By Brett Zerfowski
(Macon, IL) Macon Speedway, Mother Nature and big events haven’t gotten along with one another for a year and half. Two NASCAR Nights have been postponed due to rain this season, but for the night when Kasey Kahne visited Macon Speedway, the weather was just about perfect.
For Kasey Kahne fan Tim Black of Pesotum, IL, he was begging for a day without rain. Leaving his home at 4:30am, being the first person in the line for autographs with Kahne and Kenny Wallace at 6am, he was in for a long day and got his just desserts. He was the first in line to greet his NASCAR favorite. “I’ve been a fan of his since he joined up in 2004. I came for Kasey and the racing,” said Black.
Kahne arrived a little behind schedule because of flight complications and weather delays while leaving his vacation spot in the Bahamas. But when he arrived and joined Macon Speedway co-owner Kenny Wallace, the fans were more than excited to meet one of NASCAR’s young shining stars.
The O’Reilly’s POWRi Midgets came for the second time to the world’s fastest 1/5th mile dirt track and for the second time in as many visits, Brad Loyet made the most of his time. Winning his heat and starting front-row-outside to Austin Brown in the 30-lap, 22-car feature, Loyet, from Sunset Hills, MO., led all 30 laps en route to the checkered flag. It wasn’t an easy win as he experienced troubles through the turns during the midway portion of the event. That allowed Dave Darland, a former USAC Silver Crown champion, a chance to catch up to the leader. Not enough laps would be Darland’s story as Loyet won for the second time in 2009 and the fourth time in the last six races at Macon Speedway.
The fifth visit to Macon Speedway for the O’Reilly’s POWRi Micro Sprints was a memorable one for Carl Junction, MO., native Andrew Felker as he won the 25-lap, 22-car feature. 49 Micro Sprints paved the way for exciting open-wheel racing during their fifth race of the eight-race Summer Series. A $2,000 point fund will be broken down to the top ten in points at the end of the eight races. All five features have had different winners as Felker joins Andrew Peters, Ryan Langston, John Paynter and Caleb Graybeal.
Felker made his move on the lap 23 restart as he snatched the lead away from Jacob Patton coming out of the second turn and onto the backstretch. Patton had led all 23 laps leading up to the fourth restart of the event.
The Macon Speedway Modifieds ran a 20-lap, 22-car event and everybody was looking at co-owner Kenny Wallace to grab the win. Behind the wheel of the yellow Jeg’s 36, Wallace won his heat over Dave Crawley, Jr. and started the feature front-row-outside with Decatur’s Aaron Burcham. Wallace, a one-time feature winner at his own track, took the first seven laps as the leader but on the lap seven restart, he got caught up in the turn two corner and lost the lead to Tim Hancock. Burcham would grab second as Wallace finally found his rhythm again on the backstretch but he wouldn’t be able to regain the top spot as Hancock won his second feature of the year and Burcham finished in second.
Each week, Macon Speedway has a Best Fan in the Stands drawing where a driver who finished in a number selected from a pill draw during the StarTek intermission program would receive a $100 bonus. On this night, the finishing number was drawn out as number three. Wallace finished third and won a $100 bonus. In a kind gesture, Wallace gave his bonus to the feature winner Hancock. Wallace also selected a name from those who filled out the registration slip and that fan (if present) would win $100 in the All Service Racing Parts Best Fan in the Stands. The prize would go unclaimed so the money will then rollover to Macon Speedway’s next program so the Best Fan in the Stands will receive $200.
The next program at Macon Speedway will be Saturday, July 25, as it will be the make-up from the rained-out 95Q Firecracker 40s. The Late Models will run a 40-lap feature (and will be apart of the Midwest Big Ten Series races) and the Modifieds will also be running 40 laps. As soon as the sun sets, there will be a HUGE fireworks display! Also, both Pro and Amateur Hornets will be apart of the special evening as they race for spectacular trophies.
Result For July 22, 2009
UMP Modified - Feature
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finish
Start
Car
Driver
Hometown
Race Points
1
4
0H
Tim Hancock
-
50
2
1
44
Aaron Burcham
Decatur , Il
48
3
2
36
Kenny Wallace
-
46
4
9
01
Jeremy Nichols
Decatur , Il
44
5
7
37
David Crawley Jr.
Decatur , Il
42
6
6
64
Donny Koehler Jr.
Macon , Il
40
7
12
28
Joe Strawkas
Buffalo , Il
38
8
5
77
Guy Taylor
-
36
9
11
5
Brandon Sheppard
New Berlin, Il
34
10
18
48X
William Wagoner
Arcola , Il
32
11
15
52
Roger Drake
-
30
12
3
31
Steve Ewing
Decatur , Il
28
13
23
D98
Danny Smith
Argenta , Il
26
14
19
16H
Eric Hamilton
Macon , Il
24
15
14
42
Katie Lord
Chatham , Il
22
16
22
58
Larry Ferguson
Arcola , Il
20
17
20
72L
Clark Robertson
Shelbyville , Il
18
18
21
35S
Randy Spaugh
Decatur , Il
16
19
10
T2
Mark Tullis
Taylorville , Il
14
20
17
7S
Ethan Schnapp
Springfield , Il
12
21
8
57
Danny Page
Mount Zion, Il
10
22
13
32X
George Ewing
Decatur , Il
0
23
16
6
Dave Eckel
Lovington , Il
0
(Macon, IL) Macon Speedway, Mother Nature and big events haven’t gotten along with one another for a year and half. Two NASCAR Nights have been postponed due to rain this season, but for the night when Kasey Kahne visited Macon Speedway, the weather was just about perfect.
For Kasey Kahne fan Tim Black of Pesotum, IL, he was begging for a day without rain. Leaving his home at 4:30am, being the first person in the line for autographs with Kahne and Kenny Wallace at 6am, he was in for a long day and got his just desserts. He was the first in line to greet his NASCAR favorite. “I’ve been a fan of his since he joined up in 2004. I came for Kasey and the racing,” said Black.
Kahne arrived a little behind schedule because of flight complications and weather delays while leaving his vacation spot in the Bahamas. But when he arrived and joined Macon Speedway co-owner Kenny Wallace, the fans were more than excited to meet one of NASCAR’s young shining stars.
The O’Reilly’s POWRi Midgets came for the second time to the world’s fastest 1/5th mile dirt track and for the second time in as many visits, Brad Loyet made the most of his time. Winning his heat and starting front-row-outside to Austin Brown in the 30-lap, 22-car feature, Loyet, from Sunset Hills, MO., led all 30 laps en route to the checkered flag. It wasn’t an easy win as he experienced troubles through the turns during the midway portion of the event. That allowed Dave Darland, a former USAC Silver Crown champion, a chance to catch up to the leader. Not enough laps would be Darland’s story as Loyet won for the second time in 2009 and the fourth time in the last six races at Macon Speedway.
The fifth visit to Macon Speedway for the O’Reilly’s POWRi Micro Sprints was a memorable one for Carl Junction, MO., native Andrew Felker as he won the 25-lap, 22-car feature. 49 Micro Sprints paved the way for exciting open-wheel racing during their fifth race of the eight-race Summer Series. A $2,000 point fund will be broken down to the top ten in points at the end of the eight races. All five features have had different winners as Felker joins Andrew Peters, Ryan Langston, John Paynter and Caleb Graybeal.
Felker made his move on the lap 23 restart as he snatched the lead away from Jacob Patton coming out of the second turn and onto the backstretch. Patton had led all 23 laps leading up to the fourth restart of the event.
The Macon Speedway Modifieds ran a 20-lap, 22-car event and everybody was looking at co-owner Kenny Wallace to grab the win. Behind the wheel of the yellow Jeg’s 36, Wallace won his heat over Dave Crawley, Jr. and started the feature front-row-outside with Decatur’s Aaron Burcham. Wallace, a one-time feature winner at his own track, took the first seven laps as the leader but on the lap seven restart, he got caught up in the turn two corner and lost the lead to Tim Hancock. Burcham would grab second as Wallace finally found his rhythm again on the backstretch but he wouldn’t be able to regain the top spot as Hancock won his second feature of the year and Burcham finished in second.
Each week, Macon Speedway has a Best Fan in the Stands drawing where a driver who finished in a number selected from a pill draw during the StarTek intermission program would receive a $100 bonus. On this night, the finishing number was drawn out as number three. Wallace finished third and won a $100 bonus. In a kind gesture, Wallace gave his bonus to the feature winner Hancock. Wallace also selected a name from those who filled out the registration slip and that fan (if present) would win $100 in the All Service Racing Parts Best Fan in the Stands. The prize would go unclaimed so the money will then rollover to Macon Speedway’s next program so the Best Fan in the Stands will receive $200.
The next program at Macon Speedway will be Saturday, July 25, as it will be the make-up from the rained-out 95Q Firecracker 40s. The Late Models will run a 40-lap feature (and will be apart of the Midwest Big Ten Series races) and the Modifieds will also be running 40 laps. As soon as the sun sets, there will be a HUGE fireworks display! Also, both Pro and Amateur Hornets will be apart of the special evening as they race for spectacular trophies.
Result For July 22, 2009
UMP Modified - Feature
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finish
Start
Car
Driver
Hometown
Race Points
1
4
0H
Tim Hancock
-
50
2
1
44
Aaron Burcham
Decatur , Il
48
3
2
36
Kenny Wallace
-
46
4
9
01
Jeremy Nichols
Decatur , Il
44
5
7
37
David Crawley Jr.
Decatur , Il
42
6
6
64
Donny Koehler Jr.
Macon , Il
40
7
12
28
Joe Strawkas
Buffalo , Il
38
8
5
77
Guy Taylor
-
36
9
11
5
Brandon Sheppard
New Berlin, Il
34
10
18
48X
William Wagoner
Arcola , Il
32
11
15
52
Roger Drake
-
30
12
3
31
Steve Ewing
Decatur , Il
28
13
23
D98
Danny Smith
Argenta , Il
26
14
19
16H
Eric Hamilton
Macon , Il
24
15
14
42
Katie Lord
Chatham , Il
22
16
22
58
Larry Ferguson
Arcola , Il
20
17
20
72L
Clark Robertson
Shelbyville , Il
18
18
21
35S
Randy Spaugh
Decatur , Il
16
19
10
T2
Mark Tullis
Taylorville , Il
14
20
17
7S
Ethan Schnapp
Springfield , Il
12
21
8
57
Danny Page
Mount Zion, Il
10
22
13
32X
George Ewing
Decatur , Il
0
23
16
6
Dave Eckel
Lovington , Il
0
