By: Betty Glynn
La Salle, IL – Saturday night two of last seasons divisional powerhouses were at the top of their game and ready to defend their well earned titles at LaSalle Speedway. Champion Ralph Markham hit the high banks in his familiar sharp green Late Model while Milo Veloz Jr. sported a flashy new cartooned done UMP Modified en route to their return to victory lane.
With a new promoter running the weekly racing events, a few changes have been made but the usual line up of Midwestern Late Models, UMP Modfieds, UMP Street Stocks and UMP Hornets still top the venue.
Brian Stuart, of Stuart Motorsports, Inc., promoted the inaugural race of 2008 and is ready for a full season in the Illinois Valley. “I am very excited to be here in LaSalle this year,” Stuart told after his first night as promoter.
The cooler temperatures may have kept some indoors but the die hard race fans braved the cold and enjoyed the rumble they have been missing in the endless winter. “I knew with the weather we might not have as many people in the stands but I told Kerriane (Izzo) I wanted to race,” Stuart explained.
In addition to his new role at LaSalle, Stuart promotes the Quad City Raceway on Sunday night’s in East Moline. A few promotions are already underway for drivers who are interested in running both of his tracks. He has added a track hopper and a “Duel on Dirt” for the Modified racers with a combined point fund.
One of the changes for this season is the drivers will no longer qualify for their starting spots. Their starting positions in the heat races will be determined by a draw. The top six in passing points, earned during the heat races, will re-draw for their feature race grid position.
Oglesby’s Keith Piano flew his way into the first heat victory ahead of Markham, Darin Furar and Ed Williams Sr. LaSalle driver Mike Glynn captured the second heat race win over Tonica’s Eric Dauber, Billy Weistart Jr. of LaSalle and Aaron Schmidt.
After the redraw, Piano held the pole with Dauber on the outside. Furar and Weistart rolled up behind them in front of Markham and Glynn.
Piano powered his way into a nice lead with Weistart and Markham trailing. By Lap 5, Piano had already started to take the pack into lapped traffic when the first caution flew for three cars in the corner off turn one. After the restart, Weistart traveled up the track a little high and Markham flew underneath. Again, another restart due to caution.
For the next few laps, Weistart and Glynn battled side by side for third place while Markham was in hot pursuit of the leader.
By Lap 10, Markham was on the back bumper of Piano and plotting his move. One lap later, a slide job over the nose of Piano gave Markham the lead he was chasing. By the end of the lap, Piano succumbed to the damage. Six cars were already gone by the start of the twelfth lap on the board.
Markham stayed high with Weistart, while Glynn positioned himself lower on the track. The only action up front was now between Glynn and Dauber for third. During Lap 17, Dauber charged around Glynn but Glynn hit the gas hard and took the third place running position back for the final time.
At the checkers, Markham took the win for the second consecutive opening night uncontested over a strong finishing Weistart, Glynn, John Piccatto, Ed Williams Sr., Mark Larson of Ottawa, Eric Rebholz, Aaron Schmidt, Roger Markham, Joe Fratt, Johnson, Joe Jelinek and Brian Lock.
UMP Modified driver Donovan Lodge won the first heat with Veloz, Nathan Balensiefen and Richie Bell following. Marty Thompson won the second heat race in front of Bill Theodorf, AJ Dixon and Vince Cooper.
Theodorf and Balensiefen rolled onto the front row with Veloz and Lodge behind them. Row three held Thompson and Dixon.
By the end of the first lap out, Veloz was in command over Balensiefen and Thompson. Veloz and Balensiefen braved the high terrain while Thompson kept his machine on the low line. During the twelfth circuit, Thompson, Balensiefen and Lodge were dicing it up when a lapped car slowed their momentum and gave Veloz a chance to distance himself.
One lap later, caution brought the front runners back into a single file format. Now it was Lodge trying to steal Thompson’s thunder for second however Thompson faded back in the pack with apparent mechanical woes.
Veloz had a strong lead for much of the race but the action got hot at the end when Balensiefen and Lodge challenged the leader in a three way battle. Balensiefen gave all he had to the finish line where Veloz emerged the winner.
Balensiefen claimed second over Lodge, tenth place starter Ray Bollinger, Dixon, Mike Marden, XIII, Matt Cleary, Mark Vervynck, Terry Hayes, Brian Carrington, Don Cole and Richie Bell.
The first ¼ mile trek for the Street Stock feature event was a true marathon. It took so many restarts for the first lap that it made one wonder how long it could go on. To kick things off, the starting cone took it’s first beating of the new season. Countless times it was pummeled under the heavy Street’s each time causing the caution to be waved.
Tonica’s Gary Schmitt was the car to beat in both his heat and feature event. His car was ready for action from the first to the final turn of each race he competed.
Schmitt held a generous lead over Rick Koltveit, Randy Lucas and Steve Lewis with Jimmy Partipilo closing in on the fourth place runner. Partipilo was on the move and making his way up when he lost control and had to head to the rear of the pack.
Schmitt collected the $200 check for the Streets in front of Koltveit, Lucas, Nick Sell, David McKinney, Mike Stewart, Mike Hughes, Roger Rickles, Jay Mesarchick, Rich Hayes, Alex Clubb, Cory Rupt and Jim Prokup.
Schmitt and Partipilo took top honors in their heat races.
JR Brown captured his UMP Hornet heat and feature races. Thirteen cars answered the call for the feature race with quite a few youngsters filling the driver seats.
One of those youngsters is a child who received a risky double lung transplant after nearly loosing her extended and difficult battle with Cystic Fibrosis. Stephanie Soberri had one dream and that was to keep the family of racers in the drivers seat and Saturday night the young race fan did just that.
In front of two of her racing heroes mother Tina, a former Midwestern Sportsman track champ, and her uncle, Late Model standout, Billy Weistart Jr. she strapped on a helmet for the first time.
It was hard to imagine that in December of 2006 when her extended racing family came together for a benefit to raise funds in hopes of the transplant. No one doubted the force inside of the frail unhealthy child. She proved repeatedly she has what it takes to compete whether it is for her life, a lifelong goal or a checkered flag.
Her second goal of the night was to pass a car. “She told me she just wanted to pass someone,” big brother Nick excitedly told after Soberri checked that off her list.
The Hornet feature was the only one to run without a caution. Finishing behind JR Brown was reigning champ DJ Werkmeister, Robert Gonzalez, Chad Williams, Loren Westerhold, Mark Sutton, Michael Morrow, Asa Robart, Tanner Phelps, Margus Hoover, Stephanie Soberri, Kyle Mitchell and #H62.
La Salle Speedway Scoreboard Results 04/26/08
Late Models – 21 Cars
Heat One: Keith Piano, Ralph Markham, Darin Furar, Ed Williams
Heat Two: Mike Glynn, Eric Dauber, Billy Weistart Jr., Aaron Schmitt
Feature: 1. Ralph Markham, 2. Billy Weistart Jr. 3. Mike Glynn, 4. Eric Dauber, 5. John Piccatto, 6. Ed Williams, 7. Mark Larson, 8. Eric Rebholz, 9. Aaron Schmidt, 10. Roger Markham, 11. Joe Fratt, 12. Johnson, 13. Joe Jelinek, 14. Brian Lock, 15. Tim Loomis, 16. Jon Small, 17. Keith Piano, 18. Jeff Small, 19. Darin Furar
UMP Modifieds 19 Cars
Heat One: Donovan Lodge, Milo Veloz, Nathan Balensiefen, Richie Bell
Heat Two: Marty Thompson, Bill Theodorf, AJ Dixon, Vince Cooper
Feature: 1. Milo Veloz, 2. Nathan Balensiefen, 3. Donovan Lodge, 4. Ray Bollinger, 5. AJ Dixon, 6. Mike Marden, 7. #XII, 8. Matt Cleary, 9. Mark Vervynck, 10. Terry Hayes, 11. Brian Carrington, 12. Don Cole, 13. Richie Bell, 14. Marty Thompson, 15. Bill Theodorf, 16. Scott Hauge, 17. Wilson, 18. Vince Cooper, 19. Scott Carlson
UMP Street Stocks 21Cars
Feature: 1. Gary Schmitt, 2. Rick Koltveit, 3. Randy Lucas, 4. Nick Sell, 5. David McKinney, 6. Mike Stewart, 7. Mike Hughes, 8. Roger Rickels, 9. JayMesarchik, 10. Rich Hayes, 11. Alex Clubb, 12. Cory Rupt, 13. Jim Prokup, 14. Jimmy Partipilo, 15. Brian Fenoglio, 16. Steve Lewis, 17. Chad Perk, 18. Rob Bond, 19. ? 20. Gabe Koncor, 21. Justin Rutledge
Hornets 13 Cars
Heat One: Loren Westerhold, Phill Burdette, Robert Gonzalez, Asa Robart
Heat Two: JR. Brown, Chad Williams, DJ Werkmeister, Mark Sutton
Feature: 1. JR Brown, 2. DJ Werkmeister, 3. Robert Gonzalez, 4. Chad Williams, 5. Loren Westerhold, 6. Mark Sutton, 7. Michael Morrow, 8. Asa Robart, 9. Tanner Phelps, 10. Margus Hoover, 11. Stephanie Soberri, 12. Kyle Mitchell, 13. H62
