Hoffman Wins Lee Schuler Memorial;
Titles to Sontags, Bayuk and Proctor at Grundy
By: Andy Grod
Morris, IL (September 6, 2009) - Starting from the
outside pole position, Wheaton’s Eddie Hoffman Jr, followed
pole sitter Scott Koerner for the first eleven circuits, then
took the lead and kept it to the finish to win the Lee Schuler
Memorial at the Grundy County Speedway, in Morris, Illinois.
“I didn’t have the fastest car tonight, but it helped
starting up front. I didn’t have to push the car and I was
able to save my tires for late in the race,” said Hoffman.
As Hoffman took the lead in his Feece Oil – Tech One Race
Cars sponsored Chevy, a good battle for second place was shaping
up as Andy Marchiniak and Chris Cooling diced for several circuits
with Cooling taking the spot with twenty-three go arounds completed.
Seneca’s Pat Kelly showed his muscles as he came from the
sixth starting berth to third at the half-way mark, then passed
Cooling and ran on Hoffman’s bumper.
Moving through lapped traffic, Kelly filled Hoffman’s rear
view mirror, and twice, got Hoffman sideways, but even after
getting along side Hoffman’s black number eight, lapped
traffic got in the way, preventing a move around the race leader.
“Tony D’Ambrose set up the handling of the car and
it worked well going around all those lapped cars, otherwise,
Kelly may have been able to get us. When I saw Kelly coming,
I really had to push the car,” said Hoffman.
On lap twenty-four, Brett Sontag and Boris Jurkovic made contact
when another car in the tight pack got sideways, sending Sontag
spinning into the infield. Sontag had to restart at the rear
of the twenty-three car field, but fought back and was running
in third as the checkered flag flew.
Cooling held on for a fourth place finish, followed by Larry
Schuler, Marchiniak and Anthony Danta.
Sontag became a four time late model champion after the event,
claiming seven feature wins in a rain-shortened season.
In the 35 lap Mid-American feature, Jeremy Bloomberg, from Hampshire,
moved pasts Darrell Phillips on lap seven to take the front of
the nineteen car field, followed by Phillips, Deryk Beaudoin,
Geoff VeZain and Stacy Kelley.
Kelley was able to improve her position every few laps, and was
running in the number two slot with sixteen circuits remaining.
Kelley did everything she knew to get the advantage on Bloomberg,
but the past track champion ran flawless and was able to hold
off the challenge to the finish.
With five laps remaining, Beaudoin and VeZain brought out the
caution, with Frank Slabenak and Chad Proctor taking over their
third and fourth spots to the flag.
After winning the Mid-American Rookie of the Year last season,
Proctor returned and won the championship in o nly his second
season in the division.
The Candy Man Special 33 was run in memory of Ed Mahoney, who
was a long time competitor in the division and died suddenly
late last year.
From the outside pole position, Rick Dawson jumped to the front
at the drop of the green and held off a challenge first from
Craig Matteson, then finished the event with Chad Bayuk along
side as they went under the checkered flag.
Dawson took the win by inches, with Bayuk locking up his second
championship in a row.
Randy Weese, from Morris, ran a strong third, followed by Matteson,
Chris Woodall and Chris Sanda, who was the runner-up for the
title.
The 4 Cylinder 25 lap feature was a race between two drivers,
both for the win and for the championship.
Jim Beasley and Mark Sontag Jr were separated by just a hand
full of points going into the night’s final event, and the
intensity of the two drivers showed they both wanted the trophy.
Beasley took the lead from Chet Hartley on lap five, with Sontag
glued to his tail.
Sontag kept trying to bump Beasley out of the way, but Beasley
stood his ground.
With ten circuits remaining, Sontag was able to take over the
spot, but it was Beasley’s turn banging on Sontag’s
bumper.
Sontag was able to hold off the hard charge and claim his eighth
win of the season and a championship to go along with the win.
The Friday night racing program is now over, but one race remains
for the stock cars in the running of the Frank Welch 250 Enduro,
which will run on Saturday night, September 12th.
61 lap late Model Lee Schuler Memorial: 1. Eddie Hoffman
Jr., 2. Pat Kelly, 3. Brett Sontag, 4. Chris Cooling, 5. Larry
Schuler, 6. Andy Marchiniak, 7. Anthony Danta,
8. Ricky Baker, 9. Billy Kni ppenberg Jr., 10. Tom Knippenberg
LM Fast Time: Sontag: 15.346
35 lap Mid-American Feature: 1. Jeremy Bloomberg, 2. Stacy
Kelley, 3. Frank Slabenak,
4. Chad Proctor, 5. Mitch Garfield, 6. Darrell Phillips, 7. Mike
Slabenak Jr., 8. Ron Vandermeir Jr., 9. Chuck Yuris, 10. Ray
Brackett
Fast Time: John McMahon: 16.326
Candy Man Special 33 Street Stock Feature: 1. Rick Dawson,
2. Chad Bayuk,
3. Randy Weese, 4. Mike Szekely, 5. Craig Matteson, 6. Chris
Woodall, 7. Chris Sanda,
8. Mike Brandolino, 9. Billy Rud, 10. Darrell Gay
25 lap 4 Cylinder Feature: 1. Mark Sontag Jr., Jim Beasley,
3. Shelby Eplin, 4. Rich Dearborn, 5. Brian Struck, 6. Chet Hartley,
7. Matt Clemens, 8. Kyle Carlson, 9. Ryan
Hill, 10. Tiffany Clower
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