9/12/2022
Wilmot Raceway
Wildman Memorial Closes Out Wilmot Raceway Season
Bonduel's Nick Anvelink took another step toward a fifth WABAM Dirt Kings Late Model Championship by scoring his second win in the 5th Annual Jim "Wildman" Watson Classic 30-lap Feature Saturday, September 10 at Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, Wis.
Anvelink powered into the lead seven laps from the finish, overtaking Waukesha's Taylor Scheffler on the backstretch. Scheffler had taken the top spot from early race leader Joel Bennett of Hortonville following a restart after a caution four laps into the main.
The race was red flagged when Scheffler and New London's Justin Ritchie tangled while working lapped traffic battling for top three spots. Both cars made solid contact into the turn three wall, were uninjured, but unable to restart.
At the checkered it was Anvelink first. Random Lake's Brad Mueller second. Abrams' Ron Berna third. Shawano's Troy Springborn came from 14th starting spot to take fourth. Cleveland's Justin Schmidt took fifth after starting 12th in the 24-car field.
"I saw where Taylor was running and took my chance as we worked the traffic," said Anvelink. "The track was a little tricky and the traffic made it challenging. It's great to get a second win here at Wilmot. Hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate more next year so we can run here more than once.(Dirt Kings were rained out in May)."
In the only other division which was racing for championship points, Kansasville's Ryan Marshall won his third 20-lap AutoMeter/Brewington Electric Wisconsin WingLESS Sprints 20-lap Feature of the season at Wilmot. Marshall took the lead from New Berlin's Scott Uttech using the inside of the front straightaway on lap 6 after the two had gone wheel to wheel for several circuits. The race stayed green until it's only caution flew with 8 laps remaining.
Marshall was up for the challenge going on for the win. Clayton Rossmann of Wadsworth, IL, who turned 17 the day before and won a feature at Sycamore Speedway, finished a strong second. Uttech, substitute driving for his daughter, Trinity, who is away at college, ended up third. Past champion Jimmy Sivia of Winthrop Harbor, IL in his final start at Wilmot after announcing his retirement took fourth. Racine's Derek Crane was fifth.
"It was fun racing hard against Scott(Uttech)," said Marshall, who picked up some of the extra money added to the purse by his car owner Eddy Boyd of MLS Auto Clinic. "I shot pst him once a slid up, then he did kind of the same thing, a payback, which is okay. It's good, hard, elbows up racing which is what these non-wing sprint cars produce. I thank my car owners, sponsors, and these great Wilmot fans for supporting the track so we can do what we like to do."
The WingLESS Sprints traveling series has two events remaining on Friday, September 23 at Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam and the season finale at Plymouth Dirt Track on Saturday, September 24.
Four-time and 2022 Wilmot Modified Champion Genoa City's Mike Simons capped off his year at his home track by winning a hard fought sixth 20-lap Modified feature of the season. Simons worked his way alongside South Milwaukee's Chris Carlson as the two went wheel to wheel after a restart following a caution three laps from the finish. At the checkered it was Simons, using the high line, for the win. Carlson ended up second after taking the lead with 12 laps to go from Tony Izzo of Capron, IL. Izzo overtook the lead following a lap three restart after a caution from Milwaukee's David Wirth. Eagle's Steve Mueller finished third after starting 12th in the 20-car field. Milwaukee's Don Scheffler started 14th ending up fourth. Waterford's Mike Wittenburg started 10th finishing fifth.
"I hope this crowd was entertained," said Simons, thanking his brother, Nick, who promoted the night's event, and Pratt's Chimney Service which added money to the purse. "I said Championship Night (September 3) I would be back, and here we are. It wasn't easy on the high side, but the car ran strong up there so I went for it. It was fun."
Pell Lake's Cody Potter made it three wins in four Wilmot starts this season in the 20-lap Street Stock feature. A yellow on lap two set up three different leaders in less than three laps. Scott Quarnstrom of Lake Villa, IL headed the 21-car field from the start with Edward Anschutz of Two Rivers taking the point on the restart. Potter and Anschutz battled side by side several laps including three additional yellow flag periods which slowed the pace. The final four laps went green with the two going side by side one final time coming for the white flag. At the checkered it was Potter by less than a car length for the win. Anschutz was second. Muskego's Courtney Atkinson third. Brandon Mertes of Antioch, IL fourth. Kenosha's Blake Kreuser came from 14th to finish fifth.
"Eddy is a good guy to run with," said Potter, thanking UNEEDA Iron & Sandblasting for adding sponsorship to the purse. "I know he runs clean, because I've race him before. We will see what 2023 holds if we come here more often."
South Milwaukee's Jay Orr put a book end on the Bandit 4-Cylinder Stock Car season at Wilmot by becoming the sixth different feature winner of the year in the 20-lap main. Ironically, his brother, Jake Balk, won the first feature for the division back in May. Orr took the lead from his second row starting spot, keeping it through cautions at lap 3 and 12 which kept erasing a strong advantage. The last eight laps stayed green with Orr maintaining top spot. Scott Ellis of Lake Villa, IL, who captured back to back Wilmot season crowns in 2021 and this season, 2022, finished second. Salem's Ryan Johnson was third. Slinger's Roman Blank fourth. Newton's James Riske fifth.
"The cautions didn't help, but I was able to find my groove and keep hitting it," said Orr, thanking GLP Automotive for sponsoring additional purse money. "I thank my sponsors, everyone who put this event together."
Off the track, the final night saw a record of over 150 youngsters from the grandstand go home with new bikes thanks to the generosity of many drivers, crew members, fans and track.
staff.
Wilmot Raceway will be undergoing a major facelift beginning this upcoming week of September 12. The entire grandstand and scoring tower will be taken down, with all new seating and a scoring building erected prior to the 2023 season opener thanks to the efforts of the Kenosha County Fair Association.
The 2023 schedule will eventually be announced on the Raceway's website at wilmotraceway.com of by checking the official Wilmot Raceway Facebook page.
Congratulations to Wilmot Raceway's 2022 season champions Jordan Goldesberry of Springfield, IL in the 410 Outlaw Winged Sprints, Tim Cox of Park City, IL in the AutoMeter/Brewington Electric WingLESS Sprints, Scott Ellis of Lake Villa, IL in Bandit 4-Cylinder Stock Cars, Mike Simons of Genoa City in Gerber Collision & Glass Modifieds, Cody Erickson of Algonquin, IL in Wilmot Mountain Street Stocks and Mike Neau of Pleasant Prairie in Pfeiffer Trailer Sales IRA Lightning Sprints.
Wilmot Raceway's Awards Party will be announced at a later date.
Article Credit: Mike Babicz
Submitted By: Dakoda Tennyson
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