Local Headlines

Nothing Micro About Macon Speedway
By Brett Zerfowski
(Macon, IL) The finale of the two-show 1st ever Buildings Systems of Illinois Mini Sprint Nationals sponsored by Hyper Chassis, Hollingsworth Performance, Saldana Racing Products, Pipeworks Inc, and Horve Builders brought along an incredible and practically never-before-seen race to Macon Speedway, a 33-car field for $5,000-to-win for the POWRi Micro (Mini) Sprints. A field starting three-wide and racing the same had fans on the edge of their seats for 40 laps.
Brock Zearfoss, from Jonestown, PA., finished second in the Friday A-Main and got out to the early lead. The race went without caution through the first 14 laps. Travis Senter of Occola, AR., brought out the first caution by taking his Mini Sprint up the turn four wall. As the action resumed, the cars began packing together and making it difficult to see the lead pack but the action was furious and everywhere around the 65-year-old racing facility.
As the race reached its 22nd lap, Zearfoss got caught up with lapped traffic and got tangled and that ended his night with a broken racecar atop the third turn, thus giving the lead to Austin Laskey, native of Tulsa, OK.
Another lead change occurred in the battle for $5K as Laskey could not hold on and Heath Heanly would take over on lap 31. Heanly, of Mahiem, PA., dashed off and avoided all problems en route to the huge first-place check and trophy. A 40-lap feature with a 33-car starting grid only saw four yellow flags.
The Macon Speedway stock car racing also provided exciting, adrenaline-pumping racing with the Touchstone Energy Sportsman and Modifieds divisions. Both division’s features were won by the same driver, Dave Crawley, Jr. The feat accomplished by Crawley was his third of winning both Sportsman and Modified features on the same night. Crawley fended off defending champion Rick Roedel and Mike Pickering to get the win. Dennis Vandermeersch was running second behind Crawley until the tenth lap when the car began slowing and losing power. Crawley and Vandermeersch are the only feature winners in 2010 in the Touchstone Energy Sportsman division.

Crawley ran the high side to glory to top Jeremy Nichols, who also ran the high groove for the race. Nichols would be unable to pass Crawley although caution laps late in the race opened opportunities. Aaron Burcham and Joe Strawkus would take third and forth, respectively.
The evening also had two Hornet divisions with the Amateur class and the High School class. Kyle Maxwell won his second feature of the year as he passed Jonathan Drake on the race’s final lap. Justin Fernandez of Lanphier High School was the victor in the High School Hornets, the first checkered flag for him at Macon Speedway in 2010.

Macon Speedway wishes to thank Buildings Systems of Illinois for sponsoring the event along with Hyper Chassis, Hollingsworth Performance, Pipeworks Inc., Saldana Racing Products and Horve Buildings.

This article posted by Macon Speedway. Click here for more track information.