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Topic: 2008 IRA Champion - Bill Balog
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Page 1 of 1 of 3 replies
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September 28, 2008 at
10:01:35 PM
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Joined:
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03/12/2006
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Posts:
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85
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Congratulations to Bill, crew and sponsors.
Balog registered quick time at Shawano, and lead passing points at Oshkosh, with a season long qualifying average of 9th. Won 7 heats, 2 B-mains (Dodge Co and Charter), did not miss an IRA A-main with 10 top 5s, 8 top 10s - 2 A-main wins (Dodge Co. and Rice Lake) and an average A-main finishing position of 7th, and the hard-charger award from 20th to 9th at Britt.
Just a bit of drama at the IRA finally in Plymouth, with Neitzel, only 65 points behind Balog, loosing a drive line in qualifying which lead to missing his heat and a clinched Balog championship for the start of the A. A heated battle between Kristan and Hepfner for the lead ended with the two getting together down the front stretch and Kristan taking a scary-wild ride. Michigan/All Star 410er Chad Blonde came from 6th to get past Hepfner for the win.
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September 29, 2008 at
06:18:04 PM
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Joined:
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06/07/2007
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197
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Way to go Bill. It was great to see a new face atop the point standings this season, one that had not been there before. I don't know Bill personally (even though I live in Cameron, WI where Bill resided for sometime), but he seems to be an honest, hard racer. Never seen him do anything dirty on the track, always a clean driver who knows how to save his equipment.
It was really great to see Bill run the Knoxville Nationals too. You don't normally see many IRA guys attempt the nationals although several did this year. Bill got tangled up in a huge wreck in the B-main one of the nights after transferring through the C-main. It was the same wreck Jeff Shepard was in. Bill made repairs and ran the next night. That's a sign of someone special. He ran the biggest race of the year when he did not have to. He took the chance of destroying his car while he was leading the IRA points. But, he took that chance because he appears to want to become the best he can be. Racing in the biggest race of the year against the best drivers in the world makes him, or any driver, that much better and that much more respected.
Thanks to all the IRA drivers for another awesome year of racing. I did not make it to as many races as in the past, but the ones I went to were enjoyable as always.
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September 29, 2008 at
08:01:09 PM
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Joined:
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12/05/2004
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465
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Good job Billy!
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September 29, 2008 at
09:28:40 PM
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Joined:
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11/26/2004
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1879
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Congratulations
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