By BZ

(Macon, IL) Retired Springfield firefighter Dennis Vandermeersch was locked into the 1/5th mile dirt oval at Macon Speedway and managed to run away with the Sportsman Topless 40 feature event. The annual event with the Sportsman division racing without their roofs brought out the best in Vandermeersch in the feature but not the best in the heat race where he finished deep in the field and spun out during the race. From the 13th starting spot, Vandermeersch soared to the front and by lap 6, passed Rick Roedel for the lead and took off for the checkered flag. A caution flag on lap 29 possibly kept Vandermeersch from actually lapping the field. He made the pass on the fourth place car and was closing in on the third place driver before the yellow flag came out and brought the action back to a single file restart. The event was finished with six caution flags and completed in 19 minutes and 56 seconds.

Bobby Beiler took the Archer’s Alley Street Stocks main event. Beiler lost the win last week on a last lap pass by Terry Reed and had to fight off Reed as well as Nick Macklin. Beiler ran the top groove of the track and avoided the pass by Macklin from the bottom. Along with the glory of the checkered flag, Beiler also received a $100 bonus from Rocco’s Bar in Decatur.

Guy Taylor flew around the top of the track in the BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds. Running second row behind Curt and Zach Rhodes, Taylor was fast on the gas and passed Curt Rhodes to get to the lead and ran around the cushion of the track to finish off the race. Pro Modified racer Billy Knebel ran the bottom of the track and secured second place ahead of Curt Rhodes and defending champion Tommy Sheppard, Jr. took fourth.

With the night sky lighting up from a strong thunderstorm to the north and rain sprinkling, the Micro Sprints Presented by Bailey Chasis finished a 15-lap feature quickly as Mt. Zion’s Tony Clifton would take the checkered flag and win the race.

As the Pro Late Models took to the track, the rains got heavier and the event finished due to rain without getting to run three features. Those features will be made up at a time TBA. The night featured over 100 racecars among the seven racing classes and firefighters and first responders were admitted free with their IDs.

Macon Speedway welcomes the MOWA 410 Winged Sprint cars to the track next Saturday night for a full stock car racing program. Pro Late Models, Pro Modifieds, Archer’s Alley Street Stocks, Micro Sprints Presented by Bailey Chassis and Hornets will make up the show.

FEATURE RUNDOWNS (Top 10’s)

BillingsleyRewards.com Modified

(1) 4 +3 Guy Taylor Springfield, IL 77 (2) 6 +4 Billy Knebel Pocahontas, IL 52 (3) 2 -1 Curt Rhodes Taylorville, IL 10 (4) 11 +7 Tommy Sheppard Jr New Berlin, IL T6 (5) 8 +3 Joe Strawkas Buffalo, IL 28S (6) 5 -1 Rick Hamilton Decatur, IL 517 (7) 13 +6 Jeff Graham Stonington, IL 71 (8) 12 +4 Roy Magee Springfield, IL 11 (9) (DNF) 16 +7 Bryan Leach Harvel, IL 12L (10) (DNF) 14 +4 Jason Scrimpsher Decatur, IL 13

Sportsman Topless 40

 (1) 13 +12 Dennis Vander Meersch Springfield, IL 25 (2) 1 -1 Rick Roedel Shelbyville, IL 11 (3) 3 – Scott Landers Taylorville, IL 41 (4) 12 +8 Dustin Reed Decatur, IL 21R (5) 10 +5 Phil Moreland Assumption, IL 07 (6) (DNF) 9 +3 Matt Reed Decatur, IL 4 (7) (DNF) 4 -3 Stefan Bedinger Taylorville, IL 61 (8) (DNF) 16 +8 Austin O’Dell Rochester, IL 17 (9) (DNF) 8 -1 Joel Irvin Harristown, IL 3J (10) (DNF) 5 -5 Jim Farley III Springfield, IL 84L

Archers Alley Street Stock

(1) 2 +1 Bobby Beiler Blue Mound, IL B26 (2) 4 +2 Nick Macklin Argenta, IL 16 (3) 16 +13 Darrell Dick Monticello, IL 22 (4) 6 +2 Terry Reed Cerro Gordo, IL T5 (5) 5 – Andy Zahnd White Heath, IL 2Z (6) 10 +4 Guy Taylor Springfield, IL X7 (7) 7 – Jaret Duff Maroa, IL 21 (8) 8 – Wes Biesenthal Athens, IL 14 (9) 12 +3 Rudy Zaragoza Jacksonville, IL 67 (10) 15 +5 Dustin Reed Decatur, IL 21R

Micros By Bailey Chassis

 (1) 2 +1 Tony Clifton Mt Zion, IL 23 (2) 5 +3 Jacob Tipton Decatur, IL 10 (3) 3 – Will Armitage Athens, IL 7A (4) 8 +4 Hayden Harvey Warrensburg, IL 55 (5) 11 +6 Devin Feger East Peoria, IL 27 (6) 4 -2 John Barnard Sherman, IL 8B (7) 9 +2 Daryn Stark Springfield, IL 55S (8) 1 -7 Chad Baldwin Lincoln, IL 5B (9) 13 +4 Kyle Barker Cooksville, IL 27K (10) 6 -4 Joe Taft Dawson, IL 00

DIRTcar Pro Late Models – To Be Run At Later Date

 DIRTcar Pro Mods – To Be Run At Later Date

 DIRTcar Hornets – To Be Run At Later Date