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Dirt News 97-09-16

DirtNews Digest Your Online News Source for Late Model Dirt Track Racing "Get Some Dirt On Your Computer!" Todd Turner, editor Email address: DirtNews@aol.com Web site: ...

DirtNews Digest Your Online News Source for Late Model Dirt Track Racing "Get Some Dirt On Your Computer!" Todd Turner, editor

Email address: DirtNews@aol.com Web site: http://members.aol.com/dirtnews/digest =================================== CONTENTS: Sept. 12-13 results (published Sept. 14) HAV-A-TAMPA: Aukland gets victory at Portsmouth SOUTHERN ALL-STARS: Duvall wins at Cherokee UMP: Moyer wins third straight at Springfield Mile =================================== HAV-A-TAMPA DIRT RACING SERIES Pepsi-Avalon 100

PORTSMOUTH, Ohio (Friday and Saturday) Rick Aukland, after breaking away from a duel with Steve Francis, Mike Balzano and Rick Eckert, survived a three-lap dash after a late-race caution at Portsmouth Raceway Park for his second Hav-A-Tampa victory in the last three series events.

Aukland, who led the final 58 laps and 62 laps overall, picked up more than $15,000 for his victory in the Pepsi-Avalon 100 at the southern Ohio track along the Ohio River.

Billy Moyer, who rallied to gain four spots after the race's 10th caution on lap 97, finished second to solidify his Hav-A-Tampa points lead with just one race remaining on the schedule. Steve Francis, Skip Arp and Johnny Virden, who started 24th with a provisional spot, rounded out the top five. Wendell Wallace, second in the points to Moyer, was sixth, while Todd Andrews, Freddy Smith, Eckert and Mike Benedum finished seventh through 10th. Balzano lost a rear end when the white flag dropped and faded from second to 12th as the race ended.

"I kept looking for a better line and we were able to hold off those guys and run quicker laps as the race went on," said Aukland, who won Hav-A-Tampa's USA National 100 last month at Wisconsin's Cedar Lake Speedway. "We could run on any part of the race track and that made the difference. We really didn't need those late-race cautions. I though they might get us at the end, but we held on for the win."

Polesitter Jackie Boggs led the first seven laps until Aukland took over for four circuits. Then Francis held the lead from laps 12 through 41, and Aukland assumed command again.

Moyer's runner-up finish gives him a 137-point advantage (4,781-4,644) over Wallace heading for the Sept. 26-27 Hav-A-Tampa Shootout at Dixie Speedway near Atlanta, Ga.

"With the lead we have over Wendell, I think we can go into the Shootout trying to win the deal and not worrying too much about points," said Moyer, who made a rare season-long run with a series in 1997. "It takes some pressure off and we'd like to win that race. It's one of the big ones."

CAR COUNT: 46 late models.

FAST QUALIFIER: Rick Eckert, 14.800 seconds (91.216 mph).

HEAT WINNERS: Jackie Boggs, Joe Meadows, Clint Smith, Skip Arp.

CONSOLATION WINNERS: Mike Balzano and Donnie Moran.

FEATURE (Pos., driver, car no., hometown, chassis, laps, winnings) 1. Rick Aukland (12), Fargo, N.D., Rayburn, 100, $15,150 3. Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark., MasterSbilt, 100, $9,100 2. Steve Francis (15), Ashland, Ky., Rocket, 100, $5,100 4. Skip Arp (31), Georgetown, Tenn., GRT, 100, $4,300 5. Johnny Virden (1v), Russellville, Ark., GRT, 100, $3,300 6. Wendell Wallace (6m), Batesville, Ark., GRT, 100, $3,400 7. Todd Andrews (42), Eldred, Pa., Bullitt, 100, $2,500 8. Freddy Smith (00), Knoxville, Tenn., GRT, 10, $3,000 9. Rick Eckert (24), York, Pa., Rayburn, 100, $2,100 10. Mike Benedum (25), Bristol, W.Va., Rocket, 100, $1,750 11. Shawn Holliday (66), Ironton, Ohio, Rocket, 100, $1,500 12. Mike Balzano (E1), Parkersburg, W.Va., Rocket, 100, $1,300 13. Barry Bragdon (77), Wheelersburg, Ohio, Rocket, 98, $1,200 14. Bob Adams Jr. (A55), Racine, Ohio, Rayburn, 98, $1,100 15. Davey Johnson (48), Greensburg, Pa., Rocket, 96, $1,000 16. Jackie Boggs (4B), Grayson, Ky., MasterSbilt, 95, $975 17. Marshall Green (89), Dalton, Ga., Warrior, 69, $1,600 18. Aaron Bapst (43), Jason, Ohio, Rayburn, 68 laps, $925 19. Delmas Conley (71), Wheelersburg, Ohio, Rocket, 66, $900 20. Donnie Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, MasterSbilt, 52, $1,400 21. R.J. Conley (71c), Wheelersburg, Ohio, Rocket, 50, $900 22. Rod Conley (71r), Wheelersburg, Ohio, Rocket, 47, $900 23. Steve Lucas (5), Charleston, W.Va., XXX, 42, $900 24. Joe Meadows (11), Beckley, W.Va., Swartz, 40, $900 25. Clint Smith (1), Griffin, Ga., MasterSbilt, 17, $1,400

NOTES: Jackie Boggs and Donnie Moran caused two cautions apiece, with Boggs bringing out the lap-97 caution when he stopped on the backstretch with a broken spindle .... Boggs was also involved in a lap-50 caution with the Conley brothers, Rod and R.J. .... Moran spun on lap 26, then spun again on lap 52 and collected Marshall Green in Turn 3 .... Rick Eckert became the 17th different driver to set fast time at a Hav-A-Tampa event, and he clinched a berth in the ISKY Racing Cams Fast Gun dash during the Hav-A-Tampa Shootout weekend.

NEXT HAV-A-TAMPA RACE: Sept. 26-27, Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, Ga., "Hav-A-Tampa Shootout," $35,000 to win.

HAV-A-TAMPA POINT STANDINGS: Billy Moyer 4,781; Wendell Wallace 4,644; Freddy Smith 4,482; Donnie Moran, 4,279; Dale McDowell 4,125; Clint Smith 4,081; Skip Arp 4,078; Marshall Green 3,767.

CREDIT: Ozzie Altman <victory.lane@mcione.com> of Hav-A-Tampa. ------------------------------------------------------------- SOUTHERN ALL-STAR DIRT SERIES Stick Elliott Memorial

GAFFNEY, S.C. (Friday and Saturday) Mike Duvall drove his famous Flintstone Flyer to a flag-to-flag victory in the 13th annual Stick Elliott Memorial at Cherokee Speedway. Duvall, of Cowpens, S.C., led all 100 laps around the half-mile oval and held off several challenges by Ronnie Johnson early in the race, Petey Ivey in the middle of the race, and Jeff Smith toward the end of the race.

Smith ended up second in the race, which was run under the Southern All-Stars banner. Jack Pennington was third, Buckshot Miles fourth and Mike Gault fifth. Finishing sixth through 10th were series points leader Roger Best, Billy Hicks, Ricky Weeks, Leland Prewitt and Dennis Williams.

CAR COUNT: 30 late models.

HEAT WINNERS: Ricky Weeks, Mike Duvall, Ray Cook, Ronnie Johnson.

CONSOLATION WINNER: Ray Tucker.

FEATURE 1. Mike Duvall, Cowpens, S.C., $10,000 2. Jeff Smith, Kings Mountain, N.C. 3. Jack Pennington, Augusta, Ga. 4. Buckshot Miles, Augusta, Ga. 5. Mike Gault, Gaffney, S.C. 6. Roger Best, Maryville, Tenn. 7. Billy Hicks, Gaffney, S.C. 8. Ricky Weeks, Gaffney, S.C. 9. Leland Prewitt, Savannah, Ga. 10. Dennis Williams, Gaffney, S.C. 11. Jeff Walker, McMinnville, Tenn. 12. C.S. Fitzgerald, Lexington, Va. 13. Petey Ivey, Gaffney, S.C. 14. Steve Smith, Powell, Tenn. 15. Rodney Combs, Harrisburg, N.C. 16. Bill Morgan, no hometown available 17. Buddy Smith, Gaffney, S.C. 18. Rodney Dickson, Fayetteville, Ga. 19. Jody Coltrane, Canton, Ga. 20. Chris Madden, Greenville, S.C. 21. Ronnie Johnson, Chattanooga, Tenn. 22. Ray Tucker, Garland, N.C. 23. Ray Cook, Murphy, N.C. 24. Ed Basey, Augusta, Ga. 25. Bo Shirley, Gadsden, Ala.

NOTES: Bo Shirley, second in the points race behind Roger Best, caught the wall in Turn 1 and crashed into third-place points driver Jeff Walker .... Shirley's night was over but Walker returned to finish 11th .... Ray Cook broke his rear end while running in third spot on the seventh lap .... Ronnie Johnson slapped the wall and broke a torque arm before the halfway point .... Rodney Dickson exited after a crash with Jody Coltrane in Turn 1.

NEXT SOUTHERN ALL-STARS RACE: Oct. 3-4, Cleveland (Tenn.) Speedway, $3,000 to win.

CREDIT: Lynn Acklin <SOUTHERNALLSTARRACING@classic.msn.com> of Southern All-Stars. ------------------------------------------------------------- UNITED MIDWESTERN PROMOTERS Illinois Falls Nationals

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Sunday) Billy Moyer led flag to flag for his third consecutive victory in the Illinois Fall Nationals on the one-mile track at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.

The only car Moyer followed all day was the pace car under yellow as the Batesville, Ark., driver charged from his sixth starting spot into the lead going into the third turn of the first lap. He would lead the rest of the way to earn a $12,000 payday.

Bob Pierce, who appeared to briefly close the gap on Moyer when the leader worked lapped traffic after lap 30, ended up far behind in second while Tony Izzo Jr., Terry Phillips and Joe Ross Jr. rounded out the top five. Ray Guss Jr., Kevin Gundaker, Greg Williams, David Gibson and Brian Birkhofer finished sixth through 10th.

CAR COUNT: 41 late models.

FAST QUALIFIER: Billy Moyer, 29.043 seconds (123.954 mph).

FIRST HEAT: Billy Moyer, Bob Pierce, Tony Cardin, Kevin Claycomb, Mike Munson, Ed Dixon, Jason Smith, Dick Potts, Virgil Bilbrey, Joe Morris, Wishel.

SECOND HEAT: Tony Izzo Jr., Terry Phillips, Ray Guss Jr., David Gibson, John Prior, Steve Shive, Ron Miller, Mark Holtmier, Mike Cardine, Dick Taylor.

THIRD HEAT: Grege Williams, Joe Ross Jr., Gary Webb, Steve Hennies, Jimmy Burwell, Jerry Rice, Steve Sheppard Jr., Kevin Paul, Tommy Donlen, Al Atkinson

FOURTH HEAT: Kevin Gundaker, Bill Frye, Brian Birkhofer, Jim Partipilo, Matt Taylor, Bert Cheatham, Al Bodenhammer, Jeff Thrasher, Mark Voigt, Carl Fredrick.

CONSOLATION: Jerry Rice, Jason Smith, Steve Shive, Dick Potts, Al Atkinson, Al Bodenhammer, Mark Voigt, Jeff Thrasher, Dick Taylor, Ron Miller, Virgil Bilbrey, Steve Sheppard Jr., Wishel, Tommy Donlen, Carl Fredrick, Kevin Paul.

FEATURE: (1) Billy Moyer, (2) Bob Pierce, (3) Tony Izzo Jr., (4) Terry Phillips, (5) Joe Ross Jr., (6) Ray Guss Jr., (7) Kevin Gundaker, (8) Greg Williams, (9) David Gibson, (10) Brian Birkhofer, (11) Kevin Claycomb, (12) Al Atkinson, (13) Jimmy Burwell, (14) Mark Voigt, (15) Jim Partipilo, (16) John Prior, (17) Al Bodenhammer, (18) Jason Smith, (19) Steve Hennies, (20) Jeff Thrasher, (21) Gary Webb, (22) Matt Taylor, (23) Mike Munson, (24) Jerry Rice, (25) Mike Cardine, (26) Steve Shive, (27) Ed Dixon, (28) Dick Potts, (29) Bill Frye.

CREDIT: Joe Hocking <JHocking@LRS.com>. -------------------------------------------------------------

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