GRUNDY COUNTY SPEEDWAY HOSTS
AWARDS BANQUET
BY ANDY GROD
The annual Grundy County Speedway Awards Banquet was held on Saturday Night, November 21st, 2009 with over 250 people in attendance at the VFW Post in Morris, to honor this year’s top ten drivers in the four divisions of racing at the speedway.
Taking top honors was late model driver Brett Sontag, from Joliet, who captured his fourth championship in the past ten seasons at the Fairgrounds.
With a record of seven feature wins, three second place finishes and two third place showings out of fourteen nights of racing, Sontag was able to sit at the top of the points list from the first night and hold the top spot top the finish.
The 2005 track champion, Billy Knippenberg Jr., from Plainfield, took home the number two spot in points, (his third second place finish) 214 points behind Sontag. Driving the #95 car and driving under the name Lightening McQueen, Knippenberg Jr qualified in the top ten every night out, and tallied five heat race wins. Consistent feature finishes kept Knippenberg near the top of the points battle all season long.
Nineteen points behind Knippenberg Jr was Chris Cooling, from Joliet, who was another top ten qualifier all season. Two heat race wins and seven top five finishes in feature racing showed that Cooling could be a serious contender the a future title after his third place showing this season.
Two time track champion, Eddie Hoffman Jr., from Wheaton, took home the fourth spot on the money list even though he missed two nights of racing action.
His three feature wins, including the double-points Lee Schuler Memorial, allowed him to slowly climb the points list after the two absences and take home another top five finish.
Third year driver Ricky Baker, from Plainfield, came on strong late in the season, and qualified in the top three the final nine nights. With one heat race win and eight top five feature finishes, Baker had his best finish of his career and can be a driver to contend with in the future.
Lisle driver, Steve Campbell, was able to secure the sixth spot on the points list in his fourth season at the Grundy oval with a record of one heat race win, seven top five’s in qualifying and ten top ten feature showings.
Another two time late model track champion, Pat Kelly, claimed two heat race wins and nine top ten’s in feature racing, enough to take home the seventh spot in the final points tally.
Batavia’s Doug Kimber had one of his best seasons at the Morris speedway, claiming the eighth position, to go along with three other 8th place finishes in his career that has covered the past fifteen years. Kimber took home three heat race flags and scored four top ten feature finishes to end the season.
Driving out of Joliet, Scott Koerner is another driver whose career at the Grundy County Speedway has lasted more that fifteen seasons. The 1997 Mid-Am co-champion, captured two heat race wins, eleven top tens in qualifying and seven top tens in feature action to earn his spot in the final top ten.
Second year late model driver, D.J. Werkmeister, improved his rookie season’s sixteenth finishing spot to take home ten place in points this season.
Hailing out of Braceville, Werkmeister was able to capture two heat race wins and claim two third place feature finishes in his best season yet.
Jim Kachel Jr., from Willowbrook, finished eight in points in the Mid-American division last season, then moved up to the high-powered late model ranks this season.
Earning seven hundred thirty seven points with two top ten feature finishes, Kachel Jr was awarded the 2009 Late Model Rookie of the Year honor by the speedway.
After winning the Mid-American division Rookie of the Year last season, Chad Proctor returned and captured the championship in his second season, after winning two titles in the Street Stock class.
Coming from Winthrup Harbor, Proctor earned the title with two fast times, two heat race victories and two feature wins and eleven of fourteen top five feature showings.
A tight battle late in the season saw Joliet’s Ran Vandermeir Jr and rookie Mitch Garfield tie for the number two position in points, just 53 points behind Proctor.
Vandermeir Jr captured the Mid-Season Championship and had one heat race win and twelve top five feature showings, while Garfield’s two feature wins and one heat race flag kept the battle tight.
Garfield’s tie for the number two slot in the final points tally earned the Gilberts driver the 2009 Mid-American Rookie of the Year honors.
Finishing his tenth season of racing action, Aurora’s Ron Willems Jr captured one feature win and seven heat race victories to claim his best finish of his career.
Eighth year driver, Chuck Yuris, from Lockport, was in the top ten in qualifying twelve nights, scored one heat race win and had twelve top tens in feature racing to earn fifth in points, his career best season.
Our 2007 Mid-American champion, Jeremy Bloomberg, from Hampshire, claimed two heat race wins and five feature wins, including the Night of Features event to earn sixth in points in his eighth season of racing.
Second year driver, Frank Slabenak, from Palos Park, scored eight top tens in feature racing to take home the seventh spot on the final points list.
Rookie Geoff VeZain, captured a feature win to go along with a heat race flag and earn the eighth spot in points and the second highest finishing rookie this season.
Ray Brackett, from Coal City captured three heat race wins and Darrell Phillips captured one heat race victory to finish ninth and tenth in points.
In the Street Stock division, two drivers shared the spotlight all season. Chad Bayuk and Chris Sanda battled neck and neck for the championship, with Bayuk able to pull ahead on the final four weeks to successfully defend his championship from last season.
Bayuk’s five fast times and three feature wins and thirteen top five finishes in fourteen nights of racing action enabled the tenth year driver to pull out by ninety points over Sanda to claim the title.
Sanda, from LaGrange Park, captured two feature wins and nine top fives in feature racing to sit atop the point list in early July, but luck turned on the ninth year driver in August, erasing his hopes for the title.
Steger’s Mike Szekely took home the third spot in points in only his second season of racing. Szekely captured two feature wins and four heat race flags, finishing just 57 points behind Sanda.
Last year’s Rookie of the Year, Chris Woodall, from Calumet City, tied last season’s 4th place showing in points, claiming two feature wins and two fast times during the season.
Two time track champion, Randy Weese, from Morris, qualified twelve times in the top ten, and had twelve of fourteen top ten feature finishes to claim the fifth place on the points list for 2009.
From Elwood, Kevin Gentile took to the speedway for his first season on racing and walked away with sixth in points and the 2009 Rookie of the Year award. Ten top tens in qualifying, two heat race wins and six top tens in feature racing kept the newcomer in the top ten in points all season and shows signs of becoming a champion.
Craig Matteson, with two heat wins, and John Ventrello with two heat wins tied for the seventh spot in points, with second year driver Billy Rud claiming ninth and a feature win by Dave Einhaus along with a heat win pushed him to the tenth spot.
Fourteen year old Mark Sontag Jr., from Shorewood, in only his second season of racing in the four cylinder class, scored eight feature wins and five heat race victories to win the 2009 championship.
Sontag’s biggest rival was Plainfield’s Jim Beasley, who scored four feature flags and five heat race wins.
The title came down to the final night of racing, with Sontag taking the title over Beasley by just thirteen points.
Last year’s rookie of the year, Shelby Eplin, showed she knows her way around the speedway by winning one feature and four heat races to claim the third spot in the final points tally.
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The defending champion, Cyle Lindemuth, claimed on feature win and eleven top five finishes to stay near the top of the list all season, earning fourth place honors.
Second year driver, Matt Clemens, from Channahon, captured on heat race win and enough points to take the home the fifth place trophy.
After the trophies and prize money were handed out, a special drawing was held courtesy of Five Star Race Car Bodies. Jim Kachel Jr won a discount coupon for a new late model race car body, and Frank Slabenak took home a coupon for a discount on Mid-American parts.
It was announce by promoter Jim Welch that the opening date is April 30th for the start of the 2010 racing season.
Our Champions L-R: Mark Sontag Jr., 4 Cylinder, Chad Bayuk, Street Stock, Chad Proctor, Mid-American,
Promoter Jim Welch, and Late Model Champion Brett Sontag.......Andy Grod Jr Photo
Thanks to Mitzi from Racing Needles