Last Moment Action Decides Big 8 Winner at Madison by Kevin Ramsell, Big 8 Series PR
Miller Bests Bilderback in Exciting Show
Jeremy Miller and Michael Bilderback got the large crowd on hand at Madison International Speedway on their feet as the two put on a classic short track battle in the Big 8 Series presented by Gandrud Chevrolet feature event. At the checkers, it was the defending champion holding off the young pilot.
Bilderback led most of the 38-lap event, while Miller made a hard charge at the end. "I kinda used Mikey up there. He was pinching me on the bottom and I got a better run than him and he was slowing up, so I gave him a little nudge just to move him back where he belonged. It was a racing thing," Miller described his last lap move as the two came out of turn two.
Bilderback wasn't to upset with the move, "We started burning off our right rear, we were getting real loose off of the corner," Bilderback stated. "He got into me a little bit, but you know its racing."
Bilderback wasn't mad at Miller either, "No, that's a racing move, everybody got to do it once in a while, so it's just friends."
Bilderback took the lead on lap 19 when early leader Tyler Sauter got loose coming off of turn four, allowing Bilderback to get by him on the inside. At that time Miller worked his way to fourth after starting 12th.
With 12 laps to go, Miller got on the inside of Sauter for second and, a lap later, he would set his sites on Bilderback. Miller was on his bumper with five laps to go and the race was on to the finish.
Defending MIS track champion, Bobby Wilberg would come third with second generation driver, Skylar Holzhausen finishing fourth.
Ross Kenseth finished fifth in his MIS debut under the watchful eye of his father, Matt.
A total of 43 Big 8 Series cars were on hand for a great early evening of racing.
The Big 8 Series presented by Gandrud Chevrolet will return to MIS on Tuesday, June 24th as part of The Swiss Colony All-Star Challenge event.
RESULTS
BIG 8 SERIES
MADISON INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
A-Main 01 -- 1. Jeremy Miller, Rockton; 2. Michael Bilderback, South Beloit; 3. Bob Wilberg,
Town of Beloit, Wis; 4. Skylar Holzhausen, Bangor, Wis; 5. Ross Kenseth, Spring Valley;
6. Ryan Carlson, Loves Park; 7. Tyler Sauter, Necedah, Wis; 8. Nathan Oppliger, Oregon,
Wis; 9. Andrew Kulka, Deerfield, Wis; 10. Brady Liddle, Oregon, Wis; 11. Matt Berger,
Loves Park; 12. Jeff Steenbergen, Waupun, Wis; 13. Chad Stevens, Orfordville, Wis; 14.
Mark Miller,
Columbus, Wis; 15. Russ Blakeley, Whitewater, Wis; 16. Steve Dobbratz, Rio, Wis; 17.
Ryan Miles, Crystal Lake; 18. Matt Byrne, Burlington, Wis; 19. Todd Schmitz, Verona,
Wis; 20. Chris Purdy, West Bend, Wis; 21. Mike Ehde, Prairie du Chien, Wis; 22. Ryan
Goldade, Stoughton, Wis; 23. John Baumeister, Jr., Lake Geneva, Wis; 24. Scott Broughton,
Stoughton, Wis; 25. Andy Niles, Holmen, Wis; 26. Jason Erickson, Fort Atkinson, Wis.
Last Chance "A" 01 -- 1. Brady Liddle, Oregon, Wis; 2. Jeff Steenbergen, Waupun, Wis; 3. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 4. Todd Schmitz, Verona, Wis; 5. Ryan Miles, Crystal Lake; 6. Mike Ehde, Prairie du Chien, Wis; 7. Russ Blakeley, Whitewater, Wis; 8. Ty Reedy, Holmen, Wis; 9. Becca Kasten, Germantown, Wis; 10. Keith Tolf, Union Grove, Wis; 11. Tyler Bauknecht, Reedsville, Wis; 12. Tim Springstroh, Kaukauna, Wis; 13. Andy Niles, Holmen, Wis; 14. Mike Taylor, Stoughton, Wis; 15. Tyler Kelley, Oregon, Wis; 16. Zach Fossum, LaCrosse, Wis; 17. Curt Thompson, Ft. Atkinson, Wis; 18. Vern Fagenberger, Bloomingdale; 19. Wes Coon, Nekoosa, Wis; 20. Kevin Kneuse, Waukesha, Wis; 21. Ed Szelagowski Jr, Westfield, Wis.
Heat 01 -- 1. Andrew Kulka, Deerfield, Wis; 2. Steve Dobbratz, Rio, Wis; 3. Todd Schmitz, Verona, Wis; 4. Jeff Steenbergen, Waupun, Wis; 5. Ryan Miles, Crystal Lake; 6. Curt Thompson, Ft. Atkinson, Wis; 7. Ty Reedy, Holmen, Wis; 8. Tim Springstroh, Kaukauna, Wis; 9. Keith Tolf, Union Grove, Wis; 10. Wes Coon, Nekoosa, Wis; 11. Russ Blakeley, Whitewater, Wis; 12. Tyler Kelley, Oregon, Wis; 13. Zach Fossum, LaCrosse, Wis.
Heat 02 -- 1. Chris Purdy, West Bend, Wis; 2. Mark Miller, Columbus, Wis; 3. Brady Liddle, Oregon, Wis; 4. Ed Szelagowski Jr, Westfield, Wis; 5. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 6. Mike Ehde, Prairie du Chien, Wis; 7. Becca Kasten, Germantown, Wis; 8. Tyler Bauknecht, Reedsville, Wis; 9. Andy Niles, Holmen, Wis; 10. Mike Taylor, Stoughton, Wis; 11. Vern Fagenberger, Bloomingdale; 12. Kevin Kneuse, Waukesha, Wis.
Time Trial -- 1. Jeremy Miller, Rockton; 2. Matt Byrne, Burlington, Wis; 3. Bob Wilberg, Town of Beloit, Wis; 4. Scott Broughton, Stoughton, Wis; 5. Ryan Carlson, Loves Park; 6. Ryan Goldade, Stoughton, Wis; 7. Ross Kenseth, Spring Valley; 8. Michael Bilderback, South Beloit; 9. Skylar Holzhausen, Bangor, Wis; 10. Jason Erickson, Fort Atkinson, Wis;
11. Tyler Sauter, Necedah, Wis; 12. Nathan Oppliger, Oregon, Wis; 13. John Baumeister, Jr., Lake Geneva, Wis; 14. Chad Stevens, Orfordville, Wis; 15. Russ Blakeley, Whitewater, Wis; 16. Kevin Kneuse, Waukesha, Wis; 17. Steve Dobbratz, Rio, Wis; 18. Mark Miller, Columbus, Wis; 19. Andrew Kulka, Deerfield, Wis; 20. Chris Purdy, West Bend, Wis; 21. Ty Reedy, Holmen, Wis; 22. Brady Liddle, Oregon, Wis; 23. Todd Schmitz, Verona, Wis; 24. Ed Szelagowski Jr, Westfield, Wis; 25. Wes Coon, Nekoosa, Wis; 26. Mike Ehde, Prairie du Chien, Wis; 27. Curt Thompson, Ft. Atkinson, Wis; 28. Matt Berger, Loves Park; 29. Ryan Miles, Crystal Lake; 30. Andy Niles, Holmen, Wis; 31. Jeff Steenbergen, Waupun, Wis; 32. Becca Kasten, Germantown, Wis; 33. Keith Tolf, Union Grove, Wis; 34. Tyler Bauknecht, Reedsville, Wis; 35. Tim Springstroh, Kaukauna, Wis; 36. Mike Taylor, Stoughton, Wis; 37. Tyler Kelley, Oregon, Wis; 38. Vern Fagenberger, Bloomingdale; 39. Zach Fossum, LaCrosse, Wis; 40. Tim Sargent, South Beloit; 41. Steve Strasburg, Janesville, Wis; 42. Kyle Jarlsberg, Cambridge, Wis; 43. Jon Minor, Stoughton, Wis.
The next event will be on Tuesday, June 24th at Madison International Speedway.
Jeremy Miller's winning #5 car. (Mark Melchiori Photos)
The podium finishers were all smiles after the Madison race.
