EAST MOLINE, Ill. — 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 Eriksen Chevrolet IMCA 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.
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 and clinched the title.
“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.
“I was looking to stay high, but made it work wherever I needed to go,” Schram added. “Not too bad for a spec engine racing against these crates.”
Guldenpfennig, Joe Beal, Waterman and Gary Webb rounded out the top five.
Travis Denning may have faced the toughest competition all year, but still got the job done in the 20-lap J&J Camper Sales IMCA Modified title race. He beat visitor Jed Freiburger, Mitch Morris, Californian Troy Morris III and Mike Garland.
Logan Veloz started out front and won the Legacy Corporation IMCA SportMod 15-lap win, topping off the 18-year old’s first track crown. The win was not without battles as track runner up David Engelkens and Trey Grimm stayed close the entire distance while waiting out cautions. He finished the regular season with nine wins and beat Engelkens, Grimm, Keith Wiersema and Rayce Mullen.
Jesse Owen capped his third straight Dynamic Power Street Stock title with a victory in the 15-lap feature followed by Rob Nylin, Joe Bonney, Kyler Hickenbottom and Veronica Anderson. Rob Henry was in the mix early for the top spot, but a mechanical issue ended his run early.
Randy Lamar became the third different Rudy’s Tacos IMCA Hobby Stock champ in the three-year history of the class at the track, following Steve Cox and Adam Parker.
Cyle Hawkins already had clinched the Riverbend Pizza Place Sport Compact crown and topped it off with the 12-lap feature victory. Drew Wise, a charging Tommy Staggs, Dustin Porter and Jason Rhoads followed.
Jeff Durst took the American Iron Racing Series 12 lapper, making it three different winners on the high banked quarter-mile speedplant in 2022. Owen Hayes, Terry Mattly, Doak Allen and Ron Cook came next.