Madison International Speedway
Official Press Release
Contact John Wells 608.225.1913
Nottestad, Hansberry Jr., and Griffin Win at MIS
Dale Nottestad, Robert Hansberry Jr., and Kevin Griffin won features in their respective divisions as part of Ladies Night at the Races at Madison International Speedway.
The track record for Late Models fell once again as Zack Riddle turned a lap of 18.296 shortly after Nottestad had eclipsed the mark set by Riddle earlier in the season.
Nottestad Goes Outside to Win Late Model Feature
Dale Nottestad took a shot at starting on the outside during the final restart and it paid off for him as he won the 40 lap feature for the Rockweiler Insulation Late Models.
Chuck Garetson and Jason Hicks paced the field to the green flag with Hicks jumping out to a commanding lead.
By lap 12 Hicks had built a ten car length lead over his fellow competitors with Casey Johnson and Kevin Knuese his closest competition. On lap 17, Knuese, Zack Riddle, and Nottestad would race past Johnson and start applying some pressure on the leader.
The caution flag came out on lap 20 for a spin which meant it was time for the restart cone. As the leader Hicks would earn the inside position with Knuese choosing to follow suit. Nottestad made the decision to go to the outside of row one. It proved to be the winning decision.
Nottestad wasted no time taking the lead away from Hicks. Knuese needed two laps to take second place from Hicks with Riddle doing the same on lap 24. Last week’s feature winner John Baumeister Jr. and Bobby Wilberg were battling it out for a top five spot behind the leaders.
A spin on lap 35 brought out the caution flag and forced the drivers behind Nottestad to make some decisions. This time Riddle took a chance running to the outside of Nottestad, but was unable to get by him as Nottestad led the rest of the way to pick up the victory for Clifcorn Motorsports. Riddle had to settle for the runner-up spot with Knuese, John Baumeister Jr., and Bobby Wilberg rounding out the top five.
“I had to go to the outside and it paid off for me tonight,” said Nottestad in a post race interview.
Qualifying race wins went to Knuese and Riddle.
In the first fifteen lap qualifying race Chad Stevens set the early pace before Knuese took the lead on lap 9 and held off the hard charging Dale Nottestad for the win.
The second qualifying race found Shane Morrissey leading the first two circuits before surrendering the lead to Bobby Wilberg on lap 4. Working his way to the front, Riddle found the room he needed to get by Wilberg coming out of turn two on lap 12 and race his way to victory lane.
Riddle set a new track record with a lap of 18.296.
Rockweiler Insulation Late Models 6/1/2012
40 Lap Feature:1. Dale Nottestad (Cambridge, WI), 2. Zack Riddle (Brooklyn, WI), 3. Kevin Knuese (Waukesha, WI), 4. John Baumeister Jr. (Lake Geneva, WI), 5. Bobby Wilberg (Beloit, WI), 6. Nathan Oppliger (Oregon, WI), 7. Chad Stevens (Orfordville, WI), 8. Andy Evraets (Menomonee Falls, WI), 9. Casey Johnson (Stoughton, WI), 10. Shane Morrissey (Cuba City, WI), 11. Jason Hicks (Elkhorn, WI), 12. Chuck Garetson (Albany, WI), 13. Don Wickstrum (Monroe, WI),
Qualifying:1. Zack Riddle (Brooklyn, WI), 2. Dale Nottestad (Cambridge, WI), 3. John Baumeister Jr. (Lake Geneva, WI), 4. Nathan Oppliger (Oregon, WI), 5. Casey Johnson (Stoughton, WI), 6. Kevin Knuese (Waukesha, WI), 7. Bobby Wilberg (Beloit, WI), 8. Jason Hicks (Elkhorn, WI), 9. Andy Evraets (Menomonee Falls, WI), 10. Chad Stevens (Orfordville, WI), 11. Shane Morrissey (Cuba City, WI), 12. Don Wickstrum (Monroe, WI), 13. Chuck Garetson (Albany, WI),
Qualifying Race 1:1. Zack Riddle (Brooklyn, WI), 2. Bobby Wilberg (Beloit, WI), 3. John Baumeister Jr. (Lake Geneva, WI), 4. Casey Johnson (Stoughton, WI), 5. Shane Morrissey (Cuba City, WI), 6. Andy Evraets (Menomonee Falls, WI), 7. Chuck Garetson (Albany, WI),
Qualifying Race 2:1. Kevin Knuese (Waukesha, WI), 2. Dale Nottestad (Cambridge, WI), 3. Don Wickstrum (Monroe, WI), 4. Chad Stevens (Orfordville, WI), 5. Jason Hicks (Elkhorn, WI), 6. Nathan Oppliger (Oregon, WI),
Morrisons Auto Parts Dash:1. Kevin Knuese (Waukesha, WI), 2. Casey Johnson (Stoughton, WI), 3. Zack Riddle (Brooklyn, WI), 4. Dale Nottestad (Cambridge, WI), 5. John Baumeister Jr. (Lake Geneva, WI), 6. Nathan Oppliger (Oregon, WI),
Two for Two for Hansberry Jr.
Robert Hansberry Jr. made it two in a row by winning the 20 lap feature for the Ho Chunk Gaming Madison Sportsman.
Greg Baxter and TJ Goldade made up the front row of the ten car field. Neither led a lap as newcomer Will Rece sprinted to the lead and quickly set sail into the night. Unfortunately for Rece, the caution flag came out on lap 5 and negated his sizeable margin over the field.
The restart found Hansberry Jr. moving up to the outside next to Rece. Rece was able to hold down the lead for three laps before Hansberry Jr. proved to be too much.
Despite Rece’s efforts to keep him within his sights, Hansberry Jr. checked away from the field and easily raced his way to victory lane. Rece finished in second place followed by Tommy Wutke, Goldade, and Matt Lundberg.
“I really have to thank my dad for his advice. We wanted me to avoid getting stuck on the outside tonight,” said Hansberry Jr.
Matt Lundberg and Mike Taylor took home the checkered flags in the ten lap qualifying races.
In the first race Lundberg took the lead on lap 3 and cruised the rest of the way to pick up his first win of the season. Will Rece outbattled TJ Goldade to finish in the runner-up position.
Mike Taylor took the lead from the start and held off Robert Hansberry Jr. to win the second qualifying race.
Hansberry Jr. was the quick qualifier with a lap of 20.763.
Ho Chunk Gaming Madison Sportsman 6/1/2012
20 Lap Feature:1. Robert Hansberry Jr. (Beloit, WI), 2. Will Rece (Stoughton, WI), 3. Tommy Wutke (Stoughton, WI), 4. TJ Goldade (Stoughton, WI), 5. Matt Lundberg (Rockford, IL), 6. Mike Taylor (Stoughton, WI), 7. Greg Baxter (Brodhead, WI), 8. Dan Snyder (Stoughton, WI), 9. Dan Lerdahl (Oregon, WI), 10. Brandon Skolaski (Fitchburg, WI),
Qualifying:1. Robert Hansberry Jr. (Beloit, WI), 2. Matt Lundberg (Rockford, IL), 3. Tommy Wutke (Stoughton, WI), 4. Will Rece (Stoughton, WI), 5. Greg Baxter (Brodhead, WI), 6. TJ Goldade (Stoughton, WI), 7. Mike Taylor (Stoughton, WI), 8. Brandon Skolaski (Fitchburg, WI), 9. Chester Ace (Oregon, WI), 10. Dan Lerdahl (Oregon, WI), 11. Jon Coker (Albany, WI), 12. Dan Snyder (Stoughton, WI),
Qualifying Race 1:1. Mike Taylor (Stoughton, WI), 2. Robert Hansberry Jr. (Beloit, WI), 3. Tommy Wutke (Stoughton, WI), 4. Greg Baxter (Brodhead, WI), 5. Jon Coker (Albany, WI), 6. Chester Ace (Oregon, WI),
Qualifying Race 2:1. Matt Lundberg (Rockford, IL), 2. Will Rece (Stoughton, WI), 3. TJ Goldade (Stoughton, WI), 4. Brandon Skolaski (Fitchburg, WI), 5. Dan Lerdahl (Oregon, WI), 6. Dan Snyder (Stoughton, WI),
Kevin Griffin Picks Up First Ever Feature Win at MIS
Kevin Griffin won the 25 lap feature for the Pellitteri Waste Systems Legends tonight and picked up his first ever win at MIS.
Jeff Lechnir and Kyle Jusits led the field of fourteen cars to the green flag with Lechnir taking the lead for the first two circuits. Todd Schmitz would take over the top spot from Lechnir on lap 3 only to lose the lead to Jusits on lap 5.
Jusits quickly build a lead over the field being chased by Schmitz, Griffin, and Max McNamara. On lap 13 Griffin overtook Schmitz for second with Jusits still comfortably in the lead.
Griffin finally found the room he needed to get past Jusits, but the caution flag came out for the first and only time on lap 22 for a spin which resulted in Jusits keeping the lead and putting Griffin back in second.
After the green flag waved it was time for Griffin to make his move as he motored his way by Jusits and then held off a hard charging McNamara to pick up the win. McNamara finished second followed by Cory Talaska, Andy Jones, and Jusits.
An excited Griffin commented in a post race interview, “This is incredible. Andy Jones kept telling me to drive deeper into turns three and four and I did it tonight. It was scary, but it paid off for me.” In a division featuring many young drivers, Griffin added that he might be one of the first guys over twenty-one to win a feature.
The two, twelve lap qualifying races for the Legends were won by Andy Jones and Cory Talaska.
Vince Bartolotta led the first six laps of the first qualifying race before Jones would make his move and take over the top position. It was all Jones from there as he cruised to victory. Barolotta would finish second followed by Kevin Griffin and Kyle Jusits.
Cory Talaska and Max McNamara powered by pole sitter Chris Lishamer on the first lap and then proceeded to fight it out for the next eleven laps with Talaska leading at the end to pick up the victory.
Jones was the fast qualifier with a lap of 14.015.
Pellitteri Waste Systems Legends 6/1/2012
Feature:1. Kevin Griffin (Green Oaks, IL), 2. Max McNamara (Ingleside, IL), 3. Cory Talaska (Campbellsport, WI), 4. Andy Jones (Gurnee, IL), 5. Kyle Jusits (Kenosha, WI), 6. Anthony Metallo (South Elgin, IL), 7. Vince Bartolotta (West Allis, WI), 8. Todd Schmitz (Verona, WI), 9. Tony Moyer (Malone, WI), 10. Brian Griffin (Elk Grove, IL), 11. Chris Lishamer (Elgin, IL), 12. Jeff Lechnir (Oshkosh, WI), 13. Kyle Vergata (New Berlin, WI), 14. Jordan Wendt (Stoughton, WI),
Qualifying:1. Andy Jones (Gurnee, IL), 2. Max McNamara (Ingleside, IL), 3. Kevin Griffin (Green Oaks, IL), 4. Cory Talaska (Campbellsport, WI), 5. Kyle Jusits (Kenosha, WI), 6. Anthony Metallo (South Elgin, IL), 7. Tony Moyer (Malone, WI), 8. Chris Lishamer (Elgin, IL), 9. Vince Bartolotta (West Allis, WI), 10. Todd Schmitz (Verona, WI), 11. Jeff Lechnir (Oshkosh, WI), 12. Kyle Vergata (New Berlin, WI), 13. Brian Griffin (Elk Grove, IL), 14. Jordan Wendt (Stoughton, WI),
Qualifying Race 1:1. Andy Jones (Gurnee, IL), 2. Vince Bartolotta (West Allis, WI), 3. Kevin Griffin (Green Oaks, IL), 4. Kyle Jusits (Kenosha, WI), 5. Tony Moyer (Malone, WI), 6. Jeff Lechnir (Oshkosh, WI), 7. Brian Griffin (Elk Grove, IL),
Qualifying Race 2:1. Cory Talaska (Campbellsport, WI), 2. Max McNamara (Ingleside, IL), 3. Chris Lishamer (Elgin, IL), 4. Anthony Metallo (South Elgin, IL), 5. Todd Schmitz (Verona, WI), 6. Kyle Vergata (New Berlin, WI), 7. Jordan Wendt (Stoughton, WI),
The next racing action at Madison International Speedway will be Friday, June 8th with the first round of the Triple Crown Super Late Model Challenge and the running of the Scott Ollerman Memorial. The Ho Chunk Gaming Madison Sportsman and Pellitteri Waste Systems Legends will also be in action. Pit gates open at 3:30 with practice at 4:45, qualifying at 6:15 with racing to follow.