By Jordan Morris
PEORIA, Ill. – June 23, 2014 – David Wietholder captured his first win of the 2014 DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals in dominating fashion Monday night, overtaking Jeff Curl on lap three and leading the final 23 laps en route to capturing the victory at Peoria Speedway.
Wietholder, whose last DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals victory came almost one year ago on July 3 at Jacksonville Speedway, started the race on the outside of pole-sitter Jeff Curl, who led the opening two laps of the 25-lap feature and looked as if he would be able to make-up points on championship leader Jacob Poel.
Curl’s early success was short-lived as Wietholder eventually powered his way around the leader and drove off from the rest of the field. Only Mike Harrison, who set quick time earlier in the night but started from the second row after a second place finish in heat two, was able to provide a challenge to Wietholder for the win.
Harrison passed Curl easily as Curl’s car suddenly became ill-handling as he slipped back to a 10th-place finish. Harrison would catch up to Wietholder but was not able to pass him. Wietholder held off Harrison by half a second as he grabbed the $1,000 checkered flag.
Erik Bruce, Charley Hess and Matt Goulden rounded out the top five.
Heat race winners were Curl and Wietholder.
The DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals joins the DIRTcar Summer Nationals on Wednesday night at Clarksville Speedway in Clarksville, Tenn.
Modifieds
Heat 1:
1. Jeff Curl
2. Erik Bruce
3. Charley Hess
4. Ray Bollinger
5. Mike Chasteen, Jr.
6. Cody Bauman
7. Chad Evans
8. Jake Griffin
9. A.J. Hill
10. Zach Fordham
Heat 2:
1. Dave Wietholder
2. Mike Harrison
3. Matt Goulden
4. Derick Doerr
5. Dan Dozard
6. Nathan Balensiefen
7. Brian Lynn
8. Gary Scharp
9. Billy Tuckwell
10. Austin May
Feature:
1. Dave Wietholder
2. Mike Harrison
3. Erik Bruce
4. Charley Hess
5. Matt Goulden
6. Derick Doerr
7. Dan Dozard
8. Ray Bollinger
9. Cody Bauman
10. Jeff Curl
11. Brian Lynn
12. Nathan Balensiefen
13. Gary Scharp
14. Jake Griffin
15. Billy Tuckwell
16. A.J. Hill
17. Chad Evans
18. Austin May
19. Mike Chasteen, Jr.