By Brett Zerfowski

(Macon, IL) After three straight rain-outs at Macon Speedway, the drivers and fans were chomping at the bit awaiting a nice sunny day to get dirty and race again. For the first time since 2007, a NASCAR Night featuring Tony Stewart went by without weather intervening as beautiful conditions were placed by Mother Nature in central Illinois.

Hundreds of fans flocked to the autograph line long before Macon Speedway co-owner Tony Stewart and 2011 Daytona 500 Champion Trevor Bayne arrived for an hour-long autograph session. Fellow co-owners Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader were also racing during the special Tuesday night event.

The Billingsley Towing Modified feature had plenty of drama with Ken Schrader starting from the front row outside position and taking the glory for 20 laps. The drama was not with Schrader as much as his fellow co-owners Wallace and Stewart.

Wallace fell victim to a broken racecar during his heat race and needed to make the feature out of the B-Main semi-feature. He would win that event and start the A-Main in 17^th place, ninth row inside.

Stewart, on the other hand, finished second in his heat, riding along with Springfield’s Guy Taylor but could not make the pass. The two-time NASCAR Champion would start fourth row inside but would only last two laps and fall into the infield with a broken car. Stewart’s lack of success at his own track would continue as the only checkered flag he has been able to get in five years of racing at his track has been a 2007 semi-feature win in the POWRi Midget series.

Schrader, unlike Stewart, has had incredible success racing in the Billingsley Towing Modified class, marking his fifth feature win in the five-year ownership of the track, and second of 2011, after getting the win on Memorial Day.

Following Schrader to the finish line was Tim Hancock, Mark Tullis, Ryan Blakeman and Kenny Wallace. Wallace advanced 12 places to result with a top-five finish.

The Chevrolet Late Model division was just as dramatic but without any NASCAR superstars being affiliated with the race. Macon regulars went back-and-forth for 25 laps. Kyle Logue was the early race leader but once again lost is bid for the feature with a broken car on the 17^th lap. Logue was side-by-side with Springfield’s Roger Brickler leading up to the end of his night. As Brickler took hold of the lead, another Springfield driver in Brian Diveley began using the high groove to catch the leader and take the top spot with four laps remaining. The race would be side-by-side for the final laps and out of the fourth turn, a drag race that would be won by the driver on the high side, Diveley.  Brickler would place second. Rick Standridge was third after a nice run; Ryan Little and Rodney Standerfer rounded out the top five. For Diveley, it would be his first Chevrolet Late Model feature win since August 15, 2009.

The Street Stock class had another quality race and another first-time winner cross the line ahead of the pack. Bobby Beiler, who was tied with the points lead with Justin Hill, snatched his first feature win. It would mark the third-straight Street Stock feature where the driver had won their first feature. Nick Justice won his first on June 4, Hill on June 11 and now Beiler on June 28. Larry Russell, Jr., who has won multiple features at Macon Speedway through the years, took second with Mike Pundt, Jr. in third, Hill placed fourth and Gene Reed was the fifth place finisher.

Michael Gossett won in the Amateur Hornets, his second of the year and the first driver in the class to win multiple features in 2011. Jerad Matherly gave him all he could handle but still placed second. Brady Reed was third as Kenneth Reed followed in fourth and Zach Perryman rounded out the top five.

Michael Tucker, a 16-year-old from Eisenhower High School in Decatur, took away with the feature and the checkered flag in the High School Hornet division. After numerous attempts at the win, he finally was able to take a lead and finish with it in Jeremy Reed’s Pro Hornet car. Tucker outlasted Warrensburg-Latham’s Dalton Jacobs, Taylorville’s Tiffani Graham and Stephen Decatur Middle School’s Dean Holt.

There was plenty of added attraction throughout the evening as another driver claimed his first win as Trevor Bayne took a six-lap victory from Tony Stewart in a one-on-one exhibition in front of the Macon Speedway audience. It is possible that Stewart’s mishap during the exhibition, a near rollover in the third turn, could have led to his misfortunes in the Billingsley Towing Modified feature.

The next event at Macon Speedway is Saturday night with the annual 95Q Firecracker 40s, a night with a huge fireworks display and two 40-lap features, one for the Chevrolet Late Models and one for the Billingsley Towing Modifieds. Also, Touchstone Energy Sportsman, Street Stocks, and Pro and Amateur Hornets will be apart of the show this Saturday night.

UMP Late Model – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 5 11D Brian Diveley Springfield , Il 50.00
2 3 82 Roger Brickler Springfield , Il 48.00
3 8 12 Rick Standridge Collinsville , Il 46.00
4 4 38L Ryan Little Springfield , Il 44.00
5 6 28 Rodney Standerfer Germantown , Il 42.00
6 9 1 Jim Moon , Il 40.00
7 2 27 Greg Kimmons Pleasant Plains, Il 38.00
8 13 22 Chris Dick Deland , Il 36.00
9 12 7T Steve Thorsten Milford , Il 34.00
10 11 16H Mike Hammerle St Charles, Mo 32.00
11 15 38J Jake Little Springfield , Il 30.00
12 14 24S Steve Phillips Neoga , Il 28.00
13 18 N59 Chad Evans Mattoon , Il 26.00
14 7 11K Terry Reed Decatur , Il 24.00
15 1 21 Kyle Logue Cisco , Il 22.00
16 19 24 Dick Taylor Riverton , Il 20.00
17 10 7 Joseph Hughes Springfield , Il 18.00
18 16 74 Russ Adams Princeville , Il 16.00
19 17 7MX Kevin Moffett Moweaqua , Il 14.00

UMP Late Model – Heat 3
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 82 Roger Brickler Springfield , Il 0.00
2 2 28 Rodney Standerfer Germantown , Il 0.00
3 6 1 Jim Moon , Il 0.00
4 4 7T Steve Thorsten Milford , Il 0.00
5 5 38J Jake Little Springfield , Il 0.00
6 7 N59 Chad Evans Mattoon , Il 0.00
7 3 24 Dick Taylor Riverton , Il 0.00

UMP Late Model – Heat 2
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 2 27 Greg Kimmons Pleasant Plains, Il 0.00
2 1 11D Brian Diveley Springfield , Il 0.00
3 3 12 Rick Standridge Collinsville , Il 0.00
4 5 16H Mike Hammerle St Charles, Mo 0.00
5 4 24S Steve Phillips Neoga , Il 0.00
6 6 7MX Kevin Moffett Moweaqua , Il 0.00

UMP Late Model – Heat 1
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 21 Kyle Logue Cisco , Il 0.00
2 3 38L Ryan Little Springfield , Il 0.00
3 2 11K Terry Reed Decatur , Il 0.00
4 4 7 Joseph Hughes Springfield , Il 0.00
5 6 22 Chris Dick Deland , Il 0.00
6 5 74 Russ Adams Princeville , Il 0.00

UMP Late Model – Qualifying
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 10 21 Kyle Logue Cisco , Il 0.00
2 14 11D Brian Diveley Springfield , Il 0.00
3 13 82 Roger Brickler Springfield , Il 0.00
4 3 11K Terry Reed Decatur , Il 0.00
5 5 27 Greg Kimmons Pleasant Plains, Il 0.00
6 6 28 Rodney Standerfer Germantown , Il 0.00
7 12 38L Ryan Little Springfield , Il 0.00
8 8 12 Rick Standridge Collinsville , Il 0.00
9 7 24 Dick Taylor Riverton , Il 0.00
10 17 7 Joseph Hughes Springfield , Il 0.00
11 4 24S Steve Phillips Neoga , Il 0.00
12 11 7T Steve Thorsten Milford , Il 0.00
13 16 74 Russ Adams Princeville , Il 0.00
14 18 16H Mike Hammerle St Charles, Mo 0.00
15 2 38J Jake Little Springfield , Il 0.00
16 15 22 Chris Dick Deland , Il 0.00
17 9 7MX Kevin Moffett Moweaqua , Il 0.00
18 1 1 Jim Moon , Il 0.00

UMP Modified – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 2 9 Ken Schrader Concord , Nc 50.00
2 3 0H Tim Hancock Mt. Olive, Il 48.00
3 1 T2 Mark Tullis Macon , Il 46.00
4 6 22X Ryan Blakeman Jacksonvile , Il 44.00
5 17 36 Kenny Wallace – 42.00
6 5 77 Guy Taylor – 40.00
7 10 9 Danny Smith Argenta , Il 38.00
8 8 44 Aaron Burcham Decatur , Il 36.00
9 13 28 Joe Strawkas Buffalo , Il 34.00
10 16 01 Jeremy Nichols , Il 32.00
11 14 84X Ethan Schnapp Springfield , Il 30.00
12 11 29W Brian Diveley Springfield , Il 28.00
13 18 35 Clark Robertson Shelbyville , Il 26.00
14 15 71 Jeff Graham Stonington , Il 24.00
15 12 58 Larry Ferguson Arcola , Il 22.00
16 4 31 Steve Ewing Decatur , Il 20.00
17 9 11M Michael Rauch Sullivan , Il 18.00
18 19 22 Scott Jones Macon , Il 16.00
19 7 14 Tony Stewart – 14.00
20 20 19 James Hankins Taylorville , Il 12.00 DNS

UMP Modified – Consolation
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 36 Kenny Wallace – 0.00
2 9 35 Clark Robertson Shelbyville , Il 0.00
3 2 22 Scott Jones Macon , Il 0.00
4 3 19 James Hankins Taylorville , Il 0.00
5 6 Z Bruce Malone , Il 0.00
6 7 23 Andrew Barnes – 0.00
7 4 25 Jeffrey Wallace Decatur , Il 0.00
8 5 16H Eric Hamilton Macon , Il 0.00
9 8 35S Randy Spaugh Decatur , Il 0.00 DNS

UMP Modified – Heat 4
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 22X Ryan Blakeman Jacksonvile , Il 0.00
2 3 44 Aaron Burcham Decatur , Il 0.00
3 2 58 Larry Ferguson Arcola , Il 0.00
4 4 01 Jeremy Nichols , Il 0.00
5 5 25 Jeffrey Wallace Decatur , Il 0.00
6 6 23 Andrew Barnes – 0.00

UMP Modified – Heat 3
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 2 31 Steve Ewing Decatur , Il 0.00
2 6 0H Tim Hancock Mt. Olive, Il 0.00
3 5 11M Michael Rauch Sullivan , Il 0.00
4 3 71 Jeff Graham Stonington , Il 0.00
5 4 19 James Hankins Taylorville , Il 0.00
6 1 Z Bruce Malone , Il 0.00

UMP Modified – Heat 2
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 77 Guy Taylor – 0.00
2 3 14 Tony Stewart – 0.00
3 4 29W Brian Diveley Springfield , Il 0.00
4 6 28 Joe Strawkas Buffalo , Il 0.00
5 2 22 Scott Jones Macon , Il 0.00
6 5 16H Eric Hamilton Macon , Il 0.00

UMP Modified – Heat 1
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 5 T2 Mark Tullis Macon , Il 0.00
2 6 9 Ken Schrader Concord , Nc 0.00
3 4 9 Danny Smith Argenta , Il 0.00
4 1 84X Ethan Schnapp Springfield , Il 0.00
5 2 36 Kenny Wallace – 0.00
6 3 35S Randy Spaugh Decatur , Il 0.00 DNS
7 7 35 Clark Robertson Shelbyville , Il 0.00 DNS

UMP Street Stock – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 29 Bobby Beiler Decatur , Il 50.00
2 2 X7 Larry Russell Jr. Harristown , Il 48.00
3 4 918 Michael Pundt Jr. Decatur , Il 46.00
4 6 33 Justin Hill Lovington , Il 44.00
5 10 61 Gene Reed Shelbyville , Il 42.00
6 11 22 Jeremy Nichols , Il 40.00
7 5 30 Blake Shelly Oakley , Il 38.00
8 3 OO Roy Magee Ii Springfield , Il 36.00
9 8 28 Josh Smith Clinton , Il 34.00
10 15 F45 Jeramie Fowler Decatur , Il 32.00
11 14 3B Tyler Blankenship Vandalia , Il 30.00
12 12 52R Jeffery Reed Jr. Blue Mound, Il 28.00
13 9 23 Jason Hazlet Moweaqua , Il 26.00
14 7 36 Nick Justice Harristown , Il 24.00
15 13 18 Steve Ewing Decatur , Il 22.00 DNS

UMP Amateur Hornet – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 210 Michael Gossett – 50.00
2 3 J4 Jerad Matherly Decatur , Il 48.00
3 14 33K Brady Reed – 46.00
4 4 98 Kenneth Reed Decatur , Il 44.00
5 7 56Z Zach Perryman Decatur , Il 42.00
6 11 13 John Bright Jr Decatur , Il 40.00
7 6 51 Brian Rush Taylorville , Il 38.00
8 5 38R Kyle Maxwell Pana , Il 36.00
9 8 50 Benjamin Mcchristy Mt.zion , Il 34.00
10 10 1F Fred Mifflin Mount Zion, Il 32.00
11 13 D21 Austin Harbin Argenta , Il 30.00
12 9 63 Jordan Webb Decatur , Il 28.00
13 2 96 Derek Peters Pana , Il 26.00
14 12 12 Jennifer Holt – 24.00 DNS

UMP High School Hornet – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 33K Michael Tucker – 0.00
2 2 21 Dalton Jacobs Decatur , Il 0.00
3 4 21T Tiffani Graham Stonington , Il 0.00
4 3 12 Dean Holt Decatur , Il 0.00