Thanks to Kathy Costerisan
2006 archives
2007 archives
check out the new 2008 website....click on the logo above or go to www.bureaucountyspeedway.org
 

Bureau County Speedway Honors Members and Supporters:
 
 
Join us on Friday May 9th when Bureau County Speedway will unveil a new sign on the front stretch....
This sign is in memory of Members and Supporters of the Speedway that have passed away. The night of racing will be dedicated to them...The Member and Friends Memorial Race.
The Speedway Board would like to thank the family of Buddy Grabill, one of our oldest Members who recently passed away; in their time of grief Buddy's family asked that memorials be directed to the Speedway as well as the Fair. The funds received from the Grabill Family helped to have this memorial sign made to honor Members such as Buddy.
The names on the sign will be announced throughout the night. The Board has tried to include everyone that has passed away, if the name of a Member or supporter has been left out, we apologize to their families and ask that they contact the Speedway to have their name put on the sign.  
 
Engines Roar for 2008 Opener
Story by Kathy Costerisan- Bureau County Republican Correspondent
 
May 2, 2008 Princeton Illinois:
 
Opening night of the 2008 racing season at Bureau County Speedway was windy and cold. That didn’t stop the hardy race fans in the stands. They had waited through an extremely long winter to hear the sounds of race cars fill the air again.

Richie Bell picked up the first checkered flag of the season in the opening heat race for UMP Modifieds. Bell started their feature on the pole, and Chad Osterhoff of Kankakee tucked right in behind him. Marty Thompson flattened a tire and brought out their first caution with seven laps in. Other front end problems kept him from rejoining the race.

Nathan Balensiefen passed Osterhoff and set his sights on Bell. With seven laps to go, Balensiefen was running side-by-side with Bell. Balensiefen took over the lead only to have to drop back to second when Jason Anderson spun on the front chute. Bell, again, took over the lead, while Balensiefen stuck right with him.

With one lap to go, sparks flew under Bell’s modified as it suffered a blown rear end gear. As Bell pulled into the pits, Balensiefen took the checkered flag for his first UMP Modified win of the season. Vince Cooper passed Osterhoff to finish second. Kewanee’s Ray Bollinger finished fourth.

Marty Gradert led the first two laps of the Street Stock feature. Their only caution came out when Keith Lucas flattened a tire on the third lap. When the race returned to green, Justin Rutledge passed Gradert and took the lead. Rutledge would pull away and lead the remaining laps to take the first Street Stock feature win of the year. Gradert finished second, Randy Lucas third and Tim Provenzano fourth.

Before the racing program began, the drivers were told that their payouts would be cut due to the limited number of cars in attendance. Jeff Larson decided to pull out instead of racing, so this left only five late models to start their feature.

On the first lap, both Jason Jaggers and Mike Provenzano broke front end suspension parts, ending their nights. This left a three-car race between Richie Bell, Bryan Moon and Jerry Pitts. Bell had better luck this time and kept this car together to take the UMP Late Model feature win. Moon finished second and Pitts, third.

The “B” Modified class had their first run at Bureau County Speedway during last fall’s season championship. Jordan Schram won that feature and started out this season by winning their first feature of the year. Schram held off veteran driver Chuck Turner of Sterling and led every lap on his way to the win. Clint Shepard Jr., finished third.

Dave Roggy was the season champion last year in the Hornet division. He grabbed the lead from J.R. Brown on the first lap and managed to hold him off to take his first feature win of the season. Brown placed second ahead of Rob Hammitt and Jeff Seitz.

• Racing will resume this Friday night.
The first Saturday special race will be held May 24 to kick off the Memorial Day weekend. Racing that night will be Mid America Outlaw Winged Springs, IRS Midgets, Dwarfs, Sprints, IMRA TQ Midgets, Midwest Jalopies vintage cars, Street Stocks and Hornets, some classes that have never run at Bureau County Speedway.
 

A side note from the Speedway:
This Friday May 9th starts the drawings for free tickets.
Each week one ticket will be drawn from the Grandstands for a fan to win a free pass for the next week of racing.
Each week one driver name will be drawn from the pit entries for a driver to win a free pit pass to the next week of racing.
Coming soon..... The "Where's Paulie" Contest..... fans will have a chance to win free tickets, concession items and prizes.
The following 2008 race dates have been set.
Additional event information will be added as it is finalized.
Thank you for your patience.

 

Friday May 2

UMP Late Models, UMP Modifieds, BMods, Street Stocks, Hornets

 

Friday May 9

UMP Late Models, UMP Modifieds, BMods, Street Stocks, Hornets

 

Friday May 16

UMP Late Models, UMP Modifieds, BMods, Street Stocks, Hornets

 

Saturday May 24

Mid America Outlaw Wing Sprints, IRS Midgets, Dwarfs, Sprints, IMRA TQ Midgets, Midwest Jalopies vintage cars, Street Stocks, Hornets

 

Friday May 30

UMP Late Models, UMP Modifieds, BMods, Street Stocks, Hornets

 

Saturday June 7

IRS Midgets, Dwarfs, Sprints, IMRA TQ Midgets, Street Stocks, Hornets

 

Friday