Photos Courtesy Jess Riedner / Website
Hansberry Jr., Angileri, and Rufener III Also Victorious
Jeremy Miller held off Austin Nason to pick up the checkered flag in the NASCAR Late Models at Madison tonight. Robert Hansberry Jr. (Sportsman), Brandon Angileri (Hobby Stocks), and Don Rufener III (Midwest Compact Series) also took home victories.
Miller Wins Late Model Feature
Jeremy Miller won the 30 lap feature for the NASCAR Whelen All American Late Models.
Austin Nason and Michael Bilderback brought the very competitive twenty-two car field to the green flag. After two starts were waved off by flagman Arne Thompson, Nason was able to get the lead with Brent Edmunds up to second after Bilderback drifted up the track going into turn two.
On lap 3 Miller had worked his way to third after passing Dale Nottestad and joining Edmunds to challenge Nason for the lead. Two laps later on lap 5 the caution flag waved when the car of Tom Gille lost power on the front stretch.
Another caution came out on lap 7 when Matt Lundberg spun on the back stretch after the rear end of his car broke.
When the race restarted, Nason maintained his lead while Miller and Nottestad were battling it out for second and Riddle and Brady Liddle fighting for fourth. Nason and Miller had put seven car lengths between themselves and Nottestad before the caution flag came out again on lap 12 for a spin in turn two.
Once again Nason kept the lead after the green waved again followed by Miller, Liddle, Nottestad, and Bilderback. On lap 14 Liddle powered his way past Nottestad for third with Bilderback doing the same one lap later.
Miller decided to make his move on lap 16 when he worked his way to the inside of Nason coming out of turn. Miller opened up a three car lead over Nason with Liddle, Bilderback, and Riddle completing the top five.
With eight laps to go Miller’s lead was up to six car lengths before the caution flag came out when Bilderback spun coming out of turn two and was collected by Jon Reynolds Jr. and Kevin Knuese.
Following a lengthy clean up, things were really heating up out front with Miller and Nason trading the lead twice before it appeared Nason had gained the advantage, But the caution flag would come out on lap 5 due to a spin. Unfortunately, Nason would have to surrender his lead after being penalized two positions for changing lanes on the previous restart.
The double file restart saw Miller take a four car length lead with Nason in second followed by Bobby Wilberg, Liddle, and John Baumeister Jr. There was no denying Miller tonight who led the rest of the way to pick up his thirteenth career win at Madison. Nason, Wilberg, Liddle, and Baumeister Jr. rounded out the top five.
Zack Riddle set fast time with a lap of 18.523 (97.176 mph) and picked up the win in the RA Heating and Air Conditioning Dash. Ten lap heat wins went to John Baumeister Jr., Austin Nason, and Michael Bilderback.
Hansberry Jr. Tops the Sportsman Field
Defending track champion Robert Hansberry Jr. picked up the checkered flag in the 20 lap feature for the Dave’s White Rock Sportsman. The win was Hansberry Jr.’s fourteenth in his career at Madison.
Mike Taylor took the lead from the start and led the first ten laps before Robert Hansberry Jr. passed him on the outside coming out of turn two. Hansberry Jr. quickly built up a multi-car advantage and appeared to be running away from the field before the caution flag came out on lap 15.
Hansberry Jr. regained the lead after the restart and despite another caution was still able to maintain his advantage and sprint to victory lane. Taylor finished second followed by Bryan Hellenbrand, Tim Wondrash, and Josh Madell.
Hansberry Jr. was fastest in qualifying with a lap of 20.300 (88.670 mph) and also took the checkered flag in the RA Heating and Air Conditioning Dash. Mike Taylor won the eight lap heat races.
Brandon Angileri Picks Up Hobby Stock Win
The big cars took to the small track tonight with Brandon Angileri leading wire to wire to take home the checkered flag in the 25 lap Hobby Stock main event.
The fourteen car field of Benninger Concrete Hobby Stocks was brought to the field by Brandon Angileri and Chester Williams. The two raced side by side for the first three laps before Angileri took the lead. Jim Tate Jr. moved into second with Williams and Snyder racing it out for third. A spin just ahead of the leaders on lap 7 brought out the event’s first caution.
Angileri showed the way on the restart with Snyder up to second on lap 10 after moving past Tate Jr. Snyder did everything he could to get the lead but was unable to do so. Tate Jr. tried to get some momentum on the outside but was unable to make the high side work.
Snyder and Tate Jr. continued to find a way past Angileri. With one to go Snyder was side by side but Angileri was not about to be denied as he forced Snyder high and held on to the lead to pick up the win.
Dan Snyder led the way in qualifying with a lap of 14.201 which set a new track record on the Ring of Fire. Brandon Angileri and won the eight lap heat races.
Badger 25 Win Goes to Rufener III
Don Rufener III took the lead on lap 4 following a great restart and went on to win the Badger 25 for the Midwest Compact Touring Series.
Mike Lambert and Scott Ciesielski brought the twenty car field to the green flag. Lambert broke away from the pack to take the early lead as cars raced two and three wide behind him. The caution flag came out on lap 3 when the cars of Don Rufener Jr. and Tim Finstad made contact with the wall after coming out of turn one.
After the green flag waved again Lambert continued to lead for another lap before drifting up the track and giving the lead to Don Rufener III who wasted no time building up a ten car length lead. On lap 5 Gary Stark Jr. passed both Ciesielski and Lambert to move into the second position. Stark Jr. was closing in on the leader before his car slowed considerably on lap 11
This allowed Rufener III to build up a larger lead over the field while the best race was for second between Wayne Stack and Ciesielksi. Stack would eventually gain the advantage on lap 15. Two laps later Seth Green passed Ciesielski for third with Ashley Gottschalk moving into the top five.
But the longer the race stayed under green the better it was for Don Rufener III who cruised to victory lane. Stack, Green, Gottschalk, and Stark Jr. rounded out the top five.
Gary Stark Jr. was quickest in qualifying with a lap of 22.012 (81.774 mph) while Wayne Stack and Don Rufener III won the eight lap heat races.
Next Friday night is Round One of the Super Late Model Triple Crown Challenge Series with more than 30 cars expected to take on Wisconsin’s Fastest Half-Mile. The Midwest Trucks, Central States Super Cups, and 6Shooters will also be in action. Pit gates open at 3:30, practice at 5:00, qualifying at 6:20 with racing at 7:30.
Results
Whelen All American Late Models
30 Lap Feature
1. 5M-Jeremy Miller[9]; 2. 14N-Austin Nason[1]; 3. 28W-Bobby Wilberg[4]; 4. 18L-Brady Liddle[5]; 5. 19B-John Baumeister[19]; 6. 51N-Dale Nottestad[7]; 7. 14R-Zack Riddle[10]; 8. 7H-Rusty Hansen[16]; 9. 18B-Brian Beale[12]; 10. 87E-Brent Edmunds[3]; 11. 15WR-Will Rece[13]; 12. 1A-Steve Anderson[11]; 13. 15R-Pat Richgels[14]; 14. 37R-Seth Reamer[21]; 15. 2MB-Michael Bilderback[2]; 16. X-Jon Reynolds Jr[6]; 17. 33K-Kevin Knuese[8]; 18. 32D-Paul Dygon[22]; 19. 15C-Michael Clapper[17]; 20. 12B-Billy Baumeister[20]; 21. 78L-Matt Lundberg[18]; 22. 40G-Tom Gille[15]
Dash
1. 14R-Zack Riddle[4]; 2. 5M-Jeremy Miller[3]; 3. 33K-Kevin Knuese[2]; 4. X-Jon Reynolds Jr[5]; 5. 51N-Dale Nottestad[1]; 6. 18L-Brady Liddle[6]
Heat 1
1. 19B-John Baumeister[2]; 2. 40G-Tom Gille[6]; 3. 78L-Matt Lundberg[3]; 4. 7H-Rusty Hansen[5]; 5. 15C-Michael Clapper[4]; 6. 37R-Seth Reamer[7]; 7. 32D-Paul Dygon[8]; 8. 12B-Billy Baumeister[1]
Heat 2
1. 14N-Austin Nason[2]; 2. 18B-Brian Beale[1]; 3. 51N-Dale Nottestad[5]; 4. 87E-Brent Edmunds[3]; 5. 18L-Brady Liddle[4]; 6. 5M-Jeremy Miller[6]; 7. 15R-Pat Richgels[7]
Heat 3
1. 2MB-Michael Bilderback[2]; 2. 28W-Bobby Wilberg[3]; 3. 14R-Zack Riddle[6]; 4. 33K-Kevin Knuese[5]; 5. 15WR-Will Rece[7]; 6. 1A-Steve Anderson[1]; 7. (DNF) X-Jon Reynolds Jr[4]
Qualifying
14R-Zack Riddle[20]; 2. 5M-Jeremy Miller[14]; 3. 33K-Kevin Knuese[11]; 4. 51N-Dale Nottestad[15]; 5. X-Jon Reynolds Jr[18]; 6. 18L-Brady Liddle[12]; 7. 28W-Bobby Wilberg[21]; 8. 87E-Brent Edmunds[7]; 9. 2MB-Michael Bilderback[5]; 10. 14N-Austin Nason[22]; 11. 1A-Steve Anderson[1]; 12. 18B-Brian Beale[4]; 13. 15WR-Will Rece[17]; 14. 15R-Pat Richgels[19]; 15. 40G-Tom Gille[8]; 16. 7H-Rusty Hansen[10]; 17. 15C-Michael Clapper[23]; 18. 78L-Matt Lundberg[13]; 19. 19B-John Baumeister[3]; 20. 12B-Billy Baumeister[2]; 21. 37R-Seth Reamer[16]; 22. 32D-Paul Dygon[6]; (DNS) 3G-Shawn Gunsolus
Dave’s White Rock Sportsman
20 Lap Feature
1. 7H-Robert Hansberry[6]; 2. 4T-Mike Taylor[2]; 3. 1H-Bryan Hellenbrand[7]; 4. 84W-Tim Wondrash[1]; 5. 78H-Ray Hellenbrand[5]; 6. 7JM-Josh Madell[3]; (DNS) 14DD-Dwight Dunlap; (DNS) 00H-Gary Hellenbrand
Dash
1. 7H-Robert Hansberry[3]; 2. 78H-Ray Hellenbrand[2]; 3. 00H-Gary Hellenbrand[1]; 4. 4T-Mike Taylor[5]; 5. 7JM-Josh Madell[4]; 6. 84W-Tim Wondrash[6]
Heat
1. 4T-Mike Taylor[1]; 2. 7JM-Josh Madell[2]; 3. 00H-Gary Hellenbrand[3]; 4. 7H-Robert Hansberry[5]; 5. 1H-Bryan Hellenbrand[7]; 6. 84W-Tim Wondrash[6]; 7. 78H-Ray Hellenbrand[4]; 8. 14DD-Dwight Dunlap[8]
Qualifying
1.7H-Robert Hansberry[2]; 2. 78H-Ray Hellenbrand[5]; 3. 00H-Gary Hellenbrand[4]; 4. 7JM-Josh Madell[6]; 5. 4T-Mike Taylor[7]; 6. 84W-Tim Wondrash[8]; 7. 1H-Bryan Hellenbrand[3]; 8. 14DD-Dwight Dunlap[1]
Hobby Stocks
25 Lap Feature
1. 5A-Brandon Angileri[1]; 2. 51S-Dan Snyder[5]; 3. 27T-Jim Tate Jr[3]; 4. 57S-Kenny Storkson[4]; 5. 22W-Chester Williams[2]; 6. 36T-Josh Thiering[6]; 7. 18R-Robby Robinson[9]; 8. 71T-Jamie Tate[10]; 9. 10B-Jon Benninger[7]; 10. 81S-Ricky Sanwick[11]; 11. 7RC-Rick Coppernoll[12]; 12. 14R-Andy Raley[8]; 13. 34M-Mark Melchiori[14]; 14. 23E-Jordan Egli[13]
Heat 1
1. 5A-Brandon Angileri[1]; 2. 27T-Jim Tate Jr[2]; 3. 51S-Dan Snyder[3]; 4. 18R-Robby Robinson[5]; 5. 10B-Jon Benninger[4]; 6. 81S-Ricky Sanwick[6]; 7. 23E-Jordan Egli[7]
Heat 2
1. 57S-Kenny Storkson[3]; 2. 14R-Andy Raley[4]; 3. 71T-Jamie Tate[5]; 4. 7RC-Rick Coppernoll[6]; 5. 36T-Josh Thiering[1]; 6. 22W-Chester Williams[2]; 7. 34M-Mark Melchiori[7]
Qualifying
1. 51S-Dan Snyder[9]; 2. 57S-Kenny Storkson[10]; 3. 27T-Jim Tate Jr[12]; 4. 22W-Chester Williams[15]; 5. 5A-Brandon Angileri[1]; 6. 36T-Josh Thiering[13]; 7. 10B-Jon Benninger[2]; 8. 14R-Andy Raley[6]; 9. 18R-Robby Robinson[7]; 10. 71T-Jamie Tate[11]; 11. 81S-Ricky Sanwick[8]; 12. 7RC-Rick Coppernoll[3]; 13. 23E-Jordan Egli[4]; 14. 34M-Mark Melchiori[5]
Midwest Compact Touring Series
25 Lap Feature
(1-10) Don Rufener III, Wayne Stack, Seth Green, Ashley Gottschalk, Gary Stark Jr., Scott Ciesielski, Mike Lambert, Brandon DeLacy, Phil Malouf, Joe Cross
(11-18) Merek Pankow, Chad Gray, Curtis Gray, Chris Jackson, Steve Dickson, Chris Gottschalk, Don Rufener Jr., Tim Finstad
Qualifying
(1-10) Gary Stark Jr., Don Rufener III, Don Rufener Jr., Seth Green, Phil Malouf, Tim Finstad, Steve Dickson, Devon Dixon, Chris Gottschalk, Ashley Gottschalk
(11-18) Scott Ciesielski, Mike Lambert, Wayne Stack, Joe Cross, Merek Pankow, Brandon DeLacy, Ryan Hoffman, Chris Jackson