2009/2009UMP

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Huge Field Of UMP DIRTcar Modifieds Expected For Rich Fall DIRTcar Nationals Nov. 6-8 At Southern New Mexico Speedway

LAS CRUCES, NM – Nov. 1, 2009 – Could this be the year that more than 100 UMP DIRTcar Modifieds sign in for the blockbuster Fall DIRTcar Nationals at Southern New Mexico Speedway?

Royal Jones – the co-owner of the 5/16th-mile oval and a veteran UMP DIRTcar Modified driver – has a feeling the magic century mark will be reached when the 10th annual event rolls off on Nov. 6-8.

“It's looking pretty good that we'll finally get to 100 cars for the Fall DIRTcar Nationals,” said Jones, a trucking company magnate who purchased SNMS in 1993 with partner Jimmy Ray. “There's never been more interest in this event. I think that's because more and more people know we run a pretty fair show, pay back pretty well and put on a real fun weekend.”

More than 85 drivers from 14 different states have pre-entered the Fall DIRTcar Nationals, which ranks as one of the richest open-wheel Modified programs in the country. The winner of the 50-lap A-Main on Sun., Nov. 8, will earn a cool $10,000 from a whopping purse that exceeds $68,000.

With additional verbal commitments to appear coming from more than a dozen drivers and other racers from far-and-wide still calling the track office for event information, it's clear why this year's Fall DIRTcar Nationals has “record-setting field” written all over it. The 2008 edition attracted a robust 75 entries after seeing just over 55 drivers pre-register.

“DIRTcar Racing is honored to be involved with an event of this magnitude,” said DIRTcar Racing Western Region director Chris Morgan. “The Fall DIRTcar Nationals grows bigger and bigger every year and shows the short-track world what a great UMP DIRTcar Modified program that Royal Jones and his staff are building at Southern New Mexico Speedway.”

The entry list boasts many well-known, established drivers from across the country. Leading the charge to SNMS will be multi-time MARS DIRTcar Late Model Series champion Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., whose 2009 open-wheel Modified racing schedule is highlighted by a victory earlier this year in the Chub Daniel Memorial at Southern New Mexico. Phillips's teammate and protégé, Arizona native Jeremy Payne, will also be in action.

Other noted racers expected to make long-distance hauls to SNMS include former UMP DIRTcar Modified national champion Denny Schwartz of Ashmore, Ill., veteran dirt Late Model standout Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., Jason Hughes of Watts, Ore., Jeff Taylor of Jonesbro, Ark., Kellen Chadwick of Oakley, Calif., and R.C. Whitwell of Tucson, Ariz. States also represented by pre-registered drivers include New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

A healthy contingent of local competitors stands ready to take on the invaders, including the 55-year-old Jones. The 2002 Fall DIRTcar Nationals winner, Jones will balance his weekend track-operation concerns with racing his Modified in hopes of continuing his recent hot streak – he's won the last four races he's entered in Modified and 305 Sprint Car competition.

The hometrack crowd will also include Royal's son Bumper Jones, who has spent most of the 2009 season racing on the road in special UMP DIRTcar and USMTS events, 2009 Southern New Mexico Speedway UMP DIRTcar Modified champion Fito Gallardo of Las Cruces, N.M., and 2009 UMP DIRTcar Wild West Region titlist Jimmy Ray of Las Cruces, N.M.

The weekend will be jam-packed with racing. Preliminary programs – consisting of heats (lined up by pill draws), last-chance races and a feature – will be contested on Fri., Nov. 6, and Sat., Nov. 7, with each day's 25-lap A-Main locking five drivers directly into the 50-lap championship headliner on Sun., Nov. 8, and additional finishers into Sunday's B- and C-Mains. The Sunday finale will feature several last-chance events and the series of ‘alphabet' races topped by the Fall DIRTcar Nationals.

Sunday's 50-lapper offers a hefty $1,250 just to take the green flag, while drivers making it to the B-Main are guaranteed $700 and those reaching the C-Main are assured $400.

Support-division action for Street Stocks, Legends Cars and Super Trucks will also be part of the weekend, which boasts a total payout in the neighborhood of $100,000.

Gates are scheduled to open at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, with racing getting underway at 7:45 p.m. The Saturday and Sunday programs will begin earlier – gates opening at 12 noon and racing at 2 p.m.

Jones said racers and fans are invited to attend a huge post-race ‘bash' following Saturday's action.

“We'll have a big bonfire, a band, and (sponsor) Sherman Barnett will cook up his famous ribs,” said Jones. “There's going to be a lot of people camping at the track, so we're going to have a real hoe-down. It's gonna be a great time for everyone.”

Three-day passes are available for the weekend at a cost of $27 (grandstands) and $100 (pits). Individual day prices are $10 (Nov. 6-7) and $12 (Nov. 8) for the grandstands and $35 (Nov. 6-7) and $40 (Nov. 8) for the pits.

To view the full Fall DIRTcar Nationals Modified entry list, log onto http://forums.snmspeedway.com/showthread.php?t=3382.

For more information on the Fall DIRTcar Nationals, visit www.snmspeedway.com or call 575-524-7913.

Additional info on all of the series, sanctioning and member tracks of DIRTcar Racing is available at www.DIRTcar.com.

Summing Up: Final 2009 UMP DIRT Racing Super Late Model Points & Statistics

MARYVILLE, IL – Oct. 27, 2009 – During a 2009 UMP DIRTcar Racing Super Late Model season that saw 1,573 different drivers earn points, one rising young star from the heart of the Midwest stood above the crowd.

Jason Feger, 31, of Bloomington, Ill., enjoyed a career year, winning his first UMP DIRTcar national points championship and leading the circuit in feature wins. He had the national crown clinched before even entering the points-season-ending UMP DIRTcar Nationals on Oct. 9-10 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

And make no mistake – Feger earned every cent of the $20,000 championship check he'll receive at the 2009 UMP DIRTcar Racing Awards Banquet on Jan. 9, 2010, at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield, Ill. He spent the second half of the season in a tight battle for the points lead with two-time defending national champ Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., who saw his reign atop the organization's Super Late Model ranks end with a runner-up finish in the points standings, 31 points (3,026-2,995) behind Feger.

Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich., finished a career-best third in the national points after holding the lead several times during the first half of the campaign. Fourth place in the final standings was claimed by two-time national champion Randy Korte of Highland, Ill., who finished a heartbreaking second to Erb in the 2009 UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals points race, and fifth went to Steve Sheppard Jr. of New Berlin, Ill.

Feger's 22 feature wins during the UMP DIRTcar points season (he added a 23rd sanctioned victory in an Oct. 11 event at Kankakee County Speedway after points ended) gave him a career-high total and put him at the top of the circuit's win list by three checkered flags over Sheppard's 19 scores. Dona Marcoullier of Houghton Lake, Mich., was third on the win list with 15 triumphs, Korte ranked fourth with 11 wins and Michael Kloos of Trenton, Ill., and Alan Vochaska of South Haven, Mich., tied for fifth with 10 victories.

A total of 184 different drivers recorded a feature win during the 2009 UMP DIRTcar points season.

Feger fell short of adding a UMP DIRTcar regional points title to his 2009 resume, finishing second in the Central Region to Sheppard. A close friend of Feger, Sheppard beat his buddy by 77 points (2,770-2,693) in the Central points race.

Other Super Late Model regional champions included Schlenk (East), Kloos (West), Lonnie Parker Jr. of El Mirage, Ariz. (Southwest) and Nick Bartels of El Segundo, Calif. (Pacific).

Jon Henry of Ada, Ohio, emerged as the 2009 UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model Rookie of the Year, edging teenager Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill. (Steve Sheppard Jr.'s son) by 59 points (2,581-2,522) in a close two-driver race. Henry also finished eighth in the national points standings and won eight sanctioned features.

Drivers using cars built by Rocket Chassis accounted for 167 UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned Super Late Model feature wins in 2009, putting the Shinnston, W.Va.-based company atop the circuit's manufacturer victory list. Rocket bested Bob Pierce Race Cars (54 wins), MasterSbilt (51), Rayburn (40) and GRT (16) during a season in which 22 different chassis makes were reported as feature winners.

But Pierce Race Cars did, however, claim the national championship thanks to Feger's use of the Oakwood, Ill.-based chassis, as well as the UMP DIRTcar Modified (Gary Cook Jr.) and Limited Modified (Chad Boone) national titles.

A total of 57 different engine builders were reported as winning UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model features in 2009, led by the 38 victories tallied by Bill Schlieper's Pro Power Racing Engines of Sullivan, Wis. Michigan's Dowker Engines finished second with 24 wins, followed by Indiana's Dargie Racing Engines (22), Kentucky's Cornett Racing Engines (21) and Indiana's Rhyne Competition Engines (21).

All UMP DIRTcar Racing points standings remain unofficial until a complete audit of the points is completed.

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

Final 2009 UMP DIRTcar Racing Super Late Model National Points Standings – unofficial pending completion of audit (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jason Feger 3026 40
2. Dennis Erb Jr. 2995 40
3. Rusty Schlenk 2929 40
4. Randy Korte 2839 40
5. Steve Sheppard Jr. 2776 40
6. Ryan Unzicker 2709 40
7. Kevin Weaver 2611 40
8. Jon Henry 2610 40
9. Michael Kloos 2540 40
10. Frankie Heckenast 2533 40
11. Brian Ruhlman 2524 40
12. Brandon Sheppard 2522 40
13. Eric Smith 2477 40
14. Mike Hammerle 2424 40
15. Ed Dixon 2309 40
16. Kyle Logue 2278 40
17. Joe Harlan 2222 40
18. Mark Voigt 2212 40
19. Shannon Babb 2170 37
20. Dona Marcoullier 2135 33
21. Daren Friedman 2117 39
22. Dusty Moore 2092 40
23. Richie Hedrick 2071 40
24. Donny Walden 2022 40
25. Jason McBride 2018 40

Final Central Region Points Standings (driver/points/races counted):

1. Steve Sheppard Jr. 2770 40
2. Jason Feger 2693 40
3. Ryan Unzicker 2603 40
4. Brandon Sheppard 2518 40
5. Eric Smith 2396 40
6. Dennis Erb Jr. 2323 35
7. Joe Harlan 2223 40
8. Kevin Weaver 2127 38
9. Kyle Logue 2080 38
10. Daren Friedman 2072 38

Final West Region Points Standings (driver/points/races counted):
1. Michael Kloos 2468 40
2. Ed Dixon 2214 38
3. Mike Schulte 2011 40
4. Frankie Martin 1926 40
5. Mike Hammerle 1895 37
6. Terry English 1812 29
7. Randy Korte 1783 26
8. Jason McBride 1711 37
9. Chad Zobrist 1665 27
10. Mark Voigt 1596 28

Final Southwest Region Points Standings (driver/points/races counted):

1. Lonnie Parker Jr. 1017 15
2. Anthony Madrid 849 13
3. Brad Williams 807 14
4. Jeremy Thornton 732 13
5. Joey Moriarty 648 14
6. Brad Whitfield 610 13
7. Keith Noyes 601 13
8. Jamie Throckmorton 583 13
9. R.C. Whitwell 537 9
10. John Romero 492 13

Final East Region Points Standings (driver/points/races counted):

1. Rusty Schlenk 2744 40
2. Jon Henry 2386 40
3. Brian Ruhlman 2360 40
4. Dona Marcoullier 2092 32
5. Dusty Moore 2018 40
6. Rich Neiser 1928 33
7. Lynn Geisler 1787 37
8. Eric Spangler 1734 37
9. Jared Miley 1702 29
10. Casey Noonan 1615 28

Final Pacific Region Points Standings (driver/points/races counted):

1. Nick Bartels 645 12
2. Matt Michelli 591 15
3. Rob Mayea 590 11
4. Chris Shannon 580 9
5. Bobby Hogge IV 578 9
6. Mike Johnson 531 9
7. Rob Sanders 491 9
8. Richard Papenhausen 452 8
9. Ron Bartels 431 9
10. Jimmy Whisler 431 8

Final 2009 Super Late Model Rookie Points Standings:

1. Jon Henry 2581
2. Brandon Sheppard 2522
3. Dona Marcoullier 2092
4. Rich Neiser 1938
5. Scott Schmitt 1800
6. Jim Moon 1797
7. Andy Sprague 1454
8. Ryan Missler 1348
9. Justin McNeil 1316
10. Tom Sprague 915

2009 Super Late Model Feature Win List (during points season):

1. Jason Feger 22
2. Steve Sheppard Jr. 19
3. Dona Marcoullier 15
4. Randy Korte 11
5. Michael Kloos 10
5. Alan Vochaska 10
7. Rusty Schlenk 9
7. Dennis Erb Jr. 9
9. Mark Faust 8
9. Jon Henry 8
9. Rich Neiser 8
9. Jeff Walston 8
13. Ed Dixon 7
13. Terry English 7
13. Daren Friedman 7
13. Kyle Logue 7
13. Jared Miley 7
13. Billy Moyer 7
13. Andrew Reaume 7
13. Eric Smith 7
21. Matt Miller 6
21. Chuck Proctor 6
21. Jeep VanWormer 6
 

UMP DIRT Racing National Points Update: Feger (Super Late Models) & Cook (Modifieds) Head To Eldora's Pak-A-Sak UMP DIRT Nationals For Coronations

MARYVILLE, IL – Oct. 8, 2009 – This weekend's Pak-A-Sak UMP DIRTcar Racing Nationals at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, will serve as a coronation for Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., and Gary Cook Jr. of Deer Creek, Ill.

Feger (Super Late Models) and Cook (Modifieds) head into the circuit's points-season-ending doubleheader this weekend (Oct. 9-10) at the famed half-mile oval having already clinched their first career UMP DIRTcar national championships.

Feger, 31, secured his $20,000 title in style, rolling through last weekend's action with three wins and a fourth-place finish. He scored consecutive victories on Oct. 2 at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill., Oct. 3 at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway and Oct. 4 at Shepp's Speedway in Alexander, Ill., before his streak was ended in the nightcap of the two-feature program at Shepp's.

While pushing his 2009 UMP DIRTcar-leading Super Late Model feature win total to 22, Feger extended his national points lead from 27 to 53 points (3,026-2,973) over Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill. With only Saturday night's scheduled 40-lap UMP DIRTcar Nationals A-Main remaining for drivers to earn points, Erb can't mathematically overcome Erb's total and thus is resigned to seeing his two-year reign as national champion come to an end.

The 33-year-old Cook, meanwhile, did not gain any points last weekend – the Modified standings are determined using drivers' best 30 finishes/points nights – but still ended up with an insurmountable points edge over Devin Gilpin of Columbus, Ind. Cook leads the 19-year-old Gilpin, who scored points-earning finishes of second on Oct. 2 at Tri-City Speedway and third on Oct. 3 at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway, by 51 points (2,422-2,371) entering the $3,000-to-win extravaganza at Eldora.

Points closed last weekend for all other UMP DIRTcar divisions. No national points battle was more dramatic than the Pro Late Model class struggle, which saw Bobby Dauderman of Alhambra, Ill., unseat Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky., for the national crown.

Dauderman, 20, trailed the 31-year-old Davenport by 12 points entering last weekend's crate-engine division tripleheader at Tri-City Speedway. But after the first night of action, on Oct. 1, was postponed, features the next two evenings decided the title in Dauderman's favor by a mere seven points (2,217-2,210).

After finishing third to Davenport's ninth in the UMP DIRTcar Pro Late Model Championship event on Oct. 2, Dauderman entered the points-season finale on Oct. 3 needing to finish at least third with Davenport behind him to secure the championship. He went on to cross the finish line in third while Davenport flashed under the checkered flag in eighth.

Dauderman later moved up to second and Davenport to seventh in the official rundown because apparent runner-up Bryan Collins was disqualified after his car owner refused to let UMP DIRTcar tech officials take his crate engine for a thorough inspection.

Other 2009 UMP DIRTcar national champions decided after last weekend's competition included:

* Russell Eilers of Highland, Ill., who overtook Jimmy Cummins of Waterloo, Ill., for the Sportsman points lead during the season's final weekend of points racing. He beat Clayton Perry of North Vernon, Ind., by just three points and Cummins by four markers.

* Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky., who captured the Limited Modified title.

* Rick Thomas of Koehler, Ill., who topped the Stock Car points race by a healthy 75-point margin.

* Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks) and Bob Zbinden of Alhambra, Ill. (Sport Compacts).

All UMP DIRTcar Racing points standings remain unofficial until a complete audit of the points is completed later this month.

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (Super Late Models & Modifieds as of Oct. 5; unofficial final points for all other divisions):

Super Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jason Feger 3026 40
2. Dennis Erb Jr. 2973 40
3. Rusty Schlenk 2913 40
4. Randy Korte 2818 40
5. Steve Sheppard Jr. 2776 40
6. Ryan Unzicker 2709 40
7. Kevin Weaver 2611 40
8. Jon Henry 2581 40
9. Michael Kloos 2540 40
10. Brandon Sheppard 2522 40
11. Frankie Heckenast 2501 40
12. Eric Smith 2477 40
13. Brian Ruhlman 2474 40
14. Mike Hammerle 2424 40
15. Ed Dixon 2309 40
16. Kyle Logue 2278 40
17. Joe Harlan 2222 40
18. Mark Voigt 2212 40
19. Shannon Babb 2170 37
20. Daren Friedman 2117 39

Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Gary Cook Jr. 2422 30
2. Devin Gilpin 2371 30
3. Jeff Leka 2338 30
4. John McCaul 2285.5 30
5. Mike Spatola 2281 30
6. Randle Sweeney 2279 30
7. Todd Sherman 2273 30
8. Jeff Babcock 2269 30
9. Kent Robinson 2248 30
10. Tim Hancock 2244 30
11. Nick Allen 2221 30
12. Lance Dehm 2219 30
13. Marc Kurth 2164 30
14. Marty O'Neal 2162 30
15. Clayton Miller 2154 30
16. Vance Wilson 2132 30
17. Doug Adkins 2126 30
18. Clint DeMoss 2103 30
19. Jeremy Nichols 2087 30
20. Vince Cooper 2052 30

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bobby Dauderman 2217 30
2. Tait Davenport 2210 30
3. Dustin Griffin 2109 30
4. Nick Bauman 2084 30
5. Caleb Ashby 2074 30
6. Matt Liner 1950 30
7. Daniel Heck 1931 30
8. Josh Harris 1865 30
9. Bobby Martintoni 1825 30
10. Cary King 1812 30

Sportsman (driver/points/races counted):

1. Russell Eilers 1852 25
2. Clayton Perry 1849 25
3. Jimmy Cummins 1848 25
4. Alan Magner 1757 25
5. Greg Kimmons 1683 25
6. Brian Williams 1661 25
7. Troy Clark 1604 25
8. Joey Ladouceur 1576 22
9. Christy Georges 1533 25
10. Brad Cummings 1524 25

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Chad Boone 1821 25
2. Jonathan Smith 1800 25
3. Scotty Oliver 1643 25
4. Jansen Morris 1613 25
5. Jeff Brooks 1509 25
6. John Paul Talkington 1418 25
7. Josh Tyler 1362 25
8. Chad Sweeney 1355 25
9. Justin Riley 1341 25
10. Shelli O'Bryan 1333 25

Stock Cars (driver/points/races counted):

1. Rick Thomas 1964 25
2. David Hurst 1889 25
3. Steve Ewing 1873 25
4. Joel Funk 1871 25
5. Stacy Tretter 1806 25
6. Dave Mannise 1787 25
7. Ron Wadforth 1742 25
8. Larry Russell Jr. 1741 25
9. Mike Welch 1731 25
10. Jerrad Krick 1730 25

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bill May 1777 25
2. Justin Schuler 1676 25
3. Dean Rake 1625 25
4. Dan Wilson 1614 25
5. Dennis Ponder 1536 24
6. Paul Tenbrink 1526 25
7. Loren Peterson 1503 25
8. Tony Weinrick 1448 25
9. Jim Scout 1351 20
10. Randy Deitzel 1289 24

Sport Compacts (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bob Zbinden 2011 25
2. Joe Reed 1984 25
3. Michael Rittenberry 1796 25
4. Richard Ashby 1794 25
5. Eric Wisher 1790 25
6. C.J. Rector 1713 25
7. Todd Meyer 1675 25
8. Evan Taylor 1642 25
9. Mark Farber 1618 25
10. James Hankins 1615 25

UMP DIRT Racing National Points Update: Feger (Super Late Models) & Cook (Modifieds) Move Closer To Championships

MARYVILLE, IL – Oct. 1, 2009 – Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill. (Super Late Models) and Gary Cook Jr. of Deer Creek, Ill. (Modifieds) find themselves on the brink of winning their first career UMP DIRTcar Racing national points titles.

With only this weekend's weekly action and the Oct. 9-10 UMP DIRTcar Nationals at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, remaining in the circuit's 2009 points season, Feger leads the Super Late Model standings by 27 points and Cook holds a 65-point advantage in the Modified rankings.

Feger, 31, scored a critical victory in a caution-plagued, time-shortened feature on Sept. 25 at Kankakee (Ill.) County Speedway. His 19th win tied him with Steve Sheppard Jr. of New Berlin, Ill., for the most UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned checkered flags this season and also added 20 points to his national points total, which is determined using drivers' 40 best finishes/points nights.

While Feger gained no more points with finishes of seventh on Sept. 26 at Peoria (Ill.) Speedway (after suffering a flat tire while in contention) and ninth on Sept. 27 at Shepp's Speedway in Alexander, Ill. (after being hampered by mechanical trouble), he extended his points lead over two-time and defending national champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill. Erb, who did not compete in a UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned event last weekend, saw his deficit expand from seven points to 27 (2,964-2,937).

Both Feger and Erb had plans to kick off the final weekend of weekly UMP DIRTcar points racing by entering the first leg of a three-night program tonight (Oct. 1) at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill., but the event has been postponed by rain to Sunday evening.

Feger's preliminary schedule for the weekend has him slated to chase points in a $2,000-to-win show on Friday (Oct. 2) at Tri-City; a Monster Midwest Tour event on Saturday (Oct. 3) at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway; and a double-feature program on Sunday (Oct. 4) at Shepp's Speedway.

Erb, meanwhile, currently plans to race for UMP DIRTcar points this weekend in a Northern Allstars Late Model Series event on Friday (Oct. 2) at Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway and the Monster Midwest Tour card on Saturday at Lincoln.

Feger and Erb will conclude their late-season battle for the $20,000 title on Oct. 9-10 at Eldora. A 40-lap A-Main paying $5,000 to win will top the UMP DIRTcar Nationals program.

Cook, 33, inched closer to his first UMP DIRTcar national Modified crown with a spectacular performance at Quad City Raceway in East Moline, Ill., winning a Hall of Fame Classic preliminary feature on Sept. 26 and the $2,000 top prize in the Gary Reinhart Memorial on Sept. 27. The back-to-back triumphs gave him 24 UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned wins this season and added 12 points to his national total, which is determined using Modified drivers' best 30 finishes/points nights.

The victories also helped Cook keep 19-year-old Devin Gilpin of Columbus, Ind., at bay. Gilpin added 15 points to his national total with a victory on Sept. 26 at Soggy Bottom Raceway in Morgantown, Ky., but he shaved only three points off his deficit to Cook (2,422-2,357).

Defending national Modified champion Jeff Leka of Buffalo, Ill., who sits third in the standings, did not collect any points last weekend. He now trails Cook by 84 points and Gilpin by 19 markers.

Defending UMP DIRTcar Pro Late Model national champion Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky., leads Bobby Dauderman of Alhambra, Ill., by 12 points in the division's tight championship battle that will be decided this weekend at Tri-City Speedway. Both drivers are expected to enter the three Pro Late Model events that are part of the ‘Modified Mania' weekend, which now runs from Friday to Sunday (Oct. 2-4).

The Pro Late Model championship is one of six divisional points battles that will end this weekend. Other UMP DIRTcar national points leaders entering this weekend's season-ending action include Jimmy Cummins of Waterloo, Ill. (Sportsman), Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky. (Limited Modifieds), Rick Thomas of Koehler, Ill. (Stock Cars), Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks) and Bob Zbinden of Alhambra, Ill. (Sport Compacts).

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of Sept. 28, 2009):

Super Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jason Feger 2964 40
2. Dennis Erb Jr. 2937 40
3. Rusty Schlenk 2875 40
4. Randy Korte 2741 40
5. Steve Sheppard Jr. 2738 40
6. Ryan Unzicker 2666 40
7. Jon Henry 2581 40
8. Kevin Weaver 2561 40
9. Michael Kloos 2494 40
10. Brandon Sheppard 2489 40
11. Brian Ruhlman 2484 40
12. Frankie Heckenast 2451 40
13. Eric Smith 2436 40
14. Mike Hammerle 2419 40
15. Ed Dixon 2309 40
16. Kyle Logue 2193 40
17. Joe Harlan 2183 40
18. Shannon Babb 2170 37
19. Daren Friedman 2117 39
20. Dona Marcoullier 2092 32

Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Gary Cook Jr. 2422 30
2. Devin Gilpin 2357 30
3. Jeff Leka 2338 30
4. John McCaul 2285.5 30
5. Mike Spatola 2281 30
6. Randle Sweeney 2279 30
7. Jeff Babcock 2248 30
8. Kent Robinson 2248 30
9. Todd Sherman 2240 30
10. Tim Hancock 2234 30
11. Lance Dehm 2219 30
12. Nick Allen 2207 30
13. Marc Kurth 2163 30
14. Clayton Miller 2142 30
15. Marty O'Neal 2141 30
16. Vance Wilson 2132 30
17. Doug Adkins 2126 30
18. Clint DeMoss 2098 30
19. Jeremy Nichols 2074 30
20. Vince Cooper 2052 30

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Tait Davenport 2210 30
2. Bobby Dauderman 2198 30
3. Dustin Griffin 2109 30
4. Nick Bauman 2084 30
5. Caleb Ashby 2066 30
6. Daniel Heck 1917 30
7. Matt Liner 1909 30
8. Josh Harris 1835 30
9. Bobby Martintoni 1824 30
10. Cary King 1775 30

Sportsman (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jimmy Cummins 1848 25
2. Russell Eilers 1837 25
3. Clayton Perry 1832 25
4. Greg Kimmons 1683 25
5. Alan Magner 1677 25
6. Brian Williams 1661 25
7. Troy Clark 1600 25
8. Christy Georges 1533 25
9. Brad Cummings 1514 25
10. Sherman Barnett 1509 25

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Chad Boone 1821 25
2. Jonathan Smith 1780 25
3. Scotty Oliver 1594 25
4. Jansen Morris 1580 25
5. Jeff Brooks 1474 25
6. John Paul Talkington 1418 25
7. Josh Tyler 1343 25
8. Chad Sweeney 1342 25
9. Justin Riley 1320 25
10. Kyle Stolzer 1307 20

Stock Cars (driver/points/races counted):

1. Rick Thomas 1964 25
2. David Hurst 1884 25
3. Steve Ewing 1872 25
4. Joel Funk 1871 25
5. Stacy Tretter 1806 25
6. Dave Mannise 1787 25
7. Ron Wadforth 1742 25
8. Larry Russell Jr. 1740 25
9. Mike Welch 1731 25
10. Jerrad Krick 1730 25

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bill May 1777 25
2. Justin Schuler 1676 25
3. Dean Rake 1625 25
4. Dan Wilson 1614 25
5. Paul Tenbrink 1526 25
6. Loren Peterson 1503 25
7. Dennis Ponder 1480 23
8. Tony Weinrick 1448 25
9. Jim Scout 1351 20
10. Chuck Smith 1280 25

Sport Compacts (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bob Zbinden 2011 25
2. Joe Reed 1984 25
3. Michael Rittenberry 1791 25
4. Eric Wisher 1790 25
5. Richard Ashby 1745 25
6. C.J. Rector 1713 25
7. Todd Meyer 1675 25
8. Mark Farber 1618 25
9. Justin Suhre 1612 25
10. Evan Taylor 1611 25

Three Nights Of Racing (Oct. 1-3) At Tri-City Speedway Will Decide 2009 UMP DIRTcar Racing Pro Late Model National Champion

PONTOON BEACH, IL – Sept. 30, 2009 – The nip-and-tuck battle for the 2009 UMP DIRTcar Racing Pro Late Model national championship will come down to three nights of action at Tri-City Speedway.

Defending champion Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky., leads the crate-engine division's national standings by a slim 12-point margin (2,210-2,198) over Bobby Dauderman of Alhambra, Ill., entering the three-eighths-mile track's rescheduled Oct. 1-3 ‘Modified Mania' program, which also features three complete shows for the UMP DIRTcar Modified and Super Late Model classes.

The biggest evening for the Pro Late Models will come on Friday (Oct. 2), when the ‘Bud Light 40' UMP DIRTcar Pro Late Model Championship event offers a cool $2,500 top prize plus lap leader bonuses. The division will also compete in events paying $500 to win on Thursday night (Oct. 1) and $750 to win on Saturday night (Oct. 3).

With the 2009 UMP DIRTcar national points season ending on Oct. 4 for all divisions except the Super Late Models and Modifieds, Tri-City's ambitious multi-day affair will include plenty of points-title drama for the Pro Late Models. Davenport, Dauderman and Dustin Griffin of Camp Point, Ill., who sits third in the national standings (101 points behind Davenport) and is the only other driver still mathematically alive for the championship, all plan to enter the three events.

Davenport, 31, is bidding to remain the only Pro Late Model national champion in UMP DIRTcar history after capturing last year's inaugural title. He lost the points lead to Dauderman, 20, after the weekend of Sept. 11-13, but he turned his 11-point deficit into an eight-point edge the following weekend and extended his advantage to 12 points in the latest rankings for races run through Sept. 28.

The UMP DIRTcar Pro Late Model national standings are determined using drivers' best 30 finishes/points nights. The title contenders have already passed that number of starts, so Tri-City's blockbuster program gives them three chances to replace the lowest remaining points totals on their ledgers.

Multiple scenarios are possible for Davenport and Dauderman depending on each night's car count, which determine the number of bonus points racers can earn.

Provided that a field of 30 or more cars is signed in to give drivers the opportunity to race for the maximum 10 bonus points, Davenport will have to finish fifth or better in the first feature at Tri-City to gain points. If he accomplishes that, he would need to finish fourth or better the second night and, finally, third or better the third night in order to replace his worst points outings.

Dauderman, meanwhile, has three 65-point nights as the lowest remaining numbers on his season log, so he can erase them and gain points by finishing fourth or better in each of the features provided there is 30 or more cars on hand. He is confident of his chances considering he just won a Pro Late Model feature at Tri-City on Sept. 11.

A $10,000 points-fund check for winning the UMP DIRTcar Pro Late Model championship is the pot of gold at the end of this weekend's rainbow for one of the drivers.

Tri-City's fifth annual ‘Modified Mania' gathering is headlined by three huge nights of racing for the UMP DIRTcar Modified division. A feature paying $3,000 to win and $300 to start is scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, providing an opportunity for one driver to leave the speedway with $9,000 in earnings for a sweep.

The UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models also have a $2,000-to-win A-Main scheduled on each night of the ‘Modified Mania' program. The division's national title contenders, leader Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., and two-time defending champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., are expected to appear at Tri-City for at least a portion of the Super Late Model tripleheader.

UMP DIRTcar national points for the Super Late Model and Modified divisions end with the Oct. 9-10 UMP DIRTcar Racing Nationals at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

Other divisions set to take part in Tri-City's ‘Modified Mania' include the Street Stocks ($1,000 to win on Thursday), Factory Stocks ($1,000 to win on Friday) and B-Mods ($400 to win on Saturday).

Racing is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday hot laps will begin at 5:45 p.m., followed by qualifying and racing.

For more information including ticket prices, visit www.tricityspeedway.net or call the track at 618-931-7836 or 800-617-9077.

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing.

UMP DIRT Racing National Points Update: Feger (Super Late Models) & Cook (Modifieds) See Points Leads Shrink Slightly

MARYVILLE, IL – Sept. 25, 2009 – Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill. (Super Late Models) and Gary Cook Jr. of Deer Creek, Ill. (Modifieds) remained on top of the UMP DIRTcar Racing national points standings released on Thursday, but their advantages shrank slightly heading into the critical final three weeks of the circuit's 2009 points season.

With two weekends of weekly points racing and the Oct. 9-10 UMP DIRTcar Racing Nationals at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, remaining for Super Late Model and Modified competitors, Feger holds a seven-point edge (2,944-2,937) over two-time defending national champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., while Cook has a more comfortable 68-point advantage (2,410-2,342) over teenager Devin Gilpin of Columbus, Ind.

Feger, 31, lost three points from his lead after the MARS DIRTcar Series/UMP DIRTcar ‘USA World 50' on Sept. 18 at Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway. He finished fifth in the event – one spot behind Erb, whose finish gained him points because it was one of his 40 best points nights of the season.

The two Super Late Model championship contenders put on a show for Paducah's fans. After Feger charged through the field following an early pit stop to change a flat tire that had knocked him out of second place, he spent the race's final 15 laps battling for fourth with Erb.

Feger, who is seeking his first-ever UMP DIRTcar national crown, and Erb were set to continue their head-to-head showdown for the championship the next two nights in World of Outlaws Late Model Series events co-sanctioned by UMP DIRTcar, but Mother Nature had other ideas. Saturday's Pepsi Nationals at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., and Sunday's Best Western Illinois Fall Nationals at La Salle (Ill.) Speedway were rained out, keeping Feger and Erb off the track.

Cook, meanwhile, won his 22nd UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned Modified feature of the season during the ‘Big Dawg 100' preliminary program on Sept. 18 at Twin Cities Raceway Park in Vernon, Ind., but his points lead fell from 73 to 68 points over Gilpin even though the Hoosier State driver followed Cook across the finish line as the runner-up in the same race. With the UMP DIRTcar Modified standings determined using drivers' best 30 points nights of the season, Cook replaced a low total of 75 points with a 83-point take at Twin Cities (+8 points) while Gilpin replaced a low evening of 65 points with his 78-point runner-up finish (+13 points). They gained no points in the Sept. 19 ‘Big Dawg 100' at Twin Cities, with Cook finishing 14th and Gilpin placing 16th.

Both Cook, 33, and Gilpin, who turns 19 on Sept. 29, are chasing their first career UMP DIRTcar national Modified championships.

In an interesting side note to the points race, Cook and his Scott's Extreme Motorsports team fielded a second car at Twin Cities for Dan Hamstra of Wheatland, Ind., who won the 2006 UMP DIRTcar national Modified championship despite missing the last few weeks of the season after suffering serious injuries in a highway accident. Hamstra, who turns 53 on Oct. 18, was inactive from racing for the past three years – save an abbreviated comeback attempt last year – while recovering from his injuries until Cook offered him a chance to get behind the wheel again earlier this month.

After debuting two weeks ago in an event at Kankakee (Ill.) County Speedway, Hamstra felt he was ready to tackle the two-day ‘Big Dawg' weekend at Twin Cities as a teammate to his close friend. Hamstra finished 10th in Friday night's preliminary feature and scored a 12th-place finish in the ‘Big Dawg' headliner.

The top spot in the Pro Late Model national points standings flipped for the second straight week, with defending champion Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky., regaining command from Bobby Dauderman of Alhambra, Ill. Davenport turned an 11-point deficit into an eight-point lead, moving him closer to a second consecutive title.

Other UMP DIRTcar national points leaders through Sept. 21 included Jimmy Cummins of Waterloo, Ill. (Sportsman), Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky. (Limited Modifieds), Rick Thomas of Koehler, Ill. (Stock Cars), Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks) and Bob Zbinden of Alhambra, Ill. (Sport Compacts).

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of Sept. 21, 2009):

Super Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jason Feger 2944 40
2. Dennis Erb Jr. 2937 40
3. Rusty Schlenk 2849 40
4. Randy Korte 2741 40
5. Steve Sheppard Jr. 2688 40
6. Ryan Unzicker 2649 40
7. Kevin Weaver 2561 40
8. Jon Henry 2531 40
9. Michael Kloos 2455 40
10. Brandon Sheppard 2454 40
11. Brian Ruhlman 2414 40
12. Frankie Heckenast 2412 40
13. Eric Smith 2386 40
14. Mike Hammerle 2384 40
15. Ed Dixon 2249 40
16. Shannon Babb 2170 37
17. Joe Harlan 2148 40
18. Kyle Logue 2128 40
19. Daren Friedman 2117 39
20. Richie Hedrick 2071 40

Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Gary Cook Jr. 2410 30
2. Devin Gilpin 2342 30
3. Jeff Leka 2338 30
4. John McCaul 2285.5 30
5. Randle Sweeney 2279 30
6. Mike Spatola 2271 30
7. Jeff Babcock 2248 30
8. Kent Robinson 2248 30
9. Todd Sherman 2240 30
10. Tim Hancock 2234 30
11. Lance Dehm 2190 30
12. Nick Allen 2179 30
13. Marc Kurth 2163 30
14. Clayton Miller 2142 30
15. Marty O'Neal 2128 30
16. Doug Adkins 2126 30
17. Vance Wilson 2117 30
18. Clint DeMoss 2094 30
19. Jeremy Nichols 2074 30
20. Dean Hoffman 2005 30

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Tait Davenport 2206 30
2. Bobby Dauderman 2198 30
3. Dustin Griffin 2109 30
4. Nick Bauman 2084 30
5. Caleb Ashby 2023 30
6. Daniel Heck 1891 30
7. Matt Liner 1890 30
8. Bobby Martintoni 1797 30
9. Rylan Dagg 1756 30
10. Cary King 1726 30

Sportsman (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jimmy Cummins 1848 25
2. Clayton Perry 1832 25
3. Russell Eilers 1798 25
4. Alan Magner 1677 25
5. Brian Williams 1661 25
6. Greg Kimmons 1653 25
7. Troy Clark 1600 25
8. Brad Cummings 1514 25
9. Christy Georges 1494 25
10. Greg Amick 1494 25

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Chad Boone 1806 25
2. Jonathan Smith 1735 25
3. Scotty Oliver 1549 25
4. Jansen Morris 1501 25
5. Jeff Brooks 1473 25
6. John Paul Talkington 1348 24
7. Kyle Stolzer 1307 20
8. Shelli O'Bryan 1298 25
9. Chad Sweeney 1291 25
10. Josh Tyler 1280 25

Stock Cars (driver/points/races counted):

1. Rick Thomas 1954 25
2. David Hurst 1884 25
3. Steve Ewing 1872 25
4. Joe Funk 1846 25
5. Stacy Tretter 1806 25
6. Dave Mannise 1787 25
7. Ron Wadforth 1742 25
8. Mike Welch 1731 25
9. Larry Russell Jr. 1728 25
10. Jeff Houchens 1717 24

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bill May 1777 25
2. Justin Schuler 1676 25
3. Dean Rake 1625 25
4. Dan Wilson 1614 25
5. Paul Tenbrink 1526 25
6. Loren Peterson 1503 25
7. Tony Weinrick 1438 25
8. Dennis Ponder 1409 22
9. Jim Scout 1351 20
10. Chuck Smith 1280 25

Sport Compacts (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bob Zbinden 2006 25
2. Joe Reed 1984 25
3. Eric Wisher 1788 25
4. Michael Rittenberry 1785 25
5. C.J. Rector 1713 25
6. Richard Ashby 1681 25
7. Todd Meyer 1635 25
8. Mark Farber 1618 25
9. Eric Wilson 1596 25
10. Justin Suhre 1584 25
 

UMP DIRT Racing National Points Update: Feger (Super Late Models) & Cook (Modifieds) Remain Atop Standings

MARYVILLE, IL – Sept. 18, 2009 – Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., kept his Super Late Model points lead at 10 points while Gary Cook Jr. of Deer Creek, Ill., slightly extended his Modified edge in the UMP DIRTcar Racing national points standings released on Thursday.

Feger, 31, remained ahead of two-time defending national Super Late Model champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., by a margin of 2,937-2,927 in races run through Sept. 14 after neither driver gained points last weekend with a finish strong enough to replace one of their top 40 points nights of the season.

Both Feger and Erb, who turns 37 on Oct. 12, entered last weekend's prestigious UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned World 100 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Feger failed to qualify for the $42,000-to-win A-Main – just his second DNQ of the 2009 season – after slapping the wall early in his heat race, while Erb won a heat and went on to finish 10th in the 100-lapper.

Just three weekends of weekly action plus the points-ending UMP DIRTcar Nationals on Oct. 9-10 at Eldora Speedway remain in the circuit's national points race – and Feger and Erb figure to race head-to-head for the title in virtually all their remaining starts.

The Feger-Erb face-off continues this weekend, beginning on Friday night (Sept. 18) in the MARS DIRTcar Series/UMP DIRTcar ‘World 50' at Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway. Paducah's $5,000-to-win event will start from scratch after it was postponed by rain last month with a portion of qualifying completed.

The remainder of the weekend will see Feger and Erb competing in World of Outlaws Late Model Series programs on Saturday night (Sept. 19) at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., and Sunday night (Sept. 20) at La Salle (Ill.) Speedway. Both I-55's Pepsi Nationals and the Best Western Illinois Fall Nationals at La Salle are co-sanctioned by UMP DIRTcar, so they offer UMP DIRTcar points and will be run using the organization's Hoosier LM20, LM30 and LM40 compound tire rule.

Cook, meanwhile, pushed his lead in the national Modified points from 64 to 73 points with a pair of points-earning outings – a win on Sept. 13 at Quad City Speedway in East Moline, Ill., and a second-place finish on Sept. 12 at Spoon River Speedway in Canton, Ill.

The increased points advantage was the second bit of good news that Cook, 33, received this week. On Wednesday he learned very positive information regarding a medical issue that he's been dealing with for the past year-and-a-half.

Cook finished third in the 2008 UMP DIRTcar national Modified points standings despite missing some mid-season racing time while undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments for an inoperable cancerous tumor that doctors found in July near his nasal passage. Doctors said just before the first of the year that the cancer had gone into remission; Cook has been getting cancer scans every three months since then and on Wednesday was informed that his latest test showed that the dead tissue continues to deteriorate, prompting doctors to move his regular cancer scans to once every six months.

Devin Gilpin of Columbus, Ind., who turns 19 on Sept. 29, used a points-scoring victory on Sept. 12 at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway to move into a tie for second in the national Modified points standings with defending national champion Jeff Leka, 44, of Buffalo, Ill.

Bobby Dauderman of Alhambra, Ill., overtook Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky., for the lead in the UMP DIRTcar national Pro Late Model points standings. Dauderman holds an 11-point edge in his bid to unseat Davenport as the division's national champion.

Other UMP DIRTcar national points leaders through Sept. 14 included Jimmy Cummins of Waterloo, Ill. (Sportsman), Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky. (Limited Modifieds), Rick Thomas of Koehler, Ill. (Stock Cars), Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks) and Bob Zbinden of Alhambra, Ill. (Sport Compacts).

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of Sept. 14, 2009):

Super Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jason Feger 2937 40
2. Dennis Erb Jr. 2927 40
3. Rusty Schlenk 2796 40
4. Randy Korte 2741 40
5. Steve Sheppard Jr. 2652 40
6. Ryan Unzicker 2628 40
7. Kevin Weaver 2561 40
8. Jon Henry 2468 40
9. Brandon Sheppard 2454 40
10. Eric Smith 2386 40
11. Michael Kloos 2380 40
12. Mike Hammerle 2379 40
13. Frankie Heckenast 2370 40
14. Brian Ruhlman 2316 40
15. Ed Dixon 2172 39
16. Shannon Babb 2170 37
17. Daren Friedman 2117 39
18. Joe Harlan 2117 40
19. Richie Hedrick 2071 40
20. Kyle Logue 2064 40

Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Gary Cook Jr. 2402 30
2. Devin Gilpin 2329 30
3. Jeff Leka 2329 30
4. John McCaul 2280.5 30
5. Randle Sweeney 2274 30
6. Mike Spatola 2271 30
7. Todd Sherman 2240 30
8. Kent Robinson 2235 30
9. Tim Hancock 2230 30
10. Jeff Babcock 2219 30
11. Lance Dehm 2181 30
12. Nick Allen 2149 30
13. Marc Kurth 2134 30
14. Clayton Miller 2127 30
15. Vance Wilson 2117 30
16. Marty O'Neal 2096 30
17. Clint DeMoss 2094 30
18. Doug Adkins 2077 30
19. Jeremy Nichols 2043 30
20. Bobby Bittle 1980 30

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bobby Dauderman 2182 30
2. Tait Davenport 2171 30
3. Dustin Griffin 2085 30
4. Nick Bauman 2062 30
5. Caleb Ashby 2009 30
6. Matt Liner 1867 30
7. Daniel Heck 1855 30
8. Bobby Martintoni 1797 30
9. Rylan Dagg 1756 30
10. Casey Montague 1567 30

Sportsman (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jimmy Cummins 1838 25
2. Clayton Perry 1806 25
3. Russell Eilers 1798 25
4. Greg Kimmons 1653 25
5. Brian Williams 1651 25
6. Alan Magner 1605 25
7. Troy Clark 1587 25
8. Brad Cummings 1495 25
9. Jeff Herzog 1489 25
10. Christy Georges 1467 25

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Chad Boone 1798 25
2. Jonathan Smith 1714 25
3. Scotty Oliver 1530 25
4. Jeff Brooks 1473 25
5. Jansen Morris 1446 25
6. Kyle Stolzer 1307 20
7. Shelli O'Bryan 1296 25
8. John Paul Talkington 1273 23
9. Brad McKinnon 1271 22
10. Kenny Harris 1248 21

Stock Cars (driver/points/races counted):

1. Rick Thomas 1945 25
2. David Hurst 1873 25
3. Steve Ewing 1847 25
4. Joel Funk 1810 25
5. Stacy Tretter 1806 25
6. Dave Mannise 1774 25
7. Ron Wadforth 1736 25
8. Larry Russell Jr. 1728 25
9. Jared Krick 1697 25
10. Mike Welch 1696 25

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bill May 1742 25
2. Justin Schuler 1645 25
3. Dan Wilson 1558 25
4. Paul Tenbrink 1507 25
5. Dean Rake 1475 23
6. Loren Peterson 1456 25
7. Dennis Ponder 1334 21
8. Tony Weinrick 1328 25
9. Jim Scout 1266 19
10. Chuck Smith 1258 25

Sport Compacts (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bob Zbinden 1995 25
2. Joe Reed 1984 25
3. Michael Rittenberry 1783 25
4. Eric Wisher 1778 25
5. C.J. Rector 1680 25
6. Richard Ashby 1678 25
7. Todd Meyer 1610 25
8. Eric Wilson 1596 25
9. Mark Farber 1591 25
10. Rich Mueller 1579 25

Hartman Keeps The World 100 Trophy In Ohio For First Time In 12 Years On Saturday Night At Eldora Speedway

ROSSBURG, OH – Sept. 12, 2009 – Eldora Speedway is no longer Bart Hartman's Achilles' heel.

With a convincing victory in Saturday night's 39th annual UMP DIRTcar Racing-sanctioned World 100, Hartman not only kept the prestigious event's trophy home in the Buckeye State for the first time in 12 years but also ended his longtime run of frustration at the famed half-mile oval.

Hartman, 40, of Zanesville, Ohio, passed 2007 World 100 winner Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., for the lead on lap 20 and never looked back en route to a $42,000-plus triumph at a track that had never been kind to him over the years.

“I never disliked this place,” said Hartman, who became the first Ohio driver to capture the World 100 since Donnie Moran in 1997. “I just didn't like my luck here.”

Indeed, Hartman's previous career-high finish in one of Eldora's crown-jewel dirt Late Model shows was a sixth in the 2007 Dream – after an opening-lap spin forced him to restart at the rear of the field. He had never finished better than 12th in three career World 100 A-Main starts, all of which came consecutively from 1998-2000.

“We were up there (on stage in the spectator area) yesterday doing that (pre-race show) interview with Donnie Moran and Rick Eckert and they were making fun of me because I've never run well here,” quipped Hartman, who didn't even enter last year's World 100 activities. “Well, there you go – we did it tonight. We won the World 100! We get to put it up there with the rest of our trophies. It's a dream come true.”

In a fast-paced race slowed by just two caution flags, Hartman fought off mid- and late-race challenges from 2002 World 100 champ Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, to run the event's streak of first-time winners to eight consecutive years. Hartman steered his self-owned Rocket Chassis/Cornett Chevy engine combination under the checkered flag several car lengths ahead of Birkhofer's MB Customs mount.

Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., who won the World 100 in 2005, moved forward from the seventh starting spot to finish third in NASCAR star Clint Bowyer's Warrior mount but never threatened the top-two finishers.

World 100 rookie Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark. – racing as a teammate to McDowell – placed fourth after starting from the pole position in a Warrior car, and Owens, who surged off the outside pole to lead laps 1-19, settled for fifth place in his backup Team Zero by Bloomquist machine after his primary car was sidelined by engine problems during Friday night's hot laps.

Hartman, who started fourth, was understandably surprised by the superiority he demonstrated over the talent-laden field.

“I didn't think our car was as good as it was until we got out there,” said Hartman, who grabbed second from Landers on lap 15 and then rapidly ran down Owens. “This car was awesome. We were good right around the middle to bottom (grooves), and we just ran our line and we got by (Owens).”

During a long green-flag run that stretched from lap 21 to 83, Hartman built a lead of nearly a straightaway before lapped traffic slowed his pace and allowed Birkhofer to close in.

Birkhofer, who started fifth, pulled up to Hartman's rear bumper on lap 62, but Hartman drove away when he broke into open track a few circuits later. Birkhofer got within a car length when Hartman approached lapped traffic again with five laps remaining, but Hartman calmly maintained command.

“Austin (Hargrove) was giving me hand signals getting into (turn) one so I knew Birkhofer was getting closer at the end,” Hartman said of his chief mechanic. “I was getting a little tight down into turn one, but I protected the bottom enough so it was gonna have to be something real special for him to roll me on the outside.”

Birkhofer, who registered his first World 100 top-five finish since a fifth in 2005, conceded that a $15,000 runner-up payoff was the best he could do: “We got beat by a better car.”

And one tough driver. Hartman made his march to victory while fighting a wicked headache that developed during his heat race and left him uncertain whether he could go the 100-lap distance.

“All of a sudden, on about the third lap of my heat, I started feeling a headache,” said Hartman. “It got to where it was blurring my vision, but I was able to finish the heat (as a winner). I took some pills and went and laid down in the truck and didn't get out of it until right before the driver introductions.

“I was determined to run as many laps as I could (in the A-Main), but I didn't know how long I could go. Then I thought, Man, I'm leading the World 100! So we stayed out there and did the best we could.”

Hartman's head was still pounding during the post-race press conference in the Eldora tower, but he wasn't about to let the pain damper his memorable moment.

“I'm gonna go ‘medicate' it in a little bit,” he said with a smile, thinking of his family, friends and fans waiting to celebrate with him in the pit area.

Finishing in positions 6-10 was Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va.; 20th-starter Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., who used a fast-time provisional (he qualified second on Friday) to start the A-Main after missing a transfer spot in his heat; 21st-starter Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn.; Matt Miller of Waterville, Ohio; and two-time defending UMP DIRTcar national champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill.

Among the pre-race favorites who retired early were Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., who pitted during a lap-21 caution period and did not return; red-hot World of Outlaws Late Model Series star Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., who climbed as high as third from the eighth starting spot before a skipping engine caused him to drop out on lap 52 while running seventh; and WoO LMS points leader Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who went down a lap early and pulled off the track midway through the 100.

Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis., who set fast time during Friday night's 172-car qualifying session with a lap of 16.853 seconds, saw his weekend go sour on Saturday. Terminal engine problems on the final lap of his heat forced him to make a motor change and use his fast-time provisional to get in the A-Main – and then more woes under the hood caused him to slow and bring out a caution flag on lap 21.

The race's other caution period was necessitated when Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., backed into the outside wall between turns three and four on lap 83. He wasn't injured.

The winners of Saturday night's 15-lap heats were Wells, Birkhofer, Hartman, Erb, Owens and Landers. The 20-lap B-Mains were captured by Bloomquist and Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa.

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

39th Annual World 100 Official Finish (Finish/Starting Position/Driver/Earnings):

1. (4) Bart Hartman $42,000
2. (5) Brian Birkhofer $15,000
3. (7) Dale McDowell $10,000
4. (1) Jared Landers $7,500
5. (2) Jimmy Owens $6,000
6. (10) Josh Richards $5,000
7. (20) Earl Pearson Jr. $4,000
8. (21) Scott Bloomquist $3,500
9. (14) Matt Miller $3,000
10. (3) Dennis Erb Jr. $2,500
11. (15) Don O'Neal $2,250
12. (13) Brad Neat $2,000
13. (12) Brady Smith $1,900
14. (11) Darrell Lanigan $1,800
15. (22) Chub Frank $1,750
16. (25) Eddie Carrier Jr. $1,725
17. (28) Rick Eckert $1,700
18. (26) Ray Cook $1,675
19. (17) Austin Hubbard $1,650
20. (6) Eric Wells $1,645
21. (16) John Blankenship $1,640
22. (23) Tim McCreadie $1,635
23. (24) Chris Madden $1,630
24. (27) Steve Francis $1,625
25. (8) Tim Fuller $1,620
26. (18) Terry Casey $1,615
27. (9) Jimmy Mars $1,610
28. (19) Dan Schlieper $1,605

Lap Leaders: Owens (1-19); Hartman (20-100)

Note: Dan Schlieper was penalized to the rear of the field for the start after reporting late to the staging area

Heat 1 Finish (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Eric Wells, Dale McDowell, Brad Neat, Scott Bloomquist, Wayne Chinn, Shanon Buckingham, Brent Kreke, Dona Marcoullier, Jamie Lathroum, Matt Lux, Rich Neiser, Robby Hensley, Dan Schlieper, Tim Manville, Jeep VanWormer, Vic Hill, Shawn Toczek, Mike Marlar, Chris Ferguson, Justin Rattliff

Heat 2 Finish (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Brian Birkhofer, Tim Fuller, Matt Miller, Earl Pearson Jr., Steve Francis, Randy Korte, Bub McCool, Eddie Carrier Jr., John Mason, Steve Shaver, Randy Weaver, Frank Heckenast Jr., Kevin Weaver, Casey Roberts, Tim Lance, Aaron Scott, Wayne Maffett Jr., D.J. Wells, Steve Sheppard Jr., Tim Tungate

Heat 3 Finish (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Bart Hartman, Jimmy Mars, Don O'Neal, Jonathan Davenport, Clint Smith, Tim McCreadie, Tim Dohm, Jon Henry, Lee DeVasier, Bill Frye, Chris Ross, Tony Knowles, Tommy Kerr, Aaron Ridley, Dustin Hapka, Jason Feger, R.J. Conley, Brian Rickman, Brandon Kinzer, Chris Wilson

Heat 4 Finish (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Dennis Erb Jr., Josh Richards, John Blankenship, Ray Cook, Gregg Satterlee, Ben Adkins, Randle Chupp, Austin Dillon, Dustin Neat, David Webb, Donnie Moran, Dennis Roberson, Tim Isenberg, Jay Johnson, Doug Drown, Ryan Vanderveen, Dillon White, Rick Rickman, Jared Hawkins, Billy Moyer

Heat 5 Finish (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Jimmy Owens, Darrell Lanigan, Austin Hubbard, Chub Frank, Rick Eckert, Shane Clanton, Steve Casebolt, Scott James, Freddy Smith, Will Vaught, Duane Chamberlain, Josh McGuire, Shon Flanary, Terry English, Brett Wyatt, Al Purkey, Michael Collins, Steve Lance Jr., April Farmer, Gregg Hill

Heat 6 Finish (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Jared Landers, Brady Smith, Terry Casey, Chris Madden, Shannon Babb, Chad Simpson, Jordan Bland, Casey Noonan, Chad Ruhlman, Vic Coffey, Mike Hill, Mike Mataragas, Dusty Moore, Curt Spalding, Josh Williams, Chris Wall, Brian Ruhlman, Jerry Bowersock, Jason Hughes, Jerry Rice

B-Main No. 1 Finish (20 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Scott Bloomquist, Tim McCreadie, Eddie Carrier Jr., Steve Francis, Bub McCool, Tim Dohm, Bill Frye, Jonathan Davenport, Brent Kreke, Chris Ross, Dona Marcoullier, Jon Henry, Matt Lux, Lee DeVasier, Rich Neiser, John Mason, Wayne Chinn, Jamie Lauthrom, Randy Korte, Shanon Buckingham (DNS) Clint Smith, Steve Shaver, Randy Weaver, Frank Heckenast

B-Main No. 2 Finish (20 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Chub Frank, Chris Madden, Ray Cook, Rick Eckert, Shannon Babb, Shane Clanton, Scott James, Chad Simpson, Jordan Bland, Austin Dillon, Jamie Lathroum, Duane Chamberlain, Ben Adkins, Will Vaught, Freddy Smith, Mike Mataragas, Dustin Neat, Vic Coffey, Chad Ruhlman, David Webb, Casey Noonan, Donnie Moran, Gregg Satterlee, Steve Casebolt

Non-Qualifiers Race No. 1 (15 laps): 1. Shawn Negangard; 2. Jason Rauen; 3. Steve Dimmick; 4. Jason Riggs; 5. Shannon Thornsberry; 6. Adam Thrush; 7. Scott Schmitt; 8. Brad Blake; 9. Andrew Reaume; 10. Brett Reaume; 11. Cody Huston; 12. Jill George; 13. Cody Watters; 14. Corey Bevard; 15. Shane Allen (DNS) Johnny Parsley; Don Gordon

Non-Qualifiers Race No. 2 (15 laps): 1. Brad Eitniear; 2. Terry Wolfenbarger; 3. Kyle Logue; 4. Mike Smith; 5. Scott Koskovich; 6. Eric Spangler; 7. Bill Koons; 8. Brandon Thirlby; 9. Steve Thorsten; 10. Joey Pomeroy; 11. Zach Calkins; 12. Jeff Wolfenbarger; 13. Justin McNeill; 14. Kerry Mathew; 15. Eric Haynes (DNS) Cody Mahone; Darryl Hills; Dale Dillon

Non-Qualifiers Race No. 3 (15 laps): 1. Alan Vochaska; 2. Guy Volk; 3. Jeff Beyers; 4. Jeff Franklin; 5. Jeff Watson; 6. Dale Sheehy; 7. Michael Stiltner; 8. Gary Schalmo; 9. Bryant Dickinson; 10. Dylan Treston; 11. Greg Haskell; 12. Randy Boggs; 13. Ed Pursell; 14. John Lawhorn (DNS) Rodney Combs; 16. Derek Ellis; 17. Jeff Raisor

UMP DIRT Racing National Points Update: Feger (Super Late Models) & Cook (Modifieds) See Leads Shrink Entering Final Month Of Action

MARYVILLE, IL – Sept. 12, 2009 – Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill. (Super Late Models) and Gary Cook Jr. of Deer Creek, Ill. (Modifieds) remained atop the UMP DIRTcar Racing national points standings entering the final month of the 2009 points races, but their shrinking advantages signal an exciting stretch run for the titles.

Feger, 31, held a 10-point lead (2,937-2,927) over two-time defending national Super Late Model champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., in races contested through Sept. 8 – a fall from his 27-point edge over Erb from the previous week.

During a Labor Day holiday weekend that saw Feger and Erb go head-to-head in four consecutive events, Feger pushed his career-high 2009 feature-win total to 18 with victories on Sept. 4 in the Farmer City 50 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway and Sept. 6 in the Monster Midwest Tour show at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway. He also scored a sixth-place finish in a 50-lap special on Sept. 3 at Peoria (Ill.) Speedway, but a camshaft failure on Sept. 5 left him a non-qualifier for the Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway.

Erb, meanwhile, won Peoria's feature and didn't finish worse than fourth in his remaining starts (second at Lincoln, third at Fairbury and fourth at Farmer City), allowing him to pad his national points total by replacing some of his worst finishes/points nights.

The UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model points standings are determined using drivers' best 40 finishes/points nights.

Feger and Erb will likely run against each other in virtually all their remaining 2009 starts, including this weekend's prestigious $42,000-to-win World 100 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. The Super Late Model points seasons ends with the UMP DIRTcar Racing Nationals on Oct. 9-10 at Eldora.

In the Modified ranks, Cook suddenly finds himself with a dwindling points lead over defending national champion Jeff Leka of Buffalo, Ill., who closed his deficit to Cook from 102 to 64 points (2,393-2,329) one week after vaulting from fourth to second in the standings.

With the Modified standings determined using drivers' best 30 finishes/points nights and all the contenders already past that mark, Cook gained points last weekend only with his win on Sept. 4 at Kankakee (Ill.) County Speedway. Leka gained points, meanwhile, with finishes of second on Sept. 4 at Farmer City and third on Sept. 6 at Quad City Raceway in East Moline, Ill.

Other UMP DIRTcar national points leaders through Sept. 8 included Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky., who holds a slim 12-point edge over Bobby Dauderman of Alhambra, Ill., in the Pro Late Model class; Jimmy Cummins of Waterloo, Ill. (Sportsman); Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky. (Limited Modifieds); Rick Thomas of Koehler, Ill. (Stock Cars); Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks); and Bob Zbinden of Alhambra, Ill. (Sport Compacts).

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of Sept. 8, 2009):

Super Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jason Feger 2937 40
2. Dennis Erb Jr. 2927 40
3. Rusty Schlenk 2746 40
4. Randy Korte 2741 40
5. Steve Sheppard Jr. 2629 40
6. Ryan Unzicker 2628 40
7. Kevin Weaver 2561 40
8. Jon Henry 2468 40
9. Brandon Sheppard 2422 40
10. Eric Smith 2386 40
11. Frankie Heckenast 2370 40
12. Mike Hammerle 2335 40
13. Brian Ruhlman 2306 39
14. Michael Kloos 2235 40
15. Shannon Babb 2160 36
16. Daren Friedman 2117 39
17. Joe Harlan 2117 40
18. Richie Hedrick 2071 40
19. Ed Dixon 2015 36
20. Kyle Logue 2009 40

Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Gary Cook Jr. 2393 30
2. Jeff Leka 2329 30
3. Devin Gilpin 2312 30
4. John McCaul 2276 30
5. Randle Sweeney 2274 30
6. Mike Spatola 2249 30
7. Kent Robinson 2235 30
8. Jeff Babcock 2219 30
9. Tim Hancock 2205 30
10. Todd Sherman 2204 30
11. Lance Dehm 2181 30
12. Nick Allen 2149 30
13. Clayton Miller 2127 30
14. Marc Kurth 2114 30
15. Clint DeMoss 2087 30
16. Vance Wilson 2068 30
17. Marty O'Neal 2058 30
18. Doug Adkins 2049 30
19. Jeremy Nichols 2043 30
20. Dean Hoffman 1976 30

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Tait Davenport 2161 30
2. Bobby Dauderman 2149 30
3. Dustin Griffin. 2064 30
4. Nick Bauman 2062 30
5. Caleb Ashby 2008 30
6. Matt Liner 1853 30
7. Bobby Martintoni 1750 30
8. Rylan Dagg 1742 30
9. Daniel Heck 1739 29
10. Josh Harris 1500 26

Sportsman (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jimmy Cummins 1828 25
2. Clayton Perry 1806 25
3. Russell Eilers 1798 25
4. Greg Kimmons 1653 25
5. Brian Williams 1651 25
6. Alan Magner 1605 25
7. Troy Clark 1587 25
8. Brad Cummings 1495 25
9. Greg Amick 1455 25
10. Christy Georges 1444 25

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Chad Boone 1776 25
2. Jonathan Smith 1679 25
3. Scotty Oliver 1479 25
4. Jeff Brooks 1439 25
5. Jansen Morris 1381 23
6. Shelli O'Bryan 1287 25
7. John Paul Talkington 1273 23
8. Chad Sweeney 1237 23
9. Josh Tyler 1230 24
10. Paddy Rush 1228 21

Stock Cars (driver/points/races counted):

1. Rick Thomas 1932 25
2. David Hurst 1873 25
3. Steve Ewing 1847 25
4. Joel Funk 1810 25
5. Stacy Fritter 1801 25
6. Dave Mannise 1774 25
7. Ron Wadforth 1705 25
8. Larry Russell Jr. 1699 25
9. Ervin Turner 1678 25
10. Chris Fisher 1672 25

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bill May 1725 25
2. Justin Schuler 1616 25
3. Paul Tenbrink 1488 25
4. Dan Wilson 1483 24
5. Dean Rake 1405 22
6. Tony Weinrick 1328 25
7. Loren Peterson 1298 23
8. Chuck Smith 1245 25
9. Dennis Ponder 1222 19
10. Jim Scout 1196 18

Sport Compacts (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bob Zbinden 1984 25
2. Joe Reed 1974 25
3. Eric Wisher 1778 25
4. Michael Rittenberry 1768 25
5. C.J. Rector 1650 25
6. Todd Meyer 1610 25
7. Richard Ashby 1608 25
8. Eric Wilson 1581 25
9. Rich Mueller 1579 25
10. Justin Suhre 1550 25

Jason Feger Carries UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Lead Into This Weekend’s World 100 At Eldora Speedway

ROSSBURG, OH – Sept. 10, 2009 – Jason Feger will receive more attention than he ever has before at Eldora Speedway when he takes to the famed half-mile oval for the 39th annual UMP DIRTcar Racing-sanctioned World 100 this weekend (Sept. 11-12).

That’s because the 31-year-old from Bloomington, Ill., is rolling into the most prestigious dirt Late Model event of the season as UMP DIRTcar Racing’s national points leader.

A dirt Late Model racer since 2001, Feger is chasing his first career UMP DIRTcar national crown. He enters the weekend holding a mere 10-point lead over two-time defending national champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., but with eight of his career-best 18 feature wins this season coming over the past month he has plenty of momentum on his side.

Throw in the fact that Feger happens to be one of just 12 drivers who have qualified for the last three crown-jewel UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned Super Late Model events at Eldora – the World 100 in 2007 and 2008 and June’s $100,000 Dream XV – and there’s no denying that he’s a guy to watch.

“It’s hard to take a lot confidence into the World (100) because it’s just such a tough deal,” said Feger, who finished 17th (2007) and 18th (2008) in his previous World 100 A-Main starts and placed 16th in the Dream earlier this year. “That’s the race everybody takes their best stuff to and prepares extra-hard for, and with so many cars (entered) there’s not a whole lot of room for error. You need to have some luck on your side.

“But I feel pretty good about our chances. Our car has been really good this year, I’ve been driving good, and I really like running at Eldora. We’ve had some success there the last couple years, so hopefully everything will click for us and we’ll get in the race again and get a good finish.”

Feger will go into battle this weekend behind the wheel of a family-owned car built by 1990 UMP DIRTcar national champion Bob Pierce, who finished as high as third in the World 100 during his successful driving career. A freshened powerplant from Rhyne Competition Engines will be bolted inside Feger’s ‘tumbling dice’ No. 25, which will sport a slightly different graphics scheme than he’s used all season and carry the logos of two new sponsors, Stearn Ironworks and Jaxon Chase Steel Detailing, that he recently signed for the remainder of 2009.

Demonstrating his growing popularity around the Midwest, the personable Feger will also have a merchandise trailer parked along Eldora’s T-Shirt Row for the first time. He’ll have plenty of sharp swag for sale – all of it designed by his family’s Absolute Apparel business, where he works when he’s not going racing.

This season, of course, racing has taken up much of Feger’s time. The driver known as the ‘Highside Hustler’ has made nearly 70 starts during his official coming-of-age campaign and been a contender for the checkered flag in most of them.

After earning the 2008 UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model Most Improved Driver Award following a 13-win season that ended with a third-place finish in the national points standings, Feger has busted out as an all-over threat this season. His 18 victories have come at an amazing 13 different tracks in four states, including four wins at Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, Ind.; two at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill.; and single scores at Wisconsin’s Charter Raceway Park (his first-ever World of Outlaws Late Model Series triumph), Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway, Missouri’s Lake Ozark Speedway and Illinois’s Charleston Speedway, Fairbury American Legion Speedway, Farmer City Raceway, Highland Speedway Kankakee County Speedway, Lincoln Speedway, Peoria Speedway and Shepp’s Speedway.

“I think I’ve matured a lot as a driver in the last couple years,” said Feger, analyzing his rise to UMP DIRTcar stardom. “I’ve calmed down and learned to race smarter. That’s just come for experience, from seat-time.

“And we’ve worked harder in the garage to be prepared. Just going to the track knowing that everything is prepared the way it should be has made me a better driver this year.”

The run of success has put Feger on the verge of unseating Erb, 36, as the UMP DIRTcar national champion, an honor that will be determined using drivers’ best 40 finishes/points nights. Feger grabbed the points lead at the beginning of August and hasn’t relinquished it since, but he knows he can’t make any missteps if he wants to stay atop the standings through the points-season-ending UMP DIRTcar Nationals on Oct. 9-10 at Eldora.

Feger and Erb figure to see a lot of each other over the remaining weeks of the UMP DIRTcar points season. They’ll probably enter the same events each weekend, setting up a dramatic head-to-head battle to the finish.

“He’s going to be tough to beat,” Feger said of Erb, who is attempting to sweep the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals and national points titles for the third consecutive season. “He’s really good everywhere we’ll be going the rest of the year and he knows what he’s doing in these points races. You don’t see him break and fall out of races, so if we’re gonna win this thing we’re just gonna have to keep beating him.”

If Feger holds on to win the title, he’ll have earned it. He’ll also cherish the accomplishment.

“It would mean a lot,” Feger said when asked about the significance of a UMP DIRTcar national crown. “The money would be great, sure, but it would also give us some recognition that will help us when we talk to product sponsors. And I know (a championship) would mean a lot to Bob and Angie Pierce. They’ve worked so hard on this chassis deal (Feger began running Pierce cars last year) and they deserve the success we’re having.”

Feger paused. Considering his own march through the UMP DIRTcar ranks that started in the Sportsman division, he said, “Knowing where we came from, how we’ve been building our stuff up over the years, a championship would be very satisfying. We’ve sort of done it our way and that always makes you feel good.”

This weekend’s World 100 activities at Eldora Speedway begin on Friday night (Sept. 11) with time trials and non-qualifiers’ races. Heat races, last-chance events and the $42,000-to-win World 100 will be contested on Saturday night (Sept. 12).

For more information on the World 100, visit www.eldoraspeedway.com.

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.
 

UMP DIRT Racing National Points Update: Feger (Super Late Models) & Cook (Modifieds) Stay Atop Standings For Another Week

MARYVILLE, IL – Sept. 4, 2009 – Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill. (Super Late Models) and Gary Cook Jr. of Deer Creek, Ill. (Modifieds) remained atop their respective UMP DIRTcar Racing national points races for another week in standings released Friday by organization officials.

Counting UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned events run through Aug. 31, Feger’s lead sat at 27 points (2,876-2,849) over two-time defending Super Late Model national champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., and Cook’s edge was 102 points over defending Modified national titlist Jeff Leka of Buffalo, Ill.

Feger, 31, failed to reach Victory Lane last weekend – a rare occurrence during August for a driver who had entered the weekend having won six of his last eight starts. But he ran in just one feature, finishing 14th in the MARS DIRTcar Series/UMP DIRTcar co-sanctioned event on Aug. 29 at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., after using a provisional to get in the field. He also competed in a MARS/UMP show on Aug. 28 at Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway, but the ‘World 50’ was postponed by rain to Sept. 18 after Feger had won a heat race.

With Erb finishing third at I-55 Raceway, he was able to shave two points off Feger’s points lead from the previous week. Erb also raced against Feger the previous night at Paducah, finishing third in a heat race.

Randy Korte of Highland, Ill., moved to third in the Super Late Model national standings, keeping his hopes alive for a third career UMP DIRTcar title. He cut 37 points off his previous week’s deficit to Feger, leaving him 135 points behind.

Feger, Erb and Korte are among the Midwestern standouts who are gearing up for the most prestigious dirt Late Model event of the season: the UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned World 100 on Sept. 11-12 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. The coveted race pays a whopping $42,000 to win.

Cook, meanwhile, enters this weekend’s action with his Modified points lead at the same number it was one week ago – 102 points. But he’s now leading Leka, who vaulted from fourth to second in the standings after winning features on Aug. 28 at Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, Ill., and Aug. 29 at Spoon River Speedway in Canton, Ill.

With the Modified standings determined using drivers’ best 30 finishes/points nights and all the contenders already past that mark, Cook gained points last weekend only with his win on Aug. 28 at Kankakee (Ill.) County Speedway. He is now replacing 75-point nights, which means he can add points to his overall total only by finishing no worse than second in events that have at least 26 entered cars.

Other UMP DIRTcar national points leaders through Aug. 23 included Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky., who holds a slight 14-point edge over Bobby Dauderman of Alhambra, Ill., in the Pro Late Model class; Jimmy Cummins of Waterloo, Ill. (Sportsman); Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky. (Limited Modifieds); Rick Thomas of Koehler, Ill. (Stock Cars); Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks); and Bob Zbinden of Alhambra, Ill. (Sport Compacts).

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of Aug. 31, 2009):

Super Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jason Feger 2876 40
2. Dennis Erb Jr. 2849 40
3. Randy Korte 2741 40
4. Rusty Schlenk 2710 40
5. Steve Sheppard Jr. 2617 40
6. Ryan Unzicker 2576 40
7. Kevin Weaver 2530 40
8. Jon Henry 2393 40
9. Brandon Sheppard 2383 40
10. Frankie Heckenast 2369 40
11. Mike Hammerle 2335 40
12. Eric Smith 2303 39
13. Michael Kloos 2235 40
14. Brian Ruhlman 2226 37
15. Joe Harlan 2026 38
16. Richie Hedrick 2017 40
17. Ed Dixon 2015 36
18. Daren Friedman 2012 36
19. Shannon Babb 1975 33
20. Chris Dick 1972 40

Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Gary Cook Jr. 2381 30
2. Jeff Leka 2279 30
3. Devin Gilpin 2275 30
4. Randle Sweeney 2269 30
5. John McCaul 2261 30
6. Mike Spatola 2204 30
7. Kent Robinson 2193 30
8. Jeff Babcock 2189 30
9. Todd Sherman 2182 30
10. Lance Dehm 2167 30
11. Tim Hancock 2150 30
12. Nick Allen 2125 30
13. Clayton Miller 2090 30
14. Clint DeMoss 2067 30
15. Marc Kurth 2043 30
16. Marty O’Neal 2042 30
17. Vance Wilson 2031 30
18. Jeremy Nichols 2015 30
19. Doug Adkins 1991 30
20. Dean Hoffman 1945 30

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Tait Davenport 2145 30
2. Bobby Dauderman 2131 30
3. Nick Bauman 2043 30
4. Dustin Griffin 2016 30
5. Caleb Ashby 2008 30
6. Matt Liner 1827 30
7. Rylan Dagg 1741 30
8. Bobby Martintoni 1739 30
9. Daniel Heck 1693 28
10. Casey Montague 1453 28

Sportsman (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jimmy Cummins 1828 25
2. Russell Eilers 1798 25
3. Clayton Perry 1789 25
4. Greg Kimmons 1653 25
5. Brian Williams 1626 25
6. Troy Clark 1561 25
7. Alan Magner 1552 25
8. Brad Cummings 1495 25
9. Greg Amick 1455 25
10. Christy Georges 1444 25

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Chad Boone 1776 25
2. Jonathan Smith 1679 25
3. Scotty Oliver 1479 25
4. Jeff Brooks 1439 25
5. Jansen Morris 1381 23
6. Shelli O’Bryanm 1287 25
7. John Paul Talkington 1273 23
8. Chad Sweeney 1237 23
9. Josh Tyler 1230 24
10. Chris Buhler 1192 20

Stock Cars (driver/points/races counted):

1. Rick Thomas 1916 25
2. David Hurst 1838 25
3. Steve Ewing 1803 25
4. Stacy Fritter 1791 25
5. Joel Funk 1768 25
6. Dave Mannise 1754 25
7. Larry Russell Jr. 1699 25
8. Chris Fisher 1672 25
9. Ervin Turner 1658 25
10. Mike Welch 1642 25

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bill May 1705 25
2. Justin Schuler 1590 25
3. Paul Tenbrink 1458 25
4. Dan Wilson 1368 22
5. Dean Rake 1303 20
6. Tony Weinrick 1268 25
7. Loren Peterson 1243 22
8. Dennis Ponder 1222 19
9. Chuck Smith 1156 24
10. Jim Scout 1147 17

Sport Compacts (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bob Zbinden 1984 25
2. Joe Reed 1966 25
3. Eric Wisher 1753 25
4. Michael Rittenberry 1753 25
5. C.J. Rector 1624 25
6. Todd Meyer 1610 25
7. Richard Ashby 1608 25
8. Eric Wilson 1556 25
9. Rich Mueller 1552 25
10. Justin Suhre 1550 25

UMP DIRT Racing National Points Update: Red-Hot Feger Extends Super Late Model Points Lead; Cook Maintains Modified Edge

MARYVILLE, IL – Aug. 27, 2009 – Jason Feger is the hottest driver on the UMP DIRTcar Racing Super Late Model circuit.

And as a result, the 31-year-old from Bloomington, Ill., is expanding his lead in the organization’s national points standings.

Feger won twice in three UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned starts last weekend, pushing his points lead to 29 markers (2,843-2,814) over two-time defending national champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., in races run through Aug. 24. It’s now been three consecutive weeks that Feger has been atop the national points battle, which is determined using drivers’ best 40 finishes/points nights.

After entering last weekend’s action with a precarious 12-point edge over Erb, Feger went out and won features on Aug. 21 at Kankakee (Ill.) County Speedway and Aug. 22 at Highland (Ill.) Speedway (his fifth Monster Midwest Tour victory of 2009). He also finished second in a Monster Midwest event on Aug. 23 at Quincy (Ill.) Raceway, giving him a near-perfect weekend.

Feger, who is seeking his first-ever UMP DIRTcar national title, has won six of his last eight starts since Aug. 7. He has 15 UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned wins overall, tying him with Dona Marcoullier of Houghton Lake, Mich., for the circuit lead.

Erb had a solid weekend as well, sandwiching a win in the Northern All-Stars Late Model Series event on Aug. 22 at La Salle (Ill.) Speedway with third-place finishes on Aug. 21 at Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway and Aug. 23 at Quincy.

Gary Cook Jr. of Deer Creek, Ill., meanwhile, continued to pace the UMP DIRTcar Racing national Modified points standings, adding another 14 points to his advantage from the previous week. He enters the weekend leading Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Ky., by 102 points (2,371-2,269).

With the Modified standings determined by drivers’ best 30 finishes/points nights, Cook had two strong outings last weekend that gained him points. He finished second on Aug. 22 at Spoon River Speedway in Canton, Ill., and won on Aug. 23 at Quad City Raceway in East Moline, Ill.

But while Cook has a triple-digit cushion on his nearest pursuer, the battle behind him is razor-close. Just 102 points separates second place Sweeney from 10th-place Lance Dehm of Pontiac, Ill.

Other UMP DIRTcar national points leaders through Aug. 23 included Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky. (Pro Late Models), Jimmy Cummins of Waterloo, Ill. (Sportsman), Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky. (Limited Modifieds), Rick Thomas of Koehler, Ill. (Stock Cars), Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks) and Bob Zbinden of Alhambra, Ill. (Sport Compacts).

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of Aug. 24, 2009):

Super Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jason Feger 2843 40
2. Dennis Erb Jr. 2814 40
3. Rusty Schlenk 2691 40
4. Randy Korte 2671 40
5. Ryan Unzicker 2551 40
6. Steve Sheppard Jr. 2527 40
7. Kevin Weaver 2503 40
8. Jon Henry 2393 40
9. Frankie Heckenast 2381 40
10. Mike Hammerle 2319 40
11. Brandon Sheppard 2313 40
12. Eric Smith 2256 38
13. Michael Kloos 2177 40
14. Brian Ruhlman 2168 36
15. Daren Friedman 2018 36
16. Joe Harlan 2003 37
17. Richie Hedrick 1988 40
18. Shannon Babb 1975 33
19. Ed Dixon 1913 34
20. Dusty Moore 1874 36

Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Gary Cook Jr. 2371 30
2. Randle Sweeney 2269 30
3. John McCaul 2261 30
4. Jeff Leka 2231 30
5. Devin Gilpin 2215 30
6. Kent Robinson 2186 30
7. Mike Spatola 2184 30
8. Todd Sherman 2182 30
9. Jeff Babcock 2170 30
10. Lance Dehm 2167 30
11. Tim Hancock 2135 30
12. Nick Allen 2076 30
13. Clint DeMoss 2067 30
14. Clayton Miller 2063 30
15. Mary O’Neal 2026 30
16. Vance Wilson 2005 30
17. Marc Kurth 1990 30
18. Doug Adkins 1984 30
19. Jeremy Nichols 1958 30
20. Bobby Bittle 1915 30

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Tait Davenport 2128 30
2. Bobby Dauderman 2091 30
3. Nick Bauman 2003 30
4. Caleb Ashby 1981 30
5. Dustin Griffin 1946 30
6. Matt Liner 1805 30
7. Rylan Dagg 1726 30
8. Bobby Martintoni 1684 30
9. Daniel Heck 1578 26
10. Josh Harris 1430 24

Sportsman (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jimmy Cummins 1828 25
2. Russell Eilers 1770 25
3. Clayton Perry 1768 25
4. Brian Williams 1626 25
5. Greg Kimmons 1584 25
6. Troy Clark 1561 25
7. Alan Magner 1552 25
8. Brad Cummings 1493 25
9. Greg Amick 1446 25
10. Chad Weinrick 1433 25

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Chad Boone 1756 25
2. Jonathan Smith 1567 24
3. Scotty Oliver 1441 25
4. Jeff Brooks 1424 25
5. Jansen Morris 1339 22
6. Shelli O’Bryan 1234 24
7. John Paul Talkington 1204 22
8. Chad Sweeney 1192 22
9. Josh Tyler 1160 23
10. Chris Buhler 1113 19

Stock Cars (driver/points/races counted):

1. Rick Thomas 1900 25
2. David Hurst 1802 25
3. Stacy Tretter 1779 25
4. Joel Funk 1749 25
5. Dave Mannise 1724 25
6. Steve Ewing 1713 25
7. Larry Russell Jr. 1678 25
8. Chris Fisher 1672 25
9. Ervin Turner 1658 25
10. Mike Welch 1642 25

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bill May 1705 25
2. Justin Schuler 1590 25
3. Paul Tenbrink 1458 25
4. Dan Wilson 1368 22
5. Dean Rake 1303 20
6. Tony Weinrick 1268 25
7. Loren Peterson 1243 22
8. Chuck Smith 1156 24
9. Dennis Ponder 1146 18
10. Robbie Sternberg 1106 21

Sport Compacts (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bob Zbinden 1975 25
2. Joe Reed 1953 25
3. Eric Wisher 1742 25
4. Michael Rittenberry 1728 25
5. C.J. Rector 1624 25
6. Richard Ashby 1578 25
7. Todd Meyer 1576 25
8. Eric Wilson 1556 25
9. Justin Suhre 1521 25
10. Mark Farber 1518 25
 

UMP DIRT Racing National Points Update: Feger Keeps Slim Lead On Erb In Super Late Model Standings, Cook Maintains Modified Edge

MARYVILLE, IL – Aug. 21, 2009 – Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., remained the UMP DIRTcar Racing national Super Late Model points leader for the second straight week, but his slight edge became even more precarious.

Feger, 31, lost two points off his lead in races run through Aug. 17, sending him into this weekend’s UMP DIRTcar Racing-sanctioned action with a 12-point advantage (2,766-2,754) over two-time defending national Super Late Model champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill.

The top two drivers in the national rankings ran head-to-head twice last weekend, on Aug. 14 at Kankakee (Ill.) County Speedway and Aug. 15 at Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway. Feger won the Monster Midwest Tour event at Kankakee with Erb finishing second, while at Fairbury Erb finished fifth and Feger settled for a 14th-place outing.

Another player to watch in the national points race, which ends with the UMP DIRTcar Nationals on Oct. 9-10 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, is Randy Korte of Highland, Ill. He’s now fourth in the standings and still has one more start to make before reaching the 40-race threshold, at which time he’ll join Feger and Erb in replacing his worst points nights/finishes.

A big win on Aug. 15 at Spoon River Speedway in Canton, Ill., helped Gary Cook Jr. of Deer Creek, Ill., remain in control of the UMP UMP DIRTcar national Modified points standings.

Cook added five points to his lead from the previous week, putting himself up by 88 points (2,357-2,269) over Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Ky., whose pair of victories last weekend (Aug 14 at Soggy Bottom Raceway in Morgantown, Ky., and Aug. 15 at Tennessee’s Clarksville Raceway) couldn’t bring him closer.

Other UMP DIRTcar national points leaders through Aug. 17 included Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky. (Pro Late Models), Jimmy Cummins of Waterloo, Ill. (Sportsman), Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky. (Limited Modifieds), Rick Thomas of Koehler, Ill. (Stock Cars), Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks) and Bob Zbinden of Alhambra, Ill. (Sport Compacts).

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of Aug. 17, 2009):

Super Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jason Feger 2766 40
2. Dennis Erb Jr. 2754 40
3. Rusty Schlenk 2627 40
4. Randy Korte 2597 39
5. Steve Sheppard Jr. 2527 40
6. Ryan Unzicker 2501 40
7. Kevin Weaver 2481 40
8. Frankie Heckenast 2327 40
9. Brandon Sheppard 2305 40
10. Mike Hammerle 2290 40
11. Jon Henry 2252 38
12. Eric Smith 2150 36
13. Michael Kloos 2086 40
14. Brian Ruhlman 2008 34
15. Shannon Babb 1975 33
16. Daren Friedman 1940 35
17. Joe Harlan 1935 36
18. Richie Hedrick 1923 40
19. Dusty Moore 1799 35
20. Jason McBride 1790 40

Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Gary Cook Jr. 2357 30
2. Randle Sweeney 2269 30
3. John McCaul 2231 30
4. Jeff Leka 2210 30
5. Devin Gilpin 2169 30
6. Lance Dehm 2166 30
7. Mike Spatola 2160 30
8. Kent Robinson 2157 30
9. Todd Sherman 2155 30
10. Tim Hancock 2113 30
11. Jeff Babcock 2096 30
12. Clint DeMoss 2040 30
13. Marty O’Neal 2020 30
14. Clayton Miller 2019 30
15. Vance Wilson 2005 30
16. Nick Allen 1976 30
17. Jeremy Nichols 1958 30
18. Chad Osterhoff 1883 30
19. Bobby Bittle 1882 30
20. Marc Kurth 1849 29

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Tait Davenport 2109 30
2. Bobby Dauderman 2047 30
3. Caleb Ashby 1955 30
4. Nick Bauman 1918 29
5. Dustin Griffin 1874 30
6. Matt Liner 1746 30
7. Rylan Dagg 1697 30
8. Bobby Martintoni 1683 30
9. Daniel Heck 1512 25
10. Josh Harris 1430 24

Sportsman (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jimmy Cummins 1815 25
2. Russell Eilers 1748 25
3. Clayton Perry 1737 25
4. Greg Kimmons 1584 25
5. Brian Williams 1575 25
6. Troy Clark 1537 25
7. Brad Cummings 1451 25
8. Greg Amick 1425 25
9. Alan Magner 1407 23
10. Chad Weinrick 1407 25

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Chad Boone 1756 25
2. Jonathan Smith 1439 22
3. Jeff Brooks 1413 25
4. Scotty Oliver 1354 24
5. Jansen Morris 1199 20
6. Shelli O’Bryan 1169 23
7. John Paul Talkington 1146 21
8. Josh Tyler 1090 22
9. Chad Sweeney 1067 20
10. Chris Buhler 1064 18

Stock Cars (driver/points/races counted):

1. Rick Thomas 1898 25
2. David Hurst 1802 25
3. Joel Funk 1749 25
4. Stacy Tretter 1718 25
5. Dave Mannise 1704 25
6. Steve Ewing 1678 25
7. Larry Russell Jr. 1668 25
8. Chris Fisher 1666 25
9. Ervin Turner 1658 25
10. Mike Welch 1621 25

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bill May 1690 25
2. Justin Schuler 1521 25
3. Paul Tenbrink 1268 22
4. Dan Wilson 1251 20
5. Tony Weinrick 1218 24
6. Loren Peterson 1188 21
7. Dean Rake 1156 18
8. Dennis Ponder 1080 17
9. Nate Tarte 1054 25
10. Chuck Smith 1031 22

Sport Compacts (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bob Zbinden 1961 25
2. Joe Reed 1933 25
3. Eric Wisher 1723 25
4. Michael Rittenberry 1688 25
5. Todd Meyer 1576 25
6. Eric Wilson 1556 25
7. C.J. Rector 1553 25
8. Richard Ashby 1542 25
9. Justin Suhre 1521 25
10. Mark Farber 1467 25

UMP DIRT Racing National Points Update: Hot Feger Grabs Super Late Model Points Lead, Cook Maintains Modified Edge

MARYVILLE, IL – Aug. 14, 2009 – With one sizzling summer weekend, Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., ascended to the top of the UMP DIRTcar Racing national Super Late Model points standings.

Feger, 31, won three times in as many UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned starts last weekend, allowing him to overtake two-time defending national champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., for the lead in the points standings released on Thursday by organization officials.

In races run through Aug. 10, Feger holds a 14-point lead (2,737-2,723) over Erb. Feger is seeking his first career UMP DIRTcar national Super Late Model title.

Feger caught fire last weekend, winning O’Reilly MARS DIRTcar Series events co-sanctioned by UMP DIRTcar on Aug. 7 at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill., and Aug. 8 at Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Mo., and a weekly UMP DIRTcar A-Main on Aug. 9 at Shepp’s Speedway in Alexander, Ill. The outburst, which included Feger’s first-ever MARS victories, left him with 12 UMP DIRTcar feature wins this season; only Steve Sheppard Jr. of New Berlin, Ill., has more wins, with 13.

Erb, meanwhile, raced only once last weekend, finishing fifth on Aug. 8 at Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway.

Gary Cook Jr. of Deer Creek, Ill., continued to pace the UMP DIRTcar national Modified points standings. He enters this weekend’s action holding an 83-point advantage (2,337-2,254) over Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Ky.

Other UMP DIRTcar national points leaders through Aug. 10 included Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky. (Pro Late Models), Jimmy Cummins of Waterloo, Ill. (Sportsman), Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky. (Limited Modifieds), Rick Thomas of Koehler, Ill. (Stock Cars), Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks) and Bob Zbinden of Alhambra, Ill. (Sport Compacts).

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of Aug. 10, 2009):

Super Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jason Feger 2737 40
2. Dennis Erb Jr. 2723 40
3. Rusty Schlenk 2555 40
4. Randy Korte 2521 38
5. Steve Sheppard Jr. 2496 40
6. Kevin Weaver 2481 40
7. Ryan Unzicker 2447 40
8. Brandon Sheppard 2278 40
9. Mike Hammerle 2254 40
10. Frankie Heckenast 2210 40
11. Jon Henry 2100 36
12. Eric Smith 1983 34
13. Shannon Babb 1975 33
14. Michael Kloos 1966 40
15. Brian Ruhlman 1876 32
16. Daren Friedman 1843 33
17. Richie Hedrick 1832 40
18. Joe Harlan 1778 34
19. Mark Voigt 1749 35
20. Dusty Moore 1743 34

Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Gary Cook Jr. 2337 30
2. Randle Sweeney 2254 30
3. John McCaul 2207 30
4. Jeff Leka 2191 30
5. Devin Gilpin 2142 30
6. Mike Spatola 2137 30
7. Kent Robinson 2106 30
8. Todd Sherman 2105 30
9. Jeff Babcock 2079 30
10. Tim Hancock 2075 30
11. Lance Dehm 2069 30
12. Clint DeMoss 2002 30
13. Clayton Miller 1996 30
14. Vance Wilson 1954 30
15. Jeremy Nichols 1919 30
16. Marty O’Neal 1917 30
17. Bobby Bittle 1880 30
18. Nick Allen 1875 30
19. Chad Osterhoff 1873 30
20. Troy Marciniak 1813 30

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Tait Davenport 2013 29
2. Bobby Dauderman 1976 30
3. Caleb Ashby 1935 30
4. Dustin Griffin 1838 30
5. Nick Bauman 1773 27
6. Rylan Dagg 1697 30
7. Bobby Martintoni 1683 30
8. Matt Liner 1627 29
9. Daniel Heck 1394 23
10. Josh Harris 1376 23

Sportsman (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jimmy Cummins 1798 25
2. Clayton Perry 1712 25
3. Russell Eilers 1616 24
4. Greg Kimmons 1584 25
5. Troy Clark 1506 25
6. Brian Williams 1440 23
7. Brad Cummings 1390 25
8. Greg Amick 1377 25
9. Chad Weinrick 1372 25
10. Christy Georges 1299 23

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Chad Boone 1756 25
2. Jeff Brooks 1413 25
3. Jonathan Smith 1292 20
4. Scotty Oliver 1266 22
5. Jansen Morris 1199 20
6. Shelli O’Bryan 1129 22
7. John Paul Talkington 1076 20
8. Josh Tyler 1054 21
9. Chad Sweeney 1007 19
10. Chris Buhler 989 17

Stock Cars (driver/points/races counted):

1. Rick Thomas 1873 25
2. David Hurst 1760 25
3. Joel Funk 1714 25
4. Dave Mannise 1680 25
5. Larry Russell Jr. 1653 25
6. Chris Fisher 1649 25
7. Steve Ewing 1642 25
8. Ervin Turner 1642 25
9. Stacy Tretter 1588 24
10. Mike Welch 1581 25

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bill May 1685 25
2. Justin Schuler 1398 24
3. Tony Weinrick 1078 22
4. Paul Tenbrink 1074 18
5. Dan Wilson 1066 17
6. Nate Tarte 1043 25
7. Jim Scout 968 14
8. Dean Rake 956 15
9. Loren Peterson 955 17
10. Dennis Ponder 947 15

Sport Compacts (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bob Zbinden 1952 25
2. Joe Reed 1898 25
3. Eric Wisher 1700 25
4. Michael Rittenberry 1621 25
5. C.J. Rector 1545 25
6. Eric Wilson 1533 25
7. Richard Ashby 1472 25
8. Todd Meyer 1441 23
9. Cook Crawford 1433 25
10. Mark Farber 1430 25
 

UMP DIRT Racing National Points Update: Erb (Super Late Models), Cook (Modifieds) Maintain Points Leads

MARYVILLE, IL – July 31, 2009 – Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill. (Super Late Models) and Gary Cook Jr. of Deer Creek, Ill. (Modifieds) maintained their respective leads in the UMP DIRTcar Racing national points standings released Thursday by organization officials.

Erb, a 36-year-old who is bidding to win the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals and national points crowns for an unprecedented third consecutive season, added four points to his lead from the previous week over Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill. In races run through July 27, Erb held a 35-point edge over Feger (2,704-2,671).

The top-two drivers in the national Super Late Model standings – now more than 200 points ahead of third-place Kevin Weaver of Gibson City, Ill. – ran head-to-head four times last week in Monster Midwest Tour action.

Feger was the biggest winner, capturing A-Mains on July 23 at Charleston (Ill.) Speedway and July 25 at Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, Ind. The ‘Highside Hustler’ also scored a second-place finish to Erb on July 26 at Vermilion County Speedway in Danville, Ill., but his 19th-place outing on July 24 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway was a hiccup that hurt him versus Erb’s consistency.

In addition to his Vermilion County score, Erb registered runner-up finishes at Farmer City and Kamp and a sixth-place run at Charleston.

Cook, meanwhile, saw his national Modified points lead over Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Ky., shrink by 11 points from the previous week’s rankings. Cook’s lead over Sweeney through July 27 sat at 76 points (2,315-2,239).

Both Cook and Sweeney, who have reached the 30-race threshold for Modified drivers to begin replacing their worst finishes/points nights, enjoyed strong weeks. Cook won features on July 22 at Quad Cities Raceway in East Moline, Ill., July 24 at Kankakee (Ill.) County Speedway and July 25 at Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway, while Sweeney was victorious on July 24 at Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway and July 25 at Soggy Bottom Raceway in Morgantown, Ky., and finished second on July 26 at Windy Hollow Speedway in Owensboro, Ky.

Other UMP DIRTcar national points leaders through July 27 included Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky. (Pro Late Models), Jimmy Cummins of Waterloo, Ill. (Sportsman), Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky. (Limited Modifieds), Rick Thomas of Koehler, Ill. (Stock Cars), Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks) and Joe Reed of Decatur, Ill. (Sport Compacts).

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of July 27, 2009):

Super Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Dennis Erb Jr. 2704 40
2. Jason Feger 2671 40
3. Kevin Weaver 2464 40
4. Rusty Schlenk 2463 40
5. Randy Korte 2408 36
6. Steve Sheppard Jr. 2380 40
7. Ryan Unzicker 2328 40
8. Mike Hammerle 2212 40
9. Brandon Sheppard 2143 40
10. Frankie Heckenast 2108 40
11. Shannon Babb 1975 33
12. Jon Henry 1868 33
13. Eric Smith 1865 32
14. Richie Hedrick 1754 40
15. Michael Kloos 1748 36
16. Brian Ruhlman 1738 30
17. Daren Friedman 1701 30
18. Jason McBride 1601 40
19. Mark Voigt 1601 32
20. Joe Harlan 1600 31

Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Gary Cook Jr. 2315 30
2. Randle Sweeney 2239 30
3. John McCaul 2156 30
4. Jeff Leka 2092 30
5. Mike Spatola 2082 30
6. Kent Robinson 2071 30
7. Todd Sherman 2060 30
8. Tim Hancock 2019 30
9. Devin Gilpin 2011 30
10. Clint DeMoss 1963 30
11. Clayton Miller 1920 30
12. Vance Wilson 1889 30
13. Jeremy Nichols 1886 30
14. Jeff Babcock 1879 29
15. Lance Dehm 1797 26
16. Bobby Bittle 1790 29
17. Chad Osterhoff 1772 30
18. Troy Marciniak 1765 30
19. Mary O’Neal 1647 25
20. Nick Allen 1645 27

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Tait Davenport 1869 27
2. Caleb Ashby 1856 30
3. Bobby Dauderman 1723 28
4. Dustin Griffin 1593 28
5. Rylan Dagg 1552 28
6. Bobby Martintoni 1493 27
7. Matt Liner 1450 26
8. Nick Bauman 1449 22
9. Josh Harris 1312 22
10. Daniel Heck 1261 21

Sportsman (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jimmy Cummins 1742 25
2. Clayton Perry 1712 25
3. Troy Clark 1506 25
4. Greg Kimmons 1425 23
5. Brad Cummings 1380 24
6. Greg Amick 1328 23
7. Russell Eilers 1323 19
8. Alan Magner 1218 20
9. Brian Williams 1155 18
10. Chad Weinrick 1138 21

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Chad Boone 1700 25
2. Jeff Brooks 1406 25
3. Jonathan Smith 1082 17
4. Scotty Oliver 1078 19
5. Josh Tyler 979 19
6. Shelli O’Bryan 960 19
7. Jansen Morris 954 16
8. Chris Buhler 951 16
9. John Paul Talkington 923 17
10. Justin Riley 899 17

Stock Cars (driver/points/races counted):

1. Rick Thomas 1799 25
2. David Hurst 1676 25
3. Joel Funk 1632 25
4. Dave Mannise 1619 25
5. Steve Ewing 1617 25
6. Larry Russell Jr. 1604 25
7. Ervin Turner 1599 25
8. Chris Fisher 1591 25
9. Stacy Tretter 1458 22
10. Brandon Roundtree 1442 25

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bill May 1628 25
2. Justin Schuler 1248 22
3. Dan Wilson1 1066 17
4. Tony Weinrick 1003 21
5. Paul Tenbrink 995 16
6. Nate Tarte 972 23
7. Loren Peterson 918 16
8. Jim Scout 912 13
9. Robbie Sternberg 876 17
10. Dennis Ponder 852 13

Sport Compacts (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bob Zbinden 1910 25
2. Joe Reed 1843 25
3. Eric Wisher 1657 25
4. Michael Rittenberry 1476 23
5. C.J. Rector 1427 24
6. Richard Ashby 1356 24
7. Cook Crawford 1350 25
8. Monty Edwards 1273 22
9. Eric Wilson 1266 21
10. Justin Suhre 1264 22
 

UMP DIRT Racing National Points Update: Two-Time Defending Champ Erb Moves To Top Of Super Late Model Standings; Cook Remains Modified Leader

MARYVILLE, IL – July 25, 2009 – Two-time defending UMP DIRTcar Racing national Super Late Model champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., made his first appearance at the top of the points standings, moving ahead in the rankings released on Thursday by organization officials.

Just one week after clinching his third consecutive UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals title, Erb, 36, held a 31-point lead (2,581-2,550) over Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., in the national points standings tabulated through July 20.

Erb overcame the 62-point deficit to Feger that he faced in the national rankings released the previous week.

Both Erb and Feger have already reached the magic 40-race threshold. The national Super Late Model standings are determined using drivers' 40 best finishes/points nights, allowing the drivers to begin replacing their worst outings.

Eight of the top-10 drivers in the national Super Late Model standings had already reached the 40-race mark as of July 20. Only sixth-place Randy Korte of Highland, Ill. (34 races) and 10th-place Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill. (33 races) have not yet begun replacing races.

Gary Cook Jr. of Deer Creek, Ill., remained atop the UMP DIRTcar national Modified standings, but his points lead shrunk slightly. He led Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Ky., by 87 points (2,250-2,163) after holding a 131-point edge the previous week.

Other UMP DIRTcar national points leaders through July 20 included Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky. (Pro Late Models), Jimmy Cummins of Waterloo, Ill. (Sportsman), Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky. (Limited Modifieds), Rick Thomas of Koehler, Ill. (Stock Cars), Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks) and Joe Reed of Decatur, Ill. (Sport Compacts).

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of July 20, 2009):

Super Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Dennis Erb Jr. 2581 40
2. Jason Feger 2550 40
3. Kevin Weaver 2373 40
4. Rusty Schlenk 2328 40
5. Steve Sheppard Jr. 2311 40
6. Randy Korte 2239 34
7. Ryan Unzicker 2210 40
8. Mike Hammerle 2179 40
9. Brandon Sheppard 1977 40
10. Shannon Babb 1975 33
11. Frankie Heckenast 1946 39
12. Jon Henry 1773 31
13. Brian Ruhlman 1670 28
14. Eric Smith 1627 28
15. Jason McBride 1591 39
16. Daren Friedman 1584 28
17. Richie Hedrick 1584 37
18. Michael Kloos 1560 33
19 Dusty Moore 1537 29
20. Mark Voigt 1477 30

Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Gary Cook Jr. 2250 30
2. Randle Sweeney 2163 30
3. John McCaul 2125 30
4. Jeff Leka 2071 30
5. Mike Spatola 2060 30
6. Kent Robinson 2052 30
7. Todd Sherman 2013 30
8. Tim Hancock 1926 30
9. Clayton Miller 1848 30
10. Clint DeMoss 1845 28
11. Devin Gilpin 1843 30
12. Vance Wilson 1802 29
13. Jeremy Nichols 1778 30
14. Jeff Babcock 1766 27
15. Troy Marciniak 1765 30
16. Chad Osterhoff 1740 29
17. Lance Dehm 1724 25
18. Bobby Bittle 1654 27
19. Nick Allen 1535 25
20. Stan Dodds 1535 27

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races counted):

1. Tait Davenport 1799 26
2. Caleb Ashby 1748 28
3. Bobby Dauderman 1573 26
4. Rylan Dagg 1482 27
5. Dustin Griffin 1475 26
6. Nick Bauman 1449 22
7. Bobby Martintoni 1395 25
8. Matt Liner 1325 24
9. Josh Harris 1262 21
10. Daniel Heck 1196 20

Sportsman (driver/points/races counted):

1. Jimmy Cummins 1692 25
2. Clayton Perry 1660 25
3. Troy Clark 1506 25
4. Greg Kimmons 1355 22
5. Brad Cummings 1310 23
6. Greg Amick 1263 22
7. Russell Eilers 1228 17
8. Alan Magner 1218 20
9. Brian Williams 1155 18
10. Chad Weinrick 1138 21

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races counted):

1. Chad Boone 1592 24
2. Jeff Brooks 1286 23
3. Scotty Oliver 973 17
4. Jonathan Smith 942 15
5. Josh Tyler 929 18
6. John Paul Talkington 923 17
7. Chris Buhler 891 15
8. Derrick Brooks 853 15
9. Shelli O'Bryan 852 17
10. Justin Riley 829 16

Stock Cars (driver/points/races counted):

1. Rick Thomas 1598 23
2. David Hurst 1591 24
3. Ervin Turner 1578 25
4. Dave Mannise 1563 25
5. Chris Fisher 1549 25
6. Larry Russell Jr. 1530 25
7. Steve Ewing 1512 23
8. Joel Funk 1452 22
9. Mike Welch 1393 23
10. Brandon Roundtree 1371 25

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races counted):

1. Bill May 1606 25
2. Justin Schuler 1206 21
3. Tony Weinrick 967 20
4. Nate Tarte 935 22
5. Paul Tenbrink 905 15
6. Loren Peterson 858 15
7. Robbie Sternberg 837 16
8. Dennis Ponder 810 12
9. Chuck Smith 800 17
10. Jim Scout 796 11

Sport Compacts (driver/points/races counted):

1. Joe Reed 1759 25
2. Bob Zbinden 1730 24
3. Eric Wisher 1635 25
4. C.J. Rector 1427 24
5. Michael Rittenberry 1341 22
6. Richard Ashby 1276 22
7. Cook Crawford 1254 22
8. Mark Farber 1239 23
9. Eric Wilson 1225 20
10. Justin Suhre 1214 21

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Update: Feger Emerges From Summer Nationals With Super Late Model Points Lead

GRAYVILLE, IL – July 18, 2009 – Jason Feger fell short of capturing the 2009 UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals championship, but he emerged from the grueling month of Super Late Model action sitting atop the circuit's other high-profile points battle.

Feger, 31, of Bloomington, Ill., leads the latest UMP DIRTcar Racing national Super Late Model points standings, which were released on Thursday by organization officials.

An exciting young driver known as the ‘Highside Hustler,' Feger held a 62-point lead (2,531-2,469) over two-time defending national champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., in the Super Late Model standings tabulated through July 13.

Both Feger, who finished fourth in the Summer Nationals points race, and Erb, who captured his third straight Summer Nationals title, entered this weekend's UMP DIRTcar Racing action having already reached the magic 40-race threshold. The national Super Late Model standings are determined using drivers' 40 best finishes/points nights, so Feger and Erb will now begin replacing poor outings.

Feger, who won Summer Nationals A-Mains on June 24 at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill., and June 30 at Peoria (Ill.) Speedway, is seeking his first career UMP DIRTcar Racing national title. He finished a career-high third in the 2008 points standings.

Erb, meanwhile, is attempting to sweep the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals and national crowns for an unprecedented third consecutive season.

In the UMP DIRTcar Modified ranks, Gary Cook Jr. of Deer Creek, Ill., continued to expand his national points lead. He entered this weekend's competition with a 131-point edge (2,189-2,058) over Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Ky. – up from the 87-point lead Cook sported over Sweeney in the previous week's standings.

Other UMP DIRTcar national points leaders through July 13 include Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky. (Pro Late Models), Jimmy Cummins of Waterloo, Ill. (Sportsman), Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky. (Limited Modifieds), Chris Fisher of Bluff Point, N.Y. (Stock Cars), Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks) and Joe Reed of Decatur, Ill. (Sport Compacts).

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of July 13, 2009):

Super Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Jason Feger 2531 40
2. Dennis Erb Jr. 2469 40
3. Kevin Weaver 2296 38
4. Steve Sheppard Jr. 2237 40
5. Randy Korte 2081 32
6. Ryan Unzicker 2038 40
7. Mike Hammerle 2028 40
8. Rusty Schlenk 1922 35
9. Frankie Heckenast 1900 38
10. Shannon Babb 1896 32
11. Brandon Sheppard 1812 40
12. Jon Henry 1525 27
13. Michael Kloos 1509 32
14. Jason McBride 1489 37
15. Brian Ruhlman 1473 25
16. Richie Hedrick 1429 34
17. Daren Friedman 1425 25
18. Eric Smith 1423 25
19. Mark Voigt 1413 29
20. Jeep VanWormer 1377 25

Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Gary Cook Jr. 2189 30
2. Randle Sweeney 2058 30
3. Mike Spatola 2015 30
4. Kent Robinson 2014 30
5. Jeff Leka 1996 30
6. John McCaul 1979 28
7. Todd Sherman 1977 30
8. Tim Hancock 1882 30
9. Clint DeMoss 1789 27
10. Jeremy Nichols 1778 30
11. Clayton Miller 1733 28
12. Vance Wilson 1696 27
13. Jeff Babcock 1676 25
14. Devin Gilpin 1662 27
15. Troy Marciniak 1654 28
16. Chad Osterhoff 1638 27
17. Lance Dehm 1571 23
18. Bobby Bittle 1562 25
19. Michael Lee 1461 26
20. Nick Allen 1409 23

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Tait Davenport 1799 26
2. Caleb Ashby 1632 26
3. Bobby Dauderman 1508 25
4. Nick Bauman 1374 21
5. Rylan Dagg 1362 25
6. Bobby Martintoni 1299 23
7. Dustin Griffin 1282 23
8. Matt Liner 1250 22
9. Josh Harris 1187 20
10. Daniel Heck 1084 18

Sportsman (driver/points/races):

1. Jimmy Cummins 1652 25
2. Clayton Perry 1630 25
3. Troy Clark 1481 25
4. Greg Kimmons 1321 21
5. Brad Cummings 1310 23
6. Greg Amick 1225 21
7. Russell Eilers 1153 16
8. Alan Magner 1074 18
9. Chad Weinrick 1033 19
10. Tom Smallwood 1025 21

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Chad Boone 1511 22
2. Jeff Brooks 1177 21
3. John Paul Talkington 868 16
4. Derrick Brooks 853 15
5. Jonathan Smith 850 13
6. Scotty Oliver 843 15
7. Chris Buhler 821 14
8. Josh Tyler 815 16
9. Shelli O'Bryan 764 15
10. Justin Riley 754 15

Stock Cars (driver/points/races):

1. Chris Fisher 1544 25
2. Dave Mannise 1542 25
3. Ervin Turner 1512 25
4. Steve Ewing 1437 22
5. David Hurst 1424 21
6. Larry Russell Jr. 1407 23
7. Rick Thomas 1388 20
8. Brandon Roundtree 1360 25
9. Mike Welch 1318 22
10. Joel Funk 1270 19

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races):

1. Bill May 1493 23
2. Justin Schuler 1056 19
3. Nate Tarte 897 21
4. Tony Weinrick 876 18
5. Robbie Sternberg 782 15
6. Paul Tenbrink 765 13
7. Chuck Smith 756 16
8. Dennis Ponder 735 11
9. Loren Peterson 723 13
10. Jim Scout 716 10

Sport Compacts (driver/points/races):

1. Joe Reed 1605 23
2. Bob Zbinden 1574 22
3. Eric Wisher 1558 24
4. C.J. Rector 1312 22
5. Michael Rittenberry 1196 19
6. Cook Crawford 1155 20
7. Justin Suhre 1138 20
8. Mark Farber 1099 21
9. Todd Meyer 1086 18
10. Eric Wilson 1085 18

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Update: Steve Sheppard Jr. (Super Late Models) & Gary Cook Jr. (Modifieds) Move To Top Of Standings

GRAYVILLE, IL – June 20, 2009 – Steve Sheppard Jr. of New Berlin, Ill. (Super Late Models) and Gary Cook Jr. of Deer Creek, Ill. (Modifieds) moved to the top of the latest UMP DIRTcar Racing national points standings, which were released on Friday by organization officials.

Sheppard, 34, held a scant one-point lead (1,473-1,472) over 61-year-old veteran Mike Hammerle of St. Charles, Mo., in the national Super Late Model points standings tabulated through June 15. Hammerle had overtaken Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich., for the points lead in the previous week's points update.

With the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals in full swing, Sheppard used four starts on the grueling month-long series to erase his 16-point deficit to Hammerle in the previous week's standings. Sheppard, who drives family-owned equipment, scored a top finish of fifth on June 13 at Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, Ind., in his Summer Nationals appearances.

Hammerle, meanwhile, registered a feature win on June 12 at Belle Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill., among his three starts during the week. He has made a UMP DIRTcar-high 30 starts this season – four more than Sheppard.

Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., moved up one spot to third in the national standings, just six points behind Sheppard. His four starts last week all came in Summer Nationals events, with a top finish of sixth on June 12 at Kankakee (Ill.) County Speedway.

Cook, meanwhile, grabbed the Modified division's national points lead for the first time this season with a strong five-race week. He won three features during the stretch, scoring on June 10 and June 13 at Spoon River Speedway in Canton, Ill., and June 12 at Kankakee.

The 33-year-old Cook supplanted Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind., who registered one top-five finish (second on June 13 at Kamp) among his four starts last week. Cook held a 43-point lead (1,683-1640) over Robinson as of June 15.

The national points leaders in five of UMP DIRTcar's six other divisional races remained the same through June 15: Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky. (Pro Late Models), Clayton Perry of North Vernon, Ind. (Sportsman), Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky. (Limited Modifieds), Chris Fisher of Bluff Point, N.Y. (Stock Cars) and Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks).

Illinois racer Eric Wisher overtook Bob Zbinden of Alhambra, Ill., for the points lead in the 4-Cylinder class.

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of June 15, 2009):

NOTE: Asterisk by driver's name indicates that as of Mon., June 15, they still needed to obtain a DIRTcar Racing membership by June 16 in order to be eligible to receive points for the remainder of the 2009 season

Super Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Steve Sheppard Jr. 1473 26
2. Mike Hammerle 1472 30
3. Jason Feger 1467 23
4. Rusty Schlenk 1348 24
5. Kevin Weaver 1314 21
6. Jon Henry 1299 22
7. Dennis Erb Jr. 1279 23
8. Michael Kloos 1188 23
9. Brandon Sheppard 1186 26
10. Jason McBride 1183 26
11. Frankie Heckenast 1143 22
12. Ryan Unzicker 1112 23
13. Richie Hedrick 1110 26
14. Dusty Moore 1097 20
15. Chris Dick* 1032 20
16. Daren Friedman 1027 17
17. Ted Loomis 1006 19
18. Eric Smith 1004 17
19. Ed Dixon 994 16
20. Dona Marcoulier 982 14

Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Gary Cook Jr. 1683 25
2. Kent Robinson 1640 28
3. Mike Spatola 1610 28
4. Todd Sherman 1556 25
5. Randle Sweeney 1544 23
6. John McCaul 1404 20
7. Jeff Leka 1351 22
8. Jeremy Nichols 1343 27
9. Tim Hancock 1293 22
10. Troy Marciniak 1286 21
11. Clint DeMoss 1259 19
12. Jeff Babcock 1223 19
13. Clayton Miller 1204 19
14. Michael Lee 1194 21
15. Chad Osterhoff 1187 19
16. Bobby Bittle 1169 18
17. Vance Wilson 1159 19
18. Christy Georges 1157 22
19. Lucas Lee 1149 20
20. Lance Dehm 1147 17

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Tait Davenport 1434 21
2. Caleb Ashby 1255 20
3. Bobby Dauderman 1113 19
4. Rylan Dagg 1094 20
5. Nick Bauman 1055 16
6. Josh Harris* 922 16
7. Dustin Griffin 890 17
8. Matt Liner 889 16
9. Bobby Martintoni 791 15
10. Daniel Heck 752 12

Sportsman (driver/points/races):

1. Clayton Perry* 1333 21
2. Troy Clark 1249 22
3. Jimmy Cummins 1177 19
4. Brad Cummings* 970 17
5. Greg Kimmons 957 15
6. Tom Smallwood* 904 18
7. Jeff Herzog 855 14
8. Alan Magner 804 14
9. Greg Amick 803 14
10. Russell Eilers 790 11

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Chad Boone 1116 16
2. Jeff Brooks 854 15
3. Scotty Oliver 795 14
4. Derrick Brooks 713 12
5. Dan Bimson 647 10
6. Josh Tyler 611 12
7. Jansen Morris* 570 9
8. Shelli O'Bryan 559 11
9. Scott Bettes* 551 9
10. Larry Hull Jr. 543 8

Stock Cars (driver/points/races):

1. Chris Fisher 1391 24
2. Dave Mannise 1331 24
3. David Hurst 1069 16
4. Brandon Roundtree* 1033 19
5. Ervin Turner 1022 17
6. Andy Fisk 1012 17
7. Mike Welch 994 16
8. Steve Ewing 947 15
9. Larry Russell Jr. 909 15
10. Josh Griffith 906 17

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races):

1. Bill May 1016 16
2. Nate Tarte 703 16
3. Mickey Hines* 684 10
4. Tony Weinrick 661 14
5. Justin Schuler* 639 12
6. Robbie Sternberg 576 11
7. Fred Ryland* 570 8
8. Danny Hupp* 565 10
9. Dennis Ponder 552 8
10. Allen Davis* 549 8

4-Cylinders (driver/points/races):

1. Eric Wisher 1186 18
2. Bob Zbinden 1130 16
3. Joe Reed 1128 16
4. Jeff Dodd 1046 15
5. Michael Rittenberry* 939 15
6. Richard Ashby 859 15
7. C.J. Rector 856 14
8. Justin Surhe 852 15
9. Monty Edwards 850 14
10. Jeff Rittenberry* 825 13
 

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Update: Hammerle (Super Late Models) & Robinson (Modifieds) On Top Of Latest National Points Standings

GRAYVILLE, IL – June 13, 2009 – Midwest stalwart Mike Hammerle of St. Charles, Mo., rose to the top of the latest UMP DIRTcar Racing Super Late Model national points standings, which were released on Friday.

Counting events run through June 8, the 61-year-old Hammerle held a 16-point lead (1,295-1,279) over Steve Sheppard Jr. of New Berlin, Ill.

A classic low-buck racer who has been behind the wheel for 36 years, Hammerle vaulted from third to first after UMP DIRTcar officials tabulated the results from last weekend's sanctioned action. His 27 overall starts this season are the most to date of any driver in the division, which will see its national champion determined by drivers' best 40 finishes/points nights.

Hammerle, a home-based welder who restricts his busy schedule to the circuit's smaller tracks where his older, underpowered equipment can be more competitive, registered three top-10 finishes last weekend. He scored sixth-place finishes on June 5 at Belle Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill., and June 7 at Shepp's Speedway in Alexander, Ill., and an eighth-place run on June 6 at Macon (Ill.) Speedway. Belle Clair and Macon are the shortest ovals in the UMP DIRTcar fold, at one-fifth-of-a-mile each.

Hammerle was able to stay ahead of Sheppard, who enjoyed a nearly perfect weekend. Back on track after struggling with some early-season engine problems, Sheppard scored Big 10 Series victories on June 6 at Macon and June 7 at his family's new Shepp's Speedway and finished second on June 5 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway. Both of Sheppard's triumphs came with his teenage son Brandon finishing in the runner-up spot, and the surge vaulted Sheppard from fifth to second in the national points standings

Young Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich., saw his five-week streak as the Super Late Model national points leader end after his only UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned start of the week resulted in a DNQ for the $100,000 Dirt Late Model Dream XV on June 6 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

Meanwhile, Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., qualified for the first Dream A-Main of his career but finished 16th in the 100-lapper and fell from second to fourth in the national points standings, while Jon Henry of Ada, Ohio, lost one spot (fourth to fifth) in the points after failing to qualify for the Dream.

The UMP DIRTcar national Modified points standings remained headed by 21-year-old Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind., who logged two starts last weekend.

But Robinson's advantage in the points standings shrunk, going from 33 points over Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Ky., through June 1 to 10 points over a surging Todd Sherman of Churubusco, Ind., through June 8.

The national points leaders in UMP DIRTcar's six other divisional races remained the same through June 8: Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky. (Pro Late Models), Clayton Perry of North Vernon, Ind. (Sportsman), Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky. (Limited Modifieds), Chris Fisher of Bluff Point, N.Y. (Stock Cars), Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks) and Bob Zbinden of Alhambra, Ill. (4-Cylinders).

All drivers are reminded that they must have a valid DIRTcar Racing membership by June 16 to be eligible to earn points for the remainder of the season. Visit www.DIRTcarmembers.com for more information about the benefits of a DIRTcar Racing membership.

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of June 8, 2009):

NOTE: Asterisk by driver's name indicates they still must obtain a DIRTcar Racing membership by June 16 in order to be eligible to receive points for the remainder of the 2009 season

Super Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Mike Hammerle 1295 27
2. Steve Sheppard Jr. 1279 22
3. Rusty Schlenk 1257 22
4. Jason Feger 1249 19
5. Jon Henry 1143 20
6. Jason McBride 1101 22
7. Kevin Weaver 1083 17
8. Brandon Sheppard 1074 22
9. Dennis Erb Jr. 1055 19
10. Frankie Heckenast 1053 19
11. Michael Kloos 1053 21
12. Richie Hedrick 1016 23
13. Ed Dixon 994 16
14. Chris Dick* 988 19
15. Dusty Moore 986 18
16. Daren Friedman 977 15
17. Ted Loomis 924 17
18. Ryan Unzicker 895 19
19. Eric Smith 876 15
20. Jimmy Dehm 859 19

Open-Wheel Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Kent Robinson 1428 24
2. Todd Sherman 1418 23
3. Randle Sweeney 1406 21
4. Mike Spatola 1399 24
5. Gary Cook Jr. 1337 20
6. Jeff Leka 1272 21
7. John McCaul 1259 18
8. Tim Hancock 1202 20
9. Troy Marciniak 1142 19
10. Jeremy Nichols 1129 23
11. Christy Georges 1125 21
12. Clayton Miller 1118 17
13. Clint DeMoss 1113 17
14. Jeff Babcock 1110 17
15. Bobby Bittle 1074 16
16. Michael Lee 1061 19
17. Lucas Lee 1058 18
18. Chad Osterhoff 1058 17
19. Vance Wilson 1004 16
20. Nick Allen 998 17

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Tait Davenport 1357 20
2. Caleb Ashby 1207 19
3. Bobby Dauderman 1038 18
4. Nick Bauman 980 15
5. Rylan Dagg 907 17
6. Josh Harris* 852 15
7. Matt Liner* 772 14
8. Bobby Martintoni 721 14
9. John Barnard* 706 14
10. Matt Beadles* 686 14

Sportsman (driver/points/races):

1. Clayton Perry* 1247 19
2. Troy Clark 1165 20
3. Jimmy Cummins 1047 17
4. Brad Cummings* 927 16
5. Greg Kimmons* 826 13
6. Tom Smallwood* 813 16
7. Jeff Herzog 770 12
8. Alan Magner 730 13
9. Greg Amick* 728 13
10. Russell Eilers* 725 10

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Chad Boone 1046 15
2. Jeff Brooks* 804 14
3. Scott Oliver 795 14
4. Derrick Brooks* 658 11
5. Dan Bimson 592 9
6. Josh Tyler 563 11
7. Chris Buhler 541 10
8. John Paul Talkington* 528 11
9. Justin Riley 520 11
10. Michael Stratton* 512 11

Stock Cars (driver/points/races):

1. Chris Fisher 1197 21
2. Dave Mannise 1161 21
3. Andy Fisk 872 15
4. Ervin Turner* 847 14
5. Steve Ewing* 845 13
6. Mike Welch 844 14
7. David Hurst* 844 13
8. Josh Griffith 825 15
9. Travis Myers* 804 15
10. Larry Russell Jr.* 799 13

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races):

1. Bill May 891 14
2. Nate Tarte 615 14
3. Tony Weinrick 569 12
4. Mickey Hines* 535 8
5. Justin Schuler* 511 10
6. Scott Erickson 505 10
7. Robbie Sternberg 501 10
8. Fred Ryland* 495 7
9. Dennis Ponder 490 7
10. Allen Davis* 489 7

4-Cylinders (driver/points/races):

1. Bob Zbinden* 1049 15
2. Eric Wisher 926 14
3. Michael Rittenberry* 900 14
4. Richard Ashby 859 15
5. Joe Reed * 831 12
6. Jeff Dodd* 810 11
7. Justin Suhre 796 14
8. Eric Wilson 773 13
9. Chris Fisher 768 11
10. Jeff Rittenberry* 758 12
 

Nearly $20,000 In Contingency Awards On The Line During Month-Long UMP DIRTcar Racing Summer Nationals

GRAYVILLE, IL – June 11, 2009 – Contingency awards totaling nearly $20,000 have been posted for the UMP DIRTcar Racing Summer Nationals, the grueling month-long Super Late Model tour of the Midwest that kicks off tonight (Thurs., June 11) at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway.

More than a half-dozen companies are listed as supporters of the aptly-named ‘Hell Tour,' which visits 27 tracks over a 31-day period in a true test of man and machine.

“We're appreciative of all the companies that are part of the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals,” said UMP DIRTcar Racing director Sam Driggers. “It's the backing of these sponsors that makes the Summer Nationals more attractive to the racers and allows us to continue building the ‘Hell Tour' into one of the country's most unique and exciting Super Late Model series.”

Among the major backers of the Summer Nationals is VP Racing Fuels, the Official Racing Fuel of DIRTcar Racing. VP will have a big presence throughout the series, servicing the racers and offering a total of $150 in product certificates to three A-Main starters each night.

VP Racing Fuels will have a fuel truck at almost every Summer Nationals event. VP representatives will pour VP113, Late Model Plus, M1 methanol and other VP products at each track from the time the pit gates officially open until at least the conclusion of Super Late Model heat races.

In addition, VP Racing Fuels has posted product certificates in the sum of $75 for the fifth-place finisher, $50 for the 10th-place finisher and $25 for the 15th-place finisher in each Summer Nationals A-Main. Teams must use VP Racing Fuel and display a VP decal to be eligible for the certificates, which can be redeemed each night at the track or at VP Regional Distribution Centers in Newark, Del.; Barnett, Ga.; Terre Haute, Ind.; and San Antonio, Texas.

Quarter Master Racing Clutches & Driveline Components will also reward three drivers with product certificates at each Summer Nationals event. The Lake Zurich, Ill.-based firm will provide certificates worth $100 to the winner, $50 to the fifth-place finisher and $25 to the 10th-place finisher in each A-Main, contingent upon the display of a Quarter Master decal.

Other contingency awards requiring the mandatory display of company decals have been posted by ASI Racewear, the Official Apparel Company of UMP DIRTcar Racing ($50 certificate for the Hard Charger Award winner and $50 certificate for the first alternate who does not make the A-Main each night); Integra Shocks ($50 certificate to overall fast qualifier at each track); and Wrisco Aluminum (three sheets of aluminum to each A-Main winner).

Meanwhile, Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires of UMP DIRTcar Racing) and the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) are supporting the Summer Nationals with points-fund contributions and thus decals of both sponsors must be displayed by tour competitors.

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

Jimmy Owens Authors A ‘Dream' Charge From 19th Starting Spot To Win $100,000 At Eldora Speedway

ROSSBURG, OH – June 6, 2009 – Jimmy Owens couldn't help getting emotional after winning Saturday night's UMP DIRTcar Racing-sanctioned Dirt Late Model Dream XV at Eldora Speedway.

But it wasn't just the immense $100,000 first-place check that caused his voice to crack in Victory Lane. It was the way he earned it.

Owens, 37, of Newport, Tenn., authored one of the most memorable drives in the 100-lap race's history. He completed a charge forward from the 19th starting spot in style, passing five-time Dream winner Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., and NASCAR star Tony Stewart in a single circuit to grab the lead for good on lap 73.

“To be able to pass Scott and Stewart for the win here is really great,” Owens said while trying to catch his breath during the post-race press conference inside Eldora's tower. “To me, it's just a dream come true.”

Though Owens couldn't relax until the checkered flag flew because his Team Zero by Bloomquist car trailed smoke and was losing oil pressure for most of the distance, he easily led Bloomquist's own Team Zero mount across the finish line by more than a straightaway margin.

Defending World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., steered his Fusion Energy Rocket car from the 15th starting spot to a third-place finish, about 10 car lengths behind Bloomquist. Sixth-starter Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., and 14th-starter Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, placed fourth and fifth, respectively, both driving MB Custom Chassis machines.

Stewart, who started from the pole in a Rocket car sponsored by Old Spice, Office Depot and Bass Pro Shops, faded to a sixth-place finish over the race's final quarter after leading laps 10-37 and 61-72. It was the first Dream start of his career at the track he owns.

A four-time UMP DIRTcar Modified national champion, Owens pocketed the biggest dirt Late Model race winner's check of the season in his sixth career Dream A-Main start. He also book-ended his victory in the 2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing-sanctioned World 100, joining division legends Bloomquist, Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., and Donnie Moran of Dresden, Ohio, as the only drivers to win both crown-jewel events at the famed half-mile oval.

“It's what I've strived my whole life to do,” Owens said when asked about the significance of seeing his name listed alongside Bloomquist, Moyer and Moran as a Dream and World 100 winner.

For that reason as well as his crowd-pleasing march through the pack after using a fast-time provisional to start the A-Main, Owens ranked his Dream triumph as the highlight of his career.

“I think this is gonna go on top for me,” smiled Owens, who also earned a $100,000 check for clinching the 2002 UMP DIRTcar Modified national title in a dramatic finale at Eldora.

Owens didn't need any last-lap dramatics to pull out a win in the Dream, but he did make some unforgettable moves – especially after the race's lone caution flag flew on lap 51 for Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who slowed after blowing a right-rear tire and slapping the turn-one wall.

Sitting sixth for the restart, Owens took off and shot through the middle of Birkhofer and Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., to seize fourth on lap 52. He worked by Mars for third on lap 58 and then crashed the much-anticipated Stewart/Bloomquist showdown for the lead, surging by both motorsports titans to assume command on the 73rd lap.

Once Owens decided to disregard the blinking light on his dashboard that indicated his car was losing oil pressure, there was simply no stopping him. Stewart and Bloomquist, who led laps 38-60, could only watch Owens sail by.

“They pulled me a little bit when I got to slacking off because I was watching my oil light,” said Owens, whose car began showing smoke from its rearend around lap 15. “I was afraid the motor was gonna blow up any minute. I finally just said, ‘You know what? If it blows, it blows.' I just started running the car harder and I ran ‘em back down.

“I was just fortunate enough that Tony moved out of his groove a little and kinda messed him and Scott both up for me to get around them.”

When Owens finally saw the checkered flag flying, he was certainly glad he hadn't gone ahead with his thought of pulling off the track at the onset of his oil-pressure problem.

“We run Red Line Oil, and my hat's off to them guys because there's no way that car would've made it with anything else,” said Owens. “My (helmet) shield was full (of oil) when we had that caution. I couldn't see where I was going. I was out of tearoffs and started wiping. I finally got my shield clean – and then I don't know if (the car) ran out of oil or what, but it finally quit blowing oil.

“It made it (to the finish), so somebody's looking out for us.”

The caution flag certainly changed the course of the race for the 45-year-old Bloomquist, who built nearly a full straightaway edge after overtaking Stewart for the lead on lap 38. He didn't get away from Stewart on the restart, and he lost second to Owens shortly after his car's air cleaner blew off in turn one on lap 67.

But Bloomquist rallied to regain the runner-up spot from Stewart on lap 75 and stayed there to the finish, albeit without challenging Owens. The $20,000 outing continued a remarkable run of success in the Dream for Bloomquist, who since 2002 has three wins, two seconds and a third (plus one DNQ in '03).

Finishing in positions 7-10 was Matt Miller of Waterville, Ohio, who ran as high as fifth; 17th-starter Rick Eckert of York, Pa., who was nearly lapped early in the distance but came on after the halfway point to salvage a top-10 finish; O'Neal, who led laps 1-9 off the outside pole; and Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., who started 24th after grabbing the final transfer spot in the B-Main with a last-lap pass of two-time and defending UMP DIRTcar national champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill.

A field of 116 cars assembled at the venerable oval for Friday night's time-trial session.

Richards set fast time with a lap of 15.655 seconds. The 21-year-old went on to finish second in Saturday's first heat and earn the seventh starting spot for the Dream, but a tire problem caused him to lose nearly 10 spots on the first lap and ultimately lose a lap before his night ended when he brought out the race's lone caution flag.

Saturday's 15-lap heat winners were Mars, Bloomquist, Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., Moyer, O'Neal and Stewart. Bart Hartman of Zanesville, Ohio, captured the 15-lap C-Main and Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., won the 20-lap B-Main.

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

15h Annual Dirt Late Model Dream Official Finish (100 laps):

1. Jimmy Owens $100,000
2. Scott Bloomquist $20,000
3. Darrell Lanigan $10,000
4. Jimmy Mars $6,000
5. Brian Birkhofer $5,000
6. Tony Stewart $4,000
7. Matt Miller $3,500
8. Rick Eckert $3,000
9. Don O'Neal $2,500
10. Earl Pearson Jr. $2,200
11. Chris Madden $2,000
12. Steve Francis $1,900
13. Ray Cook $1,800
14. Billy Moyer $1,750
15. Jeep VanWormer $1,725
16. Jason Feger $1,700
17. Jonathan Davenport $1,675
18. Jared Landers $1,650
19. Chub Frank $1,625
20. Shannon Babb $1,600
21. Duane Chamberlain $1,575
22. Josh Richards $1,550
23. Dale McDowell $1,525
24. Randy Korte $1,500

Lap Leaders: O'Neal (1-9); Stewart (10-37); Bloomquist (38-60); Stewart (61-72); Owens (73-100)
Fast-Time Provisional Starters: Owens, Landers

Heat 1 Finish (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Jimmy Mars, Josh Richards, Ray Cook, Dale McDowell, John Blankenship, Steve Casebolt, Bart Hartman, Aaron Scott, Chris Simpson, Shawn Toczek, Ricky Arms, Shannon Thornsberry, Chuck Roelle, Casey Roberts, Tim Dohm, Tim Isenberg, Brent Kreke, Scott Orr, Wayne Maffett Jr., Patrick Ferguson

Heat 2 Finish (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Scott Bloomquist, Chris Madden, Brian Birkhofer, Chris Ferguson, Earl Pearson Jr., Wendell Wallace, Clint Smith, Rusty Schlenk, Doug Drown, Casey Noonan, Scott James, Brad Neat, Will Vaught, Jeff Beyers, Jerry Rice, Andrew Reaume, April Farmer, Andrew McKay, Jordan Bland (DNS) Terry Casey

Heat 3 Finish (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Jason Feger, Jeep VanWormer, Darrell Lanigan, Jimmy Owens, Randy Korte, Brian Ruhlman, John Mason, Tim Fuller, Tommy Kerr, Eddie Carrier Jr., Curtis Deisenroth, Tyler Ivey, Bill Lewis, Gregg Satterlee, Randle Chupp, Jon Henry, Shanon Buckingham, Rod Conley (DNS) Ryan Vanderveen

Heat 4 Finish (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Billy Moyer, Chub Frank, Duane Chamberlain, Jonathan Davenport, R.J. Conley, Jared Landers, Mike Marlar, Eric Wells, Curt Spalding, David Gentry, D.J. Wells, Mike Mataragas, Curtis Roberts, Jill George, Mark Douglas (DNS) Jackie Boggs, Chris Ross, Jason Jameson, Bobby Carnes

Heat 5 Finish (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Don O'Neal, Shannon Babb, Rick Eckert, Delmas Conley, Dan Schlieper, Jerry Bowersock, Jay Johnson, Chad Mahder, Justin McNeil, Brian Shirley, Jason Riggs, Robby Hensley, Bill Williams, Jason Keltner, Shane Clanton, Ben Adkins, Shawn Negangard, Dustin Neat, Justin Labonte

Heat 6 Finish (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Tony Stewart, Matt Miller, Steve Francis, Dennis Erb Jr., Wayne Chinn, Chris Wall, Donnie Moran, Vic Hill, Chad Ruhlman, Brady Smith, Tim Manville, Matt Lux, Kevin Cole, Brett Wyatt, Lee Davasier, Brandon Thirlby, Davey Johnson, Brandon Perkins (DNS) Steve Shaver

C-Main Finish (15 laps – Top 6 Transfer to B-Main): Bart Hartman, Tim Fuller, Clint Smith, Jay Johnson, Donnie Moran, Aaron Scott, Eric Wells, Brady Smith, Vic Hill, Brian Shirley, Chris Simpson, Chad Mahder, Tommy Kerr, Chad Ruhlman, Doug Drown, Justin McNeill, David Gentry, Casey Noonan, D.J. Wells, Curt Spalding, Rusty Schlenk, Eddie Carrier Jr., Shawn Toczek, Curtis Deisenroth

B-Main Finish (20 laps – Top 4 Transfer to Dream): Dale McDowell, Randy Korte, Jonathan Davenport, Earl Pearson Jr., Dennis Erb Jr., Tim Fuller, Delmas Conley, John Blankenship, Brian Ruhlman, Chris Wall, Mike Marlar, Bart Hartman, Dan Schlieper, R.J. Conley, Wayne Chinn, Aaron Scott, Jerry Bowersock, Clint Smith, Jay Johnson, Donnie Moran, John Mason, Chris Ferguson, Steve Casebolt, Wendell Wallace

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Update: Schlenk (Super Late Models) & Robinson (Modifieds) Remain On Top Of Standings

GRAYVILLE, IL – June 5, 2009 – Young drivers Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich. (Super Late Models) and Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind. (Modifieds) remained on top of the UMP DIRTcar Racing national points standings as the month of May came to a close.

Nine weeks into the UMP DIRTcar weekly racing season, the 22-year-old Schlenk holds a 43-point lead (1,247-1,204) over Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill. Schlenk has run 21 races versus Feger's 18; the Super Late Model champion is determined using a driver's best 40 finishes/points nights.

Schlenk maintained his national points lead for the fifth consecutive week thanks to three top-five finishes in as many starts last weekend. He was victorious in the May 29 feature at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park, then recorded finishes of third and fourth in a double-feature program on May 30 at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio.

Feger, meanwhile, made four UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned starts and registered a top-10 finish in each race. His week included finishes of fourth on May 28 at La Salle (Ill.) Speedway; seventh on May 29 at Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway; fifth on May 30 at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo.; and third on May 31 at Shepp's Speedway in Alexander, Ill.

Robinson, a 21-year-old who attends Indiana University, stayed atop the Modified points standings following a busy three-race week. His advantage is now 33 points (1,322-1,289) over veteran Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Ky.

Defending Pro Late Model national champ Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky., continued to lead the division's points standings through the end of May. He holds a commanding 183-points edge (1,282-1,099) over Caleb Ashby of Cunningham, Tenn.

The Pro Late Model division had a history-making moment last weekend thanks to 12-year-old Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., who became the youngest driver to win in the crate-engine class when he captured the May 29 feature at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway. The son of dirt Late Model legend and chassis builder Bob Pierce was victorious in only his eighth career Pro Late Model start.

In other UMP DIRTcar divisional points races, the national points leaders through June 1 included Clayton Perry of North Vernon, Ind., who overtook Troy Clark, also of North Vernon, Ind., for the top Sportsman spot; Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky., in the Limited Modifieds; Chris Fisher of Bluff Point, N.Y., in the Stock Cars; Bill May of Muskegon, Mich., in the Factory Stocks; and Bob Zbinden of Alhambra, Ill., in the 4-Cylinders.

All drivers are reminded that they must have a valid DIRTcar Racing membership by June 16 to be eligible to earn points for the remainder of the season. Visit www.DIRTcarmembers.com for more information about the benefits of a DIRTcar Racing membership.

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of June 1, 2009):

NOTE: Asterisk by driver's name indicates they still must obtain a DIRTcar Racing membership by June 16 in order to be eligible to receive points for the remainder of the 2009 season

Super Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Rusty Schlenk 1247 21
2. Jason Feger 1204 18
3. Mike Hammerle 1145 24
4. Jon Henry 1133 19
5. Steve Sheppard Jr. 1059 19
6. Frankie Heckenast 1053 19
7. Dennis Erb Jr. 1045 18
8. Jason McBride 1026 20
9. Kevin Weaver 953 15
10. Richie Hedrick 942 21
11. Dusty Moore 922 17
12. Michael Kloos 904 19
13. Brandon Sheppard 900 19
14. Ryan Unzicker 895 19
15. Ed Dixon 879 14
16. Daren Friedman 857 13
17. Chris Dick* 829 16
18. Eric Smith 826 14
19. Ted Loomis 777 15
20. Jimmy Dehm 765 17

Open-Wheel Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Kent Robinson 1322 22
2. Randle Sweeney 1289 19
3. Mike Spatola 1259 22
4. Todd Sherman 1218 20
5. Jeff Leka 1196 20
6. Gary Cook Jr. 1181 18
7. John McCaul 1107 16
8. Christy Georges 1088 20
9 Troy Marciniak 1010 17
10. Tim Hancock 997 17
11. Clayton Miller* 987 15
12. Clint DeMoss 984 15
13. Jeremy Nichols 969 20
14. Michael Lee 961 17
15. Jeff Babcock 955 15
16. Lucas Lee 941 16
17. Chad Osterhoff 937 15
18. Bobby Bittle 934 14
19. Stormy Scott 928 15
20. Nick Allen 926 16

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Tait Davenport 1282 19
2. Caleb Ashby 1099 17
3. Bobby Dauderman 901 16
4. Nick Bauman 843 13
5. Rylan Dagg 791 15
6. Josh Harris 787 14
7. Matt Liner* 652 12
8. Bobby Martintoni 609 12
9. John Barnard* 588 12
10. Matt Beadles* 586 12

Sportsman (driver/points/races):

1. Clayton Perry* 1105 17
2. Troy Clark 1077 18
3. Jimmy Cummins 907 15
4. Brad Cummings* 881 15
5. Greg Kimmons* 751 12
6. Tom Smallwood* 700 14
7. Jeff Herzog 685 11
8. Alan Magner 665 12
9. Russell Eilers* 650 9
10. Kevin Clark* 614 11

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Chad Boone 896 13
2. Scotty Oliver* 785 13
3. Jeff Brooks* 706 12
4. Dan Bimson* 532 8
5. Derrick Brooks* 518 9
6. Chris Buhler 476 9
7. Justin Riley 450 9
8. Josh Tyler 433 9
9. Bobby Fehring* 431 7
10. John Paul Talkington* 426 9

Stock Cars (driver/points/races):

1. Chris Fisher 1039 18
2. Dave Mannise 963 18
3. Andy Fisk 770 13
4. Steve Ewing* 770 12
5. Larry Russell Jr.* 749 12
6. David Hurst* 731 11
7. Mike Welch 727 12
8. Josh Griffith* 717 13
9. Travis Myers* 716 13
10. Ron Wadforth 693 10

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races):

1. Bill May 761 12
2. Nate Tarte 521 12
3. Tony Weinrick 495 10
4. Scott Erickson 461 9
5. Mickey Hines* 459 7
6. Bruce Norwick* 458 9
7. Dennis Ponder 458 6
8. Robbie Sternberg 426 9
9. Fred Ryland* 420 6
10. Chuck Smith 416 9

4-Cylinders (driver/points/races):

1. Bob Zbinden* 972 14
2. Eric Wisher 830 12
3. Michael Rittenberry* 793 12
4. Jeff Dodd* 752 10
5. Richard Ashby 737 12
6. Jeff Rittenberry* 719 11
7. Justin Suhre 711 12
8. Joe Reed* 708 10
9. Evan Taylor* 691 11
10. Eric Wilson 689 11

UMP DIRTcar Racing's Big Stretch: This Weekend's $100,000 Dirt Late Model Dream Leads Into Grueling Month-Long Summer Nationals

GRAYVILLE, IL – June 2, 2009 – There's no bigger stretch of UMP DIRTcar Racing Super Late Model action than the one that begins this weekend at the famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

The national spotlight will focus on UMP DIRTcar Racing with the running of Eldora's $100,000 Dirt Late Model Dream XV this Friday and Saturday (June 5-6) and won't fade until mid-July when the organization's grueling Summer Nationals tour finally comes to an end.

“This is the signature time of the year for UMP DIRTcar Racing,” said Sam Driggers, the director of the sanctioning body that is part of the World Racing Group family. “We're proud to once again sanction the richest dirt Late Model event of the season at a marquee track like Eldora Speedway, and of course the Dream leads into the Summer Nationals ‘Hell Tour' that has become UMP DIRTcar's most anticipated annual series.”

The UMP DIRTcar Racing-sanctioned Dirt Late Model Dream at NASCAR star Tony Stewart's high-banked, half-mile oval offers a $100,000 top prize – the largest single first-place paycheck for a dirt Late Model race this season. Hot laps, time trials and non-qualifiers' events are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on Friday (June 5), with the Saturday-night program of heat races, B-Mains and the 100-lap Dream set to kick off at 7 o'clock.

That huge purse will lure all of the top dirt Late Model drivers in the country, including dozens with deep ties to UMP DIRTcar Racing.

Two-time defending UMP DIRTcar national and Summer Nationals champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., will lead the UMP DIRTcar contingent to Eldora. He will be looking to make his first start in the Dream A-Main since 2002, when he finished 11th.

Other UMP DIRTcar stars expected to challenge the fast Eldora track include former national champion Randy Korte of Highland, Ill.; Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich., and Jon Henry of Ada, Ohio, who are among the drivers near the top of the 2009 UMP DIRTcar national points standings; and Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., who battled Erb down to the wire in last year's Summer Nationals points race.

Joining Erb as former UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals titlists in the Dream field are Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., five-time and defending Dream winner Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., and Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind.

For full information on the Dream, including detailed time schedules and ticket prices, visit www.eldoraspeedway.com.

Following the checkered flag in the Dream, Erb, Feger and Shirley will be among the drivers who immediately shift their attention to the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals. Now in its 22nd year tearing up Midwestern dirt tracks, the Summer Nationals is the biggest test of men and machine in dirt Late Model racing.

The 2009 UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals opens on Thurs., June 11, at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway. The series is scheduled to visit 26 different tracks over a 31-day period, with the finale once again set for Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, on Fri., July 11.

Additional info on all of the series, sanctioning and member tracks of DIRTcar Racing and the complete UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals schedule is available at www.DIRTcar.com.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Update: Schlenk Keeps Super Late Model Lead, Kent Robinson Moves Atop Modified Standings

GRAYVILLE, IL – May 29, 2009 – Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich. (Super Late Models) and Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ill. (Modifieds) enter the final weekend of May sitting atop the UMP DIRTcar Racing national points standings in their respective divisions.

Schlenk continued to lead the Super Late Model points battle despite experiencing a relatively quiet Memorial Day Weekend on the Midwest's dirt tracks. He entered three American Late Model Series events, finishing ninth on May 22 at Mount Pleasant (Mich.) Speedway; 14th on May 23 at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio (driving the Wagner No. 83 after he rolled his Lawrence Motorsports No. 11 during hot laps); and eighth on May 24 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

Schlenk's points lead did shrink from 54 points to 34 points. He rolls into this weekend's action leading Jon Henry of Ada, Ohio, who also ran the ALMS tripleheader with finishes of third at Mount Pleasant, second at Oakshade and 15th at Eldora (after hitting the wall during his heat and using a provisional to start the feature).

The 21-year-old Robinson, meanwhile, overtook Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Ky., for the Modified division's national points lead. Robinson's victory on May 22 at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway and a second-place finish on May 23 at Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, Ind., trumped Sweeney's triumph on May 23 at Western Kentucky Speedway in Nebo, Ky.

Robinson enters this weekend's racing schedule holding a slim four-point lead (1,013-1,009) over Todd Sherman of Churubusco, Ind., who vaulted from seventh to second in the standings after running five features (with one win) over Memorial Day Weekend.

In other UMP DIRTcar divisional points races, national points leaders through May 27 include Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky. (Pro Late Models), Troy Clark of North Vernon, Ind. (Sportsman), Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky. (Limited Modifieds), Chris Fisher of Bluff Point, N.Y. (Stock Cars), Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks) and Bob Zbinden of Alhambra, Ill. (4-Cylinders). Zbinden was the only new points leader after the holiday weekend activity.

All drivers are reminded that they must have a valid DIRTcar Racing membership by June 16 to be eligible to earn points for the remainder of the season. Visit www.DIRTcarmembers.com for more information about the benefits of a DIRTcar Racing membership.

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of May 27, 2009):

NOTE: Asterisk by driver's name indicates they still must obtain a DIRTcar Racing membership by June 16 in order to be eligible to receive points for the remainder of the 2009 season

Super Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Rusty Schlenk 1034 18
2. Jon Henry 1010 17
3. Mike Hammerle 968 21
4. Jason Feger 945 14
5. Jason McBride 891 17
6. Steve Sheppard Jr. 866 15
7. Frankie Heckenast 829 15
8. Michael Kloos 815 16
9. Ed Dixon* 770 12
10. Dennis Erb Jr. 770 14
11. Richie Hedrick 763 17
12. Dusty Moore 756 14
13. Brandon Sheppard 737 15
14. Ted Loomis 726 13
15. Ryan Unzicker 724 16
16. Kevin Weaver 722 11
17. Daren Friedman 690 10
18. Chris Dick* 683 13
19. Brian Ruhlman 656 11
20. Tony Albright 640 10

Open-Wheel Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Kent Robinson 1113 18
2. Todd Sherman 1109 18
3. Randle Sweeney 1098 16
4. Gary Cook Jr. 1016 16
5. Jeff Leka 1012 16
6. John McCaul 1000 15
7. Mike Spatola 962 18
8. Christy Georges 946 17
9. Stormy Scott 928 15
10. Troy Marciniak 906 15
11. Jeff Babcock 899 14
12. Clayton Miller* 886 13
13. Lucas Lee 876 15
14. Michael Lee 857 15
15. Jeremy Nichols 834 16
16. Vance Wilson 832 12
17. Jamie Cobb 830 15
18. Nick Allen 805 13
19. Bobby Bittle 795 12
20. Bryce Jewell 787 16

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Tait Davenport 1207 18
2. Caleb Ashby 993 15
3. Bobby Dauderman* 761 14
4. Rylan Dagg 758 14
5. Nick Bauman 708 11
6. Josh Harris* 677 12
7. Matt Liner* 552 10
8. Bobby Martintoni 499 10
9. Gil Smith 497 9
10. Matt Beadles* 485 10

Sportsman (driver/points/races):

1. Troy Clark 963 16
2. Clayton Perry* 903 14
3. Jimmy Cummins* 819 13
4. Brad Cummings* 770 13
5. Greg Kimmons* 638 10
6. Tom Smallwood* 613 12
7. Alan Magner 600 11
8. Jeff Herzog* 575 9
9. Russell Eilers* 574 8
10. Kevin Clark* 566 10

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Chad Boone 775 11
2. Scotty Oliver* 635 11
3. Jeff Brooks* 571 10
4. Chris Buhler 476 9
5. Derrick Brooks* 448 8
6. John Paul Talkington* 426 9
7. Kevin Dupont 419 6
8. Brandi Burney 390 7
9. Bobby Fehring* 387 6
10. Josh Tyler 378 8

Stock Cars (driver/points/races):

1. Chris Fisher 850 15
2. Dave Mannise 845 16
3. Steve Ewing* 700 11
4. Travis Myers* 681 12
5. David Hurst* 666 10
6. Andy Fisk 661 11
7. Ron Wadforth 641 9
8. Brandon Roundtree* 634 12
9. Larry Russell Jr.* 614 10
10. J osh Griffith* 599 11

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races):

1. Bill May 616 10
2. Tony Weinrick 430 9
3. Nate Tarte 427 10
4. Scott Erickson 401 8
5. Robbie Sternberg 384 8
6. Mickey Hines* 382 6
7. Dennis Ponder* 379 5
8. Fred Ryland* 370 5
9. Bruce Norwick* 363 7
10. Chuck Smith 361 8

4-Cylinders (driver/points/races):

1. Bob Zbinden* 815 12
2. Michael Rittenberry* 733 11
3. Eric Wisher 695 10
4. Jeff Dodd* 667 9
5. Jeff Rittenberry* 663 10
6. Evan Taylor* 639 10
7. Justin Suhre* 639 11
8. Joe Reed* 638 9
9. Tony LaPorta* 624 9
10. Danny Lunn 615 9

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Update: Schlenk (Super Late Models) & Sweeney (Modifieds) Maintain Points Leads

GRAYVILLE, IL – May 21, 2009 – Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich. (Super Late Models) and Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Ky. (Modifieds) maintained their UMP DIRTcar Racing national points leads heading into the busy Memorial Day Weekend.

Last weekend's wet weather throughout the Midwest curtailed Schlenk's racing plans to just one start, but he made the most of it by winning Friday night's Super Late Model feature at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park. His points lead did shrink slightly from the previous week, however, going from 63 points through May 12 to 54 points through May 20.

Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., now sits second in the Super Late Model national points standings, continuing his steady climb in the rankings over the past month. The driver known as the ‘Highside Hustler' scored a feature win last Saturday night at Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, Ind., and finished 11th in Sunday night's World of Outlaws Late Model Series event at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway that was co-sanctioned by UMP DIRTcar.

The 44-year-old Sweeney, meanwhile, registered a second-place finish last Friday night at Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway in his only Modified appearance of the weekend, extending his national points lead slightly to 64 points over Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind.

Robinson was victorious on Saturday night at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway, but he couldn't close the gap on Sweeney because he received only a one-point bonus.

Gary Cook Jr. of Deery Creek, Ill., vaulted from sixth to third in the Modified points standings after racing twice over the weekend. He finished fifth on Saturday night at Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway and won Sunday night's feature at Quad City Raceway in East Moline, Ill.

In other UMP DIRTcar divisional points races, Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky. (Pro Late Models), Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky. (Limited Modifieds) and Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks) remained at the top of their respective national standings.

New points leaders after last weekend's action include Troy Clark of North Vernon, Ind. (Sportsman), Chris Fisher of Bluff Point, N.Y. (Stock Cars) and Michael Rittenberry of Clarksville, Tenn. (4-Cylinders).

All drivers are reminded that they must have a valid DIRTcar Racing membership by June 16 to be eligible to earn points for the remainder of the season. Visit www.DIRTcarmembers.com for more information about the benefits of a DIRTcar Racing membership.

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of May 20, 2009):

NOTE: Asterisk by driver's name indicates they still must obtain a DIRTcar Racing membership by June 16 in order to be eligible to receive points for the remainder of the 2009 season

Super Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Rusty Schlenk 877 15
2. Jason Feger 823 12
3. Jon Henry 809 14
4. Mike Hammerle 800 18
5. Jason McBride 766 15
6. Steve Sheppard Jr. 746 13
7. Frankie Heckenast 721 13
8. Dennis Erb Jr. 691 12
9. Michael Kloos 663 14
10. Ryan Unzicker 658 14
11. Brandon Sheppard 654
12. Ed Dixon* 629 10
13. Dusty Moore 627 11
14. Ted Loomis 591 11
15. Richie Hedrick 589 14
16. Jayme Zidar 576 12
17. Kevin Weaver 568 9
18. Tony Albright 565 9
19. Daren Friedman 534 8
20. Kyle Logue 533 9

Open-Wheel Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Randle Sweeney 1021 15
2. Kent Robinson 957 16
3. Gary Cook Jr. 930 14
4. Stormy Scott 928 15
5. Christy Georges 896 15
6. Jeff Leka 893 14
7. Todd Sherman 820 13
8. Michael Lee 759 13
9. Lucas Lee 755 13
10. Johnny Scott* 754 12
11. Jeff Babcock 744 12
12. Clayton Miller* 740 11
13. Jamie Cobb 728 13
14. Zach Fair 704 12
15. Mike Spatola 700 13
16. Royal Jones 678 12
17. Vance Wilson 677 10
18. Nick Allen 675 11
19. Tim Hancock 674 12
20. Bobby Bittle* 664 10

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Tait Davenport 1065 16
2. Caleb Ashby 851 13
3. Josh Harris 579 10
4. Bobby Dauderman* 537 10
5. Nick Bauman 531 8
6. Rylan Dagg 484 10
7. Phil Gregory* 440 10
8. Gil Smith 432 8
9. Matt Liner* 424 8
10. Bryan Singleton* 392 8

Sportsman (driver/points/races):

1. Troy Clark 818 14
2. Clayton Perry* 812 12
3. Jimmy Cummins* 666 11
4. Brad Cummings* 574 10
5. Greg Kimmons * 563 9
6. Kevin Clark* 522 9
7. Tom Smallwood* 503 10
8. Russell Eilers* 499 7
9. Don Newcomb 496 9
10. Christy Georges 481 8

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Chad Boone 630 9
2. Scotty Oliver* 505 9
3. Chris Buhler 476 9
4. Jeff Brooks* 451 8
5. Kevin Dupont* 419 6
6. Brandi Burney 390 7
7. Bobby Fehring* 387 6
8. John Paul Talkington* 374 8
9. Scott Bettes* 361 6
10. Jonathan Smith 358 6

Stock Cars (driver/points/races):

1. Chris Fisher 691 12
2. Dave Mannise 665 13
3. Travis Myers* 621 11
4. Steve Ewing* 585 9
5. Grady Christian* 582.5 8
6. Jon Wix* 544 9
7. Ro n Wadforth 532 7
8. Jerrad Krick 530 8
9. David Hurst* 523 8
10. Larry Russell Jr.* 516 8

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races):

1. Bill May 471 8
2. Nate Tarte 351 8
3. Robbie Sternberg 340 7
4. Scott Erickson 336 7
5. Chuck Smith 313 7
6. Mickey Hines* 303 5
7. Dennis Ponder* 302 4
8. Danny Hupp* 295 5
9. Fred Ryland* 295 4
10. Tony Weinrick 285 7

4-Cylinders (driver/points/races):

1. Michael Rittenberry* 663 10
2. Bob Zbinden* 644 9
3. Tony LaPorta* 624 9
4. Danny Lunn 615 9
5. Jeff Rittenberry* 588 9
6. Jeff Dodd* 582 8
7. Evan Taylor* 574 9
8. Joe Reed* 558 8
9. Gilbert Espy 541 9
10. Justin Suhre* 517 8

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Update: Schlenk Maintains Super Late Model Lead, Sweeney Regains Modified Top Spot

GRAYVILLE, IL – May 14, 2009 – Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich., maintained his Super Late Model national points lead and Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Ky., regained the top spot in the open-wheel Modified national rankings after last weekend's UMP DIRTcar Racing action.

Schlenk, 22, made two UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned starts last weekend, finishing fifth on May 8 at Mount Pleasant (Mich.) Speedway and a close second on May 9 at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio. His performance extended his national points lead, which he had regained one week earlier, from 53 to 63 points through May 12.

Moving up to second in the Super Late Model standings was Jon Henry of Ada, Ohio, who finished third behind Schlenk at Oakshade.

Among the highlights last weekend on the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model circuit was the first career win for Jason McBride of Carbondale, Ill. The 22-year-old, second-year full-fender driver broke through on May 9 at Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway, but it was his only start of the weekend and he fell from second to fifth in the national points standings.

Sweeney, 44, also was triumphant last Saturday night at Clarksville, capturing the UMP DIRTcar Modified feature to regain the national points lead he had lost the previous week to Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind. A seven-time winner this season, Sweeney enters this weekend's competition holding a 60-point edge over Robinson, whose lone start last weekend resulted in a DNQ on Saturday night at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

Other UMP DIRTcar national points leaders include defending Pro Late Model division champ Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky.; Clayton Perry of North Vernon, Ind. (Sportsman); Chad Boone of Owensboro, Ky., (Limited Modifieds); Dave Mannise of Fulton, N.Y. (Stock Cars); Bill May of Muskegon, Mich. (Factory Stocks); and Danny Lunn of Altoona, Fla. (4-Cylinders). Boone and May are new points leaders entering this weekend's UMP DIRTcar action.

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of May 12, 2009):

Super Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Rusty Schlenk 795 14
2. Jon Henry 732 13
3. Mike Hammerle 731 16
4. Jason Feger 694 10
5. Jason McBride 689 14
6. Frankie Heckenast 637 11
7. Steve Sheppard Jr. 633 11
8. Ryan Unzicker 588 12
9. Jayme Zidar 576 12
10. Michael Kloos 574 12
11. Dennis Erb Jr. 570 10
12. Brandon Sheppard 569 11
13. Ed Dixon 558 9
14. Dusty Moore 555 10
15. Ted Loomis 539 10
16. Richie Hedrick 514 12
17. Tony Albright 503 8
18. Kevin Weaver 503 8
19. Chris Dick 488 9
20. Mark Voigt 485 9

Open-Wheel Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Randle Sweeney 941 14
2. Kent Robinson 881 15
3. Stormy Scott 878 14
4. Christy Georges 848 14
5. Jeff Leka 813 13
6. Gary Cook Jr. 788 12
7. Johnny Scott 684 11
8. Todd Sherman 668 11
9. Michael Lee 646 11
10. Lucas Lee 634 11
11. Royal Jones 632 11
12. Tim Hancock 626 11
13. Mike Spatola 621 12
14. Jeremy Nichols 620 12
15. Sherman Barnett 617 14
16. Clayton Miller 614 9
17. Jamie Cobb 610 11
18. Vance Wilson 610 9
19. Nick Allen 601 10
20. B ryce Jewell 600 12

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Tait Davenport 930 14
2. Caleb Ashby 721 11
3. Nick Bauman 531 8
4. Bobby Dauderman 527 9
5. Rylan Dagg 474 9
6. Josh Harris 444 8
7. Gil Smith 394 7
8. Phil Gregory 356 8
9. Shawn Rayfield 355 6
10. Kevin Moffett 354 7

Sportsman (driver/points/races):

1. Clayton Perry 648 9
2. Troy Clark 544 10
3. Jimmy Cummins 510 8
4. Brad Cummings 454 8
5. Shaun Daugherty 440 7
6. Alan Magner 411 8
7. Kevin Clark 401 7
8. Garrett Stewart 392 7
9. Christy Georges 361 6
10. Tom Smallwood 359 7

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Chad Boone 480 7
2. Chris Buhler 476 9
3. Kevin Dupont 419 6
4. Brandi Burney 390 7
5. John Paul Talkington 374 8
6. Scotty Oliver 370 7
7. Jonathan Smith 358 6
8. Jeff Brooks 350 6
9. Evan Delahoussaye 335 7
10. Bryan Barrett 323 8

Stock Cars (driver/points/races):

1. Dave Mannise 520 9
2. Grady Christian 507.5 7
3. Chris Fisher 507 9
4. Travis Myers 456 7
5. Jon Wix 438 7
6. Charles Christian 438 7
7. Mike Welch 435 7
8. Andy Fisk 429 7
9. Charlie MacNichol 405 7
10. Steve Ewing 396 6

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races):

1. Bill May 346 6
2. Mickey Hines 303 5
3. Danny Hupp 295 5
4. Fred Ryland 295 4
5. Scott Erickson 290 5
6. Robbie Sternberg 287 5
7. Willie Sallee 281 5
8. Justin Gilliand 275 5
9. Nate Tarte 265 6
10. Rick Huisken 257 5

4-Cylinders (driver/points/races):

1. Danny Lunn 550 8
2. Tony Laporta 549 8
3. Gilbert Espy 481 8
4. Michael Rittenberry 478 7
5. Jeff Rittenberry 469 7
6. R.J. Glaser 447 8
7. Evan Taylor 439 7
8. Bob Zbinden 413 6
9. Glenn McAdams 399 6
10. Amiee Foster 397 6

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Update: Schlenk (Super Late Models) & Robinson (Modifieds) Move To Top Of National Standings

GRAYVILLE, IL – May 7, 2009 – Rusty Schlenk (Super Late Models) and Kent Robinson (Modifieds) head into this weekend's UMP DIRTcar Racing action riding high after moving to the top of their respective division's national points standings.

Schlenk, 22, of Jackson, Mich., regained the Super Late Model national points lead that he had lost to Jason McBride of Carbondale, Ill., one week earlier. In the weekly points tabulated through May 6, Schlenk appeared atop the standings by 53 points (667-614) over McBride.

A talented and busy young driver who has made no secret of his desire to challenge for the UMP DIRTcar national points title, Schlenk ran two UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned events last weekend. His best finish was a second on May 2 at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, which drew a whopping 51-car Super Late Model field.

Robinson, 21, of Bloomington, Ind., assumed command of the Modified national points lead from Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Ky., a veteran racer who had paced the standings throughout the first month of 2009 points racing.

An Indiana University student who has quickly become a force in the Midwest's UMP DIRTcar Modified ranks, Robinson made two sanctioned starts last weekend. He finished third on May 2 at Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, Ind., and second on May 3 at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway.

Other UMP DIRTcar national points leaders include defending Pro Late Model division champ Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky.; Clayton Perry of North Vernon, Ind. (Sportsman); Chris Buhler of Baton Rouge, La. (Limited Modifieds); Dave Mannise of Fulton, N.Y. (Stock Cars); Mickey Hines of Seymour, Ind. (Factory Stocks); and Danny Lunn of Altoona, Fla. (4-Cylinders). Mannise is the only driver from the six support divisions who is new to the top of the points standings this week.

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of May 6, 2009):

Super Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Rusty Schlenk 667 12
2. Jason McBride 614 13
3. Jon Henry 608 11
4. Mike Hammerle 584 13
5. Jayme Zidar 538 11
6. Jason Feger 535 8
7. Frankie Heckenast 527 9
8. Ryan Unzicker 507 10
9. Dennis Erb Jr. 500 9
10. Michael Kloos 478 10
11. Tony Albright 469 7
12. Richie Hedrick 468 10
13. Kevin Weaver 457 7
14. Wendell Wallace 453 7
15. Dusty Moore 447 8
16. Ed Dixon 439 7
17. Matt Miller 430 6
18. Steve Sheppard Jr. 408 8
19. Tim Manville 402 7
20. Jimmy Dehm 398 8

Open-Wheel Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Kent Robinson 871 14
2. Randle Sweeney 866 13
3. Stormy Scott 843 13
4. Christy Georges 781 13
5. Gary Cook Jr. 698 10
6. Jeff Leka 684 11
7. Johnny Scott 650 10
8. Mike Spatola 621 12
9. Michael Lee 600 10
10. Royal Jones 596 10
11. Lucas Lee 591 10
12. Sherman Barnett 577 13
13. Clayton Miller 559 8
14. Todd Sherman 555 9
15. Bryce Jewell 552 11
16. Jimmy Ray 541 10
17. Jamie Cobb 535 10
18. Zach Fair 530 9
19. Jeff Babcock 517 9
20. Tim Hancock 500 9

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Tait Davenport 860 13
2. Caleb Ashby 654 10
3. Bobby Dauderman 462 8
4. Rylan Dagg 426 8
5. Josh Harris 392 7
6. Gil Smith 336 6
7. Brent Lewis 323 8
8. Cary King 321 6
9. Phil Gregory 315 7
10. Nick Bauman 311 5

Sportsman (driver/points/races):

1. Clayton Perry 648 9
2. Troy Clark 544 10
3. Jimmy Cummins 510 8
4. Brad Cummings 454 8
5. Shaun Daugherty 440 7
6. Alan Magner 411 8
7. Kevin Clark 401 7
8. Garret Stewart 392 7
9. Christy Georges 361 6
10. Tom Smallwood 359 7

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Chris Buhler 428 8
2. Kevin Dupont 359 5
3. Brandi Burney 338 6
4. Chad Boone 335 5
5. Evan Delahoussaye 335 7
6. Jonathan Smith 320 5
7. John Paul Talkington 318 7
8. Bobby Fehring 312 5
9. Scott Bettes 306 5
10. Doug Maxwell 291 5

Stock Cars (driver/points/races):

1. Dave Mannise 520 9
2. Grady Christian 507.5 7
3. Chris Fisher 507 9
4. Travis Myers 456 7
5. Jon Wix 438 7
6. Charles Christian 438 7
7. Mike Welch 435 7
8. Andy Fisk 429 7
9. Charlie MacNichol 405 7
10. Steve Ewing 396 6

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races):

1. Mickey Hines 303 5
2. Danny Hupp 295 5
3. Bill May 286 5
4. Willie Sallee 281 5
5. Donnie Roe 255 4
6. Scott Erickson 250 4
7. Scott Mooers 243 6
8. Mark Bruce 236 4
9. Nate Tarte 229 5
10. Mark Hines 227 5

4-Cylinders (driver/points/races):

1. Danny Lunn 550 8
2. Tony LaPorta 549 8
3. Gilbert Espy 481 8
4. Michael Rittenberry 478 7
5. Jeff Rittenberry 469 7
6. R.J. Glaser 447 8
7. Evan Taylor 439 7
8. Bob Zbinden 413 6
9. Glenn McAdams 399 6
10. Amiee Foster 397 6

World Racing Group Announces Just Plugs Official World of Outlaws and Summer Nationals Partner

Just Plugs develops, manufactures and sells ornamental hearing protection. In a quest to make hearing protection fun and functional, Just Plugs continues to develop unique and effective designs. Just Plugs is committed to promoting the importance of hearing protection and delivering a product that is “desirable” to wear. The product can also be customized with corporate logos.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Update: McBride Takes Over Super Late Model Lead, Sweeney Maintains Modified Edge

GRAYVILLE, IL - May 1, 2009 - Jason McBride enters the weekend sitting in uncharted territory.

The 22-year-old Super Late Model driver from Carbondale, Ill., leads the division's latest UMP DIRTcar Racing national points standings – the first time he's reached the lofty position in his two years of full-fender action.

McBride vaulted from fifth to first in the standings after making four UMP DIRTcar starts last weekend, supplanting Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich., atop the national points. He holds a nine-point edge over Jon Henry of Ada, Ohio, and 46-point advantage over Schlenk at the completion of the first month of 2009 UMP DIRTcar points racing.

One of UMP DIRTcar's busiest Super Late Model drivers – he made 78 starts last year in his rookie season – McBride has 11 races under his belt so far in '09. His four starts last weekend included a second-place finish on April 25 at Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway.

In the UMP DIRTcar Modified points chase, Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Ky., remained the national points leader despite seeing his string of eight consecutive first- or second-place finishes come to and with a DNF on April 25 at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind. Last year's national points runner-up already owns six feature wins in 2009 and holds a 76-point lead over Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind.

Other UMP DIRTcar national points leaders include Tait Davenport of West Paducah, Ky., who is shooting for his second consecutive Pro Late Model title; Clayton Perry of North Vernon, Ind. (Sportsman); Chris Buhler of Baton Rouge, La. (Limited Modifieds); Grady Christian of Altoona, Fla. (Stock Cars); Mickey Hines of Seymour, Ind. (Factory Stocks); and Danny Lunn of Altoona, Fla. (4-Cylinders).

Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.

UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of April 28):

Super Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Jason McBride 561 11
2. Jon Henry 552 10
3. Rusty Schlenk 515 10
4. Tony Albright 469 7
5. Wendell Wallace 453 7
6. Mike Hammerle 439 10
7. Matt Miller 430 6
8. Frankie Heckenast 426 7
9. Michael Kloos 399 9
10. Dusty Moore 398 7
11. Ryan Unzicker 394 8
12. Chuck Proctor 393 6
13. Jason Feger 392 6
14. Ed Dixon 384 6
15. Jayme Zidar 375 8
16. Brent Kreke 372 7
17. Richie Hedrick 370 8
18. Tim Manville 360 6
19. Will Vaught 358 6
20. Dennis Erb Jr. 357 7

Open-Wheel Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Randle Sweeney 811 13
2. Kent Robinson 735 12
3. Stormy Scott 645 10
4. Christy Georges 608 10
5. Michael Lee 600 10
6. Lucas Lee 591 10
7. Jeff Leka 573 9
8. Clayton Miller 559 8
9. Mike Spatola 547 10
10. Gary Cook Jr. 541 8
11. Bryce Jewell 504 10
12. Johnny Scott 498 8
13. R.C. Whitwell 493 6
14. Jamie Cobb 483 9
15. Sherman Barnett 480 10
16. Royal Jones 479 8
17. Aaron Kleine 467 7
18. Tim Hancock 458 8
19. A.J. Garber 454 9
20. Zach Fair 450 8

Pro Late Models (driver/points/races):

1. Tait Davenport 799 12
2. Caleb Ashby 654 10
3. Rylan Dagg 426 8
4. Bobby Dauderman 406 7
5. Josh Harris 392 7
6. Gil Smith 336 6
7. Brent Lewis 323 8
8. Cary King 321 6
9. Phil Gregory 315 7
10. Dillan White 300 7

Sportsman (driver/points/races):

1. Clayton Perry 563 8
2. Troy Clark 503 9
3. Jimmy Cummins 469 7
4. Shaun Daugherty 440 7
5. Garrett Stewart 392 7
6. Brad Cummings 384 7
7. Kevin Clark 341 6
8. Steve Shead 331 6
9. Alan Magner 331 7
10. Don Newcomb 312 6

Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races):

1. Chris Buhler 358 7
2. Chad Boone 335 5
3. Jonathan Smith 320 5
4. Brandi Burney 299 5
5. Evan Delahoussaye 297 6
6. Jeff Brooks 290 5
7. Kevin Dupont 284 4
8. John Paul Talkington 278 6
9. Bobby Fehring 275 4
10. Scotty Oliver 262 5

Stock Cars (driver/points/races):

1. Grady Christian 507.5 7
2. Travis Myers 456 7
3. Jon Wix 438 7
4. Charles Christian 438 7
5. Chris Fisher 417 7
6. Charalie MacNichol 405 7
7. Dave Mannise 390 7
8. Josh Taylor 387 6
9. Chuck Bailey 349 7
10. D.J. Nobles 338 7

Factory Stocks (driver/points/races):

1. Mickey Hines 303 5
2. Danny Hupp 295 5
3. Willie Sallee 281 5
4. Donnie Roe 255 4
5. Scott Mooers 243 6
6. Mark Bruce 236 4
7. Mark Hines 227 5
8. Dennis Ponder 227 3
9. Randy Hazelwood 222 5
10. Fred Ryland 220 3

4-Cylinders (driver/points/races):

1. Danny Lunn 550 8
2. Tony LaPorta 549 8
3. Gilbert Espy 481 8
4. Michael Rittenberry 478 7
5. Jeff Rittenberry 469 7
6. R.J. Glaser 447 8
7. Evan Taylor 439 7
8. Glenn McAdams 399 6
9. Amiee Foster 397 6
10. Eric Wilson 372 6

Moyer Ends Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH Drought

Dirt Late Model legend only 19 days from another run at Volusia victories

BARBERVILLE, Fla. — Jan. 15, 2009 — No one was surprised when veteran superstar Billy Moyer captured the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series season opener during that year’s Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park.

But everyone certainly had to look twice when the record books revealed that the legendary driver from Batesville, Ark., had ended an eight-year absence from Victory Lane at the half-mile oval near Daytona Beach, Fla.

Yes, Moyer’s $10,000 WoO LMS triumph on Feb. 17, 2005, was his first at VSP since he won two UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned events during the 1997 Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. In only 19 days, Moyer will once again take aim at the stout field of Dirt Late Models that will descend on the high-speed track only 15 miles inland on State Road 40 from Ormond Beach.

Moyer put his long Volusia checkered-flag drought behind him in impressive fashion, rolling to a convincing victory in the 50-lap A-Main over Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., Scott James of Greendale, Ind., Rick Eckert of York, Pa., and Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky. The next night he backed up his performance with another $10,000 win, taking the 50-lap finale of the four-night UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned meet.

Make no mistake: after a subpar 2004 season that saw him win just once on the WoO LMS and finish a disappointing eighth in the championship standings, Moyer unloaded his familiar No. 21 for action in the 2005 Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH with a renewed focus. Then 47 years old, Moyer had spent the off-season not only gearing up his race team but also getting himself in better shape, dropping pounds off his frame with a regular workout program that he kept up with at Volusia by doing pushups in his motorhome every day.

The hard work paid off. Moyer carried the momentum he gained at Volusia for the remainder of the season, rolling to five WoO LMS A-Main victories and claiming the tour’s points championship for the third time in his career (first of the World Racing Group era that began in 2004).

In fact, Moyer clinched the 2005 title in dramatic fashion during the season-ending ‘Gator 100’ held at Volusia, passing Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., on the final lap to finish second and pull into a points-race tie with Francis. The title went to Moyer thanks to the second WoO LMS tie-breaker — second-place finishes (5-2 in favor of Moyer).

Moyer won’t be looking to snap any Volusia winless slide during this year’s Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, which features our UMP DIRTcar programs (Feb. 9, 10, 11 and 13) and two WoO LMS cards (Feb. 12 and 14). He won three (two UMP DIRTcar, one WoO LMS) of the five Super Late Model A-Mains contested during last year’s mid-winter racing extravaganza.

To see who emerges as a star in the 38^th running of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, make sure to reserve your favorite seats in advance. With infield trailer heights limited to 9 feet, 6 inches, there are no bad seats in the grandstands at Volusia Speedway Park.

Take advantage of special ‘Super Ticket’ deals that offer seats for all the events contested by each headline division, including the six-night dirt Late Model meet; the six Sprint Car events (All-Star Circuit of Champions on Feb. 3-5, World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series on Feb. 6-8); eight nights of UMP DIRTcar Modified action (Feb. 3-10); and four Advance Auto Parts DIRTcar big-block Modified dates (Feb. 11-14).

To reserve your seats, follow the ticket links at http://www.volusiaspeedwaypark.com, http://www.dirtcarnationals.com or call the Volusia Speedway Park office at 386-985-4402.

More information on the WoO LMS and UMP DIRTcar Racing is available by logging on to www.worldofoutlaws.com and www.dirtcar.com.

Erb & Leka Collect Lion’s Share Of Nearly Half-Million Dollars Handed Out At Saturday’s 25^th Annual UMP DIRTcar Racing Awards Banquet

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Jan. 10, 2009 – Midwestern short-track veterans Dennis Erb Jr. and Jeff Leka shared the spotlight during Saturday night’s 25^th annual UMP DIRTcar Racing ‘Night of Champions’ Awards Banquet inside the Springfield Crowne Plaza Hotel’s ballroom.

For Carpentersville, Ill.’s Erb, the gala evening capped a 2008 season that saw him sweep UMP DIRTcar’s Super Late Model national and Summer Nationals championships for the second consecutive year. The 36-year-old driver collected a total of $51,400 in points-fund checks for his record-setting campaign, which also included the UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned Northern Allstars Late Model Series title.

Buffalo, Ill.’s Leka, meanwhile, captured the 2008 UMP DIRTcar open-wheel Modified national championship, ending his longtime pursuit of the division’s highest honor after several heartbreaking near-misses.

Over 800 attendees from more than a dozen states and Canada filled the ballroom to watch UMP DIRT Racing officials distribute nearly a half-million dollars to the organization’s 2008 champions and top performers.

A no-nonsense racer known for his quiet demeanor, Erb delivered a short acceptance speech that closely mirrored his remarks one year ago. He gave most of the credit to his backers, including his car and engine builders.

“First of all I want to thank C.J. Rayburn (the legendary chassis builder) and everybody in his family for helping me out and getting me to where I am today,” said Erb, who sat alongside Rayburn during the awards dinner. “And I have to thank Rhyne Racing Engines. I made the switch to them over the winter months and I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.”

Erb also hailed his head wrench Heather Lyne, who received the 2008 UMP DIRTcar Racing Super Late Model Mechanic of the Year Award by vote of the organization’s membership. It marked the second consecutive year that Lyne earned the honor, but in 2007 she shared the award with Terry Aaron.

“Thanks to Heather for all her hard work all year,” said Erb, an owner-operator known as the ‘One Man Band.’ “It’s hard to be out there by yourself, so her help means a lot.”

Erb earned $25,000 for winning the grueling, month-long UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals, which he secured after battling with Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., to the final race. He picked up another $20,000 for capturing the national title, plus $5,000 for the NALMS crown; $700 for finishing fourth in the North Region; $300 for ninth in the South Region; $300 for third in the Illinois State standings; and $100 for 10^th in the Indiana State points. He also received two sets of Dyer’s Top Rods for his twin series titles.

“I said last year I didn’t know if I’d be able to do this two years in a row,” said Erb, whose 13 feature wins in 2008 included the points-season-ending UMP DIRTcar Nationals at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway. “But we had a great year and pulled it off again, so here we are.”

No driver in the ballroom was happier on Saturday night than Leka, an accomplished 43-year-old standout who has been trying for years to secure the UMP DIRTcar Modified crown.

“It’s been a long time coming,” a relieved Leka said when he stood at the podium in front of the crowd. “I’ve always got up here and congratulated champions and now I’m the champion, so it feels great.”

Leka read a long list of supporters who propelled his family-operated team to the title, including car builder Bob Pierce and Hovis Racing Engines. He also spoke highly of two close rivals: 2007 national champ Denny Schwartz of Ashmore, Ill., and Gary Cook Jr. of Deer Creek, Ill., who finished third in the ’08 points standings.

“Gary and Denny both race with me every week and they both let me run their car this year when I had trouble,” said Leka. “That means a lot to me, to race with guys like that.”

Leka added some levity to his remarks when he brought up his 16-year-old son Justin, who threw a playful verbal dart at his dad early in the night when he was recognized as the fourth-place finisher in the new Kid Modz class.

“My boy kinda put me on the spot here,” smiled Leka. “I wasn’t gonna have much to say until he told me he was gonna ‘knock me off’ (when he moves up to the full-blown Modifieds in ’09), so I’ve buddied up with Denny (Schwartz) and we’re gonna tag-team on him next year and take him out.”

Leka’s points-fund earnings totaled $24,000, including $3,000 for winning the North Region and $1,000 for capturing the Illinois State standings.

The night’s third-largest championship booty was claimed by Tait Davenport of Paducah, Ky., who pocketed $10,000 for becoming the first-ever UMP DIRTcar Pro Late Model national titlist. He earned an additional $500 for winning the Kentucky State points standings.

“I think this is a great deal,” the 30-year-old Davenport said of UMP DIRTcar’s affordable new crate-engine Late Model division. “It’s an honor to be the first Pro Late Model champion.”

Jeremy Hines, 31, of Seymour, Ind., roared to his first career UMP DIRTcar Sportsman national title on the strength of 20 featuare wins. He pocketed $3,500, including $500 for capturing the Indiana State points.

Jonathan Clayton, 28, of Denham Springs, La., repeated as the UMP DIRTcar Limited Modified national champion. He made a 12-hour drive north with 10 family and crew members to accept a check for $3,500, which included $500 for winning the Louisiana/Mississippi State points standings.

A third consecutive UMP DIRTcar Street Stock national title fell to Jerrad Krick of Earl Park, Ind., who regained full control of the crown after finishing in a tie with Jim Ransom of Williamsport, Ind., one year ago. The 32-year-old earned $2,200, including $200 for placing second in the Indiana State points.

Joe Reed, 43, of Decatur, Ill. (Four-Cylinders) and Bill Delonge, 36, of Hesperia, Mich. (Factory Stocks) were honored as the national champions of UMP DIRTcar’s entry-level classes, which debuted in 2007. Both drivers earned $1,400, including $400 checks for State titles.

With the addition of the Pro Late Models to the UMP DIRTcar Racing sanctioning lineup in 2008, drivers from eight divisions received recognition during Saturday’s festivities. Nearly 10,000 drivers earned points in the eight classes during the 2008 season.

Region and State champions were named in the Late Model and Modified classes.

* Late Model Region champions Steve Sheppard Jr. (North), Michael Kloos (South) and Brian Ruhlman (East) each received a check worth $3,000.

* Late Model State champs eligible for $1,000 payoffs (if UMP DIRTcar members) were Bobby Hogge IV (Arizona/California), Dale Glassford (Canada), Richard Ferry (Florida), Wes Steidinger (Illinois), Dan Walden (Indiana), Jeff Walston (Kentucky), Alan Vochaska (Michigan), Brad Looney (Missouri), Dusty Moore (Ohio), Alex Ferree (Pennsylvania) and Tony Albright (Tennessee).

* Capturing Modified Region crowns worth $3,000 apiece were Doug Adkins (East), Leka (North), Randle Sweeney (South), Kent Wood (Deep South/Northwest) and Anthony Madrid (Wild West).

* Earning $1,000 each (if UMP DIRTcar members) as Modified State champions were Travis Peery (California), Curtis Coulter (Canada), Jamie Carter (Florida), Leka (Illinois), Matt Bex (Indiana), Sweeney (Kentucky), Charles Sibley (Louisiana), John McCaul (Michigan), Wood (Mississippi), Michael Vanderiet Jr. (Missouri), Adkins (Ohio), Mark Wauge (Oregon), Clayton Miller (Tennessee), Mike Girardo (Texas), Madrid (Arizona/New Mexico/West Texas), Tyler Ivey (Speedweeks) and Kenny Schrader (Alltel DIRTcar Nationals).

The Sportsman, Street Stock and Limited Modified State champions were each presented $500 provided they maintained UMP DIRTcar memberships. The Sportsman titlists were Shaun Daugherty (FL), Joel Funk (IL), Hines (IN), Bob Boyd (LA), Chad Weinrick (MI), Jeff Herzog (MO), Pete Stefanski (NY), Mike Jessen (OH), Mike Hodges (TN) and Don Newcomb (NM/TX); Street Stock champs were Bob Egley (PA), Grady Christian (FL), Jason Bahrs (IL), David Hurst (IN), Poncho Elder (KY), Travis Myers (LA), Eddie Lowery (MO), Dave Mannise (NY), Chris Peltier (TN), Collin Hodges (TX), Wayne Clauss (MI) and Stephen Chatman (MS); and Limited Modified winners were Eric Adkins (MO/KY), Clayton (LA/MS), Dustin Shoemaker (TX) and Rob Madrid (AZ/NM/West TX).

Other UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned series titlists honored during Saturday’s festivities were Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich. (Sunoco American Late Model Series) and Nick Allen of Wheatfield, Ind. (Wolfpack Challenge Series for Modifieds).

A number of special awards determined by a vote of the UMP DIRTcar Racing membership were handed out:

* In the Mechanic of the Year category, Lyne was joined by Modified division winner Chris Pfeiler.

* Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., earned recognition as the Most Improved Late Model Driver.

* Daren Friedman (Late Models) and Mike Spatola (Modifieds) received Sportsman of the Year hardware.

* Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, Ind., was announced as the UMP DIRTcar Racing Track of the Year. The oval’s husband-and-wife ownership team of Bob and Gail Kamp accepted the honor.

* Ray Marler, who operates I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., with NASCAR veteran Kenny Schrader, was feted as the 2008 UMP DIRTcar Racing Promoter of the Year.

Hoosier Tire’s Terry Young, meanwhile, received the fourth annual Bob Memmer Achievement Award, which honors the memory of UMP DIRTcar Racing’s late founder. The prestigious plaque was presented to Young by Eldora Speedway general manager Larry Boos, who won the award last year.

Drivers recognized with Rookie of the Year awards during the program were Jeff Walston of Paducah, Ky., who earned $1,000 as the top first-year UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model racer, and teenager Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., who pocketed $2,000 for his strong debut season on the NALMS.

 

The 2008 UMP DIRTcar Racing Chassis Builder of the Year awards went to C.J. Rayburn Race Cars of Whiteland, Ill., in the Late Models and Bob Pierce Race Cars of Oakwood, Ill., in the Modifieds. Both veteran drivers/car builders were on hand.

Claiming the 2008 Engine Builder of the Year awards were Rhyne Competition Engines (Late Models) and Hovis Racing Engines (Modifieds).

The affair began with an awards ceremony for the top-seven drivers in the new Kid Modz division, a brainchild of former UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model national champion Bob Pierce to bring youngsters into the sport. Pierce’s 12-year-old son, Bobby, emerged as the 2008 champion of the division, which ran races at 15 tracks in the Midwest.

Appreciation plaques were presented during the evening to promoters or representatives from Eldora Speedway, Fairbury American Legion Speedway, Belle-Claire Speedway, Clarksville Speedway, Farmer City Raceway/Lincoln Speedway, Highland Speedway, I-55 Raceway, I-57/I-64 Speedway, Kamp Motor Speedway, Kankakee County Speedway, Morgan County Speedway, Mt. Pleasant Speedway, Oakshade Raceway, Shep’s Speedway, Spoon River Speedway, Thunder Valley Speedway/Twin Cities Raceway Park, Track Enterprises (Macon Speedway and Paducah International Raceway), Tri-City Speedway/Lake Ozark Speedway and Winston Motor Speedway.

World Racing Group Chief Operating Office Tom Deery spoke during the banquet. He focused on UMP DIRTcar Racing’s emergence as a national sanctioning force.

“If (late UMP DIRTcar Racing founder) Bob Memmer were here tonight, he would be very proud of what UMP has become,” said Deery. “And not only is UMP something that was forged in the Midwest, but it’s something that is recognized across the country.”

Earlier in the day, Deery and UMP DIRTcar Racing director Sam Driggers hosted a meeting with promoters to discuss several topics, including the new DIRTcarMembers.com membership website, sanctioning agreements and public relations initiatives.

The 2009 UMP DIRTcar Racing season begins with a three-day meet for the open-wheel Modifieds on Jan. 29-31 at Ocala (Fla.) Speedway. Both the Modifieds and Super Late Models will then be part of the 38^th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., which runs from Feb. 3-14.

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

Long Road To World of Outlaws Late Model Series & UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model National Titles Begins With Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH

BARBERVILLE, FL – Jan. 8, 2009 – The long, grueling road to national dirt Late Model glory in 2009 starts next month with the 38^th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park.

For the stars of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, two nights of competition (Feb. 12 and 14) at the sweeping half-mile oval outside Daytona Beach will set them off on a map-crossing chase for the prestigious tour’s $100,000 championship prize.

For the titans of the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model division, four programs (Feb. 9, 10, 11 and 13) during the traditional winter meet will serve as the first step in a season-long racing whirlwind through the Midwest to determine the organization’s national champ.

Yes, optimism for the ’09 campaign will be boundless throughout Volusia’s pit area when the green flag drops on the dirt Late Model portion of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH.

Leading the charge to sunny Florida, of course, will be the defending champions of the World Racing Group sister circuits: WoO LMS titlist Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., and UMP DIRTcar national king Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill.

Lanigan, 38, parlayed a remarkable string of consistency during the 2008 season into his first-ever WoO LMS points crown. The owner-operator is hard at work in his shop gearing up for the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals, having announced at last month’s WoO LMS awards banquet that he’s in search of a second consecutive title with a series that currently boasts a 2009 schedule of 45 confirmed events at 37 tracks in 20 states and three Canadian provinces.

While Lanigan has not won a WoO LMS A-Main at Volusia, he pocketed a $10,000 check for winning the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model finale during the 2007 Alltel DIRTcar Nationals.

The 36-year-old Erb, meanwhile, is a mainstay in the field at the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH but has never visited Volusia’s Victory Lane. He ranks among the drivers most likely to break through with a triumph in ’09 after sweeping UMP DIRTcar’s marquee Super Late Model championships – the national points race and the Summer Nationals ‘Hell Tour’ – for the second straight season.

Although drivers do not begin earning weekly points toward the UMP DIRTcar national title until the first week of April, Erb and his UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model rivals can get a slight head-start on their championship aspirations by competing in the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. Drivers will be able to use their best finish of the week at Volusia as an event toward the total starts that will determine the division’s 2009 national champion.

In addition, the overall high-points earner in the six dirt Late Model A-Mains that comprise the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH will be recognized as a 2009 UMP DIRTcar champion under the circuit’s ‘State’ points program. The top-10 finishers in the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH divisional points race are eligible to receive points-fund cash from UMP DIRTcar.

The UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model portion of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH will include 30-lap, $7,000-to-win A-Mains on Feb. 9, 10 and 11 (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights) and a 50-lapper offering a $10,000 winner’s check on Feb. 13 (Friday night). Two complete WoO LMS cards topped by 50-lap, $10,000-to-win headliners will be contested on Feb. 12 and 14 (Thursday and Saturday nights).

This will mark the sixth consecutive year that the dirt Late Model portion of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH will include both WoO LMS and UMP DIRTcar action.

Tickets are currently on sale for the 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. Fans can purchase tickets for each individual night or take advantage of the ‘Super Ticket’ deals that offer seats for all the events contested by each headline division, including the six-day dirt Late Model meet; the six-day Sprint Car portion (All-Star Circuit of Champions on Feb. 3-5, World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series on Feb. 6-8); eight nights of UMP DIRTcar Modified action (Feb. 3-10); and four Advance Auto Parts DIRTcar big-block Modified dates (Feb. 11-14).

For tickets visit www.volusiaspeedwaypark.com or www.dirtcarnationals.com, or call the Volusia Speedway Park office at 386-985-4402.

More information on the WoO LMS and UMP DIRTcar Racing is available by logging on to www.worldofoutlaws.com and www.dirtcar.com.

Inaugural $5,000-To-Win ‘The Gator’ Championship Highlights UMP DIRTcar Modified Action During 38^th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH

BARBERVILLE, FL – Jan. 6, 2009 – UMP DIRTcar Racing Modified competitors will receive a well-deserved big-money turn in the spotlight during next month’s 38^th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park.

Eight consecutive nights of action for the popular open-wheel division will be highlighted by ‘The Gator’ Championship, an extra-distance special scheduled for Sun., Feb. 8, that boasts a $5,000 first-place prize.

The largest winner’s purse ever posted for a UMP DIRTcar Modified event during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH promises to elevate anticipation of this year’s winter meet at the half-mile oval to an alltime high.

“The World Racing Group (the parent company of UMP DIRTcar and Volusia Speedway Park) has been working on doing something more for the UMP DIRTcar Modified teams that make the long haul to Florida,” said UMP DIRTcar Racing director Sam Driggers. “Over the past three years we have slowly increased the Modified purses and the teams have been happy about it, so we decided that this year we should go to the next level for them.

“We feel a big $5,000-to-win show is a great way for us to thank the Modified racers for supporting Volusia and the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals over the years.”

The introduction of ‘The Gator’ comes after a wildly successful 2008 Alltel DIRTcar Nationals for the UMP DIRTcar Modified class. Car counts reached as high as 90 entries and a total of 115 different UMP DIRTcar Modified drivers competed in at least one event.

‘The Gator’ will actually be a three-night program unto itself during the UMP DIRTcar Modified portion of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals. After the class contests $1,000-to-win events on Feb. 3, 4 and 5 alongside the All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series, the Modified field will be split for ‘The Gator’ preliminary shows on Feb. 6 and 7 (both paying $700 to win) and then reconstitute in full for the Feb. 8 finale featuring the championship event.

All three nights of ‘The Gator’ will be run as an undercard to the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, which kicks off its 2009 season at Volusia with three complete programs.

The UMP DIRTcar Modified portion of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals will conclude with a $1,500-to-win event on Feb. 9 and a $2,500-to-win A-Main on Feb. 10. Both races will be part of doubleheaders with the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models.

Among the drivers expected to chase over $75,000 in posted UMP DIRTcar Modified purses during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals is NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader of Fenton, Mo., who returns to defend his 2008 Alltel DIRTcar Nationals points title. The owner of the UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., captured last year’s Alltel DIRTcar Nationals championship without the benefit of a feature win.

Schrader will be joined in Volusia’s UMP DIRTcar Modified field by fellow NASCAR standout Kenny Wallace of St. Louis, Mo., who won a Modified feature during the 2007 Alltel DIRTcar Nationals.

Open-wheel Modified stars from across the country and Canada are expected to converge on Volusia, including 2008 UMP DIRTcar national Modified champion Jeff Leka of Buffalo, Ill.; teenage brothers Austin and Ty Dillon of Welcome, N.C., who are the grandsons of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress; 2007 Alltel DIRTcar Nationals champion Steve Arpin of Fort Frances, Ont.; Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind.; Tommie Seets Jr. of Alton, Ill.; Scott Drake of Webb City, Mo.; Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark.; Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Ky.; Tim Hancock of Mt. Olive, Ill.; Louie Krushansky of Morgantown, W.Va.; and California drivers Joe Carr and Jeff Thomas.

Tickets are currently on sale for the 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. Fans can purchase tickets for each individual night or take advantage of the ‘Super Ticket’ deals that offer seats for all the events contested by each headline division, including the six-day dirt Late Model meet (UMP DIRTcar on Feb. 9, 10, 11 and 13, World of Outlaws Late Model Series on Feb. 12 and 14); the six-day Sprint Car portion (Feb. 3-8); eight nights of UMP DIRTcar Modified action (Feb. 3-10); and four Advance Auto Parts DIRTcar big-block Modified dates (Feb. 11-14).

For tickets visit www.volusiaspeedwaypark.com or www.dirtcarnationals.com, or call the Volusia Speedway Park office at 386-985-4402.

More information on UMP DIRTcar Racing is available by logging on to www.dirtcar.com.