2017 CID Spring Nostalgia
Summer Scorch at CID Spring Nostalgia
Central Illinois Dragway
By Bob Wilkiewicz
Nostalgia Super Stock Inc. Staff
Photos by DanRicksPhotos.com
HAVANA, Ill. – After patiently waiting for the track to cool down, Nostalgia Super Stock Inc. displayed three sessions and a final runoff of sizzling heads-up match race action at the Central Illinois Dragway Spring Nostalgia Meet on Saturday, June 3.
The afternoon weather was sunny and hot with ambient air temperatures into the 90‘s and track temperatures in excess of 130F. However, most everyone was pleased that the atmosphere was dry.
The company decided to lay low in the pits, stay in whatever shade could be found, and not come out individually during the open test and tune period between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m.
However, apparently practice wasn’t needed as the 12-car field eventually featured five races decided by 0.004 seconds or less and 10 individual racers among 10 match races eligible by 0.0452 seconds or less for the Chicago-style two-car final runoff.
The final featured Milt Schreindl in the ‘Full Tilt’ 1965 Dodge against Kevin Wilson in the ‘Wilson & Son’ 1963 Chevrolet.
Milt Schreindl near lane VS John Roussett far lane
Kevin Wilson far lane VS Wayne Keimig near lane
Wilson prevailed 0.0879 and 6.1353 at 110.79 mph to Schreindl’s 0.2479 and 6.2381 at 109.74 as he was needled about earning Rich Berlisk’s ‘Best Suntan Award’ for a shift light which remained on the entire 1/8-mile.
“She spun in every gear,” said Schreindl, who continued his remarkable stretch of consecutive events and sessions, more than 100, into three years.
For Wilson, the win was welcome after overcoming some medical issues and breakage problems with the car over the past two seasons.
“I am very pleased to be out here again and performing well,” said Wilson, who runs a W-design motor in his show quality car.
Wayne Keimig was the most consistent performer, clocking runs of 6.4122, 6.3672 and 6.3850 in the ‘Kansas Comet’ 1964 Mercury with Ford 427 FE power in his first event of the season. Late last year he was hampered by ignition breakup at high engine speeds, which was solved with distributor modifications.
John Grinwald far lane vs Ernie Keppler near lane
Brad Shoemaker
Low elapsed time was 5.6230, posted by John Grinwald in the ‘Asphalt Elephant’ 1962 Dodge, which also clocked top speed at 122.62 mph. Nearby was the ‘White Warrior’ 1963 Pontiac Tempest of Ernie Keppler, who went 5.6452 at 122.53 mph in the second session and then edged Grinwald 5.7730 at 122.53 mph to 5.7851 at 122.60 mph in round three.
Also, Brad Shoemaker ‘shoed’ his ‘Iron Injun’ 1963 Pontiac Tempest to 5.8350 in the first round and improved to 5.7909 in the third try.
How close was the racing? Of the 10 pairings which competed for the final, the total margin was 0.1526 seconds, making the average difference 0.01526 seconds, including four margins under 0.0090 seconds.
Throw out the high pair of 0.0452 and the remaining nine totaled a difference of 0.1071 seconds, making the average margin 0.0119 seconds.
Meanwhile, the final minute of today’s basketball or hockey games are clocked in 0.1 second intervals.
As the hot afternoon cooled into a pleasant evening, track manager Jeff Laeseke was smiling while watching the cross-track hillside fill up with spectators sitting in lawn chairs and tailgate down pick up truck boxes.
In addition to the nostalgia show, Laeseke was also hosting a full bracket racing program. “This is good,” he said. “We’ve been needing these conditions and finally got them.”
Howard Crull near lane vs Dennis Sherer far lane
Ryan Eads near lane vs Doug Henderson far lane
Roster
Howard Crull, Fieldon IL, 1965 Plymouth; Dennis Sherer, Roscoe IL, 1963 Ford; Ryan Eads, Emden IL, 1964 Plymouth; Doug Henderson, Columbia MO. 1964 Plymouth; John Rousset, Columbia MO, 1963 Plymouth; Wayne Keimig, Atchison KS, 1964 Mercury; Milt Schreindl, Waterford WI, 1965 Dodge; John Grinwald, Watertown WI, 1962 Dodge; Kevin Wilson, Tupelo MS, 1963 Chevrolet; Brad Shoemaker, Sherman IL, 1963 Pontiac; Ernie Keppler, Spaulding IL, 1963 Pontiac; Larry Quinn, Springfield IL, 1962 Pontiac
Session One 4:35 p.m.
Crull 7.24 v Sherer 6.87; Eads 6.55 v. Henderson 6.57; Keimig 6.41 v. Rousset 6.37; Schreindl 6.46 v. Wilson 6.24; Shoemaker 5.83 v. Keppler 6.39; Grinwald 5.73 v. Quinn 5.97
Session Two 7:18 p.m.
Crull 7.04 v. Sherer 6.79; Eads 6.81 v. Henderson 6.97; Keimig 6.36 v. Wilson 6.16; Schreindl 6.17 v. Roussett 6.25; Shoemaker 7.74 v. Quinn 5.90; Keppler 5.64 v. Grinwald 5.62
Session Three 9:05 p.m.
Crull 6.97 v. Henderson 6.56; Eads 6.46 v. Sherer 6.74; Keimig 6.38 v. Rousset 6.35; Shoemaker 5.79 v. Wilson 6.20; Quinn red light no time v. Schreindl red light no time;
Keppler 5.77 v. Grinwald 5.78
Final 9:45 p.m.
Wilson 6.13 v. Schreindl 6.23