Rscroll down for the most recent results
the schedule is 'upside-down' so you don't have to scroll past old races for the most recent results
scroll down for preview....at bottom of page is the schedule with car count and winner....

For random 2007 UMP Summernational pictures click here

Thanks to all the reporters sending results....
Special thanks to Kevin Kovac, UMP DIRTcar Racing Public Relations for the daily official results....
this is quite an improvement over the past.

Congratulations to the 2007 UMP DIRTcar Champion Dennis Erb Jr!

July 21....Saturday.....Macon Speedway, Macon, IL 100 laps 6000 to win..217-764-3000(NO POINTS)
top 5.... ....more
July 14....Saturday....Oakshade Raceway, Wauseon, OH 60 laps 10000 to win..419-337-6850
top 5....Jeep VanWormer, Wes Steidinger, AJ Diemel, Casey Noonan, Brian Ruhlman ....more
July 13....Friday....Farmer City Raceway, Farmer City, IL 40 laps 10000 to win..309-928-9110(from June 22 Rainout)
top 5....Brady Smith, Brian Shirley, Wes Steidinger, Shannon Babb, Steve Sheppard Jr ....more
July 12....Thursday....LaSalle Speedway, LaSalle, IL 40 laps 6000 to win..815-223-6900
top 5....Steve Sheppard Jr, Don O'Neal, Dennis Erb Jr, Randy Korte, Wes Steidinger ....more
July 11....Wednesday....Spoon River Speedway, Banner, IL 40 laps 6000 to win..309-668-2622
top 5....Shannon Babb, Jeep VanWormer, Dennis Erb Jr, Randy Korte, Don O'Neal ....more
July 10....Tuesday....Quincy Raceways, Quincy, IL 40 laps 6000 to win..217-224-4100 
top 5....Shannon Babb, Dennis Erb Jr, Brady Smith, Steve Sheppard Jr, Eddie Kerchoff ....more
July 09....Monday....C.J. Raceway, Columbus Junction, IA (new track)40 laps 6000 to win..319-728-3043
top 5....Shannon Babb, Don O'Neal, Billy Moyer, Brady Smith, Brian Birkhofer ....more
July 08....Sunday....Quad City Raceway, East Moline, IL 40 laps 6000 to win..608-644-1977
top 5....Shannon Babb, Don O'Neal, Jeep VanWormer, Rob Toland, Steve Sheppard Jr ....more
July 07....Saturday....Fairbury American Legion Speedway, Fairbury, IL 50  laps 10000 to win..815-692-3222
top 5....Mike Marlar, Shannon Babb, Jimmy Mars, Billy Moyer Sr, Dennis Erb Jr ....more
July 06....Friday....Tri-City Speedway, Pontoon Beach, IL  (3/8 mile track) 40 laps 10000 to win..618-931-7386
top 5....Don O'Neal, Billy Moyer Sr, Brian Shirley, Dennis Erb Jr, Jimmy Mars....more
July 05....Thursday....Macon Speedway, Macon, IL 100 laps 6000 to win..217-764-3000
RAIN....rescheduled for July 21....finale of series
July 04....Wednesday....off
July 03....Tuesday....Lawrenceburg Speedway, Lawrenceburg, IN 40 laps 6000 to win..812-539-4700
top 5....Jeep VanWormer, Steve Sheppard Jr, Randy Korte, Dennis Erb Jr, Wes Steidinger ....more
July 02....Monday....Midway Speedway, Crooksville, OH (new track) 50 laps 10000 to win..740-982-2987
top 5.... Earl Pearson Jr, Jeep VanWormer, Rick Aukland, Mike Marlar, A.J.Diemel ....more
July 01....Sunday....Vermilion County Speedway, Danville, IL 40 laps 6000 to win..217-443-6588
top 5....Don O'Neal, Shannon Babb, Dennis Erb Jr, Jason Feger, Mike Marlar ....more
Jun 30....Saturday....Clarksville Speedway, Clarksville, TN 40 laps 10000 to win..931-645-2523
top 5....Jeep Vanwormer, Wes Steidinger, Jeff Taylor, Jack Sullivan, Dennis Erb Jr ....more
Jun 29....Friday....Western Kentucky Speedway, Nebo, KY 40 laps 6000 to win ..270-249-3125
RAIN
Jun 28....Thursday....Paducah International Raceway, Paducah, KY 40 laps 6000 to win..270-898-7469
top 5....Billy Moyer Sr, Jeep VanWormer, Randy Korte, Don O'Neal, Jeff Taylor ....more
Jun 27....Wednesday....Lake Ozark Speedway, Lake of the Ozarks, MO (new track)40 laps 6000 to win..800-617-9077  
RAIN
Jun 26....Tuesday....Poplar Bluff Speedway, Poplar Bluff, MO 40 laps 6000 to win..573-785-8989
top 5....Billy Moyer Sr, Rodney Melvin, Mike Marlar, Dennis Erb Jr, Jeep VanWormer ....more
Jun 25....Monday....Peoria Speedway, Peoria, IL 40 laps 6000 to win..309-673-3342...(extra Peoria website)
top 5....Dennis Erb Jr, Wes Steidinger, Don O'Neal, Billy Moyer Sr, Jason Feger ....more
Jun 24....Sunday....Lincoln Speedway, Lincoln, IL 40 laps 6000 to win..217-737-7134
top 5....Don O'Neal, Terry Casey, Steve Sheppard Jr, Mike Marlar, Matt Taylor ....more
Jun 23....Saturday....i55 Raceways, Pevely MO  40 laps 10000 to win..636-479-3219
top 5....Mike Marlar, Billy Moyer, Brady Smith, Terry Casey, Billy Faust ....more
Jun 22....Friday....Farmer City Raceway, Farmer City, IL 40 laps 10000 to win..309-928-9110
RAIN....rescheduled for July 13
Jun 21....Thursday....Morgan County Speedway, Jacksonville, IL 40 laps 6000 to win..217-243-5896
top 5....Kevin Weaver, Steve Sheppard Jr, Rodney Melvin, Dennis Erb Jr, Don O'Neal ....more
Jun 20....Wednesday....Highland Speedway, Highland, IL 40 laps 6000 to win..618-654-6656
top 5....Dennis Erb Jr, Don O'Neal, Rodney Melvin, Mike Marlar, Wes Steidinger ....more
Jun 19....Tuesday....Lebanon 1-44 Speedway, Lebanon, MO (new track) 40 laps 6000 to win..417-532-2060
top 5....Mike Marlar, Terry Casey, Randy Korte, Jeep VanWormer, Don O'Neal ....more
Jun 18....Monday....Jefferson County Raceway, Mt. Vernon, IL 40 laps 6000 to win..
top 5....Randy Korte, Mike Marlar, Billy Faust, Rodney Melvin, Eddie Kirchoff ....more
Jun 17....Sunday....Tri-State Speedway, Haubstadt, IN 40 laps 6000 to win..812-768-5995
top 5....Randy Korte, Don O'Neal, Kevin Cole, Steve Sheppard Jr, Mike Marlar ....more
Jun 16....Saturday....Kamp Motor Speedway, Boswell, IN 40 laps 10000 to win..765-869-5212
top 5....Dennis Erb Jr, Mike Marlar, Don O'Neal, Steve Sheppard Jr, Jason Feger ....more
Jun 15....Friday....Kankakee Motor Speedway, Kankakee, IL 40 laps 10000 to win..815-929-9105
top 5....Dennis Erb Jr, Rodney Melvin, Mike Marlar, Don O'Neal, Wes Steidinger ....more
 

2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals News & Notes: Looking Back At The Grueling Month-Long Dirt Late Model Tour
EVANSVILLE, IN – July 19, 2007 – 

ANOTHER ‘HELL TOUR’ UNDER HIS BELT: UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals organizer Sam Driggers, who has been following the series as a UMP employee for more than a decade, rated this year’s version as one of the most competitive in recent memory. 

With a points battle that was close from start-to-finish and a group of eight hearty teams that entered all 25 points events, Driggers, 49, couldn’t have been more pleased with the ’07 Summernationals. 

“I think it was a great month,” said Driggers, who drove his UMP DIRTcar Racing-emblazoned Chevy Tahoe to every event. “We had four rainouts this year after having only one last year, but we had really strong fields (the series high: 60 cars on July 11 at Spoon River Speedway in Canton, Ill.) and some great races.” 

The series raced in seven states, including Illinois (14 events), Indiana (three), Missouri (three), Ohio (two) and single shows in Iowa, Kentucky and Tennessee. With all those trips jammed into a 30-day span, the tour becomes something of a blur to Driggers by its end, but he did mention some especially memorable moments. 

“There were the two last-lap passes (for wins) in a row,” said Driggers, recalling the June 23 event at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo. (Mike Marler over Billy Moyer) and the June 24 show at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway (Don O’Neal over Terry Casey). 

And off the track, Driggers won’t soon forget the hair-raising drive from Poplar Bluff, Mo., to Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Mo., on June 27. Not only was the haul long (roughly 240 miles), but it cut through some hilly terrain and was plagued by the rain that ultimately washed out the Lake Ozark show. 

“When it started to rain the roads got oily, so everybody started sliding around on those hills,” said Driggers. “After that trip, I told all the teams that they could kick me.” 

NEAR DISASTER: The biggest scare Dennis Erb Jr. experienced en route to his first career UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals championship came not on the racetrack, but in the pit area. 

As teams unloaded for the June 30 event at Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway, bystanders looked on in astonishment when one of Erb’s cars rolled off the back of his trailer’s lift gate and landed atop his other Rayburn machine that was already sitting on the ground below. 

“We unstrapped both cars like always,” said Erb. “Somehow the car on the lift slid down on top of my other car. It was just kinda hanging there off the lift with its rearend on top of my other car.” 

Fortunately for Erb, the unusual incident left both of his cars none the worse for wear. 

“There wasn’t much damage to either car,” he said. “I raced the car that came out of the trailer that night (finishing fifth).” 

HAPPY TRAVELER: Don O’Neal was thrilled to be back as a Summernationals regular for the first time since he won the series title in 2004. 

“I enjoyed the hell out of the Summernationals,” gushed O’Neal as the tour wound down. “This is what racing is all about. I’ve had more fun racing in the past month than I’ve had in a while. 

“I just love this – I mean, this is racing. I only won three races, so we didn’t dominate like the last year I ran the series, but I had fun.” 

Of course, O’Neal did have to readjust himself to the grind of the Summernationals after a couple years away. 

“I told Sam (Driggers) I’d come back next year to redeem myself,” said O’Neal, who finished second in the points standings. “I’ve gotten soft in the last couple years. I’m telling you, I forgot what it was like to do this. You race hard every lap, every single night. 

“It’s tough, but I love it.” 

O’Neal hopes for a second Summernationals crown probably evaporated on July 10 at Quincy (Ill.) Raceway. He entered the event trailing Erb by only two points, but a 17^th-place finish as Erb finished second left him with a 36-point deficit he couldn’t recover from over the final four shows. 

“I broke an air cleaner stud and the air cleaner fell off not quite halfway through the race,” said O’Neal, who opted to pull out early. “I could’ve taken a chance and stayed out there, but I might’ve killed the motor and still not won the points.” 

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS: A third-place finish in the Summernationals points standings? Wes Steidinger surprised himself with such a lofty performance in his first year as a tour fulltimer. 

“I never would have thought I’d be third place in the Summernationals,” said Steidinger, a rising 24-year-old from Fairbury, Ill. “That’s pretty cool for our first year doing the whole series. I didn’t think we’d have enough consistency going to so many new places.” 

Steidinger came oh-so-close to steering his family-owned No. J1 to his first career Summernationals A-Main win, finishing second at Peoria (Ill.) Speedway, Clarksville Speedway and the points finale at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio. He lost the lead to Jeep VanWormer in the Oakshade event coming down to the white flag when a victory would have tied him with O’Neal for second in the final standings. 

The non-stop month of racing was a great learning experience for Steidinger. But he noted, “I’m ready to get back to real life – race on weekends and work (as a trim carpenter at his father’s Steidinger Construction) during the week.” 

Steidinger will spend the remainder of the season focused on winning his first-ever UMP DIRTcar Racing Late Model national points title. He led the standings entering the Summernationals and increased his odds of staying there by running the tour. 

“To win the national title, you gotta go to as many races as possible and go where the cars are so you get the maximum points as much as you can,” said Steidinger, who has 10 UMP-sanctioned feature wins this season. “That’s the big picture for us, and hopefully we can pull it out.” 

NOT WHAT HE WANTED: Finishing fourth in the Summernationals standings didn’t satisfy Pinconning, Mich.’s Jeep VanWormer, who was a favorite to win the 2007 title after placing second in last year’s tour. 

“We had some bad luck early in the series,” said VanWormer, who recorded just two top-10 finishes in the first 10 events. “It seemed like we were always in the middle of something and getting spun around.” 

But VanWormer closed strong, winning three times (June 30 at Clarksville, Tenn.; July 3 at Lawrenceburg, Ind.; July 14 at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio) to establish a personal single-season victory high on the Summernationals trail. He also vaulted from sixth to fourth in the points standings with his triumph in the finale. 

VanWormer, 32, was concerned after falling to sixth in the standings thanks to a frustrating night at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway on July 13. He was credited with last-place in the A-Main because he was still in the pits changing a broken shock when the green flag flew, but he made a timely recovery at Oakshade to advance two positions in the final rankings – a jump worth an extra $2,000 in points-fund cash. 

CATCHING ON: Steve Sheppard Jr. proved that being successful on the Summernationals takes plenty of resilience. 

After running every Summernationals show in 2004 and all but the finale in 2006, Sheppard finally got his first career tour win in the 23^rd event of this year’s series, on July 12 at La Salle (Ill.) Speedway. He let out a big sigh of relief after reaching Victory Lane. 

“I’ve been real frustrated about three or four times on this deal, almost to the point where I was just ready to say, ‘The heck with it,’” said Sheppard. “But everybody always tells me, ‘Just hang in there,’ and I have. 

“That’s the only way you get through it – you know your time’s gotta come someday. 

“I’m kinda a slow learner,” he added with a laugh after his milestone triumph. “It’s taken me the whole tour to get caught up with everybody. I kinda know what will make the car faster, but sometimes what will give it more traction and hook up harder isn’t the right thing.” 

Sheppard, 32, of New Berlin, Ill., has become a Summernationals stalwart thanks to the backing of his team owner/father, who allows his son to leave the family business, Sheppard Car Crushing, to go racing for a month. 

“My dad owns our business, so he takes over for a month while I’m gone,” said Sheppard. “I know that when I get done here, he’s gonna take a vacation. I’ll give him some time off.” 

There might be another Sheppard on the Summernationals tour in the not-to-distant future. Sheppard’s 14-year-old son, Brandon, has begun driving a family dirt Late Model this season and entered a handful of Summernationals shows, qualifying at Quincy and Vermilion County Speedway in Danville, Ill. 

IMPRESSIVE FIRST-TIMER: Winfield, Tenn.’s Mike Marlar has always wanted to follow the Summernationals, but the financial realities of fielding his own team have prevented him from hitting the road since going dirt Late Model racing in 2003. 

This year, however, Marlar, 29, got his chance to travel thanks to the resources of Flemingsburg, Ky.-based Stephens Motorsports, which he joined late last season. The team’s owner, Owen Stephens, passed away last fall just as he was discussing with Marlar the possibility of running a national tour like the World of Outlaws Late Model Series in 2007, but Stephens’s wife decided to keep the team operating and the Summernationals was put in its crosshairs. 

Marlar doesn’t know what’s in store for Stephens Motorsports in 2008, but his performance on this year’s Summernationals certainly proved that he’s capable of getting the job done against top-notch competition. He won three times (June 19 at Lebanon, Mo.; June 23 at Pevely, Mo.; July 7 at Fairbury, Ill.) and was in the thick of the championship battle until running into some problems during the tour’s second half. 

“We had a motor problem that took us a week to get through, and this week we had two rearends go bad,” said Marlar, who slipped to a tie for fifth in the final points standings. “We ran into some real tough breaks at the end here. We had to spend a lot of extra time getting stuff fixed and swapping motors. 

“But we won three races and made some money, so I’m happy. I knew the championship was a long shot anyway since probably 80 percent of the tracks I’ve been to for the first time. 

“We had some highs and lows (the lows included sitting on the highway in the rain with a broken-down truck after the Lake Ozark event was canceled), but overall the whole experience has been good,” added Marlar, who estimates he traveled 7,000 miles and spent over $3,500 of fuel during his month on the road. “I met a lot of good people, and I think this deal is gonna make me a better racer.” 

“We’ve run out equipment into the ground, but after we get home and get our stuff freshened up, I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.” 

GETTING SOME ATTENTION: Summernationals railbirds couldn’t help but notice Eddie Kirchoff of Gillette, Wyo., and A.J. Diemel of Navarino, Wis., two young drivers who made unexpected fulltime assaults on the tour. 

Kirchoff, 24, made the long haul from his Wyoming home – roughly 16 hours just to reach the heart of the series in central Illinois – to try his hand against tough competition on a nightly basis. The third-place finisher in the 2006 WISSOTA national points, he came to the Summernationals looking for full-blown Late Model experience. 

“The main reason I’m here is to see if I can eventually do this (race a Late Model for a living),” said Kirchoff, who drives a ‘MasterSbilt by Mars’ car owned by his father. “I’m not sure if I’m gonna get a job or go racing.” 

Kirchoff certainly flashed some talent, setting fast time on several occasions and finishing as high as fifth (twice) en route to a seventh-place finish in the points standings. He figures that his one month on the Summernationals trail was equivalent to almost a full season of action at one of the two tracks (Gillete, Wyo., and Rapid City, S.Dak.) that he frequents. 

Kirchoff’s racing will take a back seat come the fall, of course, when he returns to the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City to complete his industrial engineering degree. He is scheduled to graduate in December. 

Diemel, 25, is another driver from the WISSOTA ranks who entered the Summernationals looking to increase his learning curve. He’s run a dirt Late Model for five years, but this is his first season in the Super Late Model division. 

One of the many drivers from Wisconsin who steers a car owned by Seubert Calf Ranches proprietor Mike Seubert, Diemel ran into some trouble early in the series when he flipped his mount at Lebanon, Mo. But with the help of two crewmen he patched the machine back together and ran it in all the remaining events, finishing a tour-best third in the finale at Oakshade and placing 10^th in the points standings. 

TIRED: Benton, Ill.’s Rodney Melvin started the Summernationals strong with a second-place finish in the June 15 opener at Kankakee (Ill.) Motor Speedway and a fourth on June 18 at Mt. Vernon, Ill., but by the end of the tour he was worn out and rethinking the direction of his racing career. 

A three-time UMP Late Model national champion, the 33-year-old Melvin ran the first 13 events of this year’s Summernationals before dropping off as a regular. With not enough crew help (his father was often his only assistant at the track) and his thriving auto body business needing his attention, Melvin simply ran himself into the ground attempting to enter every show. 

“I hadn’t been feeling very well for a few days,” said Melvin. “I think trying to get the car ready and run the business caught up with me. I went to take a nap before the (July 1) show at Danville (Ill.), and when I got up I just didn’t feel like racing.” 

Melvin entered only two more shows, finishing 12^th in the standings. He’s now evaluating whether he wants to continue racing his own equipment, noting that he simply can’t put enough time in to compete at the high level that he is accustomed. 

NOTABLE… 

* Veteran Kevin Weaver of Gibson City, Ill., was a familiar face on the Summernationals once again, entering all but four of the points shows. Driving a Bill West Enterprises Chassis, the 2000 Summernationals champion was victorious on June 21 at Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, Ill. – his first tour win in five years – and finished eighth in the points standings. 

* Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., missed only four Saturday-night shows that were part of the Summernationals, opting to stay home those evenings to chase the championship at Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, Ind. 

Although still adjusting to a new Bob Pierce car that he debuted just two weeks before the start of the Summernationals, Feger had some strong outings en route to a ninth-place finish in the standings. He had several fast times, and his fourth-place finish at Danville, Ill., was his best ever on the tour. 

* One year after entering every Summernationals show and finishing fifth in the standings, Randy Korte of Highland, Ill., backed off a bit on his travels. He entered the first eight events, then ran just eight more of the next 17 nights. 

Korte did win twice on the series (back-to-back on June 17-18 at Haubstadt, Ind., and Mt. Vernon, Ill.) and finished 11^th in the standings. 

* Terry Casey of New London, Wis., took his first major stab at the Summernationals. He entered the first 13 shows, but was absent from the remainder of the tour. 

Casey, who nearly won his first career Summernationals A-Main on June 24 at Lincoln, Ill. (O’Neal passed him on the final lap), was in need of more crew help. His wife and young son were often his only assistants at the track. 

* Oakshade standout Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich., started the tour with high hopes of chasing the entire schedule for the first time in his young career, but he had to pull out after eight events because his engine supply had been depleted. 

Still retooling his own team, Schlenk drove Dusty Moore’s backup car in the Summernationals finale at Oakshade so he could compete at his hometrack. 

* There was a vintage feeling to the Summernationals thanks to the victories of O’Neal, Weaver, Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark. (two victories) and Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill. (four in-a-row the last week of the series). The former champions rank as four of the seven most prolific winners in tour history. 

* The UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals officially comes to a close this Saturday night (July 21) with the ‘Herald & Review 100’ at the one-fifth-mile Macon (Ill.) Raceway. The event is a non-point show after it was rained out on July 5. 

For more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing, visit www.umpracing.com. 

2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals Event Winners 

6/15: Kankakee Motor Speedway/Kankakee, IL (Dennis Erb Jr.)
6/16: Kamp Motor Speedway/Boswell, IN (Dennis Erb Jr.)
6/17: Tri-State Speedway/Haubstadt, IN (Randy Korte)
6/18: Jefferson County Raceway/Mt. Vernon, IL (Randy Korte)
6/19: Lebanon I-44 Speedway/Lebanon, MO (Mike Marlar)
6/20: Highland Speedway/Highland, IL (Dennis Erb Jr.)
6/21: Morgan County Speedway/Jacksonville, IL (Kevin Weaver)
6/22: Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL (Rain – Rescheduled to July 13)
6/23: I-55 Raceway/Pevely, MO (Mike Marlar)
6/24: Lincoln Speedway/Lincoln, IL (Don O’Neal)
6/25: Peoria Speedway/Peoria, IL (Dennis Erb Jr.)
6/26: Poplar Bluff Speedway/Poplar Bluff, MO (Billy Moyer)
6/27: Lake Ozark Speedway/Eldon, MO (Rain)
6/28: Paducah International Raceway/Paducah, KY (Billy Moyer)
6/29: Western Kentucky Speedway/Nebo, KY (Rain)
6/30: Clarksville Speedway/Clarksville, TN (Jeep VanWormer)
7/1: Vermilion County Speedway/Danville, IL (Don O’Neal)
7/2: Midway Speedway/Crooksville, OH (Earl Pearson Jr.)
7/3: Lawrenceburg Speedway/Lawrenceburg, IN (Jeep VanWormer)
7/4: Day Off
7/5: Macon Speedway/Macon, IL (Rain – Rescheduled to July 21)
7/6: Tri-City Speedway/Pontoon Beach, IL (Don O’Neal)
7/7: Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway (Mike Marlar)
7/8: Quad City Speedway/East Moline, IL (Shannon Babb)
7/9: C.J. Raceway/Columbus Junction, IA (Shannon Babb)
7/10: Quincy Raceway/Quincy, IL (Shannon Babb)
7/11: Spoon River Speedway/Canton, IL (Shannon Babb)
7/12: LaSalle Speedway/LaSalle, IL (Steve Sheppard Jr.)
7/13: Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL (Brady Smith)
7/14: Oakshade Raceway/Wauseon, OH (Jeep VanWormer)

7/21: Macon Speedway/Macon, IL (non-points)(Wes Steidinger)

Contact: DIRT MotorSports d/b/a World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, DIRTcar Racing Public Relations
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com 

Final 2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals Points Standings
EVANSVILLE, IN – July 17, 2007 –  

Final 2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals Points Standings (Rank/Driver/Hometown/Points/Points-Fund Earnings):

1. Dennis Erb Jr./Carpentersville, IL 1,639 ($25,000)

2. Don O’Neal/Martinsville, IN 1,607 ($10,000)

3. Wes Steidinger/Fairbury, IL 1,605 ($7,000)

4. Jeep VanWormer/Pinconning, MI 1,505 ($5,000)

5. (tie) Mike Marlar/Winfield, TN 1,499 ($2,500)

5. (tie) Steve Sheppard Jr./New Berlin, IL 1,499 ($2,500)

7. Eddie Kirchoff/Gillette, WY 1,165 ($1,000)

8. Kevin Weaver/Gibson City, IL 1,065 ($800)

9. Jason Feger/Bloomington, IL 1,047 ($700)

10. A.J. Diemel/Navarino, WI 995 ($600)

11. Randy Korte/Highland, IL 974 ($500)

12. Rodney Melvin/Benton, IL 921 ($400)

13. Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 810 ($300)

14. Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 770 ($200)

15. Terry Casey/New London, WI 686 ($100)

16. Greg Johnson/Bedford, IN 489

17. Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 467

18. Ryan Dauber/Tonica, IL 439

19. Scott Bull/Fairbury, IL 362

20. Rusty Schlenk/Jackson, MI 353 

Note to Editors: A total of 384 different drivers entered at least one of the 25 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals points races 

Dennis Erb Jr. Crowned Champion Of UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals For First Time 

WAUSEON, OH – July 16, 2007 – The title Dennis Erb Jr. has dearly wanted is now on his resume. 

Erb, 34, of Carpentersville, Ill., completed a relentless march to his first career UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals championship, clinching the $25,000 crown on Saturday night in the prestigious Midwest dirt Late Model tour’s 2007 points finale at Oakshade Raceway. 

“Early in the year I set my mind to go and win this Summernationals deal,” said Erb, whose initial championship came in his fourth consecutive season chasing the grueling month-long series. “I felt like after running it all these years, I knew what it would take to win it.” 

The driver known as the ‘One Man Band’ closed out his title drive in decidedly low-key, anticlimactic fashion, however. There was no post-race celebration in front of the crowd on Oakshade’s homestretch, because Erb was already on the highway headed home for the first time in a month when the 60-lap ‘Birthday Race’ ended. 

With a burst of rain that hit the speedway shortly after time trials were completed causing a nearly five-hour track-drying delay, Erb opted to forego racing into the wee hours on a heavy surface. Joining him in making an early exit from Oakshade were fellow Summernationals regulars Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., who entered Saturday’s action as the only driver with an opportunity to overtake Erb for the championship, and Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn. 

Erb and O’Neal discussed the situation and both chose to load up their cars, mutually agreeing that they did not want to decide the points battle under difficult circumstances. 

“We talked about it, and we said, ‘It’s midnight, the track is still wet, so let’s go ahead and put our cars away – and if they (the rest of the field) wanna still race, they can race,’” Erb said of his conversation with O’Neal. “We’ve run 24 races and haven’t torn anything up, and we don’t want to do it tonight with the championship on the line. 

“We don’t want to do something like this, but it’s not the way we want to decide the championship. We pretty much came to terms on that.” 

O’Neal, who finished the tour 32 points behind Erb to earn a $10,000 runner-up points-fund check, was totally in agreement with Erb. Both drivers would have preferred for the race to be postponed to Sunday. 

“I have something to gain by racing tonight more than anybody,” said O’Neal, the 2004 Summernationals champ. “With these (heavy track) conditions, what a shot I’d have tonight. I need Dennis to have bad luck, and tonight would be the most likely night for him to have it. 

“But that ain’t fair. You do this (tour) all month, and then have odds stacked up on you the last night because of the tough conditions – it ain’t right. We’re here and I wanna race, but I don’t want to beat him (for the title) in these conditions, and I wouldn’t want him to do it to me, so I’m pulling out with him.” 

Saturday night’s ‘Did Not Start’ was the only major blemish on Erb’s ’07 Summernationals ledger, which featured the kind of numbers that win championships. He registered four wins, 14 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes in 25 events, with a 14^th-place finish on June 18 at Jefferson County Raceway in Mt. Vernon, Ill., being his worst outing of the tour. 

“I was fortunate to be able to have good runs for the whole month,” said the soft-spoken Erb, who campaigns self-owned Rayburn cars that are powered by Malcuit engines and carry sponsorship from Thomason Transportation, Petroff Towing and J&J Steel. “I won the most races I ever have in a (single) year on the Summernationals, and we finished every night.” 

Erb attributed his remarkable consistency to his laser-like focus on this year’s series.  

“We prepared ourselves a little bit more this year to make sure the cars held together,” said Erb, whose primary mechanical assistant at every event was his longtime friend Heather Lyne. “We had a good maintenance program, and it paid off. Our equipment held together – we didn’t have a mechanical problem.” 

Erb entered the Summernationals as one of the favorites to take over the championship trophy from Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., who did not follow the entire tour to defend his 2005-06 titles. He enjoyed a red-hot spring that included a pair of victories on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, and he carried that mojo into the Summernationals. 

“It was a real good spring for us,” said Erb. “Our car was working real well, and the couple Outlaw wins we got built up a lot of confidence for us coming into this deal. 

“Then we won the first two (Summernationals) races (on June 15 at Illinois’s Kankakee Motor Speedway and June 16 at Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, Ind.) right out of the box. That was a really good feeling for me and gave us plenty of momentum.” 

Erb won twice more – on June 20 at Highland (Ill.) Speedway and June 25 at Peoria (Ill.) Speedway – and rolled up a succession of single-digit finishes. But he couldn’t shake O’Neal, who trailed Erb by only two points entering the July 10 event at Quincy (Ill.) Raceway. 

That’s when the critical moment of the ’07 Summernationals occurred. Erb recorded a second-place finish at Quincy while O’Neal was 17^th after dropping out midway through the race due to a broken air cleaner stud on his car, opening a 36-point edge for Erb. 

“I gained a bunch (of points) at Quincy, and then I just had to keep up the lead at Spoon River, La Salle and Farmer City,” said Erb. “I ran right with Don at La Salle (O’Neal was second, Erb third) and Farmer City (O’Neal was sixth, Erb seventh) and didn’t let him get any points on me. 

“We just went out and did what we needed to do.” 

After Summernationals points finishes of fourth (2004), third (2005) and fifth (2006), Erb proved this year that he had learned his lessons well. 

“I’ve run with (six-time Summernationals champ) Billy Moyer a lot of years and watched what he did,” said Erb, whose 2007 Summernationals earnings totaled $77,400 (including points-fund cash). “I followed O’Neal, and the last couple years I followed Shannon Babb. You pick up what those guys do and use it to make yourself better. 

“The first year I ran the whole deal, I had one car in the trailer and just went out there and raced. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I learned a lot about what it takes, how you work on your stuff when you’re out on the road. 

“I’m really proud of what I’ve done, to be able to accomplish this with what I’ve got to work with,” he added, putting his title in perspective. “As competitive as this year has been, to go out and run with these guys, night after night, and come out on top at the end means a lot.  

“It’s a big accomplishment for me.” 

For more information on the UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals, visit www.umpracing.com. 

2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals Event Winners 

6/15: Kankakee Motor Speedway/Kankakee, IL (Dennis Erb Jr.)
6/16: Kamp Motor Speedway/Boswell, IN (Dennis Erb Jr.)
6/17: Tri-State Speedway/Haubstadt, IN (Randy Korte)
6/18: Jefferson County Raceway/Mt. Vernon, IL (Randy Korte)
6/19: Lebanon I-44 Speedway/Lebanon, MO (Mike Marlar)
6/20: Highland Speedway/Highland, IL (Dennis Erb Jr.)
6/21: Morgan County Speedway/Jacksonville, IL (Kevin Weaver)
6/22: Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL (Rain – Rescheduled to July 13)
6/23: I-55 Raceway/Pevely, MO (Mike Marlar)
6/24: Lincoln Speedway/Lincoln, IL (Don O’Neal)
6/25: Peoria Speedway/Peoria, IL (Dennis Erb Jr.)
6/26: Poplar Bluff Speedway/Poplar Bluff, MO (Billy Moyer)
6/27: Lake Ozark Speedway/Eldon, MO (Rain)
6/28: Paducah International Raceway/Paducah, KY (Billy Moyer)
6/29: Western Kentucky Speedway/Nebo, KY (Rain)
6/30: Clarksville Speedway/Clarksville, TN (Jeep VanWormer)
7/1: Vermilion County Speedway/Danville, IL (Don O’Neal)
7/2: Midway Speedway/Crooksville, OH (Earl Pearson Jr.)
7/3: Lawrenceburg Speedway/Lawrenceburg, IN (Jeep VanWormer)
7/4: Day Off
7/5: Macon Speedway/Macon, IL (Rain – Rescheduled to July 21)
7/6: Tri-City Speedway/Pontoon Beach, IL (Don O’Neal)
7/7: Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway (Mike Marlar)
7/8: Quad City Speedway/East Moline, IL (Shannon Babb)
7/9: C.J. Raceway/Columbus Junction, IA (Shannon Babb)
7/10: Quincy Raceway/Quincy, IL (Shannon Babb)
7/11: Spoon River Speedway/Canton, IL (Shannon Babb)
7/12: LaSalle Speedway/LaSalle, IL (Steve Sheppard Jr.)
7/13: Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL (Brady Smith)
7/14: Oakshade Raceway/Wauseon, OH (Jeep VanWormer)

7/21: Macon Speedway/Macon, IL (non-points)(Wes Steidinger) 

Alltime UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals Series Champions: 

2007: Dennis Erb Jr.

2006: Shannon Babb

2005: Shannon Babb

2004: Don O’Neal

2003: Billy Moyer

2002: Scott Bloomquist

2001: Billy Moyer

2000: Kevin Weaver

1999: Billy Moyer

1998: Rick Aukland

1997: Rick Aukland

1996: Billy Moyer

1995: Bob Pierce

1994: Billy Moyer

1993: Billy Moyer

1992: Unknown

1991: Scott Bloomquist

1990: Scott Bloomquist

1989: Rick Standridge

1988: Pete Parker

July 21....Saturday.....Macon Speedway, Macon, IL 100 laps 6000 to win..217-764-3000(no points)

Thanks to Illinois Amy

July 14....Saturday....Oakshade Raceway, Wauseon, OH 60 laps 10000 to win..419-337-6850

Congratulations to 2007 UMP DIRTcar Champion Dennis Erb Jr

UMP Summer Nationals (Final after 25 Races)
Drivers Points Wins Top 5's Top 10's Earnings
1 Dennis Erb Jr. 1639 4 14 23 $52,400.00
2 Don O'Neal 1607 3 15 20 $49,900.00
3 Wes Steidinger 1605 8 21 $30,200.00
4 Jeep VanWormer 1505 3 9 13 $45,600.00
5 Mike Marlar 1499 3 12 16 $49,650.00
6 Steve Sheppard Jr. 1499 1 9 14 $27,400.00
7 Eddie Kirchoff 1165 2 7 $12,700.00
8 Kevin Weaver 1065 1 1 8 $16,100.00
9 Jason Feger 1047 3 6 $12,350.00
10 A.J. Diemel 995 2 7 $12,300.00
11 Randy Korte 974 2 7 11 $23,900.00
12 Rodney Melvin 921.. 5 10 $17,800.00
13 Shannon Babb 810 4 7 10 $36,900.00
14 Billy Moyer 769 2 7 11 $29,000.00
15 Terry Casey 686 3 7 $11,800.00

Thanks to Speednetdirect

There was a four hour rain delay....Dennis Erb Jr and Don O'Neal loaded up and left

Thanks to Kevin Kovac, DIRTcar Racing Public Relations

Night 25 of the 26-Event UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals: VanWormer Scores Dramatic Victory, Erb Clinches Title In Tour Points Finale At Oakshade Raceway 

WAUSEON, OH – July 14, 2007 – Waiting out the storm paid off big-time for Jeep VanWormer. 

The Pinconning, Mich., standout brought a dramatic close to a program that was delayed nearly five hours by rain, passing Wes Steidinger of Fairbury, Ill., with the white flag flying to win Saturday night’s 2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals points finale at Oakshade Raceway. 

VanWormer, 32, earned $10,000 for capturing the 60-lap ‘Birthday Race,’ an annual event that drew a near capacity crowd to the four-tenths-mile oval. 

Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., meanwhile, clinched his first career UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals championship despite leaving the track during the long delay to run in the surface that followed an early-evening storm. The 34-year-old star joined Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., who was the only driver with a chance of overtaking him for the tour title, and Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., as Summernationals regulars who chose not to stay until the wee hours of the morning to complete the program. 

After the short-but-heavy burst of rain hit the track following time trials for the field of 58 dirt Late Models, the first heat race finally hit the track a bit after midnight. The A-Main checkered flag fell around 3 a.m. 

The strong contingent of fans that stayed to watch the event was rewarded with one of the most stirring races of the ’07 Summernationals. 

VanWormer started from the pole position, but he had a battle on his hands for the entire distance. He led the first eight laps before ceding the top spot for two circuits to fellow Summernationals traveler Steve Sheppard Jr. of New Berlin, Ill., then moved back in front to pace laps 11-43. 

Summernationals rookie A.J. Diemel of Navarino, Wis., grabbed the lead on lap 44 in a bid for his first tour victory, but he gave it up on lap 54 to Steidinger, who swept by both VanWormer and Diemel. 

Steidinger, a Summernationals fulltimer for the first time in 2007 and the current UMP DIRTcar Racing Late Model national points leader, appeared primed to score his first-ever triumph on the grueling tour. But heading to the white flag he lost some momentum behind a lapped car on the inside of the track, allowing VanWormer to drive by on the outside and lead the final two circuits for a memorable victory. 

VanWormer, who earlier this year won an American Late Model Series event at Oakshade, registered his third triumph of 2007 and sixth of his career on the UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals. 

Steidinger, who started 13^th after coming from the rear of the field to win the first B-Main, settled for a heartbreaking runner-up finish. The performance left him third in the final Summernationals points standings, just two points behind O’Neal. 

Diemel was third for his career-best Summernationals finish, while Casey Noonan of Sylvania, Ohio, and Brian Ruhlman of Clark Lake, Mich., completed the top five. 

VanWormer’s victory elevated him to fourth in the final Summernationals points standings. Sheppard, who finished seventh after being forced to pit for a flat tire while running in the top five, unofficially tied Marlar for fifth in the points standings. 

Heat winners were Ruhlman, VanWormer, Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich., Aaron Scott of Newark, Ohio, Rick Delong of Whitehouse, Ohio, and Matt Miller of Arlington, Ohio. The B-Mains were captured by Steidinger, Eddie Kirchoff of Gillette, Wyo., and Chris Keller of Adrian, Mich. 

One event remains on the 2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals schedule – the ‘Herald & Review 100’ on Sat., July 21, at Macon (Ill.) Speedway – but it will be a non-points race. 

UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals A-Main Finish (60 laps): 

1. Jeep VanWormer

2. Wes Steidinger

3. A.J. Diemel

4. Casey Noonan

5. Brian Ruhlman

6. Aaron Scott

7. Steve Sheppard Jr.

8. Justin Paxton

9. Eddie Kirchoff

10. Hillard Miller

11. Curtis Roberts

12. Scott Fisk

13. Ronnie Perrine Jr.

14. Chris Keller

15. Kris Patterson

16. Dusty Moore

17. Ky Harper

18. Matt Miller

19. Duane Chamberlain

20. Rick Delong

21. Rusty Schlenk 

DNQ: Bill Hahn, Brad Eitnear, Brice Luttrell, Bill Toedter, Ryan Gorey, Kevin Mack, Ron Price, Jerry Bowersock, Chuck Hummer, Curtis Deisenroth, Ron Miller, Jon Horner, Brian Koebbe, Max Stough Jr., Rody Schroyer, Jack Calkins, Zac Davis, Ken Hahn, Mike McKnight, Devin Shiels, Dan Wallace, Josh Steinacker, Dan Wilkins, Allen Warner, Max Stough, Dean Anderson, Chris Ross, Joe Overmyer, Kevin Reeves, John Gamber, Shawn Reed, George Lindsay, Mike Montague, J.T. Wildermuth

July 13....Friday....Farmer City Raceway, Farmer City, IL 40 laps 10000 to win..309-928-9110(from June 22 rainout)

Thanks to Racenut