Local Auto Racing: Eddie Hoffman has a pointed decision to make

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Updated: January 23, 2012 3:13AM

With his feature victory Friday night at Grundy County Speedway, Eddie Hoffman took the points lead away from John Nutley.

How long he keeps it might be more up to him than anybody who might be able to beat him.

Hoffman has a big decision coming up Aug. 5, when the ASA Midwest Tour makes a stop at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. It’s been on his calendar since the ASA Midwest schedule was released.

Missing a night at this point in the season not only would cost Hoffman the points lead at Grundy, it’d probably put him out of contention for the division crown.

Should he stay or should he go?

Hoffman, who will take a 951-937 points lead into Friday night’s action, says he isn’t sure which way the team hauler will head Aug. 5.

“Actually, it’ll be more up to the guys (on the race team) than me,” Hoffman said. “I’ll leave it to whatever they want to do. If we were to do any good at Newton, they (ASA Midwest) are at Hawkeye Downs the next week and we’d probably go there, too. But we don’t know yet.”

Hoffman has been there, done that with Grundy late-model titles, capturing them in 1997 and 2004. But he said he’d be glad to make room for another trophy.

Nutley, meanwhile, is comfortably ahead of third-ranking Billy Knippenberg (883 points), but hasn’t been able to find his way into feature victory lane.

Irritating?

“Yeah, I mean you always come here to win,” Nutley said. “You don’t come here to finish second. We’ll get it sooner or later. My mom always told me that good things come to those who wait. Even if I only win one feature and win the championship I’ll be happy. Heck, I’ll be happy with a championship and no features.”

One for the ages

Saturday’s late-model feature at Illiana Speedway was as unique as it was classic.

The winner was 54-year-old Danny Darnell, the son of nationally renowned racer Bay Darnell and father of current NASCAR competitor Erik Darnell. The runner-up was 18-year-old D.J. Weltmeyer, the son of multitime Chicago-area late-model champion Dave Weltmeyer.

“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” said Darnell, who inherited the lead with just three laps remaining when Blake Brown got into the back of leader Hoffman, sending him spinning around in Turn 4. Both were sent to the back.

Darnell himself was almost spun around just after the restart by Anthony Danta, but made a fantastic save. Weltmeyer almost got him on the final lap, but Darnell was able to hang on while Weltmeyer edged Danta for second by 0.005 seconds.

Other “lucky” winners over the weekend were Kevin Gentile, who benefited from a crash in Friday night’s Mid-Am feature at Grundy that took out not only leaders Billy Rud and Ray Brackett, but also third-running Ron Willems. John Senerchia also had a win handed to him when Chris Sanda was DQ’d after the street stock main for having illegal wheels.