By: Betty Glynn
La Salle, IL – Ralph Markham collected his seventh Late Model victory in the second leg of the Euclid Triple Crown Series at La Salle Speedway. The Maple Park standout started his night off on the wrong foot but with a lot of hard work and a good pit crew he managed to rise above the tough beginning.
After hot laps, he knew something wasn’t quite right.
“At hot laps, the power rack was broken,” Markham said after the race. “The little ears were broke off and we had to weld them here.”
Next, the nineteen competitors traveled two laps looking for their fastest time. Scott Schmitt of Tonica earned the quick time of 14.643. Markham, on the other hand, didn’t fare so well during the preliminary event. He qualified eighth determining his fourth row start in the feature.
“We had two rocker arms broke at qualifying, that’s why we qualified bad. So then we worked on that.”
The racer competed in the Thursday night Summernationals and spent all day and night Friday preparing for Saturday.
“We went through the entire car. I took off work on Friday and did nothing but work on the car. We had no time to check the rockers though. Just didn’t have enough time.”
He did manage to roll into his spot for showtime ready to race.
The top six qualifiers were inverted based on their time for the Budweiser Dash for Cash. The finish of this quick six lap event determined the top six feature starting positions.
Billy Weistart Jr. of Oglesby held the pole with Compton’s Eric Rebholz as his front row partner. Weistart got off to a quick start with Rebholz, La Salle’s Mike Glynn, Schmitt, Jim Loomis and Keith Piano behind them.
Glynn was on the move by the third lap when the pace was starting to fly and Rebholz lost control nearly spinning out. He took Glynn with him but Rebholz didn’t stop. Glynn had to go to their rear with only three laps remaining.
At the finish, it was Weistart, Rebholz, Schmitt, Glynn, Loomis, and Piano.
Eighteen made the call for the 75-lapper.
Weistart and Rebholz started at the helm ahead of Schmitt and Glynn. As the pack started into the backstretch run of the first lap, there was contact with Schmitt, from the inside, and Glynn on his right. This ended Glynn’s night.
It was also the beginning of a caution marathon.
During the longer lapped specials, each time the leader crosses the finish line under yellow the lap is counted until the final ten. At times, the laps under one caution were in the double digits. Getting a real pace or momentum was nearly impossible.
A much different experience then the Summernationals forty lap race that was caution free.
Weistart pulled away from Schmitt by the third lap out. It didn’t take long for Schmitt to reel him in after each restart. During Lap 7, Weistart had Schmitt under his door for a challenge and even slipped up a little. Schmitt saw the opening and powered in front but a caution ended the run.
Two laps later, the same thing happened again and Schmitt was hard on the gas but didn’t have enough to steal the lead. While the two battled back and forth, Markham was moving forward in the pack and under Schmitt off the turn two corner of Lap 11.
Following a restart of Lap 28, Schmitt was looking strong on the low side but Weistart stayed in charge. The painful yellows ruined some potentially great racing.
Schmitt’s second place run slowed a bit after cruising in some rough turf on the highside cushion.
All the while, Piano was quietly making his entrance to the front runners.
For the single file restart of Lap 41, Weistart got a little out of his groove and Markham charged to the lead for the final time. A caution followed again and even turned into a red stop.
During Lap 58, Piano moved into second and had his ride hooked up on the lower line of Markham. He stayed on the bottom in the turns and looked like a first place contender during the closing laps.
In the final lap, Piano gave it all he had but nearly lost control and slid across the line for third.
Markham collected the checkers with Weistart ending a great night of racing in second place. Rebholz finished fourth behind Piano.
Schmitt took fifth ahead of Jim Loomis, Dave Miller, Doug Newlin, Eric Dauber, Joe Fratt, Lake Knutti, Joe Jelinek and Brian Lock.
The UMP Modified feature was much like the Lates and Street Stocks with a challenge of yellows. Eighteen took the call for their main event.
Travis Koehler and Bill Theodorf hosted the front row over Milo Veloz and Brian Lucas. Before a lap could be scored, Theodorf went into a tail spin and took several cars with him.
During the first lap out, Veloz also nearly lost control but straightened it out. Koehler was in command with Peru’s Jim Phelps hot on the trail looking for an opening.
Phelps used different grooves to try and pass the leader but each time he had a run on him the yellow flag dropped halting his efforts.
Just when things were getting interesting with nose to tail racing between Koehler, Phelps and the fast qualifier Marty Thompson contact between AJ Dixon and Veloz sent Dixon into a spin and unhappy with the outcome.
The first time the white flag signaled the last lap Phelps finally got the lead he was after but yet another caution came out. He didn’t get the lead back and the single file restart put Koehler, then Phelps, Thompson, Nathan Balensiefen, and Ray Bollinger behind them.
Shortly after the green, Thompson made a move on Phelps and he lost control collecting half the remaining field with him.
On the back straight of the last lap, Thompson got what he was after taking the lead but not without a fight by Koehler.
At the finish line it was close but Thompson took home the honors over Koehler, Balensiefen, Bollinger, Mark Vervynk, Tom Otrembiak, Dan Goodhand, Lucas, Wally Forsythe and Justin McCoy.
Koehler beat Veloz, Thompson and Forsythe in the first heat. Phelps won the second heat by a half a track lead over Theodorf, Otrembiak and Gustoff.
The Street Stock’s main was a long event with a lot of torn up cars at the completion.
Justin Rutledge survived to take home the victory over Brandon Maciejewski, Rick Koltveit, Steve Lewis, Gary Schmitt, Mike Hughes, Shane Whittington, Justin Sellars, Seth Dauber and Jay Mesarchik.
DJ Werkmeister is still the hot driver in the 4 Cylinder Hornet division.
The fourteen year old rookie is continued his dream season with an impressive seventh victory.
Finishing runner up was a Lightning McQueen, the rookie racer in Disney’s Cars movie, look alike driven by Rob Shaw. In his first outing to the speedway, he looked settled in to the highbanks finishing in front of Jamie DeFord, Schmidt, Dan Leonard, Mark Sutton, Jon Small, Dan Slover , Gabe Koncor, and Loren Westerhold.
La Salle Speedway Scoreboard Results 07/14/07
Late Model – 19 Cars
Qualifying: Scott Schmitt 14.643
Budweiser Dash: Billy Weistart Jr., Eric Rebholz, Scott Schmitt, Mike Glynn
Feature: Ralph Markham, Billy Weistart Jr., Keith Piano, Eric Rebholz, Scott Schmitt, Jim Loomis, Dave Miller, Doug Newlin, Eric Dauber, Joe Fratt, Lake Knutti, Joe Jelinek, Brian Lock, Steve Oeder, John Piccatto, Jeff Small, Jack Benson, Mike Glynn
UMP Modifieds – 18 Cars
Qualifying: Marty Thompson 15.907
Heat One: Travis Koehler, Milo Veloz, Marty Thompson, Wally Forsythe Heat Two: Jim Phelps, Bill Theodorf, Tom Otrembiak, Jeremy Gustoff
Feature: Marty Thompson, Travis Koehler, Nathan Balensiefen, Ray Bollinger, Mark Vervynck, Tom Otrembiak, Dan Goodhand, Brian Lucas, Wally Forsythe, Justin McCoy, Jeremy Gustoff, Jim Phelps, Milo Veloz, Bill Theodorf, AJ Dixon, Michael Ahlgren, Ken Fischer, #F18
UMP Street Stocks – 18 Cars
Heat One: Steve Lewis, Matt Ramer, Mike Hughes, Gary Schmitt Heat Two: Justin Rutledge, Tim Loomis, Jimmy Partipilo
Feature: Justin Rutledge, Brandon Majciewski, Rick Koltveit, Steve Lewis, Gary Schmitt, Mike Hughes, Shane Whittington, Justin Sellers, Seth Dauber, Jay Mesarchik, Jimmy Partipilo, Stan Daiger, Roger Rickels, Mike Stewart, Matt Ramer, Alex Clubb, Tim Loomis, Chuck Provenzano
UMP Hornets – 23 Cars
Heat One: Jamie Deford, Dan Leonard, Gabe Koncor, Mark Sutton Heat Two: Jim Lazier, Robert Werkmeister, Phil Burdette, Dawn Spellious Heat Three: DJ Werkmeister, Rob Shaw, Jon Small, Don Slover
Feature: DJ Werkmeister, Rob Shaw, Jamie Deford, Schmidt, Dan Leonard, Mark Sutton, Jon Small, Don Slover, Gabe Koncor, Loren Westerhold, Asa Robart, Jim Lazier, Nick Clubb, Tony Harlacher, Jimmy Johnson, Dawn Spellious, Dan Widdicombe, #24, #88, Robert Werkmeister, Burdette, Sims, Jon Wagner
La Salle, IL – Ralph Markham collected his seventh Late Model victory in the second leg of the Euclid Triple Crown Series at La Salle Speedway. The Maple Park standout started his night off on the wrong foot but with a lot of hard work and a good pit crew he managed to rise above the tough beginning.
After hot laps, he knew something wasn’t quite right.
“At hot laps, the power rack was broken,” Markham said after the race. “The little ears were broke off and we had to weld them here.”
Next, the nineteen competitors traveled two laps looking for their fastest time. Scott Schmitt of Tonica earned the quick time of 14.643. Markham, on the other hand, didn’t fare so well during the preliminary event. He qualified eighth determining his fourth row start in the feature.
“We had two rocker arms broke at qualifying, that’s why we qualified bad. So then we worked on that.”
The racer competed in the Thursday night Summernationals and spent all day and night Friday preparing for Saturday.
“We went through the entire car. I took off work on Friday and did nothing but work on the car. We had no time to check the rockers though. Just didn’t have enough time.”
He did manage to roll into his spot for showtime ready to race.
The top six qualifiers were inverted based on their time for the Budweiser Dash for Cash. The finish of this quick six lap event determined the top six feature starting positions.
Billy Weistart Jr. of Oglesby held the pole with Compton’s Eric Rebholz as his front row partner. Weistart got off to a quick start with Rebholz, La Salle’s Mike Glynn, Schmitt, Jim Loomis and Keith Piano behind them.
Glynn was on the move by the third lap when the pace was starting to fly and Rebholz lost control nearly spinning out. He took Glynn with him but Rebholz didn’t stop. Glynn had to go to their rear with only three laps remaining.
At the finish, it was Weistart, Rebholz, Schmitt, Glynn, Loomis, and Piano.
Eighteen made the call for the 75-lapper.
Weistart and Rebholz started at the helm ahead of Schmitt and Glynn. As the pack started into the backstretch run of the first lap, there was contact with Schmitt, from the inside, and Glynn on his right. This ended Glynn’s night.
It was also the beginning of a caution marathon.
During the longer lapped specials, each time the leader crosses the finish line under yellow the lap is counted until the final ten. At times, the laps under one caution were in the double digits. Getting a real pace or momentum was nearly impossible.
A much different experience then the Summernationals forty lap race that was caution free.
Weistart pulled away from Schmitt by the third lap out. It didn’t take long for Schmitt to reel him in after each restart. During Lap 7, Weistart had Schmitt under his door for a challenge and even slipped up a little. Schmitt saw the opening and powered in front but a caution ended the run.
Two laps later, the same thing happened again and Schmitt was hard on the gas but didn’t have enough to steal the lead. While the two battled back and forth, Markham was moving forward in the pack and under Schmitt off the turn two corner of Lap 11.
Following a restart of Lap 28, Schmitt was looking strong on the low side but Weistart stayed in charge. The painful yellows ruined some potentially great racing.
Schmitt’s second place run slowed a bit after cruising in some rough turf on the highside cushion.
All the while, Piano was quietly making his entrance to the front runners.
For the single file restart of Lap 41, Weistart got a little out of his groove and Markham charged to the lead for the final time. A caution followed again and even turned into a red stop.
During Lap 58, Piano moved into second and had his ride hooked up on the lower line of Markham. He stayed on the bottom in the turns and looked like a first place contender during the closing laps.
In the final lap, Piano gave it all he had but nearly lost control and slid across the line for third.
Markham collected the checkers with Weistart ending a great night of racing in second place. Rebholz finished fourth behind Piano.
Schmitt took fifth ahead of Jim Loomis, Dave Miller, Doug Newlin, Eric Dauber, Joe Fratt, Lake Knutti, Joe Jelinek and Brian Lock.
The UMP Modified feature was much like the Lates and Street Stocks with a challenge of yellows. Eighteen took the call for their main event.
Travis Koehler and Bill Theodorf hosted the front row over Milo Veloz and Brian Lucas. Before a lap could be scored, Theodorf went into a tail spin and took several cars with him.
During the first lap out, Veloz also nearly lost control but straightened it out. Koehler was in command with Peru’s Jim Phelps hot on the trail looking for an opening.
Phelps used different grooves to try and pass the leader but each time he had a run on him the yellow flag dropped halting his efforts.
Just when things were getting interesting with nose to tail racing between Koehler, Phelps and the fast qualifier Marty Thompson contact between AJ Dixon and Veloz sent Dixon into a spin and unhappy with the outcome.
The first time the white flag signaled the last lap Phelps finally got the lead he was after but yet another caution came out. He didn’t get the lead back and the single file restart put Koehler, then Phelps, Thompson, Nathan Balensiefen, and Ray Bollinger behind them.
Shortly after the green, Thompson made a move on Phelps and he lost control collecting half the remaining field with him.
On the back straight of the last lap, Thompson got what he was after taking the lead but not without a fight by Koehler.
At the finish line it was close but Thompson took home the honors over Koehler, Balensiefen, Bollinger, Mark Vervynk, Tom Otrembiak, Dan Goodhand, Lucas, Wally Forsythe and Justin McCoy.
Koehler beat Veloz, Thompson and Forsythe in the first heat. Phelps won the second heat by a half a track lead over Theodorf, Otrembiak and Gustoff.
The Street Stock’s main was a long event with a lot of torn up cars at the completion.
Justin Rutledge survived to take home the victory over Brandon Maciejewski, Rick Koltveit, Steve Lewis, Gary Schmitt, Mike Hughes, Shane Whittington, Justin Sellars, Seth Dauber and Jay Mesarchik.
DJ Werkmeister is still the hot driver in the 4 Cylinder Hornet division.
The fourteen year old rookie is continued his dream season with an impressive seventh victory.
Finishing runner up was a Lightning McQueen, the rookie racer in Disney’s Cars movie, look alike driven by Rob Shaw. In his first outing to the speedway, he looked settled in to the highbanks finishing in front of Jamie DeFord, Schmidt, Dan Leonard, Mark Sutton, Jon Small, Dan Slover , Gabe Koncor, and Loren Westerhold.
La Salle Speedway Scoreboard Results 07/14/07
Late Model – 19 Cars
Qualifying: Scott Schmitt 14.643
Budweiser Dash: Billy Weistart Jr., Eric Rebholz, Scott Schmitt, Mike Glynn
Feature: Ralph Markham, Billy Weistart Jr., Keith Piano, Eric Rebholz, Scott Schmitt, Jim Loomis, Dave Miller, Doug Newlin, Eric Dauber, Joe Fratt, Lake Knutti, Joe Jelinek, Brian Lock, Steve Oeder, John Piccatto, Jeff Small, Jack Benson, Mike Glynn
UMP Modifieds – 18 Cars
Qualifying: Marty Thompson 15.907
Heat One: Travis Koehler, Milo Veloz, Marty Thompson, Wally Forsythe Heat Two: Jim Phelps, Bill Theodorf, Tom Otrembiak, Jeremy Gustoff
Feature: Marty Thompson, Travis Koehler, Nathan Balensiefen, Ray Bollinger, Mark Vervynck, Tom Otrembiak, Dan Goodhand, Brian Lucas, Wally Forsythe, Justin McCoy, Jeremy Gustoff, Jim Phelps, Milo Veloz, Bill Theodorf, AJ Dixon, Michael Ahlgren, Ken Fischer, #F18
UMP Street Stocks – 18 Cars
Heat One: Steve Lewis, Matt Ramer, Mike Hughes, Gary Schmitt Heat Two: Justin Rutledge, Tim Loomis, Jimmy Partipilo
Feature: Justin Rutledge, Brandon Majciewski, Rick Koltveit, Steve Lewis, Gary Schmitt, Mike Hughes, Shane Whittington, Justin Sellers, Seth Dauber, Jay Mesarchik, Jimmy Partipilo, Stan Daiger, Roger Rickels, Mike Stewart, Matt Ramer, Alex Clubb, Tim Loomis, Chuck Provenzano
UMP Hornets – 23 Cars
Heat One: Jamie Deford, Dan Leonard, Gabe Koncor, Mark Sutton Heat Two: Jim Lazier, Robert Werkmeister, Phil Burdette, Dawn Spellious Heat Three: DJ Werkmeister, Rob Shaw, Jon Small, Don Slover
Feature: DJ Werkmeister, Rob Shaw, Jamie Deford, Schmidt, Dan Leonard, Mark Sutton, Jon Small, Don Slover, Gabe Koncor, Loren Westerhold, Asa Robart, Jim Lazier, Nick Clubb, Tony Harlacher, Jimmy Johnson, Dawn Spellious, Dan Widdicombe, #24, #88, Robert Werkmeister, Burdette, Sims, Jon Wagner
