Racing notebook: Examining favorites, contenders and what lies ahead for each weekly series

QUINCY — There will be no racing Sunday night at Adams County Speedway — hey, we all deserve a week off now and then — so it’s a good time to examine the five weekly series as they head toward the final four weeks of points racing.

The track champs will be crowned Aug. 28, but between now and then here’s a snapshot of what to keep an eye on:

Modifieds

The favorite: Without question, Austen Becerra is the man to beat. No other driver in any series has run off five victories in the last six weeks, including one in a borrowed car. Becerra has built a 37-point advantage over Dave Wietholder on the strength of that ongoing hot streak. The Becerra-Wietholder rivalry — which, by the way, is a week-to-week struggle between good friends — is one of the best over the past decade at the Bullring.

Top contender(s): Never count out Wietholder, a four-time defending champ. He arguably races his best when his back is against the wall, which it is going into the final month of the season.

Watch for in 2023: Shawn Deering should rejoin the title pursuit next year. He returned to racing this season, and much of 2022 has been spent getting reacclimated.

Sport mods

The favorite: This is the most balanced and deepest division at the speedway, complete with up-and-coming superstars aplenty dotting the weekly starting grid. That sapd, it’s veteran Adam Birck who is in command of the championship chase heading into the final four Sunday nights of points racing. There is no question Birck is the man to beat, but the Canton, Mo., hotshoe better not look in the rear-view mirror. The kids are coming, and they’re coming fast.

Top contender(s): Where do you start? Tanner Klingele, who trails Birck 456-426 in the points standings, likely has the best shot of overtaking the leader. Not far behind are Logan Cumby, Dakota Girard, A.J. Tournear, Michael Goodwin and Reed Wolfmeyer.

Watch for in 2023: This could be an absolutely monster class come next spring. The sport mods look destined to be the marquee division at the Adams County Speedway in the years to come, and we all owe a debt of gratitude for the 2022 class cementing what appears to be a bright, bright future.

Crate late models

The favorite: The late model lawyer himself, Denny Woodworth, holds an eye-popping 107-point advantage over his nearest challenger, Superman Sam Halstead. So barring Denny getting called away for business the entire month of August the title is his, which would be his sixth straight, including a fourth consecutive crate late model crown. Woodworth won the final two UMP era titles (2017-2016) before the speedway replaced the super open late models with the crates.

Top contender(s): Realistically, there are none.

Watch for in 2023: The continued evolution of young Darin Weisinger Jr., who will be part of a strong crate late model division. That growing number of cars over the second half of the season should carry through into 2023. It’s not out of the question that we’ll see an average of 20 crate lates on Sunday nights next season. The key for Quincy is its the only track in this region that runs Sunday evenings, which is attractive for points chasers like Chase Osterhoff of Kankakee.

4-Cylinders

The favorite: Wow. This is a tough one. There are three drivers still in the running and I’m leaning toward a rejuvenated Jeffrey DeLonjay, who currently sits one point (479-478) behind Jimmy Dutlinger.

Top contender(s): Kim Abbott has quietly crept into the title mix over the past month, and she still has a legitimate shot at her fourth track championship. She is currently 10 points from the top spot.

Watch for in 2023: Jaden DeLonjay. For a relative youngster, he’s fearless on the dirt.

Street stocks

The favorite: Rudy Zaragoza saw his four-feature win streak end last Sunday, but he’s still the man to beat, and judging by his points lead that is likely not to happen. Zaragoza holds a commanding 49-point advantage over Robert Thompson.

Top contender(s): The best “race” might be for who finishes second. Jake “The Snake” Powers and Brandon Boden are closing fast on Thompson and that runner-up points position. Powers and Thompson are both just seven points in back of Thompson.

Watch for in 2023: Assuming that Beau Taylor will be racing full-time next year, he might be the man to beat going into the ’23 season. Taylor got a late start to this year, but has had one of the dominant stock cars most weeks he’s been in the pits. 

Mark your calendar

Here are some dates to remember as the season nears the homestretch:

Aug. 21: The Sprint Invaders pay their first of two visits.

Aug. 28: The Pepsi Season Championship Races close the points racing. Track champs will be crowned this night.

Sept. 4: Fan Appreciation Night. More details on this will be released leading up to the event.

Sept. 16-17: Chad McCoy Memorial Races, featuring two nights of track-record payoffs for participating classes. Details on this dirt-track spectacular are still emerging. (Hint: Breakfast will be served 9-11 a.m. Sept. 17 at the track.)

Sept. 25: Sprint Invaders return for their season championship race, which will help bring down the curtain ion the 2022 campaign.