By: Betty Glynn
LaSalle, IL - Brian Birkhofer, hailing out of the Hawkeye state, has collected the big money in the area for the second time in July. Saturday night’s NARA Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series Illinois Valley Challenge at LaSalle Speedway was a follow up endorsement as the Muscatine, Iowa native swooped in and stole the cash yet again.
His first win came in the beginning of the month after he made a last minute stop, at his fans request, to the Bureau County Speedway netting $5,000. The LaSalle event, on the other hand was double the money and well planned out.
"I owe Jimmy (Mars) I called him and he gave me his setup and helped get her done," Birkhofer acknowledged in front of a full house.
During the May 21st NARA Lucas Oil Spring Shootout, Mars came from fourteenth to capitalize on the televised big event. With him absent, Birky, as his fans prefer, made one phone call that netted him a large return.
For the fifty lap main event, Earl Pearson Jr., of Florida, held the pole with local standout Travis Rokey on the outside front row. Second row posted Brady Smith and Carpentersville Dennis Erb Jr. as Birky and Don O’Neal lined up in the third row.
The first lap out proved too much as Scott James and Gibson City’s Kevin Weaver made contact on the backstretch sending Weaver into the tires. After a complete restart, Pearson shot out on the green with Smith, O’Neal, Erb and Rokey behind him.
Unfortunately for Rokey, he fell back quickly in the field of veteran competitors. The first five laps were caution plagued but while the green was flying so were twenty-four of the best dirt late models drivers in the country.
During Lap 3, Smith was now in command with Pearson, O’Neal, Erb, Birky, Matt Miller, Darren Miller, Bloomington’s Jason Feger, Weaver, and Mike Glynn of LaSalle lined up after him.
Getting a long stretch of green was difficult during the early laps. Birky was working his way up to second while Glynn powered into seventh. A caution flew during Lap 6 shutting down their runs. Moran headed pit side while Glynn followed with mechanical trouble. Both returned to the tail before the action got restarted.
By Lap 9, the highside was working for Birky and he was knocking off the positions between himself and Smith who was in the lead. Seven laps later, Birky had moved his machine to the door of Smith for the lead challenge. It was a mere lap later that Birky took the point but not without a battle by Smith.
For Smith it was the inside trek that was on and he stayed low to duel. Birky was fast off the corners of the highbanked 1/4 mile. With the two dicing it up, O’Neal had made his way around Erb for the third place running position.
A yellow for James during Lap 26 put everyone back into formation with Smith, O’Neal, Erb Matt Miller, Darren Miller, Feger, and Pearson lining up behind Birky for the start.
O’Neal shot off like a rocket into second and then within a lap into the lead. O’Neal was using the highest groove on the track and eventually started to pull away but Moran brought out a caution on Lap 33. Two laps later, Smith jumped the berm causing a four car melee in turn three taking Whitney McQueary, Steve Casebolt, and Feger with him.
On Lap 35, Birky took the lead for the final time as Pearson was quietly stalking the competition after an early trip to the pits and the rear of the field.
For the final laps Birky was untouchable with Pearson in tow. Erb shot back up to a third place finish over Matt Miller, Billy Drake, O’Neal, Brian Shirley, John Provenzano of Marseilles, Glynn, Freddy Smith, Tim Dohm, defending track champ Frank Reaber and McQueary.
With the Challenge over it was easy for Birky to reflect on his performances of his comrades. "I also need to thank my competitors for racing me clean and everyone gave an inch or extra here tonight."
The three Heat races were high flying to say the least. Pearson held off Erb, Feger, Darren Miller,Weaver and Jay Fiene for the first win. Smith pulled away from Birkhofer, Matt Miller, James, Glynn and Freddy Smith for the Heat two victory.
The third and final Heat race was one for the record books as Princeton high school junior, Travis Rokey, drove like a veteran to beat one of the most recognized top late model drivers. Rokey held back a hard charging O’Neal. Even a late race slide job by O’Neal wasn’t enough to keep Rokey from what is sure to be his most memorable moment in racing.
The young driver didn’t just let off the gas he powered back to steal his win with O’Neal settling for second over Rick Aukland, Moran, Casebolt and Bart Schwartz.
Drake won the "B Main" over Shirley, Provenzano, Denny Eckrich, McQueary, Tom Markham, Reaber, Dohm, and Edward Williams.
Pearson traveled the course for the fastest qualifying time of 12.685.
Johnny Heath won the Midwestern Late Model feature race for the second time in a row, his third for his season. Starting sixth in the line up seemed to give Heath a birds eye view of his competition as Scott Langer and Mike Lock sat on the front row. TJ Markham and Jason Bogle were in front of Eric Rebholz and Heath in row two.
Langer held the lead for the first three laps until Heath used a lower line to sneak under TJ and then Langer. On Lap 7, Heath and TJ were out front in a comfortable lead while Bogle was fending off Eric Dauber, who had made his way up front from tenth, with Langer and Ralph Markham behind him.
One lap later Ralph, who is in second in the points chase, stopped on the field with mechanical woes unable to return to action. For the restart Heath and TJ came back together for their single file start. Bogle, Dauber, Langer, Shane Hill, and Lock lined up after them.
Heath was unstoppable with TJ trailing. During Lap 19, Langer left the race for the infield but a lap later came back onto the track a lap down. For the final lap, Heath and TJ were too far to catch while Hill, Dauber, Jerry Vance and Keith Piano were following.
During the last turn, Langer made contact with Piano ending his ability to finish his strong sixth place run.
At the checkers, it was Heath, TJ, Hill, Dauber, Vance, Dave Miller, John Piccatto, Mike Migliorini, and Lock completing the top nine finishers.
Brian Ray and TJ won their Heat races. Piano posted the fastest qualifying lap with a time of 13.769.
Al Gray of Ottawa ran away with the Street Stock divisional events. Gray crossed the finish line over Steve Lewis, Eric Legner, Tom Legner, Robert Schlappi, Nick Sell, Jim Kirkpatrick, Jake Cholke, Steve Schweimlein, Mike Hughes, Jeff Small, Tom Otrembiak, Jay Mesarchik and Bill Dauber.
Gray also carried home the Heat win. Otrembiak won the second Heat.
Lewis was later disqualified after tech inspection.
NARA Lucas Oil Late Model Series
Qualifying: Earl Pearson Jr. 12.685
First Heat: Earl Pearson Jr., Dennis Erb Jr., Jason Feger, Darren Miller, Kevin Weaver, Jay Fiene, John Provenzano, Denny Eckrich, Frank Reaber, Edward Williams
Second Heat: Brady Smith, Brian Birkhofer, Matt Miller, Scott James, Mike Glynn, Freddy Smith, Billy Drake, Tom Markham, Whitney McQueary
Third Heat: Travis Rokey, Don O’Neal, Rick Aukland, Donnie Moran, Steve Casebolt, Bart Schwartz, Tim Dohm, Tony Izzo Jr., Brian Shirley
B Main: Billy Drake, Brian Shirley, John Provenzano, Denny Eckrich, Whitney McQueary, Tom Markham, Frank Reaber, Tim Dohm, Edward Williams
Feature: Brian Birkhofer, Earl Pearson Jr., Dennis Erb Jr., Matt Miller, Billy Drake, Don O’Neal, Brian Shirley, John Provenzano, Mike Glynn, Freddy Smith, Tim Dohm, Frank Reaber, Whitney McQueary, Donnie Moran, Brady Smith, Jason Feger, Steve Casebolt, Darren Miller, Scott James, Jay Fiene, Travis Rokey, Kevin Weaver, Bart Schwartz, Rick Aukland
Midwestern Late Model
Qualifying: Keith Piano 13.769
First Heat: Brian Ray, Al Christy, Jerry Vance, Mike Migliorini
Second Heat: TJ Markham, Johnny Heath, Ralph Markham, Eric Rebholz
Feature: Johnny Heath, TJ Markham, Shane Hill, Eric Dauber, Jerry Vance, Dave Miller, John Piccatto, Mike Migliorini, Mike Lock, Keith Piano, Scott Langer, Brian Ray, Jason Bogle, Jack Benson, Ralph Markham, Eric Rebholz, Al Christy
Street Stock
First Heat: Al Gray, Steve Lewis, Jim Kirkpatrick, Eric Legner
Second Heat: Tom Otrembiak, Robert Schlappi, Tom Legner, Nick Sell
Feature: Al Gray, Steve Lewis-DQ’d, Eric Legner, Tom Legner, Robert Schlappi, Nick Sell, Jim Kirkpatrick, Jake Cholke, Steve Schweimlein, Mike Hughes, Jeff Small, Tom Otrembiak, Jay Mesarchik, Bill Dauber
LaSalle, IL - Brian Birkhofer, hailing out of the Hawkeye state, has collected the big money in the area for the second time in July. Saturday night’s NARA Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series Illinois Valley Challenge at LaSalle Speedway was a follow up endorsement as the Muscatine, Iowa native swooped in and stole the cash yet again.
His first win came in the beginning of the month after he made a last minute stop, at his fans request, to the Bureau County Speedway netting $5,000. The LaSalle event, on the other hand was double the money and well planned out.
"I owe Jimmy (Mars) I called him and he gave me his setup and helped get her done," Birkhofer acknowledged in front of a full house.
During the May 21st NARA Lucas Oil Spring Shootout, Mars came from fourteenth to capitalize on the televised big event. With him absent, Birky, as his fans prefer, made one phone call that netted him a large return.
For the fifty lap main event, Earl Pearson Jr., of Florida, held the pole with local standout Travis Rokey on the outside front row. Second row posted Brady Smith and Carpentersville Dennis Erb Jr. as Birky and Don O’Neal lined up in the third row.
The first lap out proved too much as Scott James and Gibson City’s Kevin Weaver made contact on the backstretch sending Weaver into the tires. After a complete restart, Pearson shot out on the green with Smith, O’Neal, Erb and Rokey behind him.
Unfortunately for Rokey, he fell back quickly in the field of veteran competitors. The first five laps were caution plagued but while the green was flying so were twenty-four of the best dirt late models drivers in the country.
During Lap 3, Smith was now in command with Pearson, O’Neal, Erb, Birky, Matt Miller, Darren Miller, Bloomington’s Jason Feger, Weaver, and Mike Glynn of LaSalle lined up after him.
Getting a long stretch of green was difficult during the early laps. Birky was working his way up to second while Glynn powered into seventh. A caution flew during Lap 6 shutting down their runs. Moran headed pit side while Glynn followed with mechanical trouble. Both returned to the tail before the action got restarted.
By Lap 9, the highside was working for Birky and he was knocking off the positions between himself and Smith who was in the lead. Seven laps later, Birky had moved his machine to the door of Smith for the lead challenge. It was a mere lap later that Birky took the point but not without a battle by Smith.
For Smith it was the inside trek that was on and he stayed low to duel. Birky was fast off the corners of the highbanked 1/4 mile. With the two dicing it up, O’Neal had made his way around Erb for the third place running position.
A yellow for James during Lap 26 put everyone back into formation with Smith, O’Neal, Erb Matt Miller, Darren Miller, Feger, and Pearson lining up behind Birky for the start.
O’Neal shot off like a rocket into second and then within a lap into the lead. O’Neal was using the highest groove on the track and eventually started to pull away but Moran brought out a caution on Lap 33. Two laps later, Smith jumped the berm causing a four car melee in turn three taking Whitney McQueary, Steve Casebolt, and Feger with him.
On Lap 35, Birky took the lead for the final time as Pearson was quietly stalking the competition after an early trip to the pits and the rear of the field.
For the final laps Birky was untouchable with Pearson in tow. Erb shot back up to a third place finish over Matt Miller, Billy Drake, O’Neal, Brian Shirley, John Provenzano of Marseilles, Glynn, Freddy Smith, Tim Dohm, defending track champ Frank Reaber and McQueary.
With the Challenge over it was easy for Birky to reflect on his performances of his comrades. "I also need to thank my competitors for racing me clean and everyone gave an inch or extra here tonight."
The three Heat races were high flying to say the least. Pearson held off Erb, Feger, Darren Miller,Weaver and Jay Fiene for the first win. Smith pulled away from Birkhofer, Matt Miller, James, Glynn and Freddy Smith for the Heat two victory.
The third and final Heat race was one for the record books as Princeton high school junior, Travis Rokey, drove like a veteran to beat one of the most recognized top late model drivers. Rokey held back a hard charging O’Neal. Even a late race slide job by O’Neal wasn’t enough to keep Rokey from what is sure to be his most memorable moment in racing.
The young driver didn’t just let off the gas he powered back to steal his win with O’Neal settling for second over Rick Aukland, Moran, Casebolt and Bart Schwartz.
Drake won the "B Main" over Shirley, Provenzano, Denny Eckrich, McQueary, Tom Markham, Reaber, Dohm, and Edward Williams.
Pearson traveled the course for the fastest qualifying time of 12.685.
Johnny Heath won the Midwestern Late Model feature race for the second time in a row, his third for his season. Starting sixth in the line up seemed to give Heath a birds eye view of his competition as Scott Langer and Mike Lock sat on the front row. TJ Markham and Jason Bogle were in front of Eric Rebholz and Heath in row two.
Langer held the lead for the first three laps until Heath used a lower line to sneak under TJ and then Langer. On Lap 7, Heath and TJ were out front in a comfortable lead while Bogle was fending off Eric Dauber, who had made his way up front from tenth, with Langer and Ralph Markham behind him.
One lap later Ralph, who is in second in the points chase, stopped on the field with mechanical woes unable to return to action. For the restart Heath and TJ came back together for their single file start. Bogle, Dauber, Langer, Shane Hill, and Lock lined up after them.
Heath was unstoppable with TJ trailing. During Lap 19, Langer left the race for the infield but a lap later came back onto the track a lap down. For the final lap, Heath and TJ were too far to catch while Hill, Dauber, Jerry Vance and Keith Piano were following.
During the last turn, Langer made contact with Piano ending his ability to finish his strong sixth place run.
At the checkers, it was Heath, TJ, Hill, Dauber, Vance, Dave Miller, John Piccatto, Mike Migliorini, and Lock completing the top nine finishers.
Brian Ray and TJ won their Heat races. Piano posted the fastest qualifying lap with a time of 13.769.
Al Gray of Ottawa ran away with the Street Stock divisional events. Gray crossed the finish line over Steve Lewis, Eric Legner, Tom Legner, Robert Schlappi, Nick Sell, Jim Kirkpatrick, Jake Cholke, Steve Schweimlein, Mike Hughes, Jeff Small, Tom Otrembiak, Jay Mesarchik and Bill Dauber.
Gray also carried home the Heat win. Otrembiak won the second Heat.
Lewis was later disqualified after tech inspection.
NARA Lucas Oil Late Model Series
Qualifying: Earl Pearson Jr. 12.685
First Heat: Earl Pearson Jr., Dennis Erb Jr., Jason Feger, Darren Miller, Kevin Weaver, Jay Fiene, John Provenzano, Denny Eckrich, Frank Reaber, Edward Williams
Second Heat: Brady Smith, Brian Birkhofer, Matt Miller, Scott James, Mike Glynn, Freddy Smith, Billy Drake, Tom Markham, Whitney McQueary
Third Heat: Travis Rokey, Don O’Neal, Rick Aukland, Donnie Moran, Steve Casebolt, Bart Schwartz, Tim Dohm, Tony Izzo Jr., Brian Shirley
B Main: Billy Drake, Brian Shirley, John Provenzano, Denny Eckrich, Whitney McQueary, Tom Markham, Frank Reaber, Tim Dohm, Edward Williams
Feature: Brian Birkhofer, Earl Pearson Jr., Dennis Erb Jr., Matt Miller, Billy Drake, Don O’Neal, Brian Shirley, John Provenzano, Mike Glynn, Freddy Smith, Tim Dohm, Frank Reaber, Whitney McQueary, Donnie Moran, Brady Smith, Jason Feger, Steve Casebolt, Darren Miller, Scott James, Jay Fiene, Travis Rokey, Kevin Weaver, Bart Schwartz, Rick Aukland
Midwestern Late Model
Qualifying: Keith Piano 13.769
First Heat: Brian Ray, Al Christy, Jerry Vance, Mike Migliorini
Second Heat: TJ Markham, Johnny Heath, Ralph Markham, Eric Rebholz
Feature: Johnny Heath, TJ Markham, Shane Hill, Eric Dauber, Jerry Vance, Dave Miller, John Piccatto, Mike Migliorini, Mike Lock, Keith Piano, Scott Langer, Brian Ray, Jason Bogle, Jack Benson, Ralph Markham, Eric Rebholz, Al Christy
Street Stock
First Heat: Al Gray, Steve Lewis, Jim Kirkpatrick, Eric Legner
Second Heat: Tom Otrembiak, Robert Schlappi, Tom Legner, Nick Sell
Feature: Al Gray, Steve Lewis-DQ’d, Eric Legner, Tom Legner, Robert Schlappi, Nick Sell, Jim Kirkpatrick, Jake Cholke, Steve Schweimlein, Mike Hughes, Jeff Small, Tom Otrembiak, Jay Mesarchik, Bill Dauber
