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Bell hangs tough at La Salle; Australian racer competes
By: Betty Glynn
LA SALLE, IL (July 31) – Rich Bell is no stranger to the La Salle Speedway’s
victory circle. In fact, he has become a regular visitor of the coveted zone
in the UMP Late Model class. Saturday night the Sheffield racer made a
valiant return after the race leader succumbed to a mishap with a lapped
machine just over half way thru the race.
Twenty Lates’s made a lap around the track full throttle with Bret Sievert
scoring the fastest time of 13.105. Lil’ John Provenzano was second quick.
The ten fastest racers filled the first heat contest with Lil’ John coming
out on top. He led all ten laps as Bell finished second in front of Sievert,
and Mike Provenzano.
Mike Glynn went from third to first to claim the second heat race. Gary Hunt
took second in front of Jon Small and Eric Rebholz.
Lil’ John and Bell were front row partners over Sievert and Mike Provenzano
as Scott Schmitt and Keith Piano took the third row. Lil’ John dashed quick
to the lead as Bell gave chase with Sievert close behind. During the third
lap out, Piano was on the move when something appeared to break forcing his
ride nose first hard into the pit exit turn. Luckily he was able to exit the
car unscathed.
On the seventh circuit, Bell was moving to the inside of Lil’ John and
seemed to have the momentum he needed to challenge him for the point when a
caution was thrown for Lake Knutti. After the restart, Bell stayed right on
his tail. A good battle up front for fifth was well underway between Schmitt
and tenth place starter Ryan Dauber. Contact between the pair didn’t hold
them back. At the beginnning of Lap 13, Lil’ John found himself in trouble
with the lapped ride of Bill Dauber. Bill’s night ended in the infield but
Lil’ John made a visit showing his frustration by powering into the stopped
ride.
With Lil’ John out of the race, Bell took the helm for the restart as
Sievert, Mike Provenzano, Ryan Dauber, Schmitt, Glynn, and Weistart filed in
behind him. A good race was going for the top seven running positions with
most of the machines running the high line.
At the finish, it was Bell staking claim uncontested ahead of Sievert, Ryan
Dauber and Mike Provenzano. Mike’s finish may have enabled him to take back
the points lead from his father Lil’ John by two points. Schmitt held on for
fifth in front of Glynn, Weistart, Travis Mahoney, Aaron Schmidt, Knutti,
and Jeff Small.
Australian champion Jamie McHugh is touring the United States racing at
various speedways along his journey. He made La Salle one of his stops
unfortunately for the Aussie he didn’t have a stellar racing night to add to
his resume. He did not finish the event placing him seventeenth overall in
the feature.
Steven Brooks topped the twenty six UMP Modified qualifiers. Phil Line took
the first heat victory in front of Nathan Balensiefen, Derrick Doerr, and
Charlie Harmon. Tim Sorn won the second heat ahead of Kevin Thompson,
Jeramie Johnson and David Wagner. The current points leader, Vince Cooper,
captured the checkers of the final heat with Michael Mennel, Chad Gray and
Scott Hauge behind him. Billy Tuckwell won the semi feature over Bobb
Silaggi, Don Cole and Kyle Neels.
Tight racing could be found throughout the twenty car field during the
twenty lap feature event. Balensiefen wasted little time from his front row
outside start to grab the lead over Line. Several cautions plagued the event
but when the green was on, the field was fast and furious with great racing
from the front to the tail.
Doerr was running third when eleventh place starter Vince Cooper was making
a move for his spot. Contact was made sending Doerr into a spin. The unhappy
driver showed his lack of appreciation as he chased down Cooper under
yellow. With Doerr out of competition Cooper was now on the back bumper of
Balensiefen to give him a run for his money.
Up until the final lap, he did just that challenging the leader in the
turns. Balensiefen’s power plant never let up until the checkers. Cooper
scored second over Line, Brooks, Sorn, Brad Stewart, Silaggi, Tom
Knippenberg, David Wagner and Mennel as the only finishers.
Nineteen UMP Street Stocks made the call for action with Mike McKinney and
Kevin Snowberger at the top of the feature grid. Once green, Snowberger
jumped to an early lead while a three wide battle was underway for second.
McKinney, Maciejewski and Mike Hughes were running three wide until lapped
traffic was in the picture.
During Lap 8, Maciejewski and the leader were side by side when the duo came
up on another lapped machine. Maciejewski has become pretty good at
maneuvering his way thru the slower rides and took the point away for the
first and final time.
Maciejewski pulled away from the competition ending the caution free event
with the trophy. Snowberger took second in front of McKinney, Roger Rickels,
Hughes, Jamie Balensiefen, Tim Provenzano, Aaron Near, Randy Lucas, Keith
Lucas, Steve Schwemlein, Justin Hamm, John Hogue, Wayne Huffman, Nick Sell,
Ande Bivens, Don Koltveit, Mike McQuilken and Matt Dean.
Third place starter Andrew Schwarko gave it all he had during the UMP Hornet
division’s main event. His efforts paid off after taking the lead away from
Phil Burdette on the fifth circuit. An elated Schwarko ended as the victor
while Rick Zifko held back JR Brown for second in front of Erik Grosch,
Loren Westerhold, Camron Poci, Mike Gossett, Greg Joewest, Mark Sutton,
Marquis Hoover, Freddy Thatcher and Paul Smith.
Burdette won the first heat over Schwarko, Brown, and Poci. Zifko took the
second heat ahead of DJ Kilanowski, Dennis Polak, and Grosch.
La Salle Speedway Scoreboard Results 7/31/10
UMP Late Models 20 Cars
Qualifying: Bret Sievert 13.105
Heat 1: John Provenzano, Rich Bell, Bret Sievert, Mike Provenzano
Heat 2: Mike Glynn, Gary Hunt, Jon Small, Eric Rebholz
Feature: Rich Bell, Bret Sievert, Ryan Dauber, Mike Provenzano, Scott
Schmitt, Mike Glynn, Billy Weistart Jr., Travis Mahoney, Aaron Schmidt,
Brian Locke, Jeff Small, Lake Knutti, Jon Small, Eric Rebholz, John
Provenzano, Bill Dauber, Jamie McHugh, Gary Hunt, Keith Piano, Ed Williams
Sr.
UMP Moldifieds 26 Cars
Qualifying: Steven Brooks 14.508
Heat 1: Phil Line, Nathan Balensiefen, Derrick Doerr, Charlie Harmon
Heat 2: Tim Sorn, Kevin Thompson, Jeramie Johnson, David Wagner
Heat 3: Vince Cooper, Michael Mennel, Chad Gray, Scott Hauge
Semi Feature: Billy Tuckwell, Bob Silaggi, Don Cole, Kyle Neels, Ken
Fischer, Mike Marden, Allen Line
Feature: Nathan Balensiefen, Vince Cooper, Phil Line, Steven Brooks, Tim
Sorn, Brad Stewart, Bob Silaggi, Tom Knippenberg, David Wagner, Michael
Mennel, Charlie Harmon, Matt Gremminger, Jeramie Johnson, Don Cole, Kevin
Thompson, Billy Tuckwell, Derrick Doerr, Dale Lueth, Scott Hauge, Chad Gray
UMP Street Stock Special 19 Cars
Heat 1: Mike McKinney, Mike Hughes, Roger Rickels, Jamie Balensiefen
Heat 2: Kevin Snowberger, Brandon Maciejewski, Tim Provenzano, Keith Lucas
Feature: Brandon Maciejewski, Kevin Snowberger, Mike McKinney, Roger Rickels,
Mike Hughes, Jamie Balensiefen, Tim Provenzano, Aaron Near, Randy Lucas,
Keith Lucas, Steve Schwemlein, Justin Hamm, John Hogue, Wayne Huffman, Nick
Sell, Ande Bivens, Don Koltveit, Mike McQuilkien, Matt Dean
UMP 4 Cylinder Hornets 21 Cars
Heat 1: Phil Burdette, Andrew Schwarko, JR Brown, Camron Poci
Heat 2: Rick Zifko, DJ Kilanowski, Dennis Polak, Erik Grosch
Feature: Andrew Schwarko, Rick Zifko, JR Brown, Eric Grosch, Loren
Westerhold, Camron Poci, Mike Gossett, Greg Joewest, Mark Sutton, Marquis
Hoover, Freddy Thatcher, Paul Smith, Josh Trahon, Dustin Forbes, Phil
Burdette, Jerry Legner, DJ Kilanowski, Dennis Polak, Charles Greensly
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