McMullen On Fire with 3 Checkered Flags In One Night
By Mary Burbach

Plymouth - June 5, 2004-  After a two week hiatus, the Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car competitors hit the track on hopefully the first of many great nights of racing in June.  

Oostburg driver # 55 Brian Portschy grabbed the early lead in lap two with polesitter # 68 Craig Perko of Glenbeulah and Campbellsport racer # 18 Butch Hafemann on his bumper.  A lap later, the former Modified track champion # 7 Pete Ostrowski of Troy Center drove the high side of the track and broke into the top five.  With leader Portschy holding firm on the inside of the track and Perko and Hafemann running high, Ostrowski ducked down to the tires to take third from Hafemann.  By lap seven, with Portschy holding a solid lead, Ostrowski dove back to the outside and crossed the line next to Perko.  In the next two laps, Ostrowski was a man on a mission as he drove hard and fast on the very top groove to first pass Perko for second and then Portschy for the lead.  On lap ten, Perko had last year’s track champion # 4 Paul Pokorski of West Bend on his tail.  Pokorski, like Ostrowski, ran high on the track as he passed cars from his eleventh starting position.  As new leader Ostrowski began passing lapped traffic, Portschy never let up and waited just before the 15-lap marker to pass both a lapped car and Ostrowski in one lap.  Portschy moved his car to the outside to strengthen his lead over Ostrowski but Ostrowski changed strategies and move down inside for a lap as Pokorski, now in third, ran to the outside.  Opening night A-Main winner # 98 Tim McMullen of Plymouth followed Pokorski in fourth.  McMullen, a strong racer on the inside of the track, set his pace to reel in the front three cars.  Pokorski made his move for second and passed Ostrowski just before the only yellow flag came out in lap 20 for a spun car in turn four.  On the restart, Portschy lined out in front alone with Pokorski and Ostrowski in row two and McMullen and # 97 Tony Wondra of Campbellsport in the third row.  With only 10 laps to go, Portschy jumped out in front with now McMullen on his bumper.  Ostrowski took over third from Pokorski in lap 24 as lapped traffic again was becoming a factor.  By lap 27, the lead was a toss up as Portschy moved to the high side while McMullen maintained his constant low groove race.  A lap later, McMullen gained a bumper’s length advantage over Portschy at the start/finish line.  At the white, McMullen began lapping cars and held on through the traffic to win his second A-Main in 2004 and third race of the night as he previously won his heat race and the Modified B-Main.  Portschy followed in second with heat winner Ostrowski, fast qualifier Pokorski and heat winner # 2 Billy Hafemann of Waldo rounding out the top five.  McMullen also won the Meyer Motors of Plymouth Hard Charger award for passing 12 cars to win the Modified A-Main.

Plymouth drivers grabbed the top three spots in the Limited Late Model A-Main as # 38 Scott Haugstad grabbed the early lead from the beginning of the 25-lap race with two previous track champions on his bumper.  Heat winner # 3 Jim Pitzen and # 8 Dan Dippel fell in behind Haugstad on the first lap and battled each other while trying to take the lead from Haugstad.  Pitzen drove the inside groove directly behind Haugstad as Dippel threw his car to the outside to make his move.  # 21 Paul Dingel of Sheboygan and # 89 Todd Jensema of Sheboygan Falls, running fourth and fifth, stayed close to the top three to take over at any opportunity.  In lap eight, the first and only yellow appeared and halted racing action temporarily.  At the green flag, Haugstad maintained his steady lead and jumped out in front again followed by Pitzen and Dippel.  Last years track champion, Cleveland’s # 79 Jim Schmidt joined the top five by passing Jensema in lap nine.  Three laps later, Schmidt took over fourth from Dingel.  Now Haugstad was being chased by three track champions but held them all off for the next six laps.  Pitzen maneuvered by Haugstad on lap 18 to take the lead with only eight laps to the checkered.  On lap 20, Dippel made the outside grove work for him as he passed Haugstad to take over second.  As the laps clicked off and the leaders worked their way through lapped traffic, Pitzen took the checkered flag to become the third racer in as many race nights to win the Limited Late Model A-Main in the 2004 season.  Dippel followed in second with Haugstad, Schmidt and Dingel rounding out the top five.  The Meyer Motors of Plymouth Hard Charger honors went to B-Main transfer car # 57 John Scharenbroch of Sheboygan Falls for passing 6 cars.

Polesitter # 99 Rick Hed of Sheboygan Falls grabbed the lead in the Super Stock 20-lap A-Main event with opening night’s A-Main winner # 87 Brian Genske of Sheboygan Falls moved into second.  Genske took over the lead in lap four with Sheboygan driver # 12 Brian Goetsch taking over second.  As Goetsch was chasing down the leader, another Sheboygan Falls driver # 4 Kevin Zimbal moved into third with Plymouth’s # 95 Donny Kulow on his bumper.  Just when it looked this race would go directly to the checkered, a single yellow flag came out in lap 16.  With only four laps to go, Genske took his lone front starting spot with Goetsch and Zimbal in the row behind him.  As the pack charged through turns three and four to re-take the green flag, Genske held off the field with Zimbal moving into second behind him. Past track champions # 98 John Dirks of Elkhart Lake and # 48 Doug Teunissen of Sheboygan Falls Moved in behind Zimbal for third and fourth.  At the checkered, Genske took home his second Super Stock A-Main of the season.  Zimbal followed in second with Dirks, Teunissen and Kulow rounding out the top five.  The Meyer Motors Hard Charger honors went to heat winner # 15 Brian Kaat of Plymouth after passing eight cars.

Thirty-two competitors showed to fill two A-Main races in the entry-level All-American Mighty 4 division.  In the first 15-lap race, a lap wasn’t even completed when # 19 Kurt Jakubowski of Sheboygan Falls rolled his car on the backstretch.  When car and driver returned to the pits and the race was given the green flag again, # 29 Nick Schuette of Plymouth took the early lead in lap three with first # 34 Joe Grohskopf of Sheboygan and then # 76 Aaron Hauck of Plymouth applying pressure from second place.  Just as Hauck settled into second, the yellow flag appeared and halted the racing action.  Schuette relined up out in front with Hauck and # 33 Josh Long of Waldo in the second row.  A lap later, Long took over second and set his sights on Schuette.  On the last lap, Schuette pulled out with a secure lead and won his first A-Main in 2004.  Long, finishing in second, took the Meyer Motors of Plymouth Hard Charger award after passing 11 cars.  

In the second Mighty 4 A-Main race, Bill Flunker of Plymouth wasted no time in jumping to the front of the race and giving his all.  Early in the race, # 68 Joe Miller of Plymouth moved into second and chased Flunker until lap five when # 9 Jason Voss of Gelnbeulah took over the spot.  Just as Voss was charging toward the lead, the first and only yellow flag appeared on lap eight and relined up the cars.  Flunker was out in front alone with Voss and Miller in the second row.  On the restart, # 27 Jeff Gierke of Kiel jumped both the second and third place cars to take over second place behind leader Flunker while hard charging # 03 Sandra Meyer of Plymouth took over fourth.  Three laps later, Meyer took the second spot from Gierke and began reeling in Flunker.  But after leading from the beginning, Flunker was not giving up his race and took the checkered flag for the win.  Meyer, earning Meyer Motors Hard Charging honors for passing 10 cars, followed in second.

Mechanics races in the Limited Late Model and Mighty 4 divisions followed the regular race program.  In the two Limited Late Model races, Mark Zimbal, driving the # 85 Tim Carman car, and Dave Hansen, driving the # 3 Jim Pitzen car, won the trophies.  In two Mighty 4 heat races, Chris Reilly in the # 76 Hauck car, and Jeff Rudick, in the # 46 Ruh car, came out on top.

Join Eastern Wisconsin Stock Cars on Saturday, June 12th when the INEX Legend Cars join the 100+ cars in the Winged Super Modified, Limited Late Model, Super Stock and All-American Mighty 4 divisions at the Sheboygan County Fair Park in Plymouth.  This race night is also designated as Scout Night.  Any Boy Scout, Girl Scout or Scout leader, who comes to the race in uniform, will be admitted free to the grandstand.  Mark your calendars for the Sheboygan Chevrolet / Chrysler Center Mid-Season Fan Appreciation Night at the Races on Saturday, July 3rd.   Eastern Wisconsin Stock Cars is hosting a “Buy one grandstand admission / Get one Grandstand admission FREE for that night.”  July 3rd will also be the first Driver Autograph night when 2004 Souvenir yearbooks will be available and an autograph session will be held in the pits after the race program.

 
Summary:  EWSC “Welcome to Summer” Race

Winged Super Modified:
Miller Lite Fast Qualifier:  # 4  Paul Pokorski , West Bend – 13.828
A-Main (30 laps):  Tim McMullen, Plymouth; Brian Portschy, Oostburg; Pete Ostrowski, Troy Center; Paul Pokorski, West Bend; Billy Hafemann, Waldo; Chad Kistner, New Holstein; Tony Wondra, Campbellsport; Barry Maas, Cascade; Gary Laack, Glenbeulah; Bob Enders, Howards Grove;

B-Main (15 laps):  McMullen; Dave Becker, Greenbush; Kris Hansen, Manitowoc; Dennis Klumb, Grafton;  Spyder Akright, Sheboygan Falls;

Heat # 1 (10 laps): McMullen; Klumb; Hansen;
Heat # 2 (10 laps): Ostrowski; Maas; Craig Perko, Glenbeulah;
Heat # 3 (10 laps):  Hafemann; Pokorski; Portschy;

Limited Late Model:
Miller Lite Fast Qualifier:  # 22 Charlie Schmidt , Oostburg – 15.885
A-Main (25 laps):  Jim Pitzen, Plymouth; Dan Dippel, Plymouth; Scott Haugstad, Plymouth; Jim Schmidt, Cleveland; Paul Dingel, Sheboygan; Dave Jessen, Fredonia; Todd Jensema, Sheboygan Falls; Brian Cesar, Sheboygan; Tim Carman, Sheboygan Falls; Brian Kessler, Plymouth;

B-Main (15 laps):  Jim Lavey, Sheboygan; Richard Hed, Sheboygan Falls; Mark Zimmermann, Kohler; Dave Schaetzer, Sheboygan; John Scharenbroch, Sheboygan Falls;

Heat # 1 (10 laps):  Zimmermann; Terry Goetsch, Sheboygan; Scharenbroch;
Heat # 2 (10 laps):  Pitzen; Henry Dickmann, Sheboygan; Jensema;
Heat # 3 (10 laps):  Lavey; Dippel; Jessen;

Super Stock:
Miller Lite Fast Qualifier:  # 7 Brian Gilles, Plymouth – 17.461
A-Main (20 laps):  Brian Genske, Sheboygan Falls; Kevin Zimbal, Sheboygan Falls; John Dirks, Elkhart Lake; Doug Teunissen, Sheboygan Falls; Donny Kulow, Plymouth; Brian Gilles, Plymouth; Brian Kaat, Plymouth; Brian Goetsch, Sheboygan; Dave Haag, Plymouth; Bob Peter, Howards Grove;

B-Main (15 laps):  Haag; Peter; Kaat; Ben Schmidt, Plymouth; Dave Holm, Kewaskum;

Heat # 1 (10 laps):  Paul Perronne, Plymouth; Jeff Bergner, Valders; Duane Dippel, Plymouth;
Heat # 2 (10 laps):  Kaat; Schmidt; Holm;
Heat # 3 (10 laps):  Tim Anderson, Sheboygan; Bradley Ruh, Elkhart Lake; Dirks;
Heat # 4 (10 laps):  Haag; Goetsch; Joe Schmidt, Plymouth;

All American Mighty 4’s:
A-Main # 1 (15 laps): Nick Schuette, Plymouth; Josh Long, Waldo; Steven Ruh, Elkhart Lake; Wesley Baumann, Elkhart Lake; Jason Juech, West Bend; Aaron Hauck, Plymouth; 
 
A-Main # 2 (15 laps):  Bill Flunker, Cascade; Sandra Meyer, Plymouth; Scott Long, Waldo; Jeff Gierke, Kiel; Jason Voss, Glenbeulah; Joe Miller, Plymouth;