Diemel cruises to fourth WISSOTA and ninth Fastrak Late Model wins at Shawano Speedway

Photos By HooferBy: Bert Lehman
Shawano, WI (Aug. 22, 2009) - It was another week of seven feature races at Shawano Speedway. A.J. Diemel continued his dominance at the Speedway, winning both the WISSOTA Late Model and Fastrak Late Model features. Jerry Wilinski won his second straight IMCA Modified and third overall. Jason Czarapata won the IMCA Modified make-up feature, his first in his career at the Speedway in that division. Rod Snellenberger won the regular IMCA Stock Car feature as well as the make-up feature, and now sits at 10 victories this year. Tracy Wassenberg won his second IMCA Sport Mod feature of the year.

Starting on the outside of the front row, Mark Mitchell jumped out to the quick lead over A.J. Diemel, Ron Berna, Ryan Huettl and Troy Springborn in the WISSOTA Late Model feature. Diemel ducked underneath Mitchell on the third lap taking the lead, while Springborn moved to fourth. Once in the lead Diemel began to pull away from the field while Springborn moved to third. Midway through the race Springborn worked his way by Mitchell for second, when the caution came out two laps later.

Photos By HooferDiemel continued to lead on the restart, with Nick Anvelink moving to second a couple laps later when the race was once again slowed by a caution. On the restart it appeared Anvelink and Springborn made contact it turn three, sending Anvelink high, forcing him to slow and eventually retire from the event. It was all Diemel, as he cruised to the win over Springborn, Justin Ritchie, Mitchell and Chris Oertel.

Jerry Muenster led the first two laps of the IMCA Modified feature before Jerry Wilinski jumped into the top spot. Over the next several laps Wilinski pulled out to a slight lead with Muenster, Dave Diemel, Julie Wedelstadt and Lance Arneson following. A restart on lap nine saw Wilinski maintain his lead with Wedelstadt, Diemel, Muenster and Jared Siefert all in pursuit. Wedelstadt began pressuring Wilinski for the lead midway through the race when a flat tire sent her to the pits with seven laps remaining.

On the last restart of the race Arneson pulled alongside Wilinski but couldn’t make the pass. Wilinski led the remaining laps to the victory over Arneson, Jason Czarapata, Siefert and Eddie Muenster.

In the IMCA Modified make-up feature from Aug. 8, Wilinski took the lead from Marcus Yarie on a lap five restart, leaving Jason Czarapata, Yarie, Brad Rohloff and Wedelstadt following. Czarapata raced side-by-side with Wilinski on lap seven and made the outside pass one lap later.

With four laps remaining, while in third place, Yarie slowed in turn two, collecting Rohloff and Wedelstadt. Rohloff was done for the race. There was no denying Czarapata, as he motored to the victory over Wedelstadt, Wilinski, Siefert and Tim Van De Hei.

Kyle Fredrick grabbed the quick lead over Devin Snellenberger, Adam Van Haren, Mitchell Stankowski and Vern Stedjee in the IMCA Stock Car feature. By lap five, Snellenberger grabbed the lead, while Rod Snellenberger joined the top five and set his sights on the front running cars. Rod Snellenberger steadily made his way through the top five and overtook his son, Devin, for the lead midway through the race. Once in the lead, he cruised to the victory over Devin Snellenberger, Dan Michonski, Fredrick and Stankowski.

In the IMCA Stock Car make-up feature from Aug. 8, Devin Snellenberger paced for field for the first two laps before Rod Snellenberger took the lead. Rod Snellenberger continued to lead midway through the race, with Devin Snellenberger, Stankowski, Michonski and Larry Karcz Jr. following. Stankowski grabbed the second spot with five laps remaining, but there was no denying Rod Snellenberger as he cruised to the victory.

Dave Fieber took the lead on the second lap of the Fastrak Late Model feature with Jeff Wickersheim, Justin Hirt, A.J. Diemel and Scott Lewis following. Diemel quickly moved to second on the next lap and then grabbed the lead two laps later. Once in the lead Diemel began to pull away from the field, leaving Fieber, Hirt, Lewis and Brett Swedberg to fight it out for the remaining top five spots.

With eight laps remaining Lewis and Swedberg raced side-by-side for fourth place with Swedberg eventually wrestling the position away. It was another convincing victory for Diemel, with Hirt, Fieber, Swedberg and Jeff Curtin following.

In the IMCA Sport Mod feature Tracy Wassenberg grabbed the lead, while Clint Forstner, Travis Van Straten and Tim Jorgenson raced in a pack chasing the leader. A caution on lap eight slowed the race. Wassenberg continued to lead on the restart with Jorgenson, Forstner, Matt Oreskovich and Van Straten following. Another caution with five laps remaining again slowed the action.

Wassenberg was once again up for the challenge on the restart fending off Jorgenson. Van Straten worked his way by Oreskovich for fourth with three laps remaining. Wassenberg held on for the win over Jorgenson, Van Straten, Forstner and Oreskovich.

Racing action continues Saturday, Aug. 29 with racing getting underway at 6 p.m. For more information about Shawano Speedway, visit www.shawanospeedway.net.

RACING SUMMARY

WISSOTA LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)A.J. Diemel, 2)Troy Springborn, 3)Justin Ritchie, 4)Mark Mitchell, 5)Chris Oertel, 6)Ron Berna, 7)M.J. McBride, 8)Craig Bartz, 9)Ryan Huettl, 10)Doug Blashe. FIRST HEAT: 1)Terry Anvelink, 2)Tom Naeyaert, 3)Ritchie. SECOND HEAT: 1)Diemel, 2)McBride, 3)Berna.

IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE: 1)Jerry Wilinski, 2)Lance Arneson, 3)Jason Czarapata, 4)Jared Siefert, 5)Eddie Muenster, 6)Kyle Lentz, 7)Mike Wedelstadt, 8)Jerry Muenster, 9)Dave Diemel, 10)Brad Rohloff. FIRST HEAT: 1)Wilinski, 2)Jesse Peebles, 3)Wedelstadt. SECOND HEAT: 1)Czarapata, 2)Julie Wedelstadt, 3)Siefert. THIRD HEAT: 1)Tim Van De Hei, 2)Rohloff, 3)Arneson.

IMCA MODIFIED MAKE-UP FEATURE FROM 8-8-09: 1)Jason Czarapata, 2)Julie Wedelstadt, 3)Jerry Wilinski, 4)Jared Siefert, 5)Tim Van De Hei, 6)David Diemel, 7)Mike Wedelstadt, 8)Eddie Muenster, 9)Kyle Lentz, 10)Jerry Muenster.

IMCA STOCK CAR FEATURE: 1)Rod Snellenberger, 2)Devin Snellenberger, 3)Dan Michonski, 4)Kyle Fredrick, 5)Mitchell Stankowski, 6)Adam Clark, 7)Barry Van Straten, 8)Nate Michonski, 9)Larry Karcz Jr., 10)Adam Van Haren. CONSI: 1)John Heinz, 2)Alan Gast. FIRST HEAT: 1)Fredrick, 2)Karcz Jr., 3)Van Haren. SECOND HEAT: 1)Van Straten, 2)Clark, 3)D. Michonski. THIRD HEAT: 1)N. Michonski, 2)R. Snellenberger, 3)D. Snellenberger.

IMCA STOCK CAR MAKE-UP FEATURE FROM 8-8-09: 1)Rod Snellenberger, 2)Mitchell Stankowski, 3)Devin Snellenberger, 4)Dan Michonski, 5)Larry Karcz Jr., 6)Vern Stedjee, 7)Adam Clark, 8)Nate Michonski, 9)Barry Van Straten, 10)Kyle Fredrick.

FASTRAK CRATE LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)A.J. Diemel, 2)Justin Hirt, 3)Dave Fieber, 4)Brett Swedberg, 5)Jeff Curtin, 6)Joe Reuter, 7)Scott Lewis, 8)Joel Bennett, 9)Cody Grosskreutz, 10)Jeff Wickersheim. FIRST HEAT: 1)Swedberg, 2)Grosskreutz, 3)Wickersheim. SECOND HEAT: 1)Diemel, 2)Hirt, 3)Fieber.

IMCA SPORT MOD FEATURE: 1)Tracy Wassenberg, 2)Tim Jorgenson, 3)Travis Van Straten, 4)Clint Forstner, 5)Matt Oreskovich, 6)Aaron Holiday, 7)Jason Jach, 8)Johnny Whitman, 9)Brandon Nygaard, 10)Josh Moesch. FIRST HEAT: 1)Wassenberg, 2)Nygaard, 3)Forstner. SECOND HEAT: 1)Van Straten, 2)Kevin Bethke, 3)Jach.