Oshkosh, July 3- The kick off to the big July 4 weekend, Domino’s presented the Night of Fire at the Oshkosh SpeedZone Raceway Friday night. A field of 128 teams checked in and were challenged by a fast, heavy tacky track.
The Gold Star Racing Supplies Grand Nationals opened the feature portion of the program with Brian Henry finding his way to the front after the first lap, followed by Derek Schrauth, Tim Doehling, Dan Koch, Larry Richards, Kenny Richards and Terry Van Roy.
A lap 4 caution erased a lead Henry had opened up and Put Kenny Richards on his tail for the restart. For the next 12 laps, which included 5 cautions, Henry would maintain the lead by running the outside line. Richards would hug he inside. The pair would run side by side for a couple laps before Henry could make the lead his own. During this run, Larry Richards, Tim Reichenberger, Van Roy and Rich Garb ran together and swapped positions back and forth.
The final restart came on lap 16, which saw Kenny Richards, drop out with engine problems, ending his hunt for four straight wins. Henry drove the final 4 laps out front to win his third feature of the season. Larry Richards, Jeff Richards, Brian Vinney, Van Roy and Elijah Koenig round out the top six.
The Outlaw Chassis Street Stocks were next with Jeremy Kemnetz taking the lead early, and survived a caution filled first 6 laps before Lexii Ashcraft made the pass for the top spot. Ashcraft brought out the final caution after spinning in turn 2, which turned the lead over to Steve Gawaresky. He led for the next two circuits as Frank and Dan Knaus made their way to the front. Frank made the outside line work and on lap 12 pulled into the lead leaving the race for second place.
The time limit ran out with the final lap on lap 16. Frank collected his first feature win of the season the Gawaresky winning the battle for the runner up spot. Dan Knaus was third followed by Shawn Haydon, point leader, Jeff Jungwirth and Mike Held.
Rookie contender, Trevor Spaulding, grabbed the lead for the Automotive Supply Company IMCA Modifieds and looked every bit a veteran setting the pace and opening a lead after each of four first half cautions. The final restart saw Spaulding again open a slight lead with Matt Klenz, Chris Engels, fellow rookie contender, Steve Schneider, Dennis Schultz and Mike Mueller behind.
This time the pack stayed tight with Spaulding still in command before suddenly pulling high entering turn 1 on lap 14 and dropping out of the race with mechanical problems. Schneider was running the inside line and was able to slip into the top spot and once in front, took off leaving the race for the runner up spot. Schneider sped across the finish line to collect his first career IMCA Modified feature win. Point leader, Marcus Yarie, started the race 14th and took the runner up spot over Klenz, Engels took fourth with Dan Roedl and Mueller rounding out the top six.
Steve Hiles led the opening lap of the Total Power Sales IMCA Stock Car main with John Heinz taking over on the second lap. Heinz opened a slight lead while David Hoerning, Joe White, Larry Karcz, Jr, and Justin Jacobsen battled for the runner up spot. Jacobsen hooked up on the outside and moved up on the leader on lap 7 and one lap later was scored as the leader. The pair ran side by side for most of the last half the race, with Jacobsen holding a slight edge at the line on each lap.
When the white appeared, Heinz made a last run at the leader and out of the final turn, found the bite he needed to take the checker a half car length ahead of Jacobsen for his second feature win of the season. Point leader, Travis Van Straten , battled his way to a third place finish with Hoerning a very close fourth. Cory Wegner and Tom Brumlic rounded out the top six.
The IMCA Sport Mod feature took the green and before the first lap could be entered, a pile up occurred out of turn four. No one was injured with the end result being six cars short for the restart. Jason Ebert took the initial lead over Tom Schneider, Kevin Bethke, Jeff Schmuhl, Brock Saunders and Jon Schultz. Ebert looped his car in turn one on lap 5 to bring out the caution which turned the lead over to Schneider. The restart initiated a fierce battle for the lead. Schneider was hooked upon the outside and Schuihl moved up as the challenger on the inside. The par went back and forth on every lap with Schneider having the advantage. Robby Thiel, Bethke Saunders and Tim Sheppard were bunched behind for third place.
A final restart on lap 14 saw the battle continue with the leaders doing several cross over , lead swapping maneuvers with the rest of the field included in the mix for the top six. The final crossover out of turn 2 saw Schneider dive low and when he slid up the track out of the corner, Shmuhl was making the counter move, but Schneider had enough momentum to maintain the elad into turn three. This time, Thiel and Bethke were right there to tie up Schmuhl and allow Schneider to get a couple length lead.
Schneider kept the family streak going by matching brother Steve’s Modified win with his own, first career IMCA Sport Mod feature win. Theil flashed by in the runner up spot with Bethke and Schmuhl grouped behind with Sheppard and Saunders rounding out the top six.
The Ellington Mutual Insurance Dirt Devil main Saw Cody Pankow grab the lead and pull away from the field before the lone caution bunched the field on lap 8. Shaun Bangart, Kasey Gross, Aaron Milavitz, Mitchel Lee Fairbank and Chris Maas were lined up behind. Pankow again set the pace while the group sorted out behind for second. Gross emerged ahead of the pack and chased doen the leader, taking over the top spot on lap 12. As the race for second stayed bunched up, Gross was able to open a build a slight lead to collect his second straight feature win this season. Bangart was able to take te runner up finish with Maas coming through traffic late to take third, Pankow, Milavitz and Fairbank rounded out the top six.
One of the best crowds of the season enjoyed the beautiful weather to stay for the entire program and then watch a great fireworks display following the racing.
There will be no racing at the SpeedZone this coming week, July 12 because of the LifeFest concert. Racing will resume with Christmas in July, held on Friday night July 17.
SUMMARY
AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLY COMPANY IMCA MODIFIEDS
20 Lap Feature l. Steve Schneider, Chilton 2. Marcus Yarie, Wausau 3. Matt Klenz, Green Bay 4. Chris Engels, Green Bay 5. Dan Roedl, Beaver Dam 6. Mike Mueller,
8 Lap Consy First l. T.J. Smith, Menasha 2. Roedl 3. Sean Jerovetz, Suamico
Second l. Brian Drexler, Oshkosh 2. Tim Robbins, Omro 3. Frank Fiari
8 Lap Heats First l. Kevin Baldry 2. Mike Klenz
Second l. Trevor Spaulding 2. Steve Schneider
Third l. Mike Mueller 2. Engels
Fouth l. Adam Reed 2. Matt Klenz
TOTAL POWER SALES IMCA STOCK CARS
20 Lap feature l. John Heinz, Green Bay 2,. Justin Jacobsen, Green Bay 3. Travis Van Straten, Hortonville 2. David Hoerning, Appleton 5. Cory Wegner, Oshkosh 6. Tom Brumlic, Denmark
8 Lap Heats First l. Larry Karcz, Jr, Pulaski 2. Jacobsen
Second l. Van Straten 2. Hoerning
IMCA SPORT MOD
20 Lap Feature l. Tom Schneider, Chilton 2. Robby Thiel, Appleton 3. Kevin Bethke, Neenah 4. Jeff Schmuhl, Beaver Dam 5. Tim Sheppard 6. Brock Saunders
10 Lap Consy l. Brekken Kleinschmidt 2, Vince Engebregsten 3. Todd Ewald
8 Lap Heats First l..Jon Schnutz 2. Theil
Second l. Schmuhl 2. Luca Lamberies, Clintonville
Third l. Saunders 2. Ryan Besaw
OUTLAW CHASSIS STREET STOCKS
20 Lap Feature l. Frank Knaus 2. Steve Gawaresky 3. Dan Knaus 4. Shawn Haydon 5. Jeff Jungwirth 6. Mike Held
8 Lap Heats First l. Dan Knaus 2. Jesse Krahn
Second l. Held 2. Gawaresky
Third l. Jungwirth 2. Haydon
GOLD STAR RACING PRODUCT GRAND NATIONALS
20 Lap Feature l. Brina Henry 2. Larry Richards 3. Jeff Richards 4. Brian Vinney 5, Terry Van Roy 6. Elijah Koenig
8 Lap Heats First l. Henry 2. Larry Richards
Second l. Van Roy 2. Kenny Richards
ELLINGTON MUTUAL INSURANCE DIRT DEVILS
20 Lap Feature l. Kasey Gross, Gleason 2. Shaun Bangart, Chilton 3. Chris Maas, 4. Cody Pankow 5. Aaron Miliavils 6. Mitchel Lee Fairbank
8 Lap Heats First l. Gross 2. Bangart
Second l. Pankow 2. Milavils
Third l. Maas 2. Fairbank
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