Three New Champions Crowned at the Tri-Oval!
By Dave Panske
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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.
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, |