West Burlington, IA (Saturday, May 18, 2013) - The anticipation of the debut for the UMP Late Models at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, IA is now over, as they finally got there first race of 2013 into the books. At the end of the night Ray Guss Jr. would put the number #58 machine into victory lane.
The first feature to take to the track on the night was the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Bill Roberts Jr. and Chadwick Giberson on the front row. Roberts Jr. would take advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Elmer Arnold. The first caution of the event would appear on lap 3, as Greg Wilson spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Roberts Jr. moved back out front, but now had Mitch Morris, who started 6th, close behind in second. A second caution on lap 5 for debris in turn 3 would slow the action up front. Once again Roberts Jr. grabbed the lead on the restart, with Morris working to hold back Jeff Mueller in the battle for second. Mueller's great run up front would end on lap 8 when he spun in turn 1 trying to get under Morris for second, to bring out the caution. Roberts Jr. jumped back out front on the restart, only to be slowed one lap later. This time Wilson got sideways in turn 4 and collected Giberson to bring the yellow light back on. On the restart Roberts Jr. moved back out front, with Morris now having to work to hold back Joe Beal, who started 10th. But the action up front would be slowed on lap 10, as Darrow Lillie spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. Roberts Jr. again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Morris and Beal continuing to battle for 2nd. The action up front was slowed on lap 12, as Lillie spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. This would be Lillie's second solo caution, ending his night. Once again Roberts Jr. moved back out front on the restart, with Morris and Beal battling for 2nd. The final caution of the race would appear on lap 15, as Giberson spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Roberts Jr. jumped back out front on the restart and then held on over the final 5 laps to claim his first win of the season. Beal won the battle for 2nd, Morris was 3rd, Andy Krieger was 4th, with Wilson, who started 12th, recovering from his lap 3 and 9 involvement in the cautions to come back to finish in 5th.
Up next was the 15 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with Victor Hastings and Lyle Timmerman leading the field to the green flag. Hastings would jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Dustin Smith and then held it until the first caution of the race on lap 4. Jim Gillenwater would spin going into turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Hastings moved back out front, but now had Bobby Anders, who started 5th, close behind in second. Anders would slip under Hastings on lap 7 to take over the top spot and then started to pull away, when the second caution of the race appeared on lap 9. This time Austin Schulte spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Anders jumped back out front, but now had Tony Dunker, who started 9th, close behind in second. Dunker would look under Anders for the lead several times over the final 6 laps, but Anders was able to hold him off to pick up the win. Dunker was 2nd, Hastings held on for a career best 3rd, Jeff DeLonjay came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Smith holding on for 5th.
Mark Bowman and Jake Wenig led the field to the green in the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car feature. But it was third place starter Shane Richardson who jumped out into the lead on lap 1 over Tom Bowling Jr., who started 5th, and Jim Lynch, who started 7th. Richardson was able to hold the top spot until lap 4, when Bowling Jr. slipped by for the lead. Bowling Jr. then started to pull away from the battle for second thru sixth. But a caution on lap 17, for Bowman who spun in turn 4, would bring the cars back to Bowling Jr.'s back bumper. On the restart Bowling Jr. moved back out front, with John Oliver Jr., who started 9th, moving past Richardson for second. Bowling Jr. was able to pull away over the final 3 laps to claim his second win in a row at the track. Oliver Jr. was 2nd, Abe Huls came from 8th to finish in 3rd, Richardson was 4th, with Lynch coming home in 5th.
The 12 lap Mod Lite feature was up next, with Sean Adair and Gary Snyder on the front row for the event. But it was third place starter Jimmy Halcomb who grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Snyder and Andrew Smith, who started 6th. Halcomb then held the lead until lap 3, when Chase Flatt, who started 10th, slipped by for the top spot. Flatt then had to hold off Evan Epperson, who started 9th, over the final two laps to pick up the win in a caution free race. Epperson settled for 2nd, Justin Buchholz was 3rd, Smith held on for 4th, with Halcomb coming home in 5th.
Up next was the 25 lap UMP Late Model feature, with Mark Burgtorf and Ray Guss Jr. on the front row. Just as the gren flag was waved the yellow light would come on, as Dave Eckrich spun in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Guss Jr. would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Dustin Griffin and Burgtorf. Guss Jr. started to put some distance between himself and Griffin, until he enetered lapped traffic on lap 10. This would allow Griffin to get within a car length of Guss Jr. But Guss Jr. would hold on to pick up the win and the $1,200 top prize. Griffin was 2nd, Burgtorf was 3rd, Brian Harris was 4th, with Denny Woodworth rounding out the top 5.
The final feature on the night was the 12 lap 4 Cylinders, with Dustin Ravelin and Austen Becerra leading the field to the green flag. Becerra jumped out into the lead on lap 1 over Ravelin and William Michel, only to be slowed on lap 2. As debris in turn 2 brought the yellow light on. On the restart Michel was able to slip past Becerra to grab the top spot on lap 3. Michel, Becerra and Brent Hartley had a great three car battle for the lead going, until lap 9. Becerra would get into the wall on the back stretch and ended up rollong to bring out the red. He climbed from his car ok. Michel moved back out front on the restart, with Chuck Fullenkamp, who started 12th, over taking Hartley for 2nd. Michel would hold back both Fullenkamp and Hartley over the final 3 laps to pick up his first win of the season at the track. Fullenkamp edged out Hartley by a nose at the line for 2nd, Ravelin held on for 4th, with John Whalen coming from 9th to finish in 5th.
Notes from 34: 23 4 cylinders, 18 SportMods, 16 Modifieds, 15 UMP Late Models, 13 Stock Cars, and 12 Mod Lites made up the 97 cars signed in on the night......Chadwick Giberson finished 6th in the Modified feature after spinning on lap 15....Dugan Thye started 14th and had worked his way up to 5th, until he pulled off under the lap 12 caution with troubles. He was credited with 7th....Dean McGee worked his way to 3rd after starting 7th. But pulled off under the lap 9 caution with troubles to end his night in 10th....Jeff Mueller was battling for 2nd until he spun on lap 8 to bring out the caution. Mueller had worked his way back to 4th until he pulled off under the lap 9 caution with over heating problems to end his night in 11th....Dennis LaVeine, Brandon Rothzen, Dustan Fenton and Dave Warth all had troubles after there heats to force them to scratch from the feature......Levi Layman started the SportMod feature in 12th and worked his way up to finish in 7th....Dane Fenton came from 18th to pass 7 cars to finish 11th......Jason Cook came from 10th in the Stock Car feature to finish in 6th....Brett Timmerman passed 6 cars from his 13th place starting spot to bring home 7th......Dan Keltner had troubles that forced him to scracth from his heat race, so he had to start the Mod Lite feature in 11th. He would pass 5 cars in the 12 lap caution free race to take home a 6th place finish......Justin Reed started 13th in the UMP Late Model feature and passed 4 cars to finish in 9th....Dave Eckrich recovered from his lap 1 spin to finish in 11th....Robert Cullen, who made the pulled from Chilton, WI, dropped a drive shaft in hot laps and never recovered from that. As he borrowed one just to run a few laps in the feature to finish in 14th....Chad Simpson started the night off by setting fast time. But would have rear end troubles early in the feature to end his night in 15th......Rick Hurlbut started the 4 Cylinder feature in 19th, and would pass 13 cars to take home a 6th place finish....Jacob Brown passed 12 cars from his 20th place starting spot to come home in 8th....Larry Miller came from 15th to finish in 10th....Shawn Baker finished 17th after starting in 22nd.....Scott Smith, who started 8th, had worked his way up to 4th until troubles on lap 10 that forced him to the pits. He was credited with 19th.
