Gundaker grabs win, Dixon claims Championship at I-55!
Weber & Belken also crowned as Champions!
PEVELY, MO (September 8, 2001) The 2001 UMP Late Model season championship came down to the wire on the final night of points, with four drivers still with a chance to take the title. Ed Dixon came in as the point leader holding a 43-point lead over Mark Oller who was three points ahead of Kevin Gundaker and twelve points ahead of Tim Ratajczyk. Tension and nerves were high at the start of the feature, which resulted in seven cautions in the first three laps of the feature for various spins and crashes including a hard crash by Randy Korte into the back stretch wall. One of those cautions was for point leader Dixon, who slowed with what he thought was suspension problems but turned out to be excessive mud in his right side wheels. Dixon had to restart on the rear and the points battle turned into an all out war. Oller and Gundaker battled feverishly for the remainder of the race for the lead. Gundaker rode the cushion around the top and Oller continued to pull along side using the very bottom of the track. The two crossed the finish line side-by-side with Gundaker winning by about 1 foot. Clay Baumann chased both leaders the entire distance and came home third. Jim Durbin, for the second straight week, moved up from a mid-pack start to grab a top five as he finishes fourth. Dave Jumper rounded out the top five. Dixon battled his way back to a ninth place finish, which secured him the season championship for 2001.
In the UMP Modified division, it appeared to be a two-car battle for the win early on between Scott Weber and Rusty Griffaw, but they started rubbing sheet metal and banging wheels while battling for the lead and Jim Shereck drove around both of them and pulled away to grab the win. Griffaw held on for second. Rich Whaley continued his great second-half of the season and finished third. Weber was fourth and Brett Cygan fifth.
Troy Naeger and Paul Belken renewed their season long battle in the AARA Sportsman division. They started side-by-side on the front row, with Belken jumping out to the early lead. Naeger was able to move around Belken on the fourth lap and he never looked back. Belken held on for second, Brian Worley was third, Dan Dixon fourth and Mark Blanke fifth.
UMP Late Models (27 Cars)
Heat 1:
1. 67 Mark Oller
2. 10 Rodney Pense
3. 32M Danny Maguire
4. 3D Jim Durbin
Heat 2:
1. 2J Dave Jumper
2. 11 Kevin Gundaker
3. 50 Ed Dixon
4. 9B Chuck Baird
Heat 3:
1. 77 Clay Baumann
2. 47 Danny Haynes
3. 12 Wayne Downing
4. 28 Don Klein
Dash:
1. 67 Mark Oller
2. 77 Clay Baumann
3. 50 Ed Dixon
4. 47 Danny Haynes
Semi: (Top 6 Transfer)
1. 112 Tim Ratajczyk
2. 117 Matt Taylor
3. 30 Tom Carson
4. 4 Larry Loughary
5. 16 John Hobson
6. 78 Ron Jarrell
7. 56 Tommy Worley
8. 11A Mike Abney
9. 23 Brian Garner
Feature:
1. 11 Kevin Gundaker
2. 67 Mark Oller
3. 77 Clay Baumann
4. 3D Jim Durbin
5. 2J Dave Jumper
6. 112 Tim Ratajczyk
7. 33 Jason Frankel
8. 26 Billy Faust
9. 50 Ed Dixon
10. 28 Don Klein
11. 51 Steve Shive
12. 30 Tom Carson
13. 117 Matt Taylor
14. 4 Larry Loughary
15. 32M Danny Maguire
16. 78 Ron Jarrell
17. 83 Bill Masters
18. 44 Dean Motsinger
19. 10 Rodney Pense
20. 12 Wayne Downing
21. 16 John Hobson
22. 9B Chuck Baird
23. 47 Danny Haynes
24. 00 Randy Korte
UMP Modifieds (20 Cars)
Heat 1:
1. 17 Jim Shereck
2. 59 Rich Whaley
3. 6 Ray Wagner
4. 16J Darrell Hoffman
Heat 2:
1. 16 Rusty Griffaw
2. 4J Scott Weber
3. 14 Leroy Haney
4. 12 Tom Ratajczyk
Dash:
1. 16 Rusty Griffaw
2. 4J Scott Weber
3. 17 Jim Shereck
4. 59 Rich Whaley
Feature:
1. 17 Jim Shereck
2. 16 Rusty Griffaw
3. 59 Rich Whaley
4. 4J Scott Weber
5. 01 Brett Cygan
6. 12 Tom Ratajczyk
7. 6 Ray Wagner
8. 95 Jerry Grither
9. 16J Darrell Hoffman
10. 56 Kevin Epperson
11. 20N Bobby Newberry
12. X1 Dave Sandage
13. 41 Larry Hull
14. 95B Jim Beishir
15. 62 Troy Medley
16. 8 Kirk Murphy
17. 10 D.J. Cygan
18. 3 Leon Rakers
19. 14 Leroy Haney
DNS. 70 Ken Peters
AARA Sportsman (35 Cars)
Heat 1:
1. 10 Todd McGraw
2. 24 Paul Bauman
3. 34 Ray Wohlschlaeger
4. 38D Mark Blanke
Heat 2:
1. 12 Troy Naeger
2. 44 Nick Werner
3. 78B Chuck Crostic
4. 301 Tom Fitzgerald
Heat 3:
1. 51 John Hoffman
2. 00 Scott Stuppy
3. 36 Bob Schmidt
4. 46 Paul Belken
Heat 4:
1. M41 Steve Maisel
2. 166 Brian Worley
3. D5 Dave Jenkins
4. F16 Frank Melton
Dash: (Top 8 in points and lined up inverted)
1. 46 Paul Belken
2. 00 Scott Stuppy
3. 20 Gary McKinnon
4. 500 Dan Dixon
Semi #1: (Top 3 transfer)
1. 36 Bob Schmidt
2. 51 John Hoffman
3. 34 Ray Wohlschlaeger
4. 8 Buddy Lowery
5. 9 Dale Carroll
6. 19 Brad Grantham
7. 64 Lee Bowers
8. 49 Daniel Hancock
DNS. 911 Christian Doggendrof
DNS. 16F Frank Melton
DNS. 59 Jeff Whaley
Semi #2: (Top 3 transfer)
1. M41 Steve Maisel
2. 93 Jeff Honea
3. D40 Ed DeMille
4. 78B Chuck Crostic
5. 411 Chris Soutiea
6. 42 Nathan Walsh
7. 301 Tom Fitzgerald
DNS. 61 Mike Whitter
DNS. 87 Gary Haynes
DNS. 45 Mike Seymour
Feature: (Top 18 in points locked into first 18 spots, all others transferred through 2 consi's)
1. 12 Troy Naeger
2. 46 Paul Belken
3. 166 Brian Worley
4. 500 Dan Dixon
5. 38D Mark Blanke
6. 00 Scott Stuppy
7. 10 Todd McGraw
8. 20 Gary McKinnon
9. 24 Paul Bauman
10. 18 Daryl Dodge
11. D5 Dave Jenkins
12. 105 Matt Hancock
13. 36 Bob Schmidt
14. M41 Steve Maisel
15. 44 Nick Werner
16. 92 Jim Abshier
17. 51 John Hoffman
18. 40 Ed DeMille
19. 93 Jeff Honea
20. 34 Ray Wohlschlaeger
21. 75 Ron Imm
