Fairbury Speedway
Erb wins rain-shortened NALMS opener at Fairbury
FAIRBURY, Ill. (May 1) — Former series champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., started outside the front row and raced to a rain-shortened victory over polesitter Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., on Saturday in Northern Allstars Late Model Series action at Fairbury American Legion Speedway.
Precipitation left Erb 11 laps shy of completing the scheduled distance in the season opener for the series and the track, but he pocketed $2,000 for his 26th career series victory.
Feger finished second while seventh-starting Steve Lance Jr. of Cuba, Ill., rallied to finish third. Bluegrass State invader Dillan White of Crofton, Ky., was fourth and fast qualifier Derek Chandler of Pontiac, Ill., rounded out the top five. Consolation race winner Joe Harlan made a 14th-to-sixth run to earn hard charger honors in the abbreviated event.
Notes: Erb's car is sponsored by Thomason Express and McBride Mack. ... Erb's 26 career victories are just two shy of all-time leader Don O'Neal. ... Erb also won last year's series opener. ... His previous Northern Allstars victory came Aug. 22 in La Salle, Ill. ... Among drivers failing to make the feature: Jay Morris (the sixth quickest qualifier), Mike Glasscock, Junior Shickel, Aaron Ricketts, Donny Walden, Snooky Dehm and Jay Sparks. ... With Sunday's Northern Allstars race at Shepp's Speedway in Alexander, Ill., rained out, the series heads to Kankakee County (Ill.) Speedway on May 21 for a $3,000-to-win event co-sanctioned by the Sunoco American Late Model Series and Monster Midwest Series.
Northern Allstars @ Fairbury: (1) Dennis Erb Jr., (2) Jason Feger, (3) Steve Lance Jr., (4) Dillan White, (5) Derek Chandler, (6) Joe Harlan, (7) Ryan Unzicker, (8) Scott Bull, (9) Eric Smith, (10) Daren Friedman, (11) Guy Volk, (12) Eric Vaughan, (13) Kevin Weaver, (14) Kyle Logue, (15) Frank Heckenast Jr., (16) Richie Hedrick, (17) Brian Diveley, (18) Chris Dick, (19) Mike Mullvain, (20) Brandon Sheppard. Fast qualifier (among 37 cars): Chandler, 12.796 seconds. Heat race winners: Feger, Erb, Friedman, Chandler. Consolation winners: Bull, Harlan. Provisional starter: Heckenast.
