Provenzano leaves competition in the dust at LaSalle

jdearing

Administrator
Staff member
By: Betty Glynn
La Salle, IL – Lil’ John Provenzano is the epitome of a racer’s racer. He has “been there and done that” through his tenure of racing. Saturday night, on the ¼ mile clay oval at La Salle Speedway, he reminded the young guns how he still has what it takes to wheel a UMP Late Model like nobody’s business. He managed to school the competition in how to drive under dry slick conditions.

The car count for the Late’s has continued to climb this season with the return of the fan favorite UMP Late Models including Lil’ John Provenzano. An impressive twenty seven drivers registered for action. Three heat races and a dash set the stage of their feature race starting line up.

Bret Sievert and Lil’ John Provenzano took the front row spots with Mike Glynn and Jim Loomis behind them in row two. Scott Schmitt and Jason Jaggers were side by side partners in the third row. As the pack of twenty three starters hit the gas at the start line it was Lil’ John who took the point without hesitation. Sievert charged in second from a mid line run with Glynn making his way around the bottom in third.

Lil’ John was uncontested from beginning to end for the impressive caution free twenty five lap contest. The side by side action in the early laps was for the third place running position. With Sievert trailing the leader, Glynn was traveling the bottom in third when Schmitt started to get his groove on. He began to challenge Glynn attempting to go under but Glynn shut the door. Schmitt finally took over the position during the twelfth lap out leaving Glynn to hold back Rich Bell.

Now in third, Schmitt was hunting down the second place machine and finally caught him. With lapped traffic coming up quick, racing for positions meant taking their rides three and four wide. Something the front runners did with ease but it did change the course of their road to the finish line. Schmitt and Sievert diced it up for four laps before Schmitt earned his keep in second.

Lil’ John skated solo cruising the dry slick surface to the finish line first with Schmitt scoring an imposing runner up position. Sievert ended his charge third over Bell, Glynn, Jaggers, Zach Busch, Loomis, Mike Provenzano, Ralph Markham, Dan Doherty, Mark Larson, Ed Williams Sr., Phil Line, Roger Markham and John Piccatto.

Sievert held back Lil’ John to win the six car dash. Glynn finished third with Loomis, Schmitt and Jaggers completing the field of finishers. Loomis and Schmitt put on a great show in the first heat contest with Loomis holding on to win the ten lap race. Schmitt finished second ahead of Line and Larson. Jaggers took home the checkers in the second heat event over Glynn, Bell, and Ralph Markham. Lil’ John took top honors after surviving the caution plagued third heat race. The event left numerous challengers retiring for the night and possibly longer. Sievert ended second over Mike Provenzano, and Matt Ramer.

Due to the outstanding efforts made by the Late Model field and their ability to keep the action caution free, the speedway management announced the Late’s will be given five extra laps for next weeks feature.

Nineteen UMP Modified drivers filled the line up grid for their twenty lap main. Vince Cooper and Justin McCoy were front row partners over Milo Veloz Jr. and Derick Line. Cooper rocketed out of the blocks with Veloz hanging close by.

It didn’t take the former champions long to start a duel but it ended quickly when Veloz powered his way into the lead. In his new inconspicuous ride, Veloz took the point within the second lap for the first and final time. Veloz ran wide open on the top side. During the early circuits, Cooper continued to work to find a new line to gain momentum. By Lap 14, it was Cooper pulling up to Veloz to challenge the pace setter. The two diced it up a bit but Veloz’ run on the highest trek kept him in command. Sixth place starter Nathan Balensiefen had managed to work up the pack into third ahead of Derick Line and Brad Stewart.

Several caution laps near the end of the race brought everyone back to single file format without lapped traffic. The final restart had the fifteen remaining racers nose to tail for a one lap showdown. Balensiefen drove under Cooper for second but lost control nearly missing the charging Mods that were racing for their own positions.

A last minute dash by Cooper wasn’t enough as Veloz captured the victory. Line ended third in front of Stewart, Dale Lueth, Tom Knippenberg, Justin McCoy, Don Cole, Mark Vervynck, Tim Loomis, Brad Carrington, Wally Forsythe, Tom Vervynck, Ryan Kortage and Balensiefen.

McCoy won the first heat with Line, Stewart and Balensiefen crossing the checkers after him. Joe Adam took home the second heat victory over Cooper, Veloz, and Dave Lilja.

Jimmy Partipilo made a clean sweep of the Street Stock action. He collected the checkers for the first heat race in front of Randy Lucas, Rick Koltveit and Chris Philhower. Mike Hughes won the second preliminary race over Jamie Balensiefen, David McKenny and Matt Ramer. Roger Rickels closed out the third heat with a photo finish win over Steve Lewis. Steve Schwemlein claimed third with Alex Clubb fourth.

Aaron Near won the semi feature while Mark Gradert, Tim Provenzano and Karl Hayes earned transfer positions.

Partipilo outran the competition to return to winners circle holding back a strong effort by Steve Lewis who finished his evening second. Hughes claimed third ahead of Balensiefen, Justin Rutledge, Matt Ramer, McKenny, and Matthews. Provenzano’s tail start ended with a drive up the field ending the fifteen laps in ninth place. Clubb was tenth over Schemlein, Near, Gradert, Philhower, Koltveit, and Rickels.

Rick Zifko earned his pole position for the UMP Hornet class after winning his heat event. Zifko charged hard to win their main event. Twenty three four cylinders were on the line up for their main showing.

During Lap 8, newcomer Anna Cain found her ride rolling through the turns of three and four ending the journey upside down. After two tow trucks flipped her right side up, she was assisted off the track via an ambulance.

Zifko beat Nick Clubb, Phil Burdette, Allen Provenzano, JR Brown, Asa Robart, Jamie Deford, Justin Fryer, #13, DJ Kilanowski, Mark Sutton, Rick Wagner, Jerry Legner, Allen Line, #89, Andrew Sharwarko, Todd Breitbarth, Josh larson, and Joe Foster.

Deford won the first heat over Clubb, Provenzano, and Mark Sutton. Burdette’s run in the second heat earned him the checkers over Fryer, Brown, and Robart. Kilanowski finished runner up to Zifko in the third heat. Line finished third in front of Wagner.

As a special treat for fans and old time car enthusiasts a Vintage race was added to the evenings events. Donnie Harmann Jr. drove his 1955 Chevy into the victory lane after a sensational race to the finish. During the last lap, Late Model winner Lil’ John Provenzano was challenging Harmann for the lead when he ended the run going the wrong way off turn four.



La Salle Speedway Scoreboard Results 07/18/09

Late Models – 27 Cars
Rhyne Competition Engines Dash: Bret Sievert, Lil’ John Provenzano, Mike Glynn, Jim Loomis
Heat One: Jim Loomis, Scott Schmitt, Phil Line, Mark Larson
Heat Two: Jason Jaggers, Mike Glynn, Rich Bell, Ralph Markham
Feature: 1. Lil’ John Provenzano, 2. Scott Schmitt, 3. Bret Sievert, 4. Rich Bell, 5. Mike Glynn, 6. Jason Jaggers, 7. Zach Busch, 8. Jim Loomis, 9. Mike Provenzano, 10. Ralph Markham, 11. Dan Doherty, 12. Mark Larson, 13. Ed Williams Sr., 14. Phil Line, 15. Roger Markham, 16. John Piccatto, 17. Aaron Schmidt, 18. Greg Wagner, 19. John Small, 20. Lake Knutti, 21. Ande Bivens, 22. Matt Ramer, 23. Jeff Small

UMP Modifieds – 19 Cars
Heat One: Justin McCoy, Derick Line, Brad Stewart, Nathan Balensiefen
Heat Two: Joe Adam, Vince Cooper, Milo Veloz Jr., Dave Lilja
Feature: 1. Milo Veloz Jr., 2. Vince Cooper, 3. Derick Line, 4. Brad Stewart, 5. Dale Lueth, 6. Tom Knippenberg, 7. Justin McCoy, 8. Don Cole, 9. Mark Vervynck, 10. Tim Loomis, 11. Brad Carrington, 12. Wally Forsythe, 13. Tom Vervynck, 14. Ryan Kortage, 15. Nathan Balensiefen, 16. Paul Smith, 17. AJ Dixon, 18. Jason Anderson, 19. Joe Adam

UMP Street Stocks – 27+ Cars
Heat One: Jimmy Partipilo, Randy Lucas, Rick Koltveit, Chris Philhower
Heat Two: Mike Hughes, Jamie Balensiefen, David McKenney, Matt Ramer
Heat Three: Roger Rickels, Steve Lewis, Steve Schwemlein, Alex Clubb
Feature: 1. Jimmy Partipilo, 2. Steve Lewis, 3. Mike Hughes, 4. Jamie Balensifen, 5. Justin Rutledge, 6. Matt Ramer, 7. David McKenny, 8. Darryl Matthews, 9. Tim Provenzano, 10. Alex Clubb, 11. Steve Schwemlein, 12. Aaron Near, 13. Mark Gradert, 14. Chris Philhower, 15. Rick Koltveit, 16. Roger Rickels, 17. Tony Provenzano, 18. Gabe Koncor, 19. Hoover, 20. Karl Hayes

UMP Hornets – 23+ Cars
Heat One: Jamie Deford, Nick Clubb, Allen Provenzano, Mark Sutton
Heat Two: Phil Burdette, Justin Fryer, JR Brown, Asa Robart
Heat Three: Rick Zifko, DJ Kilanowski, Allen Line, Rick Wagner
Feature Special: 1. Rick Zifko, 2. Nick Clubb, 3. Phil Burdette, 4. Allen Provenzano, 5. JR Brown, 6. Asa Robart, 7. Jamie Deford, 8. Justin Fryer, 9. #13, 10. DJ Kilanowski, 11. Mark Sutton, 12. Rick Wagner, 13. Jerry Legner, 14. Allen Line, 15. Jason Wagner, 16. Andrea Shanwarko, 17. Todd Breitbarth, 18. Josh Larson, 19. Joe Foster, 20. Shannon Mudrow, 21. Anna Cain, 22. Josh Garnhart
 




Back
Top