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Babb’s slick track preference at La Salle leads to third
victory in a row
By: Betty Glynn
LA SALLE, IL (July 13, 2011) - Mother Nature has robbed race
enthusiasts of their need for speed on far too many occasions this season at
La Salle Speedway. The Wednesday night make up of the UMP DIRTcar
Summernationals was finally a reality with twenty nine competitors from
seven states and two countries rolling into the Illinois Valley’s largest
sports complex. One of the seventeen Illinoisans took home the biggest prize
of all as he works to clinch the coveted, and profitable, tour title.
UMP DIRTcar Summernationals Late Model Tour:
Forty laps, twenty nine racers, five thousand dollars, a title on the line
and perfect weather conditions set the stage for a perfect night of racing.
Group qualifying, three heat races, a C Main, and four provisional positions
decided the feature grid. Pole sitter Shannon Babb, dubbed the Moweaqua
Missile, coasted into his spot next to Frank Heckanast Jr. on the front of
the grid while Kevin Weaver and Bret Sievert were in row two. Ryan Unzicker
and Donny Walden were in the third row over Mike Glynn and Jack Sullivan.
The four wide salute of the entire field is an absolute welcome addition and
seems to prep the crowd for full throttle horse power.
Once the green flag waved, it was Heckanast taking charge of the field as he
drove into a good lead by the sixth lap out. Babb looked faster in the
corners but Heckanast had a good run on the straights, enough to pull away.
The two battled back and forth with Babb powering up to the leaders door in
the turns but Heckanast was fast on the topside. Babb was heavy on the gas
to force a side by side duel for the point. The two battled back and forth
during the early laps trading places until the sixteenth circuit when Babb
used a lower line to grab the lead.
“Me and Frankie had a heck of a great race going on early,” Babb told the
crowd during an infield interview.
The battle early on was the only racing action Babb would be challenged with
other than cruising behind lapped cars who were battling for position. The
forty lap main event finished in just over eighteen minutes, ironically the
same number as the winner’s car.
“I loved it,” Babb said when asked about the track surface. “It was slick
and we had put ourselves in a position up front.”
Babb’s victory circle visit is the third in a row for the current
Summernationals point’s leader. The chase is coming to a close and it looks
as though the trifecta finish boosted Babb into a secure lead en route to
the $25,000 top prize.
Gibson City’s Kevin Weaver ran a strong second place for much of the race
finishing runner up to Babb over Matt Miller, Heckanast, Sullivan, Unzicker,
Sievert, Walden, Ryan Dauber, Dennis Erb Jr., Mike Spatola, Mike Provenzano,
Dillon White, Rich Bell, Jeep Van Wormer, and Brandon Sheppard.
Weaver won the first heat race over Sievert, Glynn, Provenzano, and
Dauber. Babb claimed the second heat ahead of Unzicker, Sullivan, White and
Dan Schlieper. Heckanast took the third heat contest over Walden, Miller,
Sheppard, and Erb. Bell charged hard to win the C Main over transfer
positions Van Wormer and Pete Parker. Provisional starters were Scott
Schmitt, Nathan Balensiefen, Scott James, Mike Spatola, and Keith Piano.
UMP Open Wheel Modified’s:
Twenty two UMP Open Wheel Modified drivers showed up for the $1,000 special.
Ray Bollinger outran Allen Weisser, Butch Weisser, Donovan Lodge and Jeff
Larson for the first heat race win. Nick Allen won the second heat in front
of Mike Harrison, Jeff Curl, Jay Ledford, Dave Porth and Ryan Thomas.
Bollinger and Harrison started side by side on the feature grid’s front row.
Their crusade went on lap after lap until the sixteenth circuit when
Harrison made one final move to the lead. Just like the Late Model main, Lap
16 was the last lead change. Harrison managed to distance himself leaving
Bollinger in second until the final lap was scored. Butch Weisser took third
over Curl, Ledford, Allen Weisser, Lodge, Porth, Steven Brooks, Gary Cook
Jr., Jeff Larson, Nick Allen, Ryan Thomas, Matthew Gremminger, Derick Doerr,
Justin McCoy, Mike Marden, Austin Hewitt, Tom Knippenberg, Jason Kolbe,
Kevin Hughes, and McKay Wenger.
UMP Street Stock’s:
The UMP Street Stock drivers ran an impressive race with a caution free
feature. Tim Provenzano won their main ahead of Joel Funk, Steve Lewis, Mike
McKinney, Andrew Funk, Rick Thomas, Roger Rickels, Jake Miller, Jamie
Balensiefen, Aaron Near, Randy Lucas, Keith Lucas, Ryan Weistart, Justin
Hamm, Nick Sell and Steve Schwemlein.
Provenzano and Lewis won the heat races.
UMP 4 Cylinder Hornets:
Allen Provenzano’s domination of the Hornet division continued with another
feature victory to add to his stellar season. Jeff Seitz gave it his all to
steal the thunder but Allen managed to hold on for another victory. Seitz
finished second in front of Phil Burdette, Matt Musgrave, JR Brown, Zach
Bollinger, Jerry Legner, Rick Wagner, Freddie Thatcher, Crystal Provenzano
Broyles, Mark Sutton, Aaron Sutton, Mike Gossett, Rick Zifko, Andrew
Schwarko, and Jon Provenzano.
La Salle Speedway Results 7/13/11
UMP DIRTcar Summernational’s Late Models: 29 Cars
Qualifying: Donny Walden
Heat 1: Kevin Weaver, Bret Seivert, Mike Glynn, Mike Provenzano, Ryan
Dauber, Rich Bell, Jason Jaggers, Lake Knutti, Scott James
Heat 2: Shannon Babb, Ryan Unzicker, Jack Sullivain, Dillon White, Dan
Schlieper, Jeep VanWormer, Pete Parker, Keith Piano, Craig Vosbergen, Jeff
Larson
Heat 3: Frank Heckanast Jr., Donny Walden, Matt Miller, Brandon Sheppard,
Dennis Erb Jr., Mike Spatola, Nathan Balensiefen, Matt Furman, Scott Schmitt
C Main: Rich Bell, Jeep VanWormer, Pete Parker, Scott Schmitt, Nathan
Balensiefen, Jason Jaggers, Matt Furman, Doug Drown, Craig Vosbergen, Lake
Knutti, Jeff Larson, Keith Piano, Mike Spatola, Scott James
Feature: Shannon Babb, Kevin Weaver, Matt Miller, Frank Heckanast Jr.,
Jack Sullivan, Ryan Unzicker, Bret Sievert, Donny Walden, Ryan Dauber,
Dennis Erb Jr., Mike Spatola, Mike Provenzano, Dillon White, Rich Bell, Jeep
Van Wormer, Brandon Sheppard, Nathan Balensiefen, Scott Schmitt, Mike Glynn,
Pete Parker, Dan Schlieper
UMP Modifieds: 22 Cars
Heat 1: Ray Bollinger, Allen Weisser, Butch Weisser, Donovan Lodge, Jeff
Larson, Austin Hewitt, Derrick Doerr, Steven Brooks, Kevin Hughes, Jason
Kolbe
Heat 2: Nick Allen, Mike Harrison, Jeff Curle, Jay Ledford, Dave Porth, Ryan
Thomas, Matthew Gremminger, Tom Knippenberg, Mike Marden, Justin McCoy,
McKay Wenger, Gary Cook Jr.
Feature: Mike Harrison, Ray Bolinger, Butch Weisser, Jeff Curl, Jay Ledford,
Allen Weisser, Donovan Lodge, Dave Porth, Steven Brooks, Gary Cook Jr., Jeff
Larson, Nick Allen, Ryan Thomas, Matthew Gremminger, Derick Doerr, Justin
McCoy, Mike Marden, Austin Hewitt, Tom Knippenberg, Jason Kolbe, Kevin
Hughes, McKay Wenger
UMP Street Stocks: 16 Cars
Heat 1: Tim Provenzano, Roger Rickels, Joel Funk, Jamie Balensiefen
Heat 2: Steve Lewis, Mike McKinney, Rick Thomas, Nick Sell
Feature: Tim Provenzano, Joel Funk, Steve Lewis, Mike McKinney, Andrew Funk,
Rick Thomas, Roger Rickels, Jake Miller, Jamie Balensiefen, Aaron Near,
Randy Lucas, Keith Lucas, Ryan Weistart, Justin Hamm, Nick Sell, Steve
Schwemlein
UMP 4 Cylinder Hornets: 16 Cars
Heat 1: Jeff Seitz, Rick Zifko, Allen Provenzano, Mike Gossett
Heat 2: Phil Burdette, JR Brown, Crystal Provenzano Broyles, Rick Wagner
Feature: Allen Provenzano, Jeff Seitz, Phil Burdette, Matt Musgrave, JR
Brown, Zach Bollinger, Jerry Legner, Rick Wagner, Freddie Thatcher, Crystal
Provenzano Broyles, Mark Sutton, Mike Gossett, Rick Zifko, Andrew Schwarko,
Jon Provenzano
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