Springborn Wins Fifth WISSOTA Late Model Feature At Shawano
By Bert Lehman 

Shawano, WI (July 24, 2004) - With a full grandstand and 104 race cars on hand, Troy Springborn won his fifth WISSOTA Late Model feature of they year at the Shawano Speedway. Jeremie Hedrick and Jason Czarapata each one their first IMCA Modified and IMCA Stock Car features of the year, while Tony Wudstrack won his second Limited Late Model feature.

Pete Parker jumped out to the quick lead in the WISSOTA Late Model feature, with Tom Naeyaert right on his rear bumper and Mark Weisnicht, Luke Roffers and M.J. McBride following. With Parker and Naeyaert pulling away slightly from the rest of the field, Roffers grabbed the third spot with Troy Springborn and Ron Berna also joining the top five. Springborn caught Roffers on the seventh lap and quickly disposed of him one lap later. 

By the time half the race was in the books, the top three cars of Parker, Naeyaert and Springborn were all bump-to-bumper, as Parker began to lap cars. While working through traffic, Naeyaert grabbed the top spot from Parker, with Springborn following, dropping Parker to third. Naeyaert led for the next four laps before he too encountered lapped traffic. With Springborn right on his bumper, Springborn waited for his opportunity and moved into the top spot before a late race caution came out. Springborn continued to lead on the restart and claimed the victory. He was followed by Parker, Naeyaert, Roffers and Seegert.

Three cautions after one lap was completed in the IMCA Modified feature slowed the action. Jeremie Hedrick grabbed the lead on the restart with Jerry Muenster, Brad Moeller, Eric Scribner and Mike Wedelstadt following. With Hedrick running the high groove, he began to pull away from Muenster, while Scribner and Brad Rohloff were trying to track down the top two cars. Scribner was on the move over the next several laps, grabbing the second spot with half the race to go. 

Rohloff, also running the high side, began to gain on Muenster, while Scribner was trying to chase down Hedrick. Then, with three laps remaining, Scribner’s car slowed on the track, eventually coming to a stop, ending his night of racing and bringing out a caution flag. Hedrick maintained his lead on the restart, with Rohloff, Mike Wedelstadt, Muenster and Wade Schutt following. Rohloff pulled alongside Hedrick on the backstretch on the last lap, and the two entered corner three side-by-side. Hedrick held the advantage coming out of turn four, and went on to the victory over Rohloff, Wedelstadt, Schutt and Muenster.

In the IMCA Stock Car feature, Greg Gutt jumped into the lead over Dan Michonski, Jason Czarapata, B.J. Giese and Brian Bruechert. Gutt held the lead for two laps, when Michonski made the inside pass for the lead, leaving Gutt in a side-by-side battle with Czarapata. The driver on the move the next couple laps was Bruechert, who moved all the way to the second spot. Michonski continued to lead, while he, Bruechert and Czarapata pulled away from the rest of the field.

A caution on lap 10 due to the stopped car of Bruechert slowed the race. On the restart, Gutt, Czarapata and Michonski raced three-wide, with Gutt leading that lap. Czarapata moved into the lead on the next lap, only to relinquish the lead to Gutt one lap later. With Gutt running the high groove, he maintained the lead for the remainder of the race. After the race, Gutt had his engine claimed, and an illegal flywheel was found on the car, which resulted in Gutt getting disqualified. This gave the win to Czarapata, with Michonski Larry Karcz, Kevin Lamberies and Kyle Fredrick following.

Gary Janke grabbed the early lead in the Limited Late Model feature and held the lead until a flat tire and a caution on lap four. Tony Wudstrack grabbed the lead on the restart, with Luke Uttecht, Chad Hohn and Justin Ritchie following. Wudstrack began to pull away from the field, while Ritchie was battling with Uttecht for the second spot. Ritchie eventually grabbed the second spot. It was all Wudstrack, as he went on to the win over Ritchie and a hard charging Jesse Peebles, Uttecht and Brian Jensen. 

Racing action will continue next Saturday night, with the action starting at 6:30 p.m. For more information about the Shawano Speedway, visit www.shawanospeedway.com 

RACING SUMMARY

WISSOTA LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)Troy Springborn, 2)Pete Parker, 3)Tom Naeyaert, 4)Luke Roffers, 5)Gordie Seegert, 6)Tim Buhler, 7)Ron Berna, 8)Tim Lemirande, 9)Terry Casey, 10)M.J. Hintz. FIRST HEAT: 1)Berna, 2)Casey, 3)Seegert. SECOND HEAT: 1)Parker, 2)Buhler, 3)Springborn. THIRD HEAT: 1)M.J. McBride, 2)Lemirande, 3)Mark Weisnicht. 

IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE: 1)Jeremie Hedrick, 2)Brad Rohloff, 3)Mike Wedelstadt, 4)Wade Schutt, 5)Jerry Muenster, 6)Craig Bartz, 7)Ron Figlinski, 8)Dave Diemel, 9)Paul Thorpe, 10)Greg Stelse. FIRST HEAT: 1)Hedrick, 2)Eddie Muenster, 3)Brad Moeller. SECOND HEAT: 1)Julie McDermid, 2)Norm Walbruck. THIRD HEAT: 1)Wedelstadt, 2)Stelse, 3)Eric Scribner. FOURTH HEAT: 1)Rohloff, 2)Schutt, 3)J. Muenster. 

IMCA STOCK CAR FEATURE: 1)Jason Czarapata, 2)Dan Michonski, 3)Larry Karcz, 4)Kevin Lamberies, 5)Kyle Fredrick, 6)Shannon Volkman, 7)Rod Snellenberger, 8)B.J. Giese, 9)Jeremy Christians, 10)Derrick Bruechert. FIRST HEAT: 1)Czarapata, 2)Giese, 3)Brian Bruechert. SECOND HEAT: 1)Volkman, 2)Karcz, 3)Tyler Rasmussen. THIRD HEAT: 1)Snellenberger, 2)Michonski, 3)Travis Van Straten. 

LIMITED LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)Tony Wudstrack, 2)Justin Ritchie, 3)Jesse Peebles, 4)Luke Uttecht, 5)Brian Jensen, 6)Larry Drefahl, 7)Bob Schmidt, 8)Aaron Wickersheim, 9)Mike Kunschke, 10)Eric Derks. FIRST HEAT: Jeff Curtin, 2)Wudstrack, 3)Uttecht. SECOND HEAT: 1)Ritchie, 2)Wickersheim, 3)Gary Janke.