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Fayette County Speedway beats Mother Nature again

By Kristopher Blankenship

Week 5 at Fayette County Speedway was again threatened by Mother Nature last Friday night but again overcame.

With rain showers in the area the night before and in the afternoon shutting down tracks in Belleville and Granite City, Fayette County Speedway was spared, providing a great opportunity to showcase the track to other drivers in the region.

The inconsistency of the weather made it difficult for track crew to prepare the racing surface, so early in the night the track was bit dry and dusty, creating slick and treacherous racing until rubber built up.

Although dirt track racers are prepared for just this type of racing, it is a real challenge to find traction.

UMP Modified

A UMP modified car weighs 2,400 pounds and has a more than 600 horsepower motor turning at redline rpms, so on a slick surface, these drivers are forced to tip-toe around the track like deer on a frozen lake.

In times like these, a driver’s touch and setup becomes more important than horsepower and courage, and sure enough, in Heat No. 1, the cream of the crop began to rise to the top.

Mike Harrison battled with Craig Kern to grab the win, and in Heat No. 2, 2013 champion Larry Anderson earned another win.

When the dash came up, the track was taking rubber nicely and getting faster, allowing Harrison to drive away.

In the feature, Harrison claimed the sweep. Brent Mullins was able to race him hard on restarts, but the longer the run without a caution, the farther Harrison got away.

B-mods

The B-mods were a little better equipped to handle the dry slick surface.

The cars have motors that are much more limited than their modified counterparts.

Heat No. 1 was won by Ryan Eilers, and in Heat No. 2, Tim Knebel got his first checkered flag by beating out Billy Knebel Jr.

Eilers then took the dash and feature.

He has been outstanding this year, racing smooth and fast in the face of serious competition.

His challengers are getting faster and tougher to beat back – Jarred Morrison, Knebel Jr. and Caleb Miller are all bringing the heat and likely will soon be taking wins of their own.

Street Stocks

The street stocks brought the most excitement of the night.

With more than 20 cars showing up, it was going to be a battle all night.

In Heat No. 1, Dustin McClintock took the top spot over Tony Walker, in Heat No. 2, Stephen Fohne grabbed the win, as Kris Blankenship made a last-lap challenge, and in Heat No. 3, Jacob Rexing and Dan Pilkington continued the battle, with Rexing taking the top spot.

The feature was another dogfight, with the top five or six cars all together, each within striking distance and each confident they could win.

The track started with three racing grooves available, and they were all being used.

Walker, smooth in the middle, held his ground until two late cautions brought restarts.

Walker, Rexing, Fohne, Pilkington and Blankenship battled together all the way to the last corner, with Walker taking the hard-fought win.

UMP Hornets   

The UMP hornet class saw a new winner and possibly a new rivalry flare up.

Rob Shaw is known to many as a top dog when it comes to hornet racing, and he is always helping others but always a threat to win, which is exactly what he did in Heat No. 1, though he was chased by Sean McCarty.

In Heat No. 2, Lynn Lash grabbed the win over David Bolyard.

In the feature, Bolyard had mechanical troubles, leaving Shaw and McCarty to battle it out, with McCarty getting the edge to take the win after Shaw chased him the whole race.

High school hornets

Dawson Barker beat out Jaekob Durbin for the feature win, and they were followed by Lane Durbin, Brandon Riegel, Jason Struble and Lucas Beal.

A lot of newcomers have been showing up here and there during the season, and all have good things to say about the track.

Competition has been strong, and there is a long list of up-and-coming drivers who are on the verge of breaking out and getting their first win.

Next up is a special show this Friday, with the POWRi Midgets and the 600cc Outlaw Micros taking to the track.

Drivers will earn double track points during the evening.

Gates open at 3 p.m., and racing begins at 7.

For full results and point standings, visit www.fayettecospeedway.com or follow the track on Facebook.

FRIDAY, MAY 9
UMP MODIFIED
HEAT 1
    24H        MIKE HARRISON
    25C         CRAIG KERN
    96           CORY DAUGHERTY
    3E           ROBBIE EILERS
HEAT 2
    BUD 1    LARRY ANDERSON
    41M       BRENT MULLINS
    2M         MICHAEL MEYER
    8M         CARL MCGOWIN
DASH
    24H        MIKE HARRISON
    BUD 1    LARRY ANDERSON
    41M       BRENT MULLINS
    25C         CRAIG KERN
FEATURE
    24H        MIKE HARRISON
    41M       BRENT MULLINS
    25C         CRAIG KERN
    3E           ROBBIE EILERS
    N59        CHAD EVANS
    BUD 1    LARRY ANDERSON
    2M         MICHAEL MEYER
    128         ZACH SCHANTZ
    8M         CARL MCGOWIN
    96           CORY DAUGHERTY
    44           TIM HANCOCK JR
    27           LENNY GARSON
DNS       35           CLARK ROBERTSON

UMP SPORT MOD
HEAT 1
    3              RYAN EILERS
    7M         CALEB MILLER
    5              JARED MORRISON
    88           CHRIS BOLYARD
HEAT 2
    99K         TIM KNEBEL
    75           BILLY KNEBEL JR
    27           KEITH HARRE
    52           CALE HARTNAGEL
DASH
    3              RYAN EILERS
    75           BILLY KNEBEL JR
    7M         CALEB MILLER
    99K         TIM KNEBEL
FEATURE
    3              RYAN EILERS
    75           BILLY KNEBEL JR
    5              JARED MORRISON
    7M         CALEB MILLER
    99K         TIM KNEBEL
    52           CALE HARTNAGEL
    88           CHRIS BOLYARD
    27           KEITH HARRE
    16E         TODD EYMAN
    5B           ERIC BRACKETT

UMP HORNET
HEAT 1
    18R         ROB SHAW
    442         SEAN MCCARTY
    79           RUSTY SNIDER
    83D        DALLAS LUGGE
HEAT 2
    35           LYNN LASH
    47           DAVID BOLYARD
    35R         RICKY CARRIKER
    85           DAVID WRIGHT
FEATURE
    442         SEAN MCCARTY
    18R         ROB SHAW
    35           LYNN LASH
    35R         RICKY CARRIKER
    85           DAVID WRIGHT
    7S           KATE SMITH
    79           RUSTY SNIDER
    41           PHILIP DURBIN
    83D        DALLAS LUGGE
    92           JASON BOLYARD
    44B         BRANDON BUATTE
    00           JIM COLE
    73           DALE MAY
    14J          JOHN WRIGHT
    9              JAMES TRIVETT
    47           DAVID BOLYARD
    16J          MICHAEL BOLYARD
    78           JERROD LONG
    10           CHRIS WRIGHT
    6              TROY STEIN

UMP PURE STOCK
HEAT 1
    72          DUSTIN MCCLINTOCK
    80           TONY WALKER
    32T         JACOB TOMPKINS
    19           ERIK SEDLACK
HEAT 2
    29           STEPHEN FOHNE
    3B           KRIS BLANKENSHIP
    17C         AJ CLINE
    87           DALE BOHNENSTIEHL
HEAT 3
    59R         JACOB REXING
    28           DAN PILKINGTGON
    30           BOB GOLDMAN
    5G          JIMMY GLOVER
FEATURE
    80           TONY WALKER
    59R         JACOB REXING
    29           STEPHEN FOHNE
    28           DAN PILKINGTON
    3B           KRIS BLANKENSHIP
    32T         JACOB TOMPKINS
    72           DUSTIN MCCLINTOCK
    17C         AJ CLINE
    16           BUTCH PRUETT
    M16       JEREMY EMBRICH
    14           MIKE EVERETT
    30           BOB GOLDMAN
    4H           JD HOPWOOD
    194         BUBBA FELTNER/PERRY GENTRY
    16J          JOSH STRUBLE
    7C           MIKE CONLEE
    5G          JIMMY GLOVER
    19           ERIK SEDLACK
    7G          JAKE GOLDSBOROUGH
    87           DALE BOHNENSTIEHL

HIGH SCHOOL HORNETS
HEAT 1
    41           JAEKOB DURBIN
    99B         DAWSON BARKER
    78           LANE DURBIN
    14           BRANDON RIEGEL
FEATURE
    99B         DAWSON BARKER
    41           JAEKOB DURBIN
    79           LANE DURBIN
    14           BRANDON RIEGEL
    16J          JASON STRUBLE
    14J          LUCAS BEAL

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