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HIGHLAND
SPEEDWAY
HIGHLAND, ILLINOIS
TRACK
SIZE: 1/4
MILE SEMI BANKED DIRT OVAL
RACE
DAYS: SATURDAY NIGHTS:
UMP LATE MODELS, UMP MODIFIEDS,
HORNETS, SPORTSMEN & BOMBERS
PHONE:
618-654-6656
WEBSITE: WWW.HIGHLANDSPEEDWAY.COM
DIRECTIONS:
EAST SIDE OF TOWN ON SR 160, THEN 0.4 MILE
SOUTH ON POPLAR, THEN EAST ON LINDELTHAL, THEN NORTH ON SPRUCE, THEN EAST
ON PARK (MADISON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS)
Highland Highland Speedway MS race for
a cure - June 21
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Highland Highland Speedway MS race
for a cure - June 21
By Jack Pugh
The ninth annual U.G.L.Y. Bartender, MS race for a Cure UMP Late Model race
came to Highland Speedway on Tuesday night with 36 cars in the pits to compete
for $3,000 to win. NASCAR stars and former local residents - Ken Schrader and
Kenny Wallace were on hand and drove their cars. There was a large crowd in the
stands and they raised a lot of extra money for the cause for the race though
the 50/50 drawing.
Time trails were held and Frankie Martin was the fastest car of the 35 cars that
took to the track. Billy Faust, Kevin Weaver, Chad Zobrist, Mark Faust and
Rodney Melvin went to the dash after time trails.
The rest of the field was filled by heat races and a two semis. Heat race one
sent Ed Dixon, Rick Salter and Mark Gansmann to the feature. The second heat
race moved Michael Kloos, Tom Carson and Mark Oller on. The third heat had Randy
Korte, Craig Smith and Jim Shereck advance. The fourth heat sent Ken Schrader,
Barian Wolfmeier and Mike Hammerle forward. The semis sent only the winner to
the end of the feature and they were Dan Jacober and Danny Hayes.
The 40-lap feature started with Melvin and Zobrist on the front row. On the
dropping of the green flag, Zobrist jumped into the lead with Melvin right on
his bumper.
As the race continued, the pair of leaders broke away from the rest of the field
and had their own race, while the other cars in the top five, Weaver, Martin,
and Mark Faust were fighting their separate race.
As the race went green, cars started to drop out as the leaders began to close
into the lapped traffic. On lap 10, the leader caught the back of the pack and
started to weave though the back markers. As the back markers realized they had
no chance to move up in the rankings, cars started to drop into the infield.
With the front runners of Zobrist and Melvin moving though the traffic,
different lines on the track were being used to gain advantage. Zorbist used the
higher line while Melvin was on the low side.
At the 10 lap mark, the top five were Zobrist, Melvin, Weaver, Martin and Mark
Faust. These cars were out in two different races of their own while the rest of
the pack fought for positions.
The race stayed green and the front two cars were putting on a show for the
crowd. Zobrist continued leading, but Melvin was within a car’s length at all
times.
At the 20 lap mark, the front five continued to be the same, but that was about
to change. Zobrist went high in turn four and hit the outside wall. After
hitting the wall, Zobrist began to slow and moved to the inside of the track. As
he came though turn two, Zobrist dropped out with driveline problems while
leading. This gave the lead to Melvin with Weaver, M. Faust, Martin and Billy
Faust now in the top five.
Melvin would take his lead and stretch it over the second place car.
As the race worn on both the Faust drivers moved forward to run second and
third. Mark took second while Billy Faust moved to third moving Weaver and
Martin back to fourth and fifth.
As the laps worn down, Melvin began racing with the about to be lapped car of
Danny Haynes. Haynes tried to stay on the lead lap and kept his same driving
line lap after lap with Melvin trying everything to get by.
As the race was getting close to the checkered flag, Melvin held a commanding
lead while the Faust’s were racing their own race for second.
At the checkered flag, it was Melvin by several car lengths and his second win
of this annual classic event for charity. Following Melvin were Mark Faust,
Billy Faust, Weaver, and Martin to complete the top five in a green to checkered
flag race that only took about 15 minutes to run.
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