Contact John Wells 608.225.1913
Super Late Model racing is back at Madison International Speedway on Friday, June 8th for the first event of the Super Late Model Triple Crown Challenge.
The Super Late Model Triple Crown Challenge Race #1 is The Scotty “O” Ollerman Memorial 100 presented by Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts Stores and Automotive Service Centers. The race is in memory of Ollerman who passed away at the age of 49 in October 2011. He was best known for driving the black “0” car and was the 1997 Super Late Model track champion at Madison and won thirteen features in his career at Wisconsin’s Fastest Half-Mile.
Two more events will be held as part of the Triple Crown Super Late Model Challenge. The Johnny Ziegler Tribute 93 will be held on Friday, July 6th with the third race scheduled for Saturday, September 22nd as part of the MIS Fall Classic. Point standings will be maintained for the three races with the top 24 locked into the Race of Champions set for Sunday, September 23rd. That race will be a 150 lap event.
One of the drivers who will be running all of the events of the Triple Crown Challenge is Jeff Storm of Waterford, Wisconsin. Storm doesn’t hold his excitement back when discussing super late model racing at MIS and specifically the new Triple Crown Challenge. “Madison is basically like my home track these days. It’s the closest to me outside of The Milwaukee Mile. I have run a lot of laps at MIS over the years. The crew that works there is always very nice and helpful. Anytime we can come up to MIS to run super late models, gets me excited. We look forward to the Triple Crown Challenge in 2012, and expect to be a contender in each event. I only hope that this gets bigger and better in time. I would love to see super lates at MIS weekly. Hats off to the staff for putting this together for 2012.”
Another driver equally as excited about the event is Blake Brown of Franksville, Wisconsin. “I had heard about the Triple Crown Challenge at Madison this year, but I didn’t realize how big it’s going to be. It’s going to be four really big races with some of the best drivers, I couldn’t be more excited.”
Brown added, “I’m hoping my team and I can run up front. We’re just going to take one race at a time, and hopefully be in position at the end to win the Triple Crown Championship.”
There is no question that the excitement for the return of super late models to MIS is contagious. “We feel very strongly that the Triple Crown is going to become an annual event at Madison. We are hearing from drivers throughout the Midwest who are planning to be here to compete in all three races,” said MIS General Manager Dave Grueneberg.
The Scott Ollerman Memorial is slated for Friday, June 8th with pit gates opening at 3:30, practice at 4:45, qualifying at 6:15 and racing to follow. In addition to the super late models the Ho Chunk Gaming Madison Sportsman and Pellitteri Waste Systems Legends will also be competing in weekly points events.
There will also be a Happy Hour for fans from 5:00 – 6:30 with drink specials plus an on-track autograph session during intermission.
Schedule of Events
3:30 Pit Gates Open
4:30 Chapel with Todd
4:30 Main Gates Open
4:45 Practice
Two sessions for Super Late Models, Sportsman, and Legends
One scuff session for Super Late Models
5:00-6:30 Happy Hour Drink Specials
6:15 Qualifying
Legends, Sportsman, Super Lates
Following Qualifying: Drivers’ Meeting
Racing
Quam’s Marine and Motorsports Qualifying Races
Pellitteri Waste Systems Legends (10 Laps)
Ho Chunk Gaming Madison Sportsman (8 Laps)
Super Late Models (15 Laps)
Intermission / On-track autograph session
Pellitteri Waste Systems Legends Feature (20 Laps)
Ho Chunk Gaming Madison Sportsman (15 Laps)
Scotty “O” Ollerman Memorial 100 (100 Laps)
After Race Party in the Pits
MIS Announces Contingency Program for Triple Crown Challenge
Drivers participating in this season’s Super Late Model Triple Crown Challenge will now have an opportunity to win four tires at each of the three events leading up to the Race of Champions on September 23rd.
Former racer John Grueneberg has come forward with a plan to provide some incentive for drivers racing this year’s Triple Crown Challenge. Eight tires will be given away during the first round on June 8th with four tires awarded on both July 6th and September 22nd.
Round 1 is scheduled for June 8th and will be the Scotty “O” Ollerman Memorial 100. Following qualifying, the top sixteen drivers by time will participate in a special drawing. The fastest qualifier will draw first followed by the second fastest and so on. Chips will be placed in a bag numbered from 0 to 15. The driver who draws the “O” chip will get four tires paid for Round 1.
The winner of the Scotty “O” Ollerman Memorial race will receive four tires for Round 2 on July 6th.
The winner of the Johnny Ziegler Tribute on July 6th will get four tires for Round 3 on September 22nd.
The point leader after the first three rounds following the September 22nd race will get four tires for the Race of Champions on Sunday, September 23rd.
“This is a great way to reward drivers and encourage the guys to run all of the events,” said MIS Business / Marketing Manager Jason Tyler. “We are also hoping others will come forward and offer contingencies too.” Tyler can be reached at 608.513.9709.
Racing this Friday night begins with practice at 4:45, qualifying at 6:15 and racing to follow. Also on the racing program will be the Pellitteri Waste Systems Legends and Ho Chunk Gaming Madison Sportsman.
An on-track autograph session will take place during intermission.
Tractors and Trucks Take Over MIS
A large and energetic crowd was on hand at MIS on Saturday to witness exciting tractor and truck pulling action. All of the ingredients were in place including perfect weather, a great track, and solid field of tractors and trucks.
It was a day that many had been looking forward to with great anticipation as it was the season opener for both the Badger State Tractor Pullers and the Tri County Mini-Rods with each series bringing three of their divisions to MIS.
However, before the two series began their competition, a pair of spectator truck pulling classes had the honors of getting the first pulls. Nick Brugger of Monroe, Wisconsin, won the spectator diesel division while Eli Gehrke of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, had the best pull in the spectator gas division.
The first of the three Badger State Tractor Pulling classes was the 4×4 Pro Street Diesel division. Picking up the win was Joe Wiltse from Maple Park, Illinois.
Next it was time for the three classes of Tri County Mini Rods to fire up and take on the fast pulling surface.
Cindy Thompson of Janseville, Wisconsin, won the Limited Mini Rods driving “Way Cool.”
Ken Tatroe of Milton, Wisconsin, was best in the 1,850 pound Econo Mini Rods driving the “Attitude Adjuster.”
The 1.950 pound Open Mini-Rod class was won by Eric Johnson of Durand, Illinois, piloting “Blown Money.”
Closing out the night were two of the most popular pulling divisions from Badger State: Hot Farm and Super Farm Tractors.
Tony McDonald of Darlington, Wisconsin, driving “Well Spent” was the best of fourteen pullers in the Hot Farm class with a pull of just over 303 feet. “The track was good for us tonight,” said McDonald from victory lane.
It came down to the final pull of the night to determine the winner in the Super Farm class when Larry Wolff and Wolfgang’s Warrior from Watertown, Wisconsin, edged Jason Molitor of Kent, Illinois, by inches as both surpassed the 313 foot mark.
Madison International Speedway would like to thank Morton Farms from Evansville, Wisconsin, and Donnie Kleven for their assistance in preparing and maintaining the track along with Joe Gerken for all of his work behind the scenes.
For complete Badger State results go to bstponline.org and for the Tri County Mini Rods go to tricountypullersinc.com .
See you at the races this Friday night.
