EAST MOLINE, Ill. – Travis Denning formulated the strategy as he circled the quarter-mile oval.
Denning got the hole shot from his third-place start, had the lead before the first circuit was completed and ended up cruising to the 30-lap Greg Durbin Memorial Sunday evening at East Moline Speedway.
The second annual event was held to celebrate the late member of the prominent Durbin racing family and driver of the No. 8 Modified.
The Sterling, Ill. hotshoe had a straightaway advantage vanish on Lap 11 when one of the only three cautions flew. He then battled Jeff Larson after the restart with Larson edging to the front briefly. The left rear wheel came off the No. B1 sending Larson to a stop and bringing out the second yellow.
Denning stayed on the point and let Greg’s brothers Brandon Durbin and Eric Barnes battle for the runner up spot. Durbin charged the high groove at the end, but took second. Donavon Lodge snuck by Barnes. Ray Cox, Jr. rounded out the top five.
Denning gathered $2,008 for the victory out of the nearly $8,000 up for grabs.
Larson and Denning won the heats.
Point leader Jarett Franzen exploded off a restart in the high groove and propelled by early leader C.J. Durbin to win the Legacy Corporation IMCA SportMod 15-lap finale.
Durbin, Trey Grimm, Dakota Cole and Perry Gellerstedt followed.
Jesse Owen won for the fifth time in the County Waste Systems Street Stocks. He won the 15-lap feature over Rick Schriner, Kyler Hickenbottom, William Bennett and Kori Murphy.
The Riverbend Pizza Place Sport Compacts sported the largest field among the six divisions. At the end of the 12-lap, 19-car ender Aaron Hitt took it to the Winners Circle.
Hitt passed Eric Stogdell before the latter dropped out and beat Dustin Forbes, Travis Hawkins, point leader Jimmy Dutlinger and Josh Lane.
Ray Guss Jr. powered the Keith Simmons-owned Nova to the Nostalgic Stock Car Racing Club 15-lap victory. Early leader Andrew Hamburg, Matt Fulton, Ben Hamburg and Terry Mattly followed.