Racing notebook: Trends emerging in each class at Adams County Speedway

QUINCY — We are only two weeks into the Adams County Speedway dirt-track season, yet there are some specific trends already emerging.

Let’s see if we can get a glimpse of the horizon by examining the here-and-now, class by class:

Stock cars

This just might be the most balanced of the current five classes. Don’t forget, the Crown Vics begin later this month, which will mean six weekly classes.

There appears to be four legitimate title contenders in the stocks, and those four drivers are all bunched within two points of one another going into Sunday night. Looking down the road, I’ll be shocked if this title race doesn’t go down to the final feature four months from now.

Jacob Rexing, Robert Cottom, Rickey Frankel III and Rudy Zaragoza all have the talent — and the equipment — to win the big iron.

Rexing has been a welcome addition to the track lineup since arriving last year. Rexing, who now competes in both the stocks and modifieds, has eyes on both championships. He ran full-time in the mods in 2023 and dabbled in the stocks near the end of last season.

During Rexing’s rookie season at the Bullring, he flashed the necessary talent to win both titles. He wound up runner-up to Austen Becerra in the modifieds and demonstrated a championship-worthy stock car when he brought that power plant to the track late in the season.

His goals are simple as 2024 begins to unfold.

“I couldn’t wait to come back here and get the job done,” he said.

It should be exciting to watch him try to win two championships in the same season, a feat that has never been accomplished at the track.

The wild card in this year’s tile mix is the young Frankel, who finished eighth in stock points during his rookie season. He has opened this season by running consistently at the front of the pack, which is exactly where I imagine he’ll stay.

One thing is for certain — there will be a new track champ since Jake Powers is opting out of a regular schedule this season. Powers also won the track title in 2018 and recorded runner-up finishes in 2022 and 2014.

Stevie Dirt Stock Car Rankings

1. Jacob Rexing

2. Robert Cottom 

3. Rudy Zaragoza

4. Rickey Frankel III

5. Levi Long

Modifieds

Entering the season, the overwhelming favorite to win a third straight track title was Austen Becerra.

But a funny thing happened on the way to Becerra’s expected cakewalk to another crown. Due to assorted on-track woes on opening night, he finished 20th in the feature and found himself buried in the early season points standings.

Becerra, however, bounced back a week ago when he dominated the main event and was able to climb back into contention. But he still finds himself 29 points in back of Dave Wietholder, a four-time champ in the series and the owner of a new hot rod that looks fast.

The Becerra-Wietholder rivalry should be interesting to watch this spring, summer and fall. Realistically, Wietholder and Rexing, who currently sits fourth in points, figure to be the chief challengers to Becerra extending his championship run.

Stevie Dirt Modified Rankings

1. Dave Wietholder

2. Austen Becerra

3. Jacob Rexing

4. Mike Vanderiet Jr.

5. Shawn Deering

Crate Late Models

This is going to be a lot of fun. Watching how the crate lates play out this season might provide more fun than a human being should have. 

Several months from now, we might look back at the May 12 feature as a key moment in the 2024 points chase. That will be remembered as the night when preseason favorites Tommy Elston and Denny Woodworth opened the year with 18th and ninth-place finishes, respectively. Will they be able to eventually dig themselves out of those holes? Watching this particular dirt-track soap opera unfold should be particularly fun.

While Elston and Woodworth struggled that night, Jamie Wilson and Jason Perry firmly established themselves as championship contenders. Wilson is pursuing his first track title, while Perry is trying to lock down a late model championship for the first time since 2012.

Stevie Dirt Crate Late Model Rankings

1. Jamie Wilson

2. Jason Perry

3. Sam Halstead

4. Denny Woodworth   

5. Tommy Elston

4-Cylinders

The best race in this division might be to see who finishes third in points. The DeLonjay brothers — two-time defending champ Jeffrey and little brother Jaden — look like they are ready to pull away from the field … but after that? It’s wide open.

Dyllan Bonk, Travis DeMint, Landon Neisen and Kim Abbott look like four solid contenders for that third-place position. Abbott, a three-time track champ, was forced to start the season at a major points disadvantage when her car failed to fire for the May 5 feature. 

Abbott rebounded last week with a sixth-place feature finish, but remains well back in the points. Patience has always been a virtue of Abbott’s, so it might prove interesting to watch her try and reduce her sizable disadvantage week by week.

Stevie Dirt 4-Cylinder Rankings

1. Jeffrey DeLonjay

2. Jaden DeLonjay

3. Dyllan Bonk

4. Travis DeMint

5. Landon Neisen

Sport mods

Yo, sport mod drivers … where were ya?

Only 11 sport mod drivers were in the pits last Sunday. A year ago, this series had the highest weekly average of 21.6 cars. Track operator Jim Lieurance said “a lot of guys are still working on their cars,” which I’m sure is true. But 11 cars?

On a more positive note for the sport mods, last week’s feature finish was exquisite with Tanner Klingele, Reed Wolfmeyer and Logan Cumby all duking it out until the end of their 18-lapper. 

A year ago, those three hotshoes combined to win eight of 19 features. I don’t think I’m going too far out on a limb to predict that trio could combine for 15 victories this time around.

Stevie Dirt Sport Mods Rankings

1. Tanner Klingele

2. Reed Wolfmeyer

3. Logan Cumby

4. A.J. Tournear

5. Quinton Shelton

Sunday night

The first “King of the Crates” late model race will highlight Sunday night’s schedule. There were 18 crates in the pits a week ago, and if that number increases by two or more, it will mark the first regular weekly show with 20-plus late models since before the pandemic.

Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m., with racing immediately afterward.

Looking ahead, the May 26 schedule will be highlighted by the annual Chad McCoy Memorial Race, which will showcase a $4,545 first-place payout for the modifieds.