Ratajczyk, Walsh, Horton & Hoffman win at I-55 Raceway!

Pevely, MO (August 31, 2002) Tim Ratajczyk led all twenty-five laps to earn the victory in the UMP Late Model division. The win also secured the 2002 UMP Late Model Track Championship for Ratajczyk. Ratajczyk took the lead from his outside front row starting spot and pulled away for the win. Jim Durbin and Mark Oller battled much of the race side-by-side for second, but after a late race caution, Durbin found himself trapped behind lapped traffic and lost several positions. Oller went on to finish second. Ed Dixon came out with a brand new paint scheme, but suffered mechanical problems in hotlaps and then borrowed the car of Andy Pryor to compete in. Dixon drove Pryor's car from the thirteenth starting spot to finish third. Dave Jumper took fourth and Jim Durbin held on for fifth.

The action was simply fast and furious in the UMP Modified division. Leroy Haney led the first fifteen laps but Ray Walsh found his way past Haney on a restart after the lap fifteen caution. Walsh went on to claim his first victory of the season at I-55 Raceway and Haney took second. The battle for third raged on for the entire twenty laps as Rusty Griffaw, Scott Weber and Rich Whaley fought lap after lap. Weber edged out Griffaw for third and secured the 2002 UMP Modified Track Championship at I-55 Raceway. Whaley followed Griffaw across the line to finish fifth.

Ricky Horton held off Paul Belken for the entire fifteen laps to claim the AARA Sportsman feature. Belken got inside of Horton in almost every turn, only to have Horton power ahead down each straight away. Ray Wagner, in a sportsman car for the first time this season, came home a strong third. Dave Jenkins took fourth and Rich Whaley fifth. Belken has also secured the 2002 AARA Sportsman Championship at I-55 Raceway.

Eugene Hoffman picked up his first ever feature win in the AARA Wannabee division. Carl Springer II finished a close second and Stan Cain was third.

UMP Modifieds
Heat 1:
1. 89 Bobby Bittle
2. 16 Rusty Griffaw
3. 4J Scott Weber
4. 6 Ray Wagner

Heat 2:
1. 14 Leroy Haney
2. 1W Ray Walsh
3. 59 Rich Whaley
4. 1D Dean Hoffman

Heat 3:
1. 70 Josh Russell
2. 18 Brent Thompson
3. 12 Tom Ratajczyk
4. 56 Kevin Epperson

Dash:
1. 16 Rusty Griffaw
2. 14 Leroy Haney
3. 1W Ray Walsh
4. 89 Bobby Bittle

Feature:
1. 1W Ray Walsh
2. 14 Leroy Haney
3. 4J Scott Weber
4. 16 Rusty Griffaw
5. 59 Rich Whaley
6. 12 Tom Ratajczyk
7. 11D Darrell Hoffman
8. 22G Steve Grotz
9. 70 Josh Russell
10. 51 John Hoffman
11. 18 Brent Thompson
12. 56 Kevin Epperson
13. 3R Leon Rakers
14. 41 Larry Hull
15. X1 Dave Sandage
16. 8 Kirk Murphy
17. 9W Doug Wood
18. 1D Dean Hoffman
19. 14K Loren Knox
20. 6 Ray Wagner
21. 166 Brian Worley
22. 89 Bobby Bittle
DNS. 12S Jesse Snyder

UMP Late Models
Heat 1:
1. 3D Jim Durbin
2. 112 Tim Ratajczyk
3. 67 Mark Oller
4. 9B Chuck Baird

Heat 2:
1. 2J Dave Jumper
2. 87 Ken Rumble
3. 47 Danny Haynes
4. Brian Wolfmeier

Dash:
1. 3D Jim Durbin
2. 112 Tim Ratajczyk
3. 2J Dave Jumper
4. 87 Ken Rumble

Feature:
1. 112 Tim Ratajczyk
2. 67 Mark Oller
3. 10 Ed Dixon
4. 2J Dave Jumper
5. 3D Jim Durbin
6. 87 Ken Rumble
7. 37 Brian Wolfmeier
8. 47 Danny Haynes
9. 28 Don Klein
10. 9B Chuck Baird
11. 12 Mark Schaefer
12. 82 Billy Laycock
13. 70 Rich Lawson
DNS. 10 Andy Pryor
DNS. 6 Kevin Seago

AARA Sportsman
Heat 1:
1. 01 Steve Borgetti
2. 59 Rich Whaley
3. 500 Dan Dixon
4. 49 Matt Hancock

Heat 2:
1. 4 Ricky Horton
2. 00 Scott Stuppy
3. D5 Dave Jenkins
4. 27 Nathan Walsh

Heat 3:
1. 7 Ray Wagner
2. 46 Paul Belken
3. 98 David Bardin
4. 117 Mike Jones

Dash:
1. 46 Paul Belken
2. 4 Ricky Horton
3. 59 Rich Whaley
4. 7 Ray Wagner

Feature:
1. 4 Ricky Horton
2. 46 Paul Belken
3. 7 Ray Wagner
4. D5 Dave Jenkins
5. 59 Rich Whaley
6. 00 Scott Stuppy
7. 01 Steve Borgetti
8. 98 David Bardin
9. D40 Ed DeMille
10. 17 Dave Heimos
11. 24 Paul Bauman
12. 49 Matt Hancock
13. 497 Frank Melton
14. 75 Ron Imm
15. 38D Mark Blanke
16. 117 Mike Jones
17. 27 Nathan Walsh
18. 10 Todd McGraw
19. 500 Dan Dixon
20. 146 Douglas Kim
21. 3P Scott Weber
DNS. 166 Rusty Griffaw
DNS. 26 Gary Wilson
DNS. 93 Mark Hunter

AARA Wannabees
Heat 1:
1. 58 Eugene Hoffman
2. 57 Don Hoffman
3. 41 Carl Springer II
4. 21 Dave Heinrichs

Heat 2:
1. 72 Stan Cain
2. 01 Robert Denny
3. 18 Dave Birmingham
4. 2 Dan Schmidt

Feature:
1. 58 Eugene Hoffman
2. 41 Carl Springer, II
3. 72 Stan Cain
4. 01 Robert Denny
5. 8 Pat Brewer
6. 2 Dan Schmidt
7. 3 Mike Robinson
8. 51 Darrell Crismon
9. 49 John Sundstrom
10. 57 Don Hoffman
11. 21 Dave Heinrichs
12. DNS. 77 Ron Lyons
13. DNS. 56 John Hoffman
14. DNS. 18 Dave Birmingham