The were new cars in the pits and one Late Model car from Jackson. MI.
by: Jack Pugh

BELLE CLAIR, Il. (May 12, 2006) - The racing beat Mother Nature, but Mother Nature made it tough for the fans as it was chilly and windy and felt like early April rather than the middle of May. The were new cars in the pits and one Late Model car from Jackson. MI.

In the UMP Late Model division, there were only 15 cars. In the first heat, Brent Kreke took the win over Aaron Kleine, Mark Voigt, Rick Standridge, Mike Schulte, Dan Jacober, Rusty Schlenk and Vince Grondzki. The second heat saw Bob Geaschel with the checkered flag followed by Don Klein, Brad Loddeke, Mike Hammerle, Ed Dixon, Don Grimm, and Ron Jarrell. The dash went to Kreke with Geaschel, Kleine, Klein, Loddeke and Voigt following.

The 25 lap feature had a front row consisting of Geaschel and Kreke. Kleine jumped to the early lead at the dropping of the green flag. He was challenged by Voigt, Kreke, Loddeke and Geaschel in the early laps. The racing was good up front as the racing was being done on two lines on the track, bottom and top.

As the race developed, Kleine had a good hold of the lead, but fourth starting Voigt was trying to take the lead away with no success. The race went seven laps before the only caution came out as Geaschel lost it in turn four on the top and slid down the track collecting Schulte, Jacober, Jarrell and Dixon in the process. Only Jarrell was unable to continue. The running order was Kleine, Voigt, Kreke, Standridge and Schlenk in the top five. Schlenk, from Michigan, started 13th and used the bottom of the track to make his forward movement and into the top five in the early laps.

With the green flag back out, Kleine continued to lead but was getting a challenge from now second running Kreke. Kreke took the lead away on lap 10.

Kreke stretched his lead with each lap. Kleine ran his best race of the year in second. Voigt could do little to overtake Kleine for second.

When the checkered flag fell, it was Kreke win the win and a sweep for the night. Kleine finished second with Voigt ending up third. Eighth starting Hammerle finished third while Schlenk settled for fifth. There are only two feature winners in the UMP Late Model class so far this year - Ed Dixon and Brent Kreke.

In the UMP Modified class, there were 18 cars on hand. In the first heat race, Bobby Bittle took the victory followed by Dave Thornton, Ryan Driemeyer, Tom Ratajczyk, Paul Reinneck, Jesse Carson, Joe Pendergrass, Matt Koesterer and Joe Pendergrass. In the second heat, Brian Bielong took the checkered flag followed by Marty Smith Jr., Brett Korves, Marty Smith Sr., Wayne Downing, Chris Gray, Chris Smith, Randy Dickman and Jason Pritz. The dash saw Bittle with his second win of the night with Thonton, Bielong, Driemeyer, Smith Jr. and Korves trailing.

The feature lined up with Bielong and Bittle on the front row. It took a few laps to get a real leader as both Bittle and Bielong took turns leading. Bielong was on the bootom and Bittle was in the middle and the two trading to lead for about the first four or five laps. Bittle finally took command that he never gave up.

Bielong held on to second while battling Smith Jr. for the spot as the racing moved to the top of the track as the front three cars move there to do their racing.

The only caution came out when Gray spun on the front straight away on lap 12. The running order was Bittle, Bielong, Smith Jr., Korves, and Ratajczyk in the top five.

With the green flag back out the up front racing continued on the top. Bittle held the lead with Bielong and Smith Jr. giving chase. Sixth starting Driemeyer moved into the top during this eight lap dash to the checkered flag.

At the checkered flag it was Bittle with the sweep and his fifth win of the year. Bielong held on for second with Smith Jr. finishing in third. Driemeyer moved up to finish fourth with Korves rounding out the top five.

There were 16 cars in the UMP Sportsmen class. In the first heat race, Joe Volluz took the win with Paul Bauman, Jerry Fleming, Dustin Homan, Mike Harris, Mark Benedick, Tom Smallwood and Shawn Seymour rounding out the field. In the second heat, Brian Shubirg took the win over Brian Eaves, Denny Tribout Jr., Mike Jones, Ron Weidler, Jim Clark, Mike Seymour, and Don Phillips. The dash went to Volluz followed by Shubirg, Eaves, Tribout, Bauman and Fleming.

The 15 lap feature started with Volluz and Bauman on the front row. With the dropping of the green flag, Bauman jumped to the lead and never looked back. He was followed the whole race by Volluz, who could not get close enough to make a pass. Bauman used the bottom of the track while Volluz was on the top.

There were only two cautions to slow the action as Bauman went on to win his first feature of the year. Volluz finished second with Shubirg, Eaves and Tribout Jr. rounding the top five.

Two sweeps and very few cautions lead to a fast night of racing as the total program was over before 10:00 P.M.