7/5/2022
Wilmot Raceway
Wilmot Raceway Tuesday Night Fireworks Special a Smash Hit
A pair of 2022 three-time winners and a first timer highlighted the 3rd Annual Wilmot Raceway Fireworks/Carload Special on Tuesday, June 28.
Genoa City's Mike Simons scored his third 20-lap modified feature win of the season in a hotly contested battle with eventual runner-up Steve Mueller of Eagle. M. Simons, a 3-time Wilmot season champion, overtook Mueller three laps from the finish coming out of turn four after the pair battled side by side throughout the closing circuits. Union Grove's Joel Crowbridge was third. Genoa City's Nick Simons, Mike's younger brother, took fourth. Bristol's John Dost fifth.
"It's a lot of fun battling Steve," said M. Simons, who with his brother's pair of feature wins, kept all of the modified main event checkereds in the family thus far this season. "I have to thank my sponsors, my brother who does the track prep, and everybody who helped get the win. And of course the great fans who came out."
John Cole of McHenry, IL chalked by his second consecutive and third Bandit 4-Cylinder Stock Car feature victory of the season. Cole went four-wide with a lapped car and early race leader Union Grove's Garrett Ehleiter and Garrett's dad, Dale Ehleiter, at the midway point down the backstretch. Cole went on to the win pulling away. Rick Zifko of Aurora, IL came on to take second. G. Ehleiter had a career best third. Salem's Austin Orth fourth. D. Ehleiter, despite a left-rear tire going low much of the last 10 laps of the race, held on for fifth.
"It's great to win on Fireworks Night. Racing these guys four-wide was awesome, and clean racing, too," said Cole of his third feature win out of the four the Bandits have had this season. "I thank NAMI of Lake County for its support. It's a lot of fun having my mom here from Texas, my dad and as always, my wife Danielle."
Kansasville's Ryan Marshall became the fourth different 20-lap AutoMeter/Brewington Wisconsin WingLESS Sprints feature winner in five outings for the division at Wilmot this season. Marshall held the lead from flag to flag starting on the front row after a opening lap red flag for a multi-car pileup in turn four resulting in a flip by Jimmy Sivia, who was not injured.
Marshall had pressure from several competitors throughout the main with cautions with 13 laps to go and a final one with five remaining which set up a dash to the finish. Marshall, the 2021 Overall Wisconsin WingLESS Series Champion, was up to the challenge scoring the win. Clayton Rossmann of Wadsworth, IL finished second. Tim Cox of Park City, IL third. Oconomowoc's Ryan Zielski fourth. Rusty Egan of Round Lake Heights, IL fifth.
"It was a hard battle, but this win means a lot," said an emotional Marshall joined in victory lane by his family and car owners. "We got some bad health news about someone close this past week, and this makes it even more special. It also keeps everything in perspective."
Preliminary events saw C.J. Malueg of Johnsburg, IL flip his wingless in group qualifying. Malueg returned to run later in the program.
The veteran Lee Tibbitts of Hebron, IL walked away after rolling his modified in a heat race and landing upside down. Tibbitts was done for the night.
Following a break for the Independence Day holiday weekend, the 1/3-mile clay oval on the Kenosha County Fairgrounds resumes action Saturday, July 9 with the Larry Hillerud Memorial Badger 40 for the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Cars as they make their traditional stop at Wisconsin's original sprint car home, Wilmot Raceway.
WingLESS Sprints and IRA Lightning Sprints are on the program.
Grandstands open at 4:00 p.m. with hot laps at 6:00 p.m. and racing at 7:30 p.m. Pit gates open at 2:00 p.m.
ALL ticket sales and ticket information is available through the event promoter SLS Promotions at slspromotions.com or the SLS ticket office 815-344-2023(3-7 p.m. CT).
For information on the remainder of the Wilmot Raceway as well as weather updates check the Wilmot Raceway raceline 262-862-2090, the track website wilmotraceway.com or the official track Facebook page.
Article Credit: Mike Babicz
Submitted By: Dakoda Tennyson