By Jack Pugh
After hosting the UMP Summer Nationals on Monday night, the regular racing program returned to Mt. Vernon Speedway on Saturday night. There were plenty of cars on hand to compete and the weather was warm.
In the UMP Late Model pits, there were 18 car on hand. Fast time was set by Rodney Melvin at 13.603 seconds around the ¼ mile track. In heat one, Rodney Melvin won with Tony Boyles, Bobby Melvin, Mike Munson, Bruce Unterbrink and Steve Unterbrink in tow. In the second heat, Brian Maynard took the win followed by Ron Sensel, Jeremy Sneed, Chuck Baird, Dave Eaves, and Randy McMahon trailing. In the third heat, Rylan Dagg got the victory followed by Jimmy Burwell, Bobby Allen, Darrell Spiller, Patrick Tretter and James Burrell. In the dash, R. Melvin took his second win of the night with Maynard, Sensel, Burwell, Dagg and Boyles trailing.
The 25-lap feature saw the front row of R. Melvin and Maynard start the race. With the dropping of the green flag Melvin jumped to the lead that he never gave up. The first ten laps were run under green conditions and the running order was R. Melvin, Maynard, B. Melvin, Dagg and Burwell after ten lap.
As they were about to complete lap 11, Tretter spun in turn two to slow the action down. The running order was R. Melvin, Maynard, B. Melvin, Dagg and Burwell.
When the racing continued, Melvin once again jumped out to a comfortable lead. But racing would come to a halt on lap 14 when Burwell and Sneed made contact in turn two. This put Sensel into the top five.
With the race continuing, once again Melvin continued his domination of the race and the top four cars continued to be the same. It appeared that the fifth spot was up for grabs First B. Melvin had it early, before he moved forward, then Burwell had it for a well before he went to the back. Sensel had it, but he lose ground late in the race. Boyles would gain control of five and hold on to it.
The final caution came out on lap 22 for a spinning Eaves, who had assistance. The final three laps were run and R. Melvin got another checkered flag. Maynard, B. Melvin, Dagg and Boyles completed the top five.
In the UMP Modified class, there were 27 cars in the pits. The fast time of the night was turned in by Karl Hartung at 15.252 seconds. In the dash, Kevin Cole won the race over Karl Hartung, Glenn Stephens, Mark Ford, Everett Bradham and Matt Mevert. In the first heat, Steve Picou took the win followed by Marty Lindeman, Tim Lewis, Larry Anderson, Billy Lewis, Evan Musgrave, and Mike Tuttle. In the second heat, Chris England took the victory over Mike Higginson, Tim Burdel, Brad Withershaw, Brian Hiezer, J.W. Moore and Ryan Tischhauser. In the third heat, Steve Cole won followed by Mike Brumley, Terry Messinger, Gary Tischheusen, Justin Sneed, Rick Fuller and 16. The semi sent Withershaw, Anderson and Sneed to the feature.
The 20-lap feature saw the front row of K. Cole and Hartung start the race. Cole took the lead that he would maintain for much of the race with Hartung and Mevert in tow. The race hardly started when Ford lose it in turn four to bring out the first caution on lap two. The running order was Cole, Hartung, Mevert, Stephens and Bradham in the top five.
After completing one lap, the next slow down occurred for Picou’s car problems and he was the first car out. The running order of the top five changed in just one lap as Bradham moved pass Stephens for fourth.
There was some passing going on as the field ran on the top of the track for a change. Normally these cars run on the bottom, but on this night the top was the preferred line of racing. The next caution came out on lap six for debris on the track. Now the running order was Cole, Bradham, Mevert, Hartung and England.
From this restart on, all eyes were up front watching the race for the lead with Cole and Bradham racing very close. Cole maintained his lead with Bradham with in inches in the turns. Lap after lap this racing continued and it had the fans wondering if Bradham was going to be able to overtake Cole on had as Cole maintained Cole control of the lead.
There was another race going on as eighth starting England and 14th starting S. Cole were battling for the fifth spot.
The final caution appeared on lap 17 as Anderson and Higginson got together on the front straight and were eliminated. The running order was Cole, Bradham, Mevert, Hartung and Cole at this late point in the race.
Now the action was about to begin, as the laps were about to unwind to the end. The battle that K. Cole and Bradham had for much of the race was about to get real hot. Bradham got a run on K. Cole going down the back and took over the lead and the win. Mevert held on for third followed by Hartung and England to round out the top five. This was a good race from start to finish and was one of the better race this year.
After hosting the UMP Summer Nationals on Monday night, the regular racing program returned to Mt. Vernon Speedway on Saturday night. There were plenty of cars on hand to compete and the weather was warm.
In the UMP Late Model pits, there were 18 car on hand. Fast time was set by Rodney Melvin at 13.603 seconds around the ¼ mile track. In heat one, Rodney Melvin won with Tony Boyles, Bobby Melvin, Mike Munson, Bruce Unterbrink and Steve Unterbrink in tow. In the second heat, Brian Maynard took the win followed by Ron Sensel, Jeremy Sneed, Chuck Baird, Dave Eaves, and Randy McMahon trailing. In the third heat, Rylan Dagg got the victory followed by Jimmy Burwell, Bobby Allen, Darrell Spiller, Patrick Tretter and James Burrell. In the dash, R. Melvin took his second win of the night with Maynard, Sensel, Burwell, Dagg and Boyles trailing.
The 25-lap feature saw the front row of R. Melvin and Maynard start the race. With the dropping of the green flag Melvin jumped to the lead that he never gave up. The first ten laps were run under green conditions and the running order was R. Melvin, Maynard, B. Melvin, Dagg and Burwell after ten lap.
As they were about to complete lap 11, Tretter spun in turn two to slow the action down. The running order was R. Melvin, Maynard, B. Melvin, Dagg and Burwell.
When the racing continued, Melvin once again jumped out to a comfortable lead. But racing would come to a halt on lap 14 when Burwell and Sneed made contact in turn two. This put Sensel into the top five.
With the race continuing, once again Melvin continued his domination of the race and the top four cars continued to be the same. It appeared that the fifth spot was up for grabs First B. Melvin had it early, before he moved forward, then Burwell had it for a well before he went to the back. Sensel had it, but he lose ground late in the race. Boyles would gain control of five and hold on to it.
The final caution came out on lap 22 for a spinning Eaves, who had assistance. The final three laps were run and R. Melvin got another checkered flag. Maynard, B. Melvin, Dagg and Boyles completed the top five.
In the UMP Modified class, there were 27 cars in the pits. The fast time of the night was turned in by Karl Hartung at 15.252 seconds. In the dash, Kevin Cole won the race over Karl Hartung, Glenn Stephens, Mark Ford, Everett Bradham and Matt Mevert. In the first heat, Steve Picou took the win followed by Marty Lindeman, Tim Lewis, Larry Anderson, Billy Lewis, Evan Musgrave, and Mike Tuttle. In the second heat, Chris England took the victory over Mike Higginson, Tim Burdel, Brad Withershaw, Brian Hiezer, J.W. Moore and Ryan Tischhauser. In the third heat, Steve Cole won followed by Mike Brumley, Terry Messinger, Gary Tischheusen, Justin Sneed, Rick Fuller and 16. The semi sent Withershaw, Anderson and Sneed to the feature.
The 20-lap feature saw the front row of K. Cole and Hartung start the race. Cole took the lead that he would maintain for much of the race with Hartung and Mevert in tow. The race hardly started when Ford lose it in turn four to bring out the first caution on lap two. The running order was Cole, Hartung, Mevert, Stephens and Bradham in the top five.
After completing one lap, the next slow down occurred for Picou’s car problems and he was the first car out. The running order of the top five changed in just one lap as Bradham moved pass Stephens for fourth.
There was some passing going on as the field ran on the top of the track for a change. Normally these cars run on the bottom, but on this night the top was the preferred line of racing. The next caution came out on lap six for debris on the track. Now the running order was Cole, Bradham, Mevert, Hartung and England.
From this restart on, all eyes were up front watching the race for the lead with Cole and Bradham racing very close. Cole maintained his lead with Bradham with in inches in the turns. Lap after lap this racing continued and it had the fans wondering if Bradham was going to be able to overtake Cole on had as Cole maintained Cole control of the lead.
There was another race going on as eighth starting England and 14th starting S. Cole were battling for the fifth spot.
The final caution appeared on lap 17 as Anderson and Higginson got together on the front straight and were eliminated. The running order was Cole, Bradham, Mevert, Hartung and Cole at this late point in the race.
Now the action was about to begin, as the laps were about to unwind to the end. The battle that K. Cole and Bradham had for much of the race was about to get real hot. Bradham got a run on K. Cole going down the back and took over the lead and the win. Mevert held on for third followed by Hartung and England to round out the top five. This was a good race from start to finish and was one of the better race this year.
