By Jack Pugh
At Highland Speedway on Saturday night, a regular night of racing was held with a pit full of cars for the night’s activities.
In the UMP Late Model division, there were 20 cars on hand for the races. Chad Zobrist set fast time in time trails. In the first heat, Rick Salter took the win over Zobrist, Larry Loughary, Mike Schulte, Brent Helmkamp, Barry Quade, and Randy Bingham. In the second heat, Brian Wolfmeier took the victory followed by Frankie Martin, Jim Morrison, Dan Dondero, Butch Kruckeberg, and Lenny Garson. In the third heat, it was Rick Standridge with the win followed by Mark Faust, Micheal Kloos, Dan Jacober, John Graham, Kerry Gaultney, and John Beck. The dash went to Wolfmeier followed by Zobrist, Martin, Faust, Salter and Standridge.
The 25-lap feature started with Zobrist and Wolfmeier on the front row. Wolfmeier took the early lead from the outside starting position. Zobrist gave chase on the low side, but could not stay too close to Wolfmeier as Wolfmeier was fast on the top.
The race went caution free until the front runners started to catch the back runners. On lap 8, Standridge and Morrison got together in turn three with Morrison somehow resting on Standridge car on the left side. It took two wreckers to get Morrison car off of Standridge’s car. It was determined that Morrison was the cause of the yellow and Standridge got his position back.
The running order was Wolfmeier, Zobrist, Martin, Faust and Salter in the top five.
Wolfmeier continued the lead, but Martin found the traction he needed and moved into second on the low side going down the back on lap 9.
As the race continued under the green, Martin continued to pressure Wolfmeier. Martin would take over the lead when Wolmeier faltered in the burm in turn four.
The final caution came on lap 23 as Quade spun in turn four. The running order for the final two laps was Martin, Wolfmeier, Faust, Zobrist and Salter.
Martin hung on for the victory while Faust got by Wolfmeier for second. Salter and Standridge both go by Zobrist to finish fourth and fifth. Zobrist lose control in turns one and two allowing the two drivers to get by.
In the UMP Modified class, there were 20 cars on hand for the events. Fast time went to the last car to qualify, Mike Harrison. The first heat race went to Harrison over Dave Thornton, Marty Smith Jr., Chad Sellers, Doug McDougal, Cabe Regot, and Mike Mosby. The second heat went to Brian Bielong followwed by Ryan Driemeyer, Matt hancock, Mike Conlee, Chad Fraunfelder Eric Goetter and Steve Ellison. Ellison went up in flames as his front bumper was knocked off. He then ran over it and knock of his oil filter. The third heat went to Scott Sugg with Kent Schoeck, Chris Smith, Roger Fohne, Joe Randall and Matt Wiedner in tow. The dash went to Bielong over Harrison, Thornton, Sugg, Driemeyer and Schoeck.
The 20-lap feature started with Harrison and Bielong on the front row. Well so much for starting a race, each time the race was started someone on either end of the track would spin out. After four attempts to start the race in normal fashion, the race was started in single with Bielong in front.
So much for racing as this race had nothing but spinouts and cars quitting. Bielong had control of the race until lap 8 when he lost his drive shaft in turn four. This gave the lead to Smith Jr. with Schoeck and C. Smith following.
Race would finally continue to the end without further incident. But the race would only contain nine of the original 19 cars. Cars either dropped out or quit after causing a caution.
Smith Jr. went on to win another feature at Highland Speedway with Schoeck, C. Smith, Sellers, and Fohne rounding out the top five.
UMP Late Models
Fastest Qualifier – 78 Chad Zobrist 13.449
Heat 1
1. 1S Rick Salter
2. 78 Chad Zobrist
3. 4L Larry Laughary
4. 27 Mike Schulte
Heat 2
1. 441 Brian Wolfmeier
2. 25 Frankie Martin
3. 85 Jim Morrison
4. 2X John Graham
Heat 3
1. 12 Rick Standridge
2. 51 Mark Faust
3. 6 Michael Kloos
4. 22 Dan Jacober
Dash
1. 441 Brian Wolfmeier
2. 78 Chad Zobrist
3. 25 Frankie Martin
4. 51 Mark Faust
FEATURE
1. 25 Frankie Martin
2. 51 Mark Faust
3. 441 Brian Wolfmeier
4. 1S Rick Salter
5. 12 Rick Standridge
6. 78 Chad Zobrist
7. 6 Michael Kloos
8. 4L Larry Loughary
9. 2 Dan Dondero
10. 31 Brent Helmkamp
11. 21 Kerry Gaultney
12. 76 Butch Kruckberg
13. 19 Barry Quade
14. 28 John Beck
15. 27 Mike Schulte
16. B1 Randy Bingham
17. 2X John Graham
18. 85 Jim Morrison
19. 22 Dan Jacober
20. 25L Lenny Garson
UMP Modified
Fastest Qualifier – 24 Mike Harrison 14.524
Heat 1
1. 24 Mike Harrison
2. 56 Dave Thornton
3. 55 Marty Smith, Jr
4. E55 Chad Sellers
Heat 2
1. 70 Brian Bielong
2. 66M Ryan Driemeyer
3. P1 Tim Hancock
4. 6E Mike Conlee
Heat 3
1. 69 Scott Sugg
2. 31 Kent Schoeck
3. 5 Chris Smith
4. 29 Roger Fohne
Dash
1. 70 Brian Bielong
2. 24 Mike Harrison
3. 56 Dave Thornton
4. 69 Scott Sugg
FEATURE
1. 55 Marty Smith, Jr
2. 31 Kent Schoeck
3. 5 Chris Smith
4. E55 Chad Sellers
5. 29 Roger Fohne
6. 40E Steve Ellison
7. 6E Mike Conlee
8. 20 Gerald Landolt
9. 76 Eric Goetter
10. P1 Tim Hancock
11. 70 Brian Bielong
12. 97 Dave McDougal
13. 74 Chad Frauenfelder
14. 69 Scott Sugg
15. 24 Mike Harrison
16. 56 Dave Thornton
17. 0 Gabe Regot
18. 18 Matt Weidner
19. 66M Ryan Driemeyer
Also in attendance – 34 Mike Mosby
Sportsman
Heat 1
1. B5 Brian Bielong
2. 23B Mark Bohnenstiehl
3. 17C Andy Casper
4. 441 Dave Thornton
Heat 2
1. 19 Jimmy Cummins
2. 2 Marty Smith, Jr
3. 27E Tory Ernst
4. 15 Jason Bohnenstiehl
Dash
1. B5 Brian Bielong
2. 19 Jimmy Cummins
3. 2 Marty Smith, Jr
4. 27E Tory Ernst
FEATURE
1. B5 Brian Bielong
2. 2 Marty Smith, Jr
3. 27E Tory Ernst
4. 15 Jason Bohnenstiehl
5. 23B Mark Bohnenstiehl
6. 441 Dave Thornton
7. 17C Andy Casper
8. 29 Jerry Kaufman
9. 28 Jared Haselhorst
10. 19 Jimmy Cummins
11. 5 Kevin Dietzel
12. 88 Billy Knebel, Jr
Bombers
Heat 1
1. 57 Jeff Thornton
2. 7 Casey Crane
3. 10 Bill Ernst
4. 441 Aaron Melton
Heat 2
1. 96 Matt Koch
2. 19 Nathan Schmitt
3. 379 Steve Steele
4. 18 Matt Workman
Heat 3
1. 1 Tim Driscoll
2. 6 Jake Hewitt
3. 20 John Cory
4. 30 Luke Hewitt
Consi
1. 01 Mike Molitor
2. 4 Larry Smith, Jr
3. 25 Don McDowell
4. 8 Jeff Miller
5. 9 Keith Czapla
6. 15 Mike Ripperda
7. 11 Adam Pate DNS
FEATURE
1. 1 Tim Driscoll
2. 96 Matt Koch
3. 19 Nathan Schmitt
4. 6 Jake Hewitt
5. 379 Steve Steele
6. 20 John Cory
7. 10 Bill Ernst
8. 18 Matt Workman
9. 0 Tim Haeffner
10. 441 Aaron Melton
11. 30 Luke Hewitt
12. 29 Khris Fohne
13. 01 Mike Molitor
14. 4 Larry Smith, Jr
15. 16X Eric Rensing
16. 25 Don McDowell
17. 57 Jeff Thornton
18. 7 Casey Crane
Hornets
Heat 1
1. 18 Robert Shaw
2. 17 Keith Nordhaus
3. 64 Joel Loepker
4. 3E Robbie Eilers
Heat 2
1. 3 Philip Thole
2. 71 Aaron Hemann
3. 77 Chad Burgess
4. 00jr Dustin Korte
FEATURE
1. 18 Robert Shaw
2. 3 Philip Thole
3. 71 Aaron Hemann
4. 77 Chad Burgess
5. 17 Keith Nordhaus
6. 54 Jayson Schulte
7. 21 Chris Rakers
8. 8E Russell Eilers
9. 7D Dave Zbinden
10. 3E Robbie Eilers
11. 11 Joe Swip
12. 13 Matt Hamblin
13. 33 Ed Martiszus
14. 11G Eric Gilomen
15. 9 Miles Toenyes
16. 49 Dennis Harris
17. 00jr Dustin Korte
18. 64 Joel Loepker
19. 22 Colby Rakers
20. 55 Ryan Kohnen