Bill Balog and B2 Motorsports: Back in Victory Lane
Union Grove, WI – June 5, 2012. Bill Balog and the B2 Motorsports crew thrashed all last week to get a new car put together to race a triple-header this past weekend after prior week’s 2 – DNF’s. After the hard work during the week was completed, the team was headed to the ½ mile facility of the Jackson Speedway in Jackson, MN for the Biggame Treestands Shootout. The team was greeted with cloudy skies and rain in the area so the show was going to be moved along as fast as possible. Qualifying was not utilized on Friday night so passing was going to be crucial for the 17B sprinter to start towards the front of the feature due a very narrow racing surface. Bill would start 5th in the 3rd heat race. About midway, Bill would get around Scotty Neitzel coming out of turn 2 and move into the 4th position where he would finish. Bill would pick up the 10th most points after the heat races and would line up in the 5th starting position in the feature. At the start of the feature Bill would lose 2 – positions and settle in the 7th position where he would finish due to the still narrow racing surface. The team would roll the car back in the trailer in one piece and head east to Cedar Lake Speedway for Saturday night’s races.
Bill and the B2 Motorsports team arrived at the 3/8 Mile, High Banked Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, WI on Saturday for the inaugural “Triple Crown” races with warm temperatures and lots of sun which would take its toll on the track. Bill would go out in the middle of the 23 cars that were on hand and lay down a lap of 11.945 seconds which would be good for the 4th fastest time on the night. Bill lined up in the 5th starting position in the first heat race. On lap 2, Bill would get past Scott Uttech for the lead and never looked back as he sailed to a near half lap victory over Uttech and Phillip Mock. The #3 pill was drawn for the feature invert which lined the 17B mount up in the 4th starting position behind the pair of #1M sprinters of Mock and Jim Moughan. Moughan would get the initial lead and check out from Bill and others until they got into lap traffic were Bill would get by Moughan and set sail. It looked as though Bill would cruise to his 4th victory of the 2012 season, but as Bill took the white flag the motor would expire 1 – lap too early ending Bill’s night in the 19th position, his 3rd DNF in the last 4 – races.
Bill and the B2 Motorsports were up and at it early Sunday morning to swap engines to compete in the final night of the weekend at the high banked Eagle Valley Speedway in Jim Falls, WI. The team’s luck didn’t look to be any better to start the night as they drew the highest pill for qualifying on a quickly fading track. Bill would lay down a lap of 13.103 seconds which would be the 7th fastest of the 22 cars on hand and would start 4th in the 1st heat race of the night. At the drop of the green, Bill would make his way to the bottom of the track and to the lead and win his 4th heat race of the year ahead of Jeremy Schultz and “Wild Bill” Wirth. With the #5 pill being drawn by the fastest qualifier, Bill would line up the 17B sprinter in the 5th starting position in the feature. With little time wasted, Bill would make his into the 2nd position and start to real in leader Jim Moughan. A lap 8 caution would come out for a wreck in turns 1 and 2 which would quickly change to a red flag as the lights went out in turns 1 and 2 on the track. While the track crew was scrambling to fix the light, the B2 Motorsports crew was making slight adjustments to the car during the open red and they paid off. When the race resumed, Bill would chase Moughan for a few laps before finally getting by with a slider in turns 3 and 4 and cruise to his 4th victory of the 2012 season ahead of Moughan and Brooke Tatnell.
Bill moved up to the 2nd position in the Interstate Racing Association’s point standing trailing Mike Reinke by 21 points. This weekend on Saturday, June 9th, Bill and the B2 Motorsports 17B will head back for the 3rd visit of the season to the 1/3 mile clay oval of the Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, WI. Bill picked up the victory in the 1st visit to the track this year and was caught up in a wreck on lap 2 of the 2nd visit. On Saturday, June 16th, the team will visit the high banked, 1/3 mile oval of the Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, WI for the 2nd time of the 2012 season. Bill picked up the victory the 1st time the IRA visited the facility the season back in May.
Bill and the B2 Motorsports Team would also like to thank our continued supporters/sponsors including: Buesser Concrete, Hoeft Builders, Rhine Auto, Maxim Chassis, Hepfner Racing Products, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, K&N Filters, Gleason Equipment, FK Rod Ends, Auto Meter, Saldana Racing Products, Astro Titanium, DMI, Fibrestar Industries, Super Shox, Stumble Inn Bar and Grill, Xtreme Stainless, Allstar Performance, Competition Driveline Service, BLZ, XYZ Machining, Outerwears, and Racer Gear X.
For more information on Bill Balog and the B2 Motorsports Team visit www.billbalog.com.
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- Bill Balog on Jun 10, 2012
- Article Date: 6/10/2012