August 24, 2003; Seymour, WI - A hot, humid night, and smooth, fast track made for an exciting night of racing action at the Seymour Tri Oval Raceway Sunday night. It was also the final IMCA point night for the season with the other 3 divisions running points on the final night, next week.
The Streets took the track first with Joe Van Ooyen pulling into the top spot on the first lap and opening a lead before the first caution appeared on lap 6. Eric Arneson, Rick Naparalla, Joe Johnson, Charlie Van Ooyen and Jeremy Wiitala were lined up behind. Van Ooyen was pressured by Naparalla for the top spot for the next 3 laps with Naparalla taking over the helm on lap 10. Naparalla was holding the lead with Darren Otto, point contender Phil Hiles, point leader Lance Arneson, Joe Van Ooyen and Wiitala behind on lap 15. A stalled car brought out the final caution on lap 16, setting up a 4 lap dash to the finish. Otto made a charge alongside the leader on the restart, but could not get the bite to pull off the pass for the top spot. Hiles and Arneson were tight behind and the race for second was three wide for the rest of the way. Naparalla held fast to the front and collected his first feature win of the year. Hiles nipped Otto and Arneson for the second place finish with Jamie Van Ooyen and Joe Van Ooyen rounding out the top six. The second place finish by Hiles moves him up 2 points on Arneson 494 – 487 entering next weeks final race. Both are looking for their first track titles. The track title in the IMCA Stock Cars would be decided next with Brian Karcz taking the lead at the start and opening a lead on the field while the cars sorted out behind for the first 15 laps. Point leader, Brandon Czarapata moved into the runner up spot on lap 15 with Rod Snellenberger, Chaz Van Ooyen, Shawn Wagner, Jeremy Christians and Kyle Fredrick moving up behind before the first caution appeared. On the restart, Czarapata wasted no time taking the inside line into the lead with Fredrick, Wagner and Christians all moving by Karcz. The lead pack stayed tight and it looked like a fight to the finish until the final lap, when a spin brought out the final caution and ended the race under the caution. Czarapata clinched his first career division track title with his 4th feature win of the season. Defending champ, Christians, took the second place finish with Fredrick, Wagner, Larry Karcz, Jr and Jamie Colwell rounding out the top six. Sean Jerovetz took the lead in the modified main at the start with Lance Arneson, Chad Wilcox, Dennis Young, Joel Schmit and Danny Deau behind. Deau hooked up on the inside line and quickly moved to the front, taking over the lead on lap 6. Benji LaCrosse was leading the charge from the middle of the pack, taking over the runner u p spot on lap 8 with Scott Mullen and point leader, Brian Mullen moving into the top spots by lap 10. A lone caution slowed the race one lap later, and Deau again picked up the pace for the restart with LaCrosse now right behind. LaCrosse was hugging the inside line and Deau was fast just out of the lower groove. On lap 15, LaCrosse slipped alongside the leader and 1 lap later, pulled into the lead. Scott Mullen moved into the second spot one lap later and chased LaCrosse to the finish with Deau and Mike Cole right behind. Travis Spaulding came home in fifth and Schmit rounded out the top six. The win was the second of the year for LaCrosse. Brian Mullen captured his 6th career track title by starting the main. He dropped pout of the race 2 laps from the end with a flat tire. It was the first time he has won back to back titles at his home track. A field of 17 late models took the green but a series of cautions for spins slowed the race 6 times. Randy Markwardt took charge first and led the way through several cautions before Pete Parker used the inside move through the tri oval on lap 7 to take the lead. Once in front, Parker would hold the lead to the finish, while there was plenty of close racing behind. Terry Casey, Greg Dhein, Markwardt, Luke Roffers and point leader, Nick Anvelink were running behind. A final caution on lap 13, brought a time limit finish with a 2 lap dash. Parker took the checkers for his 4th feature win of the year with Casey taking second. Dhein, Roffers, Markwardt and A.J. Diemel rounded out the top six. Anvelink finished 7th and holds the point lead entering next weeks final night 547 – 521 over Casey. Jeff Kropp led the first lap of the 4 Banger main with point leader Marty Vande Hei, taking over the top spot on lap 2. Greg Banker moved into the runner up spot on lap 7 and closed up on the leader with Kropp right behind. Vande Hei held off the late race challenge and won his 4th feature event of the year and clinched the first track title for the division. Banker took second with Kropp third. Todd Welsing came from the back of the field to finish fourth. Tom Schmidt was fifth and Matt Malport rounded out the top six. A special Bump and Run Dash was run by the 4 Bangers to end the night with the team of Schmidt and Banker taking the extra sponsor cash from Racing Graphic Design. Next Sunday will be the final night of racing for the 2003season at the Tri Oval.
SUMMARY IMCA MODIFIED WISSOTA LATE MODEL STREET STOCK IMCA STOCK CAR 4 BANGER |
