By Tony Baranek
Ty Majeski said it was the longest 75 laps of his life.
By most measures, however, the last half of Monday’s ARCA Midwest Tour/CRA Border Wars Calypso 150 at Illiana Speedway was as quick as it gets.
There were no cautions and just two leaders.
Majeski ruled over the final 46 laps to claim the first traveling series win of his career over Eddie Hoffman.
“I was just trying to save tires, but keep Eddie at least a fair amount behind me,” the 19-year-old Seymour, Wisconsin, native said. “I knew he was going to try to make a run at the end. Thankfully we were able to hold him off.”
The balancing act by Majeski followed a power show early on, first by fast qualifier Chris Weinkauf, then by Brian Campbell.
Campbell appeared to have the field covered from laps 29 through 104 before dramatically slowing with a tire issue and allowing Majeski to roar past.
Hoffman moved into second on lap 106 and from time to time closed within a couple of car-lengths, but never caught Majeski.
He could have used a yellow.
“I don’t mind that (not getting one),” Hoffman said. “Just race and get it over. If we’re faster we’ll get there and if we’re not we’re not. He was just a tick faster and he didn’t make any mistakes. He did a real good job.”
Traveling series veterans Jonathan Eilman and Nathan Haseleu were third and fourth, while Illiana regular Anthony Danta rallied in the second half to take fifth. The rest of the top 10 were Ross Kenseth, Paul Shafer Jr., Andrew Morrissey, Wes Griffith Jr. and Mike White.
The first leg of the three-race “Street Stock Challenge” had a wild finish when a three-car skirmish just two laps from the finish among John Senerchia, Chris Woodall and Ryan Moore handed the top spot on the restart to Jacob McKown.
McKown led the field the rest of the way to claim the victory over Rita Fields.
Senerchia, who had taken the lead from Eddie Ligue on lap five of the 30-lap event, was being pressured for a few laps by Woodall before Woodall made a move down low between Turns 3 and 4.
Contact resulted in Senerchia spinning around. Senerchia’s No. 72 stopped spinning when it collided with Moore’s No. 88, the latter of which suffered a flat tire.
Both Senerchia and Moore left the track, while Woodall was sent to the back.
“I was just planning on having fun,” said Senerchia, making his first appearance of the season. “I even gave Chris the bottom. He moved me up and he kept coming up and got me. So I don’t know what the deal was there.”
“I was all the way up to his door and he gave me no room, so I don’t what they expect is going to happen,” Woodall countered. “I’m not going to back off and give him the win. I have no problem with Johnny and never have, but he’s got to give me some room to race.”
The innocent victim was Moore, who had nowhere to go after Senerchia spun.
“I let (Woodall) by because he was faster, hoping he would get under Johnny and I could work both of them over,” Moore said. “And then that happens. I don’t even know what to say. A perfect run.”
McKown, who won this event a year ago at Illiana, avoided the wreck and kept Fields at arm’s length over the final two laps. Third went to Bill Serviss, followed by Michael Gerike, Woodall and Bobbie Jean Wall.
Justin Mikel made his first career feature win a big one by topping the field in the first leg of the “Pure Stocks Challenge.”
Mikel beat Matt Baikie to the finish line by a comfortable margin. A scramble at the finish saw Ryan Lagestee claim third ahead of Ricky Wilson and Rich Dearborn.
“When I went out (for practice) everything was perfect,” Mikel said. “I didn’t have to worry about anything. It ran excellent in the feature.”
Comments are closed.