Racing notebook: Director of racing already planning for 2023 at Adams County Speedway

QUINCY — It’s never too early to start planning for 2023 if you are Blake Dotson, the director of racing at Adams County Speedway.

Since the weatherman was unkind last weekend when some heavier-than-expected overnight showers washed out Sunday’s program, Dotson had some extra time to look down the road with an eye toward not only the second half of the season, but next year, too.

Generally speaking, Dotson said, “We just want to keep building on what has come together this year. There have been a lot of positives.”

More specifically, Dotson voiced:

• Concern about the overall lack of stock cars, feeling the class would have grown more by this point of the season.

• Enthusiasm about the increasing number of crate late models, which should continue during the second half of the racing calendar.

• Excitement about the future of the modified classes and how local race fans may be able to whet their mod appetites even more in 2023.

“I’m kind of worried about the stock cars,” the 37-year-old Dotson said. “I love the class and the fans seem to love the class. I just thought we’d have more cars.”

The series has been averaging 10 cars per week, which according to Dotson is about the norm at most tracks across the region. (Although one track, 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, has opted to cut the series, according to Dotson, due to low car counts.)

Dotson emphasizes there are no plans to cut the series from the 2023 Quincy schedule, feeling patience remains a key.

“I know there are two, and maybe three cars being worked on to get them ready for next year,” Dotson said.

The class that was undoubtedly hurt the most by last Sunday’s rainout at 8000 Broadway were the crate late models.

“We would have had between 15 and 17 late models … that’s what makes that rainout so frustrating,” Dotson said. “We should have about 12 this week.”

That washout was the track’s first full program rained out since May 15.

The late model counts have steadily improved as the season has progressed, drawing cars from both the Jacksonville and southeast Iowa areas.

“Once we sanctioned the late models with UMP it really helped,” Dotson said. “I think we’ll soon be averaging 12 to 15 late models a week. Things are really looking good in the class, especially looking toward next year.”

Dotson said track officials are already working on plans to add more modified racing to next year’s docket, probably with the UMP Open “B” Mods.

“Right now, we’re thinking about having the open mods like once a month,” Dotson said.

The sport mods have arguably provided the best overall racing of any series at the track. It is the only class with four drivers showing two or more feature wins.

“Both of the modified series have actually put on a great show this season, and when we had the open mods in a few weeks ago everyone seemed to enjoy them, too.”

New duties

The job Dotson has done as a first-year race director has not been lost. He was recently asked to assume the same duties for the MARS super late model organization. (The MARS cars were at Quincy May 22 when Tommy Sheppard Jr. won the feature.)

Local fans should not worry about Dotson leaving his duties at Quincy. He’ll be able to do both, and he makes it clear he wants to be involved in the continued resurrection of Adams County Speedway as a force among dirt tracks across the region.

Dotson was the senior flagman at the track in 2018-19, prior to the site’s shutdown due to the pandemic and ensuing management problems. He agreed to become race director at the request of Jimmy Lieurance, who with his wife, Tammy, took over operational duties at the speedway late last year.

September spectacular

Adams County Speedway will host a two-day weekend dirt-track gala Sept. 16-17, spotlighting “A” modifieds, the HART series “B” mods and 4-Cylinder cars.

The “A” mods will be running for $4,545 to win, the 4-Cylinders $4,000 to win and the HART series $1,000 to win.

Sunday night schedule

All five classes will be in action Sunday. Racing is scheduled to start around 6 p.m., give or take a few hot laps.

Point leaders

Here are the series points leaders going into this week are:

Crate late models — Denny Woodworth 570, Sam Halstead 473.

Modifieds — Austen Becerra 681, Dave Wietholder 654.

Sport mods — Adam Birck 419, Tanner Klingele 401.

Street stocks — Rudy Zaragoza 382, Robert Thompson 340.

4-Cylinders — Jimmy Dutlinger 430, Jeffrey DeLonjay 438.