Thursday

CALVERT CITY, Ky. — In a battle of drivers looking for their first UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory, polesitter Brad Neat won the 2008 series opener at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway Thursday night following a stirring late-race duel with fellow front-row starter Jason Feger.
Feger led most of the way, but was denied a chance to regain the lead from Neat with three laps remaining when he had a left-rear tire go flat under caution.
Neat, whose recent big-event attempts have ended with disappointing wrecks, earned $7,500 for the 30-lap victory. Will Vaught rallied from ninth to finish second, while Brian Shirley, Billy Moyer and reigning Summer Nationals champion Dennis Erb, Jr. rounded out the top five.
On the final restart, Vaught gave Neat all he had in trying to win the race into turn one, but Neat edged away for the victory at the three-eighths-mile oval.
The finish:
Brad Neat, Will Vaught, Brian Shirley, Billy Moyer, Dennis Erb, Jr., Jeep VanWormer, Jeff Walston, Kevin Cole, Dewayne Keifer, Kevin Claycomb, John Gill, Billy James, Randy Sellars, Kevin Weaver, Jason Feger, Darren Miller, Terry English, Steve Sheppard, Jr., Ryan Dauber, Jason Riggs, Wes Steidinger.

Friday

BROWNSTOWN, Ind. — Friday’s UMP Summer Nationals event was rained out and rescheduled for July 11.

Saturday

BOSWELL, Ind. — Wes Steidinger is coming of age.
The rising 25-year-old star from Fairbury, Ill., scored the richest win of his career on Saturday night, earning $10,000 for capturing the 40-lap UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals feature at Kamp Motor Speedway.
After stamping himself as a pre-race favorite with a dominating heat-race victory, Steidinger started from the pole position and out-raced Billy Moyer for the lead at the initial green flag. He set the pace from flag to flag, holding off Mike Mataragas over the final circuits to reach victory lane in his family-owned No. j1.
Steidinger, who last year finished second in the UMP DIRTcar super-late-model national standings and third in the Summer Nationals chase, registered his second career win on the grueling month-long tour. His first checkered flag came in the 2007 series finale — the non-point Herald & Review 100 at Macon (Ill.) Speedway.
A Summer Nationals regular for the second time in his young career, Steidinger came back strong after engine problems sidelined him in the tour’s Thursday-night opener at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway.
Mataragas challenged Steidinger several times in the closing laps, but settled for runner-up money. It was the best Summer Nationals finish of his career. Brian Birkhofer finished third by a scant margin over Moyer, and defending Summer Nationals champion Dennis Erb, Jr., ran a steady race to place fifth.
The finish:
Wes Steidinger, Mike Mataragas, Brian Birkhofer, Billy Moyer, Dennis Erb, Jr., Brian Shirley, Eric Smith, Jordan Bland, Jeep VanWormer, Jason Feger, Don O’Neal, Darren Miller, Dewayne Keifer, Steve Barnett, Dan Walden, Kevin Weaver, Kevin Claycomb, Tim Lance, Will Vaught, Tim McCreadie, Steve Sheppard, Jr.

Sunday

HAUBSTADT, Ind. — Dennis Erb, Jr. pulled off a dramatic last-lap pass of Randy Korte to capture Sunday night’s 40-lap UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals feature at Tri-State Speedway.
Erb, the defending Summer Nationals champion, earned $6,000 for his first victory of the 2008 Summer Nationals.
After losing the top spot to the ninth-starting Erb for laps 33-34, Korte regained command and appeared primed for a return to victory lane. But he lost momentum while lapping Patrick Sheltra in turn two on the final lap, allowing Erb to sneak underneath and assume command in his Rayburn No. 28e.
Korte, who returned to the cockpit one week ago after being sidelined since suffering a back injury in a February accident during Florida Speedweeks, nearly emerged triumphant in Tri-State’s Summer Nationals show for the second-consecutive season. He started second and led all but three laps of the feature.
Korte had to settle for second place in his familiar No. 00. Brian Shirley advanced from the 13th- starting spot to place third with six-time Summer Nationals champ Billy Moyer taking fourth after starting from the pole position, and 2004 Summer Nationals titlist Don O’Neal finished fifth.
Erb’s victory was the eighth of his career in Summer Nationals action. It also moved him into the tour’s points lead after three events.
The finish:
Dennis Erb, Jr., Randy Korte, Brian Shirley, Billy Moyer, Don O’Neal, Jeep VanWormer, Wes Steidinger, Kevin Claycomb, Rodney Melvin, Michael Kloos, Will Vaught, Jason Feger, Kevin Weaver, Patrick Sheltra, Derek Fisher, Dewayne Keifer, Jordan Bland, Billy Faust, Chad Zobrist, Kevin Cole, Steve Sheppard, Jr.