Posted by Grundy Speedway on 9/6/2005, 10:44 am
Board Administrator

RACE RESULTS for 9-4-05 TITLES TO KNIPPENBERG JR, EINHAUS JR, PROCTOR AND CLAYPOOL AT GRUNDY COUNTY SPEEDWAY BY ANDY GROD On the final night of stock car racing for 2005, Bret Sontag, from Joliet, scored the victory in the 61 lap Lee Schuler Memorial and will have his name etched on the perpetual trophy for the second time, the first being in 2002. Starting fifth in the twenty-two car field, Sontag went to the outside line and passed leader Rob Werkmeister on lap eleven, and the two drivers began pulling away from the field. By lap sixteen, Sontag and Werkmeister had increased their lead to fifteen car lengths as Eddie Hoffman Jr and Pat Kelly were making their way through traffic. Caution one lap later for a Nick Baran spin evened the field, but when the green again flew, Sontag pulled out by twelve lengths as Hoffman and Kelly pulled in behind Werkmeister. With Kelly battling Hoffman for third, Sontag was again able to continue building a comfortable lead. Kelly finally cleared Hoffman and ran down Werkmeister on lap forty-one for the number two spot, with Hoffman and Dave Weltmeyer putting Werkmeister back to fifth. With one lap remaining, Sontag again saw his lead evaporated when a caution slowed the action. Tom Knippenberg blew his engine, and clipped his brother Billy, who was heading for the championship. Billy escaped with just a crunched fender and fell back in line for the final two circuits. For the final time, Jim Taylor waived the flag for the late model cars for 2005, with Sontag racing under the checkered flag one car length ahead of Kelly. Hoffman finished in the number three positions, followed by Weltmeyer, Werkmeister, Pierson, Billy Knippenberg Jr. and Tom Smith. The three drivers vying for the championship finished together in the final tally. Pierson, Knippenberg Jr and Smith were separated by just fourteen marks going into the final double-point night. With Billy Knippenberg Jr qualifying third fastest and finishing seventh in the feature, he tallied enough points to claim his first late model title to go along with his 2002 Mid-American championship. Pierson finished in the runner-up spot followed by Smith. Of the four divisions, the Mid-American division was the only one that was wrapped up last Friday night, when Jerry Einhaus Jr clinched the championship, and his win tonight in the 40 lap main event solidified his dominance of the division. Jake Finney, from Sycamore led the field for the first fourteen circuits until Jeremy Bloomberg went to the outside and took the lead away. Einhaus made his way to third from his fourteenth starting spot as Bloomberg took the lead, then followed Bloomberg past Finney for second. Bloomberg and Einhaus pulled away from the pack by twenty car lengths, and on lap twenty four, Einhaus went to the low side and took the lead from Bloomberg, winning the event by five lengths. Following Einhaus and Bloomberg across the finish line were Dave DeFreece, John Nelms, Jay Mikel, Mike Marden and Justin Wren. The Street Stock class also went down to the final event of the season in the running of the 35 lap Bailey’s Carpet One feature. Pete Odell, from Morris led the field for the first fifteen circuits, with Chuck Deutsch keeping pace with Odell. On the following circuit, Proctor moved in behind Odell and took just one lap to take the front. On lap twenty-one, the caution flew when Ryan Moore blew his engine. Chad Bayuk slid in the oil and slammed the turn one wall, resulting in a lengthy yellow to clean the track. When the racing resumed, Proctor pulled away by ten lengths as Rick Dawson moved into the number two spot, followed by Ricky Baker, from Plainfield. If it ended that way, we would have had a tie for the title, but a last lap brush between Dawson and Baker sent Dawson sliding into the infield, dashing his hopes for a title. Proctor raced to the checkered flag unchallenged, followed by Brandon Clubb, who took advantage of the Baker-Dawson tangle to slip into the number two spot. Baker finished third, followed by Odell, Ron Vandermeir Jr, John Ventrello and Deutsch. In the running of the fifteen lap Mini-stock feature, Brandy Werkmeister, from Plainfield, took the early lead, with Brian Kuc, from Joliet closing quickly. Kuc took the front from Werkmeister on lap eight, with Jason Claypool slipping into the number two spot two circuits later. Chet Hartley, who has three feature wins to his credit, moved past Nick Clubb for third with five laps remaining. Claypool quickly closed on Kuc in the final stages, but fell short, giving Kuc his first feature win of the season. The Mini-stock division also was decided tonight, with Jason Claypool edging out Nick Clubb for the championship in the newly formed division that saw forty-seven different drivers take to the speedway during the season. Dan Odell flipped hard during the running of a late model semi-feature early in the night. Odell’s car went straight right as he sped out of turn two, slamming the back-stretch wall and launching his car twenty-five feet into the air. The car appeared totaled, but Odell was able to walk away from the accident. With the Friday night racing program concluded for the season, a few events are still slated for the speedway. Next Saturday night, September 10th, the ENDURO Series invades the speedway in a 250 lap event that remains popular with the fans. The UMARA Midgets have a few nights of racing left on their schedule and the Grundy County Karting Association will still hold events. Please go to www.grundycountyspeedway.com and click on schedule for times and dates. RESULTS 61 lap Late Model Lee Schuler Memorial: 1. Brett Sontag, Joliet, 2. Pat Kelly, Morris, 3. Eddie Hoffman Jr., Wheaton, 4. Dave Weltmeyer, Dyer, Indiana, 5. Rob Werkmeister, Plainfield, 6. Duane Pierson, Lockport, 7. Billy Knippenberg Jr., Plainfield, 8. Tom Smith, Tinley Park, 9. Robbie Pyle, Bolingbrook, 10. Mike Heiss, Ottawa 15 lap LM Semi-feature: 1. Brian Clubb, Morris, 2. Scott Koerner, Joliet, 3. Jamie Artelt, Hainsville, 4. Chris Sontag, Joliet, 5. Gary Raven, Hometown, 6. P.J. Polcyn, Elwood, 7. Doug Kimber, Batavia, 8. John Finley, 9. Andy Marchiniak, 10. Ken Polcyn, Minooka Fast Time: Pyle: 15.328 40 lap Mid-American Feature: 1. Jerry Einhaus Jr., Seneca, 2. Jeremy Bloomberg, Hampshire, 3. David DeFreece, Yorkville, 4. John Nelms, Bartlett, 5. Jay Mikel, Oswego, 6. Mike Marden, Monee, 7. Justin Wren, Coal City, 8. Ray Mooi, New Lenox, 9. Pat Broenneke, Chicago, 10. Ron Willems Jr., Aurora Fast Time: Einhaus: 15.762 35 lap Bailey’s Carpet One Street Stock Feature: 1. Chad Proctor, Kenosha, Wisconsin, 2. Brandon Clubb, Coal City, 3. Ricky Baker, Plainfield, 4. Pete Odell, Morris, 5. Ron Vandermeir Jr., Joliet, 6. John Ventrello, Morris, 7. Chuck Deutsch, Minooka, 8. Karl Kwaz, Joliet, 9. Joe Graziano, Plainfield, 10. Randy Weese, Morris Street Stock Semi-feature: 1. Frank Sabella, Joliet, 2. Ryan Moore, 3. Ben Hoffman, Morris, 4. David Einhaus, Seneca, 5. Fred Mahr, Downers Grove, 6. Joe Mosier, Morris, 7. Caleb Koger, Morris, 8. John Farcus, Mazon, 9. Rich Olson, Seneca, 10. John Gill, Lockport 15 lap Mini-stock Feature: 1. Brian Kuc, Joliet, 2. Justin Claypool, Morris, 3. Chet Hartley, Joliet, 4. Nick Clubb, Morris, 5. Tim Clubb, 6. Alex Clubb, Morris, 7. Brandy Werkmeister, Plainfield, 8. Jonathan Clubb, Morris, 9. D.J. Werkmeister, Plainfield, 10. Jason Kolbe, Oak Lawn