CHICAGO Before getting too far into the New Year, lets recognize Chicago area track and association champions for the 2024 season.

Eddie Hoffman racked up another late model championship at the Grundy County Speedway his record ninth at the third-mile paved oval. Piloting his familiar Chevy No. 8 to two feature wins during the campaign, the second-generation racer now has 155 career wins at the speed plant. Hoffman has won five of the last seven track championships at Grundy, including two-in-a-row.

Blake Brown, James Gregait, Dave Gentile Jr and D.J. Weltmeyer finished behind Hoffman in the standings.

Grundy crowned 10 track champions. In addition to Hoffman, champions were Kevin Murphy (Mid-Am sportsman) his third career title, Ryan Dawson (street stocks), Landon Hocking (pure stocks-four cylinders), Jake Gille (Big 8 late models), David Einhaus (Crown Vic), Alex Treptow (enduro), Jason Martindale (High School Racing Assn), Jason Van His (sixers) and Hocking again (super cup).

Austin McCarty captured six feature wins on his way to winning the DIRTcar Pro Late Model title at Kankakee County Speedway. McCarty won his first Kankakee championship ahead of Chase Osterhoff and two-time division titlist Matt Hammond. Steven Brooks was the tracks modified champion, winning five times at the quarter-mile dirt oval. Jason Hastings and Travis Kohler finished behind Brooks, who was the speedways champion in 2022.

Deece Schwartz became a four-time champion of the tracks DIRTcar Pro Modified class. Also winning the championship in 2023, 2022 and 2020, Schwartz, with six feature wins to his credit, bested Ryan Kohler and Tom Knippenberg in points. Schwartz was also the DIRTcar Racing Pro Modified national champion, winning 15 features in 33 starts and grabbing his fourth straight national title.

Other Kankakee track champions were Braiden Keller (stock cars), Trevor Bitterling (factory stocks), Evan Eckhoff (sport compact), Matt Prodehl (Crown Vic) and Shannon Shutter (vintage).

Veteran Titus Sneed took home top honors in the limited late model division at Sycamore Speedway. Sneed, whose racing experience dates back to Santa Fe Speedway, captured five feature wins on the three-eighths clay oval and finished ahead of Corey Trump and four-time division champ Greg Cantrell.

Zach Zuberbier won his fourth Sycamore street stock championship, repeating titles that he won in 2022, 2018 and 2017. Other Sycamore champions were Alex Adams (pure stocks), Kevin Wolf (spectators), Brandon Ricker (socker stocks), Jaime Ricker (powder puff) and Joe Jackson (bonestock demo).

Jamie Lomax was the modified champion at Indianas Shadyhill Speedway. Lomax claimed seven feature wins on the dirt quarter-mile oval, winning his fifth speedway crown since 2018. Lomax finished ahead of Jake Straka and Jordan Danford in the final points. Jace Owens was the tracks Rebel Late Model titlist, finishing ahead of Donita Hines and Chris Joseph.

Other Shadyhill champs were Lee Hobbs (stock cars), Hayden Lomax (bombers) and Ryker Shidler (four bangers).

In its third year back as a paved raceway, Plymouth (Ind.) Speedway saw Andrew DeVrees win the tracks outlaw late model crown. Other champions at the 0.375-mile paved oval were Cody Lollar (street stocks), Jonathon Gattor (modifieds), Zeek Gaeta (front wheel drive stocks) and Derek Danley (Factory Fords).

Fairbury American Legion Speedway crowned the following DIRTcar Racing champions: McKay Wenger (late models), Austin Freidman (modifieds), Steve Mattingly (sportsman) and Braiden Keller (street stocks).

The Interstate Racing Assn winged sprint car series saw Scott Thiel win the championship, scoring four feature wins along the way. Zach Raidart claimed the Wisconsin WINGless sprint car crown. Four feature wins propelled Wisconsin speedster Parker Jones to the Badger Midget Auto Racing Assn championship.

Jim Anderson won the Midwest Mayhem Midgets championship, winning five times and finishing ahead of Nick Grommes and Jim Hines. All 10 of the series programs took place at the Grundy County Speedway.

Wisconsins Gabe Sommers captured the ASA Midwest Tour late model championship for the second straight year, winning one main event on his way to another title. Michael Bilderback claimed his fifth career Big 8 Series late model crown.

Chicagoland driver Scotty Gardner captured the Mid-Am Racing Series stock car title and was also named the series rookie of the year. Gardner won two Mid-Am headliners in 11 starts. Chase Burda was the ASA CRA Super Series titlist with Blake Rowe winning the ASA CRA Jegs All-Stars championship. Casey Roderick was the ASA STARS National Tour titlist.

Illinois Jason Feger was the DIRTcar national late model champion for the second straight year. Winning the title also in 2009, Feger won 16 features in 61 starts. Another Illinois racer, Michael Long, won the DIRTcar national modified championship.

A high-profile performer was Illinois Bobby Pierce, who won 38 times in dirt late model action. Other notable performances were Mike McKinney capturing 18 main events in modified competition, Derek Losh winning 16 times in the modifieds and Brad DeYoung visiting 15 different tracks in eight states and winning eight modified features.

The year was not without sorrow as several members of the racing community passed away including legends Fred Lorenzen and Paul Goldsmith, who both had roots in the area. Others that passed included stock car drivers Dan Herhold, Tom Pasek, Dean Cicuto, Chuck Bostick, Terry Hull, Tootie Weyrauch, Dave Pries, Rick Wilson, Larry Steen, Roger Myers, Jim Henson, John Garrett, Denny James (Kwiatkowski), Merle Perzee, Tommy Kroll, Jack Annen, Jerry Welch, Bob Meyer, Mel Dorland and Joe Brueggmann.

Midget racers and supporters who left us include Dennis Dorsey (Dori), Ed Harman, Jim Piccirilli, Bob Guess, Al Harris, Laura Shreffler, Bernie Shreffler, Mark Schuck, Eleanor Vogler and Mickey Mikuska in addition to stock car owners, mechanics and sponsors Junior Marino, Bob Suttner, Bob Doherty and Fred Roempler.

Add to the list race official George Kuecker and members of the press Phil Rider and Pete Vercauteren, along with race car lettering artist Art Dexter.