ATTICA, OH – July 16 – The pressure was clearly building around Jason Feger as the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Hell Tour entered its championship weekend Friday night at Attica Raceway Park. Through 27 events in 30 days, Feger was atop the overall standings and seeking his first series crown.
After a grueling schedule throughout the Midwest, Feger decided enough was enough and took care of business Friday night, holding off Jeep Van Wormer over 40 laps at the 1/3-mile high-banked oval to earn his second Hell Tour victory. In doing so, Feger also clinched his first DIRTcar Summer Nationals Hell Tour championship, meaning Saturday at Oakshade Raceway will feature an incredible victory celebration as he tries to add one more win in the series finale after unseating three-time Hell Tour champion Dennis Erb Jr.
“You feel every bump, every vibration, and all the noise with so much on the line,” said Feger, 32, the 2009 DIRTcar Late Model national champion from Bloomington, Ill. “I’m just glad the pressure is off and we can get back to having fun.
“It means a lot to finally beat Dennis. He’s been so good on this deal for so long. That guy is just so good and is always consistent. He and I race together a lot and we’re both fierce competitors. It also feels really good being the first Bob Pierce race car to win a Summer Nationals. It’s just a pretty awesome feeling right now.”
It wasn’t an easy victory as Feger was forced to withstand a deluge of challenges from Van Wormer. Surviving the grinding day-after-day schedule has its rewards. He collected $5,000 for winning at Attica, plus another $25,000 for the DIRTcar Summer Nationals crown.
“It was a long 40 laps, especially until the last green flag stretch,” Feger said. “I knew Jeep had a softer tire on the left than I did and he was firing really well down on the bottom on the restarts. I just needed a few laps to get going.”
Van Wormer, of Pinconning, Mich., settled for second ahead of Matt Miller of Waterville, Ohio.
Erb, of Carpentersville, Ill., was trying to win a fourth consecutive Summer Nationals title. He rallied from 15th to finish fourth ahead of travel mate Jason McBride of Carbondale, Ill.
The DIRTcar Summer Nationals Hell Tour wraps up Saturday with the annual Birthday Race at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio. In total the Hell Tour has traveled more than 4,900 miles in the course of 30 nights. The trip from Attica Raceway Park to Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, will have drivers traveling over 100 miles west to the track, which will serve as 28th race since the 2010 tour started on June 16.
For more on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Hell Tour, visit http://www.thehelltour.com
First group
Ryan Missler (50y), Bellevue, Ohio, 15.141
Curtis Deisenroth (2D), Oak Harbor, Ohio, 15.196
Jeremy Canada (23c), Barberton, Ohio, 15.205
Jeff Esbenshade (93), Ashland, Ohio, 15.218
Keith Berner (11), Millersburg, Ohio, 15.452
Wayne Maffett (40), Mansfield, Ohio, 15.538
Jeff Babcock (1B), Wayne, Ohio, 15.556
Rocky Owens (29), Mansfield, Ohio, 16.021
Dan Wallace (X3), Toledo, Ohio, 16.037
Mike Bores (15B), Bellevue, Ohio, 16.055
Brandon Perkins (92), Republic, Ohio, 16.341
Michael Stiltner II (12), Green Springs, Ohio, 16.778
Cody Scott (92s), Ontario, Ohio, 16.841
Second group
Jack Sullivan (1s), Greenbrier, Ark., 15.265
Brian Ruhlman (49), Clarklake, Mich., 15.312
Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill., 15.343
Jason McBride (77), Carbondale, Ill., 15.525
Ryan Markham (5m), Ashland, Ohio, 15.615
Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 15.628
Carl Ries (6k), Blanchard, Mich., 15.685
Ken Hahn (27), Gibsonburg, Ohio, 15.848
Kyle Perry (06), Perrysburg, Ohio, 17.277
Nate Potts (30), Bellevue, Ohio, 17.686
Bobby Michaels (22), Republic, Ohio, 17.688
Jeep Van Wormer (55), Pinconning, Mich., no time
Bill Clapp Jr. (1c), Flat Rock, Ohio, no time
Third group
Matt Miller (7), Waterville, Ohio, 15.075
Russ King (56), Bristolville, Ohio, 15.168
Craig Vosbergen (8), Perth, Western Australia, 15.269
Rusty Schlenk (91), Jackson, Mich., 15.281
Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 15.607
Devin Shiels (51), Britton, Mich., 15.624
Donnie Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 15.667
Eric Spangler (27), Lake City, Mich., 15.726
Brandon Thirlby (m14), Traverse City, Mich., 15.755
John Bores (48), Bellevue, Ohio, 16.002
Donny Walden (1w), Towanda, Ill., 16.217
Bryant Dickinson (5*), Ionia, Mich., 17.473
Fourth group
Ryan Unzicker (24), El Paso, Ill., 15.039
Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill., 15.147
Doug Drown (12), Wooster, Ohio, 15.179
Curtis Roberts (9r), Coleman, Mich., 15.454
Dusty Moore (WD40), Swanton, Ohio, 15.675
Mark Frazier (9f), Chillicothe, Ohio, 15.804
Casey Noonan (1), Sylvania, Ohio, 16.041
Larry Kingseed (21), Castalia, Ohio, 16.082
Jon Henry (15), Ada, Ohio, 16.129
Rick Delong (3), Whitehouse, Ohio, 16.206
Ernie Haynes (5h), Rising Sun, Ohio, 16.350
Steve Sabo (99s), Fremont, Ohio, 17.419
Heat 1:
Ryan Missler, Curtis Deisenroth, Jeff Babcock, Keith Berner, Jeremy Canada, Dan Wallace, Wayne Maffett Jr., Rocky Owens, Jeff Esbenshade, Michael Stiltner II, Cody Scott
Heat 2:
Brian Ruhlman, Jeep Van Wormer, Brandon Sheppard, Jack Sullivan, Shannon Babb, Ryan Markham, Jason McBride, Ken Hahn, Carl Ries, Kyle Perry, Bobby Michaels, Nate Potts. Scratched: Bill Clapp Jr.
Heat 3:
Matt Miller, Russ King, Donnie Moran, Dennis Erb Jr., Devin Shiels, Brandon Thirlby, Eric Spangler, Donny Walden, John Bores, Bryant Dickinson. Scratched: Rusty Schlenk
Heat 4:
Jason Feger, Doug Drown, Curtis Roberts, Jon Henry, Ryan Unzicker, Casey Noonan, Dusty Moore, Rick Delong, Mark Frazier, Larry Kingseed, Steve Sabo, Ernie Haynes
C-Main 1:
Mike Bores, Rocky Owens, Michael Stiltner II, Ken Hahn, Brandon Perkins, Kyle Perry, Bobby Michaels
C-Main 2: Rick Delong, Mark Frazier, Donny Walden, Ernie Haynes, Larry Kingseed, John Bores, Craig Vosbergen, Steve Sabo, Bryant Dickinson
B-Main:
Shannon Babb, Ryan Unzicker, Devin Shiels, Rick Delong, Jason McBride, Eric Spangler, Brandon Thirlby, Mark Frazier, Dan Wallace, Rocky Owens, Casey Noonan, Wayne Maffett Jr., Dusty Moore, Ryan Markham, Jeremy Canada, Scratched: Mike Bores
Feature:
(1) Jason Feger, (2) Jeep Van Wormer, (3) Matt Miller, (4) Dennis Erb Jr., (5) Jason McBride, (6) Brian Ruhlman, (7) Dusty Moore, (8) Shannon Babb, (9) Ryan Unzicker, (10) Russ King, (11) Jon Henry, (12) Jack Sullivan, (13) Keith Berner, (14) Ryan Missler, (15) Brandon Sheppard, (16) Curtis Deisenroth, (17) Doug Drown, (18) Jeff Babcock, (19) Larry Kingseed, (20) Donnie Moran. Scratched: Curtis Roberts