LM: Madison results 2005-05-28

Bryan Reffner makes hometown fans happy, wins the Bryden Motors 100 for the ASA Late Model Series at Madison.

The ASA Late Model Series Presented by GM Performance Parts invaded the Madison (WI) International Speedway in Oregon, Wisconsin Friday night as a stellar 49-car field checked into to do battle on the ½ mile high-banked paved oval. When all was said and done, Stevens Point, Wisconsin veteran, Bryan Reffner delighted the hometown crowd by winning the Bryden Motors 100.

Doug True and Tom Gille led a stout 26-car field to the green flag and it was another veteran driver of Madison wars, Tom Gille pacing the field for the first 27 laps. That was until current series point's leader; Stephen Leicht motored around on lap 28 to take over the top spot. Bryan Reffner began his charge to the front from his 11th starting spot and soon found himself on Leicht's back bumper and the two commenced to battling, dicing through lapped traffic, and making daring moves all around the ½ mile. Finally on lap 43, Reffner made his move and took over the lead. Leicht never strayed to far behind and stayed on Reffner's back bumper up until lap 84 when Leicht dropped a valve and slowed. Reffner had no trouble the rest of the way as the veteran Wisconsin driver, a former series champion in the now defunct ASA National tour delighted the hometown fans with his first win in the ASA Late Model Series Presented by GM Performance Parts in his first ever start! Leicht limped home second and maintains the series point's lead. Landon Cassill finished third and climbs into second place in the season long point's chase while Bobby Wilberg, Ryan Carlson, Chad Wood, Dan Lensing, new Pat Bourdow Memorial Rookie of the Year point's leader, Brian Campbell, True, and Bobby Stremme completed the top 10.

Earlier in the evening, after a two hour rain delay, Cassill won the Motive Gear Pole award as he set fast time over the stellar 49-car field with a lap measured at 18.157 which averages out to 99.135 MPH around the Madison speed plant. In the GM Performance Parts 25-lap Shootout, Janesville, Wisconsin's Jesse Saunders earned a hard fought win over Kris Stump, Brett Piontek, Bob Varney, and Joey Dennewitz, the top five.

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