Reynolds Goes Sideways to Take the
NSTC Big 8 Series Win at Rockford
By: Kevin Ramsell
Loves Park, IL (September 27, 2008) - The Saturday
night action at the Rockford Speedway was at a high at the 43rd
Annual Army National Guard National Short Track Championships
with Jon Reynolds Jr. having a Hollywood style finish to win
the BRP Big 8 Series presented by Gandrud Chevrolet 108-lap feature
event. Doug Bennett, Jim Tate Jr. and Pat Ecklund also took home
wins.
The Big 8 Series feature had a wild finish as Reynolds slid
sideways coming across the start/finish line as the checkered
flag flew. And that wasn't enough drama for Reynolds as he believed
he had a broken valve spring in the closing laps as well.
"He (Sargent) is going to have to go through me, and
he almost did," a happy Reynolds stated in victory lane.
"With 40 to go, I just flipped the mirror because I just
didn't want to know and my spotter is telling me that he is getting
closer and closer. It was just coming apart, I was looking down
and trying to let off and try not to use much motor down the
straightaway."
The feature event got off to a rough start as Nick Shutkas
got into the backstretch wall and then made hard contact with
the turn three on the opening lap of the feature event.
On the re-start, it was Tim Sargent taking the lead over Jon
Reynolds Jr. The two pulled away to battle for the top spot in
the first eight laps. On lap 9, Reynolds got on the inside of
Sargent to battle for the top spot; Reynolds would take over
the top spot a lap later.
Michael Bilderback and Ryan Carlson were quickly moving through
the field with Bilderback moving to third and Carlson to fourth
by lap 10.
At the 30-lap mark, it was still Reynolds in the lead with
Sargent in second. Behind him, it was uncle versus nephew as
Ricky Bilderback challenged Michael Bilderback for the third
spot. That was until the caution flew on lap 35 when Mike Beyers
spun coming off of turn two.
Reynolds continued to lead with Sargent in second with 51
laps completed. That is when the caution flew again when Ross
Kenseth and Skylar Holzhausen made contact coming off of turn
two causing Kenseth to spin. Both were able to continue but would
re-start at the rear.
At the halfway mark, it was Reynolds still pacing the field but
behind him Sargent had both of the Bilderbacks in his rear view
mirror. But, the family feud continued allowing Sargent to pull
away and chase down Reynolds with 40 laps to go.
Bad luck for the current point leader Jeremy Miller on lap
74 as he and Kyle Jarlsberg were battling for sixth when the
two made contact coming off of turn two, causing Jarlsberg to
spin. Both were sent to the rear of the field.
Reynolds pulled away from Sargent on the re-start while Michael
Bilderback challenged Sargent for the second spot. Sargent would
hold the position and gain about two car lengths on the young
driver.
With ten laps to go, Sargent made his charge to the back bumper
of Reynolds hoping to challenge for the lead as it sounded like
Reynolds motor was starting to go away from him.
Sargent was all over the back bumper as Greg Oliver's white flag
flew in the air. As the two came off of the fourth turn, Sargent
got into the back right rear panel and got Reynolds loose. Reynolds
car began to spin as he came to the checkered flag but came across
the line sideways before Sargent to take the victory.
Michael Bilderback was third with Uncle Ricky in fourth. Carlson
rounded out the top five.
Carlson was the fastest qualifier with a time of 13.921 seconds.
Travis Dassow and Ryan Miles won the qualifying heats. Ross Kenseth
and Mike Beyer won the qualifier heats. Andrew Kulka won the
last chance race.
Big 8 Series Limited Late Models
A-Main 01 -- 1. Jon Reynolds, Jr., Roscoe; 2. Tim Sargent,
South Beloit; 3. Michael Bilderback, South Beloit; 4. Ricky Bilderback,
Rockton; 5. Ryan Carlson, Loves Park; 6. Steve Dobbratz, Rio,
Wis; 7. Jeremy Miller, Rockton; 8. Travis Dassow, West Bend,
Wis; 9. Brady Liddle, Oregon, Wis; 10. Ed Szelagowski Jr, Westfield,
Wis; 11. Mike Beyer, Machesney Park; 12. Ross Kenseth, Spring
Valley; 13. Kyle Jarlsberg, Cambridge, Wis; 14. Skylar Holzhausen,
Bangor, Wis; 15. Ryan Miles, Crystal Lake; 16. Tyler Sauter,
Necedah, Wis; 17. Andrew Kulka, Deerfield, Wis; 18. Nathan Oppliger,
Oregon, Wis; 19. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 20. John Paul Odegaard,
Brooklyn Center, Minn.; 21. Noel Ramge, Helenville, Wis; 22.
Bob Wilberg, Town of Beloit, Wis; 23. John Baumeister, Jr., Lake
Geneva, Wis; 24. Jim Duchow, Kaukauna, Wis; 25. Nick Shutkas,
Loves Park.
Last Chance "A" 01 -- 1. Andrew Kulka, Deerfield,
Wis; 2. Jim Duchow, Kaukauna, Wis; 3. John Paul Odegaard, Brooklyn
Center, Minn.; 4. Tony Bagstad, Westby, Wis; 5. Tyler Bauknecht,
Reedsville, Wis; 6. Jacob Gille, Winnebago; 7. Noel Ramge, Helenville,
Wis; 8. Ty Reedy, Holmen, Wis; 9. Jacob Finney, Sycamore; 10.
Wes Coon, Nekoosa, Wis; 11. Becca Kasten, Mequon, Wis; 12. Mike
Taylor, Stoughton, Wis; 13. Mark Hartline, Gilberts; 14. Nathan
Oppliger, Oregon, Wis; 15. Joe Rusciano, Crystal Lake; 16. Rich
Hinerichsen, II, Machesney Park; 17. Vern Fagerberg, Bloomingdale;
18. Alex Papini (r), Machesney Park; 19. Jon Minor, Stoughton,
Wis.
Heat 01 -- 1. Travis Dassow, West Bend, Wis; 2. Brady
Liddle, Oregon, Wis; 3. Skylar Holzhausen, Bangor, Wis; 4. Andrew
Kulka, Deerfield, Wis; 5. Becca Kasten, Mequon, Wis; 6. Wes Coon,
Nekoosa, Wis; 7. John Paul Odegaard, Brooklyn Center, Minn.;
8. Joe Rusciano, Crystal Lake; 9. Rich Hinerichsen, II, Machesney
Park; 10. Ty Reedy, Holmen, Wis; 11. Vern Fagerberg, Bloomingdale;
12. Alex Papini (r), Machesney Park.
Heat 02 -- 1. Ryan Miles, Crystal Lake; 2. Kyle Shear,
Roscoe; 3. Tyler Sauter, Necedah, Wis; 4. Jim Duchow, Kaukauna,
Wis; 5. Tyler Bauknecht, Reedsville, Wis; 6. Mark Hartline, Gilberts;
7. Jacob Gille, Winnebago; 8. Tony Bagstad, Westby, Wis; 9. Noel
Ramge, Helenville, Wis; 10. Jacob Finney, Sycamore; 11. Nathan
Oppliger, Oregon, Wis; 12. Mike Taylor, Stoughton, Wis; 13. Jon
Minor, Stoughton, Wis.
Heat 03 -- 1. Ross Kenseth, Spring Valley; 2. Tim
Sargent, South Beloit; 3. Michael Bilderback, South Beloit; 4.
Ryan Carlson, Loves Park; 5. Kyle Jarlsberg, Cambridge, Wis;
6. John Baumeister, Jr., Lake Geneva, Wis; 7. Nick Shutkas, Loves
Park.
Heat 04 -- 1. Mike Beyer, Machesney Park; 2. Jon Reynolds,
Jr., Roscoe; 3. Jeremy Miller, Rockton; 4. Ricky Bilderback,
Rockton; 5. Bob Wilberg, Town of Beloit, Wis; 6. Steve Dobbratz,
Rio, Wis; 7. Ed Szelagowski Jr, Westfield, Wis.
Time Trial -- 1. Ryan Carlson, Loves Park; 2. Jeremy
Miller, Rockton; 3. Michael Bilderback, South Beloit; 4. Ricky
Bilderback, Rockton; 5. Kyle Jarlsberg, Cambridge, Wis; 6. Steve
Dobbratz, Rio, Wis; 7. Tim Sargent, South Beloit; 8. Jon Reynolds,
Jr., Roscoe; 9. John Baumeister, Jr., Lake Geneva, Wis; 10. Bob
Wilberg, Town of Beloit, Wis; 11. Ross Kenseth, Spring Valley;
12. Mike Beyer, Machesney Park; 13. Nick Shutkas, Loves Park;
14. Ed Szelagowski Jr, Westfield, Wis; 15. Skylar Holzhausen,
Bangor, Wis; 16. Jim Duchow, Kaukauna, Wis; 17. Brady Liddle,
Oregon, Wis; 18. Ryan Miles, Crystal Lake; 19. Travis Dassow,
West Bend, Wis; 20. Tyler Sauter, Necedah, Wis; 21. Andrew Kulka,
Deerfield, Wis; 22. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 23. Mike Lloyd, Davis;
24. Jacob Gille, Winnebago; 25. Alex Papini (r), Machesney Park;
26. Tyler Bauknecht, Reedsville, Wis; 27. Becca Kasten, Mequon,
Wis; 28. Noel Ramge, Helenville, Wis; 29. Rich Hinerichsen, II,
Machesney Park; 30. Mark Hartline, Gilberts; 31. Wes Coon, Nekoosa,
Wis; 32. Jacob Finney, Sycamore; 33. Vern Fagerberg, Bloomingdale;
34. Tony Bagstad, Westby, Wis; 35. John Paul Odegaard, Brooklyn
Center, Minn.; 36. Jon Minor, Stoughton, Wis; 37. Ty Reedy, Holmen,
Wis; 38. Nathan Oppliger, Oregon, Wis; 39. Joe Rusciano, Crystal
Lake; 40. Mike Taylor, Stoughton, Wis; 41. Tyler Peterson (r),
Lake Geneva, Wis; 42. Tyler Kelley, Oregon, Wis.
For more information on the Big 8 Series, please visit their
website at www.big8series.com.
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