Badger Racers Shake The Rust
Story by Mike Weaver
April 18, 2004
Dousman, WI

Every year, Badger’s first point race tends to be a big shake-down for all the rusty drivers.  However, this year, Mother Nature provided a few nice practice days. Therefore, those who were able to practice showed if off as they romped the drivers who still had some rust to lose.

Vince Heywood was first to whoop on his fellow competitors when he dominated the heat races and demolished the field in the feature. Heywood won the feature by 6 seconds over Robby Mueller who he barely bested in the 2nd heat race. Brandon Schmitt took 3rd as was in the top three all day.

In Yamaha Lite, Mark Heinert crushed the field by beating Nic Johnsrud by almost 3 seconds at the finish. Although Johnsrud has been practicing hard, he is brand new to Yamaha Lite and the past Jr. SSX champion is showing he will be in contention for the Yamaha Lite championship by season’s end.

Jesse Schwabe made the switch to the 125cc shifters mid-season in 2003 and decided to campaign the class on the national level in 2004. With two national races already under his belt in 2004, Schwabe was the man to beat all day.  After qualifying 2nd to local 125cc hot-shoe Tony Mancuso, Schwabe went on to beat Mancuso in the qualifying heat pretty handedly. In the feature, Mancuso would again grab the hole-shot, only to have the lead stripped by lap two by Schwabe.  Brian Julien showed he why he won the class championship last year by passing Mancuso with two laps to go and going on to take 2nd for the day.

Brian Weber, who decided to campaign two classes in 2004, put on a great show racing with Nic Johnsrud, another double-class racer, in Sr. Sportsman Lite.  From the drop of the green flag in the feature, the two battled the entire race with Weber besting Johnsrud by just a kart at the end.

In other action, Derek Crane won Briggs Jr. Animal over Garret Wescott and Scott Kalish again dominated HPV Sr. Lite, putting on the day’s best racing as he and Matt Cota would swap the lead repeatedly.  David Koeferl won over Aron Scalissi in Briggs Animal Sr. and although Randy Pyka won both heat races in Yamaha Heavy, last year’s champion Mike Fuchs took the checkers by only .062 seconds over Pyka for the race that counts!

Grant Hoffmeister won in Jr. Can and Robby Mueller won the Briggs Animal Jr feature. Bianca Schreiber won easily over Patrick Olsen and Nick Orth scored his first-ever feature win by holding off Scott Adler in Sr. Sportsman Heavy.

April 18th	 Feature results

125cc Shifter		   HPV Sr. Heavy
1. Jesse Schwabe		1. Bob Jezorski
2. Brian Julien		2. Shawn Campbell
3. Tony Mancuso		3. Mark Baier

Sr. Sportsman Heavy		HPV Sr. Lite
1. Nick Orth		   1. Scott Kalish
2. Scott Adler		2. Matt Cota
3. Ted Goad		3. Dan Mussa

Briggs Jr. Sportsman		HPV Jr.
1. Vince Heywood		1. Joe Brenner
2. Robby Mueller		2. Zack Emmons
3. Brandon Schmitt		3. Grant Hoffmeister

Jr. SSX Can		Yamaha Heavy
1. Bianca Schreiber		1. Mike Fuchs
2. Patrick Olsen		2. Randy Pyka
3. Ryan McNeil		3. Rob Pyka

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

Briggs Lite		Expert
1. Heidi Olsen		1. Keith Tiffany
2. Mike Landeck		2. Caitlin Tannis
3. Brian Weber		3. Heather Sotelo

Yamaha Lite		Briggs Heavy
1. Mark Heinert		1. 
2. Nic Johnsrud		2.
3. Ryan Rutziski		3.

2-cycle Jr. Sportsman 		Jr. Can
1. Eric Sutcliff		1. Grant Hoffmeister
2. Travis Kosik		2. Joey Adler
3. Josh Bilicki		3. Walter Lehnhoff

Briggs Animal Jr.		Briggs Animal Sr.
1. Derek Crane 		1. David Koeferl
2. Garret Wescott		2. Aron Scalissi
3. Kelsey Bauer		3. Patrick Flaherty