Posted by Madison Speedway on 5/7/2005, 12:22 pm
Board Administrator

The Friday Night Tradition Returns to MIS: Wilberg, Darnell, Cottam, and Hensel Claim Victories Friday night racing returned to Madison International Speedway with exciting action in all four divisions. Coming home victorious on opening night were Bobby Wilberg in the Weaver Auto Parts ASA Late Models, Erik Darnell in the Bryden Motors Super Late Models, Charlie Cottam in the Rockweiler Insulation Midwest Truck Series, and Carey Hensel in the Bryden Motors Area Sportsman. Twenty-two cars took the green flag in the forty lap feature for the Weaver Auto Parts ASA Late Model division. Jason Tyler of Stoughton and Jeff Watters of Mineral Point started on the front row after a spin sent pole sitter Chad Stevens of Beloit to the back of the field. Watters took an early lead before the caution flag came out on lap four following a front stretch incident involving three cars. Watters continued to lead after the restart followed by Tyler, Brian Hoppe of Verona, and Beau Bavery of Oregon. On lap eight Hoppe passed Tyler for second and began to hunt down Watters. Meanwhile Bobby Wilberg of Orfordville moved his way through the field and by lap thirteen was up to third from his eleventh starting position. Watters held the lead until lap twenty four when Hoppe took the top spot with Wilberg moving to second. One lap later Troy Hintzsche of Malta, Illinois, moved past Watters for third. On lap twenty-eight Wilberg got by Hoppe and led the rest of the way to pick up the checkered flag. Setting fast time for the Weaver Auto Parts ASA Late Models was Wilberg with a time of 18.175 (99.04 mph). Heat winners were Billy Baumeister of Janesville, Jason Tyler of Stoughton, and Beau Bavery of Oregon. Twenty-five Bryden Motors Super Late Models came to the green flag led by Kelly Bires of Mauston and Jacob Humphries of Lake Geneva. On the second lap, Erik Darnell of Park City, Illinois passed Bires for the lead. Fastest in the pack behind Darnell was Scott Ollerman, who by lap twelve was up to third place. Meanwhile Darnell continued to distance himself from the pack. On lap sixteen DeForest�s Andrew Morrissey pulled inside of Ollerman to take third and try to catch Darnell and Humphries. The first caution flag of the race came out for a spin in turn two. On the restart Darnell continued to look strong. On lap twenty-one Morrissey got by Humphries for second and tried to dial in the leader. Darnell proved to be simply too fast for the field as he maintained a six car advantage over Morrissey until the caution flag came out on lap thirty six negating Darnell�s advantage. After the restart it was all Darnell as he took the checkered flag followed by Morrissey, Kevin Tunks of Indianford, Ryan Mathews of Lake Geneva, and Steve Rubeck of Cherry Valley, Illinois. Driving a brand new car Darnell said, �We were really excited about running last weekend(WCS race) and wanted to come back tonight to see how the car would run.� Darnell found his answer in victory lane tonight. The fast time for the Bryden Motors Super Late Models was set by Bobby Wilberg of Orfordville at 17.541 (102.62 mph). Heat winners were Elliott Weiler of Marshfield, Jared Ziegler of Madison, and Scott Ollerman of Marshall. Bryan Pautsch of Sun Prairie led the Rockweiler Insulation Midwest Truck Series to the green flag in their twenty lap feature. Pautsch maintained the lead until lap five when Sandwich, Illinois� Vince Wilkinson passed him for the lead. Wilkinson held the lead until lap seventeen when Charlie Cottam of Janesville took the top spot and outran the field to the checkered flag. Wilkinson finished second followed by Gary Cerny of Janesville. Fred Oswald of Lake Mills set fast time for the Rockweiler Insulation Midwest Truck Series with a lap of 19.351 (93.02 mph). Coming home with heat wins were Bryon Pautsch of Sun Prairie and Gary Cerny of Janesville. Scott Lawver of Roscoe, Illinois started on the pole for the debut of the Bryden Motors Area Sportsman and their twenty- lap feature. Casey Burns of Edgerton wasted no time in taking the point and held the lead until lap six when Luke Padfield took the top spot. Following a Padfield spin, Stoughton�s Carey Hensel vaulted to the lead and never looked back coming home with a with a ten car length advantage over Mark English and Casey Burns. �It feels great to be back at MIS, � said a jubilant Hensel following the race. Setting fast time in the Bryden Motors Area Sportsman division was Carey Hensel of Stoughton with a lap of 20.910 (86.08 mph). Taking home the heat win was Mark English of Edgerton. Next week at Madison International Speedway will feature the first round of the Triple Crown Series for the Mid-American Super Trucks along with action in the Weaver Auto Parts ASA Late Models, Bryden Motors Super Late Models, and Bryden Motors Area Sportsman. Pit gates open at 4:00 with the grandstands open at 4:30. Hot laps begin at 5:15 with qualifying at 6:30 and racing at 8:00. Weaver Auto Parts ASA Late Models Feature (1-10) Wilberg, Hintzsche, Hoppe, Watters, Travis Sauter (Necedah), Bavery, Jesse Saunders (New Glarus), Tom Gille (Winnebago, Il), Brady Liddle (Oregon), Dave Gentile Jr. (Elwood, IL) (11-20)Zack Riddle (Brooklyn), John Wood (Madison), Chad Stevens (Beloit), Scott Broughton (Stoughton), Billy Baumeister (Janesville), Nate Oppliger (Oregon), Jason Tyler (Stoughton), John Grueneberg (Madison), Ryan Hanson (Beloit), Nick Hammer (Sun Prairie) (21-22)Matt Byrne (Burlington), JD Leonard (Brodhead) Heat Winners: Baumeister, Tyler, Bavery Fast Qualfier: Wilberg 99.04 mph Bryden Motors Super Late Models Feature (1-10) Darnell, Morrissey, Tunks, Mathews, Rubeck, Jeff Storm (Waterford), Bobby Wilberg (Orfordville), Dale Nottestad (Cambridge), Ollerman, Tod Kropf (Watertown) (11-20)Jacob Humphrey (Lake Geneva), Jeremy Lepak (Wausau), Trent Snyder (Ironton, MN), Jeremy Miller (Rockton, IL), Jared Ziegler (Madison), Kelly Bires (Mauston), Jerry Cowan (Burlington), John Knaus (Rockford), Kyle Kinder (McFarland), Brian Johnson (South Beloit, IL) (21-25) George Schultz (Bristol), Stevie Campbell (Lisle, IL), Jim Carlson (LaCrosse), Elliott Weiler (Marshfield), Rick Corso (McHenry, IL) Heat Winners: Weiler, Ziegler, Ollerman Fast Qualifier: Wilberg 102.62 mph Rockweiler Insulation Midwest Truck Series Feature (1-10) Cottam, Wilkinson, Cerny, Oswald, Pautsch, Todd Schmitz (Verona), Garrett Goth (Cottage Grove), Joe Wipperfurth (Sun Prairie), Christopher Stocks (Milton), Dann Barber (Oregon) Heat Winners: Pautsch, Cerny Fast Qualifier: Oswald 93.02 mph Bryden Motors Area Sportsman Feature (1-7) Hensel, English, C. Burns, Lawver, J. Burns (Edgerton), Luke Padfield (Stoughton), Cliff Rucks (Cambridge) Heat Winner: English Fast Qualifier: Hensel 86.08 mph