The first month of the 2006 season came to an end on Friday
by: Jack Pugh

BELLEVILLE, Ill (April 27, 2006) - The first month of the 2006 season came to an end on Friday with good racing, new drivers and a good crowd. With Mother Nature threatening to call off the races, the program got in well under the curfew.

In the UMP Late Model division, there were 20 cars in the pits. In the first heat race, Mark Voigt took the win over Brian Wolfmeier, Dewayne Kiefer, Ed Dixon, Dan Jacober, Jim Gibson, and Rick Salter. In the second heat, 68 year old Don Klein got another heat race win with Mike Schulte, Brent Kreke, Rick Standridge, Mike Hammerle, Brad Loddeke and Don Grimm in pursuit. The third heat went to Aaron Kleine followed by Dan Dondero, Vince Grondzki, John Paule, Dave Eaves and Bob Geaschel. The dash went to Voigt over Kleine, Klein, Schulte, Dondero and Wolfmeier.

The feature started with the front row of Schulte and Klein. Klein went to the early lead with Schulte, Voigt and Dondero chasing. The race barely got started when Wolfmeier got spun on the back straight. He was done for the night with a flat tire. The running order was Klein, Schulte, Dondero, Dixon and Voigt.

With the green back out, the moisture started to fall, but it was light. The next stoppage came when Grondzki lost it in turn four and collected several cars. Grondzki was done for the night as was Eaves, Loddeke and Salter.

With the track cleared, racing resumed and Dixon was on the move on the high side. By lap six, Dixon took command of the race. Also moving forward was ninth starting Standridge.

The next stoppage was on lap ninth as Voigt slowed on the track and dropped out. The running order was Dixon, Klein, Standridge, Dondero, and Paule. Paule started 12th and used the high line to move forward.

With the moisture letting up, the race went green to the end. Dixon maintained the lead with Standridge doing all he could to try to overtake the lead car. During this period, the cars starting in the sixth row were the cars to watch. Paule and Jacober were moving into the top five and having their best runs of the earlier season.

At the checkered flag, it was Dixon for his second feature in a row and third of the season. Standridge would finish second for the second week in a row. Rounding out the top five were Paule, Jacober and Schulte. Dixon also has the point lead.

In the UMP Modified class, there were 16 car in the pits. In the first heat, Bobby Bittle took the checkered flag ahead of Tom Ratajczyk, Brian Bielong, Dave Thorton, Marty Smith, Todd McGraw, Jason Pritz and David Seger. The second heat went to Jesse Carson over Paul Reinneck, Brett Korves, Chris Gray, Wayne Downing, Ryan Driemeyer, Chris Smith and Randy Ridge. The dash saw Bittle with his second win of the evening followed by Bielong, Gray, Ratajczyk, Reinneck and Korves.

The front row for the 20 lap feature consisted of Bittle and Ratajczyk. Ratajczyk took the lead on the top with Bittle in hot pursuit. This battle lasted the whole race and was the place to be watching. Lap after lap the pair would use the top of the track fighting for position. Ratajczyk held off all the challenges that Bittle made on him.

With the race continuing under green, the battle would make a turn as traffic came into play on the back straight on lap 11. As the two cars came off of turn two, a lapped car came into play going down the back straight and going into turn three. Bittle took the lower road while Ratajczyk took the high road. Bittle took the lead away from Ratajczyk coming out of turn four.

The only caution came out on lap 12 when Seger spun in turn four. The running order was Bittle, Ratajczyk, Thorton, Carson and Reinneck.

With the race back under green, Bittle was now the hunted and Ratajczyk would give chase. The fourth row starters, Thorton and Carson were now in the top five giving chase to the leaders.

Bittle held on to the top spot to collect his third feature of the year and widening his point lead. Ratajczyk held on to second followed by Thorton, Carson and Gray to complete the top five.

In the UMP Sportsmen class, there were 17 cars on hand. In the first heat race, Jimmy Cummins took the win followed by Dustin Homan, Mike Harris, Brian Shubirg, Brian Eaves, John Goodson, Shawn Seymour and Mike Seymour. In the second heat, Mike Jones took the win followed by Tom Smallwood, Joe Volluz, Denny Tribout Jr., Dave Gzrywacz, Paul Bauman, Jason Davinroy and Jim Clark.

The 15 lap feature stared with a front row of Smallwood and Volluz. As the green flag fell for the start, Volluz jumped to the top of the track and took the lead with Smallwood and Cummins in tow.

Last week’s feature winner, Volluz looked like he could have been the first repeat winner as he used the top of the track to maintain the lead. However after a pair of cautions, Smallwood was running on the bottom of the track came out of turn two on lap 6 and took over the command of the race.

Smallwood maintained a few car advantage over Volluz thought out the remaining laps. Volluz held on to second with Cummins, Shubirg and Harris rounding out the top five. There have been a different winner for each feature race that has been run for this class.