MACON, Ill. – The second week of racing at Macon Speedway saw familiar winners grace victory lane on a night that featured seven divisions worth of action at the 76-year-old dirt oval.
Among the familiar winners to find victory lane was Jeremy Nichols in the Weddle Performance Engines Sportsman division. Nichols took the checkered flag in the season opener two weeks ago and looked dominant again in the 15-lap main event.
Tailed by former division champions Dennis Vandermeersch and Scott Landers, Nichols pursued the top groove and ran it flawlessly to extend his lead over the pack. Vandermeersch moved on the top side as well, but ran into the wall and up the fence in turn one on the final lap and was towed off the track.
That allowed Landers to become the second-place car. He stayed close on the restart but Nichols was too much for Landers and the rest of the field.
Nichols looked ready for his second two-for-two of the season as he led in the Archer’s Alley Street Stocks feature. Running at the top with Bobby Beiler, Nichols was again moving fast along the top of the track.
As Nichols was moving fast, he came upon a slower car and Nichols tagged into the back of it, leading him to spin out. Nichols would be penalized for the spinout that led to the yellow flag and be put to the back of the field. With five laps remaining, Beiler took his role as the leader and would go on to the feature win.
Kyle Helmick led wire-to-wire in the Pro Modified 15-lap feature event and outdueled Kevin Crowder, Billy Knebel and Nick Justice for the win. Knebel looked poised for a top spot takeaway with a fast run on the top but lapped traffic running on the top slowed him down and allowed Helmick, a bottom groove racer, to hold on to the lead and the win.
Helmick got the pole position assignment in the BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds 20-lap feature and led for the first three laps while continuing to run on the bottom. However, he was not able to fend off Guy Taylor, who was smooth running up top. Taylor’s lead would grow and be comfortable although defending champion and Opening Night feature winner Tommy Sheppard Jr. closed in.
Aiden Purdue took the top honors out of 25 drivers in the micro sprint feature. Purdue started from the pole and made short work of the group. Jacob Tipton started seventh and ran all the way up to second for the finish.
Jose Parga and Jake Little took off in the Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Model feature. Parga opened up his advantage and led the small group around for the 20-lap feature race win.
The seventh and final division to hit the track were four-cylinder hornets and a wild one ensued with Michael McKay getting the win with a fast car from the top lane. Shelby Beiler led the early laps from the pole position and fended off Billy Mason, Kyle Keller and Brandon Miller, but when McKay got running up top, he made the pass and took off.
McKay rolled his car a few weeks earlier at Lincoln Speedway and has been working to get it back on the track. The work paid off as he crossed the finish line first ahead of the 14-car field.