Kankakee County Speedway
Spatola rules Kankakee for second ALMS victory
KANKAKEE, Ill. (Aug. 12) – Mike Spatola of Manhattan, Ill., continued his season-long dominance of Kankakee County Speedway by winning Friday night’s Sunoco American Late Model Series-sanctioned Land of Lincoln Clash at the quarter-mile oval.
Spatola, a Late Model rookie, started from the pole and led the entire distance of the 40-lap race on his way to earning $3,000 for his third special-event victory of the season at Kankakee. Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, Ill., challenged Spatola early in the event, but settled for second at the finish.
Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., finished third with series points leader Jon Henry of Ada, Ohio, and Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., rounding out the top five finishers.
Notes: Spatola's Pierce Race Car has a Rhyne Competition Engine and sponsorship from Chicago Heights U-Pull-It, Pic-A-Part, Big Daddy Scrap and Modern Carriage Werks. ... The victory is Spatola’s fifth overall this year at Kankakee. His other two special-event victories came in another ALMS event on May 20 and the June 16 UMP DIRTcar Summernationals event. ... The series returns to action Sept. 3 with a $2,000-to-win event at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio.
Land of Lincoln Clash: (1) Mike Spatola, (2) Ryan Unzicker, (3) Jason Feger, (4) Jon Henry, (5) Dennis Erb Jr., (6) Rusty Schlenk, (7) Ryan Dauber, (8) Dillan White, (9) Alan Gendusa, (10) Russ Scheffler, (11) Donny Walden, (12) Mike Provenzano, (13) Scott Schmitt, (14) J.R. Hotovy, (15) Bobby Pierce, (16) Brian Ruhlman, (17) Jay Morris, (18) Glen Thompson, (19) Kevin Weaver, (20) Alan Vochaska, (21) Rich Bell, (22) Scott Bull, (23) Aaron Ricketts. Fast qualifier (among 34 cars): Spatola, 14.263 seconds. Heat race winners: Spatola, Feger, Pierce. Consolation race winner: Tozeck.
