By: Betty Glynn
La Salle, IL – AJ May was on fire Saturday night on the high banks of La Salle Speedway. The eighteen year old racer is usually found in the Peoria area but looked like a veteran of the Illinois Valley’s speed arena when he charged from last to first to capture his first UMP Modified win.
UMP Late Models:
Twenty one UMP Late Model racers made their way to the track for one final night of competition before the UMP Summer Nationals tour hits town on Wednesday. Former track champion, Mike Provenzano, scored the fastest timed lap of 13.582. Bret Sievert charged hard from the outside front row to capture the fast qualifiers heat win. Provenzano had his power plant wide open to hold off a challenge by Mike Glynn for second. Bell finished fourth.
Billy Weistart Jr. returned to action after spending some time pit side to help his son who is a rookie in the Street Stock class. Weistart won the second heat with Keith Piano racing hard from last to a side by side challenge. John Piccatto took third over Joe Fratt.
Twenty contenders rolled in for the grid start with Sievert and Provenzano on the first row ahead of Glynn and Bell. Sievert was quick out of the blocks and took command of the field right away while Bell, Provenzano and Glynn were trying to figure out which groove they preferred. Bell seemed to have a great run up higher than the front runners. After a restart of the seventh circuit, Glynn picked up momentum and shot to third but Provenzano picked up the pace and stole the running spot back. Sievert checked out from the field solo but the competition for second was where the action was. Bell, Provenzano and Glynn put on the show allowing Sievert to get away.
Sievert won the twenty five lap main. Provenzano was coming on at the end but the laps wound down too fast to see what he had for the leader. Glynn scored third ahead of Bell, Bob Cullen, Jason Jaggers, Keith Piano, Gary Schalmo, Jeff Small, Weistart, Steve Dimmick, Lake Knutti, Joe Fratt, Dale Markham, Jon Small, Piccatto, Ed Williams Sr, Warren Johnson, Scott Langer, and Ed Williams Jr.
UMP Modifieds:
Thirteen Open Wheel Modified’s qualified with Jamie Lomax posting the quickest timed lap of 14.770. AJ May and Lomax battled side by side with May for the fast qualifiers heat contest. May took the win over Lomax, Dale Lueth and Matt Gremminger. Justin McCoy dialed in his ride to outrun the field for the second heat win. Mike Marden took second in front of Ken Fischer and Bill Theodorf.
May and Lomax started on the front row with Lueth and Gremminger behind the pair. At the end of the second lap, May spun to a halt. The lap may not have been a proud moment for the youngster but it set the stage for some exciting racing for the crowd. He was sent to the tail of the field with nowhere to go but forward. May wasted little time picking off cars one by one to get to the leader. Lomax had distanced himself from Tom Knippenberg, Gremminger and Lueth but several early lap cautions kept bringing the pack to nose to tail formation. During the twelfth lap, May was already in a brief side by side battle with Knippenberg and moved into the runner up spot. Two laps later a restart placed him right behind Lomax. Again, the leader pulled into a nice lead with six to go but that didn’t stop May from giving his all. He hunted down the leader and set off a duel. Contact between the two happened with two laps unscored. The two were side by side but May finished the barn burner just inches in front Lomax, a current UMP National point’s contender. May’s electrifying run made his first ever win even more memorable. Finsihing behind Lomax was Knippenberg, Gremminger, Mike Marden, Geno Hewitt, Fischer, McCoy, Theodorf, and Done Cole.
UMP Street Stocks:
Jamie Balensiefen was victorious in the first heat contest for the Street Stock division. Tim Provenzano crossed the line second in front of Roger Rickels, and Nick Sell. Steve Lewis claimed the second heat race over Mike McKinney, Aaron Near and Randy Lucas.
All fifteen cars were ready for the feature action with Balensiefen on the pole next to Lewis as Provenzano and McKinney took the second row spots. Balensiefen took off for the lead after green but Provenzano moved in for a door to door battle and stole the point. During Lap 4, an aggressive conflict between the leaders ended with Balensiefen in the lead temporarily. Shortly after that Balensiefen faded back in the field.
With five laps to go, McKinney flew around Provenzano into the lead. McKinney’s machine looked smooth as he generated too much real estate for Provenzano to close in on him. Provenzano finished runner up over Roger Rickels, Randy Lucas, Daryl Matthews, Jamie Balensiefen, Aaron Near, Keith Lucas, Jake Miller, Justin Hamm, Nick Sell, Steve Lewis, Ryan Weistart, Keith Miller and Al Gray.
UMP 4 Cylinder Hornets:
Allen Provenzano continued to dominate the Hornet division staking claim to yet another victory in the division. Brother Allen and Jon started on the front row and battled back and forth putting on a great show for the fans. Contact between the duo didn’t stop either one of them from trading paint. If it weren’t for lapped traffic John may have truly challenged him at the end.
Allen won with Jon second over Phil Burdette, JR Brown, Rick Wagner, Mike Gossett, Freddie Thatcher, Brandon Mallery, Crystal Provenzano Broyles, Mark Sutton, Colton Arnold, Jerry Legner, and Andrew Schwarko.
Jon Provenzano won the first heat over Brown, Arnold, and Mallery. Allen Provenzano won the second heat ahead of Burdette, Schwarko, and Legner.
UMP DIRTcar Summernationals:
Wednesday night, the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals tour will invade the speedway. The anticipated show was previously canceled June 20th due to inclement weather. The ultra competitive tour was scheduled for 25 races in 9 states over 32 days. Former La Salle regular, Jason Feger, is the current defending champion of the tour. He along with a lengthy list of best in dirt track racing will be in attendance for the challenge. The tour has been well publicized and is regarded as some of the best racing in the country.
The UMP Late Models will be battling it out for the $5,000 first place prize with $500 to start the main event. The UMP Modified race pays $1,000 to the victor and $100 to make the starting grid. In addition, the Street Stocks and Hornets will be the support classes.
Pit and Grandstand Gates will open at 3:00 PM
Prices: Adults $20.00, kids 11 under free, pit passes $30.00 all ages, skyboxes $25.00 all ages.
La Salle Speedway Scoreboard Results
UMP Late Models – 21 Cars
Qualifying: Mike Provenzano 13.582
Heat #1: Bret Sievert, Mike Provenzano, Mike Glynn, Rich Bell
Heat #2: Billy Wiestart Jr., Keith Piano, John Piccatto, Joe Fratt
Feature: Bret Sievert, Mike Provenzano, Mike Glynn, Rich Bell, Bob Cullen, Jason Jaggers, Keith Piano, Gary Schalmo, Jeff Small, Billy Weistart Jr., Steve Dimmick, Lake Knutti, Joe Fratt, Dale Markham, Jon Small, John Piccatto, Ed Williams Sr, Warren Johnson, Scott Langer, Ed Williams Jr
UMP Modifieds – 13 Cars
Qualifying: Jamie Lomax 14.770
Heat #1: AJ May, Jamie Lomax, Dale Lueth, Matt Gremminger
Heat #2: ,Justin McCoy, Mike Marden, Ken Fischer, Bill Theodorf
Feature: AJ May, Jamie Lomax, Tom Knippenberg, Matt Gremminger, Mike Marden, Geno Hewitt, Ken Fischer, Justin McCoy, Bill Theodorf, Don Cole, Kevin Hughes, Dale Lueth, Jason Kolbe
UMP Street Stocks – 15 Cars
Heat #1: Jamie Balensiefen, Tim Provenzano, Roger Rickels, Nick Sell
Heat #2: Steve Lewis, Mike McKinney, Aaron Near, Randy Lucas
Feature: Mike McKinney, Tim Provenzano, Roger Rickels, Randy Lucas, Daryl Matthews, Jamie Balensiefen, Aaron Near, Keith Lucas, Jake Miller, Justin Hamm, Nick Sell, Steve Lewis, Ryan Weistart, Keith Miller, Al Gray
UMP Hornets – 13 Cars
Heat #1: Jon Provenzano, JR Brown, Colten Arnold, Brandon Mallery
Heat #2: Allen Provenzano, Phil Burdette, Andy Schwarko, Jerry Legner
Feature: Allen Provenzano, Jon Provenzano, Phil Burdette, JR Brown, Rick Wagner, Mike Gossett, Freddie Thatcher, Brandon Mallery, Crystal Provenzano Broyles, Mark Sutton, Colton Arnold, Jerry Legner, Andrew Schwarko