Looking Back at the 2009 Racing Season at MIS

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Madison International Speedway
11.01.09

Looking Back at the 2009 Racing Season at MIS

By John Wells

Another fantastic season of racing and fun is now in the books at Madison International Speedway. Let's take a look back at how each of our five weekly divisions played out, the special events that took place, and a unique scholarship program offered at MIS.

Jeremy Miller Wins Rockweiler Insulation Late Model Title

“This was our goal for 2009 and it took a lot of hard work, but we made it,” said Jeremy Miller of Rockton, Illinois, after winning the 2009 Rockweiler Insulation Late Model track championship. This was the second title for Miller who also won in 2006.

Miller won two features in 2009, but it was the consistent top five and top ten finishes that paid off in the long run. In fact, Miller was in the top five in national ASA points for most of the season based on his solid finishes in the sixteen events run by the division. He also led the way in divisional qualifying by setting fast time on eight nights. As a result Miller amassed 1,154 points.

Defending track champion Bobby Wilberg of Beloit, Wisconsin, finished in second place with 987 points with two feature wins and two fast times to his credit. Zack Riddle of Brooklyn, Wisconsin, finished third with 934 points and one feature win. John Baumeister Jr. of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, finished in fourth place with 904 points and one feature win with Scott Broughton of Stoughton, Wisconsin, rounding out the top five with 899 points and leading the division with three feature wins.

Rounding out the top ten were Dave Feiler of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, Chad Stevens of Orfordville, Wisconsin, Ryan Goldade of Stoughton, Wisconsin, John Ovadal Jr. of Watertown, Wisconsin, and Kevin Knuese of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Feiler, Stevens, and Goldade each picked up a feature win.

A total of sixty-eight drivers earned points in 2009 with NASCAR star and former track champion Matt Kenseth of Cambridge, Wisconsin, winning a pair of features. Matt's son, Ross of Spring Valley, Illinois, also earned a feature win along with Michael Bilderback of South Beloit, Illinois.

Bradley Becker of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, was honored as Rookie of the Year with Riddle selected as Fan Favorite for 2009.

Miller won the Wayne's Custom DIECAST Hard Charger Award in 2009. This award is in memory of Wayne Forsythe.

Two in a Row for Jay Kalbus in BHAC Area Sportsman

“This was fun, but we needed a few breaks here at the end,” said Jay Kalbus of Watertown, Wisconsin, after winning his second straight track championship.

Kalbus needed some luck on championship night with two features scheduled. After suffering mechanical problems with his car and trouble with his borrowed car, things looked bad for Kalbus. But a two hour rain delay allowed him to come back for the second feature and maintain his points lead.

On his way to his title Kalbus finished with 951 points and won a division high four features and set quick time on four nights as well. Runner-up Bobby Wilberg of Beloit, Wisconsin, led the way with seven fast times and picked up three feature wins and 907 points. Kurt Kleven of Utica, Wisconsin, finished in third place in his first season at MIS and notched a feature win on the way to his 860 points.

Rounding out the top five were Team Goldade (Ryan and TJ) of Stoughton, Wisconsin, who each won a feature and garnered 761 points, and Rookie of the Year Stephen Scheel of Lake Mills, Wisconsin, who finished with 701 points.

Completing the top ten were Team Hansberry (Bob and Robert) of Beloit, Wisconsin, Don Wickstrum of Monroe, Wisconsin, Micheal Heelein of Evansville, Wisconsin, Bret Schmidt of Watertown, Wisconsin, and John Handeland of Belleville, Wisconsin. Heelein and Schmidt also won feature events in 2009.

A total of twenty-four drivers earned points in 2009 with TJ Goldade being selected as Fan Favorite. The car of Bobby Wilberg won the Best Appearing Car Award.

Chester Ace Does It Again in Roto Rooter Bandits

“I feel really good about this championship and it definitely didn't come easily,” said Oregon, Wisconsin's Chester Ace after picking up the Bandits championship. “We had more cars this year and it took patience to work through the field.”

Ace paced the division with seven fast times and tied for top honors with five feature wins enroute to his 929 points. Runner up Kyle Padfield of Janesville, Wisconsin, also claimed five feature wins and finished with 845 points.

Belleville, Wisconsin's Jody Schmidt finished in third place with 810 points and one feature win. Schmidt also won a non-points feature event in 2009. Completing the top five were Cory Skolaski of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, with 747 points and Oregon, Wisconsin driver Lee Haag with 610 points.

The remainder of the top ten included Pat Richgels of Middleton, Wisconsin, Jovanni DiMaggio of Oregon, Wisconsin, Brandon Skolaski of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, Jon Coker of Oregon, Wisconsin, and Teresa Verburgt of Madison, Wisconsin.

A total of thirty drivers earned points in 2009 with Lee Haag winning Rookie of the Year honors and Ace selected as the Fan Favorite.

Brad Luck / Todd Ambrose Team Up for Weaver Auto Parts Hobby Stock Crown

The 2009 season at Madison International Speedway featured something new: Driving teams. Even though only three sets of drivers took advantage of this new opportunity, Brad Luck and Todd Ambrose of Sauk City, Wisconsin, made the most of it by winning the Hobby Stocks track championship. For Ambrose it was his second title at MIS after previously winning an Area Sportsman crown.

Luck set fast time on two nights while Ambrose set the pace four times. Luck notched one feature win while Ambrose added two more for their 1,030 points.

Runner up was Don Fassett of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, who led the division with five fast times and picked up a pair of feature wins leading to his 915 points. Bobby Selsing Jr. of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, finished in third with 860 points and a division leading four feature wins. Terry Ciano Jr. of Janesville, Wisconsin, and Chad Knaus of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, rounded out the top five with 829 and 775 points respectively. Both drivers also won feature events in 2009.

The rest of the top ten was comprised of Ken Au of Sullivan, Wisconsin, Joey Thomas of Rockford, Illinois, Rodger Stephenson of Cambridge, Wisconsin, Greg Pruitt of Rockford, Illinois, and Scott Luck of Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin.

Fourteen drivers earned points in 2009 with Don Fassett being selected as Fan Favorite and Chad Knaus the Rookie of the Year.

Pellitteri Waste Systems Legends Championship to Max McNamara

It was two in a row for Max McNamara of Ingleside, Illinois, in the Legends division. “Aaron (Moyer) and I put on a good battle all year long and I'm excited to come out on top again,” said McNamara.

It really was a McNamara and Moyer show in 2009 as between the two high school students they either set fast time or won the feature on every single night. McNamara led the way as fast qualifier on eight nights and picked up six feature wins plus a non-points feature while Moyer set fast time twice and won four features. In the end McNamara would win the points race 931-876 over Moyer.

Rouding out the top five were Hermann Greinig of Addison, Illinois, with 574 points, Tim Narr of Calendonia, Wisconsin, with 552 points, and Brandon Heisler of Aurora, Illinois, with 501 points.

Dave Wastak of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Adam Rawski of Winfield, Illinois, Kyle Justis of Kenosha, Wisconsin, Rich Miller of Mayville, Wisconsin, and Kyle Vergata of New Berlin, Wisconsin, made up the rest of the top ten.

Twenty-one drivers earned points in 2009 with McNamara being selected as Fan Favorite and Kyle Vergata as Rookie of the Year.

Special Events at MIS

The 2009 racing season opened at MIS in May with the ASA Midwest Tour and Big 8 Series coming to Wisconsin's Fastest Half-Mile. Past MIS Super Late Model champion Nathan Haseleu of Pardeeville, Wisconsin, won the ASAMT event while Ross Kenseth won the Big 8 race.

The RK Race Promotions Swiss Colony All Star Challenge returned to MIS in 2009 with Chris Wimmer edging Matt Kenseth for the win before the largest crowd of the 2009 season at MIS. Rain delayed the Big 8 race until August which would eventually be won by Ross Kenseth, who would go on to win the Big 8 championship.

It was Kenseth versus Kenseth Night when Matt took on Ross and a talented field of late model drivers in August. A large field of drivers was on hand as father bested son as Matt took the checkered flag in both features. Ross finished second and sixth in the two races with Nathan Oppliger of Oregon, Wisconsin, finishing second in feature number two.

Jeremy Spoonmore of Somanauk, Illinois, took home the overall win in the Mid American Stock Car Series Twin 25s. Spoonmore and Kyle Shear of South Beloit, Illinois, split the features.

The ASA Late Model Series was at MIS in 2009 with Steve Carlson of West Salem, Wisconsin, winning the Mayor of Madison 100 after rain postponed the Friday night event to Sunday afternoon.

Veteran driver Bryan Reffner of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, won the Swiss Colony Super Late Model special in August.

The International Four Cylinders took on Wisconsin's Fastest Half-Mile with Gary Stark of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, winning both events.

John Wood of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, won both events for the USST Super Trucks in 2009.

Bob Heine of New Prague, Minnesota, won the Grand National Vintage Series event on their only visit to MIS in 2009.

Unfortunately one of the biggest weekends of racing at MIS was rained out as the third annual MIS Fall Classic fell victim to the elements.

ASA Educational Series

This year over thirty students from area high schools participated in the program working as crew members or drivers at Madison International Speedway. Educational Series members were required to work one night a week in a race shop and with the race team on Friday night's at MIS. A point system similar to the MIS weekly racing points system was used to determine the winning team members.

By the time the awards program was completed, a total of over $250,000 in scholarships were awarded and a major announcement was made regarding the future of the program.

Larry Pond of the ASA Edcuational Series announced that the series will be going national in 2010.

Next Stop- MIS Banquet

The MIS banquet honoring the accomplishments of the 2009 season will be held on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at The Heights in Verona,