By Jack Pugh
The annual Madison County Fair rolled into town and along with it comes the Fair Race that pays $5,000 to win the 40 lap UMP sanctioned race. This year a new twist was added as this race was also part of the UMP Challenge of Champion series.
There were 29 car signed in to race on this Monday night. Fast time was set by Washington, MO’s Ed Dixon, who was third on the track and the only driver to record laps under 14 seconds. Dixon clocked in at 13.742 seconds around the ¼ mile track.
The dash was set up similar to that of the Summer Nationals. Tom Carson was added for the track, Rodney Melvin was in for UMP points and Brian Shirley for series points person. Dixon won the dash with Randy Korte in second. Rounding out the top six starting position were Brian Shirley, Billy Faust, Mark Gansmann and Tom Carson. Melvin used a borrowed car from Randy McMahon, as Melvin broke his motor in time trails.
In the 40-lap 20 car race, there was only one caution to slow the race and that came early. Dixon and Korte started on the front row with Korte taking the lead at the start of the race from the outside. Korte needed the whole track late in the race as he passed slower cars to get the win.
Korte took the early lead running the top of the rubbered up track with Dixon, Faust, Shirley and Gansmann in tow. It was the Randy Korte show as he held Dixon off with ease running on the top of the ¼ mile track. Dixon held second place the entire race and was really never challenged for that position.
The positions of third on back were the positions that were being fought for as cars either found a grooved that worked for them or for others, they just lost the setup and fell backwards.
The only caution came out on lap 6, when Jimmy Burwell spun in turn third collecting Michael Kloos in the process. Burwell was done for the night and pulled in. Steve Sheppard retired at this point with a right rear flat.
The running order for the restart was Korte, Dixon, Faust, Shirley and Gansmann. On the restart, it was Korte back to the lead with Dixon trying to catch up. The race went green from here and the battles in the pack were on.
The man on the move was eighth starting, Kevin Weaver. Weaver used the low side of the track to move forward and moved into third place late in the race. His moves were what the crowd began to take notice of.
One of the other cars to watch was Melvin, in the borrowed car. Melvin has been accused of using devises in his car to allow him to win, but he drove the other car from seventh to sixth and maintained his smoothness on the track with the unfamiliar car. His performance in this car should prove that it is the driver and not the car that makes Melvin one of the better drivers in UMP.
As the laps were running out, Korte began to lap cars and it was not an easy task. He came into traffic with as many as three cars to pass that were running different lines on the track and passed them without incident. Korte passed up to 11th place and went on to take the $5,000 win on his home track.
Rounding out the top five were Dixon, Weaver, Faust and Chad Zobrist.
Heat wins went to Melvin, Weaver, and Matt Taylor (in Randy Perkins’ cars). The semi went to Brian Maynard with Brad Loddeke also making it into the feature.
In the UMP Modified class, there were 25 cars on hand. The heats were won by Mike Harrison, John Hopson, and Marty Smith Jr.. The dash went to Harrison over Smith with Kent Schoeck, Brian Bielong, Glenn Stephens and Hopson trailing. The semi sent Mike Weidner, Dave Cann, Rick Standridge and Dave Thornton to the feature.
The feature started with Harrison and Smith on the front row. Harrison got the early jump, but Smith hung right with Harrison. The first caution came out on lap 2 for Standridge’s stop on the front straight. The running order was Harrison, Smith, Bielong, Schoeck, and Bob Martintoni in the top five.
On the restart, Harrison and the rest took to the high line on the track. Smith was close to Harrison in second and challenging for the lead. The top five ran close as a matter of fact and a miscue by any one could have send any car forward.
The second and final caution came out on the fifth lap as Smith lost his right rear wheel going down the back straight. Smith became the first to exit the race after a good run while in second place.
The running order was now Harrison, Bielong, Schoeck, Martintoni and Scott Sugg. The race continued again and went green to the end. Harrison continued to lead with Bielong chasing him. The cars on the move during this green were Sugg, Jim Shereck and Rick Standridge.
Sugg moved from fifth to third passing Schoeck and Martintoni. Shereck used the low groove to move from ninth into the top five. Standridge started sixteenth and also used the low side to move forward. Most of the cars ran the top, but Shereck and Standridge found the low groove to their liking and moved forward.
As the race came to the end, Harrison took the win over Bielong, Sugg, Shereck and Schoeck. Standridge wound up sixth for the best forward progress.
The annual Madison County Fair rolled into town and along with it comes the Fair Race that pays $5,000 to win the 40 lap UMP sanctioned race. This year a new twist was added as this race was also part of the UMP Challenge of Champion series.
There were 29 car signed in to race on this Monday night. Fast time was set by Washington, MO’s Ed Dixon, who was third on the track and the only driver to record laps under 14 seconds. Dixon clocked in at 13.742 seconds around the ¼ mile track.
The dash was set up similar to that of the Summer Nationals. Tom Carson was added for the track, Rodney Melvin was in for UMP points and Brian Shirley for series points person. Dixon won the dash with Randy Korte in second. Rounding out the top six starting position were Brian Shirley, Billy Faust, Mark Gansmann and Tom Carson. Melvin used a borrowed car from Randy McMahon, as Melvin broke his motor in time trails.
In the 40-lap 20 car race, there was only one caution to slow the race and that came early. Dixon and Korte started on the front row with Korte taking the lead at the start of the race from the outside. Korte needed the whole track late in the race as he passed slower cars to get the win.
Korte took the early lead running the top of the rubbered up track with Dixon, Faust, Shirley and Gansmann in tow. It was the Randy Korte show as he held Dixon off with ease running on the top of the ¼ mile track. Dixon held second place the entire race and was really never challenged for that position.
The positions of third on back were the positions that were being fought for as cars either found a grooved that worked for them or for others, they just lost the setup and fell backwards.
The only caution came out on lap 6, when Jimmy Burwell spun in turn third collecting Michael Kloos in the process. Burwell was done for the night and pulled in. Steve Sheppard retired at this point with a right rear flat.
The running order for the restart was Korte, Dixon, Faust, Shirley and Gansmann. On the restart, it was Korte back to the lead with Dixon trying to catch up. The race went green from here and the battles in the pack were on.
The man on the move was eighth starting, Kevin Weaver. Weaver used the low side of the track to move forward and moved into third place late in the race. His moves were what the crowd began to take notice of.
One of the other cars to watch was Melvin, in the borrowed car. Melvin has been accused of using devises in his car to allow him to win, but he drove the other car from seventh to sixth and maintained his smoothness on the track with the unfamiliar car. His performance in this car should prove that it is the driver and not the car that makes Melvin one of the better drivers in UMP.
As the laps were running out, Korte began to lap cars and it was not an easy task. He came into traffic with as many as three cars to pass that were running different lines on the track and passed them without incident. Korte passed up to 11th place and went on to take the $5,000 win on his home track.
Rounding out the top five were Dixon, Weaver, Faust and Chad Zobrist.
Heat wins went to Melvin, Weaver, and Matt Taylor (in Randy Perkins’ cars). The semi went to Brian Maynard with Brad Loddeke also making it into the feature.
In the UMP Modified class, there were 25 cars on hand. The heats were won by Mike Harrison, John Hopson, and Marty Smith Jr.. The dash went to Harrison over Smith with Kent Schoeck, Brian Bielong, Glenn Stephens and Hopson trailing. The semi sent Mike Weidner, Dave Cann, Rick Standridge and Dave Thornton to the feature.
The feature started with Harrison and Smith on the front row. Harrison got the early jump, but Smith hung right with Harrison. The first caution came out on lap 2 for Standridge’s stop on the front straight. The running order was Harrison, Smith, Bielong, Schoeck, and Bob Martintoni in the top five.
On the restart, Harrison and the rest took to the high line on the track. Smith was close to Harrison in second and challenging for the lead. The top five ran close as a matter of fact and a miscue by any one could have send any car forward.
The second and final caution came out on the fifth lap as Smith lost his right rear wheel going down the back straight. Smith became the first to exit the race after a good run while in second place.
The running order was now Harrison, Bielong, Schoeck, Martintoni and Scott Sugg. The race continued again and went green to the end. Harrison continued to lead with Bielong chasing him. The cars on the move during this green were Sugg, Jim Shereck and Rick Standridge.
Sugg moved from fifth to third passing Schoeck and Martintoni. Shereck used the low groove to move from ninth into the top five. Standridge started sixteenth and also used the low side to move forward. Most of the cars ran the top, but Shereck and Standridge found the low groove to their liking and moved forward.
As the race came to the end, Harrison took the win over Bielong, Sugg, Shereck and Schoeck. Standridge wound up sixth for the best forward progress.
