Stock Cars Put on a Spectacle

By: Scott J. Owen

Shawano, WI,06/18/2022–Though the IMCA Stock Car division is known as “the class too tough to tame,” it doesn’t always feature a three wide battle for the lead for nearly half of the race, but Saturday night it sure did with Trent Nolan prevailing for his fourth win of the the year.  The Mighty Four division also featured a three car slugfest   with Lucas Hacker garnering his first win of the year in a photo finish.  Jeffrey Teske, also got win number four in the IMCA Northern Sport Mod class.  Mike Mullen raced to his first IMCA Modified win of 2022 and Nick Anvelink scored his first Late Model win in Dirt Kings action. 

Fresh off an impressive heat race win earlier in the evening Dylan Stedjee took the lead on lap one of the IMCA Stock Car feature.  Tyler Wendt pressured Stedjee from the start.  Wendt pulled alongside Stedjee on more than one occasion as Stedjee continued to lead.  Behind the leaders, Kyle Frederick, Trent Nolan, and Luke Lemmens joined the battle at the front of the field.  Frederick pulled to the outside of Stedjee on lap seven to take the lead.  Lemmens quickly made it three wide for the lead with Frederick and Stedjee.  Frederick continued to lead as Lemmens ran second and Nolan moved to third.  One lap eleven of the race Frederick, Lemmens, and Nolan began a three wide battle for the win that would continue for the final nine laps of the race.  Most often it was Frederick on the outside, Lemmens in the middle, and Nolan on the inside.  Frederick continued to lead lap after lap by a slight margin.  On lap eighteen the three racers squeezed together on the back stretch with Lemmens caught in the middle as both of his front tires were off the ground.  The three separated enough for Lemmens to get all four tires back on the track and continued on with their three wide battle.  As the checkered flag flew somehow Trent Nolan found enough grip in the track to inch ahead.  Nolan held the lead for probably ten feet, but it was enough to get the win over Frederick by .013 seconds (less than the blink of an eye).  Lemmens would have to settle for third.  Dylan Stedee ran a great race to finish fourth.  While Travis VanStraten raced three wide for numerous laps to race his way to fifth.        

Not to be outdone, the Mighty Four division went five wide on the opening lap.  Bo White led lap one of the race before giving way to Lucas Hacker on lap two.  Tanner Westphal and Brad Wedde soon joined Hacker out front as the trio pulled away from the rest of the pack.  Westphal and Wedde each took turns racing door to door with Hacker for the lead.  Hacker was firmly committed to running the higher line around the track as Westphal and Wedde tried to pass on the lowside.  On the final lap it was Wedde ducking to the inside of Hacker making a challenge for the lead.  Wedde actually had the lead entering turn three, but Hacker would not be denied.  Hacker won by the slimmest of margins over Wedde.  Westphal, Carl King, and Jody Cornelius completed the top five.  

Taylor Sorenson grabbed the lead at the start of the IMCA Sport mod feature and would stay there until lap three when Andy Klosterman went to the outside of Sorenson to snag the lead.  Klosterman tried to run away and hide as Jeffrey Teske, Travis Rhoades, and Tyler Sobiesczyk joined the top four.  Teske would take advantage of a lap seven restart to pull even with Klosterman before taking the lead on lap eight.  Teske would survive a couple late-race cautions to win his fourth feature of the year, as Klosterman, Rhoades and Sobiesczyk had a spirited battle for second and third.  In the end it was Teske winning followed by Sobiesczyk, Rhoades, Cory Kemkes sneaking in for fourth, and Klosterman finishing fifth.     

Rookie Jayden Schmidt and seasoned veteran Jerry Muenster raced for the lead on the opening lap of the IMCA Modified feature.  Schmidt would lead lap one at the line.  Mike Mullen took to the highside of the track to pass Schmidt on lap three.  Mullen quickly began to distance himself from the rest of the field.  Behind him though, Schmidt gave chase and began to receive pressure from Muenster, Jordan Bartz and Konnor Wilinski.  At the halfway point Marcus Yarie joined the battle in the top five after starting 18th.  Mechanical gremlins forced Schmidt to the pits late in the race.  Yarie also was eliminated from action after contacting the concrete wall late in the race.  Mullen would fend off Wilinski and Bartz for the win.  Andy Karl and Jerry Wilinski completed the top five.     

(Late Model writeup courtesy of the Dirt Kings tour)

Anvelink started outside the front row, as Brett Swedberg led the field to the green flag.  Swedberg charged to the lead and slowed as he approached turn one with a large puff of smoke.  Caution slowed the field and everyone was able to avoid Swedberg, who pulled off on the backstretch.  Anvelink led the field to the green flag and caution slowed the field on the restart as Shawn Miller spun in turn four.  The third time was the charm, as Anvelink had the advantage on Kyle Raddant going into turn one.  Anvelink continued to pull away from Raddant as Raddant held off challenges from Troy Springborn.  Anvelink held a 5.8 second lead over Raddant, as Raddant slowed in turn four bringing out the caution at the halfway point.  The restart allowed Springborn a chance to challenge Anvelink for the lead, but Springborn had to battle with Justin Ritchie for second place, allowing Anvelink to pull away to a half second lead.  Anvelink continued to steadily pull away from Springborn and Ritchie.  Anvelink held on to win his eighteenth WABAM Dirt Kings Late Model Tour victory and was crowned King of the Gehm’s Club 117 Kings Classic in BMRE Electrick Carts Victory Lane.  Springborn finished second, followed by Ritchie, Jim Schmidt, and Lukas Postl.

Racing will continue next Saturday with the Salute to Veterans. Military veterans will get in free with a military identification. Full results and more information can be found online at www.ShawanoSpeedway.net.

Racing Summary

Late Model Feature:

1. Nick Anvelink, Navarino.  2) Troy Springborn, Shawano.  3) Justin Ritchie, New London.  4) Jim Schmidt, Cleveland.  5) Luke Postl, Shawano.  6) Joe Bongiorno, Milwaukee.  7) Joel Bennett, Hortonville.  8) Turk Letizia, Milwaukee.  9) Tom Naeyaert, Shawano.  10) Paul Thorpe, New London.

Heat winners: 1) Ritchie, 2) Brett Swedberg.

IMCA Modified Feature:

1. Mike Mullen, Seymour.  2) Konnor Wilinski, Seymour.  3) Jordan Bartz, Shawano.  4) Andy Karl, Mosinee.  5) Jerry Wilinski, Seymour.  6) Kevin Feck, Wausau.  7) Jerry Muenster, Green Bay.   8) Marcus Hoeppner, Horicon.  9) Mike Schmidt,  Shawano.  10) Dan Moderson, New London.

Heat winners: 1) Mullen, 2) Muenster.

IMCA Stock Car Feature:

1. Trent Nolan, Shawano.  2) Kyle Frederick, Oconto Falls.  3) Luke Lemmens, DePere.  4) Dylan Stedjee, Shiocton.  5) Travis VanStraten, Hortonville.  6) Tyler Wendt, Shawano.  7) Jordan Barkhotlz, Hortonville.  8) Travis Welch, Gillett.  9) Mike Mullen, Seymour.  10) Kurt Olson, Oneida.

Heat winners: 1) Stedjee, 2) Frederick.

IMCA Northern Sport Mod Feature:

1. Jeffery Teske, Shawano.  2) Tyler Sobiesczyk, Shawano.  3) Travis Rhoades, Shawano.  4)  Cory Kemkes, Appleton.  5) Andy Klosterman, Cecil.  6) Dustin Wudstrack, Tigerton.  7) Matthew Radtke, Marion.  8) Teagan Wudstrack, Caroline.  9) Doug Belongia, Lena.  10) Dustin Marquart, Gillett. 

Heat winners: 1) Dustin Wudstrack, 2) Klosterman.

Mighty Four Feature:

1. Lucas Hacker, Shawano.  2) Brad Wedde, Clintonville.  3) Tanner Westphal, Clintonville.  4) Carl King, Shawano.  5) Jody Cornelius, Oneida.  6) Lexi Michonski, Shawano.  7) Justin Haufe, Marion.  8) Shayne Collar, Marion.  9) Bo White, Seymour.  10) Blake Jung, Marion. 

Heat Winners: 1) Westphal, 2) Wedde.