Columbus 151 Speedway -- 1999 Season In Review!
By Dennis Thompson

September 17, 1999; Columbus, WI. - Year after year the Columbus 151 Speedway proves to be one of the most competitive tracks in the country. The 1999 racing season was no exception. Incredibly, forty-one drivers won feature events in the four weekly divisions. Track championships were not decided until the last race of the season in the late model and street stock divisions.

The late model division had twelve different drivers record feature wins over the seventeen race events held. Twenty-two drivers finished in the top five in at least one feature race, eight won semi-feature events, twenty-three won heat races and six set fast time. Andy Tomlinson of Poynette, Duane Deppe of Waterloo, Don Gaserude of Fort Atkinson, Terry Sauer of Waterloo and Scott Patrick of Dousman each won two feature events. Those with one win were Rick Nelson of Deerfield, Dean Schultz of Juneau, Mike Langsdorf of Doylestown, Randy Breunig of Columbus, Bruce Havel of Deerfield, Al Weishoff of Otsego and Mike Kolb of Wauwatosa.

Scott Patrick successfully defended his title as track champion in the late model division. It is only the third time in the history of this late model division at the speedway dating back to the 1979 season that a driver has won back to back titles. No one has ever won three championships in successive seasons. Patrick, driving the Wisconsin Harley Davidson sponsored Grand Prix, had two feature wins and twelve top five feature finishes along with setting thst time on five occasions on his way to the championship. He also captured the Pepsi Triple 60's Challenge Series Championship for the second year in a row with finishes of second in rounds one and three and a third place finish in round two. Patrick earned his track championship by working his way up from the back of the pack in his feature events. For the second year in a row, Patrick won the Hard Charger Award for passing the most cars in feature events over the course of the season.

Finishing behind Patrick in the season point standings were Mike Langsdorf, Dean Schultz, Andy Tomlinson and Terry Sauer. Sixth through tenth in points were Bruce Havel, Randy Breunig, Don Gaserude, Duane Deppe and Al Weishoff.

The late model Rookie of the Year honors were taken by Jon Ovadahl Jr. of Johnson Creek. Ovadahl won the title by only forty-one points over John Acker of Spring Green. Driving the Quality Ceilings sponsored Camaro, Ovadahl finished fourteenth in the final point standings with one top five feature finish and three heat wins during the season. Ovadahl finished thirteenth in the Pepsi Triple 60's Challenge Series.

The street stock division had thirteen different drivers win in the seventeen feature races held this season. Twenty-four drivers finished in the top five in at least one feature, eleven won semi-features, twenty-three won heat races and four set fast time. Dan Howard of Baraboo was the only driver to record three feature wins. Ron Preskar of Juneau and Ron Schmitt of Jackson each had two feature wins. Those with one win were Gary Kasperek of Tigerton, Ed Jackson of Madison, Dan Krueger of Columbus, Bob Jacobs of DeForest, Jenl Westergaard of Columbus, John Kolb of Juneau, Karl Wahlgren of Cross Plains, Dennis Schmidt of Beaver Dam, Joel Soenksen of Baraboo and Rick Coppernoll of Marshall.

Dan Howard claimed his first street stock track championship driving the Blackhawk Home Sales Caprice. Howard's accomplishments for the year were three feature wins, nine top five feature finishes, two heat wins and three times quick qualifier. Howard also captured the Hard Charger Award for the street stock division.

Finishing behind Howard in the point standings were defending champion Ron Preskar, Ron Schmitt, Will Godding and Jeni Westergaard. In sixth through tenth were John Kolb, Dennis Schmidt, Kevin Anderson of Madison, Jay Spahn of Middleton and Richard Colvin of Poynette.

The street stock Rookie of the Year Award was won by Dennis Schmidt who edged out Kevin Anderson by a mere six points to take the honors. Schmidt driving the Laatsch Abstract Co. Pontiac finished seventh in the final point standings, recording one feature win, six top five feature finishes, two heat wins and two times fast qualifier.

In the hobby stock division, ten different drivers won feature events, seventeen drivers placed in the top five in at least one feature, fourteen won heat races and four set fast time. Jerry Chapman of Juneau, Dennis Gaserude of Oregon, John Hibner of Pardeeville, Gerry. Junget of Rio, Lincoln Keeser of Jefferson, Jason Hibner of Pardeeville and Jim Rohrbeck of Portage each won two feature wins. Jeff Kohlhoff of Watertown, Ken Scott of Rio and Dan Schmidt of Watertown scored one feature win.

Dennis Gaserude drove the FJC Roofing and Siding Monte Carlo to his third track championship in four years in the hobby stock division. Gaserude won two features, had twelve top five feature finishes and five heat wins for the season. He fmished second to Gerry Junget in the Hard Charger Award standings.

Finishing behind Gaserude in the point standings were Gerry Junget, Andy Junget of Rio, Ken Scott and Grant Lindner of Poynette. Sixth through tenth in points were Dan Schmidt, Jim Rohrbeck, Jason Hibner, Lincoln Keeser and Jerry Chapman.

The hobby stock Rookie of the Year honors went to Dave Schwark of Sun Prairie. Although not competing every week as he shared the ride with his brother, Dennis, Dave finished thirteenth in points driving the Springtime Towing sponsored Olds.

The back up division had six different winners in eighteen races this season. Bruce Havel Deerfield raced to ten wins. Mark Remsik of Deerfield had three wins. Ron Schneidewind of Madison drove to two wins. Rick Verdon of Fitchburg, Jim Remsik of Madison and Dave Moore of McFarland drove to victory lane once.

Bruce Havel dominated the back up division recording ten wins for the second year in a row. The championship is Havel's fourth in this division.

Finishing second through fifth in the standings were Dave Moore, Mark Remsik, Rick Verdon and Ron Schneidewind.

Powder Puff champions for the season were Sue Spiess of Madison in the street stock division and Rachel Langsdorf of Doylestown in the hobby stock division.

The Columbus 151 Speedway would like to thank their fans, sponsors, drivers, owners, track personnel and all others for their support of the speedway in the 1999 season

Columbus 151 Speedway will host it's 1999 awards banquet on Saturday March 11th, 2000. Details will follow shortly. 

Year 2000 will get underway with testing an tuning will begin at the track beginning on Wednesday,
April 5th, 2000 from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and continue on Wednesday evenings.

The annual car show will be held at the track on Sunday afternoon April 23rd, 2000 and be held from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and on Sunday afternoon April 30th the first race of the new millennium will tack place with time trials at NOON and racing at 2:00 p.m.

Columbus 151 Speedway is a quarter-mile paved oval located on Highway 151, between the towns of Columbus and Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Take Exit 111 of Highway 151 just south of Columbus.