Jeff
Leka

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM I-55 RACEWAY

Pevely, MO
(October 20, 2007) The 3rd Annual Ken Schrader Modified Challenge attracted
ninety-eight U.M.P. DIRTcar Modifieds drivers from around the Midwest and
featured some great racing action. Jeff Leka of Buffalo, Illinois, who finished
second in the U.M.P. DIRTcar Modified National Point Standings in 2007, led the
final thirty-two laps and claimed the victory. Leka had to change his car number
before the event got started because the track didn't allow duplicate numbers.
Leka added a zero behind his familiar number three and over the letter L,
changing his number to 30 instead of 3L. As fate would have it, this would
become Leka's 30th victory in 2007.

Leka started on the pole for the
main event, but it was NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace taking the lead at the drop
of the green flag from the outside of the front row. Wallace kept his familiar
St. Louis Cardinals sponsored #36 Impressive Race Cars chassis out front until
he was slowed on lap eight with a flat right rear tire. Leka took over the top
spot and kept his Hovis Racing Engines, REAL Wheels, Kirkland Carpet, BUDDA Bert
Transmissions, Bypass Autobody, HPR Cars sponsored machine out front the rest of
the distance. Leka's biggest challenge came from Scott Weber of Festus,
Missouri. Weber was able to close in on Leka in lapped traffic as the race as
the race was winding down. However, just as Weber was preparing a bid for the
lead, his machine suffered a drive-shaft failure with just three laps remaining.
That turned second place over to Jared Landers of Benton, Arkansas. Landers
would bring his mount across the line just in front of Denny Schwartz to earn a
second place finish. Denny Schwartz, the 2007 U.M.P. DIRTcar Modified National
Champion, would finish in the third spot. Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Kentucky
would fourth place and Bobby Bittle, the 2007 I-55 Raceway Track Champion from
Smithton, Illinois, would round out the top five.

Track crews reworked
the racetrack just before the feature event, providing a very fast and
competitive surface. Leka commented in victory lane that it was the fastest
forty laps he had ever raced. Leka was joined in victory lane by chassis builder
Bob Pierce of Bob Pierce Race Cars. Kenny Wallace was just wanting a few more
laps. He had raced all the way back to eighth place when the checkered flag
flew.

I-55 Raceway would like to thank Shop 'n Save grocery stores for
sponsoring this great event along with the Missouri/Illinois Dodge Dealers. This
event raised a lot of money for Special Olympics.

U.M.P. Modifieds –
98 Entries
Heat 1
1. 30 Jeff Leka
2. 89 Bobby Bittle
3. 5 Marty
Smith, Jr.
4. 780 Alan Conner
5. 810 Brad White
6. 17 Richie
Biswell
7. 298 Cole Hussons
8. 13 David Lee Racer
9. 98 Pat
Walsh
10. 26 Kasey Nations

Heat 2
1. 37 Mark Miner
2. 288 Joe
Puricelli
3. 142 Billy Smith
4. 71E Wade Ehrhardt
5. 56 Tommy Worley,
Sr.
6. 129 Jeff LeBaube
7. 1B Doug Beier
8. 29L J.D. Laster
9. 688
Andy Oswald
10. 0 Todd McGraw

Heat 3
1. 6 Rusty Griffaw
2. 416
Matt Goulden
3. 74 Matt Zimmerly
4. 156 Dave Thornton
5. 62 Leo
Keifer
6. 414 Brad McKinnon
7. 102 Brian Richards
8. 770 George
Wilson
9. 47 Tom Vogt
10. 8X James Reed DNS

Heat 4
1. 15 Jerry
Grither
2. 72 Brian Lynn
3. 21A Karl Adams
4. 78 Larry Hull
5. 31F
Rob Fuqua
6. 114 Tim Burdel
7. 84 Larry Hill, Jr.
8. 88D Eddie
Whitney
9. 35 Ralph Wiltrout
10. 411 Chris Spalding

Heat 5
1.
777 Jared Landers
2. 51 John Stanton
3. 20 Robbie McClain
4. 91 Steve
Copeland
5. 721 Dennis Richards
6. 377 Casey Pearson
7. 77S Bryan
Singleton
8. 11J Jack Halbert
9. 24 Paul Bauman
10. 99 Jason
Fletcher

Heat 6
1. 59 Rich Whaley
2. 36 Kenny Wallace
3. 12 Dan
Bimson
4. 10X Jesse Snyder
5. 68 Ronnie Scott
6. 50 Scott White
7.
18 Matt Dotson
8. 46 Dave Wibbenmeyer
9. 100 Todd Ferber
10. 22 Bob
Waterhouse

Heat 7
1. 4J Scott Weber
2. 711 Ed Roley
3. 166 Brian
Worley
4. 111 Dane Gundaker
5. 19 Chris Simmerman
6. 83 Mark Enk
7.
126 Gary Blackburn, Jr.
8. 321 Adam Parmeley
9. 14 Rick Conoyer
10. 4O
Bobby Regot

Heat 8
1. 07 Kenny Mudd
2. 222 Matt Mevert
3. 28
Mike Haas
4. 25 Brett Korves
5. 57 Parker Williams
6. 41 Larry
Hull
7. 3 Lou Driemeier
8. 33 Thomas Lomelino
9. 131 Mitch
Parmeley
10. 999 Robbie Helms

Heat 9
1. 121 Denny Schwartz
2. 48
Bobby Martintoni
3. 55 Jimmy Westerfield
4. 311 Leroy Haney
5. 221
Danny Schwartz
6. 95 Doug Wood
7. 155 Chris Smith
8. 27 Ethan
Schnapp
9. 45 Lee Pruitt

Heat 10
1. 90 Tim Hancock
2. 182 Randle
Sweeney
3. 260 J.D. Beal
4. 859 Travis Howell
5. 61 Gary
Archambault
6. 297 John Campbell
7. 9 John Coultas
8. 70 Tommie Seets,
Jr.
9. 87 Danny Odell

C Main 1 – Top 3 advance to B main 1
1. 142
Billy Smith
2. 31F Rob Fuqua
3. 17 Richie Biswell
4. 377 Casey
Pearson
5. 156 Dave Thornton
6. 26 Kasey Nations
7. 56 Tommy Worley,
Sr.
8. 721 Dennis Richards
9. 411 Chris Spalding
10. 29L J.D.
Laster
11. 84 Larry Hill, Jr.
12. 810 Brad White
13. 688 Andy
Oswald
14. 414 Brad McKinnon
15. 11J Jack Halbert

C Main 2 – Top 3
advance to B main 1
1. 91 Steve Copeland
2. 780 Alan Conner
3. 114 Tim
Burdel
4. 62 Leo Keifer
5. 24 Paul Bauman
6. 129 Jeff LeBaube
7. 98
Pat Walsh
8. 21A Karl Adams
9. 1B Doug Beier
10. 88D Eddie
Whitney
11. 298 Cole Hussons
12. 47 Tom Vogt
13. 99 Jason
Fletcher
14. 13 David Lee Racer
15. 0 Todd McGraw

C Main 3 – Top 3
advance to B main 2
1. 221 Danny Schwartz
2. 311 Leroy Haney
3. 859
Travis Howell
4. 18 Matt Dotson
5. 95 Doug Wood
6. 14 Rick
Conoyer
7. 27 Ethan Schnapp
8. 260 J.D. Beal
9. 50 Scott White
10.
999 Robbie Helms
11. 61 Gary Archambault
12. 46 Dave Wibbenmeyer
13.
155 Chris Smith

C Main 4 – Top 3 advance to B main 2
1. 19 Chris
Simmerman
2. 126 Gary Blackburn, Jr.
3. 111 Dane Gundaker
4. 68 Ronnie
Scott
5. 25 Brett Korves
6. 87 Danny Odell
7. 131 Mitch Parmeley
8.
40 Bobby Regot
9. 3 Lou Driemeier
10. 57 Parker Williams
11. 9 John
Coultas
12. 83 Mark Enk
13. 297 John Campbell

B Main 1 – Top 10 are
the inside row of the A Main
1. 30 Jeff Leka
2. 777 Jared Landers
3. 37
Mark Miner
4. 72 Brian Lynn
5. 89 Bobby Bittle
6. 15 Jerry
Grither
7. 416 Matt Goulden
8. 5 Marty Smith, Jr.
9. 6 Rusty
Griffaw
10. 288 Joe Puricelli
11. 142 Billy Smith
12. 31F Rob
Fuqua
13. 74 Matt Zimmerly
14. 114 Tim Burdel
15. 51 John
Stanton
16. 780 Alan Conner
17. 71E Wade Ehrhardt
18. 20 Robbie
McClain
19. 17 Richie Biswell
20. 78 Larry Hull
21. 91 Steve
Copeland

B Main 2 – Top 10 are the outside row of the A Main
1. 36
Kenny Wallace
2. 4J Scott Weber
3. 121 Denny Schwartz
4. 90 Tim
Hancock
5. 182 Randle Sweeney
6. 48 Bobby Martintoni
7. 55 Jimmy
Westerfield
8. 166 Brian Worley
9. 221 Danny Schwartz
10. 126 Gary
Blackburn
11. 711 Ed Roley
12. 311 Leroy Haney
13. 28 Mike Haas
14.
10X Jesse Snyder
15. 12 Dan Bimson
16. 59 Rich Whaley
17. 19 Chris
Simmerman
18. 111 Dane Gundaker
19. 859 Travis Howell
20. 07 Kenny
Mudd
21. 222 Matt Mevert

Feature
1. 30 Jeff Leka
2. 777 Jared
Landers
3. 121 Denny Schwartz
4. 182 Randle Sweeney
5. 89 Bobby
Bittle
6. 166 Brian Worley
7. 55 Jimmy Westerfield
8. 36 Kenny
Wallace
9. 48 Bobby Martintoni
10. 5 Marty Smith, Jr.
11. 6 Rusty
Griffaw
12. 126 Gary Blackburn, Jr.
13. 31F Rob Fuqua *UMP Point
Provisional*
14. 15 Jerry Grither
15. 288 Joe Puricelli
16. 95 Doug
Wood *Track Point Provisional*
17. 4J Scott Weber
18. 416 Matt
Goulden
19. 37 Mark Miner
20. 221 Danny Schwartz
21. 72 Brian
Lynn
22. 859 Travis Howell *Provisional*
23. 90 Tim Hancock
24. 100
Todd Ferber *Provisional*