pierce party
VERMILLION COUNTYSpeedway
JUNE 6TH, 2010
We headed for Kickapoo State Park on saturday morning expecting to go to the races at Danville's Vermillion County Speedway..As we arrived at the park I got a message from Gennie Bare that the races had been canceled for saturday night...That was at noon.. It did not rain on us until about 2:00 a.m. but there was a tornado watch for the area until 4 a.m........good call to cancel..
On Sunday I called the track around noon to see if they would be racing....we had got a lot of rain during the night.. they told us they would be racing....and....to TERRY PICHON...."thankyou"....
We got to the track around 4:30 p.m...... lots of cars for a sunday race... later found out there were 53 mods there...
I headed to the pit area meeting up with Nicole Bare...We headed over to the Team #22 pit area to say hello to the boys... I had to give Chad some motherly advice...lol...he just loves that.........
on the way there we ran into Pam Leka ..was good to see her again....while talking a familiar face was approaching me.... it was DAN HAMSTRA....it is always nice to run into him....he told me he was going to be racing Gary Cook,jr's backup car tonight...was glad to hear that... told him I would head to his pit area later and get a picture of him.... (I did go back and took a picture of him and also an updated interview)....**he is one of the nicest guys you can talk to....
then I headed out to see if I could track down some drivers to interview....and get some pictures.....
Man ..Kevin Morehouse... I don't know where you were parked....I could never find you.... I got an interview with the #74j of Jeff Sanford, the #129 of Rob Penny and the #H28 of David Henderson....
I talked with McKay Wenger and got a new picture of him....still the same cutie..... **he reminds me of Steve Arpin*** ... he told me he is racing most the time at Fairbury this year as he did last year....
Next I ran into Roger Carey and got a new picture of him...asked where he had been running this year and he told me Bloomington and Putnamville...really complimented Joe Spiker on the improvements he has made there...
Right beside him was his son Ryan who I was heading for to get a picture..he put up his hand and took off...Roger said he dont like his pictures taken....I laughed and said "oh no..you get right back over here Ryan..I know your not shy"..... he laughed and came over for the picture.. we talked briefly and I headed out for my next victim...
They were starting to line up to go out on the track for hot lapping and I decided to head back to grandstand...
Jeff Leka was parked close to the gate area so went over to say hello to him...was good to see him....boy...Justin Leka...he is almost 18 years old now... I have watched him grow up at the track..such a cutie..... Pam gave me a ride back to the stands on their 4 wheeler and told me she would be back to sit with us for qualifying...
They did group qualifying..
group one fast qualifier was : MIKE SPATOLA...14.267
group two....................: TOMMY BURNSIDE...14.925
group three..................: NICK ALLEN.....14.795
group four...................: RANDLE SWEENEY..14.822
group five...................: GABE MENSER.....14.983..**(Chad Kinder was in this group..he went over the burm in three and four and still qualified 3rd with 15.185)
group six....................: CHUCK HAGA......15.316
Mike Spatola was fastest over all...
I watched all the heats and then went back to the pit area to see if I could find Kevin Morehouse....which I didn't and Donovan Lodge... I found him..really nice guy...
They had the Kidz Mods there tonight ....Moody...Ledford..Johnson..Cook are the names I remember... I had to go down and find out if that #64 was Gary Cook, jr's son... it was..and what a cutie.. I had to get an interview with him.. his name is Dawson and he is nine years old...quite a charmer....
I then went to look up the #18 Kidz Mods driver 11 year old Jeffrey Ledford...another cutie... it is really neat to interview these young drivers... I then asked his dad Jay Ledford for an interview...
I heard the cars heading back to track so headed to the grandstands for mod consi's and features
55 modified...6 heats
heat one:
Spatola........Evans
Sherman........Amick
Ry Cary.......Baldwin
Turner........Gregory
Henderson
They didn't like the start so called the cars back for a restart..the 89 of Spatola gets out to the lead ...the #H28 of Henderson pulls off the track..Spatola led the whole 10 laps with one mishap when he went over the burm on the backstretch...he never missed a beat staying in the lead..
three to move on to feature were: Spatola..Evans...Amick.....
then Ryan Cary...Todd Sherman...Baldwin...Turner and Gregory
heat two:
Burnside....Fuqua
Penny.......Morehouse
Taylor.....Ledford
Horton.....Conyer
Sanford
first caution comes out for the #31 of Horton who got sideways..he pulls off....the #b of Burnside got an early lead but for the next 9 laps he had to do all he could to hold off the #3f of Rob Fuqua..they put on an exciting race
the #7 went over the burm and back on...he was all over the track..caution came out for the #129 of Penny on lap 9..he pulls off
three to feature: Burnside....Fuqua...Ledford......then Morehouse...Conyer...Sanford
heat three
Allen........Leka
C Demoss.....Shelby Miles
Weaver........Schrock
Ro Cary.......Danny Schwartz
Kiger
Kiger and Miles both rubbed the front wall throwing sparks....kept on going..
a caution came out for the #21d of Danny Schwartz who spins in the front straight of way... did not see what happened to cause it but it front right tire was damaged..
next caution comes out for the #83 of Shrock who slid off turn 4..
three going to feature were Allen who led all ten laps...Weaver..Clint Demoss....then Shelby Miles...Jeff Leka...Roger Cary...Schrock...Kiger.
heat four
Sweeney........Justin Delong
Fair..........Bradley
Denny Schwartz...Henson
John Demoss....Gregory
Wheatley
the #182 of Sweeney got into the lead..the #21s of Schwartz slipped into 2nd
Bradley and Henson made some connection but kept on going..the #95 of Zack Fair pulled off the track..NO CAUTIONS in this heat
three to feature: Sweeney...Schwartz..Demoss...then Bradley..Henson..Delong..Wheatly...Gregory
heat five
Menser.........Gilpin
Chad Kinder....Pohlman
Wenger.........Lynn
Weekly........Hollified
Bantz
Chad Kinder took the lead right away and stayed there through all ten laps.Gilpin was giving him a run for his money but couldnt reel him in..
This heat was caution free....
three to feature were: Chad Kinder....Devin Gilpin...McKay Wenger...then Gabe Menser...Pohlman...Lynn...Bantz...Hollified....Weekly
heat six
Gary Cook,jr......DeYoung
Haga.............Hines
Lodge...........Orr
Hamstra........Pearcy
Gemiere
caution comes out for Hamstra who spins in one..no lap in
caution for DeYoung who spins after running in 2nd spot..
the #64 of Gary Cook,jr got out to lead and led all ten laps
the #115 of Hines was running second and the #20 of Orr reeled him in only to lose it when the #115 nailed him in the reel spinning him out
..Hamstra pulls off....the #20 of Orr goes off with a flat tire
three to feature were: Gary Cook,jr....Hines....Lodge..then DeYoung, Haga and Pearcy
consi one...two to feature:
Chuck Haga and Ryan Cary
consi two...
Kevin Morehouse and Michael Bradley
Feature l lineup
Spatola.....Burnside
Allen.......Sweeney
Kinder.......Cook,jr
Evans.......Fuqua
Weaver.....Schwartz
Gilpin.....Hines
Amick.......Ledford
C Demoss....J Demoss
Gregory.....Lodge
Haga........Morehouse
Ryan Cary...Bradley
track provisionals
Menser......Da Schwartz
Feature...50 laps for 5000
Mike Spatola took the lead from the start but by lap four Chad Kinder had taken over the lead....man...was he on a rail.... he was flying...
with 34 laps in a caution came out for Ryan Cary...Chad had lapped about five or six cars..... on caution Denny Schwartz went to change a tire and returned ....he was on the tail of the line..behind him were the lapped cars putting them a lap down...
There was only the one caution thru this whole race....Chad was looking good... no one was gonna catch him tonight..... WAY TO GO...
.................
I am camping up north for the week.... when I get home I will add picutes and some more comments ..
I want to add that the track was in great shape.... the food was really good..........the workers were helpful and very friendly..
I like going to this track....
Angie and Bob are doing a great job.......thanks to both of them for giving us a place to go and enjoy the sport we all love....
sorry this is late..but no internet service at the campground.. i have to put this on a flash drive and transport it at my daughters today...thanks for your patience.....