Badger Raceway Opens for 2004
April 4, 2004
Dousman, WI
Story by Mike Weaver

The Badger Kart Club opened their 2004 season with a non-points race this weekend. Although the temperatures were in the forties most of the race day, this still turned out to be an above-average day weather-wise for an opening day.

With a track cold and as slippery as can be, a lineup full of rookies, and all brand new karts and bodywork, this opening day would be a recipe for excitement the entire day!

The best racing of the day by-far was the show put on by the 125cc Shifter class.  Scott Rubenzer and Eric Suminski battled constantly throughout the pre-final and feature, swapping positions repeatedly. In the feature, Rubenzer got the hole-shot, only to have Suminski dive in on him in the
Sweeper turn. But by the next turn the two were side-by-side with Rubenzer coming out on top. Suminski hounded Rubenzer the entire race, taking peeks for the lead every lap. However, in the end, Rubenzer won out in both races.

In Sr. Sportsman Lite, last year’s Jr. Can champion Nic Johnsrud took the checkers, but in no way was it easy! Brian Weber was all over him in the feature, taking several shots at the lead. However, Johnsrud was able to hold him off at the line and take his first win for 2004.  On the track at the same time was the Sr. Sportsman Heavy and their race was just as exciting. Ted Goad grabbed the lead from the start but Scott Adler stayed smooth and consistent to finally snatch the lead away with 4 laps to go. Adler went on for the win.

Briggs Animal Jr. also had some great racing as Colin Jackson did everything he could to hold off the hard-charging Chris Faestel. Lap after lap, Faestel shadowed Jackson, but in the end  Jackson would take the checkers and breath the big sigh of relief.  Robby Mueller had a great day as he was a double winner.  Mueller won by a huge margin in the newly formed Briggs Jr. Sportsman class. Mueller even spun with 2 laps to go in the feature and still won by a straightaway.  Mueller also showed no mercy in the Briggs Jr. Sportsman class, besting one of the largest fields of the cold day.

In HPV Sr. Lite, Scott Kalish dominated all day, taking both pre-finals and the feature by a huge margin.  In HPV Sr. Lite, last year’s Most Improved Driver Shawn Cambell duplicated Kalish’s efforts by crushing the field in all three of their races. Eric Sutcliffe started off 2004 with a solid win
in 2-cycle Jr. Sportsman besting the field with lap times almost 3 seconds better than the next competitor. 

Apr 4th Feature results

125cc Shifter          HPV Sr. Heavy
1. Scott Rubenzer      1. Shawn Campbell
2. Eric Suminski       2. Terry Thomas
3. Brady Ingelse       3. Mark Baier

Sr. Sportsman Heavy    HPV Sr. Lite
1. Scott Adler         1. Scott Kalish
2. Ted Goad            2. Joel Steffen
3. Ken Lemmer          3. Ryan Lemmer

Briggs Jr. Sportsman   HPV Jr.
1. Robby Mueller       1. Zack Emmons
2. Brandon Schmitt     2. Joe Brenner
3. Geoff Jeche         3. Dan Muth

Jr. SSX Can            Yamaha Heavy
1. Patrick Olsen       1. Scott Weber
2. Ryan McNeil         2. Mike Lampshire
3. Evan Lampshire      3.

Sr. Sportsman Lite     Animal Jr. Sportsman
1. Nic Johnsrud        1. Robby Mueller
2. Brian Weber         2. Kodiak Wirtz
3. Nancy Olsen         3. James Bennett

Briggs Lite            Expert
1. Ryan Wolfert        1. Keith Tiffany
2. Steve Ross          2.
3. Brian Weber         3.

Yamaha Lite            Briggs Heavy
1. Glenn Meyer         1. Tom Schroeder
2.                     2. Tom Weber
3.                     3.

2-cycle Jr. Sportsman  Yamaha Jr. Can
1. Eric Sutcliff       1. Joey Adler
2. Chris Lemmer        2. TJ Koyen
3. Quinn Lampshire     3. Justin Sund

Briggs Animal Jr.      Briggs Animal Sr.
1. Colin Jackson       1. Patrick Flaherty
2. Chris Faestel       2. Todd Erickson
3. Steven Wirtz        3. Justin Marrs