MACON, Ill. — Updates from the 17th round of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Macon Speedway, an event highlighted by a $7,500-to-win Herald & Review 100 for Super Late Models (results unofficial):
Feature
Winning a back-and-forth battle with Brian Shirley in the late stages, Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, Ill., led the final 16 laps Thursday at Macon Speedway for a $7,500 Herald & Review 100 victory on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals circuit. Unzicker swapped the lead with Shirley three times between laps 80-85 and took command for good, holding off last year’s winner Jason Feger by 0.502 of a second at the checkers with Shirley third.
Feature lineup
(100 laps)
Row 1: Shannon Babb, Jason Feger
Row 2: Ryan Unzicker, Rusty Schlenk
Row 3: B.J. Robinson, Jeff Larson
Row 4: Ashton Winger, Jake Little
Row 5: Brian Shirley, Austin Vincent
Row 6: Jayme Zidar, Kye Blight
Row 7: Blaze Burwell, Dean Carpenter
Row 8: Clay Stuckey, Bob Gardner
Row 9: Rich Bell, Brandon Carpenter
Row 10: Mark Voigt, Rusty Griffaw
Row 11: Parker Martin, Thomas Hunziker
Consolation race results
First consolation (Eight laps; top three transfer to B-main): Jordan Suhre, Todd Rehg, Steve Stultz, Mark Voigt, Greg Kimmons. Scratched: Braden Johnson, Jose Parga, Doug Tye, Jason Milam
B-main (10 laps; top two transfer to feature): Rich Bell, Brandon Carpenter, Rusty Griffaw, Parker Martin, Claude Walker, Todd Rehg, Ryan Miller, Josh Heuiser, Graham Fate, Steve Stultz, Dakota Ewing, Thomas Hunziker, Mick Quin, Jordan Suhre. Scratched: Steve Sheppard Jr.
Heat race notes
Jason Feger led all eight laps to win the first heat race, finishing 1.631 seconds ahead of B.J. Robinson. Fourth-running Jordan Suhre pounded the turn-two wall on lap three, drawing the caution and ending his race; Suhre returned to win the consolation race. While battling for second, Brian Shirley made contact with Steve Sheppard Jr. and spun on the lap-three restart attempt; Sheppard pulled off and scratched for the night while Shirley continued and recovered to finish third. Ryan Unzicker narrowly repelled Ashton Winger to lead seven of eight laps en route to winning heat two; Winger crossed the line 0.964 of a second back. Fifth-running Jose Parga hit the turn-two wall hard and pulled off after drawing the caution. After battling three-wide for several laps, third-starting Rusty Schlenk used the low line to pace the final three laps to win heat three. Jeff Larson led lap five and finished 1.705 seconds behind Schlenk. Austin Vincent led the first four laps before fading to finish third. Shannon Babb led green-to-checkered to win the fourth and final heat race. White battling three-wide for third, Bob Gardner made contact with Mark Voigt, causing Voigt to spin and collect Josh Heuiser and Ryan Miller; Voigt was the only of the three who was unable to continue.
Heat race results
(Eight laps; top four transfer)
First heat: Jason Feger, B.J. Robinson, Brian Shirley, Blaze Burwell, Graham Fate, Mick Quin, Steve Sheppard Jr., Jordan Suhre, Braden Johnson. Scratched: Jason Milam
Second heat: Ryan Unzicker, Ashton Winger, Jayme Zidar, Clay Stuckey, Thomas Hunziker, Parker Martin, Dakota Ewing, Todd Rehg, Jose Parga.
Third heat: Rusty Schlenk, Jeff Larson, Austin Vincent, Dean Carpenter, Rusty Griffaw, Brandon Carpenter, Claude Walker, Steve Stultz, Greg Kimmons.
Fourth heat: Shannon Babb, Jake Little, Kye Blight, Bob Gardner, Rich Bell, Josh Heuiser, Ryan Miller, Mark Voigt, Doug Tye.
Time trials
Driver (car no.), hometown, time
Group A
- Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill., 10.347
- Thomas Hunziker (38), Bend, Ore., 10.361
- Steve Sheppard Jr. (5S), New Berlin, Ill., 10.388
- Jayme Zider (9Z), Waukesha, Wis., 10.444
- Jordan Suhre (4), Alhambra, Ill., 10.451
- Ryan Unzicker (24), El Paso, Ill., 10.472
- Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 10.639
- Ashton Winger (12), Hampton, Ga., 10.714
- B.J. Robinson (1), Bossier City, La., 10.812
- Parker Martin (6jr), Milledgeville, Ga., 10.819
- Jason Milam (82B), Guntown, Miss., 10.885
- Jose Parga (6P), New Berlin, Ill., 10.886
- Blaze Burwell (44), Mount Vernon, Ill., 10.920
- Clay Stuckey (15), Shreveport, La., 10.928
- Mick Quin (23NZ), Waimarama, New Zealand, 10.949
- Todd Rehg (17), St. Jacob, Ill., 11.019
- Braden Johnson (14), Taylorville, Ill., 11.152
- Dakota Ewing (25E), Warrensburg, Ill., 11.341
- Graham Fate (1G), Peoria, Ill., 11.938
Group B
- Austin Vincent (5), Moody, Mo., 10.583
- Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 10.584
- Jeff Larson (99), Freeport, Ill., 10.622
- Jake Little (38j), Springfield, Ill., 10.653
- Rusty Schlenk (91), McClure, Ohio, 10.793
- Mark Voigt (30), Marine, Ill., 10.824
- Dean Carpenter (51), Coldwater, Miss., 11.037
- Kye Blight (31aus), Bunbury, W. Australia, 11.083
- Rusty Griffaw (16), Festus, Mo., 11.092
- Bob Gardner (4G), Washington, Ill., 11.093
- Brandon Carpenter (51B), Coldwater, Miss., 11.154
- Josh Heuiser (1H), St. Jacob, Ill., 11.192
- Greg Kimmons (27), Pleasant Plains, Ill., 11.285
- Rich Bell (21B), Sheffield, Ill., 11.362
- Claude Walker (35), Moro, Ill., 11.447
- Ryan Miller (11M), Lincoln, Ill., 11.459
- Steve Stultz (78s), Peoria, Ariz., 11.829
- Doug Tye (4D), Troy, Ill., no time
Thursday's schedule
(All times local)
5:30 p.m. - Drivers' meeting
6 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Modified hot laps/time trials (3 laps)
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Modfied heat races (8 laps)
- Late Model heat races (8 laps)
- USAC sprint car hot laps
- Late Model C-main (8 laps; if needed)
- Modified consolation (8 laps; if needed)
- Late Model B-main (10 laps; if needed)
Intermission
- Hornet vs. Late Model showdown
- Modified feature (25 laps)
- Late Model feature (100 laps)
