The Vault
1998 – KENEALY TOPS CHILTON, NABS GRAND NATIONAL POINT LEAD
Posted on: Monday February 23, 2026
KENEALY TOPS CHILTON, NABS GNS POINT LEAD by Joe Verdegan
(pulled from the Sept. 10, 1998 edition of Midwest Racing News)
(CHILTON, WI) Sept. 4 – Kevin Kenealy continued his mastery of the Calumet County Speedway by claiming his fourth grand national sportsman feature win Friday night. Kenealy also took over the point lead in the division.
Kenealy started from the final row in the 17-car field and immediately began picking cars off one by one. Terry Van Roy, who held the point lead heading into the evening, exchanged the lead a handful of times before a caution for debris on lap nine tightened up the field.
When racing resumed, Matt Yancey joined the chase up front with Van Roy and Bernie Schommer. By lap 15, Kenealy had worked his way up to fourth and battled with the top three cars.
Van Roy’s recent sour luck at the speedway continued when a blown rear end halted his night on lap 19. It was the third-straight week that Van Roy had mechanical problems while leading the feature.
When racing resumed, Kenealy and Schommer resumed their battle for the lead, swapping the first position three times in the waning laps. Kenealy pulled ahead of Schommer by a fender to take his fourth feature flag of the year. Schommer turned in his finest performance of the season by placing second. Randy Rahn, Yancey and Jeff Steinke followed.
Tim Frerichs led wire-to-wire en route to his first 20-lap WIMSA mini-sprint feature win of the campaign.
Jim Rychtik won the time-shortened 11-lap Pro 4 feature. Rychtik led all 11 laps on the way to posting his second triumph of the year.
Jesse Schneider picked up his third mini-stock main event win of 1998 and Jared Siefert took the win in the street stock headliner.
Next Friday, Sept. 11, is the final scheduled point night of racing for all five divisions. The fifth annual Chilton Fall Colors Classic, featuring eight divisions of competition, will wrap up the racing season at the track Friday Oct. 2 and Saturday Oct. 3. A raindate of Sunday night, Oct. 4 will be used if needed.
SUMMARY
GRAND NATIONAL SPORTSMAN
FEATURE – Kevin Kenealy, Huburtus; Bernie Schommer, Chilton; Randy Rahn, Brillion; Matt Yancey, Sheboygan Falls; Jeff Steinke, Kiel
SEMI-FEATURE – Jim Parrish, Waldo; Eric Braun, Bucktown; Dean Gosse, Howards Grove; Davin Horneck, Kiel
HEATS 1ST) Parrish; Ed Reinke, Reedsville 2ND) Kevin Ruh, Cedarburg; Tim Weber, Chilton 3RD) Louie Denzow, Fredonia; Terry Van Roy, Darboy 4TH) Rahn; Yancey
Dash – Kenealy
Fast Time – Kenealy, 15.985
MINI-SPRINT
FEATURE – Tim Frerichs, Two Rivers; Mike Kerscher, Fredonia; Matt Mercier, Menominee Falls; Craig Gravatt, Whitefish Bay; Matt Roebuck, Gurnee, IL
HEATS 1ST) Russ Wetenkamp, Newton; Mercier 2ND) Ty Bartz, Howards Grove; Scott Sippel, Elkhart Lake
Fast Time – Sippel, 12.821
PRO 4
FEATURE – Jim Rychtik, Fredonia; Al Derks, Combined Locks; Scott King, Appleton; Ray Vanderlinden, New Holstein; Joe Verheyen, Greenleaf
HEATS 1ST) Rychtik; Dan Dippel, Plymouth 2ND) Brian Besaw, Omro; Vanderlinden
Fast Time – Ron Besaw, Omro, 16.542
MINI-STOCK
FEATURE – Jesse Schneider, Chilton; Mike Dietzen, Milwaukee; Shannon Kramarcyk, Hilbert; Chris Kees, Chilton; Bob Schneider, Chilton
HEATS 1ST) Don Bonlander, New Holstein; J. Schneider 2ND) Chuck Meyers, Chilton; Dietzen
STREET STOCK
FEATURE – Jared Siefert, Green Bay; Bob Danes, New Holstein; Ryan Kessler, Fond Du Lac; Tim Mueller, New Holstein; Shawn Van Ooyen, Appleton
SEMI-FEATURE – Siefert; Eric Vander Loop, Manitowoc; Tony Schwengel, Cedarburg; Chris Lange, Forest Junction
HEATS 1ST) Danes; Tim Dyer, New Holstein 2ND) Steve DeKerf, Chilton; Rick Eigenberger, Cleveland 3RD) Mueller; Tim Doehling, Winneconne