By Jordan Kuehne

LOVES PARK, Ill. (Sunday, October 4th, 2009) -- 16-year-old Ross Kenseth did his famed father one better tonight, running away with the 44th annual National Short Track Championships BRP Big 8 Series presented by Gandrud Chevrolet 'Loves Park Motorsports 108' at the Rockford Speedway, and in the process, adding his name to the storied list of National Short Track Champions, a list that doesn't include his NASCAR Champion father, Matt Kenseth. The rapidly rising star set a Big 8 Series single season record with his fourth feature victory of 2009 and tied Jeremy Miller for the most career Big 8 Series victories with his sixth Big 8 win. Kenseth started on the outside of the front row, took the lead on lap eight and never looked back, pacing the 25-car field over the final 100 laps to wear the wreath, claiming his second big win at Rockford in two months and adding yet another chapter to his phenomenal season. Kenseth's fourth Big 8 Series victory of the season wasn't as easy as he made it look, as the young driver had to battle a tight race car and contend with veteran Kyle Jarlsberg before taking the checkers. Kenseth extended his Big 8 Series points lead as well heading into the season finale next weekend at Oktoberfest.

Bobby Wilberg grabbed the early lead in the BRP Big 8 Series presented by Gandrud Chevrolet 'Loves Park Motorsports 108'. Wilberg immediately came under fire from Big 8 Series points leader and rising star Ross Kenseth as the race got off to a quick start.

The caution flew on lap six for a spin by Ed Szelagowski Jr. in turn four, bunching the field back up again. Wilberg got loose in turn three two laps after the restart, allowing the up and coming Kenseth to take away the lead as he looked for his fourth Big 8 Series win of the season. Kyle Jarlsberg began pressuring Wilberg for second as the second caution of the evening flew for a Kyle Lapier spin on lap 14.

Kenseth, Wilberg, Jarlsberg, Ricky Bilderback and Tim Sargent broke away from the 25-car field on the restart, creating a five car freight train out front. The freight train didn't last long as Wilberg commenced his attack on Kenseth for the lead, diving to the bottom before his right front tire exploded on lap 23, sending him careening into the wall before coming to a halt against the turn two wall.

Jarlsberg inherited second on the restart and closed up on Kenseth's bumper in two laps, setting up the points leader as he looked for the lead. His chance was dashed when the caution came out again for an unassisted Kyle Shear spin with 33 laps completed, bunching up the field for another restart. On the restart, Jerry Gille pushed past two-time defending Big 8 Series champion Jeremy Miller for fifth as John Baumeister Jr. followed Gille up to sixth.

Kenseth continued to steadily pace the field when the third place points man, Scott Broughton, spun around on the frontstretch with 51 laps in the books. Broughton's night was over early after he suffered a mechanical failure on the restart. Out front, Jarlsberg slowly crept closer to Kenseth's back bumper at the halfway mark as the young driver slipped up in turn three. Kenseth managed to maintain a steady cushion on Jarlsberg as he began feeling the heat from Ricky Bilderback for second.

Jon Reynolds Jr. used the outside line to jump two positions, working his way by John Baumeister Jr. and Jerry Gille to push himself into the top five with 25 laps remaining. Kenseth continued to hit his marks, edging away from Jarlsberg and Bilderback as he looked to pad his points lead heading into the final race of the season for the Big 8 Series. The 16-year-old rising star successfully manuevered through lapped traffic as his lead held steady with 15 laps to go.

Jarlsberg mounted a final charge for the crown, throwing his powerful machine deep into the corners as he tried to chase down Kenseth. The Jefferson Speedway veteran ran out of time though, as Ross Kenseth held on to claim his fourth Big 8 Series feature victory of the season, extending his points lead to a comfortable margin of 101 points over second place Jeremy Miller in the process.

Kenseth battled a tight car all night long but solidified himself in history with his win, wearing the wreath just two months after collecting the ASA North Series 'All-Star 100'. "It wasn't the best car but it wasn't the worst car either," stated an excited Kenseth in victory lane. "I knew Jarlsberg was there the whole time and I just didn't want him to get close, so I got it out of the turns as smooth as I could with a tight car and held on. It was a good starting position and we had a nice car by the time the race was over. Rockford's a good track to race at, I'm coming around."

Jarlsberg, Bilderback, Sargent and Reynolds Jr. rounded out the top five.

The next event for the BRP Big 8 Series presented by Gandrud Chevrolet is the season's final race, the 'Oktoberfest 48' at LaCrosse Speedway in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Kenseth will carry his 101 point lead over Jeremy Miller into the season finale as the 16-year-old rising star looks to secure his first Big 8 Series championship.

Big 8 Series Limited Late Models

A-Main 01 -- 1. Ross Kenseth, Spring Valley; 2. Kyle Jarlsberg, Cambridge, Wis; 3. Ricky Bilderback, Rockton; 4. Tim
Sargent, South Beloit; 5. Jon Reynolds, Jr., Machesney Park; 6. Jerry Gille, Roscoe; 7. John Baumeister, Jr., Lake
Geneva, Wis; 8. Jeremy Miller, Rockton; 9. Andrew Kulka, Deerfield, Wis; 10. James Swan, Lake Geneva, Wis; 11.
Brady Liddle, Oregon, Wis; 12. Steve Dobbratz, Rio, Wis; 13. Wayne Freimund, Elkhorn, Wis; 14. Chris Blawat, Eagle,
Wis; 15. Mark Hartline, Gilberts; 16. Ed Szelagowski Jr, Westfield, Wis; 17. John Paul Odegaard, Brooklyn Center,
Minn.; 18. Scott Broughton, Stoughton, Wis; 19. Kyle Lapier (r), Belvidere; 20. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 21. Bob Wilberg,
Town of Beloit, Wis; 22. Jacob Gille, Winnebago; 23. Michael Bilderback, South Beloit; 24. Tyler Peterson, Lake
Geneva, Wis; 25. John Knaus, Rockford.

Last Chance "A" 01 -- 1. Kyle Lapier (r), Belvidere; 2. Tyler Peterson, Lake Geneva, Wis; 3. Wayne Freimund, Elkhorn,
Wis; 4. Chris Blawat, Eagle, Wis; 5. Mark Hartline, Gilberts; 6. John Beinlich (r), Prairie View; 7. Brad Becker,
Burlington, Wis; 8. Joe Darnell, Machesney Park; 9. Tory Adams, Madison, Wis; 10. Brandon Eash (r), Rockford; 11.
Casey Johnson, Stoughton, Wis; 12. Bobby Kendall, Montello, Wis; 13. David Russell (r), Rockford; 14. Lincoln Keeser,
Johnson Creek, Wis; 15. Kevin Seidler, Adams, Wis; 16. Dave Edwards, Salem, Wis; 17. John Wood, Sun Prairie, Wis.

Heat 01 -- 1. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 2. Brady Liddle, Oregon, Wis; 3. Michael Bilderback, South Beloit; 4. Kyle Lapier (r),
Belvidere; 5. Wayne Freimund, Elkhorn, Wis; 6. Mark Hartline, Gilberts; 7. Brad Becker, Burlington, Wis; 8. Bobby
Kendall, Montello, Wis; 9. Kevin Seidler, Adams, Wis; 10. Lincoln Keeser, Johnson Creek, Wis; 11. Casey Johnson,
Stoughton, Wis; 12. Rich Hinerichsen, II, Machesney Park.

Heat 02 -- 1. John Paul Odegaard, Brooklyn Center, Minn.; 2. Ed Szelagowski Jr, Westfield, Wis; 3. Jacob Gille,
Winnebago; 4. Tyler Peterson, Lake Geneva, Wis; 5. Brandon Eash (r), Rockford; 6. John Beinlich (r), Prairie View; 7.
Tory Adams, Madison, Wis; 8. Joe Darnell, Machesney Park; 9. David Russell (r), Rockford; 10. Chris Blawat, Eagle,
Wis; 11. John Wood, Sun Prairie, Wis; 12. Dave Edwards, Salem, Wis.

Time Trial -- 1. Jon Reynolds, Jr., Machesney Park; 2. Tim Sargent, South Beloit; 3. John Knaus, Rockford; 4. Ricky
Bilderback, Rockton; 5. Jeremy Miller, Rockton; 6. Kyle Jarlsberg, Cambridge, Wis; 7. Ross Kenseth, Spring Valley; 8.
Bob Wilberg, Town of Beloit, Wis; 9. Jerry Gille, Roscoe; 10. Scott Broughton, Stoughton, Wis; 11. Steve Dobbratz, Rio,
Wis; 12. Andrew Kulka, Deerfield, Wis; 13. James Swan, Lake Geneva, Wis; 14. John Baumeister, Jr., Lake Geneva,
Wis; 15. Jacob Gille, Winnebago; 16. Brady Liddle, Oregon, Wis; 17. Casey Johnson, Stoughton, Wis; 18. Ed
Szelagowski Jr, Westfield, Wis; 19. Kyle Shear, Roscoe; 20. John Paul Odegaard, Brooklyn Center, Minn.; 21. Wayne
Freimund, Elkhorn, Wis; 22. Dave Edwards, Salem, Wis; 23. Michael Bilderback, South Beloit; 24. John Wood, Sun
Prairie, Wis; 25. Kyle Lapier (r), Belvidere; 26. Tyler Peterson, Lake Geneva, Wis; 27. Rich Hinerichsen, II, Machesney
Park; 28. Chris Blawat, Eagle, Wis; 29. Mark Hartline, Gilberts; 30. Brandon Eash (r), Rockford; 31. Bobby Kendall,
Montello, Wis; 32. John Beinlich (r), Prairie View; 33. Brad Becker, Burlington, Wis; 34. Tory Adams, Madison, Wis; 35.
Lincoln Keeser, Johnson Creek, Wis; 36. Joe Darnell, Machesney Park; 37. Kevin Seidler, Adams, Wis; 38. David
Russell (r), Rockford; 39. Vern Fagerberg, Bloomingdale; 40. Don Wickstrum, Monroe, Wis.