HIGHLAND, Ill. (July 9) — Updates from the 17th round of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Highland Speedway, an event highlighted by a $10,000-to-win feature for Super Late Models (results unofficial):
Feature
Tanner English of Benton, Ky., took the top spot from race-long leader Jordan Bauer of St. Jacob, Ill., on lap 34 and led the final 17 laps of Saturday’s DIRTcar Summer Nationals feature at Highland Speedway. English had to turn back a hard charge from Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., and a late push from five-time Highland Summer Nationals winner Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., to secure the victory. English rolled patiently around the hub over the final dozen circuits and finished 3.326 seconds in front of Babb, who started third.
Feger, who rallied from 13th, settled for third, while polesitter Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., slipped to fourth after doggedly pursuing Bauer for much of the race. Eighth-starting Rusty Schlenk of McClure, Ohio, completed the top five. Bauer, who started alongside Pierce on the front row and led the first 33 laps, finished 14th after spinning in turn two while running fifth.
The race was slowed by six cautions, with the final yellow appearing for Bauer’s lap-38 spin.
Feature lineup
(50 laps)
Row 1: Bobby Pierce, Jordan Bauer
Row 2: Shannon Babb, Tanner English
Row 3: Matt Bailey, Cody Bauer
Row 4: Michael Kloos, Rusty Schlenk
Row 5: Brian Shirley, Rusty Griffaw
Row 6: Jason Zobrist, Billy Moyer Jr.
Row 7: Jason Feger, Jason Suhre
Row 8: Doug Tye, Blaze Burwell
Row 9: Todd Rehg, Payton Freeman
Row 10: Joe Godsey, Daryn Klein
Row 11: Brian Wolfmeier, Mark Voigt
Pre-feature notes
Looking for his second career DIRTcar Summer Nationals win at Highland, Bobby Pierce will start from the pole position. After winning his heat, Pierce, who last won at the quarter-mile in 2017, said the track has plenty of “character,” adding, “with all the rain they had, it was expected. It will be a survival game I think, a lot of cautions just with how rough it is.” … Jordan Bauer, who set the overall fast time and won his heat, will start alongside Pierce as he chases his first-ever Summer Nationals win. Bauer, who rallied from 14th to eight in Highland's 2020 event, said he had his hands full trying to keep Matt Bailey behind him in the heat. “The cushion’s really rough up there and we had a handful for sure,” said Bauer. … Tanner English rolls off fourth, trying to join his father Terry English and his father-in-law Rodney Melvin as a Summer Nationals winner at Highland. He said he’s trying to get his Longhorn chassis dialed in. “It’s not gonna feel the best on a rough kinda racetrack because it’s got a lot of traction and a lot of sidebite,” said English. “We’ll work on it and try to tone it down a little bit and maybe get it to where I can handle it a little more. But this place needs a little character to race well.” … No driver has more tour wins at Highland than Shannon Babb, who starts third. ““There’s gonna be a lot of passing (in the feature),” said Babb. “This track is a lot of fun Rusty was doing a great job, but when you are leading you don’t know where to go. So I changed my line up a little bit and just slowed way down and went around the bottom.”
Consolation race results
(12 laps; top two transfer)
Consolation: Todd Rehg, Payton Freeman, Mark Voigt, Josh Heuiser, Paul Stubber, Jeff Roth, Tucker Finch, Jeff Sloan, Chad Zobrist, Mick Quin, Daryn Klein, Thomas Hunziker, Claude Walker, Paul Kuper, Joe Godsey, Brent McKinnon. Brian Wolfmeier (DNS).
Heat race results
(10 laps; top four transfer)
First heat: Jordan Bauer, Matt Bailey, Brian Shirley, Jason Feger, Todd Rehg, Daryn Klein, Chad Zobrist, Brent McKinnon, Paul Kuper.
Second heat: Tanner English, Cody Bauer, Rusty Griffaw, Jason Suhre, Thomas Hunziker, Tucker Finch, Mick Quin, Mark Voigt.
Third heat: Bobby Pierce, Michael Kloos, Jason Zobrist, Doug Tye, Claude Walker, Payton Freeman, Josh Heuiser, Paul Stubber.
Fourth heat: Shannon Babb, Rusty Schlenk, Billy Moyer Jr., Blaze Burwell, Joe Godsey, Jeff Sloan, Jeff Roth, Brian Wolfmeier.
Time trials
(Heats start straightup by qualifying times)
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
First group
Jordan Bauer (10J), St. Jacob, Ill., 13.471
Matt Bailey (52), Highland, Ill., 13.533
Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 13.574
Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill., 13.621
Daryn Klein (10), Fairview Heights, Ill., 13.828
Paul Kuper (14k), Aviston, Ill., 13.929
Todd Rehg (17), Shiloh, Ill., 14.010
Brent McKinnon (26M), Carlyle, Ill., 14.066
Chad Zobrist (78), Highland, Ill., 17.082
Second group
Tanner English (81E), Benton, Ky., 13.616
Cody Bauer (19x), Farwell, Mich., 13.784
Mark Voigt (30), Marine, Ill., 13.918
Jason Suhre (4), Highland, Ill., 14.096
Rusty Griffaw (16), Festus, Mo., 14.154
Tucker Finch (25T), Jacksonville, Ill., 14.184
Thomas Hunziker (38), Bend, Ore., 14.384
Mick Quin (23NZ), Hawks Bay, New Zealand, 14.399
Third group
Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 13.932
Paul Stubber (31aus), Bunbury, Australia, 13.994
Payton Freeman (F1), Commerce, Ga., 13.995
Michael Kloos (6K), Trenton, Ill., 14.284
Jason Zobrist (87), Highland, Ill., 14.375
Claude Walker (35), Moro, Ill., 14.430
Doug Tye (4D), Collinsville, Ill., 14.488
Josh Heuiser (1H), St. Jacob, Ill., 14.596
Fourth group
Rusty Schlenk (91), McClure, Ohio, 13.484
Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 13.581
Billy Moyer Jr. (21), Batesville, Ark., 13.741
Blaze Burwell (44), Mount Vernon, Ill., 14.090
Joe Godsey (14G), Edinburgh, Ind., 14.194
Jeff Sloan (7s), Charleston, Mo., 14.470
Brian Wolfmeier (5), House Springs, Mo., 14.750
Jeff Roth (14R), Bentonville, Ark., 14.891
Saturday's schedule
5:30 p.m. - Drivers' meeting
6 p.m. - Hot laps
- Late Model hot laps
- Modified hot laps/time trials
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- Pro modified hot laps
Opening ceremonies
- Modified heats (8 laps)
- Late Model heats (10 laps)
- Pro modified heats (8 laps)
- Late Model consolation (10 laps; if needed)
- Modified Last Chance Showdown (10 laps; if needed)
- Late Model Last Chance Showdown (12 laps; if needed)
- Pro modified consolation (10 laps; if needed)
Intermission/track prep (if needed)
Feature races
- Late Models (50 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
- Pro modifieds (20 laps)
