By Jordan Kuehne

LOVES PARK, Ill. (Saturday, July 3rd, 2010) – Here comes ‘Driver X’. A year removed from leading the Stanley Steemer NASCAR Late Models in wins, Jon Reynolds Jr. notched his second consecutive trophy tonight, fending off a late race challenge from Jerry Gille and finding victory lane in the ‘Star Spangled 76’ at the Rockford Speedway. Mike Lloyd led the opening 52 laps before his motor let go allowing Reynolds Jr. to inherit the lead and he never looked back. Even with a late race caution, Gille’s efforts fell a little bit short as ‘Driver X’ looked to cut into points leader Tim Sargent’s margin. In the Bargain Hunter Sportsman main event, Matt Berger found his way to the front of the field and ended up in victory lane and atop the points standings after Doug Bennett’s late race troubles. Vinny Mangiaracina and Allen Gillis also collected feature wins on the evening.

Mike Lloyd slid into the lead as the green flag waved on the Stanley Steemer NASCAR Late Models ‘Star Spangled 76’. Eddie May quickly followed Lloyd to clean air, working past Jake Gille for second on lap three.

Tanner Whitten busted into the top five with 10 laps in the books, passing Gille after a spirited battle to take away fifth. Whitten came under fire from ‘Driver X’, Jon Reynolds Jr, with 15 laps completed. Reynolds Jr. and Whitten went door-to-door for fifth for ten laps before ‘Driver X’ exploded into the top five before swiftly pushing past Kyle Shear for fourth.

Shear dropped from fourth to seventh as Whitten and two-time defending champion Jerry Gille got by the stateline hot shoe. Lloyd’s machine began bellowing smoke with 50 laps to go but the local driver continued to drive away, hitting lapped traffic as the halfway mark came and went, allowing May to slowly inch closer to the leader.

The caution that everyone besides Mike Lloyd desperately wanted to see finally came with 30 circuits to go after a solo spin by Joe Darnell on the frontstretch. The restart that followed gave Reynolds Jr. the momentum he needed, allowing the veteran to pull even with Mikie Breiner before edging into third. Reynolds Jr. wasted no time tracking down Eddie May for second, duplicating his winning move from last weekend as he drove into the bridesmaid’s position.

Mike Lloyd’s dominant run came to an abrupt end with 24 laps remaining after the pluming smoke finally turned into a blown engine as his machine expired. Suddenly Reynolds Jr. found himself in the top spot as Jerry Gille inherited second.

On the ensuing restart, points leader Tim Sargent blew past Eddie May to claim third as Reynolds Jr. built a cushion up front, enjoying the action in his rearview mirror. Sargent worked his way to the inside of Gille for second as the two dueled for the runner-up spot. Sargent pushed Gille up the track to take second.

Gille wasn’t finished though, quickly responding with a love tap of his own as he regained the second spot and brought young Tanner Whitten with him into third. Whitten looked for any opening on the inside of the high banks in his quest for the runner-up spot. Meanwhile, Reynolds Jr. was checking out from the field, gleefully building a large margin as the young gun sized up the veteran.

Whitten’s effort for second cost him a top three spot as the 17-year-old threw his car a little too deep into turn four with four circuits to go, making light contact with Jerry Gille and losing traction before breaking into a spin on the frontstretch. The stage was set for a four lap shootout to the checkers as Gille closed up on his rival’s back bumper.

The final green flag was Jon Reynolds Jr’s cue to move as the hot shoe jumped out to a two car length margin over Gille and focused on hitting his marks. A last gasp effort by Gille for the win wasn’t enough, allowing Jon Reynolds Jr. to take the checkers first and collect his second consecutive feature victory.

“I love these long races,” an exhausted Reynolds Jr. stated in victory lane. “My dad texted me today and asked me if I had enough bite in the car but who does for 76 laps? I have to thank my crew and my sponsors who really put in a helping hand this week to get the car in great shape and put me in position to win this race. I feel bad for Mike (Lloyd) but it feels great to get two in a row and this helps us in the points for sure.”

Gille’s solid second place effort helps his quest for a third consecutive championship while points leader Tim Sargent rallied from some early obstacles to finish third. Kyle Shear survived a few visits to the pits to notch a stellar fourth place while Eddie May rounded out the top five in fifth.

Scott Lawver jumped out front in the early stages of the 25-lap Bargain Hunter Sportsman main event leading the 11 car field around the high banks and quickly building a nice cushion over second place Matt Doris.

In the middle of the field, a hungry Matt Berger pushed Matt Lundberg for third, driving in so hard in turns one and two that he almost spun out with 18 laps remaining. Berger made a strong save though, keeping his car on the straight and narrow before rallying back to take away third from Lundberg on the bottom groove.

Berger wasn’t done yet, blowing past an overmatched Doris as he turned his attention toward Lawver and the lead. Behind Berger, points leader Doug Bennett tried to keep pace, working his way by Ron Morris and Lundberg before settling in third with 15 laps completed. At the same time that Bennett snatched third, Berger was setting up Lawver for the lead.

Berger burst into the lead with nine circuits to go, blasting past Lawver on the bottom of the quarter mile to collect the top spot as Bennett quickly followed suit moving up to second. The caution flew for an unassisted Matt Doris spin in turn two with six laps to go. Right before the restart, Bennett suddenly lost power in his machine forcing the points leader to slowly roll to the pits and ending his promising night early.

When the restart finally came it was Berger that took advantage, jumping out front and running away from the field over the course of the final six laps to find victory lane for the first time since opening night back in April. Berger’s second feature win of the season put him back ahead of Bennett in the points chase, handing the momentum to the veteran as the halfway point of the season came and went.

“It feels like it’s been forever,” a happy Berger said after the win. “The crew deserves a hand after all the rough luck we’ve had at points this season, and it feels good to get back to victory lane. Be even nicer to go two-for-two and win tomorrow too.”

The duel for second was intense as Ron Morris and Matt Lundberg went door-to-door with Lundberg edging out Morris at the line for the bridesmaid’s position. Justin Sellers nudged Scott Lawver aside for fourth as the checkered flag waved, topping the Roscoe driver by a nose.

The Illini Midgets, the class that the legendary Rockford Speedway was originally built for 63 years ago, took to the high banks for a 25-lap bout. Patrick Bruns blew past the front row and into the top spot on the opening lap as series points leader Allen Gillis set about tracking down the leader.

Behind the leaders, the battle for fourth between Tyler Deschaine and Doug Orseske intensified as the halfway point came and went. Orseske set up Deschaine for two laps before making his move, slingshotting past the young gun into fourth.

Up front, Bruns’ engine let go ending his great run with seven laps remaining and quashing his hopes for victory. Gillis was the benefactor, inheriting the lead as second place Tyler Trainer closed up quickly and eyed the win. Using the inside of the track, Trainer pulled even with Gillis as late as two laps remaining but simply couldn’t make the move stick, allowing Gillis to hang on and find victory lane once again.

Gillis collected his third feature victory of the season and padded his points lead for the season.

“I’ve been having problems all night with it and had to drive with manual steering in the feature,” an exasperated Gillis said after the race. “I was going to be thrilled with a top three an I got the win. I honestly can’t believe that we won that race but boy it feels great. Honestly, I had nothing for Bruns but we got lucky and I’ll certainly take this win.”

Trainer settled for second while Orsekse closed a stellar evening out with a third place effort. Young Tyler Deschaine ended up fourth while Derrick Gough finished off the top five in fifth.

Justin Pearson mashed the gas on the Crap Scrappers Hornets’ 15-lap Swarm and led the 11 car field on the opening life. Tim Dix settled into second as Vinny Mangiaracina and Devon Dixon dueled for third.

The action up front got fast and furious as Mangiaracina split Dix and Dixon to claim second before wheeling his way around Pearson for the top spot. Devon Dixon followed Mangiaracina’s blazing fast trail to maneuver his way into the bridesmaid’s position.

Mangiaracina kept his nose clean over the final four laps to collect the feature win as Dixon settled for second. Dix blew past Pearson with two laps remaining to find his way into third while Pearson found his way into fourth. Steve McBride completed the top five in fifth.

In the Yellowbook Hornet Challenge Flagpole Race, Steve McBride had his car geared up to turn left as he dodged the competition and the flagpole to find victory lane. Allen Meyers offered a tough challenge in an event that forced the competitors to maneuver around a flagpole on the frontstretch, but it wasn’t enough to stop McBride from collecting the trophy.

Rockford Speedway Week 9 Results

NASCAR All American Sportsmen

A-Main 01 -- 1. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 2. Matt Lundberg, Rockford; 3. Ron Morris, Belvidere; 4. Justin Sellers, Carol Stream; 5. Scott Lawver, Roscoe; 6. Austin Nason (r), Roscoe; 7. Warren (Butch) Swinbank, Rockford; 8. Bobby Yonke, Willowbrook; 9. Matt Doris, Arlington Hghts; 10. Doug Bennett, Brodhead, Wis; 11. Joshua Grenlund, Delavan, Wis.

Heat 01 -- 1. Bobby Yonke, Willowbrook; 2. Matt Doris, Arlington Hghts; 3. Warren (Butch) Swinbank, Rockford; 4. Scott Lawver, Roscoe; 5. Joshua Grenlund, Delavan, Wis; 6. Joey Thomas, Rockford.

Heat 02 -- 1. Austin Nason (r), Roscoe; 2. Ron Morris, Belvidere; 3. Matt Lundberg, Rockford; 4. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 5. Doug Bennett, Brodhead, Wis; 6. Justin Sellers, Carol Stream.

Time Trial -- 1. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 2. Doug Bennett, Brodhead, Wis; 3. Justin Sellers, Carol Stream; 4. Matt Lundberg, Rockford; 5. Ron Morris, Belvidere; 6. Austin Nason (r), Roscoe; 7. Matt Doris, Arlington Hghts; 8. Scott Lawver, Roscoe; 9. Bobby Yonke, Willowbrook; 10. Warren (Butch) Swinbank, Rockford; 11. Joey Thomas, Rockford; 12. Joshua Grenlund, Delavan, Wis.

Trophy Dash 01 -- 1. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 2. Matt Lundberg, Rockford; 3. Justin Sellers, Carol Stream; 4. Ron Morris, Belvidere; 5. Austin Nason (r), Roscoe; 6. Doug Bennett, Brodhead, Wis.

Hornets

A-Main 01 -- 1. Vinny Mangiaracina, Rockford; 2. Devon Dixon, Janesville, Wis; 3. Tim Dix, Beloit, Wis; 4. Justin Pearson, Belvidere; 5. Steve McBride, South Beloit; 6. Robin Ulrey, Rockford; 7. Shawn Ogden, Machesney Park; 8. Mark Seipts, Loves Park; 9. Allen Meyers, Beloit, Wis; 10. Chandale Swartwout, Janesville, Wis; 11. Brad Henrey, Machesney Park.

Heat 01 -- 1. Justin Pearson, Belvidere; 2. Tim Dix, Beloit, Wis; 3. Robin Ulrey, Rockford; 4. Shawn Ogden, Machesney Park; 5. Allen Meyers, Beloit, Wis; 6. Chandale Swartwout, Janesville, Wis.

Heat 02 -- 1. Devon Dixon, Janesville, Wis; 2. Mark Seipts, Loves Park; 3. Brad Henrey, Machesney Park; 4. Steve McBride, South Beloit; 5. Vinny Mangiaracina, Rockford.

Challenge 01 -- 1. Steve McBride, South Beloit; 2. Allen Meyers, Beloit, Wis; 3. Mark Seipts, Loves Park; 4. Brad
Henrey, Machesney Park; 5. Chandale Swartwout, Janesville, Wis.

NASCAR Late Models

'Star Spangled 76' -- 1. Jon Reynolds, Jr., Rockford; 2. Jerry Gille, Roscoe; 3. Tim Sargent, South Beloit; 4. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 5. Eddie May, Crystal Lake; 6. Tanner Whitten, Congerville; 7. Mikie Breiner, Johnburg; 8. Wayne Freimund, Elkhorn, Wis; 9. Mark Hartline, Gilberts; 10. Steve Erickson, Jr, Machesney Park; 11. Jacob Gille, Winnebago; 12. Ryan Miles, Crystal Lake; 13. Mike Lloyd, Davis; 14. Joe Darnell, Machesney Park; 15. Michael Bilderback, South Beloit; 16. Vern Fagerberg, Bloomingdale; 17. Mike Beyer, Machesney Park; 18. Tyler Peterson, Lake Geneva, Wis.

Heat 01 -- 1. Ryan Miles, Crystal Lake; 2. Mark Hartline, Gilberts; 3. Michael Bilderback, South Beloit; 4. Tyler Peterson, Lake Geneva, Wis; 5. Jacob Gille, Winnebago; 6. Steve Erickson, Jr, Machesney Park; 7. Vern Fagerberg, Bloomingdale; 8. Joe Darnell, Machesney Park; 9. Mike Beyer, Machesney Park.

Heat 02 -- 1. Jon Reynolds, Jr., Rockford; 2. Tanner Whitten, Congerville; 3. Jerry Gille, Roscoe; 4. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 5. Tim Sargent, South Beloit; 6. Eddie May, Crystal Lake; 7. Mike Lloyd, Davis; 8. Wayne Freimund, Elkhorn, Wis; 9. Mikie Breiner, Johnburg.

Time Trial -- 1. Tim Sargent, South Beloit; 2. Tanner Whitten, Congerville; 3. Jerry Gille, Roscoe; 4. Jon Reynolds, Jr., Rockford; 5. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 6. Wayne Freimund, Elkhorn, Wis; 7. Mikie Breiner, Johnburg; 8. Eddie May, Crystal Lake; 9. Mike Lloyd, Davis; 10. Jacob Gille, Winnebago; 11. Mark Hartline, Gilberts; 12. Michael Bilderback, South Beloit; 13. Ryan Miles, Crystal Lake; 14. Tyler Peterson, Lake Geneva, Wis; 15. Mike Beyer, Machesney Park; 16. Steve Erickson, Jr, Machesney Park; 17. Vern Fagerberg, Bloomingdale; 18. Joe Darnell, Machesney Park.

Trophy Dash 01 -- 1. Jerry Gille, Roscoe; 2. Tim Sargent, South Beloit; 3. Wayne Freimund, Elkhorn, Wis; 4. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 5. Jon Reynolds, Jr., Rockford; 6. Tanner Whitten, Congerville.