[Task Force]

ANDERSON CLAIMS HARRY TURNER CLASSIC AT SYCAMORE
By Zach Tasker

Saturday night August 11 featured the return of the Illini Racing Series midgets to the Sycamore Speedway. The 4th annual Harry Turner Classic presented by Beyta Gear Service has quickly turned into one of the crown jewels of the IRS season with all the teams wanting to win the historic event honoring the long time midget car builder. Mike Anderson started the 25 lap feature on pole position and quickly asserted himself as the man to beat. Anderson would be flawless on 3 early restarts including a rare spin by defending champion Patrick Bruns to keep his lead. The Joliet, Illinois native had his car hooked up even when 2nd place runner Danny Drogemuller got close on the restarts Anderson would just turn up the wick once again. In the middle of the pack however there was an absolute hornets nest going on. Positions 4-10 were all being traded lap after lap in one huge pack. Jeff Zelinski who would wind up in 5th finishing position made several spectacular saves late in the race using the extreme high line in turns one and two.
Up front though it was Anderson who went wire to wire to claim his 3rd career IRS feature win and 2nd this year at Sycamore. The last time the "passin assassin" won at Sycamore (July 13) he did so after flipping the car in practice, this time he made it easier on himself. "I really didn't like this track for about a year and a half and then I flipped the car and I think it knocked a little sense into me and I think after that we figured out how to run this place. Before we were just getting too crazy trying to drive the car into the turns and you just have to relax and be patient and be calm and between me and Roger (Engstrom) we have really started to come together this year about how for me to relay what I need the car to do and what its doing out there and he takes it from there. He knows what hes doing and he made this car go." The driver of the #7 SET Racing Engines/Heros West Sports Grill/VIP Salon & Spa/John Lawson Auto Rebuilders/RHO Chemical/Party Bomb Energy Drink/SP2 Graphics Stewart/Ecotec ranked this as a career high win "I was talking to Harry's mechanic and he was talking about the different guys that was driving for him and Harry would be proud to see it drive like that. Thats cool because my dad was an old timer and we don't get big publicity for what we are doing but when guys from when my dads era or the older guys say you did a hell of a job it means a lot to me. I think I got into this thing to look for a little bit of respect from the older guys and it means the world to me when someone says you did a great job that saw guys like Rich Vogler and Pancho Carter and all those guys back in the day that were real men driving these cars and so to get a compliment from him and to win the Harry Turner Classic, a guy that knew what he was doing putting cars together and had the best guys around him, it means a lot to me."

Danny Drogemuller brought his #76 National Animal Welfare Society Spike/Ecotec home in 2nd for a season high finish. The Frankfort, Illinois native is pleased with the improved results his team is showing as of late "You get what you put in and honestly we haven't been putting in what we got back out. We were out for 4-5 years and we are starting to put it back in and we are starting to get it back. I was picking up on everyone elses mistakes. When you are following them its easy to see their faults and where you improve on their faults so it helps you. I seen a dry line coming from the middle off and if you went in too far you were above it and couldn't get in it. So if I slowed down on my entry then I was able to get a hold of that coming off and that got me up to those guys where I could catch up and make a choice going into the next corner so it made it a lot easier going into the racetrack. I liked the high side but it just wasn't going to win there." Veteran midget racer Kurt Mayhew battled with Drogemuller for a few laps for 2nd only to end up sliding back to 3rd. "Mike was really getting off the corners good. I was kind of buzzing the tires, I couldn't really get off the corners with either one of those guys. I really can't complain but I would have really loved to win this one because of Harry and Beth Turner were personal friends of mine years ago. He actually built my first racecar and I knew them very well. There is always a soft spot in my heart for those people. They were real people, real genuine and he was quite the craftsman." The nights three KCM Accounting heat races were won by Patrick Bruns, Mike Gass and Freddie Teer Jr. Up next for the Illini Racing Series is the hollowed grounds of Angell Park Speedway on Sunday August 18 for Cornfest.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: FEATURE (25 L): 1)#7 Mike Anderson 2)#76 Danny Drogemuller 3)#21k Kurt Mayhew 4)#52 Mike Gass 5)#15 Jeff Zelinski 6)#11 Joe Knippel 7)#21a Bob Shreffler 8)#31 Kourtnay Borman 9)#77 Lamont Critchett 10)#2o Dave Ohlendorf 11)#53 Aaron Schuck 12)#83 Patrick Bruns 13)#0 Doug Orseske 14)#9a Bob Adams 15)#24 Ray Seach 16)#54 Freddie Teer Jr 17)#9k Scott Koerner 18)#4 Eric Greenup 19)#5 Al Drangmeister 20)#43 Tommy Bigelow 21)#3 Rich Drangmesiter 22)#2a Andrew Hennig

HEAT RACE #1 (8 L): 1)#83 Patrick Bruns 2)#21k Kurt Mayhew 3)#53 Aaron Schuck 4)#9a Bob Adams 5)#15 Jeff Zelinski 6)#9k Scott Koerner 7)#2a Andrew Hennig 8)#21a Bob Shreffler

HEAT RACE #2 (8 L): 1)#52 Mike Gass 2)#76 Danny Drogemuller 3)#31 Kourtnay Borman 4)#24 Ray Seach 5)#11 Joe Knippel 6)#2o Dave Ohlendorf 7)#5 Al Drangmeister

HEAT RACE #3 (8 L): 1)#54 Freddie Teer Jr 2)#7 Mike Anderson 3)#0 Doug Orseske 4)#77 Lamont Critchett 5)#4 Eric Greenup 6)#3 Rich Drangmesiter 7)#43 Tommy Bigelow