Skelton Takes it all with the MSA @ Three Lakes
Midwest Sprintcar Association
July 2, 2004
By George Baumann

Three Lakes, WI - A standing room only crowd watched K.J. Skelton claim three wins to pace the Midwest Sprintcar Association event on a very fast TNT Speedway.  Skelton won his heat, a dash, and the 25-lap A-Main.

With the three wins Skelton needs only five more to match the series best 59-wins recorded by Kurt Davis.

After completing the 10-lap heat races, the 12 drivers who locked in the front twelve positions for the A-Main, ran a pair of six car, six lap dashes.  The first dash determined the inside of the first six rows, while the second dash determined the outside six rows.

The dash lineups were determined by the results of the heat races and the qualifying results.

After the A-Main drivers were introduced on the front straightaway the traditional four wide salute to the fans preceded green flag.

Skelton and Mike Kertscher by winning the two dashes started the A-Main on the front row.  They powered into turn one with Kertscher who started on the outside in the lead.  Skelton pulled along side and on lap two took the lead away from Kertscher who was driving the Sippel racing Eagle.

Keith Olejnik who started outside of row two in another Randy Sippel prepared car claimed third and ran fast.  Danny Schlafer who started eighth moved into the fourth spot on lap three and looked very strong.

Skelton maintained the point until lap seven when he slid high in turn two and Kertscher quickly ducked under for the lead.  A lap later Jeff Becker spun his car between turns three and four and the race went under yellow.

Back under green the race saw the two leaders run down the field while racing very close lap after lap.  Then of lap 16 Kertscher went high going into turn three to lap a car and Skelton steer low under the slower car and was the leader coming off turn four.

The two-time past MSA champion then ran a perfect race denying Kertscher an opportunity to regain the lead.  The race slowed after the 24th lap when another car spun but the Cascade, WI driver went on to win his 15th MSA A-Main.

Kertscher was second with Jerry Ski coming on strong to claim third.  Olejnik was fourth with Danny Schlafer fifth.   Series points leader Doug Schenck started 14th and finished 10th with a motor that wasnšt performing very well.  Despite his first A-Main finish out of the top five he retains
the points lead.

The heat races were equally fast, David OšNeal won the first one while debuting a new car featuring a Cool Chassis mad in Australia.  The Cool Chassis is being manufactured by John Cooley and is the first to be imported into the USA for sprint car racing.

OšNeal flew out to half a lap lead and cruised to the win.  Chad Tessman ran a very good race to finish second.

The second heat race saw Skelton come from the third row to second in just over a lap then overtake race leader Danny Schlafer for first.  Schlafer held on for second ahead of Ski.

In the third heat race, rookie Robbie Pribnow took the lead early and held off a very fast Kertscher who moved from the third row to second in two laps.  The win was the first for Pribnow in his rookie season.

The first dash was won by Skelton with Johnny Fahl second.  Jerry Ski was third with Tim Haddy and David OšNeal racing very hard to determine the next two spots ahead of Pribnow.

Kertscher won the second dash ahead of a fast Olejnik.  Mark Wernes Jr. was third ahead of Danny Schlafer, Scott conger and Chad Tessman.

In qualify Kertscher was quick with a lap of 13.138, just missing the track record of 13.105 set a year earlier by Schenck.

The MSA event scheduled for July 3rd at PowerCom Park in Beaver Dam was rained out.  The MSA will next compete at the Calumet County Fairgrounds in Chilton on Friday, July 9th, and then at the Dodge County Fairgrounds at Beaver Dam on July 10th.

RESULTS
A-Main:  1) K.J. Skelton  2) Mike Kertscher  3) Jerry Ski  4) Keith Olejnik 5) Danny Schlafer  6) Tim Haddy  7) David OšNeal  8) Johnny Fahl  9)  Mark Wernes Jr.  10) Doug Schenck  11) Scott Conger  12) Lance Fassbender  13) Chad Tessman  14) Al Schlafer  15) Shane Wenninger  16) Joe Wipperfurth  17) Chris Wiser  18) Bill Taylor  19) Jeff Becker  20) Robbie Pribnow.

HRP Racing Products First Heat:  1) David OšNeal  2) Chad tessman  3) Johnny Fahl  4) Scott Conger  5) Chris Wiser  6) Al Schlafer  7) Shane Wenninger.

JB Enterprises Second Heat:  1) K.J. Skelton  2) Danny Schlafer  3) Jerry Ski  4) Mark Wernes Jr.  5) Doug Schenck  6)  Jeff Becker  7) Joe Wipperfurth.

MPD Racing Products Third Heat:  1) Robbie Pribnow  2) Mike Kertscher  3) Tim Haddy  4) Keith Olejnik  5) Lance Fassbender  6) Bill Taylor.

TW Metals Dash:  1) K.J. Skelton  2) Johnny Fahl  3) Jerry Ski  4) Tim Haddy 5) David OšNeal  6) Robbie Pribnow.

Petešs Auto Repair and Sales Dash:  1)  Mike Kertscher  2) Keith Olejnik  3) Mark Wernes Jr.  4) Danny Schlafer  5) Scott Conger  6) Chad Tessman.

Wisconsin PC Qualifying:  1) Kertscher  13.138,  2) Skelton 13.193,  3) Fahl 13.297,  4) Olejnik  13.358,  5) Schenck 13.404,  6) Al Schlafer 13.423,  7) Haddy 13.440,  8) Wernes Jr. 13.480,  9) Conger  13.585,  10) Fassbender 13.602.  11) Ski 13.622,  12) Wiser 13.623,  13) Pribnow  13.794.  14) Becker 13.886,  15) OšNeal 13.954,  16} Taylor 14.113,  17) D. Schlafer 14.230, 18) Tessman 14.320,  19) Wenninger 14.407,  20) Wipperfurth 15.390