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Midgets: Sportsman Midgets Race Report

10 August 1998

The Sportsman Midgets rolled into the pits at the HomeBase of Grundy County Speedway for the twelfth 98 Sportsman Race Event. The total car count was approximately 50 cars, with Sportsman making up 21 of those cars. The weather was not very promising with scattered showers falling all day long. However, the luck of the Race Gods must have been with us.

About an hour after pulling into the track, the skies cleared, the sun came out and for the first time in days, the threat of rain seemed to go away. The track was fast, as made evident by those cars qualifying before the Sportsman took their turn at the track.

Rookie Sean Murphy was first on the grid. Murphy took to the track, but before he could make a half lap, his rear-end locked up. Before it could start, Murphy's evening was over. The remaining cars qualified and when all was said and done, Quinn McCabe in his #91 broke the Sportsman Grundy record (16.252 - set by Scotty Shilkuski in 97) with a screaming (16.166). Spencer #24 (16.266); Aimaro #4a (16.343); JonAnderson #37 (16.484); Fifield #14 (16.567) and; Daily #4d (16.619) rounded out the top six qualifiers.

The field was divided in half for two heat races. The first heat lined up and the green flag fell. The field was fast and the race was under way. After having won the feature race in Lake Geneva the week before, Mick Billhorn #10 was making his way through the Sportsman. During the third lap, while between turns three and four, Billhorn's steering wheel came off in his hand. Although there was some front end damage to the car, the concern turned to Billhorn who had banged up his knees when his car turned a hard right into the wall.

The car was taken to it's pit and the race was on again. Fifield #14 led all eight laps before taking the checkered flag. Results for the First Heat were: 1.Fifield #14; 2.Aimaro #4a; 3.McCabe #91; 4.JonAnderson #37; 5.Spencer #24; 6.Daily #4d; 7.R.Bettenhausen #58; 8.Smrekar #20; 9.Knippel #18 and 10.Billhorn #10. The Second Heat ran smoothly with only one yellow when the #8 car of Dick Bettenhausen spun.

Results for the Second Heat were: 1.Peceniak #99; 2.D.Ohlendorf #1; 3.Hoffmeyer #3; 4.Guess #38; 5.Rawlings #87; 6.Guimond #44; 7.D.Bettenhausen #8; 8.Shilkuski #88 (Car Change). The Sportsman Feature took to the grid as the first feature of the evening. From her outside pole position, Spencer #24 took the lead at the drop of the green flag and never saw the tail tank of another car unless she was lapping them. Seven laps into the race, Jon Anderson and Mike Aimaro tangled in turn two causing a yellow. Neither were able to return to the track for the restart.

McCabe was all over Spencer lap after lap throughout the feature, unable to take her no matter his moves. Fifield #14, R.Bettenhausen #58 and Daily #4d battled closely for top five positions. The yellow dropped a second time when the #18 Knippel car blew in lap fourteen. The restart flag fell and Spencer and McCabe took to the same wheel to wheel racing, with the rest of the field close behind. Despite his incredilbe efforts, McCabe had to settle for second to Spencer.

Results for the Sportsman Feature were: 1.Spencer #24; 2.McCabe #91; 3.Fifield #14; 4.R.Bettenhausen #58; 5.Rawlings #87; 6.D.Ohlendorf #1; 7.Hoffmeyer #3; 8.Peceniakl #99; 9.Guimond #44; 10.Guess #38; 11.D.Bettenhausen #8; 12.Smith #88; 13.Smrekar #20; 14.Knippel #18; 15.Aimaro #4a; 16.Daily #4d; 17.JonAnderson #37.

POINTS...CAR#....DRIVER
..1....3021.....24........Susan Spencer
..2....2823.....75........Scotty Shilkuski
..3....2819.....14........Jimmy Fifield
..4....2703.....58........Roger Bettenhausen
..5....2646.....37........Jon Anderson
..6....2168.....87........Dave Rawlings
..7....2025.....99........Rich Peceniak
..8....1970......2.........Mike Ohlendorl
..9....1874......1.........David Ohlendorf
10....1871.....20........Dave Smrekar
11....1796.....18........Joe Knippel
12....1750.....91........Quinn McCabe
13....1675.....10........Mick Billhorn
14....1551.....4d........Matt Daily
15....1515.....4a........Mike Aimaro
16....1375......5.........Sean Murphy
17....1217.....54........Tommy Shilkuski
18....1208.....43........Doug Orseske
19....1113......8.........Dick Bettenhausen
20....1110.....36........Jimmy Anderson
21....1075.....12........Mike Hess
22......781.....77........Bob Kenning
23......660.....44........Terry Guimond
24......555.....38........Bobby Guess
25......551.....88........Mike Smith
26......540......3.........Bill Hoffmeyer
27......515.....21........Bob Schreffler
28......510.....94........Dave Deheve