Backstretch Motorsports

Loves Park, Illinois (07/29/2007): The Fourth Race of the 2007 Season in the ASA Late Model Series Northern Division Presented by GM Performance Parts is now in the record books! The famed 0.292 Mile High-Banked Paved Oval of the Rockford (IL) Speedway, located Northeast of Rockford in Loves Park, Illinois hosted the Rockford 100.

In a thrilling 100-lap Feature in the Prairie States, Eddie Hoffman got by race long leader, Mike Heiss after a thrilling door to door and bumper to bumper battle with some heavy paint swapping! On Lap 84 and from their, the Wheaton, Illinois veteran finally got by Heiss and held on to win his first ASALMS Northern Division Feature of the 2007 season!

The Top Two in the ASALMS Northern Division Rookie of the Year Points Standings, Dave Gentile Jr., and Mike Heiss led a strong 28-car field to Chief Starter and Loves Park, Illinois native, Tom Powell's green flag to begin the Rockford 100. As the field took the green flag, a car in the middle of the pack was slow to get going and the field behind him checked up causing a chain reaction incident involving 10 cars just 30 feet from the start/finish line!

Amongst the drivers involved included ASALMS Northern Division Points Leader, Trent Snyder as well as Defending ASALMS Northern Division Champion, 17-year-old Jesse Smith, and several others. Out of the 10 machines involved, only one was unable to continue. GM Performance Parts Shootout winner, Mike Osgar, while the rest of the field made repairs in the pits and all restarted at the rear of the field with some type of cosmetic damage.

On the restart, Heiss edged out Gentile Jr., to take the early lead and complete Lap One. More trouble ensued moments later when Jason Taghikhani slapped the Turn One wall and came down the embankment and in front of the field, sending cars scattering.

Snyder, who had just pitted to repair damage from the first incident, had no where to go and got into the side of Taghikhani, raising his machine up off the ground before coming to rest on Snyder's hood with Ryan Carlson, who also had nowhere to go, slammed into the back end of Snyder. Taghikhani and Carlson were done for the evening while Snyder was able to make it back out much later and several laps down, which would prove costly at the end of the night.

The field finally settled down on the next restart and would run the next 77 consecutive laps under green flag conditions. All the while, Heiss maintained his lead and tried to lose the rest of the field in lapped traffic. In the meantime, Gentile Jr., had his hands full with Wheaton, Illinois veteran, Eddie Hoffman, a three-time Champion at Rockford in the prestigious National Short Track Championships.

Hoffman worked on Gentile Jr., throughout the middle stages of the century grind and threw every truck in his arsenal at his fellow Prairie State competitor. Finally a caution on Lap 78 for a spinning Jesse Smith bunched the field back up and wiped out Heiss' huge lead! The green came back out and Hoffman nosed his machine underneath Gentile Jr., on Lap 80 to take over second spot and set his sights on Heiss.

The crafty veteran wasted no time letting Heiss know he was there as Hoffman pulled up along-side the Ottawa, Illinois freshman and the two drivers battled for several laps until Hoffman took over the lead on Lap 84 to the roar of the stellar crowd on hand. Both cheers and jeers could be heard and everyone in attendance was on their feet as Hoffman began to pull away from Heiss and the rest of the pack.

One last caution came two laps later when Anthony Danta and Peter Cozzolino, who were battling for fifth, came together in Turn One. ASALMS Officials sent Danta to the rear of the field while Cozzolino was awarded his position back in Fifth.

On what would be the final restart, Hoffman, one of the masters in short track racing at restarts caught Heiss napping and pulled away from him and the rest of the pack. Heiss regrouped and tried in vain to catch the 47-year-old, but Hoffman was too strong and the Wheaton, Illinois veteran would take the checkered flag to win his first ASALMS Northern Division Feature of the 2007 season.

With the win, Hoffman now moves into a tie with Jack Smith as the all-time leader in ASALMS Northern Division Feature Wins with Three apiece and overall in the entire ASALMS, Hoffman is now in a three-way tie for second all-time with Six career ASALMS Feature Wins with 2006 ASALMS Challenge Division Champion and Pat Bourdow Memorial Rookie of the Year, Kelly Bires, and 2005 ASALMS Challenge Division Champion, Stephen Leicht!

Heiss held off Gentile Jr., to finish a career high second while Gentile Jr., the ASALMS Northern Division Rookie of the Year Points Leader, also took over the Overall Points Lead in the ASALMS Northern Division with his third straight Top Five finish and will head into the 3rd annual Mid-Michigan Doubles Weekend Presented by the Michigan Racing Scene and Turn One High Performance Steering as the Points Leader in both title chases for Lorz Motorsports.

Rockford Speedway regular, Josh Nelms, the 2006 Rookie of the Year in Rockford's weekly Late Models division, came home a career high fourth over Indianapolis, Indiana veteran, Peter Cozzolino, the last Feature winner in the ASALMS Challenge Division, who rounded out the Top Five.

Genoa City, Wisconsin driver, Josh Wallace, in his unsponsored Chevrolet Monte Carlo, finished a career high Sixth while Nick Neville, Charlie Menard, Curt Van Der Wal, and Reigning ASALMS Northern Division Rookie of the Year, Derek Neville would complete the Top 10.

Earlier in the afternoon in ARP Bodies/Aluminum Racing Products Qualifying, 15-year-old Michael Bilderback shocked the ASALMS Northern Division contingent by shattering the track record! The South Beloit, Illinois teenager became the youngest driver in ASALMS history to win a Fast Qualifier Award by turning a 13.445 which measures out to 78.185 MPH.

The ASALMS Track Record was set by on Travis Dassow back on September 25, 2004 when he turned a 13.569 in what is now the ASALMS Challenge Division. A total of seven drivers broke the old ASALMS track record during Qualifying!

In the GM Performance Parts Shootout, Mike Osgar started on the pole and led all 25 laps to give the Mansfield, Ohio driver the win and the 27th starting spot in the Feature. Steven Brooks finished second to earn the 28th and final position in the 100-Lap Feature. Nick Beinlich was the first car on the outside looking in as he finished third ahead of Mike Tetzlaff and ASALMS Southern Division visitor, Jimmy Lang, who completed the Top Five.

Also of note, this was the final ASALMS Northern Division event and final ASALMS race overall before the Benson International/Crate American Race 200 at the Bristol (TN) Motor Speedway next weekend.

The Top Two (2) in the ASALMS Northern Division Owners Points Standings after the Rockford 100 are guaranteed a spot in the Ninth Race of the Fifth Anniversary 2007 season in the ASALMS Challenge Division. Those top two in the Owners Points are: 6 Lorz Motorsports and 88 Trent Snyder Racing.

The next event for the ASALMS Northern Division will be the 3rd annual Mid-Michigan Doubles Weekend Presented by the Michigan Racing Scene and Turn One High Performance Steering in the ASALMS' home state of Michigan.

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