Nor, rain, nor wind, nor cool temperatures could contain the fans and the action of night 2 of the Dirt Track World Championship at the Bluegrass Speedway.  With 93 cars and 8 heats, the fans were treated to some restaurant quality action as the joint that sent the field to the rubber all last weekend a year ago opened up from rim to hub with more passing in some heats that complete DTWC events in years past alone.  With that said, here’s a quick recap of all 8 Late Model heats from Friday night.

HEAT 1:

SCOTT BLOOMQUIST grabbed the lead from the start ahead of JIMMY OWENS as DALE McDOWELL pulled alongside the Newport Nightmare down the back chute.  BRAD HALL then moved to the bottom of three and under McDowell taking the battle for the lead three wide off four.  Hall worked his way to third as Owens shook the battle for third and settled into second.  Meanwhile back up front the Big Evil rolled away from the field by ¾ straightaway, enough to move around on the track in the final few laps to find a better line.  Only lapped traffic could slow Black Sunshine as Bloomquist and Jimmy Owens moved to the DTWC ahead of McDowell, Hall, Jackie Boggs, Ed Behn and Lee Devasier.

HEAT 2:

MIKE BALZANO grabbed the lead from the pole ahead of CHRIS MADDEN who rolled along side up the backstretch.  Fourth starting TIMMY YEAGER then went to work on Madden as Blaze-O settled into the lead.  Fourth starting BRANDON KINZER then made it a three wide battle for second as the Chosen One moved to the runner up spot ahead of Kinzer and Madden who was backsliding.  Yeager then began to eat into Balzano’s lead while Kinzer quietly worked the low side chipping away at both leaders.  When Yeager was to the rear of Balzano’s Rocket, Kinzer parked Barry Wright’s entry on the hub and under first Yeager, then Balzano.  Yeager continued to ride the top side that carried him to second fast time reeling in Balzano, but a swat of the cement off four allowed the Floodwall Flyer to scoot away as Kinzer and Balzano transferred to the main event ahead of Yeager and Madden.

HEAT 3:

With three false starts that saw four wide action for the lead sending the field single file, MARK BANAL lead the field to green only to see BART HARTMAN move by off two and into the lead.  Third fast qualifier CHUB FRANK was on the move though rolling by Banal on the bottom of the back chute then under Hartman in three and into the lead.  Following a caution, Chub moved away from the field as Hartman rode alone in second.  Further back in the field, TIM McCREADIE moved to the topside and went to work on JESSE JAMES LAY who was part of the four wide battle for the lead.  McCreadie was able to sneak under Lay on the hub as Chubzilla and the Bartman locked themselves into the DTWC while McCreadie, Lay, Johnny Wheeler and Dustin Neat are consi bound.

HEAT 4:

JOSH WILLIAMS’ bid for a start in the DTWC came to an end early when a dive to the bottom of turn one sent him into the slim and up and around in front of the field.  Contact with another car put him on the hook and moved BRAD NEAT to the pole.

When the green fell, Neat grabbed the lead then parked himself on the rim that’s carried him to several wins at Bluegrass as then third starting JOHN BLANKENSHIP was able to drive away from BRIAN RUHLMAN and DAN SHCLIEPER.  As Heim and Blankenship separated themselves by a half straightaway from the field, Ruhlman and Schlieper went door to door for the remainder of the race.  At the finish Brad Neat raced his way into his second DTWC ahead of Blankenship who’ll start his first.  Ruhlman was able to nip Schlieper at the line as they’re consi bound.

HEAT 5:

In what will be a race worth the price of the video and one of the best of the weekend, JOHN GILL darted to the lead from the outside of row one ahead of STEVE FRANCIS.  Gill quickly held down the bottom and was able to pull away from Beevo who poked a nose to the bottom.  Meanwhile, third starting SHANNON BABB went to the outside and rolled along the topside then running the diamond shaped laps that have carried him to two Bluegrass Speedway wins this year.  Babb was able to get rolling on the rim only to have Francis slam the door off two.  As Gill pulled out to a nine car length lead, Babb stepped to the outside of one and took advantage of a Francis slip in one and two to dive to the bottom of two and into second. 

As the Babbster cut into Gill’s lead, the Modern Day Cowboy spurred his imaginary horse to pull out to a half straightaway, but the Moweaqua Missile got going and pulled under Gill.  The lead duo then danced toe to toe through three and four for a pair of laps as Gill was able to carry his momentum off the top shelf and back into the lead.  With two laps remaining, Babb marched past Gill into the lead as the pair of NARA regulars rolled to the 4^th and 13^th starting spot in Saturday’s feature.  Following Babb and Gill were Francis, Wendell Wallace and Freddy Smith.

HEAT 6:

Pole sitter RICK CORBIN lead the field into one before BILLY MOYER stepped into the lead off two and settled into the top line.  Corbin meanwhile held second before 6^th quick qualifier AARON HATTON found his home on the low line and ran down Corbin.  Behind them WHITNEY McQUEARY faded a bit while TIM TUNGATE found the top shelf and moved to fourth.  JEFF WATSON then began to make noise from the rear of the field as the youngster scooted to sixth as business closer to the front picked up.

With Moyer a half straightaway ahead of the field, Hatton worked the low side and managed to wrestle second away from Corbin.  Tungate and McQueary used the race for second to pull to the rear of Corbin.  Tungate then pulled to the bottom of two and under Corbin but contact sent the Bluegrass Invader spinning collecting McQueary.  Corbin finished the race at the tail while the Whit Rock retired with front end damage.

Back at the front, Moyer was rocking the field to sleep as Hatton raced his way into the DTWC.  Tungate was able to fight off Watson at the line by a nose.

HEAT 7:

In another dandy, DARRELL LANIGAN grabbed the point from the outside of row one ahead of JOSH RICHARDS.  MIKE JEWELL found familiar ground on the top side and chased down the 2003 DTWC winner rolling by Richards on the outside.  As the Scottsburg Express was about to move to the lead, Lanigan slammed the door off four.  Jewell continued to look around Lanigan but Lanigan’s Rocket was getting wider as fifth starting RICK ECKERT was on the move on the hub. 

Following a caution on lap 7, Eckert scooted under Jewell into second and rolled to the back of Lanigan.  While Lanigan protected the outside, Eckert rolled under and into the lead.  Jewell was able to pull alongside on a couple of occasions, but while Eckert rolled to an outside front row starting spot in the main event, Lanigan was able to hold on to second.  Jewell rode home third ahead of Richards, Jeff Smith, Doug Smith and Tommy Carlton.

HEAT 8:

In the run for the pole, VICTOR LEE lead the field into one and off two before RJ CONLEY grabbed the point on the back side.  Behind the, MIKE MARLAR fought off CLINT SMITH then rolled under Lee off four into second.  Lee was able to keep Smith behind him as Marlar poked a nose under Conley in three.  When the bottom held nothing for the Winfield Warrior, he stepped to the outside of RJ in one and into the lead off two.  Further back in the field, RICK AUKLAND battled with BRYAN BARBER as Smith moved to third. 

With Marlar’s half straightaway lead growing each lap, Cat Daddy crept closer to Conley and was able to find his way to second on the bottom of the back chute and into three when the lapped car of SCOTT POUNDS was a nice pick.  Marlar continued to roll away from the field in one of the most dominating performances of the night to roll to the pole of his second DTWC ahead of Clint Smith.  Conley, Aukland and Barber rounded out the top five.

With action ending at a decent hour and racing from top to bottom, everyone who claimed that Bluegrass was no good in October can now say they’ve witnessed what Central Kentucky sees each week.  Hopefully the early start time on Saturday won’t hinder things and we’ll be on the road earlier.

Back to Bluegrass Saturday for the main events.  Hopefully the early start time and lack of laps on the track for one day will give the fans exactly what they paid to see and that’s a Bluegrass Speedway quality main event.  So until then, we’ll be giving a shout to the gang to our right with the wig and snazzy lid, and rollin’ em around!

RICK ECKERT grabbed the lead from the start and lead all 50 miles to become the 2004 Dirt Track World Champion.  In an event that became a one-laner, the pre race hyjinks among a few drivers will be what this edition will be remembered for.  In the end the Arizona Sports Shirts title sponsor could’ve been exchanged for Ewing Oil with certain Boundless ties to OPEC.

Prior to the start of the main event NARA officials placed cones on the track and sent cars to both the inside and outside of the speedway with hopes of running in an extra lane of rubber to allow for more passing.  With cars on the bottom, a few cars rode on the outside alone with their arms out the windows and quarts of oil in their hands pouring it on the speedway.  Several quarts on the track later, the field was realigned and sent to green.  When the first two starts resulted in carnage, the majority of the field was unhappy.  With that said, here’s a recap of the 50 miles that was the DTWC.

START 1 Lap 1: Marlar and Eckert race into turn one, Marlar slips high as Eckert grabs the lead.  Shannon Babb splits both Marlar and Moyer off two before a crash in turn one ends the night for John Gill, Aaron Hatton and sends Mike Balzano and Clint Smith to the infield.

START 2 Lap 1:  Eckert again takes the lead as Marlar spins in front of the field collecting Brandon Kinzer and Darrell Lanigan.  Marlar retakes his spot at the front but the damage has been done.

START 3:  Lap 1:  Eckert grabs the lead once again ahead of Marlar who takes second after again going three wide with Moyer and Babb.  Babb settles into third ahead of Moyer after taking the spot in three.

Lap 2:  Babb reels in Marlar and takes a look in one.  Marlar holds him off as Eckert pulls to a half straightaway lead.  Brad Neat tucks in behind Scott Bloomquist on the low side.

Lap 3:  Eckert eases away from the field while Moyer races to the back of Babb.  A slip by Moyer in three allows Chub to close.

Lap 4:  Babb and Marlar go at it for second as Babb takes a look off four.

CAUTION Lap 5:  Babb works under Marlar but a slip by Marlar reveals a flat left rear tire that brings out the first yellow of the night.

RESTART Lap 6:  Eckert races away from the field.  Bloomquist goes under Neat who drops to the bottom in front of Blankenship who attempts to follow Black Sunshine.

Lap 7:  Jimmy Owens rolls under Blankenship on the back chute as Chub Frank goes to third.

Lap 8:  Eckert’s lead is a half straightaway.  Bloomquist pulls to the back of Moyer.

Lap 9:  Yang takes a look under Moyer for fourth.  Owens goes to work on Neat who tries to pick up Bloomquist’s line ahead of him.

Lap 10:  The field drops to the low side on the hub.  Owens takes another look under Neat.

Lap 11:  Moyer and Bloomquist continue to race for fourth.

Lap 12:  Eckert’s lead is ¾ straightaway.  Babb is ½ straightaway ahead of Chub.

Lap 13:  Moyer closes on Chub to pressure for third.

Lap 14:  Eckert moves on Mike Balzano to put him a lap down.

Lap 15:  Eckert follows Balzano as Babb quietly closes.

Lap 16:  Eckert moves around a bit on the track looking for a way around Blaze-O.

Lap 17:  Eckert’s lead is a straightaway as he works on Balzano.

Lap 18:  Dale McDowell slows on the back chute and pulls out.

Lap 19:  Neat and Owens close on Bloomquist.

Lap 20:  The rubber on the low side is quietly being raced off the track.

Lap 21:  Eckert is in lapped traffic working on Freddy Smith.

Lap 22:  Babb closes making up most of his ground in turn three.

Lap 23:  Neat follows Bloomquist closely.

Lap 24:  Chub, Moyer, Bloomer, Neat, Owens and Blankenship race nose to tail.

Lap 25:  Babb moves in closer to Eckert who follows Smith.

Lap 26:  Smith battles with Ruhlman looking low keeping him from being able to move for Eckert.

Lap 27:  Babb creeps even closer.

Lap 28:  Steve Francis moves from a consi winning starting spot to 10^th.  Freddy goes by Ruhlman as Eckert follows to put Ruhlman a lap down.

Lap 29:  Freddy sees the lay over flag but keeps his car in the paint then pulls away from Eckert a bit.

Lap 30:  Eckert holds Babb to a five car length lead.  Neat slips allowing Bloomquist to pull away.

CAUTION Lap 31:  Joey Daniel slows to bring out the caution just as Eckert was getting pressure from Babb.

RESTART Lap 32:  Eckert rolls away from the field.  Babb pulls away from Chub off two.  Chub, Moyer and Bloomquist remain nose to tail.

Lap 33:  Eckert pulls out by 9 car lengths.  Wendell Wallace rolls by Francis.

Lap 34:  25^th starting Wendell Wallace rides in the top ten.

Lap 35:  Eckert’s lead is half straightaway ahead of Babb who is a half straightaway ahead of the field.

Lap 36:  Blankenship pokes a nose under Owens off two.  Moyer hikes up on three wheels to pull to the rear of Chub.

Lap 37:  Eckert pulls away even more off turn two where he’s the strongest.

Lap 38:  Moyer reels in Chub and takes a peek under off two.

Lap 39:  Eckert and Babb are a half straightaway ahead of the field that seems to follow itself.

Lap 40:  Moyer reels in Chub again who continually manages to shake him for a few laps.

Lap 41:  Eckert seems to be on cruise.  Babb however is better getting into turn three.

Lap 42:  Neat pulls to the rear of Bloomquist again.

Lap 43:  Chub and Moyer pull away from Bloomquist by five car lengths.

Lap 44:  The field rides the low side while Moyer keeps looking under Chub.

CAUTION Lap 45:  Eckert again reels in traffic.  Tim McCreadie stops in turn two to bring out another caution.

RESTART Lap 46:  Eckert pulls away again.  Neat takes a look under Bloomquist on the back side.  Moyer pushes high a bit to allow Bloomquist to roll under going into three.

Lap 47:  Moyer pulls away from Bloomquist as Neat keeps up the heat on Yang.  Wallace pulls to the back of Blankenship.

Lap 48:  Wallace works the low side off two and goes very low down the back stretch.

Lap 49:  Eckert’s lead is a half straightaway.  Owens reels in Neat and Bloomquist and stabs a nose under Neat in three.

Lap 50:  Chub and Moyer pull away from Bloomquist.  A slip by Moyer allows Bloomquist to close again.

Lap 51:  The field rides the hub and several cars race on three wheels.

Lap 52:  Eckert seems to be on cruise again.

Lap 53:  Moyer pulls under Chub in three.

Lap 54:  Eckert rides to nearly a straightaway lead.  Chub grabs a handful of wheel and gets away from Moyer.

Lap 55:  Babb three wheels off the corners, but 7 cylinders aren’t enough to pull him closer to Eckert.

Lap 56:  Eckert rides as McCreadie calls it a night.

Lap 57:  Wallace and Blankenship race to the rear of Owens.

Lap 58:  Wallace continues to look under Blankenship but can’t make things stick in three.

Lap 59:  RJ Conley pressures Steve Francis in the back half of the field.

Lap 60:  Eckert closes in on traffic.

Lap 61:  Moyer, like Wallace drives low on the back stretch.  Wallace continues to hound Blankenship off four following contact in three.

Lap 62:  Wallace and Blankenship keep up the battle as Eckert again closes in on traffic.

Lap 63:  Freddy is again the lapped traffic that approaches Eckert.

Lap 64:  The lapped traffic is a trio in the form of Hartman, Ruhlman and Freddy Smith.  Babb takes advantage and moves in on the leader who follows the pack.

Lap 65:  Eckert’s lead is evaporating each lap.  Babb seems to be racing harder off the corners again riding on 3 wheels.

Lap 66:  Eckert’s lead is going away as Babb races harder off two.

CAUTION Lap 67:  Ruhlman and Hartman race as Eckert goes by Freddy in three bringing Babb by off four.  Freddy then stops to bring out the caution.  Under the yellow Bloomquist dives very low to cool his tires getting mud all over the low side of two and covering the left rear.

RESTART Lap 68:  Eckert pulls away from the field.  Neat sneaks under Bloomquist off two as Owens draws alongside in three.  Bloomquist crowds the Newport Nightmare in three to catch the rubber and hold down sixth. 

Lap 69:  Eckert pulls away at will putting most of the distance on the field off two.

Lap 70:  Bloomquist runs down Neat but Heim is better through the center of the corners. 

Lap 71:  Eckert’s lead is a half straightaway.

Lap 72:  Neat slips high in two allowing Bloomquist to close and take a look in three.  Neat settles himself and pulls away off four.

Lap 73:  Owens runs down Bloomquist whose car is hiking up higher as well.

Lap 74:  Eckert rides a half straightaway ahead of the field.

Lap 75:  Eckert and Babb are each a half straightaway ahead of the field.  Blankenship slips off two allowing Wallace and Lanigan to go by.

Lap 76:  Eckert is riding more than ¾ of the way on his way to the win.

Lap 77:  Moyer pressures Chub for 3^rd.

Lap 78:  Eckert is more cautious about racing into lapped traffic.

Lap 79:  Neat slips again allowing Bloomquist to close.

Lap 80:  Moyer keeps Chub racing on three wheels ahead of Neat and Bloomquist.

CAUTION Lap 81:  Steve Francis slows and begins to pull in erasing another threat of traffic for Eckert.  On the restart, the double file restarts are shelved for a single file finish.

RESTART Lap 82:  Eckert rolls away as Neat pressures Moyer for third.

Lap 83:  Owens slips off two allowing Wallace to peek going into three.

Lap 84:  Eckert pulls out to a half straightaway lead.

Lap 85:  Lanigan, Blankenship and Schlieper race nose to tail.

Lap 86:  Neat follows Moyer.

Lap 87:  The field rides the hub staying in the paint.

Lap 88:  Eckert is now running lower in one and two than he has all night.

Lap 89:  Eckert’s lead continues to grow.

Lap 90:  A straightaway ahead of the field, Scrub begins to go on auto pilot.

Lap 91:  Schlieper and Blankenship battle in the back half of the field.

Lap 92:  Eckert seems to slow his pace to keep from racing into the lapped traffic.

Lap 93:  Eckert’s lead fades to a half straightaway.

CAUTION Lap 94:  Babb begins to race harder seeing Eckert getting closer.  Lanigan then slows with a flat right rear tire.

RESTART Lap 95:  Eckert leads the field to green as Babb takes a look to the bottom of three.  Eckert pulls away off two where he’s been his strongest all night.  Bloomquist pressures Neat who pulls away off two.

Lap 96:  Eckert pulls away even more with the wick turned up a little higher for good measure.

Lap 97:  Jimmy Owens begins to fade a bit as his right rear is going south.

Lap 98:  Eckert is on cruise as Owens pulls to the outside and slows allowing the field to pass.

Lap 99:  Eckert takes the white flag as Owens limps through three and pulls to the track entrance and stops clearly out of the way.

Lap 100:  Rick Eckert rides the low side into one and off two before tiptoeing into three and off four on the hub to become the 2004 Dirt Track World Champion.

Following the race several drivers voiced their displeasure about the oil situation that took place during the pre race warm ups.  Those involved in the early cautions sited the oil for the yellows.  Others still liked the idea but not the circumstances.  Nonetheless, those involved claimed it was a good thing while others cried foul.  In the end, several drivers fell off the respected list of the PAL-U crew.

A possible trip to KLMS may be on tap next week for the PAL-U Crew for a return to the Commonwealth Cup.  Cool winds and details are still sketchey.  But until next time, we'll be wondering how wonderful the DLMHOF will be when the right ideas and revisions are made and rollin' 'em around!

10-09-04Stacker2champ

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:


Hurricane Earl Clinches 2004 Stacker2 National Championship!

Jacksonville, FL (October 8, 2004) - Earl Pearson Jr. and the Dunn-Benson Ford Motorsports team clinched the 2004 Stacker 2 UMP/Xtreme DirtCar Series championship by virtue of his 4th place finish Friday night at Dixie Speedway.  Heading into the next to last race at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock GA, Pearson had a 71 point lead over Jimmy Mars.  Pearson won the second heat race which qualified him for the dash where he would finish 5th and gain 2 more points on Mars. 

All eyes were on Pearson and Mars, as they would start the feature event 5th and 17th, respectively.  The championship was in reach for Pearson if he could finish 5 positions ahead of Mars.  Pearson again showed his consistency by staying in the top 5 throughout the race and came home a solid 4th place finish.  Mars would advance from his 17th starting spot to finish 12th. 

After the smoke clears from the calculators, Pearson will head to the Stacker 2 National Finals in Knoxville, Iowa with a 106 point lead.  The maximum points that Jimmy Mars could gain in the final event are 93 points. Pearson has to only start the feature event Saturday night at Knoxville and he will be crowned the 2004 Stacker 2 UMP/Xtreme DirtCar Series champion!  "This is a huge relief to be able to go to Knoxville with the championship clinched.  I have to thank my car owners, Carlton and Kemp Lamm, for giving me the opportunity to drive for one of the top race teams in the country", stated Pearson after the race. 

Pearson's championship can be attributed to his tremendous consistency throughout the year.  After 23 events, the Dunn-Benson Ford Motorsports team has 4 wins, 18 top 5's and 21 top 10 finishes on the Stacker 2 UMP/Xtreme DirtCar Series.  "I have to give a lot of credit to Lucas Oil for their support and great products that enabled us to have such consistency.  Our engine program this year with Larry Wallace engines gave us more horsepower than ever before and was a large part of our success this year", stated Pearson.

Pearson can now add a national championship to his 1997 "Rookie of the Year" accomplishment.  The Dunn-Benson Ford Motorsports has been very successful over the many years in racing, but this championship is the first national championship for the team. To learn more about the Dunn-Benson Ford Motorsports team and driver "Hurricane" Earl Pearson Jr., visit the official website at www.dunnbensonfordmotorsports.com.

###

Media Contact for Earl Pearson Jr.
Wayne Castleberry
WD Enterprises Inc.

10-08-04EldoraUMPnationals

U.M.P. NATIONALS AT ELDORA SPEEDWAY SET TO CLOSE 2004 SEASON
Press Release, United Midwestern Promoters

EVANSVILLE, IN (October 7, 2004) – A historic racing season will draw to a close this weekend during the U.M.P. National Championships at Eldora Speedway.  The U.M.P. Nationals traditionally mark the conclusion of yet another successful U.M.P. racing season but this year’s edition of the event will also be poignant as we remember United Midwestern Promoters’ founder Bob Memmer and wish legendary Eldora promoter Earl Baltes well in his retirement.  Baltes, 83, will step down from the helm of Eldora Speedway at the conclusion of this weekend’s events after fifty-one consecutive years of leadership.

“The 2004 U.M.P. Nationals will yield the superior racing that teams and fans have come to count on at Eldora but it will also be the capstone to an era and act as a threshold to exciting new adventures,” commented Michelle Petroff, speaking on behalf of U.M.P.  “Not only do we wish to remember Bob Memmer who passed away on July 8th, but also recognize Earl and Berneice Baltes for their commitment to dirt racing, Eldora Speedway and U.M.P. and wish them well in their retirement.  This year’s Nationals mark the end of an era for U.M.P. and Eldora Speedway but they have all left an amazing blueprint for success and we hope to continue their legacy and tradition of excellence.”

Large crowds and several premier teams including former U.M.P., A.L.M.S. and N.A.L.M.S. champions as well as World 100 and $100,000 Dream victors are expected to participate in this weekend’s events. Over 248 drivers competed in the 2003 U.M.P. Nationals but it was Jeep Van Wormer who claimed the $10,000 prize in the late model division while Brian Ruhlman captured the title and $3,000 pay day for modifieds.  Racing will commence on Saturday, October 9, 2004, with gates opening at 11 a.m. and heat races beginning at 7 p.m. as teams vie for one of the coveted 24 feature starting spots.  Pre-race ceremonies will kick off at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 10, and will be followed by the Chassis Challenge, Race of States and feature events.  

The schedule of events and more information on tickets is available online at http://www.eldoraspeedway.com .  Come out and join us for the U.M.P. points’ finale, a weekend of exciting racing and Earl’s final farewell!



Contact Information
Michelle Petroff
United Midwestern Promoters
4500 Crestview Drive
Evansville, IN 47711
HQ 812.479.8760
Direct Line 618.398.9929
Cell 618.406.6842
[email protected]
http://www.umpracing.com

09-14-04FallNat

 13th Fall Nationals at Springfield Stacker2 Xtreme vs. UMP Late Models!

The recent announcement that the 13th annual Turbo Blue Illinois Fall
Nationals at the Illinois State Fairgrounds would be part of the Stacker2
Xtreme Dirt Car Series 2004 Schedule has generated a lot of excitement about
the annual late model and modified festival of speed.  A number of top late
model and modified drivers are expected to make the trip to the "World's
Fastest One Mile Dirt Track" in Springfield, Illinois for the Fall Nationals
event on Sunday, September 19.

This year's late model portion of the Illinois Fall Nationals will be a
co-sanctioned event between the Xtreme Dirt Car Series and the United
Midwestern Promoters Series, meaning that the many local and area stars will
get a unique chance to battle nationally known late model drivers on their
own turf.  They may also get a chance to be on national television as the
Xtreme Series has many events on Speedchannel and it is possible that
highlights of the Fall Nationals or portions of the event could appear on
the cable network or SpeedNews.

Earl Pearson, Jr. of Jacksonville Florida currently leads the Stacker2
Xtreme points chase with 4 wins in 20 starts.  Pearson is one of the
fourteen drivers atop the point standings who have made all 20 Stacker2
races to date, and it is possible that most of the top fourteen will make an
appearance Sunday at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

Jimmy Mars of Elk Mound, Wisconsin is second and is tied with third place
Donnie Moran in wins with 5.  Moran, from Dresden, Ohio is a five-time
winner of the World 100 at Eldora and owns two wins on the "Moody Mile" of
the New York State Fairgrounds.  Fourth place Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine,
Iowa is very familiar with the Illinois State Fairgrounds, he owns two
Illinois Fall National late model wins, those coming in 1998 and 2002.

Fifth in the Stacker2 standings is Matt Miller of Waterville, Ohio, followed
by Streve Shaver of Vienna, West Virginia and Shane Clanton of Locust Grove,
Georgia.  Two Illinois drivers occupy the eight and nine slots and are very
familiar with the Illinois soil.  Bloomington's Billy Drake is the son of
former USAC and ARCA driver Steve Drake, while Chadwick's Darren Miller is a
former Fall Nationals competitor.

North Carolina's Ray Cook is 10th in the points, ahead of Eddie Carrier,
Jr., Michigan's Jeep Van Wormer, John Mason, winner of the first tw Illinois
Fall Nationals Late Model events, and Sonny Conley.

A number of local drivers who currently compete weekly on the area UMP late
model tracks may be in attendance as well.  They include Springfield's Roger
Brickler, Joe Ross, Jr., Matt Taylor and Brian Shirley, New Berlin's Steve
Sheppard, Jr., and Bloomington's Eric Smith.  Another local driver expected
is the fast qualifier for last year's Fall Fationals, Springfield's Justin
Allgaier.  Allgaier is coming off of a fourth place finish in the ARCA
RE/MAX Stock Car series at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds and is the youngest
fast qualifier in the 94 year history of auto racing at the Illinois State
Fairgrounds.  Several drivers from Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana and Missouri are
also possible entrants for the 13th Illinois Fall Nationals.

Last year's Fall Nationals late model event saw Allgaier, Darrell Lanigan
and John Provenzano win the heat races, while Springfield's Joe Ross, Jr.
won the "Dash for Cash".  In the main, Darren Miller led the first five
circuits before Lanigan passed him on lap six and led the remianing circuits
for the Kentucky driver's first mile track triumph.  Kevin Gundaker finished
second, followed by Provenzano, Jamie Zidar and Tim Hamburg.

Several Illinois and area UMP Modified drivers are expected to battle for
the first place trophy in the modified main as well, including former Fall
Nationals modified winner Jeff Leka of Buffalo, off of a fine ride from 23rd
to 3rd at DuQuoin, defending Illinois Fall Nationals modified winner Jim
Shereck of St. Charles, Missouri, DuQuoin winner Brian Shaw of Robinson, Mt.
Zion's Todd Kirkland, Springfield's Kelly Kovski (who finished 15th in the
ARCA event at DuQuoin) and Steve Adams of Humboldt.

The 2003 Modified event witnessed qualifying for the UMP contingent for the
first time in Fall Nationals history, and Shereck set a world record in
qualifying for the modifieds in excess of 102 miles an hour.  Shereck and
Mark Voight won the heat races, and in the 20-mile main event Shereck led
every lap to join Jeff Leka and Charlie Sentman as the only two time
Modified winners at the Illinois Fall Nationals.  Voight chased Shereck to
the line, with Hank Delonjay, Brian Shirley and Dan Schlup, Jr. trailing.

Many of the same UMP stars and cars are expected to return in 2004, along
with the stars and cars of the Stacker2 Xtreme series.  The schedule calls
for the pit gates to open on September 19 at 7 a.m., with the driver's
meeting at 9 and practice at 10.  Late model qualifying begins at 11, with
drivers shooting for Billy Moyer's world record of 28.175, 127.773 miles an
hour.  Racing action starts on the Springfield Mile at 1 p.m.  The late
models will be racing for $12,000 to win, with the UMP Modified feature
paying $2,000 to the winner.

Tickets are on sale now at 217-764-3200 and will be available at the
Illinois State Fairground Ticket Office from September 16 through race day.
Tickets are $25 for adults, and $10 for children 11 and under.

Additional information can be obtained by calling Track Enterprises at
217-764-3200 or at www.trackenterprises.com.