Becerra cashes in on daring last-lap move to win Chad McCoy Memorial Race

QUINCY — For a chance to win some big cash, Austen Becerra felt he had to take a chance on a big crash.

The Carthage modified driver pulled off a successful kamikaze-like maneuver coming out of turn four on the 45th and final lap of Friday night’s fourth annual Chad McCoy Memorial Race at Adams County Speedway. It was not a move for the faint of heart.

Becerra barreled out of the corner and shot to the inside of then-race leader Treb Jacoby of O’Fallon, Mo., as the two headed down the front straight toward the checkered flag.

The right front side of Becerra’s car kissed the front left of Jacob’s ride as the two slammed and banged their way toward the finish line. During the rather frantic ending to what had been a marvelous main event right from the start, the two cars’ body-checking tactics also saw Jacob’s hot rod bounce off the retaining fence just prior to reaching the finish.   

Becerra won the 18-car feature by .001 of a second.

“That was a helluva race,” Becerra said. “It must have been a helluva show for the fans.”

Jacob had led the previous 14 laps before Becerra was able to reel him in on the next-to-last circuit, setting up the highly entertaining last lap.

“We were racing for the (big money),” Becerra said. “We had to go for it.”

Becerra unofficially earned $4,645 for the victory, including lap-leading money.

Becerra, who started sixth, said his car was tight early in the race, but he was eventually able to overcome that drawback and lead for nine laps prior to Jacob taking command. 

“We did what we had to do,” said Becerra, whose feature win was his third straight and fourth of the season.

Michael Long of Fowler had controlled the first 21 laps of the race before Becerra was able to run him down. Becerra and Long also bounced off another in a feature where the meek had no business being at the front of this pack.  

Long finished third, followed by Dave Wietholder of Liberty and Jacob Rexing of Brighton.

Long, Jacoby and Steve Picou won the mod heats. 

Jacoby unofficially pocketed $2,175, Long $1,255, Wietholder $845 and Rexing $745.

Friday night’s other five feature winners included Christian Miles in the crate late models, Patrick Phillips in the sport mods, Rexing in the stock cars, Jeffrey DeLonjay in the 4-Cylinders and Jacob Jones in the Crown Vics.

Miles’ feature victory was the first of his career. The 17-year-old driver from Paloma led all 25 laps while holding off Jason Perry, Denny Woodworth and Tommy Elston.

Miles earned $1,295 for his first-place finish.

“The car’s been getting better and better,” Miles said. “I’ve been waiting for this … I can’t believe it has happened.”

Miles’ heat-race victory earlier in the evening made it a perfect night for the second-year hotshoe. Woodworth won the other crate late heat.

Phillips led the final six laps of the sport mod feature, overtaking Reed Wolfmeyer, who had dominated the opening 14 laps. Phillips’ payday was $905.

Logan Cumby wound up second, Wolfmeyer third and Matthew Edler fourth. Cumby and Wolfmeyer won the heats.

Rexing’s victory in the stock feature was his fourth of the season and earned him $775. Rudy Zaragoza, Cody Kitselman and Beau Taylor rounded out the top four.

Rexing’s win helped soothe the disappointment from last Sunday when he was leading for more than half the feature. He felt he let that victory slip away, eventually ending up second to Robert Cottom.

“I wanted this one bad,” Rexing said. “That was a heartbreaking loss … but afterward we did what we needed to do — we went back to work. We never stop working.

“This is an awesome race car. I just get to hold the wheel. I just hope we keep clicking the rest of the year.”

Picking up stock heat wins were Rexing and Levi long.

Jeffrey DeLonjay returned to victory lane in the 4-Cylinder division, gaining his first win since May 19. He led the final 10 laps of the feature after his brother, Jaden DeLonjay was forced from the race with mechanical problems after dominating the first five laps. Jaden DeLonjay had won the previous two features.

Jordan DeLonjay finished second and Kim Abbott third.

Jeffrey DeLonjay also won the 4-Cylinder heat race.

Jones’ feature win in the Crown Vics class was his second in a row and third of the season. Jake Etter was second and Dakota Damron third. Etter won the heat race.

Friday night notes

• Long’s 13.814-second qualifying time was the fastest of the season for the modifieds. Interestingly, no fast qualifier has yet to win a feature. Long’s time was the best in  the brief history of the Chad McCoy Memorial.

• Becerra (modified) and Rexing (stocks) are tied for the most feature victories (4) in one class, although Rexing has five overall when counting his main-event win in a modified.

• Becerra now shows $8,990 won this season to lead all classes at the track. The total puts him within striking distance of the all-time modified record of $11,620 that he established in 2023. 

• Former track champ Eddie Dieker raced for the first time in more than 15 years when he was behind the wheel of Jake Powers’ stock car. Dieker finished fifth in the feature after a runner-up showing in a heat race. Dieker won championships in the old bomber division in 2005, 2004, 2002 and 1999. He was runner-up in 2003 and 2001.

• Points racing resumes Sunday night in all six weekly classes. Hot laps are scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

• One of the tightest money-earned races is in the sport mod class. Tanner Klingele ($2,995), Wolfmeyer ($2,795) and Cumby ($2,695) are the top three.

• Rexing and Jeffrey DeLonjay have now won back-to-back Chad McCoy Memorial main events.

Chad McCoy Memorial Race winners

Modifieds

2024 — Austen Becerra, Carthage, Ill.

2023 — Trevor Neville, Mackinaw, Ill.

2022 — Tyler Nicely, Owensboro, Ky.

2021 — Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.

Sport Mods

2024 — Patrick Phillips, Macomb, Ill.

2023 — Damian Kiefer, Ste. Genevieve, Mo.

2022 — Austen Becerra, Carthage, Ill.

2021 — Cole Campbell, Mexico, Mo.

Late models

2024 — Christian Miles, Paloma, Ill.

2023 — Tommy Elston, Keokuk, Iowa

Stocks

2024 — Jacob Rexing, Brighton, Ill.

2023 — Jacob Rexing, Brighton, Ill.

2021 — Louis Lynch, Glenwood, Mo.

4-cylinders

2024 — Jeffrey DeLonjay, Quincy, Ill.

2023 — Jeffrey DeLonjay, Quincy, Ill.

2022 — Kim Abbott, Camp Point, Ill.

2021 — Kyle Burton, Clark, Mo.