Bell Finds Victory Lane in USAC Return to Macon
(Macon, IL) Christopher Bell has spun plenty of laps at Macon Speedway racing in the POWRi National Midget Series but Saturday night was his first run in the USAC National Midget Series. With his NASCAR schedule free and clear, Bell came to Macon and left with the 30-lap feature. The race belonged to Tyler Courtney, nicknamed “Sunshine” by fallen racer Bryan Clauson, until the fourth caution of the race on lap 19 which allowed Bell, who was second, to be bumper-to-bumper with Courtney on the restart. Using the open wheel slide job, where Bell cut underneath Courtney out of the fourth turn, Bell took the lead and held on the final laps. Courtney began to lose control of his car and started to fall in the field. Spencer Bayston, who started fourth, had a consistent run and finished second.
The evening started with qualifying and Pocahontas’ Zach Daum broke the midget track record with a time of 10.325. The previous record was 10.399 set by Mike Hess on August 6, 2004. This was the first time since August 17, 2007, that the USAC National Midgets appeared at Macon Speedway.
Jeremy Camp from Blue Mound took home the win in the Beach House Micro Sprint feature. It looked solid for Aaron Andruskevitch in the early stages but cautions mounted and the lead shrunk and Camp came from his second row spot to take the lead midway through the 20-lap race and grab the win. Mt. Zion’s Michael Brummitt was the final driver to transfer from the semi-feature and started 22nd place, he moved through the field and scored ninth.
Jeremy Nichols made short work of the Midwest Big Ten Series Street Stock feature as he rode the top side all 20 laps en route to the checkered flag.
Tommy Sheppard, Jr. benefitted the most of the drivers during the frisbee redraw prior to the Pro Late Model feature event. Originally starting fourth, Sheppard drew the #1 and got the pole position and dashed away to the top spot in the order and also held off fierce competition from Kyle Logue, Myles Moos and Matt Taylor. Sheppard started to open his lead after a lap six caution and the final 14 laps were consecutively ran under green. During that time, Moos caught a strong line on the top and took away the second place position from Logue.
Macon Speedway is back in action with the UMP Summer Nationals event, the 37th Annual Herald & Review 100 this Thursday. Some of the biggest names in Super Late Model racing are expected to be at Macon Speedway Thursday night. Also, the Billingsley Elite Wash Modifieds and the B-Modifeds will make up the program Thursday night.
USAC National Midgets–1. Christopher Bell (Norman, OK), 2. Spencer Bayston (Lebanon, IN), 3. Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, IN), 4. Justin Grant (Ione, CA), 5. Shane Golobic (Fremont, CA), 6. Zach Daum (Pocahontas, IL), 7. Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK), 8. Chat Boat (Phoenix, AZ), 9. Dave Darland (Lincoln, IN), 10. Daniel Robinson (Ewing, IL)
Beach House Micro Sprints–1. Jeremy Camp (Blue Mound), 2. Craig Ronk (Warsaw, IN), 3. Kurt Westerfield (Belleville), 4. Tyler Day (Atwood), 5. Tyler Duff (Weldon), 6. Holden Anderson (Montgomery, TX), 7. Chad Elloitt (Cottage Hills, IL), 8. Molly Day (Atwood), 9. Michael Brummitt (Mt. Zion), 10. Jacob Tipton (Decatur)
Pro Late Models–1. Tommy Sheppard, Jr. (New Berlin), 2. Myles Moos (Lincoln), 3. Kyle Logue (Cisco), 4. Matt Taylor (Springfield), 5. Roben Huffman (Midland City), 6. Cody Maguire (Carlinville), 7. Chuck Mitchell (Jacksonville), 8. Chris Osbourne (East Peoria), 9. Mason Covey (Seymour, IN), 10. Jeff Reed, Jr. (Blue Mound)
Street Stocks–1. Jeremy Nichols (Lovington), 2. Dave Crawley, Jr. (Decatur), 3.Charles Biesenthal (Athens), 4. Justin Layne (Alsey), 5. Rudy Zaragoza (Jacksonville), 6. Gene Reed (Hammond), 7. Brian Dasenbrock (Decatur), 8. Shawn Ziemer (Boody), 9. Dennis Wernle (New Douglas), 10. Darrell Dick (Monticello)
Category: Illinois
