2008illini

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Tom Arthur, PR Director
Illini Racing Series (IRS)
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2007 archives

MAYHEW OVERCOMES MAYHEM  TO ILLINI WIN AT ANGELL PARK

 
Sun Prairie, WI, 07/06/08  Just one week after having a hit and run driver destroy his tow vehicle and trailer, Kurt Mayhew found himself in victory lane at the world’s most famous midget track.  Mayhew had planned to run once again with the Illini Racing Series, but after his highway accident, that seemed in doubt.  When the “friends of Mayhew” brought the car into the pits tonight, everyone was happy to see the veteran driver feeling well enough to give it a try.
 
With his Brayton/Buick choked down with the required intake restrictors, and a set of Illini spec tires bolted on his Buzzard chassis, Mayhew gingerly slid his bruised ribs into the cockpit of his racecar.  With no qualifying, his draw put him in the 2nd heat with four of the five feature race winners from this year, Joe Knippel, Allen Gillis, Lamont Critchett, and Doug Orseske.  The heat also included Sean Murphy, Mark Morey and Duke Fulton in his 1980’s vintage Vogler chassised car from Iowa compete.  Knippel won the heat, with Mayhew 2nd.
 
The first heat saw a sweep of the top three positions by Wisconsin drivers.  David Budres took the early lead, but spun in turn one, sending him to the back of the pack.  The Beloit driver came back to win, followed by Milwaukee’s Dick Kaiser, and Rockdale’s Mike Adams, Jr..
 
The A-Main featured a number of great batttles for positions, with Mayhew working his way to the front, chased by a determined Gillis and Knippel.  Mayhew was able to catch a breather under yellow flags on lap 6 for a Budres brush with the inside guardrail in turn 4, on lap 8 for Murphy’s broken Panhard bar, and on lap 12 when Orseske lost the right front tire and gently brushed the wall.
 
RESULTS:
Heat #1 (10 laps):  1. David Budres, Beloit, WI, #31 Snap-On Tools Quad-4/Ellis; 2. Dick Kaiser, Milwaukee, WI, #82 Dan George Scream Focus/Stealth; 3. Mike Adams. Jr., Rockdale, WI, #21A  Joe Albert Chevy II/Mislich; 4. Loran Critchett, Jr., Alsip, IL, #17 Dave Gass VW/Challenger; 5. Eddie Sauer, Loves Park, IL, #74 Sauer Racing 2300cc Ford/Edmunds; 6. Scott Dunning, Joliet, IL, #1 Knippel/Spencer Racing Illini Ford/Hawk; 7.  Scott Koerner, Joliet, IL, #4 Task Management Sesco 2x4/Bishop; 8. Tom Shilkuski, Spring Valley, IL, #66 Ray Shilkuski VW/Kenyon
 
Heat #2 (10 laps):  1.  Joe Knippel, Mokena, IL, #33 INR Beatty Lumber Quad-4/Buzzard 2. Kurt Mayhew, Hammond, IN, #21 Mayhew Racing Buick/Buzzard; 3. Allen Gillis, Westmont, IL, #39 Task Management Illini Focus/White; 4. Lamont Critchett, Chicago Heights, IL, #44 Critchett VW/Stapp; 5. Sean Murphy, Evanston, IL, #5 Half Fast Quad-4/Hawk; 6. Duke Fulton, Winton, IA, #32 Arnold Automotive VW/Vogler;; 7. Doug Orseske, Frankfort, IL, #0 Orseske Farms Quad-4/Buzzard; 8. Mark Morey, Sugar Grove, IL, #3 RaceFab Illini Focus/White; 9. Jason Dull, Machesney Park, IL, DNS
 
A-Main (25 laps):  1. Mayhew, 2. Gillis, 3. Knippel, 4. La. Critchett, 5. Kaiser, 6. Sauer, 7. Lo. Critchett, Jr., 8. Fulton, 9. Morey, 10. Shilkuski, 11. Koerner, 12. Orseske, 13. Adams, Jr., 14. Murphy. 15. Dunning, 16. Budres, 17. Dull  (DNS)
 
CURRENT ILLINI RACING SERIES POINTS AS OF 7/7/08:  1.  Joe Knippel, 1705;  2.  Lamont Critchett, 1532;  3.  Loran Critchett, Jr., 1496;  4.  Doug Orseske, 1473;  5.  Allen Gillis, 1277;  6.  Jason Dull, 1195;  7.  Dick Kaiser, 1008;  8.  Scott Koerner, 970;  9.  Mike Adams Jr., 916;  10.  Scott Dunning, 879;  11.  Mark Morey, 813;  12.  Dan George, 661;  13.  Eric Nitz, 579;  14.  David Budres, 549;  15.  Charlie Holt, 548;  16.  Freddy Teer, 518;  17.  Eddie Sauer, 421;  18.  Tom Shilkuski, 414;  19.  Sean Murphy, 399;  20..  Kurt Mayhew, 293;  21.  Duke Fulton, 211;  22.  Bob Shreffler, 181;  23.  Mike Krysiak, 120;  24   Ken Dull, 5;  25.  Jolene Slomka, 5.
 
Next Scheduled Illini Racing Series midget race:  Saturday, July 26 at Rockford Speedway with the ASA Northern Late Model Series.

Five Races, Five Faces
 
Princeton, IL (6/7/08)  On a beautiful night for racing at the historic Bureau County Fairgrounds, the Illini Racing Series showed once again how well their rulebook works. The fifth different driver in five races found their way to victory lane, but it wasn’t easy.
 
Doug Orseske picked up his seventh career feature win, his third on dirt.  Orseske started his heat from the pole, but did a 360 degree spin in turn one in front of the entire field.  The 0 car kept running, but flagman Matt Rahmer had already alertly thrown the yellow flag in anticipation of the big pile-up that never came.  Orseske took the lead on third circuit of the 25 lap feature, but was pressured by Joe Knippel until lap 14.  Knippel was finally able to clear Orseske just as the red flag was thrown.
 
The red was to allow the ambulance to leave the infield for a non-race emergency.  With the restart based on the previous completed lap, Knippel would have to try again to take the top spot.  He wasn’t able to, and Orseske became the first driver to win a feature event on our new American Racer tires.  A great battle for 3rd was won by Allen Gillis, with Dick Kaiser 4th, and Lamont Critchett 5th.
 
The second heat was won by Gillis, and the trophy dash hardware went home with the Sean Murphy team, a team who debuted their new car with style.
 
The Illini Dwarf Car/Mod-Lite Division saw Jeff Norton sweep the heat and feature.  The Davenport driver was chased to the feature finish by Bobby Fox in 2nd, David Norton in 3rd, Shon Sanders 4th, and Dan Guss 5th.
 
The next Illini Racing Series race is June 21st at Bureau County Speedway.
 
Illini Racing Series Event #5, June 7, 2008 Bureau County Speedway, Princeton, IL
 
Illini Sportsman Midgets:
 
Peacock Publishing Heat #1:  1. Lamont Critchett, Chicago Heights, IL #44 Critchett Brothers Racing VW/Stapp; 2. Joe Knippel, Mokena, IL #33 Knippel/Spencer Quad 4/Buzzard; 3. Doug Orseske, Frankfort, IL #0 Orseske Farms Quad 4/Buzzard;  4. Loran Critchett, Jr., Alsip, IL #17 On the Gass Racing VW/Challenger:  5. Scott Dunning, Bolingbrook, IL #1 Knippel/Spencer Illini Focus/Hawk; 6. Scott Koerner, Joliet, IL #4K Task Management Sesco/Bishop.
 
Spencer’s Jewelry Heat #2:  Allen Gillis, Westmont, IL #39 Task Management Illini Focus/White; 2. Sean Murphy, Evanston, IL #5 Quad 4/Hawk; 3. Jason Dull, Machesney Park, IL #56 D & D Racing Chevy II/Stealth;  4. Mark Morey, Sugar Grove, IL #3 Morey Enterprises Illini Focus/White; 5. Charlie Holt, Lemont, IL #4H Thompson/Engstrom EcoTech/Stewart; 6. Dick Kaiser, Milwaukee, WI #82 George Racing Enterprises Scream Focus/Buzzard; 7. Tom Shilkuski, Spring Valley, IL #23 Ray Shilkuski Illini Focus/Jack Rich;  8. David Budres, Beloit, WI #31 Knippel/Spencer Quad 4/Ellis.
 
ADM Real Estate Feature Event (25 laps):  1. Doug Orseske, 2. Joe Knippel, 3. Allen Gillis, 4. Dick Kaiser, 5. Lamont Critchett, 6. Loran Critchett, Jr., 7. Charlie Holt, 8. Mark Morey, 9. Jason Dull, 10. Sean Murphy, 11. Scott Dunning, 12. Scott Koerner, 13. Tom Shilkuski, 14. David Budres
 
Illini Sportsman Midget Points after 6/7/08:  1. Joe Knippel 1420, 2. Doug Orseske 1300, 3. Lamont Critchett 1276, 4.  Loran Critchett 1263, 5. Jason Dull 1195, 6. Allen Gillis 999, 7. Scott Koerner 790, 8. Dick Kaiser 745, 9 Mike Adams Jr. 721,10. Scott Dunning 721, 11. Dan George 661, 12. Mark Morey 625, 13. Eric Nitz 579, 14.  Charlie Holt, 548, 15. Freddie Teer 518, 16. David Budres 361, 17. Tom Shilkuski 233, 18. Sean Murphy 226, 19. Eddie Sauer 188, 20. Bob Shreffler 181, 21. Mike Krysiak 120, 22. Ken Dull 5, 23. Jolene Slomka 5.
 
Illini Dwarf Car/Mod-Lites:
 
Heat Race:  1. Jerry Norton, Davenport, IA,  2. David Norton, Moline, IL, 3, Shon Sanders, Blue Grass, IA, 4. Bobby Fox, Moline, IL, 5. Rob Guss, Muscatine, IA, 6. Dan Guss, Muscatine, IA, 7. Dan Vincent, Solon, IA, 8. Jeep Leiker, Joliet, IL
 
Feature Race:  1. Jerry Norton, 2. Bobby Fox, 3. David Norton, 4. Shon Sanders, 5. Dan Guss, 6. Rob Guss, 7. Dan Vincent, 8. Jeep Leiker
 
Illini Dwarf Car/Mod-Lite Points after 6/7/08:  1. Sean Sanders 563, 2. Jeep Leiker 474,  3. Jerry Norton 300, 4. David Norton 278, 5. David Imming 271, 6. Bobby Fox, 271, 7. Erik Close 263, 8. Dan Guss 233, 9. Rob Guss 233, 10. Dan Vincent 210
 

Wreckers to Checkers, Gillis and Critchett Rebuild and Win

photo by Kathy Costerisan
 
Morris, IL (5/25/08)  After being involved in a five car crash last weekend, everyone knew it would a week of long nights in many race shops to get everybody back on the track.  The time and effort was put forth and it paid big dividends for two of the teams.
 
Saturday night marked the first appearance for the Illini Sportsman Midgets at Bureau County Speedway in Princeton, IL.  The track was a perfect fit for the Illini group.  Illini Rookie of the Year candidate Dick Kaiser drove the Dan George #82 to the trophy dash win.  Joe Knippel took advantage of his outside front row starting position to win heat one.  Heat two saw Scott Koerner pick up his first heat race win, although his Chevy Sesco was smoking heavily. 
 
The feature race was one of the great ones.  Allen Gillis’ #39 may have been the most seriously damaged cars at Rockford.  The car looked straight in hot laps, but it lost brakes and had to be worked on further.  Gillis managed to finish 2nd in his heat, but by time the main rolled around, it became apparent the Task Management car wasn’t going to finish 2nd to else this night.  A late caution to remove a stalled car bunched up the field, but Gillis held off all challenges to claim his first feature win.
 
Less than 24 hours later, the group found themselves as part of the big ASA show at Grundy County Speedway.  After finishing last in his heat, and 7th in the feature the night before on the dirt, Lamont Critchett looked strong in hot laps.  In fact, he looked strong winning his heat.  And he still looked good taking to the high side to get around Joe Knippel on his way to his first feature win of the season.
 
Celebrating in victory lane with his crew and car owner (brother Loran Critchett, Jr.), Lamont revealed the team had t