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Troy Hepfner takes Feature at Shawano
Sunday, May 25, 2003
by Jay Ohman
Shawano, WI - Troy Hepfner put on a masterful show to park in
victory lane for the Midwest Sprintcar Association Feature on Sunday May 25,
2003 at Shawano Speedway. Michael Emme hung on to his early season points
lead over Doug Schenck by a single point in what is looking to be an exciting
season for the Championship chase.
After missing the first event of the
season, Troy Hepfner came to the fast half mile oval of Shawano Speedway
hoping to make up some lost ground. The start of the Feature had Rookie Jeff
Harder jumped out from his pole starting position to seize the early race
lead with Jerry Ski and Hepfner in hot pursuit. With smoke spilling from the
motor Ski had to retire to the pits early in the race putting Hepfner
right behind Harder.
The mini-sprint champ Harder had an impressive
run holding off the experience of Hepfner for more than the first half of the
20 lap race. On a lap 12 restart, Hepfner charged hard through turns one and
two around the outside of Harder to
snatch the lead. Harder was unable to
recover the lead as Hepfner went on to earn the win, Harder would settle for
second.
After the race, Hepfner commented "I had a good run on Harder
before that caution, but he drifted out on me down the backstretch and I had
to let up on the throttle. It was a risky move going for the lead on the
restart but it worked." In his fourth
night in a sprintcar, Harder said "I
had a blast, I'm just a little ticked at myself on that restart for not
driving harder into turn one, that was a rookie mistake that won't happen
again." Early indications are that Harder will be a force to be reconned
with for the 2003 season finishing second in the race.
Doug Schenck
earned the KSE Hard Charger award advancing eight spots to finish third, Troy
Wondra and Dean Erfurth both advanced to take fourth and fifth respectively.
K.J. Skelton was sixth and Michael Emme moved up to finish sixth. Tim
Haddy
finished where he started in eighth, Al Schlafer and Leroy Ostrowski
rounded out the top ten.
In the Triton Trailers 12 lap B-Main, Chris
Wiser led the distance to claim the checkers. Scott Conger, Andy Hunt and
Aaron Schipper followed to transfer to the Feature.
In the Hepfner
Race Products first heat, Skelton seized the lead two laps in and never
looked back for the win, Wondra followed in second. The second heat
sponsored by JB Enterprises had Lance Fassbender losing the lead with motor
woes, then Tim Haddy slipping by Lloyd Dykstra on the last for the checkered
flag.
In the MPD third heat, Hepfner worked his way forward to notch the
win with Erfurth in a close second. The Wisconsin PC Fast Time Award went to
Emme establishing a new track record with a fast lap of 19.469.
The
next appearance for the MSA will be Sunday June 8th at Angell Park Speedway
in Sun Prairie in a co-appearance with the Badger Midgets. For all of the
latest standings, results, pictures and more, visit the MSA website at www.msasprints.com.
Midwest Sprintcar Association - Results for May
25, 2003
Feature -- 1. Troy Hepfner, Hartland, WI; 2. Jeff Harder,
Glenbeulah, WI; 3.
Doug Schenck, Madison, WI; 4. Troy Wondra, Lomira, WI; 5.
Dean Erfurth, Oregon, WI;
6. K. J. Skelton, Cascade, WI; 7. Michael Emme,
Manitowoc, WI; 8. Tim Haddy, Lomira,
WI; 9. Al Schlafer, Sussex, WI; 10.
Leroy Ostrowski, Milwaukee, WI; 11. Scott
Conger, Eagle, WI; 12. Chris Wiser,
Neosho, WI; 13. Keith Olejnik, Sun Prarie, WI;
14. Andy Hunt, Randolph, WI;
15. Mark Wernes Jr., West Allis, WI; 16. Aaron
Schipper, Cascade, WI; 17.
Lloyd Dykstra, Waupun, WI; 18. David O'Neal, Milwaukee,
WI; 19. Jerry Ski,
Milwaukee, WI; DNS Danny Schlafer, Sussex, WI; DNS Bill Taylor,
Cascade, WI;
DNS John Sauermilch Jr., Sheboygan, WI.
B-Main Feature -- 1. Wiser;
2. Conger; 3. Hunt; 4. Schipper; 5. Danny Schlafer;
6. Taylor; 7. Sauermilch;
8. T.J. Luedke, Plymouth, WI; 9. Russ Wetenkamp, Newton,
WI; 10. Jeff Becker,
Kiel, WI; DNS Lance Fassbender, Horicon, WI.
Heat Race -- First: 1.
Skelton; 2. Wondra; 3. Ostrowski; 4. Ski; 5. Al
Schlafer; 6. Wiser; 7.
Conger; 8. Hunt; DNS Danny Schlafer. Second: 1. Haddy; 2.
Dykstra; 3.
Olejnik; 4. Wernes; 5. Schenck; 6. Taylor; 7. Luedke; 8. Wetenkamp;
9.
Fassbender. Third: 1. Hepfner; 2. Erfurth; 3. Emme; 4. O'Neal; 5. Harder;
6.
Sauermilch; 7. Becker; 8. Schipper;
Time Trials - 1. Emme,
19.469 (establish MSA track record); 2. Schenck, 19.640;
3. Ostrowski,
19.834; 4. O'Neal, 19.856; 5. Haddy, 19.863; 6. Skelton, 19.903; 7.
Erfurth,
19.938; 8. Luedke, 20.015; 9. Wondra, 20.038; 10. Hepfner, 20.084;
11.
Dykstra, 20.297; 12. Ski, 20.320; 13. Harder, 20.344; 14. Fassbender,
20.351; 15.
Hunt, 20.408; 16. Schipper, 20.452; 17. Olejnik, 20.590; 18.
Danny Schlafer, 20.700;
19. Al Schlafer, 20.708; 20. Wernes, 20.742; 21.
Sauermilch, 20.932; 22. Wiser,
21.179; 23. Taylor, 21.284; 24. Becker,
21.296; 25. Conger, 22.401; 26. Wetenkamp,
37.510.
Midwest Sprintcar
Association
Standings as of May 25, 2003
1. Michael
Emme
182
2. Doug Schenck
181
3. K. J. Skelton
175
4. Tim
Haddy
172
5. Troy
Wondra
164
6. Dean
Erfurth
160
7. Al
Schlafer
146
8. Jeff
Harder
136
9. Lloyd
Dykstra
128
10. Danny
Schlafer
126
11. David
O'Neal
123
12. Andy
Hunt
121
Mark Wernes
Jr.
121
14. Scott Conger
109
15. Keith Olejnik
107
T.J.
Luedke 107
17. Bill
Taylor
104
18. Troy
Hepfner
101
19. Chris
Wiser
97
20. Leroy
Ostrowski
96
21. Jeff
Becker
90
22. Aaron
Schipper
89
23. Lance
Fassbender 85
24. Kenjay
Fiedler
80
25. John Sauermilch
Jr. 77
26. Russ Wetenkamp
74
27. Jerry Ski
69
28. Kurt
Davis 53
29. Joe
Palmisano
50
30. John
Fahl 42
31. Alex
Bliesner
37
32. Chad
Tessman
36
33. Craig
Hemmen
34
34. Keith
Fellner
33
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