By: Bert Lehman
Seegert repeats as WISSOTA Late Model feature winner at Shawano Speedway
Shawano, WI (July 9, 2011) – On Reed Luepke, Cancer Awareness Night at Shawano Speedway, Gordie Seegert won the WISSOTA Late Model feature for the second week in a row, as Nate Michonski also won his second straight IMCA Stock Car feature. Jason Czarapata cruised to his fourth IMCA Modified feature, while Joel Bennett won his third FASTRAK Late Model feature. Cody Hudson also won his third feature in the IMCA Northern SportMod division.
Todd Frank maintained the lead on a second lap restart over Gordie Seegert, Paul Parker, Joe Reuter and Troy Springborn in the WISSOTA Late Model feature. Terry Anvelink joined the top five two laps later, and then moved to fourth on the next lap. Springborn rejoined the top five on lap nine.
Midway through the race Seegert began gaining on Frank and pulled up to the rear bumper of Frank’s car with five laps remaining. Seegert drove to the outside of Frank entering corner three on the next leap and took the lead. Once in the lead, Seegert pulled out to a comfortable lead and drove to the win over Frank, Parker, Anvelink and Springborn.
Tom Schaal led the first three laps of the IMCA Modified feature as Jason Czarapata was making his way to the front. Czarapata grabbed the lead on the fourth lap, leaving Schaal, Marcus Yarie, Jerry Wilinski and Eric Scribner following. Wilinski moved to third on the sixth lap, but Yarie battled back to retake the third spot two laps later.
With Czarapata holding a comfortable lead, Lance Arneson moved into the fifth spot. Over the remaining laps Schaal and Yarie raced bumper-to-bumper and then side-by-side for the second spot. Yarie won that battle, securing the second spot, but it was all Czarapata at the end as Czarapata took the win.
In the IMCA Stock Car feature Justin Jacobsen took the early lead over Vern Stedjee, Mike Schmidt, John Heinz and Greg Gutt. Schmidt fell to fifth two laps later, while Gutt was making his way through the top five. A caution slowed the race on lap six. Jacobsen continued to lead on the restart with Gutt, Nate Michonski, Stedjee and Mark Schuenemann following. On lap nine, entering corner three, Jacobsen went high, Michonski went low and Gutt was in the middle as they raced three-wide for the lead. Michonski come out on top in that battle to take the lead.
A caution slowed the race with seven laps remaining. Michonski continued to lead and pulled out to a small advantage over Rod Snellenberger, Schuenemann, Jacobsen and Gutt. Snellenberger was able to catch Michonski over the next few laps when the caution flag flew with three laps remaining. Michonski and Snellenberger raced side-by-side on the restart, with Snellenberger in the outside groove. Michonski was able to fend off Snellenberger to take the feature win.
Justin Hirt took control of the early portion of the FASTRAK Late Model feature, with Dave Fieber, Joel Bennett, Brett Swedberg and A.J. Diemel following. Using the high side, Bennett made his way by Fieber on lap five, and took the lead from Hirt on the next lap. Fieber moved into the runner-up spot on lap nine while Diemel was also making his way through the top five.
Bennett was able to build a nice lead when Diemel took the second spot from Fieber with seven laps remaining. Diemel was able to close the gap on Bennett, and caught him on the last lap, but Bennett was up to the challenge, taking the win.
Jake Solin took the lead of the IMCA Northern SportMod feature on the second lap, leaving Steve Petri Jr., Cody Hokenstad, Les Yaeger and Tom Natzke to follow. Several cautions plagued the race over the next several laps.
Using the high groove, Cody Hudson took the lead on the final restart of the race and raced to the win over Solin, Natzke, Tracy Wassenberg and Van Straten.
The Speedway continues its season, Saturday, July 16, with the racing action getting underway at 6 p.m.
For more information about Shawano Speedway visit www.shawanospeedway.net.
RACING SUMMARY
WISSOTA LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)Gordie Seegert, 2)Todd Frank, 3)Paul Parker, 4)Terry Anvelink, 5)Troy Springborn, 6)Ron Berna, 7)Tom Naeyaert, 8)Joe Reuter, 9)Craig Bartz, 10)Doug Blashe. FIRST HEAT: 1)Reuter, 2)Springborn, 3)Seegert. SECOND HEAT: 1)Anvelink, 2)Berna, 3)Parker.
IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE:1)Jason Czarapata, 2)Marcus Yarie, 3)Tom Schaal, 4)Jerry Wilinski, 5)Lance Arneson, 6)Pat Zdroik, 7)Michael Bailey, 8)John Peters, 9)Jerry Muenster, 10)Russ Huxford. FIRST HEAT: 1)Wilinski, 2)Jesse Peebles, 3)Yarie. SECOND HEAT: 1)Muenster, 2)Arneson, 3)Czarapata.
IMCA STOCK CAR FEATURE:1)Nate Michonski, 2)Rod Snellenberger, 3)Mark Schuenemann, 4)John Heinz, 5)Greg Gutt, 6)Harley Simon, 7)Justin Jacobsen, 8)Shawn Wagner, 9)Mitchell Stankowski, 10)Carl Christjohn. FIRST HEAT: 1)Simon, 2)Snellenberger, 3)Vern Stedjee. SECOND HEAT: 1)Gutt, 2)Michonski, 3)Mike Schmidt.
FASTRAK LATE MODEL FEATURE:1)Joel Bennett, 2)A.J. Diemel, 3)Dave Fieber, 4)Justin Hirt, 5)Brett Swedberg, 6)Aaron Holiday, 7)Adam Janke, 8)Cody Welch, 9)Cody Grosskreutz, 10)Kurt Waush. FIRST HEAT: 1)Diemel, 2)Bennett, 3)Fieber.
IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD FEATURE:1)Cody Hudson, 2)Jake Solin, 3)Tom Natzke, 4)Tracy Wassenberg, 5)Travis Van Straten, 6)Clint Forstner, 7)Brian Besaw, 8)Cody Hokenstad, 9)Eric Zwischitz, 10)Don Woller. FIRST HEAT: 1)Wassenberg, 2)Kevin Bethke, 3)Solin. SECOND HEAT: 1)Natzke, 2)Forstner, 3)Steve Petri Jr.. THIRD HEAT: 1)Van Straten, 2)Jordan Barkholtz, 3)Hudson.