Babb claims UMP Summer Nationals Title! Weber, Bauman also take victories!
Pevely, MO (June 29, 2002) A packed house filled the grandstands in anticipation of the seventh annual Bud UMP Summer Nationals at I-55 Raceway. Thirty-six UMP Late Models signed in to compete for the $10,000 top prize. The action kicked off with Billy Moyer setting fast time in qualifying with a time of 13.587 seconds around the high-banked one-third mile oval.
Bob Pierce took off from his front row starting spot in the dash and ran off with the win. Shannon Babb made a late race charge for the lead but had to settle for second. Defending track champion Ed Dixon took third, with Don OÂ’Neal fourth and Billy Moyer fifth.
Defending UMP Late Model National Champion Rodney Melvin claimed the first heat race over NASCAR veteran Kenny Schrader, Matt Taylor was third, Justin Allgaier fourth and Steve Shive rounded out the top five.
Scott Bloomquist checked out on the rest of the field and won the second heat by a full straightaway. Dan Schlieper was second, Danny Haynes third, with Jim Durbin and Tim Ratajczyk completing the top five.
Heat three was the most exciting heat race of the evening, with Kevin Weaver and Dave Jumper battling side-by-side for much of the event. Weaver edged ahead to claim the win. Mark Oller, Clay Baumann and Danny Maguire filled out the top five.
Johnny Johnson and Jason Frankel won the semi features.
Twenty-five cars took to the track for the feature event, doing a four-wide parade lap with each driver carrying the American Flag in honor of Independence Day. Once the event was underway, the two cars that started on the front row, Pierce and Babb, put on a show that fans wonÂ’t soon forget. Babb pulled ahead but Pierce stayed right there with him, pulling up on the inside of Babb through each turn, but Babb would pull ahead down the straight-aways. The battle raged on each lap, as the drivers fought through heavy lapped traffic. Babb continuously found the best path through the traffic, maintaining his slight lead over Pierce. As they worked through traffic, Billy Moyer moved into the mix and actually moved ahead of Pierce and took second on lap thirty-six, but a caution came out for Danny MaguireÂ’s single car spin. On the restart, Babb was able to pull away and left Pierce and Moyer to battle for second. Meanwhile, Don OÂ’Neal and Scott Bloomquist were fighting tooth and nail for fourth. At the end, they crossed the line how they had restarted, with Babb claiming the $10,000 top prize. Pierce was second, Moyer third, OÂ’Neal fourth and Bloomquist fifth.
The UMP Modifieds once again put on spectacular show. Scott Weber pulled away from the field en-route to his fifth victory of the season at I-55 Raceway. As Weber checked out, that left a large group of cars battling for second. Brent Mullins, Dean Hoffman, Rusty Griffaw, Brian Collins, Bobby Bittle and Jim Shereck took turns swapping around the top five positions. With five laps remaining, Mullins caught inside wall coming out of turn four and broke a tie-rod on the left front. He fell from second, but still drove very hard to finish eighth. As the event went all twenty laps without a caution, Hoffman claimed the second spot, with Griffaw third, Collins fourth and Bittle fifth.
The AARA Sportsman didnÂ’t disappoint the fans; Paul Bauman and Scott Stuppy drove the final ten laps of their event in a near dead heat. Each driver took turns at the point, but in the end Bauman crossed the line first to claim his first feature win of 2002. Stuppy was second, Todd McGraw third, Rich Whaley fourth and Sam Worley fifth.
UMP Modifieds
Heat 1:
1. 4M Brent Mullins
2. 1D Dean Hoffman
3. 18 Brent Thompson
4. N1 Gary Archambault
Heat 2:
1. 6 Ray Wagner
2. 11 Brian Collins
3. 4J Scott Weber
4. 17 Jim Shereck
Heat 3:
1. 16 Rusty Griffaw
2. 8 Kyle Steffens
3. 89 Bobby Bittle
4. 99 Brian Wolfmeier
Dash:
1. 1D Dean Hoffman
2. 4J Scott Weber
3. 16 Rusty Griffaw
4. 11 Brian Collins
5. 89 Bobby Bittle
6. 6 Ray Wagner
7. 18 Brent Thompson
8. 8 Kyle Steffens
9. 4M Brent Mullins
Semi:
1. 70 Josh Russell
2. 56 Kevin Epperson
3. C4 Chris Soutiea
4. 21 Dennis Richards
5. 40 Steve Ellison
6. 8 Kirk Murphy
7. 68 Jerry Kiser
8. 41 Larry Hull
9. 78 Rich Lawson
10. X1 Dave Sandage
11. Neil Wade, Jr.
DNS. 51 John Hoffman
Feature:
1. 4J Scott Weber
2. 1D Dean Hoffman
3. 16 Rusty Griffaw
4. 11 Brian Collins
5. 89 Bobby Bittle
6. 17 Jim Shereck
7. 6 Ray Wagner
8. 4M Brent Mullins
9. 8 Kyle Steffens
10. 14 Leroy Haney
11. 9 Doug Wood
12. 99 Brian Wolfmeier
13. N1 Gary Archambault
14. 21 Dennis Richards
15. C4 Chris Soutiea
16. 3R Leon Rakers
17. 00Z Steve Picou
18. 18T Brent Thompson
19. 12 Tom Ratajczyk
20. 56 Kevin Epperson
21. 70 Josh Russell
22. 8M Kirk Murphy
23. 40 Steve Ellison
24. 45M Eric Mabery
UMP Late Models
Qualifying:
Name Lap 1 Lap 2 Fast Time
Moyer 13.648 13.587 13.587
Babb 14.088 13.647 13.647
Pierce 13.975 13.685 13.685
O'Neal 13.702 NT 13.702
VanWormer 14.055 13.831 13.831
Dixon 13.841 14.009 13.841
Bloomquist 13.874 13.94 13.874
Schrader 14.221 13.894 13.894
Schlieper 14.175 13.915 13.915
Jumper 13.96 14.059 13.96
Allgaier 13.995 14.016 13.995
Frankel 14.03 14.06 14.03
Baumann 14.055 NT 14.055
M. Taylor 14.075 14.237 14.075
Haynes 14.107 14.622 14.107
Weaver 14.174 14.253 14.174
Hewitt 14.482 14.208 14.208
Melvin 14.55 14.267 14.267
B. Faust 14.38 14.275 14.275
Hedrick 14.318 14.403 14.318
Zidar 14.326 14.522 14.326
Oller 14.329 14.415 14.329
Ratajczyk 14.603 14.332 14.332
Dagg 14.445 14.355 14.355
Shive 14.357 14.438 14.357
Baird 14.382 15.64 14.382
Maguire 14.463 14.762 14.463
Garner 14.518 16.962 14.518
Durbin 14.565 14.757 14.565
Kruckeberg 14.588 15.034 14.588
Johnson 14.652 14.815 14.652
Erb 14.84 14.71 14.71
Larson 14.893 14.727 14.727
Wolfmeier 14.845 14.767 14.767
O'Conner 14.875 14.79 14.79
Motsinger 16.002 14.821 14.821
Dash:
1. 32 Bob Pierce
2. 18 Shannon Babb
3. 50 Ed Dixon
4. 71 Don OÂ’Neal
5. 21 Billy Moyer
6. 55 Jeep VanWormer
7. 27 Rodney Melvin
8. 0 Scott Bloomquist
9. 67 Mark Oller
Heat 1:
1. 27 Rodney Melvin
2. 99 Ken Schrader
3. 117 Matt Taylor
4. 1A Justin Allgaier
5. 51 Steve Shive
6. 99 Johnny Johnson
7. 9 Jamie Zidar
8. 11 Jack Hewitt
9. 23 Brian Garner
10. 37 Brian Wolfmeier
Heat 2:
1. 0 Scott Bloomquist
2. S9 Dan Schlieper
3. 47 Danny Haynes
4. 3D Jim Durbin
5. 112 Tim Ratajczyk
6. 33 Jason Frankel
7. 26 Billy Faust
8. 28 Dennis Erb
9. 9B Chuck Baird
10. 8 Reece OÂ’Conner
Heat 3:
1. B12 Kevin Weaver
2. 2J Dave Jumper
3. 67 Mark Oller
4. 77 Clay Baumann
5. 32 Danny Maguire
6. 76 Butch Kruckeberg
7. 8 Brent Larson
8. R52 Rylan Dagg
9. 0 Richie Hedrick
10. 44 Dean Motsinger
Semi #1:
1. 99 Johnny Johnson
2. 76 Butch Kruckeberg
3. 26 Billy Faust
4. 37 Brian Wolfmeier
5. 11 Jack Hewitt
6. 44 Dean Motsinger
Semi #2:
1. 33 Jason Frankel
2. 28 Dennis Erb
3. 8 Brent Larson
4. 9Z Jamie Zidar
5. 9B Chuck Baird
6. 23 Brian Garner
Feature:
1. 18 Shannon Babb
2. 32 Bob Pierce
3. 21 Billy Moyer
4. 71 Don OÂ’Neal
5. 0 Scott Bloomquist
6. 50 Ed Dixon
7. 55 Jeep VanWormer
8. S9 Dan Schlieper
9. 27 Rodney Melvin
10. B12 Kevin Weaver
11. 2J Dave Jumper
12. 117 Matt Taylor
13. 99 Ken Schrader
14. 28 Dennis Erb
15. 1A Justin Allgaier
16. 76 Butch Kruckeberg
17. 3D Jim Durbin
18. 33 Jason Frankel
19. 77 Clay Baumann
20. 99 Johnny Johnson
21. 67 Mark Oller
22. 32 Danny Maguire
23. 51 Steve Shive
24. 112 Tim Ratajczyk
25. 47 Danny Haynes
AARA Sportsman
Heat 1:
1. 24 Paul Bauman
2. 00 Scott Stuppy
3. 23 Mark Schnurbusch
4. 98 David Bardin
Heat 2:
1. 166 Sam Worley
2. 411 Marty Heck
3. 21 Brad McKinnon
4. 111 Zac Parks
Dash:
1. 24 Paul Bauman
2. 00 Scott Stuppy
3. 166 Sam Worley
4. 10 Todd McGraw
Feature:
1. 24 Paul Bauman
2. 00 Scott Stuppy
3. 10 Todd McGraw
4. 59 Rich Whaley
5. 166 Sam Worley
6. 36 Bob Schmidt
7. 4 Brian Dawson
8. 66 Darren Holland
9. 411 Marty Heck
10. 111 Zac Parks
11. 23 Mark Schnurbusch
12. 28 Tom Smallwood
13. 21 Brad McKinnon
14. 19 Brad Grantham
15. 98 David Bardin
DNS. D5 Dave Jenkins
DNS. 3P Bob Prince
DNS. 7 Craig Wodicker
