Story by Tony Baranek
As tough as he is, Boris Jurkovic was back behind the wheel just three months after a very serious crash at Berlin Raceway in 2021.
Getting back to victory lane has been more elusive.
Friday night at Grundy County Speedway, Jurkovic soaked in success for the first time in five seasons. The 56-year-old Fort Myers, Fla. resident had a brilliant run in winning the first annual "Ed Hoffman 111."
The race was held in honor of Hoffman, who won 72 feature races and six track championships at Grundy, and 98 features and seven titles at Illiana Speedway.
The event was also Race 5 in the "Six-Pack Summer Shootout" for the super late models. Race 6 will be the "Bettenhausen Memorial" as part of the 2 day event, Sept. 18 & 19.
In Friday's race, Jurkovic used the outside groove to take the lead from Rich Bickle Jr. after a lap 27 restart. He went on to win in a tremendous battle with another former track champion, D.J. Weltmeyer.
During the second half of the race, Jurkovic and Weltmeyer ran in close quarters. They touched bumpers several times. Jurkovic refused to surrender the bottom, while Weltmeyer waited patiently for an opening that never came.
The difference at the finish was 0.200 seconds. Eddie Hoffman came on late to finish third, followed by Anthony Danta, Keith Tolf and Ricky Baker.
"It was a good night," Jurkovic said. "We've been working really hard on the car. Finally, we feel like we're getting competitive again. It's been a long road. I'm proud of my guys. They are really working hard to help me out.
"Once I got the lead all I thought was, 'Park it.' I had a lot of grip off, and it was tight. I protected the bottom, and came off the corner straight and hard. D.J. did what he had to do to try to get by me, and I did what I had to do to stay in front of him.
"D.J. drove a great race. Hats off to those guys. I couldn't be more proud of D.J. and his father (Dave Weltmeyer). They are a mom and pop deal, and for them to be as fast they are every night... is just awesome."
The second-place finish - along with setting fast qualifying time - allowed Weltmeyer to close up points-wise in a title battle with division leader Baker. He also earned many plaudits for his tenacious, but clean run while trying to beat Jurkovic.
"Yeah, there was a couple of times where we almost had something," Weltmeyer said. "There were times when he was bad and I was good, and when he was good and I was bad. It just didn't line up.
"We worked our way through a fast group of cars. We're racing hard out there. It's hard to make something happen when he is glued to the bottom without taking him out. I wanted to finish, and race him as hard and clean as I could."
Jurkovic? He was sweating pretty profusely in the tech line. He was expecting to be wiping his eyes later on as well.
"It's pretty emotional. I'm sure I'll be crying by the end of the night," Jurkovic said, smiling. "It's unbelievable. I'm getting older, and those wins are hard to come by. Now I finally feel like we're back. And we'll be giving them hell until we don't."
The Crown Vic and street stock divisions ran double features, with four different winners in each of the races.
Indiana native Zoey Czubak won the first Crown Vics feature of her career with a power show in the first 20-lap event. The 17-year-old came from the second row to take the lead from Richard Shouse on lap 5.
She was leading with 12 laps remaining when she was spun to the infield by division leader Eddie Ligue. Ligue tapped out, however, allowing her to restart the race at the front of the field. Czubak didn't slow down the rest of the way, beating Ben Goebl by 0.665 seconds. Third went to Matt Chester, ahead of Ligue, Trey Olson and Luke Rominski.
"I didn't expect it (the contact with Ligue) when I went for that ride," Czubak said, laughing. "It kind of came out of nowhere. The rest of the way I had no worries. Just smooth and fast.
"This feels great. It feels wonderful. We've been working for this moment."
In the second race, Ligue left no doubt. The defending track champion took the top spot on lap 2 and basically cruised. Eric Ferrara finished second, ahead of Rominski, Czubak, Olson and Chester.
"We had the wrong tires on the wrong spot in the first race," Ligue said. "We were just trying something different. After I came in, I told the guys 'Let's put the tires back the way they were.'
"In the second race we were pushing a little bit in the beginning, but we were able to get ourselves rolling and we were good to go."
Ligue was also the "honorable" racer of the night, for tapping out after the incident in the first race with Czubak.
"Yeah, she got a little sideways and I tapped her a little bit," Ligue said. "She didn't counter-steer it back and she went around. It was funny, I told her before the race that I was going to put a bumper on her when we go and she'd better get going.
"When we came in after the race I said, 'Didn't I tell you I was going to do that?' She and her dad were laughing. She's a very good kid. She's learning really well, and she's doing an excellent job out there."
Kristi Preisler had a wire-to-wire run up front in the second street stock feature. She had some challenges from Sal Lozano, but held on during a tense final few laps. Shaun Quinn Jr. was third, followed by Brandon Reed, Chad Bayuk and Zak Chanda.
It was Preisler's second career street stock win, after several in the pure stocks.
"I couldn't see anyone behind me because I don't have any mirrors - which is probably a good thing," Preisler said, smiling. "I just needed to go straight, and make sure I was running clean and not chopping anybody.
"It was my first win without my parents. That's a little hard. But let's be honest. They had the best view!"
In the first street stock feature, Chad Bayuk worked his way past a stubborn Reed on lap 13, and did some fender bending with Chanda before coming out with the victory. Chanda held on for second, ahead of Reed, Lozano, Quinn and Mike Glenn.
"Ha ha... it was a little rough out there," Bayuk said. "There was a little bit of blocking going on, a little bit of getting roughed up, but we were able to take it.
"I don't fault the No 50 (Reed) for doing what he had to do to hold his position. That's racing. The 31 car (Chanda) ran me clean. It was a struggle and we had a little bit of door action, but once again that's racing. We all know how that goes."
SUMMARY
Super Late Models
Fast time: D.J. Weltmeyer (14.480)
111-lap feature: 1. Boris Jurkovic, 2. D.J. Weltmeyer, 3. Eddie Hoffman, 4. Anthony Danta, 5. Keith Tolf, 6. Ricky Baker, 7. Kyle Shear, 8. James Gregait, 9. Jake Weinreich, 10. Jeff Wakeman, 11. Kamden York, 12. Jake Gille, 13. Caleb Adrian, 14. Rich Bickle Jr., 15. Scott Koerner, 16. Larry Schuler, 17. Clay Curts, 18. Stan Zolodz, 19 Vince Cooper.
Street Stocks
Fast time: Chad Bayuk (16.970)
1st 20-lap feature: 1. Chad Bayuk, 2. Zak Chanda, 3. Brandon Reed, 4. Sal Lozano, 5. Shaun Quinn Jr., 6. Mike Glenn, 7. Renee Farren, 8. Kristi Preisler, 9. Aaron Vines, 10. Darrell Gay, 11. Eric Kewitz, 12. Race Olson.
2nd 20-lap feature: 1. Kristi Preisler, 2. Sal Lozano, 3. Shaun Quinn Jr., 4. Brandon Reed, 5. Chad Bayuk, 6. Zak Chanda, 7. Mike Glenn, 8. Aaron Vines, 9. Renee Farren, 10. Darrell Gay.
Crown Vics
Fast time: Eddie Ligue (19.131)
1st 20-lap feature: 1. Zoey Czubak, 2. Ben Goebl, 3. Matt Chester, 4. Eddie Ligue, 5. Trey Olson, 6. Luke Rominski, 7. Eric Ferrara, 8. Roger Daigger, 9. Stephanie Nossum, 10. Greg Taylor, 11. Griffin Stiles, 12. Richard Shouse, 13. Mike Slabenak, 14. Ken Norbut.
2nd 20-lap feature: 1. Eddie Ligue, 2. Eric Ferrara, 3. Luke Rominski, 4. Zoey Czubak, 5. Trey Olson, 6. Matt Chester, 7. Ben Goebl, 8. Roger Daigger, 9. Richard Shouse, 10. Greg Taylor, 11. Griffin Stiles.