BOSWELL, IN – June 16, 2007 – Dennis Erb Jr. is threatening to make the 2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals his personal playground.
The Carpentersville, Ill., star remained undefeated on this year’s tour, making Saturday night’s 40-lap feature at Kamp Motor Speedway his second straight victory.
With the tour championship race wide open thanks to the absence of 2005-06 Summernationals dominator Shannon Babb as a regular, Erb has staked his claim
to Babb’s throne in the most forceful fashion possible. He controlled the second of 28 scheduled Summernationals events, leading Saturday’s headliner from flag-to-flag.
Erb, 34, didn’t drive away from the field in his Petroff Towing/Thomason Transportation Rayburn, but no one was able to find a way by the red-hot Midwesterner on the high-banked, three-eighths-mile oval.
The $10,000 triumph was the fifth of Erb’s career in UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals competition.
A titanic battle for second place saw Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., who is planning to make his first fulltime assault on the Summernationals, emerge as the runner-up. He finished several car lengths behind Erb.
Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., finished third, giving him consecutive top-five finishes on the Summernationals road. Steve Sheppard Jr. of New Berlin, Ill., was fourth and Jason Feger of Springfield, Ill. Placed fifth.
Thirty-eight cars entered the event at Bob and Gayle Kamp’s spic-and-span facility.
Heat winners were Sheppard, O’Neal, Erb and Steidinger, while Rodney Melvin of Benton, Ill., and Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning, Mich., captured the B-Mains.
UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals Feature Finish (40 laps):
1. Dennis Erb Jr.
2. Mike Marlar
3. Don O’Neal
4. Steve Sheppard Jr.
5. Jason Feger
6. Terry Casey
7. Randy Korte
8. Wes Steidinger
9. Greg Johnson
10. Rodney Melvin
11. Richie Hedrick
12. Patrick Sheltra
13. Jeep VanWormer
14. Dan Walden
15. Mike Mataragas
16. Rusty Schlenk
17. Kevin Weaver
18. Tim Manville
19. A.J. Diemel
20. Michael Kloos
21. Mark Burgtorf
DNQ: Steve Zakrajsek, Guy Volk, Frank Heckenast Jr., Jordan Bland, George Scheffler, Kerry Mathew, Michael Bradley, Matt Miller, Rusty Pleasant, Tyler Boggs, Jim Felker, Eddie Kirchoff, Bill Luse, Ted Loomis, Shawn Toczek, Zach Carney
UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals Point Standings (after 2 events):
1. Dennis Erb Jr. 158
2. Mike Marlar 152
3. Don O’Neal 148
4. Rodney Melvin 138
5. Wes Steidinger 136
5. Terry Casey 136
7. Greg Johnson 132
7. Steve Sheppard Jr. 132
9. Randy Korte 128
10. Jason Feger 124
11. Kevin Weaver 112
12. Rusty Schlenk 100
13. Jeep VanWormer 94
14. Matt Miller 74
15. Shawn Toczek 68
2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals Schedule
6/15 – Fri. – Kankakee Motor Speedway/Kankakee, IL (Dennis Erb Jr.)
6/16 – Sat. – Kamp Motor Speedway/Boswell, IN (Dennis Erb Jr.)
6/17 – Sun. – Tri-State Speedway/Haubstadt, IN
6/18 – Mon. – Jefferson County Raceway/Mt. Vernon, IL
6/19 – Tues. – Lebanon I-44 Speedway/Lebanon, MO
6/20 – Wed. – Highland Speedway/Highland, IL
6/21 – Thurs. – Morgan County Speedway/Jacksonville, IL
6/22 – Fri. – Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL
6/23 – Sat. – I-55 Raceway/Pevely, MO
6/24 – Sun. – Lincoln Speedway/Lincoln, IL
6/25 – Mon. – Peoria Speedway/Peoria, IL
6/26 – Tues. – Poplar Bluff Speedway/Poplar Bluff, MO
6/27 – Wed. – Lake Ozark Speedway/Eldon, MO
6/28 – Thurs. – Paducah International Raceway/Paducah, KY
6/29 – Fri. – Western Kentucky Speedway/Nebo, KY
6/30 – Sat. – Clarksville Speedway/Clarksville, TN
7/1 – Sun. – Vermilion County Speedway/Danville, IL
7/2 – Mon. – Midway Speedway/Crooksville, OH
7/3 – Tues. – Lawrenceburg Speedway/Lawrenceburg, IN
7/4 – Wed. – Day Off
7/5 – Thurs. – Macon Speedway/Macon, IL
7/6 – Fri. – Tri-City Speedway/Pontoon Beach , IL
7/7 – Sat. – Fairbury American Legion Speedway/Fairbury, IL
7/8 – Sun. – Quad City Speedway/East Moline, IL
7/9 – Mon. – C.J. Raceway/Columbus Junction, IA
7/10 – Tues. – Quincy Raceway/Quincy, IL
7/11 – Wed. – Spoon River Speedway/Canton, IL
7/12 – Thurs. – LaSalle Speedway/LaSalle, IL
7/13 – Fri. – Day Off
7/14 – Sat. – Oakshade Raceway/Wauseon, OH
