By: Eric Huenefeld
Battling his rivals and the elements, "Driver X" Jon Reynolds Jr. started his season the right way Sunday at the Rockford Speedway. Reynolds collected his first Spring Classic trophy, winning the 108 lap feature by half a track over his nearest competition after starting ninth in the season opening event for the Big 8 Late Model Series presented by Gandrud Chevrolet.
Amid a solid field of veterans, it was Rookie Cory Kemkes leading the field to the green to start the 108 lap main event. Kemkes would surge to the inside of second place starter Steve Dobbratz to take the lead. Kyle Shear would slip behind Kemkes and follow him to the front. Shear would sit second behind Kemkes in the races opening laps.
But as the field got ready to make the third circuit, the top two cars would tangle. Shear's right front made contact with Kemkes' left rear, sending the leader spinning. Matt Berger's car would then pile into the drivers door of Dan Lensing's #5 car in the middle of turns one and two, bringing out the the race's first Yellow Flag.  Lensing's day was done, while Berger would return. Both Kemkes and Shear were sent to the back for their role in the caution. This would put Dobbratz at the head of the class as the field headed back to green.
On the restart, Dobbratz lost power, causing a mad scramble though the field that caused chaos and a resulted in a lead change.  Three-time series champ Jeremy Miller would clear the chaos and take the lead and run with it, opening up as much as a straightaway lead on the rest of the field. Behind Miller, Reynolds would hold second, followed by defending Rockford Speedway champion Ryan Carlson, rookie contender Jesse Bernhagen and two-time Rockford champ Jerry Gille. As Miller cruised away, those four drivers would wage a furious battle for position, with Reynolds fending off Carlson who had his hands full with Gille as the trio battled in true short track racing tradition.
The battling would calm down on lap 37, as the race's second yellow flag came out thanks to contact between Mike Ehde and Jake Vanoskey. This caution would bunch the field and lead to the final yellow flag of the event. It occurred in Turn 3 as the field attempted to complete lap 38. It was there where rookie Danny Church would veer right and collect John DeAngelis Jr and take both cars hard into wall. Both drivers walked away, but their days were done and their cars mangled.
The field would get another chance at Miller, but Miller would again pull away. As the race neared halfway, the drivers were thrown another curve ball, as large sprinkles began to fall, adding a little more treachery to the proceedings. The race stayed green, and the rain drops subsided, but the complexion of the race was soon to change.
Suddenly on lap 57, Millers car rapidly slowed, allowing Reynolds to shoot by the fast qualifier at the line on lap 58. Miller's day of domination was done and Reynolds' reign began. Three laps later, Jerry Gille, who had fought to third position, slowed as well and pulled to the infield and in the blink of an eye, the script had been flipped. Reynolds now controlled the race.
Reynolds would cruise on from there, extending his lead over second place Carlson to a half track at races end. Reynolds would also lap through sixth place by features end, leaving little doubt when the checkered flag waived. Carlson would settle for second, his second straight Spring Classic top three finish. Kyle Shear, after being sent to the back on lap two, would charge back through the field and end up taking home third place money. Rookie driver Jesse Bernhagen turned in another impressive showing at Rockford and garnered his first Big 8 Series top five with a fourth place finish. Dave Edwards capped a solid day with a fifth place finish. The result for Edwards was also a career best in the Big 8 Series.
The Big 8 Late Model Series presented by Gandrud Chevrolet will next set their sites on Columbus 151 Speedway, for a Memorial Day Monday May 28 date at the tough 1/4 mile bullring. It will be the Series' second straight trip to the track, with a 68 lap feature scheduled for that day. For additional information visit www.big8series.com or call 815-633-0035.

A-Main 01 --  1. Jon Reynolds, Jr., Rockford; 2. Ryan Carlson, Loves Park; 3. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 4. Jesse Bernhagen, Markesan, Wis; 5. Dave Edwards, Salem, Wis; 6. Wayne Freimund, Elkhorn, Wis; 7. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 8. Gregg Pawelski, West Allis, Wis; 9. Mike Ehde, Prairie du Chien, Wis; 10. Cory Kemkes, Appleton, Wis;
11. Brady Liddle, Oregon, Wis; 12. Dennis Schmidt, Juneau, Wis; 13. Jimmy Ganski, Rosholt, Wis; 14. Mike Taylor, Stoughton, Wis; 15. Jerry Gille, Roscoe; 16. Jeremy Miller, Rockton; 17. Jacob Vanoskey, Hartford, Wis; 18. John DeAngelis, Jr, Hubertus, Wis; 19. Danny Church, Big Bend, Wis; 20. Jacob Finney, Sycamore;
21. Steve Dobbratz, Rio, Wis; 22. Casey Johnson, Stoughton, Wis; 23. Kyle Jarlsberg, Cambridge, Wis; 24. Dan Lensing, Poplar Grove.

Last Chance "A" 01 --  1. Brady Liddle, Oregon, Wis; 2. Jimmy Ganski, Rosholt, Wis; 3. Mike Ehde, Prairie du Chien, Wis; 4. Gregg Pawelski, West Allis, Wis; 5. Mike Taylor, Stoughton, Wis; 6. Jacob Finney, Sycamore; 7. Dennis Schmidt, Juneau, Wis; 8. Tim Lange, Dousman, Wis; 9. Darren Wolke, Belle Plaine, Minn..

Heat 01 --  1. Jesse Bernhagen, Markesan, Wis; 2. Wayne Freimund, Elkhorn, Wis; 3. Jimmy Ganski, Rosholt, Wis; 4. Mike Ehde, Prairie du Chien, Wis; 5. Jacob Finney, Sycamore; 6. Eric Connell, Fort Atkinson, Wis; 7. Dennis Schmidt,
Juneau, Wis; 8. Darren Wolke, Belle Plaine, Minn..

Heat 02 --  1. Danny Church, Big Bend, Wis; 2. Jacob Vanoskey, Hartford, Wis; 3. Brady Liddle, Oregon, Wis; 4. Gregg Pawelski, West Allis, Wis; 5. Mike Taylor, Stoughton, Wis; 6. Tim Lange, Dousman, Wis; 7. Kyle Wolosek, Wisconsin
Rapids, Wis.

Qualifying Dash 01 --  1. Cory Kemkes, Appleton, Wis; 2. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 3. Jeremy Miller, Rockton; 4. Kyle Jarlsberg, Cambridge, Wis; 5. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 6. Jerry Gille, Roscoe; 7. John DeAngelis, Jr, Hubertus, Wis.

Qualifying Dash 02 --  1. Steve Dobbratz, Rio, Wis; 2. Casey Johnson, Stoughton, Wis; 3. Dave Edwards, Salem, Wis; 4. Dan Lensing, Poplar Grove; 5. Jon Reynolds, Jr., Rockford; 6. Ryan Carlson, Loves Park; 7. Austin Nason, Roscoe

Time Trial --  1. Jeremy Miller, Rockton; 2. Jon Reynolds, Jr., Rockford; 3. Kyle Jarlsberg, Cambridge, Wis; 4. Dan Lensing, Poplar Grove; 5. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 6. Ryan Carlson, Loves Park; 7. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 8. Casey
Johnson, Stoughton, Wis; 9. Jerry Gille, Roscoe; 10. Austin Nason, Roscoe;
11. Cory Kemkes, Appleton, Wis; 12. Dave Edwards, Salem, Wis; 13. John DeAngelis, Jr, Hubertus, Wis; 14. Steve Dobbratz, Rio, Wis; 15. Mike Ehde, Prairie du Chien, Wis; 16. Brady Liddle, Oregon, Wis; 17. Jimmy Ganski, Rosholt, Wis; 18. Danny Church, Big Bend, Wis; 19. Wayne Freimund, Elkhorn, Wis; 20. Curt Tillman, Roscoe;
21. Jesse Bernhagen, Markesan, Wis; 22. Jacob Vanoskey, Hartford, Wis; 23. Dennis Schmidt, Juneau, Wis; 24. Gregg Pawelski, West Allis, Wis; 25. Jacob Finney, Sycamore; 26. Mike Taylor, Stoughton, Wis; 27. Darren Wolke, Belle Plaine, Minn.; 28. Tim Lange, Dousman, Wis; 29. Eric Connell,
Fort Atkinson, Wis; 30. Kyle Wolosek, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.