WILMOT RACEWAY CROWNS FOUR 2024 CHAMPIONS ON CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2024
(Wilmot, Wis., Saturday, September 14, 2024)–Four Wilmot Raceway track champions were crowned for the track’s 74th season on the D.Wells Automotive of Gurnee, IL/Antioch NAPA Auto Parts Championship Night Saturday, September 14, 2024 with fours being wild.
Union Grove’s Joel Crowbridge captured his first ever Wilmot crown by 6 points with a fifth place finish in the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature.
Eagle’s Steve Mueller captured a class leading fourth 20-lap feature win of the season by 0.040 seconds catching Iron Ridge’s Dan Jung as the pair caught a lapped car coming out of turn four for the checkered flag.
Jung had held the lead from the opening lap until the final half a car length at the finish. Bart Sievert of West Allis was third. Milwaukee’s Don Scheffler fourth. Crowbridge needed to finish fifth or better if Mueller won the race to take the title.
“I don’t usually worry about points,” said Mueller, who came from tenth starting spot along side Crowbridge, for the win. “If I’m not going to win the championship, then I would just as soon have Joel win it. He bought his first race car from me 19 years ago, so it’s great to see him win the title. The race was awesome and I caught just the right spot battling Dan coming from turn four. There was just enough room for me to squeeze through. Can’t wait to be here for all three days (of the Fall Classic, September 19-21. That’s the plan.”
“I knew where I needed to finish if Steve won,” said Crowbridge, who started alongside Mueller in 10th spot in the starting grid. “I have to thank my wife and son who are in the pits, everyone who sponsors me and the great fans. I knew when the track went to the IMCA rules, it would take Steve a little bit of time to get the new crate motor sorted out. Once he did, I knew he’d be tough. He has helped me a lot and to end up beating him out for the championship is awesome.”
Tyler Kuxhouse of Antioch, IL scored his third 20-lap Wisconsin AutoMeter powered by Gandrud Performance Wilmot Raceway Catalyst Exhibits WingLESS Sprints feature of the season. A fifth place finish Bristol’s Chris Klemko after starting tenth secured his second Wilmot track championship.
New Berlin’s Austin Hansen took the initial lead after an aborted start resulted in pole sitter Allen Hafford of Beach Park, IL and fourth starter Jimmy Sivia of Winthrop Harbor, IL both having to restart at the rear.
A second attempt to get underway was halted by a red flag when several cars tangled coming from turn four resulting in Cambridge’s Tristan Furseth bouncing off the front straightaway fence. Brown Deer’s John Fahl got upside down during the melee but did restart. Furseth was transported to an area facility for evaluation.
Genesee’s Eric Wilke shot to the outside in turn four to take the lead on the fourth lap. After a yellow on lap 9, Kuxhouse shot to the inside on the restart to take the lead. Kuxhouse, Racine’s Derek Crane and Zack Raidart of Gurnee, IL battled back and fourth with each using different lines to try to make it stick. Cautions with eight and two laps remaining kept setting up slide job moves by anyone of the trio.
Kuxhouse shot in front for the final time on the last restart. Crane made it close with one last bonsai attempt ending up second by less than half a second. Sivia, after restarting at the rear following the opening lap incident scored an impressive third place finish. Raidart was fourth. Klemko fifth.
“That was fun,” said Kuxhouse, who noted he’s looking forward to the WingLESS running opening night of the three day festival on Thursday, September 19. “I have to thank my additional crew chief, Ryan Marshall, who worked along side my dad (Scott Kuxhouse), along with my brother, my sister was here, a lot of family visiting and getting to see me win is awesome. It was fun battling Derek back and fourth, and Zack. I can’t wait for the chance at the extra money on Thursday.”
“I have to thank my wife, boys , mother, sister, family, friends, sponsors, everyone who keeps this car running strong,” said Klemko, who captured his second championship having won in 2020, but this time not winning a feature throughout the season. Nine top ten feature finishes including seven top fives out of 11 starts proved consistency paying off. “We still have some more racing to do in the non-wing car, here on Thursday, at Plymouth on September 28 for the Wisconsin Sprint Championships and then at Rte. 66 Raceway in Joliet with the World of Outlaws in October. We still have some shots at a feature win yet.”
Ion Stear of Hebron, IL overtook Allen Hafford of Beach Park, IL on the second circuit of the 20-lap Lift Pro Powered by Gandrud Chevrolet Hepfner Racing Products Wings Series 604 Crate Winged Sprints feature. It was Stear’s second main win in nine starts, fourth top five and seventh top ten in nine starts. Brian Kristan of Zion, IL worked up to second from eighth starting spot. Burlington’s Matt Vandervere was third. Tommy Sexton of Twin Lakes fourth place finish secured his sixth Wilmot championship. Hafford ended up fifth.
“This win means a lot,” said Stear, who received congratulations from Sexton in victory lane. “My dad, our sponsors, crew, family, everybody. That was fun running with Brian(Kristan) and everybody. The car was really hooked up. I want to congratulate Tommy on his championship. He has helped us a lot on the car.”
“I always said I don’t points race, but the last couple weeks I have been watching the points,” admitted Sexton, who won Wilmot titles in the 1995 Mini-Modifieds, 1996 Modified Racing Association(MRA) Modifieds, 1999-2010-2011Sprint Car Championships. “My dad is here, mom, my wife Rhonda, the kids, grandkids, a lot of friends and sponsors, everybody. I have to thank my crew, Joe Panek, John Kronin, Kevin Hinich, who without their help I couldn’t do this. Dad, who bought me my first sprint car in 1999. My Uncle Mike (Sexton) and Matt (Sexton) who have been with me since I first started. This is really great. Now I get to race three more times and not have to worry about points.(Wilmot Raceway Fall Classic Wednesday-Saturday, September 19-21.”
The final championship of the night was decided in the last feature, the 20-lapper for the B&L Office Furniture Powered by American Tire & Auto Repair of Lindenhurst and Kenosha 4-Cylinder Bandits. Pleasant Prairie’s Scott Carpenter took the opening lead from the pole. Salem’s Austin Orth took over on the third circuit coming out of turn two. On lap nine, Mt. Pleasant’s David McKellips inherited the lead when Orth was involved in a tangle resulting in restarting in the rear.
A final caution with two laps remaining saw McKellips up to the challenge going on to score his second main win of the season. Kenosha’s Craig Kreuser came from eighth to take second. Salem’s Ryan “Tiny Horse” Johnson finished third to secure his third Wilmot Bandit championship and second in a row. Orth charged from the rear after the restart to finish fourth. Trevor’s Daniel Marshall Jr. was fifth.
“The car was set up super and could run anywhere I wanted on the track,” said D. McKellips, who ended up second in points to Johnson 17 points back, as was Ryan Andrews of Woodstock, IL. “We’re a close group, us Bandit drivers. It’s fun and I hope we have some more fun next weekend at the Classic here.”
“I have to thank all of my sponsors, family, my girlfriend Jennifer Rooney, everybody,” said Johnson, whose first championship in 2019 was also his rookie season to go along with last year(2023) and this year(2024). “This was a lot of fun. Now the plan is for a short week and three days of racing here at the Classic. It’s going to be fun.”
Wilmot Raceway’s 1st Annual Fall Classic starts Thursday, September 19, with Wisconsin Auto Meter powered by Gandrud Performance WingLESS Sprints in a point show for the traveling series highlighting the program in their only appearance of the weekend.
Lift Pro Powered by Gandrud Chevrolet Winged 604 Sprint Cars will be accumulating Hepfner Racing Products Wings Challenge Series points all three nights as C.J. Malueg heads the standings thus far.
IMCA Modifieds and B&L Office Furniture powered by American Tire & Auto Repair Bandits and Unified Street Stocks complete the card along with the Winged 604 Sprints as they are scheduled all three nights.
Combined points accumulated in the initial two nights, Thursday, September 19 and Friday, September 20 will be used toward lining up the Saturday, September 21 season finale features.
On Friday, September 20 the MSA 360 Sprints make their only Wilmot appearance of the season, co-headlining with the 11-75 Sports Complex IRA Lightning Sprints scoring points for their traveling series in their only stop of the Classic.
The final night of the 74th season for Wilmot will see one last track championship decided as the Open 410 Winged Outlaw Sprints headline the card. Blake Nimee of Oswego, IL leads the standings.
Winged 604 Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, Unified Street Stocks and 4-cylinder stock car Bandits fill out the card.
Grandstands open Thursday and Friday, September 19-20, at 5 p.m. with racing slated for 6:45 p.m.
Due to Wilmot High School’s Homecoming Parade on Friday, fans and competitors arriving from Hwy. C will be directed down Hwy. B to F.
On Saturday, September 21 pits will open at 1 p.m. with grandstands opening at 4 p.m. and on track activity getting underway at 5 p.m. Grandstand admission each night is $15.00 for adults ages 13 & Over, 12 and under admitted free. Pit Passes are $30.00.
For the latest updates phone the trackside race line 262-862-2090, contact Fair/Raceway Manager Jennifer Hesse 262-731-3592, the fair office 262-862-6121 or the track website wilmotraceway.com or official Raceway Facebook page.
Submitted by Michael Babicz.
Sleep In Heavenly Peace brought its bed building event to the Kenosha County Fairgrounds and Wilmot Raceway during the day prior to the races. Volunteers worked two shifts from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. assembling beds to be distributed to families in need throughout Kenosha, Racine and Walworth Counties. The Raceway collected donations of bedding supplies for the program as well, with participants receiving a $5.00 discount for the evening’s championship race program.
