By Jonathon Masters – GRANITE CITY, Ill. — Surviving high-speed, rugged conditions after a wet week in Illinois, Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, Ill., regained the lead from Brian Shirley on the 20th lap and led the rest of the way Friday at Tri-City Speedway. Unzicker earned $10,000 for his 10th career DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory.
Unzicker started outside the front row and led the first seven laps before Shirley took command, but Unzicker handled the rough surface well enough to get back past Shirley by the halfway point. Unzicker went mostly unchallenged except for a few charges by the 20th starting 32 car of Bobby Pierce.
Unzicker took the checkers eight-tenths of a second ahead of Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., while 12th-starting Frank Heckenast Jr. of Frankfort, Ill., finished third. Series points leader Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., driving a backup car after a heat race crash, was fourth with Rusty Schlenk of McClure Ohio rounding out the top five.
Eight drivers were running at the finish as several drivers elected to park early.
Shirley, of Chatham, Ill., led laps 8-19 and was running third when he slowed on the backstretch with significant right-front damage on the 30th lap.
Billy Moyer ,who entered the event 2nd in Summer Nationals points, ended up 15th after transferring through the b-main earlier in the night.
Front-row starters Tony Jackson Jr. and Kyle Bronson both struggled on the first lap and both pulled out on lap three.
The feature was slowed by a five cautions, none for serious incidents. Tim Manville slowed for a lap-11 for the first yellow and Timothy Culp slowed running seventh on the 25th lap. Shirley drew a lap-30 caution, Tanner English spun in turn one on lap 33 and Nick Hoffman’s top-five run ended with a flat tire on lap 38.
June 22nd, 2018
UMP Late Models
A Feature 1
00:00:00
| Pos | Start | Driver | Hometown | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Ryan Unzicker | El Paso, IL | 24X |
| 2 | 20 | Bobby Pierce | Oakwood, IL | 32P |
| 3 | 12 | Frank Heckenast Jr | Frankfort, IL | 99 |
| 4 | 19 | Shannon Babb | Moweaqua, IL | 18B |
| 5 | 11 | Rusty Schlenk | McClure, OH | 1CJ |
| 6 | 13 | Jason Feger | Bloomington, IL | 25 |
| 7 | 9 | Gordy Gundaker | St. Charles, MO | 11 |
| 8 | 8 | Bob Gardner | Washington, IL | 4G |
| 9 | 3 | Nick Hoffman | Mooresville, NC | 2H |
| 10 | 15 | Tanner English | Benton, KY | 33 |
| 11 | 14 | Paul Stubber | Wanneroo, Aust | 31 |
| 12 | 5 | Brian Shirley | Chatham, IL | 3S |
| 13 | 10 | Timothy Culp | Prattsville, AR | C8 |
| 14 | 6 | Tim Manville | Highland, IL | 33M |
| 15 | 18 | Billy Moyer Sr | Batesville, AR | 21 |
| 16 | 17 | Mark Burgtorf | Quincy, IL | 5 |
| 17 | 7 | Dennis Erb Jr | Carpentersville, IL | 28 |
| 18 | 22 | Mike Hammerle | St. Charles, MO | 16H |
| 19 | 2 | Kyle Bronson | Brandon, FL | 40B |
| 20 | 1 | Tony Jackson Jr | Lebanon, MO | 56 |
| 21 | 21 | Brian Diveley | Springfield, IL | 11D |
| 22 | 16 | Chris Simpson | Oxford, IA | 32C |
B Feature 1
00:00:00
| Pos | Start | Driver | Hometown | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Mark Burgtorf | Quincy, IL | 5 |
| 2 | 5 | Billy Moyer Sr | Batesville, AR | 21 |
| 3 | 1 | Jeff Herzog | Herculaneum, MO | 11H |
| 4 | 6 | Billy Laycock | Marine, IL | 82 |
| 5 | 9 | Rusty Griffaw | Festus, MO | 16 |
| 6 | 12 | Scott Henseler | South Roxana, IL | 3 |
| 7 | 3 | Chuck Hummer | Lyons, OH | 25H |
| 8 | 14 | Mike Hammerle | St. Charles, MO | 16H |
| 9 | 15 | Brian Diveley | Springfield, IL | 11D |
| 10 | 10 | Rickey Frankel | Quincy, IL | 33F |
| 11 | 16 | Bobby Pierce | Oakwood, IL | 32P |
| 12 | 8 | Jeff Roth | Bentonville, AR | 14R |
| 13 | 4 | Kolby Vandenbergh | Ashland, IL | 15V |
| 14 | 7 | Joe Godsey | 14G | |
| 15 | 11 | Blaze Burwell | Mt Vernon, IL | 44B |
| 16 | 13 | Matt Santel | New Memphis, IL | 17X |
| 17 | 17 | Shannon Babb | Moweaqua, IL | 18B |
| DNS | – | Brent McKinnon | Carlyle, IL | 26M |
| DNS | – | Allen Weisser | Peoria, IL | 61 |
Heat 1
00:00:00
| Pos | Start | Driver | Hometown | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Kyle Bronson | Brandon, FL | 40B |
| 2 | 2 | Brian Shirley | Chatham, IL | 3S |
| 3 | 4 | Gordy Gundaker | St. Charles, MO | 11 |
| 4 | 5 | Jason Feger | Bloomington, IL | 25 |
| 5 | 7 | Jeff Herzog | Herculaneum, MO | 11H |
| 6 | 6 | Billy Moyer Sr | Batesville, AR | 21 |
| 7 | 8 | Rusty Griffaw | Festus, MO | 16 |
| 8 | 9 | Matt Santel | New Memphis, IL | 17X |
| 9 | 3 | Bobby Pierce | Oakwood, IL | 32P |
Heat 2
00:00:00
| Pos | Start | Driver | Hometown | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ryan Unzicker | El Paso, IL | 24X |
| 2 | 2 | Dennis Erb Jr | Carpentersville, IL | 28 |
| 3 | 3 | Rusty Schlenk | McClure, OH | 1CJ |
| 4 | 4 | Tanner English | Benton, KY | 33 |
| 5 | 5 | Mark Burgtorf | Quincy, IL | 5 |
| 6 | 6 | Billy Laycock | Marine, IL | 82 |
| 7 | 7 | Rickey Frankel | Quincy, IL | 33F |
| 8 | 9 | Mike Hammerle | St. Charles, MO | 16H |
| DNS | – | Allen Weisser | Peoria, IL | 61 |
Heat 3
00:00:00
| Pos | Start | Driver | Hometown | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Tony Jackson Jr | Lebanon, MO | 56 |
| 2 | 2 | Tim Manville | Highland, IL | 33M |
| 3 | 3 | Timothy Culp | Prattsville, AR | C8 |
| 4 | 6 | Paul Stubber | Wanneroo, Aust | 31 |
| 5 | 9 | Chuck Hummer | Lyons, OH | 25H |
| 6 | 5 | Joe Godsey | 14G | |
| 7 | 8 | Blaze Burwell | Mt Vernon, IL | 44B |
| 8 | 7 | Brent McKinnon | Carlyle, IL | 26M |
| 9 | 4 | Shannon Babb | Moweaqua, IL | 18B |
Heat 4
00:00:00
| Pos | Start | Driver | Hometown | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Nick Hoffman | Mooresville, NC | 2H |
| 2 | 6 | Bob Gardner | Washington, IL | 4G |
| 3 | 2 | Frank Heckenast Jr | Frankfort, IL | 99 |
| 4 | 3 | Chris Simpson | Oxford, IA | 32C |
| 5 | 4 | Kolby Vandenbergh | Ashland, IL | 15V |
| 6 | 7 | Jeff Roth | Bentonville, AR | 14R |
| 7 | 8 | Scott Henseler | South Roxana, IL | 3 |
| 8 | 5 | Brian Diveley | Springfield, IL | 11D |
Qualifying 1
00:00:00
| Pos | Start | Driver | Hometown | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Kyle Bronson | Brandon, FL | 40B | 14.406 |
| 2 | 16 | Ryan Unzicker | El Paso, IL | 24X | 14.442 |
| 3 | 7 | Brian Shirley | Chatham, IL | 3S | 14.520 |
| 4 | 13 | Dennis Erb Jr | Carpentersville, IL | 28 | 14.532 |
| 5 | 17 | Bobby Pierce | Oakwood, IL | 32P | 14.537 |
| 6 | 11 | Rusty Schlenk | McClure, OH | 1CJ | 14.681 |
| 7 | 10 | Gordy Gundaker | St. Charles, MO | 11 | 14.837 |
| 8 | 15 | Tanner English | Benton, KY | 33 | 14.845 |
| 9 | 4 | Jason Feger | Bloomington, IL | 25 | 14.900 |
| 10 | 14 | Mark Burgtorf | Quincy, IL | 5 | 14.905 |
| 11 | 3 | Billy Moyer Sr | Batesville, AR | 21 | 14.968 |
| 12 | 8 | Billy Laycock | Marine, IL | 82 | 15.176 |
| 13 | 9 | Jeff Herzog | Herculaneum, MO | 11H | 15.189 |
| 14 | 5 | Rickey Frankel | Quincy, IL | 33F | 15.220 |
| 15 | 6 | Rusty Griffaw | Festus, MO | 16 | 15.568 |
| 16 | 2 | Allen Weisser | Peoria, IL | 61 | 15.599 |
| 17 | 18 | Matt Santel | New Memphis, IL | 17X | 16.177 |
| 18 | 12 | Mike Hammerle | St. Charles, MO | 16H | 17.156 |
Qualifying 2
00:00:00
| Pos | Start | Driver | Hometown | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Tony Jackson Jr | Lebanon, MO | 56 | 13.314 |
| 2 | 17 | Nick Hoffman | Mooresville, NC | 2H | 14.453 |
| 3 | 8 | Tim Manville | Highland, IL | 33M | 14.465 |
| 4 | 11 | Frank Heckenast Jr | Frankfort, IL | 99 | 14.552 |
| 5 | 10 | Timothy Culp | Prattsville, AR | C8 | 14.558 |
| 6 | 1 | Chris Simpson | Oxford, IA | 32C | 14.565 |
| 7 | 3 | Shannon Babb | Moweaqua, IL | 18B | 14.636 |
| 8 | 9 | Kolby Vandenbergh | Ashland, IL | 15V | 14.715 |
| 9 | 4 | Joe Godsey | 14G | 14.996 | |
| 10 | 6 | Brian Diveley | Springfield, IL | 11D | 15.059 |
| 11 | 5 | Paul Stubber | Wanneroo, Aust | 31 | 15.067 |
| 12 | 2 | Bob Gardner | Washington, IL | 4G | 15.067 |
| 13 | 7 | Brent McKinnon | Carlyle, IL | 26M | 15.083 |
| 14 | 12 | Jeff Roth | Bentonville, AR | 14R | 15.098 |
| 15 | 15 | Blaze Burwell | Mt Vernon, IL | 44B | 15.791 |
| 16 | 14 | Scott Henseler | South Roxana, IL | 3 | 16.216 |
| 17 | 13 | Chuck Hummer | Lyons, OH | 25H | 16.281 |