Frank wins first career WISSOTA Late Model feature at Shawano Speedway

Three wide IMCA Stock Car action Harley Simon 17, Mark Schuenemann in the 90 and Mike Schmidt in the 07 (Randy Van Hoof Photo)by Bert Lehman
After years of trying and coming up short the previous week, Todd Frank bested the WISSOTA Late Model field at Shawano Speedway, winning his first ever feature at the track. Brandon Czarapata won his second IMCA Modified feature, while Shawn Wagner won his first IMCA Stock Car feature of the year at the Speedway. Dave Fieber won his third FASTRAK Late Model feature and Chad Guyette won his first IMCA Northern SportMod feature of the year.

While running in second place, Troy Springborn brought out a caution on lap three of the WISSOTA Late Model feature with a flat right rear tire. Todd Frank maintained his lead on the restart with Terry Avenlink, Tom Naeyaert, Craig Bartz and Nick Anvelink following. Frank pulled out to a slight lead over the next few laps.

Midway through the race Bartz grabbed the third spot from Naeyaert, with Nick Anvelink following one lap later. Running the high-side, Nick Anvelink began gaining on the top two cars while Terry Anvelink began to gain slightly on Frank. Both Anvelinks ran out of time and couldn’t close the gap as Frank raced to his first career WISSOTA Late Model feature win at the Speedway.

Brandon Czarapata took the lead on a lap two restart in the IMCA Modified feature. Czarapata immediately began to pull away from the field with Eric Scribner, Paul Thorpe, Tim Van De Hei and Jerry Wilinski following. Wilinski moved to third on the next lap with Jason Czarapata joining the top five a few laps later.

Brandon Czarapata had the race under control when a caution flag waved with three laps remaining due to a broken driveshaft on Scribner’s machine. Van De Hei also retired from the race at this time as Jason Czarapata ducked onto pit lane with a flat right rear tire. Brandon Czarapata again pulled away from the field at the drop of the green flag, leaving Wilinski, Marcus Yarie, Eddie Muenster and Jerry Muenster following. That’s the way it ended, with Brandon Czarapata taking the win.

In the IMCA Stock Car feature Vern Stedjee led the first seven laps with Harley Simon, Mike Schmidt, Greg Gutt and Mark Schuenemann all in pursuit. Rod Snellenberger joined the top five on lap five only to be the cause of a caution involving Shawn Wagner and Adam Clark on lap eight.

Stedjee led four more laps after the restart before Wagner ducked underneath him to take the lead with Schuenemann following. Wagner and Schuenemann raced side-by-side for several laps when the final caution flag waved with three laps remaining. It was a shootout between Wagner and Snellenberger, with Wagner coming out on top.

The FASTRAK Late Model feature got off to a rough start with several cautions before one lap could be completed. A.J. Diemel, Jeff Curtin and Jeff Wickersheim were all forced to retire from the race because of a wreck. When the race was finally started Dave Fieber jumped into the lead with Joel Bennett, Aaron Wickersheim, Scott Lewis and Terry Gorst following. Brett Swedberg joined the top five on lap four and moved to fourth on lap eight. It was all Fieber, though, as he won by half a lap over Bennett.

Greg Magsam led the first five laps of the IMCA Northern SportMod feature when a couple of cautions slowed the action. Chad Guyette grabbed the lead shortly after the restart with Johnny Whitman following a couple of laps later. Clint Forstner began making his way through the top five and began pressuring Whitman for second with five laps remaining.

Forstner wrestled the second spot from Whitman but couldn’t catch Guyette. Forstner, Whitman, Troy Jerovetz and Tom Natzke followed Guyette across the line.

The Speedway will resume its season, Saturday, July 17, with the racing action getting underway at 6 p.m. It will be Hall of Fame night at the Speedway with Bob Bennett and Jerry Muenster being inducted into the Shawano Speedway Hall of Fame.

For more information about Shawano Speedway, visit www.shawanospeedway.net.
RACING SUMMARY

WISSOTA LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)Todd Frank, 2)Terry Anvelink, 3)Nick Anvelink, 4)Craig Bartz, 5)Paul Parker, 6)Justin Ritchie, 7)Tom Naeyaert, 8)Ron Berna, 9)Jim Rychtik, 10)Doug Blashe. FIRST HEAT: 1)Bartz, 2)Ritchie, 3)Frank. SECOND HEAT: 1)Troy Springborn, 2)Berna, 3)T. Anvelink.

IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE: 1)Brandon Czarapata, 2)Jerry Wilinski, 3)Marcus Yarie, 4)Eddie Muenster, 5)Jerry Muenster, 6)Jason Czarapata, 7)Paul Thorpe, 8)Aaron Milavitz, 9)Michael Bailey, 10)Jesse Peebles. FIRST HEAT: 1)Tim Van De Hei, 2)Bill Lemmens, 3)Peebles. SECOND HEAT: 1)B. Czarapata, 2)J. Czarapata, 3)Wilinski.

IMCA STOCK CAR FEATURE: 1)Shawn Wagner, 2)Rod Snellenberger, 3)Greg Gutt, 4)Mitchell Stankowski, 5)Mark Schuenemann, 6)Dan Michonski, 7)Vern Stedjee, 8)Nate Michonski, 9)Adam Clark, 10)Harley Simon. FIRST HEAT: 1)Stedjee, 2)Michael Asenbrener, 3)Gutt. SECOND HEAT: 1)Schuenemann, 2)Mike Schmidt, 3)Karcz Jr.

FASTRAK LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)Dave Fieber, 2)Joel Bennett, 3)Aaron Wickersheim, 4)Brett Swedberg, 5)Scott Lewis, 6)Terry Gorst, 7)Justin Hirt, 8)Adam Janke, 9)Wayne Block, 10)Josh Moesch. FIRST HEAT: 1)A.J. Diemel, 2)Hirt, 3)Bennett. SECOND HEAT: 1)Lewis, 2)Jeff Curtin, 3)Fieber.

IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD FEATURE: 1)Chad Guyette, 2)Clint Forstner, 3)Johnny Whitman, 4)Troy Jerovetz, 5)Tom Natzke, 6)Greg Magsam, 7)Travis Van Straten, 8)Matt Oreskovich, 9)Tracy Wassenberg, 10)Cody Hudson. FIRST HEAT: 1)Magsam, 2)Oreskovich, 3)Joey Taycher. SECOND HEAT: 1)Dave Stoffer, 2)Guyette, 3)Natzke. THIRD HEAT: 1)Van Straten, 2)Wassenberg, 3)Jason Guyette.