Schneiderman, Werner, Epperson and Benson Top Knox County Fair Races

 

by Brian Neal

Knoxville, IL (Wednesday, July 31, 2013) – The annual Knox County Fair, Illinois’ oldest running county fair, in Knoxville, IL has always had a stock car event during the fair for as long as I can remember and 2013 was no different. But for this years events the fair board decided to hire Jeff and Amy Laue and their crew from 34 Raceway in West Burlington, IA to put on the racing program. In action on the night would be the 305 Sprints, UMP Modifieds, STARS Mod Lites, and 4 Cylinders, with Jarrod Schneiderman (305 Sprints), Matt Werner (UMP Modifieds), Evan Epperson (STARS Mod Lites), and Tyler Benson (4 Cylinders) ending the night in victory lane.

The first feature up on the night was the 10 lap STARS Mod Lites, with Justin Buchholz and Evan Epperson drawing the front row for the event. Epperson took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1 over Buchholz and Greg Rossell. While Epperson stretched his lead out, the battle for second was heating up. As Buchholz, Rossell and Josh May, who started 5th, were in a battle for the second spot.The first caution of the race would appear on lap 4, as Jim May slowed in turn 4 with troubles to bring out the yellow. On the restart Epperson jumped back out front, with Josh May over taking Buchholz for second. Just as Epperson started to pull away from second, the final caution of the event appeared on lap 6. This time Rossell, who was running 4th, slowed to a stop in turn 3. On the restart Josh May was able to get up beside Epperson going into turn 1, as they battled side-by-side for the top spot. But Epperson was able to hold back May over the final 4 laps to claim the win. May settled for 2nd, Buchholz was 3rd, Jimmy Halcomb came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Michael Martin taking a 5th place finish back to Gilbert, AZ.

Up next was the 10 lap 4 Cylinder feature, with Larry Miller and Eric Stogdell leading the field to the green. But it was sixth place starter Joe Zrostlik who quickly moved to the front to lead lap 1 over Stogdell and Tyler Benson. Just as Zrostlik started to pull away from the field, the first caution was waved on lap 2. Derrick DeFord, who was running 5th, and Adam Gates, who was running 6th, got together in 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Zrostlik moved back out front, with Stogdell working to hold back Benson in the battle for second. The action up front was slowed for the second time during the event on lap 4, as debris down the front stretch would bring out the yellow. Just as the green was waved for the restart the yellow light would come back on, as Zrostlik lost an engine down the front stretch and ended up stopping in turn 1. Stogdell would inherit the lead for the restart, with Benson close behind in second and Wayne Noble, who started 12th, now running 3rd. Benson would try to get under Stogdell over the next 4 laps, but wasn’t able to make the pass until lap 9. Benson then held on for the final lap to pick up the win. Stogdell was 2nd, Noble was 3rd, Matt Mackey came from 8th to finish in 4th, with DeFord recovering from the lap 2 spin to come back up to finish in 5th.

Jarrod Schneiderman and John Schulz made up the front row for the 15 lap 305 Sprint feature. But just as the green flag was waved the yellow light would come on, as the start was called back. On the restart Dillan Roth would get upside down in turn 2 and ended up over the guardrail and the fence to come to rest on the highway. He would climb from his machine ok. The following restart saw Schneiderman jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Schulz and Donnie Steward. Schneiderman then started to pull away from the field, as Schulz worked to hold back Steward, who was working to hold back Ben Wagoner. The only thing to slow Schneiderman down over the 15 lap feature was lapped traffic, as he entered it on lap 12. This would allow Schulz to close in coming to the white flag, but Schneiderman was able to hold on to claim the win. Schulz crossed the line sliding down the front stretch to finish in 2nd, Steward held on for 3rd, Wagoner was 4th, with Daniel Bergquist coming home in 5th.

The final feature up on the night was the 15 lap UMP Modifieds, with Gabe Menser and Dave Wietholder leading the field to the drop of the green. Wietholder would take advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Menser and Matt Werner. While Wietholder set a fast pace out front, Jake Griffin used the top of the track to move into second on lap 2 and then went to work on chasing down Wietholder. But disaster would strike Griffin on lap 6 when the hood flew up and blocked his vision, resulting in him getting into the guardrail in turn 2 and bringing out the one and only caution of the event. On the restart Wietholder moved back out front, with Werner over taking Menser for the second spot. Werner tried to get under Wietholder over the next 3 laps, but Wietholder was able to hold him off until lap 10. Wietholder drifted to high in turn 1, which allowed Werner to slip under him to take over the top spot on lap 10. Werner then pulled away over the final 5 laps to pick up the win. Wietholder settled for 2nd, Menser was 3rd, Chris Zogg was 4th, with Dean McGee coming home 5th after starting in 9th in an IMCA legal Modified.

 

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Knox County Fair, Knoxville, IL

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

 

305 Sprints

 

Feature: 1. 14s-Jarrod Schneiderman, West Burlington, IA; 2. 27-John Schulz, West Burlington, IA; 3. 16HD-Donnie Steward, West Burlington, IA; 4. 84-Ben Wagoner, Emden, IL; 5. 9-Daniel Bergquist, Burlington, IA; 6. 51J-Ryan Jamison, Mediapolis, IA; 7. 40-Andy Huston, Roseville, IL; 8. 6B-Andy Baugh, Mason City, IL; 9. 40c-Cody Wehrle, Burlington, IA; 10. 4J-Justin Parrish, Oquawka, IL; 11. 5-Shawn Whiting, West Burlington, IA; 12. 97x-Gary Bonar, Burlington, IA; 13. 43-Dillan Roth, Burlington, IA; 14. 1-Jayson Ditsworth, Gladstone, IL (DNS); 15. 16-Dustin Clark, Agency, IA (DNS); 15. 11-Tony Bundy, Monmouth, IL (DNS)

Heat 1: 1.16HD-Steward; 2. 51J-Jamison; 3. 27-Schulz; 4. 14s-Schneiderman; 5. 43-Roth; 6. 6B-Baugh; 7. 1-Ditsworth; 8. 97x-Bonar

Heat 2: 1. 84-Wagoner; 2. 40-Huston; 3. 9-Bergquist; 4. 4J-Parrish; 5. 40c-Wehrle; 6. 5-Whiting; 7. 16-Clark; 8. 11-Bundy (DNS)

 

UMP Modifieds

Feature: 1. 93-Matt Werner, Colona, IL; 2. 05-Dave Wietholder, Liberty, IL; 3. G1-Gabe Menser, Ashmore, IL; 4. 9z-Chris Zogg, New Liberty, IA; 5. H7-Dean McGee, Galesburg, IL; 6. 32-Donovan Lodge, Davenport, IA; 7. 1JR-Floyd Jordan Jr., Pekin, IL; 8. 20-John Fellman, Blue Grass, IA; 9. 61-Shane Meinders, Williamsfield, IL; 10. 08-Jake Griffin, Quincy, IL; 11. 15-Brandon Durbin, Colona, IL (DNS); 12. A1-Rich Smith, Taylor Ridge, IL (DNS); 13. M50-Darin Thye, Burlington, IA (DNS)

Heat 1: 1. 08-Griffin; 2. 05-Wietholder; 3. 9z-Zogg; 4. 1JR-Jordan Jr.; 5. H7-McGee; 6. 61-Meinders; 7. M50-Thye

Heat 2: 1. 93-Werner; 2. G1-Menser; 3. 20-Fellman; 4. 15-Durbin; 5. A1-Smith; 6. 32-Lodge

 

STARS Mod Lites

 

Feature: 1. 21-Evan Epperson, Muscatine, IA; 2. 99-Josh May, DeSoto, IA; 3. 69B-Justin Buchholz, Davenport, IA; 4. 8H-Jimmy Halcomb, Kirkwood, IL; 5. 24-Michael Martin, Gilbert, AZ; 6. 08-Chase Flatt, Monmouth, IL; 7. 11s-Gary Snyder, Monmouth, IL; 8. 8G-Dan Guss, Milan, IL; 9. 26-Cody Taylor, Gilbert, AZ; 10. 77-Greg Rossell, Knoxville, IL; 11. 87-Blake Woodruff, Galesburg, IL; 12. 5J-Jim May, DeSoto, IA; 13. 70-Amy Johnson, Knoxville, IL (DNS)

Heat 1: 1. 21-Epperson; 2. 77-Rossell; 3. 8H-Halcomb; 4. 08-Flatt; 5. 5J-Jim May; 6. 26-Taylor; 7. 87-Woodruff

Heat 2: 1. 99-Josh May; 2. 24-Martin; 3. 68B-Buchholz; 4. 11s-Snyder; 5. 8G-Guss; 6. 70-Johnson

 

4 Cylinders

 

Feature: 1. B5-Tyler Benson, Creve Coeur, IL; 2. 50-Eric Stogdell, Colona, IL; 3. 14-Wayne Noble, Wapello, IA; 4. 01-Matt Mackey, Delavan, IL; 5. 11-Derrick DeFord, Cuba, IL; 6. 48-Chuck Fullenkamp, Ft. Madison, IA; 7. 1-Danny Riekena, Mapleton, IL; 8. 51-Ken Stogdell, East Moline, IL; 9. 1J-Hugh Jordan, Pekin, IL; 10. 24M-Larry Miller, Burlington, IA; 11. M68-Keith Seigel, Peoria Heights, IL; 12. z50-Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove, IA; 13. 13B-Josh Barnes, Keokuk, IA; 14. 007-Adam Gates, Cedar Rapids, IA; 15. 2-Michael Grossman, Keokuk, IA; 16. 88-Billy Snider, Elmwood, IL (DNS); 17. 24-Kenny Butterfield, Kingston Mines, IL (DNS); 18. 14k-Shane Kelley, Hopedale, IL (DNS); 19. 7-Mike Cusack, Edwards, IL

Heat 1: 1. 50-E. Stogdell; 2. 1-Riekena; 3. 007-Gates; 4. 01-Mackey; 5. 11-DeFord; 6. 48-Fullenkamp; 7. 13B-Barnes; 8. 24-Butterfield; 9. 1J-Jordan; 10. 7-Cusack (DNS)

Heat 2: 1. 2-Grossman; 2. z50-Zrostlik; 3. M68-Seigel; 4. B5-Benson; 5. 24M-Miller; 6. 14-Noble; 7. 88-Snider; 8. 51-K. Stogdell; 9. 14k-Kelley

Category: Illinois