By: Betty Glynn
La Salle, IL – Saturday night was La Salle Speedway’s first Fan Appreciation night of the year sponsored by Jeff Perry Buick Pontiac Cadillac GM. The evening kicked off with half price admission and surprises for fans throughout the night. The ticket price was less but the show was not.
La Salle’s own Mike Glynn has been traveling the course for many years and certainly knows the fast lane of the ¼ mile clay oval. The reigning Late Model Track Champ is a regular in victory lane but Saturday night it just seemed different for the veteran racer.
“We really needed this win tonight,” Glynn commented. “To be honest, even before the season started I’ve seemed a little burnt out and everyone who helps us has noticed so this week’s win helped our whole crew.”
The first event on the roster was qualifying with Tonica’s Scott Schmitt powering his way into the fast qualifier position with a time of 13.987. His efforts didn’t help him too much with the passing points system used as he found himself mid way back in ninth on the feature grid.
Aaron Schmidt of Oswego held off some tough competition to secure the first Heat race from the front row. Keith Piano and Billy Weistart Jr., both of Oglesby, diced it up with Piano finishing second.
The second Heat was a bit unnerving when Robert Voice’s ride tumbled down the front stretch landing back on his wheels. The driver was taken by ambulance to the hospital but had exited the car on his own. Princeton’s Steve Oeder was heavy on the gas holding off Ralph Markham of Maple Park and Darin Furar for the win.
The final showing for the Late’s, was the Feature event with nineteen contenders on the grid. Piano held the pole next to Markham. Glynn and Oeder rolled up in row two while Aaron Schmidt and Furar took their place in the third row.
Just after the green flag was dropped, Markham contested Piano while Glynn too wanted a piece of the action and brought his machine up to the leaders.
Before another lap could be counted a caution slowed the pace and put Piano back at the helm with Markham and Glynn behind him.
It was obvious Glynn was ready to rumble and hungry for the win when the green light lit up. He dashed quick and hard to the low side of Markham and went for the leader but another try of the restart ended when the infield tires got in the way Aaron Schmidt, the fourth place car.
The three front runners tried their door to door battle again but Piano’s stronghold ended when he found himself in a spin. The caution ridded beginning kept stalling the excitement.
Glynn now was in command with Markham close in tow over Furar, Oeder and a mover and shaker Scott Schmitt on the highest line he could find. It didn’t take long for Glynn to pull away but Markham reeled him back in whenever he distanced himself too far.
During Lap 13, Glynn showed his seat time experience when he narrowly avoided a collision after a lapped machine spun right in front of his nose.
The pace was fast and furious but the cautions were too many.
One lap later, Oeder was powering his way around Markham to second leaving Markham and Scott Schmitt to battle it out. The real advantage to Glynn was his ability to navigate lapped traffic without interruption in his impressively smooth run on the low side.
Glynn sailed to his second win of the season with ease.
Before the checkers, Markham had taken back his second place run finishing over Oeder, Scott Schmitt, Furar, Rich Bell, Eric Dauber, John Piccatto, Eric Rebholz, Aaron Schmidt and Mark Larson.
The UMP Modified’s got some new perks in the horizon as the speedway promoters raised their pay and added a fast qualifier dash for the class.
For the newly added Dash, it was divisional star Milo Veloz Jr. staking claim to the win and the front row feature starting position. For the eight lap event, the momentum of the six car field was fast paced and intense from the first lap on. Veloz charged his way to the win from fifth beating Jeremy Gustaf, Peru’s Jim Phelps and Marty Thompson of Mineral.
The main event of the division was just as intense with their pace but too many yellows kept the pack back together. Veloz has not disappointed thus far in the season as his dominating ways continue to roll with his fifth win in a row.
By the sixth official lap out, the fifth place starter Ray Bollinger of Kewanee had thundered through the field to the rear quarter panel of the leader. Five laps later, Bollinger finally got a great run on Veloz using the inside trek and was ready to give him a challenge. But the infield tires captured another casualty when he smoked the turn two tractor tire hard enough to pop off his own driver’s side tire completely off.
“I wasn’t taking second,” Ray joked after the race. “I just was not racing for second and then I hit it.”
Veloz now had Phelps to contend with in the runner up spot followed by Joe Adam of Peru, Terry Hudson and Brian Lucas of Malden.
Veloz distanced himself in first just as Phelps did for second all the way to the checkers. Newcomer Hudson took home third over Lucas, Mark Vervynck, Wally Forsythe and Bill Theodorf.
Theodorf and Bollinger each won the heat contests.
Rick Koltveit of Streator earned his first Street Stock feature victory of the season in style when he powered his way from third to a generous lead by the fifth lap out. He swept both the heat and feature races.
With Koltveit flying solo, it was Jimmy Partipilo as the car to keep an eye on. This youngster started in seventh in the line up but had already moved to second by Lap 8.
Koltveit was completely uncontested but Partipilo put on a great run ending second over former division champ Jeff Hamilton, Ed Williams Jr., Gary Schmitt, Mike Hughes, Chuck Provenzano, Steve Lewis, and Brent Carlson.
New Hornet superstar DJ Wekmeister is having the season of his life. At a mere 14 years of age this racing prodigy has become a name to know in the racing circles whenever the Hornet class is spoken of.
Not only is this young gun dominating at La Salle, he is taking his cause on the road winning at various dirt and asphalt tracks in Illinois. His victory posted his name in the record books for not only winning the last four races at LaSalle but twelve features since 2007 kicked off.
John Small took second in front of Mark Sutton, Loren Westerhold, Roy Alm, Eric Boudreau, Asa Robart, Jimmy Johnson, Gabe Koncor, and Cory Jo West.
La Salle Speedway Scoreboard Results 6/9/07
Late Model – 19 Cars
Qualifying: Scott Schmitt 13.987
Heat One: Aaron Schmidt, Keith Piano, Billy Weistart Jr., Mike Glynn
Heat Two: Steve Oeder, Ralph Markham, Darin Furar, John Piccatto
Feature: Mike Glynn, Ralph Markham, Steve Oeder, Scott Schmitt, Darin Furar,
Rich Bell, Eric Dauber, John Piccatto, Eric Rebholz, Aaron Schmidt, Mark
Larson, Dave Miller, Brian Lock, Jeff Small, Keith Piano, Joe Fratt, Ed
Williams, Andy Atkinson, Billy Weistart Jr.
UMP Modifieds – 15 Cars
Qualifying: Milo Veloz 14.960
Heat One: Bill Theodorf, Mark Vervynck, Brian Lucas, Andre LaPorte
Heat Two: Ray Bollinger, Milo Veloz, Marty Thompson, Jim Phelps
Fast Car Dash: Molo Veloz, Jeremy Gustaf, Jim Phelps, Marty Thompson
Feature: Milo Veloz, Jim Phelps, Terry Hudson, Brian Lucas, Mark Vervynck,
Wally Forsythe, Bill Theodorf, Mark Novorolsky, Scott Hauge, Andre LaPorte,
Nathan Balensiefen, Joe Adam, Ray Bollinger, Adam Otrembiak, Jeremy Gustaf
UMP Street Stocks – 20 Cars
Heat One: Rick Koltveit, Mike Hughes, Chuck Provenzano, Jimmy Partipilo
Heat Two: Steve Lewis, Kevin Hoffman, Jeff Hamilton, Ed Williams Jr.
Feature: Rick Koltveit, Jimmy Partipilo, Jeff Hamilton, Ed Williams Jr.,
Gary Schmitt, Mike Hughes, Chuck Provenzano, Steve Lewis, Brent Carlson,
Mike Stewart, Randy Lucas, Justin Rutledge, Justin Sellers, Jay Mesarchik,
Nick Sell, Roger Rickels, Stan Daigger, Bill Dauber, Nick Clubb, Kevin
Hoffman
UMP Hornets – 19 Cars
Heat One: Asa Robart, Jon Small, Adam Odell, Bubba Swinski
Heat Two: DJ Wekmeister, Dan Leonard, Don Slover, Mark Sutton
Feature: DJ Werkmeister, Jon Small, Mark Sutton, Loren Westerhold, Roy Alm,
Eric Bourdreau, Asa Robart, Jimmy Johnson, Gabe Koncor, Cory Jo West, Jon
Wagner, Don Slover, Travis Mahoney, Dawn Spellious, Nick Clubb, Tony
Harlacker, Bubba Swinski, Don Leonard, Adam Odell
La Salle, IL – Saturday night was La Salle Speedway’s first Fan Appreciation night of the year sponsored by Jeff Perry Buick Pontiac Cadillac GM. The evening kicked off with half price admission and surprises for fans throughout the night. The ticket price was less but the show was not.
La Salle’s own Mike Glynn has been traveling the course for many years and certainly knows the fast lane of the ¼ mile clay oval. The reigning Late Model Track Champ is a regular in victory lane but Saturday night it just seemed different for the veteran racer.
“We really needed this win tonight,” Glynn commented. “To be honest, even before the season started I’ve seemed a little burnt out and everyone who helps us has noticed so this week’s win helped our whole crew.”
The first event on the roster was qualifying with Tonica’s Scott Schmitt powering his way into the fast qualifier position with a time of 13.987. His efforts didn’t help him too much with the passing points system used as he found himself mid way back in ninth on the feature grid.
Aaron Schmidt of Oswego held off some tough competition to secure the first Heat race from the front row. Keith Piano and Billy Weistart Jr., both of Oglesby, diced it up with Piano finishing second.
The second Heat was a bit unnerving when Robert Voice’s ride tumbled down the front stretch landing back on his wheels. The driver was taken by ambulance to the hospital but had exited the car on his own. Princeton’s Steve Oeder was heavy on the gas holding off Ralph Markham of Maple Park and Darin Furar for the win.
The final showing for the Late’s, was the Feature event with nineteen contenders on the grid. Piano held the pole next to Markham. Glynn and Oeder rolled up in row two while Aaron Schmidt and Furar took their place in the third row.
Just after the green flag was dropped, Markham contested Piano while Glynn too wanted a piece of the action and brought his machine up to the leaders.
Before another lap could be counted a caution slowed the pace and put Piano back at the helm with Markham and Glynn behind him.
It was obvious Glynn was ready to rumble and hungry for the win when the green light lit up. He dashed quick and hard to the low side of Markham and went for the leader but another try of the restart ended when the infield tires got in the way Aaron Schmidt, the fourth place car.
The three front runners tried their door to door battle again but Piano’s stronghold ended when he found himself in a spin. The caution ridded beginning kept stalling the excitement.
Glynn now was in command with Markham close in tow over Furar, Oeder and a mover and shaker Scott Schmitt on the highest line he could find. It didn’t take long for Glynn to pull away but Markham reeled him back in whenever he distanced himself too far.
During Lap 13, Glynn showed his seat time experience when he narrowly avoided a collision after a lapped machine spun right in front of his nose.
The pace was fast and furious but the cautions were too many.
One lap later, Oeder was powering his way around Markham to second leaving Markham and Scott Schmitt to battle it out. The real advantage to Glynn was his ability to navigate lapped traffic without interruption in his impressively smooth run on the low side.
Glynn sailed to his second win of the season with ease.
Before the checkers, Markham had taken back his second place run finishing over Oeder, Scott Schmitt, Furar, Rich Bell, Eric Dauber, John Piccatto, Eric Rebholz, Aaron Schmidt and Mark Larson.
The UMP Modified’s got some new perks in the horizon as the speedway promoters raised their pay and added a fast qualifier dash for the class.
For the newly added Dash, it was divisional star Milo Veloz Jr. staking claim to the win and the front row feature starting position. For the eight lap event, the momentum of the six car field was fast paced and intense from the first lap on. Veloz charged his way to the win from fifth beating Jeremy Gustaf, Peru’s Jim Phelps and Marty Thompson of Mineral.
The main event of the division was just as intense with their pace but too many yellows kept the pack back together. Veloz has not disappointed thus far in the season as his dominating ways continue to roll with his fifth win in a row.
By the sixth official lap out, the fifth place starter Ray Bollinger of Kewanee had thundered through the field to the rear quarter panel of the leader. Five laps later, Bollinger finally got a great run on Veloz using the inside trek and was ready to give him a challenge. But the infield tires captured another casualty when he smoked the turn two tractor tire hard enough to pop off his own driver’s side tire completely off.
“I wasn’t taking second,” Ray joked after the race. “I just was not racing for second and then I hit it.”
Veloz now had Phelps to contend with in the runner up spot followed by Joe Adam of Peru, Terry Hudson and Brian Lucas of Malden.
Veloz distanced himself in first just as Phelps did for second all the way to the checkers. Newcomer Hudson took home third over Lucas, Mark Vervynck, Wally Forsythe and Bill Theodorf.
Theodorf and Bollinger each won the heat contests.
Rick Koltveit of Streator earned his first Street Stock feature victory of the season in style when he powered his way from third to a generous lead by the fifth lap out. He swept both the heat and feature races.
With Koltveit flying solo, it was Jimmy Partipilo as the car to keep an eye on. This youngster started in seventh in the line up but had already moved to second by Lap 8.
Koltveit was completely uncontested but Partipilo put on a great run ending second over former division champ Jeff Hamilton, Ed Williams Jr., Gary Schmitt, Mike Hughes, Chuck Provenzano, Steve Lewis, and Brent Carlson.
New Hornet superstar DJ Wekmeister is having the season of his life. At a mere 14 years of age this racing prodigy has become a name to know in the racing circles whenever the Hornet class is spoken of.
Not only is this young gun dominating at La Salle, he is taking his cause on the road winning at various dirt and asphalt tracks in Illinois. His victory posted his name in the record books for not only winning the last four races at LaSalle but twelve features since 2007 kicked off.
John Small took second in front of Mark Sutton, Loren Westerhold, Roy Alm, Eric Boudreau, Asa Robart, Jimmy Johnson, Gabe Koncor, and Cory Jo West.
La Salle Speedway Scoreboard Results 6/9/07
Late Model – 19 Cars
Qualifying: Scott Schmitt 13.987
Heat One: Aaron Schmidt, Keith Piano, Billy Weistart Jr., Mike Glynn
Heat Two: Steve Oeder, Ralph Markham, Darin Furar, John Piccatto
Feature: Mike Glynn, Ralph Markham, Steve Oeder, Scott Schmitt, Darin Furar,
Rich Bell, Eric Dauber, John Piccatto, Eric Rebholz, Aaron Schmidt, Mark
Larson, Dave Miller, Brian Lock, Jeff Small, Keith Piano, Joe Fratt, Ed
Williams, Andy Atkinson, Billy Weistart Jr.
UMP Modifieds – 15 Cars
Qualifying: Milo Veloz 14.960
Heat One: Bill Theodorf, Mark Vervynck, Brian Lucas, Andre LaPorte
Heat Two: Ray Bollinger, Milo Veloz, Marty Thompson, Jim Phelps
Fast Car Dash: Molo Veloz, Jeremy Gustaf, Jim Phelps, Marty Thompson
Feature: Milo Veloz, Jim Phelps, Terry Hudson, Brian Lucas, Mark Vervynck,
Wally Forsythe, Bill Theodorf, Mark Novorolsky, Scott Hauge, Andre LaPorte,
Nathan Balensiefen, Joe Adam, Ray Bollinger, Adam Otrembiak, Jeremy Gustaf
UMP Street Stocks – 20 Cars
Heat One: Rick Koltveit, Mike Hughes, Chuck Provenzano, Jimmy Partipilo
Heat Two: Steve Lewis, Kevin Hoffman, Jeff Hamilton, Ed Williams Jr.
Feature: Rick Koltveit, Jimmy Partipilo, Jeff Hamilton, Ed Williams Jr.,
Gary Schmitt, Mike Hughes, Chuck Provenzano, Steve Lewis, Brent Carlson,
Mike Stewart, Randy Lucas, Justin Rutledge, Justin Sellers, Jay Mesarchik,
Nick Sell, Roger Rickels, Stan Daigger, Bill Dauber, Nick Clubb, Kevin
Hoffman
UMP Hornets – 19 Cars
Heat One: Asa Robart, Jon Small, Adam Odell, Bubba Swinski
Heat Two: DJ Wekmeister, Dan Leonard, Don Slover, Mark Sutton
Feature: DJ Werkmeister, Jon Small, Mark Sutton, Loren Westerhold, Roy Alm,
Eric Bourdreau, Asa Robart, Jimmy Johnson, Gabe Koncor, Cory Jo West, Jon
Wagner, Don Slover, Travis Mahoney, Dawn Spellious, Nick Clubb, Tony
Harlacker, Bubba Swinski, Don Leonard, Adam Odell
