By Brett Zerfowski

(Macon, IL) It has been a long time since Matt Taylor of Springfield has been in victory lane at Macon Speedway. He won the Herald & Review 100 in 2000 and has not had good luck during the 2012 season but things seemingly fell into place for him on Armed Forces Night.

Getting the heat win and the awarded the pole position for the 25-lap A-Main, Taylor was primed for his long overdue return to victory lane. Taylor would get there leading all 25 laps. He was chased by Ryan Little for the entire race as both drivers remained on the high banks of the oval. Little as well as most recent feature winner Roger Brickler challenged up top but it was not enough to get up to Taylor and make it interesting. Joseph Hughes and John Beck made it into the top five. All top five finishers are from Springfield.

There was another Taylor to take the checkered flag Saturday; Billingsley Towing Modified driver Guy Taylor. He started third row inside and chased leader Joe Strawkas for ten laps. The front row of Danny Smith and Jeremy Nichols were sent to the back on the fourth lap due to a double spinout which allowed Strawkas to have the lead. On the 16th lap, Taylor overtook Strawkas for the top spot and held on for the win. Dave Crawley, Jr. followed Taylor to get second place. Jeff Graham, who left the track at the start with a flat tire, came from the back of the field and took third. Smith and Nichols came from the back to finish fourth and fifth, respectively.

The Sportsman division had a unique feature as racers who took to the top during the heat and found success were left without grip and fell backwards as the bottom became the more powerful groove for racing. Scott Landers, the pole sitter, was the first to find that out and then the second leader Rick Roedel discovered the top groove wasn’t get him anywhere either. Both were passed by Mike Pickering and Dave Crawley, Jr. Those drivers ended up deciding the finish as Pickering grabbed his first Sportsman feature since Opening Night. Crawley did finish runner-up and Roedel rebounded for third. Nick Macklin worked his way to fourth and Landers landed a top five.

Pickering wasn’t done trying to win features Saturday as he then jumped into the Street Stock and challenged Bobby Beiler, defending track champion, to the feature’s checkered flag. Beiler held on but Pickering had given him all he could handle and Larry Russell, Jr. started to come on strong, as well. But Beiler got the win, his first of the year, Pickering and Russell got second and third. Chris Bolyard, driving the Mark Tullis T2, was fourth and Gene Reed finished fifth.

Jeremy Reed made it five in-a-row for the Pro Hornet features at Macon Speedway but Brett Embry raced him close to the finish. Jeremy’s brother Brady also got the top spot in the Amateur Hornet feature, his third of 2012. Three of five weeks of Hornet racing at Macon Speedway have finished with Reed family sweeps.

Macon Speedway wells Mark & Tim Hall to the track next Saturday for a full racing show and the monster truck Raminator will be on hand to dazzle the crowd with car-crushing, wheelie-popping excitement. That will set the stage for Memorial Day Monday and the Night of NASCAR Stars with Kenny Wallace, Ken Schrader and Justin Allgaier and the UMP Super Late Models $2,000-to-win special.

UMP Late Model – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 24 Matt Taylor Springfield , Il 50.00
2 2 38L Ryan Little Springfield , Il 48.00
3 5 82 Roger Brickler Springfield , Il 46.00
4 4 7H Joseph Hughes Springfield , Il 44.00
5 3 28B John Beck Springfield , Il 42.00
6 6 27 Greg Kimmons , Il 40.00
7 10 11D Brian Diveley Springfield , Il 38.00
8 7 1 Jim Moon , Il 36.00
9 15 12 Rick Standridge Collinsville , Il 34.00
10 12 DC3 Don Cisco Blue Mound, Il 32.00
11 9 7M Adam Mefford Jacksonville , Il 30.00
12 11 38J Jake Little Springfield , Il 28.00
13 13 24S Steve Phillips Neoga , Il 26.00
14 16 56 Troy Newberry – 24.00
15 8 31 Steve Sheppard New Berlin, Il 22.00 DNF
16 14 15JR Brian Mclemore – 20.00 DNF

UMP Modified – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 5 77 Guy Taylor – 50.00
2 7 37 David Crawley Jr. Decatur , Il 48.00
3 8 71 Jeff Graham Stonington , Il 46.00
4 1 9 Danny Smith Chillecothe , Oh 44.00
5 2 15 Jeremy Nichols , Il 42.00
6 12 35 Clark Robertson Shelbyville , Il 40.00
7 10 14C Alan Crowder Elwin , Il 38.00
8 3 63 Steve Keenen Philo , Il 36.00
9 6 28 Joe Strawkas Buffalo , Il 34.00
10 14 05 Tom Lambdin Lovington , Il 32.00 DNF
11 4 54R Frank Reed Jr Blue , Il 30.00 DNF
12 15 22N Ryan Nettles – 28.00 DNF
13 9 3T Mike Ward Pawnee , Il 0.00 DNS
14 13 7S Ethan Schnapp Springfield , Il 0.00 DNS
15 11 23 Andrew Barnes – 0.00 DNS

UMP Sportsman – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 3 9 Mike Pickering Decatur , Il 50.00
2 14 C25 David Crawley Jr. Decatur , Il 48.00
3 2 11 Rick Roedel Shelbyville , Il 46.00
4 8 16 Nick Macklin Argenta , Il 44.00
5 1 41 Scott Landers Taylorville , Il 42.00
6 11 35 Dave Eckel Lovington , Il 40.00
7 6 21 Troy Dodson Cerro Gordo, Il 38.00
8 5 B99 Tim Bedinger Taylorville , Il 36.00
9 13 22J Tony Clinton Dawson , Il 34.00
10 12 52 Bob Sidener Springfield , Il 32.00
11 7 53R Jeff Reed, Sr Blue Mound, Il 30.00
12 16 B88 James Bedinger Taylorville , Il 28.00
13 15 J24 Kenny Patient – 26.00
14 4 4G Cody Wickline Assumption , Il 24.00 DNF
15 9 36 Nick Justice Harristown , Il 22.00 DNF
16 10 57 Thomas Riech Springfield , Il 20.00 DNF

UMP Street Stock – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 29 Bobby Beiler Decatur , Il 50.00
2 2 99 Mike Pickering Decatur , Il 48.00
3 8 X7 Larry Russell Jr. Harristown , Il 46.00
4 3 T2 Chris Bolyard Girard , Il 44.00
5 5 61 Gene Reed Shelbyville , Il 42.00
6 4 33 Justin Hill Lovington , Il 40.00
7 11 52R Jeffery Reed Jr. Blue Mound, Il 38.00
8 9 25 Greg Osman Macon , Il 36.00
9 10 30 Blake Shelly Oakley , Il 34.00
10 6 711 Justin Layne – 32.00
11 18 08 Brian Dasenbrock Decatur , Il 30.00
12 7 11 Terry Reed Decatur , Il 28.00
13 16 26 Kyle Waters – 26.00
14 13 57R Roy Magee Ii Springfield , Il 24.00
15 15 918 Michael Pundt Jr. Decatur , Il 22.00 DNF
16 14 14 Kurtis Ater Macon , Il 20.00 DNF
17 12 52 Jonathan Drake Decatur , Il 18.00 DNF
18 17 58 Tom Miller – 0.00 DNS

UMP Amateur Hornet – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 5 33 Brady Reed – 50.00
2 9 13 John Bright Jr Decatur , Il 48.00
3 4 53 Trent Mulligan – 46.00
4 7 56Z Zach Perryman Decatur , Il 44.00
5 16 96 Derek Peters Pana , Il 42.00
6 8 B52 Donnie Justice – 40.00
7 3 21 Austin Harbin Argenta , Il 38.00
8 6 39 Marty Sullivan Mt. Zion, Il 36.00
9 11 2B Paul Buzan – 34.00
10 12 11J Dillon Justice Harristown , Il 32.00
11 10 51R Roger Reed Decatur , Il 30.00
12 2 205 Michael Gossett – 28.00 DNF
13 13 11D Bradley Dasenbrock Decatur , Il 0.00 DNS
14 14 J4 Nick Matherly Decatur , Il 0.00 DNS
15 15 13 David Sills – 0.00 DNS
16 1 21R Tony Reed – 0.00 DNS

UMP Hornet – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 2 33 Jeremy Reed Decatur , Il 50.00
2 4 205 Brett Embry Decatur , Il 48.00
3 1 J4 Jerad Matherly Decatur , Il 46.00
4 3 4 Matthew Reed Blue Mound, Il 44.00
5 5 11 Billy Justice Niantic , Il 42.00
6 6 4 Stephanie Eskew Springfield , Il 40.00
7 7 83 Bruce Dulgar Decatur , Il 38.00
8 8 98 Kenneth Reed Decatur , Il 36.00
9 12 88 Brian Offer Springfield , Il 34.00
10 11 14X Steven Stine , Il 32.00
11 14 53 Jenny Clinton Dawson , Il 30.00
12 8 21R Dustin Reed Decatur , Il 28.00
13 13 11D Hank Skinner – 26.00
14 9 B52 Ben Medaris Decatur , Il 0.00 DNS
15 10 13 Matt Musgrave Peoria , Il 0.00 DNS