May 27, 2001
The St.Myers Racing Team headed back to Vermilion County Speedway in Danville, Illinois for the Dave Richardson Memorial. 143 UMP Modifieds where on hand. The team was anxious to try out the new engine and some of the things they learned from the Friday night show. Doug drew the 53 pill for qualifying and set a time of 16.523. Forty-first overall, and not bad for only the second trip to the track.
Ten 14 car heats at 14 laps each were run. Doug lined up 5th in the first heat. On the pole was fast qualifier Jimmy Payne from Kentucky in the 52P. The track was going dry slick in a hurry when the green flew and Payne took the lead. Doug settled in about the sixth spot getting down to the bottom of the track as fast as he could. A few laps in, Payne looped in turn four and caused a jam up of cars. Doug did a great job of keeping the 4S moving to avoid a trip to the tail. Doug was fourth on the restart, and quickly took over the third spot. But as the laps passed, the 4S got tight and started to fade. When the checkered flag flew Doug was back to fifth and looking at running the consi to try and get in the feature. Denny Schwartz won the heat followed by Nick Gough who transferred to the feature.
Other heat winners were Michael Bradley, Jimmy Owens, Daryl Herbert, Steve Picou, Wes Steidinger, John Burdette, Arby Burton, Davey Gantt, and Bryan Clendenen.
Six consolation races were run with only the winners advancing to the feature. Second through fifth places went to a non-qualifiers B-feature. John DeMoss took the first consi; with Tim O'Donnell taking consi number two. Doug was in consi three starting in the fourth position. Doug was just starting to move in on the leader (45 of Dean Vickers) with the 64C of Gary Cook Jr. in hot pursuit. Cook Jr. obviously ran out of patience as Doug had the 4S locked to the bottom of the track. The two went down the back chute with about two laps to go and as they went into turn three, Cook Jr. did not let up. Cook Jr. hit Doug very hard just in front of Doug's left rear tire sending Doug into a spin. Doug's left rear tire jumped over Cook's right front and the 4S sailed two feet in the air, slamming back down onto the track. Doug had the presence of mind to get the car in neutral and keep the motor running to get the car in reverse and back the rest of the way off the track to avoid getting hit by someone else. When Doug started moving again, track officials stopped him in turn four and put the 4S back in the second spot. The 64C of Cook Jr. left the track with a broken right front suspension. The green flew and Doug made one last stab at the leader. The car was way off, but Doug managed to hang on to second to advance to the non-qualifier race. Congratulations to the 45 of Dean Vickers on his consi win and transfer to the feature. He was very fast and tough on the bottom. The other consi races went to Davey Gantt, Dan Hamstra, and Wes O'Dell.
In the pits, the thrashing started to try to get the 4S ready for the start of the B feature. Shocks and springs were removed and checked, the left rear wheel and tire had to be replaced. The wheel was beyond repair, and the spring and shock mounts were badly bent. Doug started outside the front row of the B feature. The B feature had more good cars than most A features at other tracks on a good night. On the green Doug made a valiant effort on the outside to wrestle the lead from the 21 of Kyle Logue. With a one-lane track, the cars lined up on the inside behind Logue and Doug finally got to the bottom of the track in sixth position. The freight train race was on as the bottom was the only was around the track. Logue led flag to flag as Doug finally worked his way into the fifth spot passing a car at the end in turn one with a few laps to go.
The team learned a lot and took a lot of notes home to prepare for a return to the track. It should be a track that Doug will do very well at in the future. It was definitely the toughest field of modifieds assembled in one place at any one time.
Congratulations to the 21S of Denny Schwartz on a big feature victory. Winning the first night out on a brand new car. He led flag to flag and done a masterful job of holding off Jimmy Owens for the win. The two were never more than two or three car lengths apart the entire 50 laps. Daryl Herbert was third, Wes Steidinger was fourth, and Michael Bradley rounded out the top five.
Here again is Paul Bayne report of the night's activities at the track.
Denny Schwartz Wins David Richardson Memorial
by Paul D. Bayne
DANVILLE, Ill. (May 27, 2001) Denny Schwartz scored a popular win at the Vermilion County Speedway Sunday night, as he led all 50 laps of the David Richardson Memorial race to earn himself the championship trophy and a cool $5,000 in prize money. Schwartz, the 40-year-old veteran driver from Ashmore, IL, started on the pole of the 50-lapper and repeatedly held off the advances of 2000 UMP National Champion Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN. "This was the first night on the new car, and yeah, I like it," said an overjoyed Schwartz, "Jimmy (Owens) was making me nervous there for the first half of the race, but once I calmed myself down I was alright," he added. The win by Schwartz marked the third year in a row that a driver from Charleston Speedway has claimed the prestigious event. Furthermore, the last three champions of the race all come from or around the Kansas, IL area.
Schwartz, who finished runner-up last year in the David Richardson Memorial to Tommy Burnside, and runner-up at the IMCA Super Nationals in 1989, called this "the biggest win of his racing career". Driving a brand new Pierce Chassis fresh out of the box, he is sponsored by Bud's Plumbing & Heating/Schwartz Race Cars/Bill Bybee Trucking/Gardner Excavating, and also a special note of thanks to Donnie Dow, Charleston Speedway's owner, who provided the motor for Schwartz's wire-to-wire triumph.
Owens, fresh off his Friday night march to the checkered flag at Vermilion County Speedway, tried everything in his power to find a lane to get around Schwartz. "There really wasn't much race track left above the bottom, and each time I tried the outer groove I couldn't make it stick. My left rear tire pretty much went away there towards the end, but we're real happy for Denny and his crew," said a gracious Owens.
A field of twenty-six modifieds earned the right to compete in the David Richardson main event through ten heat races and six consolation races. Track promoter Bill Marietta than added a $300-to-win 25-lap "B" feature for those finishing positions second through fifth in the consolation races. Drivers representing 11 states signed into the pit gate coming from as far as Texas. In all, 206 cars from three classes, including 143 UMP modifieds, were present in the pits, which stretched out all the way to the main gate entrance. It was what can only be described as a "who's who" of UMP modified drivers.
When starter Rick Isaacson dropped the green flag it didn't take long for things to heat up on an otherwise clear and chilly evening. Wayne Brooks from Arkansas, spun his mount on the opening lap down in turn two, prompting a caution flag and a complete restart. Brooks' car suffered a flat left rear tire and was forced to retire to the pits. When the green dropped for a second time, polesitter Schwartz jumped out to an early lead as he beat Owens down into turn one. Following that duo was fast qualifier Michael Bradley, Darryl Herbert, and Wes Steidinger.
On lap four, former track champion Dan Hamstra, who won the sixth and final consolation race, went pitside with handling problems. Owens meanwhile, was trying to figure out the best way around Schwartz, as he made a bid for the lead coming off turn two on lap six. One lap later, current track points leader Arby Burton, spun in turn one bringing out the yellow and slowing the field. Schwartz was able to get a great jump on the restart, but Owens quickly reeled in Schwartz and applied the pressure once again.
On about lap 15, Tim O'Donnell and John Seets made acquaintances in turn 4. O'Donnell's night was done, while Seets was able to continue. By lap 18, Owens was all over Schwartz, trying the high side repeatedly and taking a look on the inside of the black and orange #21s machine. "I could see him coming up on the outside several times throughout the race," said Schwartz, "but I was gonna give up the bottom for nothing. If he was going to beat me, he was going to have to get around me up top," he added. Owens' efforts would be denied each time by Schwartz, as the two began to put some distance between themselves and the Bradley, Herbert, Steidinger trio.
Owens got a little loose coming off of turn four on about lap 21, and Schwartz was given a little breathing room. It may have been all the comfort he needed, as Schwartz began to settle in to a rhythm. A liitle further back in the pack, UMP national points leader Chad Kinder, who started 16th, Tim Reynolds, who started 17th, and Wes O'Dell, who started 26th, began to march towards the front in a hurry, as they battled for the eighth through tenth positions.
Davey Gantt brought out the race's final caution when he looped it in turn two. Bryan Clendenen, the Northern All Stars Modified Champion in 2000, worked his way up into the seventh spot on lap 25, while Matt Boknecht fell out on lap 30. On lap 31, Bradley began to experience some handling problems that allowed Herbert and Steidinger to get by on the bottom for the third and fourth spots. From that point on in the race, the only question that remained was "did Owens have enough left to make his way around Schwartz?" Time and time again, Owens took a look to the high side, as Schwartz protected the low groove.
When they crossed the stripe, it was Schwartz, Owens, Herbert, Steidinger, and Bradley claiming the top five, while Burdette, Clendenen, Kinder, O'Dell, and Reynolds rounded out the top ten. Only 16 cars finished on the lead lap, with no cars falling a lap down.
Complete UMP modified results
Heat 1 (top 2 advance)
Denny Schwartz, Nick Gough, Mike Chastain, Kyle Logue
Heat 2 (top 2 advance)
Michael Bradley, Matt Boknecht, Mark Moore, Dan Hamstra
Heat 3 (top 2 advance)
Jimmy Owens, Wayne Brooks, Dean Vickers, John DeMoss
Heat 4 (top 2 advance)
Darryl Herbert, Todd Gilpin, Bart Richardson, Rob Fuqua
Heat 5 (top 2 advance)
Steve Picou, Rob Timmons, Wes O'Dell, Tony Roland
Heat 6 (top 2 advance)
Wes Steidinger, Chad Kinder, Danny Schwartz, Paul White
Heat 7 (top 2 advance)
John Burdette, Tim Reynolds, George White, Jarod Temples
Heat 8 (top 2 advance)
Arby Burton, Shane Cottle, Tim O'Donnell, RJ Gall
Heat 9 (top 2 advance)
Davet Gantt, Don Kiger, Dave Porth, Kevin Weaver
Heat 10 (top 2 advance)
Bryan Clendenen, John Seets, Everette Bradham, Bryan Collins
Consi 1 (winner advances...two through five to B main)
John DeMoss, Mike Chastain, John Hudson, Kevin Weaver, Chuck Haga
Consi 2 (winner adavances...two through five to B main)
Tim O'Donnell, Brandon Maxwell, Eric Smith, Tommy Burnside, Rob Fuqua
Consi 3 (winner advances...two through five to B main)
Dean Vickers, Doug St. Myers, Blaine Farr, Tony Roland, Eddie Kindred
Consi 4 (winner advances...two through five to B main)
Davey Gantt, Bart Richardson, Tim Hancock, Ryan Young, Larry Raines
Consi 5 (winner advances...two through five to B main)
Wes O'Dell, Kyle Logue, Rocky Griffin, Jarod Temples, Jerry Danford
Consi 6 (winner advances...two through five to B main)
Dan Hamstra, Danny Schwartz, Dusty Moore, RJ Gall, Lance Dehm
Feature
Denny Schwartz, Jimmy Owens, Darryl Herbert, Wes Steidinger, Michael Bradley, John Burdette, Bryan Clendenen, Chad Kinder, Wes O'Dell, Tim Reynolds, Dean Vickers, John DeMoss, Don Kiger, John Seets, Nick Gough, Davey Gantt, Shane Cottle, Matt Boknecht, Everette Bradham, Todd Gilpin, Rob Timmons, Steve Picou, Tim O'Donnell, Arby Burton, Dan Hamstra, Wayne Brooks
B Feature
Kyle Logue, Danny Schwartz, John Hudson, Rocky Griffin, Doug St. Myers, Tony Roland, Blaine Farr, Jarod Temples, Chuck Haga, Tim Hancock, Ryan Young, Eddie Kindred, Eric Smith, Dusty Moore, Roben Huffman, Rob Fuqua
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