(Macon, IL) The Eve of Destruction was just that Saturday night at Macon Speedway, destruction. Roll overs, race’em & wreck’em and a special flagpole race delighted a crowd which saw just about everything they could imagine. Along for the night’s action was six racing classes and some repeat winners graced victory lane.
Guy Taylor nearly lost his Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Model feature win as the 14th lap saw the caution come out when Taylor slid with lapped car Colby Eller into the first turn and Taylor’s car wound up on top of Eller’s machine. Because Eller was a lap down, Taylor was allowed to return to the lead spot as the racing resumed. Taylor needed to be assisted off Eller’s car by way of the tow truck. Taylor pulled away and took the win to extend his points lead during the summer of 2018.
Curt Rhodes has been through some rough moments during his season. From broken bones to eye surguries, Rhodes has continued to compete at the highest level in the BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds division. The defending champion ran alongside Tommy Sheppard, Jr. (the current points leader) through the 20-lap feature race and came out with the checkered flag. Rhodes’ night started with a good qualifying time but had engine troubles and needed pushed off the track. After a quick fix, Rhodes ran his heat race well and got the feature, as well.
Darrell Dick made it to victory lane with “Sally” on Saturday night. “Sally” is the name of his new racecar. “Hooptie,” his old ride, just ran out of laps and he brought out a different car and raced strong and fast against the competition of the Street Stock class and took his new car into the winner’s circle.
Jerry Thompson held on a strong challenge from Kevin Crowder to claim his second win in the B-Modifieds class in 2018. His first came back in April during the visit from the Lucas Oil Late Model Series and the St. Louis U-Pic-A-Part 100 program.
Molly Day has been racing in the Micro Sprint circuit for a few years and has been gaining experience and seat time through all those years. It helped her as she graced the checkered flag before all over drivers and took her first-ever feature win. The Atwood driver looks to keep up the strong driving over the next two weeks when the Micro Sprints, presented by Bailey Chasis, will return to Macon Speedway.
The Hornets saw a wild finish with Adam Webb racing back to victory lane. Mike Eskew, current points leader, Jerad Matherly and Adam Lewis looked to contend for the lead early but as the laps carried on, Webb picked up steam and pulled through the field after starting fifth and ran away with the win.
The night was capped off with the special race’em & wreck’em spectacular. Six cars on the track needing to make contact with the other races at least once during each lap saw wild mayhem that would be equivalent to a terrible disaster on I-72 or I-55. In the end, the car labeled “Value Menu” raced by “JJ” was declared the winner. The track was entirely covered in wrecked and mangled race parts and bumpers. The crowd loved it.
Those same cars competed in the first-ever flagpole race in which Decatur’s Jason Beard, racing “2 Slow 4 U” raced the ten-lap event to glory. Beard was the first driver to go from the front stretch to the backstretch and do a circle around a tractor tire with a flag inside, and go around to the third and fourth turns and pass the flagstand.
The night was capped off with fireworks.
Macon Speedway thanks Dale’s Southlake Pharmacy as well as Decatur Industrial Electric for their sponsorship of the Eve of Destruction program. Macon Speedway officials hit high gear for the coming weekend with Lincoln Speedway racing on Friday, Illinois State Fair auto racing with the USAC Silver Crown cars and Sportsman heat races Saturday afternoon along with the Camfield Memorial program at Macon Speedway with the POWRi Midgets & Micro Sprints and then back to the Illinois State Fair for auto racing Sunday with the ARCA Racing Series, presented by Menard’s, and Sportsman Nationals feature racing.
Feature Rundowns
Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Models–1. Guy Taylor (Springfield), 2. Roben Huffman (Midland City), 3. Dakota Ewing (Warrensburg), 4. Jeff Ray (Springfield), 5. Donny Koehler (Macon), 6. Michael Maestas (Lincoln), 7. Colby Eller (Taylorville)
BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds–1. Curt Rhodes (Taylorville), 2. Tommy Sheppard, Jr. (New Berlin), 3. Danny Smith (Argenta), 4. Tim Luttrell (Riverton), 5. Joe Strawkas (Buffalo), 6. Cody Stillwell (Godfrey), 7. Bryan Leach (Harvel), 8. Zach Rhodes (Taylorville), 9. Jeremiah Hoadley (Decatur), 10. Tim Riech (Petersburg)
Street Stocks–1. Darrell Dick (Monticello), 2. Justin Crowell (Lincoln), 3. Roy Beal (Springfield), 4. Shawn Ziemer (Boody), 5. Larry Russell, Jr. (Decatur), 6. Jerit Murphy (Lodge), 7. Brian Dasenbrock (Decatur), 8. Ben Medaris (Decatur), 9. Matthew Yaden (Monticello)
B-Modifieds–1. Jerry Thompson (Troy), 2. Kevin Crowder (Argenta), 3. Tim Riech (Petersburg), 4. Cody Stillwell (Godfrey), 5. Tom Riech (Springfield), 6. Chris Hughes (Taylorville), 7. Roy Magee (Springfield), 8. JR Wiltermood (Windsor), 9. Derek Smith (Decatur), 10. Billy Adams (Shelbyville)
Micro Sprints–1. Molly Day (Atwood), 2. Kyle Schuett (Philo), 3. Jacob Tipton (Decatur), 4. Tyler Duff (Weldon), 5. Carlee Gress (Alton), 6. Chad Elliott (College Hills), 7. Tyler Day (Atwood), 8. Michael Bustamante (Taylorville), 9. Trevin Littleton (Jacksonville), 10. Garrett Duff (Weldon)
Hornets–1. Adam Webb (Decatur), 2. Jeremy Reed (Decatur), 3. Mike Eskew (Springfield), 4. Jerad Matherly (Decatur), 5. Matt Reed (Decatur), 6. Steve Stine (Stonington), 7. John Lewis (Cerro Gordo), 8. Paul Peters (Pana), 9. Cook Crawford (Lincoln), 10. Rick Hamm (Groves City)