EVANSVILLE , IN – Nov. 8, 2007 – There was nothing easy about the route Denny Schwartz took to the 2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Open-Wheel Modified national championship.
After spending the late-summer and early-fall locked in a tense, one-on-one battle for the top spot in the points standings with longtime rival Jeff Leka, Schwartz literally secured the $20,000 title on the final lap of the season’s final race.
“Like I’ve told everybody,” Schwartz said after clinching his second career UMP DIRTcar Racing Open-Wheel Modified national crown, “it seems like I always do it the hard way.”
Schwartz, a 47-year-old, second-generation racer from Ashmore, Ill., couldn’t have been more relieved than he was after beating Buffalo, Ill.’s Leka by a mere four points (2,517-2,513) in one of the closest national championship chases in UMP DIRTcar Racing history. The neck-and-neck struggle with Leka was almost too stressful for Schwartz to handle.
“I damn near made myself sick over this,” Schwartz said of the points race as it came down the stretch. “I finally told everybody on my crew, ‘I’m done with this. I can’t worry so much about the points.’
“It took the fun out of it. And I think it probably did for Jeff too.”
Thus Schwartz tried to take a more relaxed outlook into the points-season finale, the UMP DIRTcar Racing Fall Nationals on Oct. 5-6 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg , Ohio . That was easier said than done, however, because Schwartz held only a precarious two-point lead over Leka and his weekend appeared to be spiraling down the tubes during the Friday-night qualifying program.
Schwartz’s Pierce Race Cars/Mullins Race Engines No. 21s was involved in a tangle on an opening-lap restart of the fourth heat at Eldora, but he continued racing at the rear of the field. Unbeknownst to Schwartz, however, his car’s radiator mounts had broken, causing water to dump out of the radiator with every lap he turned. He charged all the way back up to second before stopping on the backstretch on the final lap, leaving him with an extremely overheated motor and a starting spot deep in a B-Main the next night.
“After everything that went wrong (that Friday night), I actually was ready to just give up and say, ‘The hell with it,’” recalled Schwartz, shaking his head. “I thought I’d be better off just staying in the trailer (on Saturday).”
But the hard-nosed Schwartz couldn’t bring himself to pack it in and hope he could still hold on to win the title. He knew that he could lose the championship if he finished outside the top four and Leka won Saturday night’s 25-lap A-Main – and that was a distinct possibility. After all, even though Leka had also failed to qualify through a heat, he had come from a mid-pack starting spot to capture the 2006 UMP DIRTcar Racing Fall Nationals feature.
So Schwartz and Co. put their noses to the grindstone and patched up their orange Modified for Saturday’s action.
“We had to rebuild the radiator mounts and fix some other stuff on the car,” said Schwartz. “So we went back to the motel and worked until about 5 o’clock (in the morning). Then we got back up at 9, ate breakfast, and worked on it again until it was time to race.”
Schwartz encountered more problems in Saturday night’s B-Main, adding to his worries. Early in the second B-Main he ended up going underneath a bouncing Modified in turn one, ripping up the right side of his bodywork and causing his roof to flap in the breeze when he went back to racing. He climbed as high as fourth with his handicapped car before slowing on the final lap, forcing him to use a UMP DIRTcar Racing points provisional to start the A-Main.
“It was like a parachute with that roof flapping up,” said Schwartz. “It just wouldn’t drive down in the corner the rest of the race. (Bob) Pierce (the well-known car builder and former Late Model driver) always told me the body is a big deal at Eldora, and he’s right. It just wanted to skate.”
After making more repairs, Schwartz took the green flag in the A-Main from the 25th starting spot. Leka was only three rows ahead in 20th after winning a B-Main, but the 41-year-old standout didn’t stay there long, cutting through the field in dramatic fashion to reach second place by lap 11.
When Leka began pressuring Scott Orr for the lead, Schwartz had just cracked the top 10. Suddenly, with Leka on the charge and Schwartz not even certain that his ailing engine could last to the finish, Schwartz seemed to be watching the championship slip through his fingers.
“We actually melted the motor down (on Friday night),” said Schwartz. “A half-hour after the heat, it was still over 270 (degrees). But we’re a one-motor deal, so we just ran it (on Saturday) and crossed our fingers that it would hang on all night.”
Leka’s explosion to the front left Schwartz unable to baby his car to the finish. He had to get on the move fast, injured powerplant notwithstanding.
“Oh, I was watching (Leka) creeping up, and I didn’t think I had it in me to get up there,” said Schwartz. “But then I went into a different mode or something. I just said, ‘The heck with it. I gotta try something.’ So I just started running the snot out of it.
“I put it way out there above the cushion, and that got me a bunch of spots. When I got to fifth (on lap 16), I was counting cars.”
When a caution flag flew on lap 24, Schwartz sat fourth and Leka was still second. That would have been enough to preserve the title for Schwartz, but if Leka managed to pull off a dramatic win on the final-lap restart and Schwartz slipped one spot to fifth, then Leka would snare his first career UMP DIRTcar Racing national crown. What’s more, if Leka won and Schwartz stayed in fourth, then the two drivers would finish in an unprecedented championship tie and split the first- and second-place points money.
Alas, Leka, hampered by a vibration due to mud that was caked in his right-rear wheel, settled for second place, while Schwartz found just a little more in reserve and executed a last-lap pass to claim third at the finish line and clinch his second national title in three years.
“I done decided, ‘I’m gonna win this thing,’” Schwartz said on Eldora’s homestretch after completing his relentless late-race assault to bag the points crown. “The motor is hurt real bad – in fact, I don’t think there’s any water left in it – but I think in one more lap, I was gonna win that feature too.”
The dramatic season-ender at Eldora was a rare instance in which Schwartz was glad he hasn’t really mellowed over the years. He noted during the post-race ceremonies that his penchant to hammer the gas put him in position to become a repeat UMP DIRTcar Racing open-wheel Modified national champ.
“My son uses his head a little more than I do,” Schwartz said of his 24-year-old son Danny, who finished 15th in the 2007 UMP Modified national points standings. “I kinda drive with my foot, so he must’ve taken a little more after his Mom. She’s more level-headed than me.
“My head’s more like a big pop-off valve – but it’s a good thing it popped off tonight!”
Schwartz actually felt a tinge of regret in defeating Leka, who recorded more feature wins than Schwartz in 2007 (29-18) but couldn’t compile enough points for the title.
“I’ve been racing with Jeff all year, and we’ve done some good racing,” said Schwartz. “I wish we could’ve just tied – I didn’t want to just give it away, but wouldn’t have minded if we ended up tied. He deserved to win it just as much as we did.”
Under the UMP DIRTcar Racing points system, the national open-wheel Modified champ is determined using a driver’s best 35 finishes/points nights with an emphasis on car counts. A field of 21 cars provides one bonus point for each finishing position, with a one-point-per-car increase up to a maximum of 20 bonus points for fields numbering 40 or more.
“In my opinion, Jeff really had the better year,” conceded Schwartz, who finished in a tie with Leka for the North Region points championship. “He was more consistent every night, and he had a lot more wins. I just played the game – like I told him, I played chess all summer.
“Actually, the points are (computed) a little different than the first time I won the championship (in 2005). If (the points system) would’ve been like it was two years ago, Jeff would’ve won this hands down.”
Schwartz paused, and then added with a smile, “I don’t feel sorry for (Leka), though. I mean, the guy wanted to win, but I can’t say I didn’t want to win it.”
Yes, winning the UMP DIRTcar Racing open-wheel Modified national title means a lot to Schwartz. He is, after all, a UMP Modified guy through and through.
“I really like UMP Modifieds,” he said. “I raced Late Models back 14 years ago and I’d love to go back and do it again, but I own the car and Modifieds are what I can afford to race. Like anything, the costs keep going up, but what I like about the UMP Modifieds is that you can take off and go to about any state you want, and you can run these things.
“And I build these cars at Pierce (Chassis in Oakwood , Ill ). I do bodies, weld – basically I float around and do whatever needs to be done. I about see these cars in my sleep.”
Racing at least two nights a week – and often more – to chase UMP DIRTcar Racing Modified points left Schwartz, his 62-year-old sponsor/mechanic Bud Price and the rest of his team “about wore out,” but you can bet he’ll be back digging away in 2008.
“I’ve loved racing ever since I was a little kid,” said Schwartz, whose father started the family’s race-driving tradition. “Actually, I wanted a racetrack, but I just got a race car instead and I still enjoy it.”
Schwartz will receive his championship trophy and points-fund cash on Sat., Jan. 12, 2008, during the UMP DIRTcar Racing ‘Night of Champions’ Awards Banquet at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield, Ill.
For more information on the Awards Banquet, visit www.umpracing.com or call the UMP DIRTcar Racing office at 812-426-1200.
Official Final 2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Open-Wheel Modified Points Standings:
National Points Standings: 1. Denny Schwartz 2517; 2. Jeff Leka 2513; 3. Shelby Miles 2413; 4. Bobby Martintoni 2330; 5. Gary Cook Jr. 2321; 6. Jesse Cramer 2319; 7. Kent Robinson 2314; 8. Bobby Bittle 2271; 9. Bub Patrick 2247; 10. Randle Sweeney 2246; 11. Dave Porth 2224; 12. Ryan Thomas 2222; 13. McKay Wenger 2205; 14. Todd Sherman 2181; 15. Danny Schwartz 2157; 16. Matt Bex 2146; 17. Mike Spatola 2135; 18. Tim Reynolds 2104; 19. Chuck Haga 2099; 20. Jon Henry 2088; 21. Matt Boknecht 2083; 22. Andy Sprague 2082; 23. Lance Dehm 2080; 24. Rob Fuqua 2077; 25. Scott Orr 2076; 26. Kevin Hastings 2068; 27. John McCaul 2064; 28. Bill Lewis 2040; 29. Greg Amick 2036; 30. Derek Losh 2034; 31. Matt Goulden 2031; 32. Doug Adkins 2009; 33. Tony Anderson 1999; 34. Brian Bielong 1994; 35. Arby Burton 1985; 36. Clayton Miller 1984; 37. Jason Hastings 1978; 38. Chad Evans 1962; 39. Ray Walsh 1962; 40. Dan Dykman 1937; 41. Ben Stephens 1936; 42. Lee Hobbs 1924; 43. Tim Rivers 1919; 44. Jeff Curl 1902; 45. Tommy Kroll 1886; 46. Richie Ginn 1879; 47. Mike Vanderiet 1875; 48. Randy Myers 1840; 49. Mark Herbert 1835; 50. Jeff Wellum 1834; 51. Gabe Menser 1817; 52. Jeb Freidman 1796; 53. Kenny Carmichael 1793; 54. Gary Richard 1784; 55. John Demoss 1784; 56. Jim Farris 1776; 57. Matt Bachman 1761; 58. Chad Osterhoff 1734; 59. Mike Wilbern 1732; 60. Brian Lynn 1728; 61. Rich Neiser 1697; 62. Mike Harrison 1668; 63. Tim Hancock 1660; 64. Randy Whitten 1648; 65. Vince Cooper 1636; 66. Todd Gilpin 1619; 67. Brent Londeree 1617; 68. Kevin McCarty 1616; 69. Tim Tuttle 1593; 70. Jamie Wilson 1572; 71. Mark Miner 1571; 72. Kyle Cooper 1561; 73. Dean Hoffman 1549; 74. Brad Wieck 1530; 75. Brett Korves 1513; 76. Miles Thalman 1506; 77. Tim Walker 1503; 78. Devin Gilpin 1502; 79. Scott Weber 1457; 80. Chris Smith (#155) 1447; 81. Josh Ferguson 1426; 82. Daniel Lewellwn 1424; 83. A.J. Garber 1422; 84. Justin Houston 1418; 85. Chad Sellers 1416; 86. Jamie Cobb 1408; 87. Aaron Ricketts 1395; 88. Paul Bailey 1395; 89. Matt Miley 1388; 90. Daryl Herbert 1381; 91. Joel Funk 1380; 92. Nick Poole 1374; 93. Cody Hood 1365; 94. Brian Yeatman 1358; 95. Randy Shuman 1333; 96. Jon Horn 1325; 97. Michael Bolyard 1321; 98. Marty Smith 1311; 99. Jason Henry 1308; 100. Shane Hebert 1303
NORTH REGION: 1. (tie) Denny Schwartz 2409; 1. (tie) Jeff Leka 2409; 3. Gary Cook Jr. 2267; 4. Dave Porth 2187; 5. McKay Wenger 2176; 6. Mike Spatola 2124; 7. Tim Reynolds 2104; 8. Chuck Haga 2099; 9. Andy Sprague 2082; 10. Kevin Hastings 2066; 11. John McCaul 2064; 12. Lance Dehm 2049; 13. Derek Losh 2008; 14. Jason Hastings 1978; 15. Arby Burton 1966; 16. Bub Patrick 1947; 17. Dan Dykman 1937; 18. Tommy Kroll 1886; 19. Jeff Curl 1877; 20. Rob Fuqua 1876
SOUTH REGION: 1. Randle Sweeney 2222; 2. Clayton Miller 1962; 3. Miles Thalman 1506; 4. Tim Walker 1446; 5. Justin Houston 1418; 6. Jamie Cobb 1408; 7. A.J. Garber 1370; 8. Jeff Elliott 1252; 9. Michael Bolyard 1233; 10. Steve Ladd 1220; 11. Brandon Dierlam 1196; 12. Fred Thalman 1179; 13. Matt Thomas 1164; 14. Dustin Isom 1154; 15. Jeff Parks 1149; 16. Dustin Ladd 1138; 17. Brian Shaw 1137; 18. Michael Coakley 1130; 19. Ron Wall 1129; 20. George Herter 1090
EAST REGION: 1. Shelby Miles 2323; 2. Todd Sherman 2151; 3. Matt Bex 2120; 4. Jon Henry 2088; 5. Matt Boknecht 2083; 6. Bill Lewis 2040; 7. Kent Robinson 2025; 8. Tony Anderson 1999; 9. Scott Orr 1996; 10. Doug Adkins 1979; 11. Lee Hobbs 1868; 12. Greg Amick 1832; 13. Gary Richards 1784; 14. Jesse Cramer 1760; 15. Todd Gilpin 1629; 16. Brent Londeree 1617; 17. Kevin McCarty 1606; 18. Brad Wieck 1530; 19. Devin Gilpin 1502; 20. Tim Rivers 1460
WEST REGION: 1. Bobby Martintoni 2282; 2. Bobby Bittle 2252; 3. Brian Bielong 1994; 4. Ray Walsh 1779; 5. Matt Goulden 1651; 6. Chad Evans 1601; 7. Mark Miner 1571; 8. Mike Vanderiet 1496; 9. Dean Hoffman 1485; 10. Brett Korves 1475; 11. Tim Hancock 1456; 12. Chris Smith #155 1447; 13. Randy Myers 1420; 14. Mike Harrison 1385; 15. Marty Smith 1311; 16. Chad Sellers 1309; 17. Paul Bailey 1244; 18. Scott Weber 1214; 19. Doug Wood 1160; 20. Kenny Neu 1157
DEEP SOUTH REGION: 1. Ben Stephens 1936; 2. Richie Ginn 1879; 3. Mark Herbert 1835; 4. Matt Miley 1388; 5. Nick Poole 1374; 6. Jason Henry 1308; 7. Shane Hebert 1303; 8. Kent Wood 1287; 9. Gregg Hollingsworth 1173; 10. D.J. Purvis 1108; 11. Brad Rose 1030; 12. Lance Broadus 1028; 13. Michael Barfield 973; 14. Chris Smith #88 905; 15. Chris Cassano 884; 16. Charlie MacNichol 863; 17. Danny Hebert 834; 18. Jerry Cassano 829; 19. Troy Seidl 796; 20. Robby Barker 782
CALIFORNIA STATE: 1. Kenny Neu 1157; 2. Ed Daviess 1075; 3. Donny Bottoms 925; 4. Joel Hannagan 915; 5. Mike Salazar 835; 6. Jack Waldon 781; 7. Smoke Oakley 778; 8. Rickey Berndt 748; 9. John Toolanen 705; 10. Aaron Crowell 703
COLORADO STATE : 1. Robbie Chiles 740; 2. Tommy Spurlock 696; 3. Jason Kirkpatrick 670; 4. Trevan Pepper 664; 5. Terry Chiles 640; 6. Kris Asbell 594; 7. Matt Ratzlaff 580; 8. John McCormick 540; 9. Michael McKinsey 452; 10. Chris Boone 412
FLORIDA STATE: 1. Matt Miley 1388; 2. Nick Poole 1374; 3. Charlie MacNichol 863; 4. Chris Smith #88 676; 5. Patrick Williams 604; 6. Dave Barber 597; 7. Rick Scott 465; 8. Greg Vandergriff 450; 9. Eddie Tribble 424; 10. Don Rollison 370
ILLNOIS STATE: 1. Jeff Leka 2453; 2. Gary Cook Jr. 2321; 3. Dave Porth 2168; 4. McKay Wenger 2129; 5. Lance Dehm 2049; 6. Brian Bielong 1988; 7. Chad Evans 1954; 8. Jason Hastings 1932; 9. Kevin Hastings 1922; 10. Jeff Curl 1898
INDIANA STATE: 1. Shelby Miles 2341; 2. Jesse Cramer 2295; 3. Kent Robinson 2247; 4. Matt Bex 2136; 5. Ryan Thomas 2136; 6. Greg Amick 2036; 7. Matt Boknecht 2019; 8. Bub Patrick 1924; 9. Lee Hobbs 1868; 10. Bill Lewis 1656
KENTUCKY STATE: 1. Randle Sweeney 1685; 2. Miles Thalman 1484; 3. Justin Houston 1418; 4. Jamie Cobb 1408; 5. Tim Walker 1352; 6. Jeff Elliott 1242; 7. Steve Ladd 1220; 8. Fred Thalman 1179; 9. Dustin Ladd 1138; 10. Michael Coakley 1130
LOUISIANA STATE: 1. Shane Hebert 799; 2. Michael Barfield 755; 3. Chris Blaszak 627; 4. Richie Ginn 615; 5. Leslie Hendrix 476; 6. Danny Hebert 465; 7. Chris Cassano 444; 8. Tommy Cannon 341; 9. Jerry Cassano 251; 10. Kevin Maddox 191
MICHIGAN STATE: 1. Andy Sprague 2082; 2. John McCaul 2064; 3. Day Dykman 1888; 4. Mike Wilbern 1732; 5. Rich Neiser 1687; 6. Randy Whitten 1631; 7. Tim Tuttle 1539; 8. Jon Horn 1325; 9. Jacob Poel 1079; 10. Jeremy Holman 1052
MISSOURI STATE: 1. Bobby Martintoni 1525; 2. Ray Walsh 1397; 3. Bobby Bittle 1394; 4. Mark Miner 1290; 5. Doug Wood 1160; 6. Mike Vanderiet 1111; 7. Jason Russell 1021; 8. Leroy Haney 1016; 9. Dennis Richards 845; 10. Ray Wagner 835
MISSISSIPPI STATE: 1. Mark Herbert 1823; 2. Ben Stephens 1812; 3. Richie Ginn 1509; 4. Jason Henry 1308; 5. Kent Wood 1179; 6. Gregg Hollingsworth 1163; 7. D.J. Purvis 1108; 8. Brad Rose 1030; 9. Lance Broadus 1028; 10. Robby Barker 740
OHIO STATE: 1. Jon Henry 2083; 2. Doug Adkins 1979; 3. Tony Anderson 1875; 4. Todd Sherman 1812; 5. Gary Richard 1784; 6. Brian Post 1209; 7. Brent Hole 1206; 8. Anthony Kinkade 1195; 9. D.J. Cline 1145; 10. Darryl Banks 1068
OREGON STATE: 1. Mark Wauge 707; 2. Monte Bischoff 675; 3. C.J. Putnum 610; 4. Jeff Hudson 607; 5. Kevin Putnum 571; 6. Justin Holt 569; 7. Wayne Kniffen 366; 8. Travis Peery 350; 9. Jeremy Richey 311; 10. Jerry Severson 281
TENNESSEE STATE: 1. Clayton Miller 1484; 2. A.J. Garber 1291; 3. Matt Thomas 1104; 4. Billy Palmer 1039; 5. David Flowers 902; 6. Charles Zimmerman 816; 7. Steve Mullinax 609; 8. Dustin Isom 490; 9. Randle Sweeney 346; 10. Aaron Ogle 281
TEXAS STATE: 1. Troy Seidl 796; 2. Jay Vinson 754; 3. Mike Girardo 598; 4. Edward Wickham 378; 5. Benny Perry 290; 6. Johnny Brown 236; 7. Richie Ginn 56
CANADA: 1. Curtis Coulter 776; 2. Jim Dale Jr. 726; 3. Joey Brousseau 690; 4. Abe Unger 654; 5. Aaron Wiebe 546; 6. Chris Vandewiele 492; 7. Brian Spellman 146; 8. Brad McLeod 40
FLORIDA WINTERNATIONALS: 1. Joey Kramer 484; 2. Steve Arpin 382; 3. JEFF MATHEWS 230; 4. Denny Schwartz 222; 5. Jeff Leka 214; 6. Dave Groves 184; 7. Rob Fuqua 176; 8. J.E. Stadler 152; 9. Scotty Kincaid 150; 10. Julie McDermid 148
FLORIDA DIRTcar NATIONALS: 1. Steve Arpin 550; 2. Brian Strand 484; 3. Lee Hobbs 420; 4. Kenny Wallace 392; 5. Tom Seets 372; 6. Brad Waits 368; 7. Kevin Adams 354; 8. Mark Dotson 338; 9. Shawn Peterson 336; 10. Vance Wilson 332
After spending the late-summer and early-fall locked in a tense, one-on-one battle for the top spot in the points standings with longtime rival Jeff Leka, Schwartz literally secured the $20,000 title on the final lap of the season’s final race.
“Like I’ve told everybody,” Schwartz said after clinching his second career UMP DIRTcar Racing Open-Wheel Modified national crown, “it seems like I always do it the hard way.”
Schwartz, a 47-year-old, second-generation racer from Ashmore, Ill., couldn’t have been more relieved than he was after beating Buffalo, Ill.’s Leka by a mere four points (2,517-2,513) in one of the closest national championship chases in UMP DIRTcar Racing history. The neck-and-neck struggle with Leka was almost too stressful for Schwartz to handle.
“I damn near made myself sick over this,” Schwartz said of the points race as it came down the stretch. “I finally told everybody on my crew, ‘I’m done with this. I can’t worry so much about the points.’
“It took the fun out of it. And I think it probably did for Jeff too.”
Thus Schwartz tried to take a more relaxed outlook into the points-season finale, the UMP DIRTcar Racing Fall Nationals on Oct. 5-6 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg , Ohio . That was easier said than done, however, because Schwartz held only a precarious two-point lead over Leka and his weekend appeared to be spiraling down the tubes during the Friday-night qualifying program.
Schwartz’s Pierce Race Cars/Mullins Race Engines No. 21s was involved in a tangle on an opening-lap restart of the fourth heat at Eldora, but he continued racing at the rear of the field. Unbeknownst to Schwartz, however, his car’s radiator mounts had broken, causing water to dump out of the radiator with every lap he turned. He charged all the way back up to second before stopping on the backstretch on the final lap, leaving him with an extremely overheated motor and a starting spot deep in a B-Main the next night.
“After everything that went wrong (that Friday night), I actually was ready to just give up and say, ‘The hell with it,’” recalled Schwartz, shaking his head. “I thought I’d be better off just staying in the trailer (on Saturday).”
But the hard-nosed Schwartz couldn’t bring himself to pack it in and hope he could still hold on to win the title. He knew that he could lose the championship if he finished outside the top four and Leka won Saturday night’s 25-lap A-Main – and that was a distinct possibility. After all, even though Leka had also failed to qualify through a heat, he had come from a mid-pack starting spot to capture the 2006 UMP DIRTcar Racing Fall Nationals feature.
So Schwartz and Co. put their noses to the grindstone and patched up their orange Modified for Saturday’s action.
“We had to rebuild the radiator mounts and fix some other stuff on the car,” said Schwartz. “So we went back to the motel and worked until about 5 o’clock (in the morning). Then we got back up at 9, ate breakfast, and worked on it again until it was time to race.”
Schwartz encountered more problems in Saturday night’s B-Main, adding to his worries. Early in the second B-Main he ended up going underneath a bouncing Modified in turn one, ripping up the right side of his bodywork and causing his roof to flap in the breeze when he went back to racing. He climbed as high as fourth with his handicapped car before slowing on the final lap, forcing him to use a UMP DIRTcar Racing points provisional to start the A-Main.
“It was like a parachute with that roof flapping up,” said Schwartz. “It just wouldn’t drive down in the corner the rest of the race. (Bob) Pierce (the well-known car builder and former Late Model driver) always told me the body is a big deal at Eldora, and he’s right. It just wanted to skate.”
After making more repairs, Schwartz took the green flag in the A-Main from the 25th starting spot. Leka was only three rows ahead in 20th after winning a B-Main, but the 41-year-old standout didn’t stay there long, cutting through the field in dramatic fashion to reach second place by lap 11.
When Leka began pressuring Scott Orr for the lead, Schwartz had just cracked the top 10. Suddenly, with Leka on the charge and Schwartz not even certain that his ailing engine could last to the finish, Schwartz seemed to be watching the championship slip through his fingers.
“We actually melted the motor down (on Friday night),” said Schwartz. “A half-hour after the heat, it was still over 270 (degrees). But we’re a one-motor deal, so we just ran it (on Saturday) and crossed our fingers that it would hang on all night.”
Leka’s explosion to the front left Schwartz unable to baby his car to the finish. He had to get on the move fast, injured powerplant notwithstanding.
“Oh, I was watching (Leka) creeping up, and I didn’t think I had it in me to get up there,” said Schwartz. “But then I went into a different mode or something. I just said, ‘The heck with it. I gotta try something.’ So I just started running the snot out of it.
“I put it way out there above the cushion, and that got me a bunch of spots. When I got to fifth (on lap 16), I was counting cars.”
When a caution flag flew on lap 24, Schwartz sat fourth and Leka was still second. That would have been enough to preserve the title for Schwartz, but if Leka managed to pull off a dramatic win on the final-lap restart and Schwartz slipped one spot to fifth, then Leka would snare his first career UMP DIRTcar Racing national crown. What’s more, if Leka won and Schwartz stayed in fourth, then the two drivers would finish in an unprecedented championship tie and split the first- and second-place points money.
Alas, Leka, hampered by a vibration due to mud that was caked in his right-rear wheel, settled for second place, while Schwartz found just a little more in reserve and executed a last-lap pass to claim third at the finish line and clinch his second national title in three years.
“I done decided, ‘I’m gonna win this thing,’” Schwartz said on Eldora’s homestretch after completing his relentless late-race assault to bag the points crown. “The motor is hurt real bad – in fact, I don’t think there’s any water left in it – but I think in one more lap, I was gonna win that feature too.”
The dramatic season-ender at Eldora was a rare instance in which Schwartz was glad he hasn’t really mellowed over the years. He noted during the post-race ceremonies that his penchant to hammer the gas put him in position to become a repeat UMP DIRTcar Racing open-wheel Modified national champ.
“My son uses his head a little more than I do,” Schwartz said of his 24-year-old son Danny, who finished 15th in the 2007 UMP Modified national points standings. “I kinda drive with my foot, so he must’ve taken a little more after his Mom. She’s more level-headed than me.
“My head’s more like a big pop-off valve – but it’s a good thing it popped off tonight!”
Schwartz actually felt a tinge of regret in defeating Leka, who recorded more feature wins than Schwartz in 2007 (29-18) but couldn’t compile enough points for the title.
“I’ve been racing with Jeff all year, and we’ve done some good racing,” said Schwartz. “I wish we could’ve just tied – I didn’t want to just give it away, but wouldn’t have minded if we ended up tied. He deserved to win it just as much as we did.”
Under the UMP DIRTcar Racing points system, the national open-wheel Modified champ is determined using a driver’s best 35 finishes/points nights with an emphasis on car counts. A field of 21 cars provides one bonus point for each finishing position, with a one-point-per-car increase up to a maximum of 20 bonus points for fields numbering 40 or more.
“In my opinion, Jeff really had the better year,” conceded Schwartz, who finished in a tie with Leka for the North Region points championship. “He was more consistent every night, and he had a lot more wins. I just played the game – like I told him, I played chess all summer.
“Actually, the points are (computed) a little different than the first time I won the championship (in 2005). If (the points system) would’ve been like it was two years ago, Jeff would’ve won this hands down.”
Schwartz paused, and then added with a smile, “I don’t feel sorry for (Leka), though. I mean, the guy wanted to win, but I can’t say I didn’t want to win it.”
Yes, winning the UMP DIRTcar Racing open-wheel Modified national title means a lot to Schwartz. He is, after all, a UMP Modified guy through and through.
“I really like UMP Modifieds,” he said. “I raced Late Models back 14 years ago and I’d love to go back and do it again, but I own the car and Modifieds are what I can afford to race. Like anything, the costs keep going up, but what I like about the UMP Modifieds is that you can take off and go to about any state you want, and you can run these things.
“And I build these cars at Pierce (Chassis in Oakwood , Ill ). I do bodies, weld – basically I float around and do whatever needs to be done. I about see these cars in my sleep.”
Racing at least two nights a week – and often more – to chase UMP DIRTcar Racing Modified points left Schwartz, his 62-year-old sponsor/mechanic Bud Price and the rest of his team “about wore out,” but you can bet he’ll be back digging away in 2008.
“I’ve loved racing ever since I was a little kid,” said Schwartz, whose father started the family’s race-driving tradition. “Actually, I wanted a racetrack, but I just got a race car instead and I still enjoy it.”
Schwartz will receive his championship trophy and points-fund cash on Sat., Jan. 12, 2008, during the UMP DIRTcar Racing ‘Night of Champions’ Awards Banquet at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield, Ill.
For more information on the Awards Banquet, visit www.umpracing.com or call the UMP DIRTcar Racing office at 812-426-1200.
Official Final 2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Open-Wheel Modified Points Standings:
National Points Standings: 1. Denny Schwartz 2517; 2. Jeff Leka 2513; 3. Shelby Miles 2413; 4. Bobby Martintoni 2330; 5. Gary Cook Jr. 2321; 6. Jesse Cramer 2319; 7. Kent Robinson 2314; 8. Bobby Bittle 2271; 9. Bub Patrick 2247; 10. Randle Sweeney 2246; 11. Dave Porth 2224; 12. Ryan Thomas 2222; 13. McKay Wenger 2205; 14. Todd Sherman 2181; 15. Danny Schwartz 2157; 16. Matt Bex 2146; 17. Mike Spatola 2135; 18. Tim Reynolds 2104; 19. Chuck Haga 2099; 20. Jon Henry 2088; 21. Matt Boknecht 2083; 22. Andy Sprague 2082; 23. Lance Dehm 2080; 24. Rob Fuqua 2077; 25. Scott Orr 2076; 26. Kevin Hastings 2068; 27. John McCaul 2064; 28. Bill Lewis 2040; 29. Greg Amick 2036; 30. Derek Losh 2034; 31. Matt Goulden 2031; 32. Doug Adkins 2009; 33. Tony Anderson 1999; 34. Brian Bielong 1994; 35. Arby Burton 1985; 36. Clayton Miller 1984; 37. Jason Hastings 1978; 38. Chad Evans 1962; 39. Ray Walsh 1962; 40. Dan Dykman 1937; 41. Ben Stephens 1936; 42. Lee Hobbs 1924; 43. Tim Rivers 1919; 44. Jeff Curl 1902; 45. Tommy Kroll 1886; 46. Richie Ginn 1879; 47. Mike Vanderiet 1875; 48. Randy Myers 1840; 49. Mark Herbert 1835; 50. Jeff Wellum 1834; 51. Gabe Menser 1817; 52. Jeb Freidman 1796; 53. Kenny Carmichael 1793; 54. Gary Richard 1784; 55. John Demoss 1784; 56. Jim Farris 1776; 57. Matt Bachman 1761; 58. Chad Osterhoff 1734; 59. Mike Wilbern 1732; 60. Brian Lynn 1728; 61. Rich Neiser 1697; 62. Mike Harrison 1668; 63. Tim Hancock 1660; 64. Randy Whitten 1648; 65. Vince Cooper 1636; 66. Todd Gilpin 1619; 67. Brent Londeree 1617; 68. Kevin McCarty 1616; 69. Tim Tuttle 1593; 70. Jamie Wilson 1572; 71. Mark Miner 1571; 72. Kyle Cooper 1561; 73. Dean Hoffman 1549; 74. Brad Wieck 1530; 75. Brett Korves 1513; 76. Miles Thalman 1506; 77. Tim Walker 1503; 78. Devin Gilpin 1502; 79. Scott Weber 1457; 80. Chris Smith (#155) 1447; 81. Josh Ferguson 1426; 82. Daniel Lewellwn 1424; 83. A.J. Garber 1422; 84. Justin Houston 1418; 85. Chad Sellers 1416; 86. Jamie Cobb 1408; 87. Aaron Ricketts 1395; 88. Paul Bailey 1395; 89. Matt Miley 1388; 90. Daryl Herbert 1381; 91. Joel Funk 1380; 92. Nick Poole 1374; 93. Cody Hood 1365; 94. Brian Yeatman 1358; 95. Randy Shuman 1333; 96. Jon Horn 1325; 97. Michael Bolyard 1321; 98. Marty Smith 1311; 99. Jason Henry 1308; 100. Shane Hebert 1303
NORTH REGION: 1. (tie) Denny Schwartz 2409; 1. (tie) Jeff Leka 2409; 3. Gary Cook Jr. 2267; 4. Dave Porth 2187; 5. McKay Wenger 2176; 6. Mike Spatola 2124; 7. Tim Reynolds 2104; 8. Chuck Haga 2099; 9. Andy Sprague 2082; 10. Kevin Hastings 2066; 11. John McCaul 2064; 12. Lance Dehm 2049; 13. Derek Losh 2008; 14. Jason Hastings 1978; 15. Arby Burton 1966; 16. Bub Patrick 1947; 17. Dan Dykman 1937; 18. Tommy Kroll 1886; 19. Jeff Curl 1877; 20. Rob Fuqua 1876
SOUTH REGION: 1. Randle Sweeney 2222; 2. Clayton Miller 1962; 3. Miles Thalman 1506; 4. Tim Walker 1446; 5. Justin Houston 1418; 6. Jamie Cobb 1408; 7. A.J. Garber 1370; 8. Jeff Elliott 1252; 9. Michael Bolyard 1233; 10. Steve Ladd 1220; 11. Brandon Dierlam 1196; 12. Fred Thalman 1179; 13. Matt Thomas 1164; 14. Dustin Isom 1154; 15. Jeff Parks 1149; 16. Dustin Ladd 1138; 17. Brian Shaw 1137; 18. Michael Coakley 1130; 19. Ron Wall 1129; 20. George Herter 1090
EAST REGION: 1. Shelby Miles 2323; 2. Todd Sherman 2151; 3. Matt Bex 2120; 4. Jon Henry 2088; 5. Matt Boknecht 2083; 6. Bill Lewis 2040; 7. Kent Robinson 2025; 8. Tony Anderson 1999; 9. Scott Orr 1996; 10. Doug Adkins 1979; 11. Lee Hobbs 1868; 12. Greg Amick 1832; 13. Gary Richards 1784; 14. Jesse Cramer 1760; 15. Todd Gilpin 1629; 16. Brent Londeree 1617; 17. Kevin McCarty 1606; 18. Brad Wieck 1530; 19. Devin Gilpin 1502; 20. Tim Rivers 1460
WEST REGION: 1. Bobby Martintoni 2282; 2. Bobby Bittle 2252; 3. Brian Bielong 1994; 4. Ray Walsh 1779; 5. Matt Goulden 1651; 6. Chad Evans 1601; 7. Mark Miner 1571; 8. Mike Vanderiet 1496; 9. Dean Hoffman 1485; 10. Brett Korves 1475; 11. Tim Hancock 1456; 12. Chris Smith #155 1447; 13. Randy Myers 1420; 14. Mike Harrison 1385; 15. Marty Smith 1311; 16. Chad Sellers 1309; 17. Paul Bailey 1244; 18. Scott Weber 1214; 19. Doug Wood 1160; 20. Kenny Neu 1157
DEEP SOUTH REGION: 1. Ben Stephens 1936; 2. Richie Ginn 1879; 3. Mark Herbert 1835; 4. Matt Miley 1388; 5. Nick Poole 1374; 6. Jason Henry 1308; 7. Shane Hebert 1303; 8. Kent Wood 1287; 9. Gregg Hollingsworth 1173; 10. D.J. Purvis 1108; 11. Brad Rose 1030; 12. Lance Broadus 1028; 13. Michael Barfield 973; 14. Chris Smith #88 905; 15. Chris Cassano 884; 16. Charlie MacNichol 863; 17. Danny Hebert 834; 18. Jerry Cassano 829; 19. Troy Seidl 796; 20. Robby Barker 782
CALIFORNIA STATE: 1. Kenny Neu 1157; 2. Ed Daviess 1075; 3. Donny Bottoms 925; 4. Joel Hannagan 915; 5. Mike Salazar 835; 6. Jack Waldon 781; 7. Smoke Oakley 778; 8. Rickey Berndt 748; 9. John Toolanen 705; 10. Aaron Crowell 703
COLORADO STATE : 1. Robbie Chiles 740; 2. Tommy Spurlock 696; 3. Jason Kirkpatrick 670; 4. Trevan Pepper 664; 5. Terry Chiles 640; 6. Kris Asbell 594; 7. Matt Ratzlaff 580; 8. John McCormick 540; 9. Michael McKinsey 452; 10. Chris Boone 412
FLORIDA STATE: 1. Matt Miley 1388; 2. Nick Poole 1374; 3. Charlie MacNichol 863; 4. Chris Smith #88 676; 5. Patrick Williams 604; 6. Dave Barber 597; 7. Rick Scott 465; 8. Greg Vandergriff 450; 9. Eddie Tribble 424; 10. Don Rollison 370
ILLNOIS STATE: 1. Jeff Leka 2453; 2. Gary Cook Jr. 2321; 3. Dave Porth 2168; 4. McKay Wenger 2129; 5. Lance Dehm 2049; 6. Brian Bielong 1988; 7. Chad Evans 1954; 8. Jason Hastings 1932; 9. Kevin Hastings 1922; 10. Jeff Curl 1898
INDIANA STATE: 1. Shelby Miles 2341; 2. Jesse Cramer 2295; 3. Kent Robinson 2247; 4. Matt Bex 2136; 5. Ryan Thomas 2136; 6. Greg Amick 2036; 7. Matt Boknecht 2019; 8. Bub Patrick 1924; 9. Lee Hobbs 1868; 10. Bill Lewis 1656
KENTUCKY STATE: 1. Randle Sweeney 1685; 2. Miles Thalman 1484; 3. Justin Houston 1418; 4. Jamie Cobb 1408; 5. Tim Walker 1352; 6. Jeff Elliott 1242; 7. Steve Ladd 1220; 8. Fred Thalman 1179; 9. Dustin Ladd 1138; 10. Michael Coakley 1130
LOUISIANA STATE: 1. Shane Hebert 799; 2. Michael Barfield 755; 3. Chris Blaszak 627; 4. Richie Ginn 615; 5. Leslie Hendrix 476; 6. Danny Hebert 465; 7. Chris Cassano 444; 8. Tommy Cannon 341; 9. Jerry Cassano 251; 10. Kevin Maddox 191
MICHIGAN STATE: 1. Andy Sprague 2082; 2. John McCaul 2064; 3. Day Dykman 1888; 4. Mike Wilbern 1732; 5. Rich Neiser 1687; 6. Randy Whitten 1631; 7. Tim Tuttle 1539; 8. Jon Horn 1325; 9. Jacob Poel 1079; 10. Jeremy Holman 1052
MISSOURI STATE: 1. Bobby Martintoni 1525; 2. Ray Walsh 1397; 3. Bobby Bittle 1394; 4. Mark Miner 1290; 5. Doug Wood 1160; 6. Mike Vanderiet 1111; 7. Jason Russell 1021; 8. Leroy Haney 1016; 9. Dennis Richards 845; 10. Ray Wagner 835
MISSISSIPPI STATE: 1. Mark Herbert 1823; 2. Ben Stephens 1812; 3. Richie Ginn 1509; 4. Jason Henry 1308; 5. Kent Wood 1179; 6. Gregg Hollingsworth 1163; 7. D.J. Purvis 1108; 8. Brad Rose 1030; 9. Lance Broadus 1028; 10. Robby Barker 740
OHIO STATE: 1. Jon Henry 2083; 2. Doug Adkins 1979; 3. Tony Anderson 1875; 4. Todd Sherman 1812; 5. Gary Richard 1784; 6. Brian Post 1209; 7. Brent Hole 1206; 8. Anthony Kinkade 1195; 9. D.J. Cline 1145; 10. Darryl Banks 1068
OREGON STATE: 1. Mark Wauge 707; 2. Monte Bischoff 675; 3. C.J. Putnum 610; 4. Jeff Hudson 607; 5. Kevin Putnum 571; 6. Justin Holt 569; 7. Wayne Kniffen 366; 8. Travis Peery 350; 9. Jeremy Richey 311; 10. Jerry Severson 281
TENNESSEE STATE: 1. Clayton Miller 1484; 2. A.J. Garber 1291; 3. Matt Thomas 1104; 4. Billy Palmer 1039; 5. David Flowers 902; 6. Charles Zimmerman 816; 7. Steve Mullinax 609; 8. Dustin Isom 490; 9. Randle Sweeney 346; 10. Aaron Ogle 281
TEXAS STATE: 1. Troy Seidl 796; 2. Jay Vinson 754; 3. Mike Girardo 598; 4. Edward Wickham 378; 5. Benny Perry 290; 6. Johnny Brown 236; 7. Richie Ginn 56
CANADA: 1. Curtis Coulter 776; 2. Jim Dale Jr. 726; 3. Joey Brousseau 690; 4. Abe Unger 654; 5. Aaron Wiebe 546; 6. Chris Vandewiele 492; 7. Brian Spellman 146; 8. Brad McLeod 40
FLORIDA WINTERNATIONALS: 1. Joey Kramer 484; 2. Steve Arpin 382; 3. JEFF MATHEWS 230; 4. Denny Schwartz 222; 5. Jeff Leka 214; 6. Dave Groves 184; 7. Rob Fuqua 176; 8. J.E. Stadler 152; 9. Scotty Kincaid 150; 10. Julie McDermid 148
FLORIDA DIRTcar NATIONALS: 1. Steve Arpin 550; 2. Brian Strand 484; 3. Lee Hobbs 420; 4. Kenny Wallace 392; 5. Tom Seets 372; 6. Brad Waits 368; 7. Kevin Adams 354; 8. Mark Dotson 338; 9. Shawn Peterson 336; 10. Vance Wilson 332
