eastmolinespeedway Archives

Hanna will help hand out the trophies as new promoter at East Moline

EAST MOLINE, Ill. (Feb. 1, 2023) – Last season, Chuck Hanna wanted to take a trophy home from his Sunday night race at East Moline Speedway. This season, he’ll be helping hand them out. Hanna, a long-time IMCA Sunoco Late Model driver, takes over as promoter of the 1/4 -mile dirt oval, where five sanctioned divisions return to Speedway Motors Weekly Racing programs in 2023. “Ultimately, we want to improve this facility and work closely with the fair board to make the changes to keep it successful in the future,” Hanna said. “We’re going to add dirt to the racing surface, do terrace work outside turns one and two, and change some of the existing fencing around to help race car traffic flow in the pits,” he continued. “We will do some painting, update the signage and concessions, and are also looking at an earlier start time.” The upcoming point season at East Moline runs from April 23 to Aug. 27 and weekly shows feature the IMCA Late Models for a 20th consecutive season. Friesen Performance IMCA [Read More]

Denning, Veloz, Wauters are IMCA winners at East Moline

By Rob Hinckley EAST MOLINE, Ill. (Sept. 25, 2022) – Travis Denning sped to the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified 20-lap checkers Sunday at East Moline Speedway, beating Brandon Durbin, B.J. Jackson, Anthony Guss and Jim Sandusky. The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods have become the class with excitement and diversity over the last few weeks. Even after two weeks off due to weather, Logan Veloz continued that trend with the 15-lap win. He passed Quincy visitor Logan Cumby on a green, white, checkered finish for the victory. David Engelkens, Keith Wiersema and Ryan Reed followed. Daniel Wauters passed Randy Lamar and cruised to the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock 12-lap win. Lamar, Tucker Richardson, Billy Stanford and Keith Lilly followed. The 2022 season concludes with a two-day special Oct. 8 and 9. Details will be announced. Sunday, Oct. 9 also will be Hall of Fame induction for the 2022 honorees.

Schram takes East Moline season championship night win

By Rob Hinckley EAST MOLINE, Ill. (Aug. 28, 2022) – Dustin Schram drove turns three and four of East Moline Speedway a little differently Sunday evening. Working the steering wheel, he used the upper racing grooves and sped to the 25-lap IMCA Sunoco Late Model season championship feature win. “Wow, we really actually have struggled recently, but put a lot of work into this and here we are,” Schram said in victory lane. Unofficial track champion Jacob Waterman led from the pole until the Colona hotshoe lost control in turn four just a handful of laps from the checkered flag. He ended up fourth. “We had our ups and downs all year,” Waterman said. “We kept trying things on the car and it worked especially on the nights we won. I have a lot of people to thank to make this possible.” The race stayed green even after Waterman fell back and Schram held off a charging Mike Guldenpfennig at the end. Guldenpfennig, Joe Beal, Waterman and Gary Webb rounded out the top five. Travis [Read More]

Padilla is IMCA Mod Lite star at East Moline

By Rob Hinckley EAST MOLINE, Ill. (Aug. 21, 2022) – Accelerating through the dirt in the high groove of turns one and two and then maneuvering the low side of turns three and four is a common strategy around East Moline Speedway. Jon Padilla tried a different route Sunday evening and came out of a three-car battle for the 15-lap IMCA STARS Mod Lite Season Championship feature win. The Silvis, Ill. pilot won the night’s battle and the season-long war as he was unofficially crowned the 2022 track champion. Last year’s champ, Anthony Guss, did not win one feature en route to that title. Padilla finishes this season with a pair of victories. “Starting up front helped but I knew it wouldn’t be easy,” Padilla said in victory lane. “It worked great on the bottom (groove) and the car grabbed hold and got a good bite off the corner.” Padilla started on the pole and paced every lap beating Brandon Freeburg, R.J. Gonzales, Mike Morrow and Jacob Copley. The IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks featured a [Read More]

Turner grabs wild win at East Moline

By Rob Hinckley EAST MOLINE, Ill. (July 31, 2022) – The car pasted itself to the low groove and finally worked the way Erick Turner wanted. The Barstow, Ill., regular at East Moline Speedway had the hard work pay off with the 15-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod win Sunday evening during a wild race. “Everyone here made this happen, all the hard work,” Turner said in the winner’s circle, pointing to his family and crew. “We’ve struggled, worked, got better and finally we’re here.” It may not have been a challenge to get to first place, but it was staying there. Four other leaders were involved in incidents during the affair. Turner started seventh, took advantage of misfortune, but still was fast and kept the car straight. He figured he had a chance on a late caution, one of eight yellow flags, for his first 2022 win. “On that last caution I thought I had a chance. The car was working good down low and those guys got in that wreck ahead of [Read More]

Waterman tops East Moline’s Tribute to Ron Gustaf

By Rob Hinckley EAST MOLINE, Ill. (July 20, 2022) – The emotion was real on the face of Jacob Waterman in the winner’s circle at East Moline Speedway. Waterman outdueled Chuck Hanna on a lap 19 restart and won the midweek Tribute to Ron Gustaf IMCA Sunoco Late Model feature. “(Ron) built my motor when I first started racing,” Waterman said post-race. “What he meant to us and racing is great.” That caution had flown for race long leader Gary Webb, who went too wide off turn two and smacked the wall while on the point. Waterman started on the tail and worked his way through the field to restart on the double front row. The race went caution free the rest of the way with Waterman pocketing $2,090.86 for the 30-lapper, using the top groove especially in turns one and two. “I just had to be patient. I was actually hoping (Hanna) would take the top on that restart. I thought I could get by him on the bottom easier but it worked out,” [Read More]

Denning speeds to East Moline checkers

By Rob Hinckley EAST MOLINE, Ill. (July 17, 2022) – Travis Denning shot from the high groove to the low early, moved to the lead after starting sixth and won Sunday’s Friesen Performance IMCA Modified 20-lap feature at East Moline Speedway. Brandon Durbin started in the last row and wound up second ahead of B.J. Jackson, Mitch Morris and Mike Zemo. Logan Gustaf topped a record-tying IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock field for his first career 12-lap victory. First-time visitor Luke Phillips tried to catch Gustaf in traffic but settled for second. Randy Lamar, Brandon Schneider and Donnie Cole followed. The 2022 season continues July 20 with the Rock Island County Fair Championship races featuring the Tribute to Ron Gustaf for IMCA Sunoco Late Models plus Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA STARS Mod Lites.

Webb notches win no. 523 with East Moline checkers

By Rob Hinckley EAST MOLINE, Ill. (July 10, 2022) – The infectious smile in the winners’ circle told another story as Gary Webb climbed from his mount Sunday evening at East Moline Speedway. The 73-year old hall of famer moved quickly from his P6 start to the front of the IMCA Sunoco Late Model pack. He cruised to the 25-lap win in front of a very appreciative crowd. “This never gets old, but I’m getting old,” Webb said and laughed. “This was win 523 and they’re coming a lot more slowly nowadays, but this was a good run.” The 17-time track champion was really never challenged even after an early caution. His Kryptonite Chassis showed great acceleration off the turns as he extended the advantage. “We had great forward bite in that feature,” Webb said. “(Track Promoter Jeff Peterson) had the track nicely done. We had the engine rebuilt a couple weeks ago so we had great power and I thank the fans here for watching.” The 523 wins have come at 65 different tracks, [Read More]

Larson first to Durbin Memorial checkers

By Rob Hinckley EAST MOLINE, Ill. (July 3, 2022) – Just like any skilled veteran dirt race car driver, Jeff Larson remembered the best line around East Moline Speedway and it paid off big time Sunday evening. “Bone” redrew no. 1 after winning his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified heat race and rolled to a flag-to-flag victory in the third Greg Durbin Memorial. After waiting out a handful of cautions, the defending national champion diamoned turn one, launched the backstretch and crept through turns three and four for 25 laps en route to a $1,500 pay day plus some bonus money. That same style also carried him to the 2021 EMS track title. Last year’s Durbin Memorial winner Travis Denning, started seventh and maneuvered by teammate B.J. Jackson for the runner-up spot on lap seven, but Larson’s familiar Bader Construction No. B1 repeatedly opened big advantages. Denning also was second behind Eric Barnes, Greg Durbin’s brother, in the inaugural event in 2020. Barnes drew the outside pole, but dropped out with a mechanical issue and finished [Read More]

Durbin makes it two straight at East Moline Speedway

By Rob Hinckley EAST MOLINE, Ill. (May 22, 2022) – He slowed the car in turn three, but the accelerator was down off turn four. Brandon Durbin found a way to negotiate the final two turns and won his second straight 20-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature Sunday evening at East Moline Speedway. The Colona, Ill. hotshoe bested Travis Denning in another classic battle. “Me and Denning had quite the battle there,” Durbin said in victory lane. “The car was too free in the center, but once I got it straight I had good traction.” Durbin started in the front row and held off Denning lap after lap, with both cars on the cushion of turns one and two. “It was extremely slick on the bottom. There wasn’t much there. I figured if I got out front, got up top and held that line, I’d be all right.” Andy Nezworski, Jim Sandusky and Anthony Guss rounded out the top five. R.J. Gonzales also made it two-for-two by dominating the IMCA STARS Mod Lites 15-lap finale. [Read More]