Wi Dirt Racin

Kilgore, Havel, Van Pay and Boulanger Boost Leads with Feature Wins

LUXEMBURG, Wis. (August 21, 2015) – With just two weeks remaining in the point chases at Luxemburg Speedway Friday was set up to be a make or break night for the point leaders. With the pressure on, all found a way to perform.

The feature events presented by Olson Fabrication, Victory Sign and JDK Awards saw four point leaders take top honors and one all but clinch his division.

In the IMCA Stock Cars some extra money was on the line courtesy of the night’s sponsors, Jerovetz Shock Service and R&R Tire. It proved to be the perfect time for point leader Shawn Havel to pick up his first win of 2015.

Because of some extra competitors and the special event, the format was set for a draw/redraw. On a weekly basis, with the point lead, Havel had been starting mid-pack. Tonight lady luck presented herself on a poker chip with the number 1 drawn on it. Havel started on the point position and was able to cruise to the win in the 25-lap feature.

Havel and Devin Snellenberger led the field to green, with the point leader getting a quick jump on the inside. Snellenberger was left to deal with Tony Bouche, Barry Van Straten and Rick Mahlberg.

Just as Havel had built a healthy advantage, the first yellow of the race came out on lap four when several machines made contact and Jeremy Jauquet came to a stop on the backstretch. The restart was short-lived as one of the boundary implement tires was pushed into the racing groove just two laps later.

After the lap-six restart Havel again escaped the remainder of the pack. Van Straten, Snellenberger and Mahlberg engaged in a three-wide battle for second, with Snellenberger eventually reemerging in the runner-up position. Behind that battle the elder Snellenberger, Rod, was closing in on the top five. On lap 14 Rod Snellenberger and Bouche came together, resulting in a Snellenberger spin and a yellow. After some dispute by Snellenberger, who would charge back to seventh, both were sent to the tail for the restart.

Just as he had before, Havel surged ahead on the restart and didn’t look back. Things got dicey outside of the top three in the final circuits with Brett Wenzel, who trailed Havel by just five points entering the night, trying to keep pace. Devin Snellenberger held on for second, Van Straten was third, Wenzel grabbed fourth and Bob Waechter finished fifth. With his move from 14th to fifth Waechter was awarded a $200 certificate from Snap On Tools dealer Jared Siefert as the race’s hard charger.

In the IMCA Modified 20-lap feature, Shawn Kilgore’s story took a different path than Havel’s. Kilgore avoided a massive pileup on lap one, dueled with Todd Dart, and grabbed the lead with just four laps remaining in the feature event.

After the initial start was waved off, a second display of the green flag was followed quickly by the yellow, and eventually the red. On the outside of row one, Dart got sideways in turn one and spun in front of the field. With nowhere to go, Brian Joski, Brad Theys, Benji LaCrosse, James Tebon, Jay Mathias, Brandon Long and others were involved. Aside from Joski, Theys, Mathias and Long, all were able to continue with some very visible battle scars.

The loss of Joski and Theys moved Kilgore to the inside of row two behind Tebon and Dart for a third attempt at the start. Dart and Tebon jumped away at the green, leaving Kilgore to deal with Mike Mashl until a spin on lap six brought out the yellow.

New life seemed to arrive with Kilgore on the restart. Starting on the outside of Tebon, Kilgore quickly moved to second and kept close to Dart. Just past the halfway point Kilgore began to check his options, testing the inside line. After some side-by-side action for several laps, Kilgore emerged with the lead on lap 16. He built his lead over Dart on the way to his fourth win of the season. Dart had a comfortable advantage over third-place finisher Tebon, Mashl was fourth and LaCrosse recovered to round out the top five.

Kilgore entered the evening tied atop the point standings with Josh Long. Long, who was involved in the lap-one tangle but was able to continue, finished ninth.

The lone point leader on the evening not to visit victory lane was IMCA Sport Mod title contender Todd Wiese. In fact, it was his rival contender Lucas Lamberies who took the honors. However, a large point lead coupled his fifth-place finish all but sealed the deal heading into next week for Wiese.

At the drop of the green in the 20-lap main Vince Engebretson swiped the lead from polesitter Shawn Umentum. Lamberies followed on the outside and slid into the second spot. With some space to operate, Lamberies jumped to the outside of Engebretson and took the lead on lap three.

Once out front Lamberies proved to be untouchable on the way to his fourth win of 2015, even surviving a restart on lap 12. Behind him Engebretson fought the charges of Chris Budzban in the battle for second. He was able to hold on to the spot. Troy DeGrave finished fourth behind Budzban and Wiese rounded out the top five.

The IMCA Hobby Stocks proved the old racing cliché that bad luck for one is good luck for another. Dan Van Pay had no problem cashing in for his fifth win of the season.

Cory Cotter had a large lead at the halfway point of the 15 lap-feature event. Right as he hit the line for halfway, Cotter’s right rear tire went down, handing the lead to Dan Van Pay. Cody Junio finished second with Marcus Moede in third. Van Pay’s lead was only five points over Moede entering the night, so the win provides some breathing room heading into Championship night next week.

Even near disaster couldn’t shake Street Stock point leader Scott Boulanger. In the heat race Boulanger’s machine was smoking heavily. After repairs it proved to be just as fast as ever in the 15-lap feature.

Polesitter John Young got an early jump until Boulanger and Eddie Anschutz tracked him down. On lap 6 the trio were three-wide for the lead. The next lap Anschutz and Boulanger emerged side-by-side for the lead. Anschutz was able to grab the lead, but only for two laps until Boulanger gained inside position and took the top spot away for good. The win was Boulanger’s seventh of the season and 50th of his career. Anschutz finished second, Young was third.

The four-cylinder class was welcomed to Luxemburg for the first time in 2015. Calvin Stueck took the lead from Scott Johnson on lap 14 to win the 20-lap feature. Dalton Nelson finished third.

Next week is Tri-County Heating Season Championship Night and the Fall Classic packed into a huge night to close out the 2015 regular season. The third and final leg of the Trailer Race series presented by Tisler Salvage will take place next Friday as part of the night’s events.

RESULTS
IMCA Modifieds
20-lap Feature: 1. Shawn Kilgore, Algoma, Wis; 2. Todd Dart, Algoma, Wis.; 3. James Tebon, Algoma, Wis.; 4. Mike Mashl, De Pere, Wis.; 5. Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg, Wis.
Heat Winners: Brian Joski, Abrams, Wis.; Dart

IMCA Stock Cars
25-lap Feature: 1. Shawn Havel, Algoma, Wis.; 2. Devin Snellenberger, Pulaski, Wis.; 3. Barry Van Straten, Shiocton, Wis.; 4. Brett Wenzel, Two Rivers, Wis.; 5. Bob Waechter, Ellisville, Wis.
Heat Winners: Havel; Rod Snellenberger, Pulaski, Wis.; Larry Karcz Jr., Pulaski, Wis.

IMCA Sport Mods
20-lap Feature: 1. Lucas Lamberies, Clintonville, Wis.; 2. Vince Engebretson, Green Bay Wis.; 3. Chris Budzban, Luxemburg, Wis.; 4. Troy DeGrave, De Pere, Wis.; 5. Todd Wiese, Algoma, Wis.;
Heat Winner: Shawn Umentum, Green Bay, Wis.

IMCA Hobby Stocks
15-lap Feature: 1. Dan Van Pay, Green Bay, Wis.; 2. Cody Junio, Casco, Wis.; 3. Marcus Moede, Algoma, Wis.
Heat Winner: Dean Anhalt, Mishicot, Wis.

Street Stocks
15-lap Feature: 1. Scott Boulanger, Luxemburg, Wis.; 2. Eddie Anschutz, Two Rivers, Wis.; 3. John Young
Heat Winner: Young

Four Cylinders
Feature: 1. Calvin Stueck, Clintonville, Wis.; 2. Scott Johnson, Green Bay, Wis.; 3. Dalton Nelson, Shawano, Wis.
Heat Winners: Stueck; Brad Prohl, Luxemburg, Wis.

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