Denny Schwartz & Jeff Leka Locked In Tight UMP DIRTcar Racing Modified National Points Battle Entering Final Two Weekends Of

EVANSVILLE, IN – Sept. 27, 2007 – The battle for the 2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing open-wheel Modified national championship is going down to the wire.

With this weekend’s weekly action plus the Oct. 5-6 UMP DIRTcar Racing Fall Nationals at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, the only points races left on the schedule, Denny Schwartz of Ashmore, Ill., leads Jeff Leka of Buffalo, Ill., by a single point (2,513-2,512) in the Modified standings.

Schwartz is seeking his second UMP DIRTcar Racing Modified national title in the last three years, while Leka is chasing his first-ever national crown.

Leka, whose career highlight is winning the 1999 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series national championship, leads Schwartz in UMP DIRTcar Racing-sanctioned feature wins (27-18) this season. But it’s Schwartz who holds the slim edge in the national points standings, which are determined using a driver’s best 35 finishes and bonus points that are distributed on a one-point-per-car basis for fields numbering 21-40 cars.

The showdown between Schwartz and Leka for the $20,000 championship is so tense entering this weekend’s competition, neither driver is tipping their hand publicly regarding where they’ll head to chase points.

There are many variables that will factor into the championship battle, but the points picture will become much clearer after this weekend’s results are in. Odds are that the title will not be decided until the checkered flag falls on the Oct. 6 Modified A-Main that highlights Eldora’s UMP DIRTcar Racing Fall Nationals.

In other UMP DIRTcar Racing national points races, Missouri’s Troy Neager leads Troy Medley by 29 points and Kent Nations by 34 markers in his quest for a second straight Sportsman division title; Indiana’s Jerrad Krick has five drivers within 100 points of him in the Street Stock standings; Louisiana’s Jonathan Clayton has clinched the Limited Modified crown; and Tom Ordway owns a commanding advantage in the Factor Stock rundown.

Points leaders in the new Four-Cylinder division, meanwhile, include D.J. Werkmeister (Eastern Nationals), Joe Reed (Southern Nationals) and Mike Rittenberry (Mid-American Nationals).

For more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing, visit www.umpracing.com.

2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Modified National Points Standings as of Sept. 26 (rank/driver/hometown/races counted – max of 35/points/feature wins):

1. Denny Schwartz/Ashmore, IL 35 2513 18
2. Jeff Leka/Buffalo, IL 35 2512 27
3. Shelby Miles/Bloomington, IN 35 2374 12
4. Bobby Martintoni/Livingston, IL 35 2328 9
5. Gary Cook Jr./Deer Creek, IL 35 2313 3
6. Kent Robinson/Bloomington, IN 35 2301 4
7. Jesse Cramer/Spencer, IN 35 2300 9
8. Bobby Bittle/New Athens, IL 35 2255 6
9. Randle Sweeney/Clifty, KY 35 2246 21
10. Bub Patrick/San Pierre, IN 35 2237 12
11. McKay Wenger/Fairbury, IL 35 2205 7
12. Ryan Thomas/Martinsville, IN 35 2198 3
13. Todd Sherman/Churubusco, IN 35 2169 3
14. Matt Bex/Aroua, IN 35 2152 3
15. Danny Schwartz/Ashmore, IL 35 2134 14
16. Dave Porth/Gardner, IL 35 2132 7
17. Mike Spatola/Manhatten, IL 35 2117 2
18. Chuck Haga/Bismark, IL 35 2080 1
19. Tim Reynolds/Boswell, IN 35 2079
20. Matt Boknecht/Seymour, IN 35 2073 6
21. Andy Sprague/Muskegon, MI 35 2072 13
22. John McCaul/Montague, MI 35 2064 14
23. Rob Fuqua/Paris, IL 35 2062 4
24. Jon Henry/Ada, OH 35 2060 4
25. Lance Dehm/Chatsworth, IL 35 2049 4