Highland, IL (June 17, 2003) Rodney Melvin of Logan, IL, drove to victory and picked up the $3,000 payday at the U.G.L.Y. Bartender’s Multiple Sclerosis Race for a Cure! Melvin, driving the Rick’s Towing, Soapy Joe’s Car Wash, Rend Lake College, Koni Shocks, stlracing.com, C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo started on the pole for the 40 lap event with NASCAR Winston Cup Veteran Kenny Schrader starting on the outside. Schrader took the lead on the opening lap from his outside starting position. Schrader opened up a five car-length lead in the early going over Melvin who was holding off the early challenges of Terry English. The pack began to reel Schrader back in and were back on his rear bumper by lap twenty. Brian Wolfmeier worked his way from his eleventh place starting position to challenge Schrader and Melvin for the lead, but he got in turn three a little too hard on lap twenty-five and spun, bringing out the events only caution.

On the restart, Schrader moved to the bottom of the track, giving Melvin the high side, which he used to his advantage and drove past Schrader down the backstretch. Melvin would pull away and eventually won the event by a full straight away. Schrader still had his hands full holding off the challenge of the hometown favorite, Randy Korte. Korte couldn’t make the pass the settled for third. Defending U.M.P. Late Model National Champion Terry English of Benton, KY was fourth. Ed Dixon of Washington, MO completed the top five.

The night was started off by Mark Gansmann setting fast time with a lap of 14.103 seconds around the 1/4 mile oval. Gansmann was driving the Got Milk, Power of Cheese car normally driven by Clay Baumann.

The Dash was won by Melvin over Schrader, Frankie Martin, English, Gansmann and Dixon.

The first heat race went to Billy Faust over Jim Morrison, Bobby Melvin and Michael Kloos.

The second heat was won by Randy Korte, as he made a last lap pass on Brian Wolfmeier who was second, Chad Zobrist was third and Mike Hammerle fourth.

The third heat went to Shawn Negangard as he held of Kevin Weaver. Rick Salter was third, Dean Hoffman fouth.

The semi feature was marred by a hard crash on the backstretch involving Rylan Dagg, Todd Rehg and Charlie Schaefer. Schaefer suffered a broken thumb in the accident. Dean Hoffman moved past Mike Hammerle half way through the event and went on to victory. Hammerle was second and Mike Schulte third.

A tough battle raged on in the UMP Modified division, but Brian Bielong was able to lead all thirty laps and picked up the $1000 prize. Bielong was pressured all thirty laps by Matt Taylor, Jim Shereck and Scott Sugg. At one point Sugg moved past the second and third place car and along side the leader Bielong only to see the caution flag come out and revert him back to fourth. They crossed the line for the checkered flag with Taylor second, Shereck third, Sugg fourth and Mike Harrison fifth.

UMP Late Models – 27 cars

Fast Time – Mark Gansmann – 14.103

Dash – Rodney Melvin(27), Ken Schrader(99), Frankie Martin(25), Terry English(96), Mark Gansmann(77), Ed Dixon(50)(dnf)

First Heat – Billy Faust(26), Jim Morrison(85), Bobby Melvin(27b), Michael Kloos(6), Rylan Dagg(r52), Charlie Scheafer(79), Lenny Garson(25g)

Second Heat – Randy Korte(00), Brian Wolfmeier(441), Chad Zobrist(78), Mike Hammerle(16), Brad Loddeke(e55), Mike Schulte(27), Andy Pryor(10)

Third Heat – Shawn Nenagard(16), Kevin Weaver(b12), Rick Salter(1s), Dean Hoffman(1d), Todd Rehg(33), Dan Jacober(22), Brent Kreke(13)(DNF)

Semi – Hoffman, Hammerle, Schulte, Kreke, Loddeke, Garson, Pryor, Kloos, Dagg(DNF), Rehg(DNF), Scheafer(DNF)

Feature – R. Melvin($3,000), Schrader($2,000), Korte($1,000), English($750), Dixon($500),, Weaver($400), Morrison($350), Nenagard($300), Gansmann($275), Martin($260), Faust($245), Zobrist($230), Schulte($215), Hammerle($200), Salter($200), Wolfmeier($200), B. Melvin($200)(DNF), Hoffman($200)(DNF), Dagg($200)(DNF)

UMP Modifieds – 35 cars

Heat 1 – Mark Ford(11f), Brian Wolfmeier(99), Rick Conoyer(14), Tom Seets(7j), Paul Bailey(81), Dave McDougal(97), 25, Brad Sullivan(20)

Heat 2 – Brian Bielong(70), Rick Standridge(16), Rich Whaley(59), Mark Lueck(3m), John Langsford(224), Chris Smith(55), Adam Koch(911)(DNF), Marty Smith Jr.(55)(DNF)

Heat 3 – Bobby Bittle(89), Dave Thornton(56), Scott Suggs(69), Mark Clary(94), Kent Schoeck(31), Matt Weidner(18), Scott Weber(71x)(DNF)

Heat 4 – Matt Taylor(3L), John Hopson(16), Mike Harrison(24), Jim Werner(44), Jay Hughes(71), Todd Gailuis(85)

Heat 5 – Jim Shereck(17), Paul Reinneck(51), Roger Fohne(29), Boby Martintoni(48), Mark Voigt(30), Chad Sellers(e55)(DNF)

Dash – Bielong, Taylor, Shereck, Bittle, Ford

Semi 1 – Clary, Martintoni, Seets, Weidner

Semi 2 – Werner, Hughes, Bailey, Smith Jr.

Feature – Bielong($1000), Taylor($800), Shereck($500), Sugg($325), Harrison($275), Ford($225), Wolfmeier($200), Standridge($175), Hobson($150), Martintoni($135), Thornton($120), Clary($110), Reinneck($100), Werner($100), Fohne($100), Bittle($100), Whaley($100)(DNF), Conoyer($100)(DNF), Weber($100)(DNF)