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Panitzke Gets First Career Win In I-94 Raceway Opener
By Dean Reller
SAUK CENTRE, MN (May 12, 2007) - Wet weather pushed the start of the season
back one week, but it was well worth the wait for Nick Panitzke, who dominated
the ASA Super Late Model Feature at the I-94 Raceway in Sauk Centre. Panitzke
grabbed the lead from the start as he moved by pole sitter Eugene Dick in turn
one. Rookie Michael Hoeft brought out an early caution when he spun in turn
four. Panitzke took the restart and had to contend with Joey Johnson for seven
laps, before fast qualifier Zac Davids moved into second and challenged for
the lead. The race for the top spot was side-by-side for a couple of laps
before Corey Flynn brought out the final caution of the race on lap 14.
Panitzke again handled the restart as Davids and Johnson gave chase. The final
half of the race saw Panitzke pull to a comfortable advantage as he went on to
take his first career win in style, leading flag-to-flag. Davids ran a strong
second, while Johnson rounded out the top three.
Tim Olson took the Walt Johnson Construction Ultimate Challenge and started at
the rear of the field. Olson managed to work his way up to finish fourth. Next
week’s Walt Johnson Construction Ultimate Challenge will be worth $200 for
the driver who opts to start from the rear of the field and wins the ASA Super
Late Model Feature.
After not giving his Modified too much attention over the off-season, Joey
Johnson tore apart the competition in the 40 lap Modified Feature. Johnson
snatched the lead from Tony Grams on the start and quickly began to pull away
from Grams and Kevin Woeste. Mark Pew brought out the lone yellow of the race
when he spun near the halfway mark of the race. During the caution, Grams left
the track with an oil leak, ending his first night in a new ride. When the
action resumed, Johnson again began to pull away. Woeste tried to track him
down, but didn’t have enough to catch him as Johnson took the wire-to-wire
win.
Jake "The Snake" Varnum found success in the latter half of last
year and he continued that momentum as he won the first Legends Car race of
the year. Scott Petty took control from the start, but Varnum stepped things
up right away as he took the lead on lap three as Petty dropped from the race
with mechanical problems. Matt Hendrickson then hustled into second, with Tim
Brockhouse and Patrick Brejcha right behind. Justin Kort spun on lap 12, to
bring out a caution. Varnum took the restart with Hendrickson right alongside.
Varnum used the high groove to his advantage as he held on to the lead.
Brockhouse made a charge with five laps remaining but it was to no avail as
Varnum hung on for the win over Brejcha and Brockhouse.
Jerry Messer showed off his Championship style as he won the Thunder Car
Feature. Jason Schroepfer, sporting a new paint scheme, took the lead with
Messer hot on his tail. The fight for the lead heated up as Schroepfer had
Messer running next to him for several laps, before Messer finally managed to
take the point. Lance Stueve caught up with the front pair and the top three
ran close the last half of the race. Messer didn’t budge one bit the entire
way as he went on take the win over Stueve and Schroepfer.
The UCAR class debuted it’s new format with three divisions of cars
competing in one race. Dean Peterson moved by Jim Eblen on lap four and then
carefully worked his way through traffic to capture the overall race win and
the top spot in the Pro-4 Truck division. Dan Bolstad finished second overall,
but was tops in the 4-Tracker division. Michael Lofquist was the top finisher
in the Just 4 Fun division.
Saturday night May 19th will be Armed Forces night at the races. All Military
Personnel with a valid identification will be admitted FREE! Anyone wearing
camouflage to the races will receive a discounted admission. The IMCA Old
Timers will be racing in addition to the regular program of ASA Super Late
Models, Modifieds, Legends Cars, Thunder Cars and UCARs.
Spectator gates open at 5:30, with qualifying set to begin at 6, followed by
the first race of the night at 7 PM. Race fans are encouraged to tune into
"Speed Talk at I-94 Raceway, presented by Chris & Rob’s Chicago’s
Taste Authority" every Saturday night from 6-6:30 on AM 1390 KXSS, The
FAN, St. Cloud. For more information about I-94 Raceway, check the track’s
official web site www.i94raceway.com.
I-94 Raceway Results May 12, 2007
ASA Super Late Models
First Heat
1. Eugene Dick (Watkins) 2. Joey Johnson (Alexandria) 3. Nick Panitzke (Sauk
Centre) 4. Rob Dubnecay (Maple Grove) 5. Jon Olson (Hamel) 6. Zac Davids
(Apple Valley) 7. Tim Olson (Hamel)
Second Heat
1. Tyler Sjoman (Alexandria) 2. Corey Flynn (Alexandria) 3. Benny VanCleve
(Prior Lake) 4. Bob White (Spring Lake Park) 5. Bill Rode (Hudson, WI) 6. John
Gottwald (Paynesville) 7. Jim Larkin (Monticello) 8. Michael Hoeft (Champlin)
Fast Qualifiers
1. Zac Davids (16.813 sec.) 2. Jon Olson (16.961 sec.) 3. Tim Olson (16.991
sec.)
Feature
1. Nick Panitzke 2. Zac Davids 3. Joey Johnson 4. Tim Olson 5. Rob Dubnecay 6.
Bill Rode 7. Benny VanCleve 8. Eugene Dick 9. Corey Flynn 10. Bob White 11.
Tyler Sjoman 12. Jon Olson 13. Jim Larkin 14. John Gottwald 15. Michael
Hoeft-DNF
Modifieds
First Heat
1. Jeff Rohner (Willmar) 2. Joey Johnson (Alexandria) 3. Shawn Koranda
(Alexandria) 4. Jonathan Olmscheid (Elrosa) 5. Mark Pew (Garfield) 6. Cody Lee
(Starbuck)
Second Heat
1. Kevin Woeste (Waite Park) 2. Tony Grams (Zimmerman) 3. Steven Maloney
(Alexandria) 4. Danny Edenloff (Alexandria) 5. Tony Robertson (Kimball)-DNF 6.
Joe Karl (Osakis)-DNF
40 Lap Feature
1. Joey Johnson 2. Kevin Woeste 3. Jeff Rohner 4. Shawn Koranda 5. Jonathan
Olmscheid 6. Steven Maloney 7. Tony Robertson 8. Danny Edenloff 9. Cody Lee
10. Mark Pew-DNF 11. Tony Grams-DNF 12. Joe Karl-DNF
Legends Cars
First Heat
1. Jake Varnum (Morris) 2. Jeff Ryan (Grand Forks, ND) 3. Matt Hendrickson
(Albany) 4. Mark Skjerven (Oakdale) 5. Justin Kort (Elizabeth) 6. Chris Henry
(Sauk Centre) 7. Tim Brockhouse (Mound)-DNF 8. Dirk Henry (Sauk Centre)-DNS
Second Heat
1. Al Jacobsen (Coon Rapids) 2. Joe Kostreba (Sauk Centre) 3. Patrick Brejcha
(Alexandria) 4. Beau Barry (Underwood) 5. Kasey Kurtz (Perham) 6. Ryan
Schleusner (Hector) 7. Scott Petty (Elk River)-DNF
Fast Qualifiers
1. Matt Hendrickson (18.932 sec.) 2. Scott Petty (19.055 sec.) 3. Jeff Ryan
(19.216 sec.)
Feature
1. Jake Varnum 2. Patrick Brejcha 3. Tim Brockhouse 4. Al Jacobsen 5. Mark
Skjerven 6. Jeff Ryan 7. Beau Barry 8. Joe Kostreba 9. Kasey Kurtz 10. Ryan
Schleusner 11. Justin Kort 12. Matt Hendrickson 13. Chris Henry 14. Scott
Petty-DNF 15. Dirk Henry-DNS
Thunder Cars
First Heat
1. Jerry Messer (Sauk Centre) 2. Jason Schroepfer (Comfrey) 3. Adam Fuchs
(Paynesville) 4. David Bolstad (Fergus Falls) 5. Patrick Amelung (St. Cloud)-DNF
Second Heat
1. Lance Stueve (Greenwald) 2. Andrew Henry (Sauk Centre) 3. Joe Karl (Osakis)
4. Josh Hartley (Monticello) 5. Justin Henry (Sauk Centre)
Feature
1. Jerry Messer 2. Lance Stueve 3. Jason Schroepfer 4. Joe Karl 5. Josh
Hartley 6. Andrew Henry 7. Justin Henry 8. David Bolstad-DNF 9. Adam Fuchs-DNF
10. Patrick Amelung-DNS
UCARs
First Heat
1. Dean Peterson (Upsala) 2. Jeff McDonald (Buffalo) 3. Jim Eblen (St. Cloud)
4. Dan Fitzpatrick (Plymouth) 5. Michael Lofquist (Alexandria) 6. Travis
Vanderby (Glenwood) 7. Matt Peterson (Upsala)-DNF
Second Heat
1. Dan Bolstad (Fergus Falls) 2. Joe Albritton (St. Anna) 3. John Hendrickson
(Avon) 4. Alex Reineke (Andover) 5. Jeff Hanson (Sauk Centre)
Pro-4 Truck Feature
1. Dean Peterson 2. Jim Eblen 3. Jeff McDonald 4. Matt Peterson-DNF
4-Tracker Feature
1. Dan Bolstad 2. Joe Albritton 3. John Hendrickson 4. Alex Reineke 5. Jeff
Hanson-DNF
Just 4 Fun Feature
1. Michael Lofquist 2. Travis Vanderby 3. Dan Fitzpatrick
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