By: Betty Glynn
La Salle, IL – It was a lucky night for four talented drivers on Saturday at the ¼ mile speed arena of La Salle Speedway. With the calendar date of
7/7/07 it had to be lucky.
For all four main event winners it might have been more then just luck to end their main events in the coveted victory circle. But for three out of the four it was paying their dues and hard work that led them each to their memorable first trip ever.
Princeton’s Steve Oeder has put on a show numerous times in his Late Model ride but finally got a well deserved feature win off the Speedway’s ¼ mile highbanks. Traveling in circles, with the roar of a powerful engine, is nothing new for this former Bureau County track champion. However, his visit to LaSalle’s winners circle was well overdue in what has been tagged as his final season of racing.
Tonica’s Eric Dauber, a former divisional champ, delivered a strong performance and led much of the race but finished second in front of Oglesby’s Bill Weistart Jr.
Ralph Markham, of Maple Park, has been lighting up the division with his impressive six victories thus far ended his run in fourth over Mark’s Darin Furar, Oswego’s Aaron Schmidt, John Picatto of Spring Valley, Ottawa’s Mark Larson, Kingston’s Jim Loomis, Dave Miller of Carol Stream and West Chicago’s Doug Newlin.
Oeder posted fast time with a clocked lap of 13.929. Malden’s Will Harris won the first heat race in front of Furar, Oeder and Schmidt. Dauber captured the second heat win with Miller following. Tonica’s Scott Schmitt took third in the heat but retired early in the feature with possible engine troubles.
Nathan Balensiefen, of Sheffield, has had some good runs in 2007 but Saturday was his night to shine in the UMP Modified class. He held off some of the toughest competition to capture his first ever Modified main event at LaSalle.
Former regular, Bob Pohlman Jr., made a return to his old stomping grounds and picked up both the fast qualifier title and second in the feature race.
Kewaunee’s Ray Bollinger kept his car up front finishing third over Vince Cooper of Morris, Peru’s Jim Phelps, Milo Veloz of Colona, Tom Bell, Mike Dyas of Morris, Bill Theodorf, and Joe Adam of Peru.
Pohlman’s fastest lap was timed at 14.378. Phelps put on a crowd pleasing show to take the dash win in front of Balensiefen, Bollinger and Cooper.
Theodorf won the first heat race with Travis Koehler, Burbank’s Wally Forsythe and Mendota’s Dan Goodhand following. Bell, in his first trip to the track, took the top honors in heat two ahead of Adam, Bollinger and Brian Lucas.
Jimmy Partipilo, of Elmhurst, may come from a family of racers and even sports a familiar look in his Street Stock ride but is quickly making a name all his own. His red #14 paint scheme is quite familiar for many of us who enjoyed his father, Jim’s, performance weekly in the Late Model division.
This young stand out has been showing a style all his own running in the front of the pack and was certainly favored to get his own victory before too long. Well Saturday night the youngster collected his own checkered flag after winning his first Street Stock feature race.
Mendota’s Matt Ramer crossed the line in second over Justin Sellers of Carol Stream, Ottawa’s Mike Hughes, Gary Schmitt of Tonica, Streator’s Rick Koltveit, Roger Rickels of Ottawa, Shane Whittington of Princeton, Justin Rutledge and Leon Cade.
Ramer beat Partipilo, Kevin Hoffman and Randy Lucas in the first heat. Steve Lewis won the second heat with Rutledge, Cade and Koltveit in tow.
DJ Werkmeister continued his domination in the 4 Cylinder Hornet class with his sixth win in his rookie season. Jon Small of Marseilles crossed the line second in front of Streator’s Loren Westerhold, Jamie DeFord of Ottawa, Don Slover of Marseilles, Streator’s Gabe Koncor, Princeton’s Jimmy Johnson, Ottawa’s Asa Robart, Dan Patnoe and Mark Sutton of Neponset.
Thursday night July 12th the UMP Summernationals Nascar Night will top the venue as some of the greatest dirt track stars from across the country compete for $6,000. Nascar star, Ken Scrader, is scheduled to compete in a UMP Late Model and hold a fan autograph session. The UMP Modified’s is also slated to do battle.
La Salle Speedway Scoreboard Results 07/07/07
Late Model – 18 Cars
Qualifying: Steve Oeder 13.929
Heat One: Will Harris, Darin Furar, Steve Oeder, Aaron Schmidt Heat Two: Eric Dauber, Dave Miler, Scott Schmitt, Ralph Markham
Feature: Steve Oeder, Eric Dauber, Billy Weistart Jr., Ralph Markham, Darin Furar, Aaron Schmidt, John Piccatto, Mark Larson, Jim Loomis, Dave Miller, Doug Newlin, Lake Knutti, Scott Schmitt, Jeff Small, Will Harris, Brian Lock, Joe Fratt, Roger Rickels
UMP Modifieds – 20 Cars
Qualifying: Bob Pohlman 14.378
Heat One: Bill Theodorf, Travis Koehler, Wally Forsythe, Dan Goodhand Heat Two: Tom Bell, Joe Adam, Ray Bollinger, Brian Lucas
Dash: Jim Phelps, Nathan Balensiefen, Ray Bollinger, Vince Cooper
Feature: Nathan Balensiefen, Bob Pohlman Jr., Ray Bollinger, Vince Cooper, Jim Phelps, Milo Veloz Jr., Tom Bell, Mike Dyas, Bill Theodorf, Joe Adam, Joe Forsythe, Mike Ahlgren, Tom Otrembiak, Tony Jauch, Justin McCoy, Brian Lucas, Mark Novorolsky, Mark Vervynck, Travis Koehler, Dan Goodhand
UMP Street Stocks – 18 Cars
Heat One: Matt Ramer, Jimmy Partipilo, Kevin Hoffman, Randy Lucas Heat Two: Steve Lewis, Justin Rutledge, Leon Cade, Rick Koltveit
Feature: Jimmy Partipilo, Matt Ramer, Justin Sellers, Mike Hughes, Gary Schmitt, Rick Koltveit, Roger Rickels, Shane Whittington, Justin Rutledge, Leon Cade, Bill Dauber, Stan Dagger, Steve Lewis, Kevin Hoffman, Randy Lucas, Jay Mesarchik, Mike Stewart, Alex Clubb
UMP Hornets – 18 Cars
Heat One: Jamie Deford, Jon Small, DJ Werkmeister, Don Slover Heat Two: Loren Westerhold, Jimmy Johnson, Jr Brown, #11s
Feature: DJ Werkmeister, Jon Small, Loren Westerhold, Jamie Deford, Don Slover, Gabe Koncor, Jimmy Johnson, Asa Robart, Dan Patnoe, Mark Sutton, #11s, Bubba Siwinski, Tony Harlacher, Nick Clubb, Dawn Spellious, Jon Wagner, Philip Briddick, Jr. Brown
La Salle, IL – It was a lucky night for four talented drivers on Saturday at the ¼ mile speed arena of La Salle Speedway. With the calendar date of
7/7/07 it had to be lucky.
For all four main event winners it might have been more then just luck to end their main events in the coveted victory circle. But for three out of the four it was paying their dues and hard work that led them each to their memorable first trip ever.
Princeton’s Steve Oeder has put on a show numerous times in his Late Model ride but finally got a well deserved feature win off the Speedway’s ¼ mile highbanks. Traveling in circles, with the roar of a powerful engine, is nothing new for this former Bureau County track champion. However, his visit to LaSalle’s winners circle was well overdue in what has been tagged as his final season of racing.
Tonica’s Eric Dauber, a former divisional champ, delivered a strong performance and led much of the race but finished second in front of Oglesby’s Bill Weistart Jr.
Ralph Markham, of Maple Park, has been lighting up the division with his impressive six victories thus far ended his run in fourth over Mark’s Darin Furar, Oswego’s Aaron Schmidt, John Picatto of Spring Valley, Ottawa’s Mark Larson, Kingston’s Jim Loomis, Dave Miller of Carol Stream and West Chicago’s Doug Newlin.
Oeder posted fast time with a clocked lap of 13.929. Malden’s Will Harris won the first heat race in front of Furar, Oeder and Schmidt. Dauber captured the second heat win with Miller following. Tonica’s Scott Schmitt took third in the heat but retired early in the feature with possible engine troubles.
Nathan Balensiefen, of Sheffield, has had some good runs in 2007 but Saturday was his night to shine in the UMP Modified class. He held off some of the toughest competition to capture his first ever Modified main event at LaSalle.
Former regular, Bob Pohlman Jr., made a return to his old stomping grounds and picked up both the fast qualifier title and second in the feature race.
Kewaunee’s Ray Bollinger kept his car up front finishing third over Vince Cooper of Morris, Peru’s Jim Phelps, Milo Veloz of Colona, Tom Bell, Mike Dyas of Morris, Bill Theodorf, and Joe Adam of Peru.
Pohlman’s fastest lap was timed at 14.378. Phelps put on a crowd pleasing show to take the dash win in front of Balensiefen, Bollinger and Cooper.
Theodorf won the first heat race with Travis Koehler, Burbank’s Wally Forsythe and Mendota’s Dan Goodhand following. Bell, in his first trip to the track, took the top honors in heat two ahead of Adam, Bollinger and Brian Lucas.
Jimmy Partipilo, of Elmhurst, may come from a family of racers and even sports a familiar look in his Street Stock ride but is quickly making a name all his own. His red #14 paint scheme is quite familiar for many of us who enjoyed his father, Jim’s, performance weekly in the Late Model division.
This young stand out has been showing a style all his own running in the front of the pack and was certainly favored to get his own victory before too long. Well Saturday night the youngster collected his own checkered flag after winning his first Street Stock feature race.
Mendota’s Matt Ramer crossed the line in second over Justin Sellers of Carol Stream, Ottawa’s Mike Hughes, Gary Schmitt of Tonica, Streator’s Rick Koltveit, Roger Rickels of Ottawa, Shane Whittington of Princeton, Justin Rutledge and Leon Cade.
Ramer beat Partipilo, Kevin Hoffman and Randy Lucas in the first heat. Steve Lewis won the second heat with Rutledge, Cade and Koltveit in tow.
DJ Werkmeister continued his domination in the 4 Cylinder Hornet class with his sixth win in his rookie season. Jon Small of Marseilles crossed the line second in front of Streator’s Loren Westerhold, Jamie DeFord of Ottawa, Don Slover of Marseilles, Streator’s Gabe Koncor, Princeton’s Jimmy Johnson, Ottawa’s Asa Robart, Dan Patnoe and Mark Sutton of Neponset.
Thursday night July 12th the UMP Summernationals Nascar Night will top the venue as some of the greatest dirt track stars from across the country compete for $6,000. Nascar star, Ken Scrader, is scheduled to compete in a UMP Late Model and hold a fan autograph session. The UMP Modified’s is also slated to do battle.
La Salle Speedway Scoreboard Results 07/07/07
Late Model – 18 Cars
Qualifying: Steve Oeder 13.929
Heat One: Will Harris, Darin Furar, Steve Oeder, Aaron Schmidt Heat Two: Eric Dauber, Dave Miler, Scott Schmitt, Ralph Markham
Feature: Steve Oeder, Eric Dauber, Billy Weistart Jr., Ralph Markham, Darin Furar, Aaron Schmidt, John Piccatto, Mark Larson, Jim Loomis, Dave Miller, Doug Newlin, Lake Knutti, Scott Schmitt, Jeff Small, Will Harris, Brian Lock, Joe Fratt, Roger Rickels
UMP Modifieds – 20 Cars
Qualifying: Bob Pohlman 14.378
Heat One: Bill Theodorf, Travis Koehler, Wally Forsythe, Dan Goodhand Heat Two: Tom Bell, Joe Adam, Ray Bollinger, Brian Lucas
Dash: Jim Phelps, Nathan Balensiefen, Ray Bollinger, Vince Cooper
Feature: Nathan Balensiefen, Bob Pohlman Jr., Ray Bollinger, Vince Cooper, Jim Phelps, Milo Veloz Jr., Tom Bell, Mike Dyas, Bill Theodorf, Joe Adam, Joe Forsythe, Mike Ahlgren, Tom Otrembiak, Tony Jauch, Justin McCoy, Brian Lucas, Mark Novorolsky, Mark Vervynck, Travis Koehler, Dan Goodhand
UMP Street Stocks – 18 Cars
Heat One: Matt Ramer, Jimmy Partipilo, Kevin Hoffman, Randy Lucas Heat Two: Steve Lewis, Justin Rutledge, Leon Cade, Rick Koltveit
Feature: Jimmy Partipilo, Matt Ramer, Justin Sellers, Mike Hughes, Gary Schmitt, Rick Koltveit, Roger Rickels, Shane Whittington, Justin Rutledge, Leon Cade, Bill Dauber, Stan Dagger, Steve Lewis, Kevin Hoffman, Randy Lucas, Jay Mesarchik, Mike Stewart, Alex Clubb
UMP Hornets – 18 Cars
Heat One: Jamie Deford, Jon Small, DJ Werkmeister, Don Slover Heat Two: Loren Westerhold, Jimmy Johnson, Jr Brown, #11s
Feature: DJ Werkmeister, Jon Small, Loren Westerhold, Jamie Deford, Don Slover, Gabe Koncor, Jimmy Johnson, Asa Robart, Dan Patnoe, Mark Sutton, #11s, Bubba Siwinski, Tony Harlacher, Nick Clubb, Dawn Spellious, Jon Wagner, Philip Briddick, Jr. Brown
