Track Schedules

BABB DUELS JAMES FOR PEORIA SUMMERNATIONALS WIN

PEORIA, ILL (July 6, 2011) - Shannon Babb won his 3^rd UMP Summernationals race of 2011 and his 3^rd career Peoria Speedway Summernationals win Wednesday night as the “Hell Tour” rolled through Central Illinois on a hot, muggy summer evening.

  Wes Steidinger jumped to the lead from his pole position and immediately dove to the bottom of the race track as second generation driver Scott James of Lawrenceburg, IN, began to drive the top of the track. James got a run off turn 2 on lap 4, and took the lead down the backstretch. Babb sat in 3^rd, but was pressured heavily by a rim-riding Jeep Van Wormer until Van Wormer jumped the cushion on lap 4.

. A lap 5 caution for Jack Sullivan slowed the field, and on the restart Babb began to pressure Steidinger for 2nd. Babb kept poking his nose under Steidinger for the next 5 laps until he finally got by Larry Reikert-owned car for 2nd on lap 10.

  James began to encounter lapped traffic on lap 15, and Babb began to close the gap. Babb had closed onto James' back bumper by lap 22 and made the pass coming out of turn 4 on lap 24 as James slid to the middle trying to get by the lapped car of Mike Provenzano. Babb encountered lapped traffic again on lap 33, but James could never make the pass and ended up in 2nd, .488 seconds behind Babb at the checkered flag. James, in the Riggs Motorsports entry, ended up 2^nd, followed by Matt Miller of Waterville, OH, Stedinger and Van Wormer.

  “I had to work the middle there in traffic because the bottom was getting blocked”, said Babb in victory lane. “It’s always easier to be second in those situations in traffic. I was just waiting for my chance. Scott slipped up there a little in 3, and I jumped to the bottom and got by him. I want to thank all of the fans for coming out and supporting us in this heat”

    38 Late Models took time at Peoria, with Babb setting fast time of 12.712.  Van Wormer, Babb and Steidinger won the heat races, with Charley Hess winning the C Main. Rookie Mike Spatola won the B Main

    Mike Harrison from Highland, IL extended his points lead in the Summitt Racing UMP Modified Summernationals, winning after an early duel with runner-up Gabe Menser.

  Menser drove past pole-sitter Zac Oedewaldt on lap 1, but Harrison was the man on the move as he blasted around the top of the Peoria high banks. The 6^th-starting Harrison had worked his way into 2^nd by lap 4 using the top of the track, but a Derrick Doerr spin on the front stretch caused the yellow to fly on lap 5.

  Menser pulled out to a small lead on the restart, but Harrison reeled him in by lap 7. Over the next 4 laps, the duo would thrill the packed crowd, running virtually dead even in a classic high-low battle. Harrison finally pulled away on lap 11 under the flag stand for the lead.

  Menser was able to get right behind Harrison over the last few laps as Harrison began to push, but could never get a clean pass and had to settle for 2^nd. Kewanne driver Ray Bollinger finished 3^rd, with Brian Lynn of Mason City, and 18^th-starting Denny Schwartz of Ashworth in 5^th.

  Harrison, who farms for a living, told the crowd: “Luckily we got done farming a week earlier than we thought, so we were able to do this deal. I watched the late models there and it looked like the top was the place to be so we gave it a shot and it worked out. The car kind of went away there at the end, but we’ll take it. I want to thank my crew for all their work this week.”

 Harrison, Brian Lynn and Chad Goff won UMP Modified heat races. Erik Bruce and Donovan Loge won the Semi-Features.

  Kenny Butterfield won his 6^th feature of the year in the UMP Hornet division, leading flag-to-flag. Butterfield and Eric Wisher captured heat race wins.

  Peoria Speedway roars to life again this Saturday, July 9 with a full UMP racing program.