Seymour Tri-Oval Race Report

logosm.gif (5811 bytes)Three New Champions Crowned at the Tri-Oval!
By Dave Panske

September 5, 2004; Seymour, WI - The final regular season race produced three first time Seymour Tri Oval feature winners and three first time track champions Sunday night.

Photo Highlights

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Tim Buhler celebrates with his crew after earning his first career track championship sunday night at the Seymour Tri Oval Raceway.
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Maplewood Shell WISSOTA Late Model #81 Troy Springborn could only close in on
the back bumper briefly of feature race leader #10 Pete Parker Sunday night at Seymour's Tri-Oval Raceway.
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Brian Drexler picked up his first ever Tri- Oval Modified feature win Sunday night.51201b.jpg (17266 bytes)
Budweiser IMCA Modified #5 Eddie Muenster held the inside line on #8 Brian
Drexler and #29 Chris Engles in the closing laps of the IMCA Modifed feature event that also went right down to the wire with Drexler taking the win!
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Shawn Wagner celbrates his first ever Tri Oval division feature win sunday night.
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Bay-Tek IMCA Stock Car #55 Shawn Wagner had his hands full in holding off #77 Barry Van Straten in the closing laps of the Stock Car feature event that went right down to the wire!
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Joe Wittmann led flag to flag to record his first career feature win sunday night at the Tri Oval.
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4 Cylinder #17 Greg Banker passed race leader #18 Nick Everard Sunday night
at Seymour's Tri-Oval Raceway in their feature event.

Joe Wittmann grabbed the lead at the start of the Street Stock main with the field staying bunched with three cautions over the first 5 laps. A long green stretch followed the restart with Wittmann pulling to a slight lead while the field sorted out behind.

By half way, Eric Arneson, Rick Naparella, Jamie Van Ooyen, Mike Pierrard and Harley Simon were lined up behind. The battle for second was tight for the last half of the event. A final caution bunched the field on lap 17. Wittmann captured his first career feature win a couple lengths ahead of Pierrard with Naparella, Arneson, Van Ooyen and Simon rounding out the top six.

Darren Otto finished 10th in the main but captured his first career track championship and became the 16th different champion in the 17 years the division has competed at the Tri Oval.

The Maplewood Shell WISSOTA Late Models were next to wrap up the point season. Pete Parker took control at the start with a 4 car spin in the tri oval on lap 3 brining out the caution. Parker continued to set the pace with Troy Springborn a couple lengths back in second. Greg Nelson, Tom Naeyaert, Tim Buhler and Jamie Schmidt were right behind.

A lap 12 caution bunched the field for the final time, but Parker continued to lead the way to collect his second straight feature win. Springborn took the runner up spot with Naeyaert holding off A.J. Diemel for third. Buhler finished 5th ahead of Travis Spaulding. Buhler also clinched his first career track title by a 602 – 563 margin over Naeyaert.

Nick Everard paced the first lap of the 4 Cylinder main before a roll over in the Tri Oval on lap 2 brought out the only caution of the race. Mike Schwiner tangled with several other cars and rolled over high in the corner. Mike was fine but the car was unable to continue.

Greg Banker took over the lead on the restart and the cruised to his third straight feature win of the season . The race for the runner up spot was close to the finish with Tim Jorgensen edging D.J. Jorgensen. Ben Daoust, Jim Roffers and Tony Everard rounded out the top six.

Point leader, Jasper Drengler failed to make the feature but still earned the season track title over Matt Maleport by a 23 point margin, 311 – 288.

The Bay-Tek IMCA Stock Cars ran non-sanctioned but put on another tight race.

Shawn Wagner took the lead at the start with Gary Schmidt, Rick Mahlberg, Jerry Schaalma, Barry Van Straten and Brian Karcz behind.

Wagner was able to pull away a bit with the first caution appearing on lap 12. Three more cautions over the final 8 laps kept the field bunched and made for some very close racing at the front. Schaalma, Van Straten and Bob Czarapata were tight right behind Wagner. After the final caution, Van Straten pulled alongside Wagner for a dash run to the finish. Wagner was able to hold the lead slightly on each lap, and the pair crossed side by side at the white flag. The final lap was erased by a caution which scored the race on that lap, giving Wagner his first ever Tri Oval feature win. Van Straten was second with Czarapata taking third. Schaalma Mike Franzke and Mike Weitor rounded out the top six.

Kyle Meyers took charge of the Budweiser IMCA Mod feature with Eddie Muenster, Chris Engles, Chad Bartelt, Brian Drexler and Paul Parker behind.

Muenster hounded Meyers for the first half of the race with Engles, Drexler and Parker in the lead bunch. The group ran side by side, bumper to bumper for most of the race. A lap 14 spin in turn 2 took Parker and Meyers out of the lead group with visits to pit lane and set up a great run to the finish.

Muenster was hugging the inside with Drexler pulling to the outside. Engles stayed right there with Mike Wedelstadt moving into 4th. Bartelt and Tim Van De Hei also joined the leaders. For the final 3 laps, the leaders were side by side. Out of the final turn, Muenster bobbled slightly, and Drexler caught the right spot and nipped Muenster to score his first ever Tri Oval modified feature win.

Wedelstadt caught Engels at the line for third with Bartelt taking his best finish of the year in fifth with Van De Hei in sixth.


Drexler is the only driver to win 2 Street Stock track titles here and is the all time feature winner in the division with 28.

A special Bar VS Law race was run to close the night with the Bartenders winning this years event.

The season will end on Labor Day Monday with the Tri Oval Changeover event.

SUMMARY

STREET STOCK

20 Lap Feature l. Joe Wittmann, Appleton 2. Mike Pierrard, Green Bay 3. Rick Naparella, Sobieski 4. Eric Arneson, Oconto 5. Jamie Van Ooyen, Appleton 6. Harley Simon, Seymour
8 Lap Consy First l. Brian Ambrosius, Seymour 2. Bill Kelsey, Green Bay
Second l. Joe Johnson, Seymour
8 Lap Heats First l. Arneson 2. Darci Czarapata, Pulaski
Second l. Tony Peebles, Green Bay 2. Brian Koch, Green Bay
Third l. Phil Hiles, Appleton 2. Wittmann
Fourth l. Simon 2. Mike Woodke, Appleton
6 Lap dash l. Darren Otto, Pulaski 2. Hiles

MAPLEWOOD SHELL WISSOTA LATE MODEL
20 Lap feature l. Pete Parker, Kaukauna 2. Troy Springborn, Shawano 3. Tom Naeyaert, Shawano 4. A.J. Diemel, Navarino 5. Tim Buhler, Glenbulah 6. Travis Spaulding, Greenville
8 Lap Heats First l. Buhler 2. Spaulding
Second l. Parker 2. Springborn

4 CYLINDER
15 Lap Feature l. Greg Banker 2. Tim Jorgensen 3, D.J. Jorgensen 4. Ben Daoust 5. Jim Roffers 6.Matt Gilson
8 Lap Heats First l. D.J. Jorgensen 2. Tim Jorgensen
Second l. Banker 2. Jacob Wilcox

BAY-TEK IMCA STOCK CAR
20 Lap Feature l. Shawn Wagner, Pulaski 2,. Barry Van Straten, Shiocton 3. Bob Czarapata, Pulaski 4. Jerry Schaalma, Juneau 5. Mike Franzke, Appleton 6. Mike Weitor, Green Bay
10 Lap Heats First l. Chris Lange, Seymour 2. Wagner
Second l. Van Straten 2. Gary Schmidt

BUDWEISER IMCA MODIFIED
20 Lap Feature l. Brian Drexler, Oshkosh 2, Eddie Muenster, Green Bay 3. Mike Wedelstadt, Hortonville 4. Chris Engels, Green Bay 5. Chad Bartelt, Shiocton 6. Tim Van De Hei, Green Bay
10 Lap Consy l. Roger Skenadore, Oneida 2. Tim Berna, Green Bay 3. Lance Arneson, Oconto 4. Mike Cole, Baileys Harbor
10 Lap Heats First l. Wedelstadt 2. Eric Scribner, Shawano
Second l. Drexler 2. Mike Klenz, Sobieski
Third l. Muenster 2. Kyle Meyers,