MORRIS, Ill. — Paul Shafer Jr. was undefeated so far this year in late model stock car feature racing at the Grundy County Speedway until Friday night when Anthony Danta captured the 30-lap division headliner.
The 34-year-old Danta of Beecher, Ill., drove the Indiana-based Trgovich Racing Ford No. 11 to the win and collected some $2,000 for his evening’s effort, including a $1,000 “bounty” for beating Shafer, who had won the season’s first three late model main events at the third-of-a-mile, paved speedway.
With 25 laps complete, leader Nathan Kelly and Ricky Baker tangled, bringing out the yellow caution flag. Danta inherited the top spot with Shafer, last year’s late model champion at the raceway, charging towards the front and finishing 0.554-seconds behind Danta, who had set fast time earlier.
Larry Schuler, Eddie Hoffman, Jim Weber and Clay Curts rounded out the top six. It was Danta’s first win at Grundy since 2018. Danta, the 2016 late model champ at Grundy, sat out the 2020 season because of back issues.
Tristan Batson, from Lockport, Ill., came back from an early race tangle and won the 25-lap Mid American Sportsman feature race, scoring his first feature win of his career. Batson is the nephew of long-time late model standouts Larry and Tracy Schuler and the grandson of the late Lee Schuler, an early Grundy frontrunner and champion.
Aaron Shelton, feature winner a week ago, finished second with Blake Brown, John Ventrello and Marqus Hoover in pursuit.
Two-time track champion Randy Weese was the top man in the 25-lap street stock feature race, winning for the second week in a row. Hailing from Morris, Weese, who was the division’s fastest qualifier, bested three-time division champion Eddie Ligue, Scott Gardner, James Dean and Salvador Lozano.
Dan Schmeissing won the 20-lap main event for four-cylinder competitors. Schmeissing, another former track champion, finished ahead of Ryan Lagestee and Danielle Dobczyk. Landon Hocking captured the $1,000-to-win inaugural Cpl. Christian Smith Memorial Race for Midwest Super Cup Series racers. Rob Baaske finished second followed by Jacob Senerchia, young son of multi-time Grundy champion, John Senerchia.