By: Tom Ace
This Friday night July 26, the Big 8 Late Model Series returns to
State Park Speedway in Wausau Wisconsin for the eighth time in Series
history.
Through the years, the tricky bullring nestled at the base of Rib Mountain has produced some of the best racing and most fantastic
finishes on the Big 8 Series schedule.
This year’s Big 8 showcase includes drivers from four different states who’ve won a combined 25 track or series championships and have
accounted for 36 Big 8 Series feature wins.
Leading the charge is current Big 8 Late Model Series point leader Michael Bilderback, a former two-time winner of the Detjens Memorial
Race (2015 and 2017). Bilderback has finished no worse than fourth in his three previous appearances at State Park Speedway. Along with
holding the Series point lead, Bilderback is also the current point leader at the Rockford Speedway on Saturday nights.
A couple other past champions of the Big 8 Detjens Memorial, ‘Driver X’ Jon Reynolds Jr and Michael Ostdiek, are also entered for the 2019
version of the event. Reynolds is the reigning Detjens Memorial champion after outgunning Ostdiek for the win one year ago. Reynolds
was also victorious at State Park in 2014, a season which saw Reynolds collect three Big 8 wins and his first Rockford Speedway track
championship. Ostdiek is a very skilled driver and especially on the Wausau oval, garnering three career wins at the track including his
only Big 8 Series win back in 2016. The Lakeville Minnesota native has finished first, third and second in his three Big 8 Series starts at
State Park Speedway.
The winner of the most recent Big 8 Series race, Dale Nottestad, is looking for more this Friday night. Nottestad, a multi-time Jefferson
Speedway and Madison International Speedway champion, has made two previous trips to State Park Speedway, garnering a second place finish
in 2013 and a fourth place result in 2014. Nottestad’s win at Madison back in June capped off a dominant night, which saw him also collect
fast time honors.
Other Big 8 Series regulars looking to escape Wausau with the winners trophy include Hawkeye Downs winner Nick Egan, Minnesota hotshoe Chad
Walen and Iowa teenager Brody Willett. Those drivers will be joined by local favorites Neil Knoblock and Jeremy Lepak in their quest for
glory, along with numerous other talented drivers.
Lepak figures to be especially hungry to win Friday evening, as the two-time National Short Track Champion has been close several times
before during Detjens Weekend. Lepak has finished runner-up in the Big 8 event at State Park Speedway a remarkable three times. The Wausau
native was runner up during the inaugural Big 8 appearance in 2012 while also finishing second in the 2016 and 2017 installments of the
race.
EVENT DETAILS:
What: “Larry Detjens Memorial”
Where: State Park Speedway (5711 North Mountain Road Wausau, WI 54401)
When: Friday July 26
Schedule and Information:
3 PM- Pits Open
4 PM- Practice Begins (Big 8 Practice 4-4:20 & 4:50-5:10)
6:10 PM- Big 8 Series Qualifying
7 PM- Racing Begins
Divisions Competing:
Big 8 Late Model Series (complete show highlighted by a 58 lap feature)
Plus Mini Stocks, Mini Mods & Bandoleros
Admission Prices:
Adults- $15
Children (Ages 6-12)- $8
Kids (Ages 5 & under)- FREE
Big 8 Late Model Series
Larry Detjens Memorial
Expected Entries
(as of 7/24/19)
O2- Rayce Haase Wausau, WI
OO- Brody Willett Alburnett, IA
2- Michael Bilderback South Beloit, IL
X- Jon Reynolds Jr Loves Park, IL
13- Nick Egan Slinger, WI
14- Devyn Stocker Farmington, MN
16- Luke Westenberg Jefferson, WI
18- Michael Ostdiek Lakeville, MN
40- Tom Gille Winnebago, IL
40- Jeremy Lepak Edgar, WI
49- Jerry Mueller Richfield, WI
51- Justin Neisius Rosemount, MN
51- Dale Nottestad Cambridge, WI
52- Chad Walen Prior Lake, MN
53- Jared Duda St Michael, MN
58- Tyler Kingery Prior Lake, MN
70- Neil Knoblock Wausau, WI
92- RJ Braun Wales, WI
93- Dillon Mackesy Athens, WI
Big 8 Late Model Series Point Standings
(as of June 29 2019)
1. Michael Bilderback 218
2. Brody Willet 181
3. Nick Egan 172
4. Chad Walen 161
5. Justin Neisius 156
6. Jerry Mueller 154
RJ Braun (R) 154
8. Dale Nottestad 129
Luke Westenberg 129
10. Riley Stenjem 122
REMAINING 2019 BIG 8 LATE MODEL SERIES SCHEDULE:
Fri July 26- Larry Detjens Memorial Race (State Park Speedway, Wausau WI)
Tues Aug 6- Dixieland Delight (Wisconsin Int’l Raceway, Kaukauna WI)
Sat Sept 21- ‘Thunderstruck 93’ (Elko Speedway, Elko New Market, MN)
Sat Sept 28- 54th Annual National Short Track Championships (Rockford Speedway)
Sat Oct 5- 50th Oktoberfest Race Weekend (La Crosse Fairgrounds
Speedway, West Salem, WI)