June 24

SEDALIA, Mo. — Brian Shirley pulled off a dramatic victory, passing Billy Moyer for the lead on the final circuit to win the 30-lap UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals June 24 feature at Sedalia State Fair Speedway.
“It was a really exciting night,” said Shirley, who registered his first victory of the 2008 Summer Nationals in the tour’s ninth event. “The last five laps, I just hit my marks perfect.”
Competing in the first Summer Nationals event at the big, fast Sedalia half-mile oval since 1992, Shirley proved patience was a virtue after starting third. He rode for 29 laps on the bottom before making a last-lap pass of six-time Summer Nationals champion Moyer, pulling alongside the legend through turns one and two and then surging ahead on the backstretch. Moyer led laps 1-29 after starting second, but settled for runner-up money.
Former Summer Nationals champion Don O’Neal registered a third-place finish, while Dennis Erb, Jr. and Jeep VanWormer rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Brian Shirley, Billy Moyer, Don O’Neal, Dennis Erb, Jr., Jeep VanWormer, Randy Korte, Steve Sheppard, Jr., Darren Miller, Jeremy Payne, Wes Steidinger, Will Vaught, Terry English, Eric Turner, Dewayne Kiefer, Jason McBride, Terry Phillips, Rusty Dukes, J.D. Hubert, Jason Feger, Jordan Bland, Ryan Unzicker, Larry Clawson.

June 25

ELDON, Mo. — One night after the low groove did him in at the historic Sedalia State Fair Speedway, veteran Billy Moyer was determined to avoid a repeat performance.
A six-time UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion, Moyer emerged victorious for the first time on the 2008 tour and for a record 63rd time in his Summer Nationals career with a victory in the June 25 40-lap feature at Lake Ozark Speedway.
Moyer, 50, made a strong jump from the fourth-starting spot and maneuvered around defending UMP Summer Nationals champion Dennis Erb, Jr. for the lead on lap five and never looked back en route to the $6,000 winner’s share.
“It was a long time coming this year, it seemed,” said Moyer. “We’ve had some good runs, but just been a little off. We keep learning on this car, and I made some adjustments.”
Darren Miller charged from his 11th-starting spot to finish third. Brian Shirley was fourth and Randy Korte rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Billy Moyer, Dennis Erb, Jr., Darren Miller, Brian Shirley, Randy Korte, Ryan Unzicker, Wes Steidinger, Denny Woodworth, J.D. Hubert, Mike Hammerle, Andrew McCay, Dewayne Kiefer, Don O’Neal, Terry English, Rusty Dukes, Jordan Bland, Mark Burgtorf, Steve Sheppard, Jr., Will Vaught, Jeep VanWormer, Craig Smith.

Thursday

PADUCAH, Ky. — Kevin Claycomb certainly experienced his shares of frustrating runs on the 2008 UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals tour.
On Thursday night, however, the driver from Vincennes, Ind., got the monkey off his back, racing to victory in the 40-lap Summer Nationals A-main at Paducah Int’l Raceway.
Back behind the wheel this season after ending a four-year retirement, Claycomb became the 10th driver in 11 Summer Nationals events to reach victory lane. The 1991 UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model national champion recorded his fourth-career Summer Nationals win and first since 2000, also at Paducah.
“It feels really good,” said Claycomb, who retired after shutting down his family-operated team in 2004. “We thought we had one at MountVernon last week, but went too soft on tires.”
The same gamble that led to his demise last week paid dividends this time around. “We gambled again tonight, and it paid off,” he said.
Defending Summer Nationals champion Dennis Erb, Jr. finished second, while Duke Whiseant, Brian Shirley and Jeff Walston rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Kevin Claycomb, Dennis Erb, Jr., Duke Whiseant, Brian Shirley, Jeff Walston, Kevin Weaver, Wes Steidinger, John Tindal, Dylan Thompson, Jordan Bland, Tim Brown, Jeep VanWormer, Billy James, Darren Miller, Tim Lance, Steve Sheppard, Jr., Randy Korte, Will Vaught, Dewayne Kiefer, Jason Feger, Terry English.

Friday

LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. — Dennis Erb, Jr. is back on top and eyeing a second-straight UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals title.
The tour’s defending champion was flawless on Friday night at the redesigned Lawrenceburg Speedway, leading from flag to flag to capture the 40-lap feature.
Erb, 36, of Carpentersville, Ill., pocketed $10,000 for his second Summer Nationals victory of 2008 and the ninth of his career. He joined Darren Miller as the only repeat winners through 12 events on the highly competitive tour.
The triumph propelled Erb into the Summer Nationals point lead over Brian Shirley, who finished seventh.
Erb, who started second in his Rayburn No. 28, captured the first dirt-late-model event held on the reconfigured Lawrenceburg track. Formerly a quarter-mile oval, the showplace facility was rebuilt during the off-season to a high-banked, three-eighths-mile layout complete with a concrete outside wall.
Randy Korte finished second, ahead of Steve Sheppard, Jr., Wayne Chinn and Steve Casebolt.
The finish:
Dennis Erb, Jr., Randy Korte, Steve Sheppard, Jr., Wayne Chinn, Steve Casebolt, Jeep VanWormer, Brian Shirley, Scott James, Brad Neat, Wes Steidinger, Ryan Dauber, Will Vaught, Jordan Bland, Jesse Lay, Jason McBride, Tim Lance, Darren Miller, Matt Miller, Josh Williams, Justin Rattliff, Duke Whiseant.

Saturday

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Saturday night’s UMP Summer Nationals event at Clarksville Speedway was postponed because of rain. The event has been rescheduled for July 19.

Sunday

LINCOLN, Ill. — Brian Shirley turned his luck around on Sunday night, taking advantage of other drivers’ misfortunes to win the rain-shortened UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals A-main at Lincoln Speedway.
After a blown tire during heat action two nights earlier at Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway sent him down a road that cost him the Summer Nationals points lead, Shirley had everything go his way at the quarter-mile fairgrounds oval.
He inherited the lead on two occasions from drivers who retired with mechanical trouble and was in front when rain arrived and forced officials to declare the race official with 26 of a scheduled 40 laps completed.
Shirley recorded his second victory of the 2008 Summer Nationals, joining Darren Miller and defending champion Dennis Erb, Jr. as repeat tour winners.
Wes Steidinger advanced from the ninth-starting spot to finish second. Erb maintained a slim point lead over Shirley by placing third, with Ryan Unzicker and 16th-starter Randy Korte rounding out the top five.
The finish:
Brian Shirley, Wes Steidinger, Dennis Erb, Jr., Ryan Unzicker, Randy Korte, Matt Taylor, Steve Lance, Jr., Steve Sheppard, Jr., Will Vaught, Jeep VanWormer, Jayme Zidar, Eric Smith, Don O’Neal, Mike Hammerle, Kevin Weaver, Nick Bauman, Tim Lance, Donny Walden, Michael Kloos, Jesse Stovall, Derek Chandler.