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Rain Steers Clear of Macon Speedway, Welcomes Kasey Kahne and
Kenny Wallace
By Brett Zerfowski
MACON, IL (July 22) - Macon Speedway, Mother Nature and big events haven’t
gotten along with one another for a year and half. Two NASCAR Nights have
been postponed due to rain this season, but for the night when Kasey Kahne
visited Macon Speedway, the weather was just about perfect.
For Kasey Kahne fan Tim Black of Pesotum, IL, he was begging for a day
without rain. Leaving his home at 4:30am, being the first person in the line
for autographs with Kahne and Kenny Wallace at 6am, he was in for a long day
and got his just desserts. He was the first in line to greet his NASCAR
favorite. “I’ve been a fan of his since he joined up in 2004. I came for
Kasey and the racing,” said Black.
Kahne arrived a little behind schedule because of flight complications and
weather delays while leaving his vacation spot in the Bahamas. But when he
arrived and joined Macon Speedway co-owner Kenny Wallace, the fans were more
than excited to meet one of NASCAR’s young shining stars.
The O’Reilly’s POWRi Midgets came for the second time to the world’s fastest
1/5th mile dirt track and for the second time in as many visits, Brad Loyet
made the most of his time. Winning his heat and starting front-row-outside
to Austin Brown in the 30-lap, 22-car feature, Loyet, from Sunset Hills,
MO., led all 30 laps en route to the checkered flag. It wasn’t an easy win
as he experienced troubles through the turns during the midway portion of
the event. That allowed Dave Darland, a former USAC Silver Crown champion, a
chance to catch up to the leader. Not enough laps would be Darland’s story
as Loyet won for the second time in 2009 and the fourth time in the last six
races at Macon Speedway.
The fifth visit to Macon Speedway for the O’Reilly’s POWRi Micro Sprints was
a memorable one for Carl Junction, MO., native Andrew Felker as he won the
25-lap, 22-car feature. 49 Micro Sprints paved the way for exciting
open-wheel racing during their fifth race of the eight-race Summer Series. A
$2,000 point fund will be broken down to the top ten in points at the end of
the eight races. All five features have had different winners as Felker
joins Andrew Peters, Ryan Langston, John Paynter and Caleb Graybeal.
Felker made his move on the lap 23 restart as he snatched the lead away from
Jacob Patton coming out of the second turn and onto the backstretch. Patton
had led all 23 laps leading up to the fourth restart of the event.
The Macon Speedway Modifieds ran a 20-lap, 22-car event and everybody was
looking at co-owner Kenny Wallace to grab the win. Behind the wheel of the
yellow Jeg’s 36, Wallace won his heat over Dave Crawley, Jr. and started the
feature front-row-outside with Decatur’s Aaron Burcham. Wallace, a one-time
feature winner at his own track, took the first seven laps as the leader but
on the lap seven restart, he got caught up in the turn two corner and lost
the lead to Tim Hancock. Burcham would grab second as Wallace finally found
his rhythm again on the backstretch but he wouldn’t be able to regain the
top spot as Hancock won his second feature of the year and Burcham finished
in second.
Each week, Macon Speedway has a Best Fan in the Stands drawing where a
driver who finished in a number selected from a pill draw during the StarTek
intermission program would receive a $100 bonus. On this night, the
finishing number was drawn out as number three. Wallace finished third and
won a $100 bonus. In a kind gesture, Wallace gave his bonus to the feature
winner Hancock. Wallace also selected a name from those who filled out the
registration slip and that fan (if present) would win $100 in the All
Service Racing Parts Best Fan in the Stands. The prize would go unclaimed so
the money will then rollover to Macon Speedway’s next program so the Best
Fan in the Stands will receive $200.
The next program at Macon Speedway will be Saturday, July 25, as it will be
the make-up from the rained-out 95Q Firecracker 40s. The Late Models will
run a 40-lap feature (and will be apart of the Midwest Big Ten Series races)
and the Modifieds will also be running 40 laps. As soon as the sun sets,
there will be a HUGE fireworks display! Also, both Pro and Amateur Hornets
will be apart of the special evening as they race for spectacular trophies.
Result For July 22, 2009
UMP Modified - Feature
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Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Race Points
1 4 0H Tim Hancock - 50
2 1 44 Aaron Burcham Decatur , Il 48
3 2 36 Kenny Wallace - 46
4 9 01 Jeremy Nichols Decatur , Il 44
5 7 37 David Crawley Jr. Decatur , Il 42
6 6 64 Donny Koehler Jr. Macon , Il 40
7 12 28 Joe Strawkas Buffalo , Il 38
8 5 77 Guy Taylor - 36
9 11 5 Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, Il 34
10 18 48X William Wagoner Arcola , Il 32
11 15 52 Roger Drake - 30
12 3 31 Steve Ewing Decatur , Il 28
13 23 D98 Danny Smith Argenta , Il 26
14 19 16H Eric Hamilton Macon , Il 24
15 14 42 Katie Lord Chatham , Il 22
16 22 58 Larry Ferguson Arcola , Il 20
17 20 72L Clark Robertson Shelbyville , Il 18
18 21 35S Randy Spaugh Decatur , Il 16
19 10 T2 Mark Tullis Taylorville , Il 14
20 17 7S Ethan Schnapp Springfield , Il 12
21 8 57 Danny Page Mount Zion, Il 10
22 13 32X George Ewing Decatur , Il 0
23 16 6 Dave Eckel Lovington , Il 0
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