Good morning!

Here's an added article in your email boxes and Facebook feeds. Nearly two generations ago - 42 years ago today, in fact - Al Schill Sr. earned his first victory in a Late Model touring series. That came in the old ARTGO Challenge circuit at Rockford Speedway, a historic bullring which closed for good last October (photo courtesy Midwest Racing Archives).

For this Thursday Throwback we caught up with Schill, who still lives in the Badger State and runs Al's Auto Salvage with his son-in-law Norman LaRose. Click on the large-type link below! Also at the bottom of this email is another photo of a Rockford reflection, and it's a reminder to support your local short track before it's too late.

We'll be back in 2024 for tomorrow's Friday Features edition, looking closely at some of the competitors from the season opener at Nashville TN. Thank you for reading!

Above: Al Schill (left) is shown with Tom Jones (center) and Illinois Stock Car Hall of Fame founder Art Fehrman at a 2023 event. Schill won the Spring Classic at Rockford Speedway in Loves Park IL in 1982, and Jones finished second. (photo from Fehrman's collection)

Below: Here's the view of Rockford Speedway as of April 1. The historic bullring held its final races last October and has been sold to a developer, and the demolition is scheduled for sometime later in 2024. (photo from longtime Rockford racer and two-time track champion Alex Papini)

Late Model Digest - April 11, 2024 (Thursday Throwback - Al Schill 1982)