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Kellen Burns
LA SALLE, Ill. (July 9) - Just as he's done throughout the first 20 nights of the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Tour, points leader Randy Korte made a crowd-rousing charge to the front of the pack on Thursday night at La Salle Speedway. This time he made it pay off by grabbing the top spot with 12 laps to go and holding off Shannon Babb to capture his third victory of the 2009 Hell Tour.
Fifth-starting Korte, of Highland, Ill., maneuvered his way methodically through the field, passing leader Ryan Unzicker on lap 28 of the 40-lap main event to claim the $6,000 winner's prize.
"It just didn't seem like the bottom was very good," Korte said. "I just moved up to the middle of the race track and the car seemed to come to life."
Korte stretched his lead in the Hell Tour overall standings to 14 points over two-time and defending champion Dennis Erb Jr., of Carpentersville, Ill. With two races to go Korte, the 2006 UMP DIRTcar Late Model national champion, won't let that affect his focus.
"We're just chasing the race tracks, and chasing our race car," said Korte, who has never won a UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals crown. "However, this turns out it's been a great UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals for me."
Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., used a tremendous run from the ninth to finish second, eventually taking a shot at Korte in the closing laps only to fall a few car lengths short. "We might not have been perfect at all but we managed to ride around the first half of the race," said Babb, a two-time Hell Tour champion. "The middle started to work for Randy. I saw that so I moved up there and it seemed to work for us."
Erb, who followed Babb from the 10th on the grid, rounded out the podium. "I just waited for everyone to spread out a bit so we had some room to race," said Erb, of his early strategy. "I had to go up to the top which was a little rough but we got around a bunch of cars there at the end."
Ryan Unzicker, of El Paso Ill., who lead early in the main event, settled for fourth while polesitter Rodney Melvin, of Logan, Ill., rounded out the top five.
A-Main Finish - 40 Laps
00-Randy Korte
18-Shannon Babb
28-Dennis Erb Jr.
24-Ryan Unzicker
27-Rodney Melvin
B12-Kevin Weaver
7B-Mark Burgtorf
99jr-Frank Heckenast Jr.
23-Ted Loomis
M27-Mike Provenzano
10s-Scott Schmitt
1w-Donny Walden
25-Jason Feger
42-Terry Casey
30V-Mark Voigt
9x-Ken Schrader
5s-Steve Sheppard Jr.
5-Bret Sievert
7-John Provenzano
10-Ralph Markham
16c-Don O'Neal
HELL TOUR NOTES
Terry Casey of New London Wis., paced the 42 other UMP DIRTcar Late Model competitors in qualifying time trials using a lap of 12.642 seconds around the quarter-mile La Salle (Ill.) Speedway to claim top honors in group one. Other fast time honors went to Dennis Erb Jr., Rodney Melvin, and Ted Loomis.
Heat race one saw polesitter Terry Casey earn the win over Shannon Babb. Jeep Van Wormer and Jason Feger were involved in a turn four tangle that eventually sidelined both cars for the remainder of heat race action. Ryan Unzicker claimed heat race two after lapped traffic helped him past then leader Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill.
Rodney Melvin and Gibson City, Ill., driver Kevin Weaver dualed side by side for the majority of heat race three. Melvin eventually held off the former UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion Weaver. Mark Voigt of Marine, Ill. claimed the second heat race ahead of a mad scramble for the second spot which Martinsville. Ind., driver Don O'Neal claimed.
Eric Smith won the night's B-Main while Frank Heckenast of Orland Park, Ill., claimed the B-Main win on what was the young driver's 21st birthday. Bret Sievert of New Berlin, Wis., also garnered a transfer position via his second place finish in the evening's B-Main. Provisionals were used by Jason Feger of Bloomington Ill., Steve Sheppard Jr. of New Berlin, Ill., and Ralph Markham of Maple Park, Ill.
2009 UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Schedule
Date/Track/Location/Purse/Winner/Cars
06/11/09 Brownstown Speedway - Brownstown, IN - $6,000 (Jeep VanWormer - 43)
06/12/09 Kankakee Motor Speedway - Kankakee,IL - $10,000 (Billy Moyer - 51)
06/13/09 Kamp Motor Speedway - Boswell, IN - $10,000 (Eric Smith - 44)
06/14/09 Quad City Raceway - East Moline, IL - $6,000 (Dennis Erb - 31)
06/16/09 Highland Speedway - Highland, IL - $6,000 (RAIN)
06/17/09 Belle-Clair Speedway - Belleville, IL - $6,000 (Dennis Erb - 47)
06/18/09 Charleston Speedway - Charleston, IL - $6,000 (RAIN)
06/19/09 Farmer City Raceway - Farmer City, IL - $10,000 (RAIN)
06/20/09 Clarksville Speedway - Clarksville, TN - $10,000 (Billy Moyer - 44)
06/21/09 Tri-State Speedway - Haubstadt, IN - $6,000 (Jeep Van Wormer - 43)
06/23/09 Charleston Speedway - Charleston, IL $6,000 (Rodney Melvin - 26)
06/24/09 Tri-City Speedway - Pontoon Beach, IL $6,000 (Jason Feger - 34)
06/25/09 Clay Hill Motorsports Park - Atwood, TN - $6,000 (Billy Moyer - 38)
06/26/09 Paducah International Raceway - Paducah, KY - $10,000 (Billy Moyer - 41)
06/27/09 Fairbury Speedway - Fairbury, IL - $10,000 (Billy Moyer - 34)
06/28/09 Lincoln Speedway - Lincoln, IL - $6,000 (Randy Korte - 35)
06/29/09 Farmer City Raceway - Farmer City, IL $6,000 (Dennis Erb - 34)
06/30/09 Peoria Speedway - Peoria, IL - $6,000 (Jason Feger - 39)
07/01/09 Highland Speedway - Highland, IL - $6,000 (Jeep Van Wormer - 39)
07/02/09 Macon Speedway - Macon, IL - $6,000 (Shannon Babb - 34)
07/03/09 Quincy Raceway - Quincy, IL - $10,000 (Shannon Babb - 33)
07/04/09 I-55 Raceway - Pevely, MO - $10,000 (Rain)
07/05/09 Vermillion County Speedway - Danville, IL - $6,000 (Randy Korte - 35)
07/07/09 Shepps Speedway - Alexandria, IL - $6,000 (Shannon Babb - 33)
07/08/09 Spoon River Speedway - Canton,IL $6,000 (Rain)
07/09/09 LaSalle Speedway - LaSalle, IL - $6,000 (Randy Korte - 42)
07/10/09 Waynesfield Motorsports Park - Waynesfield, OH - $10,000
07/11/09 Oakshade Raceway - Wauseon, OH - 10,000
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