1985 - Al Schill Repeats in ARTGO Stocks

Al Schill won the prestigious Spring Classic at Rockford Speedway.

 

 

Rockford, Ill. (April 12, 1985) - Making it two in a row on the ARTGO Challenge Series circuits, Al Schill won the eighth annual Spring Classic at Rockford Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

The rain delayed, 85-lap feature saw Schill, point leader of the Midwestern stock-car circuit, wheel his Pontiac Firebird to his second challenge series win of the new season. The 40-year-old speedster, winner in last year’s National Short Track Championships at the Rockford oval, now has four career victories on the ARTGO late-model tour.

Taking over the lead from Steve Holzhausen on the 59th circuit, Schill went on to win with a commanding margin over Holzhausen. Trailing on the high banked quarter-mile paved oval were John Ziegler, Larry Schuler, Rich Bickle Jr. and the afternoon’s fastest qualifier, Joe Shear.

“That yellow flag helped,” said Schill after the when. “The tires cooled, and I was ready to go for it (the lead),” he added. “He (Holzhausen) was having a little handling trouble coming off the corner, and I just got alongside him enough to take the lead,” Schill said.

Holzhausen led from the start with Schuler giving chase. Schill, with Ziegler in pursuit, got by Schuler for second and moved in on Holzhausen first shot at the lead.

After a lap 58 yellow flag, Schill wasted little time going for first place, charging under Holzhausen on lap 59. She'll quickly pulled away building a commanding lead.

Steve Seligman captured the 20 lap semi-feature advanced to the main event. The semi-feature was red flagged when 1984 rookie of the year, Scott Hansen, and Doug Herbst crashed into the wall the first lap. Hansen's Pontiac Firebird did a slow rollover. Hansen escaped injury in his crew was able to repair the car for the feature.


Results –


1. Al Schill
2. Steve Holzhausen
3. John Ziegler
4. Larry Schuler
5. Rich Bickle Jr.
6. Joe Shear
7. Tom Musgrave
8. Fred Campbell
9. Steve Burgess
10. Mike Van Sparrentak
11. Don Leach
12. Terry Baldry
13. Ted Musgrave
14. Axel Dahlberg
15. Steve Carlson
16. Frank Gawlinski
17. Steve Seligman
18. Scott Hansen
19. Roger Lund
20. Jim Holland