News

GOEDE CLAIMS OKTOBERFEST, BILDERBACK NOTCHES A FOURTH SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP

2019-10-06

BIG 8 LATE MODEL SERIES
OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS
50th ANNUAL OKTOBERFEST
LA CROSSE (WI) FAIRGROUNDS SPEEDWAY

1. Jacob Goede (Carver, MN)
2. Nick Panitzke (Lonsdale, MN)
3. Nick Clements (West Salem, WI)
4. Justin Neisius (Eagan, MN)
5. Jeremy Miller (Rockford, IL)
6. Brody Willett (Alburnett, IA)
7. Zack Riddle (Cottage Grove, WI)
8. Michael Bilderback (South Beloit, IL)
9. Shane Morrissey (Cuba City, WI)
10. Joe Neisius (Rosemount, MN)
11. Michael Haggar (Hanover, MN)
12. Neil Knoblock (Wausau, WI)
13. Brent Edmunds (Monticello, WI)
14. Chris Marek (Lakeville, MN)
15. Ryan Kamish (Farmington, MN)
16. Steve Bachman (Bangor, WI)
17. Steve Schultz (Webster, MN
18. Adam Bendzick (Prior Lake, MN)
19. Chad Walen (Prior Lake, MN)
20. Nick Egan (Kenosha, WI)
21. RJ Braun ® (Wales, W)
22. Riley Stenjem (Stoughton, WI)
23. Adam Oxborough (Montgomery, MN
24. Mike Beyer (Machesney Park, IL)
25. Brent Kirchner (La Crosse, WI)

Preliminary Winners: Miller, Egan, Bendzick
Fast Time: Miller
Entries: 37 Big 8 Late Models


BIG 8 LATE MODEL SERIES
FINAL POINT STANDINGS (Top 10)
(as of October 6 2019)

1 Michael Bilderback (615) *CHAMPION
2. Brody Willett (572)
3. Chad Walen (530)
4. Justin Neisius (487)
5. Nick Egan (470)
6. Dale Nottestad (446)
7. RJ Braun ® (443) *ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
8. Jerry Mueller (420)
9. Tyler Kingery ® (311)
10. Jon Reynolds Jr (291)


2019 BIG 8 LATE MODEL SERIES EVENT RECAPS

Sunday April 14 “Spring Classic” (Rockford Speedway) **RAINED OUT**

Friday May 31 “Clash at the Downs” (Hawkeye Downs) WINNER: Nick Egan

Friday June 28 “Salute to America” (Madison Int’l Speedway) WINNER:
Dale Nottestad

Friday July 26 “Larry Detjens Memorial (State Park Speedway) WINNER:
Neil Knoblock

Tuesday August 6 “Dixieland Delight” (Wisconsin Int’l Raceway) WINNER:
Mike Meyerhofer Jr

Saturday September 21 “Thunderstruck 93” (Elko Speedway) WINNER: Jacob Goede

Saturday September 28 “National Short Track Championships (Rockford
Speedway) WINNER: Dale Nottestad

Sunday October 6 “50th Annual Oktoberfest” (La Crosse Fairgrounds
Speedway) WINNER: Jacob Goede


FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please visit big8latemodels.com

NOTTESTAD RULES ROCKFORD’S NSTC

2019-09-28

Story by Stan Kalwasinski

Dale Nottestad “got the monkey off his back” as they say, scoring the victory in the 108-lap Big 8 Series Late Model Series event during the 54th annual National Short Track Championships at the Rockford Speedway Saturday night.

Nottestad, the 41-year old driver from Cambridge, Wis., wheeled his Glass Works of Madison/Take A Chance Construction/Smithback Farms/Fast Signs-sponsored Pathfinder Chassis Chevrolet SS to the victory at the high-banked, quarter-mile.

Starting seventh in the 22-car field, Nottestad, the race leader from about the 36th lap, stayed out front in a race that was slowed by 10 caution flags and raced to the checkered flag with a slim lead over veteran Tom Gille. Austin Nason, Brody Willett and series points
leader and three-time Big 8 champion Michael Bilderback rounded out the top five.

In the past, Nottestad has been oh-so-close to a Big 8 victory during Rockford’s annual NSTC. Nottestad, a five-time champion at Wisconsin’s Jefferson Speedway, had finished in the “top three” five times in the last six years at Rockford without a win.

The day’s third fastest qualifier, Nottestad became the first driver to be a repeat series winner in 2019 as he had previously won at Madison (WI) International Speedway back in June.

Tom Berens started the 108 lap race from the pole and led the first few circuits with Jon Reynolds Jr. moving to the front shortly after. Reynolds, a two-time Rockford late model champion as well as a four-time winner of the Big 8 Series event at NSTC, led the way until Nottestad came up to challenge and eventually grabbed the lead. Reynolds’ night ended with mechanical ills at about the halfway mark.

Nottestad seemed to be able to race away from the rest of the field during green flag runs only to see the yellow flag fly – four within the last 26 laps. Nottestad held on to the top spot with Gille making a run for the lead on the last lap.

“I was just driving and trying to hit my marks,” said Nottestad. “My spotter kept telling me that they (Tom Gille and Austin Nason) were battling pretty hard back there. I just wanted to make sure I hit my marks there (on the last lap). I kinda got in there too easy in the corner and got loose off of (turn) two. I knew I could drive off and beat him (Gille) to the line. The car was strong all night. It neverfell off.”

Gille, a veteran of Rockford late model action, turned in a strong performance after setting fifth fast time.

“It took about four laps for my car to really take off,” Gille said. “The yellow at the end (with 15 laps to go) just killed us. If we would have had maybe three more laps, I think we could have made it real interesting. I think we were the quickest car since about lap 80 on. I just ran out of laps.”

Young Jacob Nottestad, this year’s late model champion at Wisconsin’s Slinger Speedway, grabbed fast time honors with a lap of 13.506 seconds. Jacob Nottestad’s night ended with a mechanical problem.


Big 8 Late Model Series
Official Race Results
54th Annual National Short Track Championships
Rockford (IL) Speedway

1. Dale Nottestad (Cambridge, WI)
2. Tom Gille (Winnebago, IL)
3. Austin Nason (Roscoe, IL)
4. Brody Willett (Alburnett, IA)
5. Michael Bilderback (South Beloit, IL)
6. Jacob Vanoskey (Hartford, WI)
7. Tom Berens (Slinger, WI)
8. Dennis Smith Jr (South Beloit, IL)
9. Max Kahler (Caledonia, IL)
10. Jerry Stafford II (South Beloit, IL)
11. John Beinlich (Schaumburg, IL)
12. RJ Braun ® (Wales, WI)
13. Patrick Featherston II (Byron, IL)
14. Jon Reynolds Jr (Loves Park, IL)
15. Jerry Mueller (Richfield, WI)
16. Chad Walen (Prior Lake, MN)
17. Jeff Wakeman (Streator, IL)
18. Jacob Nottestad (Stoughton, WI)
19. Bobby Wilberg (Beloit, WI)
20. Casey Johnson (Edgerton, WI)
21. Tyler Kingery ® (Prior Lake, MN)
22. Hunter Drefahl (Evansville, WI)
23. David Thomason (Poplar Grove, IL)

Fast Qualifier- Jacob Nottestad (13.506)
Car Count: 24 Big 8 Series Late Models


Big 8 Late Model Series
Point Standings (Top 10)
(as of Sept 28 2019)

1. Michael Bilderback (543)
2. Brody Willett (487)
3. Chad Walen (479)
4. Dale Nottestad (446)
5. Nick Egan (416)
6. RJ Braun ® (400)
7. Justin Neisius (396)
8. Jerry Mueller (395)
9. Jon Reynolds Jr (291)
10. Tyler Kingery ® (287)

NEXT EVENT: Saturday October 5 “50th Oktoberfest Race Weekend”
LaCrosse (WI) Fairgrounds Speedway

ELITE BIG 8 FIELD READY TO RUMBLE AT ROCKFORD

2019-09-25

By: Tom Ace

For 54 years, the National Short Track Championships (NSTC) at Rockford Speedway have been a proving ground for some of America’s top short track racers.

It’s an event where bragging rights are on the line. An end of-season gathering mixing track champions and winners from near and far. And most importantly, a test of man and machine on Rockford’s tight high banked quarter mile.

For the 18th time, the Big 8 Late Model Series makes an appearance at the National Short Track Championships this Saturday night September 28. As the latest chapter gets set to be written for the “Best Weekly Warriors in the Country,” an all-star cast of drivers gears up to claim their stake in history.

According to the record books, this Saturday night’s field at Rockford is the winningest group of drivers to ever compete in a Big 8 Late Model Series race. 50 Series wins are represented in the field, with 58 track and Series championships held between each of the entrants. The drivers signed up for this weekend’s event also represent over 40 feature race wins between them this past summer.

As far as drivers to watch on Saturday night, all eyes will be on Big 8 Late Model Series point leader Michael Bilderback, who is gunning for his fourth Series championship. The Series arrives at Bilderback’s his home track seemingly at the right time. With three drivers entering Rockford nipping at Bilderback’s heels in the Big 8 points chase and despite leading the Big 8 standings most of the year, Bilderback has yet to win a Big 8 Series race this season. With that in mind, Bilderback has been dominant in recent Big 8 races at Rockford, winning three straight Series events, including the last two NSTC’s.

You can’t talk about Big 8 racing at Rockford without mentioning ‘Driver X’ Jon Reynolds Jr. No one has won more 108 lap races at Rockford than Reynolds, a four-time NSTC Big 8 winner (2008, 2010, 2012, 2013). Reynolds is a master of the distance races and has finished in the top five seven times in his previous Big 8 NSTC starts. Reynolds is also a former winner of the Super Late Model 200 lap race at NSTC, claiming an emotional victory during the 50th Anniversary race in 2015.

Reynolds earned his 200 lap win at Rockford by outdistancing Casey Johnson on a cloudy September day. Speaking of Johnson, the two-time Big 8 Series champion returns to Rockford to go for a third Big 8 win at NSTC. Johnson captured his NSTC wins in 2014 and 2016 and both are memorable victories. The 2014 race featured a three-wide dead heat to the checkers between Johnson, Dale Nottestad and Austin Nason. 2016’s win was part of a weekend sweep for Johnson, who also went on to win
the 200 lap race on Sunday, becoming the only driver besides Joe Shear to win both NSTC Late Model races on the same weekend. Shearaccomplished the feat in 1987.

Dale Nottestad has been oh-so-close to a Big 8 win at NSTC. The five-time Jefferson Speedway champion has finished in the top three an incredible five times in the last six years without a win. A Big 8 Series winner at Madison back in June, Nottestad could become the first repeat winner on the Big 8 trail in this year if he can finally remove the monkey from his back at Rockford Speedway.

2019 Madison International Speedway track champion Bobby Wilberg is always a guy to watch at Rockford. A seven-time Rockford Speedway track champion, Wilberg’s only Big 8 Series win came at Rockford in April of 2015. Wilberg finished fifth in last year’s Big 8 NSTC race.

Current ARCA Midwest Tour point leader Austin Nason returns to Rockford as part of the Big 8 contingent this weekend, looking for a win that has been within his grasps before. Nason was third in the aforementioned wild scramble to the finish with Johnson and Nottestad in 2014 while also finishing fourth in the 2013 race.

The Big 8 Series point contenders come to Rockford looking to make their mark and perhaps leapfrog Bilderback in the process. Minnesota’s Chad Walen made the jump from fourth to second place in points last weekend, following a runner up finish to Jacob Goede in the 93 lap “Thunderstruck” at Elko Speedway. Walen had three top-fives in Big 8 competition this season and is just 32 points behind Bilderback heading into Rockford. Wisconsin’s Nick Egan won the season-opening Big 8 Series event at Hawkeye Downs during the month of May and has
been in contention all year long. Egan has finished fourth or better three different times and enters NSTC just 39 points behind Bilderback. Iowa’s Brody Willett is just 52 points behind in the points and sits fourth overall. Willett was also a two-time winner at his home track Hawkeye Downs this past summer.

Slinger Speedway track champion Jacob Nottestad is ready to compete this weekend at NSTC after an incredible season at the “World’s Fastest Quarter Mile.” Nottestad won eight feature races in 2019 at Slinger while also collecting three fast time awards. Nottestad was second place to Nick Egan in a closely-contested Big 8 Series Rookie of the Year battle one season ago.

As far as this year’s Rookie class is concerned, both contenders will be in the field this weekend at Rockford. Current Big 8 Rookie of the Year point leader RJ Braun from Wisconsin and Minnesota’s Tyler Kingery will both test the high banks at Rockford this Saturday. Braun currently sits in seventh place in the overall points, while Kingery holds down ninth.

The 54th Annual National Short Track Championships take place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday September 27, 28 and 29 at Rockford Speedway, located at the intersection of Illinois Highway 173 and Forest Hills Road in Loves Park Illinois. Friday night features six divisions of racing including Late Models. Saturday is highlighted by the 108 lap Big 8 Late Model Series feature and racing gets underway
at 5 PM. Sunday includes the 250 lap National Short Track Championship race for Super Late Models. Overnight Parking for Campers is permitting during the weekend on the grounds.

For more information on Rockford Speedway and the 54th Annual National Short Track Championships, please visit rockfordspeedway.com or call 815-633-1500.

For more information on the Big 8 Late Model Series, please visit our NEW web address, big8latemodels.com.


EVENT DETAILS:

What: 54th Annual National Short Track Championships
Where: Rockford Speedway (9572 Forest Hills Road Loves Park IL)
When: Saturday September 28

Schedule and Information:
7:30 AM- Pits Open
10 AM- Practice Begins (Rotating, until 1:40 PM)
2:15 PM- Qualifying Begins (Midwest Dash, Super Late Models, Legends, Big 8)
5 PM- Racing Begins

Divisions Competing:
Big 8 Late Model Series (complete show highlighted by a 108 lap feature) PLUS Midwest Dash Series, Legends and Super Late Model Preliminary Races

Admission Prices:
see rockfordspeedway.com or call 815-633-1500


Big 8 Late Model Series
Expected Entry List
54th Annual National Short Track Championships
Rockford (IL) Speedway
(as of 9/25 12 PM)

OO- Brody Willet (Alburnett, IA)
2- Michael Bilderback (South Beloit, IL)
5- Casey Johnson (Edgerton, WI)
7- Jerry Stafford II (South Beloit, IL)
X- Jon Reynolds Jr (Loves Park, IL)
13- Nick Egan (Slinger, WI)
14- Austin Nason (Roscoe, IL)
17- Max Kahler (Caledonia, IL)
24- Jim Olson (Woodstock, IL)
28- Bobby Wilberg (Beloit, WI)
40- Tom Gille (Winnebago, IL)
49- Jerry Mueller (Richfield, WI)
51- Dale Nottestad (Cambridge, WI)
52- Chad Walen (Prior Lake, MN)
58- Tyler Kingery (Prior Lake, MN)
71- Mark Greb (Coralville, IA)
81- Dennis Smith Jr (South Beloit, IL)
84- Jake Vanoskey (Hartford, WI)
91- Jeff Wakeman (Streator, IL)
92- RJ Braun (Wales, WI)
97- Jacob Nottestad (Cambridge, WI)
99- Tom Berens (Slinger, WI)
103- David Thomason (Poplar Grove, IL)


Big 8 Late Model Series Point Standings
(as of September 21 2019)

1. Michael Bilderback (455)
2. Chad Walen (423)
3. Nick Egan (416)
4. Brody Willett    (403)
5. Justin Neisius    (396)
6. Jerry Mueller    (341)
7. RJ Braun ® (340)
8. Dale Nottestad (330)
9. Tyler Kingery ® (245)
10. Jon Reynolds Jr (229)


REMAINING 2019 BIG 8 LATE MODEL SERIES SCHEDULE:
Sat Sept 28- 54th Annual National Short Track Championships (Rockford Speedway)
Sat Oct 5- 50th Oktoberfest Race Weekend (La Crosse Fairgrounds
Speedway, West Salem, WI)

FOR MORE INFORMATION: big8latemodels.com

GOEDE THUNDERS TO ELKO CHECKERS

2019-09-21

By: Tom Ace

It’s been a season to remember for Jacob Goede.

A sixth Elko Speedway track championship and ten feature wins across the Midwest were enough to crown Goede the 2019 NASCAR Weekly Series National Champion.

So it’s quite fitting that Goede put a cherry on top of a career season with a win in Saturday night’s 11^th Annual Thunderstruck 93 celebrating the life of Dan Ryan, the fifth race of the 2019 Big 8 Late Model Series season.

Goede, who earlier in the evening set fast time and broke the Big 8 Late Model Series track record, started the race from the twelfth position following the pre-race inversion. Starting on the front row for the 93 lap main event were fellow Minnesotans Michael Ostdiek and Chad Walen.

Ostdiek stepped out to the early race lead, pacing the field over the course of the first 25 laps. Walen caught him on the 26th lap and the two drivers raced side-by-side for the top spot until Walen was able to sneak out front on lap 30.

When the mandatory yellow flag flew at lap 39, it was Walen leading while Goede had already advanced to second place. It didn’t take Goede long to take the top spot, firing past Walen on the race’s forty-first
lap.

Goede was never seriously challenged again for the lead, but behind him the battling was intense. Walen and multi-time Big 8 race winner Chris Marek waged a close-quarters battle for the runner up spot over the course of the race’s final 20 laps. When the checkered flag flew, it was Walen coming home in second, with Marek settling for third.

Aside from Goede’s twelfth-to-first charge, Nick Murgic made a fantastic run through the field, advancing from his 14th starting position to finish the race in fourth place. Youngster Devyn Stocker earned his first Big 8 Series top five in just his second start by rounding out the top five. Minnesota drivers displayed dominance on their hometrack by sweeping the top thirteen positions in the 26 car
field.

The race for the Big 8 Late Model Series championship tightened up Saturday night. Three-time Series champion Michael Bilderback did extend his point lead slightly (32 points from 27) but also saw more
drivers move into contention to challenge for the championship with just two races to go. Walen’s solid night and second place finish moved him to second place in points, while Nick Egan slipped from second to third. Brody Willett still harbors hopes of a championship in fourth, while Justin Neisius slipped into the top five in points on the strength of a seventh place finish.

The top five drivers in Big 8 Late Model Series points are now separated by just 59 points as the “Best Weekly Warriors in the Country” get ready for 108 laps this Saturday night September 28 at
Rockford (IL) Speedway as part of the 54th Annual National Short Track Championships.


Big 8 Late Model Series
Official Race Results
11th Annual Thunderstruck 93
Saturday September 21 2019
Elko (MN) Speedway

1 Jacob Goede (Carver, MN)
2. Chad Walen (Prior Lake, MN)
3. Chris Marek (Elko, MN)
4. Nick Murgic (Rosemount, MN)
5. Devyn Stocker (Farmington, MN)
6. Adam Bendzick (New Prague, MN)
7. Justin Neisius (Eagan, MN)
8. Michael Ostdiek (Lakeville, MN)
9. Steve Schultz (Webster, MN)
10. Grant Brown (Prior Lake, MN)
11. Joe Neisius (Rosemount, MN)
12. Ryan Kamish (Farmington, MN)
13. Michael Haggar (Hanover, MN)
14. Brody Willett (Alburnett, IA)
15. Michael Bilderback (South Beloit, IL)
16. Bryan Wrolstad (Faribault, MN)
17. Owin Giles (New Market, MN)
18. Andrew Schultz (Webster, MN)
19. RJ Braun ® (Wales, WI)
20. Nick Egan (Slinger, WI)
21. Tyler Kingery ® (Prior Lake, MN)
22. Mark Greb (Coralville, IA)
23. Lawrence Berthiume (New Hope, MN)
24. Donny Reuvers (Dundas, MN)
25. Jerry Mueller (Richfield, WI)
26. Barry Tanner Jr (Bloomington, MN)

Fast Time: Goede (14.549, New Big 8 Track Record)
Car Count: 26 Big 8 Series Late Models

Upcoming Events:
Saturday September 28 “54th Annual Nat’l Short Track Championship”
Rockford (IL) Speedway (108 laps)
Saturday October 5 “50th Oktoberfest Race Weekend” La Crosse (WI)
Fairgrounds Speedway (38 laps)


Big 8 Late Model Series Point Standings (Top 10)
(Following the “Thunderstruck 93” at Elko (MN) Speedway)

1 Michael Bilderback (455)
2. Chad Walen (423)
3. Nick Egan (416)
4. Brody Willett (403)
5. Justin Neisius (396)
6. Jerry Mueller (341)
7. RJ Braun ® (340)
8. Dale Nottestad (330)
9. Tyler Kingery ® (245)
10. Jon Reynolds Jr (229)

 

Dixieland Delight 38 Results

2019-08-06

Big 8 Late Model

A-Main 01 --  1. Mike Meyerhofer, Jr, Hilbert, Wis; 2. Jesse Bernhagen, Markesan, Wis; 3. Nick Egan, Kenosha, Wis;

 4. Jeremy Miller, Rockford; 5. Michael Bilderback, South Beloit; 6. Jerry Mueller, Richfield, Wis; 7. Dale

Nottestad, Cambridge, Wis; 8. Brody Willett, Alburnett, Iowa; 9. Brent Edmunds, Monticello, Wis; 10. Justin

Neisius, Eagan, Minn.; 11. RJ Braun (r), Wales, Wis; 12. Chad Walen, Prior Lake, Minn.; 13. Joey Pontbriand,

Norway, Mich.; 14. Tyler Kingery (r), Prior Lake, Minn.; 15. Tim Springstroh, Depere, Wis; 16. Jon Reynolds, Jr.,

Time Trial --  1. Michael Bilderback, South Beloit; 2. Jesse Bernhagen, Markesan, Wis; 3. Brody Willett, Alburnett,

Iowa; 4. Dale Nottestad, Cambridge, Wis; 5. Jeremy Miller, Rockford; 6. Nick Egan, Kenosha, Wis; 7. RJ Braun (r),

Wales, Wis; 8. Mike Meyerhofer, Jr, Hilbert, Wis; 9. Jon Reynolds, Jr., Loves Park; 10. Jerry Mueller, Richfield, Wis;

11. Brent Edmunds, Monticello, Wis; 12. Chad Walen, Prior Lake, Minn.; 13. Justin Neisius, Eagan, Minn.; 14.

Joey Pontbriand, Norway, Mich.; 15. Tim Springstroh, Depere, Wis; 16. Tyler Kingery (r), Prior Lake, Minn..

No. 70 wins No. 70 as Knoblock takes Detjens Big 8 feature

2019-07-26

WAUSAU, Wis. (July 26) – Time and again, Neil Knoblock faced challenges for supremacy at State Park Speedway Friday night. Every single time, Knoblock had an answer, and the result was a memorable victory for a veteran on his home track.

Knoblock scored his first-ever Big 8 Series victory and his first feature win at State Park in seven years, winning the 58-lap feature highlighting the first night of the 2019 Larry Detjens Memorial Weekend. The win was also the 70th career feature win at the track for a driver who has driven car no. 70 for so many of those victories over four decades of racing.

Knoblock led all but one of the 58 laps and fended off a number of challengers in the 21-car field, including on no less than five restarts late. After several close shaves on some of those restarts, he drove away on what proved to be the last one with five laps to go to win.

“I don’t know how long that race was, but it felt like a 300-lapper,” said a jubilant Knoblock in Brickner Family Auto Group Victory Lane, who dedicated the win to his father.

“This car, we’re just making it work. We got 15, 20 laps of practice on it earlier today, that’s all we’ve drove it this year, it’s just been sitting on the shelf…this car’s pretty cool. Man, I can’t believe we won the Big 8 race.”

A former track champion in limited late model cars at the track with many of his career feature wins there, Knoblock has mainly raced super late model cars in recent years but brought out his late model for the first time since Oktoberfest at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway last year.

Knoblock started on the outside pole next to Illinois Big 8 traveler Jim Olson. Olson led through three attempts to complete the first lap, but Knoblock inched ahead on the outside on the next lap and cleared Olson two laps later.

Lurking behind early was Thayran Rezin of Tomah, a Central Wisconsin Racing Association feature winner earlier this year racing with the Big 8 cars for the first time this year. Rezin ran second with Jeremy Lepak and Dale Nottestad close behind for the first 15 laps until Nottestad passed Rezin for second on lap 16 and Lepak also got by a lap later. Nick Egan also followed them by soon after, and the quartet would compose the top four for the duration of the race.

The longest green flag spell came after a restart just past the midway point, with Knoblock towing the field for 22 laps with Nottestad his closest pursuer at first until Lepak passed Nottestad on the outside with 15 to go. It appeared Knoblock would be in the clear to the finish until Olson spun in turns 3 and 4 with six laps to go, bunching the field back up again.

A second restart with six to go was followed by one lap of green racing before Olson, Tom Gille and Big 8 points leader Michael Bilderback were collected in 3 and 4, with Gille and Bilderback both into the outside wall and finished for the night. Two more restarts followed yet, but Knoblock with the front row to himself continued to take care of business and pulled away on the last one to win by five car lengths. Lepak came across the line second but his car did not pass post-race inspection, resulting in Nottestad finishing second, Minnesota’s Chad Walen third and Egan fourth.

The race had six official cautions plus five other aborted restarts due to incidents before a lap was completed.

The most impactful incident came on lap 10 when fast qualifier Bilderback, on the move early, spun on the frontstretch, and the cloud of smoke resulted in at least six other cars getting bunched up behind. Bilderback, Justin Neisius, Devyn Stocker and Dillon Mackesy received the most damage, though three of the four remained on the lead lap and Neisius came back for a fifth-place finish. Bilderback had to go to the pits and returned to the track five laps down, though, his run at a third Big 8 win at the track severely hampered even as he gained back a number of laps through later cautions.

Defending race winner Jon Reynolds Jr. started 16th in the field and moved all the way up to fifth at one point late. He was lined up sixth on a restart with five to go but lost power, resulting in another caution and his starting at the back. Reynolds rallied back to finish 11th.

Among the local drivers, Mackesy fought through considerable front end sheet metal damage to finish 10th. Rayce Haase ran as high as fifth late in the race but was another caught up in an accident on a restart, spinning out of turn 2 with six laps to go and backing into a mound surrounding a light pole. Haase finished 17th.

Results

Big 8 Late Models
Fast Qualifier: Michael Bilderback, South Beloit, Ill., 14.424 sec.
First Heat: 1. Tom Gille, Winnebago, Ill.; 2. Bilderback; 3. Jeremy Lepak, Ringle; 4. Michael Ostdiek, Lakeville, Minn.; 5. R.J. Braun, Wales; 6. Jerry Mueller, Richfield; 7. Jared Duda, St. Michael, Minn.
Second Heat: 1. Neil Knoblock, Wausau; 2. Brody Willett, Alburnett, Iowa; 3. Chad Walen, Prior Lake, Minn.; 4. Jon Reynolds Jr., Loves Park, Ill.; 5. Rayce Haase, Wausau; 6. Justin Neisius, Eagan, Minn.; 7. Tyler Kingery, Prior Lake, Minn.
Third Heat: 1. Dillon Mackesy, Athens; 2. Jim Olson, Woodstock, Ill.; 3. Thayran Rezin, Tomah; 4. Nick Egan, Slinger; 5. Dale Nottestad, Cambridge; 6. Devyn Stocker, Farmington, Minn.; 7. Luke Westenberg, Jefferson
Feature: 1. Knoblock; 2. Nottestad; 3. Walen; 4. Egan; 5. Neisius; 6. Ostdiek; 7. Stocker; 8. Mueller; 9. Willett; 10. Mackesy; 11. Reynolds; 12. Westenberg; 13. Duda; 14. Olson; 15. Braun; 16. Rezin; 17. Haase; 18. Gille; 19. Bilderback; 20. Kingery; DQ: Lepak

Dale Nottestad Wins Big 8 Salute to America 48 at Madison

2019-06-28

PERSEVERENCE PAYS OFF, EGAN CONQUERS CLASH AT THE DOWNS

2019-06-13

Leading up to the start of the “Clash at the Downs V” at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids Iowa on Friday night, Nick Egan wasn’t thinking this would be his breakthrough week.

After a big wreck at his home track in Wisconsin just five days prior, Egan was left with a bent stub among other significant damage. The team worked hard to get it fixed just in time to make the trip to Iowa for the opening race of the 2019 Big 8 Late Model Series season.

“At two o’clock this morning we were just about ready to load up,” the 2018 series rookie said in victory lane. “The only testing I had was driving it to the hauler, it’s really scary coming to a big track with no testing after a big wreck like that.”

Their hard work paid off, as Egan survived the chaos throughout the race to grab his first career series victory at the end.

Calamity struck even before racing even began, when Minnesota’s Grant Brown had an issue in qualifying and went into the turn three wall, ending his night.

Then it was time for the 48 lap feature event. Before a full lap of green was made, Chad Walen and Mark Ironside made contact—prompting a full restart. Matt Lundberg took the early lead until Brody Willett assumed the top spot on the race’s third lap.

Willett continued to lead until a caution came out with 16 to go, meaning fast qualifier, Griffin McGrath, would be lined up right behind him. Two laps later, the drivers made contact coming out of turn four, sending both head-on into the wall. Both drivers were okay, but their night was over.

When the race was restarted, it was Michael Bilderback and Egan who led the charge. As the two got side by side, slight contact was made, giving Egan the head spot and dropping Bilderback backwards. From there it was clear sailing for Egan, who was able to drive away and collect his first-ever Big 8 Late Model Series victory in just his second full season racing with the series.

“We were lined up for the red flag, I saw Mikey (Bilderback) looked like he had a tire going down, and I knew I could get by him,” Egan said. “We took a big swing at it after the heat race, and the adjustments we made really helped and brought us here.”

A second place finish was enough for a big smile as Lundberg climbed out of the car. When asked if he thought he would end up where he did:

“Early on? No!,’ He said. “As the night went on the car got better and better and the cautions helped us cool the tires down then we were able to get by guys.”

The next event for the Big 8 Late Model Series is scheduled for Friday, June 28th at Madison International Speedway in Oregon Wisconsin, with the traditional running of the “Salute to America” 48 lap event. Along with a large post-race Fireworks Display, the Big 8 ‘weekly warriors’ are set to share the spotlight at Madison with the USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series.

 

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