Bristol, WI – April 22, 2013. With the sun finally shining a Saturday and dry enough weather most of the week, race season finally got underway for Bill Balog and the B2 Motorsports Team. The team made the short trip to the Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, WI for the annual Jim Wipperfurth Memorial and Interstate Racing Association season opener. Being back on Hoosier tires in 2013, it looked as Bill and the team had no problems adjusting to the new rubber as they went out late on a fast, fading surface and still set quicktime on the night of the 24 cars on hand. After qualifying, the track prep team decided to work the track to take away some of the abrasiveness so the crew went to work to make the right adjustments for the heat race. Lining up in the 6th starting position, Bill would run where he started for a while and finally began making his way forward when everyone settled in and made his way up to a 3rd place finish transferring into the feature. Being the fastest qualifier, Bill pulled the #2 pill for the feature invert setting himself up for a 4th place starting position. At the drop of the green Balog would chase early leader Scotty Neitzel and Mike Kertscher until around lap 6 when something broke on Neitzel’s mount sending him into the turn 2 wall and surrendering the lead to the 80K with Bill now in second. Bill would trail Mike, but put up several challenges coming out of treacherous turn 2 getting by several times, but could not hold the lead. On the final lap, Bill held it wide open through turns 1 and 2 keeping close to Kertscher’s bumper. Going into turn 3, Bill was giving it all he could give diving below the 80K. Coming out of turn 4, the two cars were side by side bringing the crowd to their feet and crossing under the flagstand neck and neck. As the two cars came through turns 1 and 2 it showed on the scoreboard that the 17B sprinter had beat the 80K, and soon announced by an IRA record setting margin of victory of .009 seconds! When asked about the last lap, Balog stated, “I got through 1 and 2 and I survived that. Then let’s see what happens.” The win was Balog’s 46th with the Interstate Racing Association.
This coming week, on Friday, May 3rd and Saturday, May 4th, the B2 Motorsports team will head to Ohio to Tony Stewart’s famed Eldora Speedway to run with the World of Outlaws. The team is keeping a close eye on the weather as there is a chance of rain at the time of this writing and if something changes, it will be posted on the team’s Facebook page. The following weekend, on Friday, May 10th, the team will head to the clay covered asphalt track of the Elko Speedway in Elko, MN with the World of Outlaws. The following night, Saturday, May 11th, the team will head south down Interstate 35 into Iowa to the Knoxville Raceway for another date with the World of Outlaws.
B2 Motorsports is also continuing the search for marketing partners for the 2013 season. Anyone interested can contact Bill at balogb17@yahoo.com or Matt at littlekw022@gmail.com.
Bill and the B2 Motorsports Team would also like to thank our continued supporters/sponsors including: Buesser Concrete, Maxim Chassis, Hepfner Racing Products, Xtreme Stainless, Gleason Equipment, Super Shox, K&N Filters, FK Rod Ends, Auto Meter, Weld Wheels, Saldana Racing Products, Astro Titanium, DMI, Fibrestar Industries, Stumble Inn Bar and Grill, Allstar Performance, Competition Driveline Service, BLZ, XYZ Machining, Outerwears, and Champion Oil.
For more information on Bill Balog and the B2 Motorsports Team visit www.billbalog.com.
- Admin Account on Apr 29, 2013
- Article Date: 4/29/2013 by Matt Myers