"Lil' John Provenzano (58) still knows best as he schools son Mike (M27) on Saturday night at La Salle Speedway. The pair are now in a battle for the track championship in Lil' John's final year of racing." - Dan Simpson photo
By: Betty Glynn
La Salle, IL – Two time La Salle Speedway track champion, John Provenzano, led all twenty five laps to claim the UMP Late Model feature victory over his son Mike. The younger Provenzano is the defending track champion but father still knows best.
The forty year veteran took over the points lead from his son last Saturday night and just keeps staying a step ahead of him. From last weeks efforts he was fourteen points ahead and tallied another 6 point advantage.
To start the night off right, Lil’ John traveled the fasted qualifying lap with a time of 13.518 over Mike’s 13.662.
Next up, Lil’ John lined up for the division’s first heat on the inside of Mike and shot to a quick lead. He was unstoppable all the way to the line leaving Mike second in front of Keith Piano and Rich Bell. Ed Williams Jr. rallied to pull away from the pack in the second heat beating Aaron Schmidt, Tim Loomis and Lake Knutti.
Lil’ John and Mike were again positioned side by side on the front row of the grid for the main event. Piano and Bell took their positions behind the pair. Fifteen of the seventeen cars who signed in were race ready for the green signal. Lil’ John shot to an early lead with Mike staying close on his bumper. The duo ran nose to tail in the same groove on the inside trek.
During the first lap, Mike Glynn hit the brakes to avoid two cars searching for their racing lines and killed the engine in between turns three and four. It didn’t take Lil’ John long to put his power plant on the lowest line to set the pace again. Mike was running right on his tail leaving Piano and Bell to vie for the third place running position with Scott Schmitt and Bill Weistart Jr. battling for fifth.
Contact between the nose of Mike’s ride and the tail of Lil’ John’s nearly sent his dad sideways. The pair continued to make a challenge for the bottom line when a lapped ride held his ground where they wanted to run. With two laps remaining, Lil’ John helped Lake Knutti out of the way and brought out a caution for the ten cars still competing.
The showdown between father and son proved to be father claiming the win. Mike took home the second in front of Bell, Schmitt, Piano, Weistart, Jeff Small, Knutti and Schmidt.
Nathan Balensiefen came out on top for every event in the UMP Modified division. First up, he qualified the fastest lap with a time of 14.925. He then took the checkers of the first heat solo, from the pole, ahead of Brad Stewart, Phil Line, and Travis Kohler. Vince Cooper flew to victory lane solo also from the pole over Charlie Harmon, Joe Adam and Jeramie Johnson. JD Lomax won the final heat leading flag to flag from the front row inside over Tim Loomis, Don Cole and Allen Line.
Twenty Modifieds made the call for their feature race with Balensiefen as the polesitter next to Stewart. He took an early lead sailing through the circuits without any close competition. The real race was from second on back.
Lap after lap, the front runners of Stewart, Dale Lueth, Lomax and Cooper diced it up changing their running order often as they battled three and four wide at times. Lueth and Travis Kohler were the brave challengers taking their power to the high line while everyone else stayed down the track. Their powerful run up top seemed to be paying dividends as they moved their way into the runner up positions. A very exciting race was happening way behind the leader until contact was made between Lueth and Kohler leaving Kohler stopped on the track.
Balensiefen was brought back to the field leading Phil Line, Lueth and Lomax for the final restart. Lueth chose to run back at the top and nearly took second away from Line. Lomax finished fourth over Cooper, Stewart, Harmon, Joe Adam, Steve Brooks, and Derrick Doerr.
Brandon Maciejewski continued his winning ways in the Street Stock division. He has proved he is a force to reckon with staking claim on the trophy might just be his new past time.
Saturday night he started front row outside of another young racer, Mike McKinney. They raced side by side to start the events main feature. McKinney managed to race his way up to the door of Maciejewski several times until colliding with a lapped ride. The contact extinguished his chances at victory and sent him pitside for a new tire.
Maciejewski took the win over Roger Rickels, Mike Hughes, Jake Miller, Jamie Balensiefen, Tim Provenzano, Randy Lucas, Steve Lewis, Aaron Near, McKinney, Nick Sell, Steve Schweimlein and Ande Bivens.
McKinney took the first heat challenge ahead of Provenzano, Balensiefen, and Mike Hughes. Maciejewski scored heat two in front of Rickels, Sell, and Lucas.
JR Brown has been making a name for himself in the 4 Cylinder Hornet class this season. He has managed to come out on top as the checkers fall for the third week in a row. He followed Phil Burdette for nearly the entire race until creating a side by side battle in the front.
The leaders were running at full throttle when Brown made contact with the leader sending him into a near spin. Brown then stole the head of the pack status claiming the trophy. Burdette collected second over Jerry Legner, Andrew Schwarko, Aaron Sutton, Brandon Mallery, Marqus Hoover, Aaron Sutton, #11B, Cory Jo West, Rick Wagner, Josh Trahan, and DJ Kilanowski.
Burdette beat Brown in their only heat. Wagner got third over Legner.
This coming Thursday night, the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars will return to the Speedway after a six year hiatus. Nascar star Kasey Kahne will be co-promoting the Showdown of the Bud Crown venue topper. The Modifieds will also be running.
The July 8th event will kick off with Kahne meeting fans who purchased advance tickets, which are $29 for adults and $9 for children. Adult tickets increase to $35 on the day of the show. Tickets can be purchased by going to www.worldofoutlaws.com/tickets or by phone during regular business hours at 704-795-7223.
The weekly racing program will return on July 17th with the $5 Fan Appreciation Night.
La Salle Speedway Scoreboard Results
UMP Late Models – 17 Cars
Qualifying: John Provenzano 13.518
Heat #1: Lil’ John Provenzano, Mike Provenzano, Keith Piano, Rich Bell
Heat #2: Ed Williams Jr., Aaron Schmidt, Tim Loomis, Lake Knutti
Feature: Lil’ John Provenzano, Mike Provenzano, Rich Bell, Scott Schmitt, Keith Piano, Bill Weistart Jr., Jeff Small, Lake Knutti, Aaron Schmidt, Travis Mahoney, Mike Glynn, Matt Ramer, Randy Manos, John Piccatto, Ed Williams Jr.
UMP Modifieds – 20 Cars
Qualifying: Nathan Balensiefen 14.925
Heat #1: Nathan Balensiefen, Brad Stewart, Phil Line, Travis Kohler
Heat #2: Vince Cooper, Charlie Harmon, Joe Adam, Jeramie Johnson
Heat #3: JD Lomax, Tim Loomis, Don Cole, Allen Line
Feature: Nathan Balensiefen, Phil Line, Dale Lueth, JD Lomax, Vince Cooper, Brad Stewart, Charlie Harmon, Joe Adam, Steve Brooks, Derrick Doerr, Jeramie Johnson, Allen Line, Travis Kohler, Tim Loomis, Don Cole, Geno Hewitt, Matthew Gremminger, Scott Hauge, Ken Fischer, Daniel Carson
UMP Street Stocks – 19 Cars
Heat #1: Mike McKinney, Tim Provenzano, Jamie Balensiefen, Mike Hughes
Heat #2: Brandon Maciejewski, Roger Rickels, Nick Sell, Randy Lucas
Feature: Brandon Maciejewski, Roger Rickels, Mike Hughes, Jake Miller, Jamie Balensiefen, Tim Provenzano, Randy Lucas, Steve Lewis, Aaron Near, Mike McKinney, Nick Sell, Steve Schwemlein, Ande Bivens, Matt Hinrichs, Mike McQuilke, Matt Ramer, Alex Thomas, Chris Kilpatrick, John Houge
UMP Hornets – 11 Cars
Heat #1: Phil Burdette, JR Brown, Rick Wagner, Jerry Legner
Feature: JR Brown, Phil Burdette, Jerry Legner, Andrew Schwarko, Aaron Sutton, Brandon Mallery, Marqus Hoorer, Aaron Sutton, #11B, Cory Jo West, Rick Wagner, Josh Trahan, DJ Kilanowski
