By Betty Glynn
LaSalle, IL- For so many people the number seven is lucky but for two drivers multiplying that times two was just the ticket. Ironically, two of the LaSalle Speedway's regular drivers, Elmhurst's Jim Partipilo and Granville's Darin Furar, each won their division's main events sporting the same number Saturday night.
When the UMP Late Model's lined up Partipilo was not on the lead row as he was positioned behind McHenry's Skip Martin and Oglesby's Billy Weistart Jr. Next to Partipilo, was Tonica's Ryan Dauber on the inside spot.
Weistart quickly jumped to an early lead but his pace was slowed as it took the field of eighteen several complete restarts to get the ball rolling. On the final double file restart, the drivers were not yet lined up when the flag was dropped leaving those in the back to play a quick game of catch-up as the leaders held a major advantage.
By the sixth lap out, Weistart was creating a decent lead over Martin while Partipilo ran in front of Jay Fiene and former track champion Frank Reaber of Bensenville. Two laps later, Weistart found himself lapping traffic as Martin started to reel him in. Martin tried the high line but didn't have enough to catch him.
During Lap 11, Martin made his move under Weistart and stole the lead but Weistart darted back into side by side action. Martin kept the point as Partipilo wheeled into second. One lap later, Weistart spun in between turns three and four sacrificing his impressive run in the top three running spots.
With two more laps scored, Partipilo was still in command as Martin charged through the corners until a flat tire ended his run up front as well.
For the single file restart, Partipilo was at the head of the line up
with a lapped car separating himself and Fiene who was now in second. Third on the start was an aggressive Reaber who was also distanced from the next car driven by Dauber by a lapped car then Utica's Tony Izzo Jr.
Reaber wasted no time rallying around the lapped cars using a low line then the highest groove available in his quest for the lead. By Lap 23, Reaber was using the highside when he made his way up to Fiene's back door with Izzo on his tail.
During the final lap, Reaber made his last move to capture second
finishing behind Partipilo. Fiene crossed the checkers in third with Izzo, Dauber, Matt Rhyne, Garrett Slager, Ladd's Dan Bardell, Jan Tiberi who started on the last row, Tom Markham, Martin, Ryan McQueary, Matt Slager, Scott Johnson, Weistart, Bart Schwartz, Brandon Slager and Dan Autullo.
The win for Partipilo was well deserved as the Elmhurst driver has found himself in the top five repeatedly but not in the winners circle. "It's about time," Partipilo joked after the race. "I have been so close so many times."
Tiberi and Matt Slager earned the transfer spots from the Semi Feature. Partipilo sped through the highbanks to earn the fastest qualifying lap with a time of 13.081.
Martin won the Dash over Weistart, Dauber and Partipilo. Bardell picked up the first Heat victory over Matt, Jason Jaggers and Autullo. Reaber won the fast qualifiers Heat with McQueary, Dauber and Markham behind him.
Furar scored his second triumph of the season after claiming the
Midwestern Late Model feature event victory over a field of twenty-two cars. Starting on the third row outside may have looked like quite the challenge for most but the Granville driver saw it as an opportunity to collect what was an convincing win.
By the end of the first lap, Furar had positioned himself directly
behind the leader, Charlie Olson, when he drove low and around Olson for the only lead change of the twenty five lap event. Five laps later, Furar found himself beginning to lap the field as Olson and the current points leader, TJ Markham, followed. A yellow one lap later slowed their stride bringing the field back together.
With Furar at the helm, TJ who was now in second, lined up behind him as Olson, Larry Yardley and Ralph Markham trailed. On lap 11, a pile up with four cars in turns one and two brought out the yellow out and stopped their run again.
As the scoreboard signaled three laps to go, Furar found himself forced into a three wide battle with two lapped cars as TJ tried to hunt him down. Olson was still holding on to his third place run albeit smoking from the rear of his chassis as Tonica's Eric Dauber was working hard to get around him. Dauber who had started his journey to the front from thirteenth on the grid powered his way up quickly.
Furar collected the checkers as TJ took home second while Dauber narrowly beat Olson to the line. Reno Markham returned after a few weeks off to collect fifth in front of Mike Lock, Joe Burba, Yardley, Rich Leach, John Piccatto, Mike Cardine, Wally Forsythe, Mike Migliorini, Rich Bell and Ralph Markham.
Oglesby's Keith Piano outpowered the first Heat contenders in his
Midwestern Sportsman, as their division was not running, to win the event over Cardine, Dauber and Jim Westaway. Lock took home the second Heat win in front of TJ, Furar and Yardley. Piccatto had the fastest lap with a time of 14.005.
The Midwest Enduro Series returned to the speedway with forty six cars running 150 laps. Their results were not available at press time.
Next Saturday night the Xtreme Dirt Car Series tops the venue with some of the premier names in dirt track racing scheduled to compete for the $10,000 pay day. As always, qualifying will begin at 6:30pm with racing at 7:30pm.
Scoreboard Results
LaSalle Speedway
UMP Late Model
Qualifying: Jim Partipilo 13.081
Dash: Skip Martin, Billy Weistart Jr., Ryan Dauber, Jim Partipilo
First Heat: Dan Bardell, Matt Slager, Jason Jaggers, Dan Autullo
Second Heat: Frank Reaber, Ryan McQueary, Ryan Dauber, Tom Markham
Semi Feature: Jan Tiberi, Matt Slager, Jason Jaggers, Jason Bogle,
Scott Anderson
Feature: Jim Partipilo, Frank Reaber, Jay Fiene, Tony Izzo Jr., Ryan
Dauber, Matt Rhyne, Garrett Slager, Danny Bardell, Jan Tiberi, Tom Markham, Skip Martin, Ryan McQueary, Matt Slager Scott Johnson, Billy Weistart Jr., Bart Schwartz, Brandon Slager, Dan Autullo
Midwestern Late Model
Qualifying: John Piccatto 14.005
First Heat: Keith Piano, Mike Cardine, Eric Dauber, Jim Westaway
Second Heat: Mike Lock, TJ Markham, Darin Furar, Larry Yardley
Feature: Darin Furar TJ Markham,, Eric Dauber, Charlie Olson, Reno Markham, Mike Lock, Joe Burba, Larry Yardley, Rich Leach, John Piccatto, Mike Cardine, Wally Forsythe, Mike Migliorini, Rick Bell, Ralph Markham, Doug Newlin, Brian Ray, Jim Westaway, Al Christy, Keith Piano, Mike Glynn, Joe Adams
LaSalle, IL- For so many people the number seven is lucky but for two drivers multiplying that times two was just the ticket. Ironically, two of the LaSalle Speedway's regular drivers, Elmhurst's Jim Partipilo and Granville's Darin Furar, each won their division's main events sporting the same number Saturday night.
When the UMP Late Model's lined up Partipilo was not on the lead row as he was positioned behind McHenry's Skip Martin and Oglesby's Billy Weistart Jr. Next to Partipilo, was Tonica's Ryan Dauber on the inside spot.
Weistart quickly jumped to an early lead but his pace was slowed as it took the field of eighteen several complete restarts to get the ball rolling. On the final double file restart, the drivers were not yet lined up when the flag was dropped leaving those in the back to play a quick game of catch-up as the leaders held a major advantage.
By the sixth lap out, Weistart was creating a decent lead over Martin while Partipilo ran in front of Jay Fiene and former track champion Frank Reaber of Bensenville. Two laps later, Weistart found himself lapping traffic as Martin started to reel him in. Martin tried the high line but didn't have enough to catch him.
During Lap 11, Martin made his move under Weistart and stole the lead but Weistart darted back into side by side action. Martin kept the point as Partipilo wheeled into second. One lap later, Weistart spun in between turns three and four sacrificing his impressive run in the top three running spots.
With two more laps scored, Partipilo was still in command as Martin charged through the corners until a flat tire ended his run up front as well.
For the single file restart, Partipilo was at the head of the line up
with a lapped car separating himself and Fiene who was now in second. Third on the start was an aggressive Reaber who was also distanced from the next car driven by Dauber by a lapped car then Utica's Tony Izzo Jr.
Reaber wasted no time rallying around the lapped cars using a low line then the highest groove available in his quest for the lead. By Lap 23, Reaber was using the highside when he made his way up to Fiene's back door with Izzo on his tail.
During the final lap, Reaber made his last move to capture second
finishing behind Partipilo. Fiene crossed the checkers in third with Izzo, Dauber, Matt Rhyne, Garrett Slager, Ladd's Dan Bardell, Jan Tiberi who started on the last row, Tom Markham, Martin, Ryan McQueary, Matt Slager, Scott Johnson, Weistart, Bart Schwartz, Brandon Slager and Dan Autullo.
The win for Partipilo was well deserved as the Elmhurst driver has found himself in the top five repeatedly but not in the winners circle. "It's about time," Partipilo joked after the race. "I have been so close so many times."
Tiberi and Matt Slager earned the transfer spots from the Semi Feature. Partipilo sped through the highbanks to earn the fastest qualifying lap with a time of 13.081.
Martin won the Dash over Weistart, Dauber and Partipilo. Bardell picked up the first Heat victory over Matt, Jason Jaggers and Autullo. Reaber won the fast qualifiers Heat with McQueary, Dauber and Markham behind him.
Furar scored his second triumph of the season after claiming the
Midwestern Late Model feature event victory over a field of twenty-two cars. Starting on the third row outside may have looked like quite the challenge for most but the Granville driver saw it as an opportunity to collect what was an convincing win.
By the end of the first lap, Furar had positioned himself directly
behind the leader, Charlie Olson, when he drove low and around Olson for the only lead change of the twenty five lap event. Five laps later, Furar found himself beginning to lap the field as Olson and the current points leader, TJ Markham, followed. A yellow one lap later slowed their stride bringing the field back together.
With Furar at the helm, TJ who was now in second, lined up behind him as Olson, Larry Yardley and Ralph Markham trailed. On lap 11, a pile up with four cars in turns one and two brought out the yellow out and stopped their run again.
As the scoreboard signaled three laps to go, Furar found himself forced into a three wide battle with two lapped cars as TJ tried to hunt him down. Olson was still holding on to his third place run albeit smoking from the rear of his chassis as Tonica's Eric Dauber was working hard to get around him. Dauber who had started his journey to the front from thirteenth on the grid powered his way up quickly.
Furar collected the checkers as TJ took home second while Dauber narrowly beat Olson to the line. Reno Markham returned after a few weeks off to collect fifth in front of Mike Lock, Joe Burba, Yardley, Rich Leach, John Piccatto, Mike Cardine, Wally Forsythe, Mike Migliorini, Rich Bell and Ralph Markham.
Oglesby's Keith Piano outpowered the first Heat contenders in his
Midwestern Sportsman, as their division was not running, to win the event over Cardine, Dauber and Jim Westaway. Lock took home the second Heat win in front of TJ, Furar and Yardley. Piccatto had the fastest lap with a time of 14.005.
The Midwest Enduro Series returned to the speedway with forty six cars running 150 laps. Their results were not available at press time.
Next Saturday night the Xtreme Dirt Car Series tops the venue with some of the premier names in dirt track racing scheduled to compete for the $10,000 pay day. As always, qualifying will begin at 6:30pm with racing at 7:30pm.
Scoreboard Results
LaSalle Speedway
UMP Late Model
Qualifying: Jim Partipilo 13.081
Dash: Skip Martin, Billy Weistart Jr., Ryan Dauber, Jim Partipilo
First Heat: Dan Bardell, Matt Slager, Jason Jaggers, Dan Autullo
Second Heat: Frank Reaber, Ryan McQueary, Ryan Dauber, Tom Markham
Semi Feature: Jan Tiberi, Matt Slager, Jason Jaggers, Jason Bogle,
Scott Anderson
Feature: Jim Partipilo, Frank Reaber, Jay Fiene, Tony Izzo Jr., Ryan
Dauber, Matt Rhyne, Garrett Slager, Danny Bardell, Jan Tiberi, Tom Markham, Skip Martin, Ryan McQueary, Matt Slager Scott Johnson, Billy Weistart Jr., Bart Schwartz, Brandon Slager, Dan Autullo
Midwestern Late Model
Qualifying: John Piccatto 14.005
First Heat: Keith Piano, Mike Cardine, Eric Dauber, Jim Westaway
Second Heat: Mike Lock, TJ Markham, Darin Furar, Larry Yardley
Feature: Darin Furar TJ Markham,, Eric Dauber, Charlie Olson, Reno Markham, Mike Lock, Joe Burba, Larry Yardley, Rich Leach, John Piccatto, Mike Cardine, Wally Forsythe, Mike Migliorini, Rick Bell, Ralph Markham, Doug Newlin, Brian Ray, Jim Westaway, Al Christy, Keith Piano, Mike Glynn, Joe Adams
