Always one of the Bullring’s most popular drivers, Denny became the newest member of the 100-overall victory club in 2012. (We’ll be looking at overall wins at the track later in the postseason, and in Denny’s case that included victories in a modified.)

Brent Slocum

4. Justin Reed: During one of Justin’s first couple of seasons at the track, one of the veterans told me he was natural, that he had a great support system and a track title was somewhere in the future. Check, check and check. I’ll add there’s likely another track championship (or more) in his career.

5. Brent Slocum: Brent died seven years ago, but it still seems like yesterday he was wheeling that No. 5 around the track. He accomplished quite a bit, including a track title, in this era. But but the most important part of the legacy he left us were the memories of not necessarily Brent Slocum the driver, but Brent Slocum the man.

LATE MODEL CAREER VICTORY LEADERS

TOTAL VICTORIES (since 1999)
1. Mark Burgtorf. 187
2. Lonnie Bailey, 98
3. Denny Woodworth, 92
4. Joey Gower, 48
5. Jerry Weisenberger, 36
6-tie. Justin Reed, 35
6-tie. Brent Slocum, 35
8-tie. Keith Pratt, 34
8-tie. Jamie Wilson, 34
10. Terry Gallaher, 33

Other active drivers in 2012
Jason Perry, 31
Jason Frankel, 30
Ron Elbe, 30
Dustin Griffin, 26
Matt Bailey, 23
Bill Genenbacher, 20

TOTAL VICTORIES (2012, UMP era)
1. Dustin Griffin, 18
2. Mark Burgtorf, 15
3. Justin Reed, 6
4-tie. Jason Perry, 5
4-tie. Jim Moon, 5
4-tie. Dewayne Kiefer, 5
4-tie. Brian Shirley, 4
4-tie. Matt Bailey, 4
9-tie. Michael Long, 3
9-tie. Jake Griffin, 3
9-tie. Dennis Erb Jr., 3

FEATURE VICTORIES (since 1999)
1. Mark Burgtorf, 83
2. Lonnie Bailey, 23
3. Denny Woodworth, 22
4. Justin Reed, 13
5. Jason Frankel, 12
6. Terry Gallaher, 10
7-tie. Keith Pratt, 9
7-tie. Brent Slocum, 9
9. Jason Perry, 7
10-tie. Dustin Griffin, 6
10-tie. Matt Bailey, 6

FEATURE VICTORIES (2012, UMP era)
1. Dustin Griffin, 5
2. Mark Burgtorf, 4
3. Justin Reed, 3
4. Brian Shirley, 2
5-tie. Matt Bailey, 1
5-tie. Michael Long, 1
5-tie. Jake Griffin, 1
5-tie. Dennis Erb Jr., 1
5-tie. Dewayne Kiefer, 1
5-tie. Jason Perry, 1

HEAT VICTORIES (since 1999)
1. Mark Burgtorf, 68
2-tie. Denny Woodworth, 44
2-tie. Lonnie Bailey, 44
4-tie. Joey Gower, 30
4-tie. Jerry Weisenberger, 30
6-tie. Keith Pratt, 23
6-tie. Ron Elbe, 23
8. Mike Dyche, 22
9-tie. Jamie Wilson, 19
9-tie. Dustin Neese, 19

Other drivers active in 2012
Bill Genenbacher, 17
Dustin Griffin, 14
Jason Perry, 15
Matt Bailey, 13
Jason Frankel, 13
Justin Reed, 12

HEAT VICTORIES (2012, UMP era)
Minimum 2
1-tie. Mark Burgtorf, 8
1-tie. Dustin Griffin, 8
3. Jim Moon, 5
4-tie. Jason Perry, 3
4-tie. Dewayne Kiefer, 3
6-tie. Matt Bailey, 2
6-tie. Justin Reed, 2

DASH VICTORIES (since 1999)
1. Mark Burgtorf, 35
2. Lonnie Bailey, 29
3. Denny Woodworth, 24
4. Brent Slocum, 17
5. Jamie Wilson, 10
6. Mike Karhoff, 9
7-tie. Justin Reed, 8
7-tie. Terry Gallaher, 8
9. Ron Elbe, 7
10-tie. Jason Perry, 6
10-tie. Dustin Griffin, 6
10-tie. Terry Schlipman, 6
10-tie. Mark Holtmeyer, 6

Other drivers active in 2012
Robby Warner, 5
Joey Gower, 5
Matt Bailey, 2
Michael Long, 1
Jake Griffin, 1
Jerry Lierly, 1
Keith Pratt, 1
Clint Kirkham, 1

Michael Long

Whew! Putting together a top five list of modified drivers since 1999 was more daunting than I initially thought it would be. Some of you have noticed there had been no new post here for a couple of days. That was because I simply could not decide on a top five in this category.

Well, after much head-banging and combing through those books of numbers that you know I have, here’s what I came up with — and I’ll be the first to say it’s open for discussion.

1. Michael Long: Actually, this was the easiest of the five choices. Michael picked up the challenge when Hank DeLonjay retired and firmly established himself as the modified driver in Quincy. As you can see by some of the numbers that follow the prose, Michael was on the cusp of some pretty cool accomplishments when his engine blew late in the season. We never saw him again in a modified after mid-August. I’m sure I’m like you — we’re all looking forward to seeing No. 18 back on the track in 2013.

2. Hank DeLonjay: Raise your hand if you think “Hank the Crank” could still be winning modified features if he had not retired to concentrate on being the head wrench in son Steven’s operation. Yeah, me too. (Wouldn’t you like to have seen Hank in his prime vs. Michael on a weekly basis?)

3. Steven DeLonjay: What he has done before age 21 is borderline unbelievable. And he’s the scariest thing (if you are an opposing driver) — Steven is only going to get better. What would the over/under be on the number of track championships in his future?

4. Tony Dunker: The kind of dominance he showed this year in the sport mods was the stuff fans will still be talking about a decade from now, much like what Michael accomplished in 2007-08. Tony took a lot of grief for that 105-feature winless streak, but don’t forget there were still plenty of high finishes in that stretch, not to mention other victories. An argument could be made for Mr. Black Hat being the the most consistent modified driver since 1999. Hank retired in the mid 2000s, Michael did not come along until a decade ago and Steven is only 20 years old (for another month or so). Tony has been putting up the numbers, for the most part, during this whole period.

5. Dave Wietholder: There is no more competitive driver than Dave, and since 2003 he has been knocking on the championship door in the premier modified series. Once that championship comes — and I believe it will — he’ll climb higher in a lot of these rankings. That’s all that’s missing from the rest of his body of work.

MODIFIED CAREER LEADERS
All modified series

TOTAL VICTORIES (since 1999)
1. Michael Long, 197
2. Hank DeLonjay, 130
3. Tony Dunker, 129
4. Wyatt Lantz, 77
5. Vance Wilson, 75
6. Dave Wietholder, 62
7. Steven DeLonjay, 61
8. Robbie Reed, 50
9. Joe Hooper, 47
10. Joe Bliven, 46

Other drivers active in 2012
Jared Schlipman, 45
Shawn Deering, 20
Mark Burgtorf, 20

TOTAL VICTORIES (since 2009, UMP era)
UMP modifieds only

1. Michael Long, 59
2. Steven DeLonjay, 52
3. Jared Schlipman, 32
4. Dave Wietholder, 22
5. Shawn Deering, 18
6. Robbie Reed, 17
7-tie. Tony Dunker, 14
7-tie. Justin Reed, 14
9. Vance Wilson, 11
10. Ryan Meyer, 9

Other drivers active in 2012
Jake Griffin, 8
Mark Burgtorf, 5

FEATURE VICTORIES (since 1999)
All modified series

1. Michael Long, 77
2. Hank DeLonjay, 42
3. Vance Wilson, 30
4. Tony Dunker, 27
5. Wyatt Lantz, 24
6. Steven DeLonjay, 23
7. Joe Hooper, 18
8. Dave Wietholder, 12
9. Joe Bliven, 10
10. Robbie Reed, 9

Other drivers active in 2012
Mark Burgtorf, 7
Jared Schlipman, 5

FEATURE VICTORIES (since 1999, UMP era)
UMP modifieds only

1. Michael Long, 30
2. Steven DeLonjay, 21
3. Jared Schlipman, 5
4-tie. Robbie Reed, 4
4-tie. Justin Reed, 4
6-tie. Dave Wietholder, 3
6-tie. Wyatt Lantz, 3
8. Vance Wilson, 2
9-tie. Jake Griffin, 1
9-tie. Craig Spehal, 1
9-tie. James Leffew, 1

HEAT VICTORIES (since 1999)
All modified series

1. Michael Long, 86
2. Tony Dunker, 80
3. Hank DeLonjay, 73
4. Wyatt Lantz, 39
5. Jared Schlipman, 37
6. Dave Wietholder, 35
7. Vance Wilson, 31
8. Ryan Meyer, 29
9-tie. Joe Bliven, 27
9-tie. Brandon Lennox, 27
9-tie. Joe Hooper, 27

Other drivers active in 2012
Steven DeLonjay, 24
Robbie Reed, 23
Shawn Deering, 20

HEAT VICTORIES (since 2009, UMP era)
UMP modifieds only

1. Jared Schlipman, 24
2. Michael Long, 21
3. Steven DeLonjay, 20
4. Shawn Deering, 18
5. Dave Wietholder, 15
6. Tony Dunker, 11
7-tie. Vance Wilson, 9
7-tie. Ryan Meyer, 9
9. Robbie Reed, 8
10-tie. Jake Griffin, 7
10-tie. Justin Reed, 7

Other drivers active in 2012
Mark Burgtorf, 5

DASH VICTORIES (since 1999)
All modified series

1. Michael Long, 29
2. Tony Dunker, 19
3. Vance Wilson, 17
4. Hank DeLonjay, 15
5-tie. Dave Wietholder, 13
5-tie. Steven DeLonjay, 13

DASH VICTORIES (since 2009, UMP era)
UMP modifieds only

1. Steven DeLonjay, 11
2. Michael Long, 6
3. Dave Wietholder, 4
4-tie. Tony Dunker, 3
4-tie. Justin Reed, 3
4-tie. Donovan Lodge, 3
4-tie. Jared Schlipman, 3

Abe Huls

Now that it’s a certainty the stock cars will live to race another day at the Bullring, it will be interesting to see how the following career leaders will change in the coming few years.

The stock cars should be much healthier next season, and continue to grow in the years to come, leading to more drivers sharing in the statistical wealth. (Yeah, that was the feeling the past two offseasons — that we’d have more drivers in the series, and we know how that worked out. But I think it’s a safe bet that it actually will happen in 2013 and beyond.)

I’ll be most anxious to see who the first of the “new” stock car drivers coming from the hobby ranks is to emerge as a contender. Who will rise up to challenge Abe Huls, Terry Houston and the rest of the established citizens of this class? It may be May or June until we know the answer.

Here are my choices for the top five drivers from the first five years of this series:

1. Abe Huls: Remember the first year of the stock cars back in 2008? Honest Abe was the “other” Huls. Doug Huls actually had the better year of the two, but since then Abe has been the Huls. He’ll likely be the favorite to win a second track title going into 2013.

2. Terry Houston: Terry did not race in the series in 2008, but if he had he would likely be the career leader in all of the major categories here. If No. 97 can get past Abe Huls in 2013, he will have his third title in six seasons.

3. Aaron Brocksieck: We didn’t see much of Aaron after the midway point last season, and we hear he is leaning toward retirement. If so, thanks for the memories, Aaron, not only in the stock cars, but the hobby stocks, too. Aaron won a title in each division.

Jeff Mueller

4. Jeff Mueller: The Iowa driver would obviously be higher if he had run more than one full season at 8000 Broadway, but that one full season was tremendous — he won nine featuers. And when he does occasionally show up, Mueller is always a contender.

5. Jerry Jansen: Jerry is always in the running and I  keep waiting for him to break down that first title door. Do you realize he has missed exactly one feature lap in the last three seasons?

STOCK CAR CAREER LEADERS (Since 2008)

TOTAL VICTORIES
1. Terry Houston, 35
2. Abe Huls, 30
3. Aaron Brocksieck, 21
4-tie. Andrew Griffin, 19
4-tie. Jeff Mueller, 19
6-tie. Michael Larsen, 15
6-tie. Kevin Tomlinson, 15
8. Steve Steinkuhler, 12
9. John Oliver Jr., 9
10-tie. Dave Wietholder, 8
10-tie. Doug Huls, 8
10-tie. Sarah Woodhurst, 8

FEATURE VICTORIES
1. Abe Huls, 20
2. Terry Houston, 17
3. Aaron Brocksieck, 13
4. Jeff Mueller, 11
5. Kevin Tomlinson, 8
6. Steve Steinkuhler, 4
7-tie. John Oliver Jr., 3
7-tie. Dave Wietholder, 3
9-tie. Michael Larsen, 2
9-tie. Chris Wibbell, 2
9-tie. Andrew Griffin, 2

HEAT VICTORIES
1. Terry Houston, 18
2. Andrew Griffin, 17
3. Michael Larsen, 13
4. Abe Huls, 10
5-tie. Aaron Brocksieck, 8
5-tie. Steve Steinkuhler, 8
5-tie. Doug Huls, 8
5-tie. Sarah Woodhurst, 8
5-tie. Jeff Mueller, 8
10. Kevin Tomlinson, 7

CORRECTED CARER MONEY EARNINGS

I have to apologize for the career money list I ran for the stock cars about a week ago. I did not notice until checking over some of the stock car figures I had used the totals following the 2011 season, not the 2012 season.

Sorry about that, guys. Here are the proper totals

CARER MONEY LEADERS
Points races only

1. Abe Huls, $14,915
2. Terry Houston, $11,660
3. Jerry Jansen $8,235
4. Aaron Brocksieck $7,885
5. Andrew Griffin, $7,720
6. Steve Steinkuhler, $7,145
7. Kevin Tomlinson, $6,760
8. Jeff Mueller, $6,160
9. Chris Wibbell, $5,770
10. Doug Huls, $4,250

Officials from 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, have announced the track will no longer run IMCA late models or its outlaw hobby stocks.

The 34 Raceway lineup will feature modifieds, sport mods, stock cars, 305 sprints, mod lites and four-cylinders.

“Unfortunately, the consistent decline in the IMCA Late Model and Outlaw Hobby Stock Class has forced us to no longer host these classes at 34 Raceway,” 34 Raceway official Amy Laue said on her Facebook page. “Thank you to those who have supported these classes for so many years.”

Austen Becerra took the sport compact series by storm this season, so much so he moved to the top of the 2-year-old division’s total and feature victory lists. In addition, he established the season record for money won in points races and overall.

Kim Abbott deserves a tip of the hat, too. She is the only sport compact driver to win more than $1,000 two straight years. She is also runner-up to Becerra in overall and feature wins and leads in heat victories.

SPORT COMPACT CAREER LEADERS (Since 2011)

TOTAL VICTORIES
1. Austen Becerra, 16
2. Kim Abbott, 13
3. Robert Thompson, 10
4. Seth Woodruff, 9
5-tie. Chuck Fullenkamp, 8
5-tie. Craig Bangert, 8
7. Casey Kendrick, 7
8-tie. Brandon Lambert, 6
8-tie. Todd Nelson, 6
10-tie. Mike Hornung Jr., 4
10-tie. Bill Michel, 4

FEATURE VICTORIES (minimum 2)
1. Austen Becerera, 10
2. Kim Abbott, 5
3-tie. Seth Woodruff
3-tie. Chuck Fullenkamp, 3
3-tie. Craig Bangert, 3
3-tie. Todd Nelson, 3
3-tie. Casey Kendrick, 3
8-tie. Bill Michel, 2
8-tie. Robert Thompson, 2

HEAT VICTORIES
1-tie. Kim Abbott, 8
1-tie. Robert Thompson, 8
3-tie. Austen Becerra, 6
3-tie. Seth Woodruff, 6
5-tie. Brandon Lambert, 5
5-tie. Chuck Fullenkamp, 5
5-tie. Craig Bangert, 5
8. Casey Kendrick, 4
9-tie. Mike Hornung Jr., 3
9-tie. Todd Nelson, 3

2012 SPORT COMPACT MONEY LEADERS
Points races only
1. Austen Becerra, $1,285
2. Kim Abbott, $1,090
3. Seth Woodruff, $980
4. Casey Lambert, $675
5. Brandon Lambert, $650
6. Chuck Fullenkamp, $560
7. Andrew Davis, $540
8. Mike Hornung Jr., $535
9. Pat Dunker, $450
10. Bucky Gallaher, $410

All races
1. Austen Becerra, $1,485
2. Kim Abbott, $1,205
3. Seth Woodruff, $1,085
4. Casey Lambert, $725
5. Brandon Lambert, $715
6. Mike Hornung Jr., $590
7. Chuck Fullenkamp, $560
8. Andrew Davis, $540
9. Lane Van Zandt, $520
10. Pat Dunker, $500

YEARLY LEADERS
Points races only
2012: Austen Becerra, $1,285
2011: Seth Woodruff, $1,070

All races
2012: Austen Becerra, $1,485
2011: Kim Abbott, $1,075

CAREER LEADERS
Points races only 2011-12
1. Kim Abbott, $2,100
2. Seth Woodruff, $2,050
3. Austen Becerra, $1,285
4. Craig Bangert, $1,205
5. Brandon Lambert, $1,090
6. Casey Kendrick, $980
7. Robert Thompson, $915
8. Casey Lambert, $785
9. Austin Uppinghouse, $775
10. Todd Nelson, $640

SEASON LEADERS ($1,000 club)
Points races only
1. Austen Becerra, $1,285 (2012)
2. Kim Abbott, $1,090 (2012)
3. Seth Woodruff, $1,070 (2011)
4. Kim Abbott, $1,010 (2011)

Steve Carlin, future Hall of Famer.

The hobby stock era may have ended at Quincy Raceways, but let’s take a look at some of the top career accomplishments while we toast these firmer Sunday night warriors with a glass of Classic Coke. Later in the offseason we’ll be examining the single-season highs, but today we look at the career leaders since 1999 when we started tracking this kind of stuff, and since 1997 when the series dropped the “bomber’ moniker.

Her’s my two cents concerning the top five performers in this class since 1999:

1. Steve Carlin: The future Hall of Famer (really, is there any doubt?) was the most dominant driver when you combine longevity and accomplishments. Unless the hobby stocks are revived some day, The Cap’n will always be remembered as the winningest overall driver the series ever produced, winning five titles and 96 overall races. Carlin told me during his last full season (2011) that he always tried to drive clean, even it meant finishing “four or five positions farther back.”

Eddie Dieker and Jerry Powers were a special kind of combination.

2. Eddie Dieker: We’ll always wonder “what if” — what if he had raced another five or 10 years. Eddie won the most features (39) and possessed an uncanny ability behind the wheel of a bomber. He and car builder Jerry Powers were a great match. What will I always remember about Eddie? That he always called me “sir.” Am I that old?!

3. Adam Birck: The best driver to never win a championship, but you can’t say he didn’t come close. Old No. 12 once finished second three straight years, and after that third season I think felt worse that Adam didn’t win the title than he did.

4. Jake Powers: I was looking forward to seeing “The Snake” climb his way up the hobby stock career totals, but, alas, that’s not going to happen. It’s rare when you can say a driver has improved every year he has been on the track, but Jake has. Not since Dieker made the Bullring his home has a driver this young — 21 — made such an impact in this series. I made Jake the No. 4 driver here, based on what I think would have happened in the coming years, but like I said, we’ll never know for sure. Hopefully, though, he’ll be in a stock car in 2013, so we can watch that (overall) development continue.

Jim Powell

5. Jim Powell: Here’s another driver who was always knocking on the championship door. A couple of what looked to be certain titles slipped away because of some … ummm … late-season temper problems. But he’s out there every Sunday night (well, almost, there has been a problem here and there) and no one loves to race more than this guy. And, he can play a guitar.

HOBBY STOCK/BOMBER CAREER LEADERS

TOTAL VICTORIES (since 1999)
1. Steve Carlin, 96
2. Eddie Dieker, 91
3. Adam Birck, 64
4. Jim Powell, 49
5. Bobby Anders, 45
6. Bill Genenbacher, 40
7. Larry W. Powell, 32
8. Jake Powers, 30
9. Bruce Hatfield, 32
10. Tanner Klingele, 24

TOTAL VICTORIES (since 2007, when named changed to Hobby Stocks)
1. Steve Carlin, 54
2. Bobby Anders, 44
3. Jake Powers, 30
4. Jim Powell, 28
5. Tanner Klingele, 24
6. James Leffew, 21
7. Aaron Brocksieck, 17
8. Brian Hoener, 15
9. Wes Mayfield, 14
10. Travis Booher, 12

FEATURE VICTORIES (since 1999)
1. Eddie Dieker, 39
2. Steve Carlin, 32
3. Adam Birck, 24
4. Bobby Anders, 16
5. Jim Powell, 14
6. Jake Powers, 13
7-tie. Tanner Klingele, 12
7-tie. Bill Genenbacher, 12
9. Bobby Uppinghouse Jr., 10
10. Dave Wietholder, 9

FEATURE VICTORIES (since 2007, when named changed to Hobby Stocks)
1. Steve Carlin, 19
2. Bobby Anders, 16
3. Jake Powers, 13
4. Tanner Klingele, 12
5. Jim Powell, 9
6. James Leffew, 8
7. Aaron Brocksieck, 7
8-tie. Brian Hoener, 6
8-tie. Wes Mayfield, 6
10. Travis Booher, 5

HEAT VICTORIES (since 1999)
1. Steve Carlin, 61
2. Eddie Dieker, 51
3. Adam Birck, 38
4. Jim Powell, 29
5. Bobby Anders, 28
6. Bill Genenbacher, 23
7-tie. Larry Powell, 22
7-tie. Bruce Hatfield, 22
9. Todd Reichert, 18
10. Jake Powers, 17

HEAT VICTORIES (since 2007, when named changed to Hobby Stocks)
1. Steve Carlin, 33
2. Bobby Anders, 28
3. Jake Powers, 17
4. Jim Powell, 15
5. James Leffew, 13
6. Tanner Klingele, 12
7. Aaron Brocksieck, 10
8. Justin Bartz, 9
9-tie. Brandon Symmonds, 8
9-tie, Wes Mayfield, 8

Tony Dunker: 2012 Blog Contributor of the Year.

On the track, he dominated.

On this blog, he dominated even more.

Tony Dunker, known as TEAMFOURBOSS in the “comments” section on this blog, is the winner of the third annual Stevie Dirt Blog Contributor of the Year. Dunker and his season-long war with “flyby” was the stuff of legends. We can only hope for more of the same in 2013. (Heck, we can only hope for more of the same the rest of 2012).

We’ve always known Dunker could wheel a race car, but he proved this year he knows his way around a keyboard, too. The choice of Dunker as this year’s winner came down to either him or “flyby,” but we felt TEAMFOURBOSS was the winnerby TKO.

Pat Dunker: 2011 winner.

The competition was close, but we felt Dunker got in a few more zingers.

Ironically, TEAMFOURBOSS follows his brother, SKIPPY (Pat Dunker), as Blog Contributor of the Year. We learned a little about that biting Dunker wit last year with Pat. Tony simply took it to a new level in 2012.

The Blonde Girls, Lisa and Lori: 2010 winners.

The first winner of the this award, the Blonde Girls (Lori Klusman and Lisa Campen), were rather quiet this season, but we expect a return to the limelight by our favorite female fans next year.

STEVIE DIRT BLOG CONTRIBUTORS OF THE YEAR

2012: Tony Dunker
2011: Pat Dunker
2010: The Blonde Girls, Lori Klusman and Lisa Campen

The only driver who probably enjoyed the track’s switch to UMP sanctioning for its late models this year more than Dustin Griffin was Jason Perry. Perry won the track championship, but Griffin won the most money.

Griffin — a.k.a. The Black Car Superstar — won both the overall ($10,860) and points races ($9,270) money earned championships. Griffin’s totals would have been even higher, but he missed a handful of races due to engine problems. Two of those nights he missed were points races, and it would not be much of a stretch to say if he had been able to race he would have been the first driver since Mark Burgtorf in 2006 to top $10,000 in money won during points events.

Buoying some of this year’s late model money totals was the increase in the late model purse, starting at the top. First prize this year for the weekly points shows was $1,000, up from $700 during the IMCA era (1998-2011).

An interesting notes about this year’s top 10 late model money winners concerned Michael Long. Long finished fourth with $5,395 in points races and $5,845 for all events. Long was also among the top cash-checkers in the modifieds, and when adding his totals from that series he earned $9,965 in points races and $11,065 for all events. Those totals would make Long the top overall money winner at the track in each category.

In terms of career earnings (2006-12), Burgtorf’s total is in a time zone by itself. The most interesting name in this area is arguably Griffin, whose big season moved him just outside the top 10. Another season similar to 2012 for Griffin could move him up to as high as seventh next year.

2012 UMP SUPER LATE MODEL MONEY LEADERS
Points races only
1. Dustin Griffin, $9,270
2. Mark Burgtorf, 8,355
3. Jason Perry, $6,345
4. Michael Long, $5,395
5. Justin Reed, $5,320
6. Jim Moon, $4,250
7. Denny Woodworth, $3,570
8. Matt Bailey, $3,115
9. Jake Griffin, $3,055
10. Clint Kirkham, $2,365

All races
1. Dustin Griffin, $10,860
2. Brian Shirley, $9,185
3. Mark Burgtorf, $9,140
4. Jason Perry, $6,845
5. Michael Long, $5,845
6. Justin Reed, $5,820
7. Brandon Sheppard, $5,590
8. Jim Moon, $5,380
9. Denny Woodworth, $4,640
10. Jake Griffin, $3,955

YEARLY LEADERS
Points races only
2012: Dustin Griffin, $9,270
2011: Justin Reed, $4,420
2010: Denny Woodworth, $5,930
2009: Mark Burgtorf, $8,605
2008: Jason Frankel, $8,080
2007: Mark Burgtorf, $9,840
2006: Mark Burgtorf, $10,460

All races
2012: Dustin Griffin, $10,860
2011: Denny Woodworth, $8,540
2010: Denny Woodworth, $11,055
2009: Mark Burgtorf, $15,030
2008: Mark Burgtorf, $12,535
2007: Mark Burgtorf, $13,715
2006: Mark Burgtorf, $17,510

CAREER LEADERS
All races 2006-12
1. Mark Burgtorf, $79,800
2. Denny woodworth, $53,675
3. Justin Reed, $44,710
4. Jason Perry, $38,535
5. Lonnie Bailey, $38,525
6. Keith Pratt, $36,920
7. Joey Gower, $32,665
8. Bill Genenbacher, $30,395
9. Jason Frankel, $27,580
10. Matt Bailey, $27,225

Other drivers with minimum $20,000
Dustin Griffin, $24,545
Robby Warner, $22,780
Kevin Tomlinson, $20,000

SEASON LEADERS ($10,000 club)
All races
1. Mark Burgtorf, $17,510 (2006)
2. Mark Burgtorf, $15,030 (2009)
3. Mark Burgtorf, $13,175 (2007)
4. Mark Burgtorf, $12,535 (2008)
5. Denny Woodworth, $11,055 (2010)
6. Dustin Griffin, $10,860 (2012
7. Jason Frankel, $10,445 (2008)
8. Lonnie Bailey, $10,045 (2008)

Points races only ($8,000 club)
1. Mark Burgtorf, $10,460 (2006)
2. Mark Burgtorf, $9,840 (2007)
3. Dustin Griffin, $9,270 (2012)
4. Mark Burgtorf, $8,605 (2009)
5. Mark Burgtorf, $8,355 (2012)
6. Jason Frankel, $8,080 (2008)

Quincy Raceways officials announced Thursday night the termination of the hobby stock series and opened the door for those entries to merge with the stock car division.

The announcement came at a joint meeting of hobby stock and car drivers and owners at Kutter’s restaurant on the Quincy Riverfront.

About 40 drivers and owners from the two series attended he meeting.
Both series have been plagued by lower-than-expected car counts in recent seasons. Track officials felt the best move was to have the hobby stocks convert to stock cars to form one strong(er) class.

Jake Powers' 2012 track champion hobby stock is now a part of Quincy Raceways history. The hobby stock class was terminated Thursday night when track officials announced it would become part of the stock car series.

Drivers from both side of the equation were surprised, largely due to the fact the hobby stocks’ weekly car count (12) was higher than the stock cars (8). Those two classes had the lowest weekly averages of any of the six series at Quincy, which averaged 81 cars over the course of a 22-show season that ran on Sunday nights from April through September.

HOBBY STOCKS A “DYING” BREED

“The hobby stocks are a dying class, not only around here but everywhere,” chief steward Jake Croxton said. “We are simply trying to be proactive and look to the future for what is best for everyone — the track, the drivers and the fans.”

Croxton said the new track ownership group in Moberly, Mo., does not have hobby stocks on its 2013 lineup and that last year both Lee County Speedway in Donnelson, Iowa, and 34 Raceway in Burlington, Iowa, averaged less than 10 hobby stocks for their weekly shows.

Here’s a look at the average car counts of the two series in question since the inception of the stock cars in 2008 and since 2000 for the hobby stocks. The 31-car averages for 2000 and 2001 for the hobby stocks are track records.

STOCK CARS
2012: 8
2011: 8
2010: 10
2009: 14
2008: 14

HOBBY STOCKS (since 2000)
2012: 12
2011: 12
2010: 13
2009: 16
2008: 14
2007: 15
2006: 21
2005: 20
2004: 23
2002: 30
2001: 31
2000: 31

While the stock cars have struggled in Quincy the last three years following a strong start in 2008-09, track tech man Doug Miller said the decision to keep that series and try and strengthen it with the infusion of hobby stocks was a no-brainer. Much of the decision was centered around the IMCA affiliation of the stock cars, which offers state and national points, a better insurance package and more regional/national recognition.

“Quincy is the only IMCA track in Illinois,” he said.

Quincy is a UMP track for its late model and modified classes. It will be IMCA for the stock cars, sport mods and sport compacts.

Paul Holtschlag

CONVERSION COST FROM HOBBY STOCK TO STOCK CAR WAS KEY POINT

Miller said it will cost an average of $1,500 to $2,000 to convert a hobby stock to a stock car. Most of the cost would be tied to carburetor, wheel and tire changes. He said a switch from stock car to hobby stock would have been “much more expensive” because of the makeup of vehicle, but he could not pinpoint an exact figure.

“No matter what (the decision), there will be some expense,” co-track owner Paul Holtschlag said.

Hobby stock car owner Jerry Powers was one of the most outspoken against the decision to eliminate his class, saying it would take more than $6,000 to convert a “competitive” car.

Jerry Powers fields cars for his son, Jake Powers, who won this year’s hobby stock track championship. Jake Powers said he was uncertain what he would do for 2013.

“This kind of surprised me,” Jake Powers said.

Stock car track champ Terry Houston was all smiles when he found out his series did not get axed.

Nathan Hayes, also a hobby stock driver, said he was also surprised. He questioned the reasoning behind cutting the class with the larger car count, plus the conversion cost.

“For me to convert it would cost about $6,000,” Hayes said. “I might be better off building an outlaw motor and running Donnellson and Burlington.”

STOCK CAR DRIVERS WERE SURPRISED, TOO

Reigning stock car track champ Terry Houston said he expected his class to be the one axed and was prepared to have to make a decision for 2013 about where and what he would race.

“But it looks like I’m coming back to Quincy (in a stock car),” he said, with a smile.

Houston said he could understand why the decision was made to have the hobby stocks switch, pointing to the money issue. He agreed it would be cheaper to go from hobby stock to stock car, rather than vice versa.

Former track champ Abe Huls, who established a series record for features won this season, was elated with the news.

“It sounds great to me,” he said. “It wasn’t my class that got cut.”

BON VOYAGE, HOBBY STOCKS

Since the inception of the hobby stocks/bombers in 1987, there were 17 different drivers who won track titles. Steve Carlin (5) and Eddie Dieker (4) won the most. Bill Genenbacher and Jim Gillenwater each won two.

Here’s a look back at the past champions

Hobby Stocks
2012: Jake Powers
2011: Steve Carlin
2010: Steve Carlin
2009: Steve Carlin
2008: Aaron Brocksieck
2007: Todd Reichert

Bombers
2006: Steve Carlin
2005: Eddie Dieker
2004: Eddie Dieker
2003: Steve Carlin
2002: Eddie Dieker
2001: Dave Wietholder
2000: Bill Genenbacher
1999: Eddie Dieker
1998: Bill Genenbacher
1997: Jim Gillenwater
1996: Jim Gillenwater
1995: Virgil Hatfield
1994: Sam Burgtorf
1993: Bob Uppinghouse
1992: Harold Ketchum
1991: Junior Tuggle
1990: Danny Bevill
1989: Jerry Poor
1988: Mike Parsons
1987: Kenny Williams