Burris Circle Tour puts on a great show for a huge crowd

By John Nuttall
LAKE GENEVA, WI - Fourteen Sr. Lites took to the track to show the large spectator crowd what real racing is all about at Lake Geneva Raceway on August 5, 2001. The top five in the class are in the top ten for overall series points and the competition is heating up. Ryan Rockhold jumped out to a big lead on the start, but a few laps later Jacob Humphrey really saw his kart come in and made a nifty outside pass to take the lead. Joe Moser patiently made his way up to run in third. Ricky Johnson was not about to give up his trophy and really focused at the end of the race to make a final lap pass to finish third. Richard McGill kept in the lead draft so when Joe Moser went a little wide in the corner, he was positioned to take over the fourth position. Joe Moser still leads the overall points, and Rockhold has a narrow fifteen-point lead over Humphrey.

Jamie Rediehs ran an unbelievable feature in the Sr. Medium Class. He got out to an early lead over class points leader Anthony Danta. Danta and Jay Gough quickly closed the gap. In the last 4 laps, on every lap, there was at least one lead change and on several laps, the leader changed 3 times, but to look at the score sheet it was Rediehs all the way. Coming across the finish line Jamie had held on for the victory, Anthony was second and Jay was a very close third.

The Sr. Heavies really mixed it up, demonstrating that three karts look like one for fifteen laps. Anthony Danta pulled out the biggest lead of the day at the finish and that lead was less than a kart length. Bob Chatten almost stole the checker but had to settle for second. Scott Mayborne rounded out the podium in third. Danta currently has a commmanding lead in the points iboth the Medium and Heavy classes.

Jack Benson hangs on to his lead in the Sr. Champ class by beating Mike Slabenak in the closing laps of the feature race. Only thirty points separate these two closely matched karts. Jonathan Foster and Mike Kuzniar battled it out for third and fourth.

Danielle Gale and Vince Cooper joined Nick O'Dell, Gina Mooi and Mickey Kudlicki for the Jr. Champ race. This class is always close and this week was no exception. At the beginning of the race it was the Nick and Danielle show running side-by-side and nose-to-tail. Then, leaving the tiniest slot, Gina Mooi powered her way to the front with Danielle still holding on to second. Nick has other plans, though, and was not about to just hand the race over to the ladies. He first tried inside, then outside to take over the lead for good. Mikey Kudlicki joined the fray on the last lap to sneak by Danielle for third. At the checkered flag it was O'Dell, Mooi, Kudlicki and Gale. Nick is currently in the lead for the class points with Gina thirty-points behind.

Frank James Slabenak won the Jr. Sportsman Champ feature extending his points lead to fifteen. Sara O'Dell followed him in second place and Jessica Kudlicki finished third.

The Junior I class is the closest and most competitive class. Any of the top six drivers are threats to win and they all took advantage of the draft around the banked turns at Rockford Speedway. Adam Carlson, Tanner Bohlen and Billy Hulbert earned the way to the front at about halfway. Hulbert, the current points' leader continued to charge to the front and took the lead in a shuffle on lap nine bringing Jordon Thiel with him. Ben Stumpf also moved up with the line of traffic to run in third. Adam and Tanner got hung out of the draft and suddenly were running fourth and fifth. On the last lap, it was still anybody's race. Hulbert held off a last corner charge by Bohlen. Jordon Thiel edged out Ben Stumpf for third and fourth respectively. The victory gave Hulbert a thirty-point lead over Adam Carlson and propelled him into fourth for the overall series points.

The Jr. II class saw new faces on the podium this week. Jimmy Johnson lead after taking the lead from A.J. Morgan on the third lap. Morgan was right behind Johnson the entire race, even taking the lead on some of the corners. Brian Frieberg and Matt Vice finished third and fourth in their strongest finishes for the year. The class leader, Jeff Everts finished seventh, giving up five points to Matt Atkinson. Everts now leads in the clas points by only fifteen. Jessica Brannam won the Jr. Yamaha feature for the second week in a row birthday-boy Clay Kliem was second and Rylee Bohlen finished third.

Results (August 5, 2001):
Jr. Yamaha: 1.) Jessica Brannam, McHenry, IL, 2.) Clay Kliem, Elgin, IL, 3.) Rylee Bohlen, Hortonville, WI, 4.) Carly Mandarino, Glen Ellyn, IL, 5.) Brian Ellis, Orland Park, IL, 6.) Clint Kliem, Elgin, IL

Sr. Medium: 1.) Jamie Rediehs, Hinsdale, IL, 2.) Anthony Danta, Orland Park, IL, 3.) Jay Gough, Roscoe, IL, 4.) Chris Lishamer, Elgin, IL

Jr. Sportsman Champ Kart: 1.) Frank James Slabenak, Palos Park, IL, 2.) Sara O'Dell, New Lennox, IL, 3.) Jessica Kudlicki, Glendale Heights, IL

Jr. Champ Kart: 1.) Nick O'Dell, New Lennox, IL, 2.) Gina Mooi, New Lennox, IL, 3.) Mickey Kudlicki, Glendale Heights, IL, 4.) Danielle Gale, Lemon, IL, 5.) Vince Cooper, Morris, IL

Yamaha Sportsman Lite: 1.) Eric Freiberg, Lockport, IL, 2.) Jay Gough, Roscoe, IL, 3.) Alan Wagner, Wonder Lake, IL, 4.) Kelly Mandarino, Glen Ellyn, IL, 5.) Joe Kliem, Elgin, IL, 6.) Seth Lootans, Bristol, WI, 7.) Dustin Columbi, Loves Park, IL, 8.) Jake Mogan, Wonder Lake, IL

4-Cycle Sportsman: 1.) Denise Kruse, Bridgeview, IL, 2.) John Hunley, x, x, 3.) J.J. Adams, Wonder Lake, IL, 4.) Scott Henry, Batavia, IL, 5.) Ken Lishamer, Elgin, IL

Jr. I Lite (Purple): 1.) Billy Hulbert, Chanahon, IL, 2.) Tanner Bohlen, Hortenville, WI, 3.) Jordon Thiel, Appelton, WI, 4.) Ben Stumpf, Menasha, WI, 5.) Adam Carlson, Lisle, IL, 6.) Brett Adams, West Chicago, IL, 7.) Dylan Hobbs, Sterling, IL, 8.) Ryan Marshall, Kanasasville, WI, 9.) Mason Hadley, Channahon, IL, 10.) Corey Domenick, Lombard, IL, 11.) Michael Schumacher, 12.) Tyler Peterson, Lake Gevena, WI, 13.) Destini Clark

Sr. Heavy: 1.) Anthony Danta, Orland Park, IL, 2.) Bob Chatten, E. Peoria, IL, 3.) Scott Mayborne, Belvidere, IL

Jr. III Lite (Gold): 1.) Jimmy Johnson, Lincolnshire, IL, 2.) A.J. Morgan, Darien, IL, 3.) Brian Freiberg, Lockport, IL, 4.) Matt Vice, Woodale, IL, 5.) Raymond Mooi, New Lenox, IL, 6.) Matthew Atkinson, Morris, IL, 7.) Jeff Everts, Channahon, IL, 8.) Amy Ghislain, Twin Lakes, WI, 9.) Marly Mooi, New Lennox, IL

Star Champ Kart: 1.) Jack Benson, Hoffman Estates,IL, 2.) Mike Slabenak, Jr., Cicero, IL, 3.) Johnathon Foster, Sycamore, IL, 4.) Michael Kuzniar, Hanover Park, IL, 5.) James Maher, Downers Grove,IL, 6.) Nicole Phillips, Sycamore, IL, 7.) Mark Kuzniar, Hanover Park, IL, 8.) Linda Slabenak, Palos Park, IL, 9.) Jason Krage, Addison, IL, 10.) Jacob Finney, Sycamore, IL

Sr. Lite: 1.) Jacob Humphrey, Lake Geneva, WI, 2.) Ryan Rockhold, Pekin, IL, 3.) Ricky Johnson, Lincolnshire, IL, 4.) Richard McGill, Chicago, IL, 5.) Joe Moser, Elkhorn, WI, 6.) Brandon Eash, Rockford, IL, 7.) Cale Wyse, Evansville, WI, 8.) Tiffany Wester, Hampshire, IL, 9.) Hank Sievers Jr., Lockport, IL, 10.) Bobby Atkinson, Morris, IL, 11.) Mike Kann, Arlington Heights, IL, 12.) Kevin Pearson, Elgin, IL, 13.) T.J. Mertes, Sheboygan Falls, WI, 14.) Jacob Finney, Sycamore, IL