|
Springborn Takes WISSOTA Late Model Feature With Last Lap Pass!
By: Bert Lehman
Shawano, WI (August 23, 2003) - The Shawano Speedway crowned two track
champions Saturday night, with some great racing action. Troy Springborn won
the WISSOTA Late Model feature, and moved a step closer to winning his second
championship at the Speedway. Defending track champion Eddie Muenster won the
IMCA Modified track championship, while Brad Rohloff won the IMCA Modified
feature. Rod Snellenberger took home the IMCA Stock Car track championship,
while Brian Bruechert won the IMCA Stock Car feature. Justin Ritchie won the
Limited Late Model feature.
Starting on the outside of the front row, Nick Anvelink jumped out to the
quick lead over Cody Grosskruetz, Pete Parker, Dave Jessen and Mark Mitchell
in the WISSOTA Late Model feature. Greg Dhein joined the top five on the next
lap, making the pass on Mitchell. By the end of the third lap, Anvelink was
already starting to build himself a nice lead, while Parker pulled alongside
Grosskruetz. Parker grabbed the runner-up spot on the next lap, and set his
sights on Anvelink. Current points leader Troy Springborn, after starting the
race in 12th place, found himself in the top five on the fifth lap.
Springborn kept charging past Grosskruetz, then made the pass on Parker on lap
seven. Once by Parker, Springborn set his sights on Anvelink, who had built
himself a nice lead. The top five stayed the same over the next several laps,
with Springborn cutting into Anvelink’s lead with the passing of each lap.
With five laps remaining, Springborn really began cutting into Anvelink’s
lead, as Tim Buhler joined the top five.
With three laps remaining, Springborn pulled up to Anvelink’s rear bumper.
He kept applying pressure for the lead, when on the last lap, Springborn
ducked underneath Anvelink in turn one and pulled alongside him. The two raced
down the backstretch with Springborn taking the advantage and eventually the
win. It was Springborn’s fifth win of the season at the track. He was
followed by Anvelink, Parker, Buhler and A.J. Diemel.
In the IMCA Modified feature, Jaime Schmidt grabbed the early lead over Mike
Knapp, Tom Haferkorn, Eric Scribner and Jim Hanson. Schmidt immediately began
to pull away from the rest of the field, as Knapp faded over the next two
laps, allowing Scribner, Mike Wedelstadt and Haferkorn by. Brad Rohloff joined
the top five party on the fifth lap. Over the next several laps, Scribner,
Wedelstadt and Rohloff all began tracking down Schmidt.
Scribner pulled up to Schmidt’s rear bumper just past the halfway point of
the race, while Wedelstadt and Rohloff were involved in their own battle, with
Rohloff eventually getting ahead of Wedelstadt. With four laps to go, Scribner
ducked underneath Schmidt entering turn three, while Rohloff jumped to the
outside of Schmidt. They all made it through turn four, with Rohloff in front,
and Scribner in second, dropping Schmidt to third. Rohloff was able to hang on
the rest of the way, winning his second feature of the year. He was followed
by Scribner, Schmidt, Haferkorn and Wedelstadt.
After an early caution in the IMCA Stock Car feature, Dan Michonski took the
lead on the restart, and was being followed by Jason Czarapata, Brian
Bruechert, Jerry Wilinski and B.J. Giese. It stayed that way for two laps when
Czarapata grabbed the top spot, with Travis Van Straten also joining the top
five. Bruechert also made his way by Michonski two laps later, while points
leader Rod Snellenberger moved to fifth. Snellenberger entered the night
needing to finish within three positions of Czarapata to win the championship
outright.
Just past the halfway point of the race Czarapata and Bruechert began a
side-by-side duel that would last three laps, with Czarapata on the outside
and Bruechert on the inside. A caution with four laps remaining slowed the
action. Czarapata continued to lead on the restart with Bruechert challenging.
As the two raced side-by-side out of turn four to take the white flag, they
made contact, but continued on. An accident in turn one for cars toward the
back of the pack ended the race. The win went to Bruechert with Czarapata,
Michonski, Snellenberger and Wilinski following.
Luke Uttecht led the early portions of the Limited Late Model feature, as Bob
Schmidt, Mike Kunschke, Jesse Peebles and Justin Ritchie followed. Kunschke
took the second spot two laps later, as Ritchie also grabbed the fourth spot
at that time. Ritchie then passed Schmidt for third one lap later, with Tony
Wudstrack taking over the fifth position. The top five stayed the same until
the only caution of the race came out with seven laps in the books.
Ritchie used an outside pass on Uttecht to grab the lead on the restart.
Ritchie never looked back, and cruised to the victory, his third straight, and
sixth overall. Uttecht, Kunschke, Wudstrack and Curtin followed him across the
line.
Racing action continues next Friday night, with the action getting underway at
6:00 p.m. during the Shawano County Fair. For more information about the
Shawano Speedway, visit www.shawanospeedway.com.
RACING SUMMARY
WISSOTA LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)Troy Springborn, 2)Nick Anvelink, 3)Pete
Parker, 4)Tim Buhler, 5)A.J. Diemel, 6)Cody Grosskruetz, 7)Dave Jessen, 8)Greg
Dhein, 9)Gordie Seegert, 10)Todd Flannery. FIRST HEAT: 1)Flannery, 2)Jessen,
3)Terry Anvelink. SECOND HEAT: 1)Parker, 2)Springborn, 3)Terry Casey. THIRD
HEAT: 1)Seegert, 2)Grosskruetz, 3)N. Anvelink.
IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE: 1)Brad Rohloff, 2)Eric Scribner, 3)Jaime
Schmidt, 4)Tom Haferkorn, 5)Mike Wedelstadt, 6)Eddie Muenster, 7)Ron Figlinski,
8)Julie McDermid, 9)Jim Hanson, 10)Jerry Muenster. FIRST CONSI: 1)Craig Bartz,
2)Tom Haferkorn. SECOND CONSI: 1)Paul Thorpe, 2)Shannon Ninham. FIRST HEAT:
1)Scribner, 2)Schmidt, 3)J. Muenster. SECOND HEAT: 1)Wedelstadt, 2)Hanson,
3)Kevin Ferfecki. THIRD HEAT: 1)Eddie Muenster, 2)Mike Knapp, 3)Dave Diemel.
FOURTH HEAT: 1)T. Haferkorn, 2)Rohloff, 3)Wade Schutt.
IMCA STOCK CAR FEATURE: 1)Brian Bruechert, 2)Jason Czarapata, 3)Dan
Michonski, 4)Rod Snellenberger, 5)Jerry Wilinski, 6)Larry Karcz, 7)Kyle
Fredrick, 8)Derrik Bruechert, 9)Steve Kastning, 10)B.J. Giese. FIRST HEAT:
1)Barry Van Straten, 2)Travis Van Straten, 3)Jeff Brehmer. SECOND HEAT:
1)Michonski, 2)Czarapata, 3)B. Bruechert. THIRD HEAT: 1)Snellenberger,
2)Kastning, 3)Giese.
LIMITED LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)Justin Ritchie, 2)Luke Uttecht, 3)Mike
Kunschke, 4)Tony Wudstrack, 5)Jeff Curtin, 6)Bob Schmidt, 7)Bud Lynn, 8)Brian
Jensen, 9)Dan Thompson, 10)Jesse Peebles. FIRST HEAT: 1)Wudstrack, 2)Uttecht,
3)Schmidt. SECOND HEAT: 1)Curtin, 2)Ritchie, 3)Peebles.
|
|
