CHICAGO WHISPERS
by Stan Kalwasinski

August 18, 2008

            Chicago , Ill. —It’s not very often that a stranger/newcomer comes to Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville , Ind. and walks off with “the big piece of the prize pie.”  But that’s exactly what happened last Saturday night as Blake Brown, in his initial super late model start, captured the division’s 25-lap feature race.

            Brown, a 16-year-old from Franksville , Wis. , wheeled his Terry’s Automotive Group-sponsored Chevy Impala SS to an impressive victory, defeating Jack Kalwasinski by a foot or so at the checkered flag.  Brown is the grandson of Terry Kunes, the owner of Terry’s Automotive and the Madison International Speedway near Madison , Wis.  Brown, who grabbed fast time honors the night before at the Grundy County Speedway in Morris, is only in his third year of racing, having competed in Bandolero and Legend Cars divisions in the past.  Matter of fact, Brown won the Legend Cars feature race at Illiana on July 5. Former area late model star Tracy Schuler is part of Brown’s crew and no doubt makes an excellent racing coach.

            “We were lucky,” said Brown after his Illiana win.  “Obviously, we would have liked to have qualified a little better, but we were happy being it was our first time here.  We started on the outside of the front row.  It was a good starting spot and we were able to get to the front quick.”

            Brown took home top honors in Illiana’s feature race, holding off Kalwasinski by a mere 0.094 seconds at the end.  Kalwasinski closed in on Brown in the final laps, making it a side-by-side finish at the end after Brown led most of the way unchallenged.  Fastest qualifier Jeff Cannon of Kouts, early race leader Bobby Gash and Mike Monroe rounded out the top five at the finish on the half-mile paved oval.

            “It was real close at the end,” Brown said.  “I wasn’t looking at my mirrors.  I was paying attention to my driving.  I didn’t realize how quick he (Kalwasinski) was gaining on me.  I was glad it was the end of the race right there.”

            Kalwasinski, the evening’s second fastest qualifier, ran second to Brown from lap five on.

            “I was trying to track him (Brown) down,” Kalwasinski said.  “He was pretty fast and there were no yellows (flags).  He was sort of missing the corners there at the end.  I stuck my nose in there, trying to go for the win.”

            Four-time Illiana titlist Mike White was involved in a scary-looking wreck during qualifications.  On his second lap, White, wheeling his familiar Tom Rose-owned Impala SS No. 00, lost a radiator hose, causing White to spin in his own water, sending the black and yellow racer crashing hard into the outside wall in turn one.  White escaped injury, with the exception of some bumps and bruises, but his car was badly damaged.  White is the current super late model points leader at the historic speed plant.

            Ross Kenseth, the 15-year-old son of NASCAR star Matt Kenseth, competed at Illiana last Saturday, racing in the Legend Cars division.  Kenseth won a heat race and finished second in the 25-lap class headliner.  Kenseth, who lives in Spring Valley , Ill. , has also been doing some limited late model racing this season, even winning in Big 8 Series competition at Wisconsin ’s Golden Sands Speedway last month. 

            Young Kenseth finished second to Tommy Jones in the Legend Cars feature.  Scoring his first Legend Cars main event win, Jones, a 16-year-old from Gurnee, is the son of longtime Midwestern stock car frontrunner Tom Jones. 

            “We just bought this car three or four weeks ago,” said the elder Jones.  “We have a limited late model car too, but we never got it done.”

            Illiana will host its 47th annual Tony Bettenhausen Memorial 100 presented by Lisa Thomas Salon on Saturday, September 13.  The event will pay $3,000 to the winner with $500 to start.  Lap prize money will also be part of the purse for the first time in a number of years.  Defending race winner Eddie Hoffman will no doubt be on hand, gunning for this fifth career Bettenhausen race victory. 

Mario Clouser of Auburn , Ill. captured the 17th annual United Midget Auto Racing (UMARA) Illinois State Midget Auto Racing Championship Saturday night at the Grundy County Speedway.    Taking the lead from Jim Anderson on lap four, Clouser won the 40-lap UMARA/USAC Regional midget feature, driving his E-85 Ethanol/Illinois Corn Marketing Board-sponsored, Beast/Mopar midget.  Anderson ended up second with Mario Marietta third and Aaron Andrukevitch, who has returned to racing action this year, coming home fourth.  Fast timer Dakoda Armstrong finished fifth.  24 cars were on hand for the competition.

            Moving up into the “national” ranks this year, Clouser was the USAC/UMARA Ford Focus champion last season, his second season of Ford Focus competition.   Prior to that, Clouser competed in quarter midget racing from 1994 through 2005.  Clouser also does some motocross motorcycle racing

Back in 1992, Don Carter Jr. crossed the finish line first to win the Inaugural Illinois State Midget Auto Racing Championship, a race created by then UMARA announcer/promoter Mike Motherway.  Carter was driving the Jim Anderson-owned No. 36 midget.  Carter would go on to win three of the first four of UMARA’s State Championship events. 

            The address for news and comments is 9618 Cypress Ave. , Munster , Ind. 46321-3418 or e-mail to skalwasinski@yahoo.com.

END