BIG 8 ‘WEEKLY WARRIORS’ READY FOR A FRIDAY GETAWAY TO WAUSAU!
By: Eric Huenefeld
The Big 8 Late Model Series presented by Gandrud Chevrolet returns to State Park Speedway in
Wausau, Wisconsin this Friday night July 26th. The stop will mark the second straight year the “Best
Weekly Warriors in the Country” have visited the tricky oval near Rib Mountain. However, this year’s Big
8 Series event at State Park Speedway will be extra special, as the series’ 58 lap feature race is the
opening night main event of the Larry Detjens Memorial Weekend.
Last year’s first ever Big 8 stop in Wausau was a memorable one. Four-time series champion Jeremy
Miller stormed to the front of the field and held off a furious charge from local favorite Jeremy Lepak to
take the win. Edgerton’s Casey Johnson finished a distant third in the inaugural race last July, and looks
to be one of the favorites heading into this weekend. Johnson, the current Big 8 Series point leader, is
fresh off the biggest win of his career, capturing his third career Big 8 Series victory at the Milwaukee
Mile on July 9th. Johnson is also two-time Jefferson Speedway champion and former winner of Rockford
Speedway’s Spring Classic.
Johnson will have his hands full at Wausau, and just like last year, local ringers will look to derail the Big
8 Series regulars. One of the biggest local names to file an entry for Friday night’s festivities is Neil
Knoblock. Knoblock, a former ARTGO Challenge Series winner, has amassed over 130 feature wins in his
career. Among his biggest triumphs, an overall victory in last October’s edition of the ‘Dick Trickle 99’
during Oktoberfest Racing Weekend at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway. Another local favorite racing
Friday night will be Lyle Nowak. Nowak, a veteran of the central Wisconsin short track scene and 2010
Mid American Series champion, will be behind the wheel of the Chevrolet normally piloted by Kyle
Shear.
Shantytown’s Jimmy Ganski has filed his entry for Friday night also, looking to turn a struggling season
around in front of the home crowd. Last season Ganski started on the front row of the 58 lap Big 8
feature, contending for a top five finish much of the way. Wausau’s Todd Handrick, third in Limited Late
Model points at State Park Speedway this season, also has entered this special Friday night event at his
home track.
The rest of the entry list for Friday night’s race reads like a who’s-who of Late Model racing in the region.
A host of former track champions including Tim Sargent (2010 Rockford Speedway), Dan Lensing (2012
Dells Raceway Park), Dale Nottestad (two-time Madison International Speedway), J Herbst (two-time La
Crosse Speedway), Bobby Wilberg (multi-time Rockford and Madison International Speedway) and
“Driver X” Jon Reynolds Jr (two-time Slinger Speedway, 2005 Big 8 Series) will venture to north-central
Wisconsin on Friday, looking to ‘capture the flag’.
Youthful hard chargers like Mike Litchfield, Johnny DeAngelis, and Adam Peschek have thrown their hat
into the ring for Friday night, along with last year’s Big 8 Late Model Series Rookie of the Year Jesse
Bernhagen and Milwaukee Mile runner up Austin Nason.
Activities this Friday July 26th will get underway with Pit Gates opening at 3 pm and practice set to begin
at 4:30 pm. Qualifying, including Quartermaster Time Trials for the Big 8 Late Model Series, will start at
6:30, with racing to follow at 7:30 pm. The SCAG Midwest Trucks, Mini Stocks and Mini Mods also are
featured on Friday night at State Park Speedway. Adult general admission for Friday night is $15, Kids
ages 6-12 are admitted for $5, while kids 5 and under are free.
For more information on the Larry Detjens Memorial Weekend and State Park Speedway, please visit
www.stateparkspeeedway.com. For more information on the Big 8 Late Model Series, check out
www.big8series.com.
BIG 8 LATE MODEL SERIES
Pre Entries (32 as of 7/24/13)
Larry Detjens Memorial ‘58’
State Park Speedway (Wausau, WI)
2- Jimmy Ganski
2- Kyle Kirberger
2- Shayne Poehnelt
2- Tim Sargent
5- Dave Edwards
5- Casey Johnson
7- John DeAngelis Jr.
7- Mike Lange
9- Danny Church
X- Jon Reynolds Jr.
14- Austin Nason
17- Eric Connell
18- Mike Ehde
19- Dan Lensing
23- Casey Strese
28- Jesse Bernhagen
28- Jake Finney
28- Bobby Wilberg
36- Lyle Nowak
39- Todd Handrick
44- Mike Litchfield
51- Dale Nottestad
52- Steve Dobbratz
54- Rich Schumann Jr.
66- Adam Peschek
70- Neil Knoblock
71- John Ovadahl Jr.
79- Jeff Nowak
82- J Herbst
84- Jake Vanoskey
87- Brent Edmunds
87- Jay Foster
Shantytown, WI
Ramsey, MN
Spring Green, WI
South Beloit, IL
Salem, WI
Edgerton, WI
Hubertus, WI
West Allis, WI
Williams Bay, WI
Rockford, IL
Roscoe, IL
Fort Atkinson, WI
Prairie Du Chein, WI
Poplar Grove, IL
Johnson Creek, WI
Stevens Point, WI
Sycamore, IL
Beloit, WI
Wausau, WI
Wausau, WI
Portage, WI
Cambridge, WI
Rio, WI
Portage, WI
Oconomowoc, WI
Wausau, WI
Watertown, WI
Weston, WI
West Salem, WI
Hartford, WI
Monticello, WI
De Kalb, IL