Posted by UMARA - Grundy on 9/20/2004, 2:00 pm
Board Administrator

Gough Wins Carter Classic Clinches 2nd Championship Shilkuski Clinches His First By Bill Freis (Morris, IL - September 18) David Gough finished the 2004 UMARA season the same way he finished off the competition all season. He started out the night being fast qualifier, winning the Corvette Collection Dash for Cash and the Don Carter Classic feature event and clinching the UMARA National midget championship for the second time. Meanwhile, Scott Shilkuski clinched the UMARA Sportsman midget championship for his first title, by finishing second to his brother Tom in the feature. Rich Corson led the field to the green at the start of the feature but his lead was short lived as Joliet's Jim Anderson quickly made his way past Corson. Once past Corson Anderson checked out and extended his lead to over a straightaway until a lap 22 incident involving John Meyers brought out a red flag. At the restart, Andersons car would not refire and he was forced to the pits for the remainder of the event. David Gough elected to start the feature event at the rear of the field when an anonymous fan offered him an additional $500.00 if he could make it from last to first. By lap 15 he was up to the sixth spot, on lap 17 he passed two cars to take the fourth position and by lap 18 he was in third behind Meyers, where he stayed until the red flag incident. On the restart Gough inherited the lead and would cruise unchallenged the remainder of the race to take his ninth UMARA National midget feature win of the year. Minooka's Patrick Wilda, David Byrne David Ward and Adam Neutzel rounded out the top five. Joliet's Sean Murphy and David Byrne were the heat race winners and Gough won the dash and was fast qualifier with a time of 14:568. Gough dominance of the event earned him over $2500 for the night. In the 30-lap UMARA Sportsman midget feature veteran Klaus Wever took the lead from the pole position and fought off challenges from Mike Adams Jr. on two restarts, laps five and nine to hold the lead. Meanwhile, the Shilkuski brothers Tom and Scott raced side by side behind Wever and Adams for nearly five laps with both of them getting by Adams on the fifteenth circuit and setting their sights on Wever. On lap 16 Wevers car slid up the track just enough in turn one for Scott Shilkuski to get underneath him for the lead. A lap later Tom Shilkuski got by Wever for the second spot and began challenging his brother for the lead. On lap 20 Tom drove under Scott for the lead and would continue unchallenged for the remainder of the event. Following Tom Shilkuski at the line were brother Scott, Klaus Wever, Joe Knippel and Mike Adams Jr. David Thompson and Mike Bettenhausen were the Sportsman heat winners and Thompson was the fast qualifier. Fred Teer Clinched his second Sportsman Sprint Car title in as many years, capping it off with a feature victory Saturday night and Todd Shepard was the winner of the 15-lap Classic Modified feature. RESULTS 50-Lap National Midget Feature: 1. David Gough 2. Patrick Wilda 3. David Byrne 4. David Ward 5. Adam Neutzel 6. Rich Corson 7. Bobby Guess 8. Terry Ahern 9. Roger Bettenhausen 10. Jim Anderson 11. John Meyers 12. Sean Murphy 13. Jason Dull (DNS) 14. David Thompson (DNS) 15. Steve Thinnes (DNS) Dash Winner: David Gough 1st 10 lap National Heat: Sean Murphy 2nd 10 lap National Heat: David Byrne Fast Qualifier: David Gough - 14:568 30-lap Sportsman Midget Feature: 1. Tom Shilkuski 2. Scott Shilkuski 3. Klaus Wever 4. Joe Knippel 5. Mike Adams Jr. 6. David Budres 7. Bob Shreffler 8. Doug Orseske 9. Mike Smith 10. Basil Hicks 11. Fred Teer 12. Rich Peciniak 13. Mike Bettenhausen 14. #31 15. Jon Ruff 16. David Thompson 17. Mike Krysiak 18. Danny Drogemuller 19. Loran Critchett 20. Mike Slabenak Jr. 1st 10 lap Sportsman Heat: David Thompson 2nd 10 lap Sportsman Heat: Mike Bettenhausen Fast Qualifier: David Thompson - 16:041