The Vault
APRIL 7, 1993 – HANSEN HOT IN ARTGO 150 AT ROCKFORD
Posted on: Thursday November 14, 2024
Photographer Doug Hornickel captured this victory lane pic of Scott Hansen at Rockford Speedway. (Doug Hornickel photo)
HANSEN HOT IN ARTGO 150 AT ROCKFORD
(REPRINTED FROM THE APRIL 7 EDITION OF CHECKERED FLAG RACING NEWS)
(ROCKFORD, IL) – Scott Hansen of Green Bay, WI charged into the lead on the 44th lap and never looked back at the Rockford Speedway Sunday afternoon to win the 16th annual ARTGO Spring Classic 150.
Hansen, who was sidelined most of last year with a broken leg, has been hot in recent weeks, scoring a major NASCAR win in Nashville, TN two weeks before recording his first ARTGO win in over two years.
Tracy Schuler survived an early race incident to finish second in front of Steve Carlson, Rick Beebe and Jim Weber. In earlier qualification runs, Weber, who won this race last April, blazed an all-time record Rockford late model lap of 12.850 seconds (81.712 mph).
“I’d like to dedicate this win to my friend Alan (Kulwicki),” a somber Hansen said following the race. Hansen, whose Gerry Gunderman owned ASA team races out of the same garage Kulwicki last used when in Milwaukee, then climbed back in his race car and took a reverse Polish victory lap.
Hansen drove a black Ford Thunderbird in Sunday’s race for a new car owner Rick Scalzo of Rice Lake, WI. It was Scalzo’s first win on the ARTGO tour. Hansen plans to drive this car in approximately 10 ARTGO cards this year with the Gunderman car being used in another half dozen.
A near record field of 48 ARTGO Challenge Series late models participated in the opening day cards which was run in frigid conditions just 72 hours after a major spring storm.
Hansen was pelted with snowballs in victory lane after the win. He had won this race in 1990. Matt Kenseth, who had led from the drop of the green until Hansen took over, drilled the infield pit wall in the 112th lap and was eliminated from the event.
Rounding out the top ten were Joe Shear in sixth, followed by Tom Carlson, Steven Holzhausen, Kevin Servais and Dick Harrington.
Kenseth had his sights set on his second career ARTGO win after being one of the quickest cars in practice both Friday night and Saturday. He dropped from first to eighth on the lap Hansen grabbed the lead.
Thirteen drivers who are eligible for the recently announced Chicagoland Driving Championship raced Sunday with Tracy Schuler’s runner-up finish, boosting him into the lead in that new race within a race. Schuler won the Grundy County Speedway track title in 1991. The ARTGO tour next visits Grundy with an April 17th 100 lap special.
Schuler’s older brother Larry was extremely fast in practice, but he belted the wall in time trials and then after 50 laps in the event event was knocked out of the race in a three-car incident also involving Chicagoland drivers Dave Weltmeyer and Mike Varner. Varner restarted to finish 17th, Weltmeyer and Schuler were 23rd and 24th in the final rundown, respectively.
The late John Quinn, longtime Checkered Flag Racing News publisher/editor, caught this skirmish at Rockford. (John Quinn photo)
Sunday’s special program was slowed by numerous accidents, however no injuries were reported. The first of five heat races required three red flags before the first lap was completed.
All of the ARTGO “stars and cars” will return to the Rockford track on Sept. 25 and 26 for the 28th Annual Winston Short Track Championships. That tour races next on April 17 at the Grundy County Speedway northwest of Chicago.
SUMMARY
ARTGO CHALLENGE SERIES – 16TH ANNUAL SPRINGT CLASSIC 150
1-10: Scott Hansen, Green Bay; Tracy Schuler, Joliet, Il., Steve Carlson, West Salem, WI; Rick Beebe, Shawnee, KS; Jim Weber, Roseville, MN; Joe Shear, Clinton, WI; Tom Carlson, La Crosse, WI; Steve Holzhausen, Bangor, WI; Kevin Servais, New Franken, WI; Dick Harrington, Plainwell, WI
11-20: J.R. Roahrig, South Bend, IN; Ron Breese Jr, De Kalb, Il; Tim Cox, Park City, IL., Neil Callahan, Merrill, WI; Kevin Cywinski, Mosinee, WI; Gary Krueger, Edgerton, WI; Mark Varner, Riverdale, IL., Rick Spencer, Goshen, IN; Matt Kenseth, Cambridge, WI; Bobby Wilberg, Stoughton, WI
21-26: Tony Strupp, West Bend, WI; Tony Raines, Bigler, PA; Dave Weltmeyer, Dyer, IN; Larry Schuler, Minooka, IL.: Al Schill, Franklin, WI; Ed Holmes, Portage, WI
Qualifications: Jim Weber, 12.850 (81.712 mph), NTR (old was 12.964 seconds set by Mike Garvey Brooks, KY on Sept. 22, 1990); Steve Carlson, 13.108
Heats – First – Schill; Mike White, Chicago, IL.; Second Breese Jr.; Dudley Fleck, Cedar Rapids, IA; Third – Spencer; Tom Carlson – Fourth – Hansen; Raines – Fifth – Strupp; Cywinski
First Last Chance: Tom Carlson; Varner; Tom Martin, Kalamazoo, MI; Jerry Wood, Madison, WI; Ricky Bilderback, Rockton, IL.; Mike Alsobrook, Warrenville, IL.
Second Last Chance: Dave Weltmeyer; Roahrig; Fleck; Al Schill Jr., Franklin, WI; Holmes; Pierre Goulet, Mason, MI
Attendance: 5,477 (weekend)