Tomlinson Hard Charger in Pepsi Main at 151 Speedway!
By Natasha Fabian

June 20, 2003; Columbus, WI. -  Andy Tomlinson (Poynette) came from the back of the sixteen car field to win the second round of the Pepsi Triple Sixties Friday night at Wisconsin's Columbus 151 Speedway.

Photo Highlights

Andy Tomlinson (#31) came from deep in the field to win the second round of the Pepsi Triple 60's here at Columbus 151 Speedway. Tyler James (#27) led much of the Late Model main event before Andy Tomlinson (#31) reached the front of the field. Aaron Wilke (#8) gets turned around during the running of the Late Model main event. Ken Scott (#39) made all the right moves to wind up in victory lane after the checkered fell in the Street Stock division. Ken Scott (#39) slips to the inside of Tony Chase (#21) on his way to winning the Street Stock main event. Lincoln Keeser (#99) reaches the finish line just ahead of his rivals to win the Hobby Stock main event.

Tomlinson had started off the evening turning quick time with a 13.719 second lap of the quarter-mile. Street stock rookie Ken Scott (Rio) won the 25-lap main in his division, Lincoln Keeser (Johnson Creek) won in the hobby stocks, and Rick Verdon (Fitchburg) picked up the win in the backup race. Jason Thoma (Jefferson) set fast time in the street stocks and Jim Schmidt (Jefferson) in the hobby stock class.

In the first half of the program, rookie competitor Tyler James (Oconomowoc) and veteran Scott Patrick (Sullivan) both won from the pole position in the two late model heat races. Tony Chase (Columbus) won the first street stock heat race. Jim Rohrbeck (Portage) who heavily damaged the wall in turn one last week came out with a borrowed car and won the fast heat. Young guns Jason Deppe (Waterloo) and Larry Moen (Madison) charged to the checkers to win their respective hobby stock heat races.

All feature events started four-wide, with the pole-sitter dropping to the rear of the field, leaving the spot open, in remembrance of Ron Grosskopf, who had died of a heart attack incurred at the Speedway one week earlier.
Grosskopf had worked at Columbus 151 many years, as well as raced four-cylinder bandits, and worked at Jefferson Speedway for the last 31 years, racing three years prior to that.

The 60-lap main event for the late models was filled with door-to-door racing down through the pack. A wreck one-third of the way through dampened the evenings of Rob Retallick (Marshall), Aaron Wilke (Waterloo), and Terry Sauer (Waterloo). James held the point at the halfway mark of the contest.

However, as Brent Knight (Watertown) was looking to the inside of James, Tomlinson made a daring pass on the outside for the lead and never looked back. On lap 47, the field came together as a caution came out, forcing Gerry Junget (Rio) into the pit area with a water leak. Tomlinson clenched the victory, with Dean Schultz (Juneau) close behind, followed by Steve Dobbratz (Rio), Brent Knight (Watertown), and Don Gaserude (Fort Atkinson) in a pack one quarter of the track behind. Tomlinson is also the current point leader after the evening's events.

After two weeks of rain earlier in the season, the Auto Armor night has been rescheduled for the July 11th program and the Dick Moore Memorial will be held on July 25th.

An added attraction for this Friday's program will be four modified style racecars. These types of cars (raced at Slinger, formerly at Madison International, The Raceway at Powercom Park, and Dodge County Fairgrounds) will be on hand for exhibition events at Columbus 151 August 15th and August 29th. Modifieds are a fan favorite, with their light weight and high horsepower.

More information on Friday night racing at Columbus 151 Speedway is available online at www.racingonline.com/columbus151.

For complete results from the RACESTAT computer click here