By Brett Zerfowski

(Macon, IL) A nasty line of severe thunderstorms blew through Macon but dropped zero precipitation and only high winds with gusts nearly 40 mph followed before the temperatures dropped and the racing continued. A 15 minute intermission between the Street Stock heat races was all that stood between a perfect evening of exciting racing during Miles Chevrolet Night at Macon Speedway.

Kyle Logue locked up his third Chevrolet Late Model feature of the 2011 season. Though two cautions were mixed in among the 25 laps, Logue, the pole-sitter, blew past the field won by car lengths over second-place finisher Brian Diveley. Rick Standridge made the long drive from Collinsville to place third. John Beck and Rodney Standerfer took fourth and fifth, respectively.

Wes O’Dell of Springfield went back and forth with Joe Strawkas in the Billingsley Towing Modified 20-lap A-Main feature. Eric Hamilton started the race with the lead but fell to O’Dell and then Strawkas used the bottom of the track to take advantage for a short time. O’Dell ran the high groove and regained control and with five laps remaining. Strawkas placed second and Hamilton in third. Andrew Barnes of Assumption came away with a nice fourth place run and Decatur’s Aaron Burcham locked up fifth, ahead of Mark Tullis.

The fourth feature of the year for Argenta’s Nick Macklin took place in the Touchstone Energy Sportsman feature. Starting in the front row opposite to Dennis Vandermeersch, a long-time Sportsman veteran, feature winner and former track champion, did not faze Macklin has he took hold of the race and never looked back. Exciting racing for the runner-up spot finished with Rick Roedel, Vandermeersch edging Alan Crowder for third and Phil Moreland wrapping up fifth.

Nick Justice waited ten years for his moment and it finally happened. A Street Stock feature win for the youngster of Harristown was the end result Saturday night. Passing Bobby Beiler for the lead and running the bottom was all Justice needed to finally pull through with his first checkered flag during an A-Main event. Gene Reed finished behind Justice. Former track champion Blake Shelley was third and then Beiler and pole-sitter and early race leader Justin Hill wrapping up the top five.

Adam Webb won again, his third, in the Pro Hornets, beating Brett Embry, Jonathan Drake, Todd Rush and Bruce Dulgar. Jerad Matherly took the Amateur Hornet feature, besting Brady Reed, Nick Matherly, Brian Rush and Marty Sullivan.  13-year-old Dean Holt from Stephen Decatur Middle School was the best of four drivers in the second night of the High School Hornets class.

The Fifth Annual Faster Pastor race also was apart of the program with Arthur Menonite leader Lamar Miller getting the best of Keith Jenkins, pastor of Boiling Springs Church of God and Hidden Valley Community Church’s Todd Tuggle. Miller ran Limited Late Models at Macon Speedway many years ago and Jenkins, the 2008 Faster Pastor, is also a former driver in the Bomber class. All participants received trophies for their participation. All feature winners got the opportunity to wave around the Chevrolet flag in place of the customary checkered flag.

Despite Mother Nature threatening to overpower the night with storms, the evening was splendid with exciting racing from more than 110 racecars. Another full show is expected next Saturday with the annual Miller Lite Beer Twin 50s, an event started in 1985. 50 lap features for the Chevrolet Late Models and Billingsley Towing Modifieds will highlight the program.

UMP Late Model – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 21 Kyle Logue Cisco , Il 50.00
2 2 11D Brian Diveley Springfield , Il 48.00
3 6 12 Rick Standridge Collinsville , Il 46.00
4 5 28B John Beck Springfield , Il 44.00
5 4 28 Rodney Standerfer Germantown , Il 42.00
6 7 16H Mike Hammerle St Charles, Mo 40.00
7 14 38L Ryan Little Springfield , Il 38.00
8 3 7M Adam Mefford Jacksonville , Il 36.00
9 10 1C Chad Evans Mattoon , Il 34.00
10 13 11K Terry Reed Decatur , Il 32.00
11 11 7 Joseph Hughes Springfield , Il 30.00
12 12 24S Steve Phillips Neoga , Il 28.00
13 15 1 Jim Moon , Il 26.00
14 9 7S Ethan Schnapp Springfield , Il 24.00
15 8 7MX Kevin Moffett Moweaqua , Il 22.00

UMP Modified – Feature

Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 3 87 Wes O’dell Springfield , Il 50.00
2 4 28 Joe Strawkas Buffalo , Il 48.00
3 1 16H Eric Hamilton Macon , Il 46.00
4 5 23 Andrew Barnes – 44.00
5 8 44 Aaron Burcham Decatur , Il 42.00
6 2 T2 Mark Tullis Macon , Il 40.00
7 9 35 Clark Robertson Shelbyville , Il 38.00
8 6 01 Jeremy Nichols , Il 36.00
9 11 37D Nick O Dell Kannapolis , Nc 34.00
10 13 33 Dave Eckel Lovington , Il 32.00
11 12 3T Mike Ward Pawnee , Il 30.00
12 7 98 Shawn Vaughn Loami , Il 28.00
13 18 11 Cale Chandler Decatur , Il 26.00
14 16 47 Dustin Pryde Decatur , Il 24.00
15 10 19 James Hankins Taylorville , Il 22.00
16 15 1 Josh Robb Blue Mound, Il 20.00
17 14 9 Danny Smith Argenta , Il 18.00
18 17 27E Kyle Mixon – 16.00 DNS

UMP Sportsman – Feature

Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 16 Nick Macklin – 50.00
2 4 11 Rick Roedel Shelbyville , Il 48.00
3 2 23 Dennis Vandermeersch Springfield , Il 46.00
4 7 14C Alan Crowder Elwin , Il 44.00
5 5 07 Phil Moreland Assumption , Il 42.00
6 10 52 Bob Sidener Springfield , Il 40.00
7 8 72 Tom Graham Stonington , Il 38.00
8 16 41 Scott Landers Taylorville , Il 36.00
9 6 35 Dave Eckel Lovington , Il 34.00
10 18 B99 Tim Bedinger Taylorville , Il 32.00
11 11 53R Jeff Reed, Sr Blue Mound, Il 30.00
12 14 4G Cody Wickline Assumption , Il 28.00
13 13 7JR Josh Bourland – 26.00
14 12 93 Ty Nation Taylorville , Il 24.00
15 17 7 Troy Nation – 22.00
16 3 9 Mike Pickering Decatur , Il 20.00 DNS
17 9 8K Ken Fustin Springfield , Il 18.00 DNS
18 15 05 Tom Lambdin Lovington , Il 16.00 DNS

UMP Street Stock – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 5 36 Nick Justice Harristown , Il 50.00
2 6 61 Gene Reed Shelbyville , Il 48.00
3 4 30 Blake Shelly Oakley , Il 46.00
4 3 29 Bobby Beiler Decatur , Il 44.00
5 1 33 Justin Hill Lovington , Il 42.00
6 7 23 Jason Hazlet Moweaqua , Il 40.00
7 9 918 Michael Pundt Jr. Decatur , Il 38.00
8 8 X7 Larry Russell Jr. Harristown , Il 36.00
9 10 52R Jeffery Reed Jr. Blue Mound, Il 34.00
10 11 8N Brian Naramore – 32.00
11 2 14 Kurtis Ater Macon , Il 30.00

UMP Amateur Hornet – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 6 J4 Jerad Matherly Decatur , Il 50.00
2 2 3 Brady Reed – 48.00
3 7 21N Nick Matherly Decatur , Il 46.00
4 3 51 Brian Rush Taylorville , Il 44.00
5 10 39 Marty Sullivan Mt. Zion, Il 42.00
6 15 BRNDX Cindi Mackling – 40.00
7 12 71M Alan Moore Decatur , Il 38.00
8 18 205 Michael Gossett – 36.00
9 11 A65 Kenny Reed Blue Mound, Il 34.00
10 14 71 Shannon Maple Decatur , Il 32.00
11 16 11J Dillon Justice Harristown , Il 30.00
12 19 98 Kenneth Reed Decatur , Il 28.00
13 20 96 Derek Peters Pana , Il 26.00
14 1 53 Jenny Clinton Dawson , Il 24.00
15 5 38R Kyle Maxwell Pana , Il 22.00
16 4 56Z Zach Perryman Decatur , Il 20.00
17 13 50 Benjamin Mcchristy Mt.zion , Il 18.00
18 8 13 Garrett Lewis Decatur , Il 16.00 DNS
19 9 4 Ashlee Gatons Blue Mound, Il 14.00 DNS
20 17 21 Austin Harbin Argenta , Il 12.00 DNS

UMP Hornet – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 40 Adam Webb Decatur , Il 50.00
2 2 210 Brett Embry Decatur , Il 48.00
3 6 52 Jonathan Drake Decatur , Il 46.00
4 5 71 Todd Rush Pawnee , Il 44.00
5 12 83 Bruce Dulgar Decatur , Il 42.00
6 8 33K Jeremy Reed Decatur , Il 40.00
7 17 34 Justunn Hilton Lovington , Il 38.00
8 14 7S Sam Mccoy Decatur , Il 36.00
9 9 3 Cook Crawford – 34.00
10 15 14X Steven Stine , Il 32.00
11 19 X7 Jeff Gill Shelbyville , Il 30.00
12 11 38 Steven Dulgar Decatur , Il 28.00
13 7 15 Heidi Hames Decatur , Il 26.00
14 3 7REED Tony Reed Decatur , Il 24.00
15 13 A65 Matthew Reed Blue Mound, Il 22.00
16 18 115 Cory Ballinger Decatur , Il 20.00
17 4 0 Fred Reed Jr. Decatur , Il 18.00
18 10 88 Brian Offer Springfield , Il 16.00 DNS
19 16 21DJ Buddy Hames – 14.00 DNS
20 20 46 Jeff Eller Decatur , Il 12.00 DNS

UMP High School Hornet – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 2 12 Dean Holt Decatur , Il 0.00
2 4 35 Cheyenne Fisher Decatur , Il 0.00
3 3 21T Tiffani Graham Stonington , Il 0.00
4 1 7 Michael Tucker – 0.00
5 5 46 Jacob Eller Decatur , Il 0.00 DNS
6 6 21 Dalton Jacobs Decatur , Il 0.00 DNS