Dirt on Dirt - Unzicker turns back Michigan foes at Butler

July 13

Butler Motor Speedway,

Quincy, MI

Sanction: DIRTcar Summer Nationals - $5,000

Information provided by: Series and staff reports (last updated July 14, 10:22 am)

Unzicker turns back Michigan foes at Butler

Ryan Unzicker
Carter Murday
Eric Spangler
Rusty Schlenk
Devin Shiels
Kye Blight
Bob Gardner
Dusty Moore
Mike Vandermark
Thomas Hunziker
Casey Noonan
Rusty Smith
Ashton Winger
Brian Ruhlman
Jake Rendel
Garrett Wiles
Hillard Miller
Ryan Lanphierd
J.R. Hotovy
Justin White
Jeff Robertson
Mick Quin

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Jim DenHamer

Ryan Unzicker led the final 15 laps Thursday at Butler for a $5,000 payday.

What won the race: Leading the final 15 laps after leader Ashton Winger and second-running Rusty Schlenk both suffered flat tires on the same lap, Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, Ill., picked up his second DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory of the season with a victory Thursday at Butler Speedway. Unzicker finished a second ahead of Late Model rookie Carter Murday following a green-white-checkered finish.

Quotable: “I hate to lose races like that, so I feel bad for those two guys (Ashton Winger and Rusty Schlenk), but you just take ‘em when you can get ‘em. It’s a tough sport,” said Unzicker. “I knew before the race that starting third was going to be a challenge with them two starting up front. I knew there were a lot of rocks on the racetrack, so I was just trying to keep the wheels underneath me and not spinning. I just had dig all the way down the straightaway, so I didn’t really have to spin those tires. I don’t know about them guys.”

Key notes: After leading the first 25 laps, Ashton Winger slowed with flat right rear tire to draw a caution. … During the caution for Winger, Rusty Schlenk, who inherited the lead, pitted with a flat left rear tire. … Ryan Unzicker won his second Hell Tour race of the season and the 13th of his career. … This marks the fourth time Unzicker has won at least two Summer Nationals races in a single season, though he’s never surpassed two in one year. He also win two in 2016, ’12 and ’13. … It’s the second time he’s won in Michigan. In 2016 he won at Merritt in Lake City. … Unzicker, who plans to compete in the final three events, has Hell Tour wins in five states: Illinois (8), Michigan (2), Ohio, Wisconsin and Tennessee. … Runner-up Carter Murday made the most of his first-ever Summer Nationals start, but not without tussling with Summer Nationals regulars Winger and Kye Blight. Murday and Blight made contact on lap-25 and lap-28 restarts and Winger and Murday made contact on the final lap, flattening Winger’s left front tire. … Hitting the track in the final group of two cars among the 35 competitors, Kye Blight of Bunbury, W. Australia set a new track record during time trials at 15.108 seconds. … The Hell Tour struggles continued for Drake Troutman of Hyndman, Pa., who was sidelined early Thursday due potentially to a piston failure. He hopes to have his engine fixed by Friday’s race at Hartford.

On the move: Dusty Moore of Swanton, Ohio, started 18th and finished eighth.

Winner's sponsors: Unzicker’s MB Customs Race Car has a Pro Power Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from RJR Transportation, Brucker Farms, Mosquito Hero, Fairbury Fastener & Supply, Larimer Cows & Calves, Absolute Home Repair & Remodeling, Gary Miller’s Classic Auto, El Paso Outdoor Center, Unzicker Equipment, Renegade Fuels and Aftershock Decals & Design, Konstruction Services, Pro Tire and Automotive, Mackinac Valley Powder Coating, Logan Smith Collectibles, Clean It Up 843 Pressure Washing Professionals, A Solution HVAC & Construction, Budda Bert, Dirtcarlift, Keyser Manufacturing, All Star performance, NAPA El Paso, Action Suspension and Varsitee Screenprinting.

Points chase: After Butler (overall): 1. Ashton Winger (1,262); 2. Jason Feger (1,202); 3. Bob Gardner (1,014); 4. Kye Blight (937); 5. Thomas Hunziker (674). After Butler (Week 5): 1. Ryan Unzicker (80); 2. Carter Murday (75); 3. Eric Spangler (70); 4. Rusty Schlenk (65); 5. Devin Shiels (60).

Current weather: Clear, 66°F

Car count: 35

Fast qualifier: Kye Blight

Time: 15.108 seconds

Polesitter: Ashton Winger

Heat race winners: Rusty Schlenk, Ryan Unzicker, Kye Blight, Ashton Winger

Consolation race winners: Rusty Smith

Provisional starters: Mick Quin, Casey Noonan, Jeff Robertson, Hillard Miller

Next series race: July 14, Hartford Speedway (Hartford, MI) $10,000

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

QUINCY, Mich. (July 13) — Updates and results from Thursday’s 20th round of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Benton Speedway, highlighted by a $5,000-to-win feature for Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Leading the final 15 laps after leader Ashton Winger and second-running Rusty Schlenk both suffered flat tires on the same lap, third-starting Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, Ill., picked up his second DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory of the season with a victory Thursday at Butler Speedway. Unzicker finished a second ahead of Late Model rookie Carter Murday of Adrian, Mich., following a green-white-checkered finish.

Seventh-starting Eric Spangler of Lake City, Mich., finished third, while Schlenk of McClure, Ohio, restarted seventh with 15 laps remaining and rallied back to fourth. Devin Shiels of Britton, Mich., completed the top five after starting 10th.

Winger, who started from the pole position and led the first 25 laps, was running third when the white flag was displayed, but contact with Murday as they battled for second down the backstretch cut down the Georgian’s left front tire and he spun off the track, bringing out the caution that set up the two-lap dash to the finish. Winger retired in 13th.

Feature lineup

40 laps
Row 1: Ashton Winger, Kye Blight
Row 2: Ryan Unzicker, Rusty Schlenk
Row 3: Thomas Hunziker, Carter Murday
Row 4: Eric Spangler, Brian Ruhlman
Row 5: J.R. Hotovy, Devin Shiels
Row 6: Ryan Lanphierd, Mike Vandermark Jr.
Row 7: Garrett Wiles, Bob Gardner
Row 8: Justin White, Jake Rendel
Row 9: Rusty Smith, Dusty Moore
Row 10: Mick Quin, Casey Noonan
Row 11: Hillard Miller, Jeff Robertson

Consolation race results

B-main (top two transfer): Rusty Smith, Dusty Moore, Hillard Miller, Joel Morton, Scott Baker, Ryan Davis, Ken Hahn, Nicholas Fenner, Mick Quin, Jeff Robertson, Chad White, Bob Mayer, Rick Swartout, Josh Robertson, Casey Noonan,

C-main (top three transfer): Mick Quin, Nicholas Fenner, Rick Swartout, David Ellis. Scratched: Drake Troutman, William Cundick, Dillon Nusbaum.

Heat race results

(8 laps; top four transfer)
First heat: Rusty Schlenk, Thomas Hunziker, J.R. Hotovy, Garrett Wiles, Joel Morton, Rusty Smith, Ken Hahn, Nicholas Fenner, Dillon Nusbaum.

Second heat: Ryan Unzicker, Eric Spangler, Ryan Lanphierd, Justin White, Scott Baker, Hillard Miller, Josh Robertson, Mick Quin. Scratched: William Cundick.

Third heat: Kye Blight, Carter Murday, Devin Shiels, Bob Gardner, Dusty Moore, Bob Mayer, Ryan Davis, Rick Swartout. Scratched: Drake Troutman.

Fourth heat: Ashton Winger, Brian Ruhlman, Mike Vandermark Jr., Jake Rendel, Chad White, Casey Noonan, Jeff Robertson, Davis Ellis.

Time trials

Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
First group
Rusty Schlenk (91), McClure, Ohio, 15.148
Ryan Unzicker (24), El Paso, Ill., 15.517
Thomas Hunziker (38), Bend, Ore., 15.716
Eric Spangler (27), Lake City, Mich., 15.982
Garrett Wiles (16), Hubbardson, Mich., 16.103
Ryan Lanphierd (11x), Midland, Mich., 16.265
J.R. Hotovy (13H), Hartford, Mich., 16.500
Justin White (20w), Stevensville, Mich., 16.537
Dillon Nusbaum (17N), Warsaw, Ind., 16.559
Mick Quin (23NZ), Waimarama, New Zealand, 16.857
Scott Baker (13), Ionia, Mich., 16.992
Joel Morton (36), Hudson, Mich., 17.004
Josh Robertson (P3), Defiance, Ohio, 17.047
Rusty Smith (71), Sylvania, Ohio, 17.288
Hillard Miller (53), Defiance, Ohio, 17.345
Nicholas Fenner (22F), Morenci, Mich., 18.146
William Cundick (47J), Wauseon, Ohio, 19.125
Ken Hahn (27H), Gibsonburg, Ohio, no time
Second group
Kye Blight (31aus), Bunbury, W. Australia, 15.108
Casey Noonan (1N), Sylvania, Ohio, 15.390
Devin Shiels (51s), Britton, Mich., 15.653
Ashton Winger (12), Hampton, Ga., 15.721
Bob Gardner (4G), East Peoria, Ill., 15.741
Mike Vandermark Jr. (41) Cedar Springs, Mich., 15.958
Carter Murday (19m), Adrian, Mich., 16.007
Brian Ruhlman (49), Clark Lake, Mich., 16.282
Dusty Moore (75), Swanton, Ohio, 16.544
Chad White (20c), Steveville, Mich., 16.823
Ryan Davis (2R), Weston, Mich., 17.031
Jake Rendelk (06), Adrian, Mich., 17.052
Bob Mayer (42), Holland, Ohio, 17.354
Jeff Robertson (P3), Defiance, Ohio, 17.529
Rick Swartout (81), Union City, Mich., 18.094
David Ellis (17), Defiance, Ohio, 18.694
Drake Troutman (7T), Hyndman, Pa., no time

Thursday’s schedule

(All times local)
5:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Modified hot laps/qualifying (3 laps)
- Late Model qualifying (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heat races (8 laps)
- Modified heat races (8 laps)
- Late Model c-main (8 laps)
- Modified consolation (8 laps)
- Late Model consolation (10 laps)
Intermission/track prep
Feature races
- Late Models (40 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)