{"id":8969,"date":"2011-07-16T00:50:37","date_gmt":"2011-07-16T05:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/100.24.212.105\/?p=8969"},"modified":"2011-07-16T00:50:37","modified_gmt":"2011-07-16T05:50:37","slug":"dirtcar-ump-weekly-points-update-unzicker%e2%80%99s-late-model-edge-shrinks-harrison-grabs-top-spot-in-ump-modified-national-standings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dirtcar.com\/divisions\/late-models\/dirtcar-ump-weekly-points-update-unzicker%e2%80%99s-late-model-edge-shrinks-harrison-grabs-top-spot-in-ump-modified-national-standings\/","title":{"rendered":"DIRTcar UMP Weekly Points Update: Unzicker\u2019s Late Model Edge Shrinks, Harrison Grabs Top Spot In UMP Modified National Standings"},"content":{"rendered":"
CONCORD, NC \u2013 July 15, 2011 \u2013 Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, Ill. saw his lead shrink in the Late Model standings while Mike Harrison of Highland, Ill., grabbed the top spot in the UMP Modified rankings following Week 24 of the battle for the 2011 DIRTcar UMP national points championships.<\/p>\n
Unzicker, 28, had his advantage in the Late Model standings nearly cut in half during Week 24 action, which includes all UMP-sanctioned events run from July 4-10. He entered the stretch with a 352-point lead over Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., but ended it with a 171-point edge over the circuit\u2019s 2009 national champion.<\/p>\n
Week 24 wasn\u2019t memorable for Unzicker, who made five starts on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals \u2018Hell Tour.\u2019 He managed just a pair of top-10 finishes \u2013 sixth on July 10 at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind., and ninth on July 9 at Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway.<\/p>\n
Feger didn\u2019t fare much better in his five Summer Nationals appearances \u2013 he had one top five (fifth on July 4 at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa) and three top 10s to go along with finishes of 20th<\/sup> at Clarksville and 21st<\/sup> at Tri-State \u2013 but he did join Unzicker in reaching the 35-race plateau for the season. The Late Model standings are determined using drivers\u2019 best 35 finishes\/points nights.<\/p>\n Eighteen-year-old sensation Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., meanwhile, pulled to within 215 points of Unzicker in third place during a week in which he reached the 35-start mark and also earned the biggest win of his career. He pocketed $10,000 for capturing the Summer Nationals event on July 8 at Farmer City.<\/p>\n Defending Late Model national champion Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich., who sits fourth in the points standings, also narrowed his deficit to Unzicker, closing to within 288 points. His three-start week included fifth-place finishes on July 8 at Kankakee (Ill.) County Speedway and July 9 at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio.<\/p>\n Harrison vaulted into the UMP Modified national points lead with a nearly perfect performance in Week 24. He won two DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals events (July 6 at Illinois\u2019s Peoria Speedway and July 10 at Tri-State), finished second in the tour event on July 8 at Farmer City and won a weekly feature on July 9 at Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway.<\/p>\n Harrison, the defending UMP Modified national champion, went from 26 points behind Nick Allen of Wheatfield, Ind., to 89 points ahead (1,795-1,706) following his spectacular week. Allen made three starts over the span, topping out with a second on July 8 at Kankakee.<\/p>\n Other national points leaders after Week 24 in UMP-sanctioned divisions included Nick Bauman of New Berlin, Ill. (Pro Late Models), Troy Clark of North Vernon, Ind. (Sportsman); Kentucky\u2019s Jeff Lawson (Limited Modifieds); Nate Zimmer of Mattoon, Ill. (Stock Cars); Jake Hewitt of Troy, Ill. (Factory Stocks); and Kenny Butterfield of Glassford, Ill. (Sport Compacts).<\/p>\n