By Brett Zerfowski
(Macon, IL) As the final night of the year came about, two championship still needed to be decided in the six sanctioned UMP stock car classes at Macon Speedway. Modifieds points leader Dave Crawley, Jr. led Joe Strawkus by 24 points and Blake Shelley only held a two-point lead on Steve Ewing for the championship in the Street Stocks. Also, the final night introduced the newest class, the High School Hornets.
The final night started in question as a shower fell on the 64-year-old dirt track. The rain lasted a few minutes but tapered off enough to allow the track officials the opportunity to clean up the grandstands and the racetrack so the season finale would be able to go as scheduled.
The Modifieds opened the evening with a first since 2006, qualifications. 21 Modifieds set their sights on the fast lap as Guy Taylor would record the fastest lap of the night of 11.622 (2003 track record was 11.549). As the heats would be run and finished, the feature lineups would be established by the finish the heats.
Second place Strawkus would be higher in the feature starting order than leader Crawley but would not be able to have enough to push him to the championship as Strawkus, who was running fourth until get caught up in the fourth turn, fell back to the ninth place spot, two behind Crawley.
As that race seemingly fizzled out, the battle for the division’s final feature took top billing as Steve Ewing motored his way with Jeremy Nichols, in the Prairieland Towing number 40, all the way through the 20-lap event. Ewing held off Nichols to grab his second feature of the year. His first feature was won on May 2nd.
Ewing, who was looking for another Street Stock track championship, began the Street Stock feature on the pole with Argenta’s Kevin Crowder. The race got more interesting as it was a special 20-lap, $500-to-win race. Shelley, the leader of the division, started third row outside and needed to make up the ground as quickly as he could so he could stay with Ewing.
As the race hit its first caution, Crowder was leading, Ewing was in second with Shelley right behind him for third. It stayed that way until the 16th lap when lapped traffic caught up to Ewing in the fourth turn, allowing Shelley to take over the runner-up spot in the feature. Crowder would win the race and the $500, but Shelley would have the honor of being the 2009 Street Stock track champion at Macon Speedway. The final points printout will have Shelley as the champion and Ewing only four points behind, the closest division championship of the season between the six classes.
Macon Speedway had three Hornet divisions racing Saturday night. The second-year Amateur Hornets (first year with points awarded) crowned Sam McCoy as the champion. Jonathon Drake had his first feature win and dedicated it to the memory of his fallen friend and fellow racer Shawn Bohm.
The Pro Hornets feature winner was Cook Crawford but the title would go to 2008 UMP National Hornet Champion Joe Reed. Same as 2008, Crawford would take the final checkered flag of the racing season.
As Macon Speedway introduced its newest class, the High School Hornets, drivers 16 years of age and younger, are given the opportunity to learn about racing and on the night’s inaugural event, nine participants strapped on the helmet to compete. Tom Eskew, 16, won both the heat and feature to jumpstart the new division. The class appears to be headed as part of a seven-division 2010 season.
As the final race finished, the lights went out and the cold, but faithful Macon Speedway fans, were treated to a bonus as USA Fireworks displayed fireworks. It was truly a wonderful way to end the 2009 racing season at Macon Speedway.
(Macon, IL) As the final night of the year came about, two championship still needed to be decided in the six sanctioned UMP stock car classes at Macon Speedway. Modifieds points leader Dave Crawley, Jr. led Joe Strawkus by 24 points and Blake Shelley only held a two-point lead on Steve Ewing for the championship in the Street Stocks. Also, the final night introduced the newest class, the High School Hornets.
The final night started in question as a shower fell on the 64-year-old dirt track. The rain lasted a few minutes but tapered off enough to allow the track officials the opportunity to clean up the grandstands and the racetrack so the season finale would be able to go as scheduled.
The Modifieds opened the evening with a first since 2006, qualifications. 21 Modifieds set their sights on the fast lap as Guy Taylor would record the fastest lap of the night of 11.622 (2003 track record was 11.549). As the heats would be run and finished, the feature lineups would be established by the finish the heats.
Second place Strawkus would be higher in the feature starting order than leader Crawley but would not be able to have enough to push him to the championship as Strawkus, who was running fourth until get caught up in the fourth turn, fell back to the ninth place spot, two behind Crawley.
As that race seemingly fizzled out, the battle for the division’s final feature took top billing as Steve Ewing motored his way with Jeremy Nichols, in the Prairieland Towing number 40, all the way through the 20-lap event. Ewing held off Nichols to grab his second feature of the year. His first feature was won on May 2nd.
Ewing, who was looking for another Street Stock track championship, began the Street Stock feature on the pole with Argenta’s Kevin Crowder. The race got more interesting as it was a special 20-lap, $500-to-win race. Shelley, the leader of the division, started third row outside and needed to make up the ground as quickly as he could so he could stay with Ewing.
As the race hit its first caution, Crowder was leading, Ewing was in second with Shelley right behind him for third. It stayed that way until the 16th lap when lapped traffic caught up to Ewing in the fourth turn, allowing Shelley to take over the runner-up spot in the feature. Crowder would win the race and the $500, but Shelley would have the honor of being the 2009 Street Stock track champion at Macon Speedway. The final points printout will have Shelley as the champion and Ewing only four points behind, the closest division championship of the season between the six classes.
Macon Speedway had three Hornet divisions racing Saturday night. The second-year Amateur Hornets (first year with points awarded) crowned Sam McCoy as the champion. Jonathon Drake had his first feature win and dedicated it to the memory of his fallen friend and fellow racer Shawn Bohm.
The Pro Hornets feature winner was Cook Crawford but the title would go to 2008 UMP National Hornet Champion Joe Reed. Same as 2008, Crawford would take the final checkered flag of the racing season.
As Macon Speedway introduced its newest class, the High School Hornets, drivers 16 years of age and younger, are given the opportunity to learn about racing and on the night’s inaugural event, nine participants strapped on the helmet to compete. Tom Eskew, 16, won both the heat and feature to jumpstart the new division. The class appears to be headed as part of a seven-division 2010 season.
As the final race finished, the lights went out and the cold, but faithful Macon Speedway fans, were treated to a bonus as USA Fireworks displayed fireworks. It was truly a wonderful way to end the 2009 racing season at Macon Speedway.
