Berryman tops HOSS field in Illiana action

Doug Berryman of Fremont, OH, passed Hank Lower on lap seven and never looked back, winning the Hoosier Outlaw Sprint Series/Marathon 30 lap feature on the Illiana Speedway half mile Saturday evening. Berryman (Rebman 1R) crossed ahead of teammate Joe Rebman (77), Denny England (84), Jason Fuller, D&B Racing 40, and Hank Lower (MHE 37).

Racing on Saturday rather than the Fridays of years past, the HOSS contingent poured into the Illiana pit area alongside the regular Saturday night racers at Chicagoland’s only asphalt short track. With five divisions on the racecard, action was the name of the game early and often. The weather was again postcard perfect with temperatures in the lowest 80’s throughout the midday. Hotlaps times were watched closely with stopwatches clicking out near record laps under wispy afternoon clouds. Everyone was eager to see what qualifying could bring after last year’s event harpooned the all time lap record, dropping it over one half second.

The sprint cars were push started from the infield quarter mile track for their qualifying efforts and from the first car out the track record was shaken. Chris Jagger (27) of Milford, IN, posted a 17.27 lap followed shortly by Sondi Eden (Batts 6) at 17.067 seconds. The track was prime for a record and Jason Fuller’s cannon shot lap of 16.300 put sent the crowd to its feet. The Buckeye Bandit Joe Rebman brought his formidable RTS 77 black stallion to the push off mark. Joe’s first lap broke Fuller’s mark but the second lap drove the Mansfield, Ohio, hotshoe into uncharted territory as he became the first driver ever to turn a lap in the fifteen second bracket. His time of 15.928 seconds swooned the entire speedway and propelled the driver into super favorite standing throughout the grandstands. Rebman’s amazing lap won him the Indy RV Center Fast Qualifier Award.

After the National Anthem and invocation, a group assembled at the start/finish line for a brief ceremony. Brittany Spera, a young race fan with cerebral palsy, was presented with a special chair to assist her in her studies and comfort. The chair is a youth driver’s racing seat fitted to a four-leg base. It is complete with race belts from a sprint car. Driver John Witter (28) supplied the chair and belts while weekday welder Jerry Caryer (75c) fabricated the base. Additional help came from many others in this effort to support a big race fan in a little body.

Heat race action began as a beautiful sunset graced the western sky. Front row starters Sam Davis and Dale Wood brought the field around but as the green went into the air Sam’s car dropped the inside wheels off of the speedway surface. The cars behind were able to check up and Davis’ yellow 43 slid down the front stretch unscathed and ending up in the infield. On the restart second row starter Ron Koehler brought the black number 10 alongside Wood’s blue 46. Koehler took command and went on to win the heat narrowly defeating fast qualifier Rebman and Sondi Eden.

The second heat aligned Tom Paterson (11) and John Witter on the front row. The green flag flew and the field descended into turn one where Paterson lost control and connected with the other outside wall. He was OK but the racecar sustained significant damage. After a red flag for cleanup efforts the field formed up with Chris Jagger (27) moving up to the front row. The race resumed with Denny England picking up the win ahead of Hank Lower and Jerry Caryer. Paterson and company would repair the Jenkins Automotive number 11 to start the feature.

The third heat saw Roger Anderson (17) and Ed Kenens (35) pace the field. Kenens controlled early before Michael Tarlton got by. Tarlton would lead until late in the race when Doug Berryman found his way past. Later inspection revealed Tarlton’s machine had developed mechanical ills and was happy to finish second. Greg Wheeler (Swanson 7) was scored third.

The feature 30 lap race lined up just after intermission. Teams topped off the tanks under instructions that there would be no option of a ’fuel stop’ red flag. The front row paired Greg Wheeler and Hank Lower with Jason Fuller and Doug Berryman ahead of Denny England and Joe Rebman for the Super Six inversion. The field formed the four wide parade lap and the race fans waved and cheered the field off for the start. HOSS Flagman ’Termite’ Dale Bolinger showed the green flag and the pavement kings with wings were on their way. Lower took the early lead over Wheeler and Berryman. The Super Six rode out the early laps nose to tail as the fuel load made maneuvering to pass a challenge. On lap seven Doug Berryman passed Lower’s 37 to take the lead in traffic. The leaders remained very close as many fans were still standing from the race’s start moments before. Joe Rebman leapt into fourth place at the start and closed to third by bettering Wheeler a few laps later. Lower began to fade allowing Rebman to gain second and set sail after teammate Berryman. While Berryman controlled up front, Jason Fuller and Denny England were battling for fifth until encountering Lower’s machine. An exciting three way race for space ensued and on lap 22 England fiercely disposed of both Lower and Fuller. The leaders were far ahead but England close considerably before the checkered flag brought Doug Berryman his first HOSS/Marathon feature win of 2004. The 30 lap event last eight minutes and 34 seconds!

“ I have to thank Bruce (Rebman) and this Rebman Truck Service team for working their butts off,” Berryman related in victory lane. “They have worked so hard for this and now we got a win.” Berryman called to the stands, “Did you like that?” and the ground shaking response was an overwhelming approval. Runner up Joe Rebman described his earlier qualifying lap for the crowd. “It was pretty wild. I knew it was a good lap and then the car was sliding sideways off of (turn) four. I’m sure you all saw the tire smoke!”

The Rebman team performance was as impressive behind the scenes as it was in victory lane. Joe Rebman crashed heavily in racing action last weekend and arrived in unfamiliar equipment. Practice inspection revealed a cracked front axle on the Berryman car requiring immediate replacement.

Race results Illiana Speedway August 7, 2004:

Lead changes for feature: Hank Lower thru 7 laps, Doug Berryman 8-30

Qualifications-NTR 1)#77-Joe Rebman-15.928; 2)#84-Denny England; 3)#1R-Doug Berryman; 4)#40-Jason Fuller; 5)#37-Hank Lower; 6)#7-Greg Wheeler; 7)#10-Ron Koehler; 8)#75C-Jerry Caryer; 9)#9-Michael Tarlton; 10)#6-Sondi Eden; 11)#27-Chris Jagger; 12)#81-Mike Blake; 13)#46-Dale Wood; 14)#28-John Witter; 15)#35-Ed Kenens; 16)#43-Sam Davis; 17)#11-Tom Paterson; 18)#17-Roger Anderson; 19)#38-Ted McKibben

Heat One- 1) 10-Koehler; 2) 77-Rebman; 3) 6-Eden; 4) 40-Fuller; 5) 46-Wood; 6) 43-Davis

Heat Two- 1) 84-England; 2) 37-Lower; 3) 75C-Caryer; 4) 28-Witter; 5) 27-Jagger; 6) 11-Paterson

Heat Three-1) 1R-Berryman; 2) 9-Tarlton; 3) 7-Wheeler; 4) 35-Kenens; 5) 81-Blake; 6) 38-McKibben; 7) Anderson

Feature: 1) 1R-Berryman, 2) 77-Rebman, 3) 84-England, 4) 40-Fuller, 5) 37-Lower, 6) 75C-Caryer, 7) 10-Koehler, 8)6-Eden, 9) 7-Wheeler, 10) 9-Tarlton, 11) 81-Blake, 12) 28-Witter, 13) 27-Jagger, 14) 46 Wood, 15) 17-Anderson, 16) 35-Kenens, 17) 38-McKibben, 18) 43-Davis, 19) 11-Paterson (8:34.110)

Scott Stine, Announcer