Love and support: Adams County Speedway drivers and fans collect donations for injured driver

QUINCY — On this particular Sunday night, the emphasis was not on racing at Adams County Speedway.

Drivers and fans alike gave from their collective heart — and wallets — in support of modified driver Nick Hoffman, who has posted two feature victories this season at the track, the most recent on August 21.

The 30-year-old Hoffman, a five-time modified national champion, frequent dirt late model competitor and native of Belleville, Ill., remains in critical condition at an unidentified Kentucky hospital following a Sept. 1 highway collision somewhere between Tennessee and Farmer City (Ill.) Speedway, where he had been scheduled to compete Sept. 2. 

Hoffman’s race team hauler collided late at night with a semi-truck. Reports say Hoffman has swelling on the right side of his brain and will likely need surgery once the swelling goes down. Hoffman also suffered a broken jaw. His father, Darrell Huffman, who was riding with him, sustained a broken vertebrae in his back, according to a variety of media reports.

Quincy modified drivers went through the stands at intermission Sunday evening, accepting donations to aid the Hoffman family. Fans gave $2,778.

“Everyone in the racing world is pulling for Nick and his family,” driver Kenny Wallace said. “We hate what has happened.”

Wallace said compounding an already dire situation is that Hoffman is a full-time racer.

“Racing pays the bills (for the Hoffmans), and Nick will not be racing again for a long time,” Wallace said. “He has a cracked skull, blood on the brain … he has a long way to go, and his father has a broken back.”

Wallace will deliver a check from the speedway to the Hoffman family early this week.

Jimmy Lieurance and and his wife, Tammy, first-year operators of Adams County Speedway, lauded the fans for their support of Hoffman.

“After the drivers collected the money from the fans, they all told me they could not believe the way Quincy people wanted to help,” Jimmy Lieurance said. “They all called (the Quincy fans) amazing.”

Michelle Webster, who is a daughter of Jimmy and Tammy Lieurance and coordinates scorekeeping on Sunday nights, helped count the funds that were donated. She was admittedly surprised by the amount of money fans put in the drivers’ racing helmets that were used as collection plates.

“There were even $100 bills and $50 bills,” she said.

Wallace addressed the speedway crowd after the money was counted.

“You fans are awesome!” he said, his voice filled with emotion. “I love you, Adams County Speedway.”

Doug Mealy, the longtime announcer at the track and a former late model driver, agreed with Wallace.

“This kind of support should not come as a surprise,” Mealy said. “Some of the greatest people in the world are race fans.”

On the track Sunday night, feature winners were Denny Woodworth in crate late models, Shawn Deering in modifieds, Jake Powers in Street stocks, Jalen DeLonjay in 4-Cylinders and Sean Wyett in the Hart Series for limited modifieds/sport mods.

Woodworth led 18 of 20 feature laps for his fifth feature victory of the season, outdistancing Braden Bilger, Darin Weisinger Jr. and Cody Maguire. Woodworth, who also won a heat race, leads all crate late drivers with 12 total victories. He won his ninth overall track title a week earlier.

Deering emerged from a mad dash to the finish line coming out of turn four in the final lap of the mod main event. Deering edged Jacob Rexing by .086 of a second at the finish line for his first feature win of the summer and fifth of his career. Wallace and Rick Conoyer rounded out the top four.

Powers got past Steve Grotz with a little bump-and-run on lap 14 of the 15-lap street stock finale.

“I wish I could have (made the pass) a little cleaner,” Powers said. “I thought I had him cleared … but it is what it is.”

Steve Dieckmann and track champ Rudy Zaragoza completed the top four finishers.

Jaden DeLonjay’s 4-Cylinder checkered flag was his first of the season. He finished one spot better than brother Jeffrey DeLonjay, who wrapped up the series championship a week earlier. Kim Abbott and Jimmy Dutlinger rounded out the top four.

Wyett earned his first win of the season at the Bullring when then-leader Tanner Klingele’s driveshaft failed with just four laps to go in between turns one and two. Wyett, who was well behind Klingele at the time, was able to take over first and turn back Michael Goodwin, Josh Holtman and Reed Wolfmeyer. 

“I hated to see Tanner fall out,” Wyett said. “I was looking forward to racing him to the end … but (stuff) happens.”

Track record

Rexing established a new track modified qualifying record with his 14.038-second lap, replacing Michael Long’s 14.153 circuit in 2010.

Rexing’s lap equaled 75.652 mph.

Speaking of qualifying, for the first time this season the 4-Cylinders were put to the clock prior to the start of racing. Jake Houston posted the fastest lap of 16.658 seconds, which translated to 63.753 mph.