Over 60 cars at opening night at Fayette County Speedway
By Kristopher Blankenship
Opening night at Fayette County Speedway went off without a hitch last Friday night, as the UMP modifieds, B-Mods, street stocks and hornets all hit the track.
The track was smooth and fast all night, and fans were treated to great racing in all classes, which featured 65 cars. A mix of old cars, new cars, new drivers and drivers changing classes should make for an exciting season in the points standings.
In the UMP modified class, Brian Bielong and Robbie Eilers put on a show, with both drivers winning his heat race.
Eilers came out on top in the dash, but in the feature, it was Bielong's high-flying driving style that proved untouchable to give him the first checkered flag of the year.
Notables: Craig Kern, third, and Michael Meyer, fifth.
The B-Mod class was much anticipated and did not let down. Twenty cars showed up, and racing was fast and tight all night.
Mark Anderson, Ryan Eilers, Billy Knebel Jr. all took heat wins, then Anderson walked away from them in the dash, winning without a challenge.
Eilers challenged Anderson in the feature. Early on, Anderson stayed smooth on the bottom groove, and pulled out to the lead until Eilers’ tires heated up, allowing him to come roaring back on top and make the pass.
Anderson was not finished, however, as the top groove began to go away. He stayed smooth and patient on bottom and made his way back to the front to take the first B-Mod flag of the season.
Behind them, new cars and new drivers became acquainted with each other, with some finding it more challenging than others. The race had several caution flags, and hard racing all throughout the field.
Notables: Joe Younker, second in his heat; Chris Bolyard, third in the feature; and Jarred Morrison, fifth in the feature.
In the street stock class, it was all Tony Walker, driving to heat and feature wins.
Jacob Tompkins didn’t let Walker easily drive to the checkers, as both drivers hugged the bottom fighting for all the bite they could get out of the race track.
Walker took the win, with Tompkins looking at his left rear.
Notables: Mike Conlee, third in a new car, and Bob Goldman, who made the feature start despite nearly flipping in his heat race.
Jeremy Reed earned the top finish in the UMP hornet class, with David Bolyard starting eighth but charging through the field and challenging Reed for the lead.
Eldon Hemkin finished third after a little extracurricular activity resulted in disqualification of two drivers for rough driving.
There were 19 drivers in the class.
High school cars got the track last, with five kids competing.
Dawson Barker continued his dominance, with challenger Jaekob Durbin following in second and Jason Struble finishing third.
The next race is on Friday at 7 p.m., with the Kids Club Easter egg hunt during intermission.
Friday, April 11
UMP MODIFIED
HEAT 1
1. 70 BRIAN BIELONG
2. 25C CRAIG KERN
3. 128 ZACH SCHANTZ
4. 55V BRADLEY VENHAUS
HEAT 2
1. 3E ROBBIE EILERS
2. 41M BRENT MULLINS
3. 89 NORM WOOD
4. 2M MICHAEL MEYER
DASH
1. 3E ROBBIE EILERS
2. 70 BRIAN BIELONG
3. 41M BRENT MULLINS
4. 25C CRAIG KERN
FEATURE
1. 70 BRIAN BIELONG
2. 3E ROBBIE EILERS
3. 25C CRAIG KERN
4. 128 ZACH SCHANTZ
5. 2M MICHAEL MEYER
6. 63 BRET EILERMAN
7. 41M BRENT MULLINS
8. 55V BRADLEY VENHAUS
9. 27 LENNY GARSON
DNS 89 NORM WOOD
DNS N59 CHAD EVANS
SPORTMOD
HEAT 1
1. 31 MARK ANDERSON
2. 88 ROB LEE
3. 7M CALEB MILLER
4. 41 CJ SPRINGER
HEAT 2
1. 3 RYAN EILERS
2. 101 JEFF BUSS
3. 88 CHRIS BOLYARD
4. 5 JARED MORRISON
HEAT 3
1. 75 BILLY KNEBEL JR
2. Y35 JOE YOUNKER
3. B51 KYLE BLAIR
4. 89 TROY PORTER
DASH
1. 31 MARK ANDERSON
2. 3 RYAN EILERS
3. 101 JEFF BUSS
4. 75 BILLY KNEBEL JR
FEATURE
1. 31 MARK ANDERSON
2. 3 RYAN EILERS
3. 88 CHRIS BOLYARD
4. 75 BILLY KNEBEL JR
5. 101 JEFF BUSS
6. 5 JARED MORRISON
7. 7M CALEB MILLER
8. 27 KEITH HARRE
9. B51 KYLE BLAIR
10. 4D DOUG TYE
11. 22M MATT MEYER
12. 66 TONY STINDE
13. 89 TROY PORTER
14. 16E TODD EYMAN
15. 41 CJ SPRINGER
16. 88 ROB LEE
17. 98B DAVID BARKER
18. 28 JUSTIN DURBIN
19. Y35 JOE YOUNKER
DNS 54 SHAUN HORSTMANN
UMP HORNET
HEAT 1
1. 62X JAY GORDON
2. 79 RUSTY SNIDER
3. 44B BRANDON BUATTE
4. 24 JUSTIN CLARK
HEAT 2
1. 33 JEREMY REED
2. WHO 2 ELDON HEMKEN
3. 2J JOSH CALLAHAN
4. 47 DAVID BOLYARD
FEATURE
1. 33 JEREMY REED
2. 47 DAVID BOLYARD
3. WHO2 ELDON HEMKEN
4. 24 JUSTIN CLARK
5. 79 RUSTY SNIDER
6. 10 CHRIS WRIGHT
7. 41 MICHAEL BOLYARD
8. 85 DAVID WRIGHT
9. 96 DEREK PETERS
10. 73 DALE MAY
11. 7S KATE SMITH
12. 00 JIM COLE
13. 78 JERROD LONG
14. 6 TROY STEIN
15. 9 JAMES TRIVETT
16. 44B BRANDON BUATTE
DQ 2J JOSH CALLAHAN
DQ 62X JAY GORDON
DNS 35 LYNN LASH
PURESTOCK
HEAT 1
1. 80 TONY WALKER
2. 32T JACOB TOMPKINS
3. 7C MIKE CONLEE
4. 3B KRIS BLANKENSHIP
FEATURE
1. 80 TONY WALKER
2. 32T JACOB TOMPKINS
3. 7C MIKE CONLEE
4. 14 MIKE EVERETT
5. 194 BUBBA FELTNER
6. 30 BOB GOLDMAN
7. 3B KRIS BLANKENSHIP
8. 16J JOSH STRUBLE
9. 95 DAVID SIMS
DNS 4H JD HOPWOOD
HIGH SCHOOL HORNETS
HEAT 1
1. 41 JAEKOB DURBIN
2. 99B DAWSON BARKER
3. 16J JASON STRUBLE
4. 14 BRANDON RIEGEL
FEATURE
1. 99B DAWSON BARKER
2. 41 JAEKOB DURBIN
3. 16J JASON STRUBLE
4. 73 LANE DURBIN
5. 14 BRANDON RIEGEL
Points through April 11
UMP MODIFIED
Pos. Car No. Driver Points
1 70 BRIAN BIELONG 79
2 3E ROBBIE EILERS 74
3 25C CRAIG KERN 68
4 128 ZACH SCHANTZ 62
5 2M MICHAEL MEYER 56
6 41M BRENT MULLINS 51
7 63 BRET EILERMAN 50
8 55V BRADLEY VENHAUS 47
9 27 LENNY GARSON 44
10 89 NORM WOOD 12
11 N59 CHAD EVANS 10
UMP SPORTMOD
Pos. Car No. Driver Points
1. 31 MARK ANDERSON 79
2. 3 RYAN EILERS 74
3. 88 CHRIS BOLYARD 67
4. 75 BILLY KNEBEL JR 64
5. 101 JEFF BUSS 58
6. 5 JARED MORRISON 51
7. 7M CALEB MILLER 50
T-8. 27 KEITH HARRE 46
T-8. B51 KYLE BLAIR 46
10. 4D DOUG TYE 42
11. 22M MATT MEYER 40
T-12. 66 TONY STINDE 39
T-12. 89 TROY PORTER 39
14. 88 ROB LEE 38
T-15. 16E TODD EYMAN 37
T-15. 41 CJ SPRINGER 37
17. Y35 JOE YOUNKER 35
18. 98B DAVID BARKER 34
19. 28 JUSTIN DURBIN 33
20. 54 SHAUN HORSTMANN 10
UMP HORNETS
Pos. Car No. Driver Points
1. 33 JEREMY REED 79
2. 47 DAVID BOLYARD 71
3. WHO2 ELDON HEMKEN 68
4. 24 JUSTIN CLARK 61
5. 79 RUSTY SNIDER 58
6. 10 CHRIS WRIGHT 50
7. 41 MICHAEL BOLYARD 48
8. 85 DAVID WRIGHT 46
9. 96 DEREK PETERS 44
10. 73 DALE MAY 42
11. 7S KATE SMITH 40
12. 0 JIM COLE 39
13. 78 JERROD LONG 38
T-14. 6 TROY STEIN 37
T-14. 44B BRANDON BUATTE 37
16. 9 JAMES TRIVETT 36
17. 63X JAY GORDON 14
18. 2J JOSH CALLAHAN 12
19. 35 LYNN LASH 10
UMP PURE STOCK
Pos. Car No. Driver Points
1. 80 TONY WALKER 79
2. 32T JACOB TOMPKINS 73
3. 7C MIKE CONLEE 67
4. 14 MIKE EVERETT 60
5. 194 BUBBA FELTNER 55
6. 30 BOB GOLDMAN 50
7. 3B KRIS BLANKENSHIP 49
8. 16J JOSH STRUBLE 46
9. 95 DAVID SIMS 44
10. 4H JD HOPWOOD 10
HIGH SCHOOL HORNETS
Pos. Car No. Driver Points
1. 99B DAWSON BARKER 78
2. 41 JAEKOB DURBIN 74
3. 16J JASON STRUBLE 67
4. 73 LANE DURBIN 60
5. 14 BRANDON RIEGEL 56
