Late-race charge carries Sheppard to checkered flag in super late model special

QUINCY — Tommy Sheppard Jr. saved his best for last.

Actually, the last four laps.

Sheppard dazzled Sunday night’s big turnout at Adams County Speedway with a late-race charge that admittedly stunned frontrunners Ryan Unzicker and Jason Feger.

Sheppard, who had been a bottom feeder throughout the 40-lap MARS super late model special, spent most of the event surgically working his way through the pack and into contention. And then while Unzicker and Feger were waging their own private war on the upper half of the .29-mile dirt track, Sheppard slipped past both down low on lap 37 and hung on for the victory.

Sheppard collected $7,300 for the victory. Unzicker’s second-place check was for $3,150. Feger pocketed $1,555 for third place.

Any of the top three top cars, who were all battling lapped traffic as well as one another, was in position to win one of the most memorable big-show features in the speedway’s 46-year history.

The crowd estimated at more than 3,000 gave all three drivers a well-deserved ovation.

“This is absolutely unbelievable, absolutely insane,” said the 29-year-old Sheppard, the cousin of super late model superstar Brandon Sheppard. Both of the Sheppards are from New Berlin, Ill.

Neither Unzicker (a.k.a. the “El Paso Express”) or Feger (the “High Side Hustler”) could do anything but pay tribute to Sheppard.

“I didn’t even see (Sheppard) coming,” Unzicker said.

“What a race!” Feger added. “Tommy went right by us.”

Unzicker and Feger are established names on the national late model scene, while Sheppard is in his rookie season in a super late model. And for the record, Sheppard doesn’t even have a nickname — yet

“I started 10th, but the car just kept getting better and better,” Sheppard said. “I was running down (Unzicker and Feger), but I didn’t think I could get to them. I just stayed low.”

Unzicker called the feature “a heckuva show.”

“It was fun to be back in Quincy again,” he said. “This is a heckuva race track.”

Feger admitted to being frustrated by his third-place finish after he controlled the first half of the race, but slipped the cushion on turn four with 19 laps to go. That’s when Unzicker zipped past him for the lead and held the top spot until Sheppard overtook him four laps from the checkered flag.

“It was frustrating to let (the win) get away,” Feger said.

The handling seemed to go away from Feger’s car during the second half of the feature.

“I was holding on as much as I could,” said Feger, who despite losing the lead late had no complaints about the night. “I was glad to be back in Quncy, and it was an awesome crowd. I’m glad to see this place operating again.”

Rounding out the top five late models were Mike Spatola of Manhattan Ill., and Jake Little of Springfield, Ill.

Late model drivers from five states and one foreign country filled the pits. States represented were Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana and Kentucky. Paul Stubber was also on hand, a native of Wanneroo, Australia, who finished 13th in the main event.

The top local finisher was Camp Point’s Justin Reed, who was ninth. Reed won the 2011 track title, the last year Quincy was an IMCA facility. In recent years, he has been concentrating on special events throughout the Midwest and recently won a $5,000 race in Peoria.

Other local entries included Ricky Frankel (18th) of Quincy, Darin Weisinger Jr. (20th) of Mendon, Spencer Coats (21st) of LaGrange, Mo., Denny Woodworth (22nd) of Mendon and Jason Oenning (23rd) of Ursa.

Heat winners were Unzicker, Feger and Joe Godsey of Edinburg, Ind.

Other Sunday night feature winners included Kyle Steffens, who outlasted Austen Becerra and Dave Wietholder. Heat winners were Steffens and Kenny Wallace.

Logan Cumby won his second sport mod feature, turning back a late charge from Adam Birck and Shane Paris. Checkered flags in the heat races belonged to Paris, Cumby and Birck.

“I knew (Birck and Paris) were back there, but I just kept focusing on my marks,” Cumby said.

Cumby led from start to finish on a slick track.

“I’ve never liked slick tracks before … but all of a sudden I do,” he said.

Michael Grossman overtook Jeffery DeLonjay to claim the 4-Cylinder feature. Nick Johnson was third. Heat winners were Austin Harris, Dallas Strauch, Johnson and Jaden DeLonjay.

The 91 cars signed in Sunday night represented a season high. Two of the regular weekly classes — crate late models and street stocks — were not scheduled or the count would have easily hit the century mark for the first time in more than 10 years.

The weekly car count average is now at 75.8. The 4-Cylinder class pulled a season best for any 

series at 32 entries and is now averaging 25.8.

Points leaders

Modifieds: Dave Wietholder 285, Austen Becerra 270, Mike Vanderiet Jr. 240, Kenny Wallace 200, Levi Long 174.

Sport mods: Adam Birck 192, Nicholas Profeta 179, Tanner Klingele 178, Logan Cumby 176, Michael Goodwin 164, Dakota Girard 163, Josh Holtman 157, Joe Bliven 146, A.J. Tournear 146, Austin Poage 144.

4-Cylinders: Jeffery DeLonjay 159, Jimmy Dutlinger 144, Nick Johnson 132, Kim Abbott 131, Jaden DeLonjay 128. 

Crate late models: Did not race.

Street stocks: Did not race.