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Peoria Speedway
PEORIA, Ill. (April 9) - A capacity crowd witnessed a wild, action-packed night of racing at Peoria Speedway Saturday night on a warm, summer-like April evening.
El Paso driver Ryan Unzicker picked up his 2nd straight UMP Late Model win at Peoria, dueling Kevin Weaver through lapped traffic, and holding off Mike Spatola for the win. "First off, Kevin Weaver was my childhood hero as a kid, so it was a thrill to race him like that", said Unzicker in victory lane. "We had a great battle going there in traffic for awhile. The fans had to love that!"
Weaver had jumped to the lead on the high side of the track at the start of the feature, but the caution flew after just one lap, and then on the re-start. Lap 2 saw a high-low battle between Unzicker and Steve Lance, develop until 2 more cautions slowed the field. The field got rolling again on lap 4 and the battle raged between Unzicker and Lance. Unzicker began to pull away from Lance using the high side and had caught Weaver in lapped traffic on lap 14.
Unzicker and Weaver put on a clinic on how to drive in lapped traffic over the next 5 laps, swapping the lead each lap. The duo thrilled the crowd , running 3 wide as they split traffic with Unzicker up top and Weaver on the bottom coming off turn 2 and ran side-by-side the whole time. Weaver began smoking on lap 19, with a caution flying on lap 20 for Richie Bell. Unzicker grabbed the lead on the re-start, and Weaver's night came to an end with a flat left rear tire on lap 22.
Unzicker survived 3 more cautions, and a bonzai run by Late Model rookie Spatola, for his second straight Peoria victory. The rim-riding Spatola ended up 2nd, followed by Lance, 14 year-old Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, and fast qualifier Bret Sievert of Mukwonago, WI rounding out the top 5.
2010 Peoria track champ Ray Bollinger went wire-to-wire, winning the UMP Modified feature over Butch Weisser, Jay Ledford, Lance Dehm, and Mark Johnson. "We set up for the middle of the track because I saw something there in our heat" said Bollinger. "I just tried to get to the middle first ,and it worked out. The track was great, you can run anywhere you wanted to.
Brad Willis, Jr. dominated the Limited Late Model Feature, fending off Jack Seifel, Evan Fink, Jim Sellner and Jason Weyeneth. Chuck Barnes, Jr. barely held off John Farris by a quarter car length at the line, nursing a smoking car to the win. "I want to dedicate this win to a friend of mine Lynn, who lost her dad this week", said Barnes in victory lane. "The car started missing with about 3 laps to go and I barely held on there, but we will take it.
Kenneth Butterfield led all 10 laps, taking his first win of the season in the UMP Hornet division. "I want to thank my dad, who helps me out with the car" , said Butterfield. "We were hooked up tonight and the track was awesome".
Racing had come to a halt midway through the program as Bob Gardner got his UMP Late Model out of the park in turn 4 during the Semi-Feature. Gardner rode the wall into turn 3, then his car flew over the fence in the middle of turn 4, knocking out a light pole and a bank of lights. Gardner was uninjured, and racing resumed even though several lights were damaged.
UMP Late Models
Peoria Speedway
April 9, 2011
A-Main
1. 24-Ryan Unzicker, El Paso
2. 89-Mike Spatola, Manhattan
3. 25-Steve Lance, Jr,, Cuba
4. 32-Bobby Pierce, Oakwood
5. 5-Bret Sievert, Mukwonago, WI
6. T2-Todd Bennett, Peoria
7. 1w-Donny Walden, Towanda
8. 38c-John Gardner, Peoria
9. 83x-Nathan Balenseifen, Sheffield
10. 65-Gerry Reeder, Jr., Peoria
11. 61-Jon Rogers, Freeport
12. 83-Jim Carmody, Dunlap
13. 36-Eric Vaughan, Fairbury
14. 32j-Jason Jaggers, Wyanet
15. 10-Scott Schmitt, Tonica
16. 40-Charley Hess, Bartonville
17. B12-Kevin Weaver, Gibson City
18. 21B-Richie Bell, Sheffield
19. 3s-Brian Shirley, Chatham
20. 74-Russ Adams, Princeville
21. 30-Robbie Bauman, Fairview
22. 93-Kevin Paul,Colchester
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