Lake Ozark Speedway
Moyer breaks through for Lake Ozark victory
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com chief writer
Billy Moyer won at Lake Ozark. (erikgrigsbyphotos.com)
ELDON, Mo. (June 25) — Top-five finishes don't satisfy Billy Moyer. After five straight finishes of fourth or better on the 26-race UMP DIRTcar Summernationals tour without a victory, the winningest all-time series driver from Batesville, Ark., broke through at Lake Ozark Speedway for a $6,000 victory. | Postrace notebook | Slideshow
The fourth-starting Moyer slipped under polesitter Dennis Erb Jr. entering turn three on the sixth lap, bumped his way past low-running lapped traffic through the middle of the race then survived a late charge from 14th-starting Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., who jumped the cushion between turns three and four and climbed the wall on lap 36.
Moyer cruised the final four laps to outrun Erb, of Carpentersville, Ill., and Darren Miller of Milledgeville, Ill., who took third from series points leader Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., in the closing laps. Randy Korte was fifth in the 10th leg of the series. Terry English of Benton, Ky., was running third when he spun in turn one after a lapped car forced him into a tire barrier with 10 laps remaining.
Third-starting Mark Burgtorf led the first lap and Erb powered out front the next five circuits, but when Moyer squeezed past Erb with an inside pass entering turn three, it appeared he'd be the race's final leader. Following a lap-seven caution, Moyer moved out to a 10-length lead by the 15th lap and was lapping cars a few laps later. He had a half-straightaway margin by lap 19 as he faced some slower cars running in his preferred lower groove.
Erb closed in briefly on lap 21, but Moyer lapped J.D. Hubert and pulled away again before the slower Andrew McKay again slowed Moyer. Moyer nudged McKay down the backstretch, and McKay moved up to let Moyer past and he was comfortably ahead when the lap-30 caution waved for English, who ended up sideways in turn one after tangling with Hubert.
On the restart, Moyer took off again, but this time O'Neal went to work in the high groove from his fourth restart spot, taking third from Shirley on the 31st lap then sweeping around Erb for second on lap 32. O'Neal began closing on Moyer, pulling within a few lengths with five laps remaining while running the tenuous high-groove cushion just a few feet from the outside concrete wall.
But Moyer, taking signals from his son Billy Jr. in turn three, drifted up to the high groove between turns three and four on the 36th lap, and seconds later, O'Neal bounded over the cushion and into the wall, ending his race.
"That caution fell at the right time, and I thought, 'Man, I've got a shot at this.' Then when Moyer came high there, it just broke my rhythm," O'Neal said. "I got into that corner too hot and there wasn't any room for error on that cushion, because it was against the wall."
Said Moyer: "I knew he had soft tires on at the start of the race, and O'Neal's style is usually up against the fence standing on it. I didn't know how close he was to me, I guess he was right on me and when I went up there, I felt good up there. I'm not so sure I wasn't better up there than putting around the bottom."
Moyer returned to the low groove for the final four laps and cruised to his series-leading 63rd career victory and first since last June 28 in Paducah, Ky.
The feature was slowed by three cautions, none for serious incidents. Jeep Van Wormer spun between turns one and two on the third lap and Denny Woodworth clipped his nosepiece going past. Will Vaught got crossed up at the end of the backstretch for a lap-seven caution and was towed off the track. (During the lap-seven caution period, J.D. Hubert pitted to change a left-front flat tire). English's lap-30 spin in turn one was the final caution.
Feature notes
Unofficially, Shirley still leads the series with 770 points over Erb (751), Vaught (658), Wes Steidinger (651) and Jeep Van Wormer (649). ... Steidinger, who started outside the front row and got pinched into the backstretch wall by polesitter Dennis Erb Jr. on the first lap, dropped back to eighth at the lap-three caution. He ended up seventh but drove the entire race with the right front toed out. ... Steve Sheppard Jr. pulled out after breaking a rocker arm for the second consecutive night. ... Ryan Unzicker made a 15th-to-sixth run for his best series finish. His best previous finish was 16th twice. ... The series moves more than 300 miles to Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway for Thursday night's $6,000-to-win event. Moyer plans to skip the race and head to Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., for the $40,000-to-win World of Outlaws-sanctioned Firecracker 100.
UMP @ Lake Ozark: (1) Billy Moyer, (2) Dennis Erb Jr., (3) Darren Miller, (4) Brian Shirley, (5) Randy Korte, (6) Ryan Unzicker, (7) Wes Steidinger, (8) Denny Woodworth, (9) J.D. Hubert, (10) Mike Hammerle, (11) Andrew McKay, (12) Dewayne Kiefer, (13) Don O'Neal, (14) Terry English, (15) Rusty Dukes, (16) Jordan Bland, (17) Mark Burgtorf, (18) Steve Sheppard Jr., (19) Will Vaught, (20) Jeep Van Wormer, (21), Craig Smith. Fast qualifier (among 32 cars): Erb, 12.995 seconds. Heat race winners: Burgtorf, Erb, Moyer, Steidinger. Consolation winner: Woodworth. Provisional starters: Bland, Hammerle, C. Smith.
Consolation race
Starting outside the front row, Denny Woodworth raced to an easy 12-lap victory. The battle for the second and final transfer spot was exciting following a mid-race caution as a low-running Rusty Dukes tried to hold off high-running Tim Lance and Jordan Bland. The 13th-starting Lance edged ahead on the white-flag lap, but Dukes slid high exiting turn four heading for the checkered flag, making contact with Lance, who skittered toward the wall. Dukes was second followed by Bland and Lance, who recovered to finish fourth. After the cool-down lap, Lance gave Dukes a bump as the cars pulled off the backstretch. The race was slowed by two cautions. Billy Moyer Jr. and Lance got together in turn one on the first lap, then Chris Fetter and Craig Smith spun to the outside wall entering turn three midway through the race. Smith was in line for a track provisional.
Finish: Denny Woodworth, Rusty Dukes, Jordan Bland, Tim Lance, Jason McBride, Chris Smyser, Billy Moyer Jr., Reid Millard, Donnie Gemes, Steve Beach, Chris Fetter, Craig Smith. Scratched: Tim Manville, Trace Westling, Eric Turner.
Fourth heat
Surviving a lap-eight scuffle with a slower car in turn four, polesitter Wes Steidinger held off third-starting Randy Korte for a victory in the final heat race. Steidinger led by nearly 10 lengths before the turn-four incident, and Korte was all over Steidinger when a lap-nine caution reset the field. In a two-lap shootout to the finish, Steidinger pulled back away to win by a half-straightaway. Further back, Andrew McKay qualified for his first Summernationals feature of 2008 with a third-place finish and Will Vaught was the fourth transferree after front-row starter Jordan Bland, who nearly spun on the fifth lap, was fifth. Eric Turner slowed in turn two on the ninth lap to bring out the race's lone caution.
Finish (corrects with Vaught): Wes Steidinger, Randy Korte, Andrew McKay, Will Vaught, Jordan Bland, Steve Beach, Donnie Gemes, Eric Turner.
Third heat
Polesitter Billy Moyer cruised to an easy victory, beating fellow front-row starter Terry English by a half-straightaway to win an uneventful third heat. Darren Miller, overcoming a time-trial penalty for weighing in light, rallied to finish third and Ryan Unzicker got the third and final transfer spot. Mike Hammerle was fifth. Tim Manville pulled to the infield before the race's conclusion and scratched for the night.
Finish: Billy Moyer, Terry English, Darren Miller, Ryan Unzicker, Mike Hammerle, Chris Fetter, Tim Manville. Scratched: Trace Westling.
Second heat
In a race only a bit calmer heat than the first, polesitter Dennis Erb Jr. cruised to an easy 10-lap victory, taking the checkered flag a straightaway ahead of his closest pursuer. Front-row starter Steve Sheppard Jr., who dropped to fourth midway through the race, came back to finish second after a tight battle that included Jeep Van Wormer and Don O'Neal. Van Wormer held the second spot midway through, but O'Neal slipped past. Before O'Neal could enjoy the second spot, the low-running Sheppard slipped underneath to take second. Van Wormer got back past O'Neal to finish third and O'Neal settled for the final transfer spot in the caution-free event. Denny Woodworth was out of the mix in fifth. After the race in the pits, there was an altercation between O'Neal and Van Wormer. Observers said O'Neal stopped his car after scaling, climbed out, grabbed his helmet and used it to reach into Van Wormer's cockpit as he sat on the scales, blocked by O'Neal's car.
Finish: Dennis Erb Jr., Steve Sheppard Jr., Jeep Van Wormer, Don O'Neal, Denny Woodworth, Jason McBride, Chris Smyser. Scratched: Billy Moyer Jr.
First heat
Fourth-starting Mark Burgtorf was the fourth leader and surprising winner of a 10-lap heat race sparked by early fireworks between front-row starters Dewayne Kiefer and Brian Shirley. With the track allowing racing all over the surface, Burgtorf finished nearly a straightaway ahead of Shirley with J.D. Hubert and Kiefer getting the other transfer spots. Rusty Dukes was fifth. Kiefer led the first two laps but ended up in the backstretch wall exiting turn two after contact from the second-running Shirley. As Shirley rolled around under caution, Kiefer climbed from his car and ran headlong toward Shirley's car before being restrained by a track official. Officials ordered Shirley to the tail and Kiefer climbed in his car and was able to restart. Reid Millard was running third when he spun on the lap-two restart. Tim Lance was leading on the lap-two restart but pulled to the infield with mechanical problems.
Finish: Mark Burgtorf, Brian Shirley, J.D. Hubert, Dewayne Kiefer, Rusty Dukes, Craig Smith, Reid Millard, Tim Lance.
Qualifying
Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., was the fastest among 32 qualifiers in the 10th leg of the UMP DIRTcar Summernationals at Lake Ozark Speedway. Erb was the only driver to crack the 15-second mark at the 3/8-mile oval near the Lake of the Ozarks on a clear but hot evening.
Erb will start on the pole of one of four heat races preceding the $6,000-to-win feature event. Other heat race polesitters: series points leader Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill. (15.013), Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark. (15.154); and Wes Steidinger of Fairbury, Ill. (15.035).
The top four finishers from four 10-lap heat races advance to the feature event along with two cars from a 12-lap consolation race. Three provisional starters round out the 21-car field.
Pre-race notes
The seven Summenationals drivers who've attended all nine events and competed in all nine feature races dropped to six with Jason Feger's absence at Lake Ozark. Feger, of Bloomington, Ill., damaged his only engine the previous night at State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, Mo. ... The 3/8-mile Lake Ozark oval is owned and promoted by Kevin and Tammy Gundaker, who also operate Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill., which hosts the Summernationals on July 4. ... Series newcomers at Lake Ozark are Craig Smith of Godfrey, Ill.; Mark Burgtorf of Quincy, Ill.; Denny Woodworth of Mendon, Ill.; Trace Westling of Fulton, Mo.; Chris Fetter of Troy, Mo.; Donnie Gemes of Warsaw, Mo.; and hometown driver Steve Beach, the points leader in Lake Ozark's Crate Late Model division. ... Jason McBride broke in hot laps and was towed off the track. ... Besides the 32 Late Models, the event drew 27 modifieds and 23 street stocks. ... Among modified drivers is Chad Lyle of Lone Jack, Mo., a three-time Late Model winner on the O'Reilly MLRA tour. ... Darren Miller lost the third-best qualifying time in the third group when he weighed in four pounds light after time trials.
Time trials (unofficial)
First group
(Heat races line up straight up in this order)
Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 15.013
Dewayne Kiefer (13), St. Genevieve, Mo., 15.146
Tim Lance (13), Brimfield, Mo., 15.373
Mark Burgtorf (7B), Quincy, Ill., 15.471
Reid Millard (14m), Jefferson City, Mo., 15.504
J.D. Hubert (7D), Cross Timbers, Mo., 15.536
Rusty Dukes (8k), Fair Grove, Mo., 15.927
Craig Smith (81), Godfrey, Ill., 16.043
Second group
Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Mo., 14.995
Steve Sheppard Jr. (5s), New Berlin, Ill., 15.082
Don O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 15.232
Jeep Van Wormer (55), Pinconning, Mich., 15.363
Denny Woodworth (45dw), Mendon, Ill., 15.483
Jason McBride (77), Carbondale, Ill., 15.587
Billy Moyer Jr. (21jr), Batesville, Ark., 15.869
Chris Smyser (00s), Lancaster, Mo., 16.903
Third group
Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark., 15.154
Terry English (96), Benton, Ky., 15.383
Ryan Unzicker (24), El Paso, Ill., 15.589
Mike Hammerle (16H), St. Charles, Mo., 15.712
Tim Manville (33), Highland, Ill., 15.762
Chris Fetter (15), Troy, Mo., 16.035
Trace Westling (7), Fulton, Mo., no time
Darren Miller (32D), Milledgeville, Ill., 15.556 (DQ; light at scales)
Fourth group
Wes Steidinger (J1), Fairbury, Ill., 15.035
Jordan Bland (12), Campbellsville, Ky., 15.471
Randy Korte (00), Highland, Ill., 15.581
Will Vaught (1), Crane, Mo., 15.717
Andrew McKay (71), Edina, Minn., 15.727
Eric Turner (40), Hermitage, Mo., 16.36
Steve Beach (10), Eldon, Mo., 17.228
Donnie Gemes (15G), Warsaw, Mo., 18.393
Correction: A headline on a previous version of this story reported there were 43 qualifiers; there were 32; Chris Fetter was also misidentified in an earlier version of this story.
