Shuman wins third feature: Hayden takes UMP Modified feature at Lincoln Park Speedway

Monday, June 25, 2012
Brian Hayden (2H) battles Richie Lex (7) during the UMP Modified feature at Lincoln Park Speedway Saturday. Hayden went on to win the race, with Lex finishing second.

PUTNAMVILLE -- Casey Shuman and Troy Clark have each been difficult to beat this season at Lincoln Park Speedway and on Saturday night, the duo added yet another pair of wins to an impressive 2012 resume. Brian Hayden was able to hold off a hard charging Richie Lex to capture the UMP Modified victory and it was David Bumgardner, who won his first bomber feature of the year.

Shuman worked his way through lapped traffic for most of the second portion of the sprint car A-main, masterfully navigating the high and low grooves to score his fourth feature victory as Jeff Bland Jr. took second ahead of Brett Burdette.

The victory was Shuman's second of the week as he won Thursday's feature at the Putnamville oval

Thirty sprint cars were on hand at LPS and Burdette, Josh Burton, Scotty Weir and Shuman each scored heat race victories with Danny Holtsclaw crossing the line first in the B-main.

Bland would start on the pole alongside Brent Beauchamp with Shuman and Weir in row two. Shuman would make a pass on the outside heading into turn three several laps into the main event and he wouldn't look back.

Setting a lightning pace, it wasn't long before Shuman began to work his way into lapped traffic as Beauchamp and Bland battled for second. Burdette held down fourth followed by AJ Hopkins and Weir duking it out side-by-side for a top-five position.

When Shuman got to the back markers, he found himself staring down a multiple car pack that was also racing for position. Shuman was able to split a three-wide situation heading into turn four and break free of the first pack of cars. Bland crept closer in traffic as the top-five remained the same. However, Hopkins would momentarily get sideways in turn four as Weir took over fourth.

A caution would slow the field with 22 laps in the books to give Bland one last opportunity at the top spot.

On the restart however, Shuman would make his lead stick over the final three circuits as Bland settled for the runner-up spot one night after finishing in the same spot to Brady Short at Bloomington. Burdette took third followed by AJ Hopkins, Weir, Beauchamp, Burton, Dakota Jackson, Keaton Dobbs and Joss Moffatt.

In the UMP Modified feature, Hayden had to be on top of his game as Lex gave chase from the opening green flag.

Lex, owner of 16 top-five finishes in 23 starts in Indiana this year, started third after winning his heat race. Dan Lewellen and Kenny Carmichael Jr. made up the top-four starting spots along with Hayden, who was on the pole.

Hayden would not relinquish the point, working the bottom line to perfection. Lex used the same line to stay close over much of the feature before he switched to the top over the final circuits in a last attempt at overtaking Hayden.

Carmichael Jr. and Lewellen battled for the third position for most of the A-main before being caught by Paul Bumgardner, who started in the 12th position.

A final caution reset the field with several laps remaining, but Hayden got a good re-start and finished the last laps as strong as he started the feature. Lex came home second followed by Bumgardner, Carmichael Jr., Lewellen and Craig Conyer, who came up from 15th to sixth. Kenny Carmichael Sr., placed seventh after starting deep in the field followed by Duane Lee, Carlos Bumgardner Sr. and Jeff Bland Jr.

Clark's win in the UMP Super Stock division was far from easy as he started deep in lineup in 17th position with Josh Fagg, Mike Cawood, Slick Griffin and Paul Bumgardner making up the front rows for the feature.

Bumgardner and Cawood would lead the early laps in a side-by-side fight for the point with Cawood edging ahead with a pass off turn four. Griffin stalked the leaders from the third spot as a three-way fight between Kenny Carmichael Jr., Mike Staggs and Dustin Shoulders was underway for the fourth spot.

Griffin was able to make his move to take over the second spot on the bottom, getting under Bumgardner. Meanwhile, Clark had moved up into a battle for fourth with Carmichael Jr. and Shoulders in the special 30-lap A-main event.

With the laps dwindling, Griffin made a pass for the lead stick just before a caution slowed the field.

On the restart, Griffin held down the lead as Bumgardner tried to gain momentum on a line just above Griffin on the bottom. Griffin was able to keep the Greencastle native behind him as Bumgardner lost a spot when he slipped the turn four cushion as Clark moved into second with under five laps remaining.

Clark made his pivotal move as Griffin slipped to the middle of the track to open the door just enough for Clark to find victory lane for the eighth time this season. Griffin took home second ahead of Bumgardner, Cawood and Kenny Carmichael Sr., who came forward from 14th. Marty Cooper, Staggs, Shoulders, Kris Starks and Steve Sheeks made up the top-10.

Thirty-four bombers filled the pits, part of a 111-car field across all four classes at Lincoln Park Speedway. Tim Wright, David Bumgardner, Doug McCullough and Tom Tidwell each won heat races and Josh Settles won the B-main.

Over the early stages of the race it was Bumgardner and McCullough duking it out for the top spot ahead of CJ Bryan, David Wallen and Blake Cross.

Several early cautions and a red flag for a three-car crash that resulted in a leg injury to David Shepherd, slowed the feature.

However, Bumgardner was able to wrestle the outright lead and kept Bryan at bay over the second portion of the A-main. Bryan tried several lines on Bumgardner, pulling even several times on the top side over the final laps, but Bumgardner maintained his lead to edge Bryan at the finish line. McCullough took third ahead of Wallen and Mike Fisher Jr. Cross was sixth followed by Jeff Beggs, Tom Courtney, Josh Presley and Justin Minardo.

Tuesday evening will feature the return of the UMP Summer Nationals for Late Models and modifieds along with the bombers.

At Lincoln Park Speedway

Sprint car feature

1. Casey Shuman, 2. Jeff Bland Jr., 3. Brett Burdette, 4. AJ Hopkins, 5. Scotty Weir, 6. Brent Beauchamp, 7. Josh Burton, 8. Dakota Jackson, 9. Keaton Dobbs, 10. Joss Moffatt, 11. Rod Henning, 12. Mike Burkin, 13. Rick Vaughn, 14. Troy Link, 15. Shawn Krockenberger, 16. J.T. Stapp, 17. Levi Shields, 18. Matt Goodnight, 19. Lance Hayden, 20. Danny Holtsclaw

B-main winner: Holtsclaw

Heat winners: Burdette, Burton, Weir, Shuman

UMP Modified feature

1. Brian Hayden, 2. Richie Lex, 3. Paul Bumgardner, 4. Kenny Carmichael Jr., 5. Dan Lewellen, 6. Craig Conyer, 7. Kenny Carmichael Sr., 8. Duane Lee, 9. Carlos Bumgardner Sr., 10. Jeff Bland Jr., 11. Larry Lambert, 12. Gary Ricketts, 13. Jeff Ochs, 14. Troy Clark, 15. Jake Humphrey, 16. Wes McClara, 17. Jason Thomas, 18. Bradley Sterrett, 19. Derek Groomer, 20. Chad Combs

B-main winner: Thomas

Heat winners: Carmichael Jr., Lex, Lewellen

UMP Super Stock feature

1. Troy Clark, 2. Slick Griffin, 3. Paul Bumgardner, 4. Mike Cawood, 5. Kenny Carmichael Sr., 6. Marty Cooper, 7. Mike Staggs, 8. Dustin Shoulders, 9. Kris Starks, 10. Steve Sheeks, 11. JR Watkins, 12. Josh Fagg, 13. Steve Raney, 14. Kenny Carmichael Jr., 15. Steve Ware, 16. Jordan Williams, 17. Roy Bruce Jr., 18. Travis Heramb, 19. Doug McCullough, 20. Jamie Adams

B-main winner: Starks

Heat winners: Fagg, Cawood, Griffin

Bomber feature

1. David Bumgardner, 2. C.J. Bryan, 3. Doug McCullough, 4. David Wallen, 5. Mike Fisher Jr., 6. Blake Cross, 7. Jeff Beggs, 8. Tom Courtney, 9. Josh Presley, 10. Justin Minardo, 11. Frank Cotton, 12. Tom Tidwell, 13. Michael Harris, 14. Tim Wright, 15. Christian Kline, 16. Scott Tidwell, 17. Josh Settles, 18. Tony Tidwell, 19. David Shepherd, 20. Megan Cavaness

B-main winner: Settles

Heat winners: Wright, Bumgardner, McCullough, Tidwell