Ostrowski takes Mid-Season Super Modified Main!!

By Jeff Pederson

June 28, 1997, Plymouth, WI.

Two-time track champion Pete Ostrowski of Milwaukee used the high line to pull off a late race pass for the lead on the way to his 11th career Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car Winged Super Modified feature victory in the 40-lap Mid-Season Championship main event Saturday night at the Sheboygan County Fair Park in Plymouth, WI

Big Winners during the Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car Mid-Season Championships sponsored by RPM Speed and Custom and Sheboygan Yamaha. At left point leader in the Winged Super Modified division Pete Ostrowski (#7) took home the win in the 40 lap feature. In the right photo Randy Butler (#5) set fast time honors to open the evenings events.

Polesitter Chuck Melis of Plymouth took the lead in turn one of the opening laps. Melis opened up a quarter-straightaway edge over second running Danny Cain of Kewaskum until the leaders began to thread their way through slower traffic on lap 15.

Cain started to reel in Melis before the first red flag of the race appeared for the stalled car of Fred Clatt of Sheboygan Falls.

After the restart, Melis drove off to a soild lead over Cain throughout the mid-way stages of the event. The 15 year EWSC Winged Super Modified veteran encountered lapped traffic on lap 35 as his car appeared to slow along the low groove.

The late race charge! Pete Ostrowski (#7) runs the fast outside line with less than 3 laps to go in the Winged Super Modified feature. Danny Cain (#24) attempted to hold the lead after a late race restart but was unable to hold back the high flying Ostrowski. Ostrowski took the win with Cain second and Eddie Staehler (#56) taking third.

On lap 37, smoke began to pour out of the Melis machine before it eventually spun in turn three to bring out the second red flag of the event. The front running cars of nine-time Limited Late Model champ Gary Laack of Glenbeulah and Jim DePagter of Sheboygan Falls were also involved in the incident.

With Melis out of the race, Cain inherited the lead with fifth starter Eddie Staehler of Kewaskum in second and the tenth starting Ostrowski in third.

Following the restart, Ostrowski charged up to his familiar outside groove to power around the low-riding Cain and Staehler exiting turn two on lap 38. Ostrowski, who is the current Winged Super Modified point leader, then pulled away during the final two laps to record his first feature victory of the season.

Cain was second, Staehler wound up third, Craig Schueffner of Sheboygan Falls finished fourth and eighth starter Ken Jay Fiedler of Sheboygan Falls finished fifth.

Scott Haugstad of Plymouth led flag-to-flag to post his first career 30-lap Limited Late Model feature victory.

Scott Haugstad won his first career Limited Late Model feature in convincing fashion during the Mid-Season championship. Haugstad paced every lap of the 30 lap feature race. He is joined in victory lane by girlfriend Diane Schultz.

After an aborted start for a two car mishap on the frontstretch involving West Bend's Jeff Fechter and Mark Dingel of Sheboygan, Haugstad bolted into the lead on the drop of the green flag from his pole position.

Haugstad quickly built a full-straightaway cushion over outside front row started Rodney Michaels of Cleveland in the early laps of the race. A red flag slowed the pace on lap seven after 1993 Limited Late Model champion Randy Markwardt, Roy Dahmer of Sheboygan and Dingel collided in turn three. Dingel and Dahmer returned to action, but Markwardt was not able to restart the race.

Haugstad again opened up a solid advantage over the rest of the field when the race returned to green flag action. The eighth year driver maintained a half-lap lead over the final 15 laps en route to a convincing win.

Defending track champion and current point leader Steve Hoffmann of Plymouth made a daring three-wide pass in the final corner to secure a strong second place showing after starting 18th.

Two-time Super Stock champ Chad Kistner was third, fast qualifier Randy Harshbarger of Campbellsport finished fourth and Dave Jessen of Fredonia worked his way up from the sixth row to place fifth.

Third year driver Brian Kessler of Plymouth earned his first career victory in the 25-lap Super Stock feature race.

	Brian Kessler took home his first career Super Stock feature victory on Saturday Night and is joined in victory lane by new track trophy queen Haley Ditter.
Brian Kessler (#16) uses the outside line to power around early race leader Matt Jackson (#8) of Sheboygan. Kessler would pace the remained of the event and pick up the win while Jackson would fade back to a sixth place finish.

Polesitter Matt Jackson of Sheboygan led the first 12 laps of the event. On lap 13, Kessler moved from his sixth starting spot to assume the lead along the backstretch.

Kessler gradually began to separate himself from the rest of the field before the 1995 Super Stock co-champion and current point leader Tim Thompson of Campbellsport spun out in turn one on lap 22.

When the race resumed, Kessler maintained the top spot over the final three laps to earn a quarter-straightaway triumph over second row starter Kevin Kenealy of Hubertus. Jim Bailey of Oostburg came up from the sixth row to place third, Elkhart Lake's Brian Gilles finished fourth after starting 17th and 13th place started Dave Haag of Plymouth came home in fifth.

Dave Deicher took the second winged Super Modified heat and is joined by trophy queen contestants.	Doug Teunissen paced the Super Stock qualifying, with a lap of 17.489 seconds. This is the first year Super Stocks have run time trials.

Greg Otte of Sheboygan Falls won the 15 lap Winged Super Modified B- Semi-feature while Sheboygan's Brian Portschy captured the 10 lap Winged Super Modified C- Semi-feature.

Jeff Gierke of Kiel was victorious in the 15 lap Limited Late Model semi-feature and Steve Tenpas of Sheboygan Falls collected the victory in the 15-lap Super Stock Semi-feature.

This coming Saturday night, July 5th, 1997, marks the third annual running of the Pat Rand Memorial Race of Champions in the EWSC Winged Super Modified division. The event honors the late Rand, who was killed in a racing accident at the Sheboygan County Fair Park on July 9, 1994. Time trials will start at 6:00 P.M. with racing to follow at 7:00 P.M.

RESULTS

FAST QUALIFIER: # 5 Randy Butler, Juneau, ....13.429 seconds.

FAST QUALIFIER: #7 Randy Harshbarger, Campbellsport,.... 15.548 Seconds

FAST QUALIFIER: #48 Doug Teunissen, Oostburg,...17.489 Seconds