Posted by Grundy County Speedway on 5/23/2005, 12:41 am
Board Administrator

HOFFMAN, SENERCHIA AND CLAYPOOL TAKE HONORS AT GRUNDY COUNTY SPEEDWAY BY ANDY GROD After winning the season opener on May 6th then finishing second to Tom Smith last week, Eddie Hoffman Jr., from Wheaton, picked up the pace and won his second 30-lap late model feature Friday night at the Grundy County Speedway, in Morris, Illinois. “I was running behind Koerner and Heiss for a lot of laps and was getting a little impatient, but I knew I had a lot of time left so I just waited for the right time,” said Hoffman. “Heiss has a good car and he’s getting tougher each week.” After qualifying out of the top ten, Hoffman started the feature in the second row of the twenty car field and ran behind Scott Koerner and Mike Heiss, who were putting on a show in a side-by-side duel that lasted six circuits. Koerner got a little out of shape on lap seven and slid into the infield, almost collecting the infield light barriers before coming to a halt in turn three. With Heiss at the point at the restart, it took Hoffman another six circuits before he was able to put the black number eight in front of Heiss for the lead. Heiss, who came from the UMARA Midget ranks, showed he had the experience to challenge Hoffman, riding his bumper for the next three laps before falling back by two car lengths. Duane Pierson, from Lockport, went past Rob Werkmeister for the third spot by the half-way point and challenged Heiss for second, allowing Hoffman to pull the Feece Oil Ford out to a four car-length lead at the finish, with Heiss holding off Pierson for the runner-up spot. Werkmeister claimed fourth with Billy Knippenberg Jr. holding off fast qualifier Mike White and fast heat winner Brett Sontag for fifth place money. In the Mid-American division, Nick O’Dell, from New Lenox, took the early lead in the twenty-five lap main event, with Josh Nelms and Josh Higgins running close behind. The three drivers pulled away from the pack by six car lengths as last year’s Rookie of the Year Dave DeFreece, Jerry Einhaus Jr and Jeremy Bloomberg battled for fourth. With Higgins falling out of the upfront battle, O’Dell and Nelms circled the 1/3 mile oval bumper to bumper for several circuits. Einhaus, last week’s main event winner, closed in on the leaders, and Nelms wildly slid up the track, allowing Einhaus to take over second, with Nelms recovering to hold on to third. O’Dell and Einhaus ran neck and neck for three laps until caution slowed the pace for a spinning John McMahon, and on the restart. As the green again flew, Einhaus got the jump on O’Dell, taking the lead as they entered turn one. John Senerchia, from Orland Park, driving the Hoey and Farina – Splash of Color – Dotter Race Cars Monte Carlo, showed that he had enough to challenge Einhaus, passing O’Dell on lap sixteen and closing the seven car length gap to the leader. Caution for a three-car pile up involving Stacy Kelly, DeFreece and Mike Marden red flagged the event as clean-up crews helped to separate the cars sitting in turn three. Under the caution, leader Einhaus went into the pits to change a flat tire, handing the lead over to Senerchia, who had enough power in his Rizutti engine to keep the lead to the finish. O’Dell finished in the number two spot after holding off a hard charge from Jeremy Bloomberg. Nelms held on for a fourth place showing, with Ryan Finley and Higgins filling in the top six positions. In the running of the twenty lap Street Stock main event, Kent Harmann, from Braidwood, flexed his muscles, taking the lead at the drop of the green, with Chris Sanda, Chad Proctor and Justin Claypool all in tight formation. Claypool went to the high side of the track as Proctor tried to get the best of Sanda, but Claypool made the high line work, passing all three drivers to take over the lead on lap nine and hold it to the finish. Proctor and Harmann kept pace with Claypool for several circuits, but Claypool used lapped traffic to his advantage, pulling out by seven car lengths at the finish. Rick Dawson came from his fourteenth starting spot and slipped into second with three laps remaining, with Brandon Clubb following Dawson for third at the finish. Proctor claimed fourth, followed by Harmann, Sanda and Karl Kwaz. The mini stock event saw Mike Vanhowe hold on to the lead for his first feature win of the season, with Jason Claypool taking second and Nick Clubb third. The street stock semi-feature saw Ron Vandermeir jump to a big lead at the start of the twelve lap event, but was unable to hold off a hard charging Wayne Meirhofer, to quickly closed the gap and take over the lead on lap nine. Vandermeir followed Meirhofer to the checkered, some five car lengths back, with Tim Erdman claiming fifth place money. Racing continues every Friday night at the Grundy County Speedway, located just north of I-80, on Rt 47, at the Fairgrounds in Morris, Illinois. RESULTS 30 lap Late Model Feature: 1. Eddie Hoffman Jr., Wheaton, 2. Mike Heiss, Ottawa, 3. Duane Pierson, Lockport, 4. Rob Werkmeister, Plainfield, 5. Billy Knippenberg Jr., Plainfield, 6. Mike White, Monee, 7. Brett Sontag, Joliet, 8. Tom Smith, Posen, 9. Gary Raven, Hometown, 10. Pat McCabe, Joliet 15 lap LM Semi-feature: 1. Jim Olson, Seneca, 2. Doug Kimber, Batavia, 3. Brian Clubb, Morris, 4. P.J. Polcyn, Elwood, 5. Dan Odell, Morris, 6. Woody Poole, Tinley Park 1st 10 lap LM Heat: 1. Mike Donoho, Edelstein, 2. Brain Clubb, Morris 2nd 10 lap LM Heat: 1. Hoffman, 2. Tom Knippenberg, Channahon 3rd 10 lap LM Heat: 1. Sontag, 2. Billy Knippenberg Fast Time: White: 15.477 25 lap Mid-American Feature: 1. John Senerchia, Orland Park, 2. Nick O’Dell, New Lenox, 3. Jeremy Bloomberg, Hampshire, 4. Josh Nelms, Bartlett, 5. Ryan Finley, Big Rock, 6. Josh Higgins, Morris, 7. Jimmy Becker, Burlington, 8. Jerry Einhaus Jr., Seneca, 9. Juan Avila, Joliet, 10. Brian Conley, Plainfield 1st 10 lap MA Heat: 1. Mike Marden, Monee, 2. O’Dell 2nd 10 lap MA Heat: 1. Nelms, 2. Higgins MA Fast Time: Senerchia: 15.954 20 lap Street Stock Feature: 1. Justin Claypool, Morris, 2. Rick Dawson, Lemont, 3. Brandon Clubb, Coal City, 4. Chad Proctor, Kenosha, Wisc. 5. Kent Harmann, Braidwood, 6. Chris Sanda, LaGrange Park, 7. Karl Kwaz, Joliet, 8. Joe Graziano, Plainfield, 9. Chuck Deutsch, Minooka, 10. Ricky Baker, Plainfield 12 lap SS Semi-feature: 1. Wayne Meirhofer, Joliet, 2. Ron Vandermeir, Joliet, 3. Tim Erdman, Aurora, 4. Jake Popp, Big Rock, 5. Trevor Tichy, Oswego 1st 10 lap SS Heat: 1. Frank Sabella, Joliet, 2. Erdman 2nd 10 lap SS Heat: 1. Baker, Meirhofer 3rd 10 lap SS Heat: 1. Sanda, 2. Proctor SS Fast Time: Clubb: 17.792