By Brett Zerfowski
(Macon, IL) In April 1946, Wayne Webb opened the gates to his creation, Macon Speedway, 9 miles south of Decatur, IL., off Highway 51. Many great racecar drivers have turned through the corners and raced the laps around the dirt track. On the final Saturday of June, the past drivers were honored with a special 65th Anniversary show.
Some of Macon Speedway’s finest drivers put all they had on the track during their respective features, which included six UMP sanctioned classes.
Kyle Logue, the defending two-time Late Model champion, made his return in the Late Model class and after a heat win was set up on the front row outside with Springfield’s Jeremy Conaway. From the first lap of the 25 A-Main feature race, Logue was outstanding in his ability to weave inside and outside to bypass the lapped traffic. Logue winning the event wasn’t entirely the story. The run on the bottom of the racetrack by Rodney Standerfer, son of former Macon Speedway driver and champion Pickels Standerfer, as he made the late move on Steve Sheppard, Jr., a former track champion, and Conaway paved his way to a second-place finish.
It was evident that the bottom of the racetrack was at the fastest during the Modified feature, the second feature out of the gate, as Springfield’s Guy Taylor, relative of former Late Model champion and Herald & Review 100 champion Dick Taylor, started in the ninth position (fifth row inside) and went through very difficult competition to get into the lead coming out of the fourth turn to the 14th lap. Taylor passed Curt Rhodes, who led the first 13 laps, as well as Dave Crawley, Jr. to overtake the lead. The win for Taylor was his first since April 11, 2009.
Another race which was decided by the bottom of the track was the Touchstone Energy Sportsman feature. There have been only two winners of nine feature races in the division (Dave Crawley, Jr. has six and Dennis Vandermeersch has three), but the final Saturday of June would give a different driver that chance as Decatur’s Mike Pickering grabbed the glory. He raced much like he did during the previous week’s Street Stock feature (a win for Pickering), hugging the bottom of the track. Nothing was able to stop “Jimbo” Pickering from winning his first Touchstone Energy Sportsman feature. Scott Landers and Rick Roedel had second and third place finishes.
Larry Russell, Jr. was able to win his fourth Street Stock feature of the year by also using the bottom groove. Blake Shelley, the 2009 Street Stock track champion, made the pass for second over Tyler Blankenship, who would finish fourth. Kevin Crowder, a two-time feature winner, took third.
The Pro Hornet feature winner was Jim Wilson, father of Eric Wilson, who won the June 19th Pro Hornet feature. The win for Jim was his first-ever. Garrett Lewis, son of former Bomber driver Gary Lewis, won his first stock car race in his heat and also took the feature.
Macon Speedway would like to extend extreme thanks to all past drivers who have helped pave the way to the future and to 65 years of service. The speedway would also like to thank Miles Chevrolet for their sponsorship of the historic and very special evening.
Next Saturday night will be the 95Q Firecracker 40s as Late Models and Modifieds will run 40-lap features, Touchstone Energy Sportsman, Street Stocks and Pro and Amateur Hornets are also scheduled. A huge fireworks display will light up the sky during the event, as well. That will pave the way to Monday, July 5th, and the rescheduled make-up of NASCAR Night with Tony Stewart, Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace. The POWRi Midgets and Micros are also on the slate with the Modifieds and Street Stocks.
(Macon, IL) In April 1946, Wayne Webb opened the gates to his creation, Macon Speedway, 9 miles south of Decatur, IL., off Highway 51. Many great racecar drivers have turned through the corners and raced the laps around the dirt track. On the final Saturday of June, the past drivers were honored with a special 65th Anniversary show.
Some of Macon Speedway’s finest drivers put all they had on the track during their respective features, which included six UMP sanctioned classes.
Kyle Logue, the defending two-time Late Model champion, made his return in the Late Model class and after a heat win was set up on the front row outside with Springfield’s Jeremy Conaway. From the first lap of the 25 A-Main feature race, Logue was outstanding in his ability to weave inside and outside to bypass the lapped traffic. Logue winning the event wasn’t entirely the story. The run on the bottom of the racetrack by Rodney Standerfer, son of former Macon Speedway driver and champion Pickels Standerfer, as he made the late move on Steve Sheppard, Jr., a former track champion, and Conaway paved his way to a second-place finish.
It was evident that the bottom of the racetrack was at the fastest during the Modified feature, the second feature out of the gate, as Springfield’s Guy Taylor, relative of former Late Model champion and Herald & Review 100 champion Dick Taylor, started in the ninth position (fifth row inside) and went through very difficult competition to get into the lead coming out of the fourth turn to the 14th lap. Taylor passed Curt Rhodes, who led the first 13 laps, as well as Dave Crawley, Jr. to overtake the lead. The win for Taylor was his first since April 11, 2009.
Another race which was decided by the bottom of the track was the Touchstone Energy Sportsman feature. There have been only two winners of nine feature races in the division (Dave Crawley, Jr. has six and Dennis Vandermeersch has three), but the final Saturday of June would give a different driver that chance as Decatur’s Mike Pickering grabbed the glory. He raced much like he did during the previous week’s Street Stock feature (a win for Pickering), hugging the bottom of the track. Nothing was able to stop “Jimbo” Pickering from winning his first Touchstone Energy Sportsman feature. Scott Landers and Rick Roedel had second and third place finishes.
Larry Russell, Jr. was able to win his fourth Street Stock feature of the year by also using the bottom groove. Blake Shelley, the 2009 Street Stock track champion, made the pass for second over Tyler Blankenship, who would finish fourth. Kevin Crowder, a two-time feature winner, took third.
The Pro Hornet feature winner was Jim Wilson, father of Eric Wilson, who won the June 19th Pro Hornet feature. The win for Jim was his first-ever. Garrett Lewis, son of former Bomber driver Gary Lewis, won his first stock car race in his heat and also took the feature.
Macon Speedway would like to extend extreme thanks to all past drivers who have helped pave the way to the future and to 65 years of service. The speedway would also like to thank Miles Chevrolet for their sponsorship of the historic and very special evening.
Next Saturday night will be the 95Q Firecracker 40s as Late Models and Modifieds will run 40-lap features, Touchstone Energy Sportsman, Street Stocks and Pro and Amateur Hornets are also scheduled. A huge fireworks display will light up the sky during the event, as well. That will pave the way to Monday, July 5th, and the rescheduled make-up of NASCAR Night with Tony Stewart, Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace. The POWRi Midgets and Micros are also on the slate with the Modifieds and Street Stocks.
