DIRTcar Summer Nationals
Highland Speedway
July 5, 2014
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Reddick Grabs First Career DIRTcar Summer Nationals Victory at Highland Speedway



by Jordan Morris
HIGHLAND, Ill. (July 5) - NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular Tyler Reddick made his dramatic return to dirt ovals on Saturday night at Highland Speedway, as he led the final 26 laps en route to capturing his first DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory and the $10,000 checkered flag.

Reddick, an 18-year-old Corning, Calif. native, has been absent from Dirt Late Models since the World of Outlaws World Finals last November while he competed on a limited basis for 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski in the Camping World Truck Series. Following a break in NASCAR action this week, Reddick and his father Clarence managed to get one of their two Bloomquist Race Cars ready for this weekend’s DIRTcar Summer Nationals action.

Reddick started the race on the outside of pole-sitter Bobby Pierce, who managed to grab the race lead for the opening two laps of the 40-lap feature event. Pierce and third-place starter Jason Feger battled side-by-side for the lead for a couple of laps as Feger claimed the top spot on lap three, before handing it back to Pierce the next lap.

As the two leaders battled, Reddick lurked in their rearview mirrors. Pierce controlled the lead until lap nine, when a hard-charging Reddick made his way back to the front of the field and rocketed around the leader Pierce.

Friday night winner Brandon Sheppard, who started the race in the fifth position, looked to go back-to-back as he worked his way to the front, passing Pierce for second on lap 16. Sheppard had some work to do in order to catch the leader, who had already built a large lead on second just two laps after capturing the lead. With 10 laps to go that lead would be wiped away as the leader was slowed by lapped traffic.

Sheppard would get to Reddick’s back bumper, but the leader, who was running the faster low-line, held on to lead the final 26 laps and claim the victory over the defending DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion at Highland Speedway.

“It’s been a long time since we won a race so this is exciting,” said Reddick whose only Dirt Late Model win came on Feb. 9, 2011 at Eastbay Raceway Park. “This was an unplanned race and here we are — $10,000 richer, won a Summer Nationals race and going to Haubstadt (Indiana’s Tri-State Speedway) tomorrow to hopefully get another win.”

A-Main
1 2 11R Tyler Reddick Corning, CA $10,000
2 5 B5 Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL
3 6 81 Brian Shirley Chatham, IL
4 1 32 Bobby Pierce Oakwood, IL
5 4 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
6 3 25 Jason Feger Bloomington, IL
7 7 24 Ryan Unzicker El Paso, IL
8 11 6K Michael Kloos Trenton, IL
9 10 18 Shannon Babb Moweaqua, IL
10 12 7R Kent Robinson Bloomington, IN
11 14 32J Jason Jaggers Wyanet, IL
12 15 78 Chad Zobrist Highland, IL
13 8 20W Matt Weidner Highland, IL
14 22 1M Jim Moon New Florence, MO
15 9 00 Randy Korte Highland, IL
16 13 9R Curtis Roberts Coleman, MI
17 20 29W Brian Divley Springfield , IL
18 16 24T Matt Taylor Springfield, IL
19 17 25M Frankie Martin Duquoin , IL
20 19 81JR Jason Riggs Harrisburg, IL
21 21 27S Mike Schulte Summer Field, IL
22 18 1S Rick Salter Auiston, IL

B-Main
1 25M Frankie Martin
2 1S Rick Salter
3 10 Daryn Klein
4 T4 Adam Tischhauser
5 12T Dave Thornton
6 28B John Beck
7 87 Jason Zobrist
8 77 Clay Baumann
9 25L Steve Lance Jr
10 29W Brian Divley
11 71 Trace Westling
12 111 Jordan Bauer
13 44 Bobby Marintoni
14 11K Shannon Kuhn
15 27M Rodney Melvin

C-Main
1 44 Bobby Marintoni
2 77 Clay Baumann
3 71 Trace Westling
4 49 Steve Leach
5 441 Daniel Jacober
6 127 Alex Schulte
7 16H Mike Hammerle
8 9T Travis Horner
9 5 Dave Jacober
10 1M Jim Moon
11 85 Ed Pursell
12 81JR Jason Riggs
13 27S Mike Schulte
14 33X Tim Manville
15 15 Richard Frost

Heat #1
1 25 Jason Feger
2 B5 Brandon Sheppard
3 00 Randy Korte
4 9R Curtis Roberts
5 25M Frankie Martin
6 11K Shannon Kuhn
7 111 Jordan Bauer
8 81JR Jason Riggs
9 127 Alex Schulte
10 33X Tim Manville
11 15 Richard Frost

Heat #2
1 21 Billy Moyer
2 81 Brian Shirley
3 18 Shannon Babb
4 32J Jason Jaggers
5 27M Rodney Melvin
6 1S Rick Salter
7 87 Jason Zobrist
8 44 Bobby Marintoni
9 16H Mike Hammerle
10 5 Dave Jacober
11 441 Daniel Jacober

Heat #3
1 32 Bobby Pierce
2 24 Ryan Unzicker
3 6K Michael Kloos
4 78 Chad Zobrist
5 T4 Adam Tischhauser
6 29W Brian Divley
7 25L Steve Lance Jr
8 71 Trace Westling
9 77 Clay Baumann
10 49 Steve Leach
11 85 Ed Pursell

Heat #4
1 11R Tyler Reddick
2 20W Matt Weidner
3 7R Kent Robinson
4 24T Matt Taylor
5 12T Dave Thornton
6 10 Daryn Klein
7 28B John Beck
8 1M Jim Moon
9 27S Mike Schulte
10 9T Travis Horner

unofficial qualifying results

Group #1 Qualifying
1 25 Jason Feger 13.178
2 21 Billy Moyer 13.220
3 B5 Brandon Sheppard 13.220
4 18 Shannon Babb 13.391
5 9R Curtis Roberts 13.406
6 81 Brian Shirley 13.495
7 00 Randy Korte 13.512
8 27M Rodney Melvin 13.587
9 33X Tim Manville 13.751
10 32J Jason Jaggers 13.813
11 81JR Jason Riggs 13.818
12 441 Daniel Jacober 13.873
13 25M Frankie Martin 13.881
14 87 Jason Zobrist 13.917
15 11K Shannon Kuhn 14.001
16 1S Rick Salter 14.028
17 111 Jordan Bauer 14.198
18 44 Bobby Marintoni 14.221
19 127 Alex Schulte 14.775
20 16H Mike Hammerle 14.805
21 15 Richard Frost 14.895
22 5 Dave Jacober 15.387

Group #2 Qualifying
1 32 Bobby Pierce 13.052
2 11R Tyler Reddick 13.241
3 24 Ryan Unzicker 13.396
4 7R Kent Robinson 13.570
5 6K Michael Kloos 13.779
6 24T Matt Taylor 13.790
7 78 Chad Zobrist 13.804
8 20W Matt Weidner 13.942
9 T4 Adam Tischhauser 13.958
10 28B John Beck 14.018
11 29W Brian Divley 14.047
12 1M Jim Moon 14.053
13 25L Steve Lance Jr 14.068
14 27S Mike Schulte 14.176
15 85 Ed Pursell 14.307
16 10 Daryn Klein 14.344
17 77 Clay Baumann 14.526
18 12T Dave Thornton 14.583
19 71 Trace Westling 14.737
20 9T Travis Horner 14.977
21 49 Steve Leach 15.467