Feger Crosses one off the Bucket List
By BZ
(Macon, IL) Jason Feger has enjoyed plenty of success in his Super Late Model racing career. UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals championships, big races at popular tracks, and if a race fan mentions a track there is a good chance Bloomington’s Feger has won. Except the Herald & Review 100 at Macon Speedway. Feger has won at Macon Speedway in a big race–in 2005, he netted the 60-lap, $6,000-to-win spectacular in the 60th anniversary bash. Thursday night, September 1st, Feger cashed in on the big one and the $5,000 paycheck.
Starting in the eighth place starting position, fourth row outside, Feger used his nickname of “The Highside Hustler” to run the top and move through the field. Feger waited out caution flags and one red flag to move past leader Rusty Schlenk on lap 39. Schlenk looked dominant after the beginning lap as he was side-by-side with his front row racer Jake Little. Little scored first on the opening lap but then it was Schlenk from lap two until the 38th lap.
Feger was the one racer who kept moving forward and faster as the 100-lap main event was running, Little started to pull behind as his tires showed signs of wear. The same seemed to be the case for Myles Moos, who started his night as fastest qualifier at 10.366. Moos also crashed and bashed into the concrete wall through much of the race. Schlenk slowed and the caution was brought out on lap 51 as he needed a tire change. When Schlenk returned, the Hoosier Racing Tire change was beneficial as he started flying back towards the top into a top five situation. While these drivers were losing speed and traction, Feger was pulling ahead further and further until he led the second place car by a half-lap.
Many wonder what could have been as the race was going and Feger was in control. Shannon Babb, the five-time winner of the Herald & Review 100, pulled into the infield on only the third lap of the race because of something broken internally with his Super Late Model. Babb, the third-position starter, would have likely been a strong factor in the race. As would have 2015 Herald & Review 100 Champion Ryan Unzicker, who was involved in a wreck on lap ten while running third place. A lapped car slowed and stalled entering the third turn and second plate car Little, Unzicker and fourth place driver Jayme Zidar were spun around into a mess. Unzicker would have smoke or steam coming from the engine and would be pushed back to the pit area.
The race was filled with a variety of driver error or debris cautions–13 in total–that pulled the race into one of the longest in its history at 60 minutes. Many will remember 1999’s race when Billy Drake won with no cautions and many will remember the 2022 race when Feger won in a one-hour event.
Macon Speedway also featured a bonus to the highest finishing Pro Crate Late Model, which ended up being Roben Huffman. Huffman finished 11th of the 23-car starting field.
The second division racing was the BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds in a Summit Equipment Nationals race event. Mike Harrison went from fast qualifier to heat race winner to 25-lap feature race winner very quickly. The Highland driver enjoys racing Macon Speedway and it shows. He has raced twice in 2022 and scored checkered flags in both events, the August 6th Diane Bennett Memorial for $1,000-to-win and the $1,500-to-win event Thursday night.
Macon Speedway will rest quiet for a rare scheduled Saturday night off as the crew and team will be in DuQuoin and the DuQuoin State Fair for the USAC Silver Crown Series, the ARCA Menard’s Series and the UMP Modifieds races on Saturday and Sunday.
Macon Speedway returns to Saturday night racing on September 10th with 98.1 GRIZ-FM Night featuring the Vintage Racing of Illinois series along with six Macon Speedway divisions of racing–Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Models, BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds, 51 Bistro Street Stocks, POWRi Micro Sprints Presented by Bailey Chassis, Pro Modifieds and Hornets.
FEATURE RUNDOWNS (Top 10’s)
Herald & Review 100 DIRTcar Super Late Models
- 25-Jason Feger[Bloomington, IL]; 2. 16-Rusty Griffaw[Festus, MO]; 3. 9Z-Jayme Zider[Waukesha, WI]; 4. 84-Myles Moos[Lincoln, IL]; 5. 38J-Jake Little[Springfield, IL]; 6. 25T-Tucker Finch[Jacksonville, IL]; 7. 27-Greg Kimmons[Pleasant Plains, IL]; 8. 38-Thomas Hunziker[Bend, OR]; 9. 35-Claude Walker[Moro, IL]; 10. 91-Rusty Schlenk[McClure, OH]
BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds
- 24H-Mike Harrison[Highland, IL]; 2. 43-Jared Thomas[Edinburg, IL]; 3. 10M-Chris Morefield[Edwards, IL]; 4. 99-Tim Luttrell[Riverton, IL]; 5. 13-Guy Taylor[Springfield, IL]; 6. 36-Kenny Wallace[St. Louis, MO]; 7. 72W-Kaleb Wood[Sullivan, IL]; 8. 87-Alan Crowder[Elwin, IL]; 9. 28S-Joe Strawkas[Buffalo, IL]; 10. 87S-David Shain[Humboldt, IL]
Category: Illinois
