Bowers scores big win in Late Model action at Columbus 151 Speedway!
By Jim Remsik

June 15, 2001; Columbus, WI. - Greg Bowers of Waterloo overcame a shaky start to pick up his first feature win Friday evening. Early in the race Bowers got out of shape in his inside second row starting position. He tangled briefly with Dean Schultz of Juneau, but both were able to continue.

Photo Highlights

Greg Bowers (#12) scored his first career Late Model feature victory at Columbus 151 Speedway. Greg Bowers (#12) slips under Gerry Junget (#71) during the Late Model feature event en route to winning the race. Curt Thompson (#6) made an appearance at Columbus 151 Speedway payoff with a victory in the Street Stock feature event. Grant Lindner (#30) slips under Ernie Witte (#02) for the lead in the Hobby Stock feature.  Lindner would go on to win the event. John Remsik (#83) won the Hobby Stock feature last week, but didn't fare as well this week after making contact with the wall. Jim Remsik (#81) proved he could backup faster than Rich Verdon (#83) this evening by winning the Backup main event.

Al Weishoff of Columbus lead much of the race from the pole position. Caution fell on lap thirty for Mike Langdorf of Doylestown who spun coming out of turn four. On the restart Wieshoff and Steve Dobbratz of Rio broke away from the pack. This lead would disappear on lap forty-two however as caution flag was thrown for Andy Tomlinson of Poynette, contact between Tomlinson and eventual winner Bowers left Tomlinson pointed the wrong way in turns one and two.

As Weishoff brought the field up to speed on the restart he was tagged by Dean Schultz. The contact between Schultz and the leader collected, Jason Erickson of Cambridge, Ken Olson, Scott Patrick of Dousman and Cross Plains native Will Godding. With Wieshoff and Schultz sent to the rear Bowers inherited the lead. At the end of Sixty laps the running order was Greg Bowers, Steve Dobbratz, Don Gaserude of Fort Atkinson, Will Godding and Ken Olson also of Fort Atkinson.

Curt Thompson of Palmyra won the twenty-five lap Street Stock feature. The Jefferson regular visiting in hopes of winning the Summer Rumble Series bonus lead flag to flag. The top five fell into single file in the first six laps while the racing was two abreast from there back for nearly the entire race. By lap ten Thompson had built a three car length lead and Ron Coppernoll of Madison was in second. Jeff Kohloff of Watertown had worked his way up from eighth to third working the highside.

The race was slowed on lap twenty-two for Joe Roatch of Stoughton, his Richard Petty look-alike developed some loose parts and was throwing a shower of sparks. The usually dominant Scott Riedner of Waunakee and Ron Preskar of Juneau were muffled deep in field with nowhere to go. On the lap twenty-three restart Thompson slowly pulled away from Coppernoll as Kohloff challenged for the second position. Kohloff went hard into turn three and slid high falling back to fifth place. Kohloff raced back to the checkered to finish third behind Thompson and Coppernoll. The official finishing order was Thompson, Coppernoll, Kohloff, Ken Scott of Rio, Bobby Stough Jr of Waunakee, and R.C. Coppernoll of Bristol.

Grant Lindner of Poynette won an action packed twenty-lap hobby stock feature. Terry Wangsness and Gilbert Valdez of Havana, Cuba brought the field to the green flag. Caution fell on lap three for an incident involving Valdez, Ryan Selgren of Milton, T.J. Rivera and Chuck Egli. The lap four restart would be short lived as caution again slowed the race on lap five. John Remsik of Madison went into turn one and shot up to the wall with apparent mechanical problems, Remsik had started in twentieth place and had worked his way up to ninth before the incident. Lap five restart had Ernie Witte going low to take the lead from Terry Wangsness, who would fall to fourth.

Witte lead until lap 10 when he rear-ended the about to be lapped traffic of Ryan Selgren. The rest of the field raced into a blocked corner and everyone did a good job of avoiding major contact. Justin Schulz of Columbus suffered severe body damage however and left the racing surface. Witte was sent to the rear for causing the yellow flag condition.

The new leader Grant Lindner who followed Witte passed Wangsness was followed by Jim Rohrbeck of Portage in the second position. Just as Lindner was about to lap traffic, Lincoln Keeser of Milton looped his car in turns one and two bringing out the fourth caution of the event on lap seventeen. Lap eighteen had Jim Hibner of Pardeeville making contact with the left rear of Ernie Witte and turning him around on the front straight. As they raced across the line it eas Grant Lindner, Jim Rohrbeck, Jerry Chapman, Chuck Egli, and Terry Wangsness.

Wayne Hook of Oregon and Ron Schneidewind of Madison brought the Back-Up division feature out to the line. They took the green from the stopped position and Schneidewind had the advantage as Hook was slow off of the line. Mark Remsik of Madison took the second position away from brother Jim Remsik of DeForest on lap two, with Bruce Havel of Deerfield following a lap later. Dave Moore of McFarland got into the wall on lap three ending his race. Mark Remsik got together with Schneidewind as they raced for the lead on lap five. As they spun they were blasted by Bruce Havel and the two would be leaders were unable to continue.

As Havel worked himself free of the incident, Jim Remsik of DeForest gained the lead followed by Rick Verdon of Fitchburg. With one lap to go Remsik came up on the previous weeks winner Matt Wachuta of Oregon. With Remsik behind the slower traffic Verdon raced up and nearly took the race. As they crossed the line Jim Remsik, Rick Verdon, Steve Oetzel of Marshall, Wayne Hook, and Bruce Havel.

Coming Up: June 22nd - Sherman's Garage and Body Shop Night, A complete program Plus Mini Cup Cars and Blindfold Races.

For more information on Columbus 151 Speedway and Complete Results visit:
http://www.racingonline.com/columbus151

For complete results from the RACESTAT computer click here