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Duff Makes The First One Count

By BZ

(Macon, IL) Jaret Duff has not been racing at Macon Speedway for very long but his support group collectively has been for quite some time. His family, the Huffmans, Butch Garner, all have helped steer him in the right direction. Saturday night, Duff steered himself into the winner's circle at Macon Speedway for the first time.

Nick Macklin was the first pole sitter for the 15-lap Archer's Alley Street Stock feature but was pushed off the track with troubles and the favorite to win was off the track at the beginning. By the next restart, Zach Clark and Matthew Yaden, both who scored their first checkered flags in their respective heat races, got the front row starting assignment with Guy Taylor and Duff in the second row. The green flag flew and Clark got the early lead. Charging strong off the inside was Rudy Zaragoza as he battled his way to the front of the order. Zaragoza would take the lead away from Clark at the halfway point and rode the bottom while Duff started to hook up strongly at the top of the 1/5th mile dirt oval.

Duff stuck to his top groove and would take the lead away from Zaragoza with three laps remaining. A caution flag came out with the green flag in the air as the two-to-go signal was flying and the race was halted. As the restart came, Duff powered his way ahead and finished ahead of the group for his first feature win of his career.

The BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds witnessed another first-time winner as B.J. Deal got into victory lane. Deal started on the pole position but didn't blast away for the win. He had to battle for the 20-lap victory. As he stayed true to the bottom groove, Brian Diveley gave it all he had on the top of the track, even taking the lead as the side-by-side racing circled around the track. As the race continued during the green flag conditions, the bottom continued to work solidly for Deal who would grace victory lane for the first time this season.

In the Pro Modifieds class, Billy Knebel scored his fifth win of the year as he went into a side-by-side tilt with Kyle Helmick. The action carried and continued for many laps and as the checkered flag came into the air, Knebel was scored across the line first while Helmick had a slip up in the fourth turn that led to cars slowing down and getting crunched into each other.

The USAC/IMRA Midgets came to Macon Speedway for the first time this season and Brownsburg, Indiana driver Bryan Stanfill found his way to the checkered flag. The action was much like expected when the midgets are racing, it was all over the place. The start of the race saw James Picardi flip on the backstretch. The Mapleton racer would not get to be scored a lap and his night finished on the back of the tow truck. Cody Gerdes was the early race leader and Stanfill made his pass for the lead quickly during the race's early stages.

Jake Little scored his fourth feature win in the Pro Late Models Saturday night. Little got ahead of Chuck Mitchell at the beginning and then was off to the lead and the win just 20 laps later.

Brady Reed did it again. Started last and won in the Hornets. His fifth checkered flag, and third in a row, has helped stretch his points lead with just a month remaining in the 2020 season.

Macon Speedway thanks Skeff Distributing for their sponsorship of the night's racing action. The action continues next Saturday with a full night of seventh divisions and a CEFCU Kids Club event. The Pro Late Models, BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds, Sportsman, Archer's Alley Street Stocks, Pro Modifieds, Micro Sprints Presented by Bailey Chassis and Hornets are all scheduled to race during the Labor Day weekend. 

Feature Results (Top 10’s) 

USAC Racing IMRA Engler Machine & Tool SpeeD2 Midgets 

1. 5 +4 Bryan Stanfill Brownsburg, IN 24 2) 4 +2 Shane Morgan Creve Coeur, IL 15M 3) 3 - Mark McMahill Peoria, IL 57 4) 7 +3 Daltyn England Springfield, IL 19E 5) 2 -3 Cody Gerdes Eureka, IL 5G 6) 14 +8 RJ Corson Markham, IL 15 7) 11 +4 Will Armitage Athens, IL 51R 8) 8 - Kevin Douglas Madison, WI 5K 9) 9 - Jace Sparks Crystal Lake, IL 17 10) 6 -4 Doug Canham Chatham, IL 7X

DIRTcar Pro Late Models

1. 2 +1 Jake Little Springfield, IL 38J 2) 1 -1 Chuck Mitchell Jacksonville, IL 75 3) 3 - Roben Huffman Midland City, IL 33H 4) 4 - Colby Eller Taylorville, IL X 5) (DNF) 5 - David Marlow Heyworth, IL M14 6) (DNF) 6 - Brady Lynch Hillsboro, IL 14B

BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds

1. 1 - B.J. Deal Brownstown, IL 3W 2) 3 +1 Brian Diveley Springfield, IL 11D 3) 8 +5 Joe Strawkas Buffalo, IL 28S 4) 5 +1 Jacob Steinkoenig Highland, IL 24S 5) 9 +4 Kyle Helmick Smithton, IL 27X 6) 12 +6 Guy Taylor Springfield, IL 77 7) 11 +4 Billy Knebel Pocahontas, IL 52 8) 18 +10 Tommy Sheppard Jr New Berlin, IL T6 9) 19 +10 Rodney Standerfer Summerfield, IL 28 10) 6 -4 Jared Thomas Edinburg, IL 43

DIRTcar Pro Mods 

1. 2 +1 Billy Knebel Pocahontas, IL 52 2) 1 -1 Dalton Ewing Decatur, IL 27 3) 8 +5 Kevin Crowder Argenta, IL 15C 4) 10 +6 Adam Rhoades Clinton, IL 10 5) 6 +1 Kevin Rench Hillsboro, IL 116 6) 4 -2 Brian Burns Bethany, IL 7B 7) 11 +4 Evan Lynch Hillsboro, IL 14E 8) 9 +1 Roy Magee Springfield, IL 11 9) 3 -6 Jeff Wallace Decatur, IL 25 10) 12 +2 Maxx Emerson Taylorville, IL 78

Archers Alley Street Stocks

1. 4 +3 Jaret Duff Maroa, IL 21 2) 7 +5 Rudy Zaragoza Jacksonville, IL 67 3) 3 - Zach Clark Illiopolis, IL 4 4) 6 +2 Jordan Smith Argenta, IL J98 5) 11 +6 Randy Huffman Maroa, IL 46 6) 9 +3 Tommy Pickering Cerro Gordo, IL 199 7) 10 +3 Shawn Ziemer Boody, IL 23Z 8) 2 -6 Matthew Yaden Monticello, IL 19 9) 12 +3 Wes Biesenthal Athens, IL 14 10) 13 +3 Brian Dasenbrock Jr Decatur, IL 80

DIRTcar Hornets

1. 10 +9 Brady Reed Decatur, IL 32B 2) 2 - Carter Dart Springfield, IL 66D 3) 6 +3 Allan Harris Chatham, IL 3H 4) 5 +1 Michael McKay Springfield, IL 26A 5) 3 -2 Marty Sullivan Decatur, IL 39M 6) 1 -5 Ken Reed Decatur, IL 98 7) 8 +1 Cook Crawford Lincoln, IL 64CK 8) 7 -1 Bill Basso Athens, IL 44 9) (DNF) 4 -5 Billy Mason Brownstown, IL 357 10) (DNF) 9 -1 Kyle Keller Oakley, IL 13

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