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Kids Shine on Exciting Night of Racing at Macon Speedway
By Brett Zerfowski
MACON, IL (June 27) - On a monthly basis, Macon Speedway hosts a Kids Club
meeting. In the June meeting, kids from all around, sons and daughters of
drivers or just fans, began construction on box cars for the July meeting
where they put the finishing touches on them, showed them off and raced them
in front of a packed front stretch. 20 children, two groups of ten, formed a
line and raced from the cone in front of the judge’s stand to the entrance
of turn one. Six-year-old Blake Dulgar took the first race and nine-year-old
Matthew Brewer claimed the second race. The ages ranged from two-to-six in
the first race and six-to-eleven in the second race.
As the stock car races entered the turn two gate, the Touchstone Energy
Sportsman raced a cautionless 15 laps with a first-time winner taking the
checkered flag. Steve Hill from Edinburg started on the pole position and
raced 15 perfect laps as he stayed away from lapped traffic and the wall.
Two weeks ago, Hill took his Sportsman up the wall in turn three and down
the wall in turn four. It was a wild ride two weeks ago but not as wild as
his first checkered flag and feature win. Hill took the honors over Terry
Reed, Rick Roedel and Timmy Dick.
The Modified feature saw rather bizarre situations during their 20 laps. A
storm was forming to the north of Macon Speedway with a brief lightning show
but nothing materialized until the race started. The wind, which was light
and variable shifted and began howling out of the north letting everyone
know that the hot and humid weather was about to change. Luckily, no
precipitation fell throughout the races but lightning still flashed
throughout the skyline to the north and to the northwest.
Lightning struck for the third time for Jeremy Nichols as he took hold of
his third consecutive feature win in 2009. A race in which Nichols dominated
after wrestling the lead away from Dick Taylor early was far from
entertaining. Seven caution flags which saw three cars (Dick Taylor, Dave
Crawley, Jr. and Don Koehler) come to the infield on lap 11 with flat tires.
After fixing the mess, the cars jumped back to the tail of the field and
resumed the race. Nichols took the win but Clark Robertson of Shelbyville
ran a good second place; Wendell Zulauf, Jr. of Springfield sealed third
place and Steve Ewing (who started from the back on lap six because of a
take-out) took fourth.
In the tune-up before the 29th Herald & Review 100 on Thursday, the Late
Models saw an unfamiliar face in victory lane. Roger Brickler, who has one
career Late Model win-that coming in 2004-was the third fastest car in
qualifying, won his heat over Kyle Logue and started aside Greenfield, WI,
native Jayme Zidar took the 25-lap feature and took momentum into the
100-lapper. Zidar was on the back bumper of Brickler throughout the race but
on lap 17, Zidar got loose in turn two to open up the lead further. Zidar
would begin falling as he got caught up in the wrong spot.
Finishing second would be the son of the two-time Herald & Review 100 winner
Ed Bauman (1997-98) in a crate Late Model. Dennis Vandermeersch, who’s left
rear axle was nearly about the come off during the early stages of the race,
took third. Chris Dick took fourth and Jayme Zidar in fifth before Kyle
Logue.
Mike Pickering grabbed his third Street Stock feature of 2009, starting from
the pole position, and tried to close the gap on points championship. Points
leader Blake Shelley finished second with Larry Russell, Jr. in third.
For the second-straight week, Michael Pundt, Jr. took the Pro Hornets
feature. It was a mite easier this time as he had a larger lead on the
second place car, Riverton’s Zach Dodd. The Amateur Hornet feature would go
to Richard Johnson, who was immediately greeted by his cousin David Reed who
let him drive the car in the class. The feature for Johnson would be his
second of the season.
A huge week of racing is soon-awaiting Macon Speedway. Thursday will be the
29th Herald & Review 100 as the UMP Summernationals tour makes its annual
stop of the fastest 1/5th-mile track. The UMP Late Models will try not only
to win, but to survive the grueling 100-lap event in which the winner will
pocket $6,000. Log on to www.herald-review.com/hr100 to select who you think
will win the race and if you are correct, you’ll be entered into a drawing
for a Family Pack for Night of NASCAR Stars with Kasey Kahne on Wednesday,
July 22nd.
Following the incredible night of racing with the Late Models, Modifieds and
Street Stocks, our nation’s birthday will be celebrated with the running of
the 95Q Firecracker 40s as Modifieds and Street Stocks will each run 40-lap
features. Also, the POWRi Mini Sprints, Touchstone Energy Sportsman and Pro
and Amateur Hornets will run. And, don’t forget our HUGE fireworks display!
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