By Brett Zerfowski

(Macon, IL) Roger Brickler could not recall the last time he won two features fairly early in the racing season coming into the first Saturday in June. After the first Saturday in June, he can. Brickler led all 25 laps of the A-Main feature event and picked up feature win number two. It wasn’t without challenge as Matt Taylor and Greg Kimmons tried to wrestle the lead away, but the high groove, which works so well for him, put Brickler in Victory Lane. Brickler was followed to the finish line by Kimmons, John Beck, Taylor and Rick Standridge. The top four finishers are from Springfield while Standridge is from Collinsville.

Guy Taylor has been riding in the front for the last three weeks in the Billingsley Towing Modified division but almost met his match Saturday as Dave Crawley, Jr. was looking to put away his first win of the 2012 season. Taylor got some luck and his fourth feature in-a-row as Crawley fell out of the race as the leader on the 15th lap. Taylor had raced to the finish line a lucky racer knowing the feature was Crawley’s to win. “I didn’t have anything for Davey. It was his to win,” said Taylor in Victory Lane. Jeff Graham of Taylorville grabbed second place, Norm Wood of Sullivan finished third, Danny Smith of Argenta netted fourth and Andrew Barnes of Assumption beat out Alan Crowder of Elwin for the fifth place finish.

Lapped traffic came into play during the Sportsman feature but Dave Crawley, Jr. was up to the challenge and took the win. Racing alongside former division champion Dennis Vandermeersch, Crawley darted up to the front and weaved his way through the back of the field at the finish to get his second feature of the season. The race came down to the final turn with traffic in the way and Crawley was able to win. Vandermeersch did take second ahead of Tim Bedinger, Rick Roedel and Scott Landers.

Steve Ewing loves to race Street Stocks at Macon Speedway. He won his fifth feature of the year and third in-a-row to improve his early points hope for another track championship. Larry Russell, Jr. trailed Ewing for the whole race and took second. Chris Bolyard finished in third, Jeffrey Reed, Jr. was the fourth place finisher and Terry Reed took fifth.

It was back to Victory Lane for Jeremy Reed in the Pro Hornets class after a did-not-finish last week. With his victory, he has won seven-of-eight feature events in the Pro Hornets division. Macon Speedway saw a new driver win in the Amateur Hornet class in Brian Deavers from Bloomington, in his first night at the racetrack.

The event started under a delay thanks to Mother Nature and some rain but with the help of the drivers and crew of the track, the event finished shortly after 10pm. The evening was sponsored by Caterpillar of Decatur and was Caterpillar Employee Appreciation Night as numerous members of CAT showed up to enjoy the festivities at one of the oldest dirt tracks in the country.

The action resumes next Saturday with another special program, Faster Pastor. Area pastors will be on hand with their congregations for an evening of fun and a full show featuring Late Models, Billingsley Towing Modifieds, Sportsman, Street Stocks, and the Pro & Amateur Hornets.

UMP Late Model – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 2 82 Roger Brickler Springfield , Il 50.00
2 6 27 Greg Kimmons , Il 48.00
3 8 28B John Beck Springfield , Il 46.00
4 4 24 Matt Taylor Springfield , Il 44.00
5 1 12 Rick Standridge Collinsville , Il 42.00
6 5 7H Joseph Hughes Springfield , Il 40.00 DNF
7 7 117 Chuck Mitchell Jacksonville , Il 38.00 DNF
8 9 38J Jake Little Springfield , Il 36.00 DNF
9 3 5S Steve Sheppard New Berlin, Il 34.00 DNF
10 10 38L Ryan Little Springfield , Il 32.00 DNF

UMP Modified – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 4 77 Guy Taylor – 50.00
2 1 71 Jeff Graham Stonington , Il 48.00
3 5 89 Norm Wood Sullivan , Il 46.00
4 7 9 Danny Smith Chillecothe , Oh 44.00
5 12 23 Andrew Barnes – 42.00
6 16 14C Alan Crowder Elwin , Il 40.00
7 15 35 Clark Robertson Shelbyville , Il 38.00
8 3 11M Michael Rauch Sullivan , Il 36.00
9 9 63 Steve Keenen Philo , Il 34.00
10 14 10-4 Wade Wiseman Virden , Il 32.00
11 2 37 David Crawley Jr. Decatur , Il 30.00 DNF
12 11 28 Joe Strawkas Buffalo , Il 28.00 DNF
13 13 15 Jeremy Nichols , Il 26.00 DNF
14 10 55C Kevin Cook – 24.00 DNF
15 6 18 Shane Tomlin , Il 22.00 DNF
16 8 5H Randy Huffman Maroa , Il 20.00 DNF
17 17 05 Tom Lambdin Lovington , Il 18.00 DNF

UMP Sportsman – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 C25 David Crawley Jr. Decatur , Il 50.00
2 3 125 Dennis Vandermeersch Springfield , Il 48.00
3 7 B99 Tim Bedinger Taylorville , Il 46.00
4 2 11 Rick Roedel Shelbyville , Il 44.00
5 5 16 Nick Macklin Argenta , Il 42.00
6 4 41 Scott Landers Taylorville , Il 40.00
7 10 4G Cody Wickline Assumption , Il 38.00
8 11 36 Nick Justice Harristown , Il 36.00
9 8 57 Thomas Riech Springfield , Il 34.00
10 13 35 Dave Eckel Lovington , Il 32.00
11 12 93 Ty Nation Taylorville , Il 30.00
12 9 72 Tom Graham Stonington , Il 28.00
13 16 7 Troy Nation – 26.00
14 6 22J Tony Clinton Dawson , Il 24.00
15 14 72W Kaleb Wood Sullivan , Il 22.00
16 15 52 Bob Sidener Springfield , Il 20.00 DNF

UMP Street Stock – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 1 20 Steve Ewing Decatur , Il 50.00
2 2 X7 Larry Russell Jr. Harristown , Il 48.00
3 5 T2 Chris Bolyard Girard , Il 46.00
4 10 52R Jeffery Reed Jr. Blue Mound, Il 44.00
5 3 11 Terry Reed Decatur , Il 42.00
6 11 30 Blake Shelly Oakley , Il 40.00
7 14 01 Gene Reed Shelbyville , Il 38.00
8 9 52 Jonathan Drake Decatur , Il 36.00
9 15 OO Roy Magee Ii Springfield , Il 34.00
10 7 08 Brian Dasenbrock Decatur , Il 32.00
11 13 26 Kyle Waters – 30.00
12 16 12 Terry Myers , Il 28.00
13 12 1 Josh Robb Blue Mound, Il 26.00 DNF
14 8 88 Justin Hill Lovington , Il 24.00 DNF
15 4 29 Bobby Beiler Decatur , Il 0.00 DQ
16 6 23 Jason Hazlet Moweaqua , Il 0.00 DNS

UMP Amateur Hornet – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 4 9 Brian Deavers – 50.00
2 1 81 Timothy Cripe – 48.00
3 2 21 Austin Harbin Argenta , Il 46.00
4 9 96 Derek Peters Pana , Il 44.00
5 6 33GX John Bright Jr Decatur , Il 42.00
6 3 39 Marty Sullivan Mt. Zion, Il 40.00
7 7 56Z Zach Perryman Decatur , Il 38.00
8 5 11J Dillon Justice Harristown , Il 36.00
9 8 199 Jordan Foraker Taylorville , Il 0.00 DNS

UMP Hornet – Feature
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Points
1 3 33 Jeremy Reed Decatur , Il 50.00
2 4 11 Billy Justice Niantic , Il 48.00
3 1 M2 Matt Adkins , Il 46.00
4 2 81 John Garner Taylorville , Il 44.00
5 5 4 Matthew Reed Blue Mound, Il 42.00
6 9 98 Kenneth Reed Decatur , Il 40.00
7 6 83 Bruce Dulgar Decatur , Il 38.00
8 7 14X Steven Stine , Il 36.00
9 11 33GX Brady Reed – 0.00 DNS
10 10 42 Michael Dick Decatur , Il 0.00 DNS
11 8 88 Brian Offer Springfield , Il 0.00 DNS