(Macon, IL) Ten races. Three tracks. One division. The Pro Late Model class at Macon Speedway has been through plenty in 2016 between races at Lincoln Speedway, Jacksonville Speedway and Macon Speedway and Matt Taylor has been there to finish first or close to the top nearly every race. In the finale of the ten-race circuit, Taylor took away the checkered flag from Roben Huffman right at the judge’s stand in front of flagman Joey Webb.
Huffman led all 19 laps and looked as though he was poised for his first checkered flag of 2016 at Macon Speedway. Taylor was up to the challenge and stayed as close as possible until the final lap. Coming from the fourth turn to the checkered flag, Huffman got too close to the wall and was slowed down as Taylor made the pass for the win. Nick Bauman stayed third during the race but was right there at the finish with the top two drivers.
Macon Speedway co-owner Kenny Wallace made the trip to the track for the fourth time this season and came away with the checkered flag, besting 17 other drivers in the Billingsley Towing Modified class. Brian Lynn was close to Wallace throughout the majority of the early stretch but as the race grew longer with consistent green flag laps, Wallace pulled away and won easily. Wallace will be part of national television Sunday as NASCAR will be at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet and he plans to showcase his Macon Speedway feature winning trophy on the pre-race desk.
Tim Hancock stayed undefeated in the B-Modified class as he has now won 14-in-a-row and remains the only driver to win in this class during the 2016 season. He has found new competition in Tommy Seets and Chad Naylor, who finished second and third, respectively, but much like the Macon Speedway regulars, they all saw the rear of Hancock’s car.
Nick Justice looked good once again in the Street Stock feature as he grabbed hold of the checkered flag. Nick Macklin was close to stealing the win from Justice but ran out of time in the 15-lap feature event.
Tyler Day of Atwood took home top honors in the Beach House Micro Sprint feature race.
Ryan Cantrell finished off the night with his first checkered flag in the Hornet feature. The race appeared to be Tony Reed’s to win but Cantrell got locked in at the bottom of the track and Steven Stine made a strong push for the lead but Cantrell had just enough edge out Stine for the victory.
The evening started with a driver/fan meet & greet on the track before the racing took place. Drivers brought their machines onto the track and fans were allowed to interact and take pictures with their favorite drivers and make some new friends before the dirt started slinging.
Two weeks remain in the 2016 season at Macon Speedway and the Hornet Championship race is next as part of Five Buck Night at the track. General admission is a mere $5 plus you can get a burger, chips and drink for just $5 and two beers can be purchased for $5, too. On the racing program will be the Billingsley Towing Modifieds, Sportsman, Street Stocks, B-Modifieds, Division II Midgets and the Hornets.
Macon Speedway Feature Rundowns (Top 10s)
Midwest Big Ten Pro Late Models – 1. 24-Matt Taylor[Springfield]; 2. 33H-Roben Huffman[Midland City]; 3. B1-Nick Bauman[New Berlin]; 4. 4T-Guy Taylor[Springfield]; 5. 25-Dakota Ewing[Warrensburg]; 6. 77-Cory Daugherty[Blue Mound]; 7. 15C-Kevin Crowder[Argenta]; 8. 84-Jeff Ray[Springfield]; 9. B26-Bobby Beiler[Blue Mound]; 10. 52R-Jeff Reed, Jr[Blue Mound]
Billingsley Towing UMP Modifieds – 1. 36-Kenny Wallace[St. Louis, MO]; 2. 72-Brian Lynn[Mason City]; 3. 2%-Nick Clubb[Coal City]; 4. 11-Zach Rhodes[Taylorville]; 5. 10-Curt Rhodes[Taylorville]; 6. 24S-Jacob Steinkoenig[Highland]; 7. 99-Tim Luttrell[Riverton]; 8. 71-Jeff Graham[Stonington]; 9. 72A-Austin Lynn[Mason City]; 10. 14C-Alan Crowder[Elwin]
UMP B-Mods – 1. 0-Tim Hancock[Mt. Olive]; 2. 9S-Tommy Seets[Alton]; 3. 8-Chad Naylor[Brighton]; 4. 14-Tommy Gaither[Alton]; 5. 2-Eric Brackett[Brighton]; 6. 32-Brett Page[Centralia]; 7. 23-Ryan Timmons[Centralia]; 8. 00S-Cody Stillwell[Godfrey]; 9. 57R-Tom Riech[Springfield]; 10. 55-Tim Riech[Petersburg]
UMP Street Stocks – 1. 36-Nick Justice[Decatur]; 2. 16-Nick Macklin[Argenta]; 3. 23B-Billy Nail[Decatur]; 4. 5-Terry Reed[Decatur]; 5. 67-Rudy Zaragoza[Jacksonville]; 6. B5-Ben Medaris[Decatur]; 7. 08-Brian Dasenbrock[Decatur]; 8. 22-Darrell Dick[Monticello]; 9. 28-Greg Osman[Bloomington]; 10. 3T-Kevin Lewis[Decatur]
Beach House Micros – 1. 84-Tyler Day[Atwood]; 2. 1-Garrett Duff[Weldon]; 3. 1D-Tyler Duff[Weldon]; 4. 38-Evan Weyant[Sherman]; 5. 72-Gabe Verardi[Taylorville]; 6. 14-Evan Turner[Jacksonville]; 7. 8-Luke Verardi[Taylorville]; 8. 59-Luke Vaughn[Mahomet]; 9. 10-Jacob Tipton[Decatur]; 10. 89-Mark Clary[Edwardsville]
UMP Hornets – 1. 87-Ryan Cantrell[Decatur]; 2. 04-Steve Stine[Stonington]; 3. 64CK-Cook Crawford[Lincoln]; 4. 39M-Marty Sullivan[Decatur]; 5. 1R-Tony Reed[Blue Mound]; 6. 40-Adam Webb[Decatur]; 7. 20-Torry Lyons[Mt. Pulaski]; 8. J4-Jerad Matherly[Decatur]