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Weekend roundup 97-07-06

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: July 4-5 results (published July 6) HAV-A-TAMPA: Moyer gets third straight series victory STARS: Hartman laps all but one car in Pittsburgh victory UMP: Aukland holds off Barnett for second straight win CAPSULES: Roundup of other holiday weekend results =================================== HAV-A-TAMPA DIRT RACING SERIES O'Reilly Auto Parts Firecracker 100

WEST PLAINS, Mo. (Saturday) Billy Moyer put the "super" in the third annual Hav-A-Tampa SuperNationals at West Plains Motor Speedway.

The Batesville, Ark., driver completed a two-race sweep with a $10,000 victory in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Firecracker 100, giving the Hav-A-Tampa points leader his third consecutive victory overall on the $2 million series. Moyer led every lap Saturday night and held off a final charge from Mark Miner to become the first driver to win three consecutive series event since Scott Bloomquist in February 1995.

Bill Frye, Wendell Wallace and Skip Arp rounded out the top five Saturday, while Donnie Moran, Dale McDowell, Ronnie Johnson, Terry Phillips and Donnie Barnhart finished sixth through 10th on the 3/8-mile oval in southcentral Missouri.

"We couldn't have really imagined that we could come into this weekend and take control with these three wins," said Moyer, who won $10,000 at Granite City, Ill., on Thursday and added a $5,000 preliminary victory on Friday at West Plains. "But then again, that's where we set our sights and it's good to achieve it as a team."

Moyer outdueled Wendell Wallace for the lead on the first lap Saturday night, and drove out to a comfortable margin while Wallace, Miner and Frye battled for the second spot in the early parts of the race. By the 40th lap, Moyer had a half straightaway advantage, but faced a nine-car traffic jam of lapped cars racing all over the wide West Plains track.

Miner, who took the second spot from Wallace on the 29th lap, whittled Moyer's lead to 10 car lengths by the midway point in the race, but Moyer employed the low groove to maneuver past most of the slower cars. Then it was Miner stuck behind the traffic as Moyer built a straightaway advantage by the 70th lap.

When Moyer had difficulty lapping Ray Cook, Miner again challenged, moving within five car lengths of the leader on the 85th lap. Ten laps later, the race's only caution appeared for Terry Muskrat's stoppage in Turn 4, giving Miner, Frye, Wallace and Arp one last shot at Moyer on a restart. But no one could catch the blue-and-orange No. 21.

"It was pretty awesome out there again tonight," said Moyer. "I've gotta hand it to the folks here at West Plains. They gave us another great surface to race on tonight. My crew knew that it would be completely different from last night's setup, and they got us back up front tonight."

CAR COUNT: 39 late models.

FAST QUALIFIER: Wendell Wallace, 14.695 seconds (3/8-mile oval).

FIRST HEAT (12 laps; top four advance): Wendell Wallace, Dale McDowell, Donnie Moran, Clint Smith, David Gibson, Leslie Essary, Jeff Floyd, Gar Dickson, Darrell Carpenter, Willy Kraft.

SECOND HEAT: Billy Moyer, Mark Miner, Skip Arp, Freddy Smith, Johnny Virden, Ken Essary, Robbie Starnes, Stacy Taylor, Brandon Ball, Randy Floyd.

THIRD HEAT: Terry Phillips, Bob Pierce, Ronnie Johnson, Randle Chupp, John Gill, Al Purkey, Marshall Green, Alan Vaughn, Dusty Johnston, Stan Massey.

FOURTH HEAT: Bill Frye, Rex Richey, Donnie Barnhart, Terry Muskrat, Billy Romans, Jason Snodgrass, Ray Cook, Jason Bodenhammer, Travis Mears.

FIRST CONSOLATION (15 laps; top three advance): David Gibson, Leslie Essary, Marshall Green, John Gill, Jeff Floyd, Willy Kraft, Al Purkey, Gar Dickson, Alan Vaughn, Dusty Johnston, Darrell Carpenter (Stan Massey scratched).

SECOND CONSOLATION: Johnny Virden, Ray Cook, Ken Essary, Billy Romans, Stacy Taylor, Jason Snodgrass, Randy Floyd, Jason Bodenhammer, Robbie Starnes, Travis Mears, Brandon Ball.

FEATURE (Pos., driver, car no., hometown, chassis, laps, winnings) 1. Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark., unavailable, 100, $10,100 2. Mark Miner (7), Stockbridge, Ga., MasterSbilt, 100, $6,150 3. Bill Frye (66), Greenbrier, Ark., GRT, 100, $3,300 4. Wendell Wallace (6m), Batesville, Ark., GRT, 100, $2,650 5. Skip Arp (31), Georgetown, Tenn., GRT, 100, $2,150 6. Donnie Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, MasterSbilt, 100, $1,800 7. Dale McDowell (17m), Rossville, Ga., GRT, 100, $1,600 8. Ronnie Johnson (5), Chattanooga, Tenn., MasterSbilt, 100, $1,400 9. Terry Phillips (75), Springfield, Mo., GRT, 100, $1,200 10. Donnie Barnhart (11), North Little Rock, Ark., GRT, 100, $1,100 11. Ray Cook (53), Murphy, N.C., GRT, 100, $1,000 12. Clint Smith (1), Griffin, Ga., GRT, 99, $950 13. Johnny Virden (1v), Russellville, Ark., GRT, 99, $1,050 14. Rex Richey (87), Ringgold, Ga., Shaw, 99, $875 15. Marshall Green (89), Dalton, Ga., Warrior, 99, $1,000 16. Freddy Smith (00), Knoxville, Tenn., GRT, 99, $825 17. Bob Pierce (32), Danville, Ill., MasterSbilt, 99 $800 18. Robbie Starnes (83s), Houston, Texas, American Made, 98, $750 19. David Gibson (G2), Ash Flat, Ark., GRT, 98, $700 20. Terry Muskrat (83), Stillwell, Okla., American Made, 97, $700 21. Leslie Essary (5), Crane, Mo., Rayburn, 60, $700 22. John Gill (75), Mitchell, Ind., MasterSbilt, 52, $700 23. Ken Essary (55), Galena, Mo., Essary, 45, $700 24. Randle Chupp (114), Knoxville, Tenn., GRT, 45, $700

HAV-A-TAMPA POINT STANDINGS (through July 5): Billy Moyer 3,085; Wendell Wallace 2,903; Freddy Smith 2,732; Donnie Moran 2,658; Dale McDowell 2,632; Clint Smith 2,562; Skip Arp 2,423; Marshall Green 2,338; David Gibson 2,217; Ray Cook 2,168.

NEXT HAV-A-TAMPA RACE: July 11-12, Jackson (Miss.) Motor Speedway, $15,000 to win

CREDIT: Larry Olson <lwolson@mtnhome.com> of West Plains Motor Speedway and Ozzie Altman <VctoryLane@aol.com> of Hav-A-Tampa. ------------------------------------------------------------- SHORT TRACK AUTO RACING STARS (STARS) Penn National 100

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Saturday) Bart Hartman of Zanesville, Ohio, put on a dominating performance to win the Penn National 100, lapping all but the second-place car of Rick Eckert to collect $10,000 at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway in his third STARS victory of the season. Gary Stuhler, polesitter Jack Boggs and Darrell Lanigan rounded out the top five. Fast qualifier Tim Hitt finished eighth and series points leader Steve Francis was ninth.

Starting seventh, Hartman was up to third place by the third lap, took second place from Boggs on the sixth lap, and passed Lanigan for the lead on the 15th circuit. Once out front, Hartman set a blistering pace that saw just nine cars remain on the lead lap at the halfway fuel stop, which was the only time the race was slowed.

Hartman picked up right where he left off in the race's final 50 laps, finishing nearly three-quarters of a lap ahead of Eckert when the checkered flag fell. The victory was Hartman's first at PPMS and eighth career on the STARS circuit.

CAR COUNT: 50 late models.

FAST QUALIFIER: Tim Hitt, 19.488 seconds (half-mile oval).

FAST DASH (sets first three rows of feature): Jack Boggs, Darrell Lanigan, Rodney Combs, Tim Hitt, Mark Banal, Steve Francis.

HEAT WINNERS: Bart Hartman, Todd Andrews, Rick Eckert, Gary Stuhler.

CONSOLATION WINNERS: Rick Wachter and B.A. Malcuit.

FEATURE (100 laps): (1) Bart Hartman, (2) Rick Eckert, (3) Gary Stuhler, (4) Jack Boggs, (5) Darrell Lanigan, (6) Todd Andrews, (7) Mark Banal, (8) Tim Hitt, (9) Steve Francis, (10) Rodney Combs, (11) Mike Balzano, (12) Rod Conley, (13) John Mason, (14) Steve Shaver, (15) Mike Johnson, (16) B.A. Malcuit, (17) Chub Frank, (18) Lynn Geisler, (19) Barry Bragdon, (20) Rick Wachter, (21) Steve Baker, (22) Bill Knepper, (23) Mike Benedum, (24) John Johnson, (25) Ed Ferree, (26) Davey Johnson.

NEXT STARS RACE: July 11-12, Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway, "Conococheague 100," $12,000 to win.

CREDIT: Dow Carnahan <JudyGower@aol.com> of PPMS. ------------------------------------------------------------- UNITED MIDWESTERN PROMOTERS UMP Summernationals

GLASGOW, Ky. (Saturday) Polesitter Rick Aukland, taking advantage of a slipup by Steve Barnett, worked his way into the lead midway through the 40-lap race to capture his third UMP Summernationals event, winning $5,000 in the ninth leg of the 20-race series at dusty Barren County Speedway.

Aukland's 40-lap victory buoyed his Summernationals points lead while Barnett settled for second spot in race he won last year. Michigan driver Kris Patterson recorded his best series finish with third place, while Kevin Claycomb and Billy Drake battled their way around the dust bowl to round out the top five. James Huff, Butch Shay, Jeff Wilson, Mike Gibbs and Dan Schlieper finished sixth through 10th at the 3/8-mile track in southcentral Kentucky.

Starting next to Aukland on the front row, Barnett jumped into the lead with the preferred outside line and began working the high groove, as all the leaders did. Aukland, Patterson, Drake, Tony Izzo Jr. and Claycomb gave chase and ran in that order until Izzo lost control in Turn 4 on the 11th lap, bringing out a caution.

With inside passes few and far between, Barnett held a small but steady lead over Aukland the next several laps. But as the leaders worked down the backstretch on the 20th, Barnett lost momentum while trying to lap Dion Deason, and Aukland raced Barnett hard into Turn 3.

Trying to recover, Barnett got too high between Turns 3 and 4, allowing Aukland to slip underneath for the lead as the flagman displayed the crossed flags to signal the halfway point. Aukland built a 15 car length by the time the yellow flag -- and then red flag -- appeared on lap 26 for Josh Tarter's wreck on the backstretch that left his No. T20 upside down. Tarter wasn't injured.

When racing resumed, Aukland's right-rear tire didn't provide the traction it had previously, and Barnett stayed right with the leader.

"I thought got a little better right there before the red, the tire was starting to come in pretty good," Aukland said. "Then it cooled off and after the red I don't think I was as good as before. I couldn't get back quite in the right rhythm, and I kept missing the line a little bit, too."

Still, Aukland was able to hold off Barnett by several car lengths while Patterson finished third and Claycomb, who worked past Drake on the 23rd lap, took fourth.

CAR COUNT: 30 late models.

FAST QUALIFIER: Steve Barnett, 13.90 seconds (3/8-mile oval).

FAST DASH (sets first three rows of feature): Rick Aukland, Steve Barnett, Billy Drake, Kris Patterson, Kevin Claycomb, Tony Izzo Jr., Tim Tungate, Doug Ault, Butch Shay.

FIRST HEAT (10 laps; top four advance): Tim Tungate, Dan Schlieper, Jeff Wilson, Dion Deason, Danny Hatcher, Dennis Erb Sr., Keith Hall, Dennis Erb Jr., Jason Bingham.

SECOND HEAT: James Huff, Doug Ault, Johnny Wheeler, Mike Gibbs, Jeff Napper, Greg Ault, Jerry Rucker, Gerald Barnett.

THIRD HEAT: Josh Tarter, Butch Shay, Carnell Parker, Dan Sturgeon, Billy Meredith, Butch Barber, Kevin Hardin, Kelvin Perkins.

CONSOLATION (15 laps; top two advance): Jeff Napper, Danny Hatcher, Jerry Rucker, Gerald Barnett, Billy Meredith, Keith Hall, Greg Ault, Butch Barber, Jason Bingham (Dennis Erb Sr., Kevin Hardin and Kelvin Perkins scratched).

FEATURE (Pos., driver, car no., hometown, chassis, winnings) 1. Rick Aukland (12), Fargo, N.D., Rayburn, $5,000 2. Steve Barnett (89), Franklin, Ind., Rayburn, $2,000 3. Kris Patterson (0), St. John's, Mich., Rayburn, $1,200 4. Kevin Claycomb (28), Vincennes, Ind., Rocket, $1,100 5. Billy Drake (9), Bloomington, Ill., Shaw, $1,000 6. James Huff (5), Milton, Ky., Rayburn, $700 7. Butch Shay (1x), Louisville, Ky., Rayburn, $600 8. Jeff Wilson (55), Butlerville, Ind., Rayburn, $500 9. Mike Gibbs (33), Gosport, Ind., GRT, $450 10. Dan Schlieper (s9), Pewaukee, Wis., Outhouse, $400 11. Tim Tungate (18), Campbellsville, Ky., MasterSbilt, $230 12. Danny Hatcher (6), Campbellsville, Ky., Bandit, $230 13. Carnell Parker (75), Clarksville, Tenn., GRT, $230 14. Tony Izzo Jr. (16), Bridgeview, Ill., GRT, $230 15. Josh Tarter (T20), Dunnville, Ky., MasterSbilt, $230 16. Dion Deason (D1), Clermont, Ind., Rayburn, $230 17. Doug Ault (1a), Brownstown, Ind., MasterSbilt, $230 18. Johnny Wheeler (31x), Campbellsville, Ky., Rayburn, $230 19. Keith Hall (36), Jamestown, Ky., Rayburn, $230 20. Jeff Napper (112), Winchester, Ky., MasterSbilt, $230 21. Dan Sturgeon (26), Bedford, Ind., MasterSbilt, $230

NOTES: It was the track's first race since Terry Egner, a crewman for the Terry English team, was killed and four others hurt when a sportsman car careened off the track and hit English's pitted car .... several tires at the Turn 3 exit were added to prevent another accident, and cars were required to pit only behind the backstretch .... the track's heavy dust and water ruts were signs of the absence of racing .... the very slow car of Keith Hall was added as a feature provisional starter, and his No. 36 was lapped every three circuits and caused some tense moments as competitors zipped past while he puttered along the inside groove .... Butch Shay brought out a caution by slipping off the backstretch on the restart for lap 26, but he was inexplicably returned to his eighth position for the next start .... the feature ended about 11:35 .... late model driver Johnny Wheeler won the modified feature despite ending up on his roof after an early-race wreck in Turn 3 .... Dennis Erb Jr. got into the Turn 4 tires in his heat race and was sidelined the rest of the night ... the temperature was unseasonably cool.

UMP SUMMERNATIONALS POINTS (through July 4): Rick Aukland 476; Tony Izzo Jr. 389; Billy Drake 373; Bob Pierce 263; Randy Sellars 236; Randy Korte 230; Dan Schlieper 222; Billy Moyer 218; Dennis Erb Jr. 217; Bill Frye 175.

SUNDAY'S SUMMERNATIONALS RACE: Tri-State Speedway, Haubstadt, Ind., $5,000 to win.

CREDIT: Terry Mynhier <TA4UK> and Todd Turner <DirtNews@aol.com> of DirtNews Digest. ------------------------------------------------------------- FRIDAY'S RACE CAPSULE

ASHLEY GETS FIRST SUPR VICTORY: David Ashley of Zachary, La., won his first Southern United Professional Racing (SUPR) event, beating Ronnie Poche to the finish line at Forest Hill (La.) Speedway. There were 31 late models in the pits. FEATURE (40 laps): (1) David Ashley, (2) Ronnie Poche, (3) Doug Ingalls, (4) Marlon Wild, (5) Butch Patton, (6) Ronnie Warman, (7) Howard Willis, (8) John Lovas, (9) Brent McGee, (10) Randy Blanchard. ------------------------------------------------------------- SATURDAY'S RACE CAPSULE

BIRKHOFER GETS NASCAR WIN AT WEST LIBERTY: Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, won the NASCAR Busch All-Star Tour race at West Liberty (Iowa) Raceway for the second consecutive Fourth of July weekend. The 25-year-old driver earned his fifth career Busch All-Star tour win on his hometown track. Steve Hennies was the night's fast qualifier at 21.655 seconds on the half-mile oval in eastern Iowa, while Joe Kosiski and Jay Johnson won heat races. FEATURE (50 laps): (1) Brian Birkhofer, (2) Steve Boley, (3) Ray Guss Jr., (4) Gary Webb, (5), Jeff Aikey, (6) Jay Johnson, (7) Rick Wendling, (8) Ryan Dolan, (9) Skip Frey, (10) Joe Kosiski. -------------------------------------------------------------

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