Contact: Kevin Kovac
World of Outlaws Late Model Series PR Director/DIRTcar Racing PR
kkovac@dirtcar.com | 704-254-7929
Sheppard (Late Models) & Gilpin (UMP Modifieds) Enter Final Weekend Of DIRT UMP Points Action With National Titles Clinched
CONCORD, NC – Sept. 27, 2013 – Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., has clinched his first-ever DIRTcar UMP Late Model national championship while Devin Gilpin of Columbus, Ind., has secured his second consecutive UMP Modified national title as the circuit heads into its final weekend of weekly points racing in 2013
Sheppard, 20, holds a 77-point lead (2,549-2,472) over 16-year-old Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., entering this weekend’s action. With only races this weekend and the annual DIRTcar UMP Nationals on Oct. 3-5 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, remaining for Late Model competitors to collect points, Sheppard can’t be overtaken by Pierce in the national standings that are determined using drivers’ best 35 finishes/points nights.
The son of former DIRTcar UMP Late Model regular Steve Sheppard Jr. salted away the national title over the past two weeks, turning back Pierce’s furious late-season push with podium finishes in four of his last six starts. He scored victories on Sept. 8 at Quincy (Ill.) Raceways and Sept. 14 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo. (co-sanctioned World of Outlaws Late Model Series event) and finishes of second and third on Sept. 19 and 21 at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill.
Sheppard, who has recorded 47 top-five finishes – including 14 feature wins at 10 different tracks – in DIRTcar UMP-sanctioned events through Sept. 22, becomes the fourth driver in the organization’s history to capture the DIRTcar Summer Nationals ‘Hell Tour’ and national Late Model championships in the same season. He joins Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill. (2012), Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ind. (2007-08) and Indiana’s John Gill (1986).
In addition, Sheppard now ranks as the youngest driver to win the DIRTcar UMP national Late Model championship, duplicating the record he set with his DIRTcar Summer Nationals title earlier this year.
Sheppard will collect $20,000 for his national crown. Combined with a $25,000 check for topping the DIRTcar Summer Nationals and other awards, his DIRTcar UMP points-fund earnings for 2013 will near the $50,000 mark.
Pierce’s bid to become the youngest DIRTcar UMP Late Model national champion in history – and add his name to a list of titlists that includes his father Bob, who won the national crown in 1990 – fell short despite an amazing 17-race stretch since Aug. 10 that saw him post five wins and six runner-up finishes among 15 top-five finishes. But with a runner-up finish in the national points assured – plus 10 DIRTcar UMP-sanctioned feature wins at seven different tracks, 42 top-five finishes and a second-place performance in the DIRTcar Summer Nationals points battle to his credit – he has enjoyed a career season.
The 23-year-old Gilpin, meanwhile, enters this weekend’s UMP Modified competition with a 67-point lead over Nick Allen of Wheatfield, Ind., and 73-point edge over Jacob Poel of Spring Lake, Mich., in the national battle. Neither Allen nor Poel can accumulate enough points this weekend and in the division’s points-season-ending DIRTcar UMP Nationals on Oct. 3-5 at Eldora to pass Gilpin in the national standings, which are determined using drivers’ best 30 finishes/points nights.
A winner of 28 features in 2013, Gilpin becomes the fourth driver since 1994 to win back-to-back UMP Modified national titles, joining Mike Harrison (2010-11), Jimmy Owens (2000-02) and Danny Yanders (1995-96). He will receive a $20,000 points-fund check for his accomplishment.
The struggle for second place in the UMP Modified national standings appears set to go down to the division’s finale at Eldora. Allen passed Poel for the runner-up spot with a win on Sept. 21 at Shadyhill Speedway in Medaryville, Ind.
The championship scenarios entering the final weekend of weekly points racing for DIRTcar UMP’s six other divisions are as follows:
* Pro Late Models. Aaron Heck of Mt. Vernon, Ill., leads Nick Lyons of Centralia, Ill., by a just a single point (1,501-1,500). With both drivers able to add to their totals only by winning a feature with bonus points (for car count) available, it appears the title will be decided in the $2,500-to-win DIRTcar UMP Pro Late Model National Championship on Oct. 12 at Tri-City Speedway. If one of them wins the event with at least two bonus points on the line, that driver will be the champion – but if Lyons wins with only one bonus point given out, the title will go to Heck on a tiebreaker (most feature wins).
* Sportsman. Jon Ripperda of Bartelso, Ill., just took over the points lead and is in the driver’s seat with a 40-point night to replace. He will compete in the AARA Nationals this Saturday night (Sept. 28) at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 with a good shot to add points to his total since he won the event last year and it will almost certainly offer bonus points for car count. However, Steve Peeden of Paragon, Ind. (-4 points) and Aaron Fields of Seymour, Ind. (-20 points), who are both expected to race at Indiana’s Lincoln Park and Brownstown speedways this weekend, remain mathematically alive in the national championship hunt.
* Limited Modifieds. With a commanding 46-point lead, Brad DeYoung from Demotte, Ind., has clinched the crown on the strength of a combined nine feature wins at Shadyhill and Kankakee (Ill.) County Speedway.
* Stock Cars. Josh Frye of Coopersville, Mich., has secured the national crown with a spectacular season. In 34 starts to date he owns 19 feature wins at five tracks (Michigan’s I-96 Speedway, Mt. Pleasant Speedway, Silver Bullet Speedway and Winston Speedway and Illinois’s Farmer City Raceway) and just one finish outside the top 10 (an 11th).
* Factory Stocks. Jason Worley of St. Genevieve, Mo., will be the champion with a 2013 performance record that currently boasts 11 feature wins split between Tri-City (nine), Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 (one) and Highland (Ill.) Speedway (one).
* Sport Compacts. Adam Webb of Decatur, Ill., sits on the doorstep of a national championship. Jeremy Reed, also of Decatur, Ill., can only overcome his 21-point deficit to Webb if he is able to find – and win – two races that offer bonus points.
The weekly DIRTcar UMP points update is powered by www.MotorStats.com. DIRTcar’s affiliation with the Durham, N.C.-based Web site is providing fans and competitors a more timely and detailed look at the points standings. National and State points standings for all divisions are typically updated by Thursday each week, and new features allow visitors to click on each driver’s name to see a complete race-by-race review of their finishes to date.
Log on to www.DirtCar.com for more information on DIRTcar Racing’s UMP circuit and to view complete points standings for all divisions, including the current State points rankings.
DIRTcar Racing UMP National Points Standings (as of Sept. 22, 2013):
Late Models (rank/driver/races counted/points):
1. Brandon Sheppard 35 2549
2. Bobby Pierce 35 2472
3. Rusty Schlenk 35 2354
4. Eric Spangler 35 2252
5. Shannon Babb 35 2221
5. Alex Ferree 35 2221
7. Scott Schmitt 35 2218
8. Kevin Weaver 35 2209
9. Ryan Unzicker 35 2161
10. Rich Neiser 34 2124
11. Michael Kloos 35 2041
12. Randy Korte 35 2032
13. Brian Shirley 35 2025
14. Scott Bull 34 1993
15. Brandon Thirlby 35 1935
16. Mark Burgtorf 35 1882
17. Michael Norris 35 1841
18. Dona Marcoullier 29 1833
19. Rickey Frankel 35 1811
20. Dustin Griffin 35 1786
UMP Modifieds (rank/driver/races counted/points):
1. Devin Gilpin 30 2300
2. Nick Allen 30 2233
3. Jacob Poel 30 2227
4. Rusty Griffaw 30 2190
5. Jamie Lomax 30 2169
6. Eric Bruce 30 2146
7. David Mielke 30 2145
8. Michael Long 30 2134
9. Allen Weisser 30 2130
10. Jeff Curl 30 2091
11. Collin Thirlby 30 2048
12. Dave Wietholder 30 2018
13. Todd Sherman 30 1975
14. Donovan Lodge 30 1970
15. Derek Losh 30 1967
16. Lance Dehm 30 1940
17. Matt Westfall 30 1937
18. Brian Lynn 30 1917
19. Joey Kramer 29 1867
20. Dean Hoffman 30 1844
Pro Late Models (rank/driver/races counted/points):
1. Aaron Heck 20 1501
2. Nick Lyons 20 1500
3. Jeff Walston 20 1468
4. Nick Bauman 20 1405
5. Kolby Vandenbergh 20 1342
6. Credence Mott 20 1315
7. Logan Moody 20 1311
8. Evan Fink 20 1265
9. Evan Taylor 20 1201
10. Mark Oller 20 1184
Sportsman (rank/driver/races counted/points):
1. Jon Ripperda 20 1410
2. Steve Peeden 20 1406
3. Jimmy Dehm 20 1395
4. Aaron Fields 20 1390
5. Roy Bruce Jr. 20 1362
6. Chris Hillman 20 1340
7. Tim Clark 20 1297
8. Steve Hollars 20 1282
9. Rick Gumm 20 1240
10. Tyler Cain 20 1239
Limited Modifieds (rank/driver/races counted/points):
1. Brad DeYoung 20 1426
2. Jeremy Thoele 20 1380
3. Billy Knebel Jr. 20 1355
4. Tim Sullivan Jr. 20 1354
5. Rob Lee 20 1331
6. Mark Anderson 19 1295
7. Rich Gynn 20 1220
8. Curtis Caldwell 20 1216
9. Brett Page 20 1092
10. Neil Martin 20 1085
Stock Cars (rank/driver/races counted/points):
1. Josh Frye 20 1491
2. Mike Hodges 20 1425
2. Jerrad Krick 20 1425
4. Josh Griffith 20 1420
5. Terry Miller 20 1399
6. Don Hilleary 20 1396
7. Lukes Gash 20 1352
8. Matt Maier 20 1350
9. Rick Thomas 20 1331
10. Greg Osman 20 1268
Factory Stocks (rank/driver/races counted/points):
1. Jason Worley 20 1414
2. Trevor Isaak 20 1320
3. Randy Smyser 20 1293
4. Gordon Parsons Jr. 20 1281
5. Stephen Fohne 20 1276
6. Tony Walker 20 1264
7. Austin Isaak 20 1218
8. David Gentry 20 1200
9. Dan Pilkington 19 1158
10. Eric Harris 20 1145
Sport Compacts (rank/driver/races counted/points):
1. Adam Webb 20 1465
2. Jeremy Reed 20 1444
3. Luke Bland 20 1419
4. Kenny Butterfield 20 1416
5. Shane Kelley 20 1386
6. Greg Garrison 20 1385
7. Tyler Benson 20 1367
8. Tyler Etherton 20 1339
9. Eldon Hemken 20 1325
10. Daniel Edwards 20 1306