Oshkosh, May 6- It is Kentucky Derby weekend, but, horsepower of a different kind was in abundance Friday night a the Oshkosh SpeedZone Raceway with a solid field of 131 teams entering the nights competition on a perfect night for racing in Northeastern Wisconsin.
A caution on the opening lap of the Automotive Supply Company IMCA Modifieds was the only blemish on a great feature event. Kevin Baldry sat on the pole and set the pace for the opening 2 laps before T.J. Smith used the outside line to sweep into the lead. The pair opened a gap on the rest of the field as the rest of the pack tried to sort out behind. There was a lot of tight racing behind as the cars from mid pack tried to get to the front. Grouped in a bunch running three and four wide at times it was lap 8 before the pack started to break form. RC Whitee Fourth l. all and Zeke Bishofberger were the first to emerge and on lap 9, defending track champion, Marcus Yarie, also broke out of the pack.
Smith was running a couple lengths ahead of Baldry at the front as Yarie started to close in and advance, breaking into third on lap 15. Smith encountered a couple lapped cars and was drifting a bit wider in the turns which allowed Baldry to close in and challenge on the inside. That race for the lead allowed Yarie to close the gap and make a three car race with four laps left. Baldry was able to take the top spot and pulled ahead as Yarie moved to the inside on Smith and into second as the white appeared. On the final lap, Baldry, looking for his first ever division feature win, held the inside line and Yarire pulled outside and alongside through the final turns. Yarie had a bit more momentum out of the turn and won the drag race to the finish line winning his first SpeedZone feature of the season by less than a car length. Baldry completed his best run here in second with Smith taking third. Whitewell and Bishofberger held their spots in 4th and 5th with Tim Lemirande making a strong run from the back of the field to take 6th.
Corey Wegner led the opening lap of the Jim’s Auto Repair IMCA Stock Car feature with Steve Hiles taking charge after a series of three cautions to open the race. Hiles led until Travis Van Straten moved into the top spot on lap 5 and started to pull away from the field. Ryan Blank moved from the rear of the starting grid into third on lap 8 and into the runner up spot on lap 11. The race changed with a final caution on lap 13, which erased the Van Straten lead and put Blank, Jerry Wheeler, Hiles and Arron Stolp right behind.
The final 8 laps saw Van Straten able to open a lead again as the battle for the runner up spot was tight to the finish. Van Straten claimed his second straight feature win and it was Winkler taking the runner spot over Blank. David Hoerning took fourth with Hiles making a strong first run in fifth and Stolp rounding out the top six.
Elijah Koenig led the opening lap of the Nolte’s Auto Repair and Towing IMCA Sport Mod main before last weeks winner, Tom Schneider, moved into the top spot on lap 2. Schneider had started the race mid field, but took a gamble on finding bite the outside on the start, which paid off, allowing him to sweep by the front half of the field and into the lead. Schneider kept running the outside line the entire distance of the non-stop event and collected his second straight feature win of the young season. The race was behind as the Koenig and Scott Besaw battled for the runner up spot. The pack remained bunched behind with plenty of swapping going on throughout the race. Besaw eventually settled for the runner up spot, with Koening completing a strong run in third. Adam Peschek, making his first run pf the year, claimed fourth over defending champion, Jeff Schmuhl with Mark Schuenemann rounding out the top 6.
Several cautions throughout the Outlaw Chassis Street Stock feature kept the field close during the event. Jeremy Kemnetz settled into the top spot at the start leadin the first 6 laps befor Jeff Jungwirht was able to wrestle the inside line away and took over the top spot on lap 7. Alex Crapser, Steve Gawaresky, Jeff Wicinsky and Lexii Ashcraft tightened up behind Kemnetz which allowed Jungwirth to open a lead on the field.
A lap 10 caution regrouped the field and made a race of it over the final half of the contest. Jungwith set the pace with Crapser and Gawaresky moving right behind the leader. Runs by both were fought off Jungwirth. Gawaresky almost pulled off a pass for the top spot but a caution on lap 17 erased the move. A caution on each of the last three laps kept the field bunched but Jungwirth was able to survive and challenge to win his first feature of the season. Gawaresky took the runner up finish with Crapser in third. Kemnetz finished a strong run in fourth with Ashcraft taking fifth and Jason Fairbank in sixth.
Brian Vinney , Jr took the lead at the start of the Gold Star Racing Product Grand National main event setting the pace through lap 5 when Larry Richards moved up on the outside t make a run. Richards took the top spot with son, Jeff, moving into the runner up spot. The pair pulled away from the field witrh Larry holding the outside line and Jeff running inside, trying to make a move to the front. A lap 15 caution bunched the field and a couple more over the final laps, made for a tough run to the finish. After a final restart with 2 laps left, Jeff was finally able to make a run on Larry and made it hold, taking his first feature win of the season. Larry took second. Terry Van Roy won a spirited battle for third over Vinney with Don Schumacher and Rich Garb rounding out the top six.
Mike Meier grabbed hold of the lead in the Ellington Mutual Dirt Devil finale and despite a tight three car battle for the lead throughout the race. Meier was scored as the lead for all but 1 lap but had his hands full, holding the lead. Kasey Gross and Wes Lungwitz gave him fits, but Meier prevailed and took advantage of late race, slight contact between the pair, to claim his first feature win. Lungwitz took the second place moet over Gross, Mitchel Fairbank, Seth Hickman and Jordan Klemmer rounded out the top six.
Summary
AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLY COMPANY IMCA MODIFIEDS
20 Lap Feature L. Marcus Yarie, Wausaw 2. Kevin Baldry, Omro 3. T.J. Smith, Menasha 4. RC Whitewell 5. Zeke Bishofberger 6. Tim Lemirande
8 Lap Consy First l. Lemirande 2. Mitch Stankowski 3. Chad Bartel
Second l. Ed Lemay 2. Steve Schneider 3. Dan Roedl
8 Lap Heats First l. Mike Wedelstadt 2. John Schultz
Second l. Brian Drexler 2. Andy Gross
Third l. Adam Reed 2. Whitewell
Fourth l. Bishofberger 2. Smith
JIM’S AUTO REPAIR IMCA STOCK CARS
20 Lap Feature l Travis Van Straten, Hortonville 2. Jerry Winkler 3.. Ryan Blank 4, David Hoerning 5. Steve Hiles 6. Aaron Stolp
8 Lap Heats First l. Stolp 2. Cory Wegner
Second l. Chase Parker 2. Van Straten
NOLT’E S AUTO REPAIR AND TOWING IMCA SPORT MODS
20 Lap Feature l. Tom, Schneider, Chilton 2. Scott Besaw 3. Elijah Koenig 4. Adam Peschek 5. Jeff Schmuhl 6. Mark Schuenemann
8 Lap Consy l. Kevin Bethke 2. Ron Besaw 3. Tim Sheppard
8 Lap Heats First l. Grant Plonske 2. Tim Thrun
Second l. Bernie Miller 2. Koenig
Third l. Peschek 2. Brock Saunders
OUTLAW CHASSIS STREET STOCKS
20 Lap Feature l. Jeff Jungwirth, Oshkosh 2. Steve Gawaresky 3. Alex Crapser 4. Jeremy Kemnetz 5. Lexii Ashcraft 6. Jason Fairbank
8 Lap Heats First l. Jungwirth 2. Ashcraft
Second l. Patty Winkler 2. Steve Seehauer
Third l. Kemnetz 2. Mark Schultz
GOLD STAR RACING SUPPLIES GRAND NATIONALS
20 Lap Feature l. Jeff Richards, Montello 2. Larry Richards 3. Terry Van Roy 4.Brian Vinney, Jr 5. Don Schumacher 6. Rich Garb
8 Lap Heats First l. Larry Richards 2. Van Roy
Second Jeff Richards 2. Tim Doehling
ELLINGTON MUTUAL INSURANCE DIRT DEVILS
20 Lap Feature l. Mike Meier, Chilton 2. Wes Luingwitz 3. Kasey Gross 4. Mitchell Fairbank 5. Seth Hickman 6, Jordan Klemmer
8 Lap Heats First l. Chgris Maas 2. Meier
Second l. Gross 2. Joe Minks