It was a night of firsts at the Mt. Pleasant Speedway on Friday, July 24 as the NeSmith Ultimate Champion Late Model Series made its first ever appearance at the 3/8-mile clay track. A make up from the originally scheduled July 17 show, 13 of the 400-horsepower machines arrived at the Mt. Pleasant Speedway to compete for the $1,000 feature win prize. Also scheduled on the program was a special $100 to start in the Chuck’s Discount Foods UMP Modified feature, a $300 to win NAPA Modified Mini Stock feature and a $200 to win Mt. Pleasant & Clare Automotive Stock Mini feature sponsored by the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort. The NeSmith UCLMS cars rolled out first for their 25-lap feature as all 13 cars made the start. Getting the early jump on the field, which went four-wide on the first lap, was the No. 4 of Scott Ehlert. Ehlert quickly took a big lead on the field with No. 2 Trevor Sloan and No. 55W Roger Wing battling for second. Wing would eventually slip back to fourth late in the race, while the No. 94 of Bill Bray made a mad dash from the back of the field all the way up to second as the checkered flag flew with Ehlert getting the victory. Following Bray across the line was Dona Marcoullier, driving the No. 0 owned by Kris Patterson, Trevor Sloan and Wing rounded out the top five. Up next was the NAPA Modified Mini Stock $300 Special, a 20-lap feature. The attempt at his first feature win of the season was done on the back of a wrecker on the first lap by No. 68 Trever Fedewa as he brought out the early caution. On lap nine, the No. 21 of Derick Neitling went into the pits with a flat right front tire. Joey Burch No. 16 led the event from the start and appeared to have his first feature win in the bag. With under two laps to go the No. 29 of Jeff Fowler grabbed the lead for his fifth feature win of the year. Burch, Adam Thrush No. 19 , Mike Schnettler No. 88 and Mark Eastman No. 89 took positions two through five. The Mt. Pleasant and Clare Automotive Stock Minis, with a season-high 10 cars, came out for their $200 special and crowd favorite No. 711 “Taco” Bob Baltierrez took the early lead on the field. Baltierrez was run down by the No. 70 Dave Parisian with the No. 62 Steve Keeler climbing to third place. Baltierrez would eventually end his night in the pits due to a flat right rear tire. As the checkered flag flew Keeler would find his way to victory lane and getting his first career feature win over Parisian, Shane Aescheliman No. 53, Patrick McNamara No. 37 and Timmy Rogers No. 42 in the top five. The 20-lap Smokers Club Street Stocks were next as Tom Hodges Jr. No. 32H was the early race leader. David Mielke No. 87 would make his way from his third row starting place to the lead on the fourth lap and from there Mielke would pull away from the field and get his seventh feature win of the season. Following Mielke were Josh Loomis No. 11, Joe Pomeroy No. 55, Hodges Jr. and Greg Tragis No. 49 in the top five. The final race of the night was the Chuck’s Discount Foods UMP Modified 25-lap feature. An early multi-car wreck would claim the car of Andrew Galgoci No. 13. Early on it was clear the dominant cars were Rich Robinson Jr. No. 15 and Zack Olger No. 0X who hooked up to form a two-car break away. With about seven laps to go, Chris Wiggins No. 711 slid off the top of turn four while running in third place. Olger would close the gap on Robinson Jr. throughout the race, but was never able to make a challenge and Robinson Jr. would go on for his fourth feature victory of the year over Olger Marc Kurth No. 00, Scott Payton No. 711P and Chad Bauer No. 95 to complete the top five. This Friday, July 31 is a full show in the Miller Lite UMP Late Model, Chuck’s Discount Foods UMP Modified, Smokers Club Street Stock, and NAPA Modified Mini Stock classes, while Taco Boy of Mt. Pleasant is sponsoring a huge $400 to win feature special for the Mt. Pleasant and Clare Automotive Stock Mini class. Both front wheel and rear wheel drive cars are welcome to take a shot at the big $400 prize, which is courtesy of Bob Baltierrez, owner of Taco Boy, and a donation from Stock Mini driver No. 62 Steve Keeler. Racing gets under way at 7:45 p.m., but at 7 p.m. Baltierrez is inviting all kids to the main grandstand parking lot to sign his No. 711 prior to the races.
