Back for its sophomore season, the FALS Cup Weekly Championship will take center stage for what is arguably one the best weekly race programs in the country. The special series will continue to feature unprecedented payoffs at all weekly shows for both DIRTcar Late Models ($2,500 to win and $300 to start from a total purse of over $10,000) and DIRTcar Modifieds ($1,500 to win and $175 to start from a purse exceeding $6,000).
Overall, more than $22,000 in purses will be distributed at Fairbury’s weekly cards, which will also include the Sportsman, DIRTcar Stock Cars, and Hobby Mods in 2020. And despite the increases again in the payouts, general admission and pit gate prices will stay the same at $10 and $25, respectively, during the upcoming season that kicks off on May 2nd.
For the Late Models, Billy Moyer (12.567) and Billy Drake (12.624) led in group qualifying for the 39 entries on hand. Moyer, McKay Wenger, Shannon Babb, and Mike Spatola won heat races. Dennis Erb Jr. and Jason Feger advanced to the 60-lap feature by winning their respective B-Mains. Front row starters Moyer and Babb led the field to the green. Babb led the first seven laps before Moyer was credited with leading lap eight. Moyer and Babb swapped the lead for the next eight laps. Moyer took over on lap 16 with Babb, Wenger, World of Outlaws regular Shane Clanton, and Sheppard in check. Sheppard moved by Clanton on lap 18, and three laps later, overtook Wenger for third. Moyer expanded his lead as Babb began to fade. After a lap 41 caution for Brian Shirley, Sheppard worked on Babb before taking second on lap 47. Running the top side of the track, Sheppard quickly ran down Moyer and made the winning pass for the win with five laps to go. Moyer took second, with Clanton in third, Wenger fourth, and Babb hung on for fifth. Erb, who started 17th, took sixth, followed by Scott James, Scott Schmitt, Drake, and Tim Manville. Taking the $15,000 win in the family-owned Rocket chassis, Sheppard commented in victory lane. “The track was crazy tonight. That was the best it’s been in a long time. With 35 laps to go, I lost the brakes. The last 30 laps I didn’t touch the brakes and I think that made me faster. I was leery about running the top because I couldn’t slow down getting into the corners. I was backing up the corners good enough and the car was good enough to get it done.”
$2,000 to win the 30-lap Modified race drew 31 teams to the ¼ mile. A lap of 14.050 seconds by Mike McKinney and a time of 13.915 seconds by Jeffrey Ledford paced group time trials. McKinney, Jason Hastings, Ledford, and AJ May were the heat race winners. Michael Wesselman was the winner of the B-Main. Starting on the outside of the front row, Ledford led the first lap. McKinney moved by Ledford to take the lead on lap two. Ledford was able to pull a crossover move on McKinney, but McKinney was able to move back into the lead. After a lap seven caution, track champion Allen Weisser ran side by side with Ledford for second before moving ahead on lap 11. Josh Harris closely followed in fourth and Hastings in fifth. Weisser slipped by McKinney for the lead on lap 13, but McKinney, running the top, came back on the next lap to take the lead. As the leader overtook lapped cars, Ledford got by Weisser for second. Two laps later, Ledford was boxed in by slower cars, and Weisser reclaimed second. Two late race cautions, and Weisser and Ledford dueling for second, could not stop McKinney as he picked up his seventh Fairbury win of the year. Weisser, Harris, Ledford, Brad DeYoung, Hastings, Randy Shuman, Alan Stipp, Michael Ledford, and Nick Neville completed the top ten.
37 Pro Late Model drivers were looking for the $1,000 top prize in their 25-lap feature race. Dakota Ewing, with a time of 13.801 seconds, led group one qualifying, while Chase Osterhoff’s time of 13.881 seconds was fast enough to lead group two. Ewing, Mike McKinney, Osterhoff, and Brandon Eskew were heat race winners. Two B-Mains saw Matt Hammond and Dane Arvin taking the checkers. Polesitter Ewing took the lead at the start. Eighth starter Torin Mettille worked his way through the pack. With the help of a lap 12 caution, Mettille took the second position, and the race for the lead began. Mettille tried repeatedly to overtake Ewing for the lead, but he had to contend with Brandon Eskew who was on his bumper. Ewing, after two second place finishes at Fairbury this year, would not be denied and held on for the win. “There is so much pressure racing here at Fairbury,” said Ewing. “It is awesome that we get to race here. Torin was right there on me. I was just giving it all I had to hang on.” The remainder of the top ten went to Mettille, Eskew, Logan Moody, Osterhoff, Tom Knippenberg, Roben Huffman, Arvin, McKinney, and Kyle Cooper.
In the first main event of the night, outside front row starter Nick Hoffman took a commanding lead at the start, as Frank Marshall, Michael Long, Trent Young, and Rodney Standerfer trailed. After a lap nine caution, Long and Young moved into the second and third positions, while Curt Spalding charged into the fourth spot. Hoffman sliced his way past the slower traffic at the halfway mark keeping a straightaway lead over his competitors. Hoffman’s lead evaporated as a caution flag fell with three laps to go. On the restart, Hoffman was able to pull away from the field and pick up his second AMS win of the year. 10th starter Young rebounded from Friday night’s DNF at Farmer City to take second, while Josh Harris made a late race charge for third. The remainder of the top ten were Long, David Stremme, Spalding, Danny Schwartz, Derek Losh, Marshall, and Standerfer.
In the second race, Tyler Nicely and Victor Lee raced for the lead before a caution fell on the fourth circuit. Nicely took the front position on the restart, with Lee, Allen Weisser, Mike McKinney, and Kenny Wallace following. Holding a ten-car length lead, Nicely soon encountered lapped traffic. McKinney had made his way into second and began to reel the race leader in. McKinney was able to catch Nicely and took over the front position. After three straight yellow flags and with McKinney leading, Nicely and Lee made repeated bids to move into the lead, but McKinney was able to pull away in the closing laps to take his first AMS win of the season. Series points leader Nicely held off Lee for second, with Jeffrey Ledford in fourth. Weisser finished fifth, followed by Wallace, Steven Brooks, Jeff Leka, Kyle Hammer, and Brody Pompe.
A field of 37 Late Model drivers were on hand for their feature race. Frank Heckenast Jr. was the fast qualifier for the night. Travis Stemler, Brian Shirley, Mike Spatola, and Heckenast Jr. were the heat race winners. A pair of semi-features had Mike Mataragas and Allen Weisser advancing into the feature. Heckenast Jr. took over the lead on lap 11 after a back and forth duel with Shirley for the first 10 laps. The caution flag was displayed on lap 12 as a light rain began to fall. Cars circled the track in an attempt to dry the speedway out. After a 10 minute delay, racing resumed. Heckenast led as Jimmy Mars moved into the second position. Last week’s race winner Tim Manville brought out a caution on lap 15 and dropped out of the race. Heckenast held a commanding lead on the restart before the yellow flag came out for the third place running car of Shirley. Heckenast once again built a large lead over the field on the restart, as Mars and Jason Feger attempted to keep pace. Heckenast was able to cruise to his second feature win of the year at Fairbury. After finishing second the previous night at Farmer City, Mars was once again the bridesmaid, with Feger in third. 15th starter Bobby Pierce rallied to take fourth in the closing laps. Donny Walden finished fifth, with Weisser, Brandon Thirlby, Rich Bell, Jay Morris, and Stemler completing the top ten.
A strong field of 33 Late Model drivers registered for their 30-lap, $2,500 to win race. McKay Wenger recorded the fast time with a lap of 12.578 seconds. Kevin Weaver, Bob Gardner, Ryan Unzicker, and Tim Manville won heat races. Two semi-features were held with the wins going to Paul Stubber and Mike Spatola. Polesitter Weaver led the first two laps before Manville took over on lap three. Manville treaded his way to a five-car length lead while working the cushion. Weaver was able to stay within striking distance on the bottom, with Jay Morris, Gardner, and Unzicker following. Allen Weisser tagged the wall on the frontstretch with two laps to go bringing out the caution flag. On the restart, Manville turned back the challengers and took his first ever Fairbury feature win. “This is a huge win,” said Manville. “Getting a win here has been on my bucket list. Fairbury is a tricky racetrack, but that is what makes it awesome. Anytime we come here the competition is tough and that is why it is special to win here.” The remainder of the top ten were Weaver, Unzicker, Wenger, Gardner, Morris, Rich Bell, Scott Schmitt, Spatola, and Myles Moos.
24 Modified drivers were on hand for their 25-lap, $1,500 to win race. Jeffrey Ledford led in qualifying with a time of 13.873. Dan Rork, Allen Weisser, and Michael Ledford were the heat race victors. At the wave of the green flag, Weisser went to the top of the track and quickly established a sizeable lead. The yellow flag was waved four times in the first ten laps of the feature, with Rork, Nick Clubb, and the Ledford brothers trailing Weisser. After a lap 18 yellow flag, Weisser distanced himself from his competitors and was able to lock up his track championship and add the eighth win to his resume. “The track has been great all year,” Weisser said. “I can’t thank Matt Curl, his crew, and all the fans enough. This Lethal chassis has been good all season.” Clubb, Rork, Jeffrey Ledford, Rich Dawson, Steven Brooks, Michael Ledford, Jason Hastings, Steve Jones, and Billy Puckett rounded out the top ten.
Dominating the competition at Sycamore Speedway last year, Zachary Zuberbier made the decision to hit the road, visiting many tracks in the region for the first time. On Saturday, Zuberbier fulfilled a dream by winning his first-ever feature race at Fairbury in the Stock Car class. In the 15-lap race, Tanner Sullivan took the lead from Zuberbier on the second lap. Zuberbier stayed glued to Sullivan’s bumper until Zuberbier moved to the lead with four laps remaining. Zuberbier opened a five-car length lead and earned his first ever Fairbury feature win. “It has been a dream of mine to get a feature win here,” an excited Zuberbier spoke. “Our crew really enjoys coming down here.” Sullivan took second, with Pete Odell, Michael Schomas, and Nick Seplak completing the top five. The rest of the top ten went to Don Hilleary, Ethan Sims, Cody Clubb, Rick Thomas, and Justin VanDrunen. Zuberbier paced the 17 entries in time trials with a lap of 15.661 seconds and took the win in the first heat race. Schomas was the winner of the second heat race.
The 15-lap CR Towing Sportsman race was a wild one. As Tommy Duncan led Amber Crouch and Jeremy Nichols, Steve Mattingly made a late race charge. With the checkered flag in sight, Duncan (top), Crouch (middle), and Nichols (bottom) entered turns three and four. Mattingly got into the back of Duncan. Crouch, looking for her first win of the year, got loose and Nichols moved ahead. Nichols, Crouch, and Mattingly went three-wide to the finish line as Nichols took the win by a bumper. “I got lucky on that one. We still had our Springfield setup on the car,” said Nichols. “It was loose so I had to stay as smooth as I could.” Crouch settled for second, Mattingly finished third, followed by Duncan, Lyndon Whitfill, Matt Ramer, Val Hurt, Blake Reid, Anthony Craven, and Dan Coit. Michael Ledford led the 15 cars in qualifying with a lap of 14.720. The two heat races went to Crouch and Duncan.
Mason Duncan led from start to finish in winning his eighth Hobby-Modified feature race of the year. The win didn’t come as easy as past races though. Troy Ricketts was able to stay with Duncan until Duncan pulled away with three laps to go. Makinzi Semmens, Macy Vaughan, and Kyle Davis took the top five positions. The remainder of the top ten went to Travis Roe, Brian Kidder, Tyler Russell, John Brammer, and Payton Semmens. Duncan was the event's fast qualifier at a 14.917. Roe and Austin Lipe were heat race winners.
