Farmer City Raceway
Capping his bittersweet week, Feger wins $5,000
Jason Feger celebrates after leading the final two laps at Farmer City. (Jeff Hall)
FARMER CITY, Ill. (April 26) — Announcer Mike Norris couldn’t have said it much better at Farmer City Raceway's checkered flag Friday night: “A week to forget, now a week to remember, the Douglas Dodge 50 goes to the Hustler Jason Feger.”
Capitalizing on a late-race restart that gave him new life, the 34-year-old driver from Bloomington, Ill., scored a $5,000 victory at the quarter-mile oval, helping to at least briefly put aside the off-track struggles with a pending disqualification from his World of Outlaws Late Model Series Illini 100 victory earlier this month at Farmer City. | Slideshow | Video
“I’m telling you, I was spent in that car. I was emotionally spent. I was just drained, exhausted. I was just wanting that race to get over,” said Feger, who restarted third after Brian Shirley’s lap-45 spin behind leader Dennis Erb Jr. and Bobby Pierce. “I didn’t have anything for those guys if that yellow didn’t come out. I just regrouped and gathered my thoughts and caught my breath and just manned up.
“I knew there couldn’t be very many laps left and I just manned up and got up on that wheel and did what we do. I gave it all she had and it just worked out for us tonight.”
Feger went around the outside of Pierce, then a lap later dove under Erb entering turn three and led the final two laps of the non-touring UMP DIRTcar event.
Feger, who is appealing his April 6 disqualification after the World of Outlaws said one of his Illini 100 tires failed a lab test, has maintained his innocence after Monday’s announcement, and a return victory to Farmer City was a boost. Besides losing a $20,000 payday, Feger faces a three-month suspension that would include UMP DIRTcar events, but he’s allowed to competed with WoO’s sister organization during the appeals process.
“It’s definitely a bittersweet week, a tough week emotionally. It’s actually been a bad couple of weeks. It’s been tough to fight through this. Believe me, it’s probably the toughest thing I’ve ever went through in a long time, definitely as far as racing-wise,” Feger said. “When this is all said and done the truth’s going to come out, and everybody knows I don’t do that to this sport.”
Erb, of Carpentersville, Ill., who took the lead from the pole-starting Shirley midway through the race, settled for second with Pierce, of Oakwood, Ill., in third. Fast qualifier Tyler Reddick, the Corning, Calif., driver who races out of DuQuoin, Ill., was fourth and Steve Sheppard Jr. rallied after a spin to round out the top five.
Shirley, who commanded the first half of the race, ended up 12th.
Besides Shirley’s lap-45 spin, cautions appeared for Frank Heckenast Jr. on the third lap and Sheppard midway through the race.
Notes: Feger’s Pierce Race Car is powered by a Rhyne Competition Engine and sponsored by Cheap Cars, Pro Tire & Automotive, Griffin Sign Shop, Mulligan’s and Box Seat Productions. ... Feger dedicated the victory to Indiana driver Kent Robinson’s dad J.B., who died earlier Friday. “My thoughts are with those guys. ... He acted like a Dad to a lot of us drivers and crews in the pits. He was just a great guy.” ... Feger also remembered supporter Tommy Maddox, who is struggling with his health. ... The event was the first since the World Racing Group reinstituted Farmer City’s UMP DIRTcar sanctioning. ... Farmer City returns to action May 3 with its regular season opener, the Spring Fling.
Douglas Dodge 50: (1) Jason Feger, (2) Dennis Erb Jr., (3) Bobby Pierce, (4) Tyler Reddick, (5) Steve Sheppard Jr., (6) Ryan Unzicker, (7) Chris Simpson, (8) Daren Friedman, (9) Derek Chandler, (10) Dustin Griffin, (11) Terry English, (12) Brian Shirley, (13) Jason Jaggers, (14) Scott Bull, (15) Kevin Weaver, (16) Randy Korte, (17) Shannon Babb, (18) Brandon Sheppard, (19) Billy Drake, (20) Frank Heckenast Jr. Fast qualifier (among 32 cars): Reddick, 12.153 seconds. Heat race winners: Shirley, Weaver, Erb, Unzicker. Consolation winner: Chandler.
Correction: Fixes Shirley's finish to 12th sted 11th; adds complete finishing order.
