2007 archives
2008ump.htm
For the 2008 UMP Summernationals
schedule, complete with clickable links
to the track websites, and track phone numbers, click
here
UMP DIRTcar Racing Weekly Update: Hot Start Has Kentucky’s Randle Sweeney On Top Of National Modified Points
EVANSVILLE, IN – May 15, 2008 –
HIS TURN?: Randle Sweeney already knows what it feels like to lose the UMP DIRTcar Modified national points title.
Maybe this year the Clifty, Ky., veteran will be able to experience the joy of winning the championship.
Sweeney, 43, is certainly off and running toward his first career UMP DIRTcar national crown. He’s burst out of the gate strong with seven feature wins at four different tracks through May 10, putting him atop the national Modified points standings.
“Sure, I’d like to win the national championship,” said Sweeney, who has finished as high as second in the UMP DIRTcar national Modified standings (1998 and 1995). “My main sponsor Harold McElvain (a retired sheriff and former towing business owner) really wants me to go for it, so I said to him before the season started, ‘We’ll go to Florida (in February) and see what happens. If we get off to a good start, we’ll take a shot at it.’”
Well, Sweeney most definitely had a good showing in the UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned Open-Wheel Modified Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla. He won the opener and finished third in the finale of the three-race series, giving him a nice bump heading into the kickoff of the UMP DIRTcar weekly points season in early April.
Sweeney has only picked up steam since then behind the wheel of his self-owned Nullynski Chassis No. 182. Since all weekly UMP DIRTcar shows began counting toward drivers’ points totals the first weekend in April – prior to that racers could count their best finish each week to their total – he has rung up five wins, two runner-up finishes and a third in 10 starts. He enters this weekend’s action on a major roll, with wins in four of his last five starts, including three in a row.
“We’re running a swing-arm car and it’s working great for us right now,” said Sweeney, whose Hovis-powered machine has carried him to triumphs at Soggy Bottom Raceway in Morgantown, Ky. (three wins), Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway in Calvert City (two) and Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway (one) since his return from Florida. “A lot of people still run the four-bar cars, but I tended to overcompensate (on the setup) with that style car. The swing-arm has been kinda neutral and I feel comfortable in it.”
A co-owner of Sweeney Lumber with his father Gilbert and brother Michael, Sweeney puts in over 40 hours of work a week, making it hard for him to travel far from the tracks near his Bluegrass State home. But he knows he must hit the road to enter some bigger UMP DIRTcar Modified shows this year if he wants to win the national title – the bonus points drivers receive for running races with larger car counts will likely be critical in determining the champion – and he’s prepared to make the necessary commitment. He expects to enter more than 50 events, allowing him to replace his worst outings. (The Modified title is determined using a driver’s best 35 finishes/points nights.)
Sweeney will also have the memory of his heartbreaking runner-up finish in the 1995 national points race pushing him all season. The title slipped through his fingers when he experienced a cruel twist of fate in the season-ending UMP DIRTcar Fall Nationals at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
“We had a real good shot at it that year,” said Sweeney, who finished second to Danny Yanders in the standings. “I was leading the race and had a tire blow out. I would’ve won the championship if I won the race, so that was a tough one. We had a real long ride home.
“I try to forget that year,” he added with a smile.
A national title in 2008 would be a great way for Sweeney to exorcise his past points-race demons, not to mention add another crowning achievement to his already standout open-wheel Modified career. Sweeney has had some extended runs as a Super Late Model driver – he won more than two dozen features running the Burr Motorsports No. 33 from 1999-2000 and 2003-2005 as well as his own full-bodied mount in 2001-2002 – but it’s the Modified division where he’s gained the most acclaim, winning over 250 features.
“I enjoyed running a Late Model and would drive one again if the opportunity came along,” said Sweeney, who finished 10th in last year’s UMP DIRTcar Modified national points battle. “But I don’t have the budget to be competitive everywhere with a Late Model. I could win at the local tracks, but not if I would travel to bigger shows.
“With the Modified, I feel like we can roll in and have a shot to win everywhere we go if we make the right decisions. I know I’m not gonna get beat down the straightaway (by horsepower) – if I get beat in the corners, then hey, that’s fine, I know I gotta do my homework and get better.
“I’ve just always liked the Modifieds,” continued Sweeney, who got his racing start running a Street Stock in 1981. “I like the finesse you need to drive one. I just enjoy running ‘em.”
STILL ON TOP: Veteran Mike Hammerle of St. Charles, Mo., remained atop the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model national points standings for a second consecutive week.
Hammerle, 60, holds a 91-point lead over defending national champ Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill. Hammerle has 16 starts under his belt so far while Erb has nine.
NOTABLE UMP DIRTcar RACING THIS WEEKEND:
* Michigan’s Hartford Motor Speedway and I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa have banded together to create the ‘Hartford/I-96 Challenge,’ a four-race mini-series to determine a king of the two half-mile ovals.
Round 1 of the Challenge series is set for this weekend, on Friday night (May 16) at Hartford and Saturday night (May 17) at I-96. The UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models, Modifieds and Factory/Hobby Stocks will participate in the Challenge events, which boast a points fund (contingent upon drivers running all four events).
The second round of the Challenge is set for Aug. 15 at Hartford and Aug. 16 at I-96.
* The UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned Wolfpack Challenge Series for Modifieds has a big two-day weekend on tap this weekend in Indiana, visiting Bloomington Speedway on Friday night and Brownstown Speedway on Saturday night.
* UMP DIRTcar Modified specials are set for this weekend at Gas City (Ind.) I-69 Speedway ($600 to win on Friday); Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Mo. ($950 to win on Saturday); and Montpelier (Ind.) Motor Speedway (Saturday).
* The UMP DIRTcar Street Stocks in upstate New York will battle for a $1,000 top prize twice this weekend: Friday at Thunder Alley Speedpark in Evans Mills, N.Y., and Saturday at Can-Am Motorsports Park in Lafargeville, N.Y.
* Saturday night’s regular show at Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway includes the 30-lap Gary Eden Memorial for Sportsman paying $600 to win.
* Waynesfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park offers a UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model special on Sunday (May 18). The UMP DIRT Modifieds will also be on the program.
* Sunday night’s big World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘Land of Lincoln 40’ at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway will use the UMP DIRTcar Hoosier four-compound tire rule and offer UMP DIRTcar points. The undercard will include UMP DIRTcar points races for the Modifieds and Sportsman.
UMP DIRTcar RACING INFO: Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.
ATTENTION: Any UMP DIRTcar track or race team with news that could be used in the ‘UMP DIRTcar Racing Weekly Update’ release can e-mail the info to Kevin Kovac at [email protected].
UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of May 13):
Super Late Models (driver/points/races):
1. Mike Hammerle 702 16
2. Dennis Erb Jr. 611 9
3. Jason McBride 599 12
4. Rusty Schlenk 592 10
5. Rusty Griffaw 577 11
6. Ryan Unzicker 567 11
7. Michael Kloos 534 12
8. Chris Shelton 525 12
9. Billy Moyer 506 6
10. Brad Looney 503 8
11. Wes Steidinger 490 8
12. Steve Francis 484 6
13. Tony Albright 464 8
14. Chuck Proctor 435 7
15. B. J. McCammon 431 10
16. Jason Feger 397 7
17. Wayne Shugart 396 7
18. Rob Underwood 395 7
19. Billy Faust 394 7
20. Carnell Parker 380 8
Open-Wheel Modifieds (driver/points/races):
1. Randle Sweeney 1043 14
2. Kent Robinson 998 15
3. Tim Hancock 960 15
4. Denny Schwartz 811 14
5. Chad Evans 748 15
6. Jeff Leka 689 11
7. Gary Cook Jr. 687 10
8. Jon Henry 660 13
9. Mike Spatola 655 12
10. Clayton Miller 632 11
11. Johnny Scott 627 9
12. Clint DeMoss 626 10
13. Chad Osterhoff 604 10
14. Rob Fuqua 603 10
15. Matt Bex 576 9
16. R.C. Whitwell 575 8
17. Tommie Seets Jr. 566 9
18. Anthony Madrid 551 8
19. Nick Allen 546 8
20. Todd Miller 542 10
Pro Late Models (driver/points/races):
1. Kevin Hardin 603 10
2. Jason Jones 595 12
3. Josh Harris 582 10
4. Duane Hodges 581 9
5. Levi Ashby 547 11
6. Phil Gregory 521 10
7. Caleb Ashby 474 9
8. Carnell Parker 404 6
9. Mike Watson 401 9
10. Darrell Hartman 372 9
Sportsman (driver/points/races):
1. Troy Clark 566 11
2. Chris Hillman 546 9
3. Shawn Daugherty 520 8
4. Brad Cummings 518 9
5. Jeremy Hines 493 8
6. Bruce Westerman 490 8
7. Anthony Jackson 430 6
8. Patrick Vareika 391 7
9. Ken Hall Sr. 391 7
10. Clayton Perry 389 7
Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races):
1. Jonathan Clayton 475 7
2. John Paul Talkington 433 7
3. Brandon Buhler 398 6
4. Matthew Holmes 375 6
5. Bryan Barrett 357 7
6. Bryan Henry 330 5
7. Will Duncan 313 5
8. Dustin Shoemaker 294 5
9. Alex Ashley 273 5
10. Ray Breeland 268 5
Street Stocks (driver/points/races):
1. Travis Myers 611 10
2. Aaron Penton 513 10
3. Jon Wix 492 8
4. Randy Arnold 490 10
5. Brad Taylor 469 9
6. Jerrad Krick 461 6
7. Grady Christian 433 6
8. Josh Griffith 432 7
9. Steve Ewing 428 8
10. David Cline 424 7
Factory Stocks (driver/points/races):
1. Cody Vanosdol 364 5
2. Mickey Hines 335 5
3. William Burton 296 5
4. Willie Sallee 286 5
5. Bodi Henry 269 4
6. Josh Phelps 260 5
7. Mark Bruce 251 5
8. Bill Moore 245 5
9. Seth Hull 231 4
10. Tim Roberts 220 4
4-Cylinders (driver/points/races):
1. Joe Reed 612 9
2. Jeff Rittenberry 541 8
3. Michael Rittenberry 527 9
4. Jeffrey Bailey 518 9
5. Travis Staats 500 7
6. Daniel Stephens 495 8
7. Keaton Downing 481 8
8. Charlie Staats 469 7
9. Tim Sull 451 7
10. Michael Perrigo 443 7
UMP DIRTcar Racing Weekly Update: Veteran Mike Hammerle Moves On Top Of Super Late Model National Points Race
EVANSVILLE, IN – May 8, 2008 –
TIME IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Veteran Mike Hammerle enters this weekend’s action leading the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model national points standings, but he knows his run in the sun will probably be short-lived.
So the 60-year-old grandfather from St. Charles, Mo., is going to enjoy every minute of his stint in the catbird’s seat – just like he relishes every lap he turns on the racetrack.
A short-track racer for 35 years and counting, Hammerle is a classic low-buck driver who pours his heart and soul into the sport he loves.
“It’s fun to be on top of the points,” smiled the likeable Hammerle, who moved to the national points lead on the strength of his circuit-leading 14 starts through May 6 (the next-busiest driver has run 12 races). “Maybe I can stay there for a few weeks.”
Hammerle realizes he’s racing on borrowed time, of course. Even though he plans to enter more than 70 UMP DIRTcar events this season and the national title will be determined using a driver’s best 40 finishes, most of his racing will come in weekly shows at small ovals where he can be competitive with his bare-bones budget. He doesn’t have the finances to follow the UMP DIRTcar Summernationals, which provides its regulars a chance to pile up bonus points toward the national title thanks to the tour’s strong car counts.
“They’ll definitely catch me during the Summernationals,” Hammerle said of his current pursuers in the standings. “They’ll get those maximum bonus points for the car counts.”
But Hammerle is fine with his ultimate fate. He’s honored simply to spend some time in the spotlight as the points leader, however short his stay there might be.
“I thought I might get the points lead this week because I got three races in last weekend and a lot of guys had their races rained out,” remarked Hammerle, whose weekend was highlighted by a feature win on May 2 at Belle Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill. “Last year I got the points lead once too because I ran a lot of races early in the season, so I was hoping I’d get the lead again this year for a little while.”
It’s certainly a neat story to see the points paced by a hard-working journeyman like Hammerle, a home-based welder by trade who is the epitome of a UMP DIRTcar Weekend Warrior. There’s no frills about any part of his race team, from the ramp-truck he uses to haul his car to the aged, battle-scarred No. 16H machines he campaigns.
Hammerle has three cars in his arsenal, but the newest of the trio is five years old. His favorite mount is a homebuilt piece he constructed in 2000 (it’s the dirt Late Model he put in Victory Lane last Saturday at Belle Clair); he also has a 2000 GRT car and a 2003 Rayburn chassis – although “the chassis builders won’t claim them anymore because I’ve cut ‘em up and changed them all around,” quipped Hammerle, whose small group of sponsors is headed by his crewman Mike Hickman’s King Edward’s Fried Chicken stores. (“When we get to the track everybody always wants to know if we have chicken to feed them,” said Hammerle.)
The motors in Hammerle’s equipment are built to his limited budget by Rolla (Mo.) Competition Engines. He estimated that his powerplants produce “probably 100 horsepower less than the big guys” because he has to go for durability in order to race as often as he does – and the tight bullrings he frequents don’t require big power anyway.
Last year Hammerle focused his weekly efforts on the two smallest tracks under the UMP DIRTcar banner – Belle Clair Speedway and Macon (Ill.) Speedway, both one-fifth-mile ovals. He won the points championship at Macon and finished a close second at Belle Clair, helping him to a seventh-place finish in the 2007 UMP DIRTcar national points standings.
This season Hammerle plans to again run Belle Clair regularly on Friday nights – he already has a fourth-place finish to go along with his win there – but he’s not committed to a Saturday track. It’s a lengthy two-and-a-half-hour one-way haul to Macon from his home outside St. Louis, so with rising gas prices he’s backing off weekly trips there. The always penny-pinching driver said he can save $50 in gas by racing closer to home at I-57/I-64 Raceway in Mt. Vernon, Ill. (where he has a top finish of fifth in two starts this season), so he’ll likely split his Saturdays between Macon, Mt. Vernon and perhaps others tracks now-and-then.
Hammerle will always find somewhere to race. You can count on that.
“I’m 60, but you need to keep practicing,” he joked when asked why he’s still so active behind the wheel.
Hammerle launched his racing career 35 years ago, competing in the Sportsman division at tracks near his home. Three years later he began a decade-long stint in the dirt Late Model division, then he bounced between a center-steer Modified class very similar to the Northeast’s DIRTcar big-block Modifieds (he competed in DIRTcar big-block Modified events in Florida and Texas during the late ‘80s) and the emerging UMP DIRTcar Modified division before returning to dirt Late Models, which he’s run for the last decade.
According to Hammerle’s best recollections, he’s won over 300 features in various divisions and more than 20 points championships. He’s finished as high as second in the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model national points standings and has three fifth-place finishes since 2000.
It’s been a long, fun ride for Hammerle, and he’s shown no signs of slowing down.
Hammerle has even outlasted his wife Linda, who rarely attends her husband’s races these days, preferring to spend more time with the couple’s grandchildren.
“I guess I burnt her out,” said a smiling Hammerle. “She went with me everywhere for 25 years, but she was always a nervous wreck when she watched me race and she finally decided she didn’t want to go anymore.”
It’s a pretty good bet that Hammerle will never leave the pit area behind. He even dreams of a way to stay in the game after he finally hangs up his helmet sometime well into his senior-citizen years.
“I’m just gonna do it as long as I can,” Hammerle said of his future plans. “I still enjoy it too much to stop.
“Maybe I’ll get one of my grandkids driving some day,” he added with a twinkle in his eyes. “I’ve got a grandson who’s three years old, so maybe I can hold out and keep racing until he’s ready to take over driving my car.”
NOTABLE UMP DIRTcar RACING THIS WEEKEND:
* The UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned Sunoco American Late Model Series swings back into action on Friday night (May 9) at Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, Ohio.
* The Northern Allstars Late Model Series – another UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned tour – has a Saturday-night (May 10) date at Highland (Ill.) Speedway.
* Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway will host a $700-to-win UMP DIRTcar Modified special on Friday night (May 9) as part of its USAC Sprint Car program.
UMP DIRTcar RACING INFO: Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.
ATTENTION: Any UMP DIRTcar track or race team with news that could be used in the ‘UMP DIRTcar Racing Weekly Update’ release can e-mail the info to Kevin Kovac at [email protected].
UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of May 6):
Super Late Models (driver/points/races):
1. Mike Hammerle 648 14
2. Jason McBride 557 11
3. Rusty Griffaw 544 10
4. Michael Kloos 534 12
5. Dennis Erb Jr. 521 7
6. Billy Moyer 506 6
7. Rusty Schlenk 499 9
8. Steve Francis 484 6
9. Ryan Unzicker 472 8
10. Chris Shelton 440 10
11. Brad Looney 428 7
12. Tony Albright 404 7
13. Wes Steidinger 395 6
14. Billy Faust 394 7
15. B. J. McCammon 375 7
16. Frankie Martin 369 7
17. Rick Eckert 368 5
18. Ed Dixon 364 8
19. Chub Frank 363 5
20. Chuck Proctor 360 6
Open-Wheel Modifieds (driver/points/races):
1. Kent Robinson 988 14
2. Randle Sweeney 964 13
3. Tim Hancock 914 14
4. Chad Evans 690 12
5. Gary Cook Jr. 687 10
6. Denny Schwartz 666 12
7. Jon Henry 614 12
8. Jeff Leka 592 9
9. Clayton Miller 584 10
10. Clint DeMoss 564 9
11. Mike Spatola 549 9
12. R.C. Whitwell 538 7
13. Rob Fuqua 525 9
14. Tommie Seets Jr. 511 8
15. Nick Allen 509 7
16. Matt Bex 494 8
17. Todd Miller 488 8
18. Johnny Scott 487 7
19. Bobby Bittle 480 8
20. Chad Osterhoff 480 7
Pro Late Models (driver/points/races):
1. Duane Hodges 511 8
2. Levi Ashby 487 10
3. Kevin Hardin 482 8
3. Jason Jones 482 10
5. Josh Harris 456 8
6. Caleb Ashby 430 8
7. Phil Gregory 424 8
8. Tait Davenport 371 5
9. Carnell Parker 365 5
10. Mike Watson 359 8
Sportsman (driver/points/races):
1. Troy Clark 474 9
2. Chris Hillman 466 8
3. Brad Cummings 448 8
4. Shawn Daugherty 445 7
5. Anthon Jackson 430 6
6. Bruce Westerman 420 7
7. Jeremy Hines 410 7
8. Patrick Vareika 391 7
9. Danny Vogel Jr. 380 6
Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races):
1. Jonathan Clayton 400 6
2. John Paul Talkington 368 6
3. Brandon Buhler 350 5
4. Will Duncan 313 5
5. Bryan Barrett 302 6
6. Evan Delahoussaye 260 4
7. Matthew Holmes 255 4
8. Alex Ashley 231 4
9. Lee Fincher 212 4
10. Ray Allen Kulhanek 210 3
Street Stocks (driver/points/races):
1. Travis Myers 561 9
2. Aaron Penton 474 9
3. Jon Wix 444 7
4. Randy Arnold 442 9
5. Grady Christian 433 6
6. Brad Taylor 409 8
7. Tyler Blankenship 390 6
8. Jerrad Krick 380 5
9. David Cline 380 6
10. Josh Griffith 371 6
Factory Stocks (driver/points/races):
1. Cody Vanosdol 364 5
2. Mickey Hines 335 5
3. William Burton 296 5
4. Willie Sallee 286 5
5. Bodi Henry 269 4
6. Josh Phelps 260 5
7. Mark Bruce 251 5
8. Bill Moore 245 5
9. Seth Hull 231 4
10. Tim Roberts 220 4
4-Cylinders (driver/points/races):
1. Joe Reed 525 7
2. Jeff Rittenberry 495 7
3. Michael Rittenberry 452 8
4. Michael Perrigo 443 7
5. Jeffrey Bailey 433 7
6. Travis Staats 425 6
7. Daniel Stephens 425 7
8. Bob Zbinden 407 7
9. Keaton Downing 406 6
10. Charlie Staats 399 6
UMP DIRTcar Racing Weekly Update: Korte Hoping To Return Soon From February Back Injury; Defending Champ Erb Moves To Top Of Super Late Model National Points
EVANSVILLE, IN – April 30, 2008 -
GETTING BETTER: Randy Korte is chomping at the bit to go racing.
Unfortunately, the two-time UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model national champion can’t climb into his familiar TMCI Transportation No. 00 until his doctor says he’s ready.
Sidelined since suffering a back injury in a Dirt Late Model Winternationals feature incident on Feb. 5 at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., Korte is not taking well to watching races from the pit area as the UMP DIRTcar Racing season swings into high gear.
“This is the first time in my whole career that I’ve been out (of action) for more than a week,” said Korte, a 42-year-old veteran from Highland, Ill. “It’s hard to be a spectator.”
Korte was in Florida driving a Riggs Motorsports entry to get tuned up for the 2008 campaign when his injury occurred. He was involved in an early-race tangle that caused his car to bounce in the air and slam hard onto the track surface.
“It didn’t really look like anything at all to the fans watching in the grandstand,” Korte said of the accident, which barely even damaged his car. “But it knocked the breath out of me when I came down. I couldn’t catch my breath for like five or 10 minutes, until I got oxygen in the ambulance.
“It was the most scared feeling I’ve ever had in my life.”
On top of that, Korte felt pain in his back. Doctors ultimately discovered that he had broken the T-6 vertebra in his mid- to upper-back and it had stuck into his spinal cord, leaving him with a long road to recovery.
“I’ve had some major rollovers in my career and never had an issue (injury),” said Korte. “But this one, I guess I just hit the right way to do some damage.”
Korte dealt with serious back pain for nearly two months upon returning home. “I could just about get out of bed some days,” he said.
The pain began to diminish last month, however, giving Korte hope that his early-April doctor’s check-up would deem him ready to get back in a car. Instead, his doctor was the bearer of bad news, telling ‘King Kong’ Korte that he needed at least another month of inactivity so his vertebra could completely heal and pull away from his spinal cord.
“I don’t want to rush it,” said Korte. “If the doctor says I need to heal up more, there’s nothing I can do but listen.”
Korte’s next doctor’s visit is scheduled for May 13. He’s hopeful that he’ll get an thumb’s-up signal before he leaves the office, clearing the way for him to get back on the track well before the mid-June start of the UMP DIRTcar Summernationals.
Until he receives the go-ahead from his doctor, Korte is keeping his self-owned dirt Late Model team active. He put Billy Faust of Lebanon, Ill., in his car’s seat for several events in April, and last week he enlisted four-time UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model national champion Rodney Melvin of Benton, Ill., to drive his No. 00 until he’s ready to return to the cockpit.
“They’ve done a great job for me,” Korte said of Faust and Melvin. “Billy won (on April 5) at Highland (Ill.) and finished second at Pevely (Missouri’s I-55 Raceway), and last weekend Rodney finished fifth at Pevely.”