Pevely, MO — The opening night of the inaugural UMP DIRTcar Roundup By MyRaceLife.com Thursday featured eight divisions of action, with cars racing three- and four-wide on high-banked I-55 Raceway.
The big winners of the night were Steve Arpin, who captured the Modified feature, and Will Vaught, the Super Late Model winner. The top eight finishers in those A-main events are locked into Saturday night’s huge finale.
With more features to come on Friday and Saturday, the other six divisions of UMP DIRTcar Racing also were in action in the opener:
4 Cylinders — Jason Crump fought off four members of the Buechting family in the first heat race to earn a UMP DIRTcar Roundup belt buckle, the prize for winning any race during the three-day event. Pat Brewer powered to victory in the second heat race. The 4-Cylinders are back on the track Friday night to decide the big winner.
Factory Stocks — Danny Ems captured the checkered flag in the Factory Stock heat race, earning a prime spot for Friday’s 15-lap main event.
Street Stocks — The Street Stocks featured two drivers who finished in the top 10 in the UMP DIRTcar National Point standings, with Steve Maisel, who finished third in the national standings, capturing the heat race on Thursday night and earning a prime spot in Saturday’s 20-lap main event.
Pro Late Models — In a new division to UMP DIRTcar Racing this season, Bobby Dauderman and Caleb Ashby were two of the Top 10 in the National Points competing on Thursday night. Dustin Griffin held off Dauderman to win the first heat as Ashby captured the second heat. Those drivers will have key spots in the 20-lap feature on Saturday night.
Limited Modifieds — Zach Dennis, who finished third in the UMP DIRTcar National Point standings, picked up a belt buckle for winning the first heat race Thursday night while Ken Rumble rumbled to a win in the second heat race, setting the stage for Saturday’s 20-lap main event.
Sportsman — Jeff Herzog, the Missouri UMP DIRTcar Sportsman champion who finished second in the National Points, brought his machine to the finish in eighth in the first heat race while Troy Naeger and David Armstrong picked up the victories, getting the jump on the 20-lap feature on Saturday night.
UMP Modifieds — Canadian Steve Arpin, one of the top UMP DIRTcar Modified drivers in North America, outlasted a stellar field on Thursday night that included several drivers who finished in the Top 12 in National Points as well as NASCAR star Kenny Wallace, to pick up a smooth victory in the 20-lap feature. The top eight from Thursday’s feature, which includes fourth-place National Points finisher Tim Hancock, are locked into Saturday’s main event. Bobby Brittle, Ray Walsh and Mark Miner rounded out the top five with Scott Weber, Ken Rumble and Rick Horton earning the other three positions locked into Saturday’s A-main.
“I tell you what we had a good race car tonight,” said Arpin, of Fort Frances, Ontario. “Trina and Joey back in the pits made a whole bunch of decisions after the heat race, and changed quite a bit of stuff. This thing was awesome, it just drove itself. Walsh was right there and he slid me right over there and I had to get on the brakes really hard to turn below him so I figured I would do the same back to him, and he just never shut down. We kind of got squeezed up on the backstretch there but not enough to hurt either one of us.
“We had to drive the wheels off to stay ahead of those guys tonight. If we give them another chance to get better Friday night we’ll be way out in left field on Saturday. We’re here to race so we’re going to race and have a good time this weekend.”
Super Late Models — Missouri crowd favorite Will Vaught locked his car into the bottom groove on Thursday night and powered his way to the checkered flag in the final 20-lap race of the opening day of action. Jason Feger and Billy Faust tried to run him down, but Vaught had the line and the momentum. In a race featuring four of the Top 20 in the UMP DIRTcar National Standings, Vaught, who was ranked 20th nationally, got the best of Feger (3rd nationally), Brian Shirley (5th nationally), Michael Koos (7th nationally) and Randy Korte (18th nationally). With Vaught, Feger and Faust leading the way to the checkered flag, Danny Haynes and Shirley rounded out the top five as Jeff Johns, Kyle Steffens and Jeff Beyers locked themselves into Saturday’s feature.
“I brought two cars tonight and one has been wrecked and I’m not sure if we’ve got it straightened out so we’re going to run it Friday night now that we’re locked in,” said Vaught, of Crane, Mo. “I think Billy got a run on me in 1 and 2 and just got into the back of me a little but I was able to keep it out front.”
UMP DIRTcar Roundup By MyRaceLife.com Statistical Summary; Oct. 16, 2008; I-55 Raceway; Pevely, Mo.
UMP DIRTcar 4 Cylinders
Heat 1 (6 laps)
1. 86-Jason Crump
2. 66-Jacob Buechting
3. 16-Gerald Buechting
4. 19-Jessica Buechting
5. 95M-Josh Campbell
6. 667-Jackie Buechting
Heat 2 (6 laps)
1. 83-Pat Brewer
2. 51JR-Jared Dewrock
3. 65-Gary Range
4. 61-Steve Richards
5. 3-Rusty Griffaw
6. Dennis Hornbuster
UMP DIRTcar Factory Stocks
Heat 1 (6 laps)
1. 36-Danny Ems
2. 87-Jason Zobrist
3. 21-James Rowney
4. 37-Dave Monterusso
5. 8-Jordan Bauer
6. 68-Terry McCann
7. 7-Dennis Ponder
UMP DIRTcar Street Stocks
Heat 1 (8 laps)
1. M41- Steve Maisel
2. 97G-Josh Griffith
3. 32-Tim Feldhake
4. B11-Buddy Jeffries
5. 88-Dave Racer
UMP DIRTcar Limited Modifieds
Heat 1 (8 laps)
1. 03-Zach Dennis
2. 147-Kyle Stolzer
3. 99-Gary Johnson
4. 27B-Barry Pender
5. 91X-John Haler
Heat 2 (8 laps)
1. 102-Ken Rumble
2. 12-Dan Bimson
3. 7-Brian Christian
4. 27-Chad Despain
5. 86-Jake Robbins
UMP DIRTcar Sportsman
Heat 1 (8 laps)
1. 12-Troy Naeger
2. 62-Troy Medley
3. 36-Danny Ems
4. 97G-Josh Griffith
5. 86K-Eric Hogenmiller
6. 18-Bud Lowrey
7. 83-Troy Armbruster
8. 11-Jeff Herzog
9. 5H-Scott Hammack
10. 18B-Rocky Berlien
Heat 2 (8 laps)
1. 43-David Armstrong
2. 57-Trey Harris
3. 147-Kyle Stolzer
4. 04-Chris Soutiea
5. 87-Gary Haynes
6. 8-Eddie Lowrey
7. 411-Marty Hick
8. 105-Matt Hancock
9. M41-Steve Maisel
UMP DIRTcar Pro Late Models
Heat 1 (10 laps)
1. 20-Dustin Griffin
2. 18-Bobby Dauderman
3. 84-Tyler Deibert
4. 1ST-Justin Reed
5. 18R-Shawn Rayfield
6. 4-Craig Bessinger
7. 28-Dallas Bennett
8. 99-Chuck Adams
9. 45-Mike Jessup
10. 01-Dustin Brown
Heat 2 (10 laps)
1. 61-Caleb Ashby
2. 21-Dillan White
3. 16H-Mike Hammerle
4. 92K-Brant Kehrer
5. 49-Jeremy Hines
6. 7M-Kevin Moffett
7. R52-Rylan Dagg
8. 92S-Matt Santel
9. 22-Darrell Mosier
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds
Heat 1 (10 laps)
1. 67-Ken Rumble
2. 36X-Conrad Miner
3. 36-Kenny Wallace
4. 72-Brian Lynn
5. 21J-Jeff Vernier
6. 17V-Michael VanderRieth Jr.
7. 7Z-Matt Zimmerly
8. 22M-Darrell Mosier
9. 59-Rich Whaley
Heat 2 (10 laps)
1. 00-Steve Arpin
2. 89-Bobby Bittle
3. 1W-Ray Walsh
4. 7-Mark Miner
5. 41G- Matt Goulden
6. 11-Kelly Devall
7. 22C-Brandon Lennox
8. 19-Chris Simmerman
9. C4-Chris Soutiea
Heat 3 (10 laps)
1. 0-Tim Hancock
2. 31-Rick Horton
3. 4J-Scott Weber
4. 14-Rick Conoyer
5. 7W-Tommie Seets Jr.
6. 21-Randy Dickman
7. 10X-Jim Black
8. 22-Chucky Milam
9. 24-Paul Bauman
A-Main (20 Laps, Top 8 Finishers Locked into Redraw for Saturday’s finale.)
1. 00-Steve Arpin
2. 0-Tim Hancock
3. 89-Bobby Brittle
4. 1W-Ray Walsh
5. 7-Mark Miner
6. 4J-Scott Weber
7. 67-Ken Rumble
8. 31-Rick Horton
9. 72-Brian Lynn
10. 17V-Michael VanderRiet Jr.
11. 24-Paul Bauman
12. 7Z-Matt Zimmerly
13. 21-Randy Dickman
14. 22-Chucky Milam
15. 10X-Jim Black
16. 36-Kenny Wallace
17. 11-Kelly Devall
18. 41G-Matt Goulden
19. 22M-Darrell Mosier
20. 7W-Tommie Seets Jr.
21. 36X-Conrad Miner
22. 14-Rick Conoyer
23. 21J-Jeff Vernier
24. 59-Rich Whaley
25. 22C-Brandon Lennox
26. 19-Chiris Simmerman
27. C4-Chris Soutiea
UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models
Heat 1 (10 laps)
1. 92B-Billy Faust
2. 45-Denny Woodworth
3. 11-Bryan Collins
4. 3s-Brian Shirley
5. 78-Chad Zobrist
6. 81-Craig Smith
7. 27-Mike Schulte
8. 1S-Rick Salter
9. 28B-John Beck
Heat 2 (10 laps)
1. 30-Mark Voigt
2. 27X-Jeff Beyers
3. 95-Jeff Johns
4. 59-Frankie Martin
5. 16H-Mike Hammerle
6. 2J-Dave Jumper
7. 12-Rick Standridge
8. 70-Marc McClintock
9. 37-Brent Helmkamp
Heat 3 (10 laps)
1. 00-Randy Korte
2. 25-Jason Feger
3. 33-Tim Manville
4. 8-Kyle Steffens
5. 6-Caleb Ashby
6. 7B-Mark Burgtorf
7. 13-Dewayne Kiefer
8. 76-Jim Durbin
Heat 4 (10 laps)
1. 1V-Will Vaught
2. 47-Danny Haynes
3. 16-Rusy Griffaw
4. 1HR-Ron McQuerry
5. 3W-Kenny Wallace
6. 6K-Michael Kloos
7. 81C-Kevin Cole
8. 0-Tim Hancock
B-Main (12 laps)
1. 81C-Kevin Cole
2. 27-Mike Schulte
3. 76-Jim Durbin
4. 1S-Rick Salter
5. 28B-John Beck
6. 0-Tim Hancock
7. 13-Dewayne Kiefer
8. 12-Rick Standridge
9. 70-Marc McClintock
10. 31-Brent Helmkamp
A-Main (20 Laps, Top 8 Finishers Locked into Redraw for Saturday’s finale.)
1. 1V-Will Vaught
2. 25-Jason Feger
3. 92B-Billy Faust
4. 47-Danny Haynes
5. 3S-Brian Shirley
6. 95-Jeff Johns
7. 8-Kyle Steffens
8. 27X-Jeff Beyers
9. 11-Bryan Collins
10. 81-Craig Smith
11. 6K-Michael Koos
12. 45-Denny Woodworth
13. 1S-Rick Salter
14. 7B-Mark Burgtorf
15. 81C-Kevin Cole
16. 16H-Mike Hammerle
17. 3W-Kenny Wallace
18. 76-Jim Durbin
19. 1HR-Ron McQuerry
20. 27-Mike Shulte
21. 2J-Dave Jumper
22. 16-Rusty Griffaw
23. 6-Caleb Ashby
24. 59-Frankie Martin
25. 30-Mark Voigt
26. 00-Randy Korte
27. 33-Tim Manville
28. 78-Chad Zobrist
