MIS E-News
Week of July 23, 2007
by John Wells
This Week at MIS
It's hard to believe we are nearing the end of July and the season championships are a little more than a month away. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support and we ask that you continue to support MIS and all those who support MIS and the drivers.
The next time you patronize one of our sponsors or one of the sponsors on a car please be sure to say "thanks" for supporting racing at MIS. Let them know you saw their ad on the side of a car or whatever...it's good for all of us when you do this.
Congratulations to Kevin Wagner who was selected to shake the hands of the drivers before last week's ASAMT No Bull 100. It was a special night for the Wagner family as Kevin's grandfather, Wendell, was able to take in the races. It was great to see the entire family back together at the speedway! Wendell and his son Steve have been coming to races at Madison since the late 1960's.
Nice post race stories in both Madison newspapers after last Friday night's race. Wouldn't it be nice to have a weekly column dedicated exclusively to local racing? Joe Verdegan, who announced the ASAMT race last Friday, writes a column in the Green Bay Press Gazette each week.
It's a doubleheader weekend at Madison International Speedway!!!
Friday: JP Cullen and Sons Night
Weaver Auto Parts Madison Late Models
Big 8 Series Limited Late Models (Points night for
Rockweiler Insulation Limited Late Models)
Roto Rooter Bandits
American Short Trackers / International Four Cylinders
Hobby Stocks
Wayne's Custom DIECAST Dash Series for LLM
Hot laps at 4:45, qualifying at 6:30 with racing at 7:30.
Expect a big car count for the limited late models as earlier this season over 40 cars were on hand for the Big 8 Series. The Hobby Stocks will make their season debut with a second date scheduled for August 31. Thanks to 2006 champion Mike "The Spike" Storkson for helping put this together.
The point races in our three weekly divisions are really heating up! Bobby Wilberg leads the way in the Madison Late Models with a 544-513 advantage over Tom Gille. In the Limited Late Models Scott Broughton continues to lead but the margin is only three points (675-672) over Wilberg. Steve Dickson is the point leader in the Bandits with a fifty point lead over Bobby Selsing Jr. (674-624).
Limited Late Model Points Update...we are having difficulty updating mylaps on the website so here's the unofficial point standings in the Rockweiler Insulation Limited Late Models:
Scott Broughton 680, Bobby Wilberg 677, Ryan Goldade 619, John Baumeister 553, Brady Liddle 552, Mark Miller 549, Cliff Rucks 350, Chad Stevens 344, Michael Bilderback 313, Todd Schmitz 304
These points are unofficial pending mylaps updating. I had to manually calculate them after last Friday's race. They do reflect the adjustment made for the July 6th race due to the disqualification of the winner.
Saturday: Pepsi presents Open Wheel Night
USAC Regional Midgets also UMARA Midgets
Kenyon Midgets
Ford Focus Midgets
FIRA
Rascal Outlaws
2:00 4:00 Open Wheel practice session
4:45 Hot Laps
6:30 Qualifying
7:30 Racing
This will be your only opportunity to see the open wheel cars at MIS in 2007. The USAC Regional Midgets will take on the half-mile with the other divisions racing on the quarter mile. The FIRA cars are mini-Indy cars and the Rascal Outlaws are small cars with wings.
Chett Gehrke returns to MIS where he took top honors in 2006 by winning the Ford Focus Midgets on the quarter mile. For complete information on the three midget series go to usacracing.com.
Nearly everyone on the track Saturday night will be making their first appearance at MIS so it should be interesting to see who adapts the quickest. A local driver, David Byrne of Shullsburg, Wisconsin, has practiced at MIS twice in 2007.
Thank You RX Automotive of Oregon
The Hobby Stock division will now be racing three times at MIS plus the Fall Classic. The Hobby Stocks will also be in action on August 31 and September 7. They are going to be known as the RX Automotive Hobby Stocks.
The division was originally on the schedule, but we were unable to finalize the details. After several drivers came to us we decided to add them to the upcoming shows. A special thanks to Mike Storkson for helping bring things together.
RX Automotive is located at 123 1/2 South Main in Oregon. Trust all your car care needs to the area's leading performance specialists: Brakes, Tune Ups, Winterizing, Exhaust, Body & Paint, and Engine Repair.
RX Automotive is your complete Auto Repair Specialist. Give them a call at 608.835.0950
Thanks to Russ and Rodger for supporting local short track racing. They support many teams in the area and look out for the racers.
Also, they are adding money to the purse for this Friday and for Aug 31st. It will be $50 more to the winner, $30 more to second and $20 more for third.
Big Friday Night Planned for August 3rd
Join us on August 3rd for Laborer's Union Local 464 Night with our three weekly divisions in action plus a 100 lap Super Late Model event. John Mathews of the labor union will be bringing out a huge group of union members to the track for their annual outing. Just ask John how great it is to have their outing at MIS...we're happy they are with us again this year.
We will also be honoring Bob Schmelzer who has been working in the racing business for fifty years. Bob is currently working at the pit gate at MIS so drivers know him well and now fans will have the same opportunity to meet him.
It will be a regular admission price night although the $2.00 receipt from the previous week will not apply.
Friday Night in Review
It was great to have the ASA Midwest Tour at MIS with a large crowd on hand to witness their first-ever appearance at Wisconsin's Fastest Half-Mile. The limited late models and Legends were also in action.
Brandon Who?
If there was anyone at MIS who hadn't heard of Lake Geneva driver Brandon Hill before last Friday, they all know him well now as he won the No Bull 100. Brandon came into the season with one feature win to his credit at the former Lake Geneva Raceway. He set the pace early and never relinquished his lead over the large and talented thirty-five car field. A great race for second took place between Jonathon Eilen and Dave Feiler with Hill never really challenged out front. Congratulations Brandon!
Let's hope we see Brandon and all the others back at MIS for our upcoming super late model events.
Great to have NASCAR stars Kyle Busch and Johnny Sauter on hand along with racing legends Dick Trickle and Rich Bickle Jr. It was interesting to see Trickle racing against the grandkids of drivers he competed
with when he won his track championships in 1971 /1972. Zack Riddle and Travis Sauter's grandfathers raced with Trickle back in the day.
The ASAMT is off to an incredible start in their inaugural season and it's no secret that this series is really going places. Great job Tim and Steve.
Ryan Goldade drove another top notch race as he picked up his second feature win of the season in the Rockweiler Insulation Limited Late Models. Blake Brown captured his second feature win in a row and third of the season in the Legends.
A complete race report is available on our website.
Upcoming Events at MIS
Friday Aug 10 Swiss Colony Night MLM / LLM / Bandits / Bandoleros / Legends Madison Muscle Mustang Club Sportscasters Celebrity Race
Five divisions of racing action including local sports broadcasters taking to the quarter mile in a celebrity race.
Friday Aug 17 Gordie Boucher Fireworks Extravaganza MLM / LLM / Bandits plus Train Race Wayne’s Custom DIECAST Dash for LLM Faster Pastor Night Corvette Club
See the area’s best fireworks display as Gordie Boucher hosts their annual “Fireworks Extravaganza” with all three weekly divisions in action along with the Faster Pastor race and the return of the “Train Race.”
Friday Aug 24 Werner Electric Night MLM / LLM / Bandits / USST Trucks and Celebrity Race Championship Family Recliner Race
Friday Aug 31 First Supply Season Championships presented by Moen: MLM / LLM / Bandits plus Hobby Stocks, Legends, Bandoleros
Friday Sept 7 Wisconsin Challenge Series (Super Late Models) / Hobby Stocks / Bandits and Trailer Race
Friday Sept 21 MIS Fall Classic Saturday Sept 22 MIS Fall Classic
See Super Late Models, Madison Late Models, Limited Late Models, USST Super Trucks, and Area Sportsman in action on the half mile. On the quarter mile you’ll see Bandits, Hobby Stocks, Legends, Bandoleros, Modifieds, and Modifieds.
It’s been a long time since Madison hosted a major end of the season event. The MIS Fall Classic will feature more than ten divisions and hundreds of cars with action on both the half-mile and quarter-mile tracks. Plans are being finalized and a complete schedule will be posted on our website (madisoninternationalspeedway.com)
Faster Pastor Night on August 10th
If you have a pastor you want to nominate for the Faster Pastor race on August 10th please contact Holly Coley at the track office (608.835.9700). I know Todd Christopherson is begging for another chance!
The Chaplain's Corner
by Todd Christopherson
What a great night of racing. Congrats to Ryan and Brandon and the rest of the teams that were out racin'.
So as I went down to the track for opening ceremonies there was some special presentations. It was good to see the check handed over to Special Olympics. What a great organization. I prayed right after that and then the National Anthem. We had a good singer, but what was really cool was the others from SO singing. It reminded me of so much. One that God hears the simple, earnest prayer rather then the "professional, well spoken." The Lord is looking for the heart that is tender and broken, contrite in Spirit. It also reminded me that we are to sing out loud to please God. Those in front of me were in full voice. It also reminded me that we may think we are special or gifted, but when we think about the Lord being perfect, we are far short of that. Yet God calls each of us to His side and family, if we just humble ourselves before Him and calls out to Him for salvation.
See you at the track!
todd christopherson
If I can help 608-846-8493 or torch_for_jesus@yahoo.com
That's all for this week...see you at the races and bring your friends.
John Wells
Madison International Speedway