By Betty Glynn
LaSalle, IL – It was only a matter of time for nineteen year old Scott Schmitt to stake his claim to the checkered flag at LaSalle Speedway. The Tonica native has been close to victory before but each week his driving style has become more solid and his qualifying laps faster.
Schmitt, the quickest qualifier of the night, has been racing the intimidating high banks of LaSalle for four years. Before the MLM class he spent two years in the Street Stock class which his father Gary is currently running and one in the Midwestern Sportsman class.
Seventeen Midwestern Late Models made the call for the starting feature grid Saturday night. LaSalle’s Mike Glynn rolled into the pole with Darin Furar of Mark as his front row partner. Directly behind Glynn was Schmitt then Ralph Markham of Maple Park in fourth.
Once the green dropped, Glynn shot out to the lead but one lap was all that could be scored before a caution was signaled. By Lap 3, Furar was using a lower groove and up to Glynn’s tail. A lap later the momentum was halted when Markham, who came into the show second in points, lost his wheel causing more damage then just the missing rubber.
In recent years, he has had a black cloud traveling over him when the points chase comes down to the wire. Something, if not everything, seems to go wrong. Last Saturday night he was to start on the pole when a rock punctured his radiator during the line up laps.
With one night of points racing left, the chase from second to fourth is tight. After Saturday, only twelve points separate Markham, Eric Dauber of Tonica and Furar. Glynn holds a firm lead in first.
The fourth lap out became painful as the field tried several times to get it started. First, Jim Loomis looped his machine in turn two then a rear pack melee involving him again slowed the restart.
During the fifth circuit, Schmitt was on fire and flew around Furar to chase Glynn. It didn’t’ take the young driver long as he went heavy on the gas and used the outside line to three wheel his way into the lead.
“When I was in third, I wasn’t figuring I would run up front unless they messed up,” Schmitt said during a post race interview. “Then I got greedy but it was worth it.”
Dauber lost a driveshaft on Lap 13 which one lap later also claimed Furar’s run. Apparently, the driveshaft was still on the track when Furar ran over it.
With ten un-scored laps, only eight cars remained in competition. The real charger of the event was Keith Piano who had been put to the tail for stopping to avoid a first lap situation but was able to stay out of trouble and little by little work his way to the front.
The young Schmitt counted down the final laps and took home his first win as a Midwestern Late Model driver.
“I was looking at the scoreboard and getting down laps,” Schmitt admitted.
Glynn collected second ahead of Piano, Virgil’s Dave Smith, Ed Williams Sr., Jack Benson, Joe Fratt and Dwayne Williford.
Glynn won his heat after a hard fought battle to pass Loomis, Schmitt crossed in third over Smith. Dauber and Steve Oeder were nose to nose at the finish of the second heat. Dauber narrowly took home the win, Oeder second in front of Weistart and Furar.
The Open Wheel Modified feature was more than a race - it was a marathon with turn two being the biggest obstacle on the course. It was incredibly frustrating as multiple machines suffered the Bermuda Triangle type of zone that turn two held. Looking at the corner it was like deja vu only repeatedly.
On the front row Morris standout Vince Cooper sat inside of newcomer Casey Lappin. LaSalle’s Jim Phelps and Dale Lueth of Ottawa rolled up behind them.
Cooper was quick to lead but a first lap pile up in turn two was the beginning of the turn two nightmare. At least, seven yellows were called before the completion of the fourth lap out and nearly everything happened there.
On the eighth circuit Cooper had started to pull off to a nice lead when a car in the back spun and while under yellow Stanley Vervynck’s machine had shooting flames and required assistance from the safety crew.
The Modified event was cut short by track officials at Lap 15. Cooper won with a battle between Phelps and Lueth making the show exciting. It was too bad that there weren’t more laps but it was time to call it quits.
Phelps crossed the line second ahead of Lueth, Lappin, Brian Bushong, Derek Line, Ray Bollinger, and Mark Vervynck.
Phelps won the first heat uncontested with Cooper second, Bollinger and Ron Morris in tow. During the second heat race Bushong and Lueth were taking their action door to door when Leah Monfries left a brief stop in the infield to race the leaders who were coming into turn three. The decision to return to the racing surface nearly crashed the front pair. Lueth won with Lappin second over Bushong and Jerold Meier.
Ten of the sixteen Street Stocks that started the feature crossed the line at the finish.
For the first six laps, it was former regular Dan Filkowski in command until he broke and Gary Schmitt took charge. Schmitt broke on the thirteenth circuit.
Now Oglesby’s Nick Sell took over the single file restart with Chicago Ridge’s Jake Cholke, Tim Loomis, Robert Schlappi, Ed Williams Jr., and Joe Jelinek as the top six competitors. Cholke moved to the outside of Sell to steal the lead on Lap 14.
Cholke went on to win his third feature race as Loomis followed over Sell, Schlappi, Rick Koltveit, Bill Dauber, Steve Lewis, Mike Stewart, Jelinek, and Steve Schwemlein.
Tony Provenzano Jr. took home the trophy for the 4 Cylinder Hornet class with Jon Small, Mark Sutton, Jon Clubb, Alex Clubb, Gabe Koncor, Bill Williams, Loren Westerhold, Jamie Deford, David Prybyla and Jon Wagner following.
August 12th will be the final night of points racing with a full program on the schedule.
LaSalle Speedway Results 08/05/06
Midwestern Late Models: 18 Cars
Qualifying: Scott Schmitt 13.340
Heat One: Mike Glynn, Jim Loomis, Scott Schmitt, Dave Smith
Heat Two: Eric Dauber, Steve Oeder, Billy Weistart Jr., Darin Furar
Feature: Scott Schmitt, Mike Glynn, Keith Piano, Dave Smith, Ed Williams
Sr., Jack Benson, Joe Fratt, Dewayne Williford, Jim Loomis, Darin Furar,
Billy Weistart Jr., Dave Miller, Joe Partipilo, Eric Dauber, Steve Oeder,
Ralph Markham, Aaron Schmidt
Modifieds: 16 Cars
Qualifying: Vince Cooper 14.516
Heat One: Jim Phelps, Vince Cooper, Ray Bollinger, Ron Morris
Heat Two: Dale Lueth, Casey Lappin, Brian Bushong, Jerold Meier
Feature: Vince Cooper, Jim Phelps, Dale Lueth, Casey Lappin, Brian Bushong,
Derek Line, Ray Bollinger, Mark Vervynck, Leah Monfries, Ron Morris, Mark
Novorolsky, Scott Hauge, Joe Adam, Stanley Vervynck, Jerold Meier, Ken
Fischer
Street Stock: 16 Cars
Heat One: Gary Schmitt, Steve Schweimlein, Mike Hughes, Jake Cholke
Heat Two: Dan Filkowski, Nick Sell, Robert Schlappi, Joe Jelinek
Feature: Jake Cholke, Tim Loomis, Nick Sell, Robert Schlappi, Rick Koltveit,
Bill Dauber, Steve Lewis, Mike Stewart, Joe Jelinek, Steve Schwemlein, Mike
Hughes, Gary Schmitt, Jeff Small, Dan Filkowski, Jimmy Partipilo, Ed
Williams Jr.
Hornets: 16 Cars
Heat One: Jamie Deford, Jon Clubb, Mark Sutton, Gabe Koncor
Heat Two: Jon Small, Alex Clubb, Tony Provenzano Jr., Loren Westerhold
Feature: Tony Provenzano Jr., Jon Small, Mark Sutton, Jon Clubb, Alex Clubb,
Gabe Koncor, Bill Willams, Loren Westerhold, Jamie Deford, David Prybyla,
Jon Wagner, Cory West, Asa Robart, Dan Leonard, #7P, Darrell Porter
LaSalle, IL – It was only a matter of time for nineteen year old Scott Schmitt to stake his claim to the checkered flag at LaSalle Speedway. The Tonica native has been close to victory before but each week his driving style has become more solid and his qualifying laps faster.
Schmitt, the quickest qualifier of the night, has been racing the intimidating high banks of LaSalle for four years. Before the MLM class he spent two years in the Street Stock class which his father Gary is currently running and one in the Midwestern Sportsman class.
Seventeen Midwestern Late Models made the call for the starting feature grid Saturday night. LaSalle’s Mike Glynn rolled into the pole with Darin Furar of Mark as his front row partner. Directly behind Glynn was Schmitt then Ralph Markham of Maple Park in fourth.
Once the green dropped, Glynn shot out to the lead but one lap was all that could be scored before a caution was signaled. By Lap 3, Furar was using a lower groove and up to Glynn’s tail. A lap later the momentum was halted when Markham, who came into the show second in points, lost his wheel causing more damage then just the missing rubber.
In recent years, he has had a black cloud traveling over him when the points chase comes down to the wire. Something, if not everything, seems to go wrong. Last Saturday night he was to start on the pole when a rock punctured his radiator during the line up laps.
With one night of points racing left, the chase from second to fourth is tight. After Saturday, only twelve points separate Markham, Eric Dauber of Tonica and Furar. Glynn holds a firm lead in first.
The fourth lap out became painful as the field tried several times to get it started. First, Jim Loomis looped his machine in turn two then a rear pack melee involving him again slowed the restart.
During the fifth circuit, Schmitt was on fire and flew around Furar to chase Glynn. It didn’t’ take the young driver long as he went heavy on the gas and used the outside line to three wheel his way into the lead.
“When I was in third, I wasn’t figuring I would run up front unless they messed up,” Schmitt said during a post race interview. “Then I got greedy but it was worth it.”
Dauber lost a driveshaft on Lap 13 which one lap later also claimed Furar’s run. Apparently, the driveshaft was still on the track when Furar ran over it.
With ten un-scored laps, only eight cars remained in competition. The real charger of the event was Keith Piano who had been put to the tail for stopping to avoid a first lap situation but was able to stay out of trouble and little by little work his way to the front.
The young Schmitt counted down the final laps and took home his first win as a Midwestern Late Model driver.
“I was looking at the scoreboard and getting down laps,” Schmitt admitted.
Glynn collected second ahead of Piano, Virgil’s Dave Smith, Ed Williams Sr., Jack Benson, Joe Fratt and Dwayne Williford.
Glynn won his heat after a hard fought battle to pass Loomis, Schmitt crossed in third over Smith. Dauber and Steve Oeder were nose to nose at the finish of the second heat. Dauber narrowly took home the win, Oeder second in front of Weistart and Furar.
The Open Wheel Modified feature was more than a race - it was a marathon with turn two being the biggest obstacle on the course. It was incredibly frustrating as multiple machines suffered the Bermuda Triangle type of zone that turn two held. Looking at the corner it was like deja vu only repeatedly.
On the front row Morris standout Vince Cooper sat inside of newcomer Casey Lappin. LaSalle’s Jim Phelps and Dale Lueth of Ottawa rolled up behind them.
Cooper was quick to lead but a first lap pile up in turn two was the beginning of the turn two nightmare. At least, seven yellows were called before the completion of the fourth lap out and nearly everything happened there.
On the eighth circuit Cooper had started to pull off to a nice lead when a car in the back spun and while under yellow Stanley Vervynck’s machine had shooting flames and required assistance from the safety crew.
The Modified event was cut short by track officials at Lap 15. Cooper won with a battle between Phelps and Lueth making the show exciting. It was too bad that there weren’t more laps but it was time to call it quits.
Phelps crossed the line second ahead of Lueth, Lappin, Brian Bushong, Derek Line, Ray Bollinger, and Mark Vervynck.
Phelps won the first heat uncontested with Cooper second, Bollinger and Ron Morris in tow. During the second heat race Bushong and Lueth were taking their action door to door when Leah Monfries left a brief stop in the infield to race the leaders who were coming into turn three. The decision to return to the racing surface nearly crashed the front pair. Lueth won with Lappin second over Bushong and Jerold Meier.
Ten of the sixteen Street Stocks that started the feature crossed the line at the finish.
For the first six laps, it was former regular Dan Filkowski in command until he broke and Gary Schmitt took charge. Schmitt broke on the thirteenth circuit.
Now Oglesby’s Nick Sell took over the single file restart with Chicago Ridge’s Jake Cholke, Tim Loomis, Robert Schlappi, Ed Williams Jr., and Joe Jelinek as the top six competitors. Cholke moved to the outside of Sell to steal the lead on Lap 14.
Cholke went on to win his third feature race as Loomis followed over Sell, Schlappi, Rick Koltveit, Bill Dauber, Steve Lewis, Mike Stewart, Jelinek, and Steve Schwemlein.
Tony Provenzano Jr. took home the trophy for the 4 Cylinder Hornet class with Jon Small, Mark Sutton, Jon Clubb, Alex Clubb, Gabe Koncor, Bill Williams, Loren Westerhold, Jamie Deford, David Prybyla and Jon Wagner following.
August 12th will be the final night of points racing with a full program on the schedule.
LaSalle Speedway Results 08/05/06
Midwestern Late Models: 18 Cars
Qualifying: Scott Schmitt 13.340
Heat One: Mike Glynn, Jim Loomis, Scott Schmitt, Dave Smith
Heat Two: Eric Dauber, Steve Oeder, Billy Weistart Jr., Darin Furar
Feature: Scott Schmitt, Mike Glynn, Keith Piano, Dave Smith, Ed Williams
Sr., Jack Benson, Joe Fratt, Dewayne Williford, Jim Loomis, Darin Furar,
Billy Weistart Jr., Dave Miller, Joe Partipilo, Eric Dauber, Steve Oeder,
Ralph Markham, Aaron Schmidt
Modifieds: 16 Cars
Qualifying: Vince Cooper 14.516
Heat One: Jim Phelps, Vince Cooper, Ray Bollinger, Ron Morris
Heat Two: Dale Lueth, Casey Lappin, Brian Bushong, Jerold Meier
Feature: Vince Cooper, Jim Phelps, Dale Lueth, Casey Lappin, Brian Bushong,
Derek Line, Ray Bollinger, Mark Vervynck, Leah Monfries, Ron Morris, Mark
Novorolsky, Scott Hauge, Joe Adam, Stanley Vervynck, Jerold Meier, Ken
Fischer
Street Stock: 16 Cars
Heat One: Gary Schmitt, Steve Schweimlein, Mike Hughes, Jake Cholke
Heat Two: Dan Filkowski, Nick Sell, Robert Schlappi, Joe Jelinek
Feature: Jake Cholke, Tim Loomis, Nick Sell, Robert Schlappi, Rick Koltveit,
Bill Dauber, Steve Lewis, Mike Stewart, Joe Jelinek, Steve Schwemlein, Mike
Hughes, Gary Schmitt, Jeff Small, Dan Filkowski, Jimmy Partipilo, Ed
Williams Jr.
Hornets: 16 Cars
Heat One: Jamie Deford, Jon Clubb, Mark Sutton, Gabe Koncor
Heat Two: Jon Small, Alex Clubb, Tony Provenzano Jr., Loren Westerhold
Feature: Tony Provenzano Jr., Jon Small, Mark Sutton, Jon Clubb, Alex Clubb,
Gabe Koncor, Bill Willams, Loren Westerhold, Jamie Deford, David Prybyla,
Jon Wagner, Cory West, Asa Robart, Dan Leonard, #7P, Darrell Porter
