Macon Speedway officials are preparing for their second busy stretch of the 2023-racing season and this one arguably has the biggest events in speedway history. It starts this Saturday, July 1 with a $10 Fan Appreciation Night followed by a three-day racing festival Thursday, July 6-Saturday, July 8 featuring the Herald & Review 100 and the USAC National Sprints in “Top Gun”.
This Saturday’s Fan Appreciation Night, presented by 95Q and Decatur Building Trades, will have six divisions of racing action for the low price of $10, a savings of $5 per ticket. The Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Models, DIRTcar Pro Mods, Weddle Performance Engines Sportsman, DIRTcar Street Stocks, DIRTcar Hornets, and Non-Wing Micros By Bailey Chassis will all be in action.
Taylorville, IL driver, Braden Johnson, leads the Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Models into the weekend. The division, which hasn’t been on track since June 10, has seen Johnson claim two feature wins in six events. Ryan Miller finds himself 18 points behind, while Brandon Miller, Colby Eller, and Jose Parga complete the top five. Parga has claimed four of the six features but has missed two events, relegating him to fifth in the standings.
Decatur, IL driver, Dalton Ewing, is having himself quite a season in the DIRTcar Pro Mod class, leading the standings with four feature wins. Ewing has a 56-point lead with Adam Rhoades second, and Maxx Emerson, Zach Taylor, and Guy Taylor completing the top five. The Taylors have each collected one feature win, while Kyle Helmick also took a victory.
The Weddle Performance Engines Sportsman division remains the best attended class this season, boasting large fields each week. Phil Moreland is atop the standings by 6 points over Ed Cleeton. The two driving veterans are followed by Jeff Ray, Randy Huffman, and Tim Riech. The class is veteran laden to the point that the average age of the current top ten in points is 53.4.
Blue Mound, IL driver Bobby Beiler is off to a great 2023 start, claiming four of the six feature wins in the DIRTcar Street Stock division. Beiler’s lead, however, is only 18 points over veteran Terry Reed. The duo is followed by Jaret Duff, Brad Peters, and Brian Dasenbrock. Rudy Zaragoza and Zane Reitz have both claimed feature wins this season, in addition to Beiler’s four.
In the DIRTcar Hornet division, Decatur, IL driver Tristin Quinlan leads the standings by just ten over Brownstown, IL’s Billy Mason. Each of the two have claimed a pair of feature wins. John Bright, Jr. is having a solid season and is third in points, with Colin Reed and Bridget Fulton fourth and fifth. Jimmy Dutlinger and Michael McKay have also claimed feature wins.
Rounding out Saturday’s divisional action will be the Non-Wing Micros by Bailey Chassis. This is one of four events this season where the Micros are unsanctioned and just a track run show.
Pit gates open Saturday at 4:00, grandstands at 5:00, hotlaps are at 6:00, and racing is at 7:00 PM. Grandstand admission is $10, while kids 11 and under are free.
Looking ahead to next week, Macon Speedway is preparing to host the three biggest days of racing in its 78 seasons of racing.
Thursday, July 6 features the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Hell Tour in the 43rd running of the Herald & Review 100, paying $7,500 to win. Joining the Super Late Models will be the Summit Modified Nationals/Red’s Place Modifieds. At intermission, a special Hornet showdown will take place with Super Late Model racers facing off against the best in Sprint cars.
On Friday, July 7, the track will host its largest firework display in history plus the first ever visit for the USAC/AMSOIL National Sprint Cars on night #1 of the Inaugural “Top Gun”. The HART Non-Wing Micros will also race.
Saturday, July 8 action features night #2 of USAC “Top Gun” plus Vintage Racing of Illinois and DIRTcar Hornets. The Sprint cars will be racing for $10,000 to win.
The three days of racing also features free camping and parking, a giant carnival slide for kids, advance sale discounted reserved and general admission tickets, and brand-new event t-shirts.
For more information or to purchase advance sale discounted three and two-day ticket packages, visit www.maconracing.com.
About Macon Speedway:
For more information, follow Macon Speedway online at www.maconracing.com, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/maconracing) and Twitter (@maconspeedway). Updates are also available by calling Macon Speedway at 217-764-3000.
Macon Speedway is located nine miles south of Decatur on U.S. 51, then 0.6 miles west on Andrews Street and south to 205 N. Wiles. Macon Speedway hosts racing every Saturday night, plus many specials including Lucas Oil Late Models, Summernationals, Corn Field Combat, and Top Gun.
Macon Speedway is a proud member of the Contingency Connection’s $100,000 Racer Rewards Program.
CURRENT STANDINGS (Top 10’s)
Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Models
| Pos | # | First Name | Last Name | City | State | Races | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Points | Gap |
| 1 | 14J | Braden | Johnson | Taylorville | IL | 6 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 346 | 0 |
| 2 | 11 | Ryan | Miller | Lincoln | IL | 6 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 318 | 28 |
| 3 | 9B | Brandon | Miller | Lincoln | IL | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 276 | 70 |
| 4 | 10C | Colby | Eller | Taylorville | IL | 5 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 266 | 80 |
| 5 | 6P | Jose | Parga | New Berlin | IL | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 240 | 106 |
| 6 | 11E | Randy | Eller | Taylorville | IL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 238 | 108 |
| 7 | 12 | Curtis | Eller | Taylorville | IL | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 220 | 126 |
| 8 | 64 | Donny | Koehler | Macon | IL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 190 | 156 |
| 9 | 25 | Dakota | Ewing | Warrensburg | IL | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 154 | 192 |
| 10 | 77 | Blaise | Baker | Clinton | IL | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 112 | 234 |
DIRTcar Pro Mods
| Pos | # | First Name | Last Name | City | State | Races | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Points | Gap |
| 1 | 27 | Dalton | Ewing | Decatur | IL | 7 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 384 | 0 |
| 2 | 10 | Adam | Rhoades | Clinton | IL | 7 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 328 | 56 |
| 3 | 78 | Maxx | Emerson | Taylorville | IL | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 248 | 136 |
| 4 | Z24 | Zach | Taylor | Springfield | IL | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 230 | 154 |
| 5 | 4T | Guy | Taylor | Springfield | IL | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 230 | 154 |
| 6 | 15C | Kevin | Crowder | Argenta | IL | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 228 | 156 |
| 7 | 8 | Brayden | Beiler | Blue Mound | IL | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 210 | 174 |
| 8 | 42 | Chad | Ziegler | Oakwood | IL | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 206 | 178 |
| 9 | 360 | John | Seets | Brighton | IL | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 190 | 194 |
| 10 | 7B | Brian | Burns | Bethany | IL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 188 | 196 |
Weddle Performance Engines Sportsman
| Pos | # | First Name | Last Name | City | State | Races | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Points | Gap |
| 1 | 07 | Phil | Moreland | Assumption | IL | 5 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 252 | 0 |
| 2 | 21 | Ed | Cleeton | Tovey | IL | 5 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 246 | 6 |
| 3 | 18 | Jeff | Ray | Springfield | IL | 5 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 242 | 10 |
| 4 | 46 | Randy | Huffman | Maroa | IL | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 224 | 28 |
| 5 | 55 | Tim | Riech | Petersburg | IL | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 224 | 28 |
| 6 | 17 | Barry | Bell | Windsor | IL | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 210 | 42 |
| 7 | 87 | Wes | O’Dell | Springfield | IL | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 206 | 46 |
| 8 | 75 | Jeff | Gill | Bethany | IL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 200 | 52 |
| 9 | 11 | Roy | Magee | Springfield | IL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 192 | 60 |
| 10 | 5S | Ronald | Bacon | Decatur | IL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 188 | 64 |
DIRTcar Street Stock
| Pos | # | First Name | Last Name | City | State | Races | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Points | Gap |
| 1 | 17 | Bobby | Beiler | Blue Mound | IL | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 336 | 0 |
| 2 | 11 | Terry | Reed | Cerro Gordo | IL | 6 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 318 | 18 |
| 3 | 21 | Jaret | Duff | Maroa | IL | 6 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 304 | 32 |
| 4 | 78B | Brad | Peters | Stonington | IL | 6 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 296 | 40 |
| 5 | 08 | Brian R. | Dasenbrock | Decatur | IL | 6 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 288 | 48 |
| 6 | 187 | Korey | Bailey | Stonington | IL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 236 | 100 |
| 7 | 2Z | Andy | Zahnd | White Heath | IL | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 224 | 112 |
| 8 | 67 | Rudy | Zaragoza | Jacksonville | IL | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 206 | 130 |
| 9 | 4 | Zach | Clark | Illiopolis | IL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 148 | 188 |
| 10 | 21E | Eric | Boomer | Bethany | IL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 142 | 194 |
DIRTcar Hornets
| Pos | # | First Name | Last Name | City | State | Races | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Points | Gap |
| 1 | 95Q | Tristin | Quinlan | Decatur | IL | 6 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 344 | 0 |
| 2 | 357 | Billy | Mason | Brownstown | IL | 6 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 334 | 10 |
| 3 | 7 | John | Bright | Long Creek | IL | 6 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 316 | 28 |
| 4 | 10 | Colin | Reed | Decatur | IL | 6 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 284 | 60 |
| 5 | 20B | Bridget | Fulton | Marissa | IL | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 218 | 126 |
| 6 | 37 | Lukas | Robison | Sullivan | IL | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 194 | 150 |
| 7 | 98 | Ken | Reed | Decatur | IL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 152 | 192 |
| 8 | DA28 | Jimmy | Dutlinger | Peoria | IL | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 116 | 228 |
| 9 | 111 | Brandon | Justice | Niantic | IL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 106 | 238 |
| 10 | 41 | Jaekob | Durbin | Ramsey | IL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 104 | 240 |
Track Enterprises PR
