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Senerchia Looks To Defend Turf On Memorial Day
By Matt Panure
(Fort Atkinson, WI) May 17, 2006 - Any fan who frequents the Grundy County
Speedway in Morris, Illinois is more than likely familiar with the #77
Mid-American sportsman driven by Johnny Senerchia. Senerchia is a regular
front runner who will look to defend his place at the top as the Mid-American
Stock Car Series is set to invade “Illinois Finest Third-Mile High Banked
Paved Oval Track” on Monday, May 29th. Senerchia is currently the point
leader at Grundy over Mid-American hot shoe Jeremy Bloomberg of Hampshire
Illinois and is second in the Mid-American Stock Car Series, a mere two points
behind Lyle Nowak of Wausau, Wisconsin.
Mid-American drivers may see Senerchia as the man to beat at Grundy, “I race
there every week, so I might have a little advantage,” said Senerchia.
However, Senerchia realizes that the task of winning on Memorial Day may be
easier said than done, “(The series drivers) know how to put their stuff
together, and there are a couple of guys at Grundy that are fast too.”
Perhaps those “couple of guys” that Senerchia is referring to would
include 2004 track champion at Grundy, Dave Gentile Jr. from Elwood, Illinois.
Gentile edged out Senerchia to win the feature on May 5, Gentile’s first
night of racing in the 2006 season. Senerchia may also be referring to Jeremy
Bloomberg, who throughout his career has won multiple features at Grundy and
Lake Geneva.
However, it is Senerchia who would seem to be on the hot streak. Senerchia’s
last 5 starts in Mid-American style races have resulted in two wins(Lake
Geneva 10/2/05, Rockford 10/29/05), two second place finishes (Rockford
4/2/06, Grundy 5/5/06), and a fifth (Grundy 4/28/06).
Senerchia proved he will be a force to be reckoned with among Mid-American
Series drivers at Rockford’s Spring Opener as he advanced through a tough
field of competitors from an 8th place starting spot to a second place finish.
By the time Senerchia passed Scott Null of Lake Mills, Wisconsin for second,
the amount of real estate between he and eventual winner Lyle Nowak was too
great to overcome. Does Senerchia think he had enough to pass Nowak on that
overcast and slightly humid Sunday afternoon? “I might have been there, I
don’t know if I would have gotten by him, it’s so tough to pass there on
the bottom,” said Senerchia. Had he been able to catch Nowak, Senerchia
states that he would not have used any overly aggressive tactics to secure the
win, “I didn’t really want to touch him to get by him, I didn’t want to
start bad blood between everybody.”
Senerchia is still undecided as to whether or not he will run the Mid-American
Series in its entirety, “My decision is that I was going to make it after
Grundy, I’m leaning towards it,” he said. Senerchia enjoys the competition
and goodwill of fellow Mid-American Series drivers. “These guys know that
sometimes you have to run two nights in a row, you feel safer,” said
Senerchia. As for whether or not Senerchia thinks he could be the 2006
Mid-American series champion he responded, “Everything would just have to
fall into place, I feel like I have the equipment to win, but it’s just the
luck of the draw sometimes.”
Memorial Day may indeed be a decisive one for the driver of New Lenox,
Illinois. Senerchia will continue the quest to “have everything fall into
place” when he takes on fellow competitors of the Mid-American Stock Car
Series at the Grundy County Speedway on Monday May 29th. To receive a
competitor entry form, e-mail mid-amracing@compufort.com
or call 920-723-9831. For more information on the Mid-American Stock Car
Series visit www.midamericanracing.com.
For more information on Senerchia go to shorttracknews.com/Jthunder.html.
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