Barberville, FL (Mon., Feb. 8, 2010) - Monday night was a return visit to the Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL for the final night of the UMP Modifieds and the opening night of the UMP Late Models. Fifty-eight Modifieds returned in hopes of taking the final transfer spots into the 30 lap "Gator" feature, paying $5,000 to win. Also on the card was the UMP Late Models, with 67 cars signing in to do battle for $7,000 to win.
The night started out with group qualifying for the UMP Late Models. Jimmy Owens (15.962) topped the first group and was the overall fast timer on the night. Kyle Berck (16.360) was fastest in group 2, Dennis Erb Jr. (16.268) was quick timer in group 3, Tim McCreadie (16.347) was fast time in group 4, Will Vaught (16.328) was fastest in group 5, with Jared Landers (16.704) quickest in group 6. They then inverted the top four in each group for the 6 heat races, with the top three finishers in each heat going to the A main. Jack Sullivan, Brian Birkhofer, Vic Coffey, Jordan Bland, Darrell Lanigan and Ross Camponovo claimed the heat race wins. Then they ran 3 B Mains with the top 2 in each moving into the A Main. Picking up those wins were Jason Feger, Earl Pearson Jr. and Rick Briggs.
Sullivan and Birkhofer would lead the field of 24 cars to the drop of the green flag in the 30 lap UMP Late Model A Main. Birkhofer would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1, but Sullivan wouldn't give up to easy. Birkhofer, who was running the top of the track, and Sullivan, who was running around the bottom, would trade the lead for lap 2 and 3. The first of two cautions would come out on lap 5, as Dale McDowell spun in turn two. Birkhofer would lead, Jordan Bland, Sullivan, Darrell Lanigan and Dan Schlieper on the restart, with Birkhofer grabbing the lead. Bland, Lanigan and Schlieper would battled for the second spot, as Birkhofer started pulling away. The final caution of the event would come out on lap 10, for Tommy Kerr who stopped in turn four. Birkhofer's lead over Lanigan, Jimmy Owens, who started 7th, Schlieper and Josh Richards was now brought to his back bumper for the restart. Birkhofer was able to grab the lead once again, but now had Lanigan and Owens following close behind. Lanigan would slip under Birkhofer on lap 14 to take over the top spot by inches at the line. But Birkhofer would come back on the top of the speedway to grab the lead back on lap 15. They started entering lap traffic on lap 17, allowing Lanigan and Owens to quickly move up on Birkhofer for the top spot. Lanigan would once again slip under Birkhofer on lap 18 to take over the lead. Lanigan then worked to hold off Owens over the final 12 laps to claim the opening night win for the UMP Late Models. Owens had to settle for second, Birkhofer held on for third, Billy Moyer charged from 11th to finish in fourth, with Schlieper holding on for a fifth place finish.
The final spots for the "Gator Championship" for the UMP Modifieds went to the winners of the four B Mains, which went to Jason Hughes, Dale Mathison, Ty Dillon and Peyton Taylor. UMP then awarded four provisionals, which were giving to Tommy Seets, Clint Bowyer, Devin Gilpin and Rob Underwood.
Twenty-eight UMP Modifieds took to the track for there 30 lap "Gator" A Main, with the winner taking home the $5,000 top prize. Jason Schill and Stormy Scott would draw the front row. The green flag would wave, but quickly the caution came out before lap 1 was completed as Jeff Babcock and Clint Bowyer collided in turn two. Scott would grab the lead on the complete restart, with Austin Dillon following him in second. Scott was starting to pull away from the field, as the last caution of the event would appear on lap 16 for debris in turn four. Scott was leading, Jared Hawkins, Dillon, Schill and Denny Schwartz, who started 9th. On the restart, Scott moved back out front, with Dillon, Hawkins and Schwartz battling for the second spot. Scott was slowly starting to pull away, when Jared Landers had worked his way to the front. Landers would get by Dillon and Hawkins on lap 20 to move into second and set his sights on Scott for the lead. Scott tried everything to hold off a fast moving Landers, but Landers wouldn't be denied as he took the top spot on lap 25. Landers then pulled away over the final 5 laps to claim his second consecutive "Gator Championship". Scott held on for second, Dillon was third, Hawkins was fourth, with Kenny Schrader charging from 16th to round out the top five.
Notes from Mon: Kyle Berck, who set fast time in group 2 qualifying for the UMP Late Models, had to go to a back-up car after motor troubles developed in the car he qualified with. He would have to go to the back of his heat and never recovered all night from that....Earl Pearson Jr. won B Main 2 and started the 30 lap A main in 20th. Pearson charged himself up to 11th by the half way point and would settle for a 6th place finish.... Dale McDowell, started the A Main in 22nd, but spun on lap 5 to go all the way to the back. He would recover from that to charge back up to take home an 11th place finish......Jared Landers amazing run to the front of the "Gator" A Main for the UMP Modifieds was something to see. Landers was scheduled to start the event in 11th, but he was sent to the tail, 28th, for showing up late for the line-up. Landers would go two and three wide at times to work himself up to 8th by lap 15, with no cautions. The only caution of the event was flown on lap 16. On the restart Landers again went to work and raced two and three wide to get up to second by lap 20. He then over took Scott on lap 25 for the top spot and would pull away over the final 5 laps to claim his second consecutive "Gator"....Ty Dillon was another driver who put on a show for the fans. He started the A Main in the 23rd starting spot after winning the third B Main. Dillon would follow in Landers tracks, as he worked his way up to 10th by lap 15. Dillon would pass three more cars over the final 15 laps to take home a 7th place finish....Peyton Taylor won B Main number 4 and started the A Main in 24th. He would pass 14 cars en route to a 10th place finish....Tommy Seets took advantage of his provisional and started the A Main in 25th. He then passed 12 cars to claim a 13th place finish....Another driver who got in on a provisional was Devin Gilpin. He would start the A Main in 27th and passed 9 cars to take home a 18th place finish....Local driver David Wietholder started B Main number 2 on the outside of the front row, with only the winner going to the A Main. He would run up front early, but missed the set up a little and faded to a fourth place finish.......The racing for the two nights I was there was great. I hope to make plans next year to take in more nights of racing!
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