BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Live updates from the sixth leg of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals at the fifth-mile Belle-Clair Speedway for an event capped by a $5,000-to-win Super Late Model feature (results unofficial):
Rained out
Blustery winds and rain — starting lightly and then getting heavier — blew in at the conclusion of the B-mod heats, washing out the event; no makeup date was immediately set. Late Model haulers were pulling out of the pits as the rain picked up.
Late Models had completed qualifying with Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., posting a 12.054-second lap to set fast time for the fourth time in six series events, but if the event is made up the program will start from scratch.
Pre-race setup
Tiny Belle-Clair Speedway brings the DIRTcar Summer Nationals back to action after the first scheduled day off of the grueling month-long tour.
Four-time series champion Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., who won three races in a row last week among the first five series events, tops the points of the $25,000 title chase so far with Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., and Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., in pursuit.
Besides those drivers and another half-dozen or so who have competed at all five events, three-time and reigning series champion Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., is expected to compete. Pierce has won the previous three series races at Belle-Clair and will be competing while he appeals a DIRTcar suspension and monetary penalties after one of his tires used at Eldora Speedway’s Dream XXIV failed to meet manufacturer specs in postrace lab testing.
The Super Late Model program starts with hot laps followed by group time trials broken down by three heat races transferring five drivers apiece; a B-main and provisionals will set the remainder of the 22-car field.
Pre-race notes
Rusty Griffaw of Festus, Mo., leads Belle-Clair’s weekly points over Mike Hammerle and Chad Zobrist. … Late Model winners so far this season at Belle-Clair are Zobrist, Daryn Klein (Midwest Big 10 Series) and Brian Shirley (MARS Racing Series). … Thirty-seven drivers have competed at the track through mid-June. … DIRTcar Summer Nationals Legends Week, which covers about 750 miles for six races starting at Belle-Clair and ending at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind., carries a $5,000 points fund sponsored by DirtonDirt.com with $2,000 going to the top points earner. … Shannon Babb picked up the $2,000 on Kickoff Week sponsored by U-Pic-A-Part.
Time trials (unofficial)
(Heat races start straightup by time)
First group
Nick Hoffman (2), Mooresville, N.C., 12.066
Tony Jackson Jr. (56), Lebanon, Mo., 12.090
Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill., 12.545
Ryan Unzicker (24), El Paso, Ill., 12.577
Luke Goedert (44), Guttenberg, Iowa, 12.671
Paul Stubber (31aus), Bunbury, Australia, 12.832
Mark Voigt (30), Marine, Ill., 12.889
Bob Gardner (4G), East Peoria, Ill., 13.049
Matt Santel (17x), New Memphis, Ill., 13.364
Blaze Burwell (44), Mount Vernon, Ill., 13.918
Second group
Brian Shirley (3S), Chatham, Ill., 12.054
Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 12.291
Daryn Klein (10), Fairview Heights, Ill., 12.340
Billy Moyer Jr. (21jr), Batesville, Ark., 12.491
Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., 12.564
Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark., 12.592
Dan Jacober (22), Highland, Ill., 12.671
Corey Ford (84), Belleville, Ill., 12.866
Brent McKinnon (26m), Carlyle, Ill., 13.117
Third group
Gordy Gundaker (11), St. Charles, Mo., 12.173
Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 12.327
Michael Kloos (6K), Trenton, Ill., 12.509
Chad Zobrist (78), Highland, Ill., 12.563
Rusty Griffaw (16), Festus, Mo., 12.596
Rusty Schlenk (91), McClure, Ohio, 12.672
Timothy Culp (C8), Prattsville, Ark., 12.738
Mike Hammerle (16), St. Charles, Mo., 12.952
Dave Jacober (7), Highland, Ill., 13.942
Tuesday’s schedule
4 p.m.: Pill draw opens
5:30 p.m.: Drivers’ meeting
6 p.m.: Hot laps
- Modified hot laps/time trials
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- B-mod hot laps
Opening ceremonies
- Modified heats (8 laps)
- Late Model heats (10 laps)
- B-mod heats
- Modified B-main (10 laps; if needed)
- Late Model B-main (12 laps; if needed)
- B-mod B-main (10 laps; if needed)
Intermission/track prep
- Modified feature (25 laps)
- Late Model feature (40 laps)
- B-mod feature
