Topless Night At The Highland Speedway

HIGHLAND IL (August 18, 2012) – The tops came off and the racing action was hot as Daum Crop Insurance of Greenville presents Topless night at the Highland Speedway. Drivers at the Speedway had the option to remove their roofs so the fans could get a better view of what’s it like to drive a around the Speedway. It definitely gives a different look to the cars.

Becker Jewelers Super Late Models
Mike Schulte by winning the dash, choose the high side for the start of the 25 lap main event. Michael Kloos in the Gerstner and Son’s number 6K, by being runner up in the dash was place on the proverbial pole, inside front row. The advantage Schulte hoped for by starting outside was short lived as by the time the pair rounded out of turn two Kloos was clearly in the lead.
Kloos quickly set the pace and by lap nine the leaders were in lapped traffic. At lap ten the first five were Kloos, Schulte in the 27S, Rick “The Salty Dog” Salter in his 1S, current points leader Chad Zobrist in the 78, and Matt Weidner driving the other Gerstner and Son’s Car, the 6X.
Kloos kept the pace fast was working every inch of the Speedway as he moved through the lap traffic. It stayed caution free until lap 18 when the 49 of Steve Leach spun coming out of turn four. By this time Zobrist had moved up to the second spot and needed the caution to catch the tail of the leader. The top five at this point was Kloos, Zobrist, Schulte, Salter and the 11K of Shannon Kuhn.
Just as quickly as the green came out Kloos was on the move, Zobrist gave a valiant effort but the 6K was just too much. The top five remained the same as on the restart. It was Michaels Kloos’s 6th visit this season to the Casey’s General Stores Victory Lane.

Steve Schmitt Modifieds
Robbie Eilers driving the 24 was the pole winner after winning the dash. Eilers picked the outside front row to start the 20 lap event putting the 70 of Brian Bielong on the inside. At the drop of the green Bielong wasted no time in jumping to the lead. One lap was completed and caution flew for debris. The lineup was Bielong, Eilers, Justin Ketrow in the 6, Marty Smith Jr driving the 55, and Aaron Kleine in his number 13.
By lap ten, the Speedway’s 2011 Steve Schmitt Modified Champion Dean Hoffman driving the 1D, had made his way to the second spot from his ninth place starting position in the field. The duo of Bielong and Hoffman worked their way through lap traffic with the 70 of Bielong staying out front. Caution on lap 18 set up a green-white-checker two lap sprint to the finish. Hoffman had sparks flying from the rear bumper of his racer as he went as high as possible to get a run on Bielong. But the 1D came up short as Brian Bielong took his number 70 into the Casey’s General Store’s Victory Lane for an unprecedented 8th time this season. Hoffman, Kleine, Ketrow and Smith Jr, rounded out the top five.

Miller Lite Pro Late Models
Bobby Dauderman found his way for the 4th time this season into the Casey’s General Stores Victory Lane. Other than a snafu on the start of the race it went the entire 20 laps caution free. Following Dauderman across the stripe were Rick Salter in the USA 1, Bobby Martintoni in the 48, Mark Oller in the 67 and John Cory in the 20

Sport Mods
Rob Lee was victories for the 8th time this season in the new class at the Speedway, Jeremy Thoele, Rick Johnson, Jim Lafferty, Jr, and Brett Eilerman made up the top five.

Factory Stocks
In a bizarre finish to the factory stock division feature, Adam Koch, after taking a several year layoff, returned for the first time to the Casey’s General Stores Victory Lane.
The top four cars on the next to the last lap got tangled up at the bottom of turns three and four sending all four to the rear. Koch who had been running fifth became the new leader and held on for the victory. As he said in his post race interview “it wasn’t the way he’d like to win it but he’d take it” .Justin Leichsenring, Cale Hartnagel, Brian Crawford, and Cody Ventimiglia completed the top five.

Sport Compacts
Bobby Funderburk made his fourth trip to the Casey’s General Stores Victory Lane this season, Rob Shaw, Kenny Elliott, Christian Lee, and Josh Bauer were the top five.

Coming Events
August 25 -Family night at the Races Sponsored by Miller Lite (Giveaways by Miller Lite) -Double Features for SportMods, Bombers, and Hornets
September 1 Labor Day Weekend NO RACES
September 8 – Casey’s General Stores Night
September 11 – Test & Tune Tuesday 5:00 – 8:00pm
September 15 – Championship Night & Pick 3 Second Chance Night
September 22 – Championship Night & Pick 3 Second Chance

UMP Late Models
Heat 1
Finish Car No Driver
1 6X Matt Weidner
2 3COLE Kevin Cole
3 87 Jason Zobrist
4 31 Brent Helmkamp
5 49 Steve Leach
6 14U Bruce Unterbrink
7 52 Tim Koch
8 71 Louie Baker, Jr
9 21 Kerry Gaultney DNS

Heat 2
Finish Car No Driver
1 6K Michael Kloos
2 27S Mike Schulte
3 78 Chad Zobrist
4 1S Rick Salter
5 11K Shannon Kuhn
6 25 Frankie Martin
7 22 Dan Jacober
8 33L Steve Lampley

Dash
Finish Car No Driver
1 27S Mike Schulte
2 6K Michael Kloos
3 6X Matt Weidner
4 78 Chad Zobrist
5 87 Jason Zobrist
6 3COLE Kevin Cole

Feature
Finish Car No Driver
1 6K Michael Kloos
2 78 Chad Zobrist
3 27S Mike Schulte
4 1S Rick Salter
5 11K Shannon Kuhn
6 6X Matt Weidner
7 3COLE Kevin Cole
8 87 Jason Zobrist
9 25 Frankie Martin
10 22 Dan Jacober
11 33L Steve Lampley
12 21 Kerry Gaultney
13 49 Steve Leach
14 14U Bruce Unterbrink
15 31 Brent Helmkamp
16 52 Tim Koch
17 71 Louie Baker, Jr

UMP Modifieds
Heat 1
Finish Car No Driver
1 38 Stephen Flannery, Jr
2 55 Marty Smith, Jr
3 13 Aaron Kleine
4 84 Tyler Deibert
5 11 Chad Sellers
6 101 Jeff Buss
7 0 Paul Becker

Heat 2
Finish Car No Driver
1 24 Robbie Eilers
2 76 Eric Goetter
3 71 Lynn Tidwell
4 56 Cale Hartnagel
5 19 Jimmy Cummins
6 55V Brad Venhaus

Heat 3
Finish Car No Driver
1 70 Brian Bielong
2 6 Justin Ketrow
3 1D Dean Hoffman
4 24J Jacob Steinkoenig
5 99K Dustin Knerrer
6 316 Stephen Plog

Dash
Finish Car No Driver
1 24 Robbie Eilers
2 70 Brian Bielong
3 6 Justin Ketrow
4 55 Marty Smith, Jr
5 38 Stephen Flannery, Jr
6 76 Eric Goetter

Feature
Finish Car No Driver
1 70 Brian Bielong
2 1D Dean Hoffman
3 13 Aaron Kleine
4 6 Justin Ketrow
5 55 Marty Smith, Jr
6 24 Robbie Eilers
7 11 Chad Sellers
8 76 Eric Goetter
9 24J Jacob Steinkoenig
10 56 Cale Hartnagel
11 0 Paul Becker
12 99K Dustin Knerrer
13 38 Stephen Flannery, Jr
14 101 Jeff Buss
15 84 Tyler Deibert
16 71 Lynn Tidwell
17 19 Jimmy Cummins DNS
18 55V Brad Venhaus DNS
19 316 Stephen Plog DNS

UMP Pro Late Models
Heat 1
Finish Car No Driver
1 18 Bobby Dauderman
2 67 Mark Oller
3 USA1 Rick Salter
4 9* Jordan Bauer
5 52 Billy Knebel, Jr
6 4 Jason Suhre
7 9T Travis Horner

Heat 2
Finish Car No Driver
1 48 Bobby Martintoni
2 20 John Cory
3 6E Ray Emling
4 24 Dick Taylor
5 77 Neal McPhillips
6 96 Matt Koch
7 15 Paul Cooper

Feature
Finish Car No Driver
1 18 Bobby Dauderman
2 USA1 Rick Salter
3 48 Bobby Martintoni
4 67 Mark Oller
5 20 John Cory
6 9* Jordan Bauer
7 6E Ray Emling
8 24 Dick Taylor
9 52 Billy Knebel, Jr
10 77 Neal McPhillips
11 4 Jason Suhre
12 9T Travis Horner
13 96 Matt Koch
14 15 Paul Cooper

UMP SportMods
Heat 1
Finish Car No Driver
1 88 Rob Lee
2 63 Brett Eilerman
3 14 Jeremy Thoele
4 56B Jim Lafferty, Jr
5 21 Dan DuBree
6 1G Len Garson

Heat 2
Finish Car No Driver
1 84 Tyler Deibert
2 18 Jerry Thompson
3 35 Mark Stolle
4 92J Rick Johnson
5 55 Marty Smith, Jr

Feature
Finish Car No Driver
1 88 Rob Lee
2 14 Jeremy Thoele
3 92J Rick Johnson
4 56B Jim Lafferty, Jr
5 63 Brett Eilerman
6 84 Tyler Deibert
7 55 Marty Smith, Jr
8 18 Jerry Thompson
9 35 Mark Stolle
10 1G Len Garson
11 21 Dan DuBree

UMP Bombers
Heat 1
Finish Car No Driver
1 CRCL7 Adam Koch
2 6I Austin Isaak
3 9X Trevor Isaak
4 8T T J Eilers
5 441 Cody Ventimiglia
6 32T Jacob Tompkins
7 36 Eric Harris
8 80 Matt Meier
9 15X Jeremy Izard

Heat 2
Finish Car No Driver
1 66 Jason Worley
2 54 Shaun Horstmann
3 53 Justin Leichsenring
4 29H Cale Hartnagel
5 23 Brian Crawford
6 30* Wade Carson
7 25 Bill Austin
8 M16 Jeremy Embrich

Feature
Finish Car No Driver
1 CRCL7 Adam Koch
2 53 Justin Leichsenring
3 29H Cale Hartnagel
4 23 Brian Crawford
5 441 Cody Ventimiglia
6 32T Jacob Tompkins
7 36 Eric Harris
8 80 Matt Meier
9 54 Shaun Horstmann
10 M16 Jeremy Embrich
11 8T T J Eilers
12 25 Bill Austin
13 15X Jeremy Izard
14 6I Austin Isaak
15 66 Jason Worley
16 9X Trevor Isaak
17 30* Wade Carson

UMP Sport Compacts
Heat 1
Finish Car No Driver
1 47L Christian Lee
2 8B Robbie Bindrim
3 R8 Jack Rogers
4 7S Kate Smith
5 22 Duane Dubree
6 71 Frank Bieser
7 96N Grace Bieser

Heat 2
Finish Car No Driver
1 97 Bobby Funderburk
2 95 Robert Shaw
3 18 Kenny Elliott
4 128 Zach Schantz
5 0 Chris Dicken
6 14 Gary Jones, Jr
7 28J Justin Hall

Feature
Finish Car No Driver
1 97 Bobby Funderburk
2 95 Robert Shaw
3 18 Kenny Elliott
4 47L Christian Lee
5 19* Josh Bauer
6 8B Robbie Bindrim
7 22 Duane Dubree
8 0 Chris Dicken
9 121V Rick Viviano
10 128 Zach Schantz
11 77 Chad Burgess
12 7S Kate Smith
13 81LE Lacey Egbert
14 14 Gary Jones, Jr
15 28J Justin Hall
16 61C Jeremy Pride
17 R8 Jack Rogers
18 71 Frank Bieser
19 96N Grace Bieser
20 35R Rickey Carriker