by Rocky Ragusa

(5/18/13) It was another typical Saturday night of racing action at the Fairbury American Legion Speedway. A large crowd witnessed plenty of door handle to door handle, three and four wide racing.

The featured event of the night was a 30-lap, $2,000 to win, UMP vs. ALMS series race. 41 drivers from seven states vied for a starting position in the main event. Two time track champion Eric Smith set quick time at a 12.740. Shannon Babb, Kevin Weaver, Smith, and Brian Shirley took heat race wins, while Scott Schmitt and Torin Mettille advanced to the feature by winning the semi features.

Babb and Weaver took the green flag from starter Jim Whittington and fourth starting Shirley took a brief lead, before Weaver took over on lap two. After cautions on lap two and three Babb used the top groove to take second from Shirley, as Weaver opened up a five car length lead. On lap seven, Shirley went to the top of the track to get by Babb and closed up to Weaver, with Babb on Shirley’s bumper. The following lap, Shirley tried to take the top spot, but Weaver held on. 19^th starter, Brandon Sheppard, quickly moved into the top five and battled with Scott Bull for the fourth position. As the top three drivers were able to run three wide for first place, Bull and Sheppard closed the margin on the front threesome. Weaver stuck to the bottom of the track, while Babb, who moved into second, and Shirley, tried the top and middle to take the lead. Shirley came back to take second back, but in the closing laps, jumped the cushion, allowing Babb to take second back.  Weaver and Babb ran side by side for several laps, before Weaver was able to hold on at the checkered for his first win of the 2013 season. Babb took second, over defending track champion Scott Bull, Donny Walden, Shirley, Steve Sheppard Jr., Ryan Unzicker, Smith, Daren Friedman, and Brandon Sheppard. Brandon Sheppard was the race’s hard charger.

A surprising Chris Gaither took his first ever quick time at a 14.530 over 30 other UMP Modified drivers. Jeff Leka, Jamie Lomax, Justin Delong, and Jeff Curl won heat races, with Phil Line taking the semi feature. Pole sitter Curl jumped out to a 10 car length lead over Leka, Delong, and Lomax. Dave Porth, who started 12^th, quickly moved into 7^th, and joined Joel Funk and Travis Kohler in a race for fifth. Bad luck struck Porth on lap eight, as he brought out a caution for spinning out in turn four. With the track cleared, Curl, again opened up a 10 car length lead, while Delong used the double file restart to his advantage and took second from Leka. At the halfway mark, Curl held a straight away lead over Delong and Leka. 16^th starter, Tommy Duncan, was running in fifth, and racing with Funk for track position. Duncan, looked to be the fastest car on the track in the closing laps, soon got by Funk and Leka. Duncan, with eight laps to go, got by Delong for second, with Leka following. With five laps left, Curl had a straight away lead and could have been on a Sunday drive. Leka tried several times to reclaim second, but Duncan was able to hold on. When the checkered flag fell in the 20-lap race, Curl picked up his second straight win. Duncan, Leka, Lomax, Delong, Line, Cody Bauman, Lance Dehm, Funk, and Steven Brooks completed the top ten. Duncan won the race’s hard charger award.

Tim Bohm and Paul Graf won their respective heat races for the 15-lap, UMP Sportsman race. 19 cars started the race. Bohm took the early lead, with Graf, Richie Rich, and Jimmy Dehm trailing. Graf, Rich, and Dehm tried different lines in a seesaw battle for second, which enabled Bohm to put some breathing room between the field and himself.  Dehm got by Graf and closed 

by Rocky Ragusa

(5/11/13) With all the rain in the area it has been a tough time for the Fairbury American Legion Speedway to get their first race in. The third time proved to be the charm as the speedway finally got the first race in Saturday night.

In the 30-lap, UMP Late Model feature, Daren Friedman and Derek Chandler led the field to the green flag. Friedman jumped to the top of the track to take an early lead, with Chandler, Joe Harlan, Torin Mettille, and McKay Wenger following. Friedman and Chandler were able to pull away to a ten car length lead. On the fourth lap, Wenger moved to third and closed up on the leaders. Chandler was able to lead lap seven, but Friedman came back to reclaim the lead on the following circuit. After a caution on lap nine for debris, Friedman led Chandler, Wenger, Eric Smith, and Harlan in a tight formation. Chandler took the lead on lap 16 and began to separate himself from the field. Friedman had to contend with Smith and Harlan, with Wenger, Donny Walden, Scott Bull, and Mike Glasscock trailing. Back to back cautions on lap 24 bunched the field and gave Friedman an opportunity to retake the lead. Chandler was able to hold off Friedman as a caution flag came out with two laps remaining. When the green flag fell, Chandler motored away from the contenders and picked up a hard earned victory. In a mad scramble for second, Harlan edged Smith, followed by Bull, Friedman, Wenger, Walden, Matt Furman, Mike Mullvain, and Jay Morris. Kevin Weaver set fast time at a 13.04. Chandler, Friedman, and Wenger took heats; while Mullvain won the semi feature.

Jeff Curl started on the pole position for the 20-lap, UMP Modified race, with Joel Funk alongside. Curl took a commanding lead at the start, with Funk holding off the challenge from Lance Dehm for second, with Tommy Duncan, Justin Delong, and Jeb Friedman trailing. After a caution on lap three, Dehm had a good run coming off of turn two and got by Funk for second. By the sixth lap, Curl held a straight away lead over the field. Dehm and Funk ran side by side for six laps, before a caution fell on lap 12. Following the caution, Dehm tried the top of the track to take the lead, but Curl, running the bottom, proved to be too much. Funk got by Dehm, briefly, for second, with Duncan and Jim Farris in hot pursuit. With three laps remaining and Curl in full control, Dehm got along side of Funk before taking over the position with one to go. Curl picked up the win, with Dehm, Funk, Duncan, Farris, Delong, Gary Turpin, Jeb Friedman, Jared Cagley, and Dan Rork completing the top ten. Dehm was the fast qualifier at a 14.04. Funk, Curl, and Duncan won heat races.

The 15-lap, UMP Sportsman race was a caution marred event. Before a lap was completed, the yellow flag came out twice. With the track cleared, third starting Dustin Mounce shot into the lead with Jimmy Dehm, Chris Anderson, Tim Bohm, and Michael Maestes following. Drivers were only able to complete a single lap, as four caution periods for spin outs and a wreck eliminated drivers from the race and only six cars were left on the track. After the last caution, Mounce and Dehm had their private battle for the lead, leaving the remaining cars behind. Dehm tried several times to wrestle the lead away, but Mounce was able to hold off Dehm and took the checkered flag. Jim Bailey, Anderson, Matt Mills, and Jeffrey Ledford took the first six positions. Richie Rich and Mills won their respective heat races.

General Rules That Apply Every Race Night

1. All drivers must be at least 16 years old.
2. No 4 wheeler or “gator” type vehicles are allowed outside of the pit area. GOLF CARTS ONLY in the general admission area.
3. General admission area and pit area vehicles are restricted to their respective areas after the pits are closed to the public.
4. A reasonable, slow (approximately 5 mph) speed limit will be in force at all times.
5. No carts allowed between the back stretch bleachers and the fence, on the horse track in front of the grandstands, and anywhere posted “NO GOLF CARTS”.

Special Event Rules

1. All “general” rules apply.
2. All general admission area golf carts must be registered to be allowed on the property. A $10.00 seasonal registration fee will apply.
3. All golf carts not staying on the premises overnight need not be registered but must be parked in the designated areas outside of the 1st and 2nd street gates for general admission or in the designated area outside the 3rd street gate for pit admission.
4. All general admission area golf carts must be parked on race nights from 4:00 p.m. until sunrise and from sunset until sunrise on non-race nights.
5. All pit area golf carts, 4 wheelers, etc. must be parked from 30 minutes after the conclusion of the last race until sunrise.
6. Special exemptions to the rules for special needs will be considered if applied for in writing in advance. Applications must be received by FALS at P.O. Box 74, Fairbury, IL 61739 at least 1 week prior to the event.

Anyone violating the above rules may forfeit their right to operate their vehicle on our property and may be required to “load up” or remove their vehicle immediately at the discretion of the FALS officials.

GOLF CART OPERATION ON OUR PROPERTY IS A PRIVILEGE THAT WE GRANT…NOT A RIGHT! YOUR HELP IN OBEYING THESE RULES AND REPORTING THOSE WHO CHOOSE NOT TO OBEY THEM WILL HELP ENSURE THAT THIS PRIVILEGE IS NOT REVOKED.

Thank You from the FALS staff.

Approved and endorsed by the Fairbury American Legion John Post #54 & Fairbury Fair Board

The Fairbury American Legion Speedway is excited to announce a new weekly format for the start of the 2013 racing season. In long winter discussions between drivers, fans, officials, and directors, FALS has decided to implement the new “Fairbury Format”. This format will be used for all FALS weekly & non-sanctioned events throughout the 2013 season. This new format hits a lot of different areas between racers and fans and will continue the great racing we are all accustomed to seeing at Fairbury. The Street Stock and Sportsman divisions will also utilize this format on each of their special nights this season. Street Stocks and Sportsman will pill draw for position on regular nights as in the past. Details on the new Fairbury Format are as follows: