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Naeyaert
Nabs Late Model Cash at Seymour Tri-Oval!
By Dave Panske |
June
30, 2002; Seymour, WI - A hot, humid night greeted racers and
fans Sunday night to the Seymour Tri Oval Raceway, but there was no threat of rain for a
change. Racing action was very good on a very wet, tacky track.
The WISSOTA Late Models took to the track first for their feature. It took two
tries to get a lap recorded with Tim Buhler finally setting the pace under the green. A
stalled car brought out the only caution of the race on lap 4. Troy Springborn, Tom
Naeyaert, Terry Anvelink and Dan Gracyalny lined up behind Buhler for the restart.
Naeyaert quickly pulled to the outside and after four laps was able to pull into the
lead and start to pull away from the pack. It took Springborn several more laps to secure
second place and by then, Naeyaert had checked out to a sizable lead. Lapped traffic came
into play over the final couple laps, but Naeyaert, a former three time track champion,
maneuvered through and collected his first feature win since May 28, 2000. Current three
time and defending champion, Springborn, was second followed by Terry Anvelink, Terry
Casey, Buhler and Pete Parker.
Bret Wenzel grabbed the lead from the pole in the Stock Car main at the start. A debris
caution on lap 3 tightened up the field with Jerry Wilinski, Brandon Czarapata, Greg
Gretz, Benji LaCrosse and Kyle Fredrick behind. Czarapata pulled into the top spot on lap
6 with Wilinski following into the runner up spot. Point leader, Jeremy Christians had
moved into the mix along with John Heinz,.
Wilinski took over the lead on lap 9, just before a caution bunched the pack again.
Czarapata, Christians and LaCrosse were next in line with Wenzel, Shawn Wagner and Heinz
next.
When the green appeared the battle at the front got real interesting. Czarapata was low
with Christians outside. LaCrosse found plenty of bite and made a three wide race for
second that went on for almost 3 laps before LaCrosse pulled off the pass and set his
sights on the leader. LaCrosse pulled even with Wilinski for a couple laps inching ahead
before a three car spin out of the Tri Oval bunched the field for the final time with 3
laps left. LaCrosse was able to hold off Wilinski and Christians over the final laps to
win his second feature of the season, and in doing so, complete a weekend sweep of the
three short tracks, having won Friday at Luxemburg and Saturday at Door County. Christians
nipped Wilinski for the runner up finish with Wagner taking fourth. Heinz was fifth and
Wenzel rounded out the top six.
The Streets were next and the race was only 2 laps in when a big crash in front of the
grandstand brought the race to a halt. Jamie Van Ooyen got crossed up out of the Tri Oval
and got sideways in front of the field. He was hit by several cars with the hardest hit
from Dave Drawenek. Drawenek was taken to the hospital with a leg injury but no other
injuries were reported. David Hoerning had led from the start, and continued at the point
on the restart followed by Darren Otto, Dean Kellner, Mike Coel, and Charlie Van Ooyen.
Otto went to work on the leader and was able to sneak inside on lap 6, and started to pull
away a bit before a lap 7 caution bunched the pack for the final time. Hoerning was
hooking up better on the inside and didn’t think Otto would give up any room, but a
slip on lap 11 out of turn 2, was the gap Hoerning needed to re-take the lead, and once in
front, pulled away from the pack to win his first ever Tri Oval feature. Otto had his
hands full with Coel, Van Ooyen and Kellner to the finish, but they finished that way with
Joe Van Ooyen rounding out the top six.
The Mods ran with plenty of three wide action as the cars in the back half of the field
tried to get to the front in a hurry. The field shuffled quit a bit with three cautions in
the first 5 laps, with Art Siefert setting the pace followed by Scott Mullen, Joel Schmit,
Brad Rohloff, Travis Spaulding, and Mike Hintz. After the final restart, Schmit was able
to get inside of Siefert for the lead. Jay Schraufnagel moved from mid pack into the
runner up spot and on lap 9, pulled into the lead. Current point leader, Brian Mullen,
took until lap 12 to take over second place, but by then Schraufnagel had checked out of
the field and drove off with his third feature win of the season. Mullen held second to
the finish followed by Schmit and Spaulding. R.M. Van Pay was fifth and Siefert rounded
out the top six.
The 4 Bangers ended the nights activities with 25 cars taking the green. Several lead
changes as the field spreadout. Brian Lambie took the lead on lap 8, but a flat tire three
laps from the end dropped him off the pace. Mike Kempka re took the lead at that point and
became the first repeat winner this season. Lambie finished back in the field but caused
the most excitement. On the final lap, the flat tire caused his to get into the front wall
at the start/finish line, and the car rolled over getting tagged by a couple other cars.
No one was injured.
Jeff Niemuth finished second and Josh Haines third.
SUMMARY
IMCA MODIFIED
20 Lap Feature l. Jay Schraufnagel, Beaver Dam 2. Brian Mullen, Seymour
3,. Joel Schmit, Green Bay 4. Travis Spaulding, Greenville 5, R.M. Van Pay, Green Bay 6,
Art Siefert, Green Bay
12 Lap Consy l. Jared Siefert, Green Bay 2. Jamie Schmidt, Black Creek 3.
Mike Cole, Baileys Harbor 4. Jeremy Jacobs, Algoma
10 Lap Heats First l. Mike Wedelstadt, Hortonville 2. Brad Rohloff,
Pulaski
Second l. Mike Hintz, Green Bay 2. Spaulding
Third l. Art Siefert 2. Scott Mullen, Seymour
WISSOTA LATE MODEL
20 Lap Feature l. Tom Naeyaert, Shawano 2. Troy Springborn, Shawano 3.
Terry Anvelink, Navarino 4. Terry Casey, New London 5. Tim Buhler, Glenbeaulah 6. Pete
Parker, Kaukauna
8 Lap Heats First l. Springborn 2. Nick Anvelink, Navarino
Second l. Parker 2. Buhler
STREET STOCK
20 Lap Feature l. David Hoerning, Appleton 2. Darren Otto, Pulaski 3.
Mike Coel, Green Bay 4. Charlie Van Ooyen, Appleton 5. Dean Kellner, Green Bay 6. Joe Van
Ooyen, Appleton
12 Lap Consy l. Darci Czarapata, Pulaski 2. Phil Hiles, Appleton 3. Jeff
Treml, Greenleaf 4, Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay
8 Lap Heats First l. Kellner 2. Coel
Second l. Otto 2. Rick Naparalla, Pulaski
Third l. Jamie Van Ooyen, Appleton 2. Charlie Van Ooyen
IMCA STOCK CAR
20 Lap Feature l. Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg 2. Jeremy Christians, Horicon
3. Jerry Wilinski, Seymour 4. Shawn Wagner, Pulaski 5. John Heinz, Green Bay 6. Bret
Wenzel, Two Rivers
12 Lap Consy l. Heinz 2. Shawn Kilgore, Kewaunee 3. Jesse Cullen, Chilton
4. Rod Snellenberger, Pulaski
8 Lap Heats First l. Rick Mahlberg, Denmark 2. Wenzel
Second l. Wilinski 2. Tim Van De Hei, Green Bay
Third l. Brandon Czarapata, Pulaski 2. Jason Czarapata, Pulaski
4 BANGERS
15 Lap feature l. Mike Kempka, Iola 2. Jon Wittmann 3. Josh Haines |
