Seymour Action to Resume This Sunday! By Dave Panske

July 14, 2002; Seymour, WI - Weekly racing resumes this week, July 21, at the Seymour Tri Oval Raceway, following a week off because of the County Fair.

The IMCA Modified division has been strong all season so far, despite the fact there has only been two different feature winners. Former four time division champion, Brian Mullen, has led the standings all season long and has 2 feature wins. The areas strongest driver right now, Jay Schraufnagel of Beaver Dam, has made the Tri Oval a weekly stop this year and has four feature wins this season and has won the last three in a row. He has closed to within one point, 256-255 entering this weeks program. Former three time champ, R.M. Van Pay sits third with 240 with Mike Wedelstadt in fourth and Jeremy Jacobs in fifth.

The WISSOTA Late Models have five different drivers in the feature win column this season. Three time defending champion, Troy Springborn, is the current point leader with one feature win this season. He holds a 332-324 margin over Terry Casey, also with one feature win so far. Another former three time champion, Tom Naeyaert of Shawano has moved into third in the standings with 320. He won his first Tri Oval feature in 2 seasons at the end of June. Rookie, Randy Markwardt, has been consistent all season long and sits in fourth place with 311 and Tim Buhler rounds out the top five. Terry Anvelink leads the division with 2 feature wins so far this season and sits in 8th place after missing a week earlier in the season. Rookie A.J. Diemel picked up a first career feature win on June 9th and is currently 11th in the standings.

The Street Stocks also have five drivers sharing the six feature wins so far. Jeremy Wiitala has led the standings all season long and after last week, holds a 1 point margin over Jeff Treml, 230-229. Mike Coel sits third with 224 and Joe Van Ooyen, is enjoying a strong season, sitting in fourth with 217. The division is very strong here as none of the top 4 have won a feature. Phil Hiles, the opening night winner, sits fifth with 212. Along with Hiles, Bob White, Tom White and David Hoerning, are all first time feature winners. Darren Otto became the first repeat winner last week.

Defending IMCA Stock Car champion, Jeremy Christians, sits atop the division point standings with a 244-234 margin over Benji LaCrosse. Christians picked up his first feature win of the year here last week and LaCrosse is the only two time winner so far. John Heinz sits third in the rankings with 233 with Jason Czarapata fourth with 217 and Larry Karcz, Jr fifth with 215. Karcz won the opening night feature with former champion, Tim Van De Hei, picking up one feature win is tied for 8th. Greg Gretz, tied for sixth won his first ever Tri Oval feature on June 9th.

Added this season, is the 4 Banger division. It has grown steadily from 4 opening night to 28 and runs the final race of the night, in a enduro style race.

There has been plenty of action in the 15 lap races with five different winners. The past two weeks have seen the first repeat winners. Mike Kempka and Marty Vande Hey have won twice. Nathan Van Wychen, Jamie Schmidt and Jason Czarapata each have one.

Seven races remain on the 2002 schedule beginning this week. All five divisions run every week with racing on the unique Tri Oval starting at 6:30 every Sunday night.

The season will close on Labor Day weekend. September 1st. The Miller Shoot-out has grown to a much anticipated race in the area and has usually boasted the largest car counts of the year, all gunning for the largest payoff of the year. The race is the only one with a rain date scheduled for Labor Day, Monday, September 2nd. More information on the Shoot-out will be following in the next couple weeks.