June 29, 1997; Manitowoc, WI.
Tom Johnson of Slinger shot ahead of the pack and paced the field to victory in the Winged Super Modified feature race on Sunday Night at the Manitowoc County Expo Raceway.
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Tom Johnson of
Slinger, WI bested a large field of Winged Super
Modifieds to claim the victory in the feature event.
Johnson took the lead early and was never seriously
challenged before the checkered flag fell on the curfew
shortened feature race. Rain early in the evening forced track officials to delay the start of the racing program by two hours. |
Johnson, hitting a quick stride to an early lead, easily led the file for most of the race. Lee Mohs of Waldo, who captured second place, kept the heat on Johnson, creeping within five car lengths of the race leader. Bill Wenninger of Kewaskum came home in third place, with Ken Jay Fiedler of Sheboygan Falls trailing in fourth. Alex Crimmings who won last weeks feature race rounded out the top five pulling into fifth place in an event that was shortened in length due to curfew.
| Shawn Jaeger of
Manitowoc took home the Outlaw Modified feature victory.
Outlaw Modifieds are basic IMCA Modifieds with the
addition of a wing for downforce on Manitowoc Expo
Raceway's fast straights. Winged cars have now won every feature event so far this season in the Outlaw Modified class. |
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A brief rain an hour before heats were scheduled to begin did not stop Expo Raceway promoter John Martin Kwitek from hosting the track's grand opening event as racers poured on the speed in an exciting evening of racing with excellent track conditions. The evening also featured IRA Sprint cars doing laps in a timing exercise during a rare appearance at Expo Raceway. The IRA Sprint Cars no longer race at Beaver Dam Raceway.
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Outlaw Modifieds battle! Shawn Jaeger (#17) came home a double winner during the evenings events taking both his heat race and the feature event! Here he holds of Jack Parrish (#73) and Dave Otte (#6). Otte has won a couple features already this season. |
Shawn Jaeger of Manitowoc paced the pack to win the shortened Outlaw Modified feature race, with Jerry Wenzel of Two Rivers pulling into second place. Jack Parrish of Waldo trailed in third, followed by Jesse Brey of Manitowoc in fourth, Dave Otte of Cedar Grove in fifth. Brian Rief of Mishicot shot off to an early lead but ended up trailing the field after losing control of his car going into turn two early in the race.
| Rick Otte held off some serious challenges by Rick Mahlberg and Dan Nelson to claim the victory in the Super Stock feature event. Otte has been a regular competitor since opening day on the new 1/3 mile high banked clay oval. |  |
Rick Otte of Cedar Grove overcame a strong challenge by Rick Mahlberg of Denmark to emerge victorious in the 15-lap Super Stock feature. Mahlberg came in on Otte's tail in a close second place finish, he was followed by Anthony Miller of Random Lake, Dan Holms in fourth and last weeks winner Dan Nelson of Brillion in fifth. Otte and Mahlberg took competition fender to fender before getting into a three way scrap with Nelson in turn four. The scrape failed to stop Otte and Mahlberg from pouring on the steam and going neck and neck until the finish.
In the Street Stock division, Tom Leonard of Two Rivers took a commanding lead early to lap most of his fellow competitors to take the win and the checkered flag in the 15 lap feature race. Ken Shilcox of Two Rivers, who took second place, kept the heat on Leonard's tail all the way, mounting frequent challenges and leaving the race too close to call throughout the duration of the event. Leonard has now posted back to back feature victories after taking the Street Stock main last week. Rounding out the top five were Chris Lange of Forest Junction, Bob Stadler of Clark Mills and Rick Eigenberger of Cleveland taking fifth.
In the Crusiers division, Jason Close and Ken Anderson teamed up to take the checkered flag in a win over David Williams and Gary Faulkner who took second in the event. Close and Anderson are now undefeated so far this season in Crusier action.
Two Super Modified heat races took place with Wenninger taking the first event followed by Crimmings and Feidler. The second heat event was taken by Billy Kreutz of Kiel who was making his first appearance of the season at the raceway. Kreutz, was chased to the line by John Spooner and T.J. Luedtke.
In Outlaw Modified heat action Randy Brunette of Chilton took the first event over Dave Otte and Rick Mott, while the second heat race was claimed by Jaeger who completed a sweep of the evening by taking the main. Jaeger was chased to the line in the heat by Wenzel and Rief.
Dave Otte took first place in the Super Stock heat, while Kevin Shilcox took the Street Stock event.
This coming week on July 4, 1997, there will be a special Friday Night event for the Super Stock division which will pay $500 to win. Next Sunday Night's program will feature the Winged Modified Challenge which will pay $1,000 to win, that prize is sure to lure in a record field for the program, which will also include Outlaw Modifies, Super Stocks, Street Stock and Cruisers!
Racing is set to take place at 6:00 P.M., and the track is located at the junction of Interstate 43 and Highway 151 in Manitowoc, WI. The banked 1/3 mile clay oval hosts Sunday evening racing throughout July and August.
RESULTS
Winged Modified:
Feature Event: 1.) Tom Johnson; 2.) Lee Mohs; 3.) Bill
Wenninger; 4.) Ken Fiedler; 5.) Alex Crimmings; 6.) Chuck Tuschl;
7.) Brian Van Scoy; 8.) Bill Kreutz
10 Lap Heats:
ONE: 1.) Winninger; 2.) Crimmings; 3.) Mohs
TWO: 1.) Kreutz; 2.) John Spooner; 3.) T.J.
Luedtke
Outlaw Modified:
Feature: 1.) Shawn Jaeger; 2.) Jerry Wenzel; 3.) Jack
Parrish; 4.) Jesse Brey; 5.) Dave Otte; 6.) Rick Mott; 7.) Todd
Hughes; 8.) Randy Brunette
First Heat: 1.) Brunette, 2.) Otte; 3.) Mott
Second Heat: 1.) Jaeger; 2.) Wenzel; 3.) Brian
Rief
Super Stocks:
Feature: 1.) Rick Otte; 2.) Rick Mahlberg; 3.) Anthony
Miller; 4.) Dan Holms 5.) Dan Nelson 10 Lap Heat: 1.)
Dave Otte; 2.) Rick Otte; 3.) Nelson
Street Stocks:
Feature: 1.) Tom Leonard; 2.) Ken Shillcox; 3.) Chris
Lange; 4.) Bob Stadler; 4.) Rick Eigenberger
8 Lap Heat: 1.) Ken Shillcox; 2.) Leonard; 2.)
Kirk Shillcox
Crusiers:
Feature: 1.) Jason Close and Ken Anderson; 2.) Dave Wing
and Gary Faulkner