Racing Notebook: Becerra new No. 1 in modified rankings; Grossman takes over top spot in 4-Cylinders

QUINCY — Two new drivers top the Muddy River News Dirty Thirty dirt-track racing rankings.

Carthage’s Austen Becerra has unseated Liberty’s Dave Wietholder atop the modified rankings, while Iowa driver Michael Grossman of Keokuk is now entrenched at No. 1 in the 4-Cylinder listing.

Becerra has won the last two points features at Adams County Speedway and has taken over the Muddy River Sports Performance Points lead. Drivers earn MRSPPs based on their showings in both features and heat races. Becerra has 134 MRSPPs, Wietholder 123.

Wietholder opened the season with two feature victories in the first three weeks and held the No. 1 modified ranking until Becerra unseated him today.

Grossman has arguably been the hottest overall driver at the Broadway Bullring since mid-May. He has won four of the last six overall features, including Wednesday’s $1,000-to-win special, which was part of the UMP Summer Nationals Hell Tour. He already has established a season record for money earned by a 4-Cylinder (or similar) class with $2,280. Becerra held the former mark of $1,805 in 2014.

Hell Tour update

Tanner English won Thursday night’s Hell Tour race at Spoon River Speedway in Canton, Ill. Bobby Pierce, who won Wednesday’s race in Quincy, finished second ahead of Max Blair, Ryan Unzicker, Brian Shirley and Jason Feger.

Here are the top late car counts for the first nine stops on this year’s tour:

• 1. 50, Fairbury, Ill.
• 2. 39, Davenport, Iowa
• 3. 38, Granite City, Ill.
• 4. 37, Quincy, Ill.
• 5. 36, Kankakee, Ill.

Midseason championship races

Sunday night at the Bullring should be another festive occasion with midseason championship races in all five weekly classes: crate late models, modifieds, sport mods, street stocks and 4-Cylinders. Track points leaders include Denny Woodworth (crate lates), Becerra (modifieds), Adam Birck (sport mods), Robert Cottom (Street stocks) and Jimmy Dutlinger/Jeffrey DeLonjay (4-Cylinders).

The Muddy River Sports Leaderboard

Stevie Dirt DIRTY THIRTY rankings
Sport Mods

• 1. Adam Birck: His string of top-five finishes (8) remains intact.
• 2. Shane Paris: Shane “The Pain” Paris has been just that for opposing drivers.
• 3. Logan Cumby: He has a knack for always finding a way to finish near the top. Cumby is also the top money earner among the sport mod hotshoes.
• 4. Tanner Klingele: My pick in Sunday night’s midseason championship race.
• 5. A.J. Tournear: Welcome to the rankings.
• 6. Dakota Girard: He could be a sleeper in the midseason championship run.
• Close, but not quite: Reed Wolfmeyer, Michael Goodwin.

Modifieds

• 1. Austen Becerra: The red-hot Hancock County driver is my pick to win the midseason championship trophy.
• 2. Dave Wietholder: He has definitely got his work cut our for him if he’s going to extend that streak of track titles.
• 3. Kenny Wallace: Wallace leads the nation’s UMP modified drivers in number of nights raced.
• 4. Mike Vanderiet Jr.: He’s been a quality addition to the weekly lineup at 8000 Broadway.
• 5. Chris Spalding: He missed the early part of the season, but is now beginning to carve his niche near the front of the pack.
• 6. Levi Long: At some point in the not-too-distant future, that first victory should come.
• Close, but not quite: Frankie Wellman, Brandyn Ryan, Vance Wilson.

4-Cylinders

• 1. Michael Grossman: Through the first two months, he has emerged as the most dominant four-banger. The only driver close to him appears to be Jimmy Dutlinger. He’s already established a track record for money earned in this division. By the way, Grossman is my pick to click to this week in the midseason championship feature.
• 2. Jimmy Dutlinger: Dutlinger better not be looking in his rear-view mirror, because Kim Abbott is on the move.
• 3. Kim Abbott: She has gotten decidedly stronger each and every week.
• 4. Jeffrey DeLonjay: Hopefully, he can regain that early season magic.
• 5. Derrick DeFord: I wonder if DeFord, a resident of Canton, Ill., knows Erik Grigsby?
• 6. Jaden DeLonjay: I’m just guessing, but I imagine if he had that attempted inside pass going around turn one last Sunday to do all over again … he wouldn’t.
• Close, but not quite: Chance Bailey, Landon Neisen, Nick Johnson.

Street Stocks

• 1. Robert Cottom: We might be on the verge of a major change in the Street Stock rankings. We are hearing Cottom may not be returning to the Bullring.
• 2. Rudy Zaragoza: He is poised to blast into No. 1.
• 3. Jake Powers: He’s my selection to get his first feature win of the season in the midseason championship run.
• 4. Steve Grotz: He’s probably the only driver at the track capable of driving a road grader.
• 5. Robert Thompson Sr.: He’s one of the most versatile drivers at 8000 Broadway.
• 6. Sage Martin: He struggled last Sunday and now has challengers lurking in the wings.
• Close, but not quite: Brandon Boden, Pete Stodgel, Steve Dieckmann

Late Models

• 1. Denny Woodworth: The Hell Tour didn’t seem quite right without him in the pits.
• 2. Chase Osterhoff: If he is true to his word about making a weekly haul from Kankakee to Quincy, things could get mighty interesting. If he’s here Sunday, he’s my feature pick.
• 3. Tommy Elston: Yep, several new faces in this division. The second half of the schedule should create a new height of interest.
• 4. Sam Halstead: He had an uncharacteristic DNF last Sunday.
• 5. Darin Weisinger Jr.: Hopefully, the problems are ironed out with his hot rod.
• 6. Braden Bilger: He’s one of about several new drivers poised to attack.
• Close, but not quite: Derrick Carlson, Cody Maguire, Eric Doran, Spencer Coats.

Dis-N-Data

Average car counts

• All classes: 72.1 (high of 91, May 22; 87, June 22)
• 4-Cylinders: 23.4 (high of 32, May 22)
• Sport Mods: 17.3 (high of 24, May 1)
• Modifieds: 16 (high of 22, June 22)
• Street Stocks: 10.3 (high of 13, May 29)
• Late Models: 13 (high of 37, June 22)
• Crate Late Models only: 6.1 (high of 12, June 19)

Muddy River Sports Performance Points
Points are awarded on a 25-20-15-12-10-8-6-4 for top eight finishers in feature, 3-2-1 in heats.

• Late Models: Danny Woodworth 144, Sam Halstead 81, Darin Weisinger Jr. 76. Rick Coats 48.
• Modifieds: Austen Becerra 134, Dave Wietholder 123, Mike Vanderiet Jr. 95, Kenny Wallace 84.
• Sport Mods: Adam Birck 151, Shane Paris 118, Logan Cumby 110, Tanner Klingele 105, Shane Paris 104, Logan Cumby 103.
• Street Stocks: Robert Cottom 165, Rudy Zaragoza 135, Jake Powers 101, Steve Grotz 62, Robert Thompson 58.
• 4-Cylinders: Michael Grossman 166, Jeffrey DeLonjay 152, Jimmy Dutlinger 136, Kim Abbott 95.

Victory Leaders

Late Models

• Total: Denny Woodworth 7, Sam Halstead 3.
• Feature: Denny Woodworth 3, three with 1.
• Heats: Denny Woodworth 4, Sam Halstead 2.

Modifieds

• Total: Dave Wietholder 5, Kenny Wallace 4, Austen Becerra 3.
• Feature: Dave Wietholder 2, Austen Becerra 2.
• Heats: Dave Wietholder 3, Kenny Wallace 3.

Sport Mods

• Total: Logan Cumby 5, Tanner Klingele 4, A.J. Tournear 4, Shane Paris 4, Dakota Girard 3.
• Feature: Logan Cumby 2, Tanner Klingele 2, Shane Paris 2.
• Heats: Logan Cumby 3, A.J. Tournear 3, Dakota Girard 3. 

Street Stocks

• Total: Robert Cottom 9, Steve Grotz 2, Rudy Zaragoza 2.
• Feature: Robert Cottom 6, Rudy Zaragoza 1.
• Heats: Robert Cottom 3, Steve Grotz 3, Rudy Zaragoza 3.

4-Cylinders

• Total: Michael Grossman 10, Jeffrey DeLonjay 5.
• Feature: Michael Grossman 4,Jeffrey DeLonjay 3.
• Heats: Michael Grossman 6, Kim Abbott 3, Jaden DeLonjay 3.

Money Earned

• Late Models (crate races only): Denny Woodworth $3,400, Sam Halstead $2,250, Darin Weisinger Jr. $2,250, Rick Coats $1,725, Tommy Elston $1,600.
• Modifieds: Austen Becerra $3,390, Dave Wietholder $3,080, Mike Van Vanderiet Jr. $2,275, Kenny Wallace $2,175.
• Sport Mods: Logan Cumby $3,025, Adam Birck $2,525, Tamer Klingele $1,700, Shane Paris $1,500, $A.J. Tournear $1,245, Reed Wolfmeyer $1,125, Michael Goodwin $1,025.
• Street Stocks: Robert Cottom $2,725, Rudy Zaragoza $2,175, Jake Powers $1,500, Steve Grotz $1,125.
• 4-Cylinders: Michael Grossman $2,280, Jimmy Dutlinger $1,705, Jeffrey DeLonjay $1585, Kim Abbott $1,285, Derrick DeFord $1,155.

Feature Improvement Points

• Sport Mods: Adam Birck 55, Tanner Klingele 34, Austin Poage 24, Shane Paris 23, Logan Cumby 17.
• Street Stocks: Rudy Zaragoza 19, Jake Powers 10, Robert Cottom 7.
• 4-Cylinders: Jeffrey DeLonjay 27, Michael Grossman 25, Kytle Weisenberger 25, Chance Bailey 23, Kim Abbott 23, Jimmy Dutlinger 22, Nick Johnson 22.
• Late Models: Chase Osterhoff 12, Denny Woodworth 8.
• Modifieds: Austen Becerra 27, Brandon Lennox 10, Kevin Blackburn 9.

Feature Laps Led

• Late Models (Crates only): Denny Woodworth 70, Tommy Elston 20, Chase Osterhoff 17.
• Modifieds: Dave Wietholder 30, Kenny Wallacce 26, Austen Becerra 23, Kyle Steffens 20.
• Sport Mods: Logan Cumby 45, Shane Paris 21, Tanner Klingele 16, Reed Wolfmeyer 15, Michael Goodwin 15, Dakota Girard 12, Adam Birck 10.
• Street Stocks: Robert Cottom 76, Jake Powers 17, Rudy Zaragoza 10, Steve Grotz 10.
• 4-Cylinders: Michael Grossman 65, Jeffrey DeLonjay 32, Brady Reed 16, Derrick DeFord 15, Jimmy Dutlinger 15.

Heat Laps Led

• Late Models (Crates only): Denny Woodworth 23, Sam Halstead 19.
• Modifieds: Kenny Wallace 31,Dave Wietholder 25, Mike Vanderiet Jr. 13, Austen Becerra 11.
• Sport Mods: A.J. Tournear 31, Dakota Girard 31, Logan Cumby 27, Shane Paris 16, Adam Birck 13.
• Street Stocks: Steve Grotz 24, Robert Cottom 20, Rudy Zaragoza 13, Robert Thompson 13, Jake Powers 11.
• 4-Cylinders: Michael Grossman 21, Nick Johnson 16. Jimmy Dutlinger 15.

Caution Flags

• All classes: 163, 18.1 average (high of 20, May 8, April 24)
• Sport Mods: 44, 8.5 average (high of 11, April 24)
• Modifieds: 41, 8.2 average (high of 8, June 22, June 5)
• 4-Cylinders: 31, 3.4 average (high of 6, June 5)
• Street Stocks: 23, 3.3 average (high of 6, May 29)
• Late Models: 7, 0.5 average (high of 1, April 24)
• Super Late Models: 16, 8.0 average (high of 9, May 22)