MORRIS, Ill. — Two-time track champion Ricky Baker raced to victory in the 61-lap Lee Schuler Memorial late model stock car special at the Grundy County Speedway Sunday night during the track’s annual Night of Features.
The race is held annually to honor the memory of Lee Schuler, who was a regular on the Chicago area late model scene for many years, winning the Grundy track championship in 1972. Schuler’s sons, Larry and Tracy, and grandson, Tristan Batson, followed in his racing footsteps.
Baker, the 37-year-old speedster from Plainfield, drove his Rod Baker Ford-sponsored No. 52 to the victory, his fourth late model feature win of the year at the third-mile paved oval. Baker garnered his fifth career Schuler Memorial 61 lapper, winning for the fourth time over the last six years. After qualifying ninth fastest, Baker started on the outside of the front row in the 20-car field.
Baker rolled to starter Greg Kuntz’s checkered flag with a 1.264-second margin of victory over Stan Zolodz IV, who won the Schuler race in 2020. Blake Brown, Josh Nelms, Eddie Hoffman and early race leader Scott Tomasik rounded out the “top six.” Fastest qualifier Larry Schuler finished seventh, hanging on to an ill-handling car in the closing lap.
Tomasik and Anthony Danta led the evening’s headliner until Baker took over the lead on lap 26. Danta dropped out soon after with ignition problems. The race’s only yellow flag flew on lap 29 for an incident that eliminated both Dave Gentile Jr. and Jim Weber from contention.
“We struggled all day,” said Baker after his win. “We threw a bunch of stuff at it for qualifying – the first lap the car went good and the second lap it got really free. We had a tire (during qualifying) shrink up a bunch. I left the car alone after that. I was pacing myself for awhile but at the same time trying to push it. I’m trying to get this car ready for the Bettenhausen race two weeks from now.”
Winning his second sportsman feature race in a matter of days, Clay Curts captured the division’s 40-lap main event. Grabbing a win on Friday night, Curts came back and nailed down his second win of the season ahead of Matt Clemens, David Einhaus, Vince Cooper and Kevin Murphy.
Pretty much securing the track championship, Scotty Gardner won his fifth street stock feature race of the year. Randy Weese, Scott Gardner, Sal Lozano and Chad Bayuk chased the winner to the finish line.
Jordan Caskey was the winner of the 25-lap Midwest Mayhem Midgets feature race. The 24-year-old Caskey, a member of the Ohio-based ThorSport Racing NASCAR truck team, passed Scott Koerner for the lead on lap nine and raced to his first win of the season despite several yellow flags that slowed his charge to the victory. Tom Schnabel finished second, followed by fastest qualifier Travis Mahoney, Basil Hicks and Doug Orseske. Koerner dropped out of the race but still wrapped up his sixth midget championship.
Winning for the second time this year, Danielle Dobczyk came home the winner of the 30-lap feature for four-cylinder pure stock competitors. Zach Chanda ended up second with last year’s champion Cameron Preisler taking third. Chris Peters won the 20-lap main event for the Midwest Champ Karts, defeating Dustin Heath and Cameron Mason.
Jacob Senerchia won his seventh feature win of 2022, grabbing top honors in the 25 lap Super Cup Series main event over Carter Appleton and Sy Salinas.
The Finish:
Feature: Ricky Baker, Stan Zolodz IV, Blake Brown, Josh Nelms, Eddie Hoffman, Scott Tomasik, Larry Schuler, DJ Weltmeyer, Tristan Batson, Jim Weber, James Gregait, Tony Brutti, Steve Seligman, Dean Patterson, Mike Dimand, Tom Smith, Jeff Wakeman, Dave Gentile Jr., Mike White, Anthony Danta