THE 2003 DAVID RICHARDSON MEMORIAL
WINNER IS JIM LEKA
By Jack Taylor

Danville, IL (May 25, 2003) - If there is a line to use that might identify the winner of the Tenth Annual David Richardson Memorial Race for UMP Modifieds, it certainly must be that the granddaddy of big shootouts for UMP modified drivers was won by an old veteran of racing in the Midwest. And before I hear from readers telling me it isn't the largest or biggest payout, but it is and has always been the race that draws the attention of modified fans and drivers each year. Maybe in future time, other venues will offer a larger payout and incentives, but for now it is the race of the year and 2003 proved again it is the place to be on Memorial Day weekend

Racing relic, Jim Leka, prevailed in the 50-lap final event over former winners Denny Schwartz (2001) and Randle Sweeney (2002), to become the tenth different winner in the ten-year history of the banner show. Leka, who hails from the Springfield, IL area, has probably won as many major features as the number of the field of qualifiers (121) who showed up to run the race. Leka is a former UMP National Champion in Late Models and still competes weekly at Macon Speedway and other local tracks in his modified. And Sunday, he proved that his years of experience allowed him to sort out the track conditions and lead the competition across the line for the checkered flag. Marvin Holman of the Danville Commercial News quoted the driver as saying he had not won a feature race in seven years.

2003 DAVID RICHARDSON MEMORIAL CHAMPION
Photo by Shawn Crose

Kankakee area driver, Dave Porth set fast time as 121 drivers started the marathon at 4:30 PM with one qualifying round to determine their spot in one of the eight 15-lap heats. Porth was one of the early drivers out, based on his pill draw, and as the track began to rubber up times slowed down. Water was added prior to heat lineups and the fans witnessed some very good racing in all eight heats.

The first heat with two advancing to the main event saw Porth outrun Jimmy Owens (1998 winner) and Scott Orr.
Heat two went to Jim Leka over Gary Cook, Jr. and 2003 VCS Modified track champion Kyle Logue. Rob Fuqua topped Shane Cottle and Ed Roley in the third heat .The fourth heat saw 2002 Memorial champion, Randle Sweeney, win over Richie Hedrick and Daryl Herbert. In heat five, 18 year old Gabe Menser outran Jeff Leka and Jason Lakey. 

The sixth heat winner was Denny Schwartz over Bob Pohlman and Everett Bradham and Indiana veteran Ray Humphrey took the win in the seventh heat over Tommy Burnside (2000 champ) and David Wheatley. In the final heat, Danny Schwartz crossed the line ahead of Tim O'Donnell and John Burdette to join his father in the feature as the first ever father/son duo in the Richardson Memorial Race. Although it might have happened before, Jeff Leka and Jim Leka were a nephew/uncle combo to make the feature.

Four 24-car consolation events whittled the field down more as the 3-6 spots in the eight heats battled each other and the dry-slick surface to win the one-shot final chance to make the feature. Kyle Logue, Charlie Carrell, Jammie Wilson, and John Burdette advanced as winners to fill the field of 20 for the big event. This portion of the evening saw lots of aggression and frayed nerves as drivers were reaching for that top position. Caution flags prevailed. Yellow was used much more than green, white, and checkered.

Click on these pictures by Shawn Crose

 The 2-5 cars in the four consolations were awarded one more shot at the main event in a B Main with the winner receiving a $1,000 prize or having the chance to refuse it and go on to the feature. R. J. Gall won the 20-lap prelim over Ed Roley and Lee Hobbs. Gall kept the $1,000 and the field was full with 21 including the sponsor provisional of Josh Ferguson, son of race sponsor, Perry Ferguson, and a very deserving driver.

With Porth and Leka on the front row to start the 50-lap show, the drivers and fans were saluted with fireworks and the race was on. Shane Cottle and Kyle Logue got together causing the first caution early on. Leka jumped out after the restart and led for the first 15 laps before Porth, who had hounded him from the green finally passed for the lead. Lap 22 saw Leka take back the lead and Sweeney followed him past Porth. By lap 30, Denny Schwartz had closed to third after getting by Porth, and then put Sweeney in his sights.  Leka stayed in control as most eyes were on Schwartz, who had used two more cautions to close on Sweeney. With 10 to go Schwartz passed Sweeney but used up the remaining laps pursuing the leader. As the checkered flew Schwartz was still closing and the old fable of just one more lap held true.

Leka became the tenth winner of the Richardson with a $5,000.00 prize and another big win in the veterans book of many in his career. No winner has been declared as yet on the points system as the Charleston rainout will be ran later. Schwartz was the Friday night winner at Farmer City in the three-night accumulation for total points. 
Seven states were represented with drivers from West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Missouri, and Illinois. 

(Writers comment) Previous years have seen this race start as many as 26 cars in the final show and a field of 21 was not a deserved treatment of the excellent turnout of quality drivers. $300 to start must have interfered with better judgment in this case. I'm sure I would be told it is not my money paying the purse, but 21 cars is not realistic.... Fans did not deserve that and neither did three more drivers who went home. Over-all, it was a great night of racing and I thank Jamie Reed for allowing me to enter the pits and visit with a lot of my racing friends prior to the racing. It was great seeing a lot of drivers who have helped me fill volumes of words in columns throughout the years. Hope you all take a lot of greens and checkers for many, many years.

Summary courtesy of Chris Nunn
121 UMP MODIFIED
TOP QUALIFIER: Dave Perth (15.258)
HEAT ONE: Dave Porth, Jimmy Owens, Scott Orr, RJ Gall, Bill Wagner (15), Allen Matthews, Clint Demoss, Tim Reynolds, Shelby Miles, Wes Steidinger, Darin Friedman, Aaron Elgin, Chris Veech, Ted Klouse, Tommy Kroll, Marty Lindeman

HEAT TWO: Jim Leka, Gary Cook Jr, Kyle Logue, Jim Shereck, George Aimone, Steve Foust, Billy Vaughan, Elvin Herschberger, Al Crawley, Corey Anderson, Marvin Burton, Rick Standridge, Roger Cary, Bobby Bittle, Don Dow

HEAT THREE: Rob Fuqua, Shane Cottle, Ed Roley, Bill Davis, Michael Steele, Terry Messenger, Scott Weber, Dan Hamstra, Curt Spalding, Matt Boknecht, Terry Mills, Bill Arnold, Greg Wright, Arby Burton, Matt Wilson

HEAT FOUR (NOT COMPLETE): Randle Sweeney, Richie Hedrick, Daryl Herbert, Charlie Carrell, Bobby Pearson, David Spille, Rick Roedel, Dale Hayes
HEAT FIVE: Gabe Menser, Jeff Leka, Jason Lakey, Josh Ferguson, Ed Shamhart, BJ McCammon, Earl Plessenger, Shawn Tolson, Scott Bull, Josh Scott, Wes O'Dell, Steve Ott, Brian Lynn, Travis Shoulders

HEAT SIX: Denny Schwartz, Bob Pohlman Jr, Everett Bradham, Jammie Wilson, Jared Temples, Jerry Danford, Bub Patrick, Al Flick, Tim Walker, David McWilliams, Bill Wagoner, Buffy Clark, Jim Henson, Lance Dehm, Chuck Griffis

HEAT SEVEN: Ray Humphrey, Tommy Burnside, David Wheatley, Lee Hobbs, Brian Shaw, Don Kiger, Chris Gee, Jamie Temples, Larry Anderson, Dave Smith, Ray Burton, Brian Clendenen, Doug Taylor, Brian McDaniels

HEAT EIGHT: Danny Schwartz, Tim O'Donnell, Dave Burdett, Ricky Arms, Terry Duncan, Brad Crosby, Kyle Byerline, Chad Kinder, Craig Conyer, Jarrod Warner, Mark Anderson, Jim Shipman, Mickey Bailey, Brady Short, Todd Kirkland, Stan Beadles

CONSI ONE (Top 4): Kyle Logue, RJ Gall, Jim Shereck, Steve Foust

CONSI TWO (Top 5): Charlie Carrell, Ed Roley, Dan Hamstra, Curt Spalding, Daryl Herbert

CONSI THREE ( Top 5): Jammie Wilson, Jason Lakey, Everett Bradham, Jared Temples, Josh Ferguson

CONSI FOUR (Top 5): John Burdette, Lee Hobbs, Chad Kinder, Kyle Byerline, Ricky Arms

B-MAIN ($1,000 to Win) Top 10: 
RJ Gall, Ed Roley, Lee Hobbs, Dan Hamstra, Jim Shereck, Jason Lakey, Chad Kinder, Curt Spalding, Dave Smith, Kyle Byerline

DAVID RICHARDSON MEMORIAL: Starting Position in Parenthesis
1. Jim Leka (2)
2. Denny Schwartz (6)
3. Randle Sweeney (4)
4. Danny Schwartz (8)
5. Jimmy Owens (9)
6. Gary Cook Jr. (10)
7. Jeff Leka (13)
8. Josh Ferguson (21)
9. John Burdette (20)
10. Charlie Carrell (18)
11. Jammie Wilson (19)
12. Richie Hedrick (12)
13. Gabe Menser (5)
14. Ray Humphrey (7)
15. Dave Porth (1)
16. Rob Fuqua (3)
17. Bob Pohlman Jr. (14)
18. Shane Cottle (11)
19. Tommy Burnside (15)
20. Tim O'Donnell (16)
21. Kyle Logue (17)
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