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Mullen Masters Mods at Tri-Oval Fair Special!
By Dave Panske |
July 8,
2003; Seymour, WI - N.E.W. DIRT helped open the 2003
Outagamie County Fair in grand style with a big 4 division racing program Tuesday night at
the Seymour Tri Oval Raceway. 108 cars were on hand for the full program, which featured
the Street Stocks and 4 Bangers.
The IMCA Stock Cars started the feature events off by running a smooth, flag to flag
contest.
Barry Van Straten set the pace for the opening 3 circuits before Shannon Volkman
took command with Jamie Colwell, Rick Mahlberg, Greg Gretz and Jerry Wilinski following
through. Volkman opened a lead and held the gap while Colwell, Wilinski and Gretz battled
for the runner up spot. Jeremy Christians moved into the battle on lap 14 and the bunch
closed in on the leader. Colwell pressured the leader for the final 5 laps and the pair
ran nearly side by side. As the white flag appeared, Colwell inched ahead for the first
time in the race and held off Volkman over the final lap to record his first ever division
feature win at the Tri Oval. Volkman, in only his third run at the track, took the close
second followed by Wilinski, Christians, Gretz and Brandon Czarapata.
Jamie Schmidt led the opening lap of the modified contest before Scott Mullen powered into
the top spot and began to pull away from the field. Schmidt was followed by Brian Mullen,
Dean Maurer, R.M. Van Pay and Joe White. Brian Mullen moved into second on lap 10 and Van
Pay followed into third one lap later. With a tight group battling for second, Scott
Mullen built a 13 lap lead before a caution on lap 13 bunched the field. Scott, Brian, Van
Pay, Maurer and Travis Spaulding were now grouped at the front and staged a good battle
for the lead. Scott maintained the line low and was able to pull away a bit again, before
a final caution 2 laps from the finish. Scott again kept the field behind to become the
first repeat winner in the mods this season at the Tri Oval. Brian was the second place
finished with Van Pay right behind. Spaulding took fourth with Mike Cole taking fifth and
Maurer in sixth.
For the first time, the 4 Banger division ran heats to set their feature field and were
scheduled for 25 laps. Marty Vande Hei grabbed the lead on the opening lap with Todd
Welsing moving into second. The pair pulled away from the pack while trying to out do each
other for the lead. A pair of rollovers in the race, the first on lap 4 and second on lap
18, bunched the field and caused the race to be shortened by time limit. Following a
restart on lap 14, Vande Hei was still in control until Welsing found a gap and pulled
into the top spot on lap 16. The race went 20 laps and Welsing was still in front at the
finish for this 4th feature win of the year. Vande Hei took second. Tim Heinrick ended up
taking the third place finish with Tim Jorgensen, Tom Schmidt and Jeff Kropp rounding out
the top six.
The Street Stock headliner took the green with David Hoerning setting the pace for the
first 2 laps before a spin brought out the caution. On the restart, Hoerning slipped in
turn 2 enough to allow Phil Hiles a chance to take the top spot. Hoerning did not lose too
much ground and re-took the lead on lap 6. Hiles continued to play catch until Jeremy
Wiitala took over second on lap 11 and started to close on the leader. Point leader, Lance
Arneson, came from mid pack into fourth on lap 12 and worked into the runner up spot on
lap 14. He closed in on the leader and had some help from a caution on lap 17 to erase the
lead altogether. It also bunched the rest of the field. Following another restart on lap
23, Arneson pressured the leader and was working on the outside. Horning was still trying
to hold the inside line. On lap 19, the lead pair drifted wide out of the tri oval and
Arneson just slid by the front guard rail. Hiles was right behind, and on the next lap,
Arneson stalled in turn one and Hiles reported to pit lap for a flat tire. This put David
Zegers in the second spot with Gregg Siebold, Wiitala and Brian Koch behind. There was now
a three lap dash set up for the finish with Hoerning still leading the way. As the field
came, by getting the white flag, a scramble mid pack forced the final caution and the race
to end before the leader could take the checker. Hoerning won his second feature of the
season with Siebold taking the runner up spot. Zegers, Wiitala, Koch, Darren Otto and Chaz
Van Ooyen rounded out the top six cars.
There will be NO racing at the Tri Oval on Sunday night, July 13, because of the fair.
Racing will return with a full 5 division program on Sunday night, July 20.
SUMMARY
IMCA MODIFIED
20 Lap Feature l. Scott Mullen , Seymour 2. Brian Mullen, Seymour 3. R.M. Van Pay, Green
Bay Travis Spaulding, Greenville 5. Mike Cole, Baileys Harbor 6. Dean Maurer, Greenleaf
12 Lap Consy l. Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg 2. Joel Schmit, Green Bay 3. Russ Huxford, Green
Bay 4. Brad Rohloff, Pulaski
10 Lap Heats First l. Van Pay 2. Brian Mullen
Second l. Scott Mullen 2. Spaulding
Third l. Jamie Schmidt, Black Creek 2. Jared Siefert, Green Bay
IMCA STOCK CAR
20 Lap feature l. Jamie Colwell, Greenleaf 2. Shannon Volkman, Black Creek 3. Jerry
Wilinski, Seymour 4. Jeremy Christians, Horicon 5. Greg Gretz, Kewaunee 6. Brandon
Czarapata, Pulaski
12 Lap Consy l. Shawn Wagner, Pulaski 2. Bobby Rezek, Green Bay 3. Chris Lange 4.Mike
Franzke, Appleton
8 Lap Heats First l. Travis Van Straten, Hortonville 2. Barry Van Straten, Shiocton
Second l. Volkman 2. Gretz
Third l. Rod Snellenberger, Pulaski 2. Colwell
STREET STOCK
30 Lap Feature l. David Hoerning, Appleton 2. Gregg Siebold, Denmark 3. David Zegers,
Hortonville 4. Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay 5. Brian Koch, Green Bay 6. Darren Otto, Pulaski
12 Lap Consy l. Siebold 2. Jeremy Hiles, Appleton 3. T.J. White, Green Bay 4. Troy Wilson,
Green Bay
8 Lap Heats First l. Darci Czarapata, Pulaski 2. Hoerning
Second l. Phil Hiles, Appleton 2.Jamie Van Ooyen, Appleton
Third l. Koch 2. Rick Naparalla, Suamico
4 BANGER
20 Lap Feature l. Todd Welsing, Denmark 2, Marty Vande Hei, Green Bay 3. Tim Heinrick,
Appleton 4. Tim Jorgensen, Clintonville 5. Tom Schmidt, Seymour 6. Jeff Kropp
8 Lap Heats First l., Jorgensen 2. Welsing
Second l. Vande Hei 2. R.J. Vandehei, Green Bay |
