Results 97-07-04

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: July 2-3 results (published July 4) HAV-A-TAMPA: Moyer dominates in Granite City, Ill. UMP: Tony Izzo Jr. becomes seventh Summernationals winner CAPSULES: Johnny Johnson, Ray Guss get NASCAR victories =================================== HAV-A-TAMPA DIRT RACING SERIES Mountain Dew 100

GRANITE CITY, Ill. (Thursday) Hav-A-Tampa points leader Billy Moyer streaked to victory at Tri-City Speedway, lapping all but five other competitors on the half-mile oval near St. Louis for his fifth series win of the season. Donnie Moran finished second, while Dale McDowell, Mark Miner and Skip Arp rounded out the top five.

Moyer took the lead from McDowell on the seventh lap, threaded through traffic throughout the race and led Moran by a full straightaway when the checkered flag fell.

"This racetrack has been very good to me in the past and we just had the setup right tonight," said Moyer, who has competed on the track with at least four different sanctioning bodies. "We were in a hurry to get the car ready and we weren't sure we would make it in time, when we had to hurry to the starting grid, but the crew did great and we are happy with this win."

The 26-car field was rushed to the starting line because of a threatening rains, but the showers held off until after the race.

FAST QUALIFIER: Mark Miner, 21.06 seconds (85.47 mph).

FEATURE (Pos., driver, hometown, laps, winnings) 1. Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark., 100, $10,000 2. Donnie Moran, Dresden, Ohio, 100, $6,000 3. Dale McDowell, Rossville, Ga., 100, $3,000 4. Mark Miner, Stockbridge, Ga., 100, $2,500 5. Skip Arp, Georgetown, Tenn., 100, $2,000 6. Wendell Wallace, Batesville, Ark., 100, $1,800 7. Freddy Smith, Knoxville, Tenn., 99, $1,600 8. John Gill, Mitchell, Ind., 99, $1,400 9. Clint Smith, Griffin, Ga., 99, $1,200 10. Ray Cook, Murphy, N.C., 98, $1,100 11. Marshall Green, Dalton, Ga., 98, $1,000 12. David Gibson, Ash Flat, Ark., 97, $950 13. Al Purkey, Coffeyville, Kan., 96, $900 14. Terry Muskrat, Stillwell, Okla., 96, $875 15. Jason Connoyer, Midway, Ill., 94, $850 16. Robbie Starnes, Houston, Texas, 66, $825 17. Willy Kraft, Lakefield, Minn., 62, $800 18. Jack Simmons, Erie, Kan., 59, $750 19. Kevin Gundaker, St. Charles, Mo., 53, $700 20. Johnny Virden, Russellville, Ark., 38, $850 21. Donnie Barnhart, North Little Rock, Ark., 32, $700 22. Bill Frye, Greenbrier, Ark., 18, $700 23. Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill., 13, $700 24. Greg Williams, Haubstadt, Ind., 11, $700 25. Chris Fetter, St. Charles, Mo., 0, $700 26. Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., 0, $700

NEXT HAV-A-TAMPA EVENTS: July 4, West Plains (Mo.) Motor Speedway, $5,000 to win; July 5, West Plains (Mo.) Motor Speedway, $10,000 to win.

CREDIT: Ozzie Altman <VctoryLane@aol.com> of Hav-A-Tampa ------------------------------------------------------------- UNITED MIDWESTERN PROMOTERS UMP Summernationals

PADUCAH, Ky. (Thursday) Tony Izzo Jr. battled past Mike Jewell on the 31st lap at Paducah International Raceway, then held off a last-gasp charge from Rick Aukland to become the seventh winner in seven races on the UMP Summernationals 20-race tour.

Izzo started outside the third row, but ran second to Jewell most of the way before finally getting past and winning $5,000 for his second career Summernationals victory, "probably the biggest win of my career," Izzo said. The second generation driver from Bridgeview, Ill., won his first Summernationals race on July 7, 1993 at Southlake Speedway in Crown Point, Ind.

Aukland rallied from his ninth starting spot to finish second, while Jewell settled for third in a race that went off cautionless after an initial bad start. Billy Drake was fourth and polesitter Kris Patterson fifth. Tom Rients, Dennis Erb Jr., Gary Keeling, Steve Ryan and Dan Schlieper finished sixth through 10th on the 3/8-mile western Kentucky oval that was much smoother than for last year's race, won by Randy Sellars. Sellars ran in the top 10 most of the way this year but dropped out late in the race, finishing 19th.

Jewell jumped into the lead from his outside pole position, and led a three-car breakaway along with Izzo and Drake early in the race while Patterson, Rients, Keeling and Aukland battled farther behind for position.

Jewell's lead was comfortable until he entered lapped traffic. When he got behind the slower car of Brian Wolfmeier on about the 20th lap, Jewell could never find a way past. Jewell's car slipped too high coming out of Turn 2 to make a pass, and Izzo and Drake closed up on the leader. The top three cars all made contact on the 26th lap when Jewell had to check up to avoid hitting Wolfmeier entering the backstretch.

Izzo was stronger on the low side, and eventually beat Jewell down the backstretch to grab the lead entering Turn 3 on the 30th lap, but Jewell retaliated with an inside pass coming off Turn 4 to retake the lead. Izzo roared down the backstretch again on the next lap, and this time Jewell couldn't answer.

While Izzo, Jewell and Drake battled closely, Aukland had broken away from the next pack and caught the three leaders, making it a four-car dash over the final 10 laps.

Izzo continued to try and put the cagey Wolfmeier a lap down while Aukland continued moving toward the front, grabbing third place from Drake on the 36th lap and hounding Jewell for the runner-up spot. Izzo finally lapped Wolfmeier on the 38th lap, and built a big enough margin to survive the final assault of Aukland, who passed Jewell for second in the last two circuits.

CAR COUNT: 46 late models.

FAST QUALIFIER: Rick Aukland, 16.304 seconds (3/8-mile oval).

FAST DASH (sets first three rows of feature): Kris Patterson, Mike Jewell, Tom Rients, Billy Drake, Tony Izzo Jr., Gary Keeling, Bobby Dietz, Donnie Tudor, Rick Aukland.

FIRST HEAT (top three advance): Steve Ryan, Bobby Dietz, Tony Albright, Carnell Parker, Robert Kirby, Todd Rust, Joe Mike, Gary Frost, Joe Morris, Jeff Glisson.

SECOND HEAT: Randy Sellars, Lee Thomason, John Tindal, Brian Wolfmeier, Mark Peppers, Steve Ross, Mike Gibbs, Buddy Sisk, Jesse Hendrick (Donnie Tudor scratched).

THIRD HEAT: Rick Aukland, Dennis Erb, Jr, Rod Reed, Greg Hensley, Jacob Davis, Rich Gardner, Dennis Erb, Jeff Blackburn, Brian Rupe, Willie Lang.

FOURTH HEAT: Bill Millikan, Doug Ault, Eddie Pace, Dan Schlieper, Larry Hurn, Randy McMahon, Mark Lawrence, Nick Lyons, John Flowers.

CONSOLATION WINNERS: Mark Peppers and Dan Schlieper.

FEATURE (Pos., driver, car no., hometown, laps, winnings) 1. Tony Izzo Jr.(16), Bridgeview, Ill., 40, $5,000 2. Rick Aukland (12), Fargo, N.D., 40, $2,000 3. Mike Jewell (9), Scottsburg, Ind., 40, $1,200 4. Billy Drake (9), Bloomington, Ill., 40, $1,100 5. Kris Patterson (0), St. John's, Mich., 40, $1,000 6. Tom Rients (49), Ottawa, Ill., 40, $700 7. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 40, $600 8. Gary Keeling (K5), Paducah, Ky., 40, $500 9. Steve Ryan (69), Boaz, Ky., 40, $450 10. Dan Schleiper (s9), Pewaukee, Wis., 40, $400 11. Jon Tindall (7), Fancy Farm, Ky., 40, $230 12. Bobby Dietz (92), Hopkinsville, Ky., 40, $230 13. Doug Ault (1a), Brownstown, Ind., 40, $230 14. Brian Wolfmeier (441), St. Charles, Mo., 39, $230 15. Tony Albright (1), Clarksville, Tenn., 39, $230 16. Greg Hensley (94), Centralia, Ill., 39, $230 17. Mark Peppers (58), Paris, Tenn., 38, $230 18. Lee Thomas (53), Marion, Ill., 38, $230 19. Randy Sellars (3), Mayfield, Ky., dnf, $230 20. Eddie Pace (40w), Clarksville, Tenn., dnf, $230 21. Bill Millikan (12), Shawneetown, Ill., dnf, $230 22. Rod Reed (47), Mayfield, Ky., dnf, $230

NOTES: Rick Aukland maintained his Summernationals points lead .... Eddie Pace was driving Steve Ward's No. 40w .... in a consolation race, the car of Brian Rupe ended up atop teammate Nick Lyons' car after a crash entering the first turn .... Rupe's car was disabled while Lyons was blackflagged for instigating the wreck, which also involved Rich Gardner .... mechanical problems sidelined Donnie Tudor after the dash ..... Bobby Dietz and Rick Aukland had flat tires in the dash .... Mike Gibbs was leading the second heat when he left the race with mechanical woes .... the grandstands were packed.

NEXT SUMMERNATIONALS RACE: July 4, Central Park Raceway, McHenry, Ky., $5,000 to win.

CREDIT: Greg Stark <gstar17@sunsix.infi.net> and Todd Turner <DirtNews@aol.com>. ------------------------------------------------------------- WEDNESDAY'S RACE CAPSULE

GUSS GETS NASCAR VICTORY AT FREEPORT: Ray Guss Jr. of Milan, Ill., started sixth and took the lead from Steve Kosiski on the 15th lap for a 50-lap NASCAR Busch All-Star Tour victory at Freeport (Ill.) Raceway Park. Guss set fast time (22.315) and won the second series event of the year, the first of a four-race Fourth of July swing. FEATURE (50 laps): (1) Ray Guss Jr., (2) Joe Kosisk, (3) Steve Kosiski, (4) Gary Webb, (5) Jay Johnson, (6) Brian Birkhofer, (7) Bob Helm, (8) Denny Eckrich, (9) Denny Osburn, (10) Bob Dominacki, (11) Terry Schlipman, (12) Johnny Johnson, (13) Kurt Stewart, (14) Rick Wendling, (15) Rob Toland, (16) Bob Hampel, (17) Bill Martin, (18) Steve Boley, (19) Tom Hearst, (20) Dan Galant, (21) Curt Martin, (22) Tom Cannon, (23) Todd Bennett, (24) Layne Meyer, (25) Scott Koskovich, (26) Skip Frey). ------------------------------------------------------------- THURSDAY'S RACE CAPSULES

JOHNNY JOHNSON GETS FIRST BUSCH VICTORY: Veteran driver Johnny Johnson of West Burlington, Iowa, led all 40 laps at Davenport (Iowa) Speedway for his first-ever NASCAR Busch All-Star Tour victory. Joe Kosiski recorded his second straight runner-up finish while the winner's son, Jay Johnson, was third. FEATURE (40 laps): (1) Johnny Johnson, (2) Joe Kosiski, (3) Jay Johnson, (4) Ray Guss Jr., (5) Donnie McClellan, (6) Steve Kosiski, (7) Sonny Findling, (8) Brian Birkhofer, (9) Scott Koskovich, (10) Curt Martin, (11) Bob Hampel, (12) Gary Webb, (13) Denny Eckrich, (14) Steve Boley, (15) Skip Frey, (16) Bill Martin, (17) Jim Swank, (18) Terry Schlipman, (19) Steve Hennies, (20) Bob Helm, (21) Denny Osburn, (22) Bob Cannon, (23) Rick Wendling, (24) Kurt Stewart, (25) Tom Hearst, (26) Bob Dominacki, (27) Dave Eckrich, (28) Steve Johnson.

OTHER THURSDAY BRIEFS: Bubba Mullins took the lead from Waylon Morris and went on to his first Southern United Professional Racing (SUPR) victory at Sabine Raceway in Many, La. .... Steve Russell collected $3,000 with a feature victory at Columbus (Miss.) Motor Speedway .... the $5,000-to-win WISSOTA-sanctioned event at Wisconsin's Cedar Lake Speedway was rained out and rescheduled for Saturday .... Bill Mahan of Laceys Springs, Ala., took lead when Brandon King and Ted Lackey got together early in the race, and went on to a $3,000 SOUTHERN ALL-STARS victory at Moulton (Ala.) Speedway. -------------------------------------------------------------