News

2010 Rules and Schedule Meeting

Illini Racing Series INC. will kick off it's 19th season February 21st at Hero's West bar and grill with it's annual schedule release and rules meeting. The meeting will start at 11:00 AM in the back banquet room.Hero's West will once again offer a "racers menu" for anyone who wants to eat lunch.

2009 was one of the most successful years for Illini Racing Series with average of 17 cars per event.With the addition of 5 new teams committing to the entire season and a 15-20 race schedule with a mix of dirt and pavement also throw a few new tracks in the mix and 2010 may go down in the record books as the most competitive season in the clubs history.

We hope to see everyone on the 21st and remember to support Hero's West as much as they support Illini Racing Series.

If anyone needs more information please feel free to email us at www.illiniracing.com

Illini Racing Series INC.

Hero's West Sports Bar
1530 Commerce Dr.
Joliet, IL.
815-725-1234


2009 Final Drivers Points
View the Final 2009 Owners Points Standings Here

Final Race of the Season - Sept 11th 2009

Download the original attachment Final Race of the Season Kankakee, Illinois
There was a lot of pre race drama with still much to be decided going into our final race of the year at Kankakee.
Allen Gillis clinched the Driver/Owner championship with his victory at “The Night of Features” at Morris, so he decided to reward his faithful, hard working crewman and son, Ben by putting him in the # 39 car for the season finale.
Only 20 points separated the two leading rookie contenders (Richard Drangmeister and Eric Nitz) for the coveted, one shot only, title of “rookie of the year “.
Every position in the 2009 points battle from 2nd thru 9th was still up for grabs. Defending series champion, Joe Knippel, was making his first and only start of the year driving the #1 Quad 4 powered car of owner LaVerne Spencer. Sean Murphy was piloting the new and highly anticipated Eco Tech powered car of owner Mark Schuck.
Results Heat Race # 1

1. Joe Knippel
2. Dave Ohlendorf
3. Richard Drangmeister
4. Sean Murphy
5. Charlie Holt
6. Ken Drangmeister
7. Kurt Mayhew
8. Mike Adams

Joe Knippel showed that he still had it and immediately became one of upcoming feature favorites as he powered away from the field to win the first heat. Sean Murphy showed some of the 5 car potential by finishing 4th. Due to early problems in the first heat, Kurt Mayhew—dirt track specialist, finished 7th. This gave his competition more hope for a win in the feature.

Results Heat Race # 2

1. Scott Koerner
2. Freddie Teer
3. Ben Gillis
4. Lamont Critchett
5. Eric Nitz
6. Dan George
7. Loran Critchett
8. Doug Orseske

Scott Koerner driving the 2 x 4 Sesco powered # 4 car won the battle with Fast Freddie Teer in his dads V-4 Chevy # 54 for the heat race win. Ben Gillis made his anxious father proud by finishing a close 3rd in his dad’s Ford powered car. Eric Nitz, in the # 31 Quad 4 powered car, lost some ground in the battle for Rookie of the Year by finishing 5th against his rival, Richard Drangmeister, who finished 3rd in his heat.

Results of the Feature

1. Kurt Mayhew # 21K
2. Eric Nitz # 31
3. David Ohlendorf # 2
4. Scott Koerner # 4
5. Doug Orseske # 0
6. Loran Critchett # 17
7. Dan George # 82
8. Lamont Critchett # 77
9. Charlie Holt # 7
10. Freddie Teer # 54
11. Ben Gillis # 39
12. Richard Drangmeister # 3
13. Sean Murphy # 5
14. Joe Knippel # 1
15. Mike Adams # 21A
16. Ken Drangmeister # 76

Early in the feature Joe Knippel had problems and collected the 5 car of Murphy and the 3 car of Drangmeister. On the restart, Freddie Teer jumped into the lead and held it for two laps.
On lap 3, Scott Koerner took command and looked like the man to beat until lap 5 when he ran high on the track and gave way to Charlie Holt in the VW powered car of Roger Engstrom’s. Charlie led thru lap ten. On lap ten Kurt Mayhew made his way to the point, once again displaying his dirt track expertise, and led the pack to the checkered flag. Eric Nitz in the best race of his career finished a close second and clinched the rookie of the year honors. David Ohlendorf driving his dad, Glenn’s # 2 Focus powered car ran right behind Eric for a third place finish. This combined with his second in the heat gave him a great night.

1st Annual Tom Arthur Memorial - Sept. 6th 2009

Sunday Night we held our inaugural Tom Arthur Memorial race at the Grundy County Speedway. It was our second race of the year at the paved 1/3mi oval.

In the first ADM Realty heat we saw Scott Dunning on the pole. He would lead the field off four but Lamont Critchett would take the first lap. Back in the pack Allen Gillis would go inside fast qualifyer Doug Orseske for the fourth position, the two would go side by side for a number of laps. Back up front Scott Koerner would get under Scott Dunning for second. But in the closing laps Freddie Teer would work the high side and make his way up to the fourth position. Lamont Critchett led flag to flag followed by Scott Koerner, Doug Orseske, Freddie Teer, Scott Dunning, Allen Gillis, Loran Critchett, Charlie Holt, and Dan George.

In the second Spencer Jewelry heat Tyler DeSchaine started on the pole. But it was Dave Ohlendorf who would jump into the lead. Ohlendorf would start putting car lengths on the field until a caution was brought out by Ken Drangmeister. On the restart Ohlendorf would continue to distance himself from the second and third place cars. He would go on to win the second heat followed by Rich Drangmeister, Tyler DeSchaine, and Ken Drangmeister.

The front row for our Hero's West Illini feature consisted of our points leader Allen Gillis on the pole and Scott Dunning on the outside front row. Gillis would launch off four to the green but Freddie Teer wasn't far behind and would place himself on the outside for the lead going through one and two. Teer would take the lead going down the backstretch and lead the first number of laps before having engine trouble, handing the lead back to Gillis. A little further back Scott Koerner would get under Doug Orseske and set his sights on the leader. Koerner would close the gap on Gillis and begin to pressure him. At some points it seemed as if Koerner would get under Gillis coming off two. Alas, Gillis would hold off Koerner and head on to his second feature win of the season taking the first ever Tom Arthur Memorial. The final order would be Allen Gillis, Scott Koerner, Doug Orseske, Loran Critchett, Lamont Critchett, Scott Dunning, Dave Ohlendorf, Charlie Holt, Frank Reiss, Dan George, Rich Drangmeister, Freddie Teer, Ken Drangmeister.

Our next and last race of the season will be at the Kankakee County Fairgrounds on Friday September the 11th.

Friday September 11th 2009
Kankakee County Speedway
Kankakee, Ill.
1/3 mile High Banked Dirt
Event #10
Pitgate:......................3:00PM
Hot Laps:...................6:00PM
Heat Races:...............7:30PM


Mayhew continues his winning ways at Angell Park

Last night the Hero's West Illini Midget Series made another trip to Angel Park.

For the first ADM Realty heat Dan George led the field to green but he was passed by David Budres on the first lap who started on the outside front row. Kurt Mayhew would start using the high line to deal with traffic as he began his charge to the front. Shortly thereafter Rich Drangmeister spun and wound up against the inside guard rail in turn four. After the restart Mayhew would get around Allen Gillis and proceed to put a slide in turn one on Budres, but mayhew would jump the cushion and Budres would get back underneath him going down the backstretch. Gillis followed Budres around Mayhew and then made his move past Budres. Mayhew would charge back around Budres for second on the last lap. The final order would be 1. Allen Gillis, 2. Kurt Mayhew, 3. David Budres, 4. Dan George, 5. Scott Dunning, 6. Eric Nitz, 7. Eddie Sauer, 8. Rich Drangmeister, 9. Jason Dull.

In the second Spencer Jewelry heat Mike Adams and Scott Koerner would start on the front row. Going down the backstretch after the start Koerner would take the lead and begin to put some distance on the rest of the field. Then while running the high line Lamont Critchett turned around and almost went on his head in turn two. After the restart Koerner would continue to hold the lead. A little further back Dave Ohlendorf would start his way to the front, he passed Doug Orseske on the outside then proceeded to get around Mike Adams on the inside. Ohlendorf then set his sights on the leader but ran out of laps. Scott Koerner would take the win. So the finishing order was 1. Scott Koerner, 2. Dave Ohlendorf, 3. Mike Adams Jr., 4. Charlie Holt, 5. Doug Orseske, 6. Loran Critchett, 7. Mike Wallace, 8. Lamont Critchett.

When the Hero's West feature came around Dave Ohlendorf would start on the pole with Scott Koerner on the outside front row. Ohlendorf would jump into the lead and set a quick pace for the field. Allen Gillis would go side by side with David Budres while Kurt Mayhew would work his way up to third from ninth by the first caution. The caution was brought out by Doug Orseske who broke an axle going into turn one and proceed to stop in turn two. After the restart Mayhew, Gillis and Budres would continue moving to the front. Mayhew would get around Ohlendorf for the lead, then Scott Dunning would come to a stop on the front stretch when a front hub locked up. On the restart Gillis would challenge Ohlendorf for second but Ohlendorf wouldn't make it easy by any means. The two went wheel to wheel for a number of laps until Gillis gained the advantage running the bottom. A little further in the pack Lamont Critchett would battle with Charlie Holt for sixth, the two would go at it for a number of laps and at one point pass Rich Drangmeister who would the get in on the action. A few laps later Drangmeister would get into the front stretch wall hard with the nose of his car. On the restart Mayhew and Gillis would get a jump on the field. Ohlendorf would go to the bottom and try to retake third from Budres but he ended up spinning off four, collecting Dan George and Mike Wallace. On the final restart Mayhew would put a couple car lengths between him and Gillis and he would go on to capture another win in '09. At the line, 1. Kurt Mayhew, 2. Allen Gillis, 3. David Budres, 4. Lamont Critchett, 5. Charlie Holt, 6. Dave Ohlendorf, 7. Loran Critchett, 8. Mike wallace, 9. Dan George, 10. Rich Drangmeister, 11. Scott Koerner, 12. Mike Adams Jr. 13. Scott Dunning. 14. Doug Orseske, 15. Eddie Sauer, 16. Jason Dull, 17. Eric Nitz.

Our next race will be back up at Angell Park on Sunday the 9th. Hope everyone can make it back up there!

GILLIS CLAIMS VICTORY IN ROCKFORD

Last night we saw our second race of the year with the ASA Late Model Series. This time we visited the Rockford Speedway. The track was original designed for midgets and it showed with the racing that went on in the feature event.

For our first ADM Realty heat Doug Orseske and Lamont Critchett made up the front row. Critchett would jump to an early lead running the higher line through one and two. Back in the pack Loran Critchett was the big mover through the race coming from the back to the third position in just a few laps running down the leaders, Lamont and Orseske. But it was Lamont Critchett who would come out on top, followed by Doug Orseske, Loran Critchett, Dan George, Mike Wallace, Scott Dunning, and Mark Morey.

For the second Spencer Jewelry heat Eric Nitz and Rich Drangmeister started on the front row. Nitz would make the bottom work through the first turn and come away with the lead. Scott Koerner didn't let him get away though. The two would be bumper to bumper for the first few laps, closely followed by Allen Gillis and Charlie Holt. The top four would put on a show as each tried to put a move on the other. Koerner was working the bottom on Nitz to grab the lead. But Nitz fought back and ended up getting beside Koerner on the last lap where he would get him by a bumper at the line. The two would be followed across the line by Allen Gillis, Charlie Holt, Ken Drangmeister, Rich Drangmeister, Jason Dull, Dave Ohlendorf, and Tyler DeSchaine.

By the time the Hero's West Illini Feature came around the fans who stuck it out definetly got their moneys worth. Charlie Holt would start on the pole with Dan George on the outside. Holt grabbed the lead but the pack wasn't far behind. Many took advantage of everyone being bunched up by trying to gain one or more positions in each corner, some going three wide in the process. Loran Crithcett would pressure Holt for a number of laps until Allen Gillis got behind the two leaders and put pressure on the both of them. All three were trying different lines and at one point went three wide into the first turn. Allen Gillis would eventually get around Holt and Critchett by running on the apron of the track. Shortly thereafter Charlie Holt, the Critchett brothers, Doug Orseske, and Scott Koerner would go at it behind the leader before things settled out for a few laps. Then the caution would come out when David Budres spun in three. On the restart Gillis would get a jump on the field while Lamont Critchett would try every line he could think of to get around Orseske for second. The caution would come out again when Ken Drangmeister's engine expired going down the backstretch. A few laps after the restart Lamont Critchett would get a run on the outside of Orseske through one and two. Coming off two Orseske would get into Lamont Critchett, putting him into the wall and taking out his front axle. On the restart Loran Critchett would begin to challenge Orseske for second. But no one had anything for Gillis once he got into the lead. He would end his consecutive nine races of finishing second in the feature and come away with the win. Orseske would hold off Loran for second and they were followed by Charlie Holt, David Budres, Eric Nitz, Mike Wallace, Scott Dunning, Scott Koerner, Tyler DeSchaine, Lamont Crithcett, Dan George, Dave Ohlendorf, Ken Drangmeister, Mark Morey, Rich Drangmeister and Jason Dull.

Our next race will be back on the dirt at Angell Park on Sunday the 2nd of August. Hope everyone can get their car together and switched over by then. We are also hoping a few more people would bring out their car to try and break Mayhew's streak of being undefeated in IRS competition.

Written by Ben Gillis

Angel Park On Sunday July 19th

The Hero's West Illini Racing Series made another appearance at Angel Park last night. With such short notice on the schedule change there ended up being a good number of cars that made the haul up there. We'd really like to thank BADGER and the Firemen for giving us a few more races up there on such short notice considering how we lost a few races at the Kankakee Speedway.

For the first ADM Realty heat we saw Scott Koerner and David Budres lead the field to the green. Budres would quickly jump into the top spot. Shortly thereafter Scott Koerner would spin in turn four and get collected by the outside wall. After the restart Kurt Mayhew would go side by side with Eric Nitz a little deeper in the pack. Mayhew would eventually find his way into second and start putting pressure on Budres. When the checkered flew it was Mayhew who came out on top followed by David Budres, Eric Nitz, Doug Orseske, Allen GIllis, Rich Drangmeister, Jason Dull, and Scott Koerner.

In the second Spencer Jewelry heat Loran Critchett would grab the lead on the first lap and a few laps later the rear axle would shear off near the hub going down the front stretch. He would slow and in the mele of everyone trying to avoid him Lamont Crithcett would jump a wheel and go for a ride. After the restart Dave Ohlendorf would try to hold off Eddie Sauer for the third position. Meanwhile up front Charlie Holt would hold off the field for a heat win. He was followed by Dan George, Dave Ohlendorf, Eddie Sauer, Mike Wallace, Loran Critchett, Lamont Critchett, and Scott Dunning.

The Hero's West Illini Feature provided some great racing as always. Eddie Sauer and Dave Ohlendorf would bring the field to the green. At the start Eddie Sauer would jump into the lead, but would be passed by a hard charging Allen Gillis on the outside after the first lap. Gillis would start to set sail on the field. Meanwhile Eddie Sauer and Dave Ohlendorf would battle for position behind the leader. A few laps later David Budres would run into some serious problems when the left front wheel and spindle left the car going down the back stretch. Luckily he was able to avoid any further incident as he came to a stop on the back stretch. On the restart Kurt Mayhew would jump up above the cushion to come from seventh to second in a a couple laps time. Going around the outside of Ohlendorf and Holt who were side by side themselves. A caution would come out and close the gap between Gillis and Mayhew. On the restart they would go bumper to bumper and wheel to wheel as Gillis tried to hold off Mayhew. Mayhew was trying any line he could to get position on Gillis. Mayhew would lose some ground to Gillis but not for long as he reeled him back in when Gillis would make a few mistakes on the cushion in one and two. They would go at it again and continue swapping lines between the top and bottom. In the closing laps Mayhew would get the lead from Gillis and hold him off to capture the win. The two were followed accross the line by Charlie Holt, Dave Ohlendorf, Eddie Sauer, Scott Koerner, Dan George, Doug Orseske, Rich Drangmeister, Eric Nitz, David Budres, Ken Drangmeister, Jason Dull, Scott Dunning, and Mike Wallace.

One thing was apparent last night and that is Angell Park tends to tear up equipment.

Our next race will be Saturday the 25th at Rockford Speedway. The bounty will still be up for grabs when we pay another visit to Angell Park on the 2nd of August. Hope everyone can get their car fixed and switched over for pavement by Saturday!

Written by Ben Gillis

Mayhew Bounty Race 07/05/2009

With the first two days of this Independence Day weekend being less than great in the weather department, Sunday was a nice change of pace. With news of the bounty being placed on Mayhew, everyone was driving their hardest. As usual the Fireman's Angell Park Speedway was well prepared and provided two solid racing grooves for the night. Giving an opportunity for a lot of side by side racing and plenty of passing. We had a great turnout of cars and I'm sure the fans loved every moment of the feature.

In the first ADM Realty heat we saw the fast qualifier, Allen Gillis, move up to the front in a hurry. While Mayhew got stuck in traffic as drivers mid-pack were running side by side for position. A first time racer with the IRS, Pat Jones, brought out his 29 car and held off the field for the second position. Mayhew would eventually fight his way up to third in the closing laps. But Gillis would drive away from the field to win followed by Pat Jones, Kurt Mayhew, Freddie Teer, Ken Drangmeister, Richard Drangmeister, Scott Dunning, Eric Nitz, and Jason Dull.

In the second Spencery Jewelry heat we saw two brothers going at it for the win. Loran Critchett would jump out to an early lead but would be challenged by his brother Lamont. Meanwhile in the pack the 2 of Dave Ohlendorf would end up in the middle of a three wide move going into turn one and would lose it in the slick and spin, tipping over on the left rear. After the restart Lamont would start putting distance on the field running the cushion until it got the best of him and got into the outside wall. Loran would end up with the lead again and he never looked back, taking the win in the second heat. He was followed by Charlie Holt, Tyler Deschaine, Lamont Crithcett, Dan George, Dave Ohlendorf, Scott Koerner, Eddie Sauer, and Doug Orseske.

In the Heroes West IRS Feature we saw Allen Gillis and Kurt Mayhew try to get through traffic as fast as possible and get an edge on the other. Meanwhile up front Eric Nitz and Scott Dunning would go wheel to wheel trying to take the top spot for an number of laps. After fixing the car from the heat Lamont Critchett ran into more bad luck in the feature when he got into the wall again, but boy was he driving that thing on the edge. After the caution brought the field even closer together, Kurt Mayhew found there wasn't much he could do with the two front runners for a couple of laps. Eventually Mayhew would gain the top spot but Gillis wasn't far behind. A caution came out and brought Mayhew and Gillis closer together everyone knew it was going to get interesting. After the restart Gillis would show himself on the bottom a few times but Mayhew could carry the momentum down the straights and hold him off. Scott Dunning would spin while running third and bring out the caution. On the final restart Mayhew would put a couple car lengths between him and Gillis, but Gillis started running him down. On the last turn of the last lap Mayhew would try to take his line away by choosing to run the bottom. Gillis immediatly ran up to the cushion to try and make a desperate last chance move. But Mayhew would drift up off four and get drilled in the back by Gillis. Mayhew would use that extra bit of momentum to drive accross the line in first, taking the win and the watch. He was followed closely by Allen Gillis, Eric Nitz would hold on for third, Dave Ohlendorf would come back from his flip in the heat to a fourth place finish, Jason Dull would capture fifth, Charlie holt got sixth, Loran Critchett in seventh, Doug Orseske in eigth, Ken Drangmeister in ninth, Richard Drangmeister in tenth, Scott Dunning in eleventh, Freddie Teer in thirteenth, Dan George in fourteenth, Scott Koerner in fifthteenth, Lamont Critchett in sixteenth, Pat Jones in seventeenth, and Tyler Deschaine in eighteenth.

We'll have to wait and see who can eventually take down Mayhew. Our next scheduled race will be up at the Prairie on the 9th of August. Hope to see everyone there!

Written by Ben Gillis

Illini Racing Series Board Meeting 6/25/09

In Attendance: LaVerne Spencer (Owner), Jerry Murphy (Owner), Joe Knipple (Owner), Glenn Windstrup (Advisor), Loran Critchett (Board member), Doug Orseske (Board member), Mark Morey (Secretary)

Meeting Notes:

A)Penalty for drivers late to qualifying when only one lap is offered?

A driver who is late and misses his spot in qualifying will be put to the back of the line and allowed to qualify. The time counts toward points and which heat race the car is assigned to but the penalty will be that the car must start from the back of the heat. Rookies, who still have their flag, will start behind the penalized driver.

B) Kankakee Speedway called Joe. They will try to reschedule the rained out races. The promoter was happy with the number20of IRS cars that showed up, especially considering the threat of rain. One of the new dates may be on the Kankakee County Fair, July 31. That would be a very good crowd.

C) The Autobahn track in Joliet called Murph. They need volunteer corner workers for their July 23-26 race and are willing to give free passes, parking and will feed any volunteers.

D) Tire issues were discussed next. Topics: should we allow grooving tires and should we allow any left front tire on dirt?

Grooving was discussed and debated and it was unanimously decided to not allow grooving or siping. The rule on this will remain unchanged.

Left front tire – Again after much discussion it was decided to not allow any left front tire that is not an IRS approved American Racer or Mickey Thompson tire. The board realizes there is a time issue with the cars doing double duty at tracks like Angell Park but that no longer will be considered an exception to the rule.

Tire position – The accepted tires are no longer being specified as front or rear tires. Any of the accepted A/R or M/T tires can be used on any corner of the car.

E) Joliet Racefest. Murph will email with more information as it becomes available.

F) Need to email teams that quads at Sun Prairie will require proof of insurance certificate from now on.

G) Tech inspections on unrestricted motors was brought up and discussed. These motors need to have a more stringent inspection. The board will gather compression pressure numbers from known legal motors. Tech on an unrestricted motor will involve checking the compression pressure and comparing it to the stock numbers. If the checked motor is higher than stock, the car owner will be asked to remove the head for further inspection. The motor will be marked/tagged and will be unassembled and inspected at a place to be determined



Illini Racing Series ,Sun Prairie on July 5 interesting, payouts, and bonuses to announce

Kurt Mayhew has used his 35 years of experience to win 5 straight IRS events at Sun Prairie. In fact he has won every IRS feature that he’s entered at that historic track. Now Kurt is a great guy and everyone likes him and likes racing with him but… maybe it’s time to offer some more incentive for the other racers to try to beat him. Spencer’s Jewelry and Task Management have posted a $300 bounty on Kurt for the July 5th feature race. If Kurt makes it 6 in a row then the bounty will be back up for grabs the next time the IRS is up at Sun Prairie on August 9.

In addition to the $300 “Mayhew Bounty” the winner’s payout has been made more interesting. The winner of the IRS midget feature will receive the $100 regular payout plus a winner’s hat and $50 gift certificate from Heroes West Sports Grill in Joliet, plus $20 from Art Peacock of ADM Reality. If that isn’t enough, Spencer’s Jewelry and CITIZEN watch is awarding a limited edition watch valued at $450 to the winner. Wisconsin’s own Matt Kenseth has endorsed this very nice, CITIZEN watch that has all of the “bell and whistles”. This means the winner will receive $620 in cash and prizes plus the $300 bounty if he/she beats Kurt Mayhew. That is a $920 payday for the IRS featur e! Second and third place will receive the regular $100 payout plus a $25 gift certificate from Heroes West Sports Grill, plus $20 from ADM Reality for a total of $145 in cash and prizes for each place. Everyone who starts the feature will receive the regular $100 payout plus $20 from ADM Reality for a total of $120 to start.

Anyone interested in racing with the Illini Racing Series at Sun Prairie, or any of the other tracks we race at, can contact the organization through our website (www.illiniracingseries.com). The website contains IRS news, rule book, schedule and links to our sponsors. And a note to Kurt, I hope you consider the bounty as the compliment it was intended as. You are one heck of a racer and anyone who wins that bounty will have to drive their tail off to get it. Good luck to all of the IRS teams. Happy Fourth of July to everyone.

The Prairie Second Race - June 23rd 2009

Last night we had our second race up at The Prairie. The weather conditions weren't ideal but we still got everything in. We'd like to thank everyone for showing up. We got the full night in and it turned out to be some good racing.

The first ADM Realty heat was action packed to say the least. Kurt Mayhew would work his way to the front within the first couple laps putting a slight lead on the field. Allen Gillis would get stuck in traffic while trying to follow Mayhew to the front. Eventually Gillis would run down Mayhew and pass him for the lead. At lap eight the caution would come out bunching up the field. After the restart Lamont Critchett and Doug Orseske would go side by side for position. In the end Mayhew couldn't get back into the lead and Gillis would drive to victory. The final order would be the 39 of Allen Gillis, 21 of Kurt Mayhew, 0 of Doug Orseske, 77 of Lamont Critchett, 76 of Ken Drangmeister, 74 of Tyler Deschaine, 31 of Eric Nitz, and the 4 of Scott Koerner.

In the second Spencer Jewelry heat we had the 7 of Charlie Holt jump into the lead at the start, he would go on to lead the entire heat. Meanwhile the 1 of Scott Dunning and the 17 of Lourne Critchett had an interesting battle going on back in the pack. They were side by side swapping lines for a number of laps and Lourne would eventually come out ahead of Dunning. As they finished it was the 7 of Charlie Holt, 3 of Richard Drangmeister, 2 of Dave Ohlendorf, 17 of Lourne Critchett, 1 of Scott Dunning, 12 of Mike Wallace.

When we lined up for the Hero's West Feature, the 77 of Lamont Critchet would set the pace to the green. Ken Drangmeister would lead the first few laps. Then Kurt Mayhew would take the lead and continue to put some distance on the field. The rest of the field would stay bunched up, side by side, for a number of laps. Our fast qualifier, Allen Gillis, slowly worked his way to the front. Even when Gillis got into second it was apparent that no one was going to get around Mayhew. There were a few people fighting for position through the field. Most notably were the 31 of Scott Koerner with the 31 of Eric Nitz and the 77 of Lamont Critchett with the 0 of Doug Orseske. A caution came out on lap seven bringing the field together. After the restart the 12 of Mike Wallace would get together with the 3 of Richard Drangmeister off turn four. Mike Wallace would end up on his head up by the catch fence. On the restart Lamont Critchett and Doug Orseske would get back to fighting for position. Eventually Orseske would come out ahead. After a few green flag laps the 31 of Eric Nitz would turn around and go over after the left rear dug in, bringing out the red again. On the final restart Kurt Mayhew would put a couple car lengths on the field and head to victory. The results are the 21 of Kurt Mayhew in first, the 39 of Allen Gillis in second, the 0 of Doug Orseske in third, the 77 of Lamont Critchett, the 2 of Dave Ohlendorf, the 4 of Scott Koerner, the 17 of Lourne Critchett, the 74 of Tyler Deschaine, the 7 of Charlie Holt, the 1 of Scott Dunning, the 31 of Eric Nitz, the 76 of Ken Drangmeister, the 12 of Mike Wallace, the 3 of Richard Drangmeister, the 21a of Mike Adams, the 56 of Jason Dull.

Both Mike Wallace and Eric Nitz were ok after each flip. Though the condition of their cars were questionable. Hopefully they can get them back together for our next race which will be back at Angell Park on July 5th. It would be nice to have another good car count.

Written by Ben Gillis

Terr Two for Two - 5-26-2009

Greetings race fans! After our second planned race of the year was canceled at Kankakee due to track conditions, the Hero's West Illini Racing Series put on a show Sunday with ASA at the Grundy County Fairgrounds. Of all the things to be thankful for on this Memorial weekend, we really have to thank all the drivers and teams that came out to show their support. By the time hot laps started there were nineteen cars in the pits. In a way it shows how the philosophy of our club seems to be catching on, or maybe it's just a sign of the times. Either way I think everyone had a great time. I don't think we could have asked for a nicer day this time of year.

During hot laps everyone seemed to have improved since our last outing at Illiana. It could have just been that we were at a track that was more familiar to most of the competitors.

For the first ADM Realty heat race we started with Basil Hicks and Scott Koerner on the front row. Hicks gained the point in the first turn with Koerner close behind. It wasn't long before Sean Murphy would make his presence known when he tried time and time again to take the position from Koerner. Allowing Hicks to slowly pull away. Murphy would eventually get the position from Koerner and try to reel in Hicks. By lap seven Eddie Sauer would drop out due to engine trouble. Then Eric Nitz would spin bringing out a caution. This would tighten up the field for the last two laps. Hicks would get a solid restart followed closely by Murphy, Koerner and Dunning. At the finish the order would be Basil HIcks (88), Sean Murphy (5), Scott Koerner (4), Scott Dunning (1), Frank Reisse (51), Aaron Willis (81), Richard Drangmeister (3), Tyler Deschaine (74), Eric Nitz (31), Eddie Sauer (11).

In the second Spencer Jewelry heat, Alen Gillis and Lamont Critchett would bring them to the green flag. Gillis would get a jump on the field with Lamont filing into second going into turn one. They would put some distance on the field as the whole race went green to checkered. Meanwhile Doug Orseske would move up to third from his fifth starting position. Freddie Teer would hold his position while managing the handling of his car. The final rundown would be Alen Gillis (39), Lamont Critchett (77). Doug Orseske (0), Freddie Teer (54), Dave Ohlendorf (2), Mike Wallace (12), Mark Morey (3), Ken Drangmeister (76), Charlie Holt (7).

When the Hero's West "A" Main came around the track had cooled drastically and it was apparent many were fighting an ill handling car. With all that there was still some competitive racing throughout the pack. For the initial start Doug Orseske would lead the field to the green on the pole with Scott Koerner on the outside front row.. When the field came off four for the green Orseske got crossed up and looped it in some oil. After cleaning up the track and lining back up it would be Critchett who would take the field to the green. On the start Critchett would take the top spot with Koerner close behind, giving Critchett all kinds of pressure. Meanwhile Gillis was working his way around Murhpy for third followed by Teer. About halfway through the feature Koerner would lose his brakes and get into Critchett. Koerner would pull off and Critchett would fall back to fifth. Teer and Gillis would take advantage of this and move up to first and second. Basil Hicks would also jeopradize on Critchetts misfortune. But by the closing laps Critchett would gain third back from Hicks. Doug Orseske would come all the way up to fifth after restarting nineteenth! Charlie Holt was also making moves through the field as he came from eighteenth to sixth after twenty five laps. And the final order was Freddie Teer (54), Alen Gillis (39), Lamont Critchett (77), Basil Hicks (88), Doug Orseske (0), Charlie Holt (7), Scott Dunning (1), Dave Ohlendorf (2), Ken Drangmeister (76), Richard Drangmeister (3d), Frank Reisse (51), Eric Nitz (31), Sean Murphy (5), Scott Koerner (4), Tyler Deschaine (74), Eddie Sauer (11), Aaron Willis (81), Mike Wallace (12), Mark Morey (3m).

We want to thank everyone who came out Sunday and hope you will make the drive up to Sun Prairie next Sunday. It's a longer drive for some but it's a nice change of pace and the track has a lot of history. Can't say you raced at the prairie if you don't come up there!

Written by Ben Gillis.

TEER MASTERS IRS AT ILLIANA 4-29-2009

The Heroes West / Illini Racing Series midgets raced at Illiana Speedway on Saturday night to support the ASA Late Model Series race. For their first race of the year, the midgets raced on the tight quarter mile track inside the ½ mile track that the late models ran on. As usual, the Illini cars put on a spirited show starting with the first heat race, which was a preview of later in the night. Allen Gillis, Freddie Teer and Sean Murphy all contended for the lead with Al Gillis coming out on top at the end followed by Freddie then Sean. The second heat race was equally as exciting with Jimmy Anderson taking the early lead but was overtaken by Loran Critchett in the closing laps. Loran Critchett held on for the win followed by Jimmy and Ken Drangmeister.

Fifteen cars started the Illini 20 lap feature with Sean Murphy taking the early lead with Freddie Teer and Allen Gillis pressuring for the front spot. After several laps Murphy’s car started to fade allowing Gillis and Teer to get around and continue their battle for the first and second spots. Gillis’ Ford Focus powered machine was running great and was able to get around Teer’s VW. With just a couple of laps to go Teer used a combination of finesse and muscle to sneak past Gillis. Teer stayed up front to take the win, followed by Gillis, Doug Orseske finished third, Loran Critchett looking strong in forth place.

Complete Feature results:
1- Freddie Teer, 2- Allen Gillis, 3- Doug Orseske, 4- Loran Critchett, 5- Charlie Holt, 6- Jimmy Anderson, 7- Sean Murphy, 8- Eric Nitz, 9- Frank Reise, 10- Richard Drangmeister, 11- Lamont Critchett, 12- Ken Drangmeister, 13- Scott Dunning, 14-Eddie Sauer, 15- Dave Ohlendorf
>
It was a great opening night for the Heroes West / Illini Racing Series midgets and can’t wait to be on the dirt down at Kankakee next Friday night.


The Illini midgets appreciate the support of Heroes West Sports Grill located right off of route 80 and Houbolt road in Joliet.

Angell Park Dates Added 3-5-09

The Illini Racing Series is pleased to announce the addition of four race dates at the legendary Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prarie, Wisconsin to our 2009 schedule. The signing of these dates marks the continuation of the successful relationship forged between the Illini Racing Series, Badger Midget Auto Racing Association, and Angell Park Speedway that began in 2007. We look forward to racing with Badger at Angell Park, the home of the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

2009 Rules Meeting a Success

On Sunday, Jan. 25th, the Illini Racing Series held it's annual rules and schedule meeting at Hero's West sports bar & grill in Joliet, Il. A standing room only crowd enjoyed the fine food, wonderfull service, and great atmosphere of the club's newest associate sponsor, Hero's West. A big thanks to all who attended, we appreciate everyone stepping up to show support for a new sponsor. They were impressed with our group, and look forward to the future. Thanks also to the staff at Hero's West. The Illini Racing Series also welcomed other associate sponsors, Weiland Racing, ADM Realty and Spencer's Jewelry, who announced will be awarding a Citizen Eco-Drive watch to the feature winner at two select events this year.
In keeping with the club's philosiphy of affordable midget racing and our mission of "Winning with Talent...Not $$$$$$$$" the 2009 rules package was announced. It was well recieved by those in attendance. It is basically the same package that has been proven in the past to create close, affordable, and most of all FUN midget racing. There have been some changes in national type engine restrictions in response to the growing demand and request from those car owners looking for affordable alternatives. For all the details visit the club's web site, www.illiniracingseries.com. Any midget can be used in the IRS with minor, simple, cost effective adjustments.

The 2009 schedule was also announced at the meeting. We will once again offer a diverse schedule with a mix of dirt and pavement, flat tracks and high banks. After a successful partnership started in 2008, we will be expanding our relationship with the ASA stock car series. We also are adding another new track to our schedule this year. We do anticipate adding a few more events, but are unable to confirm them at this time. Watch our web site for updates.

2009 Illini Racing Series Schedule

Sat. 04/04/09 Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds Kankakee, IL. 1/3 Dirt Open Practice
Sat. 05/02/09 Illiana Motor Speedway Schereville, IN. 1/4 Pavement With ASA
Fri. 05/08/09 Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds Kankakee, IL. 1/3 Dirt
Sun. 05/24/09 Grundy Co. Fairgrounds Morris, IL. 1/3 Pavement With ASA
Sun. 5/31/09 Angell Park Speedway Sun Prairie Wi. 1/3 Dirt w/BMARA
Fri. 06/19/09 Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds Kankakee, IL. 1/3 Dirt
Sun. 6/21/09 Angell Park Speedway Sun Priarie Wi. 1/3 Dirt w/BMARA
Sun. 7/5/09 Angell Park Speedway Sun Prairie Wi. 1/3 Dirt w/BMARA
Sat. 07/11/09 Plymouth Speedway Plymouth, IN. 3/8 Pavement With ASA
Fri. 07/17/09 Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds Kankakee, IL. 1/3 Dirt
Sat. 07/25/09 Rockford Speedway Rockford, IL. 1/4 Pavement With ASA
Sun. 8/9/09 Angell Park Speedway Sun Prairie Wi. 1/3 Dirt w/BMARA
Fri. 08/28/09 Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds Kankakee, IL. 1/3 Dirt
Sun. 09/06/09 TBA TBA TBA
Sat. 11/14/09 Jennifer's Garden Morris, IL. Championship Banquet

Note: Schedule subject to change...Updates to be posted on www.illiniracingseries.com
Illini Racing Series Annual Rules and Schedule Meeting
Illini Racing Series will hold there annual rules and schedule meeting on January 25th,2009 at Heroes West Sports Bar and Grill.

The meeting will start at 1:00PM sharp.

Heroes West is Illini Racing Series newest associate sponsor. Many of us will be out there at 12:00PM for lunch before the meeting and we encourage everyone to join us to support those who support Illini Racing Series.

Heroes West
1530 Commerce Ln.
Joliet Illinois 60431

Houbolt Rd. and I-80


*Topics of discussion

*2009 Rules Package
*2009 Schedule
*2009 Memberships
Questions and answers

Sincerley
Illini Racing Series

2008 News Has Been Archived
January 11th 2009 - The 2008 news section on the site has permanently founds its new home in the archives. To read the 2008 seasons news please follow this link - 2008 News