Becerra completes three-peat with modified track championship, Klingele wins first sport mod crown

QUINCY — Austen Becerra provided the perfect punctuation for his three-peat.

Becerra rallied in the closing laps to both get past and turn back a trio of challengers in Sunday night’s modified feature, capping his latest run to a track title with a slam-bang win in the main event on Championship Night at Adams County Speedway.

Becerra outmuscled — and, yes, traded a little paint, too — before crossing the finish line ahead of Rick Conoyer, Dave Wietholder and Trevor Neville. Both Wietholder and Neville led the feature at different intervals.

Becerra’s series-best sixth feature victory gave him a 20-point margin (806-788) in the final driver standings over Wietholder. Becerra has won three straight modified crowns and five overall track championships. Only five drivers have won six or more titles at 8000 Broadway, a track whose history dates to 1975.

Becerra spent most of the race battling Wietholder and then Neville.

“That was a helluva race,” Becerra said. “Going in, I figured (Neville) was the car to beat.”

Admittedly, Becerra struggled during the first half of the 20-lap event, but remained close enough to the front to be in position for a late charge.

“Early on, I didn’t know what to think, but I kind of figured it out,” Becerra said. “This (division) had one of the closest points races. Pretty cool.”

Becerra’s victory was worth $800, which moved his season earnings to a series record $13,170, which is also the fourth-highest total for all series in track history. Late model driver Mark Burgtorf has the three highest earnings figures at $17,510 (2006), $15,030 (2009) and $13,715 (2007).

For Wietholder, who has four modified track titles (and five overall) to his credit, this marked the fourth time he finished runner-up in mod points and the second time in three years.

Other track champs crowned Sunday night included Jason Perry in crate late models, Tanner Klingele in sport mods, Rexing in stock cars, Jaden DeLonjay in 4-Cylinders and Jacob Jones in Crown Vics.

Capturing the other features were Tommy Elston in crate lates, Klingele in sport mods, Rexing in stock cars, Matthew Mackey in 4-Cylinders and Glen Wiley in Crown Vics.

Klingele’s track title came after four runner-up points finishes in recent years. He led the final 11 laps, outdistancing Reed Wolfmeyer, A.J. Tournear and Logan Cumby to the checkered flag.

The victory also ended a winless streak that dated to mid-May. Klingele won the first two sport features of the season, but despite one steady finish after another since then, he had failed to collect another victory — until Sunday night.

“It kind of stunk having not won since (May 19), but I guess tonight was the night to do it,” Klingele said.

Once Klingele climbed to the top, he kept the remainder of the field at arm’s length.

“It was a bit sketchy for the first couple of laps,” he said of his effort early in the feature.

Klingele and Wolfmeyer, who finished second in points for a second straight season, each produced three points-paying feature wins. Klingele finished four points (384-380) ahead of Wolfmeyer. Defending champ Cumby (373) was third and Tournear (365) fourth.

Klingele’s $600 payday boosts his season total to a sport mod-best $4,885. 

Perry’s title was his first since 2012. He finished runner-up in the feature to Elston, who won the crown in 2023 and led all 25 laps Sunday night.

“The track had some character tonight,” Elston said. “It was racy. We had a good time all year racing in this class, and congrats to Jason.”

Perry was the dominant figure in the crate lates over the second half of the season. He wound up with a series-best four feature victories, and his first-place finishes Aug. 11 and 18 cemented his bid to win his first championship in 12 years. Perry’s first title came in the first year the track was under UMP sanctioning.

Perry wound up with a 10-point (723-713) margin over Elston. Denny Woodworth (693) and Jamie Wilson (620) were third and fourth, respectively.

Perry is also the leading money-winner among the crate late drivers with $6,170, having earned $800 Sunday evening. Elston  ($5,970) and Woodworth ($5,445) are next in line.

Rexing’s stock-car title is his first at the track. His championship-clinching feature victory upped his season win total to a track-best 20 (counting both stock car and modified features and heats).

Rexing drove away from Rudy Zaragoza, Levi Long and Rickey Frankel III for a comfortable win in the feature. Rexing (458), Frankel III (430) and Cottom (419) were atop the final points chart.

“It feels really good to get it done,” Rexing said. “Once the tires came in, the car was really good. This wouldn’t have been possible without my boys who bust their butts every week to give me one bad-ass hot rod.

‘We wanted that championship really bad.”

Rexing’s $375 payday upped his season total to $3,975. Robert Cottom ($2,950) and Zaragoza ($2,470) follow.

Mackey’s feature win was his second straight in the 4-Cylinders and fourth of the season, but the night still belonged to DeLonjay, who despite a fourth-place finish in the main event was able to celebrate his first track title. DeLonjay had the championship wrapped up prior to Sunday night’s racing.

DeLoinjay (802), Kim Abbott (647) and Landon Neisen (598) were the top three in points. DeLonjay also leads series money winners with $2,440.

Wiley’s feature in the Crown Vics class was his first of the season and worth $200, but the key finisher was runner-up Jacob Jones, who clinched the series title with that placement. Jones (291) edged fourth-place finisher Brian Kaylor (288) by three points for the track title. Jones is also the leading money-earner with $1,020.

Notes

• Veteran sport mod driver Jim Powell of Hannibal, Mo., announced Sunday this would be his final season.

• Eddie Dieker, who won four bomber track titles before retiring after the 2005 season, came out of retirement (again) to drive a modified Sunday night. Dieker made an appearance earlier in the season in a stock car.

• The stock car series has now produced nine different champs in the last nine seasons.

• Abbott’s runner-up finish in 4-Cylinder points marked the fourth second-place finish of her career. Over the past 11 seasons, the Camp Point beautician has finished first or second in points seven times since 2012. 

• Wolfmeyer’s second straight runner-up points finish in the sport mods puts him in position to match an unusual track record. The only drivers in track history to finish second in points three straight seasons have been Brandon Lambert (2015-17, sport compacts), Abbott (2012-14, sport compacts) and Adam Birck (2004-06, bombers).