April 6, 2002 Results

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Ratajczyk Roars to Victory on Opening Night!

PEVELY, MO (April 6, 2002) I-55 Raceway opened the 2002 regular season with a full field of cars on a cool crisp night. Twenty-five of the top UMP Late Model drivers were on hand and provided another great night of racing. The opening qualifying heat saw Tim Ratajczyk jump out front and pull away to victory over Danny Haynes and Brett Sievert. The second heat saw Jim Durbin and Billy Laycock battle for the lead early on, but Laycock spun late in the race giving second place to Chuck Baird with Brian Wolfmeier coming home third. Billy Faust grabbed the victory in the third heat over Mark Oller and Kevin Gundaker.

Tim Ratajczyk continued to impress in the dash. He jumped out front from his front row starting spot and held off a charging Kevin Gundaker who came from ninth to battle for the lead and ended up second. Billy Faust came home third.

The feature event kept the fans on the edge of their seats as Tim Ratajczyk and Kevin Gundaker battled side by side for the lead lap after lap. Ratajczyk stayed around the very bottom of the track while Gundaker charged around high side. Meanwhile the battle behind the two leaders raged on as Billy Faust, Danny Haynes, Brett Sievert, Dave Jumper, Jim Durbin and Clay Baumann swapped positions lap after lap. While these battles went on, 2001 I-55 track champion Ed Dixon was on the move from twenty-second starting spot towards the front. As the laps began to wind down, the top groove began to go away and Gundaker started to fade. Billy Faust moved up to challenge Ratajczyk for the lead but couldnÂ’t find a way around the leader. It was Ratajczyk crossing the line first, followed by Faust, Haynes, Oller and Sievert. Jumper came home sixth, with Gundaker, Durbin, Baumann and Dixon completing the top ten.

Scott Weber started off the 2002 season just like he finished the 2001 season, by putting on an impressive performance and sweeping the UMP Modified events. Weber took the lead on the opening lap and held off early challenges from Jim Shereck and a late race challenge by Dean Hoffman. Following Weber and Hoffman across the line were Kyle Steffens, Leroy Haney and Tom Ratajczyk. However, Steffens was penalized two positions for jumping an earlier restart. Ray Wagner, Dennis Richards, Mike Barbeau, Jim Shereck and Chris Soutiea rounded out the top ten. The heats were won by Weber, Wagner and Hoffman. Rusty Griffaw won the consolation race after making repairs to his car from a hard crash with Doug Wood in the heat race.

Paul Belken grabbed the lead on the third lap of the sportsman feature and pulled away to a dominating victory. Paul Bauman and Scott Stuppy battled back and forth for second with Bauman taking the spot. Todd McGraw was fourth and David Bardin moved up from deep in the field to finish fifth. Ricky Horton, Dan Dixon, Mark Blanke, Jim Troutman and Ron Imm completed the top ten. Dixon, Bauman and Belken won the heats, Stuppy won the dash and Blanke won the consolation.

UMP Late Models
Heat 1:
1. 112 Tim Ratajczyk
2. 47 Danny Haynes
3. 5 Brett Sievert
4. 51 Steve Shive
5. 77 Clay Baumann
6. 12 Mark Schaefer
7. 23 Brian Garner
8. DNS 50 Ed Dixon
9. DNS 44 Dean Motsinger

Heat 2:
1. 3D Jim Durbin
2. 9B Chuck Baird
3. 37 Brian Wolfmeier
4. 2J Dave Jumper
5. 28 Don Klein
6. 41 Steve Maisel
7. 82 Billy Laycock
8. 8up Ron McQuerry

Heat 3:
1. 26 Billy Faust
2. 67 Mark Oller
3. 11 Kevin Gundaker
4. 10 Rodney Pense
5. B1 Bob Brown
6. 22 Darryl Moser
7. 24 Dick Taylor
8. DNS 71 John Bohn

Dash:
1. 112 Tim Ratajczyk
2. 11 Kevin Gundaker
3. 26 Billy Faust
4. 47 Danny Haynes
5. 5 Brett Sievert
6. 3D Jim Durbin
7. 67 Mark Oller
8. 9B Chuck Baird
9. 37 Brian Wolfmeier

Feature:
1. 112 Tim Ratajczyk
2. 26 Billy Faust
3. 47 Danny Haynes
4. 67 Mark Oller
5. 5 Brett Sievert
6. 2J Dave Jumper
7. 11 Kevin Gundaker
8. 3D Jim Durbin
9. 77 Clay Baumann
10. 50 Ed Dixon
11. 51 Steve Shive
12. 28 Don Klein
13. 9B Chuck Baird
14. 12 Mark Schaefer
15. 10 Rodney Pense
16. 23 Brian Garner
17. B1 Bob Brown
18. 82 Billy Laycock
19. 22 Darryl Moser
20. 41 Steve Maisel
21. 37 Brian Wolfmeier
22. 8UP Ron McQuerry
DQ. 44 Dean Motsinger (light)
DNS. 71 John Bohn
DNS. 24 Dick Taylor

UMP Modifieds
Heat 1:
1. 4J Scott Weber
2. 17 Jim Shereck
3. 12 Tom Ratajczyk
4. 14 Leroy Haney

Heat 2:
1. 6 Ray Wagner
2. 45M Eric Mabery
3. 8 Kyle Steffens
4. 81 Mike Barbeau

Heat 3:
1. 1D Dean Hoffman
2. 21 Dennis Richards
3. 444 Matt Simpson
4. 14X Tim Burdell

Dash:
1. 4J Scott Weber
2. 17 Jim Shereck
3. 6 Ray Wagner
4. 1D Dean Hoffman

Semi:
1. 16 Rusty Griffaw
2. 99 Brian Wolfmeier
3. 4M Brent Mullins
4. 41 Larry Hull
5. X1 Dave Sandage
6. 51 John Hoffman
7. C4 Chris Soutiea

Feature:
1. 4J Scott Weber
2. 1D Dean Hoffman
3. 14 Leroy Haney
4. 12 Tom Ratajczyk
5. 8 Kyle Steffens * penalized 2 spots for jumping restart
6. 6 Ray Wagner
7. 21 Dennis Richards
8. 81 Mike Barbeau
9. 17 Jim Shereck
10. C4 Chris Soutiea
11. 8 Kirk Murphy
12. 14K Loren Knox
13. 14X Tim Burdell
14. 41 Larry Hull
15. X1 Dave Sandage
16. 56 Kevin Epperson
17. 4B Neil Wade, Jr.
18. 16 Rusty Griffaw
19. 99 Brian Wolfmeier
20. 444 Matt Simpson
21. 70 Josh Russell
22. 45M Eric Mabery
23. 4M Brent Mullins
24. 51 John Hoffman

Other Cars Present:
9 Doug Wood
07 Paul Rice
10 Todd Ferber
59 Rich Whaley

AARA Sportsman
Heat 1:
1. 500 Dan Dixon
2. 61 Mike Whitter
3. 20 Gary McKinnon
4. 75 Ron Imm
2nd place 411 Marty Heck (DQ-light)

Heat 2:
1. 24 Paul Bauman
2. 10 Todd McGraw
3. 01 Steve Borgetti
4. 98 David Bardin

Heat 3:
1. 46 Paul Belken
2. 00 Scott Stuppy
3. 4 Ricky Horton
4. 15 Jim Troutman

Dash:
1. 00 Scott Stuppy
2. 24 Paul Bauman
3. 500 Dan Dixon
4. 46 Paul Belken

Semi:
1. 38D Mark Blanke
2. 411 Marty Heck
3. 6 Brian Noeth
4. 66 Darren Holland
5. 19 Brad Grantham
6. 54 Jim Wisnewski
7. 93 Jeff Honea

Feature:
1. 46 Paul Belken
2. 24 Paul Bauman
3. 00 Scott Stuppy
4. 10 Todd McGraw
5. 98 David Bardin
6. 4 Ricky Horton
7. 500 Dan Dixon
8. 38D Mark Blanke
9. 15 Jim Troutman
10. 75 Ron Imm
11. 44 Nick Werner
12. 411 Marty Heck
13. 59 Jeff Whaley
14. 146 Douglas Kim
15. 6 Brian Noeth
16. 19 Brad Grantham
17. 01 Steve Borgetti
18. 27 Nathan Walsh
19. 51 John Hoffman
20. 61 Mike Whitter
21. 66 Darren Holland
22. 11 Darrel Crismon
23. 54 Jim Wisnewski

Other Cars Present:
45 Mike Seymour
21 Brad McKinnon
166 Sam Worley
33 Dale Carroll

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