umpsummernationalsmore

2008 UMP DIRTcar Summernationals....
Always subject to change....
Any rumors or additions, please email me .... [email protected]
Scroll down for the most recent results
For this page to continue as in the past, PLEASE send race results immediately following
any race to [email protected] ....preferably before you go to bed for the night.

Macon Speedway....100 laps
Fairbury American Legion Speedway....50 laps
Oakshade Raceway....60 laps
All others should be 40 laps

listed: day, date, track(click for website), city, state, $ to win, last summernationals winner, track phone number

Sat Jul 12 - Oakshade Raceway, Wauseon, OH $10,000 to win 60 laps(2007 winner Jeep VanWormer)419-337-6850
top 5.... ....more....
Fri Jul 11 - Brownstown Speedway, Brownstown, IN $10,000 to win(last visit Fri Jul 13, 2001 winner Billy Moyer)812-358-5332..From June 13 Rainout
top 5.... ....more....
Thur Jul 10 - LaSalle Speedway, LaSalle, IL $6,000 to win(2007 winner Steve Sheppard, Jr)815-223-6900
top 5.... ....more....
Wed Jul 9 - Spoon River Speedway, Banner, IL $6,000 to win(2007 winner Shannon Babb)309-668-2622
top 5.... ....more....
Tues Jul 8 - Quincy Raceways, Quincy, IL $6,000 to win(2007 winner Shannon Babb)217-224-4100
top 5.... ....more....
Mon Jul 7 - off
Sun Jul 6 - Quad City Raceway, East Moline, IL $6,000 to win(2007 winner Shannon Babb)608-644-1977
top 5.... ....more....
Sat Jul 5 - Fairbury American Legion Speedway, Fairbury, IL $10,000 to win 50 laps (2007 winner Mike Marlar)815-692-3222
top 5.... ....more....

Fri Jul 4 - Tri-City Speedway, Pontoon Beach, IL $10,000 to win(2007 winner Don O'Neal)618-931-7386
top 5.... ....more....

Heavy Rains Force Postponement Of Thursday’s Herald & Review 100 At Macon Speedway; Raindate Changed For UMP DIRT Summer Nationals Event At Morgan County Speedway

MACON, IL – July 3, 2008 – Heavy rain overnight and into the morning inundated the famed Macon Speedway, forcing the postponement of Thursday night’s UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Herald & Review 100.

It marks the second year in a row that the high-banked, one-fifth-mile track’s marquee extra-distance event has been rescheduled by rain.

The $6,000-to-win Herald & Review 100 will now be run on Sat., Aug. 16, setting up a big weekend doubleheader of rescheduled Summer Nationals dates in Illinois.

UMP DIRTcar director Sam Driggers said that Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, Ill., which had its Summer Nationals show washed out midway through time trials on Wednesday night, has rescheduled its $6,000-to-win program for Fri., Aug. 15. Morgan County Speedway officials initially agreed to a raindate of Mon., July 7, but it was later determined that racing can not take place that evening due to preparations for the Morgan County Fair that begins on July 9.

Macon Speedway is the fourth track that has rescheduled its 2008 UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals event due to rain. A fifth event, on June 21 at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., was canceled and not rescheduled due to flood waters that covered the track’s access road.

The Morgan County/Macon swing on Aug. 15-16 will be classified as non-point UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals events because they fall after the series finale on July 12 at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio. But with each $6,000-to-win race sure to attract a large car count, they will figure prominently in the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model national points battle that begins to hits its homestretch in August.

The Summer Nationals continues on Friday night (July 4) with a $10,000-to-win event at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill.

Wednesday’s UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Stop At Morgan County Speedway Postponed By Rain

JACKSONVILLE, IL – July 2, 2008 – Unrelenting rain forced the postponement of Wednesday night’s UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals event at Morgan County Speedway.

The 40-lap, $6,000-to-win show has been rescheduled for Mon., July 7 – a scheduled off-day on the Summer Nationals slate
EDITORS NOTE....JULY 7 DATE IS NOW FRI AUG 15!!!

Two light showers – one that delayed the start of hot laps, and another midway through the Super Late Model time trials – slowed the program but weren’t enough to stop it. Officials finally had to throw in the towel, however, when the rain intensified around 8:40 p.m. as the surface of the high-banked, quarter-mile oval was being run in. Strong thunderstorms moved into the area shortly thereafter.

Thirty-five Super Late Models were signed in for Wednesday night’s competition. Just over half the field had completed a time-trial lap in the group qualifying session before the rain stopped the action, with Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning, Mich., the fastest on the clock at 11.655 seconds.

It was the third rainout of the 2008 UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals, joining postponements on June 13 at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway and June 28 at StormPay.com Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway. A fourth event, on June 21 at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., was canceled and not rescheduled due to flood waters that covered the track’s access road.

The Summer Nationals continues on Thursday night (July 3) at the one-fifth-mile Macon (Ill.) Speedway with the $6,000-to-win Herald & Review 100.

Tues Jul 1 - Peoria Speedway, Peoria, IL $6,000 to win(2007 winner Dennis Erb Jr) (extra Peoria website)309-673-3342
top 5....Jeep VanWormer, Kevin Weaver, Wes Steidinger, Brian Shirley, Dennis Erb Jr ....more....40 cars

fast time Wes Steidinger

Heat 1
Dennis Erb Jr., Wes Steidinger, Jason Feger, Steve Sheppard Jr., Cory Daugherty, Kyle Steffens, Steve Lance Jr., Rick O'Brien, Bryant Dickinson, Dawn Mennel.

Heat 3
Kevin Weaver, Jesse Stovall, Don O'Neal, Jordan Bland, Will Vaught, Donny Walden, Shane Allen, Mike Mullvain, Gerry Reeder Jr

Heat 4
Jeep Van Wormer, Ryan Unzicker, Tim Lance, Rich Bell, Brandon Sheppard, Scott Bull, Mark Burgtorf, Greg Longfellow, Joe Janowski

C main results
Steve Lance Jr., Mark Burgtorf, Shane Allen, Mike Mullvain, Rick O'Brien, Joe Janowski, Gerry Reeder Jr., Greg Longfellow, Jason McBride, Russ Adams, Joey Markle, Dawn Mennell, Brandon Thirlby.

B Main results
Steve Sheppard Jr., Todd Bennett, Jordan Bland, Donny Walden, Rich Bell, Steve Lance Jr., Kyle Steffen, Mark Burgtorf, Shane Allen, Mike Mullvain, Matt Murphy, Cory Daugherty, Brandon Sheppard, Rick Standridge

Feature Lineup
Row 1: Korte, Erb
Row 2: Van Wormer, Weaver
Row 3: Steidinger, Dauber
Row 4: Stovall, Unzicker
Row 5: Feger, Shirley
Row 6: O'Neal, T. Lance
Row 7: S. Sheppard, Bennett
Row 8: Bland, Bell
Row 9: Walden, S. Lance
Row 10: Vaught, Bull
Row 11: Allen

Feature results
1) Jeep Van Wormer, (2) Kevin Weaver, (3) Wes Steidinger, (4) Brian Shirley, (5) Dennis Erb Jr., (6) Don O'Neal, (7) Will Vaught, (8) Ryan Unzicker, (9) Steve Lance Jr., (10) Jesse Stovall, (11) Steve Sheppard Jr., (12) Jason Feger, (13) Tim Lance, (14) Jordan Bland, (15) Todd Bennett, (16) Rich Bell, (17) Ryan Dauber, (18) Randy Korte, (19) Scott Bull, (20) Shane Allen, (21) Donny Walden

UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Night 14: VanWormer Powers To Second Victory Of Tour At Peoria Speedway

PEORIA, IL – July 1, 2008 – By Kellen Burns/DIRTcar Racing P.R. -

Winning certainly never gets old for Pinconning, Mich.’s Jeep VanWormer.

The 33-year-old driver enjoyed another UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals triumph on Tuesday night, visiting RacingJunk.com Victory Lane for the second time on the 2008 tour at Peoria Speedway.

VanWormer hopes that his checkered flag sets him off on a strong run down the Summer Nationals homestretch.

“Hopefully we can win the rest of them (Summer Nationals events),” remarked the chauffeur of the popular No. 55, who sits fourth in the tour’s points standings. “That wouldn’t hurt my feelings a bit.”

VanWormer saw things go his way early in the evening, using a strong qualifying run and heat-race victory to position himself on the inside of the second row for the start of the 40-lap feature.

“We just had a good qualifying run and heat race,” said VanWormer, who earned $6,000 for his eighth career Summer Nationals win. “We drew third (for the A-Main) and that put us where we wanted to be – right on the bottom.”

VanWormer overtook defending Summer Nationals champion and current points leader Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., for the lead on the second lap and never looked back. With the race running caution-free after an opening-lap slowdown, VanWormer maintained solid command and crossed the finish line ahead of former Summer Nationals champion Kevin Weaver of Gibson City, Ill.,

Weaver used his familiarity with Peoria Speedway to his advantage. The runner-up finish was his best of the 2008 Summer Nationals.

“I’ve got a few laps around this place,” said Weaver, who started fourth. “We just have a pretty good Bill West car and we’ve just been working on it. I’m hoping to put some more good finishes together.”

Weaver was unsure if he could have challenged VanWormer with the help of a late-race caution flag, but he still took positives from the second-place finish.

“It’s hard to change your line and know where someone is behind you to try and pass someone else,” said Weaver. “It would have been tough to pass him.”

UMP DIRTcar hotshoe Wes Steidinger of Fairbury,Ill., came through with another strong showing. Starting fifth, ‘The Fairbury Flyer’ used the low line to earn a hard fought third-place finish.

“I think we might have been better (than VanWormer and Weaver),” said Steidinger. “It got kind of one-lane on the bottom there.”

The competitive Steidinger took the third-place finish in stride on a track most drivers found hard to pass on late in the distance.

“Maybe I could have squeezed by them guys,” the pilot of the Rayburn No. J1 said of challenging the leaders. “It would have taken me several laps. I think we would have needed 100 laps instead of 40.”

Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., finished fourth after slipping by Erb in the final laps, leaving Erb fifth at the finish. That left Erb atop the Summer Nationals points standings by just three markers over Shirley after 14 events.

Forty UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models packed the pits at Peoria Speedway, with Steidinger’s lap of 12.522 seconds fastest in the group qualifying session.

Heat races were won by Erb, Randy Korte of Highland, Ill., Weaver and VanWormer, while Steve Sheppard Jr. of New Berlin, Ill., captured the B-Main and Steve Lance Jr. of Cuba, Ill., topped the C-main.

The UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals continues on Wednesday night (July 2) at Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, Ill.

For more information on the Summer Nationals, visit www.dirtcar.com.

UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Feature Finish (40 laps):

1. Jeep VanWormer

2. Kevin Weaver

3. Wes Steidinger

4. Brian Shirley

5. Dennis Erb Jr.

6. Don O’Neal

7. Will Vaught

8. Ryan Unzicker

9. Steve Lance

10. Jesse Stoval

11. Steve Sheppard Jr.

12. Jason Feger

13. Tim Lance

14. Jordan Bland

15. Todd Bennett

16. Rich Bell

17. Ryan Dauber

18. Randy Korte

19. Scott Bull

20. Shane Allen

21. Donny Walden

B-Main Finish: Steve Sheppard Jr., Todd Bennett, Jordan Bland, Donny Walden, Rich Bell, Steve Lance Jr., Kyle Steffen, Mark Burgtorf, Shane Allen, Mike Mullvain, Matt Murphy, Cory Daugherty, Brandon Sheppard, Rick Standridge (DNS) Will Vaught

C-Main Finish: Steve Lance Jr., Mark Burgtorf, Shane Allen, Mike Mullvain, Rick O'Brien, Joe Janowski, Gerry Reeder Jr., Greg Longfellow, Jason McBride, Russ Adams, Joey Markle, Dawn Mennell, Brandon Thirlby

UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Points Standings (after 14 events):

1. Dennis Erb Jr. 1086

2. Brian Shirley 1083

3. Wes Steidinger 946

4. Jeep VanWormer 925

5. Will Vaught 892

6. Randy Korte 854

7. Steve Sheppard Jr. 801

8. Jason Feger 615

9. Darren Miller 580

10. Kevin Weaver 560

11. Jordan Bland 521

12. Dewayne Kiefer 500

13. Billy Moyer 479

14. Ryan Unzicker 473

15. Kevin Claycomb 462

Sun Jun 29 - Lincoln Speedway, Lincoln, IL $6,000 to win(2007 winner Don O'Neal)217-737-7134
top 5.... Brian Shirley, Wes Steidinger, Dennis Erb Jr, Ryan Unzicker, Randy Korte ....more....46 cars

UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Night 13: Shirley Captures Rain-Shortened Event At Lincoln Speedway

LINCOLN, IL – June 29, 2008 – Brian Shirley turned his luck around on Sunday night, taking advantage of other drivers’ misfortune to win the rain-shortened UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals A-Main at Lincoln Speedway.

After a blown tire during heat action two nights earlier at Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway set him down a road that cost him the Summer Nationals points lead, Shirley had everything go his way at the quarter-mile fairgrounds oval. He inherited the lead on two occasions from drivers who retired with mechanical trouble and was in front when rain arrived and forced officials to declare the race official with 26 of a scheduled 40 laps completed.

Shirley, 27, of Chatham, Ill., recorded his second win of the 2008 Summer Nationals, joining Darren Miller of Milledgeville, Ill., and defending champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., as repeat tour winners. It was his fourth career triumph on the grueling month-long Super Late Model series.

The race’s fourth starter, Shirley found himself in front of the field for the first time with his Ed Petroff-owned No. 3s when race-long pacesetter Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., dropped out with mechanical woes on lap 21. Eric Smith