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Jeep VanWormer continued his surge on the UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals series, winning Tuesday night’s 40-lap A-Main at Lawrenceburg Speedway.
The 32-year-old from Pinconning , Mich. , outdueled fellow front-row starter Randy Korte of Highland , Ill. , for the lead on lap three and never looked back. He controlled the action to earn $6,000 for his second victory of the 2007 Summernationals.
The runner-up in the 2006 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals point standings, VanWormer got off to a slow start on this year’s tour, registering just two top-10 finishes in the first 10 events. But he’s caught fire with five top-five and six top-10 finishes in the last six A-Mains, vaulting him to fifth in the point standings and keeping alive his hopes of winning the $25,000 championship.
VanWormer, who scored his fifth career Summernationals win, beat Steve Sheppard Jr. of New Berlin , Ill. , to the finish line.
Korte settled for third, followed by Summernationals points leader Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville , Ill. , and Wes Steidinger of Fairbury , Ill.
Title contenders Don O’Neal of Martinsville , Ind. , and Mike Marlar of Winfield , Tenn. , had tough nights.
O’Neal didn’t finish his heat, but came from the rear of the B-Main to place second. He worked his way forward from deep in the feature field to reach seventh place, then cracked the top five late in the distance only to be slowed by a deflating left-rear tire that left him with a ninth-place finish.
Marlar, meanwhile, experienced engine problems and was the first driver to drop out of the feature.
Twenty-five cars entered the event, which saw VanWormer set fast time during group qualifying with a lap of 12.370 seconds.
Heat winners were Korte, VanWormer and Steidinger, and Wayne Chinn of Tipp City , Ohio , captured the B-Main.
UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals A-Main Finish (40 laps):
1. Jeep VanWormer
2. Steve Sheppard Jr.
3. Randy Korte
4. Dennis Erb Jr.
5. Wes Steidinger
6. A.J. Diemel
7. Wayne Chinn
8. Shawn Negangard
9. Don O’Neal
10. Eddie Kirchoff
11. Jason Smith
12. Greg Johnson
13. Jimmy Owens
14. Jason Feger
15. Rick Corbin
16. Jordan Bland
17. Ryan Dauber
18. Marshall Austin
19. Jerry Rice
20. Jesse Lay
21. Mike Marlar
DNQ: Jason Jameson, James Doller, Denny Arcaro, Ronnie Douglas |
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