Tom Knippenberg Wins at Grundy
By: Andy Grod
Morris, IL (August 1, 2008) - Tom Knippenberg, from
Channahon, led all but the first five circuits in the thirty
lap late model feature to bring home his first ever checkered
flag at the Grundy County Speedway, in Morris, Illinois.
Tom, who was the 2005 late model Rookie of the Year, the
same year his brother Billy Jr won the championship, was able
to wrestle the lead away from Chris Cooling on lap six and pull
away from the twenty-two car field, as Josh Nelms and Blake Brown
battled for the number two position.
An eight car advantage was washed away when the spinning
car of Scott Koerner brought out the yellow and again bunched
the pack.
Nelms was able to get close to Knippenberg on the restart,
but fell three car lengths back as he tried again to fight off
the challenge of Brown.
With ten laps remaining, Brown moved past Nelms and closed
in on Knippenberg’s tail, with defending champion Tom Smith
slipping into the number three position ahead of Pat Kelly and
Nelms.
With two circuits remaining, Brown tried to get the nose
of his racer under Knippenberg’s Bill’s Speed Shop
– Judi’s Embroidery Plus – Romar Transportation
sponsored Monte Carlo as they entered turn four, but Brown got
side ways and spun, almost collecting Smith, who was running
three car lengths back.
On the restart, Smith was on Knippenberg’s bumper, but
Knippenberg was able to pull to a two car advantage which he
held to the checkered flag.
“I was really nervous, when, after Blake spun, I had
Smith line up behind me,” said Knippenberg. “I gave
it all I had when I saw the green flag flying.”
Finishing behind Knippenberg and Smith were Pat Kelly, Nelms,
Billy Knippenberg Jr and Mike Heiss.
Knippenberg currently holds on to the third spot in the points
race behind Smith and Brett Sontag.
Speaking of Sontag, on the second lap of the feature event,
Sontag got spun by Eddie Hoffman Jr., sending Sontag’s number
5 racer spinning, tearing off the front fenders of his car.
Hoffman was sent to the pits for rough driving, with Sontag rejoining
the race at the back of the field after a quick visit to the
pits.
The heated battle between the two veterans may have been
a result of an earlier incident in the fast heat, when Hoffman
went low and Sontag went lower, getting under Hoffman’s
car and sending Hoffman sliding up to the turn one wall.
Sontag was able to salvage an eighth place finish in a car
without fenders or hood.
In the fifteen lap late model semi-feature, Alex Clubb, from
Morris, led from wire to wire to win his first semi-feature of
the year in his Kindelspire Auto Supply racer. Clubb one by
one car length over Michael Marden, followed by Gary Raven, Jeremy
Spoonmore, Doug Kimber and Dan Odell.
In the twenty-five lap Mid-American main event, Jason Kolbe,
from Oak Lawn, held off Eric Pierce in his Fox Financial Group
Chevy to score his first ever feature win.
”We’ve gotten into crashes the past two weeks,
and my dad Butch and brother Carl worked on the car every night
from Monday to yesterday, getting ready for tonight,” said
Kolbe. “We really needed this win.”
At the drop of the green, Jim Kachel Jr., from Willowbrook
led the way, with Hank Tews and Kolbe in pursuit.
Kolbe was able to move past Tews on lap four, and began closing
in on the leader, but on lap sixteen, the leader, Kachel Jr.
spun, bringing out the yellow and sending Kachel to the rear
of the sixteen car field.
With Kolbe inheriting the lead, Gary Jurak Jr and Chad Proctor
closed in, but Jurak and Proctor made contact, sending Jurak
spinning and the yellow flying.
With Jurak and Proctor restarting in the rear of the field,
it was Jeff Olson and Eric Pierce putting the pressure on Kolbe,
with Pierce moving past Olson with six laps remaining.
Pierce closed in on Kolbe and at one point got Kolbe sideways,
but Kolbe was able to hold on to the lead, crossing the finish
line with Pierce on his tail.
Olson, who currently leads the point standings, finished
in third, followed by a solid run by Ron Willems Jr. who took
home fourth, and Ron Vandermeir Jr rounded out the top five positions.
In Street Stock action, Randy Weese and Rick Dawson ran side
by side for the lead for five laps before Dawson’s Modern
Carriage Werks – WMC Inc – Matco Tools sponsored Chevy
was able to pull ahead of Weese and hold on for the win.
Billy Rud, from Streamwood, ran upfront and challenged Weese
for the second spot a few times, but was passed by current point
leader Chad Bayuk with three laps remaining, making it a Dawson,
Weese, Bayuk and Rud finish.
The win was the third feature victory for Dawson, who currently
sits in second place in points behind Bayuk.
The Four Cylinder Division class saw three drivers lead the
event, with Ralph Jennings showing the way at the drop of the
green.
Shelby Eplin put her car in front for three circuits until
she tangled with Kyle Lindemuth as they battled for the lead.
Eric Boudreau, from Gardner took over the point after the
Eplin-Lindemuth yellow, and pulled away from the pack, going
under the checkered flag some ten car lengths ahead of current
point leader Jim Beasley.
Racing continues every Friday night through Labor Day, at
your Friday Night Race Place, the Grundy County Speedway, located
just north of I-80, on Rt 47, Morris, Illinois.
RESULTS
30 lap Late Model Feature: Tom Knippenberg, Channahon, 2.
Tom Smith, Tinley Park,
3. Pat Kelly, Seneca, 4. Josh Nelms, Lockport, 5. Billy Knippenberg
Jr., Plainfield,
6. Mike Heiss, Ottawa, 7. Steve Campbell, Lisle, 8. Brett
Sontag, Joliet, 9. Andy Marchiniak, Joliet, 10. Michael Marden,
Monee
1st 10 lap LM Heat: 1. Rodney Parker, Hebrook, Indiana, 2.
Dan Odell, Morris
2nd 10 lap LM Heat: 1. Jeremy Spoonmore, Somonauk, 2. Scott
Koerner, Joliet
3rd 10 lap LM Heat: 1. Blake Brown, Franksville, Indiana,
2. Nelms
Fast Time: Smith: 15.305
15 lap LM Semi-Feature: 1. Alex Clubb, Morris, 2. Michael
Marden, Monee,
3. Gary Raven, Hometown, 4. Spoonmore, 5. Doug Kimber, Batavia
25 lap Mid-American Feature: 1. Jason Kolbe, Oak Lawn, 2.
Eric Pierce, Lake in
the Hills, 3. Jeff Olson, Seneca, 4. Ron Willems Jr., Aurora.
5. Ron Vandermeir Jr.,
Joliet, 6. Jake Finney, Sycamore, 7. Chad Proctor, Winthrup
Harbor, 8. Jim Kachel,
Morris, 9. Ray Brackett, Coal City, 10. Gary Jurak Jr., Shorewood
1st 10 lap MA Heat: 1. Kachel, 2. Brackett
2nd 10 lap MA Heat: 1. Proctor, 2. John McMahon, Lockport
Fast time: Olson: 16.412
25 lap Street Stock Feature: 1. Rick Dawson, Lemont, 2. Randy
Weese, Morris,
3. Chad Bayuk, Joliet, 4. Billy Rud, Streamwood, 5. John Ventrello,
Morris,
6. Brandon Clubb, Coal City, 7. Mike Szekely, Steger, 8. Bob
Davis, Coal City,
9. Nick Clubb, Coal City, 10. Chris Woodall, Calumet City
1st 10 lap SS Heat: 1. Szekely, 2. Logan Love, Plano
2nd 10 lap SS Heat: 1. Weese, 2. Dawson
Fast Time: Bayuk: 170757
12 lap 4 Cylinder Feature: 1. Eric Boudreau, Gardner, 2. Jim
Beasley, Plainfield,
3. Jimmy Ellison, Morris, 4. Kyle Lindemuth, Morris, 5. Hank
DeLair, Elwood,
6. Tiffany Clower, Channahon, 7. Brian Struck, Morris, 8.
Trevor Pertell, Warrenville,
9. Shelby Eplin, Morris, 10. Cody Clubb, Coal City
1st 8 lap 4 Cyl Heat: 1. Lindemuth, 2. Eplin
2nd 8 lap 4 Cyl Heat: 1. Jimmy Ellison, Morris, 2. Pertell
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