Midwest Super Comp Series FINALE/Sunday.

[Bill Baer]

The Season FINALE at Byron on Sunday

Well Sunday dawned with excellent weather and the usual suspects showed up at the Sunrise restaurant for breakfast and now it was time to put the finishing touches on this season the last chance shoot out and oh yea the points championship.
I was more than a little preoccupied helping my Grandson race his junior dragster and I didn't make the meeting ( either day) so Ben or Ken were basically running what for this weekend we referred to as " the big car" after the meeting They informed me that Joey Fuestling had qualified #1 with an 8.901 and there were 22 cars today and oh yea were qualified 12th so we get to race Joey in the first round. Ok fine.
Next thing I know Kwas shows up and says we need to have a board meeting right now. Greg Gerakaris wasn't around but with Greg Kolinek, Pat Lamont, Larry Wasielewski, Rich Kwas and my self we had a quorum. Then Kwas explained the potential problem :After qualifying and adding up the qualifying points and checking it twice, Jim Gerakaris and Gary Jenkins were exactly tied for points! Ok then whom ever goes the furthest today wins, right. Yes but what will we do if they both lose in the same round? We decided that in that case they would have to come back and race each other to decide the championship.
Oh and there was one other scenario that was possible if they both lose first round and Chad could win again today he could
Garner enough points to be champion once again!
We agreed not to discuss this with Jim or Gary because they had enough pressure on them already.
As I mentioned previously there were 22 cars with Joey posting an 8.90 what I failed to mention was that Bernshausen, Meier, Mooney, and Glossen had also posted 8.90's! So it was going to be brutal out there today.

First round:

The first pair saw Don Rosenberry's girl Lacy use a starting line advantage and an 8.88 to stop Da Kwas Brothers to quick 8.86

Then after basically even lights cagey old fart and driving instructor Larry Bernshausen used an 8.91 to stop a to fast Shelly Thielen at an 8.88.

Joey Fuestling then did a bad job of red lighting as he rung up a .001 light and an 8.918 to force Coal City High School's Mr. Baer to an ugly 8.890 (.015 rt)

Don Higgins gave up .023 at the start line to Chris "The pretty
One" Gerakaris but with both if them breaking out 8.879 to an 8.875 he was a scant .004 closer to the index. Advantage Mr. Higgins.

Larry Reimer use a significant hole shot and a 8.95 to send Tom Mooney packing.

Steven Liss advanced when a much quicker leaving
Pete "Casey Jones" Daubner took a train load of stripe and broke
Out .017/8.87 vs .061/8.948!

Jeff Torbeck used a nice.011/8.904 to send Jim & Jimmy Glossen back to Lake Villa (.022/8.899 )

Diamond Dave Livesey advanced "Team Kola-Nut" with .012/ 8.900 over Donna's guy Mark Meier who red lit -018 and ran an 8.906.

Now comes DaChad vs. Larry Wasielewski but this one was over quick as Larry fouled by a scant -004 advancing Chad who was looking good with a .017 initiated 8.892 .
(He still has a chance folks!)

Next up were Pat LaMont and Jim Gerakaris with Jim leaving first by a scant .002 (.008 vs. .010) with both racers going under the index with Jim going 8.882 but Pat Closer at an 8.899 for the win.

Now Gary Jenkins needs to win this round if he doesn't it opens a window of opportunity for Chad.

Then there's the other contender Gary "Smiley" Jenkins taking on yesterday's runner up. Now I don't think that Gary knew that he needed this round to win the championship you see he and Rob were actually the second pair out but the tension was showing on his face as he staged against Rob and it was over in a flash of red but this time it was shining it's scarlet self on Rob's lane, you see Gary had red lit but Rob had also and his (Rob's) was first and worst. Gary was -.006 his opponent was -.012 an there ends the tail of how Gary "Smiley" Jenkins cinched the Midwest Super Comp championship by being .006 slower than the other guy! LOL (ya gotta love it!)

With the points Championship decided it was time for round 2

Now I don' know if Gary was told or realized the the points championship was over and he had won but I hope so because in the first pair up in round 2 he again red lit by -.036 to advance Mr. Burnshausen who carded and excellent .007/8.914

Mr. Liss also advanced when his opponent Jeff Torbeck fouled at -.003!
Chad LaMont's opponent Dave Livesey also red lit -.010
As did Don Higgins (-007) to the benefit of Larry Reimer

Lacy had a competition single when Pat didn't return for round 2

And lastly young Mr, Fuesting had a bye based on the ladder and his #1 qualifying position.

Round 3:

Larry Bernshausen and Stephen Liss squared of with nearly identical lights (.022 vs .023) it was Larry crossing the stripe first
With an 8.910 vs an 8.915.

Once again with nearly identical lights (.024 vs .027) it was Larry Reimer who's 8.916 was first to the stripe over Fuestling's 8.941.

Then Lacy and Chad also posted identical.016 lights with Lacy getting there first with an 8.907 to Chad's 8.913

Round 4:

Round four started with Lacy going red to the tune of -.010 to advance Larry Reimer to the final to meet up with The other Larry Bernshausen who had the bye.

The Final round:

Pitted Larry vs Larry both seasoned veterans of the
Sport with a combined experience totaling near 100 years between them, I mean these guys not only know what flathead fords were but may have actually raced them!
But this contest was at once decided by that all too often j Crimson mood killer as Larry had gone -.006 red! Handing the win to well...Larry!

Well that's all folks! See ya next year!






Oh, I suppose you want to know which Larry won.

It was the one with the big block dragster

Well that's all folks! See ya next year





OkOkOk!


Your winner was Larry...............Reimer! 🎉
Congratulations Mr. Reimer! Nice job.