KAUKAUNA, WI -- Terry Baldry emerged as the overall winner
of the first race in the 33rd annual Red, White and Blue State Championship
Series for Yellow Book USA late model Saturday night at the Wisconsin International
Raceway in Kaukauna. Baldry, a former Red, White and Blue and Yellow Book USA
champion, held off a late charge from Jeff Van Oudenhoven to win the second
50-lap feature race by four car lengths. Lowell Bennett, John Meidam and Rod
Wheeler rounded out the top five. Early leader Terry Korth came home in sixth.
In the first 50-lap feature Tim Rothe won by inches over Wheeler.
Wheeler came back from a stop and go penalty and charged through the field after
a caution period allowed him to catch up to the tail of the 22-car starting
field. It was Rothe's first ever feature win during a Red, White and Blue Series
race and his first win in a Yellow Book USA touring race. Michigan driver Mike
Gardner placed third in the first 50-lapper while Meidam was fourth, Baldry
fifth and Bennett sixth. Yellow Book USA point leader Jim Duchow set the early
pace in the first 50-lapper in a spirited battle with series rook Blake Bjorklund.
Duchow dropped out of the race with motor problems on the 15th lap with Rothe
and Wheeler able to overhaul Bjorklund. Bjorklund, who won the Yellow Book USA
race at I-94 Raceway the week before, eventually dropped back to 13th after
and encounter with Korth.
Baldry, who topped the 32-car field in qualifying with a lap
of 19.632, was declared the overall winner with 84 points. Wheeler and Meidam
are tied for second in the Red, White and Blue chase with 77 while Bennett has
74. Chris Larocque got around Kyle Calmes near the end of the accident-marred
limited late model 30-lap feature and won the event by several car lengths.
Former Yellow Book USA Mid-Am super Truck champion Jeff Steenbergen
paced with field with Calmes in a tight second throuhgout the first half of
the race. Calmes and Larocque were able to slip inside Steenbergen in turn three
on lap 15. Jay Kassera also tried to squeeze past Steenbergen, but the third
and fourth place cars came together in turn four. The track became completely
blocked and a chain reaction nine car pileup resulted. Earlier in the race Brent
Strelka blasted the inside guard rail in turn four, resulting in a delay to
repair the barrier. Then, late in the race veteran racer Pete Berken crashed
heavily into the front stretch wall as his car sailed down the track in a shower
of sparks. None of the drivers were injured.
Tom Gee Jr finish in third, Gary Bock fourth, Gary Natrop fifth
and Nate VanWychen sixth. Gee leads the limited late model points with 45 while
Larocque has 42 and Natrop 41. Neil Sannes was the Sizzlin Four 15-lap race
winner while Jeff Beschta took first in the 15-lap figure 8 race.
The next event in the Red, White and Blue Series is Saturday
night, July 10. The next special event at the Kaukauna track is Sunday afternoon,
June 27 when the rain delayed NASCAR Auto Zone 200 is held.
Yellow Book USA Late Models: First 50-Lap Feature: 1. Tim Rothe,
Appleton; 2. Rod Wheeler, Hortonville; 3. Mike Gardner, Gladstone, MI; 4. John
Meidam, Applwton; 5. Terry Baldry, Omro; 6. Lowell Bennett, Neenah; 7. Jeff
Van Oudenhoven, Kimberly; 8. Jeremy Lepac, Wausau; 9. Andy Monday, Appleton;
10. Ryan Manthei, Green Bay; 11. Trent Snyder, Ironton, MN; 12. Robb VanderLoop,
Kaukauna; 13. Blake Bjorklund, Isanti, MN; 14. Danny Fredrickson, Elko, MN;
15. Terry Korth, Appleton; 16. Chris Grimes, Green Bay; 17. Mark Schroeder,
Green Bay; 18. Kirby Kurth, Wisconsin Rapids; 19. Jamie Iverson, Escanaba, MI;
20. Tom Hockers, De Pere; 21. Troy Nelson, Antigo; 22. Jim Duchow, Appleton.
Second 50-Lap Feature: 1. Baldry; 2. VanOudenhoven; 3. Bennett;
4. Meidam; 5. Wheeler; 6. Korth; 7. Schroder; 8. Gardner; 9. VanderLoop; 10.
Monday; 11. Brian Johnson Jr, South Beloit, IL; 12. Rothe; 13. Grimes; 14. Snyder;
15. Bjorklund; 16. Nelson; 17. Lepac; 18. Manthei; 19. Hockers; 20. Kurth; 21.
Dexter Bean, westby; 22. Iverson
15-Lap B-Main winner: Bean
15-Lap Qualifying Race winners: First: Korth; Second: Kurth.
Fastest Qualifier: Baldry, 19.632
Limited Late Models: 30-Lap Feature: 1. Chris Larocque, Appleton;
2. Kyle Calmes, Freedom; 3. Tom Gee Jr, Sobieski; 4. Gary Bock, Little Chute;
5. Gary Natrop, Kaukauna; 6. Nate VanWychen, Kaukauna
Fastest Qualifier: Tom Spierowski, Neenah, 20.712.
Sizzlin Fours: 15-Lap Feature: Neil Sannes, De Pere; 2. Chris Peotter, Appleton;
3. Brandon Wittman, Norway, MI
Figure 8: 15-Lap Feature: 1. Jeff Beschta, Appleton; 2. Terry Van Roy, Darboy