By Jack Pugh
Highland Speedway held it’s last event for the 2003 season with a $5,000 to win race for the UMP Late Models. There were lots of cars in the pits, but Mother Natures had played tricks on the track and was trying to cause problems for this event. On Friday night, there was moisture falling in the area that dumped up to 2 inches on the track. On Saturday, she was threatening, but did not stop the program from getting in. The Friday night weather left the track in not so ideal condition and there were not good conditions for the racers. The track was rough, but fast.
There were 28 cars in the UMP Late Model pits with 27 cars taking time trails. Kevin Weaver set the fast time at 12.756 and a new track record. He beat Mark Faust’s 2001 record of 12.993.
In heat action, heat one went to Mark Faust over Kevin Weaver, Billy Faust, Justin Allgaier, Jason Setser and Rylan Dagg. In the second heat, Billy Drake took the win followed by Clay Bauman, Brad Loddeke, Matt Taylor, Frankie Martin, Tom Carson, and Len Garson. The third heat saw the victory go to Chad Zobrist with Rick Salter, Brian Shirley, Ron Sensel, Mark Gansmann, Dick Taylor, and Dan Jacober in tow. The final heat had Randy Korte take the win followed by Rodney Melvin, Shannon Babb, Michael Kloos, Jim Curry, and Vince Grondzki.
The dash went to Drake over Korte, M. Faust, Zobrist, Weaver, Salter, Bauman, and Melvin. The semi sent Martin, Setser, Curry and Carson to the feature.
The front row consisted of Drake and Korte. Korte jumped to the lead after a false start on the first attempt to start the 40-lap race. The second restarts sent Korte to the lead that he never gave up dissipate four caution periods.
The first slow down came out on lap three for debris on the track. The running order was Korte, Drake, Zobrist, M. Faust, and Slater. Once the race restart, Korte continued to lead with Drake in pursuit. The pair were running the higher line on the track.
Fifth running Salter caused the next slow down as he had a flat left rear tire and spun on the front straight. Salter was the first car out of the race. The running order was the same except now Weaver moved into the fifth spot.
Cars started to drop out of the race like flies as 12th starting Babb was the next car out as few laps after the restart when he ran over the inside burm in turn four. He decided not to continue for fear of doing more damage to the car.
The next caution appeared on lap 8 for debris again on the track. The same running order restarted the race, as there was no lanes opening up for the cars to run and try to pass on.
The final caution came out on lap 10 as Martin and Setser tangled on lap 10 sending Martin to the infield and out of the race.
Korte had command of the race and was pulling away from Drake as the race went green to the checkered flag. Drake had second place in hand as third finishing Zobrist could not challenge him for second. Faust and Weaver raced one another through the later stages of the race with Faust getting fourth followed by Weaver to round out the top five.
In the UMP Modified class, there were 24 cars on hand for the racing. In the first heat, Dave Thornton got the win over Roger Fohne, Matt Wiender, Brian Bielong, Todd Gailuis, Chris Smith, Doug McDougal, and Rick Weekly. In the second heat, Bobby Martintoni won with Mike Harrison, Ted Klause, Marty Smith, Kent Schoeck, Ed Lenhardt, Matt Verbeck, and Matt Koesterer in tow. In the third heat, Scott Sugg took the win followed by Steve Ellison, Mark Clary, Jim Werner, Matt Taylor, Doug Higginson, Blankenship and Roy Simmons. The dash went to Martintoni followed by Sugg, Thornton, Harrison, Ellison and Fohne. Harrison was moved back two spots for rough driving. The semi moved Clary, Higginson and McDougal to the feature.
The front row of the 20-lap race consisted of Martintoni and Sugg. Martintoni took the lead, but could not hold it very long. This race was plagued by cautions that dragged the race on and on.
The first caution came out after lap 1 for Bielong, when his car quit. The race restarted with Martintoni, Harrison, Sugg, Thornton, and Fohne in the top five.
Harrison would take over the lead on lap 3 and never looked back though all the cautions that occurred.
As in the Late Model feature, half of the starting cars fell out of the race. Harrison went on to win the last Modified feature of the season and was followed by Thornton, Werner, Martintoni and Taylor to complete the top five.
Highland Speedway held it’s last event for the 2003 season with a $5,000 to win race for the UMP Late Models. There were lots of cars in the pits, but Mother Natures had played tricks on the track and was trying to cause problems for this event. On Friday night, there was moisture falling in the area that dumped up to 2 inches on the track. On Saturday, she was threatening, but did not stop the program from getting in. The Friday night weather left the track in not so ideal condition and there were not good conditions for the racers. The track was rough, but fast.
There were 28 cars in the UMP Late Model pits with 27 cars taking time trails. Kevin Weaver set the fast time at 12.756 and a new track record. He beat Mark Faust’s 2001 record of 12.993.
In heat action, heat one went to Mark Faust over Kevin Weaver, Billy Faust, Justin Allgaier, Jason Setser and Rylan Dagg. In the second heat, Billy Drake took the win followed by Clay Bauman, Brad Loddeke, Matt Taylor, Frankie Martin, Tom Carson, and Len Garson. The third heat saw the victory go to Chad Zobrist with Rick Salter, Brian Shirley, Ron Sensel, Mark Gansmann, Dick Taylor, and Dan Jacober in tow. The final heat had Randy Korte take the win followed by Rodney Melvin, Shannon Babb, Michael Kloos, Jim Curry, and Vince Grondzki.
The dash went to Drake over Korte, M. Faust, Zobrist, Weaver, Salter, Bauman, and Melvin. The semi sent Martin, Setser, Curry and Carson to the feature.
The front row consisted of Drake and Korte. Korte jumped to the lead after a false start on the first attempt to start the 40-lap race. The second restarts sent Korte to the lead that he never gave up dissipate four caution periods.
The first slow down came out on lap three for debris on the track. The running order was Korte, Drake, Zobrist, M. Faust, and Slater. Once the race restart, Korte continued to lead with Drake in pursuit. The pair were running the higher line on the track.
Fifth running Salter caused the next slow down as he had a flat left rear tire and spun on the front straight. Salter was the first car out of the race. The running order was the same except now Weaver moved into the fifth spot.
Cars started to drop out of the race like flies as 12th starting Babb was the next car out as few laps after the restart when he ran over the inside burm in turn four. He decided not to continue for fear of doing more damage to the car.
The next caution appeared on lap 8 for debris again on the track. The same running order restarted the race, as there was no lanes opening up for the cars to run and try to pass on.
The final caution came out on lap 10 as Martin and Setser tangled on lap 10 sending Martin to the infield and out of the race.
Korte had command of the race and was pulling away from Drake as the race went green to the checkered flag. Drake had second place in hand as third finishing Zobrist could not challenge him for second. Faust and Weaver raced one another through the later stages of the race with Faust getting fourth followed by Weaver to round out the top five.
In the UMP Modified class, there were 24 cars on hand for the racing. In the first heat, Dave Thornton got the win over Roger Fohne, Matt Wiender, Brian Bielong, Todd Gailuis, Chris Smith, Doug McDougal, and Rick Weekly. In the second heat, Bobby Martintoni won with Mike Harrison, Ted Klause, Marty Smith, Kent Schoeck, Ed Lenhardt, Matt Verbeck, and Matt Koesterer in tow. In the third heat, Scott Sugg took the win followed by Steve Ellison, Mark Clary, Jim Werner, Matt Taylor, Doug Higginson, Blankenship and Roy Simmons. The dash went to Martintoni followed by Sugg, Thornton, Harrison, Ellison and Fohne. Harrison was moved back two spots for rough driving. The semi moved Clary, Higginson and McDougal to the feature.
The front row of the 20-lap race consisted of Martintoni and Sugg. Martintoni took the lead, but could not hold it very long. This race was plagued by cautions that dragged the race on and on.
The first caution came out after lap 1 for Bielong, when his car quit. The race restarted with Martintoni, Harrison, Sugg, Thornton, and Fohne in the top five.
Harrison would take over the lead on lap 3 and never looked back though all the cautions that occurred.
As in the Late Model feature, half of the starting cars fell out of the race. Harrison went on to win the last Modified feature of the season and was followed by Thornton, Werner, Martintoni and Taylor to complete the top five.
