By Jordan Kuehne

LOVES PARK, Ill. (Wednesday, July 6th, 2011) -- The old man's still got it. 'Mean' Gene Marocco -- one of a handful of hotshoes still piloting a car that sports a birthdate before the opening of the historic 64-year-old Rockford Speedway -- navigated past a determined Bobby Frisch en route to victory lane on the second Wild Wednesday of the season at the quarter-mile oval.

Marocco only needed eight laps to drive through the field, using a squeeze move to snatch the lead away from the slower Frisch. From there, it was smooth sailing for the 71-year-old driver who had yet to visit the winner's circle in 2011.

In other feature action, Matt Berger notched the Bandits win in his first career start in the division while Dennis Smith Jr. posted a second consecutive National Figure 8 League victory with a late race move. Jason Dull topped the Misfits main event while Mary McBride notched a second triumph in the Winged Women on Wheels headliner. Deanna Chandler survived a hard-charging Emily Melichar for the INEX Bandoleros trophy.

Fresh off a win in Monday night’s ‘Midnight Ride of Paul Revere’, ‘Bullet’ Bobby Frisch sped to the early lead in the 25-lap Mtn Dew RoadRunners Super Summer Series headliner. Anthony Lloyd and fast qualifier Gene Marocco maneuvered through the pack and settled into second and third respectively.

With five laps in the books, Marocco made his way around Lloyd via the low line before targeting the top spot. Using the bottom groove to get alongside of Frisch, Marocco squeezed his fellow veteran up the track with 17 laps remaining and assumed command of the race. After Frisch was forced to brake to allow Marocco up the track, Anthony Lloyd stepped into the picture and dove to the bottom of the high banks.

His attempt at the bridesmaid’s position was turned away as Frisch escaped Lloyd’s clutches and settled into second. Jarrod Sutherland powered around Lloyd on the high side to grab a podium spot in third as the laps clicked off the scoreboard in rapid succession.

While Marocco was easing away to a solid margin up front, Frisch, Sutherland, and Lloyd ran bumper-to-bumper for second through fourth with three circuits to go. Using the lapped machine of Brad Jones as a pick, Lloyd once again claimed third after Sutherland had to lift.

No one could challenge Marocco for the checkers though as the 71-year-old standby flexed his muscles en route to his first trip to the winner’s circle in 2011.

Frisch nosed ahead of Lloyd for the runner-up spot at the line as Sutherland settled for a fourth place result. Terrance Robinson rounded out the top five in fifth.

Justin Pearson pushed into the lead as the 20-lap Bandits main event navigated through the early stages. Pearson soon came under fire from venerable veteran racer Matt Berger, the only driver to claim a feature win in every Saturday night division at the quarter-mile oval.

Berger burst past Pearson for the lead on lap three as ‘Chargin’ Charlie Frisch followed suit and took second. Frisch quickly erased the gap between himself and Berger as Pearson dropped back several car lengths in third.

With under ten laps remaining, Berger steadily extended his advantage to a comfortable four car lengths as the top two worked around heavy lapped traffic. Pearson fell off the pace and exited to the pits with five circuits to go as Jason Dull inherited third and Robin Ulrey moved into the fourth spot.

A late-race caution courtesy of Bryan Ellis put a hold on Berger’s runaway procession towards victory lane. Ellis lost a tire on the exit of turn two and set up a green-white-checkered shootout to the finish.

On the restart, Berger escaped from Frisch and Dull as they jousted for second coming to the white flag. With the battle in his rearview mirror, Berger collected the checkers in his first career Bandits start and picked up a victory in his fifth different class at the Rockford Speedway.

Frisch edged out Dull by a foot for second at the line as a pair of fast women, Robin Ulrey and Chandale Swartout, completed the top five in fourth and fifth respectively.

The always interesting Misfits Feature got off to a heated start as the winged sprint of Jason Dull escaped to the early lead ahead of fast qualifier Tim Roach.

Roach rocketed to the inside of Dull with seven laps in the books eyeing the top spot while Dwight Dunlap paced fellow Allison Legacy compatriot Kyle Voss behind them.

With the race approaching the halfway mark, Dull began to slip away from Roach as they began to negotiate lapped traffic ahead of them. Once they cleared the lapped cars, Roach closed up again and set up a last lap pass.

In the final turn, Roach dirt tracked it through the corner but the front end of his old FIRA hot rod clipped the grass and forced his car up the track, denying the Canadian driver a second consecutive feature win. Jason Dull found his way to the winner’s circle for the first time in the new Misfits class, grabbing a checkered flag and letting out a yelp once he escaped the cockpit of his sprint car.

Rodney Mundt took home the win in the Legends class, fending off young gun Cory Cootware for the hardware, while Dwight Dunlap collected the top spot in the Allison Legacy division.

Sue Deery soared to the early advantage in the 10-lap Winged Women on Wheels main event as Chandale Swartout and Olivia Chance gave chase in second and third.

Olivia took a chance on second but her move was rebuffed by Swartout’s machine as Mary McBride closed up behind in fourth. Swartout pushed past Deery on lap three and relegated her machine to fifth.

Swartout brought out a caution with four laps remaining after her wing flew off and spread debris on the backstretch. McBride was the lucky benefactor, inheriting the lead and zooming to a comfortable cushion on the restart as the top duo left the rest of the field in the dust.

McBride’s advantage evaporated quickly as Chance closed up behind and pieced together a run at the win. With the white flag waving, Chance dove to the bottom of the leader in turn one but her effort bore no fruit as Mary McBride held on for her second consecutive win to open her season.

Chance collected second while Tabatha Bennett claimed a top three finish with a late race maneuver. Swartout limped home in fourth while Deery finished off the top five in the fifth position.

With just one week left before their 50-lap shootout that pays $500 to win, the National Figure 8 League took to the track for a 10-lap main event.

Dave Lumsdun Jr. led the way to the green flag as ringer Tom Schneider drilled the tire in the infield on the second lap. While the rest of the field tried to navigate cars in the ‘X’ as well as each other, Lumsdun Jr. continued to lead by half a straightaway.

With less than five laps to go, Adam Cartwright felt the heat from Dennis Smith Jr. for the bridesmaid’s position. Smith Jr. got around Cartwright for the runner-up spot before the caution flew with three laps remaining after Brad Jones got T-boned in the ‘X’ by an unfortunate Steve Dover who had nowhere to go.

The yellow set up a late race shootout as ‘DJ’ targeted a second straight Figure 8 win to kick off the Wild Wednesday season. Looking high and low for a path around Lumsdun Jr, Dennis Smith Jr. pushed past his rival and snagged the lead with one lap to go.

Smith Jr. held on from there and scored his second win of the year as Dave Lumsdun Jr. settled for second. Cartwright came home in third while ‘Bullet’ Bobby Frisch notched another top five with a fourth place effort. Wild man Josh Thiering ended up in fifth.

The 10-lap INEX Bandoleros feature got off to a quick start as Deanna Chandler cruised to the early edge. Chandler paced the field as Emily ‘Bug’ Melichar tried to stay within shouting distance in the second position.

Melichar closed up over the final five laps but couldn’t make a move work as Chandler took her second consecutive feature win by a few car lengths, going wire-to-wire for the victory.

Emily Melichar settled for a second place finish.

Bryan Ellis emerged with the early advantage in the six-lap Bandit Challenge. With drivers partaking in the 2nd Over the Line Wins Race, Ellis continued to lead as ‘Chargin’ Charlie Frisch jockeyed for position up front. All five cars piled in as the white flag waved with the driver who crossed second emerging with the win.

Frisch crossed the line second to take home first, grabbing the win while a hard luck Ellis suffered a last place finish despite finishing up front.

Doug Rose headlines what promises to be an action-packed evening of racing this Saturday night. Rose's Green Mamba Jet Car will light the sky up with glowing embers as he torches a vehicle and puts on a spectacular show for the fans. Racing on the quarter-mile will feature the Stanley Steemer NASCAR Late Models as well as the Budweiser American Short Trackers and the Mtn Dew RoadRunners plus the Sam's Drive-In RoadRunner Challenge featuring the 2nd Over the Line Wins Race.

Adult admission is just $12 while teenagers ages 12-17 get in for only $8. Kids ages 6-11 cost a mere $5 while children ages 5 and under get in for FREE! Spectator gates open at 5pm with qualifying set to get underway at 6pm and the green flag waving on racing action at 7:07pm sharp.

For more information on the Rockford Speedway, including the remaining 2011 schedule, visit www.rockfordspeedway.com or contact the Speedway Box Office at (815)633-1500.

Rockford Speedway Results

Wild Wednesday Week 2

INEX Bandoleros

A-Main 01 -- 1. Deanna Chandler, Machesney Park; 2. Emily 'Bug' Melichar, Mishicot, Wis.

Heat 01 -- 1. Deanna Chandler, Machesney Park; 2. Emily 'Bug' Melichar, Mishicot, Wis.

Bandits

A-Main 01 -- 1. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 2. Charlie Frisch, Beloit, Wis; 3. Jason Dull, Machesney Park; 4. Robin Ulrey, Rockford; 5. Chandale Swartwout, Janesville, Wis; 6. Dennis Deckard, Pecatonica; 7. Jacob Aldrich, Rockford; 8. Bryan Ellis, Loves Park; 9. Justin Pearson, Belvidere; 10. Richard Remer, Winnebago; 11. Trevor Robinson, Rockton.

Heat 01 -- 1. Robin Ulrey, Rockford; 2. Bryan Ellis, Loves Park; 3. Chandale Swartwout, Janesville, Wis; 4. Richard Remer, Winnebago; 5. Jacob Aldrich, Rockford; 6. Dennis Deckard, Pecatonica.

Heat 02 -- 1. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 2. Charlie Frisch, Beloit, Wis; 3. Jason Dull, Machesney Park; 4. Trevor Robinson, Rockton; 5. Justin Pearson, Belvidere.

Time Trial -- 1. Trevor Robinson, Rockton; 2. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 3. Charlie Frisch, Beloit, Wis; 4. Jason Dull, Machesney Park; 5. Justin Pearson, Belvidere; 6. Bryan Ellis, Loves Park; 7. Chandale Swartwout, Janesville, Wis; 8. Robin Ulrey, Rockford; 9. Richard Remer, Winnebago; 10. Jacob Aldrich, Rockford; 11. Dennis Deckard, Pecatonica.

Challenge 01 -- 1. Charlie Frisch, Beloit, Wis; 2. Christopher Jones, Rockford; 3. Jacob Aldrich, Rockford; 4. Chandale Swartwout, Janesville, Wis; 5. Bryan Ellis, Loves Park.

INEX Legends

A-Main 01 -- 1. Rodney Mundt, Johnson Creek, Wis; 2. Cory Cootware, Iron Mountain, Mich..

Heat 01 -- 1. Rodney Mundt, Johnson Creek, Wis; 2. Cory Cootware, Iron Mountain, Mich..

Time Trial -- 1. Rodney Mundt, Johnson Creek, Wis; 2. Cory Cootware, Iron Mountain, Mich..

Figure 8

A-Main 01 -- 1. Dennis Smith, Jr, South Beloit; 2. Dave Lumsden, Jr., Rockford; 3. Adam Cartwright, Marengo; 4. Bobby Frisch, Beloit, Wis; 5. Josh Thiering, South Beloit; 6. Brad Jones, Rockton; 7. Steven Dover, Machesney Park; 8. Lloyd Hawkins, Machesney Park; 9. Jonathon Dean, Machesney Park; 10. Shawn Rickelman, Rockton; 11. Roger Champlin, Beloit, Wis; 12. Robert Stoltz, Rockford; 13. Tom Schneider, Machesney Park.

Misfits

A-Main 01 -- 1. Jason Dull, Machesney Park; 2. Tim Roach, Janesville, Wis; 3. Dwight Dunlap, Machesney Park; 4. Kyle Voss, Woodstock; 5. Deanna Chandler, Machesney Park.

Heat 01 -- 1. Tim Roach, Janesville, Wis; 2. Dwight Dunlap, Machesney Park; 3. Deanna Chandler, Machesney Park; 4. Kyle Voss, Woodstock.

Time Trial -- 1. Tim Roach, Janesville, Wis; 2. Kyle Voss, Woodstock; 3. Dwight Dunlap, Machesney Park; 4. Deanna Chandler, Machesney Park.

RoadRunner Super Summer Series

A-Main 01 -- 1. Gene Marocco, Machesney Park; 2. Bobby Frisch, Beloit, Wis; 3. Anthony Lloyd, Loves Park; 4. Jarrod Sutherland, Venice, Calif.; 5. Terrance Robinson, Beloit, Wis; 6. Shawn Rickelman, Rockton; 7. Steven Dover, Machesney Park; 8. Adam Cartwright, Marengo; 9. Brad Jones, Rockton; 10. Kris Nilson, Rockford; 11. Michael (Mike) Wallis, Machesney Park; 12. Dave Lumsden, Jr., Rockford; 13. Curt Nighswonger, Rockford; 14. Robert Stoltz, Rockford; 15. Dennis Smith, Jr, South Beloit; 16. Lloyd Hawkins, Machesney Park; 17. Roger Champlin, Beloit, Wis; 18. Tom Schneider, Machesney Park; 19. Josh Carter, Rockford.

Heat 01 -- 1. Dave Lumsden, Jr., Rockford; 2. Roger Champlin, Beloit, Wis; 3. Shawn Rickelman, Rockton; 4. Lloyd Hawkins, Machesney Park; 5. Brad Jones, Rockton; 6. Robert Stoltz, Rockford; 7. Josh Thiering, South Beloit.

Heat 02 -- 1. Adam Cartwright, Marengo; 2. Dennis Smith, Jr, South Beloit; 3. Steven Dover, Machesney Park; 4. Josh Carter, Rockford; 5. Curt Nighswonger, Rockford; 6. Michael (Mike) Wallis, Machesney Park.

Heat 03 -- 1. Kris Nilson, Rockford; 2. Bobby Frisch, Beloit, Wis; 3. Gene Marocco, Machesney Park; 4. Anthony Lloyd, Loves Park; 5. Jarrod Sutherland, Venice, Calif..

Time Trial -- 1. Gene Marocco, Machesney Park; 2. Terrance Robinson, Beloit, Wis; 3. Anthony Lloyd, Loves Park; 4. Jarrod Sutherland, Venice, Calif.; 5. Kris Nilson, Rockford; 6. Bobby Frisch, Beloit, Wis; 7. Dennis Smith, Jr, South Beloit; 8. Curt Nighswonger, Rockford; 9. Adam Cartwright, Marengo; 10. Josh Carter, Rockford; 11. Steven Dover, Machesney Park; 12. Michael (Mike) Wallis, Machesney Park; 13. Brad Jones, Rockton; 14. Lloyd Hawkins, Machesney Park; 15. Shawn Rickelman, Rockton; 16. Dave Lumsden, Jr., Rockford; 17. Roger Champlin, Beloit, Wis; 18. Robert Stoltz, Rockford; 19. Josh Thiering, South Beloit.

Trophy Dash 01 -- 1. Bobby Frisch, Beloit, Wis; 2. Anthony Lloyd, Loves Park; 3. Gene Marocco, Machesney Park; 4. Jarrod Sutherland, Venice, Calif.; 5. Kris Nilson, Rockford.

NASCAR Winged Women on Wheels

A-Main 01 -- 1. Mary McBride, South Beloit; 2. Olivia Chance, Roscoe; 3. Tabatha Bennett, Machesney Park; 4.
Chandale Swartwout, Janesville, Wis; 5. Susan Deery, Rockton.

Heat 01 -- 1. Olivia Chance, Roscoe; 2. Chandale Swartwout, Janesville, Wis; 3. Mary McBride, South Beloit; 4. Susan Deery, Rockton; 5. Tabatha Bennett, Machesney Park.