Results | Final Points | Story and Pictures by Rocky Ragusa
A FALS Cup weekly race program was held this past Saturday night. In addition, track champions were crowned in four divisions. Ryan Unzicker (Late Model), Allen Weisser (Modified), Nick Seplak (Stock Car), and Tommy Duncan (Sportsman) claimed track titles in their respective divisions.
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.