Wallace’s return another boon for Adams County Speedway’s rebirth

QUINCY — The comeback track has another fan.

Former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace, a St. Louis native who these days keeps himself busy driving a dirt-track modified, showed up unannounced Sunday night at Adams County Speedway.

Wallace knew of the track’s recent troubled past — it had been shuttered since late 2019 — and felt it important to make the drive north in a show of support of new owners Jimmy and Tammy Lieurance.

“I am so glad this track is back, back from the dead,” the 58-year-old Wallace said. “I’m excited about this and I will be back here whenever I can. I wanted to show my appreciation (to the Lieurances) for what they are doing. I don’t want to see Quincy shut down again.”

Wallace, who had raced at the Broadway Bullring a handful of times over the past two decades, is quite familiar with the .29-mile facility. His older brother Mike, 63, was a Quincy regular at one time in the 1980s, and his nephew, Stephen, also raced at Quincy. Mike Wallace finished second to track legend Steve Fraise in the 1983 late model points championship, a time when Kenny Wallace was working as a pit crew member for his older brother.

“I might be back here next week,” said Kenny Wallace, the 1989 NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year and a three-time most popular Busch Series driver. “The racing surface here is great.”

Wallace said this time of the year is always difficult for racers. April is usually filled with rainouts, so when May arrives most dirt-trackers are ecstatic.

“It’s May now, and it’s time for racing,” he said.

Wallace, who was one of 85 racers on hand, piloted his familiar No. 36 to a hard-earned win in the 20-lap modified feature, warding off Dave Wietholder, Austen Becerra, Mike Vandriet and Cris Spalding. Wallace and Wietholder also won heat races.

“This win means a lot,” said Wallace, who led flag to flag despite strong challenges from both Wietholder and Becerra. “Dave is one of the fastest drivers in the midwest, and he helped me out tonight when it came to setting the car up, and I’ll help him out the next time he races down at Granite City.”

Wietholder had the fastest qualifying lap at 14.309 seconds, just ahead of Wallace’s 14.432. The modifieds are the only class at Quincy that qualifies.

Other feature winners included Denny Woolworth in late models, Logan Cumby in sport mods, Robert Cottom in Street Stocks and Jeffrey DeLonjay in 4-Cylinders.

Cottom has won both Street Stock main events and led a combined 30 of 30 feature laps in the process.

“I got out in front early and got where I wanted to be,” Cottom said.

The only issue he had during his second straight feature victory was with lapped traffic in the final stages of the race,

“I had to change things up a little when I got into the lappers,” Cottom said.

Rudy Saragoza, Robert Thompson and Pete Stodgell rounded out the top four in Street Stocks. Leremy Jackson and Steve Grotz produced heat victories.

Woodworth overwhelmed the late model field, leading much of the 18-lap feature by nearly half of a track. Week one feature winner Sam Halstead finished second, Ray Raker third and Darin Weisinger Jr. fourth. Woodworth and Halstead were heat winners.

DeLonjay’s second straight 4-Cylinder checkered flag saw him take command over the closing four laps to overpower Michael Grossman, Cyle Hawkins and Jeremy Reed in a 28-car main event.

DeLonjay was asked after the race if he would be open to a bounty race next Sunday.

“That’s up to the fans,” he said.

Sure enough, minutes later track promoter Jimmy Lieurance made the announcement a $100 bounty had been placed on DeLonjay, meaning any other driver in the field wins the feature it will be an extra $100 payout.

“The fan wants to remain anonymous,” Lieurance told Muddy River Sports.

DeLonjay, Jeremy Hanock and Grossman and Reed claimed heat victories.

Cumby rebounded from a 16th-place feature finish on opening night to win the 24-car sport mod finale, leading the final 11 circuits ahead of Logan Anderson, week one winner Shane Paris and Adam Birck.

Tanner Klingele, Cumby and Anderson drove to heat victories.

Points leaders

Here’s who is leading the points classes after Sunday night:

Late models: Denny Woodworth 145, Sam Halstead 145, Darin Weisinger Jr. 120, Spencer Coats 115.

Modifieds: Dave Wietholder 145, Austen Becerra 135, Mike Vanderiet Jr. 125, Brandyn Ryan 102, Levin Long 99.

Sport Mods: Shane Paris 78, Adam Birck 74, Dakota Girard, 74, Nicholas Profeta 71, Michael Goodwin 70, Tanner Klingele 67, Logan Cumby 65, Josh Hoffman 60, Quinton Shelton 59, A.J. Tournear 56.

Street Stocks: Robert Cottom 80, Leremy Jasckson, 74, Ruidy Zaragoza 73, Robert Thompson 73, Jake Powers 72, Steve Grotz 68, Brandon Boden 67.

4-Cylinders: Jeffrey DeLonjay 80, Cyle Hawkins 76, Jimmy Dutlinger 73, Kim Abbott 69.