|
Swan Dives Through Lapped Traffic For Mid-Am Win At WIR
by Keith Vercauteren
(Kaukauna, WI) June 10, 2006 -- James Swan of Lake Geneva, WI squeezed through
slower lapped cars in the final laps to edge Bristol, WI pilot George Schultz
in the 35-lap Mid-American Stock Car Series feature at Wisconsin International
Raceway Saturday night. Swan charged from a ninth place starting spot to
earn the win in the first race of the 35th annual Red, White and Blue State
Championships.
Pole sitter Scott Asher of Sussex, WI jumped out front to lead the opening
laps with Pat McIntee of Slinger, WI following in second. By lap seven,
Asher managed to stretch his lead to 9 car lengths, while Swan had moved into
the fifth position. Two laps later, Swan was up to third when McIntee
spun and slapped the wall in turn 3, bringing out the only yellow of the race
and placing Swan on Asher's rear bumper for the restart.
When the action resumed, Bill Prietzel of Richfield, WI moved into third as
Asher and Swan began to pull away from the field. The battle for the
lead intensified as Swan attempted to pass on the outside on lap 11.
Asher held off the challenge, but Swan continued to pressure for the lead,
trying the same move on the next lap. Swan finally took the lead on lap
14 by passing Asher on the outside as the cars headed down the backstretch.
Fast qualifier Prietzel sped into second past Asher on lap 16, with Schultz
and Bobby Gutknecht of Oak Creek, WI following through while Asher dropped to
fifth. Schultz began looking to the outside of Prietzel on lap 18 and
charged into the second position on the backstretch. Swan, meanwhile,
had extended his lead to 11 car lengths.
Swan's huge lead began to shrink a bit as he encountered slower traffic on lap
23. Schultz moved to within striking distance on lap 30 as Swan got
caught behind the lapped cars of Elliot Marquardt and Ryan Finley.
Marquardt and Finley slowed dramatically exiting turn two, nearly
collecting Swan in the process. Swan threaded the needle between the two
slower cars as they headed three-wide down the backstretch, with Schultz
getting through cleanly and filling Swan's rear-view mirror.
Schultz, the series point leader, pressured Swan for the lead as the
final laps ticked away. As the white flag flew, the leaders encountered
the lapped car of Cedar Rapids, IA driver J.J. Meyer. Heading into turn
one, Swan went high while Schultz took the low groove. The high groove
proved to be the right choice for Swan as he moved past cleanly to victory
while Schultz was trapped behind Meyer. Prietzel, Gutknecht and Asher
rounded out the top 5 at the finish.
"I've always liked this track," a jubilant Swan said after his
win. "I knew I wasn't going to run away with it when I saw
George coming. I had a great car and had a lot of fun."
Of interest, 16-year-old driver Maxwell Schultz of Reedsville, WI and female
driver Crystal Koenig of Mishicot, WI were part of the competitive
Mid-American field. A moment of silence was held before the races in
memory of Mid-American Stock Car Series founder Gary Vercauteren and racing
historian Bob Bergeron.
10-lap heat races were won by Danny Powell of Polo, IL and Gutknecht.
Prietzel was the fast qualifier as he circled the ½ mile D-shaped oval with a
time of 20.927 seconds.
The Mid-American Stock Car Series will return to WIR for the White and Blue
races on July 22nd and August 19th. The next stop on the series schedule
is at Lake Geneva Raceway on June 17th. Visit the series website at www.midamericanracing.com
for more information.
Results
35-lap feature: 1. James Swan (Lake Geneva, WI) 2. George
Schultz (Bristol, WI) 3. Bill Prietzel (Richfield, WI) 4. Bobby
Gutknecht (Oak Creek, WI) 5. Scott Asher (Sussex, WI) 6. Jake
Finney (Sycamore, IL) 7. Lyle Nowak (Wausau, WI) 8. Scott
Null (Lake Mills, WI) 9. Jim Thorson (Sugar Grove, IL) 10. Ron
Weyer (Richfield, WI) 11. Jeff Tisler (Manitowoc, WI) 12. Maxwell
Schultz (Reedsville, WI) 13. Danny Powell (Polo, IL) 14. Elliot
Marquardt (Merrill, WI) 15. Greg Marks (Maribel, WI) 16. Ryan
Finley (Shabbona, IL) 17. J.J. Meyer (Cedar Rapids, IA) 18. Dave
Obermeyer (Allenton, WI) 19. Crystal Koenig (Mishicot, WI)
20. Tony Habeck (Black Creek, WI) 21. Brett Bauer (Kimberly,
WI) 22. Pat McIntee (Slinger, WI) 23. Mike Oswald (Manitowoc,
WI) 24. Don Wood (Mishicot, WI)
First 10-lap heat: 1. Powell 2. Ascher 3. Swan 4. M. Schultz
5. Null 6. McIntee 7. Weyer 8. Oswald 9. G. Schultz 10.
Meyer 11. Finney 12. Marquardt
Second 10-lap heat: 1. Gutknecht 2. Prietzel 3. Tisler 4. Bauer 5.
Thorson 6. Nowak 7. Obermeyer 8. Marks 9. Koenig 10. Finley 11.
Wood
Fast time: Prietzel (20.927)
Mid-Am Point Standings
Pos. Car # Driver Hometown Total
1. 44 George Schultz, Bristol, WI 371
2. 97 James Swan, Lake Geneva, WI 364
3. 32 Lyle Nowak, Wausau, WI 340
4. 62 Scott Null, Lake Mills, WI 315
5. O7 Ron Weyer, Richfield, WI 312
6. 28 Jake Finney ®, Sycamore, IL 310
7. 10 Bobby Gutknecht, Oak Creek, WI 276
8. 99 Jim Thorson, Sugar Grove, IL 275
9. 5 Bill Prietzel, Richfield, WI 241
10. 76 Greg Marks, Maribel, WI 234
|
|
|
