The 2009 Late Model Division season at the Grundy County Speedway was dominated by the status quo, as Brett Sontag captured his fourth championship by more than 200 points.
Familiar names like Sontag, Billy Knippenberg Jr., Chris Cooling and Eddie Hoffman Jr. controlled the top spots in the Morris track's final points race. The points races in the other three stock car divisions at the track, however, were contested by several newcomers.
Chad Proctor followed up a 2008 Mid-American Division Rookie of the Year showing by winning the championship this time around. Chad Bayuk repeated as Street Stock Division champ, but only by holding off Chris Sanda, Mike Szekely and Chris Woodall, who all exceeded 1,000 points. Mark Sontag Jr. prevailed over Jim Beasley in the closest points race in the 4-Cylinder Division.
"The competition was very good," said Speedway promoter Jim Welch. "The drivers raced very well together. The camaraderie was there. They helped each other out. As far as the grandstands go, we had a good crowd all year long.
"I'd like to say thanks to all the race drivers, their sponsors and the fans for coming out for the 2009 racing season. I think it was a very good year. A lot of rain, but maybe next year we'll stay dry."
Brett Sontag was in control of the late model standings well before last weekend's double dose of racing on Friday and Sunday. He helped ensure the championship by winning Friday's feature — his seventh feature victory of the year. Sontag ended his season with a third-place finish, behind Hoffman and Pat Kelly, in the 61-lap Larry Schuler Memorial event Sunday night.
"Great," said Sontag with a laugh, when asked how he ran this season. "My car was good all year, and consistent. I won seven at Grundy, and also won a big ASA race over at Illiana [Motor Speedway.] I set the fast time every night out."
Knippenberg finished closest to Sontag with 1,104 points, though Cooling (1,085) and Hoffman (1,028) also exceeded 1,000 points on the season. Ricky Baker was fifth with 973 points, and Steve Campbell (927), Kelly (911), Doug Kimber (808), Scott Koerner (780) and D.J. Werkmeister (75) rounded out the top 10. Jim Kachel Jr. led all division rookies with 737 points, a total which was good for 12th place overall.
Consistency is required to win a points championship, and Proctor fit that description at the season's final weekend. He was fourth both Friday night and in the 35-lap Mid-American finale on Sunday. Those finishes brought his season points total to 1,219, which beat out the 1,166 accumulated by both Mitch Garfield and Ron Vandermeir Jr.
By tying for second place, Garfield finished higher in the standings than any rookie in any division at the Speedway. Only five rookies cracked the top 10, and none other than Garfield finished higher than sixth. Vandermeir caught Garfield, who entered Friday alone in second place, with a pair of top 10s, including a third-place finish in Friday's feature.
"It was my first season in a stock car," said Garfield. "I was definitely pleased with the season. We got a few wins and fast times and all of that. I didn't think going in that I would be able to catch on that quickly. ... We [he and Proctor] were pretty even, mostly. It seemed like it was always us towards the front of the pack. We fell off a couple weeks late in the season, and that's basically how he got us."
Ron Willems Jr. also broke the Mid-American 1,000 points barrier, totaling 1,090 on the season. Other top 10 finishers were Chuck Yuris (996), Jeremy Bloomberg (962), Frank Slabenak (914), rookie Geoff VeZain (896), Ray Brackett (882) and Darrell Phillips (809).
Bayuk ended his championship season spectacularly, finishing inches behind winner Rick Dawson in the 33-lap Candy Man Special feature Sunday night. The event is a tribute to former street stock driver Ed Mahoney, who died late last year. The second-place showing was enough that Bayuk won the division by 90 points, 1,224 to 1,134, over second-place finisher Chris Sanda.
Mike Szekely ended third in the street stock standings with 1,077 points, and was followed by Chris Woodall with 1,033 and Randy Weese with 1,020. Rookie Kevin Gentile was sixth with 903 points, and closely pursued by Craig Matteson and John Ventrello (902 points each), Billy Rud (896) and David Einhaus (836).
Sontag's championship hopes were boosted Sunday night, when he captured the 25-lap feature race over Beasley, who placed second. It was the eighth feature win of 2009 for Sontag, who totaled 1,157 points to the 1,144 earned by Beasley.
Shelby Eplin was a distant third in the 4-cylinder race with 964 points. Behind her were Cyle Lindemuth (928), Matt Clemens (896), Brian Struck (867), Hank DeLair (810), rookies Tiffany Clower (705) and Kyle Carlson (663) and Chet Hartley (561).