From Tyler Altmeyer | All Star Circuit of Champions
Bill Balog goes back-to-back in the Land of Lincoln with Red Hill Raceway triumph
SUMNER, Ill. (July 23, 2023) - For the second time in as many tries, the “North Pole Nightmare” Bill Balog is a Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 main event winner, scoring his second consecutive victory with another dominating display at Red Hill Raceway in Sumner, Illinois. For Balog, who is now a five-time All Star winner over the course of his career, the victory notched another $8,000 payday, matching his Rumble on the River prize from one night prior. The former ten-time IRA Outlaw Sprint Series champion led all 30 circuits in his Red Hill triumph, surviving a single, late-race caution and a last lap threat from Kerry Madsen and Zeb Wise.
Vermeer Motorsports’ Kerry Madsen held on to finish second, followed by Rudeen Racing’s Zeb Wise, Lemoore, California’s Cole Macedo, and Clauson Marshall Racing’s Anthony Macri.
“My grandma could have driven this car tonight…it was just amazing,” Balog said. “Toward the end, I wasn’t getting through the lapped cars as well as I was at the beginning of the race. That caution with two to go actually helped us more than it hurt us. Overall, just an incredible weekend for this team. These races are so hard to win, so to get two in a row is really special. We’ll definitely celebrate this one.”
Balog’s campaign at the front of the field seemed relatively effortless, stretching his advantage to just over two seconds by the midpoint of the program. As traffic intensided, Madsen and Wise would ultimately make up ground, quickly closing the gap on Balog by the time the trio reached the two to go signal. At that time, the main event’s lone caution flag would wave, setting up a two-lap dash to the finish. Balog held strong, leaving behind the race for second.
ON DECK:
After a two-day break, Midwest action will continue with an $8,000-to-win stop in the Show-Me State, visiting Benton Speedway in Benton, Missouri, on Wednesday, July 26. Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Missouri, will host the All Star Circuit of Champions and POWRi 410 Sprints for a $6,000-to-win program on Thursday, July 27, followed by an invasion of the state-of-the-art I-70 Motorsports Park in Odessa, Missouri, on Friday, July 28. The final Missouri visit of the season will award an $8,000 payday.
Concluding the Series’ Midwest takeover, the Sprint Car Capital of the World, Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, will host “America’s Series” on Saturday, July 29, welcoming the Tony Stewart-owned organization for the first and only time in 2023. The Saturday night staple will award $8,000, simultaneously giving All Star competitors a taste of Knoxville Raceway prior to the coveted Knoxville Nationals in mid-August.
For those who can not witness the All Star Circuit of Champions live and in person, FloRacing.com, the official media partner and broadcast provider of the All Stars, has you covered. To access live and on-demand racing action from the All Star Circuit of Champions, visit FloRacing.com and become an annual PRO subscriber. Race fans can see all the USAC and dirt late-model action they want in addition to Eldora Speedway’s slate of races and those of the All Star Circuit of Champions. The subscription unlocks access to premium content across the entire FloSports network. Watch the events across all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.
A-main (30 Laps)
1. 17B-Bill Balog [1]; 2. 55-Kerry Madsen [4]; 3. 26-Zeb Wise [5]; 4. 21T-Cole Macedo [9]; 5. 7BC-Anthony Macri [7]; 6. 91-Cale Thomas [8]; 7. 29-Sye Lynch [2]; 8. 4-Chris Windom [14]; 9. 17AU-Jamie Veal [13]; 10. 97-JJ Hickle [12]; 11. W20-Greg Wilson [16]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3]; 13. 51B-Joe_B. Miller [15]; 14. 45-Tim Shaffer [11]; 15. 23B-Brian Bell [21]; 16. 28M-Conner Morrell [17]; 17. 5D-Zach Daum [22]; 18. 5E-Bobby Elliott [20]; 19. 77-Geoff Dodge [19]; 20. 33$-Shane O'Banion [24]; 21. 37-Bryce Norris [23]; 22. 16TH-Parker Price Miller [6]; 23. 99-Skylar Gee [10]; 24. 42P-Preston Perlmutter [18] LAP LEADERS: Bill Balog (1-30)
2023 All Star Circuit of Champions OWNER Standings (As of 7/23):
Clauson Marshall Racing - 3330
Rudeen Racing - 3290
Vermeer Motorsports - 3198
Lane Racing - 3160
Bryan Grove Racing - 3080
Seeling Motorsports - 2942
Bill McCandless Ford - 2864
D3 Motorsports Group - 2622
Premier Motorsports - 2224
2023 All Star Circuit of Champions DRIVER Standings (As of 7/23):
Zeb Wise - 3180
Chris Windom - 3160
Tim Shaffer - 3080
Tyler Courtney - 3023
J.J. Hickle - 2942
Conner Morrell - 2622
Sye Lynch - 2536
Scotty Thiel - 2114
Parker Price-Miller - 1850
Brent Marks - 1742
See the latest from the All Star Circuit Of Champions:
Photo's: All Star Circuit Of Champions | Mark Funderburk