NAMARS PR: FELKER FLIES FOR PHENOMENAL FINAL FINISH; BEACH SQUEAKS CHAMPIONSHIP...
Meyers, Beach & Eden Clinch Championships... FELKER FLIES FOR PHENOMENAL FINAL FINISH; BEACH SQUEAKS CHAMPIONSHIP By Bill Freis (Morris, IL - September 20th) A.J. Felker of Jeffersonville, Indiana clearly had best car Saturday night at the Grundy County Speedway enroute to winning the UMARA/NAMARS Illinois 100 Midget Car feature. Three championships were also decided during the 100-lap feature event at the 1/3 mile paved oval in Morris, Illinois. On the complete restart Speedrome rivals Sondi Eden and Adam Nuetzel led the field to the green flag with Eden having the advantage through the first turn. On lap five Nuetzel pulled off with brake problems, moving Derek Mungor to the second spot followed by Justin Overfelt, and Felker who started seventh. Eden, the 2003 Speedrome champion, maintained her lead until lap thirteen when Felker drove to the outside of her for the lead. Felker would leave the field behind, working his way easily through lapped traffic, for the remaining 87 laps to claim his third feature win in as many weeks. Following Felker to the line was Justin Overfelt, Todd Beach, Derek Mungor and Sondi Eden. Todd Beach, who started the night with a four-point lead over Felker for the NAMARS National midget championship began the feature in the ninth spot. He patiently worked his way toward the front of the field making it up to the second spot by lap 70. As the white flag waved, Beach's car began to run out of fuel and Justin Overfelt took the second spot in the final turn for the finish. By Beach's third place finish he locked up the 2003 NAMARS National midget title. Had he finished one spot further back the championship would have belonged to Felker. Beach become the youngest "National" MidgetCar Series champion in history at sixteen years old. By her fifth place finish, Sondi Eden clinched the 2003 NAMARS Regional midget championship. Eden becomes the first female in the history of the sport to win two MidgetCar championships in one season. The fight for the 2003 UMARA National midget championship, which began with an eight-point difference Saturday, between David Thompson and John Meyers ended early. Thompson got into the back of Meyers at the drop of the green flag when Travis Miniea spun in front of Meyers. Thompson's car was too badly damaged to repair after the incident, giving Meyers his second UMARA National midget championship title. David Ward won the fifteen lap non-qualifiers race to put him in the 100-lap event. Others transferring to the main event were Mel Kenyon, Jon Winstrup and John Jones. RESULTS 100 lap National Midget Feature: 1. A.J. Felker 2. Justin Overfelt 3. Todd Beach 4. Derek Mungor 5. Sondi Eden 6. Jon Winstrup 7. John Meyers 8. David Ward 9. Rich Corson 10. Sean Murphy 11. John Jones 12. Roger Bettenhausen 13. Bob Guess 14. Steve Thinnes 15. Mario Marietta 16. Scott Thoman 17. Dave Fuhrman 18. Mel Kenyon 19. Adam Nuetzel 20. David Thompson 21. Travis Miniea 15 lap B-Main: David Ward Fast Time: John Meyers 14.621