Ledford Holds off McKinney & Steffens for $2,000 Modified Win

Results | Story & Pictures by Rocky Ragusa

On a rare Monday night of racing, the second annual “One for the Road” saw New Berlin’s Brandon Sheppard score the repeat victory and a $15,000 payday. Pontiac’s Michael Ledford held off track champion Mike McKinney and Kyle Steffens to take the $2,000 Modified win.

31 Late Model drivers, many who competed in last weekend’s World 100, went under the clock in qualifying. One of the hottest drivers in the country, no matter what he is racing, Kyle Larson took fast time at 12.727 seconds. Larson, Shane Clanton, and Sheppard won their respective heat races. The semi-feature went to Dennis Erb Jr. Following a lap 20 caution, Sheppard overtook Garrett Alberson for the lead and moved out to a straightaway lead as Alberson raced Gordy Gundaker for second, and 12th starter Tanner English raced side by side with 21st starter Jonathan Davenport for fourth. A yellow flag waved on lap 27 for debris. During the caution, Alberson went to the infield pit area to change a tire and had to go to the rear of the field.

Sheppard raced out to a five-car length lead as English and track champion Mike Spatola, who started 15th, ran side by side for second. In the closing laps, English, Spatola, and Gundaker put on a battle for second before Spatola took the runner-up spot with eight laps remaining. Sheppard, the current World of Outlaws Series points leader, crossed the line at the end of the 50-lap race $15,000 richer. Spatola got crossed up on the last lap and fell back to fourth, with English and 17th starter Bobby Pierce taking second and third. “I was hoping the top side was going to be there at the end of the race, because that is where we win most of our races here,” explained Sheppard. “We were pretty good on the bottom, but I blazed the top for a long time before I went to the bottom. My left rear tire was overheating. It was shaking so hard I couldn’t even go down there. When the tire cooled off, the caution came out on lap 20, and I had to go to the top on the restart.” Gundaker finished in fifth. Early race leader Larson recovered from a flat tire and finished sixth, followed by Davenport, Clanton, Frank Heckenast Jr., and Ryan Unzicker.

Forrest’s Austin Friedman continues to turn heads as his lap at 14.188 seconds gave him fast time over 18 other Modified drivers for their 25-lap, $2,000 to win race. Alan Stipp, Kyle Steffens, and Michael Ledford captured the heat race wins. Ledford moved past Steffens after a caution on the fifth lap and put his new MBR race car on the treacherous Fairbury cushion, beating the right-side quarter panel relentlessly. Ledford turned up the wick and pulled away to take his second Fairbury feature win of the year and sixth overall. “I was just trying to drive the car as hard as I could without getting into the wall,” said Ledford. “With the competition tonight, this is probably my biggest win.” Mike McKinney got by Steffens on the last lap to take second. Stipp finished fourth, followed by 13th starter Brandon Bollinger, Dylan Woodling, Travis Kohler, Bob Pohlman Jr., Adam Pockrus, and Dave Lilja.

Results | Story & Pictures by Rocky Ragusa

Despite threatening weather conditions during the morning and afternoon, a strong field of cars were in attendance for the twin 50-lap features for the MARS Late Model Series and DIRTcar Modifieds. Track champion Mike McKinney took the Modified race, while DIRTcar Summer Nationals champ Bobby Pierce won a slugfest in the Late Models.

61 Modifieds were on hand for the annual Casey’s Modified Nationals. In his first appearance to the track, Cole Falloway paced group one qualifiers with a time of 14.305 seconds. A time of 14.159 seconds gave Curt Spalding quick time for group two. Falloway, Treb Jacoby, Mike Harrison, Spalding, Will Krup, and Kenny Wallace picked up heat race wins. Three semi features had Garrett Jameson, Allen Weisser, and Nick Hoffman advancing to the $10,000 to win main event. Falloway opened a 10-car length lead at the start as Spalding, Krup, Harrison, and Wallace trailed. Harrison looked to be the fastest on track and was up to second by the eighth lap. Harrison pulled alongside Falloway on the ninth lap and took over the lead on lap 10. Just as quickly as Harrison took the lead, his night came to an end with engine problems. Falloway moved back into the lead with Tyler Nicely in pursuit. Nicely moved into the lead on lap 15 and headed the field for the next ten circuits. Nicely led Falloway, Spalding, Nick Hoffman, Derek Losh, and 22nd starter Mike McKinney. Falloway moved to the point on lap 26, but it was short lived, as Summit Modified Nationals champion Hoffman took command.