MACON, Ill. – Dennis Vandermeersch ran the top of the Macon Speedway on a hot and humid Saturday night to secure a 40-lap feature win while the Weddle Performance Engines division ran the evening without a roof on the race cars.
It was nothing new to Vandermeersch as he claimed his fifth straight 40-lap feature win in the annual race. Although he led all 40 laps, it was not without heavy challenges from the second place car Wes O’Dell.
O’Dell stayed on Vandermeersch’s bumper for nearly all the laps and followed him around through every turn and straightaway; he just didn’t have what was needed to make the pass and take control.
For Vandermeersch, it was also the sixth time he has won the 40-lapper in the 12-year history of the race dating back to 2011. It is also the second time that he led all 40 laps en route to the checkered flag. The final ten or so laps were more difficult than just keeping ahead of O’Dell as he announced that he lost control of his brakes.Â
The finish of the night came in the BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds feature race. With Macon Speedway co-owner Kenny Wallace in the house racing in the division, everybody was out to give it their all against the driver leading the national points in the modified class.
Wallace was a fast qualifier and won his heat and that helped set him up on the front row outside of the 20-lap feature with 23 cars. Wallace ran the bottom and stayed ahead of Clint Martin, Alan Crowder, Rodney Standerfer and Billy Knebel in the early goings.
Knebel hooked up on the bottom, too, and passed all the way to second place and challenged Wallace for the top spot. When Wallace and Knebel were running around the bottom of the fourth turn, Knebel bumped and got bumped and spun out to bring out a caution flag.
The caution was for Knebel who was sent to the back of the field with half the race remaining. Eyes started to watch Wallace and Standerfer run on the bottom and Zach Rhodes, the eighth place starter, surging strong on the top groove. Rhodes strongly challenged as he gained speed and momentum through the corners.
As the white flag was waving, it was Rhodes and Wallace sticking to their lines and as they came out of the final turn to the finish it was a drag race that Wallace took by the slimmest of margins.
Wallace appreciated the race that Rhodes gave and believed his car didn’t run well enough to win on this night. He dedicated to the race to Zach Rhodes’ father Curt, who passed away at the beginning of 2022. Curt was a former BillingsleyRewards.com Modified track champion and also raced other divisions in his time at Macon Speedway.
The Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Models class saw twists and turns throughout that 20 laps as Braden Johnson took his third feature win of the year.Â
Guy Taylor got the feature programs started with his seventh win of the season in the Pro Modified class.
The 51 Bistro Street Stocks saw Jeremy Nichols race from the pole to lead all 15 laps and win in the 67R car that is normally raced by Rudy Zaragoza.
Devin Feger led every lap to win the Micro Sprint feature Presented by Bailey Chassis.Â
The night was capped off by a new Hornets feature winner in Paul Lawhorn.Â