Mars Masters World Dirt Racing
League Event at MHR!!
By Ben Brost and Tom Lathen
June 18, 2003; Unity, WI. - It was a great night of
racing at Monster Hall Raceway on Wednesday night as the PolyDome SuperSeries World Dirt
Racing League brought some of the top names in dirt late model racing in the country to
the 1/3 mile clay oval.
The midwest modifieds supported the WDRL with a very unique
racing surface for the cars to battle on. The surface had 2 grooves of a very black
track to work with, which made momentum the key for these drivers. Young gun Shane Halopka
in the 3jr car showed the way for the majority of the race, and drove like a 30 year
veteran, as he checked out from the field, taking home his second win of the season.
Jimmy Mars, piloting the Heeg Well Drilling/Deppe Enterprises no. 28 Monte Carlo, won the
Monster Hall 50 and the $5,000 top prize here at Monster Hall Raceway on Wednesday.
It was a World Dirt Racing League PolyDome Super
Series event.
Mars, of Elk Mound, Wis., started his Super Late Model on the outside of the second row.
He earned that starting spot after finishing second to Kaukauna, Wisconsin's Pete Parker
in the six-lap Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash.
But Mars grabbed the lead on the top side coming out of turn two on the opening circuit.
He then survived a flurry of caution flags to score the win.
''The rubber started up on the top, and we had the preferred line,'' Mars said of his
opening-lap pass of Parker. ''We were able to take off, and we had a real good race car.
''We've had a tough couple of weeks,'' he added. ''So it's good to have the win.''
The "Budweiser 50" was slowed by five caution flags, including a pair on the
second circuit and a third on lap six that negated a commanding lead Mars had built up
over Parker, Earl Pearson, Jr., Kyle Berck and Brian Birkhofer.
By lap 13, Mars was negotiating traffic on the Monster Hall third-mile, with Pearson now
in second place, followed closely by Birkhofer.
With the top three chasing each other through traffic, the fourth caution flag of the
night came out on the 23rd circuit when Troy Kuyoth got turned around heading out of turn
two and down the backstretch.
Birkhofer raced his Seubert Calf Ranches/Daufeldt Transport Chevrolet past Pearson and
into second with 15 laps remaining in the race. He received a final opportunity to run
Mars down when the final caution flag of the night flew as the leaders took the white
flag. Birkhofer made a run at the eventual winner following the restart, but Mars was able
to hold on for the win.
''You definitely can't make a mistake in a situation like that,'' said Mars of the final
sprint to the finish. ''I knew he (Birkhofer) was going to go for the win. ''It helped
that we didn't have to worry about lapped traffic, but I knew I was going to have to step
it up on that last lap.
''The lapped traffic early in the race definitely made things interesting,'' Mars added.
''It was one of those deals where you didn't want to take too big of a chance on the
rubber. When youčre leading, you don't want to make a mistake and give it away, but you
still have to be aggressive and sneak by them when you have the chance.''
A strong field of 44 cars and drivers signed in, including a number of traveling stars and
a strong group of WISSOTA drivers along with the regular contingent of WDRL drivers.
The "Budweiser 50" was the fourth race of the World Dirt Racing League PolyDome
Super Series season. And Mars was the fourth different winner. He joins prior winners
Brian Birkhofer, Kyle Berck and Alan Vaughn.
MONSTER HALL RACEWAY - UNITY, WIS. - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2003
First PolyDome Qualifier:
1. Earl Pearson Jr. (Jacksonville, FL)
2. Tom Nesbitt (Thunder Bay, ONT Canada)
3. Todd Gehl (Solon Springs, WI)
4. Duane Mahder (Eau Claire, WI)
5. Gary Webb (Blue Grass, IA).
Second PolyDome Qualifier:
1. Pete Parker (Kaukauna, WI)
2. Gordie Seegert (Oostburg, WI)
3. Steve Francis (Ashland, KY)
4. Chris Carlson (Greenfield, WI)
5. Kevin Kile (West Liberty IA).
Third PolyDome Qualifier:
1. Kyle Berck (Marquette, NE)
2. Donnie McClellan (Maryville, MO)
3. Al Humphrey (Giltner, NE)
4. Ace Ihm (Hazel Green, WI)
5. John Anderson (Omaha, NE).
Fourth PolyDome Qualifier:
1. Brian Birkhofer (Muscatine, IA)
2. Ray Cook (Brasstown, NC)
3. Skip Frey (Ely, IA)
4. Joe Kosiski (Omaha, NE)
5. Troy Kuyoth (Stratford, WI).
Fifth PolyDome Qualifier:
1. Mitch Johnson (Hickson, ND)
2. Jimmy Mars (Elk Mound, WI)
3. Ed Kosiski (Ralston, NE)
4. Kerry Hansen (Spencer, WI)
5. Mark Hessler (Menomonie, WI).
Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash:
1. Parker
2. Mars
3. Cook
4. Pearson
5. Birkhofer
6. Berck.
First KSE Racing Products Consolation:
1. Joe Kosiski
2. Terry Anvelink (Navarino, WI)
3. Ihm
4. Nick Anvelink (Navarino, WI)
5. John Kaanta (Elk Mound, WI).
Second KSE Racing Products Consolation:
1. Anderson
2. Webb
3. Carlson
4. Kevin Kile
5. Kurt Kile.
Monster Hall 50:
1. Mars
2. Birkhofer
3. Berck
4. Cook
5. Humphrey
6. Francis
7. Terry Anvelink
8. Kurt Kile
9. Ed Kosiski
10. Frey
11. McClellan
12. Seegert
13. Joe Kosiski
14. Webb
15. Anderson
16. Ihm
17. Hansen
18. Carlson
19. Pearson
20. Kuyoth
21. Johnson
22. Parker
23. Kevin Kile
24. Nesbitt
25. Mahder
26. Gehl. |
