July 1

PEORIA, Ill. — Winning certainly never gets old for Jeep VanWormer.
The 33-year-old driver enjoyed another UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals triumph July 1, visiting victory lane for the second time on the 2008 tour at Peoria Speedway.
VanWormer hopes that his checkered flag sets him off on a strong run down the Summer Nationals homestretch.
“Hopefully we can win the rest of them (Summer Nationals events),” remarked the chauffeur of the popular No. 55. “That wouldn’t hurt my feelings a bit.”
VanWormer saw things go his way early in the evening, using a strong qualifying run and heat-race victory to position himself on the inside of the second row for the start of the 40-lap feature.
VanWormer overtook defending Summer Nationals champion and point-leader Dennis Erb, Jr. for the lead on the second lap and never looked back.
With the race running caution-free after an opening-lap slowdown, VanWormer maintained solid command and crossed the finish line ahead of former Summer Nationals champion Kevin Weaver.
“I’ve got a few laps around this place,” said Weaver, who started fourth. “We just have a pretty good Bill West car and we’ve just been working on it. I’m hoping to put some more good finishes together.”
Fast-qualifier Wes Steidinger came home third, ahead of Brian Shirley and Erb.
The finish:
Jeep VanWormer, Kevin Weaver, Wes Steidinger, Brian Shirley, Dennis Erb, Jr., Don O’Neal, Will Vaught, Ryan Unzicker, Steve Lance, Jesse Stoval, Steve Sheppard, Jr., Jason Feger, Tim Lance, Jordan Bland, Todd Bennett, Rich Bell, Ryan Dauber, Randy Korte, Scott Bull, Shane Allen, Donny Walden.

July 2 & 3

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Rain washed out the July 2 UMP Summer Nationals event at Morgan County Speedway and the July 3 race at Macon Speedway. As a result, a doubleheader weekend of Summer Nationals late-model events has been set  Aug. 15-16. The event at Morgan County will be held Aug. 15, with the Macon round the following night.

Friday

PONTOON BEACH, Ill. — Records are meant to be broken.
But when it comes to Billy Moyer, he doesn’t just break records, he shatters them.
Moyer smashed the one-lap dirt-late model standard for the three-eighths-mile Tri-City Speedway in qualifying on Friday night, then backed it up by pulling off a memorable outside pass to win the 40-lap UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals feature. It was his second $10,000 Summer Nationals victory of 2008.
The Batesville, Ark., legend’s lap of 14.144 seconds during the 51-car group time-trial session reduced the existing track record of 14.526 seconds that was held by Wes Steidinger.
After the fifth of the race’s seven caution flags flew on lap 13, Moyer dared to try the high side of the track and moved around Dennis Erb, Jr. and leader Steidinger to take command. Another caution flag for a spin by Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., negated the move, however, relegating Moyer back to third.  Moyer slid by Erb for second on the ensuing restart and went to work on Steidinger.
With his No. 21 perched on the cushion, Moyer drove by Steidinger and a lapped car on lap 21 to assume command for good.
Erb, the defending Summer Nationals champion and current points leader, settled for a runner-up finish ahead of Steidinger. Wendell Wallace in fourth and Darren Miller rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Billy Moyer, Dennis Erb, Jr., Wes Steidinger, Wendell Wallace, Darren Miller, Jeep VanWormer, Kevin Weaver, Brian Shirley, Ryan Unzicker, Randy Korte, Steve Sheppard, Jr., Jesse Stovall, Rodney Melvin, Billy Laycock, Jason McBride, Will Vaught, Jason Feger, Jordan Bland, Brent Kreke, Mark Voigt, Brian Birkhofer, Don O’Neal, Billy Faust.

Saturday

FAIRBURY, Ill. — When the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals tour visits Fairbury American Legion Speedway, Jimmy Mars is at the top of his game.
 The 36-year-old driver showed his mastery of the quarter-mile oval once again on Saturday night, racing to victory in the track’s 50-lap Summer Nationals event for the third time in the last four years.
A winner of Fairbury’s Summer Nationals A-main in 2005 and 2006, this year’s tour date turned out to be no different for Mars.
Mars, who started third, drove by Steve Sheppard, Jr. for second early in the feature. He then set his sights on Brian Shirley, the race’s pole-sitter. Mars and Shirley waged a great battle for the top spot, with Mars trying low and high to get around. Mars finally found something in the middle groove of turns three and four and overtook Shirley on lap five, but a caution flag for a slowing Jordan Bland negated the move.
Mars instantly applied pressure to Shirley again on the restart. Shirley repelled the bids until lap 11, when Mars drove his No. 28 to the inside of Shirley and gained command for good. Mars was in control for the remainder of the distance, building as much as a full straightaway lead before lapped traffic slowed him.
A caution flag on lap 27 gave him a clear track and he had no trouble securing his seventh-career Summer Nationals triumph.
Shirley held on for second place ahead of Darren Miller in third. Ryan Dauber was fourth and Sheppard completed the top five.
The finish:
Jimmy Mars, Brian Shirley, Darren Miller, Ryan Dauber, Steve Sheppard, Jr., Billy Moyer, Eric Smith, Derek Chandler, Ryan Unzicker, Will Vaught, Wes Steidinger, Dennis Erb, Jr., Daren Friedman, Jeep VanWormer, Jordan Bland, Joe Harlan, Randy Korte, Jason Feger, Scott Bull, Kevin Weaver, Brian Birkhofer.

Sunday

EAST MOLINE, Ill. — Perseverance, often times, pays off in the end.
Such was the case for Randy Korte on Sunday night at Quad City Raceway, where he captured the caution-free 40-lap UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals late-model feature.
Korte, who has had his share of strong runs on this year’s Summer Nationals tour, broke into victory lane for the first time in 2008.
The $6,000 win came in flag-to-flag fashion for Korte, but it was certainly not a cakewalk.
He was challenged by defending Summer Nationals champion Dennis Erb, Jr. throughout the distance, but Korte never faltered.
Korte and Erb ran nose to tail and diced through lapped traffic until they saw the checkered flag, with Korte ahead of Erb by a few car lengths. The pair was well in front of third-place finisher Kevin Weaver.
“I felt like the car was really good tonight,” said Korte, who recorded his 10th-career Summer Nationals triumph. “I tried to stay off the top because it was so rough up there, but my guys said I was actually better up there.”
Wes Steidinger and Darren Miller rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Randy Korte, Dennis Erb, Jr., Kevin Weaver, Wes Steidinger, Darren Miller, Brian Shirley, Steve Sheppard, Jr., Jason Feger, Will Vaught, Jason McBride, Ryan Unzicker, Jordan Bland, Jeep VanWormer, Donny Walden, Leroy Brenner, Kevin Dickey, Gary Webb, Adam Oppendike.