Jonathan Eilen edges James Swam in Mid-Am Stock Car Series feature at Madison International
OREGON, WI -- Jonathan Eilen dipped inside James Swan on the 23rd circuit on won the Mid-American Stock Car Series 30 Friday night at Madison International Speedway in Oregon, WI before the largest crowd at the 2005 season at the track.
Eilen, driving the Winona Diesel/Eilen Trucking 2005 Monte Carlo, was among seven drivers to break his one year old track record during qualifying on the banked half-mile paved oval. Ron Weyer, behind the wheel of the Heil Heating & Cooling Grand Prix, led the first five laps with Jeremy Spoomore, Swan and Collin Bamke close behind. The leaders went three-wide down the backstretch on lap six with Spoonmore diving inside Weyer and Swam flying past on the outside. Spoonmore, piloting the Farley Automotive Monte Carlo, held onto the top spot for three laps before Swan slipped under him along the front stretch. Swan, Spoonmore and Andy Jirik ran in the top three positions in bumper-to-bumper fashion until lap 16 when Andrew Ruthenbeck spun in turn two. One lap later Curtis Van Der Wal looped his Musco Lighting Grand Prix in the same turn. The two caution flag periods grouped up the field for the restart which aided Eilen's run to the front. Eilen got around Spoonmore for second position on lap 18 and then dove inside Swan on lap 23 entering turn three. Eilen survived several additional caution flag periods on his way to the victory. Swan, Spoonmore, Jirik, two-time Mid-American Series champion Bill Prietzel and Weyer rounded out the top six.
Some 33 cars were on hand for the program, with 31 attempting to qualifying. The MIS Mid-Am division record field was topped by Gary Lamonte with a time of 19.223.
The event was the first of the 2005 Triple Crown for Mid-American Stock Cars at MIS. Rounds two and three will be Friday nights, July 15 and August 5. The next Mid-American Stock Car Series race is slated Saturday, May 28 at Elko Speedway in Elko, MN.
30-Lap Feature: 1. Jonathan Eilen, Hampton, MN; 2. James Swan, Genoa City; 3. Jeremy Spoonmore, Somonauk, IL; 4. Andy Jirik, Lonsdale, MN; 5. Bill Prietzel, Franklin; 6. Ron Weyer, Richfield; 7. Collin Bamke, Slinger; 8. Gary Lamonte, West Allis; 9. Scott Null, Lake Mills; 10. Dave Gentile, Ellwood, Il; 11. Jason Taghikahani, Milwaukee; 12. Brett Piontek, Green Bay; 13. Kenny Joosten, Wonder Lake, IL; 14. Lyle Nowak, Wausau; 15. Dan Powell, Polo, IL; 16. Curtis Van Der Wal, Oskaloosa, IA; 17. Andrew Ruthenback, Virginia, MN; 18. Jaime Dorsey, Rockford, IL; 19. Pat McIntee, West Bend; 20. Tim Schmitt, Muskego; 21. John Vig, Jr, Shakopee, MN; 22. Brad Keith, West Bend; 23. Mike Skaja, New Prague, MN; 24. Jeremy Miller, Rockton, IL
12-Lap Last Chance Race: 1. Joosten; 2. Dorsey; 3. Billy Tuckwell, Peoria, IL; 4. Eilliott Marquardt, Merrill; 5. Hank Tews, Batavia, IL; 6. Butch Mierendorf, Waterloo; 7. Dave Obermeyer, Allenton; 8. Adam Berge, East Troy; 9. Greg Marks, Maribel.
8-Lap Heat winners: First: Dorsey; Second: Schmitt; Third: Null.
Fastest qualifier (of 33 entries) Lamonte, 19.223 (record)