By Brett Zerfowski

(Macon, IL) Weather is amazing. In January & February, central Illinois enjoyed temperatures in the 70s and 80s, including lows in the 50s and 60s but in mid-April, the temps have been frosty as of late. That didn’t stop the die-hard race fans from visiting the 67-year-old dirt oval in Macon for their second show of 2012.

It was another win for Kyle Logue in the Late Model division as he went back and forth with Ryan Little for the lead during their 25-lap A-Main event. Lapped traffic caused problems all evening plagued Little, who took the lead from Logue on the sixth lap, as he lost the lead to Logue by the tenth lap and ran away with the rest of the show. As the race drawn on, the upper groove lost it’s stick and Little started to fall behind while Logue sizzled on the bottom. Logue crossed the line first with Joseph Hughes coming in second with a terrific run, Greg Kimmons grabbed third and Chris Dick in fourth. Jim Moon was fifth and then Little finished sixth.

Ethan Schnapp has been racing for a while but hasn’t gotten to Victory Lane at Macon Speedway. Cross that off the Bucket List. Thanks to broken cars and cautions, Schnapp took the lead and stayed ahead for the checkered flag in the Billingsley Towing Modified feature event. The early race favorites included Jeremy Nichols and Shane Tomlin but they would not play a factor in the final lap as Tomlin left the track on the 17th lap and Nichols had to work his way back through the field after bringing out the caution early in the event. He would finish fifth, however. As for Schnapp, it was a long time coming and he is grateful to have a feature win. Joe Strawkas trailed Schnapp most the race and took second place. Randy Huffman was third, Guy Taylor and Nichols rounded out the top five.

Rick Roedel is back. After disappointing seasons after winning a championship in the Sportsman, Roedel appears to have found his groove again after placing in the top five on Opening Night and netting his first feature of 2012 and first feature since May 21, 2011, his only feature of the season. Roedel led all 15 laps and kept ahead of defending champion Nick Macklin as well as he possibly could. Nick Justice, moving up from the Street Stock division, was fast enough to make the move for second but wasn’t enough to catch the leader. After Roedel crossed the line, Justice was runner-up, Macklin was third, followed by Opening Night feature winner Mike Pickering and Dave Crawley, Jr.

Steve Ewing made it two-for-two in the Street Stock class with a feature win. He started in the front row and led all 12 laps but did have to hold off former champions Mike Pickering and Larry Russell, Jr. to be able to get the top finish. Mike Pundt, Jr. and Terry Reed wrapped up the top five in the event.

It was another two-for-two for the Pro Hornets feature winner Jeremy Reed. He battled with Adam Webb, the defending division champion, for all eight laps but had just enough to win the race. In the Amateur Hornets feature, Jerad Matherly, driving his brother Nick Matherly’s 4-cylinder, was the top finisher. Garrett Lewis was second in the race.

The full show ended just before 10pm and featured 112 racecars on a chilly night to enjoy racing. Race fans and drivers are hoping for weather to heat up for the next show featuring the POWRi Midgets & Micro Sprints. Macon Speedway stock car classes will also be on the show including the Billingsley Towing Modifieds, Street Stocks and Pro & Amateur Hornets.

UMP Late Model – Feature 
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 21K    Kyle Logue     Cisco , Il 50.00 
2 3 7H    Joseph Hughes     Springfield , Il 48.00 
3 5 27    Greg Kimmons      , Il 46.00 
4 6 22    Chris Dick     Deland , Il 44.00 
5 8 1    Jim Moon      , Il 42.00 
6 2 38L    Ryan Little     Springfield , Il 40.00 
7 10 16H    Mike Hammerle     St Charles, Mo 38.00 
8 9 91    Terry Babb     Decatur , Il 36.00 
9 19 38J    Jake Little     Springfield , Il 34.00 
10 7 24    Matt Taylor     Springfield , Il 32.00 
11 16 DC3    Don Cisco     Blue Mound, Il 30.00 
12 14 27B    Jeff Beyers     Pana , Il 28.00 
13 15 56    Troy Newberry      – 26.00 
14 18 4T    Guy Taylor      – 24.00 
15 13 T4    Adam Tischhauser      – 22.00 
16 17 31    Steve Ewing     Decatur , Il 20.00 
17 12 28B    John Beck     Springfield , Il 18.00 
18 11 12    Rick Standridge     Collinsville , Il 16.00 
19 4 117    Chuck Mitchell     Jacksonville , Il 14.00 

 
UMP Modified – Feature 
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 4 7S    Ethan Schnapp     Springfield , Il 50.00 
2 1 28    Joe Strawkas     Buffalo , Il 48.00 
3 5 5H    Randy Huffman     Maroa , Il 46.00 
4 7 77    Guy Taylor      – 44.00 
5 3 15    Jeremy Nichols      , Il 42.00 
6 6 4    Cody Bauman      – 40.00 
7 15 71    Jeff Graham     Stonington , Il 38.00 
8 13 05    Tom Lambdin     Lovington , Il 36.00 
9 10 43    Brent Gregory      – 34.00 
10 2 18    Shane Tomlin      , Il 32.00 
11 8 16H    Eric Hamilton     Macon , Il 30.00 
12 14 23    Andrew Barnes      – 28.00 
13 9 9    Danny Smith     Chillecothe , Oh 26.00 
14 11 63    Steve Keenen     Philo , Il 24.00 
15 12 14C    Alan Crowder     Elwin , Il 22.00 

 
UMP Sportsman – Feature 
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 2 11    Rick Roedel     Shelbyville , Il 50.00 
2 6 36    Nick Justice     Harristown , Il 48.00 
3 3 16    Nick Macklin     Argenta , Il 46.00 
4 1 9    Mike Pickering     Decatur , Il 44.00 
5 11 C25    David Crawley Jr.    Decatur , Il 42.00 
6 4 35    Dave Eckel     Lovington , Il 40.00 
7 8 4G    Cody Wickline     Assumption , Il 38.00 
8 15 B99    Tim Bedinger     Taylorville , Il 36.00 
9 9 52    Bob Sidener     Springfield , Il 34.00 
10 13 93    Ty Nation     Taylorville , Il 32.00 
11 5 21    Troy Dodson     Cerro Gordo, Il 30.00 
12 14 25    Dennis Vandermeersch     Springfield , Il 28.00 
13 7 07    Phil Moreland     Assumption , Il 26.00 
14 10 125    Guy Taylor      – 24.00 
15 17 57    Thomas Riech     Springfield , Il 22.00 
16 12 72    Tom Graham     Stonington , Il 20.00 
17 16 41    Scott Landers     Taylorville , Il 18.00 
18 18 J24    Kenny Patient      – 16.00 

 
UMP Street Stock – Feature 
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 20    Steve Ewing     Decatur , Il 50.00 
2 2 99    Mike Pickering     Decatur , Il 48.00 
3 3 X7    Larry Russell Jr.    Harristown , Il 46.00 
4 5 918    Michael Pundt Jr.    Decatur , Il 44.00 
5 4 11    Terry Reed     Decatur , Il 42.00 
6 10 OO    Roy Magee Ii    Springfield , Il 40.00 
7 17 29    Bobby Beiler     Decatur , Il 38.00 
8 13 08    Brian Dasenbrock     Decatur , Il 36.00 
9 8 52R    Jeffery Reed Jr.    Blue Mound, Il 34.00 
10 6 29R    Rich Beiler      – 32.00 
11 11 01N    Jeremy Nichols      , Il 30.00 
12 24 61    Gene Reed     Shelbyville , Il 28.00 
13 15 21C    Coleman Scott     Brownstown , Il 26.00 
14 20 52    Jonathan Drake     Decatur , Il 24.00 
15 16 33    Justin Hill     Lovington , Il 22.00 
16 22 26    Kyle Waters      – 20.00 
17 7 70    Joe Younker     Brownstown , Il 18.00 
18 12 22X    Jim Cardoni     Chatham , Il 16.00 
19 19 1    Josh Robb     Blue Mound, Il 14.00 
20 9 23    Jason Hazlet     Moweaqua , Il 0.00 DNS
21 14 V8    James Farley Iii    Springfield , Il 0.00 DNS
22 18 M5    Tom Miller      – 0.00 DNS
23 21 7    Nick Sutton      – 0.00 DNS
24 23 25    Greg Osman     Macon , Il 0.00 DNS

 
UMP Amateur Hornet – Feature 
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 J4    Nick Matherly     Decatur , Il 50.00 
2 3 73    Garrett Lewis     Decatur , Il 48.00 
3 2 205    Michael Gossett      – 46.00 
4 5 11    Jake Moore      – 44.00 
5 7 21    Austin Harbin     Argenta , Il 42.00 
6 11 13    John Bright Jr    Decatur , Il 40.00 
7 4 56Z    Zach Perryman     Decatur , Il 38.00 
8 16 96    Derek Peters     Pana , Il 36.00 
9 8 33G    Michael Tucker      – 34.00 
10 13 199    Jordan Foraker     Taylorville , Il 32.00 
11 17 33    Jeremy Reed     Decatur , Il 30.00 
12 12 39    Marty Sullivan     Mt. Zion, Il 28.00 
13 6 21T    Chris True      – 26.00 
14 10 11J    Dillon Justice     Harristown , Il 24.00 
15 15 2B    Paul Buzan      – 22.00 
16 14 12    Dean Holt     Decatur , Il 20.00 
17 9 121    Jerrod Hemingway      – 0.00 DNS

 
UMP Hornet – Feature 
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 4 33    Jeremy Reed     Decatur , Il 50.00 
2 2 40    Adam Webb     Decatur , Il 48.00 
3 3 11    Billy Justice     Niantic , Il 46.00 
4 6 205    Brett Embry     Decatur , Il 44.00 
5 5 J4    Jerad Matherly     Decatur , Il 42.00 
6 8 83    Bruce Dulgar     Decatur , Il 40.00 
7 10 21    Joseph Mcchristy     Mt Zion, Il 38.00 
8 12 98    Kenneth Reed     Decatur , Il 36.00 
9 16 4G    John Goveia     Springfield , Il 34.00 
10 14 21R    Dustin Reed     Decatur , Il 32.00 
11 9 0    Jimmy Goodrich      – 30.00 
12 7 14X    Steven Stine      , Il 28.00 
13 11 88    Brian Offer     Springfield , Il 26.00 
14 15 7S    Steven Dulgar     Decatur , Il 24.00 
15 17 81    John Garner     Taylorville , Il 22.00 
16 19 4    Matthew Reed     Blue Mound, Il 20.00 
17 18 33G    Cook Crawford      – 18.00 
18 1 22X    Jeff Dodd     Springfield , Il 0.00 DQ
19 13 94    Kenny Reed     Blue Mound, Il 0.00 DNS