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Springborn Wins WISSOTA Late Model Feature, And Track Championship
By Bert Lehman
Shawano, WI (Sept. 4, 2004) - With the weather being the nicest all season,
the Shawano Speedway wrapped up its regular racing season during the Shawano
County Fair, with Troy Springborn winning his sixth WISSOTA Late Model
feature. Julie McDermid won her second IMCA Modified feature of the year,
while Brian Bruechert won his fourth IMCA Stock Car feature. The Limited Late
Model feature went to Justin Ritchie, his eighth of the year. Springborn, Wade
Schutt, Jason Czarapata and Ritchie were crowned track champions in their
respective divisions.
Tim Lemirande jumped out to the early lead over Doug Blashe, Mark Mitchell,
Troy Springborn and M.J. Hintz in the WISSOTA Late Model feature. Over the
next couple laps, Lemirande was able to pull away slightly from Blashe, while
Springborn made his way by Mitchell for third place. A caution on lap nine
slowed the race.
On the restart, Springborn grabbed the top spot from Lemirande. Lemirande
fought back, and regained the lead one lap later, while Gordie Seegert, Blashe
and A.J. Diemel followed the top two cars. Springborn tried retaking the lead
a couple laps later, pulling alongside Lemirande, but Lemirande was able to
fight off the challenge. Lemirande then built a small advantage over
Springborn, before encountering slower traffic. This allowed Springborn to
close the gap, and take the lead with two laps remaining. Springborn went on
to the victory over Lemirande, Seegert, Tim Buhler and Diemel. Springborn also
won the track championship for the second straight year, and his third overall
at Shawano.
In the IMCA Modified feature, Tim Vande Hei grabbed the early lead over John
Peters, Jeremy Hanson, John Berna and Julie McDermid. The caution came out on
the third lap, for an accident involving Vande Hei and Peters. McDermid jumped
into the lead on the restart, with Craig Bartz, Benji LaCrosse, Mike
Wedelstadt and Hanson following. McDermid was able to build a good lead on
Bartz, while Wade Schutt joined the top five before another caution came out
with half the race in the books.
McDermid continued to lead on the restart, with LaCrosse moving to second,
Schutt to third, and Bartz dropping to fourth. LaCrosse pulled right up on
McDermid’s rear bumper and applied heavy pressure for the top spot, but
could not make the pass, when another caution flag flew, leaving it a two lap
dash to the finish. McDermid maintained the lead on the restart, with Schutt
getting by LaCrosse for second. Schutt put heavy pressure on McDermid the
final lap, but there was no denying McDermid as she won her second feature of
the year. Schutt, LaCrosse, Bartz and Wedelstadt followed McDermid across the
line. Schutt was crowned the track champion, his first at the Shawano
Speedway.
B.J. Giese grabbed the quick lead over Brian Karcz, Jeff Brehmer, Brian
Bruechert and Kevin Lamberies in the IMCA Stock Car feature. After one lap was
completed, point leader Jason Czarapata pulled onto pit lane with a flat tire,
seemingly ending his shot at the championship. By lap three, Bruechert found
himself in the lead, with B.J. Giese, Lamberies and Larry Karcz following.
Jeremy Christians, who was three points out of first place, pulled onto pit
lane with a flat tire at this time.
Bruechert began building himself a big lead over Giese, while Rod
Snellenberger was running in the top five, and in the points lead at the time.
With six laps remaining, Snellenberger was black flagged for rough driving,
ending his night. Bruechert was in control for the rest of the race, and went
on to the victory over Giese, Dan Michonski, Lamberies and Karcz. When the
final points were tabulated, Czarapata held on for the track championship by
one point over Christians. It’s Czarapata’s second championship at
Shawano.
In the Limited Late Model feature, Chad Hohn assumed the early lead over Rocky
Miller, Luke Uttecht and Bob Schmidt. Hohn led the first two laps before
Miller grabbed the top spot, while Justin Ritchie joined the top five. Miller
began building a comfortable lead, while Ritchie was making his way to the
front.
After a mid-race caution, Miller and Ritchie swapped the lead a few time over
the next few laps. Miller would eventually retire to the pits with mechanical
problems. Ritchie went on to the victory over Aaron Wickersheim, Schmidt, Hohn
and Jesse Peebles. Ritchie also repeated at the track champion in the
division.
For more information about the Shawano Speedway, visit www.shawanospeedway.com
RACING SUMMARY
WISSOTA LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)Troy Springborn, 2)Tim Lemirande, 3)Gordie
Seegert, 4)Tim Buhler, 5)A.J. Diemel, 6)Doug Blashe, 7)Tom Naeyaert, 8)M.J.
McBride, 9)M.J. Hintz, 10)Mark Mitchell. FIRST HEAT: 1)Seegert, 2)McBride,
3)Blashe. SECOND HEAT: 1)Hintz, 2)Mitchell, 3)Lemirande.
IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE: 1)Julie McDermid, 2)Wade Schutt, 3)Benji LaCrosse,
4)Craig Bartz, 5)Mike Wedelstadt, 6)Ron Figlinski, 7)Brad Moeller, 8)Jeremy
Hanson, 9)Dave Diemel, 10)Jerry Muenster. FIRST HEAT: 1)Bartz, 2)John Peters,
3)Diemel. SECOND HEAT: 1)Tim Vande Hei, 2)LaCrosse, 3)Wedelstadt. THIRD HEAT:
1)Muenster, 2)Schutt, 3)Figlinski. FOURTH HEAT: 1)McDermid, 2)Hanson, 3)Jeremy
Hodkiewicz. FIFTH HEAT: 1)John Berna, 2)Brad Rohloff, 3)Joe Haferkorn.
IMCA STOCK CAR FEATURE: 1)Brian Bruechert, 2)B.J. Giese, 3)Dan Michonski,
4)Kevin Lamberies, 5)Larry Karcz, 6)Jeff Brehmer, 7)Brian Karcz, 8)Mike
Ashenbrenner, 9)Mike Brehmer, 10)Terry Schmidt. FIRST HEAT: 1)Jeremy
Christians, 2)Giese, 3)Jason Czarapata. SECOND HEAT: 1)Rod Snellenberger,
2)Michonski, 3)Karcz.
LIMITED LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)Justin Ritchie, 2)Aaron Wickersheim, 3)Bob
Schmidt, 4)Chad Hohn, 5)Jesse Peebles, 6)Jeff Curtin, 7)Brian Jensen, 8)Tony
Wudstrack, 9)Luke Uttecht, 10)Larry Drefahl. FIRST HEAT: 1)Rocky Miller,
2)Kurt Waush, 3)Hohn. SECOND HEAT: 1)Ritchie, 2)Curtin, 3)Drefahl.
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