By: Betty Glynn
LaSalle, IL - Always the bridesmaid and never the bride may not be a term LaSalle’s Mike Glynn likes to identify with when referencing his last four finishes at the Illinois Valley power ring. For the last four Late Model features, Glynn has finished runner up but Saturday night he ended the stigma and took home the trophy for the second time of the season.
"I am sure glad to win one again," Glynn laughed after the race. "Don’t get me wrong second is good and we have had a great year but four weeks in a row makes first even better."
With the fastest qualifying lap under his belt and a third place heat finish he earned his starting grid position next to Kirkland’s Tom Markham on the front row outside. Behind the two was McHenry’s Skip Martin and Jay Fiene of West Chicago over current points leader Tim Hamburg of Dixon and defending champ Frank Reaber of Bensenville.
Glynn shot to the lead as soon as the green dropped while Markham and Fiene took their action for second side by side. The momentum was stalled after Hamburg spun into the infield and a caution was thrown for him. For the single file restart, it was Glynn heading the pack as Markham, Fiene, Martin, Reaber, Larry Stotts, Rich Bell, Streators’s Dan Thacker, Hamburg and Travis Rokey lined up behind him.
With a mere two more laps in the books, Martin and Reaber made contact on the front stretch with Martin finishing his night slamming hard nose first into the turn two wall. Stotts had nowhere to go, but with him, ending his night early as well.
Markham and Fiene duked it out for quite a few laps but Markham continued to have a strong hold on second. While the two traveled side by side with Fiene using the inside line Reaber had moved his lucky number seven to a higher groove and was powering the outer rim of the highbanks.
By Lap 15, Glynn was distancing himself from the competition but Reaber was narrowing his hunt. With six laps un-scored, a yellow for Bell brought everyone back into single formation.
Glynn powered back into a comfortable groove while Reaber kept trying his hand at the highside.
At the finish, it was Glynn out-powering a hard charging Reaber over Markham in third. Fiene finished fourth ahead of Hamburg, Rokey and Thacker.
Markham collected the only Heat race for the division while Martin, Glynn and Fiene completed the top four finishers. Glynn’s fastest qualifying lap was a time of 12.792.
Eighteen Midwestern Late Models took the field for the twenty five lap feature race with Dave Smith of Virgil sitting on the pole next to Johnny Heath while Shane Hill of Streator and John Piccatto controlled row two.
Heath was fast out of the blocks and quickly moved to the lead. First was definitely the place to be as the racing for second on back was a dicey game throughout their main event..
For the first five laps, Heath was followed by Smith as Jason Bogle was working the highside successfully to move around Piccatto for third. During Lap 11, Bogle, TJ Markham and Ralph Markham were three wide racing for the much sought after third place running position.
Heath continued to hold on tight and outdistanced himself from the battles of rubbin’ paint that seemed to start early in the night for the division.
Starting thirteenth on the grid didn’t discourage Tonica’s Eric Dauber from joining the struggle as he was making his way into the top seven running spots.
At the finish, it was Heath returning to victory circle with Bogle claiming a very convincing second place over Ralph, Smith, TJ, Dauber, Oglesby’s Keith Piano, Hill, Brian Ray, Eric Rebholz, and Piccatto.
Darin Furar posted the fastest lap with a time of 13.955. Dauber powered up from fifth to take home the first Heat win over Doug Newlin, Ray and Mike Migliorini. Ralph won the second Heat with Heath, TJ and Bogle finishing after him.
Tina Soberri held the Midwestern Sportsman lead for the first eight laps of the feature race holding back attempts by Bobby Morgan for much of her lead. Morgan gave it his all low but just couldn’t quite get enough momentum to pass her on the inside.
During the eighth lap on the scoreboard, Morgan finally took over with Scott Cimei making the same attempt. Morgan collected the checkers with Soberri and Cimei crossing the line in side by side fashion.
At the finish line it was Soberri earning second place over Cimei, Aaron Schmitt, Jake Patterson, Rick Koltveit and BJ Grabow.
Soberri won the divisions Heat competition with Aaron, Morgan and Scott Schmitt following.
A blazing inferno was probably more then Streator’s Matt Weibel bargained for when he strapped in for his Street Stock feature race. Weibel’s car burst into flames during the fifth lap out with the young driver jumping out and shedding his singed apparel. One lap later the second place car driven by Tom Otrembiak spun bringing out the caution again.
For the restart, Tom Legner was commander as Al Gray sat at his bumper, a place Gray became quite familiar with.
With four laps to go, Gray had made his way into the back bumper of Legner numerous times and took away first on the tenth lap.
Gray carried home the win, Tom settled for second with Eric Legner third. Jim Kirkpatrick picked up fourth over Otrembiak, Robert Schlappi, Joe Jelinek, Jerry Legner, Steve Schweinlein and Mike Hughes.
The Hornet class was back in full force as twenty one cars took the call for a $500 special race.
Joe Zrostlik won the nights top honors over David Knapp, John Moreland, Roy Alm, Tommy Cain, Dave Roggy, Albie Perez, Jeff Seitz, Tim Faust, Jeff Anderson, Shane Whittington, Jerrod Thomas and Justin Heath.
Next Saturday night the Late Models will host the Illinois Valley Challenge 50 with the winner collecting $10,000 in front of ESPN2 cameras. Ticket information is available by calling the LaSalle Speedway at 815-223-6900.
LaSalle Speedway Results
Late Model
Qualifying: Mike Glynn 12.792
First Heat: Tom Markham, Skip Martin, Mike Glynn, Jay Fiene
Feature: Mike Glynn, Frank Reaber, Tom Markham, Jay Fiene, Tim Hamburg, Travis Rokey, Dan Thacker, Rich Bell, Skip Martin, Larry Stotts
Midwestern Late Model
Qualifying: Darin Furar 13.955
First Heat: Eric Dauber, Doug Newlin, Brian Ray, Mike Migliorini
Second Heat: Ralph Markham, Johnny Heath, TJ Markham, Jason Bogle
Feature: Johnny Heath, Jason Bogle, Ralph Markham, Dave Smith, TJ Markham, Eric Dauber, Keith Piano, Shane Hill, Brian Ray, Eric Rebholz, John Piccatto, Mike Migliorini, Jerry Vance, Joe Dynek, Doug Newlin, Rober Voice, Dave Miller, Darin Furar
Midwestern Sportsman
First Heat: Tina Soberri, Aaron Schmitt, Bobby Morgan, Scott Schmitt
Feature: Bobby Morgan, Tina Soberri, Scott Cimei, Aaron Schmitt, Jake Patterson, Rick Koltveit, BJ Grabow
Street Stock
First Heat: Eric Legner, Tom Legner, Nick Sell, Matt Weibel
Second Heat: Al Gray, Tom Otrembiak, Jerry Legner, Robert Schlappi
Feature: Al Gray, Tom Legner, Eric Legner, Jim Kirkpatrick, Tom Otrembiak, Robert Schlappi, Joe Jelinek, Jerry Legner, Steve Schweimlen, Mike Hughes, Matt Weibel, Steve Lewis, Bill Dauber, Nick Sell, Shawn Romines
Hornets
First Heat: Joe Zrostlik, Roy Alm, Justin Heath, Kyle Fisher
Second Heat: David Knapp, Albie, Perez, Jeff Seitz, Danny Heath
Third Heat: John Moreland, Tim Faust, Tommy Cain, Shane Whittington
Feature: Joe Zrostlik, David Knapp, John Moreland, Roy Alm, Tommy Cain, Dave Roggy, Albie Perez, Jeff Slitz, Tim Faust, Jeff Anderson, Shane Whittington, Jerrod Thomas, Justin Heath, Alex Clubb, Dustin Mounce, Danny Heath, Ryan Johnson, Eric Whittington, Kyle Fisher, Mike Corban, Ande Bivens
LaSalle, IL - Always the bridesmaid and never the bride may not be a term LaSalle’s Mike Glynn likes to identify with when referencing his last four finishes at the Illinois Valley power ring. For the last four Late Model features, Glynn has finished runner up but Saturday night he ended the stigma and took home the trophy for the second time of the season.
"I am sure glad to win one again," Glynn laughed after the race. "Don’t get me wrong second is good and we have had a great year but four weeks in a row makes first even better."
With the fastest qualifying lap under his belt and a third place heat finish he earned his starting grid position next to Kirkland’s Tom Markham on the front row outside. Behind the two was McHenry’s Skip Martin and Jay Fiene of West Chicago over current points leader Tim Hamburg of Dixon and defending champ Frank Reaber of Bensenville.
Glynn shot to the lead as soon as the green dropped while Markham and Fiene took their action for second side by side. The momentum was stalled after Hamburg spun into the infield and a caution was thrown for him. For the single file restart, it was Glynn heading the pack as Markham, Fiene, Martin, Reaber, Larry Stotts, Rich Bell, Streators’s Dan Thacker, Hamburg and Travis Rokey lined up behind him.
With a mere two more laps in the books, Martin and Reaber made contact on the front stretch with Martin finishing his night slamming hard nose first into the turn two wall. Stotts had nowhere to go, but with him, ending his night early as well.
Markham and Fiene duked it out for quite a few laps but Markham continued to have a strong hold on second. While the two traveled side by side with Fiene using the inside line Reaber had moved his lucky number seven to a higher groove and was powering the outer rim of the highbanks.
By Lap 15, Glynn was distancing himself from the competition but Reaber was narrowing his hunt. With six laps un-scored, a yellow for Bell brought everyone back into single formation.
Glynn powered back into a comfortable groove while Reaber kept trying his hand at the highside.
At the finish, it was Glynn out-powering a hard charging Reaber over Markham in third. Fiene finished fourth ahead of Hamburg, Rokey and Thacker.
Markham collected the only Heat race for the division while Martin, Glynn and Fiene completed the top four finishers. Glynn’s fastest qualifying lap was a time of 12.792.
Eighteen Midwestern Late Models took the field for the twenty five lap feature race with Dave Smith of Virgil sitting on the pole next to Johnny Heath while Shane Hill of Streator and John Piccatto controlled row two.
Heath was fast out of the blocks and quickly moved to the lead. First was definitely the place to be as the racing for second on back was a dicey game throughout their main event..
For the first five laps, Heath was followed by Smith as Jason Bogle was working the highside successfully to move around Piccatto for third. During Lap 11, Bogle, TJ Markham and Ralph Markham were three wide racing for the much sought after third place running position.
Heath continued to hold on tight and outdistanced himself from the battles of rubbin’ paint that seemed to start early in the night for the division.
Starting thirteenth on the grid didn’t discourage Tonica’s Eric Dauber from joining the struggle as he was making his way into the top seven running spots.
At the finish, it was Heath returning to victory circle with Bogle claiming a very convincing second place over Ralph, Smith, TJ, Dauber, Oglesby’s Keith Piano, Hill, Brian Ray, Eric Rebholz, and Piccatto.
Darin Furar posted the fastest lap with a time of 13.955. Dauber powered up from fifth to take home the first Heat win over Doug Newlin, Ray and Mike Migliorini. Ralph won the second Heat with Heath, TJ and Bogle finishing after him.
Tina Soberri held the Midwestern Sportsman lead for the first eight laps of the feature race holding back attempts by Bobby Morgan for much of her lead. Morgan gave it his all low but just couldn’t quite get enough momentum to pass her on the inside.
During the eighth lap on the scoreboard, Morgan finally took over with Scott Cimei making the same attempt. Morgan collected the checkers with Soberri and Cimei crossing the line in side by side fashion.
At the finish line it was Soberri earning second place over Cimei, Aaron Schmitt, Jake Patterson, Rick Koltveit and BJ Grabow.
Soberri won the divisions Heat competition with Aaron, Morgan and Scott Schmitt following.
A blazing inferno was probably more then Streator’s Matt Weibel bargained for when he strapped in for his Street Stock feature race. Weibel’s car burst into flames during the fifth lap out with the young driver jumping out and shedding his singed apparel. One lap later the second place car driven by Tom Otrembiak spun bringing out the caution again.
For the restart, Tom Legner was commander as Al Gray sat at his bumper, a place Gray became quite familiar with.
With four laps to go, Gray had made his way into the back bumper of Legner numerous times and took away first on the tenth lap.
Gray carried home the win, Tom settled for second with Eric Legner third. Jim Kirkpatrick picked up fourth over Otrembiak, Robert Schlappi, Joe Jelinek, Jerry Legner, Steve Schweinlein and Mike Hughes.
The Hornet class was back in full force as twenty one cars took the call for a $500 special race.
Joe Zrostlik won the nights top honors over David Knapp, John Moreland, Roy Alm, Tommy Cain, Dave Roggy, Albie Perez, Jeff Seitz, Tim Faust, Jeff Anderson, Shane Whittington, Jerrod Thomas and Justin Heath.
Next Saturday night the Late Models will host the Illinois Valley Challenge 50 with the winner collecting $10,000 in front of ESPN2 cameras. Ticket information is available by calling the LaSalle Speedway at 815-223-6900.
LaSalle Speedway Results
Late Model
Qualifying: Mike Glynn 12.792
First Heat: Tom Markham, Skip Martin, Mike Glynn, Jay Fiene
Feature: Mike Glynn, Frank Reaber, Tom Markham, Jay Fiene, Tim Hamburg, Travis Rokey, Dan Thacker, Rich Bell, Skip Martin, Larry Stotts
Midwestern Late Model
Qualifying: Darin Furar 13.955
First Heat: Eric Dauber, Doug Newlin, Brian Ray, Mike Migliorini
Second Heat: Ralph Markham, Johnny Heath, TJ Markham, Jason Bogle
Feature: Johnny Heath, Jason Bogle, Ralph Markham, Dave Smith, TJ Markham, Eric Dauber, Keith Piano, Shane Hill, Brian Ray, Eric Rebholz, John Piccatto, Mike Migliorini, Jerry Vance, Joe Dynek, Doug Newlin, Rober Voice, Dave Miller, Darin Furar
Midwestern Sportsman
First Heat: Tina Soberri, Aaron Schmitt, Bobby Morgan, Scott Schmitt
Feature: Bobby Morgan, Tina Soberri, Scott Cimei, Aaron Schmitt, Jake Patterson, Rick Koltveit, BJ Grabow
Street Stock
First Heat: Eric Legner, Tom Legner, Nick Sell, Matt Weibel
Second Heat: Al Gray, Tom Otrembiak, Jerry Legner, Robert Schlappi
Feature: Al Gray, Tom Legner, Eric Legner, Jim Kirkpatrick, Tom Otrembiak, Robert Schlappi, Joe Jelinek, Jerry Legner, Steve Schweimlen, Mike Hughes, Matt Weibel, Steve Lewis, Bill Dauber, Nick Sell, Shawn Romines
Hornets
First Heat: Joe Zrostlik, Roy Alm, Justin Heath, Kyle Fisher
Second Heat: David Knapp, Albie, Perez, Jeff Seitz, Danny Heath
Third Heat: John Moreland, Tim Faust, Tommy Cain, Shane Whittington
Feature: Joe Zrostlik, David Knapp, John Moreland, Roy Alm, Tommy Cain, Dave Roggy, Albie Perez, Jeff Slitz, Tim Faust, Jeff Anderson, Shane Whittington, Jerrod Thomas, Justin Heath, Alex Clubb, Dustin Mounce, Danny Heath, Ryan Johnson, Eric Whittington, Kyle Fisher, Mike Corban, Ande Bivens
