Bristol, WI – July 24, 2014. Bill Balog and the B2 Motorsports team headed south to the Wisconsin/Illinois border this past Saturday for their third visit of 2014 to the Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, WI for the 3rd Annual IRA vs. All-Stars Shootout. The night started off with a 4th place qualifying effort of the thirty-eight cars on hand. Lining up in the 6th starting position in the heat, Bill would charge his way forward for the heat race victory sending him into the Dash. Lining up 6th again for the start, Bill was able to make his way forward to finish in the 4th position where he would start for the feature. When the racing got underway, Bill would move into the 3rd position trailing Jac Haudenschild and Tim Kaeding. As the lead duo began to encounter lap traffic, Bill would make his way into 2nd. A few laps later Bill would make his move into the lead. Around the halfway point, “The Low Rider”, Dale Blaney, would make his way under the 17B sprinter and never look back as Bill would settle for a 2nd place finish behind Blaney.
The team headed to Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, WI on Sunday where Bill would be piloting both the B2 Motorsports #17B sprint car and the Lein Acres #2 midget. Qualifying was scrapped in the midget portion as the sprint car show was the main feature of the night so passing points were utilized. Bill would line up in the 6th starting position in the first Badger Midgets heat race. Bill would battle closely with several competitors throughout the heat race climbing to a 4th place finish. After heat races were complete, Bill was the 7th highest in points setting him up with a 7th place starting position in the thirty lap feature. When the feature began, Bill was on the move as he methodically made his way to the front and was soon running toe to toe with his teammate, Jerry Coons, Jr. The two battled for the lead on several occasions, but Bill would come up just short and finish in the 2nd position.
It has been twenty-nine years since 410 c.i. winged sprint cars have paced the famous D-shaped oval of Angell Park. Bill would begin the night laying down the 3rd fastest lap of the twenty-nine cars in attendance. Starting 6th in the heat race, Bill would seem to find a fast groove as the race wore on as he made his way up to the 3rd finishing position within striking distance of the leaders. The #5 pill was drawn for the feature setting Bill up with a 8th starting position for the feature on a tricky track. When the feature began, Bill would be stuck where he started as he tried to move forward, but to no avail. As the cars began to string out a little, Bill began picking cars off each lap as he made his way into the 3rd position at lap thirteen and into 2nd the next circuit. Bill sights were now on leader Jordan Goldesberry who worked his way to a half-lap advantage over Bill. Bill slowly began to reel in the #65 sprinter and he eventually he did as the lap traffic was getting thick. Bill closed up to Goldesberry as he nearly got into the wall on lap twenty-five, but then lost the advantage back the next lap as Bill got over the cushion coming out of turn four. Bill would catch back up as the white flag came out. Bill would attempt a slide job to take the lead on the last lap going through turns one and two, but just nipped Goldesberry’s front bumper with his rear bumper turning himself into the fence sending him air-born and ending his night with an official 18th place finish.
The B2 Motorsports Team has the 17B sprinter back together and ready to go for this week’s triple-header in the north woods of Wisconsin. The weekend will get kicked off on Friday as the team heads to the half-mile red clay oval of the Langlade County Fairgrounds in Antigo, WI for their Fair Race. Bill overtook Steve Meyer late in the feature to pick up the win last year. Saturday the team heads further north to Ashland, WI to take on the third-mile banked red clay oval of the ABC Raceway. The event was rained out last year, but Bill parked in victory lane the two previous years along with setting the single lap track record. The weekend will wrap up in Jim Falls, WI on Sunday at the three-eighths mile oval of the Eagle Valley Speedway. Bill has been victorious the last three years at the unique track that is slightly downhill going down the front-stretch and uphill on the back-stretch.
Bill and the B2 Motorsports Team would also like to thank our continued supporters/sponsors including: Buesser Concrete, Rocky Rococo’s Pizza and Pasta, XYZ Machining, JR’s Contraptions, Maxim Chassis, Hepfner Racing Products, Gleason Equipment, Super Shox, Xtreme Stainless, Stumble Inn Bar and Grill, K&N Filters, FK Rod Ends, Auto Meter, Weld Wheels, Saldana Racing Products, Astro Titanium, DMI, Race Gear X, Vaportrail Clothing, Allstar Performance, Competition Driveline Service, BLZ, and Outerwears.
Stay up to date with what is going on with Bill and the B2 Motorsports team by checking out the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/bsquaredmotorsports. Schedule changes, rain outs, and race updates are posted on the Facebook page as they happen. Also remember to check out Bill Balog and the B2 Motorsports Team by visiting www.billbalog.com for driver and crew bios, our schedule, pictures, videos, and to sign our guestbook if you’d like to.
- Matt Myers on Jul 24, 2014
- Article Date: 7/24/2014 by Matt Myers