Bell rings in victory; McKinney back on top

By: Betty Glynn

LA SALLE, IL (May 5, 2012)  – Sheffield racer Rich Bell took his UMP Late Model on a wild run topside to capture the feature race victory Saturday night at La Salle Speedway.

UMP Late Model’s:
Steve Dimmick charged hard to score the fastest timed lap out of the twenty two cars with a time of 13.033. Next he won the first heat event over Mike Glynn, Bell, Bill Rezutek and Jon Small. Bret Sievert took the second heat win in front of Mike Provenzano, Gary Schalmo, Charlie Hess and Roger Rebholz. Scott Schmitt wheeled his way to victory in the final heat beating out Mike Spatola, Jason Jaggers, Mike Fryer and Keith Piano.

With the heat contests behind them, the starting grid for the main event was set after a redraw by they top two in each heat. Dimmick and Glynn were on the front row over Schmitt and Provenzano. After the parade lap, a brief side by side run from the front row ensued. Dimmick moved his ride to the high side and started to outrun the field. By the fifth lap, Glynn and Schmitt were putting on a show for the second place running spot. Two laps later as Spatola was trying to enter the infield he found himself in the path of Bell who climbed over his ride’s nose. The contact didn’t slow Bell as he had his sights on nothing but a win no matter what was in his path.

In the tenth circuit, Provenzano looped his machine which brought the field back to a nose to tail restart. Three laps later a three wide battle between Glynn, Sievert, and Bell for second ensued while Dimmick pulled into a sizeable lead. Two laps after that Bell took over second and continued his wild journey on the highside to catch the leader. Dimmick was the fastest car on the track for the early laps. During Lap 15, Sievert hit the infield tires buried between turns one and two. Two laps later, the nose of his ride bent under into the track causing a whole in the oil pan and a trip pitside on the hook. After the restart, Bell was heavy on the throttle and made contact with the leader which caused him to drop back a couple spots. Dimmick was able to charge back up to the front.

The pace was incredibly quick as Bell led the field. With only four laps to go, a caution for Schmitt and Hess stopped the pace after a lap twenty one restart. No one went to the tail for the restart. At the end of the twenty five lap main Bell was returning to victory lane ahead of Dimmick, Jason Jaggers, Schmitt, Hess, Glynn, Jon Small, Piano, Jeff Small, Doug Zartler, David McAdams, and Matthew McAdams, Joe Jelinek, and Provenzano.

UMP Open Wheel Modified’s:
Jamie Lomax qualified fastest with a time of 14.412. He won his heat race in front of Jason Pershy, Dale Lueth, Vince Cooper, and Matt Gremminger. Travis Kohler took the second heat while Donovan Lodge, Kyle Neels, Mike Mennel, and Nathan Balensiefen crossed the line after him. Milo Veloz won the final heat ahead of AJ May, Scott May, Chris Amstead, and Charlie Harmon.

Lodge rolled onto the pole of the feature grid next to Pershy. Lodge took charge right away but second row starter, Veloz took it away after the second lap and remained uncontested until the end. Lodge trailed the leader until disappearing from the track after the ninth lap.
Veloz collected the win ahead of Kohler, and Scott May. Eighth place starter Lueth traveled up to a fourth place finish in front of Balensiefen, AJ May, Jamie Balensiefen, Mennel, Amstead, Gremminger, Hughes, Harmon, Barry Sauder, and Don Cole.

UMP Street Stock’s:
Mike McKinney’s last visit to La Salle ended on a hook but Saturday’s outing was far better for the young gun. McKinney won his heat race over Tony Provenzano, Mike Hughes, John Farris, and Kevin Lenzen. The second heat winner Jake Miller took the checkers ahead of Roger Rickels, Keith Lucas, Nick Sell, and Randy Lucas.

McKinney charged from the front row outside to take the lead of their feature event over his seventeen competitors. The entire fifteen laps was the McKinney show as he was unstoppable lap after lap as Rickels gave chase until the final lap when he fell off the pace and dropped back a few spots.

With McKinney capturing the win Provenzano ended runner up to Farris, Rickels, Lenzen, Near, Hughes, Sell, Steve Schemlein, and Randy Lucas.

UMP 4 Cylinder Hornet’s:
Jon Provenzano beat his brother Allen in the first heat race with JR Brown in third, Phil Burdette fourth and Jerry Legner fifth.

The Provenzano winning streak ended after both Jon and Allen each left the action. Brown won the main event in grand style over Burdette, Josh Larson, Legner, Don Slover, Nolan Kaufman, Erick Miller and Rich Miller.

Next Saturday night, the Lucas Oil Late Models will top the venue with a $10,000 payday to the winner. The Modifieds, Street Stocks, and Hornets will be competing as well. Pit gates open at 1:00pm, Grandstand at 3:00pm, Racing at 7:30pm. Adults $25.00, Kids 6-11 $5.00, Skybox Seat $30.00, Pit Pass $35.00, Pit Pass & Skybox Seat $45.00.

La Salle Speedway Results 05/05/12

UMP Late Models: 22 Cars
Qualifying: Steve Dimmick 13.033
Heat 1: Steve Dimmick, Mike Glynn, Rich Bell, Bill Rezutek, Jon Small
Heat 2: Bret Sievert, Mike Provenzano, Gary Schalmo, Charlie Hess, Roger Rebholz
Heat 3: Scott Schmitt, Mike Spatola, Jason Jaggers, Mike Fryer, Keith Piano
Feature: Rich Bell, Steve Dimmick Jason Jaggers, Scot Schmitt, Charlie Hess, Mike Glynn, John Small, Keit Piano, Jeff Small, Doug Zartler, David McAdams, Matthew McAdams, Joe Jelinek, Mike Provenzano, Bret Sievert, Bill Rezutek, Roger Rebholz, Mike Spatola, Gary Schalmo, Mike Fryer, Cameron Guidi

UMP Modifieds: 21 Cars
Qualifying: Jamie Lomax 14.412
Heat 1: Jamie Lomax, Jason Pershy, Dale Lueth, Vince Cooper, Matt Gremminger
Heat 2: Travis Kohler, Donovan Lodge, Kyle Neels, Mike Meenel, Nathan Balensiefen
Heat 3: Milo Veloz, AJ May, Scott May, Chris Amstead, Charlie Harmon
Feature: Milo Veloz, Travis Kohler, Scott May, Dale Lueth, Nathan Balensiefen, AJ May, Jamie Balensiefen, Mike Mennel, Chris Amstead, Matt Gremminger, Kevin Hughes, Charlie Harmon, Barry Sauder, Don Cole, Ken Fischer, Scott Hauge, Jason Pershy, Austin Hewitt, Jamie Lomax, Donovan Lodge, Kyle Neels

UMP Street Stocks: 20 Cars
Heat 1: Mike McKinney, Tony Provenzano, Mike Hughes, John Farris, Kevin Lenzen
Heat 2: Jake Miller, Roger Rickels, Keith Lucas, Nick Sell, Randy Lucas
Feature: Mike McKinney, Tony Provenzano, John Farris, Roger Rickels, Kevin Lenzen, Aaron Near, Mike Hughes, Nick Sell, Steve Schemlein, Randy Lucas, Ben Gallentine, Justin Hamm, Jake Miller, Curtis Radtke, Hugo Lindner, Jim Prokup, Matt Heinrichs, Keith Lucas

UMP 4 Cylinder Hornets: 12 Cars
Heat 1: Jon Provenzano, Allen Provenzano, JR Brown, Phil Burdette, Jerry Legner
Feature: JR Brown, Phil Burdette, Josh Larson, Jerry Legner, Don Slover, Nolan Kaufman, Erick Miller, Rich Miller, Jon Provenzano, Allen Provenzano, Nathan Proctor

Category: Illinois, La Salle Speedway, News