Lil’ John is top Dad; Brown claims special for 18th Anniversary of La Salle Speedway

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By: Betty Glynn

La Salle, IL – Lil’ John Provenzano has been racing for forty years. Saturday night the experience and knowledge he has gained led him to victory lane for his last Father’s Day weekend race. The Jeff Perry Fan Appreciation Night marked the eighteenth anniversary of the Izzo ownership of La Salle Speedway.

On May 29th, Lil’ John had made a mistake with tires that cost him the feature win to his son Mike but that would not be the case this time.

John took his favored starting position on the pole next Rich Bell with Keith Piano and Bill Weistart Jr. behind the duo. It didn’t take long for Bell, to take the point. A great battle was underway between Lil’ John and Bell as soon as the green flag dropped. Unfortunately, the early laps were caution plagued but once the action stayed green, it was door to door competition. The leaders battled back and forth with Bell giving all he had.

“I knew he (Bell) was going to overheat his tires,” John Provenzano told. “I did that a couple of weeks ago when I was racing Mike (Provenzano) for the lead. So I knew it was going to happen.”

By Lap 7, John charged his way back into the lead leaving Bell to fend off Piano and Scott Schmitt. John started pulling away from the fast pack with Piano second over Schmitt. Glynn and Bell drove a couple of circuits side by side. With about seven laps to go, Eric Rebholz dove deep into the infield but decided to return to action in between turns three and four. Unfortunately, he entered into a path of action that was already three wide. His slower machine didn’t stand a chance as he was bounced between them as they flew through the corner.

Contact was made with him and Bell first but the contact with Schmitt and Weistart stopped the action. The yellow forced some of the front runners to the tail of the lead lap for the single file restart.

Once the flagman dropped the green, it was John Provenzano leading the way with Piano in second. Glynn’s ride seemed to be coming alive during the last part of the race after a sixth place start. He looked good in the turns but didn’t have enough to take over second on the backstretch. With two laps remaining, Glynn stole the runner up spot in his hunt for the lead.

Lil’ John captured the victory over Glynn, Piano, Mike Provenzano, Bell, John Piccatto, Schmitt, Travis Mahoney, Weistart, Joe Fratt, and Aaron Schmidt.

At the end of the season, John is putting away his helmet and retiring from a hobby that has spanned over four decades. But in typical Lil’ John style he is putting forth his every effort to finish strong. Going into the night, he was just four points behind son Mike but with his winning ways he took over the points lead.

“Finishing second to Lil’ John is not a bad place to be,” Glynn said. “My car was coming on but quite honestly beating him isn’t easy on your best night.”

John also won his heat contest over Bell, Piano and Weistart. Todd Alexander took home the second heat victory ahead of Joe Fratt, Mahoney, and Jeff Small. Rebholz claimed heat three with Matt Ramer, Nick Fratt and Schmidt crossing the line after him.

Seventeen 4 Cylinder Hornet drivers rolled onto the high banks for their 25-lapper special. A first lap wreck left many rides out of contention. By the fifth lap out, JR Brown had charged his way to the front from a sixth place start.

At times the Princeton driver was pulling away from Phil Burdette and Nick Clubb while Rick Zifko and Jon Scott were racing each other side by side for fourth.

As the leaders rounded the last turn, it was Brown without a challenger as Nick Clubb narrowly stole the second place finish at the line. Burdette collected third in front of Andrew Schwarko, Marcus Hoover, and Josh Trahan. Zifko was sending smoke from his ride during the final laps but managed to finish seventh over Aaron Sutton and Jon Scott.

Jerry Legner and Zifko each won their heats.

Modified standout Vince Cooper gave his dad a special birthday and early Father’s Day present by winning his heat and feature events while adding to his current points lead.

Cooper and Dale Lueth took the front row of the grid over Phil Line and Nathan Balensiefen for their main event.

Once the flag dropped, it was Cooper and Lueth side by side with Lueth taking a higher line. By the end of the third lap, Balensiefen had managed to move into second.

Cooper outran the field on the inside trek until the checkers. His effort sent him to victory lane for a birthday celebration with his father Larry.

Balensiefen finished second with Phil Line third ahead of Lueth, Travis Kohler, Brad Stewart, Justin McCoy, Joe Adam, Tim Loomis, Shawn Scripter, Geno Hewitt, Mike Marden and Allen Line.

Cooper’s heat win was in front of Lueth, Phil Line and Balensiefen. Stewart took the second heat checker with Chad Osterhoff, Loomis and Hewitt trailing. Charlie Harmon beat Scripter, Tom Knippenberg and Marden.

Steve Lewis swept the Street Stock division events for the evening. He won his heat contest in front of Brandon Maciejewski, Jamie Balensiefen and Nick Sell. Mike Hughes won the second heat ahead of Roger Rickels, Randy Lucas and Jay Mesarchik.

Lewis started on the point with Hughes next to him for their main event. After several restarts Hughes and Lewis were side by side when Hughes had to leave the field with a flat tire.

Lewis now had Rickels on his tail followed by Jamie Balensiefen and Lucas.

Lewis checked out to win over his nineteen competitors. Balensiefen took second ahead of Kevin Snowberger, Rickels, Jake Miller, Lucas, Mike McKinney, Sell and Tim Provenzano.

“Saturday night was the anniversary of our eighteenth year at La Salle,” owner Kerry Izzo acknowledged during an interview on Sunday. “I have to say I have really enjoyed watching our drivers evolve through the years. So many of them have been with us since we opened our doors and now their children are racing as well It truly is a family sport.”

La Salle Speedway Scoreboard Results

UMP Late Models – 23 Cars
Qualifying: Lil’ John Provenzano
Heat #1: Lil’ John Provenzano, Rich Bell, Keith Piano, Bill Weistart
Heat #2: Todd Alexander, Joe Fratt, Travis Mahoney, Jeff Small
Heat #3: Eric Rebholz, Matt Ramer, Nick Fratt, Aaron Schmidt
Feature: Lil’ John Provenzano, Mike Glynn, Keith Piano, Mike Provenzano, Rich Bell, John Piccatto, Scott Schmitt, Travis Mahoney, Billy Weistart, Joe Fratt, Aaron Schmidt, Todd Alexander, Randy Manos, Eric Rebholz, Matt Ramer, Nick Fratt, Jeff Small, Jim Partipilo, Scott Langer, Jon Small, Lake Knutti

UMP Modifieds – 22 Cars
Heat #1: Vince Cooper, Dale Lueth, Phil Line, Nathan Balensiefen
Heat #2: Brad Stewart, Chad Osterhoff, Tim Loomis, Geno Hewitt
Heat #3: Charlie Harmon, Shawn Scripter, Tom Knippenberg, Mike Marden
Feature: Vince Cooper, Nathan Balensiefen, Phil Line, Dale Lueth, Travis Kohler, Brad Stewart, Justin McCoy, Joe Adam, Tim Loomis, Shawn Scripter, Geno Hewitt, Mike Marden, Allen Line, Tom Knippenberg, Don Cole, Ken Fischer, DJ Werkmeister, Charlie Harmon, Chad Osterhoff, Scott Hauge, AJ Dixon

UMP Street Stocks – 20 Cars
Heat #1: Steve Lewis, Brandon Maciejewski, Jamie Balensiefen, Nick Sell
Heat #2: Mike Hughes, Roger Rickels, Randy Lucas, Jay Mesarchik
Feature: Steve Lewis, Jamie Balensiefen, Kevin Snowberger, Roger Rickels, Jake Miller, Randy Lucas, Mike McKinney, Nick Sell, Tim Provenzano, Jay Mesarchik, Mike Hughes, Andy Biven, Justin Hamms, Steve Schwemlein, Matt Hinrich, Chris Kilpatrick, Tom Alexander, Danny Allen, John Hogue, Brandon Maciejewski

UMP Hornets – 17 Cars
Heat #1: Jerry Legner, Shannon Mudro, Andrew Schwarko, DJ Kilanowski
Heat #2: Rick Zifko, Nick Clubb, JR Brown, Phil Burdette
Feature: JR Brown, Nick Clubb, Phil Burdette, Andrew Schwarko, Marcus Hoover, Josh Tranan, Rick Zifko, Aaron Sutton, John Scott, Brandon Mallery, Jerry Legner, Paul Smith, DJ Kilanowski, Eric Grouch, Harold Reiter, Shannon Mudro, Cameron Poci
 
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