By Jordan Kuehne

LOVES PARK, Ill. (Saturday, May 29th, 2010) – Jerry Gille has a thing for close shaves, whether it be on the track or in the points standings, and a night of 3-D racing excitement at the Rockford Speedway saw another one as the venerable veteran made a buttery smooth last lap pass to edge Tim Sargent at the checkers. Gille collected his second consecutive Stanley Steemer NASCAR Late Models feature victory and continued his charge for a third consecutive championship, laying down a blistering fast lap in the twilight and running out front throughout the duration of the evening, narrowing his points gap amidst a fitting backdrop of Memorial Day weekend fireworks.

The fireworks on the track were nothing to laugh at as a hot summer night played host to several spectacular accidents, highlighted by Ron Morris riding the turn one wall upside down and Alex Papini careening into the turn three point, as well as a few heated exchanges amongst competitors. The Bargain Hunter Sportsman put on a show for the fans as the top four drivers went to war under a blanket, going door-to-door battling for the win before defending champion Doug Bennett prevailed. Another first-time winner collected the trophy in the Budweiser American Short Trackers feature as 2009 rookie of the year Scott Hoeft fended off Kyle Lapier to break through and find victory lane. Charlie Frisch charged from his fifth place starting spot to inherit the lead halfway through the Mtn Dew RoadRunners main event and survived a move from Ricky Nielsen to grab his first win of 2010.

Wayne Freimund found his way to the front in the beginning of the 30-lap Stanley Steemer NASCAR Late Models main event. Mike Lloyd refused to let him slip away, battling on the inside as the first six cars went side-by-side over the opening eight laps.

Lloyd landed the lead with 22 circuits to go as ‘Fast’ Eddie May worked his car up to second. The first caution flew for a trip through the infield by Kyle Shear after he made contact with Matt Berger.

The restart didn’t go very far as David Cooter Jr’s machine broke in turn three, sending him careening into Steve Erickson Jr. and sending both drivers hard into the outside wall. Both wheelmen escaped without harm but their nights were ended early. The wreck was similar to a prior accident that ended Alex Papini’s night; carnage occurred when Papini and Shear locked up in their heat race on the backstretch, helping to send Papini hard into the turn three point and tearing the right front wheel off of his machine. The young driver was able to walk away.

Out front, Lloyd jumped back to the point as the green flag waved and Eddie May succumbed to the rocketships of points leader Tim Sargent and two-time defending champion Jerry Gille, falling to fourth. Sargent wasted no time challenging for the lead, diving to the bottom of Lloyd and grabbing the lead as Gille followed him into second.
The third caution of the night fell for an abrupt impact by Tom Gille into the turn one outside retaining wall, ending a decent run for the veteran driver.

Sargent surged to the lead on the restart as Jerry Gille began to set up a move for the lead. ‘Driver X’, Jon Reynolds Jr, joined the chase in third with ten laps remaining. When Joe Darnell turned around in turn two, a six-lap shootout was borne.

Jerry Gille made sure he took advantage of his opportunity, nudging his way to the inside of Sargent with two laps remaining. Gille mashed the gas exiting turn four on the final lap, edging Sargent by a tire length as the checkered flag waved. The experienced hot shoe took home his second consecutive feature victory and cut his points deficit to under 20 by the end of a wild Saturday night.

"I knew I had to get on the inside quickly (after the last restart)," an exasperated Gille admitted in victory lane. "Once I got my fender on the inside of his rear quarter panel, it was going to be close. The crew did a great job giving me a car capable of winning that last lap drag race and make the inside work. We're making our charge a little earlier this year."

Sargent continued his strong season with another consistent race, padding his points lead with a second place effort while Jon Reynolds Jr. bounced back with a solid third place finish.

Matt Lundberg drove his station wagon to the early lead in the Bargain Hunter Sportsman 25-lap headliner, pacing a 12 car field. An early duel was staged for second as Brock Behnke and young Bobby Yonkee went door-to-door before Behnke slipped up, handing the young gun second and allowing Justin Sellers to push his way up to third.

The red flag flew with nine laps in the books after Ron Morris lost control of his modified and made a spectacular flip into the turn one wall, rim-riding with his roof slammed into the outside wall before finally coming to a rest upside down at the base of turn two.

On the ensuing restart, defending champion Doug Bennett began his charge toward the front, utilizing the bottom groove as he challenged Behnke for the bridesmaid’s position. The battle for second soon became a four car war for the top spot as Bennett challenged Lundberg’s station wagon on the inside and a hungry Matt Berger pushed Behnke for third.

Door handle to door handle, the four drivers would have fit underneath a blanket as the laps ticked off before Bennett finally thrust himself into the lead with three laps remaining, peeling away from Lundberg on the inside. Berger wasn’t far behind, snagging second from Lundberg with the white flag in the air and giving a last gasp effort for the win before falling a car length short to the veteran.

Doug Bennett maintained his points lead and collected his second consecutive feature victory, putting on a show for the fans in the process.

Lundberg collected a stellar third place finish while Behnke held on to fourth. Austin Nason rallied to round out the top five in fifth.

Tanner Atchison rebounded from his rough ride last weekend to snatch the early lead in the 25-lap Budweiser American Short Trackers feature. Defending champion George Sparkman immediately began applying pressure on the young driver’s back bumper, peeking on the inside numerous times before making his move at the halfway point.

Sparkman lost control when he made his attempt for the lead and Atchison slipped up in front of him with ten laps, providing rookie of the year Scott Hoeft just enough room to take advantage. Hoeft didn’t fritter away his chance, ensnaring the lead and grabbing control of the race. Kyle Lapier followed Hoeft’s trail, blazing his way from fourth to second and turning his sights toward the leader.

The action was behind the leaders as Jason Bragg maneuvered his way past Sparkman for third and BJ Sparkman pushed past his brother into fourth. Up front, it was Scott Hoeft pacing the field to the checkers, claiming his first career feature victory and establishing himself as a contender in the early stages of the 2010 season.

Lapier managed a solid runner-up showing while Bragg held on for third. BJ Sparkman went from the back to fourth.

Jason Brockway paced the field in the early stages of the Mtn Dew RoadRunners 20-lap headliner before succumbing to the hot rod of Ricky Nielsen, who negotiated his way into the lead with 13 laps remaining using the inside line. ‘Chargin’ Charlie Frisch followed Nielsen into second before Brockway could slam the door shut and Frisch made short work of Nielsen on the bottom to collect the lead.

Nielsen wasn’t done though, staying within striking distance of the leader as he tried to fight back for the win. Howie Ware joined the battle up front in third, peeking to the inside of Nielsen for second as the white flag waved. The two drivers were side-by-side exiting turn four and it was Nielsen who won the drag race to the line, fending off Ware for second by mere inches.

Charlie Frisch notched his first victory of the young season, enjoying the show in his rearview mirror as he hit his marks to collect the trophy.

The Sam’s Drive-In RoadRunner Challenge got off to a fast and furious start as the seven drivers jostled for position, spinning twice and completing the rest of the eight lap race in traditional fashion. Robert Roush negotiated his way through a gaggle of spinning cars to claim the lead and maintained the top spot through rush hour traffic and late night chaos. The ‘Marengo Missile’ held off Raymond Hardesty at the checkered flag to collect the win. Jerry Edge took home third.

Rich Schinderling Jr. put on a dazzling display of death-defying flight, flipping through the air and winning the Rollover Contest with four full rotations. Four drivers from three states, including Florida and Tennessee, duked it out in awesome aerial displays that wowed the crowd and served as a fitting nightcap for a spectacular night of racing.

Next Saturday night marks the return of the World Famous Original Trailer Race of Destruction as the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series makes its way back to the high banked quarter-mile with a full slate of action on tap including the Stanley Steemer NASCAR Late Models, Bargain Hunter Sportsman, Budweiser American Short Trackers and the Mtn Dew RoadRunners plus the Sam’s Drive-In RoadRunner Challenge featuring the Escape from I-90 Race. Gates open at 5pm with qualifying getting underway at 5:45pm. The green flag will wave at 7:07pm sharp. For more information on the Rockford Speedway, including a full 2010 schedule, visit the track’s website at www.rockfordspeedway.com or call the Speedway Box Office at (815)633-1500.

Week 5 Rockford Speedway Results

NASCAR All American Sportsmen

A-Main 01 -- 1. Doug Bennett, Brodhead, Wis; 2. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 3. Matt Lundberg, Rockford; 4. Brock Behnke, South Beloit; 5. Austin Nason (r), Roscoe; 6. Justin Sellers, Carol Stream; 7. Bobby Yonke, Willowbrook; 8. Warren (Butch) Swinbank, Rockford; 9. Ron Morris, Belvidere; 10. Matt Doris, Arlington Hghts; 11. Joshua Grenlund, Delavan, Wis; 12. Greg Pruitt, Rockford.

Heat 01 -- 1. Warren (Butch) Swinbank, Rockford; 2. Matt Lundberg, Rockford; 3. Bobby Yonke, Willowbrook; 4. Greg
Pruitt, Rockford; 5. Matt Doris, Arlington Hghts.

Heat 02 -- 1. Ron Morris, Belvidere; 2. Doug Bennett, Brodhead, Wis; 3. Justin Sellers, Carol Stream; 4. Brock Behnke, South Beloit; 5. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 6. Austin Nason (r), Roscoe.

Time Trial -- 1. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 2. Doug Bennett, Brodhead, Wis; 3. Brock Behnke, South Beloit; 4. Ron Morris, Belvidere; 5. Justin Sellers, Carol Stream; 6. Austin Nason (r), Roscoe; 7. Matt Lundberg, Rockford; 8. Bobby Yonke, Willowbrook; 9. Greg Pruitt, Rockford; 10. Matt Doris, Arlington Hghts; 11. Warren (Butch) Swinbank, Rockford; 12. Joshua Grenlund, Delavan, Wis.

Trophy Dash 01 -- 1. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 2. Austin Nason (r), Roscoe; 3. Ron Morris, Belvidere; 4. Doug Bennett, Brodhead, Wis; 5. Justin Sellers, Carol Stream; 6. Brock Behnke, South Beloit.

NASCAR American Short Trackers

A-Main 01 -- 1. Scott Hoeft, Watertown, Wis; 2. Kyle Lapier, Belvidere; 3. Jason Bragg, Rockford; 4. Boyce (BJ) Sparkman, Machesney Park; 5. George Sparkman, Loves Park; 6. Tanner Atchison, Byron; 7. Nick Cina, Jr, Belvidere; 8. Keith Pierce, Machesney Park; 9. Artt Higbee, Rockford; 10. Jack Atchison, Stillman Valley; 11. Christopher Jones, Rockford; 12. Laura Siarkiewicz, Algonquin; 13. Rachel Sparkman, Loves Park.

Heat 01 -- 1. Jason Bragg, Rockford; 2. Tanner Atchison, Byron; 3. Rachel Sparkman, Loves Park; 4. Artt Higbee,
Rockford; 5. Laura Siarkiewicz, Algonquin; 6. Christopher Jones, Rockford; 7. Jack Atchison, Stillman Valley.

Heat 02 -- 1. George Sparkman, Loves Park; 2. Kyle Lapier, Belvidere; 3. Scott Hoeft, Watertown, Wis; 4. Keith Pierce, Machesney Park; 5. Boyce (BJ) Sparkman, Machesney Park; 6. Nick Cina, Jr, Belvidere.

Time Trial -- 1. Boyce (BJ) Sparkman, Machesney Park; 2. Scott Hoeft, Watertown, Wis; 3. Nick Cina, Jr, Belvidere; 4. Kyle Lapier, Belvidere; 5. Keith Pierce, Machesney Park; 6. George Sparkman, Loves Park; 7. Jason Bragg, Rockford; 8. Tanner Atchison, Byron; 9. Rachel Sparkman, Loves Park; 10. Artt Higbee, Rockford; 11. Christopher Jones, Rockford; 12. Laura Siarkiewicz, Algonquin; 13. Jack Atchison, Stillman Valley.

Trophy Dash 01 -- 1. Nick Cina, Jr, Belvidere; 2. Boyce (BJ) Sparkman, Machesney Park; 3. Keith Pierce, Machesney
Park; 4. Kyle Lapier, Belvidere; 5. Scott Hoeft, Watertown, Wis; 6. George Sparkman, Loves Park.

NASCAR Late Models

A-Main 01 -- 1. Jerry Gille, Roscoe; 2. Tim Sargent, South Beloit; 3. Jon Reynolds, Jr., Rockford; 4. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 5. Eddie May, Crystal Lake; 6. Mike Lloyd, Davis; 7. Jacob Gille, Winnebago; 8. Steve Rubeck, Monroe Center; 9. Joe Rusciano, Crystal Lake; 10. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 11. Wayne Freimund, Elkhorn, Wis; 12. Mark Hartline, Gilberts; 13. Joe Darnell, Machesney Park; 14. Tom Gille, Winnebago; 15. Tyler Peterson, Lake Geneva, Wis; 16. Vern Fagerberg, Bloomingdale; 17. Steve Erickson, Jr, Machesney Park; 18. David Cooter, Jr, Machesney Park; 19. Curt Tillman, Rockford.

Heat 01 -- 1. Steve Erickson, Jr, Machesney Park; 2. Joe Darnell, Machesney Park; 3. Joe Rusciano, Crystal Lake; 4. Tyler Peterson, Lake Geneva, Wis; 5. Curt Tillman, Rockford; 6. Mark Hartline, Gilberts; 7. Vern Fagerberg,
Bloomingdale.

Heat 02 -- 1. Mike Lloyd, Davis; 2. Tom Gille, Winnebago; 3. Eddie May, Crystal Lake; 4. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 5. Wayne Freimund, Elkhorn, Wis; 6. David Cooter, Jr, Machesney Park; 7. Steve Rubeck, Monroe Center.

Heat 03 -- 1. Jerry Gille, Roscoe; 2. Jacob Gille, Winnebago; 3. Jon Reynolds, Jr., Rockford; 4. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 5. Alex Papini, Machesney Park.

Time Trial -- 1. Jerry Gille, Roscoe; 2. Tim Sargent, South Beloit; 3. Jon Reynolds, Jr., Rockford; 4. Jacob Gille, Winnebago; 5. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 6. Alex Papini, Machesney Park; 7. Eddie May, Crystal Lake; 8. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 9. Tom Gille, Winnebago; 10. Steve Rubeck, Monroe Center; 11. Wayne Freimund, Elkhorn, Wis; 12. Mike Lloyd, Davis; 13. David Cooter, Jr, Machesney Park; 14. Mark Hartline, Gilberts; 15. Joe Rusciano, Crystal Lake; 16. Curt Tillman, Rockford; 17. Steve Erickson, Jr, Machesney Park; 18. Tyler Peterson, Lake Geneva, Wis; 19. Joe Darnell, Machesney Park; 20. Vern Fagerberg, Bloomingdale.

Trophy Dash 01 -- 1. Alex Papini, Machesney Park; 2. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 3. Jerry Gille, Roscoe; 4. Jon Reynolds, Jr., Rockford; 5. Jacob Gille, Winnebago; 6. Tim Sargent, South Beloit.

NASCAR Road Runners

A-Main 01 -- 1. Charlie Frisch, Beloit, Wis; 2. Ricky Nielsen, Rockford; 3. Howie Ware, South Beloit; 4. Dennis Smith, Jr, South Beloit; 5. Brett McCoy, Belvidere; 6. Jason Brockway, Machesney Park; 7. Jeff Allendorf, Belvidere; 8. Anthony Vito, Crystal Lake; 9. Anthony Lloyd, Loves Park; 10. Robert Roush, Marengo; 11. Raymond Hardesty, McHenry; 12. Mike Leopold, Algonquin; 13. Jerry Edge, Marengo; 14. Steve Gregory, Machesney Park; 15. Lennard Groleau, S. Beloit; 16. Kenneth Brazee III, Rockford; 17. Michael (Mike) Wallis, Machesney Park; 18. Brian Mayer, Machesney Park; 19. Curt Nighswonger, Rockford; 20. Marvin Butler, Rockford; 21. Ron Young, Rockford; 22. Richard Nielsen, Byron; 23. Kyle Watts, Machesney Park; 24. Adam Cartwright, Woodstock.

Heat 01 -- 1. Curt Nighswonger, Rockford; 2. Lennard Groleau, S. Beloit; 3. Marvin Butler, Rockford; 4. Josh
DiGiovanni, Loves Park; 5. Steve Gregory, Machesney Park; 6. Kenneth Brazee III, Rockford; 7. Michael (Mike) Wallis, Machesney Park; 8. Anthony Lloyd, Loves Park; 9. Kyle Watts, Machesney Park; 10. Adam Cartwright, Woodstock.

Heat 02 -- 1. Ricky Nielsen, Rockford; 2. Jerry Edge, Marengo; 3. Jason Brockway, Machesney Park; 4. Dennis Smith, Jr, South Beloit; 5. Brian Mayer, Machesney Park; 6. Mike Leopold, Algonquin; 7. Ron Young, Rockford; 8. Billy McCoy, Belvidere; 9. Raymond Hardesty, McHenry.

Heat 03 -- 1. Anthony Vito, Crystal Lake; 2. Robert Roush, Marengo; 3. Charlie Frisch, Beloit, Wis; 4. Jeff Allendorf, Belvidere; 5. Brett McCoy, Belvidere; 6. Richard Nielsen, Byron; 7. Jason Van Hise, Loves Park; 8. Howie Ware, South Beloit.

Challenge 01 -- 1. Robert Roush, Marengo; 2. Raymond Hardesty, McHenry; 3. Jerry Edge, Marengo; 4. Kenneth
Brazee III, Rockford; 5. Michael (Mike) Wallis, Machesney Park; 6. Matt Belknap, Lake in the Hills; 7. Kyle Watts,
Machesney Park.

Trophy Dash 01 -- 1. Charlie Frisch, Beloit, Wis; 2. Robert Roush, Marengo; 3. Howie Ware, South Beloit; 4. Anthony Vito, Crystal Lake; 5. Jason Van Hise, Loves Park; 6. Jeff Allendorf, Belvidere.