Dirt on Dirt - Feger outduels Unzicker at Coles County

June 12

Coles County Speedway,

Mattoon, IL

Sanction: DIRTcar Summer Nationals - $10,000

Information provided by: Series and track reports (last updated June 13, 12:19 am)

Feger outduels Unzicker at Coles County

Jason Feger
Ryan Unzicker
Tanner English
Bob Gardner
Daniel Adam
Mike Spatola
Clay Stuckey
Mitch McGrath
Mark Voigt
Timmy Dick
Morgan Staggs
Rich Bell
Billy Moyer
Jake Rainey
Jordan Bauer
Brody Smith
Michael Leach
Brian Shirley
Billy Knippenberg
Tyler Leach
Frank Heckenast Jr.
Shannon Babb

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Tim Hunt/Highside Race Shots

Jason Feger (25) slides in front of Ryan Unzicker (24) to take command.

What won the race: Outdueling polesitter Ryan Unzicker in a late-race battle, seventh-starting Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., led seven of the last eight laps at Coles County Speedway to collect $10,000 in a rock 'em, sock 'em feature. Unzicker controlled the first half of the race amid several multicar tangles further back, but Feger came alive in restarting second on the 21st lap and turned up the heat on Unzicker, taking the lead for good on the 35th lap by sliding in front of Unzicker and leading the rest of the 40-lap DIRTcar Summer Nationals debut at the tiny track.

Quotable: “What a heck of a job these guys did prepping that track, especially considering the weather they had this week and stuff. Man, it was good. I mean, every time we come here it just keeps getting better and better and it's awesome to see the stands full of people," Feger said. "I appreciate everybody coming out and supporting that and (promoter) Brian (Rieck) for what he's trying to do here.”

Key notes: The two-time and reigning series champion, Jason Feger notched his 36th career victory. ... Feger survived a mid-race collision with Billy Moyer after he nosed under Moyer on the frontstretch. ... In the second half of the race, Ryan Unzicker primarily held the high line with Feger pressuring him down low. Feger was scored as the lap-33 leader, but he didn't take control for good until lap 35 in winning by 1.404 seconds. ... Runner-up Ryan Unzicker briefly pulled off the track during parade laps, but it wasn't clear why. ... A MARS Championship Series feature last month ran caution-free at Coles County; this one not so much. ... The race had five slowdowns, the most serious for a red flag after a lap-15 restart when a turn-one scramble was triggered when Mitch McGrath and Brody Smith tangled with Smith's stalled car atop the track collecting Michael Leach and Brian Shirley with Billy Knippenberg part of the mess. ... Smith's 18th birthday went awry in the incident that required a lengthy cleanup. ... Caution flags: the 15th lap for a slowing Clay Stuckey; 19th-lap tangle for Timmy Dick and Jake Rainey; debris on the 21st lap (from third-running Billy Moyer's car; he retired); and on the lap-21 restart when the fourth- and fifth-running cars of Mitch McGrath and Mike Spatola tangled in turn four. ... The feature concluded at 10:03 p.m. ... The 27 Super Late Model entrants set a track record. ... In prelims, Shannon Babb, Jack Franklin and Morgan Staggs were involed in an opening lap crash during the third heat race, sending Franklin upside down and necessitating a red flag for cleanup; all drivers were OK though it took several minutes for track officials to separate Babb's and Franklin's machines. ... Coles County, which subbed for Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill., on the schedule, came after rainouts at Kankakee County and Peoria.

On the move: Winner Jason Feger started seventh.

Winner's sponsors: Feger’s Longhorn Chassis has a Clements Racing Engine with sponsorship from Titan Industries, SC Online Sales, Hoker Trucking, The Big Cheese MM, Out-Pace Racing Products, CorrosionX, Multi Fire Wires, RemTek Enterprises, RLM Enterprises, Cheap Cars, FK Rod Ends, Keyser Manufacturing, Stealth Racing Carburetors, Speedwerx, Rosser Battery, Ohlins by Longhorn Dynamics, Schaeffer’s Racing Oil, Wehrs Machine, VP Racing Fuels, Griffin Sign Shop and Limelight Graphics.

Points chase: Before Coles County: 1. Shannon Babb (79); 2. Tanner English (74); 3. Frank Heckenast Jr. (69); 4. Michael Leach (64); 5. Daryn Klein (59).

Current weather: Clear, 70°F

Car count: 27

Fast qualifier: Michael Leach

Time: 11.289 seconds

Polesitter: Ryan Unzicker

Heat race winners: Ryan Unzicker, Billy Moyer, Mitch McGrath

Provisional starters: Shannon Babb, Mark Voigt, Tyler Leach, Jordan Bauer

Next series race: June 13, Fairbury Speedway (Fairbury, IL) $10,000

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

From staff reports

MATTOON, Ill. — Updates from Friday’s second round of the 40th annual DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Coles County Speedway, an event highlighted by a 40-lap, $10,000-to-win feature for DIRTcar Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Outdueling polesitter Ryan Unzicker in a late-race battle, seventh-starting Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., led seven of the last eight laps at Coles County Speedway to collect $10,000 in a rock 'em, sock 'em feature. Unzicker controlled the first half of the race amid several multicar tangles further back, but Feger came alive in restarting second on the 21st lap and turned up the heat on Unzicker, taking the lead for good on the 35th lap by sliding in front of Unzicker and leading the rest of the 40-lap DIRTcar Summer Nationals debut at the tiny track.

Feature lineup

(40 laps)

Row 1: Ryan Unzicker, Mitch McGrath
Row 2: Billy Moyer, Brody Smith
Row 3: Michael Leach, Bob Gardner
Row 4: Jason Feger, Tanner English
Row 5: Timmy Dick, Mike Spatola
Row 6: Clay Stuckey, Billy Knippenberg III
Row 7: Daniel Adam, Frank Heckenast Jr.
Row 8: Morgan Staggs, Brian Shirley
Row 9: Rich Bell, Jake Rainey
Row 10: Shannon Babb, Mark Voigt
Row 11: Tyler Leach, Jordan Bauer

Consolation race results

(20 laps; top three transfer)

B-main finish: Brian Shirley, Rich Bell, Jake Rainey, Mark Voigt, Jordan Bauer, Tyler Leach, Chase Osterhoff, Doug Tye, Chris Simpson. Scratched: Shane Kelley, Shannon Babb, Jack Franklin.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top five transfer)

First heat: Ryan Unzicker, Brody Smith, Jason Feger, Mike Spatola, Daniel Adam, Brian Shirley, Jake Rainey, Jordan Bauer, Tyler Leach.

Second heat: Billy Moyer, Michael Leach, Tanner English, Clay Stuckey, Frank Heckenast Jr., Rich Bell, Mark Voigt, Chase Osterhoff, Doug Tye.

Third heat: Mitch McGrath, Bob Gardner, Timmy Dick, Billy Knippenberg III, Morgan Staggs, Shane Kelley, Chris Simpson, Shannon Babb, Jack Franklin.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Ryan Unzicker (24), El Paso, Ill., 11.295
2. Brody Smith (17sr), Dade City, Fla., 11.410
3. Daniel Adam (75A), Peru, Ill., 11.435
4. Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill., 11.467
5. Jordan Bauer (10J), St. Jacob, Ill., 11.514
6. Mike Spatola (89), Manhattan, Ill., 11.573
7. Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 11.586
8. Jake Rainey (87), Power Springs, Ga., 11.902
9. Tyler Leach (05), Sun River, Mont., 11.946
Group B
1. Michael Leach (09), Sun River, Mont., 11.289
2. Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark., 11.514
3. Clay Stuckey (15), Shreveport, La., 11.560
4. Tanner English (96), Benton, Ky., 11.590
5. Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., 11.606
6. Rich Bell (21B), Sheffield, Ill., 11.694
7. Chase Osterhoff (3), Kankakee, Ill., 11.843
8. Mark Voigt (30), Marine, Ill., 12.228
9. Doug Tye (4D), Troy, Ill., 12.254
Group C
1. Bob Gardner (4G), East Peoria, Ill., 11.790
2. Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 11.825
3. Mitch McGrath (74), Waukesha, Wis., 11.873
4. Jack Franklin (12), Murfreesboro, Tenn., 12.011
5. Chris Simpson (32s), Oxford, Iowa, 12.056
6. Morgan Staggs (7s), Marshall, Ind., 12.079
7. Timmy Dick (122), Monticello, Ill., 12.089
8. Billy Knippenberg III (bk3), Plainfield, Ill., 12.209
9. Shane Kelley (14k), Pekin, Ill., no time

Friday’s schedule

(All times local)
4 p.m. - Pits open
4 p.m. - Tech and registration open
5:30 p.m. - Tech and registration close
6 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Modified group qualifying
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 laps)
- Modified consolation (8 laps)
- Late Model consolation (10 laps)
Feature events
- Late Models (40 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)