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Sun Prairie Lions
Host 14th Annual Lions Club Race
At Columbus 151
By
Jim Remsik Jr. |
August 13, 2006; Columbus, WI. -
The Sun Prairie Lions hosted the postponed 2006 Interclub Stock Car
Race at Columbus 151 Speedway. The event had originally been
scheduled for the previous week and was postponed due to rain. There
was no weather concern for the rescheduled event as those on-hand
enjoyed moderate temperatures, filtered sun and great racing.
Mark Rhode and Wally Morgan (the events host) brought the 25-lap
sportsman feature event to the line. Rhode grabbed the lead on lap
one
and was the car to beat the entire event. Steve Maciosek would find
his way to Rhode's rear bumper by lap five and an epic battle would
ensue. Maciosek tried the high side and would fall back to third
losing a spot to a charging Jeremy Tess. Tess would lose his spot to
Dale Weyer who would assume the second position as well until
sliding into the third groove on lap twenty-three. Rhode continued
to lead but got out of shape exiting turn two. It was a dead heat
through turns three and for with Maciosek reaching the finish line
first!
The six-lap dash victory was awarded to the Tichigan Lions #170.
Dean Baumbach set fast time in the Sportsman Division.
The Sun Prairie club owned the front row of the 20-lap Challenger
class feature with Don McNichol on the pole and Steve Badeau
outside. McNichol would grab the early lead with Allan Basset of the
South Milwaukee Lions Club in a close second. Paul "Fletch" Fletcher
tried to go three wide on lap two and made contact with Badeau,
Fletch spun bringing out the caution. On the restart McNichol and
Bassett would continue at the front of the pack. Dan Hayes made a
charge on the outside groove and found the leaders on lap eight.
Shortly after his arrival McNichol spun bringing out the caution.
Going back to the last fully completed lap minus those involved in
the caution gave the lead to Mike Robertson. Hayes tried the upper
groove again without any luck and would slide back to fourth.
Robertson saw the checkers first and took home the win.
Robertson also picked up the Challenger class dash. Allan Bassett
earned a victory in the heat race and Dan Hayes set fast time with a
15.280 second trip around the quarter-mile oval.
In four-cylinder action, Little Stocks as the Lions call them; John
Lord and Nick Lehman brought the field up to speed. Neither stuck
around very long as Tim Zalenski and Jon Bowe raced through the
middle groove to assume the first and second positions respectively.
Zalenski would check out on the field as his lead grew to a
half-track. There was plenty of action in the race for second as
just about everyone in the field tried their hand at getting past
Bowe. From Mark Belair to
Nick Caselli nobody seemed to be able to get past Bowe until fast
qualifier "Capt" Dan Heinz showed the way on the last lap. At the
line Zalenski had the win all sewn up and was followed by Heinz,
Caselli, and Bowe.
Belair had the consolation of already picking up a win in the Little
Stock Dash. Dan Heinz's fastest lap was turned in at 16.962 seconds.
At intermission the Wild & Crazy Back-up Cars division raced for the
fourth time in two weeks. Wayne Hook of Oregon and Andy Ward of
Madison sat on the front row. After eight laps of racing in reverse,
clockwise around the speedway, Dave Moore of McFarland found his way
to victory lane followed by Jim Remsik Jr (De Forest), Ward, George
Wachuta (Brooklyn), and Rick Verdon (Fitchburg.)
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