By: Betty Glynn
La Salle, IL – The final night of racing typically produces twists, turns and hard charging disputes. Saturday night at La Salle Speedway the drivers were up for the challenge and gave a full house exactly what they were hoping for on Fan Appreciation Night.
To get things rolling, the Late Models and the Modifieds put their best lap in the books. Mike Provenzano posted the fastest Late Model lap with a time of 13.120. Nathan Balensiefen traveled the quickest lap of 14.604 for the Modifieds.
Eighteen Late’s were in the pits with two heats determining their feature grid. First heat pole sitter, Mike Provenzano took the point after a battle with Bret Sievert but it didn’t come easy. Sievert took the lead just before a last lap caution slowed the pace and put him back behind Mike Provenzano. For the restart, it was apparent a showdown was on tap. At the checkers, Mike Provenzano was first but Rich Bell was right there with him leaving Sievert in third and Mike Glynn fourth.
Jeff Small, the pole sitter of the second heat, was commander of the race all the way to the checkers. Todd Alexander finished second ahead of Jeff’s brother Jon Small and Terry Knutti.
With twenty five laps ahead, no one could have foreseen Lake Knutti flipping his ride before a lap could be scored. Luckily the driver exited the car on his own. Once the green flag was hanging, Mike Provenzano was in charge with Sievert in second over current champion Lil’ John Provenzano. After a restart of Lap 4, a three wide battle for the lead between the three ended when Bell took the low line and started challenging Lil’ John who was in second.
Bell took over the point during Lap 9 with Lil’ John now in second. Mike Provenzano fell back to third. Bell was flying but Lil’ John was fast on a lower line. Bell’s high run was fast and furious until he moved down in front of Lil’ John who was still charging hard on the bottom during Lap 14. The front runners tangled with Lil’ John ending the powerful run in a spin. After the restart, Bell moved his machine back to the high line on the point with Mike Provenzano second, Sievert third and Glynn running fourth as high on the track as he could run.
Early in the evening, Scott Schmitt took on the exhausting task of changing his engine in the pit area. Completing the job just as the feature cars were rolling around to take the green. His efforts paid off as he charged his power plant up the pack for a top six run.
Just after the flagman signaled one lap to go, Mike Provenzano hit the gas even harder in his lower line run. As he and Bell headed off the turn four corner, it was Bell ahead but by the time the duo crossed the finish line Mike Provenzano beat him by a nose.
Bell took home the runner up finish over Sievert, Glynn, Jamie McHugh, Schmitt, Keith Piano, Terry Knutti, Todd Alexander, Lil John Provenzano, Nathan Disney, Ed Williams, Randy Manos, and Brian Lock.
Nathan Balensiefen was on fire in the Open Wheel Modified class scoring the fastest lap, first heat and main event victories for the division. Like Mike Provenzano, Balensiefen finished third in the over all points but swept the last nights competition.
Balensiefen started the twenty lap feature on the pole next to Brad Stewart over Phil Line and Travis Kohler. He shot to the lead as soon as the green light signaled the start with Brad Stewart chasing him from a high line. With only a few laps in the books Stewart took the chase into a side by side battle.
A final lap caution brought the pack back into nose to tail for a single file start but didn’t change the final finish. At the line, Balensiefen picked up the victory for a second week in a row. Stewart and Vince Cooper were side by side at the line with Stewart edging his nose across the line in second. Justin McCoy took home an impressive third place over Tim Loomis, Travis Kohler, Derrick Doerr, Matt Gremminger, Jeramie Johnson, Tom Knippenberg, Austin Hewitt, first time racer Nick Lueth and Phil Line.
Balensiefen beat out Stewart, Line and Kohler in the first heat. Johnson won the second heat contest in front of Loomis, Allen Line and Ken Fischer.
Street Stock points champion Roger Rickels was at the top of his game for the final night of action. He took home the first of three heat races and then outran the competition to enter victory lane for the feature.
Rickels beat Jake Miller, Jamie Balensiefen and Nick Sell for the first heat. The second heat was won by Kevin Snowberger over Mike McKinney, Randy Lucas and Rick Koltveit. Brandon Maciejewski won the final heat with Tim Provenzano, Duane Peterson and Ande Bivens behind him.
The start of the Street’s main event started a bit rocky after Duane Brown and John Hogue tangled off turn four ending with Hogue flipping in front of the grand stands. Once back to green, the first several laps were filled with exciting side by side action between Rickels, Maciejewski and Kevin Snowberger. Rickels never gave up the lead no matter how hard Maciejewski tried to take it away.
Side by side at the line, Rickels narrowly crossed the line first. Maciejewski claimed second in front of Provenzano, McKinney, Snowberger, Keith Lucas, Randy Lucas, Justin Rutledge, Nick Sell, and Ande Bivens.
Phil Burdette worked his way up to the front of the 4 Cylinder feature contest to claim the victory over JR Brown, Steve Phillips, Allen Provenzano, Danger Williams, Jon Provenzano, Jerry Legner, Brandon Mallory, Rick Wagner and Freddie Thatcher.
JR Brown and Phillips won their heat races.
Lil’ John Provenzano, the Late Model track champion, was honored as he calls it quits on top after forty years of racing. Bell was second in points over John’s son Mike Provenzano.
Vince Cooper continued his points domination with his fourth Open Wheel Modified track championship. Phil Line took runner up ahead of Balensifen in the points challenge.
After a great season, Roger Rickels earned the Street Stock points championship over Brandon Maciejewski and Mike Hughes. Hughes finished third two years in a row.
After finishing second in points in 2009 Phil Burdette did what he needed to end this season differently. He won the 4 Cylinder Hornet divisional championship over JR Brown and Jerry Legner.
The only remaining event left for the year is the September 26th Bill Waite Jr. Memorial Outlaw Spring Car Race. The 800 horsepower winged outlaw sprint cars will compete on that Sunday for $3,000 to win. The even is being put together in honor of Bill an avid racer who was killed on Interstate 80 while assisting a stranded motorist in 2008.
In addition the UMP Modifieds will battle for $800 to win and the UMP Hornets for $300.
Any information regarding the event should be directed to PACE Promotions: 630-279-3006; IRA Series: 815-759-9269 and the IRA Series website: www.irsprints.com. other questions and comments: e-mail address at pace85@att.net.
La Salle Speedway Scoreboard Results 08/28/10
UMP Late Models 18 Cars
Qualifying: Mike Provenzano 13.120
Heat 1: Mike Provenzano, Rich Bell, Bret Sievert, Mike Glynn
Heat 2: Jeff Small, Todd Alexander, Jon Small, Terry Knutti
Feature: Mike Provenzano, Rich Bell, Bret Sievert, Mike Gllynn, Jamie McHugh, Scott Schmitt, Keith Piano, Terry Knutti, Todd Alexander, Lil’ John Provenzano, Nathan Disney, Ed Williams, Randy Manos, Brian Lock, Jon Small, Jeff Small, Lake Knutti, Mark Larson
UMP Moldifieds 18 Cars
Qualifying: Nathan Balensiefen 14.604
Heat 1: Nathan Balensiefen, Brad Stewart, Phil Line, Travis Kohler
Heat 2: Jeramie Johnson, Tim Loomis, Allen Line, Ken Fischer
Feature: Nathan Balensiefen, Brad Stewart, Vince Cooper, Justin McCoy, Tim Loomis, Travis Kohler, Derrick Doerr, Matt Gremminger, Jeramie Johnson, Tom Knippenberg, Austin Hewitt, Nick Lueth, Phil Line, Ken Fischer, Scott Hauge, Mike Marden, David Wagner
UMP Street Stock 24 Cars
Heat 1: Roger Rickels, Jake Miller, Jamie Balensiefen, Nick Sell
Heat 2: Kevin Snowberger, Mike McKinney, Randy Lucas, Rick Koltveit
Heat 3: Brandon Maciejewski, Tim Provenzano, Duane Peterson, Ande Bivens
Feature: Roger Rickels, Brandon Maciejewski, Tim Provenzano, Mike McKinney, Kevin Snowberger, Keith Lucas, Randy Lucas, Justin Rutledge, Nick Sell, Ande Bivens, Justin Hamm, Duane Peterson, Jake Miller, Jamie Balensiefen, Don Koltveit, Rick Koltveit, Ben Gallentine, Andrew Schwarko, Duane Brown, Tom Alexander, John Hogue, Steve Schwemlein
UMP 4 Cylinder Hornets 14 Cars
Heat 1: Phil Burdette, Andrew Schwarko, JR Brown, Camron Poci
Heat 2: Rick Zifko, DJ Kilanowski, Dennis Polak, Erik Grosch
Feature: Andrew Schwarko, Rick Zifko, JR Brown, Eric Grosch, Loren Westerhold, Camron Poci, Mike Gossett, Greg Joewest, Mark Sutton, Marquis Hoover, Freddy Thatcher, Paul Smith, Josh Trahon, Dustin Forbes, Phil Burdette, Jerry Legner, DJ Kilanowski, Dennis Polak, Charles Greensly
