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By Kevin Kovac
PONTOON BEACH, IL – July 6, 2007 – Don O’Neal is ready for the stretch run of the 2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals.

After two days away from the tour grind – for a scheduled off day and a rainout – the Martinsville , Ind. , came back recharged on Friday night and drove to a powerful victory in the 40-lap A-Main at Tri-City Speedway.

It was the third victory of this year’s Summernationals for O’Neal, whose 35 career tour checkered flags rank him third on the alltime win list behind Billy Moyer of Batesville , Ark. (62) and Moweaqua , Ill. ’s Babb (51). He had never before captured a series event at the Tri-City facility.

The $10,000 triumph brought O’Neal closer to UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals points leader Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville , Ill. , who charged to a fifth-place finish after qualifying through a B-Main.

It wasn’t an easy win for O’Neal, the 2004 Summernationals champion. He had to hold off the advances of Moyer and Brian Shirley of Chatham , Ill. , who finished second and third, respectively, to reach the checkered flag first.

Jimmy Mars of Menononie , Wis. , placed fourth and Erb was fifth.

Summernationals frustration continued for Mike Marlar of Winfield , Tenn. , whose hopes for the tour title have been disintegrating over the past week. He was credited with a last-place finish (22nd) after an early tangle with Randy Korte of Highland , Ill. , prompted him to make contact with Korte’s car under caution, earning him a black flag from UMP officials.

Forty-six dirt Late Models entered the first-ever Summernationals event run on Tri-City’s new three-eighths-mile layout. The tour raced in previous years on the facility’s big half-mile track, which Tri-City owner Kevin Gundaker replaced with a smaller oval for the 2007 season.

Heat winners were Moyer, Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning, Mich. , O’Neal and Mars, and the B-Mains were captured by Jason Feger of Springfield , Ill. , and Erb.

46 ENTRIES
UMP Late Models : Qualifying Group 01
1 j1 WES STEIDINGER 14.526
2 25f JASON FEGER 14.662
3 21 BILLY MOYER 14.842
4 00s CHRIS SMYSER 14.913
5 5jr BILLY JAMES 15.080
6 B12 KEVIN WEAVER 15.234
7 30 MARK VOIGT (*L) 15.282
8 75 TERRY PHILLIPS 15.302
9 67 MARK OLLER (*C) 15.479
10 1s RICK SALTER (*L) 15.572
11 76 BUTCH KRUCKEBERG 15.800
12 82 BILLY LAYCOCK 15.805

UMP Late Models : Qualifying Group 02
1 18 SHANNON BABB 14.970
2 55 JEEP VAN WORMER 15.092
3 6k MICHAEL KLOOS (*L) 15.332
4 81 CRAIG SMITH (*L) 15.340
5 11z BRYAN COLLINS (*L) 15.368
6 74 JEREMY PAYNE 15.387
7 34 MIKE MARLER 15.641
8 dc3 DON CISCO III 15.764
9 21m STEVE MYERS (*L) 15.797
10 14JR STEVE RUSHIN 15.897
11 r52 RYLAN DAGG (*C) 16.068

UMP Late Models : Qualifying Group 03
1 92b BILLY FAUST (*L) 15.028
2 71 DON O'NEAL 15.076
3 18s JACK SULLIVAN 15.121
4 27 RODNEY MELVIN 15.243
5 58 AJ DIEMEL 15.329
6 0 RANDY KORTE 15.394
7 8 KYLE STEFFENS (*L) 15.535
8 15b BRIAN BIRKHOFER 15.541
9 28 DENNIS ERB 15.541
10 7 MARK BURGTORF 15.651
11 92m MARK FAUST (*L) 15.693
12 24 DICK TAYLOR 15.767

UMP Late Models : Qualifying Group 04
1 5k EDDIE KIRCHOFF 15.115
2 28M JIMMY MARS 15.386
3 3S BRIAN SHIRLEY 15.405
4 5s STEVE SHEPPARD JR 15.526
5 9z JAYME ZIDAR 15.534
6 1 JOSH RICHARDS 15.742
7 21JR BILLY MOYER JR 16.540
8 42a MARSHALL AUSTIN JR 16.956
9 77 JASON MCBRIDE 17.026
10 70 BILL WILLIAMSON (*L) 17.098
11 14m REID MILLARD (*L) 0.000

UMP Late Models : Heat 01
1 21 BILLY MOYER
2 j1 WES STEIDINGER
3 B12 KEVIN WEAVER
4 25f JASON FEGER
5 30 MARK VOIGT (*L)
6 75 TERRY PHILLIPS
7 5jr BILLY JAMES
8 00s CHRIS SMYSER
9 82 BILLY LAYCOCK
10 67 MARK OLLER (*C)
11 1s RICK SALTER (*L)
12 76 BUTCH KRUCKEBERG

UMP Late Models : Heat 02
1 55 JEEP VAN WORMER
2 18 SHANNON BABB
3 34 MIKE MARLER
4 6k MICHAEL KLOOS (*L)
5 11z BRYAN COLLINS (*L)
6 74 JEREMY PAYNE
7 81 CRAIG SMITH (*L)
8 21m STEVE MYERS (*L)
9 14JR STEVE RUSHIN
10 dc3 DON CISCO III
11 r52 RYLAN DAGG (*C)

UMP Late Models : Heat 03
1 71 DON O'NEAL
2 92b BILLY FAUST (*L)
3 0 RANDY KORTE
4 28 DENNIS ERB
5 27 RODNEY MELVIN
6 92m MARK FAUST (*L)
7 58 AJ DIEMEL
8 7 MARK BURGTORF
9 24 DICK TAYLOR
10 15B BRIAN BIRKHOFER
11 8 KYLE STEFFENS (*L)
12 18s JACK SULLIVAN

UMP Late Models : Heat 04
1 28M JIMMY MARS
2 3S BRIAN SHIRLEY
3 1 JOSH RICHARDS
4 9z JAYME ZIDAR
5 5k EDDIE KIRCHOFF
6 21JR BILLY MOYER JR
7 5s STEVE SHEPPARD JR
8 77 JASON MCBRIDE
9 42a MARSHALL AUSTIN JR
10 14m REID MILLARD (*L)
11 70 BILL WILLIAMSON (*L) DNS

UMP Late Models : B-Main 01
1 25f JASON FEGER
2 75 TERRY PHILLIPS
3 30 MARK VOIGT (*L)
4 5jr BILLY JAMES
5 74 JEREMY PAYNE
6 82 BILLY LAYCOCK
7 1s RICK SALTER (*L)
8 67 MARK OLLER (*C)
9 21m STEVE MYERS (*L)
10 76 BUTCH KRUCKEBERG
11 81 CRAIG SMITH (*L)
12 14JR STEVE RUSHIN
13 00s CHRIS SMYSER
14 6k MICHAEL KLOOS (*L)
15 11z BRYAN COLLINS (*L)
16 dc3 DON CISCO III DNS
17 r52 RYLAN DAGG (*C) DNS

UMP Late Models : B-Main 02
1 28 DENNIS ERB
2 27 RODNEY MELVIN
3 5s STEVE SHEPPARD JR
4 92m MARK FAUST (*L)
5 21JR BILLY MOYER JR
6 7 MARK BURGTORF
7 5k EDDIE KIRCHOFF
8 18s JACK SULLIVAN
9 77 JASON MCBRIDE
10 14m REID MILLARD (*L)
11 24 DICK TAYLOR
12 42a MARSHALL AUSTIN JR
13 9z JAYME ZIDAR
14 58 AJ DIEMEL
15 8 KYLE STEFFENS (*L)
16 15B BRIAN BIRKHOFER DNS
17 70 BILL WILLIAMSON (*L) DNS

UMP Late Models : A-Main
1 71 DON O'NEAL
2 21 BILLY MOYER
3 3S BRIAN SHIRLEY
4 28M JIMMY MARS
5 28 DENNIS ERB
6 18 SHANNON BABB
7 25f JASON FEGER
8 55 JEEP VAN WORMER
9 75 TERRY PHILLIPS
10 j1 WES STEIDINGER
11 5s STEVE SHEPPARD JR
12 0 RANDY KORTE
13 B12 KEVIN WEAVER
14 27 RODNEY MELVIN
15 5k EDDIE KIRCHOFF
16 11z BRYAN COLLINS (*L)
17 92b BILLY FAUST (*L)
18 92m MARK FAUST (*L)
19 6k MICHAEL KLOOS (*L)
20 30 MARK VOIGT (*L)
21 1 JOSH RICHARDS
22 34 MIKE MARLER