A View from the Top Page 2 - by Steve Eighinger Photo Courtesy of Tim’S Racing Photos
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www.CILTRAK.com Hammer Down January 2014 Vol. 1 No. 1 HAMMER DOWN Special Edition For: A Publication Of www.CILTRAK.com B-SHEPP A View From The Top Page 2 - By Steve Eighinger Photo Courtesy of Tim’s Racing Photos Inside This Month’s Issue: BRIAN LYNN - Haulin’ The Mail SMASH: Remembering Those We Lost p8 p6 PLUS: Commentary From Patrick Davis and Jake Croxton p10 2 Hammer Down January 2014 www.CILTRAK.com THE BIG YEAR: BRANDON SHEPPARD BREAKS OUT IN 2013 Steve Eighinger NEW BERLIN, Il. — So, what will the kid do for an encore? Brandon Sheppard cemented his stand- ing among dirt-track deity in 2013 when, among other accomplishments, the 21-year-old late model wiz won the Dirt Track World Championship in Ports- mouth, Ohio. Add in the UMP national title and win- ning the prestigious — not to mention grueling — UMP Summer Nationals Hell Tour and you begin to get an idea of what kind of checkered flags Sheppard was collecting. “I don’t think we could have asked for a better season,” Sheppard said. “We’ve been working really hard for a lot of years Photo by Tim’s Racing Photos to get where we’re at right now ... and it he posted “just” four victories during the peaceful offseason. “I’ve been around it my whole life, so was a long season, but it was all worth it.” 26-race schedule, he secured 19 top-five “We’ve been able to spend most of our it’s real special for me personally to win and 23 top-10 finishes. His wins came at time just regrouping, talking to our spon- both championships. We’ve been work- “My dad worked hard a Spoon River Speedway and Belle-Clair sors and trying to recruit more sponsors,” ing really hard for a lot of years to get lot of years trying to win Speedway in Illinois, and Clarksville he said. where we’re at right now and it was a long it and he was never able Speedway and Clay Hill Motorsports Sheppard has also had time to reflect season, but it was all worth it.” to ... I guess me winning Park in Tennessee. on all that transpired last season. Sheppard became the youngest driver it kind of fulfilled both of Sheppard ended with a 75-point “In the beginning, you never think in the 33-year of the Dirt Track World advantage (1,675-1,600) over another of you’d do something like win a national Championship (DTWC) to enter victory our dreams.” the sport’s hot young stars, 16-year-old championship that young,” he said. “But lane. He earned $50,000 for that victory Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., son of leg- we’ve been improving as a team and I’ve in late October, plus another $50,000 for endary driver and car builder Bob Pierce. been improving as a driver every year. I winning the Hell Tour and UMP national Sheppard, whose 2014 season will Pierce also finished second to Sheppard can see myself getting better every year, titles. begin in late January in Arizona with a in the UMP national points standings. driving harder and driving better. It all Sheppard drove the No. 1 Mark Rich- series of four races in the Tucson area, Sheppard won that title by 47 points came together (in 2013). ards Racing late model to the DTWC has already established his priorities for (2,549-2,502). “My dad worked hard a lot of years try- victory, finishing ahead of Steve Francis, coming campaign. The title he wants to “Our biggest goal is to repeat in the ing to win it and he was never able to ... I Jackie Boggs, Jason Feger and Jimmy repeat most is the Hell Tour, considered Summer Nationals,” said Sheppard, who guess me winning it kind of fulfilled both Owens. Sheppard was subbing that night the defining accomplishment for any late knows the law of percentages may not be of our dreams. I was always there when for Josh Richards in the Rocket chassis model driver in the Midwest. Stretching as kind in 2014 as they were a year ago. he was doing it and he’s there helping me house car. nearly six weeks for the second con- Sheppard managed to escape any now, so it meant a lot to both of us.” “That capped a pretty good season,” secutive year, late model racing’s most major on-track melee, which is almost a Sheppard is one of just four drivers to Sheppard said. demanding test of man and machine will prerequisite in putting together the kind win both the Hell Tour and UMP nation- And that is, obviously, quite an under- feature 33 races at 32 tracks in nine states of season he did in 2013. al title in the same season. He joins Brian statement. over a period of 39 days. “We had a few minor issues, but did Shirley (2012) of Chatham, Ill., Dennis “Next to the (World Series of) Outlaws not tear up much equipment,” he said. Erb Jr. ((2007-08) of Carpentersville, Ill., and the Lucas Oil series, I think the Hell “We’ll open the season with three cars.” and John Gill (1986) of Mitchell, Ind., on Steve Eighinger a.k.a “Stevie Dirt,” is a Tour is the most prestigious (title),” Shep- reporter for the Quincy Herald-Whig and Avoiding any major sheet-metal catas- that short list. pard said. provides extensive coverage of Quincy trophes — or blown engines — allowed “UMP is the big thing around us – has Sheppard’s consistency catapulted him Raceways, including his active blog which Sheppard and crew to enjoy a rather been since I was little kid,” Sheppard said. to the Hell Tour championship. Although can be found at www.whig.com/blogs www.CILTRAK.com Hammer Down January 2014 3 1‐888‐243‐WELD | ILMOproducts.com RACE HARD. LIVE TOUGH. WELD YOUR BEST. ALL THINGS WELDING, CUTTING & PLASMA! ILMO Products and ILMO Propane are proud supporters of your central Illinois speedways. HOOSIER Tire Midwest is now a stocking warehouse for AERO Race Wheels! CONGRATULATIONS BRANDON 2013 UMP DIRTcar LATE MODEL CHAMPION 2013 UMP SUMMER NATIONALS HELL TOUR CHAMPION For information on wheels, accessories or other services call: (574) 936-8344 / (217) 522-1955 / (317) 858-1234 2013 DIRT TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP • HOOSIER Racing Tires • AERO Race Wheels • JRi Shocks • WELD Wheels • SIMPSON Safety Brandon Sheppard Race Party www.racetires.com Friday January 31 - Shepp’s Bar & Grill - New Berlin, IL Party at 6 - Auction at 7 4 Hammer Down January 2014 www.CILTRAK.com YEAR IN REVEW Quincy Raceways that class and first since 2009. making a great charge from 5th to win Brown, Shane Stewart, Jac Hauden- • Austen Becerra’s stranglehold on the the Summit Modified Nationals event schild, Bill Balog. • Steven DeLonjay captured his third IMCA Sport Compacts resulted in his during the UMP Summer Nationals, Lucas Oil POWRi straight UMP Modified track champion- first track championship. Becerra has but it was Springfield’s Matt Goulden Midget Series ship, which was his fifth overall at the won 19 features in the last 1 1/2 sea- who claimed the points title over Brian track -- all before he turned 21 in late sons. He also won the sport compacts’ Dively and Ethan Schnapp. • Zach Daum caputred his first POWRi December. Only three other drivers Triple Crown when he claimed both the • It was a youth movement in the street series championship driving his Toyota -- Mark Burgtorf (14), Hank DeLonjay midseason and season-ending cham- stock class as Justin Layne busted from powered Eagle to a season ending 520 (13) and Steve Fraise (9) -- have won pionship races to go with his points the pack to top the points chart at over point margin over Andrew Felker. more track titles. Hank DeLonjay is Ste- title. Becerra was the first Triple Crown Brandon Eskew. Layne claimed 3 wins • Among Daum’s notable wins was ven’s dad, who with Burgtorf and Fraise winner outside of the late model and on his way to his first track champion- capturing the Jason Leffler Memorial were charter members of the Quincy modified divisions since 2001. ship. at Wayne County Speedway which at- Raceways Hall of Fame in 2011. • Stephanie Eskew became Jacksonville’s tracted a stellar field of competitors and • DeLonjay’s 12 feature victories and 22 Lincoln Speedway first female track champion with an was later re-broadcast on MAV TV. overall checkered flags are the most outstanding season in the hornet class. • The Midget World Championship, a at the track in the UMP era for modi- • Greg Osman and Todd Smith battled Eskew claimed two wins on the year to 16 race international sub-series which fieds. Quincy has been a UMP track for throughout the season for a street stock best runner-up Thomas Angelo will make stops in Central Illinois June that class since 2009. DeLonjay’s nine championship that was ultimately cap- • Much of the offseason has been focused 5-7 at Jacksonville, Lincoln and Macon Fast 6 dash victories were the most by tured by Osman by a mere 5 points. on the track’s first ever STP World of Speedway is already under way with 3 any driver in any series since statistics • New Berlin’s Nick Bauman sealed a Outlaws sprint car event which will be races having been held in New Zealand started being kept in 1999. track championship in the UMP Pro held on Wednesday May 7th. A limited with winners Chris Bell, Bryan Clauson • Denny Woodworth won his third Late Model class bringing the B1 ma- number of grandstand tickets are being and Michael Pickens.