Article from www.dirtondirt.com
Written by: Todd Turner, Chief Writer, dirtondirt.
PADUCAH, Ky. (June 26) On a track that's not his favorite where he says he never feels particularly comfortable, Billy Moyer was trying to feel things out at Paducah International Raceway during the 11th leg of the UMP DIRTcar Summernationals.
The outside front-row starter was cruising along in the lead when third-starting Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., cut down Moyer's near-straightaway lead and took command on the 19th lap of the 40-lap feature. That was the 51-year-old Moyer's call to get up on the wheel and show everything his No. 21 had.
"When he passed me, I had something left," the Batesville, Ark., driver said. "We usually try to have something left when we have to — that's what a good football player or basketball player does. He's always got some reserve in him when you've gotta do it."
Summoning his reserves, Moyer battled the next nine laps with Feger, going back ahead amid lapped traffic on lap 28 and racing to his 2009-leading fourth Summernationals victory and second in a row. It was also his second straight victory at Paducah, following a May 29 Northern Allstars Late Model Series victory at the 3/8-mile western Kentucky oval.
"I didn't really know how much room I ever had. I was just riding along there and the car felt pretty good, but I was being pretty cautious. When he went sneaking by there, I knew I had to get going then," said Moyer, the six-time series champion who leads the tour with 68 career victories. He has four wins in six 2009 starts. "We were pretty close, really. He did a good job. It was fun. We had a good race. .. We just ran each other clean and we didn't tear crap up and load it up and go tomorrow without having stuff bent up.
"When there's a high side like that, he runs good. You can't count him out when he's got a little berm and that wall to hold him in there. He stands on it."
Feger, gunning for his second victory in the last three nights, knew he'd have his hands full with Moyer after making the pass and facing a pair of lapped cars.
"Shannon (Babb) and Rodney (Melvin) were racing each other real hard, and I just never could get a good hole, and it seemed like a hole opened right up for him at the right time at the right place," the 31-year-old Feger said. "There's no doubt Billy's better than I am when he it comes to getting down on the racetrack and racing around with lapped traffic. It just kind of went his way.
"He's real good at changing his lines and going and finding something different ... I think when I passed him he probably went and started doing something a little different and got better again. He's just real patient and he's one of the best there is. It's hard to complain when you run second to a guy like that, let alone pass him and lead for a little bit."
Feger held on to finish second despite a deflating right-rear tire that went nearly flat by the time he got back to his pits. Randy Korte of Highland, Ill., rallied from his 11th starting spot to take third from eighth-starting Bill Frye of Greenbrier, Ark., on the race's lone restart at lap 33, and Korte's finish unofficially moved him past Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., in the Summernationals points chase.
Erb finished 12th. Polesitter Will Vaught of Crane, Mo., like Moyer driving a Victory Circle Chassis, ended up fifth. Brad Neat of Dunnville, Ky., ran in the top five most of the way but brought out the lap-33 yellow when his damaged left-front suspension slowed his No. 41.
Feature:
(1) Billy Moyer, (2) Jason Feger, (3) Randy Korte, (4) Bill Frye, (5) Will Vaught, (6) Terry English, (7) Duane Chamberlain, (8) Chris Wall, (9) Jeep Van Wormer, (10) Jeff Walston, (11) Brian Shirley, (12) Dennis Erb Jr., (13) Shannon Babb, (14) Rodney Melvin, (15) Kevin Weaver, (16) Ryan Unzicker, (17) Terry Casey, (18) Brad Neat, (19) Dylan Thompson, (20) Kevin Cole, (21) Scott James. Fast qualifier (among 41 cars):Terry English, 15.698 seconds.
Heat race winners: Vaught, Feger, Moyer, Chamberlain.
