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UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals Night 1: Erb Opens Tour
With Victory At Kankakee
KANKAKEE, IL June 15, 2007 Dennis Erb Jr. is off to a great start on the
2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals.
One of the Midwests hottest drivers entering this years grueling tour, Erb
marched to victory in Friday nights 40-lap Summernationals opener at Kankakee
Motor Speedway.
Erb, 34, of Carpentersville, Ill., earned $10,000 for capturing the UMP DIRTcar
Summernationals lidlifter for the second consecutive season. Last year he went
on finish fifth in the tour point standings.
A winner of two $10,000 World of Outlaws Late Model Series A-Mains last month,
Erb continued his big-money surge by driving forward from the eighth starting
spot in his Petroff Towing/Thomason Transportation Rayburn. He passed race-long
pacesetter Rodney Melvin of Benton, Ill., for the lead on lap 25 and never
looked back.
It was the fourth career Summernationals triumph for Erb, a favorite to stand as
the points champion at the end of this years 28-race/30-day series.
Melvin, who has raced infrequently so far this season while gearing up for a
Summernationals assault, held on to finish second at the high-banked oval.
Mike Marlar, a first-time Summernationals hopeful from Winfield, Tenn., came
from the 12th starting spot to finish third, followed by 2004 Summernationals
titlist Don ONeal of Martinsville, Ind., and current UMP DIRTcar Racing
national Late Model points leader Wes Steidinger of Fairbury, Ill., who started
from the pole position.
Getting off to a tough start was 2006 Summernationals points runner-up Jeep
VanWormer of Pinconning, Mich. He started seventh but was the first driver out
of race, finishing 21st.
Forty-four cars entered the event.
Heat winners were Melvin, ONeal, Ryan Dauber of Tonica, Ill., and Steidinger,
and Matt Miller of Waterville, Ohio, and Jason Feger of Springfield, Ill.,
captured the B-Mains.
UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals Feature Finish (40 laps):
1. Dennis Erb
2. Rodney Melvin
3. Mike Marlar
4. Don ONeal
5. Wes Steidinger
6. Greg Johnson
7. Terry Casey
8. Kevin Weaver
9. Matt Miller
10. Randy Korte
11. Steve Sheppard
12. Shawn Toczek
13. Richie Hedrick
14. Jason Fegers
15. Rusty Schlenk
16. Russ Scheffler
17. Ryan Dauber
18. Garrett Slager
19. Mike Provanzano
20. Tony Izzo
21. Jeep VanWormer
DNQ: Jordan Bland, Steve Zakrajsek, Zach Carney, A.J. Diemel, Terry Babb, Kenny
Adams, Eddie Kirchoff, Don Knippenberg, Frank Heckenast Jr., Don Hillary, Rusty
Pleasant, Steve Dimmick, Kerry Mathew, Dusty Moore, Tim Manville, George
Scheffler, John Clemmons, Jim Mineo, Ted Loomis, Jim Felker, Ryan Unzicker, Mark
Burgtorf, Mike Mataragas
2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals Schedule
6/15 Fri. Kankakee Motor Speedway/Kankakee, IL (Dennis Erb Jr.)
6/16 Sat. Kamp Motor Speedway/Boswell, IN
6/17 Sun. Tri-State Speedway/Haubstadt, IN
6/18 Mon. Jefferson County Raceway/Mt. Vernon, IL
6/19 Tues. Lebanon I-44 Speedway/Lebanon, MO
6/20 Wed. Highland Speedway/Highland, IL
6/21 Thurs. Morgan County Speedway/Jacksonville, IL
6/22 Fri. Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL
6/23 Sat. I-55 Raceway/Pevely, MO
6/24 Sun. Lincoln Speedway/Lincoln, IL
6/25 Mon. Peoria Speedway/Peoria, IL
6/26 Tues. Poplar Bluff Speedway/Poplar Bluff, MO
6/27 Wed. Lake Ozark Speedway/Eldon, MO
6/28 Thurs. Paducah International Raceway/Paducah, KY
6/29 Fri. Western Kentucky Speedway/Nebo, KY
6/30 Sat. Clarksville Speedway/Clarksville, TN
7/1 Sun. Vermilion County Speedway/Danville, IL
7/2 Mon. Midway Speedway/Crooksville, OH
7/3 Tues. Lawrenceburg Speedway/Lawrenceburg, IN
7/4 Wed. Day Off
7/5 Thurs. Macon Speedway/Macon, IL
7/6 Fri. Tri-City Speedway/Pontoon Beach , IL
7/7 Sat. Fairbury American Legion Speedway/Fairbury, IL
7/8 Sun. Quad City Speedway/East Moline , IL
7/9 Mon. C.J. Raceway/Columbus Junction, IA
7/10 Tues. Quincy Raceway/Quincy, IL
7/11 Wed. Spoon River Speedway/Canton, IL
7/12 Thurs. LaSalle Speedway/LaSalle, IL
7/13 Fri. Day Off
7/14 Sat. Oakshade Raceway/Wauseon, OH