OHLENDORF PICKS UP LONG AWAITED VICTORY AT GRUNDY COUNTY
By Zach Tasker
Dave Ohlendorf finally picked up his first career Illini Racing Series victory after many times of hustling his blue #2 midget around the short tracks of the IRS on Saturday June 22 at Grundy County Speedway. The win didn't come easy and wasn't without controversy, but the second first time winner of 2013 proved to be a popular victory with the fans. The Carter/Anderson classic 30 lap feature was started with last years race winner Mike Anderson on pole alongside Basil Hicks. As usual with the open wheeled warriors at the unofficial home track of the IRS , the pace of the feature was fast and frantic. Mike Anderson jumped out front early on but was soon overtaken by his brother and defending STARS national midget champion-Jimmy Anderson who was making a rare IRS appearance driving the #79 usually piloted by Eric Pershey.
Jimmy Anderson would quickly stretch his lead out to many car lengths through the mid stages of the race. It looked to be another easy win at Grundy County Speedway for him until with about 10 laps remaining he pulled into the infield with a mechanical problem. This blew the race for the lead wide open. Ohlendorf had inherited the lead after a spirited battle with Mike Anderson. Defending series champion Patrick Bruns was hard charging through the field after starting 7th as was Lamont Critchett who started 10th on the grid. These 3 drivers separated themselves from the pack for the remaining few laps as the fans looked like they were in for another classic IRS finish on the pavement of Grundy. Ohlendorf took the white flag inches ahead of Crichett. As the lead trio headed into turn #2 on the final circuit Ohlendorf bobbled then got tagged from behind by Crichett sending him into a smokey spin. Amazingly the leader was able to keep his foot in it and do a complete 360 spin and keep going. The yellow flag flew for the spin and IRS race control deemed that because Ohlendorf kept moving after spinning he would be able to retain the position on the restart. That set up a one lap shootout to the checkered flag. Ohlendorf would remain unfazed as he was flawless on the restart to take his madien victory.
The driver of the #2 Bennies Pizza Stealth/Brayton was proud of what his family run team had accomplished "This is the first one, if it wasn't for my Dad and my brother and Allen (Gillis) and my girlfriend Geninne I wouldn't have done it. She was with me when I won the heat race last year so I decided to keep her all year and now we won a feature so I probably have to end up marrying her! " The driver out of New Lenox knew how close he was to losing it after the late race contact . "Lamont said I got sideways, I really don't remember, its like a blur. He drove me and sent me into a spin but I kept it going and I thought that was it. He didn't do it on purpose, he came to me and apologized and it was an accident and they gave me my spot back because I kept it going and I was lucky that I got the spot back and just happy to win the feature for the first time and they were all congratulating me so I don't think they are sore about it."
Defending series champion Patrick Bruns turned in a solid result to score a runner up finish slipping past Critchett on the final lap. "Second tonight, what a great finish, what a great night. Ive been telling everybody all night, this is the most relaxing night I have had at the racetrack in a very very long time. To put on that kind of battle , the top 3 were slicing and dicing. A little bit of rubbing, but no banging, nobody got tore up, everybody was happy when we got back to the pit area. That is the way racing should be." The driver of the #83 Full Throttle Racing/ JET Motorsports/Cains Marine Welding/Tin Cup RV Park/Advanced Financial/Mobil 1/Triple T Car Wash & Lube/Depke Gases & Welding Supplies Beast/Ecotec had a ring side seat to the lead tussle on the final circuit "It was a long hard fought battle and Dave just got a little bit loose and I'm glad to see that he saved it and got his spot back and he went on to get a win. Its awesome to see Dave and Glenn (Ohlendorf) pull off a win tonight. "
A podium finish would make many drivers happy, but Lamont Critchett has seen 3 races in the young 2013 season snatched away from him in the closing stages of the feature, something that is starting to dwell on the Demotte, Indiana native. "Angell Park and Sycamore, both of those tracks were tracks where I felt the win was mine. I felt that I gave that away and that I blew it. Its very rare that I feel that I get the lead and then I don't win the race. Its weird for me to have that happen. But its part of racing. If I finished 2nd I finished last, I am here to win. I thought we were going to do it tonight but just needed about another two more inches." The driver of the #77 SSR/Hanley Farms/Knights Body Shop/Boomba Specialties Buzzard/Volkswagon knew he gave it his all on track "It was very intense, it was a lot of good clean racing. Kind of sucks the way it ended there with a little bit of bumping but I guess you have to look at it as tight racing going down into the last lap for the win. I'm glad they gave him his spot back because that sucks the way that happened. That is not the way I drive, everyone around here knows I'm a clean racer. When he got loose there I drove it in, the hole was huge and I tried to get my whole car in there but once I got the car there, that's when he was gathering it back up and then the hole was gone and my option was try to get to the infield but I couldn't get away from him fast enough which is one of those things, it happens."
The nights two heat races were won by Critchett and Mike Anderson. Jimmy Anderson set fast time in qualifying with a lap of 15.949. The IRS has an off weekend before heading to the high-banks of Rockford Speedway for the first time this season on Saturday July 6.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS:
Feature (30 laps):1)#2 Dave Ohlendorf 2)#83 Patrick Bruns 3)#77 Lamont Critchett 4)#22h Basil Hicks 5)#7 Mike Anderson 6)#52 Mike Gass 7)#9k Scott Koerner 8)#0 Doug Orseske 9)#24 Kurt Mayhew 10)#4 Eric Greenup 11)#31 Kourtnay Borman 12)#79 Jimmy Anderson 13)#76 Danny Drogemuller 14)#2a Andrew Hennig 15)#2r Cainon Reed 16)#22 Tom Shilkuski 17)#54 Freedie Teer Jr (DNS) 18)#88 Mike Smith (DNS) 19)#10 Aaron Willis Jr. (DNS)

Heat Race #1 (8 laps): 1)#77 Lamont Critchett 2)#9k Scott Koerner 3)#79 Jimmy Anderson 4)#83 Patrick Bruns 5)#0 Doug Orseske 6)#52 Mike Gass 7)#2 Dave Ohlendorf 8)#31 Kourtnay Borman 9)#22H Basil Hicks

Heat Race #2 (8 laps): 1)#7 Mike Anderson 2)#76 Danny Drogemuller 3)#22 Tom Shilkuski 4)#4 Eric Greenup 5)#24 Kurt Mayhew 6)#88 Mike Smith 7)#2a Andrew Hennig 8)#2r Cainon Reed 9)#54 Freedie Teer Jr (DNS)

Qualifying: 1)#79 Jimmy Anderson (15.949) 2)#83 Patrick Bruns (16.058) 3)#52 Mike Gass (16.099) 4)#77 Lamont Critchett (16.136) 5)#0 Doug Orseske (16.186) 6)#9k Scott Koerner (16.232) 7)#22h Basil Hicks (16.271) 8)#31 Kourtnay Borman (16.471) 9)#2 Dave Ohlendorf (16.492) 10)#7 Mike Anderson (16.535) 11)#22 Tom Shilkuski (16.673) 12)#88 Mike Smith (16.727) 13)#24 Kurt Mayhew (16.825) 14)#76 Danny Drogemuller (16.858) 15)#4 Eric Greenup (16.954) 16)#2a Andrew Hennig (18.416) 17)#2r Cainon Reed (22.776) 18)#54 Freedie Teer Jr (No time) 19)#10 Aaron Willis Jr. (No time)