By Brett Zerfowski

(Macon, IL) An overcast day turned into a pleasant evening for racing at the World’s Fastest 1/5th mile dirt track with the POWRi Midgets & Micro Sprints on the schedule. The previous attempt at the end of April was rained out and open-wheel racers galore rushed their way to Macon. 37 Midgets and 47 Micro Sprints graced Macon Speedway along with four stock car divisions to give the night’s car count over 150 racecars!

The Street Stock division treated all fans with an exciting finish capped off with Mike Pundt, Jr.’s first feature win. Following former division champion Larry Russell, Jr., Pundt changed to the high groove while Russell kept low and the top allowed Pundt to gain throughout the race but a helpful caution on the tenth lap of 12 gave Pundt the chance to get the checkered flag. The only time he led was coming out of the fourth turn to the final flag of the race. Russell was the runner-up. Gene Reed raced to third, Greg Osman had a good showing for fourth and defending champion Bobby Beiler rounded out the top five.

Jeremy Nichols was able to win his third Modified feature of the season in front of the division sponsor, Billingsley Towing of Decatur. Taking hold of the race from the beginning, Nichols did not make it a close race to the finish as he passed lapped traffic with little difficulty. Guy Taylor tried to stay close but finished second. Brian Bielong of Summerfield took third, Brock Bauman in fourth and then Ethan Schnapp was fifth.

Jeremy Reed is out to win all the Pro Hornet features in 2012. Of four features at Macon Speedway, he has won all of them. Derek Peters won his first Amateur Hornet feature and first since the High School Hornet class two years ago.

The main events of the night were the open-wheel POWRi Midgets & Micro Sprints. Zach Daum started in the front row of the POWRi National Midget Series 30-lap feature and the “Dauminator” dominated his way through the race and was the best of the 22 cars in the field. Alex Harris motored his way through three rows to get to the front and won the POWRi Micro Sprint feature.

Next week, Macon Speedway returns with a full show of stock car racing featuring the Late Models, Billingsley Towing Modifieds, Sportsman, Street Stocks, and the Pro & Amateur Hornets.

UMP Modified – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 2 15 Jeremy Nichols , Il 50.00
2 4 77 Guy Taylor – 48.00
3 6 70 Brian Bielong Summerfield , Il 46.00
4 5 6X Brock Bauman Eureka , Il 44.00
5 3 7S Ethan Schnapp Springfield , Il 42.00
6 11 5H Randy Huffman Maroa , Il 40.00
7 10 9 Danny Smith Chillecothe , Oh 38.00
8 8 28 Joe Strawkas Buffalo , Il 36.00
9 7 21D Darcey Wey Heyworth , Il 34.00
10 9 14C Alan Crowder Elwin , Il 32.00
11 12 9C Russ Coultas Bluffs , Il 30.00
12 19 71 Jeff Graham Stonington , Il 28.00
13 16 63 Steve Keenen Philo , Il 26.00
14 13 05 Tom Lambdin Lovington , Il 24.00
15 15 54R Frank Reed Jr Blue , Il 22.00
16 14 35 Clark Robertson Shelbyville , Il 20.00 DNF
17 17 22N Ryan Nettles – 18.00 DNF
18 1 4 Cody Bauman – 0.00 DNS
19 18 23 Andrew Barnes – 0.00 DNS

UMP Street Stock – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 6 918 Michael Pundt Jr. Decatur , Il 50.00
2 2 X7 Larry Russell Jr. Harristown , Il 48.00
3 4 61 Gene Reed Shelbyville , Il 46.00
4 7 25 Greg Osman Macon , Il 44.00
5 1 29 Bobby Beiler Decatur , Il 42.00
6 3 23 Jason Hazlet Moweaqua , Il 40.00
7 8 14 Kurtis Ater Macon , Il 38.00
8 9 08 Brian Dasenbrock Decatur , Il 36.00
9 5 11J Nick Justice Harristown , Il 34.00
10 12 33 Justin Hill Lovington , Il 32.00
11 10 T2 Chris Bolyard – 30.00
12 15 52 Jonathan Drake Decatur , Il 28.00
13 16 29R Rich Beiler – 26.00
14 13 11 Terry Reed Decatur , Il 24.00 DNF
15 11 52R Jeffery Reed Jr. Blue Mound, Il 22.00 DNF
16 14 88 Lonnie Bly – 20.00 DNF
17 17 1 Josh Robb Blue Mound, Il 18.00 DNF
18 18 OO Roy Magee Ii Springfield , Il 16.00 DNF

UMP Amateur Hornet – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 2 96 Derek Peters Pana , Il 50.00
2 4 56Z Zach Perryman Decatur , Il 48.00
3 15 33 Brady Reed – 46.00
4 6 53 Jackie Booth – 44.00
5 1 33G Aaron Zucker – 42.00
6 8 81 John Garner Taylorville , Il 40.00
7 9 21T Spencer White – 38.00
8 13 205 Michael Gossett – 36.00
9 3 2B Renee Hamilton – 34.00
10 11 11J Dillon Justice Harristown , Il 32.00
11 5 21 Austin Harbin Argenta , Il 30.00
12 7 39 Marty Sullivan Mt. Zion, Il 28.00
13 10 13 John Bright Jr Decatur , Il 26.00 DNF
14 12 121 Jerrod Hemingway – 0.00 DNS
15 14 J4 Nick Matherly Decatur , Il 0.00 DNS

UMP Hornet – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 4 33 Jeremy Reed Decatur , Il 50.00
2 1 4 Matthew Reed Blue Mound, Il 48.00
3 3 21R Dustin Reed Decatur , Il 46.00
4 10 11 Billy Justice Niantic , Il 44.00
5 5 0 Jimmy Goodrich – 42.00
6 6 83 Bruce Dulgar Decatur , Il 40.00
7 8 98 Kenneth Reed Decatur , Il 38.00
8 7 53 Jack Booth – 36.00
9 2 71 Todd Rush Pawnee , Il 34.00
10 9 88 Brian Offer Springfield , Il 32.00
11 11 14X Steven Stine , Il 30.00
12 12 J4 Jerad Matherly Decatur , Il 28.00
13 13 81 Timothy Cripe – 0.00 DNS