Macon Speedway: Standerfer Sets Record, Misses out on Sweep

[April 22, 2019] 

Rodney Standerfer is a two-time Modified track champion at Macon Speedway. It's quite an accomplishment. On Saturday night, the Opening Night feature winner came out and established a new qualifying record. Coming into the night, the standing track record was 11.425 set by Levi Kissinger on July 7, 2016, during the Herald & Review 100 Summer Nationals event. The first qualifier out of the gate was Cory Daugherty and he broke that record by 0.018 at 11.418. The next car was on the track was Standerfer who then broke that record with a 11.387 quick time to set the new mark for the BillingsleyRewards.com Modified time trials.

After making that new record, Standerfer drove into the heat race and won to set himself up in the feature on the verge of a sweep. Unfortunately for him, defending track champion Tommy Sheppard, Jr. drew the front row assignment. Sheppard raced hard and fast atop the track and took the win. Standerfer settled for second place after battling with Daugherty and Guy Taylor.

Darrell Dick took hold the checkered flag in the Archer's Alley Street Stocks feature, which was a Midwest Big Ten Series event. Bobby Beiler look poised for the win but pulled the track five laps into the 20-lap main event. Dick took hold the lead and fended away the challenges of Nick Macklin and Terry Reed. Reed, last week's feature winner, had a terrible start to his night by not finishing his heat race. That put him in the eighth row and 16th starting position. Reed would charge up the field and finish second ahead of Macklin.

Dennis Vandermeersch also took advantage of someone else's misfortune. Chris Soutiea of Pevely, MO., looked in control early on in the Sportsman feature but pulled into the infield to find out that his oil pan developed a hole and he leaked oil all over the track. With his night ended, Vandermeersch rode the top side all the way to the checkered flag.

Dakota Ewing fought off the charge of Jeff Reed, Jr. to win in the Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Model division. Reed slipped up from taking away the lead late in the battle with Ewing and took hold a strong second place showing.

Tim Hancock went 2-for-2 to start the year in the Neal Tire & Auto Pro Modifieds class. Starting in the front row helped dial up his success and he head back to victory lane.

Chuck Johnson has been racing for eight years and never had the chance to win a feature. Well, until Saturday night. Johnson scored his first win at Macon Speedway in the Hornets class while racing against last week's feature winner Brady Reed. Johnson, from Waterloo, found a super fast groove up top and raced to the 15-lap win.

Aaron Andruskevitch was once again in the winner's circle for the Micro Sprints presented by Bailey Chasis. The Riverton driver scored first in his heat race and took off in the feature.

The second night of the season was a successful one despite a cool night. 120 racecars came to the track with a bigger crowd than that of Opening Night.

Next week, Macon Speedway hosts the Lucas Oil Late Model Series and their special 100-lap, $12,000-to-win feature event. The BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds race for $1,000-to-win and the Neal Tire & Auto Pro Modifieds will be on the card for a $300-to-win special.

Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Models--1. Dakota Ewing (Warrensburg), 2. Jeff Reed, Jr. (Blue Mound), 3. Cody Maguire (Carlinville), 4. Braden Johnson (Taylorville), 5. Chad Evans (Mattoon), 6. Colby Sheppard (Williamsville), 7. Patrick Younger (Decatur), 8. Donny Koehler (Macon), 9. Chris Dick (Deland), 10. Blake Damery (Blue Mound)

BillingsleyReward.com Modifieds--1. Tommy Sheppard, Jr. (New Berlin), 2. Rodney Standerfer (Summerfield), 3. Guy Taylor (Springfield), 4. Jared Thomas (Edinburg), 5. Cory Daugherty (Blue Mound), 6. Curt Rhodes (Taylorville), 7. Tim Hancock (Mt. Olive), 8. Tim Luttrell (Riverton), 9. Alan Crowder (Elwin), 10. Andy Sherley (Sheridan, IN)

Sportsman--1. Dennis Vandermeersch (Springfield), 2. Terry Myers (Buffalo), 3. Mitch Ringler (Taylorville), 4. Joel Irvin (Harristown), 5. Tim Bedinger (Taylorville), 6. Scott Landers (Taylorville), 7. Ty Nation (Taylorville), 8. Brad Bedinger (Taylorville), 9. Chris Soutiea (Peveley, MO), 10. Bill Berghaus (Chapin)

Archer's Alley Street Stocks--1. Darrell Dick (Monticello), 2. Terry Reed (Decatur), 3. Nick Macklin (Argenta), 4. Larry Russell, Jr. (Decatur), 5. Jaret Duff (Maroa), 6. Gene Reed (Hammond), 7. Wes Biesenthal (Athens), 8. Dalton Mannin (Longview), 9. Josh Hetherington (Fairbury), 10. Andy Zahnd (White Heath)

Neal Tire & Auto Pro Modifieds--1. Tim Hancock (Mt. Olive), 2. Ed Roley (Mattoon), 3. Rob Timmons (Centralia), 4. Nick Justice (Decatur), 5. Tim Riech (Petersburg), 6. Billy Nail (Decatur), 7. Anthony Tucker (Charleston), 8. Tim Hancock, Jr. (Mt. Olive), 9. Brady Lynch (Hillsboro), 10. Chad Evans (Mattoon)

Micro Sprints Presented by Bailey Chasis--1. Aaron Andruskevitch (Riverton), 2. Aiden Purdue (Clinton), 3. Tyler Day (Atwood), 4. Tyler Rust (Evansville, IN), 5. Molly Day (Atwood), 6. Trevin Littleton (Jacksonville), 7. Chad Baldwin (Lincoln), 8. Jacob Tipton (Decatur), 9. Daryn Stark (Springfield), 10. John Barnard (Sherman)

Hornets--1. Chuck Johnson (Waterloo), 2. Brady Reed (Decatur), 3. Chris Wright (Vandalia), 4. Morgan Greene (Belleville), 5. Marty Sullivan (Decatur), 6. Carter Dart (Springfield), 7. Victor Seitz (Decatur), 8. Billy Mason (Brownstown), 9. Michael Abbott (Taylorville), 10. Alexa Lowe (Springfield)

[Adam Mackey]