(Peoria, IL) Ray Bollinger capitalized on a fading Gary Cook, Jr. and won his 2nd straight UMP “Illinois State Championship Super Mod 100” and the $3,000 first prize Saturday night at Peoria Speedway.
The 40 car field featured 4 former UMP National Champions and the front row was comprised of 2 former champs in Jeff Leka and current National points leader Mike Harrison, who is seeking his 3rd title. Leka and Harrison ran side-by-side over the first 2 laps until Leka took control on lap 3.Harrison jumped to the top in an effort to catch Leka as the action was fast and furious over the first 7 laps until a caution bunched the field.
Bollinger, who started 7th, drove past 3rd place Brent Mullins and Harrison down the back stretch on lap 15 using the middle of the track and began pursuit of Leka.Harrison’s night ended on lap 17 when he stalled in turn 3 with motor problems and brought out the second caution. Bollinger then drove by Leka on lap 18 in turn one for the lead.
13th-starting Gary Cook, Jr., who came from the B main, had charged into 4th by lap 20 and began an entertaining 3 way battle with Mullins and Leka for 2nd on lap 27. Mullins finally took 2nd as he pulled away from Leka and then Cook drove past Leka on the bottom on lap 36. The race was flagged at the half way mark as drivers were allowed a red flag stop to make adjustments to their cars.
On the lap 50 re-start, Bollinger drove away but the battle raged between Mullins and Cook, Jr. for 2nd, with Cook finally making it stick on lap 54. Cook Jr closed on Bollinger and Bollinger nearly spun out on lap 73 as Cook tried to dive under him, forcing both drivers to the infield. Remarkably, both drivers retained their positions down the backstretch and ran side-by-side over the next 2 laps until Cook took control on the backstretch on lap 75.
Cook looked like the car to beat, stretching his lead after a lap 77 caution as Mullins challenged Bollinger for 2nd. A final caution on lap 87 bunched the field up but Cook looked like the class of the field. 2 laps later, Cook’s car began to fade as a broken panhard bar was causing the rear end to shake and the car sounded like it was about to come apart. Cook managed to stay out front until lap 94, when Bollinger took the lead for good. Mullins ended up 2nd, with Kevin Weaver, Butch Weisser and Donovan Lodge completing the top 5. Cook ended up salvaging an 8th place finish.
“I could see Gary’s panhard bar had broken so I knew it was just a matter of time”, said Bollinger in victory lane. “He surprised me there when he showed me his nose and I gassed it and nearly took us both out. I feel terrible about driving us both through the infield, but I’m glad we both were able to continue. To win our 2nd straight 100 lapper here is huge.”
Donny Walden tuned up for next weekends’ 100 lapUMPLateModelStateChampionship race with a flag-to-flag win, followed by Charley Hess, Darren Friedman, Mike Mullvain and Brandon Thirlby.
“We kinda consider this our home track, so its great to get a win here and I think we will have something for them next weekend”, said Walden.
Steve Shannon won the “Illinois State Championship” for Limited Late Models, surviving 6 caution flags for the $500 win. Brad Willis, Jr finished 2nd, with Jim Carmody, Scott Schoener, and Jack Siegel rounding out the top 5. “I just kept protecting the bottom there and it seemed like a marathon with all the cautions”, saidShannon.
Austin Archdale survived a late-race charge by Billy Brickley as he got hung up by lapped traffic to take the Illinois Lightning Sprint feature. Brickely, Brent Burrows, Mark Billings and Brad Funk completed the top 5.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
PEORIASPEEDWAY
SEPTEMBER 17, 2011
UMP MODIFIEDS (40 cars)
1. 77-Ray Bollinger, Kewanee
2. 41M-Brent Mullins, Litchfield
3. 128-Kevin Weaver,GibsonCity
4. 25-Butch Weisser, Bartonville
5. 32-Donovan Lodge,Moline
6. 2-Erik Bruce,Norwood
7. 72-BrianLynn,Mason City
8. 64-Gary Cook, Jr., Deer Creek
9. D3-Matt Dillon,West Peoria
10. 83-Austin Charron,Peoria
11. 10-CurtRhodes, Taylorville
12. 32d-TommyDuncan,Peoria
13. 1JR-Floyd Jordan, Jr.,Pekin
14. 3L-Jeff Leka,Buffalo
15. 99-Bill Gray, Metamora
16. C4-Chris Morefield, Edwards
17. 292-Bobby Allen,Canton
18. 40JR-Mike Chasteen, Jr.,East Peoria
19. 24H-Mike Harrison,Highland
20. 89-Noah Faw,HannaCity
21. 41G-Matt Goulden,Springfield(DQ)
FAST TIME: Mullins 13.402
HEAT WINNERS: Weisser, Lodge, Allen, Mullins
DASH: Leka
SEMI WINNERS: Cook, Jr., Lynn
UMP LATE MODELS (18 cars)
1. 1w-Donny Walden, Towanda
2. 40-Charley Hess, Bartonville
3. 89-Darren Friedman, Forrest
4. 4-Mike Mullvain, Bartonville
5. M14-Brandon Thirlby,Traverse City,MI
6. 32J-Jason Jaggers, Wyanet
7. 0-Richie Hedrick,Urbana
8. T2-Todd Bennett,Peoria
9. 74-RussAdams, Princeville
10. 3L-Shane Garrison, Dawson
11. 48-JohnGardner, Jr., Germantown Hills
12. 65-Gerry Reeder, Jr.,Peoria
13. 4G-Bob Gardner, Creve Coeur
14. 51-Cameron Guidi,HannaCity
15. 95-Frank Shickel, Sr.,Bloomington
16. 25-Steve Lance, Jr.,Cuba
17. 50-Tim Falkenberry, Mapleton
18. 75-Billy Drake,Bloomington
FAST TIME: Lance, Jr. 12.245
HEAT WINNERS: Walden, Friedman
LIMITED LATE MODELS
1. 15-SteveShannon, Bartonville
2. 6W-Brad Willis, Jr., Morton
3. 83-Jim Carmody, Dunlap
4. 73S-Scott Schoener, Flanagan
5. A2-Jack Siegel,Pekin
6. 22c-Bob Cowell, Sr.,Peoria
7. F4-Carl Feger,MarquetteHeights
8. 30-Rob Bauman, Sr.,Fairview
9. 18J-Joe Markle,Peoria
10. No7-Bryon Ray,Peoria
11. 39-Mark Hasler,Peoria
12. 5-John Traver,Peoria
13. 10-Shawn O’Neill,Bellevue
14. 99-Brian Crebo,HannaCity
15. 28M-Matt Mills,East Peoria
16. 00-Jason Weyeneth,Peoria
17. 65T-Mike Reeder,Peoria
18. 93-AmandaEllis,Washington
19. 9w-Brad Willis, Sr., Morton
20. 1-Brad Carrington, Wyanet
21. 38C-Chris Feger,MarquetteHeights
HEAT WINNERS: Shannon, Carmody, Willis, Sr.
ILLIINOIS LIGHTNING SPRINTS (11 CARS)
1. 2-Austin Archdale, Brimfield
2. 00-Billy Brickley, Wataga
3. 51-Brent Burrows, Lewistown
4. 93-MarkBillings,Columbia,MO
5. 4-Brad Funk, Morton
6. 57-Doug Kraft, Princeville
7. 6-TJ Bolen,Peoria
8. 20x-Brennan Gregory,Pekin
9. m15-Shane Morgan, Creve Couer
10. 7-Jake Sollenberger,Canton