Some of the best Super Late Model drivers in the Midwest gathered at Jefferson Speedway on Saturday evening to pay tribute to a Wisconsin racing legend. Jerry Eckhardt of Johnson Creek has been behind the wheel of a race car for over 59 years, winning multiple races, feature events and championships.
Jerry currently still competes on a weekly basis at Wisconsin’s Action Track. The inaugural running of the Orange Blossom Special race event is a way to say thank you to a man that has given so much to the local racing scene in south central Wisconsin.
Three time Jefferson Speedway Late Model champion, Casey Johnson of Edgerton, returned to his home track and became the overall winner after running twin 61 lap feature races. Johnson claimed the win in feature number one followed by a third place finish in the second race to claim the overall title.
Johnson and Jordan Devoy paced feature number one to green as they battled for early control of the top spot. Johnson moved ahead, claiming sole possession of the lead on four.
Devoy tucked in behind the leader as the duo began to separate themselves from the pack while Ryan Farrell moved into third. By lap eight the quick qualifier, Gabe Sommers, began to challenge Farrell for third. Sommers claimed the position just before the caution flew on lap 16 when Jacob Nottestad slid through the turn one grass and collected Shaun Scheel.
Johnson and Devoy led the field back to green, this time with Devoy gaining the advantage on the restart. Johnson settled into second and followed Devoy as they approached the halfway point of the race. Johnson tried to get alongside Devoy on several occasions, to no avail. The second yellow flag appeared on lap 33 for a spinning car in turns three and four.
Johnson and Devoy once again led the field back to green. This time, Johnson fired into the lead as they raced into turn one. But another quick caution period came on lap 37 when Luke Westenberg spun in turn one. The final double file restart of the race once again pitted Johnson and Devoy side by side.
As racing resumed, Devoy cleared for the lead off turn four with Johnson falling in line behind him. Devoy maintained his lead through two more cautions as the laps began to tick away. Johnson continued to shadow Devoy at the front of the field, searching for an opening to make his move.
Johnson tried looking inside and outside the leader on several occasions, with no luck. But with two laps to go, Johnson got a great run on the low side of Devoy as they exited turn two.
Johnson drew even with the leader as the pair of drivers traded a little paint looking for the advantage. Johnson used his momentum to slip ahead of Devoy as they raced to the checkers. At the stripe, it was Johnson winning feature number one with Devoy settling for second. Farrell was third followed by Sommers and Nick Egan.
The 11-car invert for the second 61 lapper placed Luke Westenberg and Brandon Hill on the front row. Westenberg jumped on the early lead with Hill dropping back to battle Michael Grueneberg for second. Grueneberg claimed the spot on lap three and went right to work on Westenberg for the lead.
After a brief battle, Grueneberg took over the top spot while Kody King sized up Westenberg for second.
King made the pass on Westenberg on lap 12, just before a melee on the backstretch brough out the first caution of the race. Gruenberg and King led the pack back to green with King trying to take over the lead.
But Grueneberg hung tough on the low side, drawing back even with King and gaining the advantage for himself. But the second caution on lap 23 slowed the pace when Cody Houseweart encountered engine problems.
Grueneberg and King once again paced the field, but two failed restarts resulted in the pair of drivers being relegated to the rear of the field. This handed the front row over to John Beale and Nick Egan. Egan grabbed control of the point on the restart with Gabe Sommers up to battle Beale for second.
After another caution on lap 28, Egan continued to lead with Sommers moving up to challenge. Sommers dove under Egan, stealing the top spot away on lap 30. Two laps later, Beale moved into third with Casey Johnson in tow for fourth. Needed one more position to clinch the overall title, Johnson began to hound Beale as they raced behind Egan.
With seven laps to go, Beale drew even with Egan while Johnson watched intently from fourth. Beale slid ahead of Egan, bringing Johnson along on lap 56. Meanwhile, Sommers stayed strong out front, flying to the checkers to claim the feature win.
Beale was second followed by Johnson in third. Egan finished fourth with Ryan Farrell rounding out the top five. Johnson’s first and third place finished netted him the overall by a narrow margin over Gabe Sommers.
Also making their return to Jefferson Speedway for another great race was the Midwest Truck Series. The trucks competed in a 61 lap feature of their own with Kevin Zielezinski of New Lenox, IL, claiming his first career truck series feature win. Chester Ace and Bryce Miller brought the field to green with Miller pouncing on the early lead on the opening lap.
The duo led to field back to green after an early caution on lap six with Miller once again grabbing control and Ace falling to second ahead of Zielezinski. The leaders ran single file until caution number two slowed the pace on lap 22 for a stalled truck on the back chute. It was Miller and Ace on the front row one more time for the restart.
This time Ace hung tough on the low side of Miller until he lost control and spun in turns three and four to force the third yellow of the race. The trucks lined up single file for the restart with Miller showing the way ahead of Zielezinski and Aaron Moyer.
After fending off the challenges of Moyer to maintain the second position, Zielezinski and the rest of the top five lined up behind Miller and began to chew up laps until lap 40 when the caution appeared for and spun truck in turn two. The restart saw Miller and Zielezinski on row one as they fought for control.
After a seesaw battle, Zielezinski moved ahead of Miller, claiming the lead as Miller tried to hold off James Swan for second. Three more cautions in the closing laps saw no change at the top of the leaderboard with Zielezinski leading the way and Miller in second.
Moyer moved back up to third when Swan encountered issues and was forced to retire from the event. At the checkers, it was Zielezinski for the win with Miller crossing the line in second. Following post race inspection, Miller was forced to vacate his finishing position, handing second to Moyer. Jacob Nottestad was third followed by Brandon Reichenberger and Grant Griesbach.
The Legends division also joined the program as Poynette’s Dillon Schwanbeck claimed the 25 lap feature race win. Devon Lee lead early from row one with Cael Slater up to second. Slater quickly went to work on Lee, taking the lead away on lap two. Ben Massman followed into second while Lincoln Cain and Schwanbeck were slicing their way through the field.
A caution on lap seven closed up the field with Slater and Andrew Borntreger on the front row. Slater reclaimed the lead on the restart with Cain and Schwanbeck charging forward on the low side. Cain made his way to second on lap eight with Schwanbeck in tow for third.
Two laps later, Schwanbeck dove under Cain entering turn one. After slight contact between the two, Schwanbeck emerged with the seconds spot as he closed in behind Slater. Schwanbeck made quick work of Slater, taking over the point on and lap 14 and beginning to drive away.
Cain followed into second on lap 17, but Schwanbeck was already well on his way to the win. Cain settled for second with Jaylen Johnson, Slater and Massman completing the top five.
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