IMCA: Belleville race report

Maier, Friesen Score In 360 Sprint, Late Model Doubleheader At Belleville High Banks

BELLEVILLE, Kan. (July 31, 2001) - Garry Lee Maier and Dennis Park seem to be locked in a shootout for the points lead in the O'Reilly NCRA 360 Sprint Series. Tuesday at the Belleville High Banks it was Maier's turn as he came away with the victory and a share of the points lead.

Park has won three of the last five events to edge into the point lead, but Maier is not about to give up without a fight. Maier, who won for the fourth time this season, managed to tie Park for first-place in the standings going into Saturday's show at the Rush County Fairgrounds in LaCrosse, Kan.

Maier started on the pole at "The World's Fastest Half Mile Dirt Track" and drove away to record his 43rd career win.

Derek Drown started outside the front row and chased Maier to the finish. Veteran Mike Peters led Park across the finish line and defending champion C.J. Johnson was fifth.

Jason Friesen was also up to the challenge Tuesday night at Belleville.

Friesen, of Sutton, Neb., captured the Friesen Chevrolet Challenge Series main event, along with the $1,500 top prize that went with it.

The win was Friesen's seventh in twelve races this season for the popular I.M.C.A. late model touring group.

Tommy Rowe, who won the last two series feature races, finished second to Friesen in the main event. Jason Humphrey, Billy Murphy and Kyle Berck rounded out the top-five finishers.

Heat race checkers flew for George Murdock, Jason Humphrey and Al Humphrey.

Tuesday's doubleheader kicked off Belleville Speed Week 2001, with the 24th Annual Midget Nationals up next, Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 2-4. A top prize of $10,000 awaits the winner of Saturday's 40-lap Championship Race at the world's most prestigious midget car event.

The Belleville High Banks, located in Belleville, Kan., is managed by a volunteer racing committee that host 10-12 racing events annually. "The World's Fastest Half-Mile Dirt Track" allows drivers the rare opportunity to run "wide open" the entire track, and the sweeping oval is one of the most demanding test of endurance and skill for drivers. The track's mainstay is the annual Belleville Midget Nationals, held every year during the first weekend in August. As the nation's most prestigious midget car race of the year, the best equipment, owners and drivers flock to the small rural community of 3,500, which is transformed into a racing Mecca of more than 30,000 people each August.

For more information on the Belleville High Banks, write to: Belleville High Banks, P.O. Box 349, Belleville, KS 66935, or call (785) 527-6050. Sponsorship inquiries may call or fax (402) 761-3676 or via e-mail at wdake@alltel.net. Information is also available on the World Wide Web by logging on to http://www.highbanks.org or http://www.whowon.com.

Reserved tickets for the 24th Annual Belleville Midget Nationals presented by WhoWon.com are available by calling (785) 527-5179, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by logging onto the Belleville High Banks Web site.

-BHB-