Columbus 151 Speedway Race Reports

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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.

Photo Highlights

 

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.)