Meet-and-greet allows race fans to become as excited as drivers for upcoming Speedway season

QUINCY — The excitement in Tanner Klingele’s voice made it perfectly clear the dirt-track racing season is drawing close.

Klingele, who will be a contender in the rugged sport mod class at Adams County Speedway, was one of the drivers on hand Saturday at the first day of the annual preseason race show at the Quincy Town Center.

Klingele’s anticipation for the upcoming season, which is scheduled to start April 2, is partially built on what he experienced a year ago when racing returned to the .29-mile track after a two-year absence.

“It was so great to look into the stands last year and see the big crowds again,” he said. “It was great to see it all come back after watching it all shrink away.”

Klingele’s familiar No. 73 yellow sport mod was one of 28 cars, plus about a half-dozen go-karts, to fill the Town Center for the annual equivalent of a meet-and-greet with hundreds of local race fans who made their way to the show. The event continues through 5 p.m. Sunday.

Klingele has accomplished most everything in the “14 or 15 years” he’s been racing except winning a track championship at Adams County Speedway, which was known as Quincy Raceways from 1975 to its shutdown after the 2019 season.

“Our only goal each year is to try and win more races than we did the year before,” said the 28-year-old Quincy resident, who was runner-up in 2022 to sport mod track champ Adam Birck of Canton, Mo. “The sport mods are stronger than they’ve ever been.”

Klingele feels there are up to eight sport mod drivers who could win the feature on any given Sunday night at 8000 Broadway.

“It’s a deep class. It’s crazy. It’s going to be a stacked field every week,” he said.

Jim and Tammy Lieurance, who are beginning their second year operating the track, are admittedly as excited as the drivers to get the season underway, but they know they’ll need some assistance from the weatherman.

“The perfect scenario this week will be sunshine and no rain,” Jim Lieurance said. “If there is no rain, there will be no issue.”

Lieurance is expecting fields of 14-16 crate late models, 20-22 modifieds, 22-24 sport mods, 12-14 stock cars and about 20 4-Cylinder cars in the early weeks of the season. He said those numbers should climb as the season progresses. A year ago, the track averaged 78.5 cars per session.

Kim Abbott is hoping to improve on a third-place points finish in the 4-Cylinders. She finished behind champion Jeffrey DeLonjay of Quincy and Jimmy Dutlinger of Peoria. The top three drivers were separated by just eight points.

Abbott, who has three track titles at Quincy and three runner-up points finishes on her resume, said her success on the track is still a surprise to many.

“A lot of people don’t even know I race, including my customers — they are always surprised when they find out,” said the 29-year-old Abbott who is a nail specialist at New Attitudes in Camp Point.

Abbott will have two cars ready for the upcoming season, both adorned with her No. 71. She has a Honda Civic Hatchback on display at the Town Center and her more familiar Pontiac Sunfire at home. 

Dave Wietholder, always one of the most popular drivers at the track, spent most of his Saturday conversing with fans near his orange and black No. 05 modified.

Wietholder is a five-time track champ, four of the titles in a modified and one in a bomber. His string of four straight modified track championships was snapped last summer when he finished runner-up to Austin Becerra.

“The only goal I have every year is to win every race that I can,” said Wietholder, who may also drive a midget car at Spoon River Speedway in Lewistown, Ill.

Wietholder is sixth all-time at the track in championships won, trailing only Mark Burgtorf (16), Hank DeLonjay (13), Steve Fraise (9), Denny Woodworth (9) and Steven DeLonjay (6).