Highland Speedway
April 21, 2012
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Cole records Becker Jewelers Late Model feature win at Highland Speedway

Highland Speedway
HIGHLAND, IL (April 21) The hottest ticket this year to any area race track has to be one for the Highland Speedway. While the temperature this past Saturday night was cool, it didn’t stop the racing loyalist from packing the Speedway’s Grandstand, and they weren’t disappointed, as the amount of race cars in attendance required the use of the overflow pit area located off of turn one and the racers provided exciting side by side racing with some unexpected winners. The night’s activities were sponsored by The Huddle House in Highland and Greenville.

With having a week off due to rain, plus a week of cool weather, add in a nightlong rain the evening before, the condition of the Speedway’s racing surface had many wondering what to expect. Promoter Scott Kuhn’s crew did a masterful job in prepping the surface as the racing was exciting from the drop of the first green flag.

Being a member of the United Midwest Promoters (UMP) family of race tracks you’ll never know on a given Saturday night who might come to do battle with the Highland Speedway regulars.

As the Becker Jewelers Late Model division rolled out for their Heat races, it brought with it some interesting scenarios. There was a driver looking to extend his winning streak, some of the drivers were hoping to avenge a string of DNQ’s, and some hoping to be a first time winner this season earn a visit to the Casey’s General Stores Victory Lane.

The heat races determine the line ups for the feature. The winners and runner ups in the heat races advanced to the Quick Six Dash.

The dash qualifiers lineup is determined by a pill draw. Advancing to the Dash, from heat one, winner, in the 30V, Mark Voigt, and runner up Dan Jacober in the 22, winner and runner up from heat two, UMP traveler, Kevin Cole in the 81C, and Matt Weidner in the Circle 7 and from the third heat, winner and runner up, Michael Kloos in the 6K and Brett “The Silver Fox” Helmkamp in the 31 respectfully.

The pill draw line up put Helmkamp on the pole and Cole along side, row two was Jacober and Kloos and filling the last two positions were Weidner and Voigt.

Helmkamp looked strong in his heat and he lead the dash for the first three laps until he drove up high into turn two giving the lead to Kloos, who held on for the win and a front row start in the evenings night cap, Cole finished second putting him along Kloos in the front row.

The Highland track crew spent a few minutes during intermission grooming the racing surface and to say it was bad fast would be an understatement.

By winning the dash Kloos, (looking to make it three wins in a row), had the option of starting the 25 lap main event from either the pole (starting in the low groove) or outside pole (the high groove).

Kloos choose the high grove putting Cole, looking for his first Highland win, on the bottom. At the drop of the green flag Kloos jumped to the lead, but it was all for naught as something let loose in the 27E of Mike Schulte causing the first of three quick cautions, the cautions flag again came out on lap 2 and again on lap 4.

Cole wasted no time to get around Kloos and on the third restart the lineup was Cole, Kloos, Weidner, Voigt and the 78 of returning Highland Speedway Champ Chad Zobrist.

As mentioned before the track was fast and it wasn’t long before the racers were stretched out around the ¼ mile Speedway and on lap six the leaders caught the rear of the field. This proved difficult for Cole working the lap traffic. On lap 12 Kloos shot back into the lead. The race pace was fast as Kloos and Cole dealt worked in and around the lap traffic. On lap 19 the caution flag waved after 15 laps of very fast green flag racing. Kloos took the point on the restart with several lap cars positioned between the top five runners. Kloos again jumped to a commanding lead on the restart but it was short lived as after 1 lap something let loose on the 6K and it rolled to a stop on the back straight away and with it the chance of a three pete.

This time the lineup was without the lap cars integrated into the lineup as we were now under 5 laps to go. Cole was put into the number one spot with Voigt looking to avenge his string of DNQ’s but under caution something broke on the 30V and into the infield he sat, and the string of bad luck continued for Voigt.

Now the line up brought some new faces into the top five, Cole was now the leader, Jacober second, then “Fast” Frankie Martin in the 25, Followed by Chad Zobrist and Kerry Gaultney in the 21.

Cole with a clear racetrack jumped out to a multi car lead until the last lap when a caution came out and ended the lead Cole had over the field. What happened on the restart was a bit confusing as on the green white restart Cole slowed coming out of turn 4 bring out yet another caution. Apparently Cole thought a corner working was trying to stop the restart as to why he slowed. Cole was given his position back and this time the race finished under green.

Kevin Cole collected his first win of the season sending him to the Casey’s General Stores Victory Lane. Jacober, Martin, Zobrist and Gaultney were your top five finishers.

A-Main
1 81C Kevin Cole
2 22 Dan Jacober
3 25 Frankie Martin
4 78 Chad Zobrist
5 21 Kerry Gaultney
6 87 Jason Zobrist
7 1S Rick Salter
8 77 Clay Baumann
9 49 Steve Leach
10 31 Brent Helmkamp
11 11K Shannon Kuhn
12 76 Kellen Conover
13 85 Ed Pursell
14 30V Mark Voigt
15 6K Michael Kloos
16 CRCL7 Matt Weidner
17 8 Bob Geaschel
18 94 Larry Copeland
19 10 Daryn Klein
20 27S Mike Schulte

Dash  
1 6K Michael Kloos
2 81C Kevin Cole
3 31 Brent Helmkamp
4 CRCL7 Matt Weidner
5 30V Mark Voigt
6 22 Dan Jacober

Heat #1
1 30V Mark Voigt
2 22 Dan Jacober
3 27S Mike Schulte
4 10 Daryn Klein
5 8 Bob Geaschel
6 11K Shannon Kuhn
7 94 Larry Copeland

Heat #2
1 81C Kevin Cole
2 CRCL7 Matt Weidner
3 1S Rick Salter
4 21 Kerry Gaultney
5 77 Clay Baumann
6 25 Frankie Martin
7 85 Ed Pursell

Heat #3
1 6K Michael Kloos
2 31 Brent Helmkamp
3 78 Chad Zobrist
4 49 Steve Leach
5 87 Jason Zobrist
6 76 Kellen Conover