"Lil' John Provenzano (58) schooled the field on Saturday night en route to victory and the track championship. Rich Bell (21B) bends his back quarter panel at the line but the veteran driver held on to capture the checkers." - Dan Simpson Photo
By: Betty Glynn
La Salle, IL – Saturday night at La Salle Speedway the temps were sizzling and the racing was even hotter. The UMP Late Model division championship was up for grabs between three very talented drivers – it was obvious early that it would be a hard fought battle to the finish line.
The story could have been ripped from a Hollywood script as the heated action was so well played it seemed more created than reality. Prior to the evenings first event, Lil’ John Provenzano and his son Mike were tied for the points championship both holding two season victories to earn 446 points. Rich Bell, who scored three victories, was eleven points behind the pair.
Bell showed up with his program ready for action. He kicked off the night by closing the gap a little with the second fastest lap to collect two points and than won the fast heat for an additional ten points.
Just after qualifying, Lil’ John was already sweating the events and their outcome. “I qualified so bad I think it’s over,” he told before the heat contest.
Something changed after strapping on his helmet because the forty year veteran seemed out of sorts prior to the race but must not have been ready to go down without a fight. The soon to be retiree quickly filed in behind his son while Bell and Bret Sievert held the lead from the front row. During the final lap, the Provenzano pair made contact with the father holding on tight to grab third. Bell won the heat over Sievert, and Keith Piano was fourth.
Ed Williams took the helm from the pole of the second heat and never looked back. Terry Knutti scored second in front of Mark Larson and Lake Knutti.
With both heat races in, the stage was set. Lil’ John was now a mere five points ahead of Bell who was posted at the top of the main event grid next to Sievert. The points leader was on the inside of row two with Piano as his partner. Mike Provenzano took his spot on the third row with Jason Jaggers on the outside.
The front runners set a quick pace as soon as the green was signaled. Unfortunately, their momentum continued to get halted as Lap 1 turned into a marathon. During the attempts of scoring more than one lap, Lil’ John charged his way into second around Sievert but without a lap scored he was working hard and getting no where.
“The third time I passed him (Bret Sievert) was the hardest,” Lil John explained. Sievert went higher on the track in second while Lil’ John chose a lower groove. By the third circuit Sievert was off his pace falling back a few spots.
Bell started to pull away and distance himself using lapped traffic. Fourteen of the twenty starters were still powered up for a restart of the eleventh lap. Three laps later, Lil’ John showed his veteran skills and positioned himself on the tail of the leader. The next lap he challenged his own power plant by remaining heavy enough on the gas to bring his ride up to the door of Bell. They charged side by side for another two laps but Lil’ John was a force to reckon with.
“I knew I needed to run within two spots of Bell,” Lil’ John said. “I had no idea I would win this race because earlier my car was terrible. I put the three wheel brakes on and actually had to slow to go faster. I decided I was either going to be a hero or a zero at the end.”
With three laps remaining, there was one amazing battle underway at the front. Lil’ John was on the point, his son on his back bumper running in nearly the same groove while Bell moved to the highside. On the last turn of the last circuit, Bell was flying high in an attempt to steal Lil’ John’s thunder away on the outside but nothing was going to keep him from crossing the finish line first. Bell rammed hard into the outside of Lil’ John just before the finish line and never let off the gas. As the pair crossed the finish line smoke was flying and sheet metal bending as they flew under the flag stand. Bell stayed heavy on the gas and the duo finally came to a stop joined together after the turn one corner.
Nothing could change the fact that the old man schooled the kids on Saturday night en route to his final La Salle Speedway track title. Bell’s ride crossed the line as the runner up ahead of Mike, Piano, Jason Jaggers, Mike Glynn, Jon Small, Jeff Small, Mark Larson, Gary Hunt, Bobby Morgan Jr., Randy Manos, Todd Alexander and Terry Knutti.
Twenty two UMP Modifieds signed in with Steven Brooks posting the quickest lap. Travis Kohler, Vince Cooper and Derrick Doerr won their heat events. For the feature line up, Kohler earned the pole with Nathan Balensiefen on the outside of him. Brooks and Phil Line were behind them in row two.
Kohler and Balensiefen wasted little time going side by side for the first two laps with Kohler taking the point with four laps scored. Balensiefen used the inside line to grab the lead on Lap 8.
The event felt caution plagued but when the green was illuminated the racing was worth the wait. It seemed as though every lap that was hot and heavy with dicey racing throughout the field, a yellow was necessary.
Balensiefen was the man in charge winning the event over Phil Line, Cooper, Kohler, Brooks, Tim Loomis, Derrick Doerr, Matt Gremminger, Tom Knippenberg, Don Cole, Billy Tuckwell, Kevin Thompson, Mike Marden, Scott Hauge and Austin Hewitt.
Jamie Balensiefen, like his brother Nathan in the Modifieds, was on the front row outside of the Street Stock main event. He quickly charged to the lead with Mike Hughes in second over Brandon Maciejewski.
Jamie used the majority of the track surface with his car nearly sideways in the turns for much of the race. No matter how hard Maciejewski powered up he was unable to truly challengethe leader. It was a great race of cat and mouse but Maciejewski could not get around the leader. Jamie swept the division by winning both the heat and the feature trophy. Maciejewski took second over a strong run by Mike McKinney, Kevin Snowberger, Roger Rickels, Jake Miller, Randy Lucas, Tim Provenzano, Steven Schwemlein, and Nick Sell.
Phil Burdette won the Hornet division over Rick Zifko, Jerry Legner, Dennis Polak, JR Brown, DJ Kilanowski, Freddy Thatcher, Dustin Forbes, #29, Aaron Sutton, and Mark Sutton.
Legner and Burdette won the heats.
Next Saturday night, the Hanks 4x4 event will top the schedule. Racing will continue on August 28th when the champions are honored for Fan Appreciation Night.
La Salle Speedway Scoreboard Results
UMP Late Models – 20 Cars
Qualifying: Bret Sievert 13.199
Heat #1: Rich Bell, Bret Sievert, John Provenzano, Keith Piano
Heat #2: Ed Williams Sr., Terry Knutti, Mark Larson, Lake Knutti
Feature: Lil’ John Provenzano, Rich Bell, Mike Provenzano, Keith Piano, Jason Jaggers, Mik Glynn, Jon Small, Jeff Small, Mark Larson, Gary Hunt, Bobby Morgan Jr., Randy Manos, Todd Alexander, Terry Knutti, Bret Sievert, Lake Knutti, Ed Williams Sr., Joe Fratt, Jimmy Partipilo, Billy Weistart
UMP Modifieds – 22 Cars
Qualifying: Steven Brooks 14.605
Heat #1: Travis Kohler, Nathan Balensiefen, Steven Brooks, Phil Line
Heat #2: Vince Cooper, Matthew Gremminger, Don Cole, Mike Marden
Heat #3: Derrick Doerr, Billy Tuckwell, Kevin Thompson, Austin Hewitt
Feature: Nathan Balensiefen, Phil Line, Vince Cooper, Travis Kohler, Steven Brooks, Tim Loomis, Derrick Doerr, Matt Gremminger, Tom Knippenberg, Don Cole, Billy Tuckwell, Kevin Thompson, Mike Marden, Scott Hauge, Austin Hewitt, Kevin Hughes, Dale Lueth, Justin McCoy, DJ Werkmeister, Derrick Line, Allen Line, Ken Fischer
UMP Street Stocks – 17 Cars
Heat #1: Mike Hughes, Brandon Maciejewski, Roger Rickels, Jake Miller
Heat #2: Jamie Balensiefen, Kevin Snowberger, Mike McKinney, Tim Provenzano
Feature: Jamie Balensiefen, Brandon Maciejewski, Mike McKinney, Kevin Snowberger, Roger Rickels, Jake Miller, Randy Lucas, Tim Provenzano, Steve Schwemlein, Nick Sell, Ande Bivens, John Hogue, Andrew Schwarko, Ben Gallentine, Mike Hughes, Wayne Huffman, Justin Hamm
UMP Hornets – 13 Cars
Heat #1: Jerry Legner, Rick Zifko, DJ Kilanowski, Dennis Polak
Heat #2: Phil Burdette, JR Brown, Freddy Thatcher, Mark Sutton
Feature: Phil Burdette, Rick Zifko, Jerry Legner, Dennis Polak, JR Brown, DJ Kilanowski, Freddy Thatcher, Dustin Forbes, #29, Aaron Sutton, Mark Sutton
