July 1, 2005; Unity, WI. - Monster Hall Raceway introduced the long holiday weekend with great racing action.  The checkered flag was awarded to drivers who all have been there before.  The weather was cool and refreshing and the racing was hard and fast.  The track was fast on the high groove and the racing action all night reflected it.

Photo Highlights

Chris Oertel (#51) started off the holiday weekend with a victory in WISSOTA Modified action at Monster Hall Raceway. The drivers provide lots of racing action in the WISSOTA Modified Feature. Here #61 Ray Karl Jr., #22 Jeff Spacek, #33 Jed Moore, #21 Roger Andres, and #22B Mark Bandt contest a spot. Jim Willner (#77) took home top honors in the WISSOTA Super Stock feature and remains in the thick of the season long championship chase. Jim Halopka Jr. (#3) made a couple trips this evening to victory lane.  He won both his heat race and the feature in WISSOTA Midwest Modified action. Shannon Williams (#46) and Steve Bangart (#15) made contact during the Mid West Modified Feature. Current division point leader Cory Crasper (#07) captured the WISSOTA Street Stock feature race. Jason Lindner (#72) continued his win streak in the Pure Stock main event.

The heat races started with the WISSOTA Midwest Mods. Dave Salzman Jr. easily won his heat, as did Shane Halopka, Jr. when the Midwest Mods came out for the feature.  Salzman didn't get a good draw and had to
start on the fifth row.  Starting in the middle of the field meant trouble for Salzman Jr., and he found trouble midway through the feature when Steve Bangert got sideways.  Salzman along with Williams got together causing a caution and may have costed Salzman the rest of the season.  After the track was cleared, Halopka got back to business as usual and claimed another feature win.

The WISSOTA Pure Stock division was again dominated by Justin Lindner and he easily won his heat and masterfully drive around the 1/3 mile oval to claim another feature win.  Luke Lindner finished a strong second followed by Stephen Altergott, Nate Hauge and Ron Kundinger.  The WISSOTA Street Stock and Pure Stock divisions have really good car counts which means the future of racing at Monster Hall Raceway looks bright.

Cory Crapser and Roger Walker battled for the feature win in the WISSOTA Street Stocks.  Crapser started on the pole a couple rows in front of Walker, but as the race was coming around the final corner, Walker struck the nose of a card down low under Crapser, but couldn't make the pass at the line.  Crapser earned another feature win followed by Roger Walker, Jared Lindner, Rugg Lindner, and Butch Kummer.

As the WISSOTA Super Stocks came out and got lined up on the track, they were led by Jim Willner.  The first reaction is to assume Willner had this one in the bag from the start.  What we learned last week at Monster Hall Raceway was anything can happen!  Willner grabbed the lead early, but was quickly challenged by Robby Bunkelman on the high side.  Bunkelman let Willner know that he was behind him and wanted to get around now!  Willner would have no part of letting anybody pass him as he made his car as wide as possible. While the leaders were battling, Randy Spacek quietly made his way up front to try to get in the mix of Willner and Bunkelman, but time ran out on Spacek.  Willner claimed the victory, Bunkelman was second, Spacek third, Terry Gorst fourth and Paul Erickson came in fifth.

Jim Willner seemed to be quite relieved after the races down in the pit area.  He stated he had been having some tough luck the last couple of weeks at Monster Hall Raceway.  Willner enjoyed handing out photos to the kids as they approached him.  The Willner family is a typical racing family.  The wife making sure all the kids got a photo, the friends
coming up to tease the driver a little bit, and the daughter standing by dad's side waiting for him to say she can drive the car someday.  Willner usually only races at Monster Hall Raceway because his family come first, then racing.

In the WISSOTA Modified event what a difference a week makes!  Last week Chris Oertel had a DNF.  This week Oertel claimed his second feature win of the season at Monster Hall Raceway.  Oertel started along side of Duvall in the feature on the front row.  Oertel jumped out to the lead staying up on the cushion.  Luke Schilling made a late charge to the challenge Oertel, but could not get the low groove to bite enough to get to the front.   Oertel had a good tune-up for a big show in Alexandria, MN this weekend.  The order of finish was Oertel, Schilling, Niznik, K Baxter, and M Baxter.

Next week will be a special event for the kids.  There will be an autograph session after the heat races to the kids can go down into the pits and meet their favorite drivers.  Remember kids under 12 are FREE with a paying adult.   Racing starts at 7:30pm.


WISSOTA Modifieds:
Feature: Oertel, Schilling, Niznik, K Baxter, M Baxter
Heat 1:  Moore,Schilling, Duvall, Spacek,  M. Baxter,
Heat 2: Oertel, K. Baxter, Karl jr., Andres, Wolf

WISSOTA Super Stocks:
Feature: Willner, Bunkelman, Spacek, Gorst, Erikson
Heat 1:  Erickson, Bunkelman, Willner, Feirn
Heat 2:  Gorst, Stendner, Geiger, Sischo

WISSOTA Midwest Mods:
Feature: Halopka, Ryba, Bargender, Jim Poyda, Clark
Heat 1:  Salzman jr., Bargender, Heser, Poyda, D. Williams
Heat 2:  Halopka jr., Bangert, Ryba, S. Williams, Weyer

WISSOTA Street Stocks:
Feature: C Crapser, Walker, J Lindner, R Lindner,Kummer
Heat 1:  Co. Crapser , R. Lindner, Ch. Crapser,Wright, Teatz
Heat, 2:  Kauth, Walker, J. Lindner, Kummer, Marshall jr

WISSOTA Pure Stocks
Feature: J Lindmer, L Lindner, Altergott, Hauge, Kundinger
Heat 1: Delis, J. Kundinger, R. Kundinger, Altergott, Podgratz
Heat 2:  J. Lindner, Behrens, Clark, Wilke, L. Lindner