By: Betty Glynn
LaSalle, IL - Two former track champions lined up nose to nose on the starting grid but only one could stake claim to the Late Model trophy Saturday night at LaSalle Speedway.
Bensenville’s Frank Reaber was defending his title from the inside as Tonica’s Ryan Dauber sat on the outside position with LaSalle’s Mike Glynn and Jay Fiene of West Chicago following in row two. In the third row Marty Thompson of Mineral made his first appearance in a late Model with Ritchie Bell on the outside.
When the green was dropped it was Reaber fast out of the blocks as Glynn powered past Dauber for second. A yellow slowed their pace at the end of the first lap. For the single file restart the line up held Reaber at the point with Glynn, Dauber, Fiene, Dixon’s Tim Hamburg and Thompson.
The first lap posted the one and only caution for the twenty five lap main event where the pace was fast to say the very least. It didn’t take Reaber long to leave his competition in the dust to fend for the top running positions. Dodging in and out of lapped traffic Reaber checked out while Glynn and Dauber ran the same groove in the early laps.
With Dauber on his tail Glynn kept his inside trek as Fiene was busy holding off Hamburg and Thompson. Near the end of Lap 14, Glynn was passing a lapped machine when Dauber took the trio into three wide action. Contact was made with Glynn but didn’t hold him back from his strong run in second. It seemed to make him tighten the reins and charge harder on the bottom groove.
By Lap 21, Reaber was not visible from the second place runner. "He was gone," Glynn said. "He got through the lapped traffic so fast there was no catching him."
"Catch him, I couldn’t even see him he was flying," he laughed.
At the checkers, it was Reaber with win number two of the season as Glynn staked claim to his fourth second place finish in a row. During the final laps, Hamburg made his way around Dauber for a third place finish as Tom Markham took fifth. Thompson held back Fiene for sixth over last week’s winner Skip Martin, Ritchie Bell, Don Bell, Darin Furar and Travis Rokey.
Rokey earned his first fast time during qualifying with a lap of 13.168. Dauber passed Fiene on the final lap of the Heat to take the win with Markham third and Ritchie fourth. Reaber won the second Heat over Hamburg, Glynn and Martin.
Dave Smith, of Virgil, had his work cut out for him in the ultra competitive Limited Late Model feature race. He started on the pole of the nineteen car field with Kirkland’s Reno Markham as a front row partner. TJ Markham, also of Kirkland, and Maple Park’s Ralph Markham lined up directly behind them.
Immediately, TJ and Smith started their side by side competition with Ralph and Reno in the same formation behind them. For the first three laps, TJ seemed to be ahead but not more then a nose over strong running Smith.
By the fourth lap out, Smith was in command but barely as TJ never fell behind. The two ran about one groove apart nose-to-tail and sometimes door-to-door on the highbanks with Ralph, Reno, Tonica’s Eric Dauber and Oglesby’s Keith Piano trailing.
The pair led the field lap after lap through heavy traffic and a cloud of dust but Smith was unable to outdistance himself from TJ. Smith picked the higher line as TJ was in control of the bottom.
During Lap 20, Smith finally broke free from TJ’s run when a lap later Dave Miller found himself spinning in turn two. Smith had nowhere to go and drove up over the nose of a stopped Miller. Smith stayed on the throttle and was able to stay at the helm for the restart. The mishap never broke Smith’s confidence or determination as he charged ahead once under green.
The mid track groove continued to work well for Smith and he held back TJ with Ralph in third over Reno, Dauber, Piano, Johnny Heath, Mick Miller, Brian Claudnic and Shane Hill at the checkers.
Dauber set fast time with a lap of 13.803. Eric Rebholz won the first Heat over Heath, Miller and Brian Ray. Hill won Heat two ahead of Reno, Smith and Ralph.
Streator’s Bobby Morgan made a clean sweep of the Midwestern Sportsman activities for the second week in a row. He took home the Heat race with Scott Cimei, Greg Koltveit and Tina Soberri crossing the line after him.
At feature time it was Cimei and Morgan on the front row. Before a lap could be scored the leaders tangled taking Scott Schmitt of Tonica with them. Several yellows followed suit before two laps could be scored.
Once the green light stayed on, Morgan powered away from Cimei, Soberri and Schmitt.
At the finish line, it was Cimei taking second in front of Soberri, Schmitt, Jake Patterson, Koltveit and Aaron Schmitt.
Joliet’s Eric Legner made his way around Oglesby’s Nick Sell during the first lap of the Street Stock main race. Numerous yellows during the first eight laps kept everyone back together. The restart after a caution during Lap 8 hosted Eric Legner, Sell, Ottawa’s Al Gray, Robert Schlappi, Tom Legner and Jerry Legner at the front.
For the remaining four laps, Eric was unstoppable as Sell gave chase pulling away from Gray.
At the finish line it was Eric heading to victory lane ahead of Sell, Gray, Tom, Schlappi, Jerry, Mike Flanigan, Mike Hughes, Gary Schmitt, Joe Jelinek and Tom Otrembiak.
Tuesday night, the U.M.P. Summer Nationals will invade the Illinois Valley in their quest for the $6,000 payday to the victor. The U.M.P. Modifieds are also on the venue for competition. Ticket prices are $20 for general adult admission, kids 11 and under free, and pit passes $30.
LaSalle Speedway Results
Late Model
Qualifying: Travis Rokey 13.168
First Heat: Ryan Dauber, Jay Fiene, Tom Markham, Ritchie Bell
Second Heat: Frank Reaber, Tim Hamburg, Mike Glynn, Skip Martin
Feature: Frank Reaber, Mike Glynn, Tim Hamburg, Ryan Dauber, Tom Markham, Marty Thompson, Jay Fiene, Skip Martin, Ritchie Bell, Don Bell, Darin Furar, Travis Rokey, Larry Stotts, Steve Oeder, Joe Burba, Jason Bogle, Art Fehrman, Bart Schwartz, Joe Partipilo
Midwestern Late Model
Qualifying: Eric Dauber 13.803
First Heat: Eric Rebholz, Johnny Heath, Dave Miller, Dave Smith, Ralph Markham
Second Heat: Shane Hill, Reno Markham, Dave Smith, Ralph Markham
Feature: Dave Smith, TJ Markham, Ralph Markham, Reno Markham, Eric Dauber, Keith Piano, Johnny Heath, Mick Miller, Brian Claudnic, Shane Hill, Joe Dynek, Brian Ray, Eric Rebholz, Jerry Vance, Doug Newlin, Nick Vowles, Robert Voice, John Piccatto, Dave Miller
Midwestern Sportsman
First Heat: Bobby Morgan, Scott Cimei, Rick Koltveit, Tina Soberri
Feature: Bobby Morgan, Scott Cimei, Tina Soberri, Scott Schmitt, Jake Patterson, Greg Koltveit, Aaron Schmitt
Street Stock
First Heat: Nick Sell, Robert Schlappi, Tom Otrembiak, Joe Jelinek
Second Heat: Tom Legner, Al Gray, Eric Legner, Jerry Legner
Feature: Eric Legner, Nick Sell, Al Gray, Tom Legner, Robert Schlappi, Jerry Legner, Mike Flanagan, Mike Hughes, Gary Schmitt, Joe Jelinek, Tom Otrembiak, Jay Mesarchik, Steve Schweimler, Bill Clemmons, Steve Lewis, Jeff Smalls, Matt Weibel
LaSalle, IL - Two former track champions lined up nose to nose on the starting grid but only one could stake claim to the Late Model trophy Saturday night at LaSalle Speedway.
Bensenville’s Frank Reaber was defending his title from the inside as Tonica’s Ryan Dauber sat on the outside position with LaSalle’s Mike Glynn and Jay Fiene of West Chicago following in row two. In the third row Marty Thompson of Mineral made his first appearance in a late Model with Ritchie Bell on the outside.
When the green was dropped it was Reaber fast out of the blocks as Glynn powered past Dauber for second. A yellow slowed their pace at the end of the first lap. For the single file restart the line up held Reaber at the point with Glynn, Dauber, Fiene, Dixon’s Tim Hamburg and Thompson.
The first lap posted the one and only caution for the twenty five lap main event where the pace was fast to say the very least. It didn’t take Reaber long to leave his competition in the dust to fend for the top running positions. Dodging in and out of lapped traffic Reaber checked out while Glynn and Dauber ran the same groove in the early laps.
With Dauber on his tail Glynn kept his inside trek as Fiene was busy holding off Hamburg and Thompson. Near the end of Lap 14, Glynn was passing a lapped machine when Dauber took the trio into three wide action. Contact was made with Glynn but didn’t hold him back from his strong run in second. It seemed to make him tighten the reins and charge harder on the bottom groove.
By Lap 21, Reaber was not visible from the second place runner. "He was gone," Glynn said. "He got through the lapped traffic so fast there was no catching him."
"Catch him, I couldn’t even see him he was flying," he laughed.
At the checkers, it was Reaber with win number two of the season as Glynn staked claim to his fourth second place finish in a row. During the final laps, Hamburg made his way around Dauber for a third place finish as Tom Markham took fifth. Thompson held back Fiene for sixth over last week’s winner Skip Martin, Ritchie Bell, Don Bell, Darin Furar and Travis Rokey.
Rokey earned his first fast time during qualifying with a lap of 13.168. Dauber passed Fiene on the final lap of the Heat to take the win with Markham third and Ritchie fourth. Reaber won the second Heat over Hamburg, Glynn and Martin.
Dave Smith, of Virgil, had his work cut out for him in the ultra competitive Limited Late Model feature race. He started on the pole of the nineteen car field with Kirkland’s Reno Markham as a front row partner. TJ Markham, also of Kirkland, and Maple Park’s Ralph Markham lined up directly behind them.
Immediately, TJ and Smith started their side by side competition with Ralph and Reno in the same formation behind them. For the first three laps, TJ seemed to be ahead but not more then a nose over strong running Smith.
By the fourth lap out, Smith was in command but barely as TJ never fell behind. The two ran about one groove apart nose-to-tail and sometimes door-to-door on the highbanks with Ralph, Reno, Tonica’s Eric Dauber and Oglesby’s Keith Piano trailing.
The pair led the field lap after lap through heavy traffic and a cloud of dust but Smith was unable to outdistance himself from TJ. Smith picked the higher line as TJ was in control of the bottom.
During Lap 20, Smith finally broke free from TJ’s run when a lap later Dave Miller found himself spinning in turn two. Smith had nowhere to go and drove up over the nose of a stopped Miller. Smith stayed on the throttle and was able to stay at the helm for the restart. The mishap never broke Smith’s confidence or determination as he charged ahead once under green.
The mid track groove continued to work well for Smith and he held back TJ with Ralph in third over Reno, Dauber, Piano, Johnny Heath, Mick Miller, Brian Claudnic and Shane Hill at the checkers.
Dauber set fast time with a lap of 13.803. Eric Rebholz won the first Heat over Heath, Miller and Brian Ray. Hill won Heat two ahead of Reno, Smith and Ralph.
Streator’s Bobby Morgan made a clean sweep of the Midwestern Sportsman activities for the second week in a row. He took home the Heat race with Scott Cimei, Greg Koltveit and Tina Soberri crossing the line after him.
At feature time it was Cimei and Morgan on the front row. Before a lap could be scored the leaders tangled taking Scott Schmitt of Tonica with them. Several yellows followed suit before two laps could be scored.
Once the green light stayed on, Morgan powered away from Cimei, Soberri and Schmitt.
At the finish line, it was Cimei taking second in front of Soberri, Schmitt, Jake Patterson, Koltveit and Aaron Schmitt.
Joliet’s Eric Legner made his way around Oglesby’s Nick Sell during the first lap of the Street Stock main race. Numerous yellows during the first eight laps kept everyone back together. The restart after a caution during Lap 8 hosted Eric Legner, Sell, Ottawa’s Al Gray, Robert Schlappi, Tom Legner and Jerry Legner at the front.
For the remaining four laps, Eric was unstoppable as Sell gave chase pulling away from Gray.
At the finish line it was Eric heading to victory lane ahead of Sell, Gray, Tom, Schlappi, Jerry, Mike Flanigan, Mike Hughes, Gary Schmitt, Joe Jelinek and Tom Otrembiak.
Tuesday night, the U.M.P. Summer Nationals will invade the Illinois Valley in their quest for the $6,000 payday to the victor. The U.M.P. Modifieds are also on the venue for competition. Ticket prices are $20 for general adult admission, kids 11 and under free, and pit passes $30.
LaSalle Speedway Results
Late Model
Qualifying: Travis Rokey 13.168
First Heat: Ryan Dauber, Jay Fiene, Tom Markham, Ritchie Bell
Second Heat: Frank Reaber, Tim Hamburg, Mike Glynn, Skip Martin
Feature: Frank Reaber, Mike Glynn, Tim Hamburg, Ryan Dauber, Tom Markham, Marty Thompson, Jay Fiene, Skip Martin, Ritchie Bell, Don Bell, Darin Furar, Travis Rokey, Larry Stotts, Steve Oeder, Joe Burba, Jason Bogle, Art Fehrman, Bart Schwartz, Joe Partipilo
Midwestern Late Model
Qualifying: Eric Dauber 13.803
First Heat: Eric Rebholz, Johnny Heath, Dave Miller, Dave Smith, Ralph Markham
Second Heat: Shane Hill, Reno Markham, Dave Smith, Ralph Markham
Feature: Dave Smith, TJ Markham, Ralph Markham, Reno Markham, Eric Dauber, Keith Piano, Johnny Heath, Mick Miller, Brian Claudnic, Shane Hill, Joe Dynek, Brian Ray, Eric Rebholz, Jerry Vance, Doug Newlin, Nick Vowles, Robert Voice, John Piccatto, Dave Miller
Midwestern Sportsman
First Heat: Bobby Morgan, Scott Cimei, Rick Koltveit, Tina Soberri
Feature: Bobby Morgan, Scott Cimei, Tina Soberri, Scott Schmitt, Jake Patterson, Greg Koltveit, Aaron Schmitt
Street Stock
First Heat: Nick Sell, Robert Schlappi, Tom Otrembiak, Joe Jelinek
Second Heat: Tom Legner, Al Gray, Eric Legner, Jerry Legner
Feature: Eric Legner, Nick Sell, Al Gray, Tom Legner, Robert Schlappi, Jerry Legner, Mike Flanagan, Mike Hughes, Gary Schmitt, Joe Jelinek, Tom Otrembiak, Jay Mesarchik, Steve Schweimler, Bill Clemmons, Steve Lewis, Jeff Smalls, Matt Weibel
