Local racing fan Chris Timmerman shared these results from last Wednesday’s big night at Highland Speedway. Be sure to check out the recorded interviews at the end of this story!
August 14, 2024 will forever be a date etched in Highland Speedway history. For the first time ever, the Case Construction World Of Outlaw Late Model Series graced the quarter-mile oval. As the sun set on a beautiful Wednesday evening in mid-August, a record-breaking crowd of racing fans from near and far filled the stands in anticipation of the 40-lap BEL-O Cooling, Heating and Plumbing Beat the Heat feature race with a $10,000 prize draw.
This evening featured two of the best classes in dirt track racing – Super Late Models and UMP Dirtcar Modifieds. A total of 56 cars competed, including 33 Super Late Models and 23 UMP Modifieds.
The evening’s competition began with the Modified qualifying. Mike McKinney of Plainfield, IL, set the fastest time of 14.181 seconds, setting a new benchmark. After the Modified qualifying was completed, the race moved straight into the Late Model qualifying. The Late Models split into two groups for their qualifying rounds. The top qualifier in Group A was Cade Dillard of Robeline, Louisiana, with a time of 13.043. This proved to be the fastest overall time of the evening. The fastest in Group B was Tyler Bruening of Decorah, Iowa. Bruening needed a time of 13.228 seconds for the paperclip-shaped oval track.
After the qualification rounds were completed, the opening ceremony began. Local musician Katie Hatch delivered a wonderful rendition of the national anthem.
The record-breaking crowd was now ready for the first Late Model preliminaries of the evening. The preliminaries for the Late Models are 8-lap contests.
In the first heat of the evening, Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, IL defeated speedster Cade Dillard to take first place. Dillard finished second, local racer Matt Bailey finished third, and driver Dustin Sorenson of Rochester, Minnesota finished fourth. The top four advanced to the main race, Late Model Heat #2, which featured top local driver Daryn Klein.
the pole alongside World of Outlaw points leader Brandon Sheppard. Sheppard, of New Berlin, Illinois, defeated Klein in this heat.
Sheppard took the win, Klein finished a strong second, veteran Rodney Melvin finished third and Thomson, Georgia native Cody Overton rounded out the top four heading into the main event.
Tyler Bruening took to the track in the third Late Model race. Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Florida, was hot on his heels and took second place, Mike Harrison of Highland, Illinois, took third, and Jason Feger, the High Side Hustler of Bloomington, Illinois, took fourth and moved on to the main race.
The fourth and final Late Model preliminary race was dramatic. Bobby Pierce, who started fourth, entered the 20C driven by Tristan Chamberlain of Richmond, Indiana on lap 3 and took over second place. Brian Shirley won, Pierce took second, driver Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa took third and Highland Bulldog Chad Zobrist secured the final spot for the transfer to the main race.
Two Last Chance Showdown races were held with the top 3 finishers in each event taking the win. In Last Chance Showdown #1, Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL took the lead over Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, North Carolina and Clayton Stuckey of Shreveport, Louisiana came from an 8th place start to take the final transfer position to round out the top 3.
In the Last Chance Showdown #2, World of Outlaw regular Dustin Walker started from the pole position. Things didn’t go so well for Walker as he struggled early in the race. The unlucky driver from his heat race, Tristan Chamberlain, took first place. Gordy Gundaker of St. Charles, Missouri, took second place and Alhambra, Illinois driver Jordan Suhre secured the final transfer spots of the evening.
As the field was lined up for the first ever World of Outlaw Main Race at the world famous Highland Speedway, the crowd rose to its feet as the drivers showed their appreciation with a 4-wide salute, all carrying American flags across the quarter-mile oval. Fireworks were set off during the historic moment as we approached the green flag for the Main Race.
the night.
For the first six laps of the race, Shirley and Bruening were neck and neck for 1st and 2nd. On lap 6, Tristan Chamberlain came out for a caution. When the field returned to the green flag, Tyler Bruening took the lead from Shirley. On lap 10, the second caution of the main race came out when Clayton Stuckey slowed in turns 3 and 4. The top five on lap 10 were Bruening, Shirley, Sheppard, Klein and Dillard. Later in the race, the third caution of the race came out on lap 18 when Rodney Melvin and Nick Hoffman tangled. On the lap 18 restart, Shirley took the lead and never gave it up. The 32 of Bobby Pierce fought his way to 2nd with Bruening 3rd, Brandon.
Sheppard finished fourth and Cade Dillard rounded out the top 5. Among the local racers, Daryn Klein finished a very respectable 7th in the main race.
Chad Zobrist, Jordan Suhre and Matt Bailey finished 17th through 19th. Mike Harrison had to leave due to a flat tire and finished 23rd. The only support class of the evening was the UMP Modified Division.
A strong field of 23 drivers participated in the evening’s program. The winners of the preliminary heats were Timmy Hill of Pacific, Missouri, who won the first heat, NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace of St. Louis, MO, who won the second heat, and Michael Long, the racer from Fowler, Illinois, who won the third heat.
The top 5 from each preliminary race advanced directly to the main race. Preliminary heat 1 – Hill, Mike McKinney, Rick Conoyer, Zeb Moake, Chad Sellers. Preliminary heat 2 – Wallace, John Clippinger, Rick Salter, Treb Jacoby, Owen Steinkoenig.
Heat 3-Long, Ben Harmon, Ray Bollinger, Austin Seets, Tom Smallwood. In the B-Main Event for the Modifieds, we saw some local racers work their way into the show. Jermey Pate of Beckemeyer finished second behind Austin Rettig.
Also on the show were Hunter Breland, Cole Knebel of Pocahontas and Brett Eilerman of Highland, rounding out the top five for the final transfer spot.
The main race was set up and ready with Timmy Hill sitting on pole alongside Kenny Wallace. Hill, who was on pole, ran into trouble on lap 2 when he was crossed in turns 1 and 2, resulting in the first caution period of the race. As the race progressed, it developed into a great race with the top 3 of Wallace, McKinney and Michael Long running side by side at the halfway point.
Finding a lane that other drivers couldn’t, Mike McKinney’s ’96 machine managed to roll around lapping traffic in the middle of the track and win the evening’s $2,000 top prize for the Modifieds.
Rounding out the top 5 were Kenny Wallace, Michael Long, Rick Conoyer and Salty Dog Rick Salter. Also notable was Owen Steinkoenig, who moved up 7 spots from 14th to 7th. Driver Chad Sellers of Breese, IL finished the race in 11th place.
Chris Timmerman was able to interview several of the drivers on Wednesday after the races. Click below to watch:
KENNY WALLACE:
CHAD ZOBRIST:
DARYN KLEIN:
MIKE HARRISON:
