Wauseon, OH — Wauseon, OH — July 11, 2009 — Tim McCreadie and Dennis Erb Jr. were men on separate missions Saturday night at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, and both achieved their goals.

McCreadie, of Watertown, N.Y., charged quickly to the front after starting eighth, took the lead near the mid-point of the 60-lap UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals finale, and drove away with the checkered flag for the first Hell Tour victory of his impressive career.

“My car was good and planted,” said McCreadie, the 2006 World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion. “I could be aggressive and just poke a guy and get him to move out of his line and get by. It was a good race the whole way.”

McCreadie didn't know what to expect entering the final two events on the 2009 Hell Tour schedule, but quickly found out how tough it can be any given night at a UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals race.

“These guys are no joke on this deal,” he said. “I wasn't ready for the way they race out here. They're no slouches, they know the area and they've been racing so much and they're on edge.”

Erb, the two-time defending UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion, entered the finale second in points behind Randy Korte. Erb needed to finish four spots ahead of Korte to have a shot at the crown. Erb chased McCreadie to the checkered flag and posted his fourth overall runner-up finish during the 2009 Hell Tour, while Korte finished off the month-long series with a 10th-place run. The difference secured the crown for Erb by a mere 8 points.

“I feel a bunch of relief right now,” said Erb, of Carpentersville, Ill. “After going through the whole month and dealing with everything you experience, along with racing hard each and every night, to be able to be behind in the points and still come here and be able to get it done feels good."

“I felt pressure because I wasn't happy with the way I ran [Friday] night,” he said. “I just had to come here and do the best I could do.”

Rusty Schlenk, of Jackson, Mich., started on the front row and lead the race early on, fending off Shannon Babb in the early stages of the 60-lap main event and eventually settling for third.

“I was running scared about the first 10 laps and then I started to look over my shoulder and didn't see anyone so I knew I had a good lead,” said Schlenk, the Oakshade Raceway champion. “I backed off a bit to try and save tires but I don't think I did early enough.”

Schlenk put up a strong battle in trying to fight off McCreadie and Erb before cruising to the checkered flag in a podium position.

“It always makes you feel good, at least it proves to these guys they can't come in and walk all over us,” Schlenk said. “When we're out in Illinois these guys talk about coming to Oakshade and how tough it is. When they're worried about coming here and getting beat by local guys you know you're doing something right.”

Babb, of Moweaqua, Ill., finished fourth while Chatham, Ill., driver Brian Shirley mounted one of the biggest charges to the front, finishing 5th after starting 16th.

Korte, of Highland, Ill., entered the night riding a 20-point cushion in the championship standings over Erb, but with the Erb drawing the pole and Korte relegated to a 9th-place starting spot, things were hard for Korte to come by late.

“I think we beat ourselves tonight,” a dejected Korte said. “We messed around with the car and shouldn't have.”

Korte and Erb wound up in the same heat race. Korte led before Erb used a high groove pass on a restart to claim the win.

“I didn't feel real good about the car in the heat race so we changed some stuff and it was terrible in the feature,” Korte said. “I should have just left it the way we've had it the entire UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals and not changed anything. I did my best and just didn't have it tonight.”

Heat 1:
1. Rich Neiser
2. Brian Ruhlman
3. Scott James
4. Brian Shirley
5. Jon Henry
6. Jeep Van Wormer
7. Doug Drown
8. Frank Heckenast Jr.
9. Tyler Boggs
10. Rob Anderzack
11. Andrew Reaume
12. Eric Spangler

Heat 2:
1. Shannon Babb
2. Tim McCreadie
3. Ryan Unzicker
4. Jerry Bowersock
5. Kevin Reeve
6. Donnie Marcoullier
7. Hillard Miller
8. Skeet Reckner
9. Ron Miller
10. Steve Kester
11. Mark Pifer
DNS. Rick DeLong

Heat 3:
1. Rick Aukland
2. Rodney Melvin
3. Rusty Seaver
4. Chris Keller
5. Dusty Moore
6. Curtis Deisenroth
7. Donny Walden
8. Brandon Thirlby
9. Matt Miller
10. Cody Houston
11. Dean Anderson

Heat 4:
1. Dennis Erb Jr.
2. Randy Korte
3. Casey Noonan
4. Wayne Chinn
5. Jason Feger
6. Ky Harper
7. Brad Eitniear
8. Chris Ross
9. Bryant Dickinson
10. Chuck Hummer
11. Mike Jantz

Heat 5:
1. Aaron Scott
2. Rusty Schlenk
3. Dona Marcoullier
4. Duane Chamberlain
5. Ronnie Perrine Jr.
6. Curtis Roberts
7. Dan Wallace
8. Mike Miller
9. Craig Vosbergern
10. Devin Shiels
11. Mike Dotson

C Main 1:
1. Frank Heckenast Jr.
2. Matt Miller
3. Doug Drown
4. Chris Ross
5. Mike Miller
6. Dan Wallace
7. Andrew Reaume
8. Hillard Millard
9. Bryant Dickinson
10. Steve Kester
11. Mike Dotson
12. Eric Spangler
13. Cody Houston

C Main 2:
1. Donny Walden
2. Brad Eitniear
3. Rick DeLong
4. Skeet Reckner
5. Ron Miller
6. Rob Vanderzack
7. Tyler Boggs
8. Craig Vosbergen
9. Devin Shiels
10. Dean Anderson
11. Chuck Hummer
12. Michael Jantz

B Main:
1. Brian Shirley
2. Wayne Chinn
3. Jeep Van Wormer
4. Frank Heckenast Jr.
5. Matt Miller
6. Jerry Bowersock
7. Curtis Roberts
8. Dusty Moore
9. Brad Eitniear
10. Duane Chamberlain
11. Chris Keller
12. Ky Harper
13. Donny Walden
14. Kevin Reeve
15. Donnie Marcoullier

Feature:
1. Tim McCreadie
2. Dennis Erb Jr.
3. Rusty Schlenk
4. Shannon Babb
5. Brian Shirley
6. Scott James
7. Brian Ruhlman
8. Jason Feger
9. Ryan Unzicker
10. Randy Korte
11. Aaron Scott
12. Casey Noonan
13. Rodney Melvin
14. Dona Marcoullier
15. Rich Neiser
16. Rusty Seaver
17. Wayne Chinn
18. Jeep Van Wormer
19. Ronnie Perrine Jr.
20. Rick Aukland
21. Dusty Moore

HELL TOUR NOTES
2008 Oakshade Summer Nationals winner Matt Miller, of Waterville, Ohio, lead all qualifying efforts with a lap of 16.311 seconds during his group three effort. Other quick timers among the 58 competitor field were Rich Neiser, of Fruitport, Mich., eventual winner Tim McCreadie, Dennis Erb Jr., and Dona Marcoullier, of Houghton Lake, Mich.

Heat race one action saw Rich Neiser fend off Brian Ruhlman and Scott James for the win while heat two saw Shannon Babb and McCreadie battle it out for the win as Babb barely edged McCreadie at the line. Rick Aukland, of Zanesville, Ohio, raced to a large lead over Rodney Melvin, of Logan, Ill., to win the third heat race.

Heat four paired championship contenders Dennis Erb and Randy Korte on the front row as Korte grabbed the early lead. A caution midway through the heat race gave Erb the opportunity he needed as he used the high line to drive around Korte and onto the heat race win. Heat race five came down to the wire as Rusty Schlenk stole the win away from Aaron Scott at the line by mere inches after Schlenk had pressured Scott throughout the 10-lap distance.

Frank Heckenast Jr. of Orland Park, Ill., and Donny Walden, of Towanda, Ill., each won C-Mains. Brian Shirley claimed the B-Main win ahead of Wayne Chinn, of Bradford, Ohio, and Jeep Van Wormer, of Pinconning, Mich. Provisionals were awarded to Jason Feger, of Bloomington, Ill., Dusty Moore, of Swanton, Ohio and Ronnie Perrine Jr., of Lima, Ohio.

For more information on the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Tour fans can visit http://www.thehelltour.com

Fans can now receive news, updates and other behind-the-scenes information about the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals by following the tour's official feed on Twitter, the internet's fast-growing social-networking and micro-blogging website.

Fans can view the latest text posts and subscribe as “followers” of the Summer Nationals at http://twitter.com/SummerNationals .

2009 UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Schedule
Date/Track/Location/Purse/Winner/Cars
06/11/09 Brownstown Speedway - Brownstown, IN - $6,000 (Jeep VanWormer - 43)
06/12/09 Kankakee Motor Speedway – Kankakee,IL - $10,000 (Billy Moyer - 51)
06/13/09 Kamp Motor Speedway – Boswell, IN - $10,000 (Eric Smith - 44)
06/14/09 Quad City Raceway – East Moline, IL - $6,000 (Dennis Erb - 31)
06/16/09 Highland Speedway - Highland, IL - $6,000 (RAIN)
06/17/09 Belle-Clair Speedway - Belleville, IL - $6,000 (Dennis Erb - 47)
06/18/09 Charleston Speedway - Charleston, IL - $6,000 (RAIN)
06/19/09 Farmer City Raceway - Farmer City, IL - $10,000 (RAIN)
06/20/09 Clarksville Speedway – Clarksville, TN - $10,000 (Billy Moyer - 44)
06/21/09 Tri-State Speedway – Haubstadt, IN - $6,000 (Jeep Van Wormer - 43)
06/23/09 Charleston Speedway – Charleston, IL $6,000 (Rodney Melvin - 26)
06/24/09 Tri-City Speedway – Pontoon Beach, IL $6,000 (Jason Feger - 34)
06/25/09 Clay Hill Motorsports Park – Atwood, TN - $6,000 (Billy Moyer - 38)
06/26/09 Paducah International Raceway – Paducah, KY - $10,000 (Billy Moyer - 41)
06/27/09 Fairbury Speedway – Fairbury, IL - $10,000 (Billy Moyer - 34)
06/28/09 Lincoln Speedway – Lincoln, IL - $6,000 (Randy Korte - 35)
06/29/09 Farmer City Raceway – Farmer City,IL $6,000 (Dennis Erb Jr. - 34)
06/30/09 Peoria Speedway – Peoria, IL - $6,000 (Jason Feger - 39)
07/01/09 Highland Speedway – Highland, IL - $6,000 (Jeep Van Wormer - 39)
07/02/09 Macon Speedway – Macon, IL - $6,000 (Shannon Babb - 34)
07/03/09 Quincy Raceway – Quincy, IL - $10,000 (Shannon Babb - 33)
07/04/09 I-55 Raceway – Pevely, MO - $10,000 (RAIN)
07/05/09 Vermillion County Speedway – Danville, IL - $6,000 (Randy Korte -35)
07/07/09 Shepp Speedway – Alexandria, IL - $6,000 (Shannon Babb - 33)
07/08/09 Spoon River Speedway – Canton,IL $6,000 (RAIN)
07/09/09 La Salle Speedway – La Salle, IL - $6,000 (Randy Korte - 42)
07/10/09 Waynesfield Motorsports Park – Waynesfield, OH - $7,500 (Shannon Babb - 29)
07/11/09 Oakshade Raceway – Wauseon, OH – 10,000 (Tim McCreadie - 58)

The UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals is brought to race fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: VP Racing Fuels, CJ Rayburn Race Cars, Hoosier Racing Tire, Quarter Master, Just Plugs, Special Olympics, Wrisco Aluminum, Eibach Springs, and Integra Racing Shocks.