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Racing Hits Home Stretch at Macon Speedway

By BZ

(Macon, IL) Following a week off for Labor Day, Macon Speedway racers hit the track with the final three weeks of racing for the 76th consecutive season. With the season points coming to a close, the final race nights are important for drivers who want to stake their claim as champions or higher finishers in the top ten standings.

Guy Taylor has been solidly racing three divisions all season long. In the BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds and the Archer's Alley Street Stocks Taylor is the points leader. In the Pro Modifieds division, he is the fourth place points driver. His points lead got extended with the a checkered flag finish in the BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds.

The 21-car, 20-lap race was filled with cautions but also excitement as the race started with a three-wide start with Alan Crowder, Zach Rhodes and Taylor all battling for the lead. Taylor started out down low but moved to the top groove and that decision carried him to the lead and the win. Crowder made a strong bid for his second straight feature win but held on for a second place result.

Taylor would take second place in the Archer's Alley Street Stocks feature as Nick Macklin blasted off to the lead from the front row alongside Taylor. Macklin's success carried him not only to a win at Macon but also to a Midwest Big Ten Series championship as Macklin would pass Taylor as well as the top two drivers who did not make the show, Terry Reed and Jeremy Nichols. One of the more impressive showings of the night came from Attica, Indiana, driver Megan Erwin. Starting 11th after a rough heat race saw her get things figured out and propelled her to a third place finish.

Taylor's other feature race was in the Pro Modifieds where he took home third place after getting passed by Kevin Crowder for second place and both drivers chased Kyle Helmick for the lead. Helmick added to his points lead with the weekly racing starting to close out.

Dakota Ewing was not in a bad mood over his Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Model after the feature race Saturday night. The Warrensburg driver has battled good nights and bad nights in that car this season but a great night of qualifying and heat race winning put him on the front row of the feature and after getting slowed by a lapped car in the middle of the feature was able to take off and keep the distance between Braden Johnson and Colby Sheppard. It will be too little too late for Ewing, however, as it relates to a 2021 track championship as Sheppard has better than 150 points lead over second place driver Donald Koehler with two weeks remaining.

The first 2021 Track Championship was claimed in the Micro Sprints by Bailey Chassis as Daryn Stark of Springfield finished the season with the most points. His night ended badly as he wasn't able to finish the race as was towed off the track after a collision with six laps remaining. Aarik Andruskevitch, a 12-year-old from Riverton, took the top honor in the class for the night's race. Hayden Harvey would finish second in the points standings and defending champion John Barnard would finish third in the points.

The night finished off with the Hornets as Ryan Cantrell and Allan Harris made the final lap a heart-stopper. Harris came from 11th place to challenge for the lead in the 15-lap feature. As the race came to the final turn, Harris bumped the left side of Cantrell's new ride and nearly lifted him off the ground. As both cars hit the brakes, Cantrell was quicker to get back on the gas pedal and fly to the victory.

Macon Speedway was also welcomed by the Vintage Racing of Illinois cars and Mendota's Matt Ramer, racing in a 1959 Pontiac, came through with the checkered flag. The six-car field saw many makes and models from a 1950 Oldsmobile to a 1950s Chevrolet Impala and a 1970 Camaro. The class was a fond memory of what racecars used to look like back in the day.

Macon Speedway wishes to thank its sponsors for the evening, the Decatur Convention Center & Visitor's Bureau as well as Cromwell Media radio station Classic Country 98.1 GRIZ-FM. Next Saturday night will be a special night at the track with the 7th Annual KERBYSTRONG event featuring special races for the Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Models, BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds and the Weddle Performance Engines Sportsman, three classes driven by Kerby Damery during his time as a racer before falling victim to cancer. Along for the schedule will be the Archer's Alley Street Stocks, Pro Modifieds and Hornets. 

Feature Rundowns (Top Tens)

Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Models

25-Dakota Ewing[Warrensburg, IL]; 2. 14J-Braden Johnson[Taylorville, IL]; 3. 27-Colby Sheppard[Williamsville, IL]; 4. 122-Timmy Dick[Monticello, IL]; 5. 33-Devin McLean[Mt. Vernon, IL]; 6. 134-Chuck Mitchell[Jacksonville, IL]; 7. 32M-Cody Maguire[Carlinville, IL]; 8. 46-Eric Wilson[Downs, IL]; 9. 64-Donny Koehler[Macon, IL]; 10. 55-Rockett Bennett[Argenta, IL]

BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds

77-Guy Taylor[Springfield, IL]; 2. 87C-Alan Crowder[Elwin, IL]; 3. 18-Jarrett Stryker[Millstadt, IL]; 4. 11-Zach Rhodes[Taylorville, IL]; 5. 10C-Curt Rhodes[Taylorville, IL]; 6. 19C-Carter Sinkhorn[Taylorville, IL]; 7. 98-Danny Smith[Argenta, IL]; 8. 24-Zach Taylor[Springfield, IL]; 9. 78-Maxx Emerson[Taylorville, IL]; 10. 52-Billy Knebel[Pocahontas, IL]

DIRTcar Pro Mods

27X-Kyle Helmick[Smithton, IL]; 2. 15C-Kevin Crowder[Argenta, IL]; 3. 24-Guy Taylor[Springfield, IL]; 4. 52-Billy Knebel[Pocahontas, IL]; 5. 10-Adam Rhoades[Clinton, IL]; 6. 3X-Justin Reynolds[Hillsboro, IL]; 7. 116-Kevin Rench[Hillsboro, IL]; 8. 24M-Matt Milner[Chatham, IL]; 9. 11M-Roy Magee[Springfield, IL]; 10. 4-William Lowe[Springfield, IL]

Archers Alley Big Ten Street Stocks

16-Nick Macklin[Argenta, IL]; 2. X7-Guy Taylor[Springfield, IL]; 3. R1-Megan Erwin[Attica, IL]; 4. 22-Darrell Dick[Monticello, IL]; 5. J98-Jordan Smith[Argenta, IL]; 6. 46-Randy Huffman[Maroa, IL]; 7. 67-Rudy Zaragoza[Jacksonville, IL]; 8. Z24-Zach Taylor[Springfield, IL]; 9. D7-Carter Dart[Springfield, IL]; 10. 808-John Bright Jr[Long Creek, IL]

DIRTcar Hornets

40-Ryan Cantrell[Decatur, IL]; 2. 3H-Allan Harris[Chatham, IL]; 3. J13-Justin Coffey[Stonington, IL]; 4. 26A-Michael McKay[Springfield, IL]; 5. 44-Bill Basso[Athens, IL]; 6. X-Carson Dart[Springfield, IL]; 7. (DNF) 98-Ken Reed[Decatur, IL]; 8. (DNF) 324-Shelby Beiler[Macon, IL]; 9. (DNF) 1-Cook Crawford[Lincoln, IL]; 10. (DNF) 14J-Johnathon Wright[Vandalia, IL]

Micros By Bailey Chassis

21-Aarik Andruskevitch[Riverton, IL]; 2. 17-Molly Day[Allerton, IL]; 3. 27-Kyle Barker[Cooksville, IL]; 4. 55H-Hayden Harvey[Warrensburg, IL]; 5. 68-Paul Day[Atwood, IL]; 6. 72-Jordan Clary[Edwardsville, IL]; 7. 1-Devin Feger[East Peoria, IL]; 8. 8B-John Barnard[Sherman, IL]; 9. 14-Mike Dibart[Springfield, IL]; 10. 7H-Jacob Hillyer[Spaulding, IL]

Vintage Racing Of Illinois 

Winner – Matt Ramer

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