Nine different drivers earn first wins
Published 12:00 am Thursday, May 9, 2002
Austin Daily Herald
One hundred-plus cars filled the pits for the fourth Friday night of racing action this past week at Chateau Raceway in Lansing. Nine different drivers picked up their first wins of the season. Wissota Street Stocks led off the nights program with a pair of heats which saw two first-time winners on the season. Devin Sutter of Lyle and Wayne Barber of New Richland saw victory lane for the first time this year. In the feature, however, it was National Points Contender and two-time defending Track Champion Jeff Brauer of Rochester taking his third feature win of the young season. Jeff came from Row 3 to second behind New Richland's Mitch Thompson on the first lap and stalked him until he moved by on lap 6 for the lead, which he would not give up.
In Wissota Midwest Modifieds it was the Wytaske Brothers show as Kenny Wytaske of Brownsdale along with brother Pete Wytaske of Lansing each took heats, along with Matt Stark of Austin. Pete and Matt's wins were their first of the season. For Kenny it continued a good start to the season and he turned it into a sweep as he came back to score his second feature win of the season and his second sweep as well. Bryan Young of Blooming Prairie took second ahead of Stark.
The open class Modifieds saw the second clean sweep of the night as Todd Scharkey of Kasson collected two more wins. His feature victory was his second in a row. Todd battled Dover's Jay Ihrke through numerous restarts until finally getting to the point with just three laps to go. The two had swapped leads a couple times with Jay winning each trip back to the line until Todd got to the point for good late. Albert Wytaske of Lansing and Jimmy Davis of Janesville claimed the night's other two heat wins in the class.
The Mod Lite class led all classes with a season-high 20 cars on hand. Elkton's Craig Shaw became the third driver on the night to pull off a clean sweep as he captured heat and feature. Craig never trailed in either race as he came from Row 2 in his heat and off the outside of Row 1 in the feature to dominate the field. Austin's Jeff Jech finished second after also scoring a heat win. Dan Wendt of Spring Valley was the class' other heat winner. Heat 1 saw a wild moment on lap five as Monte Hegna of Austin got his little Mod Lite high off turn three and barrell-rolled the car off the back sides of turns three and four at least a half-dozen times before coming to rest on the side of the car. Monte was "OK, just a bit dizzy," in his words, and got the car back running and was back out later in the feature.
Chateau Pure Stock driver Dave Stevens of Albert Lea scored his first win of the season as he came up with a late race pass of Korey Ackman from St. Charles to pull off a feature win. Al Lisowski of Claremont, a first-year driver, picked up his first win in one of the two heats. The other went to current point leader Bobby Crews of Austin.
The Northern Vintage Stock Car Racers Association made its first of three scheduled visits to the track. They will also be by in July and again in September for their "Nationals Event." This club boasts a group that, according to members in the pits, could get as many as a 100 cars or more for the Nationals in September.
On this night a nice field of 14 cars were on hand with the old 1930s, 40s and 50s Coupes, as well as Super Modifieds from the 60s. Taking home heat wins were Chris Curnow of Richfield and Joe Wolf of Maplewood. The feature was claimed by Bob Barfnect of Rosemont, who came up late thru the field to score the win over River Falls' Dan Larson.
Results:
Wissota Street Stock
Heat 1--Sutter-Lyle, Gwilt-Austin, Sterling-Faribault, Shaner-Owatonna, Lisowski-Faribault, Stevens-Albert Lea, Jensen-Albert Lea, Hovland-Rushford, Eischens-Taopi.
Heat 2--Barber-New Richland, Skjerem-Austin, Thompson-New Richland, Oeltjenbruns-Owatonna, Brauer-Rochester, Severson-Brainerd, Radel-Owatonna, Gullickson-Stacy.
Feature--Brauer, Thompson, Skjerem, Sutter, Gullickson, Barber, Sterling, Gwilt, Radel, Lisowski, Oeltjenbruns, Shaner, Hovland, Jensen, Eischens, Severson, Stevens.
Wissota Midwest Modified
Heat 1--P Wytaske-Lansing, Young-Blooming Prarie, Jensen-Albert Lea, Johnson-Albert Lea, Lisowski-Ellendale, Raymond-Austin, Kral-Glenville.
Heat 2--K Wytaske-Brownsdale, Nelson-Freeborn, Skalicky-Claremont, Anderson-Owatonna, Schultz-Owatonna, Hernandez-Blooming Prarie.
Heat 3--Stark-Austin, Gronvold-Grand Meadow, Pfeifer Jr-Austin, Condit-Austin, Weber-Ellendale, McFarland-Austin.
Feature--K Wytaske, Young, Stark, Nelson, Hernandez, Anderson, Schultz, Condit, Skalicky, Lisowski, Gronvold, Johnson, Kral, Raymond, McFarland, Weber, Pfeifer Jr, P Wytaske, Jenson.
Open Modified
Heat 1--Davis-Janesville, Mehling-Grand Meadow, Stier-Rochester, Houdek-Owatonna, Madsen-Blooming Prarie, Gabrielson-Austin.
Heat 2--Scharkey-Kasson, Ihrke-Dover, Miller-Rochester, Bustad-Austin, Ross-Brownsdale, Gronvold-Grand Meadow.
Heat 3--A Wytaske-Lansing, Sorenson-Rochester, Lisowski-Blooming Prarie, Olson-Hollandale, Hilson-Blooming Prarie, Karau-Kasson, D Wytaske Jr-Mapleview.
Feature--Scharkey, Ihrke, Davis, A Wytaske, Bustad, Lisowski, Madsen, Houdek, D Wytaske Jr, Miller, Sorenson, Hilson, Olson, Mehling, Gabrielson, Ross, Karau, Gronvold, Stier.
Mod Lites
Heat 1--C Shaw-Elkton, Utley-Rochester, Lang-Austin, J Anderson-Faribault, Bestor-Harmony, C Lewison-Rose Creek, Hegna-Austin.
Heat 2--Jech-Austin, B Shaw-Brownsdale, Johnson-Austin, D Anderson-Lyle, L Dahle-Austin, Ulven-Rose Creek, Goergen-Adams.
Heat 3--Wendt-Spring Valley, D Lewison-Adams, Van Riper-Glenville, Cue-Cresco IA, J Dahle-Hayfield, Bigalk-Austin.
Feature--C Shaw, Jech, D Lewison, Wendt, Van Riper, Cue, Utley, Johnson, D Dahle, J Anderson, L Dahle, Bestor, D Anderson, Hegna, Lang, B Shaw, Goergen, Ulven, C Lewison.
Pure Stock
Heat 1--Crews-Austin, Stevens-Albert Lea, Christianson-Elysian, Newkirk-Dexter, Mattick-Lyle, Holland-Brownsdale, Knutson-Dodge Center, Erickson-Charfield.
Heat 2--Lisowski- Claremont, Clark-Rochester, Hansen-Ellendale, Ackman-St Charlesss, Lowe-Austin, Wiuff-Owtonna, Tapp-Albert Lea, Edwards-Austin.
Feature--Stevens, Ackman, Crews, Clark, Hansen, Christianson, Erickson, Wiuff, Tapp, Mattick, Lisowski, Edwards, Holland, Lowe, Newkirk.
Vintage Stock
Heat 1--Curnow-Richfield, Dan Harold-Nelson WI, Nordquist-Stillwater, Shields-Cameron WI, Sayer-Oakdale, Liegman-Randolph, Birkland-St Cloud.
Heat 2--Wolf-Maplewood, Larson-River Falls WI, Barfknect-Rosemont, A Stettner-Inver Grove Heights, T Stettner-Newport, Mikla-Inver Grover Heights, Lepinski-New Richmond WI.
Feature--Barfknect, Larson, A Stettner, Nordquist, Wolf, Mikla, Birkland, T Stettner, Shields, Liegman.