It’s time to step back for a few minutes and enjoy the 2016 racing season at your NASCAR Home Track, Madison International Speedway, that once again featured very exciting and competitive action on Wisconsin’s Fastest Half-Mile and the Ring of Fire quarter mile.
Let’s take a look at both the action in the weekly racing divisions and all of the special events.
Wilberg Wins Twelfth Track Championship at Madison
For the twelfth time in his career Bobby Wilberg earned a track championship at Madison
Wilberg’s championship season found him earning 1211 points including two feature wins and finishing in the top five in eleven out of twelve starts. He also won two heat races and set fast time on three nights. Wilberg set the tone from the start when he took home the checkered flag at the season opener on May 20th.
In addition to his track championships at Madison, Wilberg has seven championships at Rockford Speedway giving him a total of nineteen titles. His championships at Madison include Late Models (3), ASA / Madison Late Models (3), Midwest Modifieds (3), Sportsman (1), and Super Late Models (2). Along with the track championships at Madison have come over 60 feature wins.
The 2015 track champion, Zack Riddle, finished in second place with 1098 points that also included two checkered flags in features and seven top five finishes. Riddle also won a heat race and had one fast time.
Finishing in third place was John Beale with 1044 points powered by a division leading three feature wins. Beale also earned one heat win in the season.
Rounding out the top five were Jon Reynolds Jr. with 925 points and John Baumeister Jr. with 914 points. Completing the top ten were Tom Gille, Brady Liddle, Matt Lundberg, Pat Richgels, and Brent Edmunds.
Lundberg also picked up Rookie of the Year honors for the Late Models by finishing with 783 points.
Wilberg also won the RA Heating and Air Conditioning Dash Series with 46 points including five wins. Riddle, Beale, Baumeister Jr., and Kevin Knuese completed the top five in the series which was scored separately from weekly championship points.
Hansberry Jr. Back on Top of the Sportsman
Robert Hansberry Jr. won the track championship for the Dave’s White Rock Sportsman giving him his third crown after winning in 2011 and 2012.
In fourteen starts, Hansberry Jr. earned 1541 points by winning a division high six features and finishing in the top five in all fourteen starts. He set fast time on seven nights and picked up one heat victory.
Second year driver Steve Anderson finished in second place with 1412 points that included two feature wins and a top five finish in all fourteen starts. Anderson set fast time on four nights and won two heat races.
Mike Taylor finished in third place with 1225 points that included ten top five finishes and one heat race win.
Defending champion Ryan Goldade took home four feature wins and finished in fourth place with 1183 points with Trevor Robinson rounding out the top five with 1087 points. Robinson was also the Rookie of the Year for the Sportsman division.
Completing the top ten were Gary Hellenbrand, Johnny Robinson II, Ray Hellenbrand, Tim Wondrash, and Terrance Robinson.
The overall winner in the RA Heating and Air Conditioning Dash Series was Hansberry Jr. with 62 points and six wins. He was followed in the top five by Anderson, Goldade, Taylor, and Johnny Robinson II.
First Track Championship for DeLacy
Brandon DeLacy won his first ever track championship at Madison in the Pellitteri Waste Systems Bandits.
He finished the 2016 season with 1140 points that included four feature wins and ten top five finishes in eleven starts. He also led the division with six fast times and notched one heat win.
Past champion Steve Dickson earned runner-up honors with 1032 points. He finished with one feature win and eight top five finishes along with three checkered flags in heat races.
James Junget earned a podium finish by picking up 936 points and took home seven top five finishes in his eleven starts. Despite only getting nine starts, Nick Schmidt finished in fourth place thanks to four feature wins and garnering 913 points. Lyle Phillips closed out the top five with 836 points and two feature wins in his ten starts.
Other drivers finishing in the top ten included McKayla Adams, David Schmidt, Cade Watters, Sam Messel, and Ronnie Coppernoll.
Based on her ninth place finish, Messel won Rookie of the Year honors for the division.
DeLacy also won the RA Heating and Air Conditioning Dash Series with 40 points followed by Dickson, Nick Schmidt, David Schmidt, and Junget. DeLacy and Dickson each had three wins.
6Shooters Continue to Be Fun and Affordable
Although the 6Shooter division does not crown a champion nor maintain point standings, there was still plenty of excitement and fun on the Ring of Fire. Trevor Chilson won three features with Nick Krohn and Kevin Whitford also taking home wins. The division saw solid car count growth with the September event featuring seventeen cars.
Johnson Wins Triple Crown Challenge
Casey Johnson became the first two-time overall winner in the Super Late Model Triple Crown Challenge at Madison. Johnson finished with 213 points which was nine points better than runner-up Jeremy Miller. Ty Majeski and Miller won the first two events before rained washed out the August race and Johnson was declared the overall winner. He also was the 2013 Challenge winner.
A Summary of Special Events
The ARCA Racing Series returned to Madison in 2016 with Florida driver Josh Williams getting the win. Ty Majeski won the Joe Shear Classic for the ARCA Midwest Tour by topping a twenty-four car field. Jeremy Miller won the Big 8 Late Model race while Bill Prietzel and Kenny Joosten each won a Mid American Stock Car Series race. Midwest Truck Series wins went to Chester Ace, Dave Edwards, and Dan Jung while Ryan Goldade and Ace won American Ethanol Super Trucks features. Dave Trute continued his hot streak in the Great Northern Sportsman Series by winning both events at Madison. Kyle Stark was equally as successful by winning the Midwest Dash Series and Midwest Compact Touring Series for four cylinder cars. Aaron Moyer won all three races for the Legends while eight year old Karter Stark was the youngest winner this season when he took the feature for the Bandoleros. Jamie Domski and Trevor Addams won the two events for the Central States Super Cups. Woody Pool won the Vintage race.
The Must See 410 Sprint Cars returned to Madison with Jimmy McCune taking the win. Sprint car driver David Byrne established a new track record with a lap of 14.624 set at the Mad Town Meltdown in May.
Another exciting racing season is just around the corner at Madison. Stay tuned for all of the updates leading up to the May 7th opener featuring the Joe Shear Classic and the ARCA Midwest Tour.