Spatola's 2011 Season
Unfortunately Comes to Crashing Halt...
October 9, 2011
Mike
Spatola III and the Spatola Racing team had planned to close
out their 2011 campaign on October 7-8 during the annual 'UMP
Nationals' at the famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Unfortunately,
the weekend went nothing as planned for the #89 team, as Mike
flipped his Bob Pierce racecar during the hot lap session on
Friday night. "Opie" escaped injury from the wreck,
but his car will have to go to the jig for repair. Instead of
competing for the $5,000 top prize on Saturday evening, the
team loaded up and headed back to Manhattan, Illinois to regroup
for the 2012 racing season.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////
Mike Spatola Enjoys
Strong Weekend at Kankakee and Hartford!
October 3, 2011
The Spatola Racing team and driver Mike Spatola entered three
UMP DIRTcar Series races from September 30-October 2 at the
Kankakee County Speedway in Kankakee, Illinois and the Hartford
Motor Speedway in Hartford, Michigan. On Friday and Saturday,
Kankakee played host to the annual 'ROCKtoberfest.' Mike won
his heat race prior to finishing eighth in the $1,000 to win
opener on Friday night, while he ran third in both the fast
heat race and the $2,000 to win feature event at Kankakee on
Saturday evening. In the tripleheader finale on Sunday at Hartford,
Mike won his heat race before charging past five competitors
during the $1,000 to win A-Main en route to a strong fourth
place effort!
/////////////////////////////////////////////////
Spatola Drives to
Four Solid Finishes in Land of Lincoln!
September 26, 2011
Mike Spatola and his #89 Dirt Late Model team accumulated two
Top Five finishes and two more Top Ten efforts from September
22-25 in their home state of Illinois. Up first for the Spatola
Racing team was a trio of $2,000 to win programs at the Tri-City
Speedway in Granite City, Illinois. Mike finished third in the
opener on Thursday night behind Shannon Babb and Jason Feger,
fifth on Friday evening, and seventh in the Tri-City finale
on Saturday.
Following the strong showing at the St. Louis
area venue, the #89 team traveled to the Fairbury American Legion
Speedway in Fairbury, Illinois on Sunday for the rain-postponed
'Prairie Dirt Classic.' Mike timed in fifth fastest overall
during the qualifying session and later grabbed the fourth and
final transfer spot in his loaded heat race. After rolling off
from the outside of the seventh row in the $10,000 to win feature
event, Mike survived a couple of different tangles to finish
the 60-lapper in the ninth position. Complete results from all
four events can be viewed by clicking on www.dirtondirt.com.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////
Mike Spatola Nabs
Pair of Top Fives in Home State of Illinois!
September 19, 2011
The Spatola Racing team, fresh off their strong 'World 100'
performance, returned to action on September 16-17 in a pair
of $1,000 to win weekly UMP shows at the Kankakee County Speedway
in Kankakee, Illinois and the LaSalle Speedway in LaSalle, Illinois.
On Friday night at Kankakee, Mike Spatola laid down the fastest
lap during qualifying and later started seventh on the grid
in the A-Main. Despite suffering a flat left rear tire in the
feature event, Mike battled back to finish fifth in the final
rundown.
A last minute decision then took the #89 team
to LaSalle on Saturday evening. Mike set fast time once again
during qualifying, won his heat race, and later rolled off from
the pole position in the A-Main. In a wild main event, Mike
led the race on a couple of different occasions before settling
for another fifth place performance. Sunday's $10,000 to win
'Prairie Dirt Classic' was once again rained-out at the Fairbury
American Legion Speedway in Fairbury, Illinois. Complete results
from Kankakee and LaSalle can be accessed online at www.kankakeecountyspeedway.com
and www.lasallespeedway.com.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////
Spatola Transfers
into First World 100; Finishes Twelfth!!!
September 12, 2011
Mike
Spatola and his #89 team invaded the famed Eldora Speedway in
Rossburg, Ohio on September 9-10 for the 41st Annual 'World
100.' On Friday night, Mike laid down the sixteenth fastest
lap of the 112 entrants during the two-round qualifying session.
When the action heated back up at the "Big E" on Saturday
evening, Mike grabbed the third and final transfer spot through
his loaded heat race to transfer into his first 'World 100.'
Driving a sharp-looking Opie Taylor themed car, Mike started
sixteenth in the $44,000 to win feature event. In front of the
huge throng of fans, the Manhattan, Illinois native drove a
steady race, completed all 100 circuits, and wound up twelfth
in the final rundown of the 'World 100.' Full results from Eldora
can be viewed online at www.eldoraspeedway.com.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////
Mike Spatola Very
Busy Over Labor Day Holiday Weekend!
September 5, 2011
The Spatola Racing team was very busy over the Labor Day holiday
weekend, as they planned to enter four high-profile Dirt Late
Model races in their home state of Illinois from September 1-4.
On Thursday night, Mike Spatola won his heat race at the Peoria
Speedway in Peoria, Illinois and later wound up seventh in the
final rundown of the $2,000 to win NALMS feature event. At the
Fairbury American Legion Speedway in Fairbury, Illinois on Friday
evening, Mike laid down the fastest lap during qualifying and
later finished fifth in his heat race and sixth in the B-Main.
Unfortunately, the Manhattan, Illinois driver was unable to
transfer his #89 Bob Pierce racecar into the $5,000 to win 'Prairie
Dirt Shootout.'
Fairbury was then slated to play host to the 22nd
Annual 'Prairie Dirt Classic' on Saturday, but Mother Nature
had other ideas and the $10,000 to win program was postponed
until September 18. The Labor Day holiday weekend wrapped up
for the #89 team on Sunday at the Farmer City Raceway in Farmer
City, Illinois. Mike ran fifth in his loaded heat race and second
in the B-Main prior to advancing seven spots in the main event.
"Opie" crossed underneath the checkers of the $5,000
to win UMP showdown in the twelfth position. Complete results
from the huge Labor Day weekend can be accessed online at www.dirtondirt.com.
