Westfall gives chase at Eldora’s UMP Nationals


AREA SCHEDULE

FRIDAY

Eldora Speedway: UMP DIRTcar Nationals for modifieds. Gates open at 4 p.m., hot laps at 5:30, racing at 7.

SATURDAY

Kil-Kare Dragway: National Dragster Challenge & Jr Drag Racing League Challenge. Gates open at 9 a.m., timed runs at 10:30.

Eldora Speedway: UMP DIRTcar Nationals for modifieds, UMP DIRTcar late models. Gates open at 2 p.m., hot laps at 5, racing at 6.

Edgewater Sports Park: Quick 8 racing plus super pro, pro, sportsman, motorcycle, trophy and Jr. dragster. Gates open at 1 p.m., racing at 7.

The last time Matt Westfall raced at Eldora Speedway, he finished second in the Silver Crown feature at the prestigious 4-Crown Nationals.

Imagine what he could have done with brakes. The driver from Pleasant Hill in western Miami County lost his brakes on lap five of the 50-lap race, but still managed to finish second behind Chris Windom.

For most drivers a runner-up finish at the 4-Crown would make a season. For Westfall, he hopes that signature moment comes this weekend. Eldora hosts the UMP DIRTcar Nationals Championships, a three-day show that started Thursday night. With four A-Main features on Thursday and Friday night the event could play a key role in determining the UMP national and regional point standings, as well as Eldora’s track champion.

Entering Thursday’s event, Wapakoneta’s Jerry Bowersock led both the Northeast Region and the Eldora standings. He led Westfall by 151 regionally and Aaron Orr by six points at Eldora. Westfall is sixth at Eldora.

With eight UMP sanctioned wins in a modified this season — including one at Lawrenceburg Speedway last Saturday — Westfall looks to race up front at Eldora, with or without those brakes.

“With no brakes I didn’t want to get too close and take us both out,” Westfall said of challenging Windom for the 4-Crown win. “(If we had brakes) we might have had something for him. It was neat because I haven’t run a Silver Crown car in several years. They actually drive like my modified because of the long wheel base and they’re heavy.”

Racing ends with a 25-lap, $5,000-to-win feature on Saturday. The UMP DIRTcar late models will also be in action on Saturday only.

Additional area drivers entered for Eldora are Derrick Austin (Troy), Mark Kowarsch (Xenia), Josh Morton (Piqua), Weasel Phlipot (Covington), Chad Rosenbeck (Versailles), David Treon Jr. (Piqua), Tom Treon (Piqua), Rob Williams (Eaton) and Scott Williams (Eaton).

Waynesfield reschedules: The Harvest of Sprints show has been rescheduled for Oct. 11. The show was rained out on Sept. 29 and initially rescheduled for Friday. But track officials moved the race back to Oct. 11.

Some drivers had prior commitments and were not able to race on Friday. The show would also have competed against Eldora’s UMP nationals modified event. Now, with the UNOH Sprintacular scheduled for Eldora on Oct. 12, the Harvest of Sprints show complements Eldora’s event with two days of sprint action for race fans and drivers.

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