Davenport Speedway
Renewed Late Model effort focus for Larson
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com managing editor
Jeff Larson at Davenport Speedway. (brendonbauman.com)
DAVENPORT, Iowa (June 21) — Jeff Larson made a stirring 15th-to-fourth run in Wednesday’s DIRTcar Summer Nationals feature at Davenport Speedway before rear-end issues forced his Amanda and Doug Curless-owned car pitside, but the 39-year-old Freeport, Ill., driver plans to have more high-profile starts in Super Late Model this season.
The team managed by crew chief Vern Remour is upgrading to a newer, fancier toterhome and has a new wide-bore powerplant from Rhyne Competition Engines coming to support efforts to compete in higher-profile events. | Complete Summer Nationals coverage
Larson, a standout modified driver who joined the team last season and won a pair of 2022 Hoker Trucking Series races in his first significant Late Model action in a dozen years, started inside the eighth row of Thursday’s race at Davenport’s quarter-mile layout. He reached the fourth spot just past the halfway point of the 40-lapper won by Ashton Winger of Hampton, Ga., but he was forced out with six laps remaining by a broken lower shaft in the rear end as fluid was leaving the car.
“The car was really good,” said Larson, among DirtonDirt.com’s Comeback Drivers of the Year last season. “We got stuck on the bottom that last restart. I mean, obviously (the rear end would’ve broken) regardless, but lost of a couple (of positions) there at the end. But the car’s fast. I’m happy. We haven’t been in it much this year and hopefully this will keep going.”
In driving his white No. 99 Longhorn Chassis into contention, “we were about to get on the outside of Chris Simpson and I think we could’ve ended up third, but just that last restart, I got stuck on the bottom, and I’m not necessarily good on the bottom,” Larson said. “I like the high side. All in all, starting 15th and getting up there and passing them good guys, I’m happy, I’m really happy.”
Remour was pleased with Larson’s performance, too, in just the team’s sixth start of the season.
Because of the smaller powerplant, “we kind of wait until that feature to come to us” when the track is typically slicker and slower, the crew chief said. “We worked on (the car’s suspension) all night. We don’t race every week, so we’ve gotta get the car dialed in better.”
Larson has a pair of top-five finishes on the Hoker Trucking tour among his six starts, but the DIRTcar Summer Nationals event and other Super Late Model-centric races will be the focus the rest of the season. Thursday’s cancellation of the Summer Nationals race at Spoon River Speedway in Banner, Ill., spoiled the team’s next planned event, and they’re leaning toward waiting until they get the new powerplant to compete again. The team plans on competing in Super Late Model events within three or four hours of home including the five five-figure events at Davenport this summer on the MARS Championship Series, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series.
Not that Larson won’t stay plenty busy. He’s got eight modified victories this season racing for Timmy Current’s TCE team and an IMCA stock car triumph in a Brandon Simons-owned car that Scott Fjestul prepares.
“These guys, they definitely give me a lot of toys to play with,” Larson said. “If these (Late Model) guys say we’re going racing, this comes first. The other ones we just run around home.”
Modifieds have been the main focus during most of Larson’s career, but he was successful in Late Models over a stretch in the 2000s, including winning eight races in a row at Bureau County Speedway in Princeton, Ill., in 2005. Until last season, his previous Late Model victory came at his now-closed hometown track in 2011. He’s glad to be back in the Late Models, particularly with a worthy team that’s providing him solid equipment.
“Absolutely. These things are so much faster than the modifieds, especially the IMCA modifieds,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun, especially if you’re doing good. It’s no fun if you’re struggling, but just the speed difference is so much more fun. And I think it helps the mod deal, because your hand-eye (coordination) gets better running these.”
Remour makes the calls on when and where the team races and prepares the car at the shop while Christan “Elmo” Baldock handles tires, Scott Ward prepares shocks and Sean Ervin does a little bit of everything.
Larson works at Bader Construction, where the boss is a sponsor and supporter of his racing efforts.
“He allows me to go whenever these guys say let’s go, he gives me the day off and we’re gone,” Larson said.
Along with Larson’s employer, sponsors include C&W Trucking, Centennial Contractors, Tye Twarog Motorsports and Bilstein Shocks.
“Those guys, obviously I wouldn’t be there without ’em, because I don’t have money,” Larson said. “Them guys put (money) into it. Man, it’s awesome.”
