Mackenzie Piller and Michael Bilderback win top trophies in the Junior Champ Kart Classic Story and photos by John Nuttall SCHERERVILLE, IN - The Junior Champ Kart Classic, sponsored by Terry's Signs, featured the driving skills of the 8 to 15 year old Champ Kart drivers. Champ Karts are a style of go-kart that has a roll cage and 5-point harness for driver safety. The Jr. Sportsman Champs are powered by a 5 hp Briggs and Stratton engine with a restrictor plate. Mackenzie Piller won the feature event after struggling earlier in the heat races. Although Mackenzie led from start to finish, Michael Martin was on her back bumper for the entire 20-lap race. In the second pack, Zach Zinanni and Frank James Slabenak were running close enough that at times you thought you were only watching one kart. Colton Clevenger, a traditional front-runner, made a great comeback from an early accident, finishing just behind Brian Schmidt. Jessica Kudlicki rounded out this impressive field of young drivers. The second segment of the event showcased the 12-15 year old drivers in their unrestricted Briggs powered machines. The track at the New Illiana Motor Speedway was kinder to some drivers than others. Michael Bilderback, who has been a strong contender since joining the tour this year, took the feature win after holding off a number of challenges from Matt Vice. Matt tried to pass inside, outside, on the straight a ways and in the turns, but Michael held him off time and again. While the front-runners were fighting it out, the second pack of 4 including Matt Scott, Ryan Marshall, Jeremy Johnson and Alex Clubb formed up for a while to make a run at the leaders. In the last few laps of the race, the draft broke apart and it was everyone for himself. Mickey Kudlicki, the current class point's leader had a tough day getting a flat tire and leaving the race early. The top finishers were Bilderback, Vice, Scott, Marshall and Clubb in first through fifth respectively. The Champ Karts are only one part of the full class structure of the Burris Circle Tour. The Yamaha Sportsman Lite class was made interesting this week by the return of the Smaga brothers. The Smaga's ran with the tour during the middle 80's and it was great to see them back - but the current drivers are just as good. Jay Gough, continues to beat almost everyone who enters. Today, he had to work it at fending off a constant challenge from Tom Smaga. Eric Freiberg, the current points leader, dropped from third place at the start to sixth and then worked his way back up to finish third. Mike Smaga and Mike James rounded out the top five. Jay Gough made it a double for Dad's day winning the Sr. Medium in addition to the Yamaha win. Bob Chatten took home his third feature race this year by narrowly beating Joe Chiapetta in the 4 cycle Sportsman Class. This class, which is filled with the 'over-35's' who claim they 'just want to have fun', is just a close and competitive as all the others. In the early going Denise Kruse held the lead, then Chiapetta passed and looked like the day would be his. But Bob, the father of four girls and three 1year old grandchildren knows that patience pays off. In the closing laps, Bob made a great move going to the inside down the front stretch to take the lead. Chiapetta made several other challenges but Chatten held on for the checkered flag. Rob Blake slipped in ahead of Denise for third. The Briggs Heavy class, although small, featured a great duel for the entire 15 laps. Anthony Danta and Brandon Eash, are running neck in neck for the points - and also on the track. No more than a kart length separated these drivers for the entire race. Coming around the last 2 corners Danta was in the lead and Eash looked to the inside, then the outside, then side-by-side, but Danta was the man to beat today. Danta took the win and Eash finished a close second. In Jr. 1 action, Ross Kenseth, won his first feature win with the Burris Circle Tour. Last week's feature winner Ben Stumpf held the lead until the last corner when Kenseth pulled to the inside and Tyler Peterson pulled to outside, making it a drag race for the finish line. Ross held the favored line and made it stick crossing inches ahead of Stumpf and Peterson. Aaron Katzenberg and Tyler Middleton were fourth and fifth respectively. Jr. 3 Lite was the biggest class of the day with Adam Carlson, Jeff Everts and Tanner Bohlen winning the top three spots. Carly Mandarino has the right set up for the narrow corners at the new Illiana Motor Speedway and built a comfortable lead over Clay Kleim, Trevor Raisbeck and Brian Ellis. We are getting so used to great racing in the Sr. Lite Class that on any given week, any of the top 6 drivers could come out on top. This week Joe Moser spanked the younger guys, winning comfortably. A.J. Morgan, Jake Humphrey, Richard McGill and Ryan Rockhold took second through fifth. Mike Slabenak and Aaron Phillips were at each other all day with Mike winning by the slimmest of margins. Jim Maher finished third. Overall, we had a great celebration of Father's Day under beautiful skies and shared a day of close, competitive racing. The next stop on the Burris Circle Tour is Sunday, June 30th at Lake Geneva Raceway, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. All of the details about the series are posted at www.karts.net/burriscircle. The Burris Circle Tour is proud to be a cornerstone series in the Burris National Speedway Series and a member of the International Racing Association family.