Bristol, WI – August 13, 2014. Bill Balog logged some miles the past couple of weeks as he took on both the 360 and 410 Knoxville Nationals. First up was the Arnold Motor Supply 360 Knoxville Nationals aboard the Jim Davies #99 sprinter in which Bill would take to the track on Night #2. Fifty-six cars were in attendance and Bill would lay down the 22nd fastest time setting him up with a 2nd place starting position for the eight lap heat race. At the drop of the green Bill would jump out to the lead and cruise to his first ever 360 Nationals heat race win. Bill would start the feature in the 12th position and run in the top-10 the majority of the feature, but near the end of the feature would have mechanical issues and be sidelined the remaining laps.
After the points were tallied, Bill would line up in the 15th starting position in the finale’s B-main. Not only was Bill looking to make his way to the front to transfer into the main event, but he was also looking to finish ahead of California’s Andy Gregg for Rookie of the Year honors. Bill would lose some ground in the beginning, but would make his way forward to finish in the 11th position and also claim the Arnold Motor Supply 360 Knoxville Nationals Rookie of the Year.
Monday night, Bill was aboard the Davies #99 again as the team headed to the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA for the Front Row Challenge. Lining up in the 4th place starting position in the heat race, Bill quickly charged his way into the lead and dominated the eight lap affair making him the high point man of the night. The “King of the Hill” event that typically sets up the starting positions was scratched due to impending weather and Bill would draw the #8 pill for the feature where he would start the thirty lap event. Bill would run in the 7th position most of the event, but with three laps remaining the engine expired sending Bill to the trailer.
Bill and the B2 Motorsports team headed to Knoxville for the 54th Annual FVP Knoxville Nationals on Thursday night. After Mother Nature finally cooperated, Bill would pilot the 17B sprinter to the 31st fastest qualifying lap of the fifty cars on hand setting him up with a 2nd place starting position in the 1st heat race. At the drop of the green, Bill got the jump into the lead and never looked back as he picked up his first ever 410 Knoxville Nationals heat race victory. Lining up in the 12th starting position in the feature, Bill would lose some ground, but gain most of it back as he would checker in the 13th position.
After two qualifying nights, Bill and the B2 Motorsports team sat 34th in points overall locking them in with a 14th starting position in Saturday night’s B-Main. After twenty-two laps circling the half-mile oval, Bill would fall back to the 18th finishing position, but his highest finish at the Knoxville Nationals in his career.
This week Bill and the B2 Motorsports team are back on the Interstate Racing Association trail as they have a triple-header weekend on tap. First up on the weekend is a two night show at the Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, WI on Friday and Saturday night for the Kenosha County Fair and the Roger Isles Memorial. Bill has one victory at the third-mile oval this year and also a runner up finish to Dale Blaney a month ago when the All Start Circuit of Champions were in town. Sunday night the team will head north to the Seymour Speedway in Seymour, WI. This will be the series’ first visit back to the facility since 2008.
The following weekend the team will head south into Illinois for the annual Bill Waite, Jr. Memorial at the LaSalle Speedway in LaSalle, IL.
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 Aug 13, 2014
- Article Date: 8/13/2014 by Matt Myers