September 2, 2007; Seymour, WI - The long awaited return of the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint cars highlighted a big night of racing to close the 2007 season at the Seymour Speedway Sunday night. Champions were also crowned in 2 divisions.

The Street Stocks took the track first for their final run of the season and to crown a champion. The top three were only 12 marks apart starting the feature. Dan Rihm grabbed the early lead setting the pace for the first 9 laps before the first caution appeared. David Hoerning grabbed the lead on the restart with Paul White and Todd Everard following . Everard moved into the runner up spot 2 laps later and was pressuring the leader when the final caution slowed the race on lap 17. The Everard car would not keep running and was forced out of the race with just 3 laps left which put defending champion, Harley Simon into third behind Hoerning and White. Matt Drawenek, Brian Drexler, and the other 2 champion contenders, Rod Solem and Jeremy Wiitala were next in line.

Simon moved into second on the final restart but could not get by Hoerning, who collected his 3rd feature win of the season in front of Simon. White, Drawenek, Drexler and Wiitala rounded out the top six.

Wiitala claimed the 2007 track title and became only the second driver in the past 19 years to be a repeat division champion. Simon took second only 7 markers behind and Solem finishes a strong season in third place 13 behind the champion.

The Sound Check 4 Cylinders also had a close point chase with the top 3 starting the feature only 5 points apart.

J.J. Anderson took charge at the start and stayed in front with several cautions to get the first lap in. Once underway, the field clicked off 19 straight laps. Anderson had Jerry Leary, Josh Novak, Jamie Miller, Jake Wilcox and point leader Ian Lassanske behind. By lap 5, point chasers, Andy Kleczka and Chad Guyette were running with Lassanske as they worked to the front of the pack. By half way, Anderson, Miller and Kleczka were in the top three and were pulling away from the rest of the field. Guyette, Leary and Lassanske were spread out behind.

Kleczka was running in a borrowed car after his car broke and axle in the heat race. He was battling hard with the leaders for the rest of the race and with a couple laps left was able to get alongside of Miller and pulled off the pass on the final lap. Anderson collected his first win of the season with Kleczka taking second and Miller third. Guyette, Lassanske and Leary rounded out the top six.

The runner up finish by Kleczka was enough to earn a tie for the track title with Lassanske. But a claim refusal following the race gave Lassanske the outright title, his first. Guyette finishes second only 4 behind the champion 491 – 487.

The Budweiser IMCA Mods ran a special pre-Boone race with Benji LaCrosse getting the draw for the front row and quickly pulled into the lead at the start. Kyle Meyers Paul Parker, A.J. Diemel and Mike Wedelstadt dropped in behind. LaCrosse continued to set the pace after a lap 6 caution with Diemel taking second , Danny Deau moving into third. Wedelstadt, Parker and Tim Van De Hei now in the lead pack.
After a final caution on lap 12, Diemel wrestled the runner up spot away from Wedelstadt and really pressured LaCrosse for the top spot. With 4 laps left, LaCrosse was able to open a gap and held on to win his second straight and third feature of the season. Diemel won the battle with Wedelstadt for the runner up spot, in his first run in the Jarrod Anvelink mod. Brian Drexler took fourth in his first run this season here. Van De Hei and Deau rounded out the top six.

The IRA Sprinters were set to close the show and put 22 cars on the feature grid. After an initial false start, the group pulled off a very quick, rare, non-stop event which took 8 minutes to run 30 laps.

Scotty Neitzel took charge followed by John Haeni, Mike Reinke, and fast qualifier Travis Whitney.

Reinke was in second and for 4 laps was in a spirited battle for the lead. On lap 6, Reinke dove inside and took the lead for good entering turn three. Two laps later, the leader was meeting lapped traffic and started to pull away from the rest of the field. Reinke was running the high groove to perfection and only dropped down a couple times working through traffic. He opened a ¼ lap lead by lap 19 and by the checkered, was over a ½ lap ahead and had lapped all but the top 8 cars. Whitney ended a race long battle with Neitzel and finished in second with Steve Meyer taking fourth. Scott Young and Haeni rounded out the top six. The win by Reinke was his second of the season.

The Sprints were the first group to take official times since the track was change 3 seasons ago and Whitney’s fast time of 12.672 is the official track record.

This was the final race of the 2007 season and N.E.W. DIRT would like to THANK all the drivers, sponsors, fans and staff for making the season a success. The club would also like to invite everyone back for their 25th Anniversary season in 2008 at the Seymour Speedway.

SUMMARY

BUMPER TO BUMPER IRA OUTLAW SPRINTS
30 Lap feature l. Mike Reinke 2. Travis Whitney 3. Scotty Neitzel 4. Steve Meyer 5. Scott Young 6. John Haeni

15 lap B Main l. Scott Uttech 2. Billy Balog 3. Kurt Winker 4. Andy Hunt

12 Lap Heats First l. Scott Biertzer 2. Donny Goeden
Second l. Brian Kristan 2. Ryan Irwin
Third l. Neitzel 2. Reinke

BUDWEISER IMCA MODIFIED
20 Lap feature l. Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg 2. A.J. Diemel, Navarino 3. Mike Wedelstadt, Fremont 4. Brian Drexler, Oshkosh 5. Tim Van de Hei, Green Bay 6. Danny Deau, Little Suamico

12 Lap Consy l. Zack Drews, Ringle 2. Dave Zeitler, Luxemburg 3. Michelle Loy, Green bay 4. Mark Vankauwenberg

8 Lap Heats First l. Deau 2. Tom Schaal, Gillett
Second l. Paul Parker, Little Chute 2. Jamie Schmidt, Seymour
Third l. LaCrosse 2. M.J. Hintz, DePere

STREET STOCKS
20 Lap Feature l. David Hoerning, Appleton 2. Harley Simon, Seymour 3. Paul White, Green Bay 4. Matt Drawenek, Kaukauna 5. Brian Drexler, Oshkosh 6. Jeremy Wiitala, Green bay

12 Lap Consy l. Dereck Lecker, Appleton 2. Kyle Schroeder, green Bay 3. Steve Hiles, Appleton 4. Justin Arneson, Oconto

8 Lap Heats First l. Dan Rihm, New London 2. Hoerning
Second l. Drawenek 2. White
Third l. Mike Nehmer, Oshkosh 2. Mert Summers, DePere
Fourth l. Wiitala 2. Justin Jacobsen

SOUND CHECK 4 CYLINDERS
20 Lap feature l. J.J. Anderson, Pulaski 2. Jamie Miller, Suamico 3. Chad Guyette, Black Creek 4. Ian Lassanske, Oconto Falls 5. Jerry Leary, Appleton 6. Matt Jahnke

10 Lap Consy First l. Tyler Derenne 2. Jessi Ness, DePere 3. Janet Perisak, Shawano
Second l. Andy Kleczka, Suamico 2. Tony Everard, Green Bay 3. Ralph Liegeois, Oconto

8 Lap Heats First l. Anderson 2. Leary
Second l. Lassanske 2. Holly Welch, Shawano
Third l. Guyette 2. Jake Wilcox, Pulaski