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Luxemburg Finale Truly Spectacular
by Tom Wagner
(Luxemburg, WI) October 2, 2004: Simply put, the Fall Spectacular
lived up to its name.
Fueled by a record setting field of cars and exciting feature finishes, the
curtain fell on the 2004 racing season in grand fashion Saturday night at the
Luxemburg Speedway in Luxemburg. Despite dozens of visiting teams, all
five features trophies went to drivers with plenty of Luxemburg experience.
Wisconsin State Modified Champ Benji LaCrosse won a wild modified headliner,
with other wins going to Shawn Kilgore in the stock cars, Fred Davister in the
street stocks, Tony Schlei in the hobby stocks and Tyler Smith in the Sport
4s.
A total of 174 cars packed the pits, comprised of 41 modifieds, 41 stock cars,
33 Sport 4s, 31 street stocks and 28 hobby stocks.
Despite all the cars and all of the laps run, at least two solid lines of
racing held through the course of the night, a fact demonstrated quite
dramatically by the modifieds. Jeremy Jacobs emerged as the pace-setter,
and quickly planted himself at the very bottom of the race track. Any
pass would have to come from the high line, and several drivers were ready to
give it a try.
The early lead pack included Dave Zeitler, Eddie Muenster, Dan Ratajczak,
Brian Mullen, Jay Matthias and Brian Drexler. Zeitler was the first to
challenge on the outside, but dropped for mechanical reasons a third of the
way through the 30 lap headliner. About that time, Muenster brushed a
tire, slowed slightly and was collected by Mullen, sending him to the infield
and out of contention. Mullen kept control, and caught Jacobs on the
15th lap. By that time, Jared Siefert had become a player, following
Mullen into third.
A caution on the 17th lap set Siefert up on the outside line for the restart,
a position he quickly parlayed into the lead. Running the extreme edge,
Siefert took the point on the 18th lap and began to gradually pull away.
But just three laps later, he pushed the edge a little too far, slipping over
the berm through three and four. Jacobs led a charge of five lead cars,
that now included Eric VanIten and LaCrosse, past Siefert before he could
right himself and get back in line. With Siefert no longer ruling the
outside, Mullen moved out to take up the assault on Jacobs. But the
complexion of the race changed with eight to go as Ratajczak spun off the bank
in three drawing caution.
Mullen was now bottled behind Jacobs, with LaCrosse set up on the outside for
the restart. Jacobs was able to hold him off for two laps, but with the
higher momentum on the outside LaCrosse was able to power by with six to go,
taking the lead for good. Siefert battled back, but settled for third,
unable to pass Jacobs a second time. Mullen, VanIten and Matthias
rounded out the top six.
The outside line also proved to be the avenue to success for Kilgore in the
stock car class. The luck of the draw put the nations's fourth ranked
IMCA stocker, Jeremy Christians, on the outside pole. A tribute to the
talent in the division, Christians didn't lead the first lap.
Despite the credentials of his front row mate, it was Jeff Vlies who took the
lead at the drop of the green. Christians hung tough for a bit, actually
leading the second circuit, but Vlies battled back to take command. To
pull off the upset, Vlies not only had Christians to contend with, but also
Kilgore, LaCrosse, Rod Snellenberger and Brian Bruechert as well.
Approaching half-way, Kilgore was around Christians and in rhythm on the
outside. After two laps of side-by-side racing with Vlies, the Luxemburg
champ powered by and never looked back. While not getting the win, Vlies
had a stellar night, holding off Christians and LaCrosse, both Wisconsin IMCA
Champs, for second. Bruechert was fifth, with Pat Davister charging
forward from his ninth row starting spot to claim sixth.
Moving to the high line paid dividends for Davister in the street stock finale
as well. With Darren Otto out front, Davister made the move to the
outside with nine laps to go and quickly closed the gap. He roared
around Lance Arneson for second, then caught Otto with six to go. Otto
could only hold the veteran off for a lap, as Davister moved to the lead for
good on the 15th circuit.
Arneson's car quit on the front stretch with two laps to go, giving Oshkosh
regular Tim Reichenberger a shot at the outside line from the third starting
spot. He managed to pass Otto, but didn't quite have enough for Davister.
Oshkosh champ Jerry Kope was fourth. Rookie Todd Polster posted an
impressive fifth place finish ahead of three-time Sturgeon Bay champ Gregg
Siebold.
A late caution proved to be a good news-bad news situation for Kelly Brown and
Ed Anschutz in the hobby stock feature. The two were in a duel for the
win, but after a long green flag run they found themselves having to contend
with a pack of lapped cars all battling for position. The caution with six to
go meant they wouldn't have the lappers to contend with, but the bad news for
them was that it brought the newly crowned Wisconsin Champ Schlei back into
the mix.
Anschutz was edging to the lead on the outside when the yellow flew, but the
line was occupied by Schlei in the third starting spot on the restart.
Schlei kept Anschutz below him as the final laps ticked by, moving to the
outside of Brown and taking over the point as the white flag flew.
With Schlei past him, Anschutz bolted back to the outside to pass Brown for
second. At the line, it was Schlei, Anschutz and Brown filing by in
close order. Tom Brumlic, Dan Davister and Dave DeGrave also carded top
six finishes.
Smith, the season's Sport 4 champ, ended his season with an exclamation point
by leading every lap of the final feature of the night. A series of
cautions, including two roll-overs, kept the field close. Matt
Oreskovich and Greg Banker had a couple shots at the lead on restarts, but
Smith was able to hold the point throughout.
LUXEMBURG SPEEDWAY RESULTS 10/2/04
IMCA MODIFIED 30 LAP FEATURE: Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg - Jeremy
Jacobs, Algoma - Jared Siefert, Green Bay - Brian Mullen, Seymour - Eric
VanIten, Green Bay - Jay Matthias, Green Bay
Semi-feature 1: Rob Waechter, Ellisville - Wade Schutt, Shawano - Ryan
Besaw, Omro - Matt McDermid, Oconto Falls
Semi-feature 2: Sean Jerovetz, Little Suamico - Paul Parker, Kaukauna -
Scott Mullen, Seymour - Randy LeMieux, Jr, Sturgeon Bay
Heat 1: Jacobs - Matthias
Heat 2: R.M. VanPay, Green Bay - Eddie Muenster, Green Bay
Heat 3: Siefert - Tom Schaal, Gillett
Heat 4: Dave Zeitler, Luxemburg - Brian Mullen
STOCK CAR 25 LAP FEATURE: Shawn Kilgore, Kewaunee - Jeff Vlies,
Kewaunee - Jeremy Christians, Horicon - Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg - Brian
Bruechert, Kewaunee - Pat Davister, Luxemburg
Semi-Feature 1: Pat Davister - Dave Davister, Luxemburg - Chris Lange,
Appleton - Steve Kastning, Bonduel
Semi-feature 2: Kyle Frederick, Gillett - Gary Reinhardt, Fish Creek -
Eric Malfroid, Luxemburg - Shawn Havel, Brussels
Semi-feature 3: Eddie Muenster, Green Bay - Troy Jerovetz, Green Bay -
Brett Wenzel, Two Rivers - Eugene Gregorich, Sr, Kewaunee
Heat 1: Larry Karcz, Jr, Pulaski - Jason Czarapata, Pulaski
Heat 2: Rod Snellenberger, Pulaski - Troy DeGrave, Green Bay
Heat 3: Christians - Bruechert
Heat 4: Darren Otto, Green Bay - LaCrosse
STREET STOCK 22 LAP FEATURE: Fred Davister, Luxemburg - Tim
Reichenberger, Neenah - Darren Otto, Green Bay - Jerry Kope, Oshkosh, Todd
Polster, Baileys Harbor - Gregg Siebold, Denmark
Semi-feature 1: Cory Friday, Berlin - David Hoerning, Appleton - Pat
Vandermause, Luxemburg - Todd Wagner, Brussels
Semi-feature 2: Trevor Schmidt, Hartford - Joe Johnson, Oneida - Alan
Schlueter, Oconto - Dave Drawenek, Kaukauna
Last Chance Qualifier: Drawenek - Brian Long, Neenah - Schlueter - Phil
Hiles, Appleton
HOBBY STOCK 20 LAP FEATURE: Tony Schlei, Zion, IL - Ed Anschutz,
Algoma - Kelly Brown, Friesland - Tom Brumlic, Denmark - Dan Davister,
Luxemburg - Dave DeGrave, Luxemburg
Semi-feature: Mike Mueller, Green Bay - Dave Lane, Green Bay - Bob
Voigt, Little Chute - Gary Vandenhouten, Chilton
Heat 1: Anschutz - DeGrave
Heat 2: Brumlic - Davister
Heat 3: Brown - Schlei
SPORT 4 17 LAP FEATURE: Tyler Smith, Luxemburg - Matt Oreskovich,
Clintonville - Greg Banker, Bonduel - Mike Dolphin, Maribel - Kraig Koehler,
Two Rivers - Bruce Sand, Two Rivers.
Semi-feature 1: Mark Rose, Elcho - Jeremy Schwoch, Waupun - Jacob
Wilcox, Seymour - Jim Roffers, DePere
Semi-feature 2: Bruce Sand - Ron Koenig, Fox Lake - Tony Everard, Green
Bay - Nick Everard, Green Bay
Heat 1: Josh Sand, Two Rivers - Adam Ambrosius, Pulaski
Heat 2: Oreskovich - Dave Schlise, Shawano
Heat 3: Smith - Dolphin
Heat 4: Banker - Koehler
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