MORRIS, Ill. — Posting a record seven late model track championships last year, Eddie Hoffman added another milestone to his racing career as he captured his 150th career late model feature win at Grundy County Speedway Friday night.
Hoffman, the veteran racer from Wheaton, Ill., passed Wes Griffith Jr. in the closing laps of the evening’s 30 lapper and went on to take starter Greg Kuntz’s checkered flag with a 0.353-second margin over division points leader D.J. Weltmeyer.
Hoffman wheeled his Feece Oil Co.-sponsored Chevrolet No. 8 to his second feature win of the season at the third-mile paved oval, scoring more importantly his 150th victory at the track – his first coming in 1996.
Griffith, Jim Weber, Joe Vinachi and last week’s feature winner Anthony Danta rounded out the top-six in the 17-car starting field.
“I wasn’t confident (of winning),” said Hoffman. “I couldn’t follow Wes (Griffith) when he passed (Joe) Vinachi. That took a little effort. After the restart, he (Griffith) was struggling. I made some good laps, good corners, keeping (D.J.) Weltmeyer behind me. He (Griffith) opened the door a little bit there in (turn) four. I got in there and then it was just beating him to the next corner.
“It’s a heck of an accomplishment (winning 150 features). I guess if you race long enough, you can win a lot of races. When I was traveling, I always had my own car for here (Grundy). It seems I can’t get enough of this place. We’re not going to stop, but sooner or later, we will.”
Clay Curts did double duty during the evening and won the sportsman feature race and the four-cylinder pure stocks main event.
Curts captured the 25-lap sportsman division headliner, besting Jeff Wakeman, Jeremiah Senko and points leader David Einhaus. Earlier, Curts came home the winner of the 20-lap four-cylinder feature, defeating class points leader Jonathan Stevens and Zach Chanda. Curts’ victories were his first of the year in both divisions.
James Dean raced to this third feature win of the season in the street stock class. Dean finished ahead of Chad Bayuk and points leader Scotty Gardner in the 25-lap chase. Last year’s champion Scott Gardner ended up fourth with fast qualifier Randy Weese fifth.
Billy Hulbert was the winner of the 25-lap Aaron Willis Sr. Memorial race for the Midwest Mayhem Midgets. As the laps wound down, Hulbert got by Scott Koerner and scored his first midget win of the year ahead of Tom Schnabel, points leader Koerner, rookie C.J. Macaluso and Derek Bettenhausen. The race was held to honor Willis, who was a former area midget driver, race official and midget racing promoter, who passed away in 2018.