Baxter Best in Modified Action at
Monster Hall!
By Matt Bablick
August 1, 2003; Unity, WI. - Baxter’s Speed Shop and
WAXX 104.5 FM sponsored the racing action at Monster Hall Raceway this past Friday after
suffering a rain out last weekend. The newly resurfaced track stayed tacky all night long
providing plenty of grip to the drivers allowing them to race three and on several
occations four wide throughout the evening’s race program.
When the evening came to a close we had witnessed some great racing
action in all five divisions. Al Seehafer took the first win of the evening in the
Mid-West Modifieds. Dan Gullikson padded his National point lead with a win in the Street
Stock A-main. Lance Leu grabbed the win in an action packed crash fest in the Super
Stocks. Dave Baxter picked up his first win of the season in the Modified class.
The Wissota Mid-West Modifieds kicked off the night’s action with Duane Geboy and Al
Seehafer setting the pace for the 15 lap event. The race got off to a dramatic start when
Dave Salzman Jr’s car rolled over and landed back on it’s wheels coming out of
turn four on the first lap. Salzman was shaken up, but unharmed in the incident. On the
restart Al Seehafer shot to the high side and took the lead ahead of Geboy and Mickey
Nosser. The caution flew for the second time on lap three which put several cars in
position to challenge for the front runners. Seehafer once again drove the high side and
claimed a sizeable lead after the restart. Behind him Shane Halopka put heavy pressure on
Geboy for second and made the pass on the bottom of the track on lap six.
On lap eight Seehafer and Halopka ran one and two while Geboy, Nosser, and
Duane Dunbar battled for the third position. On lap nine Nosser got his car to hook up on
the inside of the track and passed Geboy for the third spot. With four laps left it was
Seehafer in the lead with Halopka and Nosser behind him. Meanwhile Geboy was receiving
heavy pressure from the hard charging Duane Dunbar for fourth. Al Seehafer maintained his
lead through the closing laps and picked up a convincing win over some stiff competition.
Shane Halopka made a charge through the field gaining nine positions on his way to a
second place finish. Mickey Nosser came across third ahead of Duane Geboy and Duane
Dunbar.
The Wissota Street Stocks pulled trackside and ran a caution free event. National Point
leader Dan Gullikson drew the pole position for the race and started along side Mike
Stangl. Gullikson took the early lead ahead of a three car battle for second between Jim
Uptagraw, Roger Walker, and Mike Stangl. Walker made his way past Uptagraw and Stangl on
lap three and set his sights on Dan Gullikson who had pulled to a five car length lead.
Walker and Gullikson then began to distance themselves from the rest of the field. Mike
Stangl held the third spot until lap seven when Jim Uptagraw and Butch Kummer challenged
for the position. Stangl held on to third while Kummer settled in to fourth.
On lap ten Jim Uptagraw got loose in turn three which left an opening for
Rod Herman and Mike Paul to get by him and battle each other for fifth. Dan Gullikson lead
all twenty laps on his way to a decisive victory in the non stop 15 lap feature. Roger
Walker had another strong run gaining his fourth straight top three finish. Mike Stangl
also had a good night by picking up his best finish of the season in third. Butch Kummer
ran up front all night and took home a solid fourth place finish ahead of Mike Paul in
fifth.
The Wissota Super Stock feature was next, and it ended up being an action packed crash
fest which boasted six caution flags and plenty of bent up sheet metal. Terry Gorst and
Scott Geiger filled out the front row. Gorst lead the first lap until Lance Leu found the
faster line and made the pass for the lead on lap two. A spin on the backstretch brought
the field to a caution on lap three. Lance Leu kept his lead after the restart in front of
a close battle for second between Gorst and Jamie Strebig. Strebig got around Gorst on lap
four and the caution flew again on lap five putting Strebig within striking distance of
Leu on the restart. Leu once again retained his lead after the restart while Strebig
chased him in second ahead of Gorst. Meanwhile, the race for fourth was really heating up
between Mike Duhr, Scott Geiger, and Curt Meyers. Meyers found enough bite on the high
side to pass both Duhr and Geiger and claim the third spot on lap seven.
Just as the field began to stretch out a flurry of cautions flew on laps
seven, eight, and eleven. The time limit had been reached by the caution on lap 11 which
meant if their was another caution it would end the race. Lance Leu lead the field to the
green ahead of Jamie Strebig, Curt Meyers, Terry Gorst, and Kevin Adams. The leaders
hadn’t completed a lap when the caution flew signaling the premature end of the race
on lap 12. Lance Leu survived all the carnage on the track and came away with the win.
Jamie Strebig challenged Leu late in the race but settled in to second ahead of Curt
Meyers and Terry Gorst. National Point leader Kevin Adams finished in the fifth position.
Randy Spacek was the hard charger of the night coming from the tenth row to a seventh
place finish.
Next up was the main event in the Wissota Modified division. The front row consisted of
Mike Bauer and Paul Knauf. Bauer and Knauf ran side by side after the start until Dave
Baxter charged past them and took the lead on the second lap. Baxter had his car hooked up
and immediately pulled to a nice lead. Knauf continued to run in second while cars were
being shuffled around behind him. Jed Moore ran in the third spot in front of a good race
for fourth between Rob Genett and Luke Schilling. Genett and Schilling passed Moore on lap
seven and continued their battle, now for the third position. The only caution of the race
flew on lap eight for several cars getting together in turn three.
Dave Baxter lead the field to the green flag ahead of Knauf, Schilling,
and Genett. Baxter held on to the lead with several good battles going on behind him.
Schilling chose the low line as he pressured Knauf who ran the middle groove of the track.
Schilling completed the pass on lap 11 to take over second. Rob Gennet, Mike Bauer, and
Jerry Campbell ran nose to tail for fourth late in the race with Genett eventually pulling
away and settling in to fourth. Dave Baxter lead all twenty laps and on his way to victory
lane. Luke Schilling had a strong run coming from ninth to finish in second place. Paul
Knauf finished in third after challenging for the lead in the first half of the race. Rob
Genett took home a solid fourth place finish ahead of Mike Bauer who fought off several
challengers late in the the race to come away with fifth.
The last race of the evening was in the Two-Man Cruiser division. Mike Wildmann/Eric
Luepke started on the pole alongside Shawn Schultz/Shawna Knauf. Wildmann/Luepke took the
early lead ahead of Schultz/Knauf and Olson/Loos. On lap five Wildmann/Luepke ran side by
side for the lead with Olson/Loos. Olson/Loos completed the pass for the lead on lap six
and held it for the rest of the race. Wildmann/Luepke finished second after leading
several laps early in the event. Shawn Schultz/Shawna Knauf were fast all night and took
home a third place finish.
Monster Hall returns to racing action Friday night August 8th with a full racing program
presented by Clark Electric, Appliance and Satellite & Clark Electric Cooperative and
WDEZ 101.9 FM
Wissota Mid-West Modifieds
Feature- Al Seehafer, Shane Halopka, Mickey Nosser, Duane Geboy, Duane Dunbar, Ken Heser,
Brian Jensen, Mike Molitor, Jason Weinfurtner
Heat 1- Heser, Seehafer, Dunbar, Dave Salzman Jr.
Heat 2- Halopka, Nosser, Geboy Jensen
Mechanic race- Pete Paulus, John Wittman
Wissota Street Stocks
Feature- Dan Gullikson, Roger Walker, Mike Stangl, Butch Kummer, Mike Paul, Rod Herman,
Todd Heier, Jim Uptagraw, Brock Wright, Craig Kisting
Heat 1- Walker, Steve Bangart, Stangl, Heier
Heat 2- Kummer, Kevin Patrow, Paul, Gullikson
Heat 3- Herman, Wright, Zack Kauth, Uptagraw
Mechanic race- Dave Sapinsky, Pete Sebert
Wissota Super Stocks
Feature- Lance Leu, Jamie Strebig, Curt Meyers, Terry Gorst, Kevin Adams, Mike Duhr, Randy
Spacek, Scott Geiger, Paul Erickson, Terry Kroening
Heat 1- Meyers, John Fiern, Gorst, Geiger
Heat 2- Adams, Strebig, Jim Willner, Paul Lieders
Heat 3- Erickson, Leu, Duhr, Kroening
Mechanic race- Brian Lieders, Dave Williams
Wissota Modifieds
Feature- Dave Baxter, Luke Schilling, Paul Knauf, Rob Genett, Mike Bauer, Kevin Rogers,
Jed Moore, Kent Baxter, Jerry Campbell, Ray Karl Jr.
Heat 1- Tim Isenberg, Dave Baxter, Mark Baxter, Kent Baxter
Heat 2- Luke Schilling, Paul Knauf, Jed Moore
Mechanic race- Shawn Shultz, Scott Genett
Two-Man Cruisers
Feature- Josh Olson/Jared Loos, Mike Wildmann/Eric Luepke, Shan Schultz/Shawna Knauf, Jim
Hewitt/Justin Wiegel, Justin Lindner/Jeremy Loos
Heat 1- Olson/Loos, Schubert/Delis, Ron/John Kunninger
Heat 2- Wildmann/Luepke, Mann/Clark, Hewitt/Wiegel |
