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Sievert charges to victory; Father and Son in points chase countdown
By: Betty Glynn 

LA SALLE, IL (August 10) - Late Model driver Bret Sievert started his night off with the second fastest qualifying run out of twenty two drivers on Saturday night at La Salle Speedway. Being second wasn’t good enough for the Wisconsin racer though.  

The fastest eleven qualifiers took center stage for the first of two heat contests. Former track champion, Ryan Dauber, scored the quickest lap with a time of 13.342 to earn the pole of the fast heat. 

By the completion of the first lap Sievert had charged his way into the lead with Dauber close behind. Sievert won the heat over Dauber, Rich Bell, and Lil’ John Provenzano. 

Scott Schmitt hit the gas hard to move his way up from the back of the second heat to victory lane. He pulled away from his ten competitors to win over Gary Hunt, Jimmy Partipilo and Ed Williams. 

With only one points night remaining next week, there is the chase of all chases happening in the Late Model division. Lil’John Provenzano has been a regular in the dirt track world for forty years. His son on the other hand is just starting to make a name for himself. The veteran racer announced before the season started that he is retiring at the completion of the 2010 season.  

The father and son duo have found themselves door to door quite often but being in a championship title race is what they face right now. They have been within two points of one another for several races and at the completion of this week the pair remained the same. Although Mike dropped out of the heat contest and John earned two points, Mike passed John late in the feature to gain those two points back from his father who was suffering with a bad bought of the flu. Mike still sits on top by a mere two point spread.  

Next week’s race will determine which Provenzano will wear the crown.  

Sievert and Dauber hosted the front row feature grid over Bell and Lil’ John. Keith Piano and Bill Weistart Jr. were in row three. The fast and furious group struggled to get the ball rolling with numerous complete restarts until track officials decided a double file restart had been tried and failed.  

Sievert shot to the lead during the first scored lap out with Dauber, Bell and Lil’ John following. Travis Mahoney found his world upside down after rolling off of turn two following contact during the fifth lap. Dauber managed to work his way up to the door of Sievert and passed him during Lap 9 but Sievert grabbed the lead back and pulled away for several laps. 

Sievert took the checkers from a high line run leaving Dauber in second. Mike Provenzano stole third from his father during the final lap. Lil’ John took fourth in front of Bell, Schmitt, Piano, Jon Small, Gary Hunt, Mike Glynn, Williams, Jimmy Partipilo and Terry Knutti. 

Ottawa racer Dale Lueth traveled the quickest lap in the Modified division and took the checkers for the first heat contest. Nathan Balensiefen took second over Travis Kohler and Milo Veloz. Defending track champion, Vince Cooper, won the second heat ahead of Steve Brooks, Matthew Gremminger and Austin Hewitt. 

Lueth used a high line in the twenty lap feature with Veloz running low. Veloz stole the lead during the second lap out and never looked back. At times, Veloz created some significant real estate between himself and Balensiefen while Cooper and Lueth battled back and forth. 

When the checkers dropped it was Veloz making a grand return to victory lane over Balensiefen, Cooper, Brooks, Lueth, Phil Line, Tom Knippenberg, Tim Loomis, Travis Kohler, Don Cole, Jeramie Johnson, Kevin Hughes, Kevin Thompson and Austin Hewitt. 

Jamie Balensiefen was a force to be reckoned with in the Street Stock feature race. It was a great showing for the speedsters in the division. To kick the race off a three wide battle for second gave a taste of what was yet to come. Kevin Snowberger started on the pole and took command early while Balensiefen had to work up from a fourth place start. 

He led every lap until a challenge from Balensiefen off the turn two corner of Lap 12 put Balensiefen into the lead. But not for long as Snowberger took the point back before the lap was scored. While they diced it up back and forth, Brandon Maciejewski was hard charging up the pack from a fourteenth place start.  

During the final circuit, Balensiefen knew it was now or never and charged hard to challenge the leader with Maciejewski joining the fun. As they crossed the finish line it was Balesiefen stealing the show and capturing the checkers. Snowberger crossed second but contact between the trio sent Maciejewski across the finish line backwards. 

Mike Hughes finished fourth over Roger Rickels, Aaron Near, Mike McKinney, Randy Lucas, Steven Schwemlein, Keith Lucas and Nick Sell. 

Snowberger and Hughes each won their heats. 

A showdown in the 4 Cylinder Hornet class between standout drivers JR Brown and Phil Burdette ended with Burdette as the victor. With a late race caution a green, white checkers finish was how it would end. The field was put the pack back together for a final showdown. 

Burdette won the event with a great challenge by Brown who finished second. Dennis Pollak took third over Rick Zifko, Tyler Griswald, #25, DJ Kilanowski, Mark Sutton, Dustin Forbes, Aaron Sutton, Cameron Pocci, Freddie Thatcher and Andrew Schwarko. 

Burdette and Pollak won their heat races.  

La Salle Speedway Scoreboard Results

UMP Late Models – 22 Cars

Qualifying: Ryan Dauber 13.342

Heat #1: Bret Sievert, Ryan Dauber, Rich Bell, John Provenzano

Heat #2: Scott Schmitt, Gary Hunt, Jim Partipilo, Ed Williams

Feature: Bret Sievert, Ryan Dauber, Mike Provenzano, John Provenzano, Rich Bell, Scott Schmitt, Keith Piano, Jon Small, Gary Hunt, Mike Glynn, Ed Williams, Jim Partipilo, Terry Knutti, Todd Alexander, Brian Lock, Lake Knutti, Josh Jones, Jeff Small, Travis Mahoney, Billy Weistart Jr., Bill Dauber

UMP Modifieds – 21 Cars

Qualifying: Dale Lueth 14.667

Heat #1: Dale Lueth, Nathan Balensiefen, Travis Kohler, Milow Veloz

Heat #2: Vince Cooper, Steve Brooke, Matthew Gremminger, Austin Hewitt

Feature: Milo Veloz, Nathan Balensiefen, Vince Cooper, Steve Brooks, Dale Lueth, Phil Line, Tom Knippenberg, Tim Loomis, Travis Kohler, Don Cole, Jeramie Johnson, Kevin Hughes, Kevin Thompson, Austin Hewitt, Scott Hauge, Matthew Gremminger, Brad Stewart, Allen Line, David Wagner, Derrick Doerr, Ken Fischer

UMP Street Stocks – 18 Cars

Heat #1: Kevin Snowberger, Roger Rickels, Aaron Near, Randy Lucas

Heat #2: Mike Hughes, Jamie Balensiefen, Jake Miller, Steven Schweimlein

Feature: Jamie Balensiefen, Kevin Snowberger, Brandon Maciejewski, Mike Huhges, Roger Rickels, Aaron Near, Mike McKinney, Randy Lucas, Steven Schwemlein, Keith Lucas, Nick Sell, Jake Miller, Ande Bivens, John Hogue, Don Koltveit, Ben Gallentine, Tim Provenzano

UMP Hornets – 17 Cars

Heat #1: Phil Burdette, JR Brown, Rick Zifko, Donnie Cole

Heat #2: Dennis Pllak, Andrew Schwarko, Jerry Legner, Tyler Griswold

Feature: Phil Burdette, JR Brown, Dennis Pollak, Rick Zifko, Tyler Griswald, #25, DJ Kilanowski, Mark Sutton, Dustin Forbes, Aaron Sutton, Cameron Pocci, Freddie Thatcher, Andrew Schwarko, Corey Joe West, Paul Smith, Donnie Cole, Jerry Legner