June 18, 1999, Chilton, WI - In WIMSA mini-sprint action, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin racer Craig Gravatt scored his first win of the season. Craig started on the outside of row one in the 20-lap feature. Chilton's own Dave Lisowe was the pole sitter.
On the first lap of the race, feature winner of the previous two CCRA mini-sprint races, Scott Sippel was forced into the pits. Scott had just turned in his Sippel Racin' Rent-a-Ride machine for his own car, and disappointingly, it didn't hold up for the race. Meanwhile, Gravatt stretched out his lead from the very beginning.
Second spot driver Jeff Harder from Glenbeulah was running a consistent race all evening, taking the win in his heat. That was until his ride quit abruptly near the end of the feature, ending his night. C.J. Wagner subbing for Dan Bartz also had a tough time motoring the green machine around the quarter mile speedway.
Gravatt and Dave Lisowe ran first and second respectively throughout the first several circuits. Mike Emme, a Cleveland native, was the first mini-sprint driver to flip his ride Friday night. After what seemed to be a break in the steering system, Emme's car was send catapulting into the air off the turn two guardrail, resulting in a harsh landing. Rescue crews rushed to the scene, and a shaken, but luckily unhurt Emme crawled out of the mangled car signaling to the crowd he was ok.
When racing resumed, Gravatt again grabbed the holeshot on the restart. Harder was soon to follow with Illinois racer Dean Luckey in third. Scott Uttech, winner of the last WIMSA race held at the Hales Corners Speedway last Wednesday, battled with Luckey for the third spot. When Harder slowed, showed signs of malfunction, Luckey and Uttech moved in to second and third spots respectively.
The end twenty laps showed Craig Gravatt as the winner, then Luckey, Scott Uttech, Lisowe, and last years track champion and rookie of the year Mike Kertscher in the fifth spot.
Results: Chilton, WI - June 18, 1999
First 10-lap Heat:
1) Dave Lisowe 2) Jeff Schmidt