By Brett Zerfowski
(Macon, IL) Since 2003, Macon Speedway has paid homage to Dana Godrey, wife of John Godfrey, for all the help and success in racing. A special Friday night event at Macon was on tap for racing fans of both the stock car and open wheel variety.
The event marked only the second time in many attempts to welcome POWRi National Midget & Mini Sprint series racing. Rain has dominated the schedule when POWRi has come to the world’s fastest 1/5th mile dirt track but for the second consecutive show, clear skies and pleasant conditions helped pave the way for a great event.
Troy Dodson of Cerro Gordo picked up his first Street Stock feature of the season and his first since September 11, 2010. He led all 12 laps and was chased down by Terry Reed but was able to maintain his lead and wave the checkered flag.
Steve Ewing of Decatur got his second Billingsley Towing Modified feature of the season, first since July 9. He appeared quite dominate early but caution flags slowed the traffic and pulled the field closer together and gave Guy Taylor and Jeremy Nichols a closer chance at the victory but Ewing’s engine was too strong and pulled away. Taylor would get second with Nichols in third. Sullivan’s Michael Rauch started 12th and finished 4th with Joe Strawkas wrapping up the top five. Sullivan’s Central Wood Products donated an additional $100 to the winner of the 20-lap feature.
43 Mini Sprints signed in for a 22-car, 20-lap A-Main feature. Six eight-lap heat races were run and five of the six were won by drivers from the state of Illinois, including local driver Jeremy Camp, native of nearby Blue Mound, IL. Jacob Patton started the race with the lead but an impressive slide job was applied by current points leader Trent Beckinger to jump into the lead on the fifth lap. Just as soon as Beckinger grabbed the lead, there was no looking back. He blew past the competition and weaved his way through the lapped traffic to cause separation and distance to make it look like an easy win.
Beckinger, from Evansville, IN., has 15 starts with 15 top ten finishes, 12 top five finishes and 3 checkered flags this season for the POWRi Speedway Motors Mini Sprints.
In the Dana Godfrey Memorial 30-lap feature event for the POWRi Lucas Oil Midgets, Dave Darland used the very familiar slide job to take the lead on lap 13 and push forward for the victory. Along with the checkered flag, Darland also would receive a bonus $200 for being the leader at the halfway point. The bonus would come in the memorial of longtime Macon Speedway official Phil Sargent.
Darland, from Lincoln, IN., won in the car that NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Justin Allgaier claimed victory in August 2007. Starting second row outside, Darland won first time in a POWRi Midget at Macon. Tim Siner of Dupo, IL., took second after starting on the pole. Decatur driver Dave Camfield, Jr. finished third and just in time as his engine started to steam on the front stretch during the driver interviews.
Macon Speedway will take Saturday night off due to the action on the Illinois State Fair Springfield Mile Saturday and Sunday afternoon, but will bounce back with a full show to end August, included in that show will be the 2nd Annual Shrine 50, a 50-lap Late Model feature.