BENJI LACROSSE EARNS CAREER 100TH FEATURE WIN

Seymour July 12- N.E.W. DIRT welcomed Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service as the title sponsor for the full 5 division program Sunday Night at the Seymour Speedway.

The evening started out with an Internantional flavor as 2 foreign exchange students from Brazil and Turkey, took part in the opening ceremonies. It was also a history making night with IMCA Modified driver, Benji LaCrosse capturing his 100th career division feature win. Bruce Beland captured his first career IMCA Sport Mod feature win at Seymour as well..

The Turbo Blue Street Stocks took the track for the first feature event of the evening. Chase Solomon grabbed the lead at the start followed by Dylan Stedjee, Harley Diedrick, Paul Ambrosius, Clint Evans and Jared Spaulding.

A lone caution of the race appeared on lap 3 for a multi car crash on the back chute. No one was injured and when the race resumed Solomon was still leading the way with Ryan Blank , Lexii Ashcraft, Evans and Matt Warner behind. Ashcraft took to the outside, running three wide, to overtake the leaders and take the lead on lap 5. Blank moved inside and followed into the runner up spot. The remaining 15 laps were a crowd pleasing, back and forth, side by side duel. Ashcraft would lead a couple laps and Blank would storm back in front for a couple laps. As the white flag appeared, the pair was even at the line and brought the crowd to their feet for the deciding lap. Ashcraft maintained the speed outside and Blank was committed to the inside line. Out of the final turn, Ashcraft was able to get just enough bite to edge Blank by 2 feet at the line to collect her 4th feature win of the season. Blank was second in the hard fought contest. Jeff Wicinski made his first appearance at the Seymour Speedway and proceeded to take the third place finish. Allan Schlueter, Ambrosius and Warner rounded out the top six.

The Budweiser IMCA Modifieds were up next with the field taking the green in what turned out to be a non-stop event. Jerry Wilinski claimed the lead after the opening lap followed by Trevor Spaulding, Konnor Wilinski, Mike Wedelstadt, T.J. Smith and Eric Scribner. Benji LaCrosse entered the night with 99 career IMCA Modified feature wins and entered the top 5on lap 3 after starting 11th in the field. LaCrossed could pick his line as he maneuvered through traffic and finally took over the lead on lap 11. Wedelstadt followed into second one lap later. Benji held his lead at a couple lengths for the remaining laps and Wedelstadt watched as the checkered dropped giving LaCrosse the milestone victory. Jerry Wilinski held third to the finish with Scribner making his way to finish fourth. Konnor Wilinski took fifth and Marcus Yarie rounded out the top six. The win was also the 37th for LaCrosse at Seymour, third on the all time win list behind Brian Mullen, 60, and R.M. Van Pay, 54.

It took three tries to get the first lap completed in the Coors Light IMCA Stock Car headliner. Chase Parker finally led the opening lap and then looped his car on lap 3 to put the field under caution again. Chris Lowenhagen was the leader for the restart with Ron Otto taking the top spot for a lap before Travis Van Straten powered into the lead on lap 5.

A lap 9 caution again bunched the field with Van Straten still in command followed by Frederick, Rod Snellenberger, Chas Van Ooyen, Bob Czartapata, Lowenhagen and Jamie Van Ooyen. With the top point drivers all in front, no one could run away but Van Straten was hugging the inside line and holding the lead. On lap 15, a controversal call involving Van Ooyen and Snellenberger put Snellenberger to the tail of the field. On the restart, Jamie Van Ooyen and Ron Otto got together out of turn 4, with Van Ooyens car requiring 2 wreckers to remove from the track, which resulted in time running out and a green, white checker finish in the making. Van Straten was able to hold off Frederick for the final sprint to pickup feature win number 5 on the season. Chas Van Ooyen took third. Phil Hiles took the fourth place finish with Jeremy Wiitala in fifth, and Snellenberger went three and four wide over the final 2 laps and passed 9 cars to round out the top six places.

Bruce Beland grabbed the lead on the O’Reilly Auto Parts IMCA Sport Mod main at the start with Scott Besaw, Tailar Ness, Jordan Bartz, Travis Arenz and Kevin Bethke taking spots behind. Beland was able tom open a lead as the battle for the runner up spot heated up between the next five cars. Point leaders, Lucas Lamberies and Jeremy Cota joined that battle at the mid point of the race . Lamberies used the high line to work into the runner up spot on lap 12 and Arenz moved into third on lap 14, running as fast in the inside. Beland continued to set the pace to the finish and won his first ever Seymour Speedway feature. Lamberies captured the runner up spot with Arenz taking third. Cota was fourth with Besaw taking his best finish here in fifth an d Dennis Meisler rounded out the top six.

Jeremy Czarapata set the pace early for the 4 Cylinder main, leading the way until Kasey Gross took over the top spot on lap 8. Once in the elad, Gross pulled away from the pack to collect his second feature win of the season. Czarapata was holding the runner up spot with Roger Braun, Tyler Hungerford, Mitchell Fairbank and Tanner Westphal behind. As the white flag appeared, a mix of cars in turn 2 caused Hungerford to stall and the caution to come out, ending the race one lap early. Following Gross in the final tally were Braun, Czarapata, Fairbank, Carl King and Joe Minks.

Jeff Schroeder won the Spectator Elimination contest.

Next Sunday, July 19, the WDLMA Late Models return to the Seymour Speedway for their first regular season visit. Their race will be part of the Lucky 7 series. The full five division program will also be on hand for a full night of racing action.

This Tuesday, July 14, the rack will host another open practice session at the track from 5-8 PM.

SUMMARY

BUDWEISER IMCA MODIFIEDS

20 Lap Feature l. Benji LaCrosse, Green Bay 2. Mike Wedelstadt, Fremont 3. Jerry Wilinski, Seymour 4. Eric Scribner, Lena 5. Konnor Wilinski, Seymour 6. Marcus Yarie, Wausau

8 Lap Heats First l. Jerry Wilinski 2. Trevor Spaulding, Greenville

Second l. Jamie Schmidt, Seymour 2. T.J. Smith, Menasha

COORS LIGHT IMCA STOCK CARS

20 Lap Feature l. Travis Van Straten, Hortonville 2. Kyle Fredrick, Oconto Falls 3. Chas Van Ooyen, Appleton 4. Phil Hiles, Appleton 5. Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay 6. Rod Snellenberger, Pulaski

8 Lap heats First l. Tom Riehl, Hortonville 2. Snellenberger

Second l. Van Straten 2. Ron Otto, Freedom

Third l. Chase Parker, Hortonville 2. Frederick

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS IMCA SPORT MODS

20 Lap Feature l. Bruce Beland, Eagle River 2. Lucas Lamberies, Clintonville 3. Travis Arenz, Sheboygan 4. Jeremy Cota, Oconto 5. Scott Besaw, Omro 6. Denis Meisler, Luxemburg

8 Lap Heats First l. Jordan Bartz, Shawano 2. Tailar Ness, Green Bay

Second l. Besaw 2. Arenz

TURBO BLAUE STREET STOCKS

20 Lap Feature l. Lexii Ashcraft, Oshkosh 2. Ryan Blank, Greenville 3. Jeff Wicinski, Winneconnie 4. Allan Schlueter, Oconto 5. Paul Ambrosius, Seymour 6. Matt Warner, Kimberly

8 Lap Heats First l. Dylan Stedjee, Shawano 2. Jeff Dorschner, Combined Locks

Second l. Jeff Jungwirth, Oshkosh 2. Warner

4 CYLINDER

15 Lap Feature l. Kasey Gross, Gleason 2. Roger Braun, Kaukauna 3. Jeremy Czarapata, Krakow 4. Mitchell Fairbank, Van Dyne 5. Carl King, Clintonville 6. Joe Minks, Menasha

8 Lap Heats First l. Gross 2. Czarapata

Second l. Minks 2. Tanner Westphal, Clintonville

SPECTATOR ELIMINATOR – Jeff Schroeder,

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