June 7, 1997, Plymouth, WI.
Gary Laack of Glenbeulah turned back a mid-race challenge from Sheboygan's Bard Dahmer to earn his second 30 lap Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car Winged Super Modified feature victory of the season in the 13th Annual Etchie Biertzer Memorial race at the Sheboygan County Fair Park Saturday night.
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Gary Laack of Glenbeulah, took his second Winged Super Modified feature of the 1997 racing season at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds Speedway, located in Plymouth, WI. Laack a nine-time Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car Limited Late Model champion took off last season, but has returned to winning form. |
Laack who had started in the second position used the outside groove to power around polesitter Jim DePagter of Sheboygan Falls and take control of the lead on the opening lap.
The 20 year racing veteran quickly built up a full straightaway cushion over DePagter in the early stages of the race until Plymouth's Dave Deicher brought out the first of three red flags on lap eight when he lost a tire entering turn one.
After the restart, the third starting Dahmer hooked up to the high line to pressure the low riding Laack for the top spot. The second red flag appeared on lap 11 when Jay Schneider of West Bend spun out in turn four.
| Out front Gary Laack (#62) leads the way using the low groove. Brad Dahmer (#45) tried on several occasions to use the high line in an attempt to take over the top spot. In the end Laack was in victory lane, while Dahmer took a close second. |  |
Dahmer continued to threaten Laack during the next six green flag laps before the third and final red flag flew on lap 17 for an incident in turn two involving Plymouth's Ken Schultz and Greg Otte of Sheboygan Falls.
Following the final restart, Laack began to pull away from the rim riding Dahmer. The nine-time EWSC Limited Late Model champion held a solid advantage throughout the closing laps to collect his fourth career Winged Super Modified feature victory by a quarter-straightaway margin over second place Dahmer.
Dahmer's runner-up showing was the best feature finish of his four year Winged Super Modified career. Two-time and defending track champion Pete Ostrowski of Milwaukee charged from the 10th starting spot to place third, DePagter was fourth and outside second row starter Danny Cain of Kewaskum placed fifth.
| Substitute driver Tim Veldman of Plymouth has been filling in for Howie Weiss in the number 11 Limited Late Model this season. Veldman made the most of it this Saturday taking the feature win. |  |
Tim Veldman of Plymouth guided the car normally driven by Glenbeulah's Howie Weiss to victory in the 25 lap Limited Late Model feature.
Sheboygan's Rodney Michaels led the opening lap from the pole position. On lap two, the second starting Veldman bolted into the lead as Michaels lost power along the frontstretch.
During the next eight circuits, Veldman proceeded to open up a 15 car length advantage over outside third row starter Mark Dingel of Sheboygan. Dingel closed to within two car lengths of Veldman on lap 20 as the leaders began to encounter lapped traffic.
Three laps later, Dingel charged in to make a challenge for the lead entering turn three. However, Veldman fended off Dingel over the final two laps to post his first feature triumph of the year in the non-stop race.
Dingel finished second, Fredonia's Dave Jessen made his way up from the 12th starting spot to take third, defending track champion Steve Hoffmann of Plymouth came from the eighth row at the start to place fourth and rookie Limited Late Model driver Rick Thompson of Campbellsport was fifth.
Greenleaf's Dave Horneck notched his first feature victory of the 1997 season in the 20 lap Super Stock main event.
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| David Horneck poses in victory lane after winning a hotly contested Super Stock feature event. | Just four laps left and David Horneck (#66) uses the high line to get by Jim Bailey. Horneck took the win with Bailey a close second. |
Polesitter Bob Duncan led the first two laps of the race before the lone red flag of the race appeared on lap three for the stalled car of Howard Grove's Dean Gosse in turn two.
Duncan continued to hold down the top spot until lap eight when third row starter Jim Bailey of Oostburg took over the lead on the front straightaway.
Bailey paced the field until lap 16 when Horneck moved up from he outside fifth row starting spot to assume command using the high line in turn two. Horneck maintained the lead over the final four laps to capture a ten car length margin of victory over second place Bailey.
Oostburg's Doug Teunissen was third, Brian Gilles of Elkhart Lake raced up from the 16th starting position to finish fourth and Duncan wound up fifth.
Ken Jay Fiedler of Sheboygan Falls won the 15 lap Winged Super Modified B- Semi-Feature. Plymouth's Scott Haugstad captured the 15 lap Limited Late Model semi-feature while Doug Kuchinski of Elkhart Lake was victorious in the 15 lap Super Stock semi-feature.
| Career fast time number one! Paul Pokorski has already earned a Winged Super Modified victory this season, and has now taken his first career fast qualifying effort with a 13.379 second lap around the 1/3 mile clay oval. |  |
In qualifying, West Bend's Paul Pokorski earned his first ever Winged Super Modified fast time award by topping the 35 car field with a lap of 13.379 seconds.
Winged Super Modifieds
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FAST QUALIFIER: # 4 Paul Pokorski, West Bend, ....13.379 Seconds.
Limited Late Models
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FAST QUALIFIER: #7 Randy Harshbarger, Campbellsport,.... 15.760 Seconds
Super Stocks
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