By: Betty Glynn
La Salle, IL – Saturday night marked the final points chase race at La Salle Speedway for the 2011 season. In the four regular divisions, the championship leaders were secure in their quest coming into the last night of action. In the Late Model and Open Wheel Modified classes the leaders were ahead by thirty points. The Street Stock champion started the evening with more than sixty points over second and the 4 Cylinder Hornet leader boasted an impressive one hundred and sixty seven point lead. Just starting their features secured Mike Provenzano, Matthew Gremminger, Roger Rickels and Allen Provenzano track champion titles in their divisions.
UMP Late Models:
Brett Sievert has been absent from the Illinois Valley speed arena for a couple of weeks but he didn’t forget how to hit the gas hard on the clay oval. His fastest timed lap of 13.022 topped the field of nineteen competitors. The fast heat contest started off with Mike Provenzano and Sievert on the front row. Provenzano shot to the lead with a higher line run with Sievert on his rear quarter panel. As the top cars raced through the corners it resembled drift racing. Provenzano won the contest over Sievert, Scott Schmitt, Russ Scheffler, and Mike Glynn. John Piccatto took command of the second heat during the first lap out. His hard charge led the pack all the way to the checkers. Allen Gendusa took second over Lake Knutti, Dale Markham, and Rick Scheffler.
The heat contest finish determines the starting grid for the 25 lap main event. Provenzano and Sievert were on the first row ahead of Schmitt and Russ Scheffler. Several complete restarts was necessary before the pace was set at high speed. Sievert grabbed the lead right out of the blocks with Provenzano not far behind. During Lap 8, Gendusa took his ride up the concrete retaining wall between turns one and two in Lightning McQueen fashion and impressively bounced back on the clay and kept racing.
During the final laps, Sievert had managed to outdistance himself from Provenzano easily taking home the night’s trophy. Provenzano took second over Glynn, Russ Scheffler, Schmitt, thirteenth place starter Rich Bell, Gary Schalmo, Ed Williams, Rick Scheffler, Markham, Gendusa, Piccatto and Jon Small.
UMP Open Wheel Modified’s:
Fourteen UMP Open Wheel Modified racers were signed in for action with Jamie Lomax claiming the fastest lap of 14.410. The quickest qualifier won the first heat with ease beating out AJ May, Vince Cooper, Dale Lueth and Tim Knippenberg. Former Street Stock standout Brandon Maciejewski worked hard to hold off Mike Marden for the second heat win. Geno Hewitt finished third in front of Bill Theodorf and Scott Hauge.
Lomax and May took the front spots on the grid of the feature race with Cooper and Lueth rolling into row two. Once the green light was illuminated it was Lomax setting the pace. The leaders seemed to take their competition a lap down pretty quickly. During the eleventh circuit, three cars were racing side by side when the leader found himself approaching the battle. He managed to make his way around the traffic but one of the trio went to the infield and came back to the racing surface in front of second place runner May. A caution in Lap 16 brought the pack back together but just after the restart May’s engine blew a plume of smoke and he came to a stop just barely into the infield. Cooper spun off turn one while Hauge found his ride stopped just above him on the track when Theodorf was coming full steam ahead and had no where to go. His ride drove up the retaining wall flipping into turn two. Luckily none of the drivers were injured.
Nine cars remained for the final restart. Lomax finished what he started with a clean sweep for the second week in a row. Lueth finished a strong second over Knippenberg, McCoy, Gremminger, Hewitt, Marden, Don Cole, and Kevin Hughes.
McCoy and Knippenberg were tied in the chase coming into the last points race but with Knippenberg finishing one position in front of McCoy he will end the season second.
UMP Street Stock’s:
Roger Rickels has been a force to reckon with during the Street Stock class this season. He hit the track running to earn quick time for the class. Nick Sell took home the fast heat victory over Rickels, Tim Provenzano, Matt Ramer, and Kevin Snowberger. Mike Hughes won the second heat in front of Alex Clubb, Justin Hamm, Keith Lucas, and Jake Miller.
Seventeen contenders took their grid positions with Sell and Rickels on the front row after their heat finishes. Just as the action was about to get underway a slight drizzle that had started during the Late’s race turned to faster rain drops leaving the sky. The Street’s stayed on the track to keep the surface race ready. Lap after lap, the rain continued but with their hard work and the rain letting up the event was ready to start about fifteen minutes after it started.
Rickels put on a dominating performance leaving Mike McKinney and Snowberger in his wake. A caution with four to go, enabled the competition to extinguish the lead Rickels had generated. McKinney was on his bumper for the final lap but Rickels schooled the field flag to flag.
McKinney claimed second without contest. Snowberger finished third in front of Clubb, Ramer, Sell, Miller, Steve Schwemlein, Justin Rutledge, Jim Prokup and Keith Lucas.
UMP 4 Cylinder Hornet’s:
The division’s current track record holder, Jon Provenzano, staked his claim to the quickest lap for the second week in a row in the UMP 4 Cylinder Hornets. Twelve racers were in attendance with JR Brown collecting the checkers for the first heat race over Allen Provenzano, Jon Provenzano, Jerry Legner, and Freddie Thatcher. Aaron Sutton was the top dog at the finish of the second heat race finishing over Marquis Hoover, Mark Sutton, Eric Miller, and Rick Wagner.
The absolute domination of Allen Provenzano this season in the division continued Saturday night. He shot to the lead on the first circuit of the fifteen lap main event and outdistanced himself like he has done so many weeks this year. When the checkers dropped it was the familiar number K1 returning to victory lane. He came into the last points night with more than 160 points over his brother Jon due to his memory making season.
Brown earned the second place finish ahead of Jon Provenzano, Legner, Thatcher, Crystal Provenzano Broyles and Aaron Sutton.
Remaining Schedule:
Sat. Aug. 20 – No Racing Scheduled
Sun Aug. 21 – Bill Waite Memorial IRA Sprints with Modified’s and Hornet’s
Sat. Aug. 27 – Fan Appreciation Night $5.00 General Admission Complete Program, Late Model, Modified Street Stock and Hornet Race Divisions Champions Honored
Fri. Sept. 02 – Bob Tattersall Memorial USAC Midgets Complete Program, Late Model, Modified Street Stock and Hornet Race Divisions
Sat. Sept. 10 – No Racing Scheduled
Sat. Sept. 17 – Nascar Night Plus Surprises Complete Program, Late Model, Modified, Street Stock and Hornet Race Divisions
Tues. Sept. 27 – Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series “Road to Knoxville” (re-scheduled Spring Shootout from May) Plus UMP Modified’s
Sat. Oct. 29 – Complete Program, Late Model, Modified, Street Stock and Hornet Race Divisions plus Boo Bash Halloween Party
La Salle Speedway Results 8/13/11
UMP Late Models: 19 Cars
Qualifying: Brett Sievert 13.022
Heat 1: Mike Provenzano, Brett Sievert, Scott Schmitt, Russ Scheffler, Mike Glynn
Heat 2: John Piccatto, Allan Gendusa, Lake Knutti, Dale Markham, Rick Scheffler
Feature: Brett Sievert, Mike Provenzano, Mike Glynn, Russ Scheffler, Scott Schmitt, Rich Bell, Gary Schalmo, Ed Williams, Rick Scheffler, Dale Markham, Allen Gendusa, John Piccatto, Jon Small, Brian Lock, Billy Weistart Jr., Jeff Small, Lake Knutti
UMP Modifieds: 14 Cars
Qualifying: Jamie Lomax 14.410
Heat 1: Jamie Lomax, AJ May, Vince Cooper, Dale Lueth, Tom Knippenberg
Heat 2: Brandon Maciejewski, Mike Marden, Geno Hewitt, Bill Theodorf, Scott Hauge
Feature: Jamie Lomax, Dale Lueth, Tom Knippenberg, Justin McCoy, Matt Gremminger, Geno Hewitt, Mike Marden, Don Cole, Kevin Hughes, Bill Theodorf, AJ May, Vince Cooper, Scott Hauge, Brandon Maciejewski
UMP Street Stocks: 17 Cars
Qualifying: Roger Rickels 15.552
Heat 1: Nick Sell, Roger Rickels, Tim Provenzano, Matt Ramer, Kevin Snowberger
Heat 2: Mike Hughes, Alex Clubb, Justin Hamm, Keith Lucas, Jake Miller
Feature: Roger Rickels, Mike McKinney, Kevin Snowberger, Alex Clubb, Matt Ramer, Nick Sell, Jake Miller, Steve Schwemlein, Justin Rutledge, Jim Prokup, Keith Lucas, Mike Hughes, Aaron Near, Randy Lucas, Justin Hamm, Tim Provenzano, Ande Bivens
UMP 4 Cylinder Hornets: 12 Cars
Qualifying: Jon Provenzano 18.323
Heat 1: JR Brown, Allen Provenzano, Jon Provenzano, Jerry Legner, Freddie Thatcher
Heat 2: Aaron Sutton, Marquis Hoover, Mark Sutton, Eric Miller, Rick Wagner
Feature: Allen Provenzano, JR Brown, Jon Provenzano, Jerry Legner, Freddie Thatcher, Crystal Provenzano Broyles, Aaron Sutton, Marquis Hoover, Mark Sutton, Eric Miller, Rick Wagner