(Gary Shrey photo) UMP: Win Number Two: Moyer Makes It Two in DIRTcar Nationals Kevin Kovac BARBERVILLE, Fla. - Feb. 18. Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., became the first repeat winner during the dirt Late Model portion of the 40th DIRTcar Nationals by University of Northwestern Ohio with a powerful performance in Friday's 40-lap UMP-sanctioned finale at Volusia Speedway Park. Backing up his victory in the opener of the full-fender meet on Monday, Moyer inherited the lead on lap 12 when Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., pulled up lame with a broken rear axle tube. Moyer dominated the remainder of the distance and pocketed $10,000, pushing his earnings at VSP for the week over the $20,000 mark. Moyer steered his Victory Circle Chassis machine under the checkered flag 3.664 seconds ahead of York, Pa.,s Rick Eckert, a World of Outlaws Late Model Series regular who registered his best finish of the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., who won Wednesday's UMP Late Model A-Main, advanced from the ninth starting spot to finish third and Thursday night WoO LMS winner Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., placed fourth after starting from the seventh position. Nineteen-year-old Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., completed the top five. Moyer recorded his seventh triumph in DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH competition since 1998. It marked the second time that he's won the mid-winter racing spectacular's marquee UMP Late Model event - exactly six years to the day since his first victory in the race. This score came in convincing fashion. Moyer swiftly moved to the front from the fifth starting spot, reaching second with a lap-nine pass of Eckert and then running down Feger to begin challenging for the lead just as the race-long pacesetter's car stopped with mechanical woes on lap 12 to bring out the race's lone caution flag. "The plan wasn't to shoot right to the front,"”said Moyer, who enters the DIRTcar Nationals finale, a WoO LMS event, on Saturday trailing only Mars in the battle for the event points crown. "Rick (Eckert) had a good car, but he got a little bit free there for a lap or two and I was able to get by him," Moyer explained. "I was glad I did because the track tightened up there about halfway through". "We're real happy",”he added. "One night we were off this week (his only run worse than sixth is a 16th place finish on Wednesday), so all in all we've had a pretty good Speedweek"".” Eckert, 45, made his visit to the Sunshine State much more enjoyable with a breakout runner-up outing. His hopes for victory, however, were effectively dashed when Moyer overtook him for second place. "When we fired off the start there was a little bit of rubber down the back straightaway all the way out by the wall",”said Eckert, who needed just five laps to move from the sixth starting spot to second. "I struggled off (turn) two for traction, so I would just chase myself out there to the wall and then I could get a run down the backstraightaway - not realizing, though, that (the track) was starting to pick up on the bottom. "Billy slipped by me on the bottom and then I moved down and there was traction. Once I moved where he was I figured out his groove was much better than the one I was running. It was my own fault that I didn't go down there sooner. I just didn't search around".” Despite falling short of a five-figure win, Eckert was pleased with the speed he flashed with his Team Zero by Bloomquist mount. "My car's been good, but the track's been hammer-down to the cushion and that's made it tough for me",”said Eckert, who's failed to finish better than 13th in the week's first four A-Mains. "Tonight the track finally got to where I could make some time off that cushion and keep up with them or pass them". "I wish (tonight) was the Outlaw race," Eckert added. "I hope we run this good tomorrow night. But it's good that we had a run like this no matter what. I thought I was gonna become a Florida resident. Until tonight, I about didn't make enough money to buy diesel fuel to get back home".” Sixty-one cars entered Friday night’s program. In the group qualifying sessions that set the starting lineups for the evening’s six heat races, Hubbard registered the overall fastest time with a lap of 16.145 seconds. Other group fast-timers were O’Neal (16.610 seconds), Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga. (16.734), Feger (16.481), Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa. (16.361) and Moyer (16.307). Heat winners were O’Neal, Davenport, Feger, Eckert, Hubbard and Moyer. The B-Mains were captured by Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., and Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga. Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn., was victorious in the 12-lap ‘Bulrush Dash’ that closed the night. He earned $300 for topping the short sprint reserved for drivers who didn’t qualify.
| |||||
Big Gains for Hubbard, Pearson, Ogle - The A-Team Has Been Updated 05-15-12
Scott James battles #13 Barry Doss in heat race action at Florence (Ky.) Speedway, but in the $2,000-to-win feature, the only thing anyone saw was the tail end of James' #81 car. (Roy Walker)
After plenty of trash-talking via the electronic media between Jeff Matthews and Ivedent Lloyd last week, it was #21 Lloyd who got the final word as he reeled in #33 Matthews to win Friday's LM feature at Oclala, Fla.'s Bubba Raceway Park. (R.E. Wing)
Fans at Markleysburg, Pa.'s Roaring Knob Motorsports Comlex were treated to dual LM features Saturday - one a makeup from a May 5th rainout. (Above) Tim Senic challenges eventual regular feature winner Chuck Harper, while Jared Hawkins (below) claimed the makeup race. (Tommy Micheals)
Henley, Missouri's Jason Russell leads the way to Victory Lane in the ULMS Late Model feature at Lucas Oil Speedway Saturday. (Chris Bork)
Some fierce racing action at Lucas Oil speedway. (Chris Bork)
Dalton, Ga.'s Craig Reece returned to Dixie Speedway Saturday and led all the way to win the Crate LM victory. (Steve Hixson)
Ray Guss Jr. races last week's Quad City Speedway winner, Mike Murphy, Jr. This time, it was advantage Guss. (Chris Damitz)
With a strong motor back into his mount, Veteran Lamar Scoggins claimed last Friday's Crate LM victory at Boyd's Speedway. (Steve Hixson)
Veteran racer Lance Matthees navigates Spring Lake, Minnesota's Deer Creek Speedway before taking Saturday's WISSOTA Late Model checkers. (Jason Durst)
Racing hard at mid-pack, it's the dueling 55s of Cory Mahder (inside) and Greg Nippoldt at Deer Creek. (Jason Durst)
Ryan King (above and below) swept both the Ltd. Late Model and Crate Late Model features Saturday at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tenn. (Chad Wells)
Still riding his wave in Iowa, Mike Murphy, Jr. in early action before taking the main event win at Davenport last Friday. (Chris Damitz)
Jason Jameson ran a gauntlet to finally capture another win Friday night at Moler
Raceway Park (see main page). (Roy
Walker)
After holding back a charge from Alex Ferree, Chub Frank drove home with a Friday night win at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. (John Stivason)
Bobby Pierce, Brett Sievert, and Mike Glynn race in a tight pack in Kankakee (Ill.) Speedway's "Crosstown Cup", but (below) it was ultimately Shawn Toczek (42) here racing the high side of Mike Provenzano, who sailed to the win. (Dan Simpson)
NALMS Suspends Remaining Season
In a statement released to the racing media Monday, Northern All All Stars Late Model Series (NALMS) owners Shawn Hall and Bob Mooney relased the following statement:
To all NALMS drivers and fans,
Northern Allstars Late Model Series regrets to inform all of our drivers and fans that as of today (May 14, 2012) we will suspend all series races for the remaining 2012 season. The primary reason for the decision to discontinue the series was mainly economics. Tracks, teams and fans are having a hard time these days with the cost of living in general. With the cost of fuel, parts, tires, tickets and lodging, many people just cannot afford to travel to our shows, so we feel it's best to stop for now and try to regroup for the 2013 season.
Our series needs to be able to have at least 18 to 20 shows to cover our cost of putting on these shows and our drivers point funds. With many tracks cutting back on their special events and other tracks just choosing not to have specials at all, it's has really cut our options for race tracks down to a very few unless you are willing to travel several hours away from the Central Illinois area, and that is not cost effective for the racing teams or fans.
In closing we would like to thank all of the drivers and fans whom have supported the series over the years and we hope to be able to come back with a bigger and better season for everyone in 2013.
A-Team Leaders from 1997-2011 (Click on link for complete rundown)
| Primary Tours / Events Regional Tours / Events Crate Late Models Opinion Other |
