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Sievert jets flag to flag; Lomax tames the high banks of La Salle Speedway

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La Salle SpeedwayBy: Betty Glynn

La Salle, IL – Bret “The Jet” Sievert traveled south from the Badger state for La Salle Speedway’s second week of competition. The former UMP Wisconsin and Indiana State Champion was fast and furious right out of the blocks.

Eighteen UMP Late Models qualified to kick off their evening with Keith Piano collecting quick time over Darren Miller, a former professional racer out of Milledgeville. The quick time of Piano placed him at the pole of the fastest nine car heat. Piano was quick to lead the pack with Sievert charging around Miller for second. As soon as the pace would heat up, the caution flag shut down the action. During Lap 8, as the leaders crossed the line with two to go Bob Cullen spun bringing the field back to a single file restart.

After the green, Sievert looked to the inside of Piano making it a side by side battle for the win. Coming off the turn four corner, Piano opened the door and Sievert took advantage claiming the win at the checkers. Richie Bell took third in front of Nathan Balensiefen and Miller.

Mike Provenzano drove away with the win from the front row outside of the second heat. Ed Williams Sr., who started on the pole, finished second over Joe Fratt, Jeff Small and John Piccatto.

The speedometer was set too fast for some of the contenders on the track for their twenty five lap feature. It was painful at times to know the potential for door to door racing kept getting stalled.

Sievert and Piano rolled into their feature grid spots on the front row with Sievert jetting his way to the helm right away. A caution before one lap was in the books allowed Piano to change a tire in the staging area prior to returning to his front row spot. After the second complete restart, the mid pack was already banging off each others sheet metal like a demo derby. By the fifth circuit, Sievert was already taking cars a lap down while Bell gave chase with Piano challenging him for runner up.

Sievert pulled away but each time he got a generous lead a caution brought the field nose to tail. The last four laps remained green which is when the action really got interesting. Miller went to the outside to try to go for the lead but Sievert managed to close the door at every opportunity. Sievert used the entire racing surface to hold on for the victory. Miller earned second in front of Bell, Provenzano, John Rogers, Piano, Balensiefen, Bob Culen, Fratt, Schlamo, Ed Willliams Sr., and John Piccatto.

Eighteen UMP Modified drivers signed in for action. Ottawa’s Dale Lueth earned fast time for the second week in a row positioning his ride on the pole of the fast heat. Indiana racer Jamie Lomax had a good view of the leaders from the second row outside and took advantage. Lomax powered up hard to cruise around Lueth and Steve Brook for the lead. At the checkers it was Lomax then Brook, Lueth, Phil Line, and last weeks feature winner Justin McCoy.

Don Cole outpowered the second heat race contenders by leading by as much as a half a track of real estate to capture the second heat. During Lap 7, Kevin Hughes and Geno Hewitt were trading paint on the back stretch sending Hewitt into a spin. Just after he stopped Kevin Thompson come off of turn two fast traveling up the nose of Hewitt’s car like a skate ramp. No one was injured. At the checkered flag, Cole crossed first ahead of Mike Marden, Hughes, and Matthew Gremminger.

The Modified twenty five lap main event was the Lomax show as he charged out front quick leaving a three wide battle between Lueth, Line, and Brook for second place. During the sixth circuit, Lueth slowed on the corner of turn two with Brook hitting him and taking Brook with him in his spin out. Lueth kept his machine at full power allowing him to restart in second but Brook went to the rear of the pack.

By Lap 16, Lomax had fallen into a comfortable lead while Lueth was fending off a strong showing by McCoy. One lap later, Brook who was moving and shaking up the field from the tail put his ride under McCoy’s for third. His hunt for second started with one lap remaining. Brook was fast to close in on Lueth but not enough to steal second. Lomax made his way to victory circle over Lueth, Brook, McCoy, Gremminger, Jeramie Johnson, Hughes, Cole, Marden, Jason Kolbe, Tom Knippenberg and Bill Theodorf.

Sixteen UMP Street Stock’s were on hand for their weekly program. Justin Hamm and Steve Lewis were front row starters of the first heat with Matt Ramer and Mike Hughes in the second. Ramer led the event until Lewis took over the point with four laps to go. Lewis won over Hughes, Randy Lucas and Tim Provenzano.

Roger Rickels wasted little time moving into the helm of the second heat form the pole and distanced himself from the competition early. Mike McKinney charged up the field from fifth closing in on him but the pair got a little too close for comfort as McKinney went for the lead with one lap to go. The leaders tangled ending both of their chance at the checkers. Jake Miller crossed the line first over Jamie Balensiefen, Keith Lucas, and Nick Sell.

The first four laps of the feature race was a fierce battle between Lewis and Balensiefen. By Lap 11, Lewis was out on his own leaving Balensiefen and Lucas to duke it out. The two diced it up until Balensiefen’s nose met the tail of Lucas. Lewis went on to run unchallenged for the win ahead of Jake Miller, Hughes, Roger Rickels, Ramer, Provenzano, Sell, Randy Lucas, Robert Cottim, and Hamm.

Jon Provenzano outran his ten competitors but at the end of the feature race his ride did not make it past tech inspection legally. Last week, the Street Stock victor had no choice but to relinquish the win post inspection.  Week two of the season was no different a UMP 4 Cylinder was up the same creek. This time it was a tire violation stealing the thunder from a strong run. The post race tech inspectors seem to be starting the season off with a statement of follow the rules mandated for the class.

Andrew Sharwarko claimed his first win of the season ahead of Jerry Legner, Freddie Thatcher, Brandon Mallory, Dustin Forbes, Rick Zifko, Rick Wagner, Jr Brown, and Allen Provenzano.

Next Saturday night, the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models will compete for $10,000 to win With Modified, Street Stock and Hornet (all racing for their weekly points will compete as the support classes. The anticipated event is presented by Jeff’s Enginemasters.

The pit gates open at 1:00pm, grandstand gates at 3:00pm with qualifying at 6:30pm, racing starts at 7:30pm. Payout: UMP Modifiieds $700, Street Stocks $300, and 4 Cylinders $150. Ticket prices are: Adults $25, Children 6-11 $5, Children 5 and under free, Skybox Seat $30, Pit Passes $35, and Skybox with Pit Pass $40.

 

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