Scott 'Skitchy' Barnes won four Rock trophies, including King of the Streets crown (Photo: EKN)

The 30th edition of the Rock Island Grand Prix completed on Sunday following two days of action around the city streets of Rock Island, Illinois. A total of 16 race groups competed for the coveted Rock trophy awarded to the winner of each class, all decided in front of a healthy crowd of spectators lining the 6/10-mile circuit. Highlighting the weekend was the accomplishment of Tony Neilson matching the all-time win total of 28 with his two wins while Bermuda driver Scott ‘Skitchy’ Barnes grabbed four Rock trophies to take home.

New for the 2025 edition was the move of two main events to the end of the Saturday schedule. Briggs 206 Heavy 2 was the first feature of the weekend as heat race winner Connor Lund took the early lead of the 15-lap race. Justin Wishard took the lead on lap five and showed the way to the white flag with Joseph Rapp on his bumper. As they came around for the final time, Rapp led through the final corners, crossing the line to earn his first career RIGP victory. Defending race winner Jeff Dolian came up just 74 thousandths short with Lund in third and Wishard in fourth.

First career RIGP victory for Joseph Rapp in Briggs 206 Medium 2 (Photo: EKN)

Wishard got redemption just a few minutes later with the Briggs 206 Medium 2 main event. The winner in the heat race jumped to the lead in the 15-lap main event and was able to lead every circuit. At the line, it was a one-second advantage to claim a second straight victory in the category. Riley Scott finished second ahead of Tony Neilson, Aaron Snyder and Ashton Wheeler.

Sunday’s main events began with the Travis DeVriendt Memorial Briggs 206 Heavy category. Connor Lund and Heat race winner Tony Neilson led the field around the first 14 laps before they battled on the final circuit. Neilson was able to take the lead and come around to the flag first to earn his first win in the category since 2015. Joseph Rapp slipped into second as Lund fell to third ahead of Justin Wishard and Jeff Dolian.

Tony Neilson won twice, including Briggs 206 Heavy to tie the all-time win total at 28 (Photo: EKN)

Margay Ignite Masters ran for the eighth time at the Rock Island Grand Prix, welcoming a fourth different winner. Justin Vancil looked to be the driver that would take that honor as he jumped out to the lead. He had a good lead early until a group of drivers caught him toward the end of the race, led by Tony Neilson. The group battled for the top spot over the final corners as Scott ‘Skitchy’ Barnes was able to go from third to first to cross the line first. He edged out Neilson and Vancil in a three wide finish, separated by only 78 thousandths. Last year’s winner Aaron Snyder was fourth with Andrew Coulter in fifth.

It was a dramatic finish in the King of the Rock 100 to crown a fifth different winner in the five years of the class. Defending race winner Talan Drake was able to break away from the field early, establishing a solid lead over the pack. As the second half of the race was coming to a close, Drake’s pace slowed as he felt an issue with his engine, all while Riley Scott retired on lap 18 and TJ Nevels moved up into the second spot. As they completed the final circuit, Drake came around turn five with no power as he lost the chain on his engine, trying to coast around to the line. Nevels took the lead coming out of the final corner, scoring the victory. Drake went across the line in second with no power, unable to defend his crown by just one corner. Joe Adler was third ahead of Aidan Liber and Kyle Kraus.

TJ Nevels led only the final corner to claim the crown in King of the Rock 100 (Photo: EKN)

Only four drivers have won the Briggs 206 Masters class since its debut in 2014. That total remains with Jeff Dolian scoring his third in class in a dramatic ending as well. Five-time class winner Tony Neilson led the field over the first 14 laps before the group behind him put on the pressure. Coming to the final corner, Jeremiah Davis got a run on the far inside of the track and tried to come through the turn. He pushed wide and into the barriers, allowing Dolian and the rest to slip past. At the line, Dolian took the victory by 55 thousandths ahead of Andrew Coulter. Neilson was third with Michael Dittmer and Donald Newman completing the top five.

King of the Streets was only three drivers are two were a DNS after issues in warm-up. Scott ‘Skitchy’ Barnes was able to go unchallenged to claim his first crown, setting a fast time of 34.567 in his second victory on the day. Brian Wake was second with Jacob Tenk in third.

Jeff Dolian added to his win total with a career first victory in Briggs 206 Masters (Photo: EKN)

History came in the Margay Ignite Senior category in different ways. Ashton Wheeler jumped out to the race lead from the outside of the front row starting spot, leading a six driver pack. He showed the way until the final circuit when the fight for the win began. The group went three wide at different times, and Tony Neilson went from third to first to claim his 28th Rock Island Grand Prix victory to tie the all-time win total of Gary Lawson. It was also Neilson’s first win in the category that has seen nine different winners since 2015. Justin Vancil was second ahead of Ashton Wheeler. Heat race winner Riley Scott slipped to fourth ahead of Thomas Shereck.

Connor Lund made it a wire-to-wire performance in the third crown class – King of the Rock Briggs 206. Starting on the outside of the front row, Lund went to the lead with Justin Wishard up into the second spot. The order went unchanged from lap two as Lund led all 15 laps to claim his first crown, becoming the fifth different winner in the five editions of the class. Wishard was only 89 thousandths back at the line in second ahead of Aaron Snyder, heat race winner Riley Scott and Tony Neilson.

Connor Lund became the fifth different winner in the King of the Rock Briggs 206 division (Photo: EKN)

Open Shifter was a similar story to the King of the Streets race, this time with four drivers taking the green flag. Scott ‘Skitchy’ Barnes went quicker in his pace from earlier in the day, posting a 33.945 lap time en route to victory for a second straight time, bringing his day total to three wins. Brian Wake was second, Jacob Tenk third and Ronald Merrill placing fourth.

The Briggs 206 Medium class is the original category for the engine platform that began in 2012. The class welcomed the eighth different winner over that span. Former winner Tony Neilson started on the pole position, and led the first two laps before Justin Wishard took control. Jeff Dolian moved into second and eventually, Neilson lost the draft of the lead pack when he was shuffled to sixth. Riley Scott put himself into the second spot on lap 13, and challenged for the lead on the final circuit. Scott led into turn five but pushed wide. Wishard was able to power around for the lead into the final corner, scoring his first victory in the category. Scott settled for second with Aaron Snyder in third. Ashton Wheeler and Dolian rounded out the top five.

Justin Wishard won three times, including Briggs 206 Medium (Photo: EKN)

Talan Drake gained redemption by earning a second straight in the 100cc Senior class. Newly crowned King TJ Nevels led early until Drake took the lead on lap four. Riley Scott eventually moved up into the second spot and looked to maybe challenge Drake until make contact with the outside barriers in turn five, bending his axle to end his day. Drake ran away the final 10 laps, scoring the victory by five seconds ahead of Aidan Liber. Joe Adler was third with Kyle Kraus in fourth.

In the same race group was the debut of the Margay Ignite 100 Masters division. The spec 2-cycle program featuring the same K3 chassis used in the Ignite 206 package, replaced by a sealed ROK VLR engine. Heat race winner Tony Neilson suffered a broken rear bumper and retired on lap four. This allowed Scott ‘Skitchy’ Barnes to drive away to the inaugural victory, claiming his fourth Rock trophy on the day. Robert Lynn was second with Mikel Henderson in third.

Justin Wishard grabbed a third Rock trophy on the weekend, taking the top honors in the Briggs 206 Light class that made its event debut last year. Tony Neilson, seeking a win to break the all-time win record started on the pole position as the heat race winner but Wishard jumped out to the lead at the start. That was the winning move as Wishard led all 15 laps, holding off a final lap challenge from Neilson to claim the victory. Joseph Rapp was third over Jack Mohr and Brady Tyler.

Talan Drake won twice, including 100cc Senior (Photo: EKN)

It was another wild finish on the day in the Margay Ignite Senior 2 main event. Heat race winner Riley Scott relinquished the lead to Justin Vancil and Thomas Shereck. The next lap, Shereck went into the turn one barriers to shuffle up the order was Ashton Wheeler took the lead over Scott and Vancil. Tony Neilson and Talan Drake hooked up and ran down the lead trio to make it a five driver fight in the end. Scott led at the white flag but three wide in the final corner sent Neilson into the wall as Drake went from fifth to first on the final circuit. At the line, Drake scored the victory by 85 thousandths ahead of Vancil. Drake, winning a second time on the day, won for the first time in Ignite category, becoming the fifth different winner in the class that began in 2019. Wheeler was fourth at the line while EKN’s David Cole rolled across the line in the fifth position.

The final main event of the day was the inaugural Margay Ignite 100 Senior class. Heat race winner Aidan Liber and Scott ‘Skitchy’ Barnes were able to break away from the field. They exchanged the lead multiple times, including the final circuit. Barnes led at the white flag, but Liber was able to slip post through the final corners. At the line, Liber took the victory to claim his first career Rock trophy. Barnes settled for second with Jimmy Jones third, Robert Lynn fourth and Dylan Turnbull in fifth.

Aidan Liber became the inaugural winner in the Margay Ignite 100 Senior division (Photo: EKN)

Three different drivers won in the three Vintage categories on the weekend. Josh Fisher won the Vintage Open class, Randy Duncalf victories in the Vintage Mac division while Brad Nicholson claimed victory in Vintage Yamaha.

The all-time win total now has Gary Lawson and Tony Neilson tied at 28 wins each over the 30 editions of the Rock Island Grand Prix. The four wins by Scott Barnes has him now in the third overall position at 14 career wins. Tim Goettsch and Michael Dittmer are tied in fourth at 12 victories while Jason Birdsell and Kyle Wiegand hold fifth at 11 RIGP wins.

Share on Facebook

Tweet