SONTAG TAKES SPECIAL EVENT

AT GRUNDY COUNTY SPEEDWAY

BY ANDY GROD

Joliet’s Brett Sontag captured the post-season 40 lap Late Model feature event during the special UMARA Stock Car and Open Wheel event, Saturday night, October 16th at the Grundy County Speedway, in Morris, Illinois.

Open wheel and stock car fans alike had something to cheer about, with Dwarf Cars and Midgets starting off the race night prior to the stock car show, with Mike Anderson winning the Dwarf Car feature, and Mario Marietta and Dylan Verbosa taking home Midget trophies.

Moving to the stock car portion of the race program, Darrell Phillips made his presents known, leading the first fourteen circuits before Mitch Garfield took the lead, holding the front to the finish.

Ron Vandermeir, from Joliet, passed Phillips with ten laps remaining, but was unable to challenge Garfield for the win.

Phillips took home third, followed by Ron Willems Jr., Frank Slabenak and Jeremy Spoonmore.

The main event of the evening was the running of the 40 lap late model feature, with the action slowed by ten caution flags.

Dyer, Indiana’s rookie driver D.J. Weltmeyer started from the pole position, and showed he can run with the best of them, leading the event for the first eight circuits, battling to keep the top spot with veteran driver Tracy Schuler.

Schuler, Weltmeyer and Sontag ran nose to tail for three circuits before Sontag put Weltmeyer back to third.

On a restart due to a John Nutley-Scott Koerner tangle, the leaders dove into turn one in tight formation, and Schuler spun in turn two in front of the field.

With Sontag given the top position on the restart, the only driver able to keep up with the leader for the next fifteen circuits was Weltmeyer.

With ten laps remaining, Pat Kelly, driving the Chris Cooling Cadillac, challenged Weltmeyer for the number two spot, allowing Sontag to pull away, taking the checkered flag by twelve car lengths.

Coming out of turn four for the final time, Kelly was along side Weltmeyer and pulled in front by a nose as they crossed the finish line, giving Kelly second and showing that D.J. Weltmeyer has the talent to be as successful as his dad, Dave Weltmeyer.

Unofficially, Ricky Baker finished fourth, followed by Schuler, Nutley, Mark Sontag, Bobby Gash and Tony Brutti.

Randy Weese, from Morris, passed Jason Vandermeir on the tenth go around, and held the lead  for the last fifteen circuits to win the 25 lap Street Stock feature.

Logan Love battled with track champion Chad Bayuk for several circuits before taking over the third spot, and then got around Vandermeir with five laps remaining.  Love was able to come within three car lengths of Weese as Weese sped under the checkered flag.

Vandermeir came home third, followed by Bayuk, Pete Odell and Mark Rone.

The final event of the season was the running of the 20 lap 4 Cylinder feature, and Chris Sontag jumped into a car for the first time in a few years, and won the event, passing Matt Clemens on the second lap, holding off a mid-race challenge by Rich Dearborn, and taking the checkered flag by ten car lengths over Dearborn.

Chet Hartley, from Plainfield finished third, ahead of Zack Mitchell  and Clemens.