Racing notebook: Hell Tour ready to kick off with Quincy stop planned for June 18

QUINCY — It’s almost time.

The UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals — a.k.a. the “Hell Tour” — unfolds next week, featuring 31 races in 34 days that will include stops in nine states, including Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Missouri, Michigan, Arkansas, Michigan and Ohio.

The Hell Tour super late models will be making their annual pilgrimage to Quincy Raceways on Wednesday, June 18. This will be the 14th time the tour has appeared in Quincy.

Local dirt-track fans will have the opportunity to get a double dose of the Hell Tour this year. Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa, will host its first Summer Nationals event on Thursday, June 19. The tour begins June 10 in Brownstown, Ind.

Reigning Hell Tour champ Tyler “Terbo” Erb will be back to defend his championship. Erb, who hails from New Waverly, Texas, won an impressive 11 Summer Nationals races in 2024, but Quincy was not one of them. He finished seventh at 8000 Broadway on a night when Max McLaughlin of Mooresville, N.C., took the checkered flag. Erb, however, did win a feature at Quincy last season when he captured a MARS event.

The top local finishers in last year’s Hell Tour stop in Quincy were Justin Reed of Camp Point in 12th place and Rickey Frankel of Quincy in 14th place. The last top-five finish by an area driver belongs to Dustin Griffin of Camp Point, who was fifth in 2016.

A year ago at Quincy, the Hell Tour stop fashioned drivers from 10 states, plus Australia and Canada. There were 32 late models in the pits, a season high for the track.

Also part of the Summer Nationals schedule will be the Summit Modifieds, which means Fowler driver and three-time Quincy Raceways track champ Michael Long will likely be in attendance. Long won the Quincy race a year ago.

Here’s a look at Hell Tour history in Quincy:

Yearly winners

2024 — Max McLaughlin, Mooresville, N.C.

2023 — Ashton Winger, Senoia, Ga.

2022 — Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill.

2019 — Mike Marlar, Winfield, Tenn.

2018 — Brian Shirley, Chatham, Ill.

2017 — Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.

2016 — Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill.

2015 — Rained out

2014 — Rained out

2013 — Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill.

2012 — Brian Shirley, Chatham, Ill.

2011 — No race was scheduled in Quincy

2010 — Jeep Van Wormer, Pinconning, Mich.

2009 — Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill.

2008 — Rained out

2007 — Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill.

2006 — Randy Korte, Highland, Ill.

Top Quincy Raceways Finishers

2024 — Justin Reed, 12th

2023 — Justin Reed, eighth

2022 — Mark Burgtorf, 21st

2919 — Ricky Frankel, eighth

2018 — Mark Burgtorf, 17th

2017 — Justin Reed, 11th

2016 — Dustin Griffin, fifth

2015 — Rained out

2014 — Rained out

2013 — Jason Perry, sixth

2012 — Mark Burgtorf, ninth

2011 — No race scheduled in Quincy

2010 — Mark Burgtorf, fifth

2009 — Bill Genenbacher, 15th

2008 — Rained out                                            

2007 — Mark Burgtorf, seventh

2006 — Mark Burgtorf, fifth

Racing reunion

Never underestimate the love of racing, or what it can inspire.

Four of the more than 2,000 patrons at Quincy Raceways last Sunday were Amber and Kyle Dixon of Quincy, plus their two boys, Cooper and Carson.

Amber and Kyle first started dating in 2006 and their first date was at Quincy Raceways. Nineteen years later, the two have been married 15 years and enjoy bringing their sons to the track.

“I never would have guessed 19 years ago that our love for racing would be shared with two sweet boys,” Amber posted this week on Facebook.

This week’s Top 10 stars

A rewind of last Sunday night in our weekly star-studded style:

10 stars — Dave Wietholder, modifieds/”B” mods: No driver enjoyed Sunday night to the level of Wietholder, who moments after finishing a close second to Josh Harris in the modified feature came back and dominated the field in the “B” mods. Adding an exclamation point to Wietholder’s showing was that he was making his first start at Quincy in a “B” mod.

9 stars — Denny Woodworth, crate late models: Woodworth’s most impressive performance of the season was also the most impressive of the series over the first month of the schedule. It was obvious about three circuits into the 25-lap feature there would only be one battle, and that was for second place. 

8 stars — Josh Harris, modifieds: Harris only led three laps in the modified feature, but one of those was the finale to win an outstanding duel with Wietholder.

7 stars — Jacob Rexing, stock cars: He’s currently the class of the stocks and proved it once again, winning his fourth straight feature, dating to the end of the 2024 season.

6 stars — Darin Weisinger Jr., late models: Weisinger continued his solid early-season performances with a runner-up finish to Woodworth in the main event.

5 stars — Jordan Zummalt, Crown Vics: Zummalt emerged victorious in the latest sock ’em, sock ’em Crown Vic feature, which is rapidly evolving into must-see stuff.

4 stars — Tanner Klingele, “B” mods: The defending series champ won his heat race, then ran a strong second to Wietholder in the feature.

3 stars — Jay Kunce, 4-Cylinders: Kunce appears to be getting stronger by the week, and last Sunday’s feature win officially elevated him to a title contender.

2 stars — Jackson Frankel, crate late models: The feature winner a week earlier, Frankel could not quite match Woodworth’s strength in last Sunday’s main event and then lost his runner-up spot to Weisinger late in the race. Frankel, Weisinger, fourth-place feature finisher Aidan Perry and fifth-place Jeffrey DeLonjay are part of the division’s kiddie corps that is providing a look at what the future of the series will look like.

1 star — Rick Conoyer, modifieds: “The Destroyer” rebounded from a sluggish start in the feature to work his way toward the front and hold off Justin Reed for a third-place finish.

Sunday night schedule

Just a reminder there’s no racing Sunday night at the Bullring. This is a scheduled off week. In racing’s place this weekend will be a Saturday Battle of the Bands that starts at 2 p.m.

Racing resumes June 8, preceded by a June 3 practice for all interested drivers.