Champions Crowned In Four Highland Divisions
HIGHLAND IL (Sept 15, 2012) – It was Photo Billy night presented by Casey’s General Stores and night one of crowning the 2012 divisional Champions at the Highland Speedway. Champions were crowned in four of the seven divisions competing at the Speedway.
Becker Jewelers Late Models
2011 Track Champion Chad Zobrist led all 25 laps of the main event this past Saturday night. Most of the race he had Matt Weidner in the 6X hanging on to the rear spoiler of Zobrist number 78. Both drivers were running the high side around the Speedway. What they didn’t notice was Rick Salter in the 1S working the bottom. Salter started mid pack and stayed consistent on the bottom of the track. The laps ran out on Salter as he made his way around Weidner but ran short of catching Zobrist at the stripe, settling for second place, Weidner was third, Ryan Little was fourth and Mike Schulte rounded out the top five. Season Championships for the Becker Jewelers Late Models takes place next week.
Steve Schmitt Modifieds
Brian Bielong may have won another battle in the Steve Schmitt Modifieds but it was Chad Sellers winning the war. Bielong led the 20 lap main event from flag to flag but the race to win the war was between Sellers and Aaron Kleine. Kleine entered the night with a 7 point lead over Sellers. Kleine driving his familiar number 13 ran second to Bielong for the first part of the race. Sellers starting fourth not only had to work around the 84 of Tyler Diebert to get a shot at the Championship, but needed a car between him and Kleine at the finish. While Bielong set a very fast pace Sellers kept the pressure on Kleine by working the high side of the Speedway. As the race wore on Kleine’s racer faded allowing both Sellers and Diebert to pass. At the finish it was Bielong followed by your 2012 Steve Schmitt Modified Champion Chad Sellers by a slim margin of only 2 points, Diebert, Kleine and Justin Ketrow completing the top five.
Miller Lite Pro Late Models
Jordan Bauer in the 9* picked up the win in the Miller Lite Pro Late Models and long time veteran Bobby Martintoni won another track Championship. It is his first at the Highland Speedway in a Pro Late Model.
Following Bauer to the stripe was Mark Oller, Dick Taylor, Rick Salter and Bobby Dauderman.
Sport Mods
Rob Lee continued his dominance in the Sport Mod division by taking home the trophy. Marty Smith Jr, Mike “Wahoo” Jones, Tyler Diebert and Rick Johnson were the top five.
Factory Stocks
The best race of the night had to be the Factory Stocks. Eric Harris led nearly every lap of the main event. Shaun Horstmann started eighth in the night cap. At the drop of the green flag he immediately went to the high side of the track, while the front runners all stayed low. It seemed that every time he would pass a few cars a caution would come out and the scoring had to revert to the last completed lap. Advancing himself and trying to go to the front was a monumental task, as cautions seemed to flying every couple of laps. But Horstmann driving his number 54 was determined to make the high side work using the burm and occasionally bouncing his car off the walls. He slowly gained ground on the leader. The last 4 laps stayed green and coming out of turn 4 for the checker flag he squeezed between the leader Harris and the outside wall and past him by just a few inches. As mentioned Harris led all but the last six inches wound up in second, your 2012 Factory Stock Champion Austin Isaak was third, Jake Hewitt placed fourth and Justin Leichsenring completed the top five.
Sport Compacts
Bobby Funderburk took home the honors in the Sport Compact Division, Christian Lee, Kenny Elliott, Willy Myers, and Robbie Bindrim was the top five.
Kidz Modz
Cole Sellers, the 2012 Kidz Modz Track champion, was the feature event winner, Kayle Gibson, Zane Ulmer, Joey Gibson, Tyler Kuhn, Ryan Hamilton completed the field.
Track Champions
Congratulations to the 2012 Highland Speedway Track champions crowned this past Saturday night. Chad Sellers in the Steve Schmitt Modifieds, Bobby Martintoni in the Miller Lite Pro Late Models, Austin Isaak in the Factory stocks and Cole Sellers in the KidzModz.
A special congratulations goes out to Father and Son Chad and Cole Sellers, it was the first time in the 50 plus years at the Highland Speedway that a father and son won Championships in the same year.
Track Champions will be crowned this coming week in the Becker Jewelers Late Models, Sport Mods and Sport Compacts. All six regular Highland Speedway divisions will be racing.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Come out and help us celebrate Highland’s 175th Jubilee featuring the Gateway Vintage Cars, Kidz Mods, & Quarter Midgets!! Along with rides in with the Vintage Cars and in the Ride Car! We will be opening up the pits and welcoming everyone to come down and meet the drivers and check out the cars up close and personal!!! General Admission & Pit Passes are only $5.00, kids 10 and under are free with a paid adult admission. All children going into the pits must have a minor release Form signed by both parents. Parents and guardians only can sign the minor release form, no grandparents, aunts, uncles or friends. All children entering the pits must be supervised by an adult! Anyone entering the infield and riding in a ride car must sign insurance waivers, anyone under the age of 18 must have parents and/or guardians present to sign minor waivers and release forms.
For more information about the Highland Speedway and the Madison County Fair Association visit their respective web sites: HighlandSpeedway.com, and MadCoFair.com. Also visit their respective Face Book pages.
