The 2012 Gladiator Racing Series Begins in 1 day We are just 1 day away from the Kickoff to our 2012 Gladiator Racing Season .The Weather has been great this week but so far,scattered thunderstorms are predicted for Sunday Afternoon. To ALL Drivers: We will run our program even if we have to delay the action for a time. We want all cars/drivers and fans to get the most from our race and we will make every reasonable decision to provide the Best show for everyone.. Saturday May 19th will be the Start of the Season for the Dells Raceway Park and new owner Wayne Lensing. The Gladiator Racing Series wishes the Best for Wayne and the Dells Staff for this upcoming Season. We are thankful to bring our series to DRP twice this year, with dates on May 20th and Sept. 9th. DRP will be featuring Late models, sportsman, pure stocks and bandits on the 19th starting at 6:30 pm with a 40 lap late model feature as a headline. There is Free camping at the speedway, for anyone who is interested in spending the entire weekend. On Sunday May 20th, The Gladiator Racing Series Takes to the track with over 400 laps scheduled in a Sponsor Appreciation Day at the races. Pit gates will open at 9:00am, and racing will start at 1:00pm. Grandstands will open at noon with $7 admission price for adults & Children under 10 will get in free. Two for ONE admission passes can be obtained at any of the Sponsors affiliated with the Gladiator Racing Series(See list below). The Gladiator Racing Series will be introducing the NEW Traveling Bandit Series with Twin 75 lap, 4 cylinder feature events and The New look (Run what you brung) Outlaw Street Stock and Pure stock classes running twin 125 lap V8 features. All Hobby stocks, thunder-stocks, Roadrunners ,6 cylinder race cars, 4 cylinder bandits and 4 cylinder enduro style cars are invited to compete, with trophies available in 5 different classes. We will be giving Classic car rides for all fans before the races, for all those who want to get onto the track and take a few laps in a classic, Ford, Mopar or Chevy. All competitors should get there early on Sunday, with pre-race tech, practice for all cars, and car rides for the fans. We have a lot to cover for the day. Also ,The Wisconsin Dells Custom car show ”Automotion” is in town on that weekend. If you are interested in The Classic and The Muscle Cars of the olden days ,bring the family and friends for a lot of entertainment.There are alot of things to see and do , in the Dells. The Sponsors which help Our race Series and are vital to Our future: Two For One Tickets available at Dale’s Automotive(Lyndon Station) (608)666-2222 The Old Baraboo INN(The Racer's Bar) Baraboo (608)356-2528 Tri-Mark Performance(Engine work) Reedsburg(608)768-2900 Herman’s Motor clinic(Engine rebuilding) Baraboo (608) 356-4732 Leo’s Upper Dells Bar(Lyndon Station) (608)666-2602 Blystone’s Towing and Repair(Portage) (608) 742-4228 The Tire Shop (auto Repair) Portage (608) 566-1711 Napa Parts(Baraboo &Portage) (608)356-3948 The Green and gold experience(Inflatable Rentals) 800-569-6833 Harper’s Auto Salvage(Wi. Dells) (608)254-7971 The JUG(Bar and Grill) Baraboo (608) 356-2660 Andrews Agency(Personalized health insurance) Baraboo (608) 522-3694 Mac tools(Phil Special)(630) 508-0059 Emil’s garage(South Elgin) (847)888-0448 Rick’s Towing(Elgin IL.) (847) 697-5376 Bema INC.(It’s in the bag) (630)279-7800 Unfortunately, Due to scheduling conflicts.The Gladiator Race Series will not be able to make it to The 37th Annual Lynch GM Superstore "Let's Go Racing" Motorsports & Custom Car Show in Burlinton this coming weekend. The "Let's go Racing" show is scheduled 10 am- 2pm This Saturday. It is FREE and is Open to All Types of motorsports and custom vehicles.If Anyone is interested in getting more information or Bringing their race car or hot rod to this event, contact Mike Babicz 847-838 1535 michaelbabicz@aol.com The Gladiator Racing Series will start it's 2012 Season on May 20th The Dells Raceway Park. The New Race Format will feature the Traveling 4 cylinder Bandit Series and twin 75 Lap features for a total of 150 laps. Also, The "Run What you Brung" Outlaw Class, Pure stocks, and 6 cylinders will combine together and compete in twin 125 lap races for a total of 250 laps.
This is No longer an Enduro Series, We have transformed into a traveling race series and will provide the best opportunity for all competitors and race fans to enjoy the sport at a reasonable cost. If anyone is interested in gaining more information about The Gladiator Racing Series or becoming a marketing partner, Feel free to drop a note. ASKING: All Potential Competitors with the Gladiator Racing Series in 2012 !!! Please send updated Team Profile's, Pictures and Sponsor information to Gladiator_Racer@centurytel.net so we can help Promote Your Team on our website.Thank you.
Upcoming Events: May 20th The Dells Raceway Park June 10th Rockford Speedway June 24th Columbus 151 peedway July 8th The Grundy County Speedway July 21st (Pending) The Milwaukee Mile August 26th The Oshkosh Speedzone September 9th The Dells Raceway Park Oct 6th (Pending) The Wilmot Raceway  Come visit The Gladiator Racing Series booth, at the Circle Track Expo. http://circletrackexpo.com Champions Banquet photos.
2011 Series Award Presentation 
Battle Royale - V8 Pure Stock/Front row, Champion. Ryan Nuti :Back row, left to right 6th place, Gerald Hayes. 7th Place, Brad Jones .8th Place, Gerry Galloway 9th Place John Miller. 4th Place Jay LeBrun. 3rd place, Erik Nevoso and 2nd Place, Mark Fogel. Warrior 4's - 4 Cylinder / front row,Champion, Kyle Padfield . Back row, left to right, 2nd Place Jasper Drengler, 4th Place, Randy Padfield. 6th Place, Matt Skarzynski. 7th Place, Leo Bujak. 10th Place, Jay Orr and 5th Place, Al Bartels 
Mad Max 6's Champion Brad Nelson 
Outlaw Stock Class/ 2nd Place Champion. Jake Sproehlich Banquet and Drivers meeting , January 28th The Gladiator Racing Series will be holding its’ Awards banquet on January 28th at the Machine Shed Restaurant in Waukesha WI. on Tower Plaza road, just off the interstate 94 and hwy 164 intersection. The banquet will begin at 7pm with dinner and drinks .Champions in each class will be asked to give a little speech and video clips from the In-car racing footage during the year, will be shown. The Banquet should be done around 11pm, for all those who must travel a distance home, otherwise, there are many hotels in the area. All drivers and crew members are invited . Trophies and plaques will be given to the top 10 in the Pure stock and 4 cylinder classes, with the top 3 getting awards for the Outlaw and 6 Cylinder classes. There will be a $15-$20 Cover charge for all those coming to the banquet. Before the banquet, from 4-6 pm. A drivers meeting will be held to discuss the upcoming seasons rules changes to the Outlaw Class, introduction of the New Traveling, 4 cylinder Bandit Class and the potential schedule. There will be much to discuss and much to look towards, this upcoming season. Anyone can attend the Banquet and the drivers meeting but I want to request a confirmation from all those who plan to attend the banquet, so the proper amounts of food and refreshments can be catered. I look forward to hearing from those who are coming so please call or write an e-mail. Michael Hennessy Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Gladiator Racing Series. With the challenging times in the economy and many people debating whether they have the resources, to go racing next summer: Let us all reflect in this season, on family, on friendships and the real meaning of Christmas. Some people make more of an effort to give during the Christmas season because of the pressure, to give. Some people are consumed with life throughout the entire year and need this time to slow down, reflect and give to those who are important to them , However; This should be a time for ALL, to reflect and think upon a man named Jesus, who was born in a manger, came to this world as GOD in the Flesh and gave himself with a sacrificial Love, to show us what Life and Love is really about. May the season and New Year bring good things to everyone . Good Health, Good financial situations and the mental strength when the going gets tough. With only two, sure things in this life, death and taxes: We also know,there are only 4 months till the start of a new racing season. If anyone has any questions or comments, please feel free to call or write. I urge everyone to check our Classified section for updates on the cars/ parts for sale. There are many good, fast , dependable cars available. Also, A reminder about the upcoming “Racer’s Auction and Trade Show” at the Alliance Energy Center in Madison on January 6th&7th and The Lakeshore Motorsports show and sale at the Manitowoc County Expo Center on January 21st. For Those who are diehard Drivers. The Chump Car World Series is holding a 14 hour Endurance Race at the Nola Motorsports Park,on January 21st .. Good Luck to Jasper Drengler and” The Chimney Mechanix Team” from Shawano , who are planning on entering that event. If you have any questions, you can try and contact Him on facebook. A Championship Banquet and Rules Meeting is in the planning for January 28th . We will be honoring the top 10 in points in the 4 cylinder and the Pure Stock Classes. We will also be honoring the top 3 in the V6 and the Outlaw Classes. A Rules meeting will be a couple of hours before the Banquet.This will be a Casual affair. Anyone can attend. Stay tuned for further information. Seasons Greetings !!! The Gladiator Racing Series wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and Peaceful Holiday season , along with, A Special Thank You, for all who showed support to our Organization through Competition or Grandstand attendance this year. Plans are currently being made for a Championship Banquet/2012 Rules meeting sometime in January. Future e-mail and letters will be sent out to all , within the next few weeks. Congratulations going out to Our 4 Class Champions. V8 Pure Stock- Ryan Nuti V8 Outlaw Stock- Matt Born 4 Cylinder- Kyle Padfield 6 Cylinder- Brad Nelson Some thoughts : Changes for the Gladiator Racing Series n 2012 1- Longer 4 & 6 cylinder endurance races? 2-Going back to The Milwaukee Mile? 3- Having more Entertainment available at each event,( Backup races, Spin to win races, Bus races,& Other race organizational support) 4-Opening up the Outlaw class(Run what you brung) 5-Eliminating the 4 cylinder enduro class, (Forming a traveling Bandit/Hornet/international Class 200 lap race) If anyone has any other thoughts or opinions about The Gladiator racing Series. I would welcome your responses or phone calls. 
The Gladiator Season Finale We live in a Great Nation, which has been blessed by God with strong families and a strong people. Many men and woman have lived and died for our freedom and this gives each of us the ability to work hard , play hard ,and do what we want, each and every day. This leads us to dream and keep moving forward, even when struggles enter in. None of us know how long we will live for, the struggles that lie ahead or the blessings that may come, but all in all, family and friendships help us along this road of life. This past weekend, this world lost a good man. He died with his boots on, living his dream and driving hard for a win. The Information has been all over the news and airwaves throughout Wisconsin and was released by the USA today. On Saturday Night, Oct 29, During a 125 lap endurance race at Columbus 151 speedway. Tom Nevoso, At the young age of 52,passed away from what is being reported as natural causes. By the Medical examiners information, Tom’s Death was not related to anything having to do with driving a race car or the accident that followed. This should be taken to each and everyone’s heart since most of us often neglect our own health. We never know when something serious could be lurking in the shadows, whether it's high blood pressure, a potential heart attack, high cholesterol or a stroke. We all need to be responsible and take care of ourselves. Tom Leaves behind a Wife(Heidi), 3 children named,Erick, Angela and Chris with a Grandson named Chase - the entire family and all of his friends have lost a great man and in the future the families address will be released so that people can send their best wishes . On Saturday Oct 29th. The North(ISS) vs South(Gladiator Racing Series) held an event at the Columbus 151 Speedway with a 300 lap 4 cylinder race and a scheduled 125 Lap large car race. Eddie Muenster took home top honors in the 4cylinder 300 lap endurance race With Jasper Drengler representing the Gladiator Series, finishing 11th, out of 80 cars that started the race. Alan Bartels finished15th, Kyle Padfield finished 28th , Randy Padfield finished 60th, Brad Nelson 63rd and Pat Babino 77th , Unfortunately, Tony Prietzel was not able to take the green. The 125 lap large car race had a mixture of cars, new names and lots of action until the race was cancelled at lap 81 due the accident which involved Tom Nevoso. In a test session for next year, Mark Johler driving his 4 cylinder Acura , Michael Parkes driving a 6 cylinder and Tracy Drengler also driving a 6 cylinder, competed with the Pure stock and Outlaw stock class during the race. Even though there was a big difference in speeds and the level of competition, Mark Johler set the fastest speed of the race, and took the lead of that race on the 73rd lap, proving that a stock 4 cylinder can compete the v8 class. Unofficially, Mark Johler was the winner of the race but officially, Ryan Nuti was 1st , in the v8 pure stock class, Mark Fogel 2nd, Tom Barnharst 3rd, Matt Born finished 4th overall but was 1st in the Outlaw class, 4th ,Kevin Eddy 5th, , Dave Edwards finished 6thoverall, but 2nd in the Outlaw class, Tony Chase finished 7th overall but 3rd in the outlaw class, Brian Blenker 8th , Louis Chatroop finished 9th overall but 4th in the outlaw class ,Mark Tomasi 10th,Tom Ruh 11th,Jay Lebrun 12th, Miichael Born 13th Miles Bradley 14th, Dave Domingues 15th, Brad Jones 16th, Tom Nevoso 17th, Don Wilson 18th, Jasper Drengler, 19th Michael Parkes finished 20thoverall but placed 1st in the 6 cylinder cars. Matt Arvia 21st, Gerald Hayes 22nd, Tracy Drengler finished 23rd overall but 2nd in the 6 cylinder cars, Julie Hayes 24th Gerry Galloway 25th and Jake Sproehlich 26th The Gladiator Endurance Auto Racing Series Ended the 1st season with a heavy heart. Champions were crowned in 4 divisions but these were overshadowed by the Death of Tom Nevoso. A Championship Banquet/rules meeting and future discussion will be in our future but I want to thank everyone who has been patient with our Growth in the 1st year and supported our series within competition. Ryan Nuti Captured the V8 Pure stock Championship, Matt Born Captured the Outlaw class Championship, Kyle Padfield Was our 4 cylinder Champion and Brad Nelson took Championship honors in the 6 cylinder class. Thank you to all who followed us with a look forward to the future and a special thanks go to all the race tracks that allowed us to hold events, The Dells Raceway Park, The Grundy County Speedway, Columbus 151 Speedway, Rockford Speedway and The Oshkosh Speedzone Sept 17th , 2011. Dells Raceway Park. Ryan Nuti and Mark Johler Rise to victory Lane, after a long day of Battle. Ryan Nuti Captured his 4th victory of the Season in the Gladiator Endurance Racing Series V8 class and Mark Johler captured his 3rd win of the season, in the small car endurance race at the Dells Raceway Park on Saturday. It was a beautiful day at the races. The Gladiator Racing Series along with the Small Car Nationals invaded the Dells Raceway Park for a full day of racing action, including thirteen American Supercup cars and eight Wisconsin Sport Trucks on hand. The Supercup cars and the Trucks provided great side by side action for the fans , with Jake Boldig taking Top honors in the Wisconsin Sport Trucks and Mick Ellis taking Top honors in the American Supercup Series. The Gladiator Series/Sponsor Appreciation 125 Small car enduro rolled onto the track with 16 cars taking the green and the cars of Andy Portzen and Charlie Frisch on the front row. Portzen shot out to an early lead as Frisch fell in Line and was quickly overtaken by the hard charging Leo Bujak, moving him back to 3rd . The Red Flag was displayed for a Loose tire off the car of Brad Nelson just 5 laps into the race and that shuffled the field drastically ,when only a few cars noticed the Red. When the race resumed, Mark Johler made his presence felt, as he moved into 3rd with Bujak pressuring Portzen for the lead. Everyone knew it was going to be a day of Endurance. It was a 3 car battle now, Johler moved around Bujak for 2nd , with Kyle Padfield(the Series Point leader), and Robert Johler moving into the top five. On Lap 50, something seemed to be amiss, on the Bujak car, as he was off the pace and looking for the pits. Meanwhile, Johler and Portzen were battling hard for the lead as they came to the Mandatory Pit stop/refueling Break on lap 62. When the race resumed, Mark Johler and Portzen started on point and both had a quick start, pulling away from the field. Robert Johler moved into 3rd putting Padfield back to 4th, Frisch was running 5th and Randy Padfield was in 6th. Twelve year old Riley Zillmer, in his first endurance race, moved patiently into the top 8. Mark Johler took the lead and never looked back after that, leading the remaining laps and taking the win. Mark Johler Wins, the Gladiator racing /Sponsor Appreciation 125 .The finishing order was Mark Johler 1st, Andy Portzen 2nd Robert Johler 3rd Kyle Padfield 4th Charles Frisch 5th Randy Padfield 6th Riley Zillmer 7th Burt Young 8th Dave Lembke 9th Allen Bartels 10th Jasper Drengler 11th Jason Barron 12th Matt Skarzynski 13th Leo Bujak 14th Nathan Preston 15th and Brad Nelson 16th overall but the only car and winner of the 6 Cyl. Division. The Gladiator Series /Sponsor Appreciation 250 rolled onto the track with 17 cars in the lineup . Darryl Traber started on the front row and took the early lead, with many cars shuffling, trying to avoid the car of Tom Nevoso after his car stalled on the front straight. As The field started to close in on Nevoso , he was able to start his car and get moving before he went a lap down. Meanwhile, The car of Jay Lebrun started to challenge Traber for the lead with Kevin Eddy 3rd and Matt Born 4th . With ten laps in the book. Jay Lebrun took the lead and was setting a very fast pace, Traber was close, John Miller moved his car around Eddy and Born to take over the 3rd spot but Born was on a Mission. Born moved into 3rd a few laps later and then took over the 2nd spot from Traber on lap 30. At Lap 35, Born was bumper to bumper with Lebrun as Miller moved into 3rd and Mark Fogel moving into the top 5. With just a few laps before the first Pit stop and break. Born moved into the top spot sending LeBrun to 2nd When the field came to the break it was Born 1st, Lebrun 2nd Miller 3rd Traber 4th and Fogel 5th. When the cars emerged from the pits to start the second round, it was Born 1st Ryan Nuti came to the front row with another quick stop by his crew in 2nd, Lebrun 3rd , (Big Al) Kuphal was in 4th , Fogel 5th Miller 6th and Nevoso, who almost lost a Lap early, now in the 8th spot. The green flag waved once again and the Born machine was setting a very fast pace now, He was the car to beat early. The car of Fogel seemed to be on a mission as he moved into 4th on lap 85 and quickly closed in on the 3rd spot . Nevoso was also on the move, capturing 7th . on lap 88. At lap 114 and with 10 laps remaining until the second Pit stop and break ,there was a blown radiator and fluids down on the track, shuffling a mixture of drivers. The field started to slow with many close calls and the potential for some bad accidents but the they stayed under green and Fogel moved into 2nd ,Big Al moved into 3rd and Nevoso moved into 4th. A few laps Later, everyone was back up to full speed and that took us to the 2nd pit stop and break at lap with Born leading the field into the pits. The race resumed at lap 125 and again, Ryan Nuti had come to the front row with an excellent job by his pit crew, Fogel was now 2nd with Nevoso in 3rd , Big Al in 4th Born 5th and Miller in 6th . Fogel put pressure on Nuti as soon as the green flag was dropped and then took the top spot at lap 135. Nuti chased him, Born moved from 5th all the way to 3rd and it looked like a 3 car battle was brewing between Fogel, Nuti and Born. The top 3 looked to be the class of the field ,with Nevoso, holding his own in 4th. The field was strung out with many little battles everywhere. At Lap 145, Fogel’s car blew an engine and erupted in a cloud of smoke as he was heading down the backstretch. Handing the lead back to Nuti. Born then seemed to have some troubles dropping to 3rd and giving 2nd to Nevoso . Meanwhile, David Dominguez looped his car on the front straight sending all the others scrambling to avoid him. The Jam truck was called and safely pushed him backwards and off the track during the racing action ,but back on the track, the action was fierce between many competitors, as Gerry Galloway and Jay Lebrun traded some paint battling for the 7th position. A new name entered the top 5 , when Tom Barharst made his presence felt and captured 5th spot, then he moved into 4th a few laps later. Nevoso took advantage of the issues on the track, and chased Nuti down, passing him for the lead on lap 64, and as they went into the final Pit stop and break, it was Nevoso, Nuti, Barnharst , Born and Eddy your top 5. Nevoso emerged from the break with an outstanding pit stop by His crew, Nuti was at his side, Miller had come to 3rd, and Barnharst was 4th . When the cars went to Green, they had 62 laps remaining and this would be all or nothing, to the end. Nuti outdueled Nevoso for the point on lap 60, and started to pull away, Barnharst, started to close in on Nevoso for 2nd. and Eddy and Born were in a tough battle for 4th. With 50 laps to go , Miller moved back into the top 5, and Nevoso had gotten his groove back , as he started to chase Nuti back down for the top spot. With 40 to go, Nevoso was on Nuti’s bumper and some lapped traffic allowed him to get by and take the lead. The top 5 cars were all on the lead lap and this was going to be a close finish. Nuti was desperate for the win and as the lead cars approached some slower traffic with 30 laps to go, Nuti hit and bounced off the backstretch wall , giving an edge to Nevoso for a few more laps. Yet, Nuti was determined, chasing down Nevoso with his fastest speeds of the race, and with 20 to go, He regained the lead and pulled out to a 3 car advantage. With Just ten laps to go, it was Nuti, Nevoso, Barnharst, Miller and Born and that was the way they Finished. Ryan Nuti Picked up The Big Check and The Big Trophy for winning the Gladiator Racing/Sponsor Appreciation 250 at the Dells Raceway Park Final Positions, Ryan Nuti 1st, Tom Nevoso 2nd, Tom Barnharst 3rd John Miller 4th , Matt Born 5th (1st Place Outlaw stock) Kevin Eddy 6th Jay LeBrun 7th Miles Bradley 8th Darryl Traber 9th Jake Sproelich 10th(2nd Place, Outlaw stock) David Dominguez 11th Brad Jones 12th Gerald hayes 13th (Big Al) Kuphal 14th Gerry Galloway 15th Mark Fogel 16th Rob Christen 17th Aug 13th. Fogel and Orr Win at the Oshkosh Speed Zone. The Gladiator Endurance Auto Racing Series invaded The Oshkosh Speed Zone on Aug 13th and with Rain looming and doubts stirring, the races were completed without any problems. At the end of the day, Mark Fogel and Jay Orr took the top honors in tight fought battles through each of their race events. Fogel Captured the Chimney Mechanix 150 V8 Series enduro race and Orr Captured the One-6 Motorsports 100 lap Small Car enduro event. To start the day, sixteen 4 cylinders and One 6 cylinder took to the track for The One-6 Motorsports 100 lap Enduro race. The sun had just peaked out from behind the clouds and the track was Looking good. Problems arose Immediately for the pole sitter Matt Skarzynski, forcing him off the track and ending his day with electrical issues. When the race eventually started, Jasper drengler made a charge to the front, with the cars of Jay Orr and Kyle Padfield in tow. Many cars Jockeyed for position, and race day rookies Brad Bahr and Justin Vannieuhoven were in the mix at the front of the field. By Lap 20, the trio of Drengler, Padfield and Orr were three wide for the lead, going down the back stretch. Orr made the entry into turn three with the lead and started to set the pace but just a few laps later, the RED Flag was waved for two bouncing loose wheels, bringing everyone to a stop. After the track was cleared, the race resumed and Drengler taking over the top spot with Orr in hot pursuit. At Lap 50, all cars were required to make a mandatory Pit stop. This would help crews inspect their cars and perform preventive maintenance if needed. A few cars did not stop in their pit stalls and chose to pass through the pits on a drive through, so they could be out front when the race resumed. As the field realigned coming out of the pit stop, it was Drengler, Padfield, Orr, Bahr and Vannieuhoven. The top five. The rolling restart at lap 51 jumbled the field again as the cars of Padfield and Orr shot past Drengler. This put Padfield at the point and Orr second, but just a lap later, Orr took the lead away from Padfield and started pulling away. Drengler then battled with Padfield to take the second spot, moving Padfield to third, Vannieuhoven was 4th, Bahr was 5th and and another race day rookie, Josh Roehl moved into 6th. As the Laps counted down, Roehl was the on the move. He took over the 5th spot with 20 to go, and with 15 to go, He then moved into 4th . Out front, Orr continued to pull away from Drengler and as they came to the checkered. It was Orr 1st, Drengler 2nd, Padfield 3rd, Roehl 4th and Vannieuhoven 5th the rest of the field were Jacob Balk 6th Scott Schlafke 7th,Allen Bartels 8th Pat Babanow 9th Jeremy Walvoored 10th Derrick Bernard 11th Rachel Czarapata 12th Brad Nelson Finished 13th overall and 1st place in the 6 cyl. class, Chad Riehl 14th , Chris Roehl 15th, Matt Wiegerling 16th and Matt Skarzynski 17th Fourteen V8’s entered the track for The Chimney Mechanix 150 Lap Enduro Race. The drivers would need to be ready for the challenge of the changing track conditions and the glare of a setting sun. Ken Childre and Tom Barnharst led the field to the green flag to start the race and with dirt flying and almost zero visability because of the sunlight on the back stretch, Childre was able to lead the first lap. Barnharst followed, Larry Born was 3rd Jessie jollie was 4th and Mark Tomasi was 5th. Also,Charging through the field were the cars of Mark Fogel and race favorite Darryl Traber. Fogel was not wasting anytime as he took over the second spot on lap 6 and moved into the lead at lap 9. Traber wasn’t loosing ground either, as he took his car into the 2nd spot , moving Barnharst back to 3rd and Childre to 4th . On Lap 14 Matt Born hit a tractor tire which rolled onto the track and brought out a temporary Red Flag to stop the the action, but fortunately, the tire rolled right back off the track and once again, the green flag waved. The race order was, Fogel, Traber, Childre, Mike Watson, and Ryan Nuti as the cars went back to speed. On lap 32, the car Driven by Ron Mortimer had a right front tire go flat and he exited the track for service as the battle for the lead started between Darryl Traber and Mark Fogel. Traber would eventually take over the lead on lap 40. He would then lead for the next ten laps and right into the mandatory fuel stop at lap 50. With the cars lined up after their refueling stop, Nuti had come to the point with Mark Tomasi 2nd, Fogel 3rd and the lapped car of Ron Mortimer up front. With the rolling re-start to begin lap 51, Fogel wasted little time and went to the front with Childre 2nd and Traber following in 3rd .. Nuti was shuffled back to 4th and Watson was 5th. The cars ran that way for ten laps and then Traber made the move on Childre to take over second and at the same time, Watson Got around Nuti for fourth. On lap 62 , Traber started challenging Fogel for the lead, But Watson was on the move . Watson’s car seemed to be the best on the track at that time and he calmly made the move into 3rd past Childre and then took over 2nd from Traber just a lap later. Eager to challenge Fogel for the lead, Watson pushed Fogel into a neck and neck battle over the next 10 laps, with each trading the top spot a few times. Fogel, Watson and Traber were the fastest cars on the track. Each car had a great chance at the win if in the end, their cars would last. While the leaders battled , Race day rookie Ron Mortimer would end his day with axle problems as the track was developing some nasty ruts, wreaking havoc on all the cars. Fogel had assumed the lead during the battle with Watson and now had a two car advantage coming up to the second Mandatory Pit stop at lap 100. As the caution flew, Fogel 1st Watson 2nd Traber 3rd Nuti 4th Childre 5th and Tomasi 6th The stage was set for the final 50 laps of the race but race favorite Traber was held up in the pits with brake troubles. As the cars re-aligned for the rolling re-start it looked like it was going to be just a 2 way battle between Fogel and Watson, with Nuti running 3rd 1 lap off the pace and Childre running 4th, 2 laps down. The cars took the green with Just 48 laps remaining and immediately Watson was pressuring Fogel for the race lead. Traber had returned but was now 1 lap down in 4th. Back in the pack Tomasi was running his patient race in 6th and Jessie Jollie was waiting in 7th ,Larry Born was 8th and 77 year old Gerald Hayes was running 9th. . With 25 laps remaining, Watson’s day ended, as his car erupted in a Plume of smoke . The track had claimed another victim and the race wasn’t over yet. One lap later, the cars of both Traber and Brad Jones slowed but both continued, being so close to the end. The rest of the field was standing and holding with Fogel 1st Nuti 2nd ,Childre 3rd, Tomasi 4th ,Jesse Jollie 5th and Gerald Hayed 6th . This was Fogels’ day at the races. He had been 2nd in the past three endurance races and now he was headed to victory Lane. With little pressure from the remaining drivers and the track in such rough condition, Fogel took his time, counted down the laps and when that checkered flag was thrown ,Mark Fogel was named King of The Chimney Mechanix 150 . The Final standings. Mark Fogel 1st, Ryan Nuti 2nd, Ken Childre 3rd Mark Tomasi 4th , Jesse Jollie 5th , Gerald Hayes 6th Larry Born 7th Darryl traber 8th Matt Born 9th over all, 1st place Outlaw Class. Mike Watson 10th, Brad Jones 11th, Tom Barnharst 12th , Ron Mortimer 13th and Emil loose 14th Ryan Nuti , Mark johler and Tiffany Clower stand in Victory Lane, during the Gladiator’s Visit to Grundy County Speedway. July 9th 2011 : The Gladiator Endurance Auto Racing Series returned to the Historic Grundy County Speedway on the eve of July 9th with three events taking place and one new winner in Victory Lane. Ryan Nuti claimed his 3rd win of the year holding off a hard charging Mark Fogel in a very heated battle at the end, during The Olson’s Auto/scrap Metal Recycling 250. Mark Johler dominated the small cars with an easy victory in The Olson’s Auto/Scrap metal recycling 125 and Tiffany Blower held of a determined Heidi Nevoso to score a win in the 15 lap Powder Puff Race. To kickoff the night, Three woman took to the track in the powder puff race with local favorite Tiffany Clower racing her four cylinder against two v8’s, one driven by Erika DeYoung and one driven by Heidi Nevoso. With the countdown to green , Nevoso jumped out to the early lead as DeYoung and Clower challenged eachother for the second spot. Nevoso opened up her lead while the two were battling behind and eventually Clower took over second when DeYoung seemed to have some troubles and brushed the turn four wall. On the 3rd lap Clower put some pressure on Nevoso and took over the top spot pulling to a slight 3 car length advantage. Nevoso eagerly pursued the leader but was not able to make a serious challenge until the 10th lap when they both caught the car of Erika DeYoung to place her a lap down. The field bunched together for a short time but Clower was able to make the pass leaving Nevoso with the challenge to follow. Eventually, she also made the pass and started closing in on Clower but time was running out. Going into the final turn as she was closing the gap, Nevoso Spun her car and that gave the Win to Tiffany Clower. Heidi Nevoso finished second and Erika Deyoung was third. Mark Johler Wins the Olson’s Auto/Scrap Metal Recycling 125 Jasper Drengler quickly jumped into the lead to the start The Olson’s Auto/Scrap Metal Recycling 125 and assumed a 3 car advantage over 2ndplace. The cars of Matt Skarzynski, Randy Padfield, Mark Johler , Brad Nelson( driving the only v6 entry) and Evan Townsend followed. Just 12 laps into the race, Nelson had a flat tire sending him into the pits . Drengler stretched his lead up to 15 car lengths over the field but Mark Johler was moving with ease , taking over second on lap 13. Townsend was also in hot pursuit of the leaders, moving into 3rd at lap 20 . Last events’ winner Leo Bujak seemed to be taking his time as he moved into 5th on lap 21. On lap 22, Drengler’s lead started to disappear as Mark Johler and Townsend closed rapidly and just two laps later, it was a three car battle for the top spot. With a quick move to the low side, Townsend took the point and Mark Johler followed ,moving Drengler back to third. The rest of the field had been spread out by this time and the leaders were encountering lapped traffic. As we hit the 40 lap marker, Townsend was still leading, Mark Johler was second and Drengler was third. The 6th place car of Matt Skarzynski blew a tire on lap 41 and bounced hard off the wall, forcing him into the pits and now, Mark Johler started putting pressure on Townsend for the race lead. At Lap 60, Mark Johler finally took over the top spot as Townsend’s clutch started to fail and Mark’s brother Robert Johler, moved into the top five. The running order was Mark Johler, Jasper Drengler, Kyle Padfield and Leo Bujak and Robert Johler. With 50 to go, Robert Johler took away the 4th spot, moving Bujak back to 5th. Townsend’s clutch failed and he headed for the pits with 47 to go but the track seemed to be taking it’s toll on all of the competition. One car, another car, blown tires, overheating, there was only six cars left, in the race with 40 laps to go.. With 30 laps remaining, Padfield moved into second and Robert Johler moved into third just three laps later. The field remained spread out and without too much action but just as the drivers got the ten lap to go signal ,Leo Bujak blew a tire sending him to the pits ,short of the end. As they crossed the finish line it was Mark Johler, Kyle Padfield and Robert Johler the top three. 1st Mark Johler 2nd Kyle Padfield,3rd Robert Johler 4th Jasper Drengler 5th Steve Spung 6th Randy Padfield 7th Leo Bujak 8th Evan Townsend 9th Allan Bartels 10th Matt Skarzynski 11th Brad Nelson Ryan Nuti Wins The Olson’s Auto /Scrap Metal Recycling 250 Jesse Jollie and Mike Watson started the Olson’s Auto/Scrap Metal Recycling 250 from the front row as seventeen cars took to the track. When the green flag was dropped, Watson, jumped to a quick lead but by the end of the first lap there was a three car battle for the top spot between Mike Watson. Jay Lebrun, and Gerry Galloway . Lebrun raced into the lead as the field settled in, Galloway took the second spot, Irich Iverson moved into third and Mark Fogel made his presence felt, moving into fifth. The track was rumored to be hard on tires and race equipment and it proved to be right. The car of Ken Hocking started smoking heavily just 3 laps in and John Miller had car troubles forcing both to exit for repairs before lap 20 . The battle for the race lead tightened as Fogel moved into second sending Watson back to third and Ryan Nuti, last events winner, was cautiously moving through the field into the top eight Again, the track claimed two more drivers , as the car of Ken Childre retired with overheating troubles and Julie Hayes Broke an axle sending her hard into the turn 2 wall, bringing out the full course red flag on lap 41. When the green flag waved again, Lebrun was 1st, Fogel 2nd Nuti 3rd and Galloway 4th . Immediately, Fogel challenged Lebrun for the lead but Lebrun was not going to give it away easily. Back in the field, Tom Nevoso moved into 4th and Darryl traber moved into 5th . On lap 60, Fogel was finally able to make the pass and lead the field to the Mandatory Refueling stop on lap 63.
When the field of cars lined up for the rolling green restart, on lap 64, John miller had come to the point with Lebrun 2nd Nuti 3rd Fogel 4th and Nevoso 5th. Lebrun seemed to have some car troubles when the flag was dropped and didn’t get up to speed, allowing the car of Nuti and then Fogel to race to the front and challenge Miller for the lead. Nuti didn’t waste too much time, as he made the pass heading into corner three, and that also, opened the door for Fogel to slip by, but Fogel wasn’t done yet, as he took the lead from Nuti on the next lap. Fogel went to work, extending his lead as Matt Schlick moved into the top 5 and Nevoso captured the 3rd spot from Miller on lap 90. After that, Miller seemed to have car troubles, falling off the pace just as Lebrun had tire troubles sending both of them, in for repairs. The cars were spread out over the entire length of the track and this gave way to some wide open racing for the next 10 circuits but as we approached 110 laps completed , the leaders were coming into heavy traffic and it was bunching the top 4 . Patiently Fogel worked the traffic, and brought them to the red flag/fuel stop with 125 laps remaining in the event. Fogel 1st Nuti 2nd Nevoso 3rd Traber 4th Schlick 5th. The field took the green flag on Lap 124 with Fogel still at point Chased by Nuti and Nevoso. Schlick went to work on Traber for the 4th position and with 100 laps to go, Traber blew a tire and was forced to pit, giving the position to Schlick. The car of Gerald Hayes also had to exit to the pits for help. The Grundy Track was almost, too tough to tame. We were approaching 80 laps to go and the battle up front was heated but the car of Fogel was able to hold off many challenge by Nuti. The top two were the only cars on the lead lap at that time and it seemed Nevoso might be having troubles too, as his car was slowing and Schlick was about to overtake him for the 3rd spot. Meanwhile, the car of Jesse Jollie had to exit with problems, short of the mandatory Fuel stop. At the final Break with just 63 laps remaining, Fogel carried the field into the pits as the race leader, Nuti 2nd Nevoso 3rd Schlick 4th and Watson 5th . When the field emerged from re-fueling. Nuti was on the point. The car of Gerald Hayes was beside him and Fogel was right behind. They took the green flag at lap 62 and Nuti jumped out to a commanding lead. Schlick took the 3rd spot from Nevoso and the rest of the field shuffled. A determined Fogel pursued Nuti and was closing the gap as Gerald hayes had some problems and was forced to the pits. With just 35 laps to go, Fogel was bumper to bumper with Nuti but couldn’t make the pass. Both drivers were giving it their all and Fogel brushed the wall a few times with a heated effort to make the pass. With 28 to go, Schlick had some car troubles, forcing him into the pits and giving the third spot back to Nevoso, Watson was 4th and Galloway was 5th . As they came to the 10 laps to go, the lapped traffic was playing a part in the story. Both, Nuti and Fogel were dodging in and out of cars but keeping pace with one another. With just 7 laps to go, Fogel went strong into turn 3 and got a fender under Nuti for the race lead but Nuti didn’t give him much room and their cars touched, sending both spinning towards the infield. Each driver was able to keep his car under control and race back onto the track, just ahead of oncoming traffic. With 6 laps remaining, Nuti was able to pull out to a 2 car length lead over Fogel who was not able to make another run for the win. As they crossed the finish line. It was, Ryan Nuti 1st, Mark Fogel 2nd, Tom Nevoso 3rd Mike Watson 4th Gerry Galloway 5th Jay Lebrun 6th Darryl Traber 7th Matt Schlick 8th Erich Iverson 9thBrad Jones 10th Gerald hayes 11th Jesse Jollie 12th Louis Chatroop 13th John Miller 14th Julie hayes 15th Ken Childre 16th and Ken Hocking 17th Ryan Nuti and Matt Born win the action packed Mac Tools /Sevcik Motorsports 250, Gladiator Endurance Auto Racing Event at the Rockford Speedway. June 12th Rockford Speedway. 21 cars started the Main event with former champion, Darryl Traber taking the early lead followed by David Domingues and Mike Watson. On Lap 13, as the entire field jockeyed for positions, the car of Leonard Grolaue had a steering box failure, sending him hard into the turn 1 wall . His car, bounced off the wall and back across the traffic coming out of turn 2 where he collected Mike Watson. Both cars crashed together, scattering debris everywhere. The race was Red Flagged so that the racing surface could be cleaned and both cars could be removed from the track . On the restart, Traber was 1st , Matt Schlick 2nd, Jay Lebrun 3rd and Steve Nicklaus 4th. As the leaders worked through slower traffic, Mark Fogel moved into 4th , as he was one of the favorites of the race. Ryan Nuti, who was also, a favorite, cautiously worked through traffic from his last place starting position. On Lap 35 Nicklaus broke a front brake rotor but managed to drive his car into the pits as his teammate, Ken Childre ,also had troubles, blowing a head gasket on lap 40 and forcing him to quit for the day. Meanwhile Traber was moving through the field quickly and had caught the car of Nuti on lap 45 , to place him a lap down, However; Traber couldn’t make the pass. On Lap 50 Gerry Galloway moved into 4th sending Jay Lebrun back a spot, Fogel remained running 3rd. with Schlick still running 2nd. All the leaders were moving through lapped traffic quickly but they were only 15 laps shy of the first fuel stop. Louis Chatroop had become one of the faster cars in the race at that point, moving into 4th on lap 70 sending Galloway back to 5th. At the Same time, we had a battle for the lead between Traber and Schlick . On lap 83 , the Caution flag was displayed for the mandatory Fuel stop and as they entered the pits it was #1 traber, 2 Schlick, 3 Fogel, 4 Chatroop, and 5 Nuti. On the restart, Schlick lead the field to the green with Fogel running 2nd, Traber in 3rd and Louis Chatroop in 4th . At lap 90, Fogel took the lead and Schlick stayed right on his bumper. Chatroop took over 3rd and the Fight for 4th heated up on lap 95 , as Nuti battled Traber for the spot. Lap 100-150 seen many problems start to occur with cars in the field, Blown engines, and flat tires caused several drivers to exit for repairs and this opened the door for many drivers to finish well, John Miller and Tom Nevoso moved into the top 8. On lap 143 David Domingues and John Miller spun and then a few Laps Later, Gerry Galloway and (Big Al) Kuphal crashed hard into the outside turn 3 wall .Gerry Galloway was able to continue BUT the red Flag was displayed so that Big Al’s car could be removed from the track. As the race resumed, it was Fogel, Schlick, Chatroop and Nuti top four and it stayed that way heading into the final fuel stop with 83 laps to go. When the field came to take the green for the final segment, Ryan Nuti had come to the front row because of a great stop and service from his Pit crew. Matt Schlick was beside him on the front row, Chatroop and Fogel in the second row, Traber and Nevoso in the third row. As the cars started down the back stretch to take the green, Matt Schlick’s car seemed to be down on power, jumbling up the restart and giving a5 car advantage to Nuti. Fogel quickly moved into second with Chatroop close behind. A short time later, Schlick exited the race because of engine troubles. With 40 laps to go, Nuti was entering heavy lapped traffic and Fogel was closing the gap. Each time Fogel would get close to strike, Nuti would find an escape through some lapped traffic. With 10 laps to go, Nuti had a 4 car advantage on Fogel but Fogel had his worries being pressured by Chatroop for the 2nd spot . Those two were bumper to bumper the remainder of the race. When the checkered flag was raised, Ryan Nuti was Victorious. Mark Fogel was 2nd. Louis Chatroop 3rd, Darryl traber 4th and Tom Nevoso 5th . Additional: Matt Born was 17th overall, but claimed 1st place in the Outlaw stock Class
Finishing order 1 Ryan Nuti,2 Mark Fogel,3 Louis Chatroop,4 Darryl Traber,5 Tom Nevoso,6 John Miller7 Jay Lebrun,8 Jesse Jollie,9 Miles Bradley,10 Gerald Hayes,11 David Domingues ,12 Gerry Galloway ,13 Matt Schlick, 14 Brad Jones, 15 (Big Al) Kuphal ,16Mark Tomasi ,17 Matt Schlick 18.Ken Childre ,19 Steve Nicklaus , 20 Mike Watson, 21Leonard Grolaue Leo Bujak and Brad Nelson claim first wins in the Emil’s Garage/Rick’s Towing 125, Gladiator Endurance Auto Racing Small Car Event at Rockford Speedway Sunday June 12, 2011, Rockford Speedway. The Gladiator Endurance Racing Series made its one and only visit to the famed Rockford Speedway. The too tough to tame, high banked quarter mile short track, provided a no holds barred atmosphere, for the action packed 125 lap small car endurance race. Jasper Drengler lead the mixed batch of Warrior 4’s and Mad Max 6’s to the green flag and immediately a tight battle developed for second with Evan Townsend taking the spot from Kyle Padfield. Townsend took over the lead on lap 27 with, Drengler remaining in second and Kyle Padfield third. Starting two laps down, because of a rules infraction, Dells winner and race favorite, Mark Johler pushed through the field and passed Townsend to get one of his laps back. Meanwhile, Leo Bujak was calmly making his way to the front battling Matt Skarzynski for the fourth spot on lap 60 and moving into third on lap 70 when he overtook Kyle Padfield. Townsend continued to lead at lap 85 as Bujak grabbed second from Drengler pushing Padfield back to the fourth spot in a tight battle with Skarzynski. Continuing to make up ground, Johler was passing Randy Padfield to take over the sixth spot. Skarzynski grabbed fourth from Kyle Padfield on Lap 88 and Johler was poised to take both of those spots a few laps later. Johler made the pass on Skarzinski to take over third on lap 90. With 30 laps to go, Evan Townsend was leading, with Leo Bujak in second and Mark Johler now in third. With 22 laps to go, Townsend had mechanical problems and was forced to exit the race, leaving Bujak in the lead and Johler about one-half lap behind. With 15 laps to go, Bujak encountered heavy lapped traffic, allowing Johler to gain ground fast and with three laps to go, Johler was within striking distance . The lapped traffic was set to play an evident role in the outcome of the race. As the white flag dropped the duo of Johler and Bujak entered turn one side by side and shot down the back stretch, quickly approaching KylePadfield’s car, which was one lap down to the leaders. Bujak and Johler split Padfield entering turn three, with Bujak high, Johler low, and Padfield in the middle. All three cars came racing out of turn four making contact, as Bujak bounced off the outside retaining wall then striking Padfield. In an accordion effect Padfield bounces off Bujak, Johler bounced off Padfield and then Padfields car slingshot and crashed into the wall just short of the finish line. After the dust cleared, Leo Bujak claimed the checkered flag just ahead of Johler for the win. Overall sixth place finisher Brad Nelson would be credited with winning the Mad Max 6 division. Finishing order: 1. Leo Bujak, 2. Mark Johler, 3.Jasper Drengler, 4.Kyle Padfield, 5.Randy Padfield, 6.Brad Nelson, 7 James Gagliani, 8.Matt Skarzynski, 9.Evan Townsend, 10.Allan Bartels, 11.Tyler Andrus, 12.Tommy Goedert, 13. Devon Dixon. The Gladiator Endurance Auto Racing Series (Formerly known as The Midwest Enduro Series) Welcome Auto Racing Enthusiasts. This auto racing series is here to provide and to promote grass roots style stock car racing. We want to discover and develop new drivers and fans, which will translate into better and more exciting racing events. We will also focus on keeping costs down for the race competitors and giving more entertainment value for everyone. The Gladiator Endurance Auto Racing Series, formerly known as The Midwest Enduro Stock Car Series has had many drivers and crews go on to great success in other venues of auto racing. We believe all former competitors will credit this type of racing with providing the most experience any driver or crew can obtain within the sport. This Series wants this concept to remain a significant part of stock car racing into the future. Our objectives are simple: To create a way for the average man/woman who has limited finances, to participate in and have an equal chance of winning each race event. We will work with each race team by providing tech support for the drivers and crew in the form of advice, counsel, set up tips and tricks and we will provide a full auto racing experience for the race fan with ride along programs, rent-a-rides and in car video. We want to encourage each and every race competitor and fan to come and experience the new... Gladiator Endurance Auto Racing Series. |
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