Berna, Wilinski, Wagner, Fieber & Forstner win track championships at Shawano Speedway

WISSOTA Late Models Troy Springborn 81 runs the low groov and Nick Anvelinc the high side through 3 & 4 (Randy Van Hoof Photo)by Bert Lehman
The racing program at Shawano Speedway during the Shawano County Fair marked “Championship Night.” Ron Berna won the WISSOTA Late Model championship, while Dave Fieber won his first FASTRAK Late Model championship at the Speedway. Jerry Wilinski won his first IMCA Modified track championship, with Shawn Wagner also winning his first IMCA Stock Car track title. Clint Forstner also won his first IMCA Northern SportMod track championship at the Speedway.

Troy Springborn jumped out to the quick lead over Paul Parker, Craig Bartz, Justin Ritchie and Chris Oertel in the WISSOTA Late Model feature. Springborn pulled out to a small lead while Ritchie grabbed the third spot from Bartz on lap four and Terry Anvelink joined the top five. Springborn pulled out to a comfortable lead over the next several laps only to come to a stop on the frontstretch with a flat right rear tire. This brought out the caution.

Parker assumed the lead on the restart with Oertel, Anvelink, Berna and Nick Anvelink following. Parker pulled out to a comfortable advantage as Terry Anvelink would begin to apply pressure on Oertel for the runner-up spot. Oertel would win that battle, but it was Parker winning the race, his third feature win of the year.

Entering the IMCA Modified feature, Jerry Wilinski held a four point advantage over Eddie Muenster in the point standings. Scott Williams would lead the action early with Muenster holding strong in third and Wilinski mired in mid-pack traffic. Marcus Yarie took the lead on a lap three restart with Muenster, Jason Czarapata and Williams following.

Yarie pulled out to a slight lead while Czarapata grabbed the second spot and Wilinski joined the top five. Midway through the race Czarapata began gaining on Yarie and eventually took the lead. Wilinski was also still working his way to the front before settling for second. It was Czarapata crossing the finish line first, winning his third feature of the year at the Speedway.

Nate Michonski used the outside groove to take the lead of the IMCA Stock Car feature on lap four, leaving Devin Snellenberger, Larry Karcz Jr., Barry Van Straten and Greg Gutt in pursuit. Karcz moved into the lead on lap seven but Michonski battled back to retake the lead two laps later. A caution on lap 10 slowed the action.

Michonski continued to lead on the restart, but lost the top spot to Snellenberger a lap later. Again, Michonski regained the lead two laps later, as Dan Michonski and Shawn Wagner moved to second and third. Both Michonskis and Wagner raced three-wide with two laps remaining. Nate Michonski was up to the challenge as he held on for the win, his first ever at Shawano Speedway.

The FASTRAK Late Model feature was marred by a violent wreck with Terry Gorst’s car rolling over on the opening lap. Gorst was not injured in the accident. Justin Hirt took the early lead and was followed by Zack Drews, Jeff Curtin, A.J. Diemel and Wayne Block. Curtin took the second spot on the next lap with Diemel moving to third. Diemel moved into the second spot on lap six.

By lap eight, Diemel had pulled up to Hirt’s rear bumper. Diemel tried several times over the next few laps to pass Hirt on the high-side, but couldn’t make the pass. With six laps remaining, Hirt encountered traffic. When Hirt went high to pass the slower cars, Diemel pounced on the opportunity and drove to the inside of Hirt and took the lead. Once in the lead there was no stopping Diemel, as he won his eighth feature of the year.

In the IMCA Northern SportMod feature, point leader Clint Forstner spun in turns one and two on the second lap but got his car going again, falling more than a half-lap behind the field. Les Yeager led the first six laps of the race before giving the lead up to Matt Oreskovich on lap seven. A caution one lap later bunched up the field and let Forstner catch up to the pack.

Oreskovich led on the restart but lost the top spot to Travis Van Straten on the following lap, while Forstner was making his way through the top five. With five laps remaining, Van Straten, Oreskovich and Forstner raced in a pack for the lead. Forstner jumped into the second spot on the next lap and pulled alongside Van Straten with two laps remaining. Forstner made the pass for the lead stick, as he won the feature and the championship.

For more information about Shawano Speedway visit www.shawanospeedway.net.

RACING SUMMARY

WISSOTA LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)Paul Parker, 2)Chris Oertel, 3)Terry Anvelink, 4)Ron Berna, 5)Nick Anvelink, 6)Craig Bartz, 7)Tom Naeyaert, 8)Gordie Seegert, 9)Jake Hartung, 10)Troy Springborn. FIRST HEAT: 1)N. Anvelink, 2)Springborn, 3)Bartz. SECOND HEAT: 1)Justin Ritchie, 2)T. Anvelink, 3)Naeyaert. THIRD HEAT: 1)Oertel, 2)Parker, 3)Berna.

IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE: 1)Jason Czarapata, 2)Jerry Wilinski, 3)Marcus Yarie, 4)Eddie Muenster, 5)Scott Williams, 6)Tim Van De Hei, 7)Brandon Czarapata, 8)Eric Scribner, 9)Jerry Muenster, 10)Brian Drexler. FIRST HEAT: 1)Scott Williams, 2)Brian Joski, 3)J. Czarapata. SECOND HEAT: 1)Scribner, 2)E. Muenster, 3)Drexler. THIRD HEAT: 1)Yarie, 2)Wilinski, 3)J. Muenster.

IMCA STOCK CAR FEATURE: 1)Nate Michonski, 2)Dan Michonski, 3)Shawn Wagner, 4)Devin Snellenberger, 5)Rod Snellenberger, 6)Kerry Douglas, 7)Larry Karcz Jr., 8)Greg Gutt, 9)Mitchell Stankowski, 10)Barry Van Straten. FIRST HEAT: 1)R. Snellenberger, 2)Vern Stedjee, 3)Harley Simon. SECOND HEAT: 1)Karcz Jr., 2)Van Straten, 3)Brandon Blashe. THIRD HEAT: 1)D. Michonski, 2)D. Snellenberger, 3)Gutt.

FASTRAK LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)A.J. Diemel, 2)Justin Hirt, 3)Jeff Curtin, 4)Zack Drews, 5)Scott Lewis, 6)Brett Swedberg, 7)Dave Fieber, 8)Wayne Block, 9)Jeff Wickersheim, 10)Joel Bennett. FIRST HEAT: 1)Diemel, 2)Drews, 3)Todd Casper. SECOND HEAT: 1)Hirt, 2)Curtin, 3)Lewis.

IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD FEATURE: 1)Clint Forstner, 2)Travis Van Straten, 3)Matt Oreskovich, 4)Johnny Whitman, 5)Les Yeager, 6)Tom Natzke, 7)Don Woller, 8)Joey Taycher, 9)Jason Jach, 10)Chad Jaje. FIRST HEAT: 1)Oreskovich, 2)Van Straten, 3)Natzke. SECOND HEAT: 1)Whitman, 2)Forstner, 3)Woller.