Weekend results spet 12-13

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. 15) NASCAR: Jeff Aikey captures Yankee Dirt Track Classic UMP: Shannon Babb wins I-55 Nationals near St. Louis CAPSULES: Wissota, Rick's, IMCA and UMP results =================================== NASCAR BUSCH ALL-STAR TOUR 20th annual Yankee Dirt Track Classic

FARLEY, Iowa (Friday and Saturday) Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls, Iowa, wrestled the lead from polesitter Steve Boley on the 79th lap and went on to a victory worth $10,000 at the NASCAR-sanctioned Yankee Dirt Track Classic at Farley Speedway.

"It makes the checkbook look a little better," said Aikey, who won the 20th edition of the race at the half-mile oval just west of Dubuque.

Rick Wendling, honored before the race as the only driver to qualify for every Yankee Dirt Track Classic, finishes second after Boley was forced to pit to fix a flat right-rear tire on the 84th lap.

Brian Birkhofer, Tom Hearst, and Steve Kosiski rounded out the top five, while series points leader Joe Kosiski, Steve Johnson, Ray Guss Jr., Curt Hansen and Layne Meyer finished sixth through 10th in the speedway's final race of the year. Boley ended up 24th of 26 cars.

CAR COUNT: 57 late models.

FAST QUALIFIER: Rick Wendling, 21.230 seconds.

FIRST HEAT: Denny Eckrich, Craig Jacobs, Joe Kosiski, Steve Johnson, Brian Birkhofer, Tom Cannon, Jay Johnson, Steve Hennies, Darin Buren, Randy Benn.

SECOND HEAT: Steve Kosiski, Jeff Aikey, Steve Boley, Bill Martin, Curt Martin, Mike Cothron, Dave Eckrich, Terry Ryan, Kyle Berck, Brian Morgan.

THIRD HEAT: Ray Guss Jr., Layne Meyer, Tom Hearst, Curt Hansen, Rick Wendling, Denny Osborn, Bob Helm, Todd Davis, Sonny Findling, John Hampel.

FIRST CONSOLATION: Bob Helm, Jay Johnson, Sonny Findling, Terry Ryan, Bob Dominacki, Skip Frey, Denny Petersen, Randy Havlik, Scott Heeren, Wayne Brau.

SECOND CONSOLATION: Todd Davis, Dave Eckrich, Kyle Berck, Terry Schlipman, Kurt Stewart, Rob Kirchner, Rusty Zook, Jim Burbridge, Kurt Kile, Darren Mish.

NONQUALIFIERS RACE: Skip Frey, Terry Ryan, Rob Kirchner, Rusty Zook, Darren Mish, Darin Buren, Scott Koskovich, Kurt Kile, Mark Mirfeld, Randy Havlik, Terry Gallaher, Jim Burbridge, Bob Helm, Wayne Brau, Brian Morgan, Jarod Fleck, Terry Huizel, John Hampel, Lyle Kammer, Denny Petersen, Randy Benn, Tom Kuhle, Mike Klinkhammer, Kevin Kile, Scott Heeren, Danny Ahrens Jr.

FEATURE 1. Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls, Iowa, $10,000 2. Rick Wendling, Hazelton, Iowa 3. Brian Birkhofer, Muscatine, Iowa 4. Tom Hearst, Tipton, Iowa 5. Steve Kosiski, Omaha, Neb. 6. Joe Kosiski, Omaha, Neb. 7. Steve Johnson, Comanche, Iowa 8. Ray Guss Jr., Milan, Ill. 9. Curt Hansen, Dike, Iowa 10. Layne Meyer, West Union, Iowa 11. Bill Martin, Council Bluffs, Iowa 12. Mike Cothron, Moline, Ill. 13. Curt Martin, Independence, Iowa 14. Bob Helm, Milan, Ill. 15. Craig Jacobs, Freeport, Ill. 16. Bob Dominacki, Bettendorf, Iowa 17. Jay Johnson, West Burlington, Iowa 18. Denny Osborn, Janesville, Iowa 19. Denny Eckrich, Oxford, Iowa 20. Sonny Findling, Kirksville, Mo. 21. Kyle Berck, Marquette, Neb. 22. Todd Davis, Iowa City, Iowa 23. Terry Schlipman, Menton, Ill. 24. Steve Boley, Oxford, Iowa 25. Tom Cannon, Iowa City, Iowa 26. Dave Eckrich, North Liberty, Iowa

NOTES: Denny Osborn ran third most of the way, but was forced to pit for repair of a broken roof .... it was the race's biggest purse ever .... Saturday's feature was delayed about an hour because of a drizzle .... the top two finishers in the nonqualifiers race, Skip Frey and Terry Ryan, had the option of starting on the tail of the feature, but both decided to keep their consolation winnings and spectate .... the Busch All-Star Tour completes the season with Iowa stops in West Liberty and Denison.

NEXT SERIES RACE: Sept. 19-20, West Liberty (Iowa) Speedway, $4,000 to win.

NASCAR BUSCH ALL-STAR TOUR POINTS: Joe Kosiski 2,019; Steve Kosiski 1,986; Steve Boley 1,889.

CREDIT: Phil Roberts of NASCAR. ------------------------------------------------------------- UNITED MIDWESTERN PROMOTERS 15th annual I-55 Nationals

PEVELY, Mo. (Saturday) Shannon Babb of Decatur, Ill., surviving a broken axle on the final lap, held off Randy Korte for a $5,000 victory in the 40-lap I-55 Nationals at I-55 Raceway near St. Louis. Babb was well ahead of Korte when the white flag appeared, but Babb slowed on the backstretch when he sustained the broken axle. Korte closed fast but Babb was able to cross the finish line first at the high-banked quarter-mile oval. Korte, who won Friday's preliminary feature (results in capsules below), finished second, followed by Roger Long, 1997 track champion Ed Dixon and Don O'Neal. Billy Drake, defending race champion Bill Frye, Bob Pierce, Kevin Claycomb and Shawn Toczek rounded out the top 10. Babb and Claycomb started on the front row, with Babb taking the early lead. The race was slowed on the 10th lap for a five-car pileup in Turn 1 that eliminated Kevin Weaver, Jim Durbin and Steve Karnes. When the green reappeared, Babb began working the high side as the leader while Korte, who started eighth, began working his way to the front on the low side. They ran one-two the rest of the way.

CAR COUNT: 45 late models.

FAST QUALIFIER: Shannon Babb.

HEAT WINNERS: Jeff Johns, Randy Korte, Mark Anderson, Bob Pierce.

FAST DASH WINNER: Kevin Claycomb

CONSOLATION WINNERS: John Hobson and Kevin Weaver.

FEATURE (40 laps): (1) Shannon Babb, (2) Randy Korte, (3) Roger Long, (4) Ed Dixon, (5) Don O'Neal, (6) Billy Drake, (7) Bill Frye, (8) Bob Pierce, (9) Kevin Claycomb, (10) Shawn Toczek, (11) Doug McCammon, (12) John Gill, (13) John Hobson, (14) Ed Bauman, (15) Steve Shive, (16) Gary May, (17) Jeff Johns, (18) Mark Anderson, (19) Mike Mullvain, (20) Mark Oller, (21) Bert Cheatham, (22) Kevin Weaver, (23) Steve Karnes, (24) Jim Durbin.

NOTES: See results of Friday's preliminary feature below .... winner Shannon Babb, Kevin Claycomb and David Gibson raced Saturday night but not Friday night, when 58 cars were on hand .... Jim Durbin drove a backup car owned by Ed Petroff .... Leslie Essary started on the front row of his consolation race but faded to sixth .... Terry Phillips dropped out of his consolation race with a flat tire.

CREDIT: Jack Pugh <be3llerac@peaknet.net>. ------------------------------------------------------------- FRIDAY'S RACE CAPSULE

KORTE WINS OPENER AT I-55 NATIONALS: Randy Korte, starting 11th, bolted to the front and took the lead on the eighth lap for a $2,000 victory in the opening night of the two-day I-55 Nationals at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo. Kevin Weaver started on the pole and led early but faded to finish fifth. Heat winners were Korte, Alan Vaughn, Ken Rumble, Gary May and Ed Dixon. Bob Pierce (13.644 seconds) set fast time among 58 late models from five states. Among drivers not making the feature were Doug McCammon, Leslie Essary, Jeff Floyd and Donnie Tudor. FEATURE: (1) Randy Korte, (2) Billy Drake, (3) Brian Wolfmeier, (4) Bob Pierce, (5) Kevin Weaver, (6) Ed Dixon, (7) Mark Faust, (8) Terry Phillips, (9) Don O'Neal, (10) Mark Gansmann, (11) Alan Vaughn, (12) Bill Frye, (13) Steve Karnes, (14) Roger Long, (15) Jeff Johns, (16) John Gill, (17) Shawn Toczek, (18) Jim Rarick, (19) Jimmy Burwell, (20) John Hobson, (21) Gary May, (22) Jeff Riblet, (23) Steve Shive, (24) Bill Millikan, (25) Ken Rumble. ------------------------------------------------------------- SATURDAY'S RACE CAPSULES

HEAD CAPTURES RICK'S SERIES TITLE WITH VICTORY: Mike Head of Ellenwood, Ga., won the final 50-lapper of the Rick's Late Model Dirt Series at Central Mississippi Speedway in Winona to capture the "Running for the Gold" points championship. Head took the lead on the 31st lap when polesitter Jerry Inmon's ignition failed and led the rest of the way for a victory worth nearly $3,500. Head finished the series with 1,005 points, 15 more than Johnny Stokes, who finished second in Saturday's race. FEATURE (50 laps): (1) Mike Head, (2) Johnny Stokes, (3) John L. Cliett, (4) Rick Rickman, (5) Barry Wright, (6) Eddie Rickman, (7) Jamie Dacus, (8) Randy Cummings, (9) Mark Stokes, (10) Terry Wilson, (11) Mark Mears, (12) Mark Edwards, (13) Jerry Inmon, (14) Anthony Rushing.

WESTERN 100 McNEIL'S FIRST LATE MODEL WIN: Rookie Gary McNeil of Stratford, S.D., fought off a race-long challenge from Johnny Corell to lead every lap in the WISSOTA-sanctioned Western 100 at Brown County Speedway in Aberdeen, S.D. McNeil's first-ever late model victory was worth $2,500. Corell twice passed McNeil, but once a yellow flag restored McNeil's lead, and on the other occasion McNeil repassed Corell before they crossed the start-finish line. There were 40 late models in attendance. FEATURE (1) Gary McNeil, (2) Johnny Corell, (3) Mitch Johnson, (4) John Bey, (5) Steve Numiller, (6) Curt Gelling, (7) Loren Johnson, (8) Hank Berry, (9) Don Gumpke, (10) Jeff Walth.

BURGTORF GETS DEERY BROTHERS VICTORY: Starting inside the second row, Mark Burgtorf unseated polesitter Harry Walker on the first lap and rolled to a 50-lap Deery Brothers Summer Series victory at 34 Raceway. Burgtorf's $2,000 victory was his second of the year in the IMCA-sanctioned series at the track in West Burlington, Iowa. The battle behind Burgtorf was among series points leaders Gary Webb and Harry Walker, and Webb pulled away from Walker to finish second. Webb leads Walker by two points heading in the final series race on Sept. 26-27 at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa. FEATURE (50 laps): (1) Mark Burgtorf, (2) Gary Webb, (3) Harry Walker, (4) Lonnie Bailey, (5) Boone McLaughlin, (6) Ted Pallister, (7) Greg Kastli, (8) Doak Allen, (9) Ron Jackson, (10) Chris Smyser, (11) Dennis LaVeine, (12) Jim Swank, (13) Jeff Lane, (14) Tommy Elson, (15) Gary Russell, (16) Dean Wagner Jr., (17) Darrel DeFrance, (18) Brent Slocum, (19) Sam Halstead, (20) Jeff Guengerich, (21) Dick Ploog, (22) Kevin Kirkpatrick, (23) Johnny Johnson, (24) Kevin Pittman, (25) Tom Darbyshire, (26) Thad Trump. ------------------------------------------------------------- CAPSULE CREDITS: Jerry Mackey of 34 Raceway, Jack Pugh <be3llerac@peaknet.net> and Tim Lee <leemedia@watervalley.net> of Late Model America. ------------------------------------------------------------- IN AN UPCOMING DIRTNEWS DIGEST EDITION: Rick Aukland wins $15,000 at Hav-A-Tampa event in Portsmouth, Ohio. -------------------------------------------------------------