Pontoon Beach, IL (July 31, 2005) The Wallace Brothers Homecoming was a huge success at Tri-City Speedway as thousands of fans came out to see and get autographs from Rusty, Mike and Kenny Wallace along with their father Russ Wallace and Ken Schrader. After signing autographs, Rusty Wallace had to leave to make an appearance on a national television show, but Mike and Kenny Wallace along with Ken Schrader suited up to race on the dirt. Mike and Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader all competed in the Lucas Oil Dirt Car Series Late Model event and Kenny Wallace also competed in the UMP Modified division.

After recording five second place finishes this season for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, Earl Pearson, Jr. of Jacksonville, FL finally broke through with his first win of '05 on Sunday Night, July 31 at the Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, IL as the 33 year old racer took the "Miller Lite-Wallace Brother Homecoming" 50 lap $10,000 to win main event to become the 15th different winner in 25 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events this season.

Pearson who started fifth on the grid inherited the lead on the 23rd lap after race leader Don O'Neal went pitside. Pearson was driving the Carlton and Kemp Lamm owned/Lucas Oil Products/Dunn-Benson
Ford/K&N Engineering Inc./All Star Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels/Larry Wallace Racing Engines powered MasterSbilt Ford Taurus. Finishing second and hounding Pearson until the finish was Donnie Moran of Dresden, OH in the PBM Performance Products/SMS Engines/MasterSbilt Monte Carlo. Third was
Matt Miller of Waterville, OH in the Dirt Shop, Inc/Lo Temp Brazing/Rocket Grand Prix with fourth place to Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA in the Daufeldt Transport/Pro Power Engines/MasterSbilt Monte Carlo and completing the top five was Darren Miller of Chadwick, IL in the Seubert Calf Ranches/Pro Power Engines/Rocket Ford Taurus.

Shannon Babb and Don O'Neal would make up a stout front row starting line up and just as he had done in his heat race win Babb would show his strength early on grabbing the point from the start and immediately opening up a lead over O'Neal. Babb would quickly start to pick up the tail end of the field as the cars were flying around the 1/2 mile dirt track. O'Neal was trying to keep Babb with in eyesight as Babb started to lap cars by the 10th circuit. Pearson, who started fifth was running third a this point with Moran and Darren Miller holding down fourth and fifth places. As Babb and O'Neal were working their way through traffic O'Neal started to close down the lead on Babb closing to within two car lengths by lap 20. Just when O'Neal looked like he had something for Babb a caution flew for a slowed Scott James on lap 21 for the only caution of the race. During the caution Babb developed a flat tire and went pitside to change a tire giving up his lead to O'Neal. When the race resumed O'Neal would sprint to the lead with Pearson in second followed by Moran, Matt Miller and Darren Miller. But O'Neal would last one lap in front until motor woes sidelined as he pulled his car to the infield and out of the race.

Pearson would then pick up the point with Moran all over him. Pearson would go to five car lengths out in front until Moran would chop that down to two car lengths at times. By the 32nd lap traffic started to be in Pearson's future as Moran was right on him now. As the duo would race through traffic Pearson would still hold the advantage. Matt Miller and Brian Birkhofer were duking it out for third in a tight battle for that spot, but they were several car lengths behind the front two at this point. With ten laps to go Moran was all over Pearson looking for a way to get past him with five laps to go Pearson would be four lengths ahead but Moran again would stage one last ditch effort in the closing laps and tried to drive his car harder into the turns to catch Pearson, but it was not to be as Pearson would handle the pressure of Moran and take his car to victory lane for the first time in 2005. Moran was second with Matt Miller, Brian Birkhofer and Darren Miller completing the top five.

"It feels good to finally get a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win" said Pearson on the victory podium where he was surrounded by his crew and Forrest Lucas, who was attending the event. "I'm glad we got one here in
front of Forrest, this one is for him for sticking with me and believing in me even through the tough times earlier this year." Just three weeks ago Pearson and the Dunn-Benson crew made the switch to a MasterSbilt Chassis. "This series has become the toughest to win on and this MasterSbilt car was great tonight I want to thank Keith and Tader Masters for their help along with some of the other guys running their equipment they have been helpful in giving me advice on the car."

Rounding out the top ten were Shannon Babb, who re-entered the race after the flat tire, Freddy Smith, Brian Shirley, Steve Casebolt, Jr. and Brady Smith.

Darren Miller was the Oval Craft Racing Aluminum Designs Fast Qualifier with a 21.200 clocking for the 30 entrants on hand for the event. The VP Fuels Makin' Power Heat Races went to Freddy Smith, Don O'Neal and Shannon Babb. The Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno B-Main was won by Kenny Wallace.

Forty-five UMP Modifieds signed in race and Bobby Bittle claimed the main event. Bittle moved past pole sitter Tom Seets, Sr. on lap eight and went on to claim the win. Seets, Sr. kept his car on the very bottom of the track and after repeated attempts to make a move underneath Seets, Sr., Bittle moved up one lane and made the pass using the very middle lane of the track. Tom Seets, Jr. moved past his father on the fifteenth lap and tried to run down Bittle but came up short and settled for the second position. Seets, Sr. crossed the line in the third position. Bobby Martintoni took the fourth spot with Everette Bradham rounding out the top five.

Sam Kizer continued his success in the Street Stock division as he picked up the win in the main event. Kizer took the lead from Robbie Benson on lap seven and then had a tough battle on his hands as there were no less than five to seven cars battling for the lead throughout the rest of the event. Jason Davinroy edged out Benson for the second position. John Cory crossed the line in fourth spot behind Benson but was later disqualified for an illegal carburetor. Brad Yotter and Tony Kind were credited with the fourth and fifth spots respectively.
(the late model portion of this story was contributed by the LUCAS OIL DIRTCAR SERIES)

LATE MODELS
Oval Craft Racing Aluminum Designs Fast Qualifier: Darren Miller 21.200

VP Fuels Makin' Power Heat #1: Freddy Smith, Donnie Moran, Darren Miller, Randy Korte, Steve Sheppard, Jr., Ken Schrader, Kenny Wallace, Mark Oller, Reid Mallard

VP Fuels Makin' Power Heat #2: Don O'Neal, Earl Pearson, Jr., Scott James, Brian Birkhofer, Tim Dohm, Jason Frankel, Jayme Zidar, Bert Cheatham, Mike Hammerle, Mike Wallace

VP Fuels Makin' Power Heat #3: Shannon Babb, Steve Casebolt, Jr., Matt Miller, Brian Shirley, Brady Smith, Whitney McQueary, Bryan Collins, Kyle Steffens, Ron McQuerry, Billy Laycock

Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno B-Main: Kenny Wallace, Bryan Collins, Mark Oller, Kyle Steffens, Ron McQuerry, Bert Cheatham, Reid Mallard, Mike Wallace, Jayme Zidar, Billy Laycock, Mike Hammerle

Miller-Lite Wallace Brothers Homecoming 50 Lap Main Event: Earl Pearson, Jr., Donnie Moran, Matt Miller, Brian Birkhofer, Darren Miller, Shannon Babb, Freddy Smith, Brian Shirley, Steve Casebolt, Jr., Brady Smith, Randy Korte, Ken Schrader, Steve Sheppard, Jr., Whitney McQueary, Mike Wallace, Kyle Steffens, Bryan Collins, Kenny Wallace, Jason Frankel, Tim Dohm, Jayme Zidar, Don O'Neal, Scott James, Mark Oller, Mike Hammerle

Race Statistics:

Entries: 30
Cautions: 1
Red Flags: 0
Lap Leaders: Shannon Babb 1-21, Don O'Neal 22, Earl Pearson, Jr. 23-50
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Rookie of the Race: Brady Smith
Weld Wheels Hard Charger of the Race: Brian Birkhofer (started 11th and finished 4th) advanced 7 positions
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Jayme Zidar and Mike Hammerle
Track Provisional: Mike Wallace

UMP Modifieds
Heat 1
1 74 Chad Frauenfelder
2 33c Shane Cockrum
3 14s Billy Smith
4 W1 Ricky Huebner
5 11b Kyle Byerline
6 17m Kevin Lee
7 55 Don Patton
8 75 Terry Wagner
9 7 Darrel Morey
10 51 John Stanton

Heat 2
1 28 Tom Seets, Sr
2 1h Everett Bradham
3 56 Jim Lafferty
4 36 Kenny Wallace
5 67 BJ Seets
6 56t Dave Thornton
7 28c Shawn Burns
8 6 Leon Price
9 87 Lyle Monroe

Heat 3
1 16g Rusty Griffaw
2 14h Leroy Haney
3 16s Tommie Seets, Jr
4 94 Ed Lendhardt
5 10x Rob Pendergrass
6 12 Jesse Snyder
7 27x Joe Pendergrass
8 05 Paul Schrempf
9 11s Scott Riepshoff

Heat 4
1 48 Bobby Martintoni
2 44 Jim Werner, Jr
3 70 Brian Bielong
4 21s Kenny Shaw
5 40 Michael O'Hare
6 0 Jeff Ely
7 99w John Watson
8 33m Tim Manville
9 20 Brad McKinnon

Heat 5
1 89 Bobby Bittle
2 1a Steve Meyer, Jr
3 37 Mike Monroe
4 49 Bart Reese
5 1w Ray Walsh
6 M41 Steve Maisel
7 33cs Rich Jones
8 2f Todd Ferber
9 X70 Bert Jacoby

Dash
1 28 Tom Seets, Sr
2 16g Rusty Griffaw
3 89 Bobby Bittle
4 48 Bobby Martintoni
5 74 Chad Frauenfelder

Semi 1
1 1w Ray Walsh
2 10x Rob Pendergrass
3 56t Dave Thornton
4 11b Kyle Byerline
5 0 Jeff Ely
6 27x Joe Pendergrass
7 6 Leon Price, Jr
8 33cs Rich Johns
9 33m Tim Manville
10 11s Scott Riepshoff
11 7 Darrel Morey
12 20 Brad McKinnon

Semi 2
1 67 BJ Seets
2 M41 Steve Maisel
3 12 Jesse Snyder
4 70 Bert Jacoby
5 2f Todd Ferber
6 17m Kevin Lee
7 05 Paul Schrempf
8 28s Shawn Burns
9 40 Michael O'Hare
10 99w Johns Watson
11 75 Terry Wagner
12 87 Lyle Monroe
13 51 John Stanton

Feature
1 89 Bobby Bittle
2 16 Tommie Seets, Jr
3 28 Tom Seets, Sr
4 48 Bobby Martintoni
5 1h Everett Bradham
6 1w Ray Walsh
7 14h Leroy Haney
8 1a Steve Meyer, Jr
9 33 Shane Cockrum
10 56 Jim Lafferty
11 W1 Ricky Huebner
12 70 Brian Bielong
13 21s Kenny Shaw
14 67 BJ Seets
15 M41 Steve Maisel
16 37 Mike Monroe
17 10x Rob Pendergrass
18 94 Ed Lenhardt
19 14 Billy Smith
20 16 Rusty Griffaw
21 44 Jim Werner, Jr
22 49 Bart Reese
23 36 Kenny Wallace
24 74 Chad Frauenfelder

STREET STOCKS
Heat 1
1 69b Robby Benson
2 19 Mark Pflueger
3 13 Dallas Rexford
4 77d Rick Rhoades
5 95 Jeff Nash
6 93 Todd Erickson
7 07 Steve Stonecipher
8 14 Kyle Watson
9 51 Jason Stanton

Heat 2
1 5j Josh Jackson
2 69 Sam Kizer
3 00 Tony King
4 8 Scott Ponder
5 64 Brian Crawford
6 5n Todd Neiman
7 25 Tony Avers
8 71 Eric Skinner

Heat 3
1 12 Jason Davinroy
2 72 Brad Yotter
3 20 John Cory
4 12h Bobby Hinson
5 19m Ryan Meuth
6 17l Buddy Love
7 2j Greg Jones
8 97 Matt Mortland

Feature
1 69 Sam Kizer
2 12 Jason Davinroy
3 69b Robby Benson
4 72 Brad Yotter
5 00 Tony King
6 19 Mark Pflueger
7 12 Bobby Hinson
8 64 Brian Crawford
9 93 Todd Erickson
10 17l Buddy Love
11 5j Josh Jackson
12 71 Eric Skinner
13 19m Ryan Mueth
14 2j Greg Jones
15 51 Jason Stanton
16 95 Jeff Nash
17 5 Todd Neimann
18 07 Steve Stonecipher
19 13 Dallas Rexford
20 14 Kyle Watson
21 8 Scott Ponder
22 77d Rick Rhoades
DQ 20 John Cory – Illegal Carburetor